Turning Scientific Approaches into Practical Conservation Actions: The Case of Comunidad Indigena de Nuevo San Juan Parangaricutiro, Mexico

Optimum natural resource management and biodiversity conservation are desirable goals. These, however, often exclude each other, since maximum economic benefits have promoted drastic reductions in biodiversity throughout the world. This dilemma confronts local stakeholders, who usually go for maximizing economic inputs, whereas other social (e.g., academic) sectors are favor conservation practices. In this paper we describe the way two scientific approaches—landscape and participatory research—were used to develop sound and durable land use scenarios. These two approaches included expert knowledge of both social and environmental conditions in indigenous communities. Our major emphasis was given to detect spatially explicit land use scenarios and capacity building in order to construct a decision support system operated by stakeholders of the Comunidad Indigena de Nuevo San Juan Parangaricutiro in Mexico. The system for decision-making was fed with data from inventories of both abiotic and biotic biodiversity components. All research, implementation, and monitoring activities were conducted in close collaboration with members of the indigenous community. As a major result we obtained a number of forest alternative uses that favor emerging markets and make this indigenous community less dependent on a single market. Furthermore, skilled members of the community are now running the automated system for decision-making. In conclusion, our results were better expressed as products with direct benefits in local livelihoods rather than pure academic outputs.     

Impacts of a nutrient trading plan on stream water quality in Sugar Creek,Ohio

In the early 2000s, a phosphorus nutrient trading plan (NTP) requiring best management practices (BMPs) to be installed as pollution abatement strategies to offset phosphorus waste from the Alpine Cheese Company was implemented in four subwatersheds of Sugar Creek in northeast Ohio. To assess the impacts of the Alpine NTP, 49 sites were sampled approximately biweekly from 2010 to 2018 for phosphate, total phosphorus, nitrate, ammonia, and total nitrogen. In addition, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency conducted stream health surveys at 21 sites before and after the BMPs were implemented. This study evaluated the potential impact of 68 BMPs implemented under the NTP on the observed changes in nutrient concentrations and stream health indicators. Most nutrient concentrations observed during high discharge conditions showed significant declines from 2010 to 2018 for all subwatersheds, which was most likely due to BMPs that reduced erosion and surface runoff. However, there were fewer significant declines and some significant increases in nutrient levels during low discharge conditions, suggesting a possible contribution from legacy nutrient sources. Most sites reported increases in stream health indicators, but many streams are still below recommended levels. Collectively, the installation of BMPs and decreases in nutrient concentrations observed during high discharge conditions can be attributed to the NTP and likely contributed to improved stream health.     

Cluster analysis and quality assessment of logged water at an irrigation project, eastern Saudi Arabia

A multivariate statistical technique, cluster analysis, was used to assess the logged surface water quality at an irrigation project at Al-Fadhley, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. The principal idea behind using the technique was to utilize all available hydrochemical variables in the quality assessment including trace elements and other ions which are not considered in conventional techniques for water quality assessments like Stiff and Piper diagrams. Furthermore, the area belongs to an irrigation project where water contamination associated with the use of fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides is expected. This quality assessment study was carried out on a total of 34 surface/logged water samples. To gain a greater insight in terms of the seasonal variation of water quality, 17 samples were collected from both summer and winter seasons. The collected samples were analyzed for a total of 23 water quality parameters including pH, TDS, conductivity, alkalinity, sulfate, chloride, bicarbonate, nitrate, phosphate, bromide, fluoride, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, arsenic, boron, copper, cobalt, iron, lithium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, mercury and zinc. Cluster analysis in both Q and R modes was used. Q-mode analysis resulted in three distinct water types for both the summer and winter seasons. Q-mode analysis also showed the spatial as well as temporal variation in water quality. R-mode cluster analysis led to the conclusion that there are two major sources of contamination for the surface/shallow groundwater in the area: fertilizers, micronutrients, pesticides, and insecticides used in agricultural activities, and non-point natural sources.     

Multi‐Decadal Remote‐Sensing Analysis of Irrigated Areas in the Lower Rio Grande Valley,New Mexico

A time series of estimates of irrigated area was developed for the Lower Rio Grande valley (LRG) in New Mexico from the 1970s to present day. The objective of the project was to develop an independent, accurate, and scientifically justifiable evaluation of irrigated area in the region for the period spanning from the mid‐1970s to the present. These area estimates were used in support of groundwater modeling of the LRG region, as well as for other analyses. This study used a remote‐sensing‐based methodology to evaluate overall irrigated area within the LRG. We applied a methodology that involved the normalization of vegetation indices derived from satellite imagery to get a more accurate estimation of irrigated area across multiple time periods and multiple Landsat platforms. The normalization allows more accurate evaluation of vegetation index data that span several decades. An accuracy assessment of the methodology and results from this study was performed using field‐collected crop data from the 2008 growing season. The comparisons with field data indicate that the accuracy of the remote‐sensing‐based estimates of historical irrigated area is very good, with rates of false positives (areas identified as irrigated that are not truly irrigated) of only about 4%, and rates of false negatives (areas identified as not irrigated that are truly irrigated) in the range of 0.6‐2.0%.     

A comparative study of US EPA 1996 and 1999 emission inventories in the west Gulf of Mexico coast region, USA

Emission inventory is one of the required inputs to air quality models. To assist in the urban and regional modeling efforts, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has compiled a National Emission Inventory (NEI) for criterion pollutants, and the precursors of ozone and particulate matter (PM). In December 2002, EPA released the 1999 NEI estimates (NEI99), which represent the most recent national emission data. However, the data sets are not in model-ready format for air quality simulations. This present work converts the NEI99 Final Version 2 data sets into Inventory Data Analyzer (IDA) format and processes the data using the Sparse Matrix Operator Kernel Emissions (SMOKE) modeling system to generate a gridded emission inventory in a domain covering the west Gulf Coast Region, USA. The spatial and diurnal emission characteristics of the gridded emission inventories are then assessed and compared with those of the National Emission Trend 1996 (NET96). The NEI99 database contains more complete emission records in both area and point sources. It is also found that NEI99 data exhibit greater emissions with respect to point and mobile sources but smaller emissions with respect to area sources when compared to the corresponding gridded NET96 data in the same study domain. The most distinct differences between the NEI99 and NET96 databases are CO emission of mobile sources, SO2 emissions of point sources, and VOC/PM/NH3/NOx emissions of area and non-road sources. The gridded NEI99 data show low VOC/NOx ratios (<2-5) in the urban areas of the study domain.     

An online water quality monitoring and management system developed for the Liming River basin in Daqing, China

This paper describes an online water quality monitoring and management system that was developed by combining a chemical oxygen demand sensor with an artificial neural network technology and a virtual instrument technique. The system was used to model the hydrological environment of the Liming River basin in Daqing City, China, in an effort to maintain the water quality in this basin at a level compatible with the status of Daqing City as a scenic resort. Operation of the system during the past 2 years has shown that an optimal allocation of water (including water released from an environmental reservoir to mitigate pollution events) could be achieved for the basin using the information gathered by the system; using mathematic models established for this system, the quantity of water released from the reservoir is adequate to improve the overall water environment. The results demonstrate that the system provides an effective approach to water quality control for environmental protection.     

An energy systems view of sustainability: emergy evaluation of the San Luis Basin, Colorado

Energy Systems Theory (EST) provides a framework for understanding and interpreting sustainability. EST implies that "what is sustainable" for a system at any given level of organization is determined by the cycles of change originating in the next larger system and within the system of concern. The pulsing paradigm explains the ubiquitous cycles of change that apparently govern ecosystems, rather than succession to a steady state that is then sustainable. Therefore, to make robust decisions among environmental policies and alternatives, decision-makers need to know where their system resides in the cycles of change that govern it. This theory was examined by performing an emergy evaluation of the sustainability of a regional system, the San Luis Basin (SLB), CO. By 1980, the SLB contained a climax stage agricultural system with well-developed crop and livestock production along with food and animal waste processing. The SLB is also a hinterland in that it exports raw materials and primary products (exploitation stage) to more developed areas. Emergy indices calculated for the SLB from 1995 to 2005 revealed changes in the relative sustainability of the system over this time. The sustainability of the region as indicated by the renewable emergy used as a percent of total use declined 4%, whereas, the renewable carrying capacity declined 6% over this time. The Emergy Sustainability Index (ESI) showed the largest decline (27%) in the sustainability of the region. The total emergy used by the SLB, a measure of system well-being, was fairly stable (CV?=?0.05). In 1997, using renewable emergy alone, the SLB could support 50.7% of its population at the current standard of living, while under similar conditions the U.S. could support only 4.8% of its population. In contrast to other indices of sustainability, a new index, the Emergy Sustainable Use Index (ESUI), which considers the benefits gained by the larger system compared to the potential for local environmental damage, increased 34% over the period.     

Using the soil and water assessment tool to estimate achievable water quality targets through implementation of beneficial management practices in an agricultural watershed

Runoff from crop production in agricultural watersheds can cause widespread soil loss and degradation of surface water quality. Beneficial management practices (BMPs) for soil conservation are often implemented as remedial measures because BMPs can reduce soil erosion and improve water quality. However, the efficacy of BMPs may be unknown because it can be affected by many factors, such as farming practices, land-use, soil type, topography, and climatic conditions. As such, it is difficult to estimate the impacts of BMPs on water quality through field experiments alone. In this research, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool was used to estimate achievable performance targets of water quality indicators (sediment and soluble P loadings) after implementation of combinations of selected BMPs in the Black Brook Watershed in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Four commonly used BMPs (flow diversion terraces [FDTs], fertilizer reductions, tillage methods, and crop rotations), were considered individually and in different combinations. At the watershed level, the best achievable sediment loading was 1.9 t ha(-1) yr(-1) (89% reduction compared with default scenario), with a BMP combination of crop rotation, FDT, and no-till. The best achievable soluble P loading was 0.5 kg ha(-1) yr(-1) (62% reduction), with a BMP combination of crop rotation and FDT and fertilizer reduction. Targets estimated through nonpoint source water quality modeling can be used to evaluate BMP implementation initiatives and provide milestones for the rehabilitation of streams and rivers in agricultural regions.     

The utilization of brackish water, protecting the quality of the upper fresh water layer in coastal aquifers

Increasing salinity is one of the most significant and widespread forms of groundwater pollution in coastal areas. This paper presents the causes and impacts of saline water intrusion in coastal areas. Various causes of salt water intrusion, and approaches for the determination of its extent and various measures to control the salt water intrusion are described. An aquifer performance test (APT) approach is presented to identify the extent of existing salt water intrusion in the study area located in the southwest coastal region of Gujarat State (India). A resistivity based experimental technique is used to identify the quality of the groundwater available at different depths. A methodology is presented to assess the extent of available fresh and saline groundwater and to find out the limit up to which lower saline groundwater can be withdrawn for industrial purposes without affecting the upper fresh water layer which can be made available for domestic purposes.     

Assessment of the spring water quality in The Shoubak area,Jordan

The present study investigates the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of spring water samples in Shoubak area in the southern Jordan. The samples were collected from May 2004 to May 2005. All samples were analyzed for temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, major cations (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, Na⁺), major anions (Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, HCO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, PO₄³⁻, F⁻), and trace metals (Fe²⁺, Al³⁺, Mn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cr³⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺). Water quality for available springs showed high salinity through long period of contact with rocks. The ion concentrations in the water samples were from dissolution of carbonate rocks and ion exchange processes in clay. The general chemistry of water samples was typically of alkaline earth waters with prevailing bicarbonate chloride. Some springs showed elevated nitrate and sulfate contents which could reflect to percolation from septic tanks, cesspools, and agricultural practices. The infiltration of wastewater from cesspools and septic tanks into groundwater is considered the major source of water pollution. The results showed that there were great variations among the analyzed samples with respect to their physical, chemical and biological parameters, which lie below the maximum permissible levels of the Jordanian and WHO drinking water standards. The results indicate that the trace metals of spring’s water of Shoubak area do not generally pose any health or environmental problems. Factor analysis was used to identify the contributers to water quality. The first factor represents major contribution from anthropogenic activities, while the second one represents major contribution from natural processes.     

Modelling the response of surface water quality to the urbanization in Xi'an, China

The study investigated the response of surface water quality to urbanization in Xi'an, China. We qualitatively described the change in urban land use from 1996 to 2003, analyzed the status of the surface water environment, and constructed a model of urban expansion to simulate the water environment's response to urbanization. Our results revealed that patterns of land use changed dramatically, the rate of economic growth exceeded that of urbanization during the study period, and increasing urban land use was correlated with fluctuations in water quality. The simulated results suggested that urbanization had reached the environmental carrying capacity based on the average land utility and the marginal costs of pollution.     

Sources of water pollution and evolution of water quality in the Wuwei basin of Shiyang river, Northwest China

Based on surveys and chemical analyses, we performed a case study of the surface water and groundwater quality in the Wuwei basin, in order to understand the sources of water pollution and the evolution of water quality in Shiyang river. Concentrations of major chemical elements in the surface water were related to the distance downstream from the source of the river, with surface water in the upstream reaches of good quality, but the river from Wuwei city to the Hongya reservoir was seriously polluted, with a synthetic pollution index of 25. Groundwater quality was generally good in the piedmont with dominant bicarbonate and calcium ions, but salinity was high and nitrate pollution occurs in the northern part of the basin. Mineralization of the groundwater has changed rapidly during the past 20 years. There are 23 wastewater outlets that discharge a total of 22.4 x 10(6)m(3)y(-1) into the river from Wuwei city, which, combined with a reduction of inflow water, were found to be the major causes of water pollution. Development of fisheries in the Hongya reservoir since 2000 has also contributed to the pollution. The consumption of water must be decreased until it reaches the sustainable level permitted by the available resources in the whole basin, and discharge of wastes must also be drastically reduced.     

Trends of surface water quality of the Krishna River,India during the urbanization process

In the present study, Amaravati, the proposed city of India is considered to assess the impacts of urbanization on water quality of the Krishna River in the vicinity. Long-term surface water quality data of various parameters of Krishna River are obtained from Central Water Commission (CWC). Trends of various parameters are analyzed using a modified version of Mann-Kendall (M-K) test; bootstrapped M-K trend test with optional bias corrected pre-whitening and R programming are used affecting water quality prior to and at the commencement of urbanization. During the onset of urbanization, minimum BOD is decreased from 0.49 to 0.2 mg/L, while the maximum BOD is increased by 67.7%. Dissolved oxygen's (DO) minimum value is decreased by 29.33% while maximum DO value is decreased by 4.47% at the beginning of urbanization. During the process of urbanization, total coliform's minimum count is increased to 330 from 2 MPN/100 ml while the maximum count of total coliforms is increased to 16,000 from 2400 MPN/100 ml. Faecal coilform's minimum count is increased from 2 to 80 MPN/100 ml while maximum count is increased to 16,000 from 800 MPN/100 ml during urbanization. It is found that due to urbanization, pH, DO values exceed the allowable limit.     

The deflectors influence on flow complexity,bed morphology,sediment transport and water quality of urban lotic waters - A laboratory study

In this laboratory study different combinations of bed (sand, pebble gravel [gravel], and a mix of sand and gravel) and flow (typical and overtopping) were experimented with to investigate the impact of porous deflectors in flow diversity, water quality, and fish performance in prismatic open channels. Deflectors changed the gradually varied flow to a rapidly varied flow, as a sudden change in the water depth was observed at the deflectors, and this change was large for smooth beds. With the presence of gravel, the scouring near the downstream deflector was almost twice that of the sand bed, and with the scouring at its own upstream deflector, irrespective of whether the flow was typical or overtopping. This behavior was a result of sand mobilization due to shear stress and sand mobilization aided gravel transport. The mixed bed showed less gravel movement compared to the gravel-only bed. The percentage of sediment washed out was minor for all bed scenarios, indicating that sediment transport was local. Relative to the sand bed without deflectors (representing a typical urban canal), deflectors resulted in reduced and improved water quality (in terms of sediment load) for sand, and mixed bed, respectively. The fishes found refuge and were comfortable in the pool areas created by deflectors unlike in channels without deflectors where they showed exhaustion.     

Understanding long-term baseflow water quality trends using a synoptic survey of the ground water-surface water interface, central Wisconsin

The relationship between stream water quality and landscape activities is difficult to evaluate where the principal source of stream flow is ground water seepage because the average travel time from ground water recharge areas to stream discharge positions can be on the order of decades. We tested the idea that past and future baseflow water quality can be predicted based on a synoptic survey of ground water recharge age-dates (based on chlorofluorocarbon [CFC] measurements) and water quality measurements obtained at the ground water-surface water interface. In this study we (i) characterize the discharge-weighted age distribution and water quality of ground water seepage into the Little Plover River (LPR); (ii) use this information to backcast and forecast baseflow NO(3)(-) concentrations; and (iii) evaluate NO(3)(-) backcasts against historical baseflow data (1960 to 2000). The discharge-weighted apparent CFC age of ground water seepage into the LPR was 23.7 (+/-7) yr. Baseflow backcasts matched the four decade rise of baseflow NO(3)(-) from 2 to 8 mg L(-1). Baseflow forecasts included three scenarios. Scenario A projects the historical rise of NO(3)(-) in the LPR basin's ground water recharge through 2050. Scenario B projects a leveling off of NO(3)(-) in ground water recharge in the year 2000. Scenario C projects a leveling off in the year 1985. Under Scenario A, LPR baseflow NO(3)(-) will increase steadily from 8 to 19 mg L(-1) between 2000 and 2050. Under scenarios B and C baseflow NO(3)(-) will plateau at 13 mg L(-1) in 2030 and at 10 mg L(-1) in 2010, respectively. The approach developed in this study can be used to (i) reconstruct historical baseflow water quality patterns in the absence of long-term monitoring data and (ii) project the effects of potential management decision on future water quality.     

Living on the edge of stagnant water: An assessment of environmental impacts of construction-phase drainage congestion along Dhaka city flood control embankment,Bangladesh

Environmental impacts of the construction-phase drainage congestion along the Dhaka City Flood Control Embankment were assessed by a pilot questionnaire survey (in 1991) among the target population adjacent to the embankment. The results of the survey indicated that, despite significant alleviation of river flooding, the majority of the respondents experienced a new type of flood problem in the form of stagnant water inside the embankment, immediately following its construction. Not only had this stagnant water flooded and damaged their property, it had exposed them to a number of other environmental problems, such as accumulation of municipal sewage, foul odors, mosquitoes, and growth of water hyacinth. The study found that the respondents' assessments of these environmental problems differed significantly according to the magnitude of the impact of stagnant water upon two subgroups within the target population. A postsurvey follow-up in 1994 indicated that this problem of drainage congestion had largely been alleviated by completing the construction of a number of drainage regulators. The study concludes by stressing the importance of synchronizing the construction of drainage structures with that of the embankment systems and by underlining policy implications for flood-vulnerable land use adjacent to embankments.     

Environmental impact assessment in flanders,belgium: An evaluation of the administrative procedure

Two years of experience with EIA in Flanders (northern Belgium) was evaluated in order to gain perspective on the effectiveness of the administrative procedure. The four essential characteristics of the EIA procedure that were evaluated are: completeness, open and public character, objectivity, and verifiability. Representatives of all parties involved in the EIA procedure were interviewed. The result of the evaluation is a list of major problems with EIA. Recommendations for a more efficient procedure are suggested at a time when a proposal for a new, comprehensive, and permanent EIA decree is being discussed. The evaluation of the administrative procedure for EIA in Flanders shows that several vital characteristics of the EIA procedure are lacking. This reduces the obligatory and open nature of the process, resulting in insufficient guarantees that the environment receives the altention it deserves during the decision-making process.     

Water quality indices appraisal and health risk assessment of nitrate,mercury and lead in water distribution network: A case study of Robat Karim in Tehran,Iran

Groundwater is a basic source of drinking water supply for urban and rural areas. This is especially the case for communities located in arid and semi-arid regions that rely on groundwater for drinking purposes. The present study set out to assess the potential health impacts of water impurities and to investigate the qualitative status of drinking water in Robat Karim rural areas, located in southwest Tehran, Iran. A total of 66 samples were collected from the water distribution network of 11 villages (33 sampling points, on two occasions) during September 2020 and were tested in terms of the most common quality parameters such as pH, mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), chloride (Cl^–), chlorate (ClO₃^–), nitrite (NO₂^–), nitrate (NO₃^–), and flouride (F^–). Multiple methods and indexes including water quality index (WQI), hazard quotient (HQ), and hazard index (HI), were worked out to assess the quality of water and health risk assessment of NO₃^– Pb²⁺ and Hg²⁺. The results revealed that 33% and 90% of sampling sites have significantly high nitrate and total hardness (TH) concentrations, exceeding the maximum permissible limits set by World Health Organization (WHO; 50 and 200 mg/L, respectively). Furthermore, five sampling points exhibited poor WQIs mainly related to NO₃^– and TH. HQ values higher than 1 for nitrate were noticed in most sampling locations. Except for one sampling point, the HQ obtained for Pb²⁺ and Hg²⁺ were below 1 indicating no obvious health hazard. This study represents that children and infants are at higher risk of chronic toxicity by excess NO₃^– intake. The health hazard that is yet imposed on the community by NO₃^– necessitates regular monitoring of drinking water, the use of advanced technologies to purify water or otherwise alternative resources should be proposed.