A riparian wildlife habitat evaluation scheme developed using GIS

Recent Italian laws mandate the consideration of environmental factors in local plans, especially at the provincial level of government. The plan for the province of Cremona in northern Italy illustrates the integration of the environment in provincial-level planning. The Cremona plan was developed through an ecological planning approach that occurred from 1994 to 1998. As part of this process, the planning team designed an environmental sustainability index. This index was integrated with an environmental capability analysis. To improve the quality of the Cremona landscape, the planning team developed an ecological network. This network seeks to weave together the natural areas of the province, especially by connecting provincial parks to regional river parks throughout Lombardy. The experience of the Cremona provincial plan has implications for environmental management elsewhere in Italy, Europe, and abroad.     

WATER QUALITY PROJECTIONS: PREIMPOUNDMENT CASE STUDY1

ABSTRACT: Recent regulations require impact statements for major water development projects, including reservoirs that will be used for water supply, recreation, and pollution control. A water quantity/quality model was developed and used for making water quality projections of a proposed reservoir in Montgomery County, Maryland. The study area is uncommon in that there is an extensive water quality data base. The results indicate that land use changes will have a significant effect on water quality and that the proposed reservoir will improve the quality of the surface waters downstream from the reservoir. A major effect of land use changes is the increase in the variability of water quality.     

MISSOURI RIVER FLOOD OF 1993: ROLE OF WOODY CORRIDOR WIDTH IN LEVEE PROTECTION1

ABSTRACT. We investigated the relationships between levee damage and woody corridor along a 353‐mile segment of the Missouri River in Missouri during the flood of 1993. Results indicated that woody corridors between riverbanks and primary levees played a significant role in the reduction or prevention of flood related damage to levees. Forty‐one percent of levee failures in this segment occurred in areas with no woody corridor, while 74 percent and 83 percent of failures occurred where woody corridor widths were less than 300 feet and less than 500 feet, respectively. Median failure lengths with a woody corridor present were 50.3 percent shorter than median failure lengths with no woody corridor present. Levees without failures had significantly wider median woody corridor widths than levees that failed. Eligibility for the Corps of Engineers levee maintenance program was not a significant factor in the reduction of levee damage. Discontinuities in woody corridors played a role in 27.5 percent of the levee failures in the study segment. Smaller segments of the river valley were studied to determine if geomorphic differences influenced variations in the protective value of woody corridors.     

The targeting of rural environmental policies: an assessment of agri‐environmental schemes in the UK

The targeting of environmental policies holds the key to their effectiveness and value for money. In this paper we look specifically at the targeting of the various agri‐environmental schemes likely to be on offer to UK farmers under a reformed Common Agricultural Policy. The manner in which these schemes are targeted—at groups of farmers or areas of land—and the precision with which target groups or target land is identified will be critical in their success or failure. One approach is to target the farming systems thought most environmentally sensitive. This avoids drawing lines on a map and may allow policy makers to channel money into the hands of economically disadvantaged farmers or those vulnerable to policy change. But there is also a need for a more radical and geographically‐targeted approach if problems like soil erosion and aquifer protection—requiring drastic land use shifts within specified areas—are to be tackled effectively. We assess the scope for using existing datasets to identify land that should be targeted under an American‐style Conservation Reserve Programme in the UK.     

State wetlands and riparian area protection programs

The protection of wetlands and riparian areas has emerged as an important environmental planning issue. In the United States, several federal and state laws have been enacted to protect wetlands and riparian areas. Specifically, the federal Clean Water Act includes protection requirements in Sections 301 and 303 for state water quality standards, Section 401 for state certification of federal actions (projects, permits, and licenses), and Section 404 for dredge and fill permits. The Section 401 water quality state certification element has been called the “sleeping giant” of wetlands protection because it empowers state officials to veto or condition federally permitted or licensed activities that do not comply with state water quality standards. State officials have used this power infrequently. The purpose of this research was to analyze the effectiveness of state wetland and riparian programs. Contacts were established with officials in each state and in the national and regional offices of key federal agencies. Based on interviews and on a review of federal and state laws, state program effectiveness was analyzed. From this analysis, several problems and opportunities facing state wetland protection efforts are presented.     

Selenium accumulation in the cockle Anadara trapezia

An extensive study on Se accumulation in a population of Anadara trapezia from a marine lake is reported. The effects of organism mass, gender, reproductive cycle, and season on Se accumulation and tissue distribution were investigated. Analyses showed that gender and reproductive cycle had no significant effect on Se accumulation. A. trapezia showed a strong positive correlation between Se burden and tissue mass. Constant Se concentrations were observed within individual populations but varied spatially with sediment Se concentrations. Se concentrations in tissues decreased from gills > gonad/intestine > mantle > muscle > foot, which remained constant over 12 months, however, significantly lower concentrations were observed in the summer compared to winter. A. trapezia is a good biomonitor for Se, as gender and size do not effect concentration, however, season of collection must be reported if changes in Se bioavailability are to be identified in short term studies, or during intersite comparisons.