Development and evaluation of the Lake Macroinvertebrate Integrity Index (LMII) for New Jersey lakes and reservoirs

In response to the recent focus by the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency on bioassessment of lakes, a multimetric index was developed for New Jersey lakes and reservoirs using benthicmacroinvertebrates. Benthic samples were collected fromreference and impaired lakes with muck and intermediate sedimentsin central and northern New Jersey during summer 1997. We used astepwise process to evaluate properties of candidate metrics andselected five for the Lake Macroinvertebrate Integrity Index(LMII): Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (HBI), percent chironomidindividuals, percent collector-gatherer taxa, percentoligochaetes/leeches, and number of Diptera taxa. We scoredmetrics as the fraction of the best expected value (based on allsites) achieved at a site and summed them into the LMII. Evaluation of the LMII showed that it discriminated well betweenreference and impaired lakes and was strongly related to severalpotential stressors. Chemical and physical gradients distinguished between reference and impaired lakes, and the LMIIsummarized these gradients well. The LMII corresponded stronglywith land use, but some lakes with more urban land use stillachieved high scores. Based on a power analysis, the ability ofthe LMII to detect differences in condition was sensitive to thenumber of samples from each lake.     

Investigation of evaporation and biodegradation of fuel spills in Antarctica. I. A chemical approach using GC-FID

Little effort has been devoted to differentiating between hydrocarbon losses through evaporation and biodegradation in treatability studies of fuel-contaminated Antarctic soils. When natural attenuation is being considered as a treatment option, it is important to be able to identify the mechanism of hydrocarbon loss and demonstrate that rates of degradation are sufficient to prevent off-site migration. Similarly, where complex thermally enhanced bioremediation schemes involve nutrient addition, water management, air stripping and active heating, it is important to appreciate the relative roles of these mechanisms for cost minimisation. Following the loss of hydrocarbons by documenting changes in total petroleum hydrocarbons offers little insight into the relative contribution of evaporation and biodegradation. We present a methodology here that allows identification and quantification of evaporative losses of diesel range organics at a range of temperatures using successively less volatile compounds as fractionation markers. We also present data that supports the general utility of so-called biodegradation indices for tracking biodegradation progress. We are also able to show that at 4 degrees C indigenous Antarctic soil bacteria degrade Special Antarctic Blend fuel components in the following order: naphthalene and methyl-napthalenes, light n-alkanes, then progressively heavier n-alkanes; whereas isoprenoids and the unresolved complex mixture are relatively recalcitrant.     

The complex relationship between personal sense of connection to animals and self‐reported proenvironmental behaviors by zoo visitors

The global biodiversity crisis requires an engaged citizenry that provides collective support for public policies and recognizes the consequences of personal consumption decisions. Understanding the factors that affect personal engagement in proenvironmental behaviors is essential for the development of actionable conservation solutions. Zoos and aquariums may be some of the only places where many people can explore their relations with wild animals and proenvironmental behaviors. Using a moderated‐mediation analysis of a survey of U.S. zoo and aquarium visitors (n = 3588), we explored the relationship between the sense of connection to animals and self‐reported engagement in proenvironmental behaviors related to climate change and how this relationship is affected by certainty that climate change is happening, level of concern about climate change, and perceptions of effectiveness in personally addressing climate change. We found a significant, directional relationship between sense of connection to animals and self‐reported proenvironmental behaviors. Political inclination within the conservative to liberal spectrum did not affect the relationship. We conclude that a personal sense of connection to animals may provide a foundation for educational and communication strategies to enhance involvement in proenvironmental actions.     

Incorporating governance influences into social-ecological system models: a case study involving biodiversity conservation

Addressing environmental problems requires sophisticated approaches to complexity and uncertainty. Conceptual models are increasingly used to improve understanding of complex system interactions. However, cursory treatment of governance limits their analytical potential. This study included governance considerations in a social-ecological system model of biodiversity conservation in the Tasmanian Midlands (Australia). Effectiveness of engagement processes and conservation programme longevity were identified as critical governance influences. The conceptual representation of this system enabled exploration of how governance influences interact with social drivers (e.g. landholder engagement in conservation practices) to modify the effect of biophysical drivers (e.g. land use) on biodiversity outcomes. Such a methodology provides essential information for identifying and guiding governance related points of intervention.     

Participatory development of incentives to coexist with jaguars and pumas

Reducing costs and increasing benefits for rural communities coexisting with large carnivores is necessary for conservation of jaguar (Panthera onca) and puma (Puma concolor). To design acceptable incentives, stakeholders must be involved in the process. We conducted an innovative, structured, group communication process based on a Delphi technique as a template for identifying potential incentives. Community workshops with 133 members of 7 communities and surveys with 25 multidisciplinary experts from government, nongovernmental organizations, and academia provided iterative data to design a plan of incentives through 4 rounds of discussion. The final product integrated 862 ideas into 6 types of incentives: organization of communities, mechanisms for improved dialogue, citizen technical assistance, green labeling for community products, payment for the ecosystem service of biodiversity, and an assessment of financial alternatives. We used quantitative and qualitative techniques to indicate support for decisions about the design of incentives, which reduced researcher subjectivity. The diverse incentives developed and the cooperation from multiple stakeholders resulted in an incentive plan that integrated issues of governance, equity, and social norms.     

Utilisation of environmentally friendly okara-based biosorbent for cadmium(II) removal

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Heavy metals released by various industries are among the major pollutants found in water resources. In this research, biosorption technique was...     

The Effects of Learner's Permit Requirements in Tennessee

Sixteen and 17 year-olds were surveyed at motor-vehicle offices in Tennessee after qualifying for their first driver's license. When the survey was conducted during October and November 1995, neither a learner's permit nor completion of a driver education course was required to obtain a license at age 16 or 17. The survey was repeated during December and January 1996–97, approximately one year after a requirement to hold a learner's permit for 90 days or complete a driver education course was implemented. Results from the 1991 drivers (ages 16 and 17) surveyed indicated Tennessee's licensing law change was associated with approximately 100 additional miles and 8 additional hours of practice driving prior to licensure for the typical 16 or 17 year-old, most often while supervised by a parent or guardian. Results are discussed in relation to the prelicense practice driving requirements of graduated licensing systems.     

Book reviews

Deregulation in the European Union: environmental perspectives. U. Collier (Ed.), 1998, London, Routledge, ISBN 0 415 15694 7, £47.50 (hbk)

Protecting the European Environment: enforcing EC environmental law. H. Somsen (Ed.), 1996, London, Blackstone Press, ISBN 185 431 6044, £19.95

Green Parties and Politics in the European Union. Elizabeth Bomberg, 1998, London, Routledge, ISBN 0 415102 650, £15.99 (pbk)

British Environmental Policy and Europe. Philip Lowe & Stephen Ward (Eds), 1998, London, Routledge, ISBN 0 415155 010, £16.99 (pbk)

Wolf in the Garden: the land rights movement and the new environmental debate. Philip D. Brick & R. McGreggor Cawley (Eds), 1996, Lanham, MD, Rowman & Littlefield, ISBN 08476 8184 X, US$67.50 (hbk) ISBN 08476 8185 8, US$24.95 (pbk)

Fresh Water. E. C. Pielou, 1998, Chicago, IL, University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0 226 66815 0, US$24/£19.25 (hbk)

Environment and Politics. Timothy Doyle & Doug McEachern, 1998, London, Routledge, ISBN 0415 14776, £10.99

Eat Your Genes: how genetically modified food is entering our diet. S. Nottingham, 1998, London, Zed Books, ISBN 1 85649 577 9, £32.95 (hbk) ISBN 1 85649 578 7, £11.95 (pbk)

Working for Better Environmental Performance in SMEs. PACTE programme of the European Commission, 1997, Project of Berlin, Bristol, Copenhagen and Vienna¹ (no charge)

Love Canal, the Story Continues. Lois Marie Gibbs, 1998, Gabriola Island, BC, New Society Publishers, ISBN 0 86571 382 0, US$16.95/Can$19.95 (pbk)     

Relative importance of male and territory quality in pairing success of male rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus)

We studied pairing success in male rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) in northern Alaska to learn whether males obtaining more females possessed phenotypic traits that influenced female choice directly, whether these traits permitted males to obtain territories favored by females, or whether both processes occurred. The number of females per male varied from zero to three. Several male and territory traits were significantly correlated with number of females per male. We used multiple regression to obtain a single measure of male quality and a single measure of territory quality. These measures of male and territory quality correlated with each other and with male pairing success. We used path analysis to separate direct effects of male quality on pairing success from indirect effects due to high-quality males obtaining high-quality territories. Both direct and indirect pathways had significant effects on pairing success, and direct and indirect effects of male traits on pairing success were about equal. This study illustrates an analytical approach for estimating the relative importance of direct and indirect causal relationships in natural systems. Received: 13 January 1998 / Accepted after revision: 7 November 1998     

Biogenic volatile organic compounds as a potential stimulator for organic contaminant degradation by soil microorganisms

The effects of monoterpenes on the degradation of ¹⁴C-2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP) were investigated in soils collected from areas surrounding monoterpene and non-monoterpene-emitting vegetation. Indigenous microorganisms degraded ¹⁴C-2,4-DCP to ¹⁴CO₂, after 1 d contact time. Degradation was enhanced by prior exposure of the soils to 2,4-DCP for 32 d, increasing extents of mineralisation up to 60%. Monoterpene amendments further enhanced 2,4-DCP degradation, but only following pre-exposure to both 2,4-DCP and monoterpene, with total 2,4-DCP mineralisation extents of up to 71%. Degradation was greatest at the higher monoterpene concentrations (≥1 μg kg⁻¹). Total mineralisation extents were similar between concentrations, but higher than the control and the 0.1 μg kg⁻¹ amendment, indicating that increases in monoterpene concentration has a diminishing enhancing effect. We suggest that monoterpenes can stimulate the biodegradation of 2,4-DCP by indigenous soil microorganisms and that monoterpene amendment in soils is an effective strategy for removing organic contaminants.