An Assessment of U.S. Stream Compensatory Mitigation Policy: Necessary Changes to Protect Ecosystem Functions and Services

Compensatory mitigation of impacted streams and wetlands has increased over the past two decades, with the associated industry spending over US$2.9 billion in aquatic restoration annually. Despite these expenditures, evaluations by the National Research Council and U.S. Government Accountability Office have provided evidence that compensatory mitigation practices are failing to protect aquatic resource functions and services, and vague federal policy and inadequate evaluation of compensatory mitigation projects are to blame. To address these weaknesses, an update to federal regulations on compensatory mitigation was released in 2008. Additionally, the 2012 Reissuance of Nationwide Permits, some of which affects compensatory stream mitigation, was recently published. Current policy, as reflected in these documents, still uses nonspecific language to direct compensatory stream mitigation leaving most implementation decisions to the local U.S. Army Corps of Engineers district. The majority of federal mitigation policy has focused on wetland compensation, with other aquatic resources receiving less attention (e.g., streams). In this article, weaknesses of current policy are discussed, as are suggested policy changes to minimize the loss of stream ecosystem functions and services. Compensatory mitigation policy should clearly define key terms, incorporate adaptive management procedures, and provide guidelines for determining mitigation costs and compensation ratio requirements.     

The impacts of a global pandemic on the efficacy and stability of contemporary wildlife conservation: South Africa as a case study

Conservationists speculated on potential benefits to wildlife of lockdown restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic but voiced concern that restrictions impeded nature conservation. We assessed the effects of lockdown restrictions on biodiversity conservation in South Africa, a biodiverse country with economic inequality and reliance on wildlife resources. We solicited expert opinion using the IUCN’s Threats Classification Scheme to structure a questionnaire and illustrated responses with individual case studies from government parastatal and non-governmental conservation organisations. The most highly reported threats were biological resource use, residential/commercial developments, invasive species, and human intrusions. The trends reported by 90 survey respondents were supported by case studies using environmental compliance data from parastatal conservation organisations. Lack of tourism revenue and funding were cited as hindrances to conservation. Mechanisms to prevent environmental degradation in the face of global emergencies must be implemented and ‘ring-fenced’ to ensure conservation is not a casualty during future global crises.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-022-01814-z.     

Creosote compounds in snails obtained from Pensacola Bay, Florida, near an onshore hazardous-waste site

Snails, Thais haemostoma, were collected from two areas offshore in Pensacola Bay, Florida, near an onshore hazardous-waste site. Tissue from the snails was extracted to isolate the lipophilic compounds and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Along with naturally occurring compounds, the snail tissue contained large concentrations of polycyclic aromatic compounds, such as phenanthrene, acridine, dibenzothiophene, dibenzofuran, and benzo[a]pyrene. Many of these compounds were characteristic of creosote contamination associated with the onshore hazardous-waste site.     

Preliminary report: Dioxins and furans in prescribed burns

The Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE) recently participated in a joint Canadian/U.S. program to monitor the behavior and environmental impact of prescribed fires. Air, soil and ash samples were collected at the burn sites and analyzed for chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDD) and dibenzofurans (CDF). Preliminary results indicated that larger air sample volumes were required.     

Characterization of mass-labeled [13C14]-decabromodiphenylethane and its use as a surrogate standard in the analysis of sewage sludge samples

Very little data is available about the presence of the brominated flame retardant, DBDPE, in the environment. This study reports the characterization of [(13)C(14)]-decabromodiphenylethane and the use of this surrogate standard to positively identify and quantify the presence of DBDPE in sewage sludge samples. The large difference in response factors between BDE-209 and DBDPE predicates the use of [(13)C(14)]-decabromodiphenylethane as a surrogate standard to improve the accuracy when determining the levels of DBDPE in environmental samples.     

Brownfields Update: The Reform of the Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative

This journal first reported on the U.S. EPA's Brownfields Initiative in the summer 1995 edition of Remediation. At that time, the initiative was only about 15 months old, most of the state programs were in proposal stages, and little federal legislation addressing brownfields had been proposed. Today, brownfields has become such a common term that almost every environmental professional is familiar with it. The EPA has placed extremely high priority on the Brownfields Initiative and it has become a politically hot issue. This article provides an update on the current status of EPA's Brownfields program and also discusses recent legislation proposed by Congress to promote brownfields redevelopment. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Incubation behavior,brood patch formation and obligate brood reduction in Fiordland crested penguins

Summary The first-laid eggs of Eudyptes penguins are much smaller than second eggs, generally hatch later, and experience greater mortality, features that characterize a brood reduction system unlike that of any other avian group. Hypotheses that (1) first-egg mortality is incidental to aggressive behavior by nesting birds and (2) hatching asynchrony is created by preferential egg treatment during incubation were tested in a colony of Fiordland crested penguins (E. pachyrhynchus). Neither hypothesis was supported. Although first eggs experienced greater mortality than second eggs, losses were not associated with aggressive behavior or the degree of nest crowding. First eggs hatched later than second eggs and were found more often in the anterior (previously assumed inferior) nest position. However, that position was not thermally disadvantaged, nor were lower temperatures consistently recorded from the smaller eggs. Parental brood patches did not form until after the first egg was laid; this delay may be a causal factor in the evolution of the unique reversal in eudyptid egg dimorphism.