Backcountry campsites were studied in three desert vegetation types (pinyon-juniper, catclaw, and desert scrub) in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Relationships between amount of use and amount of impact were examined within each vegetation type. The area disturbed was small, but impacts were generally severe. Important impacts were increased soil compaction and associated decreases in infiltration rates and soil moisture content; these were substantially more pronounced on high than low use sites. The only impact parameter that differed significantly between vegetation types was core area. The types of impact identified are similar to those found in the coniferous forests studied elsewhere, as is the logarithmic relationship between amount of use and amount of impact. However, Grand Canyon sites can support more visitor use before reaching near-maximum levels of impact for important impact parameters. 相似文献
The soil erodibility index (EI) of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands, which was the major criterion for CRP enrollment,
was assessed for six counties in southwestern Kansas using USGS seamless digital elevation model data and Geographical Informational
System techniques. The proportion of land areas with EI values of 8 or lower was less than 1% of the entire study area and
most of the land areas (72.5%) were concentrated on EI values between 8 and 24. Although land acreage with EI values of 24
or higher decreased dramatically, the proportion of CRP lands to the other land-use types did not change much from low to
high EI levels. The soil EI and physical soil characteristics of the CRP lands were compared to those of other land-use types.
In general, the mean EI values of the land-use types were strongly correlated with physical soil properties, including organic
matter content, clay content, available water capacity, permeability, and texture. CRP lands were compared in detail with
cropland in terms of their soil characteristics to infer the pivotal cause of the land transformation. Although there was
no significant statistical difference in EI between cropland and CRP soils, soil texture, soil family, and permeability were
statistically different between the two. Statistical analyses of these three variables showed that CRP soils had coarser texture
and higher permeability on average than cropland soils, indicating that CRP lands in the study area are drier than cropland
soils. Therefore, soil moisture characteristics, not necessarily soil erosion potential, might have been the key factor for
CRP enrollment in the study area. 相似文献
The relationship between tourism development and vegetated landscapes is analyzed for the Luya Mountain Nature Reserve (LMNR),
Shanxi, China, in this study. Indices such as Sensitive Level (SL), Landscape Importance Value (LIV), information index of
biodiversity (H’), Shade-tolerant Species Proportion (SSP), and Tourism Influencing Index (TII) are used to characterize vegetated
landscapes, the impact of tourism, and their relationship. Their relationship is studied by Two-Way Indicator Species Analysis
(TWINSPAN) and Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA). TWINSPAN gives correct and rapid partition to the classification,
and DCA ordination shows the changing tendency of all vegetation types based on tourism development. These results reflect
the ecological relationship between tourism development and vegetated landscapes. In Luya Mountain Nature Reserve, most plant
communities are in good or medium condition, which shows that these vegetated landscapes can support more tourism. However,
the occurrence of the bad condition shows that there is a severe contradiction between tourism development and vegetated landscapes. 相似文献
The origin of the grassy balds of the Great Smoky Mountains is examined. Some of the areas were cleared by settlers. Grazing by sheep and cattle and the cutting of trees were probably the most important factors in maintaining the grass sward; fire apparently was not used.Vegetation survey plots indicated that little of the original balds' area was still grassy and that most of the invading trees and shrubs could be expected to sprout if cut or burned. Areas presently trampled or mowed had a flora similar to a bald that was still grazed. High-elevation burn scars had many species in common with the grassy balds but had dissimilar community structures; therefore, a policy favoring natural fires would be unlikely to encourage maintanence or formation of grassy balds.The management of open grassy areas on National Forest lands was investigated. Burning was the favored technique, although hand cutting, mowing, and grazing were used. The results of testing various management practices on Gregory Bald are reviewed in terms of cost, impact, and historical authenticity. Implications for park management are discussed. 相似文献
Because of the nature of watersheds, the hydrologic and erosional impacts of logging and related road-building activities may move offsite, affecting areas downslope and downstream from the operation. The degree to which this occurs depends on the interaction of many variables, including soils, bedrock geology, vegetation, the timing and size of storm events, logging technology, and operator performance. In parts of northwestern California, these variables combine to produce significant water quality degradation, with resulting damage to anadromous fish habitat.Examination of recent aerial photographs, combined with a review of public records, shows that many timber harvest operations were concentrated in a single 83 km2 watershed in the lower Klamath River Basin within the past decade. The resulting soil disturbance in this case seems likely to result in cumulative off-site water quality degradation in the lower portion of the Basin.In California, both state and federal laws require consideration of possible cumulative effects of multiple timber harvest operations. In spite of recent reforms that have given the state a larger role in regulating forest practices on private land, each timber harvest plan is still evaluated in isolation from other plans in the same watershed. A process of collaborative state-private watershed planning with increased input of geologic information offers the best long-term approach to the problem of assessing cumulative effects of multiple timber harvest operations. Such a reform could ultimately emerge from the ongoing water quality planning process under Section 208 of the amended Federal Water Pollution Control Act. 相似文献
ABSTRACT: Toxicity testing is a means of establishing the environmental risk of a uranium tailings release. It is valuable in designing tailings containment structures because it assists in setting acceptable levels of risk for the design. This paper presents details of toxicity tests of the tailings from Ranger Uranium Mine, Northern Territory, Australia. The results suggest that the non-radiological toxicity of the tailings is low. The environmental risk of a tailings release is more likely to be related to the physical impacts of the tailings, including infilling of billabongs and changes in the sedimentology of riparian ecosystems rather than their biogeochemical impact. Two major results were: (1) water from treatment with washed tailing fines were not toxic to Hydra viridissima, and (2) mixtures of washed tailings fines and natural floodplain sediment (overlying water or elutriates) were not toxic to Hydra viridissima or Moinodaphnia macleayi. 相似文献
Objectives: Nationally, animal–motor vehicle crashes (AVCs) account for 4.4% of all types of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). AVCs are a safety risk for drivers and animals and many National Park Service (NPS) units (e.g., national park, national monument, or national parkway) have known AVC risk factors, including rural locations and substantial animal densities. We sought to describe conditions and circumstances involving AVCs to guide traffic and wildlife management for prevention of AVCs in select NPS units.
Methods: We conducted an analysis using NPS law enforcement MVC data. An MVC is a collision involving an in-transit motor vehicle that occurred or began on a public roadway. An AVC is characterized as a collision between a motor vehicle and an animal. A non-AVC is a crash between a motor vehicle and any object other than an animal or noncollision event (e.g., rollover crash). The final data for analysis included 54,068 records from 51 NPS units during 1990–2013. Counts and proportions were calculated for categorical variables and medians and ranges were calculated for continuous variables. We used Pearson’s chi-square to compare circumstances of AVCs and non-AVCs. Data were compiled at the park regional level; NPS parks are assigned to 1 of 7 regions based on the park’s location.
Results: AVCs accounted for 10.4% (5,643 of 54,068) of all MVCs from 51 NPS units. The Northeast (2,021 of 5,643; 35.8%) and Intermountain (1,180 of 5,643; 20.9%) regions had the largest percentage of the total AVC burden. November was the peak month for AVCs across all regions (881 of 5,643; 15.6%); however, seasonality varied by park geographic regions. The highest counts of AVCs were reported during fall for the National Capital, Northeast/Southeast, and Northeast regions; winter for the Southeast region; and summer for Intermountain and Pacific West regions.
Conclusions: AVCs represent a public health and wildlife safety concern for NPS units. AVCs in select NPS units were approximately 2-fold higher than the national percentage for AVCs. The peak season for AVCs varied by NPS region. Knowledge of region-specific seasonality patterns for AVCs can help NPS staff develop mitigation strategies for use primarily during peak AVC months. Improving AVC data collection might provide NPS with a more complete understanding of risk factors and seasonal trends for specific NPS units. By collecting information concerning the animal species hit, park managers can better understand the impacts of AVC to wildlife population health. 相似文献
A grazing experiment was started in 1984 and 1989 respectively, in two parts of a dune grassland in the nature reserve ‘Zwanenwater’,
North Holland; a third part with similar geology and topography was used as a control area and not grazed. An evaluation of
the effects of grazing on vegetation patterns, species composition, vegetation structure and humus form was made with the
help of vegetation maps from 1986 and 1992 as well as field surveys.
Dense tall-grass communities dominated byAmmophila arenaria increased over the period 1986–1992 in the grazed areas, and especially in the non-grazed area (increase in area to 20%,
22% and 50%, respectively). Open communities decreased in the grazed areas, but are still prevalent, while in the ungrazed
area they virtually disappeared, with the result that the present percentage areas are 53%, 38% and 17%.
Field survey data were classified by TWINSPAN producing four vegetation types. These occur more or less equally in grazed
and ungrazed areas, albeit with different percentage areas: (1) open vegetation dominated byCorynephorus canescens; (2) open vegetation characteized, byKoeleria macrantha; (3) heathland dominated byEmpetrum nigrum; and (4) tall-grass communities dominated byAmmophila arenaria. Within a vegetation type, species composition was only marginally affected by grazing regime.
Within the open communities the number of species, vegetation height, vegetation cover and soil organic horizons were not
affected by grazing. In the tall-grass communities the number of species was significantly larger and the height of the vegetation
significantly lower in the area grazed since 1984. In the heathland community the number of species and cover of the moss
layer were significantly higher in the 1984 area and ectorganic and endorganic horizons significantly thicker in the ungrazed
area.
It is suggested that these effects are the result of an increased availability of light, but possibly also of a decreased
stock of organic matter and nutrients, due to a decreased input of litter and accelerated rates of decomposition. 相似文献