Best management practices compliance monitoring approaches for forestry in the eastern United States

Many of the eastern states that have published best management practices (BMPs) or forest management guidelines have also developed compliance monitoring programs to assess the application of these BMPs or guidelines on public and private forest land. The approaches among these states to collecting on-site monitoring data (measuring compliance) and evaluating sites are variable. A survey of eastern states found that almost all southern states monitor application of BMPs, but proportionally fewer of the northern states have established compliance monitoring programs. The state forestry agencies provide the leadership for these programs in most of the eastern states. States that monitor tend to evaluate all public and private forest landowner categories located within their states. In general, northern states monitor a broader array of site resources (e.g., cultural resources, visual quality) as compared to southern states which focus on water quality and wetlands protection. However, northern states focus their monitoring on timber harvesting, forest road construction and maintenance as compared to southern states which tend to monitor a broader array of forest management activities (e.g., site preparation, reforestation). When selecting sites for monitoring, the most common approach is to select some sites from all landowner categories within the state. Many states do not specify any criteria to identify sites for monitoring so that all sites have an equal chance for selection. Some states do use specific criteria to filter sites for monitoring, most commonly size of forest management activity and proximity to water.     

Measurements of PCB Fluxes into the Atmosphere from a Site Receiving Stabilized Dredged Material

A 50 ha known contaminated site in Bayonne, New Jersey, U.S.A. is permitted to receive up to 3 × 10⁶ m³ of sediment dredged from navigation channels in the New York/New Jersey Harbor. Much of the sediment is expected to contain low to moderate concentrations of industrial and agricultural chemicals, including Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). The dredged material brought to the site is stabilized with cement and then placed as a capping and grading layer. The flux of PCBs from drying stabilized dredged material has been estimated from measurements of PCB air concentrations at two heights above the ground along with micrometeorological observations. A statistically significant gradient in PCB concentrations has been consistently measured in the first 3 m above the ground. Observed PCB fluxes were highest over freshly placed stabilized dredged sediment and decreased as it cured. The highest flux observed in this study was 7214 ng/m²/h, but during subsequent sampling intervals at the same site, the flux estimates decreased by an order of magnitude over a 5-day interval.     

The Ethical Contract as a Tool in Organic Animal Husbandry

This article explores what an ethicfor organic animal husbandry might look like,departing from the assumption that organicfarming is substantially based in ecocentricethics. We argue that farm animals arenecessary functional partners in sustainableagroecosystems. This opens up additional waysto argue for their moral standing. We suggestan ethical contract to be used as acomplementary to the ecocentric framework. Weexpound the content of the contract and end bysuggesting how to apply this contract inpractice. The contract enjoins us to share thewealth created in the agroecosystem (by ourjoint contributions) by enjoining us to carefor the welfare and needs of the individualanimal, and to protect them from exploitation(just as human co-workers should not beexploited). The contract makes promoting goodanimal welfare a necessary condition forbenefiting farm animals. Animals for their partare guaranteed coverage under the contract solong as they continue to contribute to thesystem with products and services.     

SIMULATING THE IMPACT OF DRAINAGE DESIGN IN A COLD CLIMATE WITH ADAPT1

ABSTRACT: Surface and subsurface drainage make crop production economically viable in much of southern Minnesota because drainage allows timely field operations and protects field crops from extended periods of flooded soil conditions. However, subsurface drainage has been shown to increase nitrate/nitrogen losses to receiving waters. When engaging in drainage activities, farmers are increasingly being asked to consider, apart from the economic profit, the environmental impact of drainage. The Agricultural Drainage and Pesticide Transport model (ADAPT) was used in this study to evaluate the impact of subsurface drainage design on the soil water balance over a two‐year period during which observed drainage discharge data were available. Twelve modeling scenarios incorporated four drainage coefficients (DC), 0.64 cm/d, 0.95 cm/d, 1.27 cm/d, and 1.91 cm/d, and three drain depths, 0.84 m, 1.15 m, and 1.45 m. The baseline condition corresponded to the drainage system specifications at the field site: a drain depth and spacing of 1.45 m and 28 m, respectively (DC of 0.64 cm/d). The results of the two‐year simulation suggested that for a given drainage coefficient, soils with the shallower drains (but equal DC) generally have less subsurface drainage and can produce more runoff (but reduced total discharge) and evapotranspiration. The results also suggested that it may be possible to design for both water/nitrate/nitrogen reduction and crop water needs.     

多级模糊综合评判方法在泥石流评价中的应用

介绍了多级模糊综合评判方法在泥石流评价中的应用, 指出了在进行模糊评判的时候,评判因子的选取以及隶属函数的构造应具体结合泥石流自身的特点来进行,并应用此方法对西南某拟建水电站坝址附近泥石流沟危险性做出了评价,评价结果与实际调查结果比较吻合.     

煤矿安全预评价的未确知测度模型及应用

矿井自然灾害的安全预评价涉及不确定因素众多.本文根据未确知数学理论,建立了预评价指标体系、置信度识别准则及评分准则,构造了矿井安全预评价未确知测度模型,并对矿井的各个安全指标进行了定量分析.用上述方法对黄陵二号井自然灾害的评定结果与实际耦合较好,从而为煤矿建设项目的安全预评价开辟了一条新途径.     

黄河积石峡水电站库区泥石流危险度评价

在选取一次(可能)最大冲出物方量、泥石流发生频率、流域面积、主沟长度、流域相对高差、流域切割密度、泥沙补给段长度比7个因子为泥石流沟谷危险度划分的主要因子的基础上,对评价因子隶属度的确定作了分析和阐述,并运用模糊综合评判法对黄河上游积石峡水电站库区16条泥石流沟进行了危险度划分.     

陕西佛坪、宁陕"6.9"山地自然灾害考察研究

2002年6月9日,陕西南部佛坪、宁陕等地因特大暴雨引发了极其强烈的泥石流、山洪等山地自然灾害.本文考察研究了这次泥石流、山洪等山地自然灾害产生的条件,分布与活动特点以及未来发展变化的趋势.     

SARS与灾变心理初探

本文初步讨论了SARS发生前、发生时和发生后,社会个体和社会群体的不同心理变化过程,以及各种不同心理活动产生的原因,希冀能从中找出人们在灾变面前的特殊心理过程,为政府的防灾救灾和正确决策提供服务.