Restoring ecosystems,restoring community: socioeconomic and cultural dimensions of a community-based coral reef restoration project

Environmental restoration projects are commonly touted for their ecological positives, but such projects can also provide significant socioeconomic and cultural benefits to local communities. We assessed the social dimensions of a large-scale coral reef restoration project in Maunalua Bay, O‘ahu, where >1.32 million kg of invasive marine macroalgae was removed from 11 hectares (90,000 m²; 23 acres) of impacted coral reef in an urbanized setting. We interviewed 131 community stakeholders and analyzed both quantitative and qualitative data to assess human uses of the environment, assess perceptions of environmental health, and characterize social dimensions (+/?) associated with the invasive algae removal effort. Results indicate substantial direct economic benefits, including the creation of more than 60+ jobs, benefiting more than 250 individuals and 81 households. The project helped develop a skilled workforce in a local business dedicated to environmental restoration and increased the capacity of community organizations to address other threats to reefs and watersheds. Other major benefits include revitalization of Native Hawaiian cultural practices and traditions and the successful use of harvested invasive algae as compost by local farmers. Our results show the project heightened community awareness and a broader sense of stewardship in the area, creating enabling conditions for collective community action. Our findings show that restoration projects that explicitly incorporate efforts to build community awareness, involvement, and a shared responsibility for a site may ultimately create the long-term capacity for sustainable stewardship programs. We conclude by discussing lessons learned for engaging productively with communities in environmental restoration and stewardship, which remains a central focus in conservation worldwide.     

An assessment of indoor air quality in recent Mexican immigrant housing in Commerce City, Colorado

An indoor air quality assessment was conducted on 100 homes of recent Mexican immigrants in Commerce City, Colorado, an urban industrial community north of Denver. Head of households were administered a family health survey, filled out an activity diary, and participated in a home inspection. Carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) were measured for 24 h inside the main living area and outside of the homes. Harvard Impactors were used to collect 24-h samples of PM_2.5 at the same locations for gravimetric analysis. Dust samples were collected by vacuuming carpeting and flooring at four locations within the home and analyzed by ELISA for seven allergens. Mean indoor and outdoor PM_2.5 levels were 27.2 and 8.5 μg m⁻³, respectively. Indoor PM_2.5 and CO₂ were elevated in homes for which the number of hours with door/window open was zero compared to homes in which the number of hours was high (>15 h). Indoor PM_2.5 levels did not correlate with outdoor levels and tended to increase with number of inhabitants, and results indicate that the source of indoor particles were occupants and their activities, excluding smoking and cooking. Mean indoor CO₂ and CO levels were 1170 and 2.4 ppm, respectively. Carbon monoxide was higher than the 24-h National Ambient Air Quality Standard in 3 of the homes. The predominant allergens were cat (Fel d 1) and mouse (Mus m 1) allergens, found in 20 and 34 homes, respectively.     

Numerical simulation of an array of fences in Saemangeum reclaimed land

This paper discusses about the quantitative effect of windbreak fences on wind velocity in the reclaimed land at Saemangeum in South Korea. Windbreak fences were constructed in the reclaimed land to reduce the wind velocity to prevent the generation and diffusion of dust. However, up to this time, no in-depth studies were conducted to quantitatively measure the effect of the windbreak fences on wind velocity thus an optimum windbreak structure is not yet determined. Using CFD simulations, the effects of fence porosity, fence height, and the distance between the adjacent fences were investigated. A wind tunnel experiment was initially conducted and data gathered were used to develop the CFD models. From the experiments and CFD simulations, the overall percentage difference of the measured velocities was 7.20% which is generally acceptable to establishing the reliability of the CFD models. The reduction effect on wind velocity was measured in between the adjacent fences up to a height of 0.6 m from the ground surface. In terms of porosity ( = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6), 0.2 was found to be the optimum value. Conversely, the effect of fence height (0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 m) showed no significant difference; therefore, 0.6 m height is recommended. In addition, the reduction effect of distance between the adjacent fences (2, 4 and 6 m) on wind velocity having a 0.2 porosity has decreased to about 75% regardless of the distance. In the case of the reclaimed land in Saemangeum, a decrease of 75% can prevent the generation and diffusion of dusts. However, the source of dusts is very large. Therefore, constructing an array of windbreak with 6 m distance between them is deemed necessary.     

The variability of free tropospheric ozone over Beltsville,Maryland (39N, 77W) in the summers 2004–2007

Ozone profiles are often used to investigate day-to-day and year-to-year variability in origins of free tropospheric ozone. With this in mind, more than 50 ozonesonde launches were conducted in Beltsville, MD, during the summers of 2004 through 2007. Budgets of free tropospheric ozone were calculated for each ozone profile in the four summers using a laminar identification (LID) method and unusual episodes were analyzed with respect to meteorological variables. The laminar method showed that stratosphere-to-troposphere transport (ST) accounted for greater than 50% of the free tropospheric ozone column on 17% of days sampled, a more pronounced influence than regional convective and lightning (RCL) sources. The ST origins were confirmed with trajectories, and tracers (water vapor and potential vorticity). The amount of free tropospheric ozone from ST and RCL sources varied from year-to-year (up to 13%) and can be explained by differences in mean meteorological patterns. On average, almost 30% of the free tropospheric column was attributed to ST influence, about twice as much as RCL, although the LID method may not capture weeks-old lightning influences as in a chemical model. The prevalence of ST ozone in summertime Beltsville soundings was similar to six sounding sites in the IONS-04 campaign [Thompson, A.M., et al., 2007b. Intercontinental Transport Experiment Ozonesonde Network Study (IONS, 2004): 1. Summertime upper tropospheric/lower stratosphere ozone over northeastern North America. J. Geophys. Res. 112, D12S12; Thompson, A.M., et al., 2007c. Intercontinental Transport Experiment Ozonesonde Network Study (IONS, 2004): 2. Tropospheric ozone budgets and variability over northeastern North America. J. Geophys. Res. 112, D12S13.] and to statistics from a 30 year climatology of European soundings [Collette, A., Ancellet, G., 2005. Impact of vertical transport processes on the tropospheric ozone layering above Europe. Part II: Climatological analysis of the past 30 years. Atmos. Environ. 39, 5423–5435]. The Beltsville record also demonstrated the value of soundings for air quality forecasting in an urban area. The 22 nighttime soundings collected over Beltsville in 2004–2007 can be divided into distinct polluted and unpolluted subsets, the former 20 ppbv higher in residual layer ozone (1 km) than the latter. These distinctions propagated to daytime differences of 10 ppbv at the surface in the Washington, DC, area, with the high-ozone residual layers leading to non-attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone. More frequent ozone observations aloft appear essential for better understanding ozone variability and for enabling air quality modelers to achieve more accurate ozone forecasts.     

Examining intra-urban variation in fine particle mass constituents using GIS and constrained factor analysis

Recent studies have used land use regression (LUR) techniques to explain spatial variability in exposures to PM_2.5 and traffic-related pollutants. Factor analysis has been used to determine source contributions to measured concentrations. Few studies have combined these methods, however, to construct and explain latent source effects. In this study, we derive latent source factors using confirmatory factor analysis constrained to non-negative loadings, and develop LUR models to predict the influence of outdoor sources on latent source factors using GIS-based measures of traffic and other local sources, central site monitoring data, and meteorology. We collected 3–4 day samples of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and PM_2.5 outside of 44 homes in summer and winter, from 2003 to 2005 in and around Boston, Massachusetts. Reflectance analysis, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), and high-resolution inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were performed on particle filters to estimate elemental carbon (EC), trace element, and water-soluble metals concentrations. Within our constrained factor analysis, a five-factor model was optimal, balancing statistical robustness and physical interpretability. This model produced loadings indicating long-range transport, brake wear/traffic exhaust, diesel exhaust, fuel oil combustion, and resuspended road dust. LUR models largely corroborated factor interpretations through covariate significance. For example, ‘long-range transport’ was predicted by central site PM_2.5 and season; ‘brake wear/traffic exhaust’ and ‘resuspended road dust’ by traffic and residential density; ‘diesel exhaust’ by percent diesel traffic on nearest major road; and ‘fuel oil combustion’ by population density. Results suggest that outdoor residential PM_2.5 source contributions can be partially predicted using GIS-based terms, and that LUR techniques can support factor interpretation for source apportionment. Together, LUR and factor analysis facilitate source identification, assessment of spatial and temporal variability, and more refined source exposure assignment for evaluation of source contributions to health outcomes in epidemiological studies.     

Assessing spatial variability of SO2 field as detected by an air quality network using Self-Organizing Maps,cluster, and Principal Component Analysis

In Bilbao (Spain), an air quality network measures sulphur dioxide levels at 4 locations. The objective of this paper is to develop a practical methodology to identify redundant sensors and evaluate a network's capability to correctly follow and represent SO₂ fields in Bilbao, in the frame of a continuous network optimization process.The methodology is developed and tested at this particular location, but it is general enough to be useable at other places as well, since it is not tied neither to the particular geographical characteristics of the place nor to the phenomenology of the air quality over the area.To assess the spatial variability of SO₂ measured at 4 locations in the area, three different techniques have been used: Self-Organizing Maps (SOMs), cluster analysis (CA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results show that the three techniques yield the same results, but the information obtained via PCA can be helpful not only for that purpose but also to throw light on the major mechanisms involved. This might be used in future network optimization stages. The main advantage of cluster analysis and SOMs is that they provide readily interpretable results. All the calculations have been carried out using the freely available software R.     

A computational study of particulate emissions from an open pit quarry under neutral atmospheric conditions

The extraction of minerals from surface mines and quarries can produce significant fugitive dust emissions as a result of site activities such as blasting, road haulage, loading, crushing and stockpiling. If uncontrolled, these emissions can present serious environmental, health, safety and operational issues impacting both site personnel and the wider community.The dispersion of pollutant emissions within the atmosphere is principally determined by the background wind systems characterized by the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). This paper presents an overview of the construction and solution of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to replicate the development of the internal ventilation regime within a surface quarry excavation due to the presence of a neutral ABL above this excavation. This model was then used to study the dispersion and deposition of fugitive mineral dust particles generated during rock blasting operations. The paths of the mineral particles were modelled using Lagrangian particle tracking. Particles of four size fractions were released from five blast locations for eight different wind directions.The study concluded that dependent on the location of the bench blast within the quarry and the direction of the wind, a mass fraction of between 0.3 and 0.6 of the emitted mineral particles was retained within the quarry. The retention was largest when the distance from the blast location to the downwind pit boundary was greatest.     

Predicting land cover using GIS, Bayesian and evolutionary algorithm methods

Modelling land cover change from existing land cover maps is a vital requirement for anyone wishing to understand how the landscape may change in the future. In order to test any land cover change model, existing data must be used. However, often it is not known which data should be applied to the problem, or whether relationships exist within and between complex datasets. Here we have developed and tested a model that applied evolutionary processes to Bayesian networks. The model was developed and tested on a dataset containing land cover information and environmental data, in order to show that decisions about which datasets should be used could be made automatically. Bayesian networks are amenable to evolutionary methods as they can be easily described using a binary string to which crossover and mutation operations can be applied. The method, developed to allow comparison with standard Bayesian network development software, was proved capable of carrying out a rapid and effective search of the space of possible networks in order to find an optimal or near-optimal solution for the selection of datasets that have causal links with one another. Comparison of land cover mapping in the North-East of Scotland was made with a commercial Bayesian software package, with the evolutionary method being shown to provide greater flexibility in its ability to adapt to incorporate/utilise available evidence/knowledge and develop effective and accurate network structures, at the cost of requiring additional computer programming skills. The dataset used to develop the models included GIS-based data taken from the Land Cover for Scotland 1988 (LCS88), Land Capability for Forestry (LCF), Land Capability for Agriculture (LCA), the soil map of Scotland and additional climatic variables.     

Americium,plutonium and uranium contamination and speciation in well waters,streams and atomic lakes in the Sarzhal region of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site,Kazakhstan

New data are reported on the concentrations, isotopic composition and speciation of americium, plutonium and uranium in surface and ground waters in the Sarzhal region of the Semipalatinsk Test Site, and an adjacent area including the settlement of Sarzhal. The data relate to filtered water and suspended particulate from (a) streams originating in the Degelen Mountains, (b) the Tel′kem 1 and Tel′kem 2 atomic craters, and (c) wells on farms located within the study area and at Sarzhal. The measurements show that ²⁴¹Am, ^239,240Pu and ²³⁸U concentrations in well waters within the study area are in the range 0.04–87 mBq dm⁻³, 0.7–99 mBq dm⁻³, and 74–213 mBq dm⁻³, respectively, and for ²⁴¹Am and ^239,240Pu are elevated above the levels expected solely on the basis of global fallout. Concentrations in streams sourced in the Degelen Mountains are similar, while concentrations in the two water-filled atomic craters are somewhat higher. Suspended particulate concentrations in well waters vary considerably, though median values are very low, at 0.01 mBq dm⁻³, 0.08 mBq dm⁻³ and 0.32 mBq dm⁻³ for ²⁴¹Am, ^239,240Pu and ²³⁸U, respectively. The ²³⁵U/²³⁸U isotopic ratio in almost all well and stream waters is slightly elevated above the ‘best estimate’ value for natural uranium worldwide, suggesting that some of the uranium in these waters is of test-site provenance. Redox analysis shows that on average most of the plutonium present in the microfiltered fraction of these waters is in a chemically reduced form (mean 69%; 95% confidence interval 53–85%). In the case of the atomic craters, the proportion is even higher. As expected, all of the americium present appears to be in a reduced form. Calculations suggest that annual committed effective doses to individual adults arising from the daily ingestion of these well waters are in the range 11–42 μSv (mean 21 μSv). Presently, the ground water feeding these wells would not appear to be contaminated with radioactivity from past underground testing in the Degelen Mountains or from the Tel′kem explosions.