Sustainability versus liveability: an investigation of neighbourhood satisfaction

Recent years have witnessed an increasing emphasis placed on planning systems in most advanced capitalist societies to develop a more sustainable urban development pattern, resulting in policies to increase residential densities. Although belief in the virtues of the compact city approach is now widespread among the policy community, questions remain relating to the ‘sustainability versus liveability’ implications of compact city environments. In this regard, while the public may support sustainability principles, there is a perception that high-density development poses too great a cost on individuals' quality of life. Combining both quantitative and qualitative research data, this paper evaluates the relationship between high-density living and neighbourhood satisfaction within the central city. Findings suggest that, in many instances, it is not high density per se that is the source of dissatisfaction for respondents, but rather other related factors such as environmental quality, noise, lack of community involvement, traffic and lack of services and facilities.     

Climate Change Adaptation for the US National Wildlife Refuge System

Since its establishment in 1903, the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) has grown to 635 units and 37 Wetland Management Districts in the United States and its territories. These units provide the seasonal habitats necessary for migratory waterfowl and other species to complete their annual life cycles. Habitat conversion and fragmentation, invasive species, pollution, and competition for water have stressed refuges for decades, but the interaction of climate change with these stressors presents the most recent, pervasive, and complex conservation challenge to the NWRS. Geographic isolation and small unit size compound the challenges of climate change, but a combined emphasis on species that refuges were established to conserve and on maintaining biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health provides the NWRS with substantial latitude to respond. Individual symptoms of climate change can be addressed at the refuge level, but the strategic response requires system-wide planning. A dynamic vision of the NWRS in a changing climate, an explicit national strategic plan to implement that vision, and an assessment of representation, redundancy, size, and total number of units in relation to conservation targets are the first steps toward adaptation. This adaptation must begin immediately and be built on more closely integrated research and management. Rigorous projections of possible futures are required to facilitate adaptation to change. Furthermore, the effective conservation footprint of the NWRS must be increased through land acquisition, creative partnerships, and educational programs in order for the NWRS to meet its legal mandate to maintain the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health of the system and the species and ecosystems that it supports.     

Hydrologic Calibration and Validation of SWAT in a Snow‐Dominated Rocky Mountain Watershed,Montana, U.S.A.1

Abstract: The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) has been applied successfully in temperate environments but little is known about its performance in the snow‐dominated, forested, mountainous watersheds that provide much of the water supply in western North America. To address this knowledge gap, we configured SWAT to simulate the streamflow of Tenderfoot Creek (TCSWAT). Located in central Montana, TCSWAT represents a high‐elevation watershed with ～85% coniferous forest cover where more than 70% of the annual precipitation falls as snow, and runoff comes primarily from spring snowmelt. Model calibration using four years of measured daily streamflow, temperature, and precipitation data resulted in a relative error (RE) of 2% for annual water yield estimates, and mean paired deviations (Dv) of 36 and 31% and Nash‐Sutcliffe (NS) efficiencies of 0.90 and 0.86 for monthly and daily streamflow, respectively. Model validation was conducted using an additional four years of data and the performance was similar to the calibration period, with RE of 4% for annual water yields, Dv of 43% and 32%, and NS efficiencies of 0.90 and 0.76 for monthly and daily streamflow, respectively. An objective, regression‐based model invalidation procedure also indicated that the model was validated for the overall simulation period. Seasonally, SWAT performed well during the spring and early summer snowmelt runoff period, but was a poor predictor of late summer and winter base flow. The calibrated model was most sensitive to snowmelt parameters, followed in decreasing order of influence by the surface runoff lag, ground water, soil, and SCS Curve Number parameter sets. Model sensitivity to the surface runoff lag parameter reflected the influence of frozen soils on runoff processes. Results indicated that SWAT can provide reasonable predictions of annual, monthly, and daily streamflow from forested montane watersheds, but further model refinements could improve representation of snowmelt runoff processes and performance during the base flow period in this environment.     

Approach for extrapolating in vitro metabolism data to refine bioconcentration factor estimates

National and international chemical management programs are assessing thousands of chemicals for their persistence, bioaccumulative and environmental toxic properties; however, data for evaluating the bioaccumulation potential for fish are limited. Computer based models that account for the uptake and elimination processes that contribute to bioaccumulation may help to meet the need for reliable estimates. One critical elimination process of chemicals is metabolic transformation. It has been suggested that in vitro metabolic transformation tests using fish liver hepatocytes or S9 fractions can provide rapid and cost-effective measurements of fish metabolic potential, which could be used to refine bioconcentration factor (BCF) computer model estimates. Therefore, recent activity has focused on developing in vitro methods to measure metabolic transformation in cellular and subcellular fish liver fractions. A method to extrapolate in vitro test data to the whole body metabolic transformation rates is presented that could be used to refine BCF computer model estimates. This extrapolation approach is based on concepts used to determine the fate and distribution of drugs within the human body which have successfully supported the development of new pharmaceuticals for years. In addition, this approach has already been applied in physiologically-based toxicokinetic models for fish. The validity of the in vitro to in vivo extrapolation is illustrated using the rate of loss of parent chemical measured in two independent in vitro test systems: (1) subcellular enzymatic test using the trout liver S9 fraction, and (2) primary hepatocytes isolated from the common carp. The test chemicals evaluated have high quality in vivo BCF values and a range of logK(ow) from 3.5 to 6.7. The results show very good agreement between the measured BCF and estimated BCF values when the extrapolated whole body metabolism rates are included, thus suggesting that in vitro biotransformation data could effectively be used to reduce in vivo BCF testing and refine BCF model estimates. However, additional fish physiological data for parameterization and validation for a wider range of chemicals are needed.     

Geographic distribution of selected elements in the livers of polar bears from Greenland, Canada and the United States

To assess geographic distributions of elements in the Arctic we compared essential and non-essential elements in the livers of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) collected from five regions within Canada in 2002, in Alaska between 1994 and 1999 and from the northwest and east coasts of Greenland between 1988 and 2000. As, Hg, Pb and Se varied with age, and Co and Zn with gender, which limited spatial comparisons across all populations to Cd, which was highest in Greenland bears. Collectively, geographic relationships appeared similar to past studies with little change in concentration over time in Canada and Greenland for most elements; Hg and Se were higher in some Canadian populations in 2002 as compared to 1982 and 1984. Concentrations of most elements in the polar bears did not exceed toxicity thresholds, although Cd and Hg exceeded levels correlated with the formation of hepatic lesions in laboratory animals.     

Long-term ground penetrating radar monitoring of a small volume DNAPL release in a natural groundwater flow field

An earlier field experiment at Canadian Forces Base Borden by Brewster and Annan [Geophysics 59 (1994) 1211] clearly demonstrated the capability of ground penetrating radar (GPR) reflection profiling to detect and monitor the formation of DNAPL layers in the subsurface. Their experiment involved a large volume release (770 L) of tetrachloroethylene into a portion of the sand aquifer that was hydraulically isolated from groundwater flow by sheet pile walls. In this study, we evaluated the ability of GPR profiling to detect and monitor much smaller volume releases (50 L). No subsurface confining structure was used in this experiment; hence, the DNAPL impacted zone was subjected to the natural groundwater flow regime. This condition allowed us to geophysically monitor the DNAPL mass loss over a 66 month period. Reflectivity variations on the GPR profiles were used to infer the presence and evolution of the solvent layers. GPR imaging found significant reflectivity increases due to solvent layer formation during the two week period immediately after the release. These results demonstrated the capacity of GPR profiling for the detection and monitoring of lesser volume DNAPL releases that are more representative of small-scale industrial spills. The GPR imaged solvent layers subsequently reduced in both areal extent and reflectivity after 29 months and almost completely disappeared by the end of the 66 month monitoring period. Total DNAPL mass estimates based on GPR profiling data indicated that the solvent mass was reduced to 34%-36% of its maximum value after 29 months; only 4%-9% of the solvent mass remained in the study area after 66 months. These results are consistent with independent hydrogeological estimates of remaining DNAPL mass based on the downgradient monitoring of the dissolved solvent phase. Hence, we have concluded that the long-term GPR reflectivity changes of the DNAPL layers are likely the result from the dissolution of chlorinated solvents residing in those layers. The long-term monitoring results demonstrated that GPR profiling is a promising non-invasive method for use at DNAPL contaminated sites in sandy aquifers where temporal information about immiscible contaminant mass depletion due to either natural flow or remediation is needed. However, our results also indicated that the GPR signature of older DNAPL impacted zones may not differ greatly from the uncontaminated background if significant mass reduction due to dissolution has occurred.     

Activity-dependent labeling of oxygenase enzymes in a trichloroethene-contaminated groundwater site

A variety of naturally occurring bacteria produce enzymes that cometabolically degrade trichloroethene (TCE), including organisms with aerobic oxygenases. Groundwater contaminated with TCE was collected from the aerobic region of the Test Area North site of the Idaho National Laboratory. Samples were evaluated with enzyme activity probes, and resulted in measurable detection of toluene oxygenase activity (6-79% of the total microbial cells). Wells from both inside and outside contaminated plume showed activity. Toluene oxygenase-specific PCR primers determined that toluene-degrading genes were present in all groundwater samples evaluated. In addition, bacterial isolates were obtained and possessed toluene oxygenase enzymes, demonstrated activity, and were dominated by the phylotype Pseudomonas. This study demonstrated, through the use of enzymatic probes and oxygenase gene identification, that indigenous microorganisms at a contaminated site were cometabolically active. Documentation such as this can be used to substantiate observations of natural attenuation of TCE-contaminated groundwater plumes.     

The secondary adjustment of clutch size in red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus)

More than a half century ago, the British ornithologist David Lack suggested that parent birds may use brood reduction to track uncertain food, a process facilitated by the asynchronous hatching of their young. Lack sketched the logic of asymmetric sibling rivalry: the phenotypic handicap imposed upon last-hatched marginal offspring renders their growth and survival conditional upon uncertain ecological conditions while buffering first-hatched core offspring from the inimical effects of overcrowding during periods of stringency. Though subjected to numerous indirect tests in short-term studies, the central prediction of Lack's hypothesis - that parents use marginal offspring to track unpredictable brood-rearing conditions and thus achieve a secondary adjustment of clutch size - has never been tested directly. Here we present the results of a 7-year study of marsh-nesting red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) showing that (1) brood size tracks interannual variability in growth and survival of nestlings, (2) the growth and mortality of marginal but not core offspring is contingent upon stochastic environmental conditions (mean air temperature) during brood rearing, (3) the mortality of marginal but not core offspring is strongly affected by developmental uncertainty in the form of both experimental and natural alterations of brood size, (4) the phenotypic handicap of hatching asynchrony buffers core offspring from poor growth conditions, but (5) its effects upon marginal nestlings are reversible when growth conditions are favourable and especially when brood size is reduced either experimentally or via hatching failure. The presence of marginal offspring ensures that blackbird parents are not left with a too small brood when brood-rearing conditions are favourable. Parents create two castes of progeny: marginal offspring that are strongly affected by both ecological and developmental stochasticity, and core offspring that are not.     

Earth stewardship: Shaping a sustainable future through interacting policy and norm shifts

Transformation toward a sustainable future requires an earth stewardship approach to shift society from its current goal of increasing material wealth to a vision of sustaining built, natural, human, and social capital—equitably distributed across society, within and among nations. Widespread concern about earth’s current trajectory and support for actions that would foster more sustainable pathways suggests potential social tipping points in public demand for an earth stewardship vision. Here, we draw on empirical studies and theory to show that movement toward a stewardship vision can be facilitated by changes in either policy incentives or social norms. Our novel contribution is to point out that both norms and incentives must change and can do so interactively. This can be facilitated through leverage points and complementarities across policy areas, based on values, system design, and agency. Potential catalysts include novel democratic institutions and engagement of non-governmental actors, such as businesses, civic leaders, and social movements as agents for redistribution of power. Because no single intervention will transform the world, a key challenge is to align actions to be synergistic, persistent, and scalable.     

Agent-based integrated assessment modelling: the example of climate change

Current approaches to deal with the socio-economic implications of climate change rely heavily on economic models that compare costs and benefits of different measures. We show that the theoretical foundations underpinning current approaches to economic modelling of climate change are inappropriate for the type of questions that are being asked. We argue therefore that another tradition of modelling, social simulation, is more appropriate in dealing with the complex environmental problems we face today.