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The article offers news briefs in the U.S. Australian radiosondes monitor a large area of the Southern Hemisphere have experienced so many changes that unadjusted temperature trends of the bulk atmosphere computed from their soundings are suspect. Quantification of carbon exchange in forest ecosystems needs a unique sampling strategy. Strong vertical wind shear usually will weaken even mature hurricanes.

Examination of climatic and oceanographic changes through the Holocene (11.75 ka–present) allows for an improved understanding and contextualization of modern climate change. Climate records of the Holocene can be utilized as a "baseline" from which to compare modern climate and can also provide insights into how environments experience and recover from change. However, individual studies on Holocene climate in the literature tend to focus on a distinct geographic location, a specific proxy record, or a certain aspect of climate (e.g., upwelling or precipitation), resulting in localized, record-specific trends rather than a comprehensive view of climate variability through the Holocene. Here we synthesize the major oceanographic and terrestrial changes that have occurred in the Western United States (bounded by 30 to 52 ∘ N and 115 to 130 ∘ W) through the most recent 11.75 kyr and explore the impacts of these changes on marine and terrestrial ecosystems. We present a novel spatiotemporal analysis of Holocene marine and terrestrial temperature, hydroclimate, and fire activity across the Early, Middle, and Late Holocene using a coded analysis of over 40 published studies. Following coded analysis of temperature, hydroclimate, and fire activity in the paper, we include a broader literature review of environmental change through the Holocene, including an examination of the impacts of multi-millennial climate trends on ecological communities. We find that the Early Holocene is characterized by warming relative to pre-Holocene conditions, including warm sea surface conditions, a warm and dry Pacific Northwest, a warm and wet Southwest, and overall spatial and temporal stability. In the Middle Holocene, these patterns reverse; this interval is characterized by cool sea surface temperatures, a cool and wet Pacific Northwest and warm and dry Southwest. The Late Holocene is the most variable interval, both spatially and temporally, and a novel spatial trend appears in terrestrial climate with warmer coastal areas and cooler inland areas. Human communities interacted with the environment throughout the entire Holocene, as evidenced in archeological and paleoenvironmental records, yet the recent Era of Colonization (1850–present) represents an unprecedented environmental interval in many records. Broadly, our analysis shows linkages between terrestrial and oceanographic conditions, distinct environmental phases through time, and emphasizes the importance of local factors in controlling climate through the dynamic Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite remote sensing provides continuous temporal and spatial information of terrestrial ecosystems. Using these remote sensing data and eddy flux measurements and biogeochemical models, such as the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (TEM), should provide a more adequate quantification of carbon dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems. Here we use Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Land Surface Water Index (LSWI) and carbon flux data of AmeriFlux to conduct such a study. We first modify the Gross Primary Production (GPP) modeling in TEM by incorporating EVI and LSWI to account for the effects of the changes of canopy photosynthetic capacity, phenology and water stress. Second, we parameterize and verify the new version of TEM with eddy flux data. We then apply the model to the conterminous United States over the period 2000-2005 at a 0.05°x0.05° spatial resolution. We find that the new version of TEM generally captured the expected temporal and spatial patterns of regional carbon dynamics. We estimate that regional GPP is between 7.02 and 7.78 PgCyr-1 and Net Primary Production (NPP) ranges from 3.81 to 4.38 PgCyr-1 and Net Ecosystem Production (NEP) varies within 0.08- 0.73 PgCyr-1 over the period 2000-2005 for the conterminous United States. The uncertainty due to parameterization is 0.34, 0.65 and 0.18 PgCyr-1 for the regional estimates of GPP, NPP and NEP, respectively. The effects of extreme climate and disturbances such as severe drought in 2002 and destructive Hurricane Katrina in 2005 were captured by the model. Our study provides a new independent and more adequate measure of carbon fluxes for the conterminous United States, which will benefit studies of carbon-climate feedback and facilitate policy-making of carbon management and climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans have drastically altered the global nitrogen (N) cycle, and these alterations have begun to affect a variety of ecosystems. In North America, N deposition rates are highest in the Central US, yet there are few studies that examine whether N availability has been increasing to different tree species in the forests of the region. To determine the species-specific trajectories of N availability in secondary temperate forests experiencing high N deposition, we measured the N concentrations and composition of stable N isotopes in wood of four tree species from six hardwood forest remnants in Northern Indiana, USA. Annual nitrogen deposition rates averaged 5.8 kg ha-1 from 2000 to 2008 in this region. On average, wood δ15N values in Quercus alba have been increasing steadily over the past 100 yr. In contrast, wood δ15N values have been declining in three other hardwood species -- Acer saccharum, Carya ovata, and Fagus grandifolia -- over the same time period. The species-specific trends suggest a change in the partitioning of ammonium and nitrate among species, a change in nitrification rates, and/or offsetting changes in the dependence of species on mycorrhizal fungi. With no apparent net change in wood δ15N over the past century at the stand level, on average there appears to have been little change in N availability for these forests despite high levels of N deposition in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Western Arctic Linkage Experiment (WALE) is aimed at understanding the role of high-latitude terrestrial ecosystems in the response of the Arctic system to global change through collection and comparison of climate datasets and model results. In this paper, a spatiotemporal approach is taken to compare and validate model results from the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5) with commonly used analysis and reanalysis datasets for monthly averages of temperature and precipitation in 1992–2000 and for a study area at 55°–65°N, 160°–110°W in northwestern Canada and Alaska. Objectives include a quantitative assessment of similarity between datasets and climate model fields, and identification of geographic areas and seasons that are problematic in modeling, with potential causes that may aid in model improvement. These are achieved by application of algebraic similarity mapping, a simple yet effective method for synoptic analysis of many (here, 45) different spatial datasets, maps, and models. Results indicate a dependence of model–data similarity on seasonality, on climate variable, and on geographic location. In summary, 1) similarity of data and models is better for temperature than for precipitation; and 2) modeling of summer precipitation fields, and to a lesser extent, temperature fields, appears more problematic than that of winter fields. The geographic distribution of areas with best and worst agreement shifts throughout the year, with generally better agreement between maps and models in the northeastern and northern inland areas than in topographically complex and near-coastal areas. The study contributes to an understanding of the geographic complexity of the Arctic system and modeling its diverse climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent reviews of the conservation literature indicate that significant biases exist in the published literature regarding the regions, ecosystems and species that have been examined by researchers. Despite the global threat of climatic change, similar biases may be occurring within the sub-discipline of climate-change ecology. Here we hope to foster critical thought and discussion by considering the directions taken by conservation researchers when addressing climate change. To form a quantitative basis for our perspective, we assessed 248 papers from the climate change literature that considered the conservation management of biodiversity and ecosystems. We found that roughly half of the studies considered climate change in isolation from other threatening processes. We also found that the majority of surveyed scientific publications were conducted in the temperate forests of Europe and North America. Regions such as Latin America that are rich in biodiversity but may have low adaptive capacity to climate change were not well represented. We caution that such biases in research effort may be distracting our attention away from vulnerable regions, ecosystems and species. Specifically we suggest that the under-representation of research from regions low in adaptive capacity and rich in biodiversity requires international collaboration by those experienced in climate-change research, with researchers from less wealthy nations who are familiar with local issues, ecosystems and species. Furthermore, we caution that the propensity of ecologists to work in essentially unmodified ecosystems may fundamentally hamper our ability to make useful recommendations in a world that is experiencing significant global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The papers in this Special Issue are the primary technical underpinnings for the Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment (NECIA), an integrated regional-scale assessment of projected climate change, impacts and options for mitigation and adaptation across the US Northeast. The consequences of future pathways of greenhouse gas emissions on projected climate and impacts across climate-sensitive sectors is assessed by using downscaled projections from three global climate models under both higher (Alfi) and lower (B1) emissions scenarios. The findings illustrate that near-term reductions in emissions can greatly reduce the extent and severity of regionally important impacts on natural and managed ecosystems and public health in the latter half of this century, and increase the feasibility that those impacts which are now unavoidable can be successfully managed through adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural resource dependence, although commonly invoked in natural resource sociology, has often been ambiguously defined. Communities are frequently described as dependent on natural resource development, but limited attention has been paid to what that means. In the literature, resource dependence is often treated as over‐specialization in, or over‐reliance upon, the natural resource sectors. However, the logic of over‐specialization conceptually grounds dependence in poor economic outcomes. Thus, a one‐dimensional typology of dependence based on a threshold of the share of development in the natural resource sector—as commonly used—does not fully capture the concept and risks tautology. In this paper, I address this ambiguity by formally defining natural resource dependence as over‐specialization in the natural resource sectors. I then present an ideal typology, known as the Natural Resource Community Typology, and a corresponding classification scheme for rural communities in the United States. The typology integrates both extractive and non‐extractive natural resource activity and has two dimensions—the level of development and the level of economic prosperity—and six mutually exclusive categories—extractive specialized, extractive dependent, non‐extractive specialized, non‐extractive dependent, hybrid specialized, and hybrid dependent. I classify counties from 2000 to 2015 and find that while extractive dependence decreased over the study period, non‐extractive dependence increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disasters triggered by natural hazards resulted in an accumulative economic loss of approximately USD 7 trillion and killed some eight million people worldwide in the twentieth century. Given the escalating threat posed by natural hazards to communities, scholars and practitioners are emphasising the importance of mitigation as a strategy to enhance community resilience. Little is known, though, about the extent to which governments' disaster risk reduction efforts have augmented community resilience outcomes. This paper bridges the gap by examining the effects of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) in the United States, which was designed to improve disaster resilience at the community level. The study analysed natural hazard loss data pertaining to those US counties that received HMGP funds following the pronouncement of presidentially‐declared disasters between 2010 and 2015. The findings suggest that the counties that obtained HMGP funds are likely to experience less property damage owing to future natural hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Ecologically sustainable economic development (ESED) is considered to be a priority axis for policies designed for the preservation of ecosystems. In this context, the ESED concept has been operationally defined through several distinct approaches. Nevertheless, no consensus has been reached between and among approaches as to an operational interpretation and practical application of ESED. The present paper examines and evaluates the operational appeal of certain ESED approaches within the current policy framework regarding aquatic ecosystems. To this purpose, the paper investigates the relationship between representative approaches to ESED and the current policies for aquatic ecosystems in the European Union and the United States of America. These relatively mature policies offer operational grounds on which the operational dimensions of ESED approaches may be evaluated. Analysis focuses on the crucial question of to what extent the current major policies for aquatic ecosystems reflect the rationale and conditions of the prevailing ESED scientific approaches. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rivers are important components of many urban systems, and research into urban rivers is increasing internationally, both in scope and intensity. As an introduction to a special section on urban rivers, this short article briefly highlights some key trends in urban river research based on a survey of published articles from Web of Knowledge, before summarising the contributions made by the special section papers. In particular, there has been a general increase in work on urban rivers since the 1990s, with a more dramatic increase from 2001. Most published research has concentrated on water quality and its wider environmental implications; ecologically, many studies have focused on autecology, community ecology or river restoration/rehabilitation, with the main emphasis on macroinvertebrates or fish. Geographically, most studies have taken place in North America (mainly the US) and Asia (mainly China). In the large majority of cases research has been on relatively small rivers within urbanised catchments rather than large, heavily urbanised systems within major towns or cities. Given the wide range of topics and studies relating to urban river research, a detailed meta-analysis of the urban river ecology literature would be a useful endeavour. The six papers included in the special section of this issue provide a sample of some of key and emerging themes within recent urban river research, and originate from a session on the understanding and management of urban rivers held at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) Annual Meeting in 2010, at Imperial College London. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The northern Gulf of Mexico and its diverse natural resources are threatened by population and development pressure, and by the impacts of rising sea level and severe storms. In the wake of the devastating 2005 hurricane season, and in response to the complex management issues facing the region, the U.S. Geological Survey organized the multidisciplinary “Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Change and Hazards Susceptibility” project. This special issue of Geo-Marine Letters hosts a few of the early results in the form of 11 papers covering three themes: (1) the control exerted by the underlying geologic framework on geomorphology and nearshore processes and features; (2) impact of human activities on nearshore water quality; and (3) hurricanes and associated effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Kroll, Hayes & MacCracken (in press) Concerns regarding the use of amphibians as metrics of critical biological thresholds: a comment on Welsh and Hodgson 2008 . Freshwater Biology, criticised our paper [ Welsh & Hodgson (2008) Amphibians as metrics of critical biological thresholds in forested headwater streams of the Pacific Northwest. Freshwater Biology, 53, 1470–1488] proposing the use of headwater stream amphibians as metrics of stream status in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). They argued that our analysis of previously published data reflected circular reasoning because we reached the same conclusions as the earlier studies. In fact, we conducted a meta-analysis to address new questions about the optimum values and thresholds (based on animal densities) for abiotic stream attributes that were found to be important to these amphibians in earlier studies. This is analogous to determining blood pressure thresholds or fat-to-weight ratios that facilitate predicting human health based on meta-analyses of earlier data from studies that found significant correlations between these variables and relative health. 2. Kroll et al. argued that we should not make inference to environmental conditions across the PNW from data collected in California. We collected data from northern California and southern Oregon, the southern extent of the PNW. We made inference to the Klamath-Siskiyou and North Coast bioregions, and argued that available research on these headwater species indicates that our results have the potential to be applied throughout the PNW with minimal regional adjustments. 3. Kroll et al. contended that we need reproductive success, survival estimates and density estimates, corrected for detection probabilities, to establish relationships between animal density and stream attributes. Reproductive success and survival estimates are important for demographic modelling and life tables, but they are not necessary to demonstrate meaningful relationships with abiotic conditions. Both corrected occupancy estimates and individual detection probabilities are unnecessary, and take multiple sampling efforts per site, or onerous mark release and re-capture studies, respectively, to determine accurately. 4. Kroll et al. questioned the use of stream amphibians as a surrogate for measuring physical parameters, such as water temperature, claiming that measuring the physical parameters directly is more efficient. Here they misinterpreted the main point of our paper: stream organisms are integrators of what happens in a catchment, and carefully selected species can serve as surrogates for the biotic community and the relative condition of the network environment. 5. Kroll et al. claimed that we demonstrated weak inferences regarding ecosystem processes. We argue that by relating densities of stream amphibians with changes along abiotic environmental gradients that are commonly affected by anthropogenic activities, we are establishing biological links to gradients that represent important ecosystem processes and identifying biometrics that can be used to quantify the status (health) of these gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly, urban and rural communities across the U.S. are looking at ecological systems as capital assets with values that are diminishing as they are degraded. Investments are needed so they can continue to provide ecological services critical to the environmental, social, and economic well-being of the communities. This paper explores ''reinvestment'' as term encouraging the development of mechanisms for sustained and long-term investment in ''natural capital,'' as well as the other forms of capital on which communities and society depend. It raises important questions on which there are information gaps, such as the value of ecological services, the level of investment needed to restore and maintain ecological systems, the activities to which investment dollars should be allocated, and where public and private investment dollars might come from. These questions are discussed at national, regional, and local scales, focusing on water-an ecological resource with immense value that connects ecosystems and communities at many scales. The paper presents lessons and reinvestment mechanisms from studies in California's Sierra Nevada ecosystem and community-based efforts in its northernmost drainage, the Feather River watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The ecology of forest ecosystems depends on the composition of trees. Capturing fine-grained information on individual trees at broad scales provides a unique perspective on forest ecosystems, forest restoration, and responses to disturbance. Individual tree data at wide extents promises to increase the scale of forest analysis, biogeographic research, and ecosystem monitoring without losing details on individual species composition and abundance. Computer vision using deep neural networks can convert raw sensor data into predictions of individual canopy tree species through labeled data collected by field researchers. Using over 40,000 individual tree stems as training data, we create landscape-level species predictions for over 100 million individual trees across 24 sites in the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). Using hierarchical multi-temporal models fine-tuned for each geographic area, we produce open-source data available as 1 km2 shapefiles with individual tree species prediction, as well as crown location, crown area, and height of 81 canopy tree species. Site-specific models had an average performance of 79% accuracy covering an average of 6 species per site, ranging from 3 to 15 species per site. All predictions are openly archived and have been uploaded to Google Earth Engine to benefit the ecology community and overlay with other remote sensing assets. We outline the potential utility and limitations of these data in ecology and computer vision research, as well as strategies for improving predictions using targeted data sampling. Detailed maps of tree species can be used for forest analysis, biogeographic research and ecosystem monitoring. This study provides individual tree species maps for 24 sites in the United States National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), covering 80 tree species and 100 million individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The race to economic superiority is increasingly occurring on a global scale. Competitors from different countries are employing new types of growth strategies in attempts to win that race. The United States cannot, therefore, continue to rely on outdated economic growth strategies, which include an inability to understand the complexity of the typical industrial technology and the synergies among tiers in high-tech supply chains. In this context, a detailed rationale is provided for maintaining a viable domestic technology-based manufacturing capability. In the United States, the still dominant neoclassical economic philosophy is at best ambivalent on the issue of whether a technology-based economy should attempt to remain competitive in manufacturing or let this sector continue to offshore in response to trends in comparative advantage, as revealed through shifts in relative prices. The paper argues that the neoclassical view is inaccurate and that a new innovation model is required to guide economic growth policy. Specifically, the paper provides (1) a rationale for why an advanced economy such as the United States needs a manufacturing sector; (2) examples of the process of deterioration of competitive positions for individual industries and, more important, entire high-tech supply chains; (3) an explanation of the inadequacy of current economic models for rationalizing needed new policy strategies; and (4) a new economic framework for determining both policy mechanisms and targets for those mechanisms, with emphasis on the systems nature of modern technologies and the consequent requirement for public–private innovation ecosystems to develop and deliver these technologies. Several targets are suggested for major policy mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change alters different localities on the planet in different ways. The impact on each region depends mainly on the degree of vulnerability that natural ecosystems and human-made infrastructure have to changes in climate and extreme meteorological events, as well as on the coping and adaptation capacity toward new environmental conditions. This study assesses the current resilience of Mexico and Mexican states to such changes, as well as how this resilience will look in the future. In recent studies (Moss et al. in Vulnerability to climate change: a quantitative approach. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Washington DC, ; Brenkert and Malone in Clim Change 72:57–102, ; Malone and Brenkert in Clim Change 91:451–476, ), the Vulnerability–Resilience Indicators Model (VRIM) is used to integrate a set of proxy variables that determine the resilience of a region to climate change. Resilience, or the ability of a region to respond to climate variations and natural events that result from climate change, is given by its adaptation and coping capacity and its sensitivity. On the one hand, the sensitivity of a region to climate change is assessed, emphasizing its infrastructure, food security, water resources, and the health of the population and regional ecosystems. On the other hand, coping and adaptation capacity is based on the availability of human resources, economic capacity, and environmental capacity. This paper presents two sets of results. First, we show the application of the VRIM to determine state-level resilience for Mexico, building the baseline that reflects the current status. The second part of the paper makes projections of resilience under socioeconomic and climate change and examines the varying sources and consequences of those changes. We used three tools to examine Mexico’s resilience in the face of climate change, i.e., the baseline calculations regarding resilience indices made by the VRIM, the projected short-term rates of socioeconomic change from the Boyd–Ibarrarán computable general equilibrium model, and rates of the IPCC-SRES scenario projections from the integrated assessment MiniCAM model. This allows us to have available change rates for VRIM variables through the end of the twenty-first century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opperman, Jeffrey J., Ryan Luster, Bruce A. McKenney, Michael Roberts, and Amanda Wrona Meadows, 2010. Ecologically Functional Floodplains: Connectivity, Flow Regime, and Scale. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(2):211-226. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00426.x This paper proposes a conceptual model that captures key attributes of ecologically functional floodplains, encompassing three basic elements: (1) hydrologic connectivity between the river and the floodplain, (2) a variable hydrograph that reflects seasonal precipitation patterns and retains a range of both high and low flow events, and (3) sufficient spatial scale to encompass dynamic processes and for floodplain benefits to accrue to a meaningful level. Although floodplains support high levels of biodiversity and some of the most productive ecosystems on Earth, they are also among the most converted and threatened ecosystems and therefore have recently become the focus of conservation and restoration programs across the United States and globally. These efforts seek to conserve or restore complex, highly variable ecosystems and often must simultaneously address both land and water management. Thus, such efforts must overcome considerable scientific, technical, and socioeconomic challenges. In addition to proposing a scientific conceptual model, this paper also includes three case studies that illustrate methods for addressing these technical and socioeconomic challenges within projects that seek to promote ecologically functional floodplains through river-floodplain reconnection and/or restoration of key components of hydrological variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to discuss rising sea levels at the global, regional, and community scale and illustrate the necessity for public comprehension and involvement. It also aims to demonstrate geographic information systems (GIS) as an efficient tool for modeling and disseminating information with the expectation that coastal communities will benefit by joining in a process to integrate this knowledge into broad-based decision making. Design/methodology/approach - GIS is capable of creating, analyzing, and displaying sea level rise scenarios enabling local officials to address the negative effects of elevated sea levels by allowing them to identify both built and biotic communities that are at risk, assess the situation, and develop mitigation strategies. The paper makes use of a case study of Daytona Beach, Florida, to examine the impacts of storm surge. Findings - A GIS model, produced for south Florida integrating land use and elevation data to illustrate locations that lie below five feet, reveals that heavily populated urban areas in Miami-Dade County could be inundated during extreme high tide and storm surge events. The GIS also indicates that much of the Florida Keys has elevations below five feet and is at risk of flooding if sea levels rise at projected rates. Originality/value - The case study of Daytona Beach, Florida, can be replicated at other coastal locations by using GIS to assimilate spatial data and generate meaningful graphic models to be interpreted by those responsible for minimizing the risks from rising sea levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores Paul Brandwein’s contribution to the concept of conservation education in America. It examines the evolution of the concept to today’s environmental education. It then identifies some of the weaknesses of current environmental education and presents ideas on how to move past them to a point where conservation education is integrated into every classroom discipline, which brings conservation closer to Brandwein’s concept of conservation education to create a sanative environment. The paper looks at place-based learning as a step in that direction, giving several examples. It concludes with the 24 scientifically based conservation concepts compiled by the Society for Conservation Biology that can serve as curriculum for the 21st Century and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), invasive species are one of the most important causes of biodiversity decline at a global scale. The impact of introduced species on local ecosystems is thus important to evaluate. Pet voluntary introductions are made by private people and usually concern only one or two individuals per occasion. However, the number of release occasions is as numerous as the number of pet owners that don't want to keep their pet anymore and then decide to "release" it. Hatchling red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans) have been massively exported from the United States to European (until 1997) and Asian countries to be sold as pets. Many owners, ignoring the potential consequences of their act, have released their grown up turtle in natural freshwater ecosystems. As a consequence, feral adult turtles have been detected all over France. In this paper, we provide information that contradicts public opinion that introduced slider turtle is strictly carnivorous. By analysing the diet of feral adult turtles, we found that adult slider turtles are omnivorous, as in their natural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1997, the US Forest Service initiated public involvement processes in three national forests in the northeastern United States-the Finger Lakes National Forest in central New York, the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont, and the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire and Maine. Citizens' perspectives were sought on forest management prior to determining the changes needed for revising the Land and Resource Management Plans (Forest Plans) as well as to exchange information on management of these three forests. These processes represent a pro-active effort by the US Forest Service to engage communities of interest in dialogue about the management of these national forests. The Forest Service has emphasized the principles of ecosystem management and community partnership in developing these plans. The paper describes the policy framework for forest planning and an outline of the Plan Revision process as developed in the Northeast. It further offers a preliminary analysis of this approach, including lessons to date, their implication for subsequent phases of plan revision processes in the Northeast, and possible relevance for agencies embarking on similar public planning initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There is an urgent need to examine the range of ecosystems that is currently protected in national parks and reserves, to point out those examples that are unprotected and to establish a rational programme of priorities for protecting as complete a series as possible. The International Biological Programme has pioneered the field of large-scale survey work for the collection of data of relevance to this need and has contributed to the development of information retrieval techniques for handling the data. The first part of the paper discusses the rationale of the development of the data base and its modus operandi. The system is illustrated by two examples of retrieval and analysis for specific enquiries; the distribution of four species of Pinus, and the occurrence of grazing, logging and burning in national parks and equivalent reserves in the United States. The second part of the paper deals with system design, details of programming for the data base, and retrieval strategy. It is intended as an independent section which may be skipped if the reader has no interest in the finer points of the data base itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a recent publication, the authors identified a seven-region model of mammal family distribution patterns, in which each unit contributes equally to the system's overall statistical characteristics of diversity, despite its individual units having measurably different levels of diversity and endemism. This systemization presents a highly efficient descriptive model that can possibly be interpreted as a form of natural classification. An additional analysis of the same mode is described here, in which the seven-region model of the distribution of mammal families' spatial affinities is shown to closely approach a most-probable-state arrangement, as assessed through combinatorics, raising some important questions about how macroevolutionary patterns might self-organize spatially. One of the possible practical applications of the overall approach is to areal representation; statistical moments of the underlying world patterns can be used to characterize faunal statuses at any individual location by relating the latter to the former. Through this approach, classical concepts such as corridors, tracks, and transition zones might be re-examined in a manner that better lends itself to hypothesis testing. An arbitrarily chosen bounded area, the conterminous United States, is treated in this fashion by way of illustration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of effective strategies to mitigate the impacts of urbanization on waterways represents a major global challenge. Monitoring data plays an important role in the formulation of these strategies. Using monitoring and historical data compiled from around an urban area (Baltimore, USA), this paper is an assessment of the potential and limitations of the use of fish assemblage monitoring data in watershed restoration. A discriminant analysis between assemblages from urban and reference sites was used to determine faunal components which have been reduced or eliminated from Baltimore area waterways. This analysis produced a strong discrimination between fish assemblages from urban and reference sites. Species primarily associated with reference sites varied taxonomically and ecologically, were generally classified as pollution intolerant, and were native. Species associated with urbanized sites were also native, varied taxonomically and ecologically, and were mixed in pollution tolerance. One factor linking most species associated with reference sites was spawning mode (lithophilic). Spawning habitat limitations may be the mechanism through which these species have been reduced in the urbanized faunas. While this presents a strong general hypothesis, information regarding the specific habitat requirements and responses to urbanization of these species is limited. This represents a limitation to producing effective restoration strategies based on exact goals and targets. Without these, determining the type and number of restoration activities required to restore ecological communities remains problematic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please cite this paper as: Charland et al.(2012) Relationship between community prevalence of obesity and associated behavioral factors and community rates of influenza-related hospitalizations in the United States. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses DOI: 10.1111/irv.12019. Background Findings from studies examining the association between obesity and acute respiratory infection are inconsistent. Few studies have assessed the relationship between obesity-related behavioral factors, such as diet and exercise, and risk of acute respiratory infection. Objective To determine whether community prevalence of obesity, low fruit/vegetable consumption, and physical inactivity are associated with influenza-related hospitalization rates. Methods Using data from 274 US counties, from 2002 to 2008, we regressed county influenza-related hospitalization rates on county prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 30), low fruit/vegetable consumption (<5 servings/day), and physical inactivity (<30 minutes/month recreational exercise), while adjusting for community-level confounders such as insurance coverage and the number of primary care physicians per 100 000 population. Results A 5% increase in obesity prevalence was associated with a 12% increase in influenza-related hospitalization rates [adjusted rate ratio (ARR) 1·12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·07, 1·17]. Similarly, a 5% increase in the prevalence of low fruit/vegetable consumption and physical inactivity was associated with an increase of 12% (ARR 1·12, 95% CI 1·08, 1·17) and 11% (ARR 1·11, 95% CI 1·07, 1·16), respectively. When all three variables were included in the same model, a 5% increase in prevalence of obesity, low fruit/vegetable consumption, and physical inactivity was associated with 6%, 8%, and 7% increases in influenza-related hospitalization rates, respectively. Conclusions Communities with a greater prevalence of obesity were more likely to have high influenza-related hospitalization rates. Similarly, less physically active populations, with lower fruit/vegetable consumption, tended to have higher influenza-related hospitalization rates, even after accounting for obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, there has been growing interest among farming and scientific communities toward integrated crop–range–livestock farming because of evidence of increased crop production, soil health, environmental services and resilience to increased climatic variability. This paper reviews studies on existing cropping systems and integrated crop–range–livestock systems across the USA which are relevant in the context of summarizing opportunities and challenges associated with implementing long-term crop–range–livestock systems research in the highly variable environment of the central High Plains. With precipitation ranging from 305 to 484mm and uncertain irrigation water supply, this region is especially vulnerable to changing moisture and temperature patterns. The results of our review indicate that diverse crop rotations, reduced soil disturbance and integrated crop–livestock systems could increase economic returns and agroecosystem resilience. Integrating agricultural system components to acquire unique benefits from small- to medium-sized operations, however, is a challenging task. This is because assessment and identification of suitable farming systems, selection of the most efficient integration scheme, and pinpointing the best management practices are crucial for successful integration of components. Effective integration requires development of evaluation criteria that incorporate the efficiency of approaches under consideration and their interactions. Therefore, establishing the basis for more sustainable farming systems in the central High Plains relies on both long-term agricultural systems research and evaluation of short-term dynamics of individual components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The science and management of marine resources is increasingly grappling with the use of ecosystem-based fisheries management. Though ecosystem-based fisheries management seeks to unite biological and sociocultural concerns into a holistic framework, people are often seen simply as external drivers of change. The technical questions that are often posed, such as the delineation of boundaries or the strategies of governance, are however more broadly questions concerning the social production of nature. This paper explores these issues by analyzing both the spatial fishing practices of different fishermen and the results of a series of workshops held in New England to solicit opinions about ecosystem-based fisheries management. The paper emphasizes teasing apart the human dimensions of fishing embedded in predominant notions such as fishing effort through more explicit consideration of spatially based resource dependencies and mutual constitution of society-nature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fungal conservation emerged in the 1980s when mycologists gained considerable insight into fluctuations and trends in fungal populations throughout Europe and the United States of America. Concerns arose over the possible decline of many macrofungi and likely consequences for ecosystem function and global change. Increased harvesting of edible species for international markets also sparked concerns about overharvesting and associated habitat disturbance, particularly in the U.S.A. This paper identifies two social networks that have coalesced around these concerns. They are: (1) professional, and (2) non-professional. Professional mycologists are active in societies, international forums, and governments. A wide range of non-professionals engage with fungi for recreational, scientific, economic and subsistence purposes. The paper identifies areas of collaboration and disconnection among these social networks and their composites, and suggests benefits from further integration that will strengthen this nascent field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA) water quality criteria for Cu were tested to determine whether they protect fish against neurophysiological impairment. From published studies with rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), and fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas), 20% inhibition concentrations (IC20s) were calculated for avoidance of Cu-containing water and for impairment of electroencephalogram (EEG) and electro-olfactogram (EOG) responses to natural odorants in Cu-containing water. Additionally, a Cu-olfactory biotic ligand model (BLM) that fits the coho salmon EOG data was parameterized by changing the sensitivity parameter in the ionoregulatory-based BLM. The IC20s calculated from reported Cu avoidance, EEG, and EOG data and IC20s predicted by the olfactory BLM were compared with acute and chronic Cu criteria calculated using U.S. EPA's BLM 2007 or hardness-adjustment equations. The BLM-based chronic criteria were protective in all 16 exposure water–species combinations used in avoidance and olfaction experiments. Additionally, the BLM-based acute criteria were protective in all 11 exposure water–species combinations in which comparisons could be made with olfactory BLM-predicted IC20s but not in two of the 16 exposure water–species combinations in which comparisons could be made with the reported IC20s (which were ≤8% lower than but did not differ significantly from the BLM-based acute criteria; p > 0.05). In effect, the olfactory BLM factored out the relatively high variability in the reported IC20s. It is concluded that the U.S. EPA's BLM-based water quality criteria for Cu protect against these types of neurophysiological impairment in the six species–endpoint combinations analyzed in this paper. However, the U.S. EPA's hardness-based criteria for Cu sometimes were considerably underprotective and sometimes were much less protective than the BLM-based criteria. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:2096–2103. © 2010 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the ongoing crisis in fire management, the US Fire Learning Network (FLN) engages partners in collaborative, landscape-scale ecological fire restoration. The paper contends that the FLN employs technologies, planning guidelines and media to articulate an FLN imaginary that co-ordinates independent efforts to engage in ecological fire restoration work without need of either hierarchal authority or collective social capital. This imaginary may allow the FLN to draw on the creativity and adaptive innovation of collaboration to reform fire management institutions and fire-adapted ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program for Great River Ecosystems (EMAP-GRE) are to (1) develop and demonstrate, in collaboration with states, an assessment program yielding spatially unbiased estimates of the condition of mid-continent great rivers; (2) evaluate environmental indicators for assessing great rivers; and (3) assess the current condition of selected great river resources. The purpose of this paper is to describe EMAP-GRE using examples based on data collected in 2004–2006 with emphasis on an approach to determining reference conditions. EMAP-GRE includes the Upper Mississippi River, the Missouri River, and the Ohio River. Indicators include biotic assemblages (fish, macroinvertebrates, plankton, algae), water chemistry, and aquatic and riparian physical habitat. Reference strata (river reaches for which a single reference expectation is appropriate) were determined by ordination of the fish assemblage and examination of spatial variation in environmental variables. Least disturbed condition of fish assemblages for reference strata was determined by empirical modeling in which we related fish assemblage metrics to a multimetric stressor gradient. We inferred least disturbed condition from the y-intercept, the predicted condition when stress was least. Thresholds for dividing the resource into management-relevant condition classes for biotic indicators were derived using predicted least disturbed condition to set the upper bound on the least disturbed condition class. Also discussed are the outputs of EMAP-GRE, including the assessment document, multimetric indices of condition, and unbiased data supporting state and tribal Clean Water Act reporting, adaptive management, and river restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing residential development in watershed recharge areas increases the likelihood of groundwater and surface water contamination by wastewater effluent, particularly where on-site sewage treatment is employed. This effluent contains a range of compounds including those that have been demonstrated to mimic or interfere with the function of natural hormones in aquatic organisms and humans. To explore whether groundwater contaminated by discharge from on-site septic systems affects water quality in surface water ecosystems, we measured steroidal hormones, pharmaceuticals, and other organic wastewater compounds (OWCs) in water collected from six aquifer-fed ponds in areas of higher and lower residential density on Cape Cod (Massachusetts, USA). We detected both a greater number and higher concentrations of OWCs in samples collected from ponds located in higher residential density areas. Most often detected were the steroidal hormones androstenedione, estrone, and progesterone and the pharmaceuticals carbamazepine, pentoxifylline, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim. Of particular concern, estrogenic hormones were present at concentrations approaching those that induce physiological responses in fish. While a number of papers have reported on surface water contamination by OWCs from wastewater treatment plants, our results show that surface water ecosystems in unconfined aquifer settings are susceptible to contamination by estrogenic and other biologically active OWCs through recharge from aquifers contaminated by residential septic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated 134 tree species from the eastern United States for potential response to several scenarios of climate change, and summarized those responses for nine northeastern United States. We modeled and mapped each species individually and show current and potential future distributions for two emission scenarios (A1fi [higher emission] and B1 [lower emission]) and three climate models: the Parallel Climate, the Hadley CM3, and the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory model. Climate change could have large impacts on suitable habitat for tree species in this region, especially under a high emissions trajectory. Results indicate that while species with potentially increasing areas of suitable habitat in the Northeastern US substantially outnumber those with decreasing areas of habitat, there are key species that show diminishing habitat area: balsam fir (Abies balsamea), paper birch (Betula papyrifera), red spruce (Picea rubens), bigtooth and quaking aspen (Populus grandidentata and P. tremuloides), and black cherry (Prunus serotina). From these results we identified the top 10 losers and gainers for each US state in the region by scenario and emissions trajectory. By combining individual species importance maps and developing assembly rules for various classes, we created maps of potential forest types for the Northeast showing a general loss of the spruce-fir zone with advancing oak-hickory type. Further data, maps, and analysis can be found at http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/atlas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has undergone an apparent shift from an agency frequently accused of degrading environments to one that now embraces ecological restoration as a primary mission. Through a review of promotional films from the 1950s to the present, this paper assesses the changing ways in which the Corps and their partner resource management agencies represent their activities in the South Florida ecosystem, including the Everglades and Kissimmee River. I assess this paradigm shift in resource management from a feminist perspective illuminating continuities in depictions of science and technology-based ecological interventions. Based on this analysis I suggest that appeals to certainty of knowledge and technological control persist across time despite a shift in managerial ecology toward acknowledging imperfect knowledge and the unintended consequences of technological intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simulation model based on satellite observations of monthly vegetation cover from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) was used to estimate monthly carbon fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems of the conterminous United States over the period 2001–04. Predicted net ecosystem production (NEP) flux for atmospheric CO2 in the United States was estimated as annual net sink of about +0.2 Pg C in 2004. Regional climate patterns were reflected in the predicted annual NEP flux from the model, which showed extensive carbon sinks in ecosystems of the southern and eastern regions in 2003–04, and major carbon source fluxes from ecosystems in the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Northwest regions in 2003–04. As demonstrated through tower site comparisons, net primary production (NPP) modeled with monthly MODIS enhanced vegetation index (EVI) inputs closely resembles both the measured high- and low-season carbon fluxes. Modeling results suggest that the capacity of the NASA Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach (CASA) model to use 8-km resolution MODIS EVI data to predict peak growing season uptake rates of CO2 in irrigated croplands and moist temperate forests is strong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated Pest Management is a system that combines cultural, biological and chemical technologies to reduce insect, fungal and weed populations to levels below those that result in economic damage. Nursery managers in the southern United States currently use many practices to control pests of southern pine seedlings. Over the last three decades, improvements in chemical, cultural, and biological pest control practices have increased seed efficiency (defined as the number of plantable seedlings produced divided by the number of pure live seed sown) and reduced the percentage of production costs associated with pest control. As crop values increase, the economic thresholds for applying control measures decrease. However, since the statistical power of most trials in bareroot nurseries is low, the likelihood of experiments that detect “real” treatment difference (e.g. those that consistently increase seed efficiency to the point where economic returns are affected) will be low. This paper describes some current practices in southern pine nurseries and provides some economic injury levels for various pest control treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Annual expenditures by the federal government in the United States for agricultural conservation programs increased about 80 percent with passage of the 2002 Farm Bill. However, environmental benefits of these programs have not been quantified. A national project is under way to estimate the effect of conservation practices on environmental resources. The watershed models intended for use in that project are focused on water quantity and quality and have minimal habitat assessment capability. Major impairments to aquatic ecosystems in many watersheds consist of physical habitat degradation, not water quality, suggesting that current models for this national initiative do not address one of the most significant aspects of aquatic ecosystem degradation. Currently used models contain some components relevant to aquatic habitat, and this paper describes specific components that should be added to allow rudimentary stream habitat quality assessments. At least six types of variables could be examined for ecological impact: land use, streamflow, water temperature, streambed material type, large woody debris, and hydraulic conditions at base flow. All of these variables are influenced by the presence, location, and quality of buffers. Generation of stream corridor ecological or habitat quality indices might contribute to assessments of the success or failure of conservation programs. Additional research is needed to refine procedures for combining specific measures of stream habitat into ecologically meaningful indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grass-fueled fires accelerate grassland expansion into dry Hawaiian woodlands by destroying native forests and by producing a disturbance regime that favors grass-dominated plant communities. Knowledge of grassland phenology is a key component of ecosystem assessments and fire management in Hawaii, but diverse topographic relief and poor field-sampling capabilities make ground studies impractical. Remote sensing offers the best approach for large-scale, spatially contiguous measurements of dryland vegetation phenology and fire fuel conditions. A 500-m spatial resolution, 8-day temporal resolution Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite time series of photosynthetic vegetation (PV), nonphotosynthetic vegetation (NPV), and exposed substrate conditions was developed for the island of Hawaii between 2000 and 2004. The results compared favorably with similar measurements of drylands from higher-resolution aircraft data. The satellite time series was compared with available environmental data on precipitation, fire history, and grazing intensity. From these analyses, the temporal patterns of PV and its conversion to NPV and finally to bare substratewere observed. An NPV buildup following fire of 7¿8 yr was projected, and more heavily grazed lands were found to exhibit reduced NPV cover, most notably during the summer fire season. These results demonstrate the effects that land use and disturbance history have on fire conditions, and they support the concept that grazed lands managed to reduce litter buildup pose a lower risk of fire across ample geographic scales. Time series of satellite observations with modern analysis techniques can be used with environmental data to support a regional fire-monitoring program throughout Hawaii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Environment Canada are supporting the development of indicators of ecosystem health that can be used to report on progress in restoring and maintaining the Great Lakes ecosystem, as called for in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada. One indicator under development for Great Lakes mesotrophic environments is based on burrowing mayflies (Hexagenia: Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae). In this paper, we report the results of a benthic survey in spring 2002 to determine the status of nymphal populations of Hexagenia in two western Lake Superior embayments, the St. Louis River estuary, an area with significant water-use impairments, and Chequamegon Bay, an area with no known water-use impairments. Ponar grab samples collected throughout these embayments showed nymphs were generally abundant in finely particulate, cohesive substrate (clay or mixtures of clay and sand) in both embayments. However, in the St. Louis River estuary nymphs were absent in those preferred substrates at 11 stations in the eastern portion of St. Louis Bay and the adjoining northwestern portion of the Duluth-Superior Harbor, where the sediments were variously contaminated with visible amounts of taconite pellets, paint chips, oil, or combusted coal waste (clinkers). Our results suggest that human activities have rendered those portions of the St. Louis River estuary unsuitable for habitation by Hexagenia nymphs and we recommend that trend monitoring of the nymphal population there be conducted to permit reporting on progress in restoring and maintaining the health and integrity of this Great Lakes ecosystem embayment, consistent with the intent of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the evolution of science and policies to control acid rain in Europe and the United States over the past several decades. Acid rain gained prominence in the late 1960s because of its perceived effects on ecosystem integrity. Extensive research efforts in both Europe and the United States, however, have concluded that the effects of acid rain—at least those on terrestrial ecosystems—were less serious than originally believed. More recently, interest in controlling acid rain precursors stems primarily from health concerns, particularly their effects in the form of fine particulate matter. The paper discusses the emergence of acid rain as an environmental concern, scientific evidence about the effects of acidic deposition on natural ecosystems, US and European acid rain control policies, studies of the costs and benefits of reducing acid rain, and different policy contexts in Europe and the United States. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Quantifying carbon dynamics over large areas is frequently hindered by the lack of consistent, high-quality, spatially explicit land use and land cover change databases and appropriate modeling techniques. In this paper, we present a generic approach to address some of these challenges. Land cover change information in the Southeastern Plains ecoregion was derived from Landsat data acquired in 1973, 1980, 1986, 1992, and 2000 within 11 randomly located 20-km × 20-km sample blocks. Carbon dynamics within each of the sample blocks was simulated using the General Ensemble Biogeochemical Modeling System (GEMS), capable of assimilating the variances and covariance of major input variables into simulations using an ensemble approach. Results indicate that urban and forest areas have been increasing, whereas agricultural land has been decreasing since 1973. Forest clear-cutting activity has intensified, more than doubling from 1973 to 2000. The Southeastern Plains has been acting as a carbon sink since 1973, with an average rate of 0.89 Mg C/ha/yr. Biomass, soil organic carbon (SOC), and harvested materials account for 56%, 34%, and 10% of the sink, respectively. However, the sink has declined continuously during the same period owing to forest aging in the northern part of the ecoregion and increased forest clear-cutting activities in the south. The relative contributions to the sink from SOC and harvested materials have increased, implying that these components deserve more study in the future. The methods developed here can be used to quantify the impacts of human management activities on the carbon cycle at landscape to global scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing interest in accurate estimates of regional carbon fluxes, and identification of the causes of land/atmosphere/ocean exchange of carbon. Improved information will lead to better policies for managing greenhouse gas emissions and sequestration. The goals of this paper are to review the capability of ongoing operational inventory programs for estimating forest carbon stocks and stock changes, and to identify opportunities to improve forest carbon monitoring by enhancing these programs and supplementing them with new monitoring capability. Carbon in forest ecosystems and wood products cannot be measured directly. Ongoing forest monitoring programs provide a statistical basis for estimating carbon stocks and stock changes, based on data already collected, with a temporal resolution of about 5 years. Improvements in inventories will shorten the reporting cycle and add some variables that enhance the content with respect to carbon estimation, but it will take about a decade for full implementation. Meanwhile, there is an important role for remote sensing measurements, modeling, and imputation techniques to fill gaps in spatial coverage and content. Elements of the proposed North American Carbon Program, if implemented, will improve the estimates of forest ecosystem carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we describe measurements and modeling of 18O in CO2 and H2O pools and fluxes at a tallgrass prairie site in Oklahoma. We present measurements of the δ18O value of leaf water, depth-resolved soil water, atmospheric water vapor, and Keeling plot δ18O intercepts for net soil-surface CO2 and ecosystem CO2 and H2O fluxes during three periods of the 2000 growing season. Daytime discrimination against C18OO, as calculated from measured above-canopy CO2 and δ18O gradients, is also presented. To interpret the isotope measurements, we applied an integrated land-surface and isotope model (ISOLSM) that simulates ecosystem H218O and C18OO stocks and fluxes. ISOLSM accurately predicted the measured isotopic composition of ecosystem water pools and the δ18O value of net ecosystem CO2 and H2O fluxes. Simulations indicate that incomplete equilibration between CO2 and H2O within C4 plant leaves can have a substantial impact on ecosystem discrimination. Diurnal variations in the δ18O value of above-canopy vapor had a small impact on the predicted δ18O value of ecosystem water pools, although sustained differences had a large impact. Diurnal variations in the δ18O value of above-canopy CO2 substantially affected the predicted ecosystem discrimination. Leaves dominate the ecosystem 18O-isoflux in CO2 during the growing season, while the soil contribution is relatively small and less variable. However, interpreting daytime measurements of ecosystem C18OO fluxes requires accurate predictions of both soil and leaf 18O-isofluxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the destructive floods of 1983, 1986, 1995, and 1997, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Reclamation Board of the State of California are partnering a study to investigate flood damage reduction and ecosystem restoration opportunities in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins, California. This paper continues presentation of Comprehensive Study methods and details the construction and application of basin-wide reservoir models in support of ongoing system analyses. Discussion emphasizes model development, simulation results with a focus on headwater and major terminal reservoirs, and potential improvements to the flood damage reduction system. Conclusions are drawn regarding the influence of reservoirs in flood hydrology, use of HEC-5 software in flood analyses, and the role of this effort in the Comprehensive Study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To manage ecosystems it is essential to understand physical properties and biological function, as well as the ecological services and social/cultural perceptions of a variety of stakeholders. Where land managers are required to make decisions about restoration, remediation and future land use, understanding attitudes and future land use preferences is essential. In this paper I synthesize data on five surveys of recreational rates and preferences for future land use for the Department of Energy's Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). Subjects were interviewed at several well-attended events at different distances from INEEL, representing local and regional views. Between 24 and 59% of the subjects hunted, between 55 and 71% fished, and up to 87% camped, indicating potential for exposure if INEEL were open for recreation. Average recreational rates varied by location, with the Shoshone-Bannock Indians having higher hunting, fishing, hiking and camping rates than all others. There were significant differences in future land use preferences; subjects living close to the site rated nuclear material processing very high, while those living farther away ranked it intermediate. Indians ranked this use the lowest. Using the land as a National Environmental Research Park (NERP) was rated the highest (or nearly the highest) for all groups. Industrial uses were generally rated low by all groups. These data can be used by local planners and policy makers in decision making regarding levels of clean-up, future land use, future end-states and long-term protection and stewardship of these contaminated lands. The relative unanimity in future land use preferences for NERP and recreation, rather than new industrial purposes, provides guidance for remediation, suggesting that residential clean-up standards may be more stringent than required. Further, the relative approval of continued nuclear reprocessing (but not nuclear storage) also provides guidance for risk-based end-state planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]