DESIGNATION OF WETLANDS BY WEIGHTED AVERAGES OF VEGETATION DATA: A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION1

ABSTRACT: Weighted averages (WA) was investigated as a vegetation-based method for wetland designation, to be used in conjunction with the wetland indicator status of plants from Wetland Plants of the United States of America 1986 (Reed, 1986). Ecological indices were assigned to indicator groups and were used to compute weighted averages for quantitative data obtained from four studies of wetland vegetation conducted in various regions of the United States. Weighted averages of vegetation data proved to be a useful tool for assessing wetland status of the vegetation types included in our study: (1) rankings of vegetation stands or types by WA correlated well with their positions on environmental moisture gradients; and (2) the results of WA could be used, together with a wetland/upland break-point, to designate vegetation types as wetland or upland in a way that agreed well, in three of the four studies, with an alternative classification of wetland habitats. The variation of weighted averages among the sampling units representing a vegetation type was generally small relative to the range of ecological indices assigned. However, designations based on weighted average scores close to the break-point should be considered provisional and must be verified with supplementary data on soils and hydrology.     

The use of regression equations for quality control in a pesticide physical property database

Quality control is a crucial aspect of database management, particularly for physicochemical parameters that are widely used in modeling environmental fate processes. Complete rechecking of original studies to verify environmental fate parameters is time consuming and difficult. This paper evaluates an alternative, more efficient approach to identifying database errors. The approach focuses verification efforts on a targeted subset of entries by making use of the relationship between water solubility (S) and soil organic carbon partition coefficient (K _oc ). Two regression equations, one selected from the literature and one calculated from entries in the database, were used to evaluate the reasonableness of (S, K _oc ) pairs among control compared to the targeted outlier group from a total of 59 pesticides. Our hypothesis was that (S, K _oc ) pairs that lay far from the regression line were more likely to be in error than those that fit the regression. Database values were checked against original studies. Identified errors in the database included coding mistakes, miscalculations, and incorrect chemical identification codes. The error rate in outlier (S, K _oc ) pairs was about twice that of pairs that conformed to the regression equation; however, the error rate differential was probably not large enough to justify the use of this quality control method. Through our close scrutiny of database entries we were able to identify administrative practices that led to mistakes in the data base. Resolution of these problems will significantly decrease the number of future mistakes.     

A case study of urban heat islands in the Carolinas

Urbanization tends to aggravate the negative effects of climate. The objective of this research is to aid in the understanding of the spatial variation of urban heat islands within selected cities in North and South Carolina. This understanding will help guide efforts to cool cities in order to increase human comfort, conserve energy and resources, and reduce air pollution in both of these states.     

MODELING THE LONG TERM IMPACTS OF USING RIGID STRUCTURES IN STREAM CHANNEL RESTORATION1

Abstract: Natural channel designs often incorporate rigid instream structures to protect channel banks, provide grade control, promote flow deflection, or otherwise improve channel stability. The long term impact of rigid structures on natural stream processes is relatively unknown. The objective of this study was to use long term alluvial channel modeling to evaluate the effect of rigid structures on channel processes and assess current and future stream channel stability. The study was conducted on Oliver Run, a small stream in Pennsylvania relocated due to highway construction. Field data were collected for one year along the 107 m reach to characterize the stream and provide model input, calibration, and verification data. FLUVIAL-12 was used to evaluate the long term impacts of rigid structures on natural channel adjustment, overall channel stability, and changing form and processes. Based on a consideration of model limitations and results, it was concluded that the presence of rigid structures reduced channel width-to-depth ratios, minimized bed elevation changes due to long term aggradation and degradation, limited lateral channel migration, and increased the mean bed material particle size throughout the reach. Results also showed how alluvial channel modeling can be used to improve the stream restoration design effort.     

DEVELOPMENT OF WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT INDICES1

ABSTRACT: In a joint undertaking by The MITRE Corporation and the EPA Office of Water Programs Operations, three indices were developed: (1) An index of water quality; (2) An index of the need for abatement action; and (3) An index of the need for water quality management planning. These indices were evaluated for some 1000 planning areas (sub basins, regional planning jurisdictions, metropolitan areas, etc.) which together cover essentially all of the area of the 48 contiguous states.     

APPROACHES FOR DEVELOPING ALTERNATIVES IN PLANNING1

ABSTRACT. In the past planners have used various approaches to develop alternative plans for planning studies. These include: rational thought which draws upon the planners' knowledge, experience and judgement; objectives which emphasize specific values such as economic and environmental; technologies which achieve the same objective; public preferences which reflect public values and interests; alternative futures which array a diverse range of possible futures; mathematical models which rapidly evaluate possible alternatives; cost sharing policies which consider a participant's financial interest; Delphi technique utilizing a diversity of professional expertise; the IDEA method which stimulates and evaluates large numbers of alternatives. Most of these approaches have found application on various planning studies.     

Characterization of Infiltration Rates from Landfills: Supporting Groundwater Modeling Efforts

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature to characterize infiltration rates from landfill liners to support groundwater modeling efforts. The focus of this investigation was on collecting studies that describe the performance of liners 'as installed' or 'as operated'. This document reviews the state of the science and practice on the infiltration rate through compacted clay liner (CCL) for 149 sites and geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) for 1 site. In addition, it reviews the leakage rate through geomembrane (GM) liners and composite liners for 259 sites. For compacted clay liners (CCL), there was limited information on infiltration rates (i.e., only 9 sites reported infiltration rates.), thus, it was difficult to develop a national distribution. The field hydraulic conductivities for natural clay liners range from 1 x 10(-9) cm s(-1) to 1 x 10(-4) cm s(-1), with an average of 6.5 x 10(-8) cm s(-1). There was limited information on geosynthetic clay liner. For composite lined and geomembrane systems, the leak detection system flow rates were utilized. The average monthly flow rate for composite liners ranged from 0-32 lphd for geomembrane and GCL systems to 0 to 1410 lphd for geomembrane and CCL systems. The increased infiltration for the geomembrane and CCL system may be attributed to consolidation water from the clay.     

Seasonal variations in activity concentrations of 99Tc and 137Cs in the edible meat fraction of crabs and lobsters from the central Irish Sea

Discharges of most radionuclides into the Irish Sea from the BNFL site at Sellafield have decreased over the past 20 years or so. For a few radionuclides, however, discharges have peaked more recently. Notably, operation of the Enhanced Actinide Removal Plant (EARP) since 1994 has led to an increase in discharges of (99)Tc, as a result of the treatment of previously stored waste, with consequent increases in (99)Tc activity concentrations in a number of marine species, particularly in crustaceans such as lobsters. Previous research has considered the significance of factors such as sex and body weight on radionuclide concentrations. The current project set out to investigate whether seasonal variations in radionuclide concentrations in crabs and lobsters occur, with particular emphasis on the dynamics of (99)Tc and (137)Cs. Organisms were obtained from a site off the Isle of Man, where radionuclide concentrations were measurable but the site was sufficiently distant from Sellafield that the radionuclides were well mixed in the water column and not likely to be influenced by the pulsed nature of discharges of (99)Tc. Crab and lobster samples were collected monthly, between February 2000 and February 2001. Fifteen or 16 individuals (evenly split as male and female) of each species were collected on each occasion. Seawater samples were also collected over the 12-month period. Activity concentrations of (99)Tc in the edible meat fraction (both brown and white meat) ranged from 0.23 to 2.46 Bq kg(-1) (fresh weight (fw)) in crabs and 124 to 216 Bq kg(-1) (fw) in lobsters, with no observed seasonal variations. Activity concentrations of (137)Cs in both crab and lobster were lower, ranging from <0.16 to 0.85 Bq kg(-1) for crab meat (fw) and <0.3 to 3.3 Bq kg(-1) for lobster meat (fw). A statistically significant increase in activity concentrations of (137)Cs in the meat was observed in the summer months for both crab and lobster. The cause has not been investigated but may be related to the laying down of energy reserves during the active feeding period over the summer. At all times, uptake of (99)Tc is higher in the brown meat fraction of both crabs and lobsters, whilst (137)Cs is more uniformly distributed. These results are used to discuss the implications for sampling and monitoring programmes.     

Greenhouse gases fluxes and soil thermal properties in a pasture in central Missouri

Fluctuations of greenhouse gases emissions and soil properties occur at short spatial and temporal scales, however, results are often reported for larger scales studies. We monitored CO2, CH4, and N2O fluxes and soil temperature (T), thermal conductivity (K), resistivity (R) and thermal di usivity (D) from 2004 to 2006 in a pasture. Soil air samples for determination of CO2, CH4 and N2O concentrations were collected from static and vented chambers and analyzed within two hours of collection with a gas chromatograph. T, K, R and D were measured in-situ using a KD2 probe. Soil samples were also taken for measurements of soil chemical and physical properties. The pasture acted as a sink in 2004, a source in 2005 and again a sink of CH4 in 2006. CO2 and CH4 were highest, but N2O as well as T, K and D were lowest in 2004. Only K was correlated with CO2 in 2004 while T correlated with both N2O (r = 0.76, p = 0.0001) and CO2 (r = 0.88, p = 0.0001) in 2005. In 2006, all gases fluxes were significantly correlated with T, K and R when the data for the entire year were considered. However, an in-depth examination of the data revealed the existence of month-to-month shifts, lack of correlation and di ering spatial structures. These results stress the need for further studies on the relationship between soil properties and gases fluxes. K and R o er a promise as potential controlling factors for greenhouse gases fluxes in this pasture.