Classification and spatial mapping of riparian habitat with applications toward management of streams impacted by nonpoint source pollution

Management of riparian habitats has been recognized for its importance in reducing instream effects of agricultural nonpoint source pollution. By serving as a buffer, well structured riparian habitats can reduce nonpoint source impacts by filtering surface runoff from field to stream. A system has been developed where key characteristics of riparian habitat, vegetation type, height, width, riparian and shoreline bank slope, and land use are classified as discrete categorical units. This classification system recognizes seven riparian vegetation types, which are determined by dominant plant type. Riparian and shoreline bank slope, in addition to riparian width and height, each consist of five categories. Classification by discrete units allows for ready digitizing of information for production of spatial maps using a geographic information system (GIS). The classification system was tested for field efficiency on Tom Beall Creek watershed, an agriculturally impacted third-order stream in the Clearwater River drainage, Nez Perce County, Idaho, USA. The classification system was simple to use during field applications and provided a good inventory of riparian habitat. After successful field tests, spatial maps were produced for each component using the Professional Map Analysis Package (pMAP), a GIS program. With pMAP, a map describing general riparian habitat condition was produced by combining the maps of components of riparian habitat, and the condition map was integrated with a map of soil erosion potential in order to determine areas along the stream that are susceptible to nonpoint source pollution inputs. Integration of spatial maps of riparian classification and watershed characteristics has great potential as a tool for aiding in making management decisions for mitigating off-site impacts of agricultural nonpoint source pollution.     

Decision-tree and rule-induction approach to integration of remotely sensed and GIS data in mapping vegetation in disturbed or hilly environments

The integration of Landsat TM and environmental GIS data sets using artificial intelligence rule-induction and decision-tree analysis is shown to facilitate the production of vegetation maps with both floristic and structural information. This technique is particularly suited to vegetation mapping in disturbed or hilly environments that are unsuited to either conventional remote sensing methods or GIS modeling using environmental data bases.     

Effects of deodorants on treatment of boat holding-tank waste

A literature search and survey of Virginia, USA, campgrounds with RV pump-out stations were used to determine whether boat holding-tank deodorant chemicals would have deleterious effects on marina septic systems or package treatment plants. Laboratory studies reported in the literature indicate that these chemical additives could affect septic system function in three ways: (1) active ingredients in the additives can impair sewage degradation in septic tanks, causing sludge buildup and overflow of solids into the drainfield, (2) additive chemicals might enter the drainfield and, in high enough concentrations, reduce the drainfield's ability to degrade waste, or (3) toxic additive chemicals might migrate from the drainfield to ground or surface water. Laboratory studies also show that some ingredients added to holding tanks interfere with functioning of activated sludge treatment process. Experience in the field and in other laboratory studies suggests that factors such as dilution of treated waste with untreated waste and the characteristics of the sewage to be treated can reduce the possibility of damage to septic and activated sludge systems. The campground owners surveyed indicated that they have few problems with their septic systems in spite of the presence of chemical additives in the RV waste. However, most of them practice good septic system maintenance and have devised other means of ensuring that their systems function efficiently. In addition, the survey indicates that most Virginia campgrounds get only seasonal use (as would marinas in Virginia), allowing their systems to recover between peak seasons.     

RUNOFF VOLUME ESTIMATION USING GIS TECHNIQUES1

ABSTRACT: Rainfall runoff of six watersheds was modeled via the Soil Conservation Service runoff curve number model in two ways: conventionally (manually) and via a geographic information system (GIS). Input data (elevation, soils, and landcover) were digital for the latter method. In contrast to previous studies, the GIS was ised for all phases of the modeling process, including watershed delineation and routing of runoff. A comparison between the two methods was consistent with results reported by others and indicates that the use of a GIS is an acceptable alternative to the conventional method for watersheds lacking relatively flat terrain. Given this limitation, the GIS method may prove advantageous over manual methods when study areas are large or numerous, runoff is modeled repetitively, alternative landcover scenarios are explored, or a digital database already exists for the study area.     

水污染物排放总量控制与管理系统的研究

探讨了水污染物排放总量控制研究方法．建立了由总量控制指标体系──技术经济政策──技术规范──微机管理系统组咸的水污染物排放总量控制管理系统。     

Eight years of annual no-till cropping in Washington's winter wheat-summer fallow region

The tillage-based winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-summer fallow (WW-SF) cropping system has dominated dryland farming in the Pacific Northwest USA for 125 years. We conducted a large-scale multidisciplinary 8-year study of annual (i.e., no summer fallow) no-till cropping systems as an alternative to WW-SF. Soft white and hard white classes of winter and spring wheat, spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), yellow mustard (Brassica hirta Moench), and safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) were grown in various rotation combinations. Annual precipitation was less than the long-term average of 301 mm in 7 out of 8 years. Rhizoctonia bare patch disease caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani AG-8 appeared in year 3 and continued through year 8 in all no-till plots. All crops were susceptible to rhizoctonia, but bare patch area in wheat was reduced, and grain yield increased, when wheat was grown in rotation with barley every other year. Remnant downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.) weed seeds remained dormant for 6 years and longer to heavily infest recrop winter wheat. There were few quantifiable changes in soil quality due to crop rotation, but soil organic carbon (SOC) increased in the surface 0–5 cm depth with no-till during the 8 years to approach that found in undisturbed native soil. Annual no-till crop rotations experienced lower average profitability and greater income variability compared to WW-SF. Yellow mustard and safflower were not economically viable. Continuous annual cropping using no-till provides excellent protection against wind erosion and shows potential to increase soil quality, but the practice involves high economic risk compared to WW-SF. This paper provides the first comprehensive multidisciplinary report of long-term alternative annual no-till cropping systems research in the low-precipitation region of the Pacific Northwest.     

Marine oil spill contingency planning

According to the practice researching and formulating “The Oil Spill Contingency Plan of south Chinese Sea”,this paper analyses and discusses the structure,functions and main contents of marine oil spill contingency planning,programs the organizing and commanding system and emergency response system,and advances the planning and researching method to coordinate comprehensively and to design practically the detailed emergency response steps until to formulate the ease operating programs for the plan implementation(PPI) and the PPI to apply high-techniques supporting emergency administrations and response.     

2015年海南省火电行业大气环境影响研究

基于火电企业在线监测数据、环境统计数据、排污许可及火电排放清单等，分析各统计口径下的海南火电大气污染物排放量差异，并基于在线监测数据分析海南省火电排放时间变化规律.分别设置现状、排污许可及超低排放3种情景，采用CALPUFF模型分析3种情景下火电厂对海南大气环境的影响.结果显示，不同统计口径下火电厂各污染物排放量差异较大，最大差值可达到5.65倍；在时间维度上，海南省火电行业污染物排放量月际分布较平稳，每月污染物排放量约占全年的7%~10%，24h变化呈现明显“两峰两谷”特征.在大气环境影响方面，火电企业大气SO₂、NO_x、PM_2.5、PM₁₀浓度分布总体呈现西部高东部低的趋势.现状情景下火电企业对各城市年均浓度影响范围为SO₂ 0.001~0.015μg/m³、NO_x 0~0.01μg/m³、PM₁₀ 0.001~0.006μg/m³、PM_2.5 0~0.003μg/m³，最高浓度基本出现在东方市、临高县.火电厂对大气环境的影响程度为许可情景>现状情景>超低情景，执行排污许可时火电厂排放PM₁₀和NO_x对各城市均值年均浓度较现状情景分别增加50%和38%；全面实施超低排放后，火电厂对大气环境影响有明显改善，SO₂和PM_2.5对各城市均值年均浓度较现状情景分别降低57%和69%.     

Using structured systems analysis to design an integrated system for transport planning and environmental analysis

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Exogenous testosterone increases female aggression in the European starling (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sturnus vulgaris</Emphasis>)

In the European starling, Sturnus vulgaris, optimal mating systems differ between males and females. Males gain from polygyny, whereas monogamy increases female fitness. The cost of polygyny to females lead to intense female–female competition, and it has previously been shown that the intensity of female aggression during the pre-breeding period can predict the realised mating system. The physiological regulation of such female aggression in starlings is not yet known. This study examines the role of testosterone in mediating aggressive behaviours involved in intra-specific reproductive competition in female starlings. Testosterone levels were experimentally elevated with testosterone implants in females during the pre-laying period. To simulate a situation in which an additional female tried to mate with the focal female’s mate, a caged female was presented close to a nest-site to which the male could attract a secondary female. Testosterone was significantly related to several behaviours involved in female–female interactions. Females with testosterone implants spent significantly more time close to the caged female and produced more song bouts than control females. In contrast, male behaviour was unrelated to the experimental status of the mate. Females mated to males that attracted a secondary female were less aggressive towards the caged female than those that remained monogamously mated. The effect of exogenous testosterone in this study indicates that androgens may mediate social behaviours in female starlings during the breeding season.