Formerly utilized sites remedial action program “completed” sites: Lessons for long‐term stewardship

The Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) covers inactive commercial, federal, and university facilities that once supported activities of the Manhattan Project or Atomic Energy Commission. Current responsibilities, established by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), are split between the U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The MOU distinguishes between facilities remediated before 1997 (“completed” sites) and those where remediation remained to be completed at that time. This article evaluates activities conducted at completed sites with regard to considerations for long‐term stewardship, which is defined by the US DOE as all activities necessary to protect human health and the environment after remediation is considered complete. Experience with these FUSRAP sites provides “lessons learned” for the requirements of satisfactory long‐term stewardship. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Toward a sustainable Iceland scallop fishery in Gilbert Bay,a marine protected area in the eastern Canada coastal zone

Iceland scallop (Chlamys islandica) stocks in the North Atlantic are usually pulse harvested, resulting in boom and bust local landings. We describe an adaptive management strategy for a sustainable harvest of Iceland scallops in Gilbert Bay, a Marine Protected Area (MPA) of coastal Labrador. The current management plan for the MPA closes pristine scallop habitat, a practice that under favourable ocean conditions may lead to local reseeding. The community-based co-management structure for the MPA utilizes the local ecological knowledge of fishermen. Scallop harvesters are participating in research on the present state of the resource. Currently scallops are smaller near the mouth of the bay where fishing effort has been concentrated historically. The cooperation of fishers in enforcing area closures and in monitoring the scallop harvest may lead to a sustainable scallop fishery.     

Bioassessment of Streams using Macroinvertebrates: Are the Chironomidae Necessary?

Median hardness and sodium levels in groundwater were calculatedfor 244 Texas counties from measurements at 7728 water wells.The data were mapped and analyzed with a geographic informationsystem (GIS). County median hardness levels varied widely, from4–2304 mg L^-1. More than 60% of the counties had hardnessmedians above 180 mg L^-1. County medium sodium concentrationsranged from 6–1170 mg L^-1, with more than 90% of those valuesexceeding 20 mg L^-1. There was a significant positive correlationbetween hardness and sodium concentrations in six of Texas' ninemajor aquifers. A significant negative correlation betweenhardness and sodium was observed in two aquifers. Severalfactors control hardness and sodium variations in Texas aquifers including rock/sediment composition, groundwaterchemical evolution, and seepage from nearby formations. Probablehuman controls include agricultural return flow andpumping-induced saltwater intrusion.     

A dynamic transmission model of eastern equine encephalitis virus

Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is one of several arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) endemic to the United States. Interactions between arthropod (mosquito) vectors and avian amplification host populations play a significant role in the dynamics of arboviral transmission. Recent data have suggested the hypothesis that an increased rate of successful feeding on young-of-the-year (YOY) birds might play a role in the dynamics of EEEV transmission. To test this hypothesis, we developed a model to explore the effect of the interactions of the vectors and avian host populations on EEEV transmission. Sensitivity analyses conducted using this model revealed eleven parameters that were capable of disproportionately affecting the predicted level of EEEV infection in the vertebrate reservoir and vector populations. Of these, four parameters were related to the interaction of the vector with young-of-the-year birds. Furthermore, adult birds could not substitute for young-of-the-year in initiating and maintaining a predicted enzootic outbreak of EEEV. Taken together, the model predicted that young-of-the-year birds play a key role in establishing and maintaining enzootic outbreaks of EEEV.     

Forestry best management practices for timber harvesting and site preparation in the eastern United States: An overview of water quality and productivity research during the past 20 years (1982–2002)

Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) were developed to protect water quality. In the eastern US, those BMPs were often expanded to include maintenance of site productivity. Generally, BMPs recommend the use of pre-harvest planning and careful design for construction of roads and other activities that expose bare soil, minimizing trafficking and areas of bare soil, maintaining streamside management zones, ensuring rapid revegetation following harvesting, minimizing soil disturbance, and ameliorating severe trafficking with site preparation. This review of peer-reviewed research from the past 20 years examined the effects of forest harvesting and site preparation on water quality and site productivity in the eastern US. The review was subdivided into areas having relatively similar physiography and land management (New England, Lake States, Appalachian Plateau, Ridge and Valley, Blue Ridge, Piedmont, Atlantic Coastal Plain, Gulf Coastal Plain, and Ouachitas-Ozarks). In general, data from steeper physiographic regions indicated that forest harvesting and site preparation can increase erosion, sediment and nutrient losses to streams. However, the quantities introduced into streams tended to be relatively low, generally below the values that are considered acceptable for alternative land uses. Also most research indicated that water quality recovers within two to five years following forest operation disturbances, particularly if BMPs are employed. Research from the less mountainous and often more poorly drained Lake States and Coastal Plain regions indicated that soil compaction and rutting may or may not cause site productivity effects, depending on soil types, natural ameliorative properties and site preparation. Overall, the research supports the forestry BMPs recommended in the eastern states.     

ANN OUTPUT UPDATING OF LUMPED CONCEPTUAL RAINFALL/RUNOFF FORECASTING MODELS1

ABSTRACT: Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are tested for the output updating of one‐day‐ahead and three‐day‐ahead streamflow forecasts derived from three lumped conceptual rainfall/runoff (R‐R) models: the GR4J, the IHAC, and the TOPMO. ANN output updating proved superior to a parameter updating scheme and to the ‘simple’ output updating scheme, which always replicates the last observed forecast error. In fact, ANN output updating was able to compensate for large differences in the initial performance of the three tested lumped conceptual R‐R models, which the other tested updating approaches were not able to achieve. This is done mainly by incorporating input vectors usually exploited for ANN R‐R modeling such as previous rainfall and streamflow observations, in addition to the previous observed error. For one‐day‐ahead forecasts, the performance of all three lumped conceptual R‐R models, used in conjunction with ANN output updating, was equivalent to that of the ANN R‐R model. For three‐day‐ahead forecasts, the performance of the ANN‐output‐updated conceptual models was even superior to that of the ANN R‐R model, revealing that the conceptual models are probably performing some tasks that the ANN R‐R model cannot map. However, further testing is needed to substantiate the last statement.     

The effects of quality improvement practices on team effectiveness: a mediational model

Researchers have been challenged to specify the processes that quality improvement (QI) practices could be expected to generate and to explain how they might contribute to organizational effectiveness. This research article meets that challenge through a study of 97 teams in the health care field. The authors developed a ‘Quality Improvement Practices Index’ and showed that QI practices could be differentiated from traditional team‐level variables, and that such practices affect both directly and indirectly (through team‐level variables) team effectiveness. Two models were tested using structural equation modelling. It was found that the perceptions of the impact of QI practices on team effectiveness varied depending on who was assessing the team's performance—members of the team or managers who were external to the team but responsible for the team's performance. The authors discuss the implications of these results both for researchers and practitioners. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.