The Decision-Identification Tree: A New NEPA Scoping Tool

decision-based scoping —provides an effective methodology for improving the EIS scoping process. Decision-based scoping, in conjunction with a new tool, the decision-identification tree (DIT), places emphasis on first identifying the potential decisions that may eventually need to be made. The DIT provides a methodology for mapping alternative courses of action as a function of fundamental decision points. Once these decision points have been correctly identified, the range of actions, alternatives, and impacts can be more accurately assessed; this approach can improve the effectiveness of EIS planning, while reducing the risk of future disconnects between the EIS analysis and reaching a final decision. This approach also has applications in other planning disciplines beyond that of the EIS.     

Environmental Indicators of Habitat Quality in a Migratory Freshwater Fish Fauna

/ In general, diadromous (and particularly amphidromous and catadromous) freshwater fishes decline in frequency of occurrence, change age/size structure, and probably also decline in abundance with increasing elevation and distance upstream from the sea. In freshwater fish faunas with a high proportion of migratory species, as in New Zealand, these changes in occurrence and abundance result in a breakdown of the relationship between fish abundance and habitat quality, making application of the index of biotic integrity (IBI) as a measure of habitat quality problematical since the index depends on the relationship between population metrics and habitat quality. An alternative approach applicable to assessing temporal changes in habitat quality and that uses a large database on fish distributions, involves analysis of the distribution of species across their natural distributions. In this paper we generate curves of occurrence of species across ranges of altitude and distance inland and show, through comparisons of data subsets, that the curves are consistent estimators of species' occurrence and therefore useful as indicators of habitat quality.     

Air Pollution Potential: Regional Study in Argentina

/ Air pollution potential is a measure of the atmospheric conditions that are unable to transport and dilute pollutants into the air, independently of the existence of sources. This potential can be determined from two atmospheric parameters: mixing height and transport wind. In this paper a statistical analysis of the mixing height and transport wind, in order to determine the areas with high or poor atmospheric ventilation in Argentina, is presented. In order to achieve this, meteorological data registered during 1979-1982 at eight meteorological stations were used. Daily values of the maximum mixing height were calculated from observations of daily temperatures at different heights and maximum surface temperature. At the same time as the maximum mixing height, the values of the transport wind were determined from the surface windspeed and the characteristics of the ground in the surroundings of each meteorological station. The mean seasonal values for both parameters were obtained. Isopleths of the mean seasonal of the maximum mixing heights were drawn. The percentage of seasonal frequencies of poor ventilation conditions were calculated and the frequency isopleths were also drawn to determine areas with minor and major relative frequencies. It was found that the northeastern and central-eastern regions of Argentina had a high air pollution potential during the whole year. Unfavorable atmospheric ventilation conditions were also found in the central-western side of the country during the cold seasons (37.5% in autumn and 56.9% in winter). The region with the greatest atmospheric ventilation is located south of 40 degrees S, where the frequency of poor ventilation varies between 8.0% in summer and 10.8% in winter.     

Chemical Warfare Materiel: Unique Regulatory Issues

In those states that have not included CWM as hazardous materials in their RCRA programs, the RCRA requirements for management of hazardous waste would not strictly apply to any of the CWM. The Army has historically implemented procedures requiring that chemical warfare agents be managed as RCRA hazardous waste regardless of the concentration, physical form, or configuration of the agent. Such application of strict hazardous waste requirements to management of potentially nonhazardous CWM can result in remedial costs well out of proportion to potential human health and environmental benefits. Recent development of chronic toxicity values for the CWM has opened the door for development of cleanup and waste management standards for waste streams or media containing small residual amounts of CWM. Implementation of this health-based approach to management of CWM remediation wastes may, in part, help to reduce potentially unnecessary hazardous waste management costs for the nonhazardous CWM.     

Beyond Experimentation: Emerging Issues in the Institutionalization of Joint Forest Management in India

/ During the last decade, a major initiative for community involvement in the management of state forest lands was started in India in the form of Joint Forest Management (JFM) programs. Despite the progress and positive impacts, the JFM program is still in the experimental phase. Latent conflicts related to caste, class, and gender issues are threatening JFM institutions at the village level. The Forest Department is also facing a number of internal conflicts as it tries to adjust to its new role under JFM. Some thoughtful and creative attempts have been made to resolve these conflicts. However, a much more concerted effort is required along with creation of suitable mechanisms at local, state, and national levels to discuss and resolve present and future conflicts.     

Test of a Model to Assess the Condition of Lodgepole Pine Stands

/ A predictive model for assessing stand condition as a function of suitability for achieving specified management objectives was originally developed using a data set for only 28 stands. In this study, we evaluate the model using an operational-sized data set composed of currently collected stand inventory data for 238 stands in the Snowy Range of the Medicine Bow National Forest in southern Wyoming. We compared its predictions of old growth suitability to results of a separate special old growth survey. Stands were characterized as profiles of variables derived from stand inventory data, and plotted as points in two-dimensional space where similarity between stands was reflected by the distance between their points. Results suggest the model is useful for classifying stand condition using relatively large sets of data currently collected during routine stand inventories.     

Effect of diet manipulation in dairy cow N balance and nitrogen oxides emissions from grasslands in northern Spain

Dietary modifications in dairy cattle have been reported as a useful strategy to alter the composition of manure. Many reports have been published on how changes in dietary crude protein content and forage-to-concentrate ratio reduces animal nitrogen (N) excretion, but little information exists about the effect of diet modification on nitrous oxide (N₂O) and nitric oxide (NO) emission when the subsequent slurry is applied on grassland. Two diets differing in forage:concentrate ratio (high forage or HF diet, 75:25; low forage or LF diet, 55:45) were tested to detect the improvement of N use efficiency in milk and the reduction of urinary and fecal N excretion. Triticale silage and barley grain were used as the main forage and concentrate sources in the diets. The subsequent slurries were characterized for N and ammonium-N content (NH₄⁺-N) and applied on grassland in order to study total and pattern of emission of N₂O and NO.The HF diet reduced the voluntary dry matter intake of the cows, N intake and urinary and fecal N excretion. However, the reduction of N intake did not improve the N use efficiency in milk (NUE) (21.0%) and did not reduce N excretion per unit of milk produced (15 g N l⁻¹) due to the lower milk yield. Slurries were similar in N content but differed in NH₄⁺ content, being lower in HF. Therefore, different slurry amounts were needed to be applied on grassland to reach the correct fertilisation rate (120 kg NH₄⁺-N ha⁻¹). Total emissions of N₂O (5.8 and 5.0 kg N₂O-N ha⁻¹) and NO (507.2 and 568.6 g NO-N ha⁻¹), and the pattern of emissions were not affected by dietary treatments. When fertilisation management depends on the collected volume to empty the slurry pit, higher N₂O and NO emissions per kg of slurry could be expected from LF slurry. Nevertheless, if slurry is applied following recommendation rates, N₂O and NO emission per unit of milk produced might be slightly lower from LF slurry. Grass yield (1.5 t dry matter ha⁻¹) and N uptake (50 kg N ha⁻¹) did not vary due to the applications of different slurries, and was attributed to low rainfalls. The correct management of the slurries on grasslands may justify an adequate nutritional strategy of dairy herds from an environmental and productive point of view.     

环境温度对东方小藤壶(Chthamalus challengeri)生命表征的影响

实验在相同理化指标的海水环境下,以不同温度培养中国北方海域典型污损生物东方小藤壶(Chthamalus challengeri)成体,研究环境温度对藤壶生命表征的影响。实验结果表明,24.0℃以上藤壶死亡率随温度升高显著增加,至30.0℃已全部死亡;9.0℃时95%以上的藤壶进入休眠状态,至6.0℃全部休眠,由此得到了6.0℃的东方小藤壶休眠低温限和23℃的生命活动高温限。通过实验还发现了21.0℃为东方小藤壶及其幼体的最活跃温度,同时验证了东方小藤壶成体与幼体相进的温度适应性。     

表面活性剂对污染土壤中重金属Cu(Ⅱ)的洗脱试验研究

采用批平衡法比较研究了阴离子表面活性剂十二烷基苯磺酸钠(SDBS)、非离子表面活性剂辛基酚聚氧乙烯醚(TX100)及其混合物(SDBS-TX100)对土壤中铜的洗脱作用.重点研究了表面活性剂浓度、清洗时间、溶液pH值、土水比、无机盐等因素对洗脱作用的影响.结果表明,表面活性剂对Cu(Ⅱ)污染土壤的洗脱作用存在较大差异.当表面活性剂初始浓度相同时,单一SDBS较不同质量配比的混合SDBS-TX100和单一TX100洗脱效果好;6 000 mg.L-1SDBS对Cu(Ⅱ)的洗脱效率达到46.3%,分别是同浓度SDBS-TX100(3∶1)、SDBS-TX100(1∶1)、SDBS-TX100(1∶3)和单一TX100洗脱效率的5.8、10.8、10.8和19.3倍;1∶10土水比条件下,清洗时间为24 h时,各表面活性剂体系都达到最好清洗效果;溶液pH值对表面活性剂洗脱Cu(Ⅱ)有显著影响,随着溶液pH值升高,表面活性剂的洗脱能力逐渐下降,强酸性条件下(pH=1.50),洗脱率最高可达95%;土水比越小表面活性剂对土壤中Cu(Ⅱ)的洗脱效果越好;无机盐对表面活性剂的洗脱能力影响不大,但是过量Mg2+(浓度>500...