MERCURY IN WATER AND SEDIMENT OF STEAMBOAT CREEK,NEVADA: IMPLICATIONS FOR STREAM RESTORATION1

ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to characterize the sources, concentrations, and distribution of total and methylmer‐cury in water, and channel and bank sediments of Steamboat Creek, Nevada. This information was needed to begin to assess the potential impacts of stream restoration on mercury pollution in this tributary to the Truckee River. The Truckee River flows into Pyramid Lake, a terminal water body home to one endangered and one threatened fish species, where stable pollutants will accumulate over time. Mercury in Steamboat Creek was originally derived from its headwaters, Washoe Lake, where several gold and silver mills that utilized mercury were located. In the 100 plus years since ore processing occurred, mercury‐laden alluvium has been deposited in the stream channel and on streambanks where it is available for remobilization. Total mercury concentrations measured in unfiltered water from the creek ranged from 82 to 419 ng/L, with greater than 90 percent of this mercury being particle‐bound (> 0.45 (m). Mercury in sediments ranged from 0.26 to 10.2 μg/g. Methylmercury concentrations in sediments of Steamboat Creek were highest in wetlands, lower in the stream channel, and still lower in streambank settings. Methylmercury concentrations in water were 0.63 to 1.4 ng/L. A streambank restoration plan, which includes alterations to channel geometry and wetland creation or expansion, has been initiated for the creek. Data developed indicate that streambank stabilization could reduce the mercury loading to the Creek and that wetland construction could exacerbate methylmercury production.     

Changes in groundwater levels and the response of natural vegetation to transfer of water to the lower reaches of the Tarim River

Restoration and reconstruction of the degraded Tarim River ecosystem is an important challenge.A goal of an ecological water conveyance project is to protect and restore the natural vegetation in the lower reaches of Tarim River by transferring water from Bosten Lake,through the river channel,to the lower reaches.This study describes the changes in groundwater depth during the water transfer and the respondence of riparian vegetation to alterations in groundwater levels.The results indicate that groundwater depth along the Tarim River channel has a significant spatial-temporal component.Groundwater levels closest to the river channel show the most immediate and pronounced changes as a response to water transfer while those further away respond more slowly,although the observed change appears to be longer in duration.With a rise in the groundwater level,natural vegetation responded with higher growth rates,biomass and biodiversity.These favorable changes show that it is feasible to protect and restore the degraded natural vegetation by raising the groundwater depth.Plant communities are likely to reflect the hysteresis phenomenon,requiring higher water levels to initiate and stimulate desired growth than what may be needed to maintain the plant community.Because different species have different ecologies,including different root depths and densities and water needs,their response to increasing water availability will be spatially and temporally heterogenous.The response of vegetation is also influenced by microtopography and watering style.This paper discusses strategies for the protection and restoration of the degraded vegetation in the lower reaches of the Tarim River and provides information to complement ongoing theoretical research into ecological restoration in arid or semi-arid ecosystems.     

太湖生态修复治理工程

太湖是我国第三大淡水湖泊,也是流域的重要水体。近年来,随着人口的增长,经济高速发展,人为社会经济活动影响,水资源系统受到很大冲击,水质变劣,湖体富营养过程加剧,生态环境受到明显损害,制约了流域社会经济的可持续发展。要实现流域水资源的可持续利用,必须加快水污染综合治理。除陆域实施严格的达标治理、河网水质调控、农业面源及生活污水治理外,太湖湖体生态修复和富营养化治理已为当务之急。目前应尽早实施：①太湖重污染区底泥的生态疏浚,减少底泥释放二次污染。②利用浮床陆生植物治理太湖典型富营养化水域,利用生物吸收、降解,继而富集营养盐,净化水质。③建立环湖湿地保护带。④恢复和重建湖滨带水生植被,实现长效生态管理和调控。⑤生态渔业工程,有效控制过度养殖,恢复湖泊生态良性循环。⑥藻类采集和资源化再利用。⑦强化流域管理。     

三峡库区典型消落带淹水后草本植被的自然恢复特征

消落带是影响水库生态环境安全的关键区域。利用生物调查方法,对三峡库区典型缓坡型消落带草本植被的自然恢复情况进行了初步研究。结果表明：（1）研究区植被主要为一年生和多年生草本植物,共有29种,其中空心莲子草、狗牙根、稗草、苍耳、狗尾草、鬼针草和马唐是消落带的优势种类,且空心莲子草和狗牙根是消落带成陆初期的建群种。消落带植物群落多呈斑块状集中分布,沿145～175 m高程梯度从下往上大致可分为4条植物带：空心莲子草 狗牙根带、稗草带、苍耳 马唐 狗尾草带和一年生杂草带。（2）淹水后消落带草本植物群落在没有人为干预的情况下可自然恢复,只是群落结构趋于简单,植物物种多样性显著降低。（3）植物群落的物种多样性、地上生物量和盖度均沿水位梯度带从下往上呈先增后减的抛物线状变化,即消落带下部＜消落带上部＜消落带中部。三者的变化趋势有着高度的相关性,并且都与淹水时间呈负相关。（4）沿水位梯度带植物群落的均匀度指数差异不显著,其他物种多样性指数以及地上生物量差异显著     

莱州湾南岸咸水入侵区生态环境分区与生态恢复研究

本文在对莱州湾南岸咸水入侵区进行区域生态分析的基础上,对研究区进行了生态环境分区,提出了研究区环境战略调整和综合治理咸水入侵灾害的关键性技术措施,并结合各分区特点,有针对性地提出了各生态环境分区生态恢复和重建的组合配套措施。     

Sustaining the Gains Made in Ecological Restoration: Case Study Collingwood Harbour, Ontario

As part of the commitments made by the governments of Canada and the United States in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) are being developed and implemented at Great Lakes Areas of Concern. The Areas of Concern are specific places around the Great Lakes basin ecosystem where environmental quality is degraded to the point that certain beneficial uses (the ability of fish, wildlife and humans to thrive) are impaired. According to the United States and Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 1987, the federal governments, in cooperation with state and provincial governments, are to ensure the public is consulted throughout the development and implementation of the RAPs. While not explicit in the Agreement, it is logical to posit that given the effort and investment in environmental improvements, community capacity to sustain the recovery of beneficial uses beyond the life of the RAP should be a product of the RAP. This report examines a case study to test the hypothesis that public ownership of the RAP process can result in the development of community capacity to sustain environmental recovery. The question is, were the principles of the RAP, 10 years after delisting, taken into account to ensure sustainability of growth along the waterfront and within the Town? To arrive at the answer it is important to explore the approach used in the Collingwood Harbour RAP process, and concepts and principles of sustainable cities and towns. This paper provides evidence that such principles are being applied in Collingwood and were nurtured during the development and implementation of the RAP.     

Patterns of Avian Nest Predators and a Brood Parasite Among Restored Riparian Habitats in Agricultural Watersheds

In fragmented edge-dominated landscapes, nest predation and brood parasitism may reduce avian reproductive success and, ultimately, populations of some passerine species. In the fragmented agroecosystem of northwest Mississippi, placement of drop-pipe structures has been used as a restoration technique for abating gully erosion along stream banks. These actions have formed small herbaceous and woody habitat extensions into former agricultural lands. We quantified species relative abundances, species richness, and evenness of avian nest predators and a brood parasite within four categories of constructed habitat resulting from drop-pipe installation. Differences in the abundance of two nest predators, cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus) and blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata), were observed among constructed habitats. However, relative abundances of other predators such as common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula), American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), and hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus), and the obligate brood parasite brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) did not differ among four habitat categories. Although species richness, abundance, and evenness of potential nest predators were generally similar among the constructed habitats, predator species composition varied, suggesting that these habitats supported different predator communities. This difference is important because as each predator species is added to or deleted from the community, variation may occur in the framework of prey search methods, predator strategies, and potentially overall predation pressure. We suggest that land managers using drop-pipes as part of stream restoration projects allow for the development of the constructed habitat with the largest area and greatest vegetative structure.     

Applying a Large,Statewide Database to the Assessment,Stressor Diagnosis,and Restoration of Stream Fish Communities

In this report, predictions of the species that were expected to occur at stream sites were generated and probable stressors to fish species that were predicted to occur but were absent were diagnosed. Predictions were generated based on the hierarchical screening method of Smith and Powell (1971, Am. Mus. Novit. 2458, 1–30), using fish abundance in conjunction with 25 environmental variables at 895 sites. The sites were sampled throughout Maryland and represent the entire range of environmental quality from severely degraded to minimally degraded. Stressor variable values that exceeded tolerance thresholds for species that were expected to occur, but were absent, were considered to be probable stressors. This method was tested for efficacy in stream site assessments and stressor diagnosis using an independent data set. Sites that were classified as degraded according to the IBI and to non-biological criteria had fewer predicted species present compared to minimally influenced sites, indicating that the proportion of predicted species present accurately represents the biological integrity of a stream site. The nine stressors that were applied to the test data set accounted for species absences in 43.7% of degraded sites. Impervious land cover was the most common stressor identified. In addition to assessing stream biological integrity and identifying stressors to fish species, this approach also provides tolerance thresholds for predicted fish species that are useful endpoints necessary to plan effective restoration of fish species in Maryland.     

Grazing effects on sustainable semiarid rangeiands in Patagonia: The state and dynamics of the soil seed bank

The composition of the germinable seed bank was studied in four vegetation states of the Festuca pallescens grasslands in semiarid Patagonia during four years. The aim of this study was to test whether above-ground vegetation states resulting from grazing exclusion or different combinations of grazing and topography are reflected in different states of the germinable seed bank. The size of the total and dicot germinable seed bank was positively related to the total cover in each state. Dicots dominated all germinable seed bank states. Carex patagonica increased its cover as well as its germinable seed bank under grazing disturbance. Grazing did not reduce the germinable seed bank of perennial grasses in uplands where the grazing pressure is lower as compared with slopes. In slopes the germinable seed bank of perennial grasses was significantly reduced by grazing. A reduction of the length of the grazing period in late spring increases the germinable seed bank of perennial grasses both in upland and slope. These results are interpreted in the frame of a model of management techniques where grazing exclusion during late spring and late summer increases the seed bank of the perennial grasses and promotes their establishment in uplands. The artificial addition of seeds of perennial grasses and the manipulation of the soil surface in order to increase "safe sites" appear as management alternatives that deserve further evaluation to improve plant reestablishment in slopes.     

资源型城市工矿用地系统修复的生态安全格局构建

资源型城市可持续发展的关键是对其工矿用地进行系统修复,在空间上统筹工矿用地的生态修复,使其从整体上参与区域生态安全格局构建十分必要。基于生态安全格局与电路理论,以典型资源型城市内蒙古自治区乌海市为例,分别识别2000年、2005年、2011年、2017年生态廊道和关键点,根据优先修复程度设置修复分级方案。研究结果表明：（1）2000-2017年,廊道路径上工矿用地面积增加和城市扩张导致生态廊道质量下降、位置发生变化。7条最小耗费路径总长度从120.74 km增加到125.71 km;加权耗费总距离从692.58 km增加到1162.28 km。（2）识别出2017年障碍点14处,总面积为16.06 km²。其中关键点12处,总面积14.09 km²。 （3）修复区域为识别出的2000-2017年四期生态廊道和2017年关键点,共划分三个修复等级,总面积为475.86 km²。研究通过区域生态安全格局理念统筹工矿用地生态修复,使之成为国土空间系统修复的有机整体,为资源型城市可持续发展提供决策参考。