Monitoring Contrasting Land Management in the Savanna Landscapes of Northern Australia

We compared measures of ecosystem state across six adjacent land-tenure groups in the intact tropical savanna landscapes of northern Australia. Tenure groups include two managed by Aboriginal owners, two national parks, a cluster of pastoral leases, and a military training area. This information is of relevance to the debate about the role of indigenous lands in the Australian conservation estate. The timing and frequency of fire was determined by satellite imagery; the biomass and composition of the herb-layer and the abundance of large feral herbivores by field surveys; and weediness by analysis of a Herbarium database. European tenures varied greatly in fire frequencies but were consistently burnt earlier in the dry season than the two Aboriginal tenures, the latter having intermediate fire frequencies. Weeds were more frequent in the European tenures, whilst feral animals were most abundant in the Aboriginal tenures. This variation strongly implies a signature of current management and/or recent environmental history. We identify indices suitable for monitoring of management outcomes in an extensive and sparsely populated landscape. Aboriginal land offers a unique opportunity for the conservation of biodiversity through the maintenance of traditional fire regimes. However, without financial support, traditional practices may prove unsustainable both economically and because exotic weeds and feral animals will alter fire regimes. An additional return on investment in Aboriginal land management is likely to be improved livelihoods and health outcomes for these disadvantaged communities.     

Public-Private Partnerships in China’s Urban Water Sector

During the past decades, the traditional state monopoly in urban water management has been debated heavily, resulting in different forms and degrees of private sector involvement across the globe. Since the 1990s, China has also started experiments with new modes of urban water service management and governance in which the private sector is involved. It is premature to conclude whether the various forms of private sector involvement will successfully overcome the major problems (capital shortage, inefficient operation, and service quality) in China’s water sector. But at the same time, private sector involvement in water provisioning and waste water treatments seems to have become mainstream in transitional China.     

Analyzing the Impacts of Dams on Riparian Ecosystems: A Review of Research Strategies and Their Relevance to the Snake River Through Hells Canyon

River damming provides a dominant human impact on river environments worldwide, and while local impacts of reservoir flooding are immediate, subsequent ecological impacts downstream can be extensive. In this article, we assess seven research strategies for analyzing the impacts of dams and river flow regulation on riparian ecosystems. These include spatial comparisons of (1) upstream versus downstream reaches, (2) progressive downstream patterns, or (3) the dammed river versus an adjacent free-flowing or differently regulated river(s). Temporal comparisons consider (4) pre- versus post-dam, or (5) sequential post-dam conditions. However, spatial comparisons are complicated by the fact that dams are not randomly located, and temporal comparisons are commonly limited by sparse historic information. As a result, comparative approaches are often correlative and vulnerable to confounding factors. To complement these analyses, (6) flow or sediment modifications can be implemented to test causal associations. Finally, (7) process-based modeling represents a predictive approach incorporating hydrogeomorphic processes and their biological consequences. In a case study of Hells Canyon, the upstream versus downstream comparison is confounded by a dramatic geomorphic transition. Comparison of the multiple reaches below the dams should be useful, and the comparison of Snake River with the adjacent free-flowing Salmon River may provide the strongest spatial comparison. A pre- versus post-dam comparison would provide the most direct study approach, but pre-dam information is limited to historic reports and archival photographs. We conclude that multiple study approaches are essential to provide confident interpretations of ecological impacts downstream from dams, and propose a comprehensive study for Hells Canyon that integrates multiple research strategies.     

Macroinvertebrate Responses to Constructed Riffles in the Cache River,Illinois, USA

Stream restoration practices are becoming increasingly common, but biological assessments of these improvements are still limited. Rock weirs, a type of constructed riffle, were implemented in the upper Cache River in southern Illinois, USA, in 2001 and 2003–2004 to control channel incision and protect high quality riparian wetlands as part of an extensive watershed-level restoration. Construction of the rock weirs provided an opportunity to examine biological responses to a common in-stream restoration technique. We compared macroinvertebrate assemblages on previously constructed rock weirs and newly constructed weirs to those on snags and scoured clay streambed, the two dominant substrates in the unrestored reaches of the river. We quantitatively sampled macroinvertebrates on these substrates on seven occasions during 2003 and 2004. Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) biomass and aquatic insect biomass were significantly higher on rock weirs than the streambed for most sample periods. Snags supported intermediate EPT and aquatic insect biomass compared to rock weirs and the streambed. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordinations for 2003 and 2004 revealed distinct assemblage groups for rock weirs, snags, and the streambed. Analysis of similarity supported visual interpretation of NMDS plots. All pair-wise substrate comparisons differed significantly, except recently constructed weirs versus older weirs. Results indicate positive responses by macroinvertebrate assemblages to in-stream restoration in the Cache River. Moreover, these responses were not evident with more common measures of total density, biomass, and diversity.     

Nutrient-impregnated charcoal: an environmentally friendly slow-release fertilizer

The widespread contamination of surface and ground water quality from the heavy use of fertilizer in modern agriculture is the current concern. Therefore, this study was carried out to develop a slow-release fertilizer using charcoal. The morphology of the charcoal impregnated fertilizer was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This study also evaluated the release patterns of N, P, and K from impregnated charcoal using a simulated soil solution and distilled water as leaching solutions. The patterns of N, P, and K releases were examined in both static and continuous-flow conditions for 360 h. Releases of N, P, and K from impregnated charcoal were found to be slow and steady. However, the release trends of N, P, and K were higher in soil solution than distilled water under both the above conditions. Dissolution occurred when N, P, and K were released in the above leached solutions. As a result, the fertilizer impregnated charcoal could be developed as slow-release type fertilizer to minimize the contamination.     

Metal contamination of surface water,sediment and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tympanotonus fuscatus</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">radula</Emphasis> of Iko River and environmental impact due to Utapete gas flare station,Nigeria

Inter-seasonal studies on the trace metal load of surface water, sediment and Tympanotonus fuscatus var. radula of Iko River were conducted between 2003 and 2004. The impact of anthropogenic activities especially industrial effluent, petroleum related wastes, gas flare and episodic oil spills on the ecosystem are remarkable. Trace metals analyzed included cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), vanadium (V) and zinc (Zn). Sediment particle size analysis revealed that they were characteristically psammitic and were predominantly of medium to fine grained sand (>73%), less of silt (<15%) and clay (<10%). These results correlated with low levels of trace elements such as Pb (0.03 ± 0.02 mg kg⁻¹), Cr (0.22 ± 0.12 mg kg⁻¹), Cd (0.05 ± 0.03 mg kg⁻¹), Cu (0.04 ± 0.02 mg kg⁻¹) and Mn (0.23 ± 0.22 mg kg⁻¹) in the sediment samples. This observation is consistent with the scarcity of clayey materials known to be good scavengers for metallic and organic contaminants. Sediments indicated enhanced concentration of Fe, Ni and V, while other metal levels were relatively low. The concentrations of all the metals except Pb in surface water were within the permissible levels, suggesting that the petroleum contaminants had minimal effect on the state of pollution by trace metals in Iko River. Notably, the pollutant concentrations in the sediments were markedly higher than the corresponding concentrations in surface water and T. fuscatus tissues, and decreased with distance from point sources of pollution.     

Wastewater management in small- and medium-size enterprises: case studies

Wastewater management in small and medium-sized enterprises representing the chemical and food industries was investigated. The results showed that wastewater discharged from an ink-production factory was highly contaminated with organic pollutants. Anaerobic biological treatment followed by chemical coagulation using ferric chloride aided with lime proved to be very effective and produced an effluent that complied with national regulatory standard for wastewater discharge into public sewage network. Also, management of wastewater from a confectionery factory representing the food sector was carried out. Aerobic biological treatment using plastic-packed trickling filter proved to be an effective treatment method. However, application of in-plant control measures alleviated the requirement for the construction of a wastewater treatment plant. The applied pollution prevention and cleaner production measures involved good housekeeping, recovery of spent chocolate, modification of floor cleaning and installation of suction devices for the removal of sugar and starch powders. All improvement measures were documented by cost/benefit analysis.     

Changing effluent chemistry affect survival,growth and physiological function of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acacia nilotica</Emphasis> seedlings in northwestern region of India

Recycling and conservation efforts for water are the need of the day because of the lack of new water sources and the ever-increasing demand for drinking water. Seedlings of Acacia nilotica L. were irrigated with: canal water (T₁, control); municipal effluent (T₂); textile effluent (T₃); steel effluent (T₄); textile + municipal effluent in 1:1 ratio (T₅); steel + municipal effluent in 1:2 ratio (T₆); steel + textile in 1:2 ratio (T₈) and steel + municipal + textile in 1:2:2 ratio (T₇) with views to observe effluents effect on the seedlings and its adaptability and to recommend safe disposal of these effluents. Seedlings in T₆, T₇ and T₈ showed 50% lesser height and collar diameter than those in control. Seedlings in T₂ attained greatest height, collar diameter, numbers of branches and produced 140 g dry biomass seedling⁻¹. Highest concentration of manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) and lowest concentration of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) in the seedlings of T₄, T₆, T₇ and T₈ resulted in nutritional imbalance, mineral toxicity and reduction in photosynthetic (Pn) and transpiration (E) rates and caused seedling mortality. Seedlings of T₃ had highest sodium concentration and low concentration of Ca, Mg and micronutrients resulting in nutritional imbalance, augmented chlorosis and reduced gas exchange and biomass by half as compared to control. Increased growth, Pn and E and biomass in seedlings of T₅ over T₃ and survival period in T₆, T₇ and T₈ seedlings suggested a beneficial effect of effluents mixing. Unscientific disposal should be avoided and toxic concentration of metal ions␣may be reduced for long-term application and harmless disposal of effluents in afforestation and urban development.     

Making Capacity Building Meaningful: A Framework for Strategic Action

This paper aims to give practical meaning to ‘capacity building’ through (a) identifying a suite of practical measures, such as mentoring or best practice guidelines, that have been shown to or are considered to build human, social, institutional, and economic capital; (b) placing these measures within a broader systems framework; and (c) exploring stakeholder feedback on specific measures to inform framework implementation. The 29 measures described provide actors, whether government or nongovernment, with a suite of practical investment choices for building capacity. These measures are then clustered into eight groups according to their primary purpose and placed within a systems framework. The framework provides a tool for actors with responsibilities for or an interest in capacity building to inform more holistic and strategic targeting of effort and investment. Stakeholder feedback gathered through surveys and workshops is subsequently reported to further inform implementation of specific measures within the framework’s eight groupings. The framework presented may be built upon through the identification and inclusion of further capacity building measures. The research is conducted within the context of decentralized governance arrangements for natural resource management (NRM), with specific focus on Australia’s recently formalized 56 NRM regions and their community-based governing boards as an informative arena of learning. Application of the framework is explored in the Australian setting through the identification and comparison of measures supported and most preferred by four major stakeholder groups, namely board members, regional NRM organization staff, policy/research interests, and Indigenous interests. The research also examines stakeholder perceptions of capacity issues, and whether these issues are likely to be addressed through implementing their preferred measures.