ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITING: A Synoptic Approach for Assessing Cumulative Impacts to Wetlands

/ The US Environmental Protection Agency's Wetlands ResearchProgram has developed the synoptic approach as a proposed method forassessing cumulative impacts to wetlands by providing both a general and acomprehensive view of the environment. It can also be applied more broadly toregional prioritization of environmental issues. The synoptic approach is aframework for making comparisons between landscape subunits, such aswatersheds, ecoregions, or counties, thereby allowing cumulative impacts tobe considered in management decisions. Because there is a lack of tools thatcan be used to address cumulative impacts within regulatory constraints, thesynoptic approach was designed as a method that could make use of availableinformation and best professional judgement. Thus, the approach is acompromise between the need for rigorous results and the need for timelyinformation. It is appropriate for decision making when quantitative,accurate information is not available; the cost of improving existinginformation or obtaining better information is high; the cost of a wronganswer is low; there is a high demand for the information; and the situationcalls for setting priorities between multiple decisions versus optimizing fora single decision. The synoptic approach should be useful for resourcemanagers because an assessment is timely; it can be completed within one totwo years at relatively low cost, tested, and improved over time. Anassessment can also be customized to specific needs, and the results arepresented in mapped format. However, the utility of a synoptic assessmentdepends on how well knowledge of the environment is incorporated into theassessment, relevant to particular management questions.KEY WORDS: Cumulative impact assessment; Landscape ecology; Regionalprioritization     

ELEVATED ATMOSPHERIC CO2 INCREASES WATER AVAILABILITY IN A WATER-LIMITED GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM1

ABSTRACT: Californian annual grassland on sandstone (moderately fertile) and serpentine (very infertile) soils at the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, Stanford, California, were exposed to ambient or elevated (ambient + 36 Pa CO₂) atmospheric CO₂ in open-top chambers since December 1991. We measured ecosystem evapotranspiration with open gas-exchange systems, and soil moisture with time-domain reflectometry (TDR) over 0–15 cm (serpentine) and 0–30 cm (sandstone) depths, at times of peak above ground physiological activity. Evapotranspiration decreased by 12 to 63 percent under elevated CO₂ in three consecutive years in the sandstone ecosystem (p = 0.053, p = 0.162, p = 0.082 in 1992, 1993, and 1994, respectively). In correspondence with decreased evapotranspiration, late-season soil moisture reserves in the sandstone were extended temporally by 10 ± 3 days in 1993 and by 28 ± 11 days in 1994. The effect of elevated CO₂ on soil moisture was greater in the drier spring of 1994 (419 mm annual rainfall) than in 1993 (905 mm annual rainfall). In the serpentine ecosystem, evapotranspiration and soil moisture reserves were not clearly affected by elevated CO₂. Soil water may be conserved in drought-affected ecosystems exposed to elevated CO₂, but the amount of conservation appears to depend on the relative importance of transpiration and soil evaporation in controlling water flux.     

加强水土保持 防止生态恶化

本文论述了水土水流失对生态环境的影响和对农业生产的危害，阐明增强环境意识，加强水土保持时防止生态恶化，是我国振兴农业的重要性与紧迫性的任务。     

TECHNIQUES FOR DETECTING TRENDS IN LAKE WATER QUALITY1

ABSTRACT: With the advent of standards and criteria for water quality variables, there has been an increasing concern about the changes of these variables over time. Thus, sound statistical methods for determining the presence or absence of trends are needed. A Trend Detection Method is presented that provides: 1) Hypothesis Formulation - statement of the problem to be tested, 2) Data Preparation - selection of water quality variable and data, 3) Data Analysis - exploratory data analysis techniques, and 4) Statistical Tests - tests for detecting trends. The method is utilized in a stepwise fashion and is presented in a nonstatistical manner to allow use by those not well versed in statistical theory. While the emphasis herein is on lakes, the method may be adopted easily to other water bodies.     

A GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS OF VOTING PATTERNS FOR WATER RELATED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS IN TEXAS, 1957-19811

ABSTRACT: Country level electoral data were used to analyze the voting patterns of eight water related constitutional amendment elections. Both water quality enhancement amendments (1971, 1976), and three of six water development amendments (1957, 1962, 1966) have been ratified, thus establishing a statewide policy of reservoir development, a funding mechanism to implement such a policy, and the creation of a water management agency. Begining with the 1969 election, a West Texas-East Texas regionalized voting pattern has emerged, resulting in the defeat of three amendments (1969, 1976, 1981) intended to provide additional funding for water development. This regionalization reflects different climatic, physiographic, economic, and locational factors, and represents a potential obstacle to coordinated water management in Texas.     

湖泊富营养化评价的Euclid贴近度评价法──兼与《湖泊营养状态的Hamming贴近度评价法》作者商榷

针对湖泊富营养状态Ｈａｍｍｉｎｇ贴近度评价模型存在的“阈值漂移”问题,重新构造了评价参数隶属函数,提出了一种湖泊营养状态Ｅｕｃｌｉｄ贴近度评价模型,经过对全国２３个湖泊富营养状态的实例分析,证明这种评价模型结构合理,评价过程简单,模型通用性好。     

EIA training courses organized by the centre for environmental management and planning,University of Aberdeen: An analysis of experience

In 1980, the World Health Organization (Regional Office for Europe) invited The Centre for Environmental Management and Planning (CEMP) to organize a two-week training course on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to provide a comprehensive introduction to EIA with emphasis on methods and techniques for impact identification, prediction and assessment. Not suprisingly the topic of environmental health impact assessment was to be a major focus. Since 1980, the course has been held each year at the University of Aberdeen. An analysis of participation in the course during its first five years yields several impressions about the success of this training effort and the ways in which it might be improved.     

厨房空气中甲醛卫生标准的研究

通过对甲醛嗅及刺激阈的测试，毒理学资料分析，结合现场流行病学调查，提出了厨房空气中甲醛的一次最高容浓度为０．１３ｍｇ／ｍ＾３。     

应用浮游植物对扎龙自然保护区水质的初步评价

通过对扎龙自然保护区水体中浮游植物调查及运用几种评价公式分析,评价结论为:扎龙水体浮游植物由8门60个属组成,数量在19 515×10~2～23 755×10~3个/升之间;水质属中污染型,同一年度污染情况为:8月>6月,北区>南区。     

Success in negotiating environmental regulations

The US Environmental Protection Agency recently completed two regulatory negotiation demonstrations. These demonstrations suggest that the current EPA rule-making process could be improved through the introduction of face-to-face negotiation at the earliest stages of rulemaking. In the demonstrations, EPA (1) relied on a consensus building process to forestall litigation after the promulgation of the final rule; (2) Used a nonpartisan facilitator to convene the negotiations; (3) Defined criteria to determine which parties should be represented in the negotiation. From the perspective of participants, the negotiating consensus version of a draft regulation is a successful alternative to the traditional rulemaking process. It is still too soon to say negotiated rulemaking significantly reduces the likelihood of ligitation. The results of the demonstration indicate that it is possible for either an agency employee or a neutral outsider to facilitate the sessions. A successful negotiation also requires top level agency support as well as the confidence of the environmental community. The single most important outcome of the negotiations was that the participants developed a greater understanding of the interests of the other parties. The demonstrations also suggest possible changes in future regulatory negotiations.