Perceptions of Species Abundance,Distribution, and Diversity: Lessons from Four Decades of Sampling on a Government-Managed Reserve

/ We examined data relative to species abundance, distribution, anddiversity patterns of reptiles and amphibians to determine how perceptionschange over time and with level of sampling effort. Location data werecompiled on more than one million individual captures or observations of 98species during a 44-year study period on the US Department of Energy's(DOE) Savannah River Site National Environmental Research Park (SRS-NERP) inSouth Carolina. We suggest that perceptions of herpetofaunal speciesdiversity are strongly dependent on level of effort and that land managementdecisions based on short-term data bases for some faunal groups could resultin serious errors in environmental management. We provide evidence thatacquiring information on biodiversity distribution patterns is compatiblewith multiyear spatially extensive research programs and also provide aperspective of what might be achieved if long-term, coordinated researchefforts were instituted nationwide.To conduct biotic surveys on government-managed lands, we recommend revisionsin the methods used by government agencies to acquire and report biodiversitydata. We suggest that government and industry employees engaged inbiodiversity survey efforts develop proficiency in field identification forone or more major taxonomic groups and be encouraged to measure the status ofpopulations quantitatively with consistent and reliable methodologies. Wealso suggest that widespread academic cooperation in the dissemination ofinformation on regional patterns of biodiversity could result byestablishment of a peer-reviewed, scientifically rigorous journal concernedwith status and trends of the biota of the United States. KEY WORDS: Abundance; Amphibian; Biodiversity; Distribution; Landmanagement; Reptile     

LONG-TERM WATERSHED RESEARCH AND MONITORING TO UNDERSTAND ECOSYSTEM CHANGE IN PARKS AND EQUIVALENT RESERVES1

ABSTRACT: Integrated watershed ecosystem studies in National Parks or equivalent reserves suggest that effects of external processes on “protected” resources are subtle, chronic, and long-term. Ten years of data from National Park watersheds suggests that temperature and precipitation changes are linked to nitrogen levels in lakes and streams. We envision measurable biotic effects in these remote watersheds, if expected climate trends continue. The condition of natural resources within areas set aside for preservation are difficult to ascertain, but gaining this knowledge is the key to understanding ecosystem change and of processes operating among biotic and abiotic ecosystem components. There is increasing evidence that understanding the magnitude of variation within and between such processes can provide an early indication of environmental change and trends attributable to human-induced stress. The following four papers are case studies of how this concept has been implemented.* These long-term studies have expanded our knowledge of ecosystem response to natural and human-induced stress. The existence of these sites with a commitment to gathering “long-term” ecosystem-level data permits research activities aimed at testing more important hypotheses on ecosystem processes and structure.     

Development of a software package for trend detection in temporal series: Application to water and industrial effluent quality data for the St. Lawrence River

Despite the considerable amount of effort and resources involved in monitoring water quality, water quality assessment and environmental follow-up are sometimes carried out with simple statistics, the main reason being the lack of appropriate statistical methods adapted to the nature of sampled water quality data.A survey of the classical methods used for trend detection and of their limitations is first presented, including the most recent non-parametric techniques adapted to the structure of the sampled data and to the possible types of trends occuring. This paper then presents an interactive user-friendly software package developed for microcomputers making use of these latest adapted techniques. Afterwards, some applications of the software are described pertaining to the concentrations measured at long-term stations on the St. Lawrence River and to the mass loadings discharged by regulated industries. Finally, conclusions are drawn about the assumptions, performance and limitations of the package as well as about the research needs to improve the usefulness and applicability of the software.     

A Method for assessing protected area allocations using a typology of landscape values

Traditional park and reserve selection techniques that rely exclusively on expert assessment can marginalize local knowledge and values in the review process. Using survey data from the Otways region of Victoria, Australia, we present a method that differentiates between public and private lands using locally perceived landscape values. The results are used to assess prospective national park expansion areas. Two data models of mapped landscape values—vector and raster—were analysed using discriminant analysis to classify and predict land status. Results indicate survey respondents hold more indirect and less tangible values for national parks and reserves, and more direct use values for private lands. There was moderate agreement between public and expert-derived national park boundaries. The mapping of local landscape values appears useful in planning and reviewing public land classifications, and when combined with biological assessments, can strengthen protected areas planning and management in Australia and elsewhere.     

Trends in foreign investment : Agreements in the resources industry

Recent agreements between host country governments and foreign investors in the resource industries reflect an effort to meet the objectives of both parties. In some cases majority government ownership is combined with management control and the right of veto on certain policy questions by the foreign investor. Imaginative tax formulas are built into agreements that combine the principle of excess profits taxes with that of a minimum DCF rate of return. Expropriation risk is being limited by employing a high debt-equity ratio. Foreign investors are agreeing to programmes and policies that promote host country economic and social development, while host country governments are quaranteeing foreign investors against changes in laws that would affect their profits.     

SHALLOW AQUIFERS RELATIVE TO SURFACE WATER,LOWER NORTH PLATTE RIVER VALLEY,WYOMING1

ABSTRACT. The occurrence of ground water in the lower North Platte Valley, Goshen County, Wyoming, was studied to determine safe yield within the alluvial aquifer under varying discharge and recharge conditions. The alluvium of the North Platte is extensively developed for irrigation purposes and the effects of large-scale pumpage are of major concern. Actual withdrawals are estimated to be 46,000 acre-feet. Should pumping reach potentially higher levels an overdraft is expected. Effect of ground water withdrawals are established from projections of the flow regime within the alluvial aquifer. A time dependent, numerical model was employed to predict aquifer response to increased withdrawals. The results suggest that more efficient use of surface waters and/or increased use of ground water will reduce the annual subsurface return flow to the North Platte River and its tributaries by an amount equal to the reduced ground water recharge increment. Alternatives are available for management of the lower North Platte alluvial aquifer. The preferred course is to correlate surface and subsurface water rights, in light of convenience, economics, and best means of storage for maximum utilization of the single water resource.     

PIERRE PERRAULT: THE MAN AND HIS CONTRIBUTION TO MODERN HYDROLOGY1

ABSTRACT: Pierre Perrault, member of a bourgeois provincial family whose roots were in the Touraine region of France, grew up in Paris. One of six illustrious brothers, all characterized by brilliance and diversity, he was educated as a lawyer but turned to finance and rose to a high position under King Louis XIV. Owing to political naivete and financial imprudence, he fell into disgrace and went bankrupt. He then became an amateur scientist and wrote a book on the origin of springs. This book broke almost wholly with the traditional authoritarianism of 2, 000 years'standing, and set hydrology on the modern path of observation and direct experiment, He developed the concept of the hydrological cycle, correctly accounting for the disposition of rainfall by evaporation, transpiration, ground-water recharge and runoff. Some of his ideas about specific processes were erroneous, but where he was wrong his errors were logically based. Much of his contribution to the foundation of scientific hydrology has been overlooked or distorted by historians and hydrologists alike.     

Counting biodiversity waste in industrial eco-efficiency: fisheries case study

The foundation for the creation of eco-efficiency metrics for industrial impacts on biodiversity is considered. Because biodiversity is the essence of life itself, these metrics are essential for effectiveness in the theory and practice of eco-efficiency, particularly in the case of primary natural resource extraction industries such as fishing and forestry. The case of fishing is examined, with particular attention to by-catch, lost nets, and habitat damage caused by mobile fishing gears. It is appropriate to examine fishing because industrial era impacts on marine biodiversity have been severe and are driving large and deleterious changes in marine ecosystems. For discarded by-catch, it is proposed that an eco-efficient metric for the value per unit mass of discarded fish can be set to be equivalent to that of the market value of the utilized catch. In estimating the eco-efficient value of the catch, the value of the discarded fish is then subtracted from the market value of the catch. Fish killed in lost nets can be treated similarly. It is more difficult to address marine habitat damage by mobile fishing gear, which has the highest potential for ecological injury.By using the approach proposed, negative eco-efficiencies are obtained under circumstances in which the collateral damage to biodiversity exceeds the economic benefit obtained. This is a logical outcome given the long-term effects of biodiversity decline. A metric is also proposed for assessing whether avoidance of harm to biodiversity, in the form of switching fishing gear, is required. Lastly it is proposed that metrics might be developed to provide eco-efficiency credit for companies taking effective actions to improve, or actively participate in, ecosystem-based fisheries management.     

Pinch analysis approach to carbon-constrained planningfor sustainable power generation

A graphical pinch-based methodology for planning retrofits for carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the power generation sector is presented in this work. CCS is widely seen as one of the essential interim technologies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, while still being able to utilize fossil fuels, which are relatively inexpensive and reliable in comparison to inherently low-carbon renewable resources. However, retrofitting power plants for CCS entails major capital costs as well as a reduction of thermal efficiency and power output. Thus, it is essential for planning purposes to implement the minimal extent of CCS retrofit that meets the sectoral carbon footprint targets. At the same time, it is necessary to plan for additional power generation capacity or efficiency enhancements to compensate for energy losses resulting from CCS retrofits. The simple graphical approach used in this paper is designed to determine such targets, and shares the same intuitive, insight-driven characteristics of pinch analysis techniques. A case study is shown to illustrate the methodology.     

Effects of Fe(II) on anammox community activity and physiologic response

• 0.12 mmol/L Fe(II) enhanced the total anammox activity and bacterial abundance best. • 0.09 mmol/L Fe(II) led to the best performance on relative anammox activity. • 0.75 mmol/L Fe(II) had an immediate but recoverable inhibition on anammox activity. • More genes but not relative level were expressed at higher Fe(II) concentration. Though there are many literatures studying the effects of iron on anammox process, these studies only focus on the reactor performance and/or the microbial community changes, the detailed effects and mechanisms of Fe(II) on anammox bacterial activity and physiology have not been explored. In this study, four Fe(II) concentrations (0.03, 0.09, 0.12 and 0.75 mmol/L) were employed into the enriched anammox culture. The enhancement and inhibition effects of Fe(II) on anammox process and bacterial physiology were investigated. It was discovered that the anammox process and bacterial growth were enhanced by 0.09 and 0.12 mmol/L Fe(II), in which the 0.12 mmol/L Fe(II) had advantage in stimulating the total anammox activity and bacterial abundance, while 0.09 mmol/L Fe(II) enhanced the relative anammox activity better. The anammox activity could be inhibited by 0.75 mmol/L Fe(II) immediately, while the inhibition was recoverable. Both 0.09 and 0.12 mmol/L Fe(II) induced more genes being expressed, while didn’t show a stimulation on the relative expression level of functional genes. And anammox bacteria showed a stress response to detoxify the Fe inhibition once inhibited by 0.75 mmol/L Fe(II). This study provides more information about physiologic response of anammox bacteria to external influence (enhancement and inhibition), and may also instruct the future application of anammox process in treating various sources of wastewater (containing external disturbances such as heavy metals) and/or different treatment strategies (e.g. from side-stream to main-stream).