The beauty and the beast: Some preliminary comparisons of ‘high’ versus ‘popular’ residential architecture and public versus architect judgments of same

This research examined differences between the features of ‘high’ and ‘popular’ style residential architecture and between responses to those styles by architects and non-architects. Forty slides (20 of each style) were scored in terms of physical properties. They were also rated by 20 architects and 20 non-architects. The research identified distinct physical features of each style. ‘High’ style residential architecture had fewer materials, more concrete, simpler forms, more white, and off-center entrances. They were judged as more complex, novel, and exciting. ‘Popular’ style residential architecture was characterized by use of more building materials, horizontal orientation, hip roofs, framed windows, centered entrances, and warm colors. Architects and non-architects differed in how they characterized and evaluated the two kinds of buildings, Architects rated the ‘high’ buildings as more clear, coherent pleasant, relaxing, and meaningful. Models of preference revealed that both groups favored novelty and coherence (or clarity), but the non-architects favored simplicity and ‘popular’ attributes, while the architects favored complexity and ‘high’ attributes.     

CHANGES TO INFILTRATION AND INTERRILL EROSION FROM LONG-TERM PRESCRIBED BURNING IN LOUISIANA1

ABSTRACT: Effects of long-term prescribed burning on infiltration and interrill erosion were assessed on two longleaf pine-bluestem sites in Louisiana. Treatments represented biennially-applied winter, spring, or summer burning on an upland sandy loam site for 20 years; and annual winter or spring, and biennial winter or spring burns on a bottomland silt loam site for 10 years, with unburned controls. Immediate effects of burning were a reduction in surface cover, exposing soil to raindrop impact. Burning the sandy loam site increased interrill erosion after winter and spring treatments, but produced no immediate changes in infiltration capacity or time to runoff irrespective of treatment season. Rapid recovery of under-story vegetation mitigated soil exposure. Biennial burning did not increase interrill erosion, or reduce infiltration capacity and time to runoff on the sandy loam site after 20 years. A complete herbaceous understory covered the silt loam site two years after treatment. Interrill erosion was not significantly increased, or infiltration capacity and time to runoff decreased on burning treatments than unburned controls on the silt loam site. Litter biomass was important in predicting interrill erosion. No surface cover condition could be linked to variability in infiltration capacity. This study provides evidence for the resiliency of a longleaf pine-bluestem association to prescribed burning.     

Characterization of contaminants in snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) from Canadian Lake Erie Areas of Concern: St. Clair River, Detroit River, and Wheatley Harbour

PCBs, organochlorine pesticides and dioxins/furans in snapping turtle eggs and plasma (Chelydra serpentina) were evaluated at three Areas of Concern (AOCs) on Lake Erie and its connecting channels (St. Clair River, Detroit River, and Wheatley Harbour), as well as two inland reference sites (Algonquin Provincial Park and Tiny Marsh) in 2001-2002. Eggs from the Detroit River and Wheatley Harbour AOCs had the highest levels of p,p'-DDE (24.4 and 57.9 ng/g) and sum PCBs (928.6 and 491.0 ng/g) wet weight, respectively. Contaminant levels in eggs from St. Clair River AOC were generally higher than those from Algonquin Park, but similar to those from Tiny Marsh. Dioxins appeared highest from the Detroit River. The PCB congener pattern in eggs suggested that turtles from the Detroit River and Wheatley Harbour AOCs were exposed to Aroclor 1260. TEQs of sum PCBs in eggs from all AOCs and p,p'-DDE levels in eggs from the Wheatley Harbour and the Detroit River AOCs exceeded the Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines. Furthermore, sum PCBs in eggs from Detroit River and Wheatley Harbour exceeded partial restriction guidelines for consumption. Although estimated PCB body burdens in muscle tissue of females were well below consumption guidelines, estimated residues in liver and adipose were above guidelines for most sites.     

Physiological indicators and susceptibility of plants to acidifying atmospheric pollution: a multivariate approach

Plant susceptibility to acidifying atmospheric pollution was investigated for a wide range of plant species under normal environmental conditions. Physiological and biochemical parameters were recorded for each plant species. Multivariate analysis using hierarchical clustering, principal component analysis ordination, as well as regression analysis were used to interpret the data. Analysis of the data separated plants into pioneer tree species, ruderal herbaceous species and climax, slow growing species. Pioneer and ruderal species showed higher potential for foliar nitrate assimilation coupled with higher base cation content and a tendency to a more neutral leaf pH than climax species. Acidic buffering capacities for leaf tissue from pioneer and ruderal species were higher than those of climax species. Nitrate assimilation produces hydroxyl ions, which in conjunction with high base cation content and more neutral leaf pH, provides better metabolic buffering and therefore make pioneer and ruderal species less susceptible to acidifying inputs. Climax species are less able to buffer against acidifying inputs and are subsequently more prone to acidifying air pollution damage.     

Environmental contaminants in four eider species from Alaska and arctic Russia

Population declines in four species of eider; common (Somateria mollissima), king (Somateria spectabilis), spectacled (Somateria fischeri) and Steller's (Polysticta stelleri), have raised concerns about exposure to contaminants. Livers and kidney tissues were collected from eiders in Alaska and Russia for organic and elemental analyses. Results showed that organochlorine and many elemental levels were below toxic thresholds; however, in many cases, cadmium, copper, lead and serenium appeared high relative to other waterfowl and may warrant concern. With the exception of lead, local anthropogenic sources for these elements are not known. Although adverse physiological responses have not been documented in eiders, these four elements cannot be ruled out as contaminants of potential concern for some eider species.     

Freezing rate and duration determine the physiological response of intertidal fucoids to freezing

Differential thermal analysis (DTA) was used to measure the freezing temperature of nine species of red brown intertidal macroalgae from the coast of Maine, USA in 1991. Using slow and rapid cooling rates approximating those found in the field for Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le Jol. we found that, for a given rate, the freezing points of all species were similar: -7.06 to -8.02°C for slow cooling (ca. 0.25°C min^-1) and -3.42 to -4.56°C for rapid cooling (ca. 5.0°C min^-1). In the low shore species, Fucus evanescens C. Ag., photosynthesis was inhibited to a greater extent when plants were frozen or thawed rapidly than after slow freezing or thawing. However, in the upper shore species, F. spiralis (L.), photosynthesis recovered rapidly and completely regardless of freezing rate. Rapidly frozen F. evanescens also experienced greater loss of plasmalemmal integrity, evidenced by a greater loss of cellular contents on re-immersion, than those frozen slowly. Light-limited photosynthesis following freezing was more severely inhibited than light-saturated photosynthesis. Respiration was generally enhanced immediately after freezing, but then declined to rates below those of unfrozen controls within 2 h following re-immersion, with control rates of respiration being achieved after a 24 h recovery period. Our data suggest that the physiological consequences of winter emersion at sub-zero temperatures may vary widely between individual plants of freezing-susceptible species, due to the wide variations in freezing rate associated with microhabitat effects.     

The response of female Mountain White-crowned Sparrows to songs from their natal dialect and an alien dialect

Summary Female Mountain White-crowned Sparrows from Colorado were tested in a laboratory playback experiment to determine their response to male songs from their own natal dialect and to those from an alien dialect of the same subspecies, Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha (Fig. 1). Observations were made on locomotor activity and copulation postures produced during each experimental test session.The subjects gave copulation displays almost exclusively when hearing their natal dialect and new or no displays when hearing the alien dialect (Fig. 2). The birds also exhibited significantly greater locomotor activity when hearing the natal dialect than they did when hearing the alien dialect (Fig. 3).We conclude that females are sensitized by their early song learning experience to be responsive to songs from their natal dialect and virtually sexually unresponsive to songs from an alien dialect. We speculate that the copulation posture given in the experiment implies that females in natural populations would preferably only mate assortatively with males from their natal dialect region.     

Making performance-based chemistry work: how we created comparable data among laboratories as part of a Southern California marine regional assessment

Quality assurance procedures to ensure consistency among chemistry laboratories typically involves the use of standard methods and state certification programs that require laboratories to demonstrate their ability to attain generic performance criteria. To assess whether these procedures are effective for ensuring comparability when processing local samples with potentially complex matrices, seven experienced, state-certified laboratories participated in an intercalibration exercise. Each laboratory was permitted to use their typical methodology for quantifying PAH, PCB and DDT on shared samples collected from Santa Monica Bay and the Palos Verdes Shelf, two sites with a complex mix of constituents. In the initial intercalibration exercise, results from these laboratories differed by as much as an order of magnitude for all three chemical groups. Much, but not all, of the difference was attributable to differences in detection capability. A series of studies was conducted to identify the reasons for the observed differences, which varied among laboratories and included methodological differences, instrument sensitivity differences, and differing interpretations of chromatograms. Following these investigations and resulting modifications to laboratory procedures, the exercise was repeated. The average coefficient of variation among laboratories across all chemical parameters was reduced to less than 30%. Our results suggest that performance-based chemistry can produce comparable results, but the certification processes presently in place that focus on general laboratory procedures and simple matrices are insufficient to achieve comparability.     

Enhanced attenuation: Its place in the remediation of chlorinated solvents

The development and regulatory acceptance of monitored natural attenuation (MNA) as a remedial strategy has forever changed the field of environmental cleanup. MNA is continuing to develop but it is challenged by a lack of a clear definition for the appropriate application of the MNA strategy. This challenge has resulted in the lack of a significant record of restoration and site closure. Environmental professionals face challenges in providing guidance that addresses how to manage these sites when technologies, performance monitoring, and even environmental conditions are subject to further development, refinement, and/or altered perspectives. As our experience and institutional knowledge grows around the implementation of MNA, we have the opportunity to develop “second‐generation” management tools and procedures for optimizing sites utilizing MNA as a part of a comprehensive site management plan. This opportunity is the focus of the Enhanced Attenuation: Chlorinated Organics (EACO) Team of the Interstate Technology Regulatory Council (ITRC). The development of the “second‐generation” tools/procedures has included defining EA and evaluating, through the use of a national survey of state regulators, the experience with MNA and interest in EA. The results of these two efforts formed the basis for developing a framework that provides a “bridge” from active treatment to MNA. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.