Linking stream and landscape trajectories in the southern Appalachians

A proactive sampling strategy was designed and implemented in 2000 to document changes in streams whose catchment land uses were predicted to change over the next two decades due to increased building density. Diatoms, macroinvertebrates, fishes, suspended sediment, dissolved solids, and bed composition were measured at two reference sites and six sites where a socioeconomic model suggested new building construction would influence stream ecosystems in the future; we label these "hazard sites." The six hazard sites were located in catchments with forested and agricultural land use histories. Diatoms were species-poor at reference sites, where riparian forest cover was significantly higher than all other sites. Cluster analysis, Wishart's distance function, non-metric multidimensional scaling, indicator species analysis, and t-tests show that macroinvertebrate assemblages, fish assemblages, in situ physical measures, and catchment land use and land cover were different between streams whose catchments were mostly forested, relative to those with agricultural land use histories and varying levels of current and predicted development. Comparing initial results with other regional studies, we predict homogenization of fauna with increased nutrient inputs and sediment associated with agricultural sites where more intense building activities are occurring. Based on statistical separability of sampled sites, catchment classes were identified and mapped throughout an 8,600 km(2) region in western North Carolina's Blue Ridge physiographic province. The classification is a generalized representation of two ongoing trajectories of land use change that we suggest will support streams with diverging biota and physical conditions over the next two decades.     

Monitoring Ecosystems in the Sierra Nevada: The Conceptual Model Foundation

Monitoring at large geographic scales requires a framework for understanding relationships between components and processes of an ecosystem and the human activities that affect them. We created a conceptual model that is centered on ecosystem processes, considers humans as part of ecosystems, and serves as a framework for selecting attributes for monitoring ecosystems in the Sierra Nevada. The model has three levels: 1) an ecosystem model that identifies five spheres (Atmosphere, Biosphere, Hydrosphere, Lithosphere, Sociocultural), 2) sphere models that identify key ecosystem processes (e.g., photosynthesis), and 3) key process models that identify the "essential elements"that are required for the process to operate (e.g., solar radiation), the human activities ("affectors") that have negative and positive effects on the elements (e.g., air pollution), and the "consequences"of affectors acting on essential elements (e.g., change in primary productivity). We discuss use of the model to select attributes that best reflect the operation and integrity of the ecosystem processes. Model details can be viewed on the web at http://www.r5.fs.fed.us/sncf/spam_report/index.htm(Appendix section).     

Compensatory wayfinding behavior in topographic disorientation from brain injury

Recent studies of topographic disorientation from brain injury have focused on describing impairments, detailing neuroanatomical correlates of topographic disorientation, and classifying types of topographic disorientation. Normative models of environmental cognition have been applied in some studies of topographic disorientation, but more work is needed in this area. Few studies have produced data on everyday functioning with topographic disorientation. This paper presents data on compensatory wayfinding behavior in familiar environments, collected through case studies of three individuals with topographic disorientation from brain injury. Structured tests were used to evaluate visuo-spatial impairment, and normative models of wayfinding guided semi-structured and open-ended questioning about wayfinding inside and outside the home. All three-study informants were able to wayfind successfully within the home, though they varied in their ability to travel independently outside the home. Landmarks and scanning were important for orienting for all three subjects. The two subjects who were most able to travel independently also used sequencing of landmarks, directional heading and body position as elements of their wayfinding strategies. The information presented in this paper may prove useful to rehabilitation specialists who are treating brain-injured patients by providing new ideas about methods of compensation, and may contribute to emerging theory regarding impairments of orientation, and normative models of wayfinding.     

Blood dynamics of mercury and selenium in northern elephant seals during the lactation period

The effects of reproduction and maternal investment (i.e., milk transfer) on trace element levels remain poorly understood in marine mammals. We examined the blood dynamics of mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) during lactation in the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris), a top predator from the North Pacific Ocean. Total Hg and Se levels were measured in whole blood and milk of 10 mother-pup pairs on days 5 and 22 of lactation. Both Hg and Se were transferred to offspring through the milk. Results suggested that the maternal transfer of Se was prominent during lactation, whereas the Hg transfer was larger during gestation. The lactation period affected Hg and Se levels in the blood of elephant seal mothers and pups. Physiological processes and their relationship to body condition should be considered carefully when interpreting trace element levels in the framework of biomonitoring.     

Ability of Remnant Riparian Forests,With and Without Grass Filters,to Buffer Concentrated Surface Runoff1

Knight, Kris W., Richard C. Schultz, Cathy M. Mabry, and Thomas M. Isenhart, 2010. Ability of Remnant Riparian Forests, With and Without Grass Filters, to Buffer Concentrated Surface Runoff. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(2):311-322. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00422.x Abstract: Riparian forest buffers established according to accepted conservation practice standards have been recommended as one of the most effective tools for mitigating nonpoint source pollution. The midwestern United States is characterized by many kilometers of narrow, naturally occurring forests along streams. However, little is known about the relative effectiveness of these remnant forests compared with these newly established buffers. This study compared the ability of naturally occurring remnant forests with and without adjacent planted grass filters to buffer concentrated flow paths (CFPs) originating in crop fields along first- and second-order streams in three northeast Missouri watersheds. Remnant forests breached by runoff through CFPs were narrower than those that dispersed 100% of the CFPs. Remnant forests with adjacent grass buffers were nearly twice the width as those without grass filters. We also found that CFPs, which developed within remnant forests and at the base of in-field grass waterways, were potential sources of sediments to streams. Methods to mitigate these CFPs warrant further investigation. Our study suggests that although these natural remnant forests provide substantial buffering capacity, both improved management and/or the addition of an adjacent grass filter would improve water quality by reducing sediment loss to streams. Inferences can be used to inform the design and management of similar conservation buffer systems within the region.