Safeguarding Wetlands and Their Connections within Wetlandscapes to Improve Conservation Outcomes for Threatened Amphibian Species

Wetlands should not be considered as independent objects but as dynamically connected objects, collectively known as wetlandscapes. We developed a framework that analyzes the influences of wetland suitability and connectivity on amphibian distributions. We defined two indices: a Wetland Suitability Index describing wetland quality and a Movement Permeability Index characterizing wetland connectivity for amphibian population dynamics. These indices were calculated from raster datasets and time‐varying inundation estimates. The indices were used to define a wetlandscape and an amphibian model was used to simulate population dynamics within the wetlandscape. The framework was applied to the Nose Creek watershed, a highly modified wetlandscape in Alberta, Canada. Two amphibian species were selected with different habitat preferences: the Northern Leopard Frog that prefers wet habitats and has high mobility over land, and the Great Plains Toad that prefers terrestrial habitats and has low mobility over land. We found each amphibian species had a “preferred” wetlandscape, reflecting their life cycle traits and migration strategies which in turn were dependent on the hydrological and ecological connections within the wetlandscape. This study highlights the importance of investigating both individual wetlands and the wetlandscape and considering both wetland habitat quality and connectivity as non‐substitutable properties that act jointly, but differently, on population dynamics.     

Human Influences on Water Quality in Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands

A better understanding of relationships between human activities and water chemistry is needed to identify and manage sources of anthropogenic stress in Great Lakes coastal wetlands. The objective of the study described in this article was to characterize relationships between water chemistry and multiple classes of human activity (agriculture, population and development, point source pollution, and atmospheric deposition). We also evaluated the influence of geomorphology and biogeographic factors on stressor-water quality relationships. We collected water chemistry data from 98 coastal wetlands distributed along the United States shoreline of the Laurentian Great Lakes and GIS-based stressor data from the associated drainage basin to examine stressor-water quality relationships. The sampling captured broad ranges (1.5–2 orders of magnitude) in total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), total suspended solids (TSS), chlorophyll a (Chl a), and chloride; concentrations were strongly correlated with stressor metrics. Hierarchical partitioning and all-subsets regression analyses were used to evaluate the independent influence of different stressor classes on water quality and to identify best predictive models. Results showed that all categories of stress influenced water quality and that the relative influence of different classes of disturbance varied among water quality parameters. Chloride exhibited the strongest relationships with stressors followed in order by TN, Chl a, TP, TSS, and DIN. In general, coarse scale classification of wetlands by morphology (three wetland classes: riverine, protected, open coastal) and biogeography (two ecoprovinces: Eastern Broadleaf Forest [EBF] and Laurentian Mixed Forest [LMF]) did not improve predictive models. This study provides strong evidence of the link between water chemistry and human stress in Great Lakes coastal wetlands and can be used to inform management efforts to improve water quality in Great Lakes coastal ecosystems.     

Impact of Sea Level Rise on Groundwater Salinity in a Coastal Community of South Florida1

Guha, Hillol and Sorab Panday, 2012. Impact of Sea Level Rise on Groundwater Salinity in a Coastal Community of South Florida. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(3): 510-529. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00630.x Abstract: Freshwater resources of coastal communities in the United States and world over are threatened by the rate of sea level rise. According to recent estimates by various governmental agencies and climate researchers, the global sea level rise is likely to be between 0.6 and 2.1 m by the year 2100. South Florida is a coastal community and much of its coastline is subject to sea level rise and potential impacts to wetlands and the water resources of the area. To understand what the impact of sea level rise would cause to the groundwater level and salinity intrusion, an integrated groundwater and surface water model was developed for North Miami-Dade and Broward Counties of South Florida. The model was calibrated against daily groundwater heads, base flows in canals, and chloride concentrations for a period of one year and six months. Three separate sensitivity analyses were conducted by increasing the sea level by 0.6, 0.9, and 1.22 m. Results of the simulations shows increase of groundwater heads in some areas from 4 to 15%; whereas the average relative chloride concentrations increased significantly by 100-600% in some wells. The increase in groundwater elevations and chloride concentrations varies from location of the wells and its proximity to the coast. The model results indicate that even a 0.6 m increase in sea level (which is the conservative estimate) is likely to impair the vital freshwater resources in many parts of South Florida.     

辽宁沿海经济带城市化对气候影响的实证分析

以辽宁沿海经济带为研究对象,利用1997—2008年辽宁沿海各城市的城市化和气候指标,运用线性拟合、主成分分析方法探索城市化对气候的影响。结果表明,除盘锦和大连的气温在城市化影响下呈现微弱的下降趋势外,其他各地的年均温和年降水量均随着城市化进程的发展呈现波动性上升趋势。城市规模、产业结构合理水平、下垫面变化和城市环境共同构成葫芦岛、锦州、营口和大连城市气候变化的主要因素,而在盘锦和丹东,城市规模和城市环境是第一主成分,产业结构合理水平和下垫面变化是第二主成分。在未来的发展过程中,辽宁沿海经济带应控制人口数量,合理调整产业结构,减少污染物排放,增加绿地面积,从而协调城市化发展与气候之间的关系。     

盐城海滨湿地景观过程研究现状与发展趋势

盐城海滨景观过程研究已成为学术界研究的热点内容.从海滨湿地景观格局演变研究、生态过程研究,包括水文地貌过程、生物地球化学过程、植被演替过程等方面论述了海滨湿地景观过程研究现状.从加强景观演变驱动力研究、景观过程综合关系研究,重视侵蚀海岸的景观过程研究、景观过程研究方法的创新与应用等方面阐述了海滨湿地景观过程未来的研究重点.     

生态文明视域下河北沿海地区湿地农业发展转型研究

基于生态文明建设视域,分析了河北沿海地区湿地农业发展现状,指出目前存在天然湿地面积逐年减少、抵御自然灾害能力降低、水资源及环境条件恶化、湿地功能发挥受到限制等主要问题,阐释了湿地农业发展转型的必要性,提出实现湿地农业持续发展,必须推动其增长方式向依靠科学技术和科学管理转型,生产方式向依靠基础设施和技术装备转型,经营方式向适度规模经营转型,农产品向多品种、高品质转型,发展方式向多次产业融合转型。     

广西沿海市政入海排污调查及治理对策

广西沿海市政排污口污水主要来源于城市生活污水和工业废水,2011年监测结果显示全年排放废水7033万t,排放污染物4236t,排污口超标率95.83%,普遍超标因子为磷酸盐、生化需氧量、化学需氧量和氨氮,分别占84.20%、66.67%、52.60%、50.00%。根据调查结果,分析了超标原因,提出了防治对策。     

人工湿地处理稀土低水平放射性废水的可行性研究

本文针对稀土低水平放射性废水的特点,分析了稀土低水平放射性废水的人工湿地处理技术的可行性和技术经济优势,并对其需解决的关键问题和技术难点进行了分析和展望。     

Major Climate risks and Adaptation Strategies of Smallholder Farmers in Coastal Bangladesh

Environmental Management - Rural households in South Asia’s coastal deltas face numerous livelihood challenges, including risks posed by climatic variability and extreme weather events. This...     

Adapting to Climate Change at the Local Level: The Spatial Planning Response

Abstract

Climate change is a major issue for all levels of government, global, national and local. Local authorities' responses to climate change have tended to concentrate on their role in reducing greenhouse gases. However, the scientific consensus is that we also need to adapt to unavoidable climate change. Spatial planning at a local level has a critical anticipatory role to play in promoting robust adaptation. This paper reviews the shift in local authorities' planning policies for climate change adaptation in the UK since 2000, and provides evidence of underlying attitudes amongst planning professionals to climate change. It shows that, while the issue of climate change is becoming recognized with respect to flood risk, the wider implications (for instance, for biodiversity and water resources) are not yet integrated into plans. The reasons for this lie in lack of political support and lack of engagement of the planning profession with climate change networks. But the paper also argues there are difficulties in acknowledging the need for adaptation at the local level, with the short-term horizons of local plans at odds with perceptions of the long-term implications of climate change.     

Adapting to Climate Change at the Local Level: The Spatial Planning Response

Climate change is a major issue for all levels of government, global, national and local. Local authorities' responses to climate change have tended to concentrate on their role in reducing greenhouse gases. However, the scientific consensus is that we also need to adapt to unavoidable climate change. Spatial planning at a local level has a critical anticipatory role to play in promoting robust adaptation. This paper reviews the shift in local authorities' planning policies for climate change adaptation in the UK since 2000, and provides evidence of underlying attitudes amongst planning professionals to climate change. It shows that, while the issue of climate change is becoming recognized with respect to flood risk, the wider implications (for instance, for biodiversity and water resources) are not yet integrated into plans. The reasons for this lie in lack of political support and lack of engagement of the planning profession with climate change networks. But the paper also argues there are difficulties in acknowledging the need for adaptation at the local level, with the short-term horizons of local plans at odds with perceptions of the long-term implications of climate change.     

The Water Fluxes of the Yellow River to the Sea in the Past 50 Years, in Response to Climate Change and Human Activities

Since the 1970s, the water fluxes to the sea of the Yellow River have declined significantly. Based on data of precipitation, air temperature, the measured and “natural” river flow, the water diversion and consumption, and the areas of erosion and sediment control measures over the drainage basin, water fluxes to the sea of the Yellow River are studied in relation with the influences of changing climate and human activities. The Yellow River basin can be divided into different water source areas; multiple regression indicates that the variation in precipitation over different water source areas has different effect on water fluxes to the sea. In the period between 1970 and 1997, averaged air temperature over the whole Yellow River increased by about 1.0°C, from 16.5°C to 17.5°C, a factor that is negatively correlated with the water yield of the Yellow River. Water diversion and consumption has sharply increased and resulted in a significant decline in the water fluxes to the sea. Since the 1960s, erosion and sediment control measures have been practiced over the drainage basin. This factor, to a lesser degree, is also responsible for the decrease in water fluxes to the sea. A multiple regression equation has been established to estimate the change in water fluxes to the sea caused by the changes in precipitation, air temperature, water diversion and consumption, erosion, and sediment control measures, indicating that the contribution of water diversion and consumption to the variation in annual water flux to the sea is 41.3%, that of precipitation is 40.8%, that of temperature is 11.4%, and that of erosion and sediment control measures is 6.5%.     

Building Local Community Commitment to Wetlands Restoration: A Case Study of the Cache River Wetlands in Southern Illinois, USA

Natural resource professionals are increasingly faced with the challenges of cultivating community-based support for wetland ecosystem restoration. While extensive research efforts have been directed toward understanding the biophysical dimensions of wetland conservation, the literature provides less guidance on how to successfully integrate community stakeholders into restoration planning. Therefore, this study explores the social construction of wetlands locally, and community members’ perceptions of the wetland restoration project in the Cache River Watershed of southern Illinois, where public and private agencies have partnered together to implement a large-scale wetlands restoration project. Findings illustrate that the wetlands hold diverse and significant meanings to community members and that community members’ criteria for project success may vary from those identified by project managers. The case study provides managers with strategies for building community commitment such as engaging local citizens in project planning, minimizing local burdens, maximizing local benefits, and reducing uncertainty.     

辽宁沿海经济带城市化水平与资源环境压力的关联分析

资源环境压力已经成为辽宁沿海经济带城市化进程的制约因素。通过构建城市化水平评价指标体系与设计资源环境压力指数,利用灰色关联分析,分别从时空两个角度辨析了辽宁沿海经济带城市化水平与资源环境压力之间的关系。结果表明,辽宁沿海经济带城市化与资源环境压力高度相关,研究期内用电压力指数、能源压力指数与城市化水平的关联度最高,且辽宁沿海经济带各沿海城市的资源环境分压力指数与城市化水平基本呈现相同的关联排序。     

A Rapid Decision-Making Method for the Evaluationof Pollution-Sensitive Coastal Areas in the Mediterranean Sea

Places of natural beauty and/or cultural value in the Mediterranean Sea are presenting adverse effects due to pollution. These environmental threats caused by point and nonpoint sources are mainly the reason why these areas represent “pollution-sensitive areas,” where the risk of deterioration is immediate. However, the risk will decrease and eventually disappear if protective measures are applied. In the present article, a multicriteria decision-making method is proposed for the prioritization of the Mediterranean sensitive coastal areas, taking into consideration criteria of pollution risk such as impact on human health, aquatic ecosystems, and socioeconomic value of the area. Weighting factors were then attributed to the different criteria according to their regional priorities, and a total pollution risk score was calculated for every sensitive area. However, some sensitive areas are more vulnerable than others because of their natural characteristics. Therefore, the total pollution risk score was then multiplied by a vulnerability weighting factor and a Total Sensitivity Score was calculated for every sensitive area. With this method, Mediterranean sensitive areas in coastal zones can be ranked on a priority list and then categorized according to their “sensitivity,” in a way that decision-makers can select the most urgent cases to direct their attention for the effective protection of the Mediterranean marine environment. The method is rapid and practicable and has already been used with existing data and information in several Mediterranean countries.     

Adaptation in Practice: How Managers of Nature Conservation Areas in Eastern England are Responding to Climate Change

Although good general principles for climate change adaptation in conservation have been developed, it is proving a challenge to translate them into more detailed recommendations for action. To improve our understanding of what adaptation might involve in practice, we investigated how the managers of conservation areas in eastern England are considering climate change. We used a written questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to collect information from managers of a range of different conservation areas. Topics investigated include the impacts of climate change perceived to be of the greatest importance; adaptation goals being set; management actions being carried out to achieve these goals; sources of information used; and perceived barriers to taking action. We identified major themes and issues that were apparent across the sites studied. Specifically, we found ways in which adaptation had been informed by past experience; different strategies relating to whether to accept or resist change; approaches for coping with more variable conditions; ways of taking a large-scale approach and managing sites as networks; some practical examples of aspects of adaptive management; and examples of the role that other sectors can play in both constraining and increasing a conservation area’s capacity to adapt. We discuss the relevance of these findings to the growing discussion in conservation about identifying adaptation pathways for different conservation areas and a potential progression from a focus on resilience and incremental change to embracing “transformation.” Though adaptation will be place-specific, we believe these findings provide useful lessons for future action in both England and other countries.     

Impacts of Climate Variability and Land Use Alterations on Frequency Distributions of Terrestrial Runoff Loading to Coastal Waters in Southern California1

Abstract: The transport of water, sediment, dissolved and particulate chemicals, and bacteria from coastal watersheds affects the nearshore marine and estuarine waters. In southern California, coastal watersheds deliver water and associated constituents to the nearshore system in discrete pulses. To better understand the pulsed nature of these watersheds, frequency distributions of simulated runoff events are presented for: (1) three land use conditions (1929, 1998, 2050); (2) three time periods (all water years 1989‐2002), only El Nino years (1992, 1993, 1995, 1998); and only non‐El Nino years; and (3) three regions (watershed, uplands, and lowlands). At the watershed scale, there was a significant increase (>200%) in mean event runoff from 1929 to 2050 (0.4‐1.3 cm) due to localized urbanization, which shifted the dominant sources of runoff from the mountains in 1929 (78% of watershed runoff) to the coastal plane for 2050 conditions (51% of watershed runoff). Inter‐annual climate variability was strong in the rainfall and runoff frequency distributions, with mean event rainfall and runoff 66 and 60% larger in El Nino relative to non‐El Nino years. Combining urbanization and climate variability, 2050 land conditions resulted in El Nino years being five times more likely to produce large (>3.0 cm) runoff events relative to non‐El Nino years. Combining frequency distributions of event runoff with regional nutrient export relationships, we show that in El Nino years, one in five events produced runoff ≥2.5 cm and temporary nearshore nitrate and phosphate concentrations of 12 and 1.4 μM, respectively, or approximately 5‐10 times above ambient conditions.     

Predicting Sustainable Ground Water to Constructed Riparian Wetlands: Shaker Trace,Ohio, USA

Water isotopy is introduced as a tool to design, locate, and select storm water best management practices for the prediction of sustained ground water inflows to prospective constructed wetlands. A primer and application of the stable isotopes, ¹⁸O and ²H, are discussed for riparian wetland restoration areas among an agricultural landscape in southwestern Ohio. Conventional piezometric measurements were ambiguous in identifying groundwater mounding across a transect which includes numerous agricultural tile drains. Instead evaporative potential data represented by δ¹⁸O values indicated a well delineated zone for prospective constructed wetlands. All successful constructed wetland areas thus far at Shaker Trace are represented by ground water with depleted δ¹⁸O values below −9.0‰ VSMOW. Such areas of sustainable ground water inflow could either be due to perched units at depth or simply the result of an increased flow gradient.     

Economic Valuation of a Mangrove Ecosystem Threatened by Shrimp Aquaculture in Sri Lanka

Mangrove ecosystems in Sri Lanka are increasingly under threat from development projects, especially aquaculture. An economic assessment is presented for a relatively large (42 ha) shrimp culture development proposed for the Rekawa Lagoon system in the south of Sri Lanka, which involved an extended cost–benefit analysis of the proposal and an estimate of the “total economic value” (TEV) of a mangrove ecosystem. The analysis revealed that the internal benefits of developing the shrimp farm are higher than the internal costs in the ratio of 1.5:1. However, when the wider environmental impacts are more comprehensively evaluated, the external benefits are much lower than the external costs in a ratio that ranges between 1:6 and 1:11. In areas like Rekawa, where agriculture and fisheries are widely practiced at subsistence levels, shrimp aquaculture developments have disproportionately large impacts on traditional livelihoods and social welfare. Thus, although the analysis retains considerable uncertainties, more explicit costing of the environmental services provided by mangrove ecosystems demonstrates that low intensity, but sustainable, harvesting has far greater long-term value to local stakeholders and the wider community than large shrimp aquaculture developments.