[Dynamic monitoring and analysis of ecological environment in Weinan City, Northwest China based on RSEI model].

PubMed

Song, Hui Min; Xue, Liang

2016-12-01

Based on the data of remote sensing images from Landsat in 1995 and 2015, this paper used the principal component analysis (PCA) method to determine the weights of four ecological indexes (greenness, dryness, wetness and heat), and then selected a evaluation model of remote sensing based ecological index (RSEI) to monitor and analyze the ecological environment quality of Weinan City from 1995 to 2015. The results showed that the mean values of RSEI in Weinan City increased from 0.489 to 0.556 during 1995-2015, which indicated the ecological environment qua-lity had been improved. The improved area of ecological quality was mainly distributed in the central area of Weinan City and its proportion was 49.6%. While the proportion of ecological environment degradation was 15.4%, and such areas were mainly distributed in some mine areas of Hancheng City and the southern Weinan (Weinan Section in North Qinling Mountains). The quality of ecolo-gical environment was greatly influenced by the urban planning and construction in the study area. Generally, the ecological condition of Weinan City had been improved, which benefited from the attention and investment of government.

[Medical hydrogeology is an independent interdisciplinary branch of the science about groundwater].

PubMed

Elpiner, L I

The use of groundwater in population water supply systems gains more and more importance because of increasing degradation of the quality of surface water sources. At the same time there are changed concepts on ubiquitous high quality of groundwater. The executed analysis offoreign and domestic literature allowed authors to determine the character and causes of negative changes in the composition of groundwater. In the large body of investigations there were established cause-and-effect relationships between a number of noninfectious (including cardiovascular and cancer) and infectious diseases and anthropogenic pollution and the natural composition of groundwater. In the article there is substantiated the formation of a new interdisciplinary scientific direction - medical hydrogeology. On the basis of current data on the medical and ecological significance of the quality, quantity and regime of the groundwater, geological conditions of the shaping of their composition, there was shown the need of the consideration of the hydrological situation in making water supply management solutions safe for the health of the population. In this regard, there were considered the interrelationship and interdependence of allied disciplines - hygiene, ecological toxicology and epidemiology, hydrogeochemistry, hydrogeology. There was pointed the importance of the acquisition of based on hydrogeology medical specialists of the water supply profile for sharing with hygienists of the effective solution of tasks of the management of groundwater sources.

Comprehensive evaluation and analysis of ecological environment quality ofLaoshan Natural Reservebased on Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Wenlian; Liu, Shanwei; Liu, Yan; Wang, Yanling; Zhang, Naixin

2016-11-01

We used the remote sensing images of 2001, 2005 and 2010, statistics of reservoir water quality, air quality data, precipitation data and population data to evaluate and analyze the ecological environment quality of Laoshan Natural Reserve. In this decade, the ecological environment of tourism scenic area in Laoshan Natural Reserve becomes significantly better than that of the surrounding area, and it is the urban sprawl and increase of cultivated land area that resulted in the reduction of the scenic plants; Reservoir water quality was stable, but PH value and total nitrogen content still did not meet the standards because of the use of the sewage and pesticide fertilizer in the neighborhood; Air quality decreased slightly, however, the situation of acid rain had improved; Residential population continued to grow in Laoshan district and scenic tourists have increased, so human activity has become the main impacting factor of ecological environment of Laoshan Natural Reserve.

Application of a Novel Functional Gene Microarray to Probe the Functional Ecology of Ammonia Oxidation in Nitrifying Activated Sludge

PubMed Central

Short, Michael D.; Abell, Guy C. J.; Bodrossy, Levente; van den Akker, Ben

2013-01-01

We report on the first study trialling a newly-developed, functional gene microarray (FGA) for characterising bacterial and archaeal ammonia oxidisers in activated sludge. Mixed liquor (ML) and media biofilm samples from a full-scale integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) plant were analysed with the FGA to profile the diversity and relative abundance of ammonia-oxidising archaea and bacteria (AOA and AOB respectively). FGA analyses of AOA and AOB communities revealed ubiquitous distribution of AOA across all samples – an important finding for these newly-discovered and poorly characterised organisms. Results also revealed striking differences in the functional ecology of attached versus suspended communities within the IFAS reactor. Quantitative assessment of AOB and AOA functional gene abundance revealed a dominance of AOB in the ML and approximately equal distribution of AOA and AOB in the media-attached biofilm. Subsequent correlations of functional gene abundance data with key water quality parameters suggested an important functional role for media-attached AOB in particular for IFAS reactor nitrification performance and indicate possible functional redundancy in some IFAS ammonia oxidiser communities. Results from this investigation demonstrate the capacity of the FGA to resolve subtle ecological shifts in key microbial communities in nitrifying activated sludge and indicate its value as a tool for better understanding the linkages between the ecology and performance of these engineered systems. PMID:24155925

Long-Term Ecological Monitoring Field Sampling Plan for 2007

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

T. Haney

2007-07-31

This field sampling plan describes the field investigations planned for the Long-Term Ecological Monitoring Project at the Idaho National Laboratory Site in 2007. This plan and the Quality Assurance Project Plan for Waste Area Groups 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, and Removal Actions constitute the sampling and analysis plan supporting long-term ecological monitoring sampling in 2007. The data collected under this plan will become part of the long-term ecological monitoring data set that is being collected annually. The data will be used t determine the requirements for the subsequent long-term ecological monitoring. This plan guides the 2007more » investigations, including sampling, quality assurance, quality control, analytical procedures, and data management. As such, this plan will help to ensure that the resulting monitoring data will be scientifically valid, defensible, and of known and acceptable quality.« less

Ecological restoration alters microbial communities in mine tailings profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yang; Jia, Zhongjun; Sun, Qingye; Zhan, Jing; Yang, Yang; Wang, Dan

2016-04-01

Ecological restoration of mine tailings have impact on soil physiochemical properties and microbial communities. The surface soil has been a primary concern in the past decades, however it remains poorly understood about the adaptive response of microbial communities along the profile during ecological restoration of the tailings. In this study, microbial communities along a 60-cm profile were investigated in a mine tailing pond during ecological restoration of the bare waste tailings (BW) with two vegetated soils of Imperata cylindrica (IC) and Chrysopogon zizanioides (CZ) plants. Revegetation of both IC and CZ could retard soil degradation of mine tailing by stimulation of soil pH at 0-30 cm soils and altered the bacterial communities at 0-20 cm depths of the mine tailings. Significant differences existed in the relative abundance of the phyla Alphaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Firmicutes and Nitrospira. Slight difference of bacterial communities were found at 30-60 cm depths of mine tailings. Abundance and activity analysis of nifH genes also explained the elevated soil nitrogen contents at the surface 0-20 cm of the vegetated soils. These results suggest that microbial succession occurred primarily at surface tailings and vegetation of pioneering plants might have promoted ecological restoration of mine tailings.

Ecological restoration alters microbial communities in mine tailings profiles.

PubMed

Li, Yang; Jia, Zhongjun; Sun, Qingye; Zhan, Jing; Yang, Yang; Wang, Dan

2016-04-29

Ecological restoration of mine tailings have impact on soil physiochemical properties and microbial communities. The surface soil has been a primary concern in the past decades, however it remains poorly understood about the adaptive response of microbial communities along the profile during ecological restoration of the tailings. In this study, microbial communities along a 60-cm profile were investigated in a mine tailing pond during ecological restoration of the bare waste tailings (BW) with two vegetated soils of Imperata cylindrica (IC) and Chrysopogon zizanioides (CZ) plants. Revegetation of both IC and CZ could retard soil degradation of mine tailing by stimulation of soil pH at 0-30 cm soils and altered the bacterial communities at 0-20 cm depths of the mine tailings. Significant differences existed in the relative abundance of the phyla Alphaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Firmicutes and Nitrospira. Slight difference of bacterial communities were found at 30-60 cm depths of mine tailings. Abundance and activity analysis of nifH genes also explained the elevated soil nitrogen contents at the surface 0-20 cm of the vegetated soils. These results suggest that microbial succession occurred primarily at surface tailings and vegetation of pioneering plants might have promoted ecological restoration of mine tailings.

Ecological restoration alters microbial communities in mine tailings profiles

PubMed Central

Li, Yang; Jia, Zhongjun; Sun, Qingye; Zhan, Jing; Yang, Yang; Wang, Dan

2016-01-01

Ecological restoration of mine tailings have impact on soil physiochemical properties and microbial communities. The surface soil has been a primary concern in the past decades, however it remains poorly understood about the adaptive response of microbial communities along the profile during ecological restoration of the tailings. In this study, microbial communities along a 60-cm profile were investigated in a mine tailing pond during ecological restoration of the bare waste tailings (BW) with two vegetated soils of Imperata cylindrica (IC) and Chrysopogon zizanioides (CZ) plants. Revegetation of both IC and CZ could retard soil degradation of mine tailing by stimulation of soil pH at 0–30 cm soils and altered the bacterial communities at 0–20 cm depths of the mine tailings. Significant differences existed in the relative abundance of the phyla Alphaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Firmicutes and Nitrospira. Slight difference of bacterial communities were found at 30–60 cm depths of mine tailings. Abundance and activity analysis of nifH genes also explained the elevated soil nitrogen contents at the surface 0–20 cm of the vegetated soils. These results suggest that microbial succession occurred primarily at surface tailings and vegetation of pioneering plants might have promoted ecological restoration of mine tailings. PMID:27126064

[Process of land use transition and its impact on regional ecological quality in the Middle Reaches of Heihe River, China].

PubMed

Wang, Fu Hong; Zhao, Rui Feng; Zhang, Li Hua; Li, Hong Wei

2017-12-01

Land use transition is one of the main drivers of regional ecosystem change in arid area, which directly affects human well-being. Based on the satellite images of 1987, 2001 and 2016, the change detection assessment model and ecological response model were used to analyze the process of land use transition and response of ecological quality during 1987-2016 in the ecologically fragile middle reaches of the Heihe River. The results showed that the land use change was significant during 1987-2016 and the total change increased significantly, as well as the continuous increase of the cultivated land and construction land. There was a strong tendency of transform from grassland to cultivated land, while the tendency of transforming unused land to other land classes was not strong under a random process of gain or loss. During 1987-2016, the ecological quality of the study area displayed a decreasing trend as a whole and the ecological land decreased by 2.8%. The land use transition with the greatest impact on the ecological environment degradation was the transition of the grassland to the cultivated land and unused land. Therefore, in order to promote the sustainable use of regional land resources and to improve the regional ecological quality, it is necessary to allocate the proportion of production land and ecological land according to the regional water resources.

The potential of high-frequency profiling to assess vertical and seasonal patterns of phytoplankton dynamics in lakes: An extension of the Plankton Ecology Group (PEG) model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brentrup, Jennifer A.; Williamson, Craig E.; Colom-Montero, William; Eckert, Werner; de Eyto, Elvira; Grossart, Hans-Peter; Huot, Yannick; Isles, Peter D. F.; Knoll, Lesley B.; Leach, Taylor H.; McBride, Christopher G.; Pierson, Don; Pomati, Francesco; Read, Jordan S.; Rose, Kevin C.; Samal, Nihar R.; Staehr, Peter A.; Winslow, Luke A.

2016-01-01

The use of high-frequency sensors on profiling buoys to investigate physical, chemical, and biological processes in lakes is increasing rapidly. Profiling buoys with automated winches and sensors that collect high-frequency chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) profiles in 11 lakes in the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) allowed the study of the vertical and temporal distribution of ChlF, including the formation of subsurface chlorophyll maxima (SSCM). The effectiveness of 3 methods for sampling phytoplankton distributions in lakes, including (1) manual profiles, (2) single-depth buoys, and (3) profiling buoys were assessed. High-frequency ChlF surface data and profiles were compared to predictions from the Plankton Ecology Group (PEG) model. The depth-integrated ChlF dynamics measured by the profiling buoy data revealed a greater complexity that neither conventional sampling nor the generalized PEG model captured. Conventional sampling techniques would have missed SSCM in 7 of 11 study lakes. Although surface-only ChlF data underestimated average water column ChlF, at times by nearly 2-fold in 4 of the lakes, overall there was a remarkable similarity between surface and mean water column data. Contrary to the PEG model’s proposed negligible role for physical control of phytoplankton during the growing season, thermal structure and light availability were closely associated with ChlF seasonal depth distribution. Thus, an extension of the PEG model is proposed, with a new conceptual framework that explicitly includes physical metrics to better predict SSCM formation in lakes and highlight when profiling buoys are especially informative.

Applied Ecology Seminar. Training Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Water Program Operations (EPA), Cincinnati, OH. National Training and Operational Technology Center.

Presented is material on planning, administering, collecting, evaluating, interpreting, and reporting biological data related to water quality studies in both fresh and marine waters. Topics include aquatic ecology, water pollution, taxonomy, bacteriology, bioassays, water quality enhancement, and administration of water quality standards. Each of…

A striking profile: Soil ecological knowledge in restoration management and science

Treesearch

Mac A. Callaham; Charles C. Rhoades; Liam Heneghan

2008-01-01

Available evidence suggests that research in terrestrial restoration ecology has been dominated by the engineering and botanical sciences. Because restoration science is a relatively young discipline in ecology, the theoretical framework for this discipline is under development and new theoretical offerings appear regularly in the literature. In reviewing this...

Risk assessment of water quality in three North Carolina, USA, streams supporting federally endangered freshwater mussels (Unionidae)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ward, S.; Augspurger, T.; Dwyer, F.J.; Kane, C.; Ingersoll, C.G.

2007-01-01

Water quality data were collected from three drainages supporting the endangered Carolina heelsplitter (Lasmigona decorata) and dwarf wedgemussel (Alasmidonta heterodon) to determine the potential for impaired water quality to limit the recovery of these freshwater mussels in North Carolina, USA. Total recoverable copper, total residual chlorine, and total ammonia nitrogen were measured every two months for approximately a year at sites bracketing wastewater sources and mussel habitat. These data and state monitoring datasets were compared with ecological screening values, including estimates of chemical concentrations likely to be protective of mussels, and federal ambient water quality criteria to assess site risks following a hazard quotient approach. In one drainage, the site-specific ammonia ecological screening value for acute exposures was exceeded in 6% of the samples, and 15% of samples exceeded the chronic ecological screening value; however, ammonia concentrations were generally below levels of concern in other drainages. In all drainages, copper concentrations were higher than ecological screening values most frequently (exceeding the ecological screening values for acute exposures in 65-94% of the samples). Chlorine concentrations exceeding the acute water quality criterion were observed in 14 and 35% of samples in two of three drainages. The ecological screening values were exceeded most frequently in Goose Creek and the Upper Tar River drainages; concentrations rarely exceeded ecological screening values in the Swift Creek drainage except for copper. The site-specific risk assessment approach provides valuable information (including site-specific risk estimates and ecological screening values for protection) that can be applied through regulatory and nonregulatory means to improve water quality for mussels where risks are indicated and pollutant threats persist. ?? 2007 SETAC.

LAGOS-NE: a multi-scaled geospatial and temporal database of lake ecological context and water quality for thousands of US lakes.

PubMed

Soranno, Patricia A; Bacon, Linda C; Beauchene, Michael; Bednar, Karen E; Bissell, Edward G; Boudreau, Claire K; Boyer, Marvin G; Bremigan, Mary T; Carpenter, Stephen R; Carr, Jamie W; Cheruvelil, Kendra S; Christel, Samuel T; Claucherty, Matt; Collins, Sarah M; Conroy, Joseph D; Downing, John A; Dukett, Jed; Fergus, C Emi; Filstrup, Christopher T; Funk, Clara; Gonzalez, Maria J; Green, Linda T; Gries, Corinna; Halfman, John D; Hamilton, Stephen K; Hanson, Paul C; Henry, Emily N; Herron, Elizabeth M; Hockings, Celeste; Jackson, James R; Jacobson-Hedin, Kari; Janus, Lorraine L; Jones, William W; Jones, John R; Keson, Caroline M; King, Katelyn B S; Kishbaugh, Scott A; Lapierre, Jean-Francois; Lathrop, Barbara; Latimore, Jo A; Lee, Yuehlin; Lottig, Noah R; Lynch, Jason A; Matthews, Leslie J; McDowell, William H; Moore, Karen E B; Neff, Brian P; Nelson, Sarah J; Oliver, Samantha K; Pace, Michael L; Pierson, Donald C; Poisson, Autumn C; Pollard, Amina I; Post, David M; Reyes, Paul O; Rosenberry, Donald O; Roy, Karen M; Rudstam, Lars G; Sarnelle, Orlando; Schuldt, Nancy J; Scott, Caren E; Skaff, Nicholas K; Smith, Nicole J; Spinelli, Nick R; Stachelek, Joseph J; Stanley, Emily H; Stoddard, John L; Stopyak, Scott B; Stow, Craig A; Tallant, Jason M; Tan, Pang-Ning; Thorpe, Anthony P; Vanni, Michael J; Wagner, Tyler; Watkins, Gretchen; Weathers, Kathleen C; Webster, Katherine E; White, Jeffrey D; Wilmes, Marcy K; Yuan, Shuai

2017-12-01

Understanding the factors that affect water quality and the ecological services provided by freshwater ecosystems is an urgent global environmental issue. Predicting how water quality will respond to global changes not only requires water quality data, but also information about the ecological context of individual water bodies across broad spatial extents. Because lake water quality is usually sampled in limited geographic regions, often for limited time periods, assessing the environmental controls of water quality requires compilation of many data sets across broad regions and across time into an integrated database. LAGOS-NE accomplishes this goal for lakes in the northeastern-most 17 US states.LAGOS-NE contains data for 51 101 lakes and reservoirs larger than 4 ha in 17 lake-rich US states. The database includes 3 data modules for: lake location and physical characteristics for all lakes; ecological context (i.e., the land use, geologic, climatic, and hydrologic setting of lakes) for all lakes; and in situ measurements of lake water quality for a subset of the lakes from the past 3 decades for approximately 2600-12 000 lakes depending on the variable. The database contains approximately 150 000 measures of total phosphorus, 200 000 measures of chlorophyll, and 900 000 measures of Secchi depth. The water quality data were compiled from 87 lake water quality data sets from federal, state, tribal, and non-profit agencies, university researchers, and citizen scientists. This database is one of the largest and most comprehensive databases of its type because it includes both in situ measurements and ecological context data. Because ecological context can be used to study a variety of other questions about lakes, streams, and wetlands, this database can also be used as the foundation for other studies of freshwaters at broad spatial and ecological scales. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

LAGOS-NE: a multi-scaled geospatial and temporal database of lake ecological context and water quality for thousands of US lakes

PubMed Central

Bacon, Linda C; Beauchene, Michael; Bednar, Karen E; Bissell, Edward G; Boudreau, Claire K; Boyer, Marvin G; Bremigan, Mary T; Carpenter, Stephen R; Carr, Jamie W; Christel, Samuel T; Claucherty, Matt; Conroy, Joseph D; Downing, John A; Dukett, Jed; Filstrup, Christopher T; Funk, Clara; Gonzalez, Maria J; Green, Linda T; Gries, Corinna; Halfman, John D; Hamilton, Stephen K; Hanson, Paul C; Henry, Emily N; Herron, Elizabeth M; Hockings, Celeste; Jackson, James R; Jacobson-Hedin, Kari; Janus, Lorraine L; Jones, William W; Jones, John R; Keson, Caroline M; King, Katelyn B S; Kishbaugh, Scott A; Lathrop, Barbara; Latimore, Jo A; Lee, Yuehlin; Lottig, Noah R; Lynch, Jason A; Matthews, Leslie J; McDowell, William H; Moore, Karen E B; Neff, Brian P; Nelson, Sarah J; Oliver, Samantha K; Pace, Michael L; Pierson, Donald C; Poisson, Autumn C; Pollard, Amina I; Post, David M; Reyes, Paul O; Rosenberry, Donald O; Roy, Karen M; Rudstam, Lars G; Sarnelle, Orlando; Schuldt, Nancy J; Scott, Caren E; Smith, Nicole J; Spinelli, Nick R; Stachelek, Joseph J; Stanley, Emily H; Stoddard, John L; Stopyak, Scott B; Stow, Craig A; Tallant, Jason M; Thorpe, Anthony P; Vanni, Michael J; Wagner, Tyler; Watkins, Gretchen; Weathers, Kathleen C; Webster, Katherine E; White, Jeffrey D; Wilmes, Marcy K; Yuan, Shuai

2017-01-01

Abstract Understanding the factors that affect water quality and the ecological services provided by freshwater ecosystems is an urgent global environmental issue. Predicting how water quality will respond to global changes not only requires water quality data, but also information about the ecological context of individual water bodies across broad spatial extents. Because lake water quality is usually sampled in limited geographic regions, often for limited time periods, assessing the environmental controls of water quality requires compilation of many data sets across broad regions and across time into an integrated database. LAGOS-NE accomplishes this goal for lakes in the northeastern-most 17 US states. LAGOS-NE contains data for 51 101 lakes and reservoirs larger than 4 ha in 17 lake-rich US states. The database includes 3 data modules for: lake location and physical characteristics for all lakes; ecological context (i.e., the land use, geologic, climatic, and hydrologic setting of lakes) for all lakes; and in situ measurements of lake water quality for a subset of the lakes from the past 3 decades for approximately 2600–12 000 lakes depending on the variable. The database contains approximately 150 000 measures of total phosphorus, 200 000 measures of chlorophyll, and 900 000 measures of Secchi depth. The water quality data were compiled from 87 lake water quality data sets from federal, state, tribal, and non-profit agencies, university researchers, and citizen scientists. This database is one of the largest and most comprehensive databases of its type because it includes both in situ measurements and ecological context data. Because ecological context can be used to study a variety of other questions about lakes, streams, and wetlands, this database can also be used as the foundation for other studies of freshwaters at broad spatial and ecological scales. PMID:29053868

LAGOS-NE: a multi-scaled geospatial and temporal database of lake ecological context and water quality for thousands of US lakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Soranno, Patricia A.; Bacon, Linda C.; Beauchene, Michael; Bednar, Karen E.; Bissell, Edward G.; Boudreau, Claire K.; Boyer, Marvin G.; Bremigan, Mary T.; Carpenter, Stephen R.; Carr, Jamie W.; Cheruvelil, Kendra S.; Christel, Samuel T.; Claucherty, Matt; Collins, Sarah M.; Conroy, Joseph D.; Downing, John A.; Dukett, Jed; Fergus, C. Emi; Filstrup, Christopher T.; Funk, Clara; Gonzalez, Maria J.; Green, Linda T.; Gries, Corinna; Halfman, John D.; Hamilton, Stephen K.; Hanson, Paul C.; Henry, Emily N.; Herron, Elizabeth M.; Hockings, Celeste; Jackson, James R.; Jacobson-Hedin, Kari; Janus, Lorraine L.; Jones, William W.; Jones, John R.; Keson, Caroline M.; King, Katelyn B.S.; Kishbaugh, Scott A.; Lapierre, Jean-Francois; Lathrop, Barbara; Latimore, Jo A.; Lee, Yuehlin; Lottig, Noah R.; Lynch, Jason A.; Matthews, Leslie J.; McDowell, William H.; Moore, Karen E.B.; Neff, Brian; Nelson, Sarah J.; Oliver, Samantha K.; Pace, Michael L.; Pierson, Donald C.; Poisson, Autumn C.; Pollard, Amina I.; Post, David M.; Reyes, Paul O.; Rosenberry, Donald; Roy, Karen M.; Rudstam, Lars G.; Sarnelle, Orlando; Schuldt, Nancy J.; Scott, Caren E.; Skaff, Nicholas K.; Smith, Nicole J.; Spinelli, Nick R.; Stachelek, Joseph J.; Stanley, Emily H.; Stoddard, John L.; Stopyak, Scott B.; Stow, Craig A.; Tallant, Jason M.; Tan, Pang-Ning; Thorpe, Anthony P.; Vanni, Michael J.; Wagner, Tyler; Watkins, Gretchen; Weathers, Kathleen C.; Webster, Katherine E.; White, Jeffrey D.; Wilmes, Marcy K.; Yuan, Shuai

2017-01-01

Understanding the factors that affect water quality and the ecological services provided by freshwater ecosystems is an urgent global environmental issue. Predicting how water quality will respond to global changes not only requires water quality data, but also information about the ecological context of individual water bodies across broad spatial extents. Because lake water quality is usually sampled in limited geographic regions, often for limited time periods, assessing the environmental controls of water quality requires compilation of many data sets across broad regions and across time into an integrated database. LAGOS-NE accomplishes this goal for lakes in the northeastern-most 17 US states.LAGOS-NE contains data for 51 101 lakes and reservoirs larger than 4 ha in 17 lake-rich US states. The database includes 3 data modules for: lake location and physical characteristics for all lakes; ecological context (i.e., the land use, geologic, climatic, and hydrologic setting of lakes) for all lakes; and in situ measurements of lake water quality for a subset of the lakes from the past 3 decades for approximately 2600–12 000 lakes depending on the variable. The database contains approximately 150 000 measures of total phosphorus, 200 000 measures of chlorophyll, and 900 000 measures of Secchi depth. The water quality data were compiled from 87 lake water quality data sets from federal, state, tribal, and non-profit agencies, university researchers, and citizen scientists. This database is one of the largest and most comprehensive databases of its type because it includes both in situ measurements and ecological context data. Because ecological context can be used to study a variety of other questions about lakes, streams, and wetlands, this database can also be used as the foundation for other studies of freshwaters at broad spatial and ecological scales.

Towards a catchment-scale macro-ecological model to support integrated catchment management in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lerner, R. N.; Lerner, D. N.; Surridge, B.; Paetzold, A.; Harris, B.; Anderson, C. W.

2005-12-01

In Europe, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) is providing a powerful regulatory driver to adopt integrated catchment management, and so pressurizing researchers to build suitable supporting tools. The WFD requires agencies to drive towards `good ecological quality' by 2015. After the initial step of characterising water bodies and the pressures on them, the next substantive step is the preparation of river basin management plans and proposed programmes of measures by 2009. Ecological quality is a complex concept and poorly defined, unless it is taken as a simple measure such as the abundance of a particular species of organism. There is clearly substantial work to do to build a practical but sound definition of ecological quality; practical in the sense of being easy to measure and explain to stakeholders, and sound in the sense that it reflects ecological complexity within catchments, the variability between catchments, and the conflicts demands for goods and services that human society places upon the ecological system. However ecological quality is defined, it will be driven by four interacting groups of factors. These represent the physical, chemical, ecological and socio-economic environments within and encompassing the catchment. Some of these groupings are better understood than others, for example hydrological processes and the transport of solutes are reasonably understood, even though they remain research areas in their own right. There are much larger gaps in our understanding at the interfaces, i.e. predicting how, for example, hydrological processes such as flow and river morphology influence ecological quality. Overall, it is clear we are not yet in a position to build deterministic models of the overall ecological behaviour of catchment. But we need predictive tools to support catchment management agencies in preparing robust plans. This poster describes our current exploration of soft modelling options to build a comprehensive macro-ecological model of UK catchments. This is taking place within the Catchment Science Centre, a joint venture between the University of Sheffield and the Environment Agency.

[Built-up land change and its impact on ecological quality in a fast-growing economic zone: Jinjiang County, Fujian Province, China].

PubMed

Shi, Ting Ting; Xu, Han Qiu; Tang, Fei

2017-04-18

Since China's reform and opening-up, the rapid growth of China's economy has greatly accelerated the expansion of built-up land, which has affected regional ecological environment to a great extent. Taking Jinjiang County of Fujian Province, one of the fastest economic-developing counties in the coastal areas of southeastern China, as a case study area, this paper focused on analyzing the rapid built-up land expansion process of the county and its impact on county's ecological quality using remote sensing techniques. Based on two Landsat images of 1996 and 2015 of Jinjiang, the built-up land of the county was extracted using the index-based built-up index (IBI) and its change was analyzed. In the meantime, the ecological status of Jinjiang was evaluated with a recently-proposed remote sensing based ecological index (RSEI) and the relationship between the built-up land dynamics and the ecological status changes of the county was quantitatively examined. The results showed that during the period from 1996 to 2015, the area of built-up land of Jinjiang had a net increase of 68.54 km 2 , a growth of 45%, and the expansion intensity was 0.55. The expansion of the built-up lands has caused overall degradation of the county's ecological quality. The mean value of RSEI of the county had declined from 0.532 in 1996 to 0.460 in 2015, a drop of13.5%. The area proportion of high ecological-quality grades also significantly fell from 39% in 1996 to 21% in 2015. The built-up land expansion intensity was negatively correlated with the ecological quality change.

Surface and groundwater drought evaluation with respect to aquatic habitat quality in the upper Nitra River Basin in Slovakia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fendekova, M.; Fendek, M.; Macura, V.; Kralova, J.

2012-04-01

Hydrological drought is being broadly studied within last decades in many countries. It is because of increasing frequency of drought periods occurrence also in mild climate conditions, leading to unexpected and undesired consequences for environment and various spheres of the state economy. Drought affects water availability for plants, animals and human society. Natural conditions of drought occurrence are often combined with human activities strengthening drought consequences. Lack of water in the nature, connected to meteorological and hydrological drought occurrence, increases at the same time needs for surface and groundwater in many types of human activities (agriculture, industrial production, electric power generation…). Drought can be identified within the low flow phase of the flow regime. Flow regime is considered for one of the most important conditions influencing quality of the river ecosystems. Occurrence of meteorological, surface and groundwater droughts was analyzed for the upper part of the Nitra River catchment in Slovakia. Drought occurrence was studied in two gauging profiles on the Nitra River - in Klacno and Nedozery, both representing the headwater profiles. The threshold level method was used for groundwater drought analysis. Base flow values were separated from the discharge hydrograms using the HydroOffice 2010 statistical program package. The influence of surface water drought on groundwater level was analyzed. Habitat suitability curves derived according to IFIM methodology were constructed for different fish species at Nedozery profile. The influence of different low flow values from 600 to 150 L/s on fish amount, size and species variability was studied. In the end, the minimum flow, bellow which unfavourable life conditions occur, was estimated. The results showed the necessity of taking into account the ecological parameters when estimating the ecological status of surface water bodies. Such an approach is fully compatible with the requirements of the Directive 2000/60/EC and with the integrated water resources management strategy. Acknowledgment: The research was done with the financial support of the VEGA project grant No. 1/1327/12.

[Coupling coordination evaluation method between eco-environment quality and economic development level in contiguous special poverty-stricken areas of China].

PubMed

Wang, Yan-hui; Li, Jing-yi

2015-05-01

It is one of the important strategies in the new period of national poverty alleviation and development to maintain the basic balance between the ecological environment and economic development, and to promote the coordinated sustainable development of economy and ecological environment. Taking six contiguous special poverty-stricken areas as the study areas, a coupling coordination evaluation method between eco-environment quality and economic development level in contiguous special poverty-stricken areas was explored in this paper. The region' s ecological poverty index system was proposed based on the natural attribute of ecological environment, and the ecological environment quality evaluation method was built up by using AHP weighting method, followed by the design of the coupling coordination evaluation method between the ecological environment indices and the county economic poverty comprehensive indices. The coupling coordination degrees were calculated and their spatial representation differentiations were analyzed respectively at district, province, city, and county scales. Results showed that approximately half of the counties in the study areas achieved the harmoniously coordinated development. However, the ecological environmental quality and the economic development in most counties could not be synchronized, where mountains, rivers and other geographic features existed roughly as a dividing line of the coordinated development types. The phenomena of dislocation between the ecological environment and economic development in state-level poor counties were more serious than those of local poor counties.

A resilience framework for chronic exposures: water quality and ecosystem services in coastal social-ecological systems

EPA Science Inventory

We outline a tailored resilience framework that applies ecosystem service concepts to coastal social-ecological systems (SES) affected by water quality degradation. Unlike acute coastal disturbances such as hurricanes or oil spills, water quality issues, particularly those relate...

Systematic vertical and lateral changes in quality and time resolution of the macrofossil record: insights from Holocene transgressive deposits, Po coastal plain, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azzarone, Michele; Scarponi, Daniele; Kusnerik, Kristopher; Amorosi, Alessandro; Bohacs, Kevin M.; Drexler, Tina M.; Kowalewski, Michał

2017-04-01

In siliciclastic marine settings, skeletal concentrations are a characteristic feature of transgressive intervals that provide insights into paleobiology and sequence stratigraphy. To investigate taphonomic signatures of transgressive intervals, we analyzed three cores from a Holocene depositional profile of the Po coastal plain, in northern Italy. Coupled multivariate taphonomic and bathymetric trends delineate spatial and temporal gradients in sediment starvation/bypassing, suggesting that quality and resolution of the fossil record vary predictably along the studied depositional profile. Moreover, joint consideration of taphonomic, bathymetric, and fossil density trends across the study area reveals distinctive signatures that are useful in characterizing facies associations and recognizing surfaces and intervals of sequence stratigraphic significance. Within the southern Po plain succession, taphonomic degradation of macroskeletal remains increases from proximal—nearshore to distal—offshore locations. This trend is discernible for both biologically-driven (bioerosion) and chemically/physically-driven (e.g., dissolution, abrasion) shell alterations. Compared to the up-dip (most proximal) core, the down-dip core is distinguished by shell-rich lithosomes affected by ecological condensation (co-occurrence of environmentally non-overlapping taxa) and by higher taphonomic alteration. The onshore-offshore taphonomic trend likely reflects variation in sediment-supply along the depositional profile of the Holocene Northern Adriatic shelf, with surface/near-surface residence-time of macroskeletal remains increasing down dip due to lower accumulation rates. These results indicate that, during transgressive phases, changes in sea-level (base level) are likely to produce down-dip taphonomic gradients across shelves, where the quality and resolution of the fossil record both deteriorate distally. The amino acid radiometrically calibrated dates on bivalves and the chronostratigraphic framework for this profile suggest that the high levels of taphonomic degradation observed distally developed over millennial time scales ( 8ky). The patterns documented here may be characteristic of siliciclastic-dominated depositional systems that experience high-frequency, base-level fluctuations.

Living Shorelines: Assessing Geomorphic Change and Water Quality in an Urban Waterway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huggins, A.; Schwartz, M. C.; Schmutz, P. P.

2017-12-01

In recent years, alternative strategies for shoreline armoring have become increasingly popular with coastal property owners. In Northwest Florida, local agencies implemented plans to attenuate wave action and reduce landward shore recession in an urban bayou by installing living shorelines. Living shorelines are constructed in the inter-tidal zones and incorporate both hard and soft structured stabilization. Generally, the hard component is fossilized oyster shells and the soft component is planted intertidal vegetation, such as Spartina alterniflora (Smooth cordgrass) and Juncus roemererianus (Black needlerush). Living shorelines were intended to comprise both ecological and societal implications by significantly slowing erosion processes for property owners, by utilizing oyster beds to improve water quality, and by fostering new ecological habitats in the marsh grasses. The issue presented with living shoreline management is long-term studies have not been carried out on these engineered systems. For this study, geospatial technology was utilized to create 3D images of terrain by interpolation of data points using a TotalStation to compute geomorphic change. Additionally, water samples were analyzed using traditional wet chemistry laboratory methods to determine total oxidized nitrogen (TON), ammonium, and orthophosphate content in water. Over a short three-month preliminary study, sediment accretion was observed primarily within the vegetation with the bulk of the erosion occurring around the oyster beds. TON was detected at levels between 10 µM and 30 µM, ammonium up to 5 µM, and orthophosphate was only detected in very low levels, consistently < 2 µM. The project is in its infancy, as the topographic profiles and water quality data will be used to establish baseline data for future research to determine volumetric geomorphic change,and to set a standard for water quality trends, surrounding oyster beds and vegetation in response to climatic events.

Soil Heavy Metal Pollution and Risk Assessment in Shenyang Industrial District, Northeast China

PubMed Central

Jiao, Xudong; Teng, Yanguo; Zhan, Yanhong; Wu, Jin; Lin, Xueyu

2015-01-01

To investigate the soil heavy metal pollution characteristics and ecological risk factors, 42 samples and six typical soil profiles were collected from the Shenyang industrial district in northeast China and were analyzed for contents of titanium (Ti), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr) and arsenic (As). Through statistical analysis, it was found that the mean concentrations were higher than their background values (Ti = 4.77>3.8g/kg, Cu = 33.75>22.6 mg/kg, Pb = 45.95>26 mg/kg, Zn = 81.54>74.2 mg/kg, Co = 12.91>12.7 mg/kg, Ni = 32.26>26.9 mg/kg, Cr = 83.36>61 mg/kg and As = 13.69>11.2 mg/kg) but did not exceed their corresponding pollution limits for the Chinese Environmental Quality Standard for Soils (State Environmental Protection Administration of China, 1995). There were contamination hotspots that may be caused by human activities such as smelting plants and sewage irrigation. The Enrichment Factor and Ecological Risk Index were used to identify the anthropogenic contamination and ecological risks of heavy metals. Soil in the study area could be considered lightly or partially polluted by heavy metals. According to clustering analysis, distinct groups of heavy metals were discriminated between natural or anthropogenic sources. PMID:25997173

Soil heavy metal pollution and risk assessment in Shenyang industrial district, Northeast China.

PubMed

Jiao, Xudong; Teng, Yanguo; Zhan, Yanhong; Wu, Jin; Lin, Xueyu

2015-01-01

To investigate the soil heavy metal pollution characteristics and ecological risk factors, 42 samples and six typical soil profiles were collected from the Shenyang industrial district in northeast China and were analyzed for contents of titanium (Ti), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr) and arsenic (As). Through statistical analysis, it was found that the mean concentrations were higher than their background values (Ti = 4.77>3.8g/kg, Cu = 33.75>22.6 mg/kg, Pb = 45.95>26 mg/kg, Zn = 81.54>74.2 mg/kg, Co = 12.91>12.7 mg/kg, Ni = 32.26>26.9 mg/kg, Cr = 83.36>61 mg/kg and As = 13.69>11.2 mg/kg) but did not exceed their corresponding pollution limits for the Chinese Environmental Quality Standard for Soils (State Environmental Protection Administration of China, 1995). There were contamination hotspots that may be caused by human activities such as smelting plants and sewage irrigation. The Enrichment Factor and Ecological Risk Index were used to identify the anthropogenic contamination and ecological risks of heavy metals. Soil in the study area could be considered lightly or partially polluted by heavy metals. According to clustering analysis, distinct groups of heavy metals were discriminated between natural or anthropogenic sources.

The Detroit River, Michigan: an ecological profile

USGS Publications Warehouse

Manny, Bruce A.; Edsall, Thomas A.; Jaworski, Eugene

1988-01-01

A part of the connecting channel system between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, the Detroit River forms an integral link between the two lakes for both humans and biological resources such as fish, nutrients, and plant detritus. This profile summarizes existing scientific information on the ecological structure and functioning of this ecosystem. Topics include the geological history of the region, climatic influences, river hydrology, lower trophic-level biotic components, native and introduced fishes, waterfowl use, ecological interrelationships, commercial and recreational uses of the river, and current management issues. Despite urbanization, the river still supports diverse fish, waterfowl, and benthic populations. Management issues include sewer overflows; maintenance dredging for navigation and port activities; industrial discharges of potentially hazardous materials; and wetland, fishery, and waterfowl protection and enhancement.

Ecologic regression analysis and the study of the influence of air quality on mortality.

PubMed Central

Selvin, S; Merrill, D; Wong, L; Sacks, S T

1984-01-01

This presentation focuses entirely on the use and evaluation of regression analysis applied to ecologic data as a method to study the effects of ambient air pollution on mortality rates. Using extensive national data on mortality, air quality and socio-economic status regression analyses are used to study the influence of air quality on mortality. The analytic methods and data are selected in such a way that direct comparisons can be made with other ecologic regression studies of mortality and air quality. Analyses are performed by use of two types of geographic areas, age-specific mortality of both males and females and three pollutants (total suspended particulates, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide). The overall results indicate no persuasive evidence exists of a link between air quality and general mortality levels. Additionally, a lack of consistency between the present results and previous published work is noted. Overall, it is concluded that linear regression analysis applied to nationally collected ecologic data cannot be used to usefully infer a causal relationship between air quality and mortality which is in direct contradiction to other major published studies. PMID:6734568

PROFILE OF THE GULF ECOLOGY DIVISION, UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

EPA Science Inventory

A history of the man-made island on which the Gulf Ecology Division is located,from its origin in 1876 to the present day (2007). Contains a synopsis of current research and future plans of the division.

The Process of Adjustment Among Caregivers of Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury: A Qualitative Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

adults with spinal cord injuries, quality of life, mixed methods, dyads, veterans, civilians, ecological intervention development 16. SECURITY...existing literature in order to provide a foundation for the development of ecologically valid interventions to bolster support and quality of life...civilians, ecological intervention development 3. ACCOMPLISHMENTS Major Goals For year two, we articulated six major tasks, with associated sub-tasks

Wastewater Conveyance Feasibility Investigation, Cranston, RI, Volume 1 Main Report and Environmental Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-05-01

K Task 10c - Water Quality and Hydrology Assessment APPENDIX L Task 10d - Archaeological/Historic Assessment APPENDIX M Task l~e - Ecological ...options to select a proposed project. The first phase included feasibility level design, cost estimating, water quality, ecological , archaeological and...Assessment 47 Ecological Assessment 49 Historic/Archaeological Assessment 53 Socio/Economic Assessment 54 Proposed Project 57 Chapter 7. PRELIMINARY

The cumulative effects assessment of a coastal ecological restoration project in China: An integrated perspective.

PubMed

Ma, Deqiang; Zhang, Liyu; Fang, Qinhua; Jiang, Yuwu; Elliott, Michael

2017-05-15

Large scale coastal land-claim and sea-enclosing (CLASE) activities have caused habitat destruction, biodiversity losses and water deterioration, thus the local governments in China have recently undertaken seabed dredging and dyke opening (SDADO) as typical ecological restoration projects. However, some projects focus on a single impact on hydrodynamic conditions, water quality or marine organisms. In a case study in Xiamen, China, an integrated effects assessment framework centres on ecohydrology, using modeling of hydrodynamic conditions and statistical analysis of water quality, was developed to assess the effects of ecological restoration projects. The benefits of SDADO projects include improving hydrodynamic conditions and water quality, as a precursor to further marine biological improvements. This study highlights the need to comprehensively consider ecological effects of SDADO projects in the planning stage, and an integrative assessment method combining cumulative effects of hydrodynamic conditions, water quality and biological factors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DEVELOPMENT OF PROTEIN PROFILE TECHNOLOGY TO EVALUATE ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS USING A SMALL FISH MODEL

EPA Science Inventory

The rationale for this research is: i) Protein expression changes with life stage, disease, tissue type and environmental stressors; ii) Technology allows rapid analysis of large numbers of proteins to provide protein expression profiles; iii) Protein profiles are used as specifi...

Vertical distribution of chlorophyll a concentration and phytoplankton community composition from in situ fluorescence profiles: a first database for the global ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauzède, R.; Lavigne, H.; Claustre, H.; Uitz, J.; Schmechtig, C.; D'Ortenzio, F.; Guinet, C.; Pesant, S.

2015-04-01

In vivo chlorophyll a fluorescence is a proxy of chlorophyll a concentration, and is one of the most frequently measured biogeochemical properties in the ocean. Thousands of profiles are available from historical databases and the integration of fluorescence sensors to autonomous platforms led to a significant increase of chlorophyll fluorescence profile acquisition. To our knowledge, this important source of environmental data has not yet been included in global analyses. A total of 268 127 chlorophyll fluorescence profiles from several databases as well as published and unpublished individual sources were compiled. Following a robust quality control procedure detailed in the present paper, about 49 000 chlorophyll fluorescence profiles were converted in phytoplankton biomass (i.e. chlorophyll a concentration) and size-based community composition (i.e. microphytoplankton, nanophytoplankton and picophytoplankton), using a~method specifically developed to harmonize fluorescence profiles from diverse sources. The data span over five decades from 1958 to 2015, including observations from all major oceanic basins and all seasons, and depths ranging from surface to a median maximum sampling depth of around 700 m. Global maps of chlorophyll a concentration and phytoplankton community composition are presented here for the first time. Monthly climatologies were computed for three of Longhurst's ecological provinces in order to exemplify the potential use of the data product. Original data sets (raw fluorescence profiles) as well as calibrated profiles of phytoplankton biomass and community composition are available in open access at PANGAEA, Data Publisher for Earth and Environmental Science. Raw fluorescence profiles: http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.844212 and Phytoplankton biomass and community composition: http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.844485.

Integrative assessment of coastal pollution: Development and evaluation of sediment quality criteria from chemical contamination and ecotoxicological data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellas, Juan; Nieto, Óscar; Beiras, Ricardo

2011-04-01

Elutriate embryo-larval bioassays with sea-urchins ( Paracentrotus lividus) were conducted concurrently with chemical analyses of sediments and biota as part of an integrative assessment of pollution in highly productive coastal regions. High metal contents and organic compounds in sediments and mussels were found in localised areas from the inner part of the estuaries indicating a clear anthropogenic influence. In particular, average maximum concentrations of 2803 mg Cu/kg dw, 776 mg Pb/kg dw, 2.5 mg Hg/kg dw and 5803 μg ∑ 7PAHs/kg dw were measured in sediments from the most polluted sites. Significant correlations were observed between sediment chemistry and toxicity bioassays. Moreover, the Mantel test revealed a significant correlation ( rM=0.80; p<0.01) between sediment pollutant concentrations and toxicity data profiles. In addition, sediment quality criteria were used to help in the ecological interpretation of sediment chemistry data and to identify pollutants of concern. The toxicity bioassays identified polluted sites and quantified the level of toxicity, providing a cost-effective tool to complement the routine chemical monitoring currently conducted in European coastal waters with ecologically relevant information. This is in line with the recent European legislation that advocates the use of biological tools with the ultimate aim of protecting marine resources from anthropogenic substances that will affect their sensitive early life stages.

Derivation of site-specific surface water quality criteria for the protection of aquatic ecosystems near a Korean military training facility.

PubMed

Jeong, Seung-Woo; An, Youn-Joo

2014-01-01

This study suggested the first Korean site-specific ecological surface water quality criteria for the protection of ecosystems near an artillery range at a Korean military training facility. Surface water quality (SWQ) criteria in Korea address human health protection but do not encompass ecological criteria such as limits for metals and explosives. The first objective of this study was to derive site-specific SWQ criteria for the protection of aquatic ecosystems in Hantan River, Korea. The second objective was to establish discharge criteria for the artillery range to protect the aquatic ecosystems of Hantan River. In this study, we first identified aquatic organisms living in the Hantan River, including fishes, reptiles, invertebrates, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and amphibians. Second, we collected ecotoxicity data for these aquatic organisms and constructed an ecotoxicity database for Cd, Cu, Zn, TNT, and RDX. This study determined the ecological maximum permissible concentrations for metals and explosives based on the ecotoxicity database and suggested ecological surface water quality criteria for the Hantan River by considering analytical detection limits. Discharge limit criteria for the shooting range were determined based on the ecological surface water quality criteria suggested for Hantan River with further consideration of the dilution of the contaminants discharged into the river.

Researcher Profile for Ocean Acidification Principal Investigator Workshop at Woods Hole Oceanograpic Institution

EPA Science Inventory

Research Interests: The research I conduct at EPA focuses on application of quantitative ecological methods, especially those of theoretical and experimental population ecology, in risk assessment. Much of our recent effort has focused on marine mysids because of their legacy ...

The Ecology of Minority Languages in Melbourne

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradshaw, Julie

2013-01-01

Melbourne's linguistic and cultural diversity has continually changed in response to global economic forces and shifting patterns of war and conflict. Immigrant and refugee communities have arrived with different skills, educational and professional profiles, and cultural and religious values. The ecological niches of three contrasting linguistic…

Accounting for both local aquatic community composition and bioavailability in setting site-specific quality standards for zinc.

PubMed

Peters, Adam; Simpson, Peter; Moccia, Alessandra

2014-01-01

Recent years have seen considerable improvement in water quality standards (QS) for metals by taking account of the effect of local water chemistry conditions on their bioavailability. We describe preliminary efforts to further refine water quality standards, by taking account of the composition of the local ecological community (the ultimate protection objective) in addition to bioavailability. Relevance of QS to the local ecological community is critical as it is important to minimise instances where quality classification using QS does not reconcile with a quality classification based on an assessment of the composition of the local ecology (e.g. using benthic macroinvertebrate quality assessment metrics such as River InVertebrate Prediction and Classification System (RIVPACS)), particularly where ecology is assessed to be at good or better status, whilst chemical quality is determined to be failing relevant standards. The alternative approach outlined here describes a method to derive a site-specific species sensitivity distribution (SSD) based on the ecological community which is expected to be present at the site in the absence of anthropogenic pressures (reference conditions). The method combines a conventional laboratory ecotoxicity dataset normalised for bioavailability with field measurements of the response of benthic macroinvertebrate abundance to chemical exposure. Site-specific QSref are then derived from the 5%ile of this SSD. Using this method, site QSref have been derived for zinc in an area impacted by historic mining activities. Application of QSref can result in greater agreement between chemical and ecological metrics of environmental quality compared with the use of either conventional (QScon) or bioavailability-based QS (QSbio). In addition to zinc, the approach is likely to be applicable to other metals and possibly other types of chemical stressors (e.g. pesticides). However, the methodology for deriving site-specific targets requires additional development and validation before they can be robustly applied during surface water classification.

Habitat suitability and ecological niche profile of major malaria vectors in Cameroon

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Suitability of environmental conditions determines a species distribution in space and time. Understanding and modelling the ecological niche of mosquito disease vectors can, therefore, be a powerful predictor of the risk of exposure to the pathogens they transmit. In Africa, five anophelines are responsible for over 95% of total malaria transmission. However, detailed knowledge of the geographic distribution and ecological requirements of these species is to date still inadequate. Methods Indoor-resting mosquitoes were sampled from 386 villages covering the full range of ecological settings available in Cameroon, Central Africa. Using a predictive species distribution modeling approach based only on presence records, habitat suitability maps were constructed for the five major malaria vectors Anopheles gambiae, Anopheles funestus, Anopheles arabiensis, Anopheles nili and Anopheles moucheti. The influence of 17 climatic, topographic, and land use variables on mosquito geographic distribution was assessed by multivariate regression and ordination techniques. Results Twenty-four anopheline species were collected, of which 17 are known to transmit malaria in Africa. Ecological Niche Factor Analysis, Habitat Suitability modeling and Canonical Correspondence Analysis revealed marked differences among the five major malaria vector species, both in terms of ecological requirements and niche breadth. Eco-geographical variables (EGVs) related to human activity had the highest impact on habitat suitability for the five major malaria vectors, with areas of low population density being of marginal or unsuitable habitat quality. Sunlight exposure, rainfall, evapo-transpiration, relative humidity, and wind speed were among the most discriminative EGVs separating "forest" from "savanna" species. Conclusions The distribution of major malaria vectors in Cameroon is strongly affected by the impact of humans on the environment, with variables related to proximity to human settings being among the best predictors of habitat suitability. The ecologically more tolerant species An. gambiae and An. funestus were recorded in a wide range of eco-climatic settings. The other three major vectors, An. arabiensis, An. moucheti, and An. nili, were more specialized. Ecological niche and species distribution modelling should help improve malaria vector control interventions by targeting places and times where the impact on vector populations and disease transmission can be optimized. PMID:20028559

Habitat suitability and ecological niche profile of major malaria vectors in Cameroon.

PubMed

Ayala, Diego; Costantini, Carlo; Ose, Kenji; Kamdem, Guy C; Antonio-Nkondjio, Christophe; Agbor, Jean-Pierre; Awono-Ambene, Parfait; Fontenille, Didier; Simard, Frédéric

2009-12-23

Suitability of environmental conditions determines a species distribution in space and time. Understanding and modelling the ecological niche of mosquito disease vectors can, therefore, be a powerful predictor of the risk of exposure to the pathogens they transmit. In Africa, five anophelines are responsible for over 95% of total malaria transmission. However, detailed knowledge of the geographic distribution and ecological requirements of these species is to date still inadequate. Indoor-resting mosquitoes were sampled from 386 villages covering the full range of ecological settings available in Cameroon, Central Africa. Using a predictive species distribution modeling approach based only on presence records, habitat suitability maps were constructed for the five major malaria vectors Anopheles gambiae, Anopheles funestus, Anopheles arabiensis, Anopheles nili and Anopheles moucheti. The influence of 17 climatic, topographic, and land use variables on mosquito geographic distribution was assessed by multivariate regression and ordination techniques. Twenty-four anopheline species were collected, of which 17 are known to transmit malaria in Africa. Ecological Niche Factor Analysis, Habitat Suitability modeling and Canonical Correspondence Analysis revealed marked differences among the five major malaria vector species, both in terms of ecological requirements and niche breadth. Eco-geographical variables (EGVs) related to human activity had the highest impact on habitat suitability for the five major malaria vectors, with areas of low population density being of marginal or unsuitable habitat quality. Sunlight exposure, rainfall, evapo-transpiration, relative humidity, and wind speed were among the most discriminative EGVs separating "forest" from "savanna" species. The distribution of major malaria vectors in Cameroon is strongly affected by the impact of humans on the environment, with variables related to proximity to human settings being among the best predictors of habitat suitability. The ecologically more tolerant species An. gambiae and An. funestus were recorded in a wide range of eco-climatic settings. The other three major vectors, An. arabiensis, An. moucheti, and An. nili, were more specialized. Ecological niche and species distribution modelling should help improve malaria vector control interventions by targeting places and times where the impact on vector populations and disease transmission can be optimized.

Improved annotation of antibiotic resistance determinants reveals microbial resistomes cluster by ecology.

PubMed

Gibson, Molly K; Forsberg, Kevin J; Dantas, Gautam

2015-01-01

Antibiotic resistance is a dire clinical problem with important ecological dimensions. While antibiotic resistance in human pathogens continues to rise at alarming rates, the impact of environmental resistance on human health is still unclear. To investigate the relationship between human-associated and environmental resistomes, we analyzed functional metagenomic selections for resistance against 18 clinically relevant antibiotics from soil and human gut microbiota as well as a set of multidrug-resistant cultured soil isolates. These analyses were enabled by Resfams, a new curated database of protein families and associated highly precise and accurate profile hidden Markov models, confirmed for antibiotic resistance function and organized by ontology. We demonstrate that the antibiotic resistance functions that give rise to the resistance profiles observed in environmental and human-associated microbial communities significantly differ between ecologies. Antibiotic resistance functions that most discriminate between ecologies provide resistance to β-lactams and tetracyclines, two of the most widely used classes of antibiotics in the clinic and agriculture. We also analyzed the antibiotic resistance gene composition of over 6000 sequenced microbial genomes, revealing significant enrichment of resistance functions by both ecology and phylogeny. Together, our results indicate that environmental and human-associated microbial communities harbor distinct resistance genes, suggesting that antibiotic resistance functions are largely constrained by ecology.

Ecological evaluation of rangeland quality in dry subtropics of Azerbaijan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gasanova, A. F.

2014-12-01

The results of ecological evaluation of soil-landscape complexes of winter rangelands of Gobustan with the use of energy criteria are discussed. The diagnostic characteristics of soil fertility and correction coefficients for the thickness of texture of soil horizons, soil salinization, soil erosion, and microelemental composition of soils have been used to separate the soils of winter rangelands into several quality groups. A larger part of the soils belongs to the medium quality group with the mean weighted quality factor (bonitet) of 52. Special assessment scales have been suggested for the differential ecological assessment and monitoring of the rangelands. In the past 40 years, the area of steppe landscapes has decreased from 22.7 to 12%, whereas the area of semideserts has increased up to 64%. The area of best-quality soils within the studied rangelands had decreased by three times, and their average quality factor has decreased from 92 to 86.

Development and assessment of an integrated ecological modelling framework to assess the effect of investments in wastewater treatment on water quality.

PubMed

Holguin-Gonzalez, Javier E; Boets, Pieter; Everaert, Gert; Pauwels, Ine S; Lock, Koen; Gobeyn, Sacha; Benedetti, Lorenzo; Amerlinck, Youri; Nopens, Ingmar; Goethals, Peter L M

2014-01-01

Worldwide, large investments in wastewater treatment are made to improve water quality. However, the impacts of these investments on river water quality are often not quantified. To assess water quality, the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires an integrated approach. The aim of this study was to develop an integrated ecological modelling framework for the River Drava (Croatia) that includes physical-chemical and hydromorphological characteristics as well as the ecological river water quality status. The developed submodels and the integrated model showed accurate predictions when comparing the modelled results to the observations. Dissolved oxygen and nitrogen concentrations (ammonium and organic nitrogen) were the most important variables in determining the ecological water quality (EWQ). The result of three potential investment scenarios of the wastewater treatment infrastructure in the city of Varaždin on the EWQ of the River Drava was assessed. From this scenario-based analysis, it was concluded that upgrading the existing wastewater treatment plant with nitrogen and phosphorus removal will be insufficient to reach a good EWQ. Therefore, other point and diffuse pollution sources in the area should also be monitored and remediated to meet the European WFD standards.

WATER QUALITY EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS FOR SOURCE WATER PROTECTION

EPA Science Inventory

Source waters of the U.S. are vulnerable to natural and anthropogenic factors affecting quality for use as both a drinking water and ecological media. Important factors include physical parameters such as increased turbidity, ecological cycles such as algal blooms, and episodic ...

Three-dimensional Modeling of Water Quality and Ecology in Narragansett Bay

EPA Science Inventory

This report presents the methodology to apply, calibrate, and validate the three-dimensional water quality and ecological model provided with the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC). The required advection and dispersion mechanisms are generated simultaneously by the EFDC h...

A Role for Ecological Restoration Work in University Environmental Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowler, Peter A.; Kaiser, Florian G.; Hartig, Terry

1999-01-01

Studies the effects of ecological-restoration fieldwork and in-class instruction on students' ecological behavior, environmental attitudes, and perceptions of restorative qualities in a natural environment. (Author/CCM)

Using ecological indicators and a decision support system for integrated ecological assessment at two national park units in the Mid-Atlantic region, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mahan, Carolyn G.; Young, John A.; Miller, Bruce; Saunders, Michael C.

2014-01-01

We implemented an integrated ecological assessment using a GIS-based decision support system model for Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River (UPDE) and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DEWA)—national park units with the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Our assessment examined a variety of aquatic and terrestrial indicators of ecosystem components that reflect the parks’ conservation purpose and reference condition. Our assessment compared these indicators to ecological thresholds to determine the condition of park watersheds. Selected indicators included chemical and physical measures of water quality, biologic indicators of water quality, and landscape condition measures. For the chemical and physical measures of water quality, we used a water quality index and each of its nine components to assess the condition of water quality in each watershed. For biologic measures of water quality, we used the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera aquatic macroinvertebrate index and, secondarily, the Hilsenhoff aquatic macroinvertebrate index. Finally, for the landscape condition measures of our model, we used percent forest and percent impervious surface. Based on our overall assessment, UPDE and DEWA watersheds had an ecological assessment score of 0.433 on a −1 to 1 fuzzy logic scale. This score indicates that, in general, the natural resource condition within watersheds at these parks is healthy or ecologically unimpaired; however, we had only partial data for many of our indicators. Our model is iterative and new data may be incorporated as they become available. These natural parks are located within a rapidly urbanizing landscape—we recommend that natural resource managers remain vigilant to surrounding land uses that may adversely affect natural resources within the parks.

Using ecological indicators and a decision support system for integrated ecological assessment at two national park units in the mid-Atlantic region, USA.

PubMed

Mahan, Carolyn G; Young, John A; Miller, Bruce J; Saunders, Michael C

2015-02-01

We implemented an integrated ecological assessment using a GIS-based decision support system model for Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River (UPDE) and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DEWA)-national park units with the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Our assessment examined a variety of aquatic and terrestrial indicators of ecosystem components that reflect the parks' conservation purpose and reference condition. Our assessment compared these indicators to ecological thresholds to determine the condition of park watersheds. Selected indicators included chemical and physical measures of water quality, biologic indicators of water quality, and landscape condition measures. For the chemical and physical measures of water quality, we used a water quality index and each of its nine components to assess the condition of water quality in each watershed. For biologic measures of water quality, we used the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera aquatic macroinvertebrate index and, secondarily, the Hilsenhoff aquatic macroinvertebrate index. Finally, for the landscape condition measures of our model, we used percent forest and percent impervious surface. Based on our overall assessment, UPDE and DEWA watersheds had an ecological assessment score of 0.433 on a -1 to 1 fuzzy logic scale. This score indicates that, in general, the natural resource condition within watersheds at these parks is healthy or ecologically unimpaired; however, we had only partial data for many of our indicators. Our model is iterative and new data may be incorporated as they become available. These natural parks are located within a rapidly urbanizing landscape-we recommend that natural resource managers remain vigilant to surrounding land uses that may adversely affect natural resources within the parks.

Using Ecological Indicators and a Decision Support System for Integrated Ecological Assessment at Two National Park Units in the Mid-Atlantic Region, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahan, Carolyn G.; Young, John A.; Miller, Bruce J.; Saunders, Michael C.

2015-02-01

We implemented an integrated ecological assessment using a GIS-based decision support system model for Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River (UPDE) and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DEWA)—national park units with the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Our assessment examined a variety of aquatic and terrestrial indicators of ecosystem components that reflect the parks' conservation purpose and reference condition. Our assessment compared these indicators to ecological thresholds to determine the condition of park watersheds. Selected indicators included chemical and physical measures of water quality, biologic indicators of water quality, and landscape condition measures. For the chemical and physical measures of water quality, we used a water quality index and each of its nine components to assess the condition of water quality in each watershed. For biologic measures of water quality, we used the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera aquatic macroinvertebrate index and, secondarily, the Hilsenhoff aquatic macroinvertebrate index. Finally, for the landscape condition measures of our model, we used percent forest and percent impervious surface. Based on our overall assessment, UPDE and DEWA watersheds had an ecological assessment score of 0.433 on a -1 to 1 fuzzy logic scale. This score indicates that, in general, the natural resource condition within watersheds at these parks is healthy or ecologically unimpaired; however, we had only partial data for many of our indicators. Our model is iterative and new data may be incorporated as they become available. These natural parks are located within a rapidly urbanizing landscape—we recommend that natural resource managers remain vigilant to surrounding land uses that may adversely affect natural resources within the parks.

Metabolite profiling of fish skin mucus: a novel approach for minimally-invasive environmental exposure monitoring and surveillance

EPA Science Inventory

The application of 'omics tools to biologically based monitoring and surveillance of aquatic environments shows considerable promise for complementing chemical monitoring in ecological risk assessments. However, few of the current approaches offer the ability to sample ecological...

Ecology, Ethics, and Responsibility in Family Therapy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maddock, James W.

1993-01-01

Notes that working with marital and family problems complicates the concept of therapeutic responsibility. Discusses several societal contributors to ethical dilemmas in contemporary family therapy and summarizes an ecological framework for therapy on the basis of which a profile of the ethical family therapist is derived. (Author/NB)

Characterizing the Soil Ecology of Red Raspberry Produced under Different Production Regimes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil and rhizosphere ecology play important roles in plant health and development. Using culture-independent microbial community profiling, we investigated the effects of fertilizer (composted dairy solids + mustard seed meal) on fungal communities in soil and endophytic in a raspberry production sy...

Use of crayfishes as ecological indicator of water quality in natural lakes and city water grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sapunov, Valentin; Fedotov, Valery

2017-04-01

Crayfishes are organisms having strong demands for water quality. Their different species have different ecological limits. Nobel crayfishes Astacus astacus are organisms with narrow ecological limits need clear water that crayfish Pontastacus leptodactylus. Relation between populations of different crayfishes is criteria of water pollution, level of water bodies eutrofication and ecological pressure. Environmental policy of all countries is directed to water supply by drinking water of high quality and preserving the rivers, lakes and seas, suitable for people and wildlife. However, now freshwater reservoirs and water bodies, as well as including centralized drinking water supply, have been exposed to escalating anthropogenic loading, and risk of sudden emergency pollution. Besides, the problem of providing an ecological safety of the population and prevention of threats of ecological crime and terrorism in a zone of drinking water for many countries. The work is devoted to realization and perspectives of use of the biological early warning stations about changes of quality of surface waters, dangerous to a biota, on the basis of bioelectronic systems as elements of environmental monitoring of water areas. Regular monitoring of crayfish population is a way to follow ecological evolution of ponds. Such a monitoring took place in some lakes of Pskov and Leningrad regions. Ecological characters of crayfishes are appropriate for control of water quality in St. Petersburg and Khabarovsk grids. Fore species were used: Procambarus clarcii, Cherax quadricarinatus, A. astacus and P. leptodactilus. The results of the present work and experiments carried out us to conclude that before assessing any concentration of pollutant on water organisms, it is necessary to investigate not only their development, growth and survival, also their adaptive capacity relative to the variation of environmental parameters. Regular monitoring of heart oscillation was base for control of water pollution in real time. Algorithm and equipment for such a monitoring would be demonstrated.

Water Environment Assessment as an Ecological Red Line Management Tool for Marine Wetland Protection.

PubMed

Zhang, Yinan; Chu, Chunli; Liu, Lei; Xu, Shengguo; Ruan, Xiaoxue; Ju, Meiting

2017-08-02

A 'red line' was established, identifying an area requiring for ecological protection in Tianjin, China. Within the protected area of the red line area, the Qilihai wetland is an important ecotope with complex ecological functions, although the ecosystem is seriously disturbed due to anthropogenic activities in the surrounding areas. This study assesses the water quality status of the Qilihai wetlands to identify the pollution sources and potential improvements based on the ecological red line policy, to improve and protect the waters of the Qilihai wetlands. An indicator system was established to assess water quality status using single factor evaluation and a comprehensive evaluation method, supported by data from 2010 to 2013. Assessment results show that not all indicators met the requirement of the Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water (GB3838-2002) and that overall, waters in the Qilihai wetland were seriously polluted. Based on these findings we propose restrictions on all polluting anthropogenic activities in the red line area and implementation of restoration projects to improve water quality.

A Bayesian Approach to Integrated Ecological and Human Health Risk Assessment for the South River, Virginia Mercury-Contaminated Site.

PubMed

Harris, Meagan J; Stinson, Jonah; Landis, Wayne G

2017-07-01

We conducted a regional-scale integrated ecological and human health risk assessment by applying the relative risk model with Bayesian networks (BN-RRM) to a case study of the South River, Virginia mercury-contaminated site. Risk to four ecological services of the South River (human health, water quality, recreation, and the recreational fishery) was evaluated using a multiple stressor-multiple endpoint approach. These four ecological services were selected as endpoints based on stakeholder feedback and prioritized management goals for the river. The BN-RRM approach allowed for the calculation of relative risk to 14 biotic, human health, recreation, and water quality endpoints from chemical and ecological stressors in five risk regions of the South River. Results indicated that water quality and the recreational fishery were the ecological services at highest risk in the South River. Human health risk for users of the South River was low relative to the risk to other endpoints. Risk to recreation in the South River was moderate with little spatial variability among the five risk regions. Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis identified stressors and other parameters that influence risk for each endpoint in each risk region. This research demonstrates a probabilistic approach to integrated ecological and human health risk assessment that considers the effects of chemical and ecological stressors across the landscape. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

Linking catchment characteristics and water chemistry with the ecological status of Irish rivers.

PubMed

Donohue, Ian; McGarrigle, Martin L; Mills, Paul

2006-01-01

Requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive for the introduction of ecological quality objectives for surface waters and the stipulation that all surface waters in the EU must be of 'good' ecological status by 2015 necessitate a quantitative understanding of the linkages among catchment attributes, water chemistry and the ecological status of aquatic ecosystems. Analysis of lotic ecological status, as indicated by an established biotic index based primarily on benthic macroinvertebrate community structure, of 797 hydrologically independent river sites located throughout Ireland showed highly significant inverse associations between the ecological status of rivers and measures of catchment urbanisation and agricultural intensity, densities of humans and cattle and chemical indicators of water quality. Stepwise logistic regression suggested that urbanisation, arable farming and extent of pasturelands are the principal factors impacting on the ecological status of streams and rivers in Ireland and that the likelihood of a river site complying with the demands of the EU Water Framework Directive, and be of 'good' ecological status, can be predicted with reasonable accuracy using simple models that utilise either widely available landcover data or chemical monitoring data. Non-linear landcover and chemical 'thresholds' derived from these models provide a useful tool in the management of risk in catchments, and suggest strongly that more careful planning of land use in Ireland is essential in order to restore and maintain water quality as required by the Directive.

The ecological status of Karavasta Lagoon (Albania): Closing the stable door before the horse has bolted?

PubMed

Munari, Cristina; Tessari, Umberto; Rossi, Remigio; Mistri, Michele

2010-02-01

Karavasta is the widest and most important lagoon in Albania. This study aimed to assess the ecological quality status of the lagoon, acquire knowledge of a natural environment which might be exploited for aquaculture, and give management hints on the basis of anthropogenic impact and ecological conditions. A sampling campaign was carried out in 2008: at six stations, benthic fauna, water, and sediment parameters were considered. Statistical analyses were carried out through multivariate procedures (PCA, classification-clustering, SIMPER, RDA, DISTLM, PERMANOVA). Ecological quality was assessed through the AZTI Marine Biotic Index (AMBI), the multivariate AMBI (M-AMBI) and the Benthic Index based on Taxonomic Sufficiency (BITS). Sediment characteristics (percent organic matter, %OM; redox potential discontinuity layer depth, RPDL; particle size composition) and salinity represented contributory influences on lagoon communities. It was possible to distinguish and characterise a confined area, and benthic communities, from a marine-influenced area and its biota. The number of species was quite low when compared with other open Adriatic lagoons. The M-AMBI and BITS classifications gave quite similar results, which seemed consistent with the ecological conditions of the lagoon, that is a distinction in the ecological quality between the seaward and landward stations, with higher ecological quality (EcoQ) at the seaward stations. Given the pressures and the ecological condition of Karavasta, an intensification of aquaculture activities must be considered with caution, since the lagoon seems at significant risk of serious hypereutrophication. This situation is made worse by the limited water exchange with the marine environment due to the irregular dredging of the communication channels. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Special Section: Soil Ecology and Restoration Ecology

Treesearch

M.A. Callaham

2008-01-01

Sediments left behind in this dewatered reservoir in Wisconsin, USA, have different physical, chemical, and spatial characteristics than the soils they buried, a potential challenge for restoration (upper left, photo: Nick Balster). The soil profile shows effects of land-use history at the Calhoun Experimental Forest in South Carolina, USA.

Making Youth Tobacco Control Programs More Ecological: Organizational and Professional Profiles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richard, Lucie; Gauvin, Lise; Potvin, Louise; Denis, Jean-Louis; Kishchuk, Natalie

2002-01-01

Examined organizational and professional correlates of the integration of the ecological approach in Canadian public health organizations' youth tobacco control programs. Surveys of 110 tobacco control programs in 90 organizations indicated that organizational environment and staff preparation played a critical role in adoption of the ecological…

Modeling hydrodynamics, water quality, and benthic processes to predict ecological effects in Narragansett Bay

EPA Science Inventory

The environmental fluid dynamics code (EFDC) was used to study the three dimensional (3D) circulation, water quality, and ecology in Narragansett Bay, RI. Predictions of the Bay hydrodynamics included the behavior of the water surface elevation, currents, salinity, and temperatur...

Ecological assessment of nano-enabled supercapacitors for automotive applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weil, M.; Dura, H.; Shimon, B.; Baumann, M.; Zimmermann, B.; Ziemann, S.; Lei, C.; Markoulidis, F.; Lekakou, T.; Decker, M.

2012-09-01

New materials on nano scale have the potential to overcome existing technical barriers and are one of the most promising key technologies to enable the decoupling of economic growth and resource consumption. Developing these innovative materials for industrial applications means facing a complex quality profile, which includes among others technical, economic, and ecological aspects. So far the two latter aspects are not sufficiently included in technology development, especially from a life cycle point of view. Supercapacitors are considered a promising option for electric energy storage in hybrid and full electric cars. In comparison with presently used lithium based electro chemical storage systems supercapacitors possess a high specific power, but a relatively low specific energy. Therefore, the goal of ongoing research is to develop a new generation of supercapacitors with high specific power and high specific energy. To reach this goal particularly nano materials are developed and tested on cell level. In the presented study the ecological implications (regarding known environmental effects) of carbon based nano materials are analysed using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Major attention is paid to efficiency gains of nano particle production due to scaling up of such processes from laboratory to industrial production scales. Furthermore, a developed approach will be displayed, how to assess the environmental impact of nano materials on an automotive system level over the whole life cycle.

When environmentally persistent pathogens transform good habitat into ecological traps.

PubMed

Leach, Clinton B; Webb, Colleen T; Cross, Paul C

2016-03-01

Habitat quality plays an important role in the dynamics and stability of wildlife metapopulations. However, the benefits of high-quality habitat may be modulated by the presence of an environmentally persistent pathogen. In some cases, the presence of environmental pathogen reservoirs on high-quality habitat may lead to the creation of ecological traps, wherein host individuals preferentially colonize high-quality habitat, but are then exposed to increased infection risk and disease-induced mortality. We explored this possibility through the development of a stochastic patch occupancy model, where we varied the pathogen's virulence, transmission rate and environmental persistence as well as the distribution of habitat quality in the host metapopulation. This model suggests that for pathogens with intermediate levels of spread, high-quality habitat can serve as an ecological trap, and can be detrimental to host persistence relative to low-quality habitat. This inversion of the relative roles of high- and low-quality habitat highlights the importance of considering the interaction between spatial structure and pathogen transmission when managing wildlife populations exposed to an environmentally persistent pathogen.

When environmentally persistent pathogens transform good habitat into ecological traps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leach, Clint; Webb, Colleen T.; Cross, Paul C.

2016-01-01

Habitat quality plays an important role in the dynamics and stability of wildlife metapopulations. However, the benefits of high-quality habitat may be modulated by the presence of an environmentally persistent pathogen. In some cases, the presence of environmental pathogen reservoirs on high-quality habitat may lead to the creation of ecological traps, wherein host individuals preferentially colonize high-quality habitat, but are then exposed to increased infection risk and disease-induced mortality. We explored this possibility through the development of a stochastic patch occupancy model, where we varied the pathogen’s virulence, transmission rate and environmental persistence as well as the distribution of habitat quality in the host metapopulation. This model suggests that for pathogens with intermediate levels of spread, high-quality habitat can serve as an ecological trap, and can be detrimental to host persistence relative to low-quality habitat. This inversion of the relative roles of high- and low-quality habitat highlights the importance of considering the interaction between spatial structure and pathogen transmission when managing wildlife populations exposed to an environmentally persistent pathogen.

Causes of variations in water quality and aquatic ecology in rivers of the Upper Mississippi River Basin, Minnesota and Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stark, James R.

1996-01-01

Physical and aquatic biological conditions differ among the Mississippi River and its major tributaries (the St. Croix and Minnesota Rivers) in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The quality of surface water and the ecological condition of rivers affect the ways in which we use them. The St. Croix River is used for recreation; the Mississippi River is used for recreation and is a corridor for commerce; and the Minnesota River primarily drains agricultural lands. Analysis of the environmental framework of the basins and water-quality and ecological information by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program shows that the conditions of the rivers are a product of a combination of factors including climate, hydrology, geology, soils, land use, land cover, water management, and water use.

Prairie basin wetlands of the Dakotas: a community profile

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kantrud, H.A.; Krapu, G.L.; Swanson, G.A.

1989-01-01

This description of prairie basin wetlands of the Dakotas is part of a series of community profiles on ecologically important wetlands of national significance. The shallow wetlands of the Dakotas form the bulk of the portion of the Prairie Pothole Region lying within the United States. This region is famous as the producer of at least half of North America's waterfowl and an unknown, but large, proportion of other prairie-dwelling marsh and aquatic birds.The wetlands described here lie in relatively small, shallow basins that vary greatly in their ability to maintain surface water, and in their water chemistry, which varies from fresh to hypersaline. These wetlands occur in a wide variety of hydrological settings, in an area where annual and seasonal precipitation varies greatly in form and amount. Thus the presence of surface water in these wetlands is largely unpredictable. Superimposed on these phenomena are the effects of a variety of land uses, including pasture, cultivation, mechanical forage removal, idle conditions and burning. All those factors greatly affect the plant and animal communities found in these basins.This profile covers lacustrine and palustrine basins with temporarily flooded, seasonally flooded, and semipermanently flooded water regimes. Basins with these water regimes compose about 90% of the basins in the Prairie Pothole Region of the Dakotas. This profile outlines the wetland subsystems, classes and subclasses that occur in these basins, and provides a useful reference to their geologic, climatic, hydrologic, and pedologic setting.Detailed information on the biotic environment of the wetlands dealt with in this profile will be useful to scientists and resource managers. Special recognition is paid to the macrophyte and invertebrate communities, which have dynamic qualities found in few other of the world's wetland ecosystems.The most noteworthy animal inhabitants of these basins are waterfowl, which are a resource of international concern. Because of the importance of this resource, much research on the habitat use and feeding ecology of breeding waterfowl has been conducted in the region. These topics receive special attention in this profile.The Prairie Pothole Region is a major world supplier of cereal grains. Consequently, wetlands in the region are often drained for crop production or otherwise cropped when water conditions permit. These practices degrade the value of wetlands for most species of wildlife and conflict with the aims of conservationists. The subject of human uses and impacts to prairie wetlands is thus an important part of this profile.

The Quality of Home Environment in Brazil: An Ecological Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Oliveira, Ebenezer A.; Barros, Fernando C.; Anselmi, Luciana D. da Silva; Piccinini, Cesar A.

2006-01-01

Based on Bronfenbrenner's (1999) ecological perspective, a longitudinal, prospective model of individual differences in the quality of home environment (Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment--HOME) was tested in a sample of 179 Brazilian children and their families. Perinatal measures of family socioeconomic status (SES) and child…

WATER QUALITY VULNERABILITY IN THE OZARKS USING LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY METRICS: UPPER WHITE RIVER BROWSER (V2.0)

EPA Science Inventory

The principal focus of this project is the mapping and interpretation of landscape scale (i.e., broad scale) ecological metrics among contributing watersheds of the Upper White River, and the development of geospatial models of water quality vulnerability for several suspected no...

Assessment and prediction of land ecological environment quality change based on remote sensing-a case study of the Dongting lake area in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Wenmin; Wang, Zhongcheng; Li, Chunhua; Zhao, Jin; Li, Yi

2018-02-01

Multi-source remote sensing data is rarely used for the comprehensive assessment of land ecologic environment quality. In this study, a digital environmental model was proposed with the inversion algorithm of land and environmental factors based on the multi-source remote sensing data, and a comprehensive index (Ecoindex) was applied to reconstruct and predict the land environment quality of the Dongting Lake Area to assess the effect of human activities on the environment. The main finding was that with the decrease of Grade I and Grade II quality had a decreasing tendency in the lake area, mostly in suburbs and wetlands. Atmospheric water vapour, land use intensity, surface temperature, vegetation coverage, and soil water content were the main driving factors. The cause of degradation was the interference of multi-factor combinations, which led to positive and negative environmental agglomeration effects. Positive agglomeration, such as increased rainfall and vegetation coverage and reduced land use intensity, could increase environmental quality, while negative agglomeration resulted in the opposite. Therefore, reasonable ecological restoration measures should be beneficial to limit the negative effects and decreasing tendency, improve the land ecological environment quality and provide references for macroscopic planning by the government.

Profiles for High-Priority Species. Focus of the Army Threatened and Endangered Species Research Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-01

Barlow, J.C. 1980. Patterns of ecological interactions among migrant and resident vireos on the wintering grounds. Pages 79-107 in A. Keast and E.S...vascular plants of Illinois. Natural Land Institute, Rockford, Illinois. Thomas, D. P. 1994. A radiotelemetric assessment of the foraging ecology of...Slauson (1996, 1999) has completed a pollination ecology study of Palmer’s agave, finding that many pollinator species contribute to establishing seed

[Political ecology, ecological economics, and public health: interfaces for the sustainability of development and health promotion].

PubMed

Porto, Marcelo Firpo; Martinez-Alier, Joan

2007-01-01

This article proposes to focus contributions from political ecology and ecological economics to the field of collective health with a view towards integrating the discussions around health promotion, socio-environmental sustainability, and development. Ecological economics is a recent interdisciplinary field that combines economists and other professionals from the social, human, and life sciences. The field has developed new concepts and methodologies that seek to grasp the relationship between the economy and ecological and social processes such as social metabolism and metabolic profile, thereby interrelating economic, material, and energy flows and producing indicators and indexes for (un)sustainability. Meanwhile, political ecology approaches ecological issues and socio-environmental conflicts based on the economic and power dynamics characterizing modern societies. Collective health and the discussions on health promotion can expand our understanding of territory, communities, and the role of science and institutions based on the contributions of political ecology and ecological economics in analyzing development models and the distributive and socio-environmental conflicts generated by them.

Developmental Constraints in a Wild Primate

PubMed Central

Lea, Amanda J.; Altmann, Jeanne; Alberts, Susan C.; Tung, Jenny

2015-01-01

Early-life experiences can dramatically affect adult traits. However, the evolutionary origins of such early-life effects are debated. The predictive adaptive response hypothesis argues that adverse early environments prompt adaptive phenotypic adjustments that prepare animals for similar challenges in adulthood. In contrast, the developmental constraints hypothesis argues that early adversity is generally costly. To differentiate between these hypotheses, we studied two sets of wild female baboons: those born during low-rainfall, low-quality years and those born during normal-rainfall, high-quality years. For each female, we measured fertility-related fitness components during years in adulthood that matched and mismatched her early conditions. We found support for the developmental constraints hypothesis: females born in low-quality environments showed greater decreases in fertility during drought years than females born in high-quality environments, even though drought years matched the early conditions of females born in low-quality environments. Additionally, we found that females born in low-quality years to high-status mothers did not experience reduced fertility during drought years. These results indicate that early ecological adversity did not prepare individuals to cope with ecological challenges in later life. Instead, individuals that experienced at least one high-quality early environment—either ecological or social—were more resilient to ecological stress in later life. Together, these data suggest that early adversity carries lifelong costs, which is consistent with the developmental constraints hypothesis. PMID:25996865

77 FR 13238 - Partial Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Washington: Infrastructure...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-06

... from the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) to demonstrate that the SIP meets the...; Chapter 43.21 RCW Department of Ecology; Chapter 34.05 RCW Administrative Procedure Act; Chapter 42.30 RCW...) which requires Ecology to provide for or conduct surveillance program that: monitors the quality of the...

78 FR 4804 - Revision to the Washington State Implementation Plan; Tacoma-Pierce County Nonattainment Area

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-23

... Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) dated November 28, 2012... Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). Second, EPA is proposing to approve updated rules submitted by Ecology... emissions. II. Summary of SIP Revision Ecology's November 28, 2012 SIP revision contains two elements for...

78 FR 79652 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Washington: State Implementation Plan...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-31

... Department of Ecology (Ecology) dated November 20, 2013. This SIP revision updates ambient air quality... May 22, 1996. See 75 FR 35520 and 61 FR 25580. Lastly, Ecology requested EPA approval of the state..., particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide. Secondly, Ecology repealed Chapter 173-470 WAC that contained outdated...

An Ecological Perspective on Early Years Workforce Competences in Italian ECEC Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Migliorini, Laura; Rania, Nadia; Tassara, Tatiana

2016-01-01

Based on an ecological perspective on competence, this study analyzed the attitudes, skills, and knowledge of practitioners in educational services for 0-6-years-old children in Italy, examining competence profiles in the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) workforce. Our study considered three areas of competence, which previously have…

Links between Genetic Groups, Indole Alkaloid Profiles and Ecology within the Grass-Parasitic Claviceps purpurea Species Complex.

PubMed

Negård, Mariell; Uhlig, Silvio; Kauserud, Håvard; Andersen, Tom; Høiland, Klaus; Vrålstad, Trude

2015-04-28

The grass parasitic fungus Claviceps purpurea sensu lato produces sclerotia with toxic indole alkaloids. It constitutes several genetic groups with divergent habitat preferences that recently were delimited into separate proposed species. We aimed to 1) analyze genetic variation of C. purpurea sensu lato in Norway, 2) characterize the associated indole alkaloid profiles, and 3) explore relationships between genetics, alkaloid chemistry and ecology. Approximately 600 sclerotia from 14 different grass species were subjected to various analyses including DNA sequencing and HPLC-MS. Molecular results, supported by chemical and ecological data, revealed one new genetic group (G4) in addition to two of the three known; G1 (C. purpurea sensu stricto) and G2 (C. humidiphila). G3 (C. spartinae) was not found. G4, which was apparently con-specific with the recently described C. arundinis sp. nov, was predominantly found in very wet habitats on Molinia caerulea and infrequently in saline habitats on Leymus arenarius. Its indole-diterpene profile resembled G2, while its ergot alkaloid profile differed from G2 in high amounts of ergosedmam. In contrast to G1, indole-diterpenes were consistently present in G2 and G4. Our study supports and complements the newly proposed species delimitation of the C. purpurea complex, but challenges some species characteristics including host spectrum, habitat preferences and sclerotial floating ability.

Links between Genetic Groups, Indole Alkaloid Profiles and Ecology within the Grass-Parasitic Claviceps purpurea Species Complex

PubMed Central

Negård, Mariell; Uhlig, Silvio; Kauserud, Håvard; Andersen, Tom; Høiland, Klaus; Vrålstad, Trude

2015-01-01

The grass parasitic fungus Claviceps purpurea sensu lato produces sclerotia with toxic indole alkaloids. It constitutes several genetic groups with divergent habitat preferences that recently were delimited into separate proposed species. We aimed to 1) analyze genetic variation of C. purpurea sensu lato in Norway, 2) characterize the associated indole alkaloid profiles, and 3) explore relationships between genetics, alkaloid chemistry and ecology. Approximately 600 sclerotia from 14 different grass species were subjected to various analyses including DNA sequencing and HPLC-MS. Molecular results, supported by chemical and ecological data, revealed one new genetic group (G4) in addition to two of the three known; G1 (C. purpurea sensu stricto) and G2 (C. humidiphila). G3 (C. spartinae) was not found. G4, which was apparently con-specific with the recently described C. arundinis sp. nov, was predominantly found in very wet habitats on Molinia caerulea and infrequently in saline habitats on Leymus arenarius. Its indole-diterpene profile resembled G2, while its ergot alkaloid profile differed from G2 in high amounts of ergosedmam. In contrast to G1, indole-diterpenes were consistently present in G2 and G4. Our study supports and complements the newly proposed species delimitation of the C. purpurea complex, but challenges some species characteristics including host spectrum, habitat preferences and sclerotial floating ability. PMID:25928134

The potential use of fauna and bacteria as ecological indicators for the assessment of groundwater quality.

PubMed

Stein, Heide; Kellermann, Claudia; Schmidt, Susanne I; Brielmann, Heike; Steube, Christian; Berkhoff, Sven E; Fuchs, Andreas; Hahn, Hans Jürgen; Thulin, Barbara; Griebler, Christian

2010-01-01

The use of ecological criteria for the assessment of aquatic ecosystem status is routine for surface waters. So far no ecological parameters are considered for the assessment and monitoring of groundwater quality. It has been well known for decades that aquifers are ecosystems harbouring a vast diversity of invertebrates and microorganisms. The growing knowledge on groundwater microbial and faunal communities as well as the molecular and statistical tools available form a solid ground for the development of first ecologically sound assessment schemes. The sensitivity of groundwater communities towards impacts from land use and surface waters is exemplarily demonstrated by a data set of two geologically similar but hydrologically partially separated aquifer systems. Subgroups of the fauna in groundwater (stygobites vs. stygophiles and stygoxenes) successfully indicated elevated nitrate impacts linked to land use activities. Within the microbial communities, impacts from land use are mirrored by high bacterial biodiversity values atypical for pristine groundwater of comparable systems. The data show that there is legitimate hope for the application of ecological criteria for groundwater quality assessment in the future.

Case Studies: Profiles of Women Recovering from Drug Addiction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Suzanne M.

1995-01-01

Profiles two women over an eight-month study who abused alcohol and other drugs while pregnant and describes their recovery from the addiction. Examines, from an ecological framework, the women's experiences with drug addiction, treatment, and recovery, and recounts their situation through each. (JPS)

An Analysis of Diet Quality, How It Controls Fatty Acid Profiles, Isotope Signatures and Stoichiometry in the Malaria Mosquito Anopheles arabiensis

PubMed Central

Hood-Nowotny, Rebecca; Schwarzinger, Bettina; Schwarzinger, Clemens; Soliban, Sharon; Madakacherry, Odessa; Aigner, Martina; Watzka, Margarete; Gilles, Jeremie

2012-01-01

Background Knowing the underlying mechanisms of mosquito ecology will ensure effective vector management and contribute to the overall goal of malaria control. Mosquito populations show a high degree of population plasticity in response to environmental variability. However, the principle factors controlling population size and fecundity are for the most part unknown. Larval habitat and diet play a crucial role in subsequent mosquito fitness. Developing the most competitive insects for sterile insect technique programmes requires a “production” orientated perspective, to deduce the most effective larval diet formulation; the information gained from this process offers us some insight into the mechanisms and processes taking place in natural native mosquito habitats. Methodology/Principal Findings Fatty acid profiles and de-novo or direct assimilation pathways, of whole-individual mosquitoes reared on a range of larval diets were determined using pyrolysis gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry. We used elemental analysis and isotope ratio mass spectrometry to measure individual-whole-body carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous values and to assess the impact of dietary quality on subsequent population stoichiometry, size, quality and isotopic signature. Diet had the greatest impact on fatty acid (FA) profiles of the mosquitoes, which exhibited a high degree of dietary routing, characteristic of generalist feeders. De-novo synthesis of a number of important FAs was observed. Mosquito C:N stoichiometry was fixed in the teneral stage. Dietary N content had significant influence on mosquito size, and P was shown to be a flexible pool which limited overall population size. Conclusions/Significance Direct routing of FAs was evident but there was ubiquitous de-novo synthesis suggesting mosquito larvae are competent generalist feeders capable of survival on diet with varying characteristics. It was concluded that nitrogen availability in the larval diet controlled teneral mosquito size and that teneral CN ratio is a sex- and species-specific fixed parameter. This finding has significant implications for overall mosquito competitiveness and environmental management. PMID:23133509

Implementation agreement between the Washington State Department of Ecology and the Washington State Department of Transportation regarding the use of water quality modification general order

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-04-01

This implementation agreement was adopted by the Washington State Department of Ecology and the Washington State Department of Transportation. It requires that the agencies work together in dealing with short term modifications of water quality requi...

WATER QUALITY, MERCURY, AND HEAVY METAL DEPOSITION STUDIES IN BIOLOGICAL SPECIMENS AND SEDIMENTS FOR ECOLOGICAL BASELINE DATA IN THE ISLAND PARK WATERWAYS SYSTEM, 1973

EPA Science Inventory

The water quality, mercury, and heavy metal deposition in biological specimens from the Island Park waterways (17040202) were measured to establish ecological baseline data. Neutron activation analysis was used to identify quantitatively and qualitatively approximately 20 differ...

[Discussion on agricultural product quality and safety problem from ecological view].

PubMed

Xiao, Ming; Dong, Nan; Lyu, Xin

2015-08-01

There are many different perspectives about the sustainable agriculture, which had been proposed since the last three decades in the world. While China's ecologists and agronomists proposed a similar concept named 'ecological agriculture'. Although ecological agriculture in China has achieved substantial progress, including theory, models and supporting technologies nearly several decades of practice and development, its application guidance still is not yet clear. The organic agriculture model proposed by European Union is popular, but it is limited in the beneficiary groups and the social and ecological responsibility. In this context, the article based on an ecological point of view, analyzed the shortcomings of ecological imbalance caused by a single mode of agricultural production and the negative impact on the quality of agricultural products, and discussed the core values of ecological agriculture. On this basis, we put forward the concept of sustainable security of agricultural products. Based on this concept, an agricultural platform was established under the healthy ecosysphere environment, and from this agricultural platform, agricultural products could be safely and sustainably obtained. Around the central value of the concept, we designed the agricultural sustainable and security production model. Finally, we compared the responsibility, benefiting groups, agronomic practices selection and other aspects of sustainable agriculture with organic agriculture, and proved the advancement of sustainable agricultural model in agricultural production quality and safety.

Water Environment Assessment as an Ecological Red Line Management Tool for Marine Wetland Protection

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yinan; Chu, Chunli; Liu, Lei; Xu, Shengguo; Ruan, Xiaoxue; Ju, Meiting

2017-01-01

A ‘red line’ was established, identifying an area requiring for ecological protection in Tianjin, China. Within the protected area of the red line area, the Qilihai wetland is an important ecotope with complex ecological functions, although the ecosystem is seriously disturbed due to anthropogenic activities in the surrounding areas. This study assesses the water quality status of the Qilihai wetlands to identify the pollution sources and potential improvements based on the ecological red line policy, to improve and protect the waters of the Qilihai wetlands. An indicator system was established to assess water quality status using single factor evaluation and a comprehensive evaluation method, supported by data from 2010 to 2013. Assessment results show that not all indicators met the requirement of the Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water (GB3838-2002) and that overall, waters in the Qilihai wetland were seriously polluted. Based on these findings we propose restrictions on all polluting anthropogenic activities in the red line area and implementation of restoration projects to improve water quality. PMID:28767096

Water quality of Danube Delta systems: ecological status and prediction using machine-learning algorithms.

PubMed

Stoica, C; Camejo, J; Banciu, A; Nita-Lazar, M; Paun, I; Cristofor, S; Pacheco, O R; Guevara, M

2016-01-01

Environmental issues have a worldwide impact on water bodies, including the Danube Delta, the largest European wetland. The Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) implementation operates toward solving environmental issues from European and national level. As a consequence, the water quality and the biocenosis structure was altered, especially the composition of the macro invertebrate community which is closely related to habitat and substrate heterogeneity. This study aims to assess the ecological status of Southern Branch of the Danube Delta, Saint Gheorghe, using benthic fauna and a computational method as an alternative for monitoring the water quality in real time. The analysis of spatial and temporal variability of unicriterial and multicriterial indices were used to assess the current status of aquatic systems. In addition, chemical status was characterized. Coliform bacteria and several chemical parameters were used to feed machine-learning (ML) algorithms to simulate a real-time classification method. Overall, the assessment of the water bodies indicated a moderate ecological status based on the biological quality elements or a good ecological status based on chemical and ML algorithms criteria.

Influence of intermittent water releases on groundwater chemistry at the lower reaches of the Tarim River, China.

PubMed

Chen, Yong-jin; Chen, Ya-ning; Liu, Jia-zhen; Zhang, Er-xun

2009-11-01

Based on the data of the depths and the chemical properties of groundwater, salinity in the soil profile, and the basic information on each delivery of water collected from the years 2000 to 2006, the varied character of groundwater chemistry and related factors were studied. The results confirmed the three stages of the variations in groundwater chemistry influenced by the intermittent water deliveries. The factors that had close relations to the variations in groundwater chemistry were the distances of monitoring wells from the water channel, the depths of the groundwater, water flux in watercourse, and the salinities in soils. The relations between chemical variation and groundwater depths indicated that the water quality was the best with the groundwater varying from 5 to 6 m. In addition, the constructive species in the study area can survive well with the depth of groundwater varying from 5 to 6 m, so the rational depth of groundwater in the lower reaches of the Tarim River should be 5 m or so. The redistribution of salts in the soil profile and its relations to the chemical properties and depths of groundwater revealed the linear water delivery at present combining with surface water supply in proper sections would promote water quality optimized and speed up the pace of ecological restoration in the study area.

Analysis of the ecological water diversion project in Wenzhou City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Haibo; Fu, Lei; Lin, Tong

2018-02-01

As a developed city in China, Wenzhou City has been suffered from bad water quality for years. In order to improve the river network water quality, an ecological water diversion project was designed and executed by the regional government. In this study, an investigation and analysis of the regional ecological water diversion project is made for the purpose of examining the water quality improvements. A numerical model is also established, different water diversion flow rates and sewer interception levels are considered during the simulation. Simulation results reveal that higher flow rate and sewer interception level will greatly improve the river network water quality in Wenzhou City. The importance of the flow rate and interception level has been proved and future work will be focused on increasing the flow rate and upgrading the sewer interception level.

Gut Microbiota Markers in Obese Adolescent and Adult Patients: Age-Dependent Differential Patterns.

PubMed

Del Chierico, Federica; Abbatini, Francesca; Russo, Alessandra; Quagliariello, Andrea; Reddel, Sofia; Capoccia, Danila; Caccamo, Romina; Ginanni Corradini, Stefano; Nobili, Valerio; De Peppo, Francesco; Dallapiccola, Bruno; Leonetti, Frida; Silecchia, Gianfranco; Putignani, Lorenza

2018-01-01

Obesity levels, especially in children, have dramatically increased over the last few decades. Recently, several studies highlighted the involvement of gut microbiota in the pathophysiology of obesity. We investigated the composition of gut microbiota in obese adolescents and adults compared to age-matched normal weight (NW) volunteers in order to assemble age- and obesity-related microbiota profiles. The composition of gut microbiota was analyzed by 16S rRNA-based metagenomics. Ecological representations of microbial communities were computed, and univariate, multivariate, and correlation analyses performed on bacterial profiles. The prediction of metagenome functional content from 16S rRNA gene surveys was carried out. Ecological analyses revealed a dissimilarity among the subgroups, and resultant microbiota profiles differed between obese adolescents and adults. Using statistical analyses, we assigned, as microbial markers, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Actinomyces to the microbiota of obese adolescents, and Parabacteroides , Rikenellaceae, Bacteroides caccae , Barnesiellaceae, and Oscillospira to the microbiota of NW adolescents. The predicted metabolic profiles resulted different in adolescent groups. Particularly, biosynthesis of primary bile acid and steroid acids, metabolism of fructose, mannose, galactose, butanoate, and pentose phosphate and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis were for the majority associated to obese, while biosynthesis and metabolism of glycan, biosynthesis of secondary bile acid, metabolism of steroid hormone and lipoic acid were associated to NW adolescents. Our study revealed unique features of gut microbiota in terms of ecological patterns, microbial composition and metabolism in obese patients. The assignment of novel obesity bacterial markers may open avenues for the development of patient-tailored treatments dependent on age-related microbiota profiles.

USE OF SEDIMENT PROFILE IMAGERY TO ESTIMATE NEAR-BOTTOM DISSOLVED OXYGEN REGIMES

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. EPA, Atlantic Ecology Division is developing empirical stressor-response models for nitrogen pollution in partially enclosed coastal systems using dissolved oxygen (DO) as one of the system responses. We are testing a sediment profile image camera as a surrogate indicat...

Comprehensive risk assessment and source identification of selected heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, Hg, As) in tidal saltmarsh sediments of Shuangtai Estuary, China.

PubMed

Liu, Chang-Fa; Li, Bing; Wang, Yi-Ting; Liu, Yuan; Cai, Heng-Jiang; Wei, Hai-Feng; Wu, Jia-Wen; Li, Jin

2017-10-06

Heavy metals do not degrade and can remain in the environment for a long time. In this study, we analyzed the effects of Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, Hg, and As, on environmental quality, pollutant enrichment, ecological hazard, and source identification of elements in sediments using data collected from samples taken from Shuangtai tidal wetland. The comprehensive pollution indices were used to assess environmental quality; fuzzy similarity analysis and geoaccumulation index were used to analyze pollution accumulation; correlation matrix, principal component analysis, and clustering analysis were used to analyze pollution source; environmental risk index and ecological risk index were used to assess ecological risk. The results showed that the environmental quality was either clean or almost clean. Pollutant enrichment analysis showed that the four sub-regions had similar pollution-causing metals to the background values of the soil element of the Liao River Plain, which were ranked according to their similarity. Source identification showed that all the elements were correlated. Ecological hazard analysis showed that the environmental risk index in the study area was less than zero, posing a low ecological risk. Ecological risk of the six elements was as follows: As > Cd > Hg > Cu > Pb > Zn.

Vertical distribution of chlorophyll a concentration and phytoplankton community composition from in situ fluorescence profiles: a first database for the global ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauzède, R.; Lavigne, H.; Claustre, H.; Uitz, J.; Schmechtig, C.; D'Ortenzio, F.; Guinet, C.; Pesant, S.

2015-10-01

In vivo chlorophyll a fluorescence is a proxy of chlorophyll a concentration, and is one of the most frequently measured biogeochemical properties in the ocean. Thousands of profiles are available from historical databases and the integration of fluorescence sensors to autonomous platforms has led to a significant increase of chlorophyll fluorescence profile acquisition. To our knowledge, this important source of environmental data has not yet been included in global analyses. A total of 268 127 chlorophyll fluorescence profiles from several databases as well as published and unpublished individual sources were compiled. Following a robust quality control procedure detailed in the present paper, about 49 000 chlorophyll fluorescence profiles were converted into phytoplankton biomass (i.e., chlorophyll a concentration) and size-based community composition (i.e., microphytoplankton, nanophytoplankton and picophytoplankton), using a method specifically developed to harmonize fluorescence profiles from diverse sources. The data span over 5 decades from 1958 to 2015, including observations from all major oceanic basins and all seasons, and depths ranging from the surface to a median maximum sampling depth of around 700 m. Global maps of chlorophyll a concentration and phytoplankton community composition are presented here for the first time. Monthly climatologies were computed for three of Longhurst's ecological provinces in order to exemplify the potential use of the data product. Original data sets (raw fluorescence profiles) as well as calibrated profiles of phytoplankton biomass and community composition are available on open access at PANGAEA, Data Publisher for Earth and Environmental Science. Raw fluorescence profiles: http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.844212 and Phytoplankton biomass and community composition: http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.844485

Development of a zoning-based environmental-ecological-coupled model for lakes to assess lake restoration effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Mengjia; Zou, Changxin; Zhao, Yanwei

2017-04-01

Environmental/ecological models are widely used for lake management as they provide a means to understand physical, chemical and biological processes in highly complex ecosystems. Most research focused on the development of environmental (water quality) and ecological models, separately. Limited studies were developed to couple the two models, and in these limited coupled models, a lake was regarded as a whole for analysis (i.e., considering the lake to be one well-mixed box), which was appropriate for small-scale lakes and was not sufficient to capture spatial variations within middle-scale or large-scale lakes. This paper seeks to establish a zoning-based environmental-ecological-coupled model for a lake. The Baiyangdian Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Northern China, was adopted as the study case. The coupled lake models including a hydrodynamics and water quality model established by MIKE21 and a compartmental ecological model used STELLA software have been established for middle-sized Baiyangdian Lake to realize the simulation of spatial variations of ecological conditions. On the basis of the flow field distribution results generated by MIKE21 hydrodynamics model, four water area zones were used as an example for compartmental ecological model calibration and validation. The results revealed that the developed coupled lake models can reasonably reflected the changes of the key state variables although there remain some state variables that are not well represented by the model due to the low quality of field monitoring data. Monitoring sites in a compartment may not be representative of the water quality and ecological conditions in the entire compartment even though that is the intention of compartment-based model design. There was only one ecological observation from a single monitoring site for some periods. This single-measurement issue may cause large discrepancies particularly when sampled site is not representative of the whole compartment. The coupled models have been applied to simulate the spatial variation trends of ecological condition under ecological water supplement as an example to reflect the application effect in lake restoration and management. The simulation results indicate that the models can provide a useful tool for lake restoration and management. The simulated spatial variation trends can provide a foundation for establishing permissible ranges for a selected set of water quality indices for a series of management measures such as watershed pollution load control and ecological water transfer. Meanwhile, the coupled models can help us to understand processes taking place and the relations of interaction between components in the lake ecosystem and external conditions. Taken together, the proposed models we established show some promising applications as middle-scale or large-scale lake management tools for pollution load control and ecological water transfer. These tools quantify the implications of proposed future water management decisions.

Air Quality and Pollution. Environmental Studies. 4 Color Transparencies, Reproducibles & Teaching Guide. Grade 3, 4, 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ortleb, Edward P.; And Others

The world is faced with a variety of environmental problems. No country has escaped pollution and resource depletion. Basic ecological principles are often ignored and sometimes this contributes to ecological disasters. This volume is designed to provide basic information about the quality of the earth's atmosphere. The visual aids, worksheets,…

Kindergarten Readiness: Ecological Analysis of the Effects of SES, Parental Beliefs, and the Home Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poresky, Robert H.; Morris, Bette M.

The ecological perspective suggests that distal socioeconomic status (SES) actually affects young children via the more proximate influences of parental beliefs and the quality of their home environments. A diverse sample of 189 kindergarten children, their families, and their schools provided data on SES indices, parental beliefs, the quality of…

Water Quality and Pollution. Environmental Studies. 4 Color Transparencies, Reproducibles & Teaching Guide. Grade 3, 4, 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ortleb, Edward P.; And Others

The world is faced with a variety of environmental problems. No country has escaped pollution and resource depletion. Basic ecological principles are often ignored and sometimes this contributes to ecological disasters. This volume is designed to provide basic information about the quality of the earth's water resources. The visual aids,…

Predictors of Coparenting Relationship Quality in African American Single Mother Families: An Ecological Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sterrett, Emma; Jones, Deborah J.; Forehand, Rex; Garai, Emily

2010-01-01

Nonmarital coparents, or adults who assist mothers with childrearing, play a significant role in the lives of African American single mothers and their children. Yet relatively little research has examined correlates of the quality of the coparenting relationship in these families. Using a broad ecological framework, the current study examined…

Water-quality trends in the nation’s rivers and streams, 1972–2012—Data preparation, statistical methods, and trend results

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oelsner, Gretchen P.; Sprague, Lori A.; Murphy, Jennifer C.; Zuellig, Robert E.; Johnson, Henry M.; Ryberg, Karen R.; Falcone, James A.; Stets, Edward G.; Vecchia, Aldo V.; Riskin, Melissa L.; De Cicco, Laura A.; Mills, Taylor J.; Farmer, William H.

2017-04-04

Since passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, Federal, State, and local governments have invested billions of dollars to reduce pollution entering rivers and streams. To understand the return on these investments and to effectively manage and protect the Nation’s water resources in the future, we need to know how and why water quality has been changing over time. As part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Project, of the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water-Quality Program, data from the U.S. Geological Survey, along with multiple other Federal, State, Tribal, regional, and local agencies, have been used to support the most comprehensive assessment conducted to date of surface-water-quality trends in the United States. This report documents the methods used to determine trends in water quality and ecology because these methods are vital to ensuring the quality of the results. Specific objectives are to document (1) the data compilation and processing steps used to identify river and stream sites throughout the Nation suitable for water-quality, pesticide, and ecology trend analysis, (2) the statistical methods used to determine trends in target parameters, (3) considerations for water-quality, pesticide, and ecology data and streamflow data when modeling trends, (4) sensitivity analyses for selecting data and interpreting trend results with the Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season method, and (5) the final trend results at each site. The scope of this study includes trends in water-quality concentrations and loads (nutrient, sediment, major ion, salinity, and carbon), pesticide concentrations and loads, and metrics for aquatic ecology (fish, invertebrates, and algae) for four time periods: (1) 1972–2012, (2) 1982–2012, (3) 1992–2012, and (4) 2002–12. In total, nearly 12,000 trends in concentration, load, and ecology metrics were evaluated in this study; there were 11,893 combinations of sites, parameters, and trend periods. The final trend results are presented with examples of how to interpret the results from each trend model. Interpretation of the trend results, such as causal analysis, is not included.

High-throughput microsatellite genotyping in ecology: improved accuracy, efficiency, standardization and success with low-quantity and degraded DNA.

PubMed

De Barba, M; Miquel, C; Lobréaux, S; Quenette, P Y; Swenson, J E; Taberlet, P

2017-05-01

Microsatellite markers have played a major role in ecological, evolutionary and conservation research during the past 20 years. However, technical constrains related to the use of capillary electrophoresis and a recent technological revolution that has impacted other marker types have brought to question the continued use of microsatellites for certain applications. We present a study for improving microsatellite genotyping in ecology using high-throughput sequencing (HTS). This approach entails selection of short markers suitable for HTS, sequencing PCR-amplified microsatellites on an Illumina platform and bioinformatic treatment of the sequence data to obtain multilocus genotypes. It takes advantage of the fact that HTS gives direct access to microsatellite sequences, allowing unambiguous allele identification and enabling automation of the genotyping process through bioinformatics. In addition, the massive parallel sequencing abilities expand the information content of single experimental runs far beyond capillary electrophoresis. We illustrated the method by genotyping brown bear samples amplified with a multiplex PCR of 13 new microsatellite markers and a sex marker. HTS of microsatellites provided accurate individual identification and parentage assignment and resulted in a significant improvement of genotyping success (84%) of faecal degraded DNA and costs reduction compared to capillary electrophoresis. The HTS approach holds vast potential for improving success, accuracy, efficiency and standardization of microsatellite genotyping in ecological and conservation applications, especially those that rely on profiling of low-quantity/quality DNA and on the construction of genetic databases. We discuss and give perspectives for the implementation of the method in the light of the challenges encountered in wildlife studies. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evaluating the Economic and Social Benefits of Nutrient ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

New England’s coastal social-ecological systems are subject to chronic environmental problems, including water quality degradation. Researchers at EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) Atlantic Ecology Division (AED) are piloting an effort to further understand how reduced water quality due to nutrient enrichment is affecting and may affect the economic prosperity, social capacity, and ecological integrity of coastal New England communities. This research is part of task 4.61 of ORD’s Sustainable and Healthy Communities Research Program (Integrated Solutions for Sustainable Communities: Social-Ecological Systems for Resilience and Adaptive Management in Communities - A Cape Cod Case Study). Concurrent with this effort, AED researchers are participating in EPA’s three-office effort (Office of Research and Development, Office of Policy, and Office of Water) to quantify and monetize the benefits of water quality improvements across the Nation. AED’s effort is a case study of changes in recreation demand and values due to changes in nutrients in Northeastern estuaries and freshwater ponds. This work is part of task 3.04A of the Safe and Sustainable Waters Research Program (National Water Quality Benefits: Economic Case Studies of Water Quality Benefits). Because of the complementarity between the two projects, this Supporting Statement describes and requests hours for focus groups and interviews for both of these research efforts. Our initial

[Environmental quality assessment of regional agro-ecosystem in Loess Plateau].

PubMed

Wang, Limei; Meng, Fanping; Zheng, Jiyong; Wang, Zhonglin

2004-03-01

Based on the detection and analysis of the contamination status of agro-ecosystem with apple-crops intercropping as the dominant cropping model in Loess Plateau, the individual factor and comprehensive environmental quality were assessed by multilevel fuzzy synthetic evaluation model, analytical hierarchy process(AHP), and improved standard weight deciding method. The results showed that the quality of soil, water and agricultural products was grade I, the social economical environmental quality was grade II, the ecological environmental quality was grade III, and the comprehensive environmental quality was grade I. The regional agro-ecosystem dominated by apple-crops intercropping was not the best model for the ecological benefits, but had the better social economical benefits.

Sediment Profile Imagery as a Toll to Assist Benthic Assessment and Benthic Habitat Mapping

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. EPA Atlantic Ecology Division and the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP) collaborated in 2008 to explore the use of sediment profile imagery as a tool to assist environmental management, capturing multiple images at each of over 100 stations at a...

Announcement—guidance document for acquiring reliable data in ecological restoration projects

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stapanian, Martin A.; Rodriguez, Karen; Lewis, Timothy E.; Blume, Louis; Palmer, Craig J.; Walters, Lynn; Schofield, Judith; Amos, Molly M.; Bucher, Adam

2016-01-01

The Laurentian Great Lakes are undergoing intensive ecological restoration in Canada and the United States. In the United States, an interagency committee was formed to facilitate implementation of quality practices for federally funded restoration projects in the Great Lakes basin. The Committee's responsibilities include developing a guidance document that will provide a common approach to the application of quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) practices for restoration projects. The document will serve as a “how-to” guide for ensuring data quality during each aspect of ecological restoration projects. In addition, the document will provide suggestions on linking QA/QC data with the routine project data and hints on creating detailed supporting documentation. Finally, the document will advocate integrating all components of the project, including QA/QC applications, into an overarching decision-support framework. The guidance document is expected to be released by the U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office in 2017.

FerryMon: An Unattended Ferry-Based Observatory to Assess Human and Climatically- Induced Ecological Change in the Neuse River-Pamlico Sound System, North Carolina, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guajardo, R.; Paerl, H. W.; Hall, N.; Whipple, A.; Luettich, R.

2007-12-01

In North Carolina's Neuse River Estuary (NRE)-Pamlico Sound (PS) System, nitrogen (N)-driven eutrophication, water quality and habitat decline have prompted the State and US EPA to mandate watershed-based N load reductions, including a total maximum daily allowable N load (TMDL). Chlorophyll a (chl-a), the indicator of algal biomass, is the measure for the efficacy of N reductions, with "acceptable" values being <40 μg chl- a L-1. However, algal blooms are patchy in time and space, making exceedances of 40 μ g L-1 difficult to track. The North Carolina ferry-based water quality monitoring program, FerryMon (www.ferrymon.org) addresses this and other environmental monitoring needs in the NRE-PS. FerryMon uses NC DOT ferries to provide continuous, space-time intensive, accurate measurements of chl-a and other key water quality criteria, using sensors placed in a flow-through system and discrete sampling of nutrients, organics, diagnostic photopigment and molecular indicators of major algal groups in a near real-time manner. Complementing FerryMon are automated vertical profilers (AVPs), which produce chl-a and other water quality indicator depth profiles with very high time and vertical resolution. In-line spectral fluorometers (Algae Online Analyzers (AOAs)) will be installed starting in late 2007, providing rapid early warning detection and quantification of algal blooms. FerryMon permits spatial characterization of trends in water quality conditions over a range of relevant physical, chemical and biological time scales. This enhanced capability is timely, given a protracted period of increased tropical storm and hurricane activity that, in combination with anthropogenic nutrient enrichment, affects water quality in unpredictable, yet significant ways. FerryMon also serves as a data source for calibrating and verifying remotely sensed indicators of water quality (photopigments, turbidity), nutrient-productivity and hydrologic modeling. Data management and communication links allow FerryMon to integrate with complementary watershed, estuarine and coastal observational programs . FerryMon's technology is readily transferable to other estuarine, large lake and coastal ecosystems served by ferries and other "ships of opportunity".

The European water framework directive: water quality classification and implications to engineering planning.

PubMed

Achleitner, Stefan; De Toffol, Sara; Engelhard, Carolina; Rauch, Wolfgang

2005-04-01

The European Water framework directive (WFD) is probably the most important environmental management directive that has been enacted over the last decade in the European Union. The directive aims at achieving an overall good ecological status in all European water bodies. In this article, we discuss the implementation steps of the WFD and their implications for environmental engineering practice while focusing on rivers as the main receiving waters. Arising challenges for engineers and scientists are seen in the quantitative assessment of water quality, where standardized systems are needed to estimate the biological status. This is equally of concern in engineering planning, where the prediction of ecological impacts is required. Studies dealing with both classification and prediction of the ecological water quality are reviewed. Further, the combined emission-water quality approach is discussed. Common understanding of this combined approach is to apply the most stringent of either water quality or emission standard to a certain case. In contrast, for example, the Austrian water act enables the application of only the water quality based approach--at least on a temporary basis.

Ecology of red maple swamps in the glaciated northeast: A community profile

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Golet, F.C.; Calhoun, A.J.K.; DeRagon, W.R.

1993-06-01

The report is part of a series of profiles on the ecology of wetland and deepwater habitats. This particular profile addresses red maple swamps in the glaciated northeastern United States. Red maple (Acer rubrum) swamp is a dominant wetland type in most of the region; it reaches the greatest abundance in southern New England and northern New Jersey; where it comprises 60-80% of all inland wetlands. Red maple swamps occur in a wide variety of hydrogeologic settings, from small, isolated basins in till or glaciofluvial deposits to extensive wetland complexes on glacial lake beds, and from hillside seeps to streammore » floodplains and lake edges. Individual swamps may be seasonally flooded, temporarily flooded, or seasonally saturated, and soils may be mineral or organic. As many as five distinct vegetation layers may occur in these swamps, including trees, saplings, shrubs, herbs, and ground cover plants such as bryophytes and clubmosses.« less

Ecological health monitoring of the Mekong River by using benthic algae in 2003-2004

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kunpradid, T.

2005-05-01

The monitoring of ecological health of the Mekong River by using benthic algae was carried out from 2003 - 2004. Thirty sampling sites along the Mekong River and its tributaries were selected in Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Veitnam. In this investigation, the distribution of some species of benthic algae in different environments revealed that there was a significant relationship in the presence of them to the water quality, and these species could be used as a potential biomonitor of water quality in the Mekong River. One hundred and eighty six species of benthic diatoms and 46 species of macroalgae were found. Some dominant species of benthic algae could be used as biomonitors to assess water quality. Hydrodictyon recticulatum and Microspora floccosa and indicated clean-moderate water quality; Audouinella cylindrica, Cladophora glomerata, Achnanthes inflate and Cymbella turgidula indicated moderate water quality; Stigeoclonium flagelliforum, Aulacoseira granulata and Cymbella tumida indicated moderate-polluted water quality and Caloglossa leprieurii, Gomphonema parvulum and Nitzschia clausii indicated polluted water quality. The ecological health assessment of the Mekong River by using the species of benthic algae as biomonitors reveled that in the upstream and tributaries revealed moderate water quality. In contrast, some sites in the lower Mekong showed moderate-polluted to polluted water quality.

Functions and ecological status of eight Italian lagoons examined using biological traits analysis (BTA).

PubMed

Marchini, Agnese; Munari, Cristina; Mistri, Michele

2008-06-01

The soft-bottom communities of eight Italian lagoons were analyzed for eight biological traits (feeding, mobility, adult life habitat, body size, life span, reproductive technique, type of larva and reproductive frequency) in order to identify the dominant traits in different transitional environments. We considered the ecological quality status (EcoQS) of the stations, assessed by two biotic indices, AMBI and Bentix. Stations were categorized into EcoQS classes to investigate the relationship between biological functions and ecological quality. The results indicate that the variability of the data was governed by traits linked to resource utilization rather than to life cycle. Lagoons affected by chronic disturbance displayed a poor functional composition, which usually corresponded to poor EcoQS in some cases, correlations between ecological groups and traits modalities were ecologically relevant; however, classes of EcoQS were found to be relatively independent from the functional structure of the considered stations.

Parental Characteristics, Family Ecology, and the Caregiving Environment of Adolescents with Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradley, Robert H.; And Others

This study examined relationships between the caregiving environment, severity of disability, and several aspects of family ecology for 102 adolescents with disabilities. Family ecology variables included poverty status, parental intelligence, social support, and marital quality. The disability categories were mental retardation; orthopedic…

HUMAN AND ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT: ASSOCIATIONS AMONG HUMAN HEALTH, ECOLOGICAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

EPA Science Inventory

While all life is affected by the quality of the environment, environmental risk factors for human and wildlife health are typically assessed using independent processes that are dissimilar in scale and scope. However, the integrated analysis of human, ecological, and environmen...

HUMAN AND ECOLOGICAL RISK: CORRELATIONS AMONG HUMAN HEALTH, ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING DATA

EPA Science Inventory

While all life is affected by the quality of the environment, environmental risk factors for human and wildlife health are typically assessed using independent processes that are dissimilar in scale and scope. However, the integrated analysis of human, ecological, and environmen...

HUMAN AND ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT: ASSOCIATIONS AMONG HUMAN HEALTH, ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING DATA

EPA Science Inventory

While all life is affected by the quality of the environment, environmental risk factors for human and wildlife health are typically assessed using independent processes that are dissimilar in scale and scope. However, the integrated analysis of human, ecological, and environmen...

HUMAN AND ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT: ASSOCIATIONS AMONH HUMAN HEALTH, ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING DATA

EPA Science Inventory

While all life is affected by the quality of the environment, environmental risk factors for human and wildlife health are typically assessed using independent processes that are dissimilar in scale and scope. However, the integrated analysis of human, ecological, and environmen...

Changing sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans in sediments and ecological risk for nekton in the lower Passaic River and Newark Bay, New Jersey, USA.

PubMed

Khairy, Mohammed; Barrett, Kirk; Lohmann, Rainer

2016-03-01

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) were measured in sediments (surface and deeper sediments) and porewater of the lower Passaic River and Newark Bay (New Jersey, USA) to apportion their sources and conduct an ecological risk assessment. Positive matrix factorization was applied to identify sources of PCDD/Fs. Five source profiles were extracted from the positive matrix factorization model applied to the sediment samples including chloranil, combustion, polychlorinated biphenyl impurities, mixed urban sources, and the historical contamination from the former Diamond Alkali plant. The ecological risk assessment was estimated using several lines of evidence depending on site-specific data (blue crab and fish samples representing different feeding habits and positions in the trophic wood web of the river). Porewater concentrations gave the best estimates of lipid concentrations especially in the blue crab samples (with an average factor difference of 3.8). Calculated hazard quotients (HQs) for the fish samples and blue crab were >1 based on the no-effect concentration and tissue screening concentration approaches. At the same time, calculated porewater toxic units were >1. Sediment concentrations exceeded the published sediment quality guidelines for the protection of fish and benthic species, indicating the existence of significant risk to the aquatic life in the Passaic River. Accordingly, further actions and control measures are needed to reduce the emission of PCDD/Fs from ongoing sources. © 2015 SETAC.

Average niche breadths of species in lake macrophyte communities respond to ecological gradients variably in four regions on two continents.

PubMed

Alahuhta, Janne; Virtala, Antti; Hjort, Jan; Ecke, Frauke; Johnson, Lucinda B; Sass, Laura; Heino, Jani

2017-05-01

Different species' niche breadths in relation to ecological gradients are infrequently examined within the same study and, moreover, species niche breadths have rarely been averaged to account for variation in entire ecological communities. We investigated how average environmental niche breadths (climate, water quality and climate-water quality niches) in aquatic macrophyte communities are related to ecological gradients (latitude, longitude, altitude, species richness and lake area) among four distinct regions (Finland, Sweden and US states of Minnesota and Wisconsin) on two continents. We found that correlations between the three different measures of average niche breadths and ecological gradients varied considerably among the study regions, with average climate and average water quality niche breadth models often showing opposite trends. However, consistent patterns were also found, such as widening of average climate niche breadths and narrowing of average water quality niche breadths of aquatic macrophytes along increasing latitudinal and altitudinal gradients. This result suggests that macrophyte species are generalists in relation to temperature variations at higher latitudes and altitudes, whereas species in southern, lowland lakes are more specialised. In contrast, aquatic macrophytes growing in more southern nutrient-rich lakes were generalists in relation to water quality, while specialist species are adapted to low-productivity conditions and are found in highland lakes. Our results emphasise that species niche breadths should not be studied using only coarse-scale data of species distributions and corresponding environmental conditions, but that investigations on different kinds of niche breadths (e.g., climate vs. local niches) also require finer resolution data at broad spatial extents.

Adequate data of known accuracy are critical to advancing the field of landscape ecology

Treesearch

Louis R. Iverson

2007-01-01

The science of landscape ecology is especially dependent on high-quality data because often it focuses on broad-scale patterns and processes and deals in the long term. Likewise, high quality data are necessary as the basis for building policy. When issues, such as climate change, can induce international political and economic consequences, it becomes clear that...

Synthesis Gas Demonstration Plant, Baskett, Kentucky: environmental report. [Contains chapter 4 and appendix 4A

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

This volume contains chapter 4 and Appendix 4A which include descriptions of use of adjacent land and water (within miles of the proposed site), baseline ecology, air quality, meteorology, noise, hydrology, water quality, geology, soils and socio-economic factors. Appendix 4A includes detailed ecological surveys made in the area including the methods used. (LTN)

Elder Abuse by Adult Children: An Applied Ecological Framework for Understanding Contextual Risk Factors and the Intergenerational Character of Quality of Life.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schiamberg, Lawrence B.; Gans, Daphna

2000-01-01

Using an applied ecological model, this study focuses on contextual risk factors of elder abuse. Five levels of environment were used to interpret existing research on risk factors. Configuration of risk factors provides a framework for understanding the intergenerational character of quality of life for older adults, developing recommendations…

Virginia Star Quality Initiative: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Virginia's Star Quality Initiative prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators…

Illinois Quality Counts: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Illinois' Quality Counts prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for Family…

Mississippi Quality Step System: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS)Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Mississippi's Quality Step System prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Application…

Energy Profiles of an Agricultural Frontier: The American Great Plains, 1860-2000.

PubMed

Cunfer, Geoff; Watson, Andrew; MacFadyen, Joshua

2018-04-01

Agro-ecosystem energy profiles reveal energy flows into, within, and out of U.S. Great Plains farm communities across 140 years. This study evaluates external energy inputs such as human labor, machinery, fuel, and fertilizers. It tracks the energy content of land produce, including crops, grazed pasture, and firewood, and also accounts unharvested energy that remains available for wildlife. It estimates energy redirected through livestock feed into draft power, meat, and milk, and estimates the energy content of final produce available for local consumption or market sale. The article presents energy profiles for three case studies in Kansas in 1880, 1930, 1954, and 1997. Two energy transformations occurred during that time. The first, agricultural colonization , saw farm communities remake the landscape, turning native grassland into a mosaic of cropland and pasture, a process that reduced overall landscape energy productivity. A second energy transition occurred in the mid-twentieth century, characterized by fossil fuel energy imports. That outside energy raised harvested and unharvested energy flows, reused biomass energy, and also final produce. This socio-ecological transition increased landscape energy productivity by 33 to 45 percent above pre-settlement conditions in grain-growing regions. These energy developments were not uniform across the plains. Variations in rainfall and soil quality constrained or favored energy productivity in different places. The case studies reveal the spatial variation of energy profiles in Great Plains agro-ecosystems, while the longitudinal approach tracks temporal change.

78 FR 14951 - State of Washington; Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program Revision

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-08

... of Ecology to the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council to issue UIC permits at energy facilities... telephone number for the Library is (206) 553-1289. (2) Washington Department of Ecology, Water Quality... the Environmental Protection Agency, and MOUs between the Department of Ecology and the Department of...

Investigating Profiles of Lexical Quality in Preschool and Their Contribution to First Grade Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Kimberly A.; Farquharson, Kelly

2016-01-01

This longitudinal study investigated profiles of lexical quality domains in preschool children and the extent to which profile membership predicted reading comprehension in first grade. A latent profile analysis was conducted to classify 420 preschool children on lexical quality domains, including orthography, phonology, morphosyntax, and…

Microbial Ecology of Thailand Tsunami and Non-Tsunami Affected Terrestrials

PubMed Central

Somboonna, Naraporn; Wilantho, Alisa; Jankaew, Kruawun; Assawamakin, Anunchai; Sangsrakru, Duangjai; Tangphatsornruang, Sithichoke; Tongsima, Sissades

2014-01-01

The effects of tsunamis on microbial ecologies have been ill-defined, especially in Phang Nga province, Thailand. This ecosystem was catastrophically impacted by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami as well as the 600 year-old tsunami in Phra Thong island, Phang Nga province. No study has been conducted to elucidate their effects on microbial ecology. This study represents the first to elucidate their effects on microbial ecology. We utilized metagenomics with 16S and 18S rDNA-barcoded pyrosequencing to obtain prokaryotic and eukaryotic profiles for this terrestrial site, tsunami affected (S1), as well as a parallel unaffected terrestrial site, non-tsunami affected (S2). S1 demonstrated unique microbial community patterns than S2. The dendrogram constructed using the prokaryotic profiles supported the unique S1 microbial communities. S1 contained more proportions of archaea and bacteria domains, specifically species belonging to Bacteroidetes became more frequent, in replacing of the other typical floras like Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Basidiomycota. Pathogenic microbes, including Acinetobacter haemolyticus, Flavobacterium spp. and Photobacterium spp., were also found frequently in S1. Furthermore, different metabolic potentials highlighted this microbial community change could impact the functional ecology of the site. Moreover, the habitat prediction based on percent of species indicators for marine, brackish, freshwater and terrestrial niches pointed the S1 to largely comprise marine habitat indicating-species. PMID:24710002

Microbial ecology of Thailand tsunami and non-tsunami affected terrestrials.

PubMed

Somboonna, Naraporn; Wilantho, Alisa; Jankaew, Kruawun; Assawamakin, Anunchai; Sangsrakru, Duangjai; Tangphatsornruang, Sithichoke; Tongsima, Sissades

2014-01-01

The effects of tsunamis on microbial ecologies have been ill-defined, especially in Phang Nga province, Thailand. This ecosystem was catastrophically impacted by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami as well as the 600 year-old tsunami in Phra Thong island, Phang Nga province. No study has been conducted to elucidate their effects on microbial ecology. This study represents the first to elucidate their effects on microbial ecology. We utilized metagenomics with 16S and 18S rDNA-barcoded pyrosequencing to obtain prokaryotic and eukaryotic profiles for this terrestrial site, tsunami affected (S1), as well as a parallel unaffected terrestrial site, non-tsunami affected (S2). S1 demonstrated unique microbial community patterns than S2. The dendrogram constructed using the prokaryotic profiles supported the unique S1 microbial communities. S1 contained more proportions of archaea and bacteria domains, specifically species belonging to Bacteroidetes became more frequent, in replacing of the other typical floras like Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Basidiomycota. Pathogenic microbes, including Acinetobacter haemolyticus, Flavobacterium spp. and Photobacterium spp., were also found frequently in S1. Furthermore, different metabolic potentials highlighted this microbial community change could impact the functional ecology of the site. Moreover, the habitat prediction based on percent of species indicators for marine, brackish, freshwater and terrestrial niches pointed the S1 to largely comprise marine habitat indicating-species.

Ecology of bottomland hardwood swamps of the southeast: a community profile

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wharton, C.H.; Kitchens, W.M.; Pendleton, E.C.

1982-03-01

This report synthesizes extant literature detailing the ecology of bottomland hardwood swamps in the Southeast. The geographic scope focuses the report to the hardwoods occupying the floodplains of the rivers whose drainages originate in the Appalachian Mountains/Piedmont and Coastal Plain (NC, SC, GA, and FL). The origin and dynamics of the floodplains are described and related to hydrology and physiographic provinces. Further, the biogeochemistry and interactions between the riverine and floodplain environments are discussed in conjunction with floodplain biology. Plant and animal community structure and ecological processes (productivity) are detailed and organized by ecological zones. The final chapter discusses themore » ecological value of the floodplain ecosystems and the nature of their relationships to adjacent uplands, downstream coastal estuaries and the atmosphere.« less

Mexican-Origin Parents' Latent Occupational Profiles: Associations with Parent-Youth Relationships and Youth Aspirations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wheeler, Lorey A.; Updegraff, Kimberly A.; Umaña-Taylor, Adriana; Tein, Jenn-Yun

2014-01-01

This study used an ecological, person-centered approach to identify subgroups of families who had similar profiles across multiple dimensions of Mexican-origin mothers' and fathers' occupational characteristics (i.e., self-direction, hazardous conditions, physical activity) and to relate these subgroups to families' sociocultural…

Palm Beach Quality Counts: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Palm Beach's Quality Counts prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for…

Tennessee Star-Quality Child Care Program: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Tennessee's Star-Quality Child Care Program prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4)…

Maine Quality for ME: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Maine's Quality for ME prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for Family…

Missouri Quality Rating System: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Missouri's Quality Rating System prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for…

Ohio Step Up to Quality: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Ohio's Step Up to Quality prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for Family…

Miami-Dade Quality Counts: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Miami-Dade's Quality Counts prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for…

Indiana Paths to Quality: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Indiana's Paths to Quality prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for…

Oregon Child Care Quality Indicators Program: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Oregon's Child Care Quality Indicators Program prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4)…

New Hampshire Quality Rating System: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of New Hampshire's Quality Rating System prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4)…

Applications Research of Microbial Ecological Preparation in Sea Cucumber Culture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Jiahui; Wang, Guangyu

2017-12-01

At present, micro ecological preparation is widely applied in aquaculture with good effect. The application of micro ecological preparation in sea cucumber culture can effectively improve the economic benefits. The micro ecological preparation can play the role of inhibiting harmful bacteria, purifying water quality and saving culture cost in the process of sea cucumber culture. We should select appropriate bacteria, guarantee stable environment and use with long-term in the applications of microbial ecological preparation in sea cucumber culture to obtain good effects.

[Contamination and ecological risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water and in Karst underground river catchment].

PubMed

Lan, Jia-Cheng; Sun, Yu-Chuan; Tian, Ping; Lu, Bing-Qing; Shi, Yang; Xu, Xin; Liang Zuo-Bing; Yang, Ping-Heng

2014-10-01

Water samples in Laolongdong underground river catchment were collected to determine the concentration, compositional profiles, and evaluate ecological risk of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs were measured by GC/MS. The total concentrations of 16 PAH ranged from 81.5-8019 ng · L(-1) in underground river, 288.7-15,200 ng · L(-1) in karst springs, and 128.4-2,442 ng · L(-1) in surface water. Affected by waste water from Huangjueya town, concentrations of PAHs in underground river were higher than those in surface water and waste water from sinkhole. The PAHs profiles were dominated by 3 ring PAHs. There were differences of monthly variations of PAHs contents in the water, due to waste water, season and different characteristics of PAH. Surface water and waste water from sinkhole played an important role on contamination in the river. The levels of ecological risk were generally moderately polluted and heavily polluted according to all detected PAH compounds in the water.

Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Pacific Northwest), Pacific Oyster

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-09-01

Requirements of Coastal Fishes o and Invertebrates (Pacific Northwest) LEICT o PACIFIC OYSTER E2I 8 Coastal Ecology Group Fish and Wildlife Service Waterways...Profiles-: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Pacific N rthwest) PACIFIC OYSTER by Gilbert B. Pauley...Fish and Wildlife Service. 1983-19. Species profiles: life histories and environmental requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates . U.S. Fish

Ecological Indication, Bioaccumulation, and Phytoremediation as Tools for Environmental Quality Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-12-01

ECOLOGICAL INDICATION, BIOACCUMULATION, AND PHYTOREMEDIATION AS TOOLS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT ELLY P. H. BEST1, HENRY E. TATEM1...subsequent transport to shoots, and degradation, or prevent contaminants from leaving the site in whatever form, such as leachate , runoff, trophic...transfer ( phytoremediation ). We use risk assessment to evaluate the toxicity and need for cleanup. Cleanup costs are expected to greatly exceed the cost

Objective classification of ecological status in marine water bodies using ecotoxicological information and multivariate analysis.

PubMed

Beiras, Ricardo; Durán, Iria

2014-12-01

Some relevant shortcomings have been identified in the current approach for the classification of ecological status in marine water bodies, leading to delays in the fulfillment of the Water Framework Directive objectives. Natural variability makes difficult to settle fixed reference values and boundary values for the Ecological Quality Ratios (EQR) for the biological quality elements. Biological responses to environmental degradation are frequently of nonmonotonic nature, hampering the EQR approach. Community structure traits respond only once ecological damage has already been done and do not provide early warning signals. An alternative methodology for the classification of ecological status integrating chemical measurements, ecotoxicological bioassays and community structure traits (species richness and diversity), and using multivariate analyses (multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis), is proposed. This approach does not depend on the arbitrary definition of fixed reference values and EQR boundary values, and it is suitable to integrate nonlinear, sensitive signals of ecological degradation. As a disadvantage, this approach demands the inclusion of sampling sites representing the full range of ecological status in each monitoring campaign. National or international agencies in charge of coastal pollution monitoring have comprehensive data sets available to overcome this limitation.

Analysis of the influence of reservoirs utilization to water quality profiles in Indonesia (Saguling - Jatiluhur) and Malaysia (Temengor - Chenderoh) with special references to cascade reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subehi, Luki; Norasikin Ismail, Siti; Ridwansyah, Iwan; Hamid, Muzzalifah Abd; Mansor, Mashhor

2018-02-01

Tropical reservoir is the one ecosystem which is functioning in both ecological and economical services. As the settling of water volume, it harbors many species of fish. The objective of this study is to analyze the utilization and management of reservoirs related to their water quality conditions, represent by tropical reservoirs from Indonesia and Malaysia. Survey at Jatiluhur and Saguling (Indonesia) was conducted in March 2014 and September 2015, respectively while in Temengor and Chenderoh (Malaysia), the survey was done in January 2014 and April 2017, respectively. Based on elevation, Saguling and Temengor are upstream reservoirs. On the contrary, Jatiluhur and Chenderoh are downstream reservoirs. The results of the surveys in Jatiluhur and Saguling reservoirs showed that the average depths are 32.9m and 17.9m, respectively. On the other hand, Temengor and Chenderoh reservoirs are 100m and 16.2m, respectively. All of them play multi-functional roles including as a source of power plant, fisheries and tourism, as well as water sources for irrigation. In addition, Saguling and Temengor reservoirs are relatively dendritic in shape. In Indonesia, there are three consecutive reservoirs along Citarum River, whereas in Malaysia there are four consecutive reservoirs along Perak River. The results showed the potential impact of fish cages as pollutant, especially at Indonesian reservoirs. In addition, these tropical reservoirs have become famous tourism getaway. The capabilities of economic values of these reservoirs and ecosystem should be balanced. Basic ecological information is necessary for the next study.

A catchment scale evaluation of multiple stressor effects in headwater streams.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Jes J; McKnight, Ursula S; Loinaz, Maria C; Thomsen, Nanna I; Olsson, Mikael E; Bjerg, Poul L; Binning, Philip J; Kronvang, Brian

2013-01-01

Mitigation activities to improve water quality and quantity in streams as well as stream management and restoration efforts are conducted in the European Union aiming to improve the chemical, physical and ecological status of streams. Headwater streams are often characterised by impairment of hydromorphological, chemical, and ecological conditions due to multiple anthropogenic impacts. However, they are generally disregarded as water bodies for mitigation activities in the European Water Framework Directive despite their importance for supporting a higher ecological quality in higher order streams. We studied 11 headwater streams in the Hove catchment in the Copenhagen region. All sites had substantial physical habitat and water quality impairments due to anthropogenic influence (intensive agriculture, urban settlements, contaminated sites and low base-flow due to water abstraction activities in the catchment). We aimed to identify the dominating anthropogenic stressors at the catchment scale causing ecological impairment of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and provide a rank-order of importance that could help in prioritising mitigation activities. We identified numerous chemical and hydromorphological impacts of which several were probably causing major ecological impairments, but we were unable to provide a robust rank-ordering of importance suggesting that targeted mitigation efforts on single anthropogenic stressors in the catchment are unlikely to have substantial effects on the ecological quality in these streams. The SPEcies At Risk (SPEAR) index explained most of the variability in the macroinvertebrate community structure, and notably, SPEAR index scores were often very low (<10% SPEAR abundance). An extensive re-sampling of a subset of the streams provided evidence that especially insecticides were probably essential contributors to the overall ecological impairment of these streams. Our results suggest that headwater streams should be considered in future management and mitigation plans. Catchment-based management is necessary because several anthropogenic stressors exceeded problematic thresholds, suggesting that more holistic approaches should be preferred. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Iowa Child Care Quality Rating System: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Iowa's Child Care Quality Rating System prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile is divided into the following categories: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for Family Child Care Programs;…

Louisiana Quality Start Child Care Rating System: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Louisiana's Quality Start Child Care Rating System prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs;…

Research on Land Ecological Condition Investigation and Monitoring Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Chunyan; Guo, Xudong; Chen, Yuqi

2017-04-01

The ecological status of land reflects the relationship between land use and environmental factors. At present, land ecological situation in China is worrying. According to the second national land survey data, there are about 149 million acres of arable land located in forests and grasslands area in Northeast and Northwest of China, Within the limits of the highest flood level, at steep slope above 25 degrees; about 50 million acres of arable land has been in heavy pollution; grassland degradation is still serious. Protected natural forests accounted for only 6% of the land area, and forest quality is low. Overall, the ecological problem has been eased, but the local ecological destruction intensified, natural ecosystem in degradation. It is urgent to find out the situation of land ecology in the whole country and key regions as soon as possible. The government attaches great importance to ecological environment investigation and monitoring. Various industries and departments from different angles carry out related work, most of it about a single ecological problem, the lack of a comprehensive surveying and assessment of land ecological status of the region. This paper established the monitoring index system of land ecological condition, including Land use type area and distribution, quality of cultivated land, vegetation status and ecological service, arable land potential and risk, a total of 21 indicators. Based on the second national land use survey data, annual land use change data and high resolution remote sensing data, using the methods of sample monitoring, field investigation and statistical analysis to obtain the information of each index, this paper established the land ecological condition investigation and monitoring technology and method system. It has been improved, through the application to Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Urban Agglomeration, the northern agro-pastoral ecological fragile zone, and 6 counties (cities).

77 FR 71842 - Exemption of Material for Proposed Disposal Procedures at the US Ecology Idaho Resource...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-04

... Proposed Disposal Procedures at the US Ecology Idaho Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Subtitle C... water solidified with clay containing low-activity radioactive material, at the US Ecology Idaho (USEI... concluded that the proposed action will not significantly impact the quality of the human environment and...

Juvenile Delinquency and Teenage Pregnancy: A Comparison of Ecological Risk Profiles among Midwestern White and Black Female Juvenile Offenders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khurana, Atika; Cooksey, Elizabeth C.; Gavazzi, Stephen M.

2011-01-01

The authors examined ecological risk factors associated with teen pregnancy with a sample of 1,190 court-involved female juvenile offenders between 11 and 18 years of age. Data were obtained from five Midwestern juvenile county courts using a recently developed youth risk assessment instrument called the global risk assessment device (GRAD). In…

An introduction to genetic quality in the context of sexual selection.

PubMed

Pitcher, Trevor E; Mays, Herman L

2008-09-01

This special issue of Genetica brings together empirical researchers and theoreticians to present the latest on the evolutionary ecology of genetic quality in the context of sexual selection. The work comes from different fields of study including behavioral ecology, quantitative genetics and molecular genetics on a diversity of organisms using different approaches from comparative studies, mathematical modeling, field studies and laboratory experiments. The papers presented in this special issue primarily focus on genetic quality in relation to (1) sources of genetic variation, (2) polyandry, (3) new theoretical developments and (4) comprehensive reviews.

Barriers to adaptive reasoning in community ecology.

PubMed

McLachlan, Athol J; Ladle, Richard J

2011-08-01

Recent high-profile calls for a more trait-focused approach to community ecology have the potential to open up novel research areas, generate new insights and to transform community ecology into a more predictive science. However, a renewed emphasis on function and phenotype also requires a fundamental shift in approach and research philosophy within community ecology to more fully embrace evolutionary reasoning. Such a subject-wise transformation will be difficult due to at least four factors: (1) the historical development of the academic discipline of ecology and its roots as a descriptive science; (2) the dominating role of the ecosystem concept in the driving of contemporary ecological thought; (3) the practical difficulties associated with defining and identifying (phenotypic) adaptations, and; (4) scaling effects in ecology; the difficulty of teasing apart the overlapping and shifting hierarchical processes that generate the observed environment-trait correlations in nature. We argue that the ability to predict future ecological conditions through a sufficient understanding of ecological processes will not be achieved without the placement of the concept of adaptation at the centre of ecology, with influence radiating outwards through all the related (and rapidly specializing) sub-disciplines. © 2010 The Authors. Biological Reviews © 2010 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

[A new method for safety monitoring of natural dietary supplements--quality profile].

PubMed

Wang, Juan; Wang, Li-Ping; Yang, Da-Jin; Chen, Bo

2008-07-01

A new method for safety monitoring of natural dietary supplements--quality profile was proposed. It would convert passive monitoring of synthetic drug to active, and guarantee the security of natural dietary supplements. Preliminary research on quality profile was completed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS). HPLC was employed to analyze chemical constituent profiles of natural dietary supplements. The separation was completed on C18 column with acetonitrile and water (0.05% H3PO4) as mobile phase, the detection wavelength was 223 nm. Based on HPLC, stability of quality profile had been studied, and abnormal compounds in quality profile had been analyzed after addition of phenolphthalein, sibutramine, rosiglitazone, glibenclamide and gliclazide. And by MS, detector worked with ESI +, capillary voltage: 3.5 kV, cone voltage: 30 V, extractor voltage: 4 V, RF lens voltage: 0.5 V, source temperature: 105 degrees C, desolvation temperature: 300 degrees C, desolvation gas flow rate: 260 L/h, cone gas flow rate: 50 L/h, full scan mass spectra: m/z 100-600. Abnormal compound in quality profile had been analyzed after addition of N-mono-desmethyl sibutramine. Quality profile based on HPLC had good stability (Similarity > 0.877). Addition of phenolphthalein, sibutramine, rosiglitazone, glibenclamide and gliclazide in natural dietary supplements could be reflected by HPLC, and addition of N-mono-desmethyl sibutramine in natural dietary supplements could be reflected by MS. Quality profile might monitor adulteration of natural dietary supplements, and prevent addition of synthetic drug after "approval".

Feeding ecology of mesopelagic zooplankton of the subtropical and subarctic North Pacific Ocean determined with fatty acid biomarkers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, S. E.; Steinberg, D. K.; Chu, F.-L. E.; Bishop, J. K. B.

2010-10-01

Mesopelagic zooplankton may meet their nutritional and metabolic requirements in a number of ways including consumption of sinking particles, carnivory, and vertical migration. How these feeding modes change with depth or location, however, is poorly known. We analyzed fatty acid (FA) profiles to characterize zooplankton diet and large particle (>51 μm) composition in the mesopelagic zone (base of euphotic zone -1000 m) at two contrasting time-series sites in the subarctic (station K2) and subtropical (station ALOHA) Pacific Ocean. Total FA concentration was 15.5 times higher in zooplankton tissue at K2, largely due to FA storage by seasonal vertical migrators such as Neocalanus and Eucalanus. FA biomarkers specific to herbivory implied a higher plant-derived food source at mesotrophic K2 than at oligotrophic ALOHA. Zooplankton FA biomarkers specific to dinoflagellates and diatoms indicated that diatoms, and to a lesser extent, dinoflagellates were important food sources at K2. At ALOHA, dinoflagellate FAs were more prominent. Bacteria-specific FA biomarkers in zooplankton tissue were used as an indicator of particle feeding, and peaks were recorded at depths where known particle feeders were present at ALOHA (e.g., ostracods at 100-300 m). In contrast, depth profiles of bacterial FA were relatively constant with depth at K2. Diatom, dinoflagellate, and bacterial biomarkers were found in similar proportions in both zooplankton and particles with depth at both locations, providing additional evidence that mesopelagic zooplankton consume sinking particles. Carnivory indices were higher and increased significantly with depth at ALOHA, and exhibited distinct peaks at K2, representing an increase in dependence on other zooplankton for food in deep waters. Our results indicate that feeding ecology changes with depth as well as by location. These changes in zooplankton feeding ecology from the surface through the mesopelagic zone, and between contrasting environments, have important consequences for the quality and quantity of organic material available to deeper pelagic and benthic food webs, and for organic matter sequestration.

Monitoring and assessment of water health quality in the Tajan River, Iran using physicochemical, fish and macroinvertebrates indices.

PubMed

Aazami, Jaber; Esmaili-Sari, Abbas; Abdoli, Asghar; Sohrabi, Hormoz; Van den Brink, Paul J

2015-01-01

Nowadays, aquatic organisms are used as bio-indicators to assess ecological water quality in western regions, but have hardly been used in an Iranian context. We, therefore, evaluated the suitability of several indices to assess the water quality for an Iranian case study. Measured data on biotic (fish and macroinvertebrates) and abiotic elements (28 physicochemical and habitat parameters), were used to calculate six indices for assessment of water quality and the impact of human activities in the Tajan river, Iran. GIS, uni- and multivariate statistics were used to assess the correlations between biological and environmental endpoints. The results showed that ecological condition and water quality were reduced from up- to downstream. The reduced water quality was revealed by the biotic indices better than the abiotic ones which were linked to a variety of ecological water quality scales. The fish index showed a strong relationship with long-term database of physicochemical parameters (12 years (94%)), whereas macroinvertebrates index is more correlated with short-term data (76%). Meanwhile, the biotic and abiotic elements in this study were also classified well by PCA. Pulp and wood plants and sand mining are indicated to have the most negative effects on the river ecosystem.

Assessing ecological water quality with macroinvertebrates and fish: a case study from a small Mediterranean river.

PubMed

Cheimonopoulou, Maria Th; Bobori, Dimitra C; Theocharopoulos, Ioannis; Lazaridou, Maria

2011-02-01

Biological elements, such as benthic macroinvertebrates and fish, have been used in assessing the ecological quality of rivers according to the requirements of the Water Framework Directive. However, the concurrent use of multiple organism groups provides a broader perspective for such evaluations, since each biological element may respond differently to certain environmental variables. In the present study, we assessed the ecological quality of a Greek river (RM4 type), during autumn 2003 and spring 2004 at 10 sites, with benthic macroinvertebrates and fish. Hydromorphological and physicochemical parameters, habitat structure, and riparian vegetation were also considered. Pollution sensitive macroinvertebrate taxa were more abundant at headwaters, which had good/excellent water quality according to the Hellenic Evaluation System (HES). The main river reaches possessed moderate water quality, while downstream sites were mainly characterised as having bad or poor water quality, dominated by pollution-tolerant macroinvertebrate taxa. Macroinvertebrates related strongly to local stressors as chemical degradation (ordination analysis CCA) and riparian quality impairment (bivariate analysis) while fish did not. Fish were absent from the severely impacted lower river reaches. Furthermore, external pathological signs were observed in fish caught at certain sites. A combined use of both macroinvertebrates and fish in biomonitoring programs is proposed for providing a safer assessment of local and regional habitat impairment.

Chemical profiles of body surfaces and nests from six Bornean stingless bee species.

PubMed

Leonhardt, Sara Diana; Blüthgen, Nico; Schmitt, Thomas

2011-01-01

Stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) are the most diverse group of Apid bees and represent common pollinators in tropical ecosystems. Like honeybees they live in large eusocial colonies and rely on complex chemical recognition and communication systems. In contrast to honeybees, their ecology and especially their chemical ecology have received only little attention, particularly in the Old World. We previously have analyzed the chemical profiles of six paleotropical stingless bee species from Borneo and revealed the presence of species-specific cuticular terpenes- an environmentally derived compound class so far unique among social insects. Here, we compared the bees' surface profiles to the chemistry of their nest material. Terpenes, alkanes, and alkenes were the dominant compound groups on both body surfaces and nest material. However, bee profiles and nests strongly differed in their chemical composition. Body surfaces thus did not merely mirror nests, rendering a passive compound transfer from nests to bees unlikely. The difference between nests and bees was particularly pronounced when all resin-derived compounds (terpenes) were excluded and only genetically determined compounds were considered. When terpenes were included, bee profiles and nest material still differed, because whole groups of terpenes (e.g., sesquiterpenes) were found in nest material of some species, but missing in their chemical profile, indicating that bees are able to influence the terpene composition both in their nests and on their surfaces.

The Child Care Ecology Inventory: A Domain-Specific Measure of Home-Based Child Care Quality to Promote Social Competence for School Readiness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rusby, Julie C.; Jones, Laura Backen; Crowley, Ryann; Smolkowski, Keith

2013-01-01

This study investigates the reliability and validity of the Child Care Ecology Inventory (CCEI), a measure of the quality of family child care in the social domain. The CCEI focuses on research-based environmental features and caregiving practices for promoting positive social development in preschool-age children. A total of 198 family child care…

Nutrition ecology: the contribution of vegetarian diets.

PubMed

Leitzmann, Claus

2003-09-01

Nutrition ecology is an interdisciplinary scientific discipline that encompasses the entire nutrition system, with special consideration of the effects of nutrition on health, the environment, society, and the economy. Nutrition ecology involves all components of the food chain, including production, harvesting, preservation, storage, transport, processing, packaging, trade, distribution, preparation, composition, and consumption of food, as well as disposal of waste materials. Nutrition ecology has numerous origins, some of which go back to antiquity. The introduction of industrialized agriculture and mass animal production gave rise to various negative influences on the environment and health. Food quality is determined in part by the quality of the environment. The environment, in turn, is influenced by food consumption habits. Research shows that vegetarian diets are well suited to protect the environment, to reduce pollution, and to minimize global climate changes. To maximize the ecologic and health benefits of vegetarian diets, food should be regionally produced, seasonally consumed, and organically grown. Vegetarian diets built on these conditions are scientifically based, socially acceptable, economically feasible, culturally desired, sufficiently practicable, and quite sustainable.

Dispersal Limitations on Fish Community Recovery Following Long-term Water Quality Remediation

DOE PAGES

McManamay, Ryan A.; Jett, Robert T.; Ryon, Michael G.; ...

2016-02-22

Holistic restoration approaches, such as water quality remediation, are likely to meet conservation objectives because they are typically implemented at watershed scales, as opposed to individual stream reaches. However, habitat fragmentation may impose constraints on the ecological effectiveness of holistic restoration strategies by limiting colonization following remediation. We questioned the importance of dispersal limitations to fish community recovery following long-term water quality remediation and species reintroductions across the White Oak Creek (WOC) watershed near Oak Ridge, Tennessee (USA). Long-term (26 years) responses in fish species richness and biomass to water quality remediation were evaluated in light of habitat fragmentation andmore » population isolation from instream barriers, which varied in their passage potential. In addition, ordination techniques were used to determine the relative importance of habitat connectivity and water quality, in explaining variation fish communities relative to environmental fluctuations, i.e. streamflow. Ecological recovery (changes in richness) at each site was negatively related to barrier index, a measure of community isolation by barriers relative to stream distance. Following species reintroductions, dispersal by fish species was consistently in the downstream direction and upstream passage above barriers was non-existent. The importance of barrier index in explaining variation in fish communities was stronger during higher flow conditions, but decreased over time an indication of increasing community stability and loss of seasonal migrants. Compared to habitat fragmentation, existing water quality concerns (i.e., outfalls, point source discharges) were unrelated to ecological recovery, but explained relatively high variation in community dynamics. Our results suggest that habitat fragmentation limited the ecological effectiveness of intensive water quality remediation efforts and fish reintroduction efforts by impeding recolonization at isolated stream reaches.« less

Dispersal Limitations on Fish Community Recovery Following Long-term Water Quality Remediation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McManamay, Ryan A.; Jett, Robert T.; Ryon, Michael G.

Holistic restoration approaches, such as water quality remediation, are likely to meet conservation objectives because they are typically implemented at watershed scales, as opposed to individual stream reaches. However, habitat fragmentation may impose constraints on the ecological effectiveness of holistic restoration strategies by limiting colonization following remediation. We questioned the importance of dispersal limitations to fish community recovery following long-term water quality remediation and species reintroductions across the White Oak Creek (WOC) watershed near Oak Ridge, Tennessee (USA). Long-term (26 years) responses in fish species richness and biomass to water quality remediation were evaluated in light of habitat fragmentation andmore » population isolation from instream barriers, which varied in their passage potential. In addition, ordination techniques were used to determine the relative importance of habitat connectivity and water quality, in explaining variation fish communities relative to environmental fluctuations, i.e. streamflow. Ecological recovery (changes in richness) at each site was negatively related to barrier index, a measure of community isolation by barriers relative to stream distance. Following species reintroductions, dispersal by fish species was consistently in the downstream direction and upstream passage above barriers was non-existent. The importance of barrier index in explaining variation in fish communities was stronger during higher flow conditions, but decreased over time an indication of increasing community stability and loss of seasonal migrants. Compared to habitat fragmentation, existing water quality concerns (i.e., outfalls, point source discharges) were unrelated to ecological recovery, but explained relatively high variation in community dynamics. Our results suggest that habitat fragmentation limited the ecological effectiveness of intensive water quality remediation efforts and fish reintroduction efforts by impeding recolonization at isolated stream reaches.« less

Soil-covered strategy for ecological restoration alters the bacterial community structure and predictive energy metabolic functions in mine tailings profiles.

PubMed

Li, Yang; Sun, Qingye; Zhan, Jing; Yang, Yang; Wang, Dan

2017-03-01

Native soil amendment has been widely used to stabilize mine tailings and speed up the development of soil biogeochemical functions before revegetation; however, it remains poorly understood about the response of microbial communities to ecological restoration of mine tailings with soil-covered strategy. In this study, microbial communities along a 60-cm profile were investigated in mine tailings during ecological restoration of two revegetation strategies (directly revegetation and native soil covered) with different plant species. The mine tailings were covered by native soils as thick as 40 cm for more than 10 years, and the total nitrogen, total organic carbon, water content, and heavy metal (Fe, Cu, and Zn) contents in the 0-40 cm intervals of profiles were changed. In addition, increased microbial diversity and changed microbial community structure were also found in the 10-40 cm intervals of profiles in soil-covered area. Soil-covered strategy rather than plant species and soil depth was the main factor influencing the bacterial community, which explained the largest portion (29.96%) of the observed variation. Compared directly to revegetation, soil-covered strategy exhibited the higher relative abundance of Acidobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria and the lower relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Gemmatimonadetes, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria. PICRUSt analysis further demonstrated that soil-covered caused energy metabolic functional changes in carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur metabolism. Given all these, the soil-covered strategy may be used to fast-track the establishment of native microbial communities and is conducive to the rehabilitation of biogeochemical processes for establishing native plant species.

Resemblance profiles as clustering decision criteria: Estimating statistical power, error, and correspondence for a hypothesis test for multivariate structure.

PubMed

Kilborn, Joshua P; Jones, David L; Peebles, Ernst B; Naar, David F

2017-04-01

Clustering data continues to be a highly active area of data analysis, and resemblance profiles are being incorporated into ecological methodologies as a hypothesis testing-based approach to clustering multivariate data. However, these new clustering techniques have not been rigorously tested to determine the performance variability based on the algorithm's assumptions or any underlying data structures. Here, we use simulation studies to estimate the statistical error rates for the hypothesis test for multivariate structure based on dissimilarity profiles (DISPROF). We concurrently tested a widely used algorithm that employs the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) to estimate the proficiency of clustering with DISPROF as a decision criterion. We simulated unstructured multivariate data from different probability distributions with increasing numbers of objects and descriptors, and grouped data with increasing overlap, overdispersion for ecological data, and correlation among descriptors within groups. Using simulated data, we measured the resolution and correspondence of clustering solutions achieved by DISPROF with UPGMA against the reference grouping partitions used to simulate the structured test datasets. Our results highlight the dynamic interactions between dataset dimensionality, group overlap, and the properties of the descriptors within a group (i.e., overdispersion or correlation structure) that are relevant to resemblance profiles as a clustering criterion for multivariate data. These methods are particularly useful for multivariate ecological datasets that benefit from distance-based statistical analyses. We propose guidelines for using DISPROF as a clustering decision tool that will help future users avoid potential pitfalls during the application of methods and the interpretation of results.

Source Water Quality Monitoring Networks

EPA Science Inventory

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) are increasingly impacting aquatic systems, reducing provided ecological services and requiring expensive engineered solutions. HABs, particularly those dominated by cyanobacteria (cyanoHABs) are a public health, ecologic, and economic concern. Charac...

Linking ecology and aesthetics in sustainable agricultural landscapes: Lessons from the Palouse region of Washington, U.S.A

Treesearch

Linda R. Klein; William G. Hendrix; Virginia I. Lohr; Jolie B. Kaytes; Rodney D. Sayler; Mark E. Swanson; William J. Elliot; John P. Reganold

2015-01-01

Inspired by international escalation in agricultural sustainability debates, we explored the promise of landscape-scale conservation buffers to mitigate environmental damage, improve ecological function, and enhance scenic quality. Although the ecological benefits of buffer vegetation are well established by plot- and field-scale research, buffer adoption by farmers is...

75 FR 8338 - EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office Notification of a Meeting of the Ecological Effects...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-24

... the Second Section 812 Benefit-Cost Analysis of the Clean Air Act. The assessment of ecological... Analysis of the benefits and costs of the Clean Air Act. DATES: The EES augmented with additional experts... ecological effects of modeled air quality scenarios developed to support the Second Section 812 Benefit-Cost...

The Relationship between Internal Teacher Profiles and the Quality of Teacher-Child Interactions in Prekindergarten

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Decker-Woodrow, Lauren

2018-01-01

This study investigates the relationship between internal teacher profiles and pre-K teacher-child interaction quality in the pre-K classroom. Two questions were addressed: (1) What internal profiles exist for pre-kindergarten (pre-K) teachers? and (2) Do internal profiles relate to observed structural and process quality in the pre-K classroom?…

[Basic theory and research method of urban forest ecology].

PubMed

He, Xingyuan; Jin, Yingshan; Zhu, Wenquan; Xu, Wenduo; Chen, Wei

2002-12-01

With the development of world economy and the increment of urban population, the urban environment problem hinders the urban sustainable development. Now, more and more people realized the importance of urban forests in improving the quality of urban ecology. Therefore, a new subject, urban forest ecology, and correlative new concept frame in the field formed. The theoretic foundation of urban forest ecology derived from the mutual combination of theory relating to forest ecology, landscape ecology, landscape architecture ecology and anthrop-ecology. People survey the development of city from the view of ecosystem, and regard the environment, a colony of human, animals and plants, as main factors of the system. The paper introduces systematically the urban forest ecology as follows: 1) the basic concept of urban forest ecology; 2) the meaning of urban forest ecology; 3) the basic principle and theoretic base of urban forest ecology; 4) the research method of urban forest ecology; 5) the developmental expectation of urban forest ecology.

Workshop: Valuation for Environmental Policy: Ecological Benefits (2007)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Two-day workshop includes research examining There were presentations on the estimation of values for ecological goods and services such as water quality, wetlands, riparian habitat, and aquatic resources, improved methods for benefits transfer.

40 CFR 52.181 - Significant deterioration of air quality.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...”) submitted April 23, 1981 (as adopted by the Arkansas Commission on Pollution Control and Ecology (ACPCE) on... the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission on January 22, 1999) (b) The requirements of...

40 CFR 52.181 - Significant deterioration of air quality.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...”) submitted April 23, 1981 (as adopted by the Arkansas Commission on Pollution Control and Ecology (ACPCE) on... the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission on January 22, 1999) (b) The requirements of...

The Water Framework Directive: total environment or political compromise?

PubMed

Moss, Brian

2008-08-01

The European Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) is potentially ground-breaking legislation. It seeks to bring about improvement of aquatic habitats in Europe to 'good ecological status', defined as slightly different from 'high ecological status', with no or minimal human impact. The characteristics of pristine ecological status include nutrient parsimony, a defined characteristic structure of the system (including geomorphological structure and hydrology, biological and food web structure) and the connectivity and extent of the system that are essential for resilience to change. This modern ecological understanding is being ignored by government agencies charged with enacting the Directive. Schemes are being devised that measure secondary characteristics of habitats using approaches drawn from traditional water quality management. Typologies, indicated by the Directive to give a geographical basis within which to determine ecological status, are also being corrupted with different typologies used for different determinands. The ecological reality of reasonably distinctive, integrated systems (an erosive upland river versus a floodplain system, for example) is being avoided. Emphasis is being placed on precision of measurement of specific determinands rather than accuracy in what is being measured and proposed schemes are complex and expensive when accurate assessment could be carried out much more cheaply. Many are also likely to become redundant as effects of climate change take hold. The current approach will lead to some improvement in water quality but not to the fundamental change in ecological quality intended by the Directive and has partly been encouraged by lack of definition and contradictions within the Directive itself. Documented details currently available from the UK agencies are used to illustrate how the intentions of the Directive are being undermined for ostensibly political convenience through processes of redefinition and limitation of characteristics measured. There appears to be a parallel concern among official and non-governmental European bodies.

Ecological risk assessment of cheese whey effluents along a medium-sized river in southwest Greece.

PubMed

Karadima, Constantina; Theodoropoulos, Chris; Rouvalis, Angela; Iliopoulou-Georgudaki, Joan

2010-01-01

An ecological risk assessment of cheese whey effluents was applied in three critical sampling sites located in Vouraikos river (southwest Greece), while ecological classification using Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EU criteria allowed a direct comparison of toxicological and ecological data. Two invertebrates (Daphnia magna and Thamnocephalus platyurus) and the zebra fish Danio rerio were used for toxicological analyses, while the aquatic risk was calculated on the basis of the risk quotient (RQ = PEC/PNEC). Chemical classification of sites was carried out using the Nutrient Classification System, while benthic invertebrates were collected and analyzed for biological classification. Toxicological results revealed the heavy pollution load of the two sites, nearest to the point pollution source, as the PEC/PNEC ratio exceeded 1.0, while unexpectedly, no risk was detected for the most downstream site, due to the consequent interference of the riparian flora. These toxicological results were in agreement with the ecological analysis: the ecological quality of the two heavily impacted sites ranged from moderate to bad, whereas it was found good for the most downstream site. The results of the study indicate major ecological risk for almost 15 km downstream of the point pollution source and the potentiality of the water quality remediation by the riparian vegetation, proving the significance of its maintenance.

Microbial dynamics and biodiversity in table olive fermentation: culture-dependent and -independent approaches

PubMed Central

Botta, Cristian; Cocolin, Luca

2012-01-01

The microbial ecology of the table olive fermentation process is a complex set of dynamics in which the roles of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeast populations are closely related, and this synergism is of fundamental importance to obtain high quality products. Several studies on the ecology of table olives, both in spontaneous fermentations and in inoculated ones, have focused on the identification and characterization of yeasts, as they play a key role in the definition of the final organoleptic profiles through the production of volatile compounds. Moreover, these are able to promote the growth of LAB, which is responsible for the stabilization of the final product through the acidification activity and the inhibition of the growth of pathogenic bacteria. The current empirical production process of table olives could be improved through the development of mixed starter cultures. These can only be developed after a deep study of the population dynamics of yeasts and LAB by means of molecular methods. Until now, most studies have exploited culture-dependent approaches to define the natural microbiota of brine and olives. These approaches have identified two main species of LAB, namely Lactobacillus plantarum and L. pentosus, while, as far as yeasts are concerned, the most frequently isolated genera are Candida, Pichia, and Saccharomyces. However, there are a few studies in literature in which a culture-independent approach has been employed. This review summarizes the state of the art of the microbial ecology of table olive fermentations and it focuses on the different approaches and molecular methods that have been applied. PMID:22783248

Global positioning system and associated technologies in animal behaviour and ecological research

PubMed Central

Tomkiewicz, Stanley M.; Fuller, Mark R.; Kie, John G.; Bates, Kirk K.

2010-01-01

Biologists can equip animals with global positioning system (GPS) technology to obtain accurate (less than or equal to 30 m) locations that can be combined with sensor data to study animal behaviour and ecology. We provide the background of GPS techniques that have been used to gather data for wildlife studies. We review how GPS has been integrated into functional systems with data storage, data transfer, power supplies, packaging and sensor technologies to collect temperature, activity, proximity and mortality data from terrestrial species and birds. GPS ‘rapid fixing’ technologies combined with sensors provide location, dive frequency and duration profiles, and underwater acoustic information for the study of marine species. We examine how these rapid fixing technologies may be applied to terrestrial and avian applications. We discuss positional data quality and the capability for high-frequency sampling associated with GPS locations. We present alternatives for storing and retrieving data by using dataloggers (biologging), radio-frequency download systems (e.g. very high frequency, spread spectrum), integration of GPS with other satellite systems (e.g. Argos, Globalstar) and potential new data recovery technologies (e.g. network nodes). GPS is one component among many rapidly evolving technologies. Therefore, we recommend that users and suppliers interact to ensure the availability of appropriate equipment to meet animal research objectives. PMID:20566494

A Comparison of Affect Ratings Obtained with Ecological Momentary Assessment and the Day Reconstruction Method

PubMed Central

Dockray, Samantha; Grant, Nina; Stone, Arthur A.; Kahneman, Daniel; Wardle, Jane

2010-01-01

Measurement of affective states in everyday life is of fundamental importance in many types of quality of life, health, and psychological research. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is the recognized method of choice, but the respondent burden can be high. The day reconstruction method (DRM) was developed by Kahneman and colleagues (Science, 2004, 306, 1776–1780) to assess affect, activities and time use in everyday life. We sought to validate DRM affect ratings by comparison with contemporaneous EMA ratings in a sample of 94 working women monitored over work and leisure days. Six EMA ratings of happiness, tiredness, stress, and anger/frustration were obtained over each 24 h period, and were compared with DRM ratings for the same hour, recorded retrospectively at the end of the day. Similar profiles of affect intensity were recorded with the two techniques. The between-person correlations adjusted for attenuation ranged from 0.58 (stress, working day) to 0.90 (happiness, leisure day). The strength of associations was not related to age, educational attainment, or depressed mood. We conclude that the DRM provides reasonably reliable estimates both of the intensity of affect and variations in affect over the day, so is a valuable instrument for the measurement of everyday experience in health and social research. PMID:21113328

Global positioning system and associated technologies in animal behaviour and ecological research

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tomkiewicz, Stanley M.; Fuller, Mark R.; Kie, John G.; Bates, Kirk K.

2010-01-01

Biologists can equip animals with global positioning system (GPS) technology to obtain accurate (less than or equal to 30 m) locations that can be combined with sensor data to study animal behaviour and ecology. We provide the background of GPS techniques that have been used to gather data for wildlife studies. We review how GPS has been integrated into functional systems with data storage, data transfer, power supplies, packaging and sensor technologies to collect temperature, activity, proximity and mortality data from terrestrial species and birds. GPS 'rapid fixing' technologies combined with sensors provide location, dive frequency and duration profiles, and underwater acoustic information for the study of marine species. We examine how these rapid fixing technologies may be applied to terrestrial and avian applications. We discuss positional data quality and the capability for high-frequency sampling associated with GPS locations. We present alternatives for storing and retrieving data by using dataloggers (biologging), radio-frequency download systems (e.g. very high frequency, spread spectrum), integration of GPS with other satellite systems (e.g. Argos, Globalstar) and potential new data recovery technologies (e.g. network nodes). GPS is one component among many rapidly evolving technologies. Therefore, we recommend that users and suppliers interact to ensure the availability of appropriate equipment to meet animal research objectives.

77 FR 34093 - License Renewal for Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, LLC's

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-08

... quality; water quality and use; geology and soils; ecology; noise; historical and cultural; scenic and... significantly affect the quality of the human environment. Therefore, preparation of an environmental impact...

Ch'ol nomenclature for soil classification in the ejido Oxolotán, Tacotalpa, Tabasco, México.

PubMed

Sánchez-Hernández, Rufo; Méndez-De la Cruz, Lucero; Palma-López, David J; Bautista-Zuñiga, Francisco

2018-05-30

The traditional ecological knowledge of land of the Ch'ol originary people from southeast Mexico forms part of their cultural identity; it is local and holistic and implies an integrated physical and spiritual worldview that contributes to improve their living conditions. We analyzed the nomenclature for soil classification used in the Mexican state of Tabasco by the Ch'ol farmers with the objective of contributing to the knowledge of the Maya soil classification. A map of the study area was generated from the digital database of parcels in the ejido Oxolotán in the municipality of Tacotalpa, to which a geopedological map was overlaid in order to obtain modeled topographic profiles (Zavala-Cruz et al., Ecosistemas y Recursos Agropecuarios 3:161-171, 2016). In each modeled profile, a soil profile was made and classified according to IUSS Working Group WRB (181, 2014) in order to generate a map of soil groups, which was used to survey the study area with the participation of 245 local Ch'ol farmers for establishing an ethnopedological soil classification (Ortiz et al.: 62, 1990). In addition, we organized a participatory workshop with 35 people to know details of the names of the soils and their indicators of fertility and workability, from which we selected 15 participants for field trips and description of soil profiles. The color, texture, and stoniness are attributes important in the Ch'ol nomenclature, although the names do not completely reflect the visible characteristic of the soil surface. On the other hand, the mere presence of stones is sufficient to name a land class, while according to IUSS Working Group WRB (181, 2014), a certain amount and distribution of stones in the soil profiles is necessary to be taken into consideration in the name. Perception of soil quality by local farmers considers the compaction or hardness of the cultivable soil layer, because of which black or sandy soils are perceived as better for cultivation of banana, or as secondary vegetation in fallow. Red, yellow, or brown soils are seen as of less quality and are only used for establishing grasslands, while maize is cultivated in all soil classes. Farmers provided the Ch'ol nomenclature, perceived problems, and uses of each class of soil. Translation of Ch'ol soil names and comparison with descriptions of soil profiles revealed that the Ch'ol soil nomenclature takes into account the soil profile, given it is based on characteristics of both surface and subsurface horizons including color of soil matrix and mottles, stoniness, texture, and vegetation.

Flow over Canopies with Complex Morphologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubol, S.; Ling, B.; Battiato, I.

2017-12-01

Quantifying and predicting how submerged vegetation affects the velocity profile of riverine systems is crucial in ecohydraulics to properly assess the water quality and ecological functions or rivers. The state of the art includes a plethora of models to study the flow and transport over submerged canopies. However, most of them are validated against data collected in flume experiments with rigid cylinders. With the objective of investigating the capability of a simple analytical solution for vegetated flow to reproduce and predict the velocity profile of complex shaped flexible canopies, we use the flow model proposed by Battiato and Rubol [WRR 2013] as the analytical approximation of the mean velocity profile above and within the canopy layer. This model has the advantages (i) to threat the canopy layer as a porous medium, whose geometrical properties are associated with macroscopic effective permeability and (ii) to use input parameters that can be estimated by remote sensing techniques, such us the heights of the water level and the canopy. The analytical expressions for the average velocity profile and the discharge are tested against data collected across a wide range of canopy morphologies commonly encountered in riverine systems, such as grasses, woody vegetation and bushes. Results indicate good agreement between the analytical expressions and the data for both simple and complex plant geometry shapes. The rescaled low submergence velocities in the canopy layer followed the same scaling found in arrays of rigid cylinders. In addition, for the dataset analyzed, the Darcy friction factor scaled with the inverse of the bulk Reynolds number multiplied by the ratio of the fluid to turbulent viscosity.

Template for Conceptual Model Construction: Model Components and Application of the Template

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

stressors, focused through EECs, result in endpoints (Lubinski and Barko 2003). Endpoints are quantifiable, ecologically significant, and important to...Monitoring Plan (Thomas et al. 2001) Lake Okeechobee (Havens 1999) EPA Ecological Risk Assessment on Terrestrial Ecosystem (Suter 1996) Grassland...endpoints (Havens 1999) are examples of Hydrologic Resources: Water Quality, and Terrestrial Resources: Biota. The EPA Ecological Risk Assessment (Suter

Gene expression profiling--Opening the black box of plant ecosystem responses to global change

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leakey, A.D.B.; Ainsworth, E.A.; Bernard, S.M.

The use of genomic techniques to address ecological questions is emerging as the field of genomic ecology. Experimentation under environmentally realistic conditions to investigate the molecular response of plants to meaningful changes in growth conditions and ecological interactions is the defining feature of genomic ecology. Since the impact of global change factors on plant performance are mediated by direct effects at the molecular, biochemical and physiological scales, gene expression analysis promises important advances in understanding factors that have previously been consigned to the 'black box' of unknown mechanism. Various tools and approaches are available for assessing gene expression in modelmore » and non-model species as part of global change biology studies. Each approach has its own unique advantages and constraints. A first generation of genomic ecology studies in managed ecosystems and mesocosms have provided a testbed for the approach and have begun to reveal how the experimental design and data analysis of gene expression studies can be tailored for use in an ecological context.« less

Ecological Consistency of SSU rRNA-Based Operational Taxonomic Units at a Global Scale

PubMed Central

Schmidt, Thomas S. B.; Matias Rodrigues, João F.; von Mering, Christian

2014-01-01

Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs), usually defined as clusters of similar 16S/18S rRNA sequences, are the most widely used basic diversity units in large-scale characterizations of microbial communities. However, it remains unclear how well the various proposed OTU clustering algorithms approximate ‘true’ microbial taxa. Here, we explore the ecological consistency of OTUs – based on the assumption that, like true microbial taxa, they should show measurable habitat preferences (niche conservatism). In a global and comprehensive survey of available microbial sequence data, we systematically parse sequence annotations to obtain broad ecological descriptions of sampling sites. Based on these, we observe that sequence-based microbial OTUs generally show high levels of ecological consistency. However, different OTU clustering methods result in marked differences in the strength of this signal. Assuming that ecological consistency can serve as an objective external benchmark for cluster quality, we conclude that hierarchical complete linkage clustering, which provided the most ecologically consistent partitions, should be the default choice for OTU clustering. To our knowledge, this is the first approach to assess cluster quality using an external, biologically meaningful parameter as a benchmark, on a global scale. PMID:24763141

[Aquatic Ecological Index based on freshwater (ICE(RN-MAE)) for the Rio Negro watershed, Colombia].

PubMed

Forero, Laura Cristina; Longo, Magnolia; John Jairo, Ramirez; Guillermo, Chalar

2014-04-01

Aquatic Ecological Index based on freshwater (ICE(RN-MAE)) for the Rio Negro watershed, Colombia. Available indices to assess the ecological status of rivers in Colombia are mostly based on subjective hypotheses about macroinvertebrate tolerance to pollution, which have important limitations. Here we present the application of a method to establish an index of ecological quality for lotic systems in Colombia. The index, based on macroinvertebrate abundance and physicochemical variables, was developed as an alternative to the BMWP-Col index. The method consists on determining an environmental gradient from correlations between physicochemical variables and abundance. The scores obtained in each sampling point are used in a standardized correlation for a model of weighted averages (WA). In the WA model abundances are also weighted to estimate the optimum and tolerance values of each taxon; using this information we estimated the index of ecological quality based also on macroinvertebrate (ICE(RN-MAE)) abundance in each sampling site. Subsequently, we classified all sites using the index and concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) in a cluster analysis. Using TP and ICE(RN-MAE), mean, maximum, minimum and standard deviation, we defined threshold values corresponding to three categories of ecological status: good, fair and critical.

An assessment of the hypervariable domains of the 16S rRNA genes for their value in determining microbial community diversity: the paradox of traditional ecological indices.

PubMed

Mills, DeEtta K; Entry, James A; Voss, Joshua D; Gillevet, Patrick M; Mathee, Kalai

2006-09-01

Amplicon length heterogeneity PCR (LH-PCR) was investigated for its ability to distinguish between microbial community patterns from the same soil type under different land management practices. Natural sagebrush and irrigated mouldboard-ploughed soils from Idaho were queried as to which hypervariable domains, or combinations of 16S rRNA gene domains, were the best molecular markers. Using standard ecological indices to measure richness, diversity and evenness, the combination of three domains, V1, V3 and V1+V2, or the combined V1 and V3 domains were the markers that could best distinguish the undisturbed natural sagebrush communities from the mouldboard-ploughed microbial communities. Bray-Curtis similarity and multidimensional scaling were found to be better metrics to ordinate and cluster the LH-PCR community profiling data. The use/misuse of traditional ecological indices such as diversity and evenness to study microbial community profiles will remain a major point to consider when performing metagenomic studies.

A ranking index for quality assessment of forensic DNA profiles forensic DNA profiles

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Assessment of DNA profile quality is vital in forensic DNA analysis, both in order to determine the evidentiary value of DNA results and to compare the performance of different DNA analysis protocols. Generally the quality assessment is performed through manual examination of the DNA profiles based on empirical knowledge, or by comparing the intensities (allelic peak heights) of the capillary electrophoresis electropherograms. Results We recently developed a ranking index for unbiased and quantitative quality assessment of forensic DNA profiles, the forensic DNA profile index (FI) (Hedman et al. Improved forensic DNA analysis through the use of alternative DNA polymerases and statistical modeling of DNA profiles, Biotechniques 47 (2009) 951-958). FI uses electropherogram data to combine the intensities of the allelic peaks with the balances within and between loci, using Principal Components Analysis. Here we present the construction of FI. We explain the mathematical and statistical methodologies used and present details about the applied data reduction method. Thereby we show how to adapt the ranking index for any Short Tandem Repeat-based forensic DNA typing system through validation against a manual grading scale and calibration against a specific set of DNA profiles. Conclusions The developed tool provides unbiased quality assessment of forensic DNA profiles. It can be applied for any DNA profiling system based on Short Tandem Repeat markers. Apart from crime related DNA analysis, FI can therefore be used as a quality tool in paternal or familial testing as well as in disaster victim identification. PMID:21062433

Applicability of NASQAN data for ecosystem assessments on the Missouri River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blevins, Dale W.; Fairchild, James

2001-01-01

The effectiveness of ecological restoration efforts on large developed rivers is often unknown because comprehensive ecological monitoring programs are often absent. Although Eulerian water-quality monitoring programs, such as the National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN) program, are more common, they are usually not designed for ecological assessment. Therefore, this paper addresses the value of NASQAN for ecological assessments on the Missouri River and identifies potential program additions and modifications to assess certain ecological changes in physical habitat, biological structure and function, and ecotoxicity. Five additional sites: The analysis of chlorophyll, mercury, ATP, potential endocrine disruptors, total trace elements, and selected total hydrophobic organics; and the hourly measurement of dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and temperature are recommended. Hourly measurements would require an entirely new operational aspect to NASQAN. However, the presence of data loggers and satellite transmitters in the gauging stations at all NASQAN sites substantially improves the feasibility of continuous water-quality monitoring. The use of semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) to monitor dissolved bioaccumulating organics and trace elements, identification and enumeration of zooplankton, and characterization of the bioavailability of organic matter are also recommended. The effect of biological processes on the conservative assumptions that are used in flux and source determinations of NASQAN constituents are also evaluated. Organic carbon, organic nitrogen, dissolved phosphate, and dissolved inorganic nitrogen are the NASQAN constituents most vulnerable to biological processes and thus violation of conservative assumptions.

The ecological future of cities.

PubMed

McDonnell, Mark J; MacGregor-Fors, Ian

2016-05-20

The discipline of urban ecology arose in the 1990s, primarily motivated by a widespread interest in documenting the distribution and abundance of animals and plants in cities. Today, urban ecologists have greatly expanded their scope of study to include ecological and socioeconomic processes, urban management, planning, and design, with the goal of addressing issues of sustainability, environmental quality, and human well-being within cities and towns. As the global pace of urbanization continues to intensify, urban ecology provides the ecological and social data, as well as the principles, concepts and tools, to create livable cities. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

An Alternative View of Quality Assurance and Enhancement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Viola Yuk-Yue

2012-01-01

This paper attempts to deal with the elusive nature of quality in quality management, using a case study to examine quality control measures implemented in an academic context and to show an emergent framework for quality enhancement. This paper introduces the concept of the ecology of quality assurance and examines efforts to maintain and advance…

Analysis of ecological quality of the environment and influencing factors in China during 2005-2010.

PubMed

Wang, Shi-Xin; Yao, Yao; Zhou, Yi

2014-01-30

Since the twentieth century, China has been facing various kinds of environmental problems. It is necessary to evaluate and analyze the ecological status of the environment over China, which is of great importance for environmental protection measures. In this article, an Eco-environmental Quality Index (EQI) model is established using national remote sensing land-use data, NDVI data from MODIS and other statistical data. The model is used to evaluate the ecological status over China during 2005, 2008 and 2010, and spatial and temporal variations in EQI are analyzed during the period 2005-2010. We also discuss important factors affecting ecological quality, with special emphasis on meteorological conditions (including rainfall and sunshine duration) and anthropogenic factors (including normalized population and gross domestic product densities). The results show that, EQIs in northwestern China are generally lower than those in the southeast of the country, presenting a ladder-like distribution. There is significant correlation between EQI, rainfall and sunshine duration. Population density and GDP also have some relation to EQI. On the whole, the environmental quality results showed little variation during 2005-2010, with national average EQIs of 54.86, 55.07 and 54.43 in 2005, 2008 and 2010, respectively. During 2005-2010, differences in EQI were observed at the local level, but those at the provincial level were small.

Overview of integrative tools and methods in assessing ecological integrity in estuarine and coastal systems worldwide.

PubMed

Borja, Angel; Bricker, Suzanne B; Dauer, Daniel M; Demetriades, Nicolette T; Ferreira, João G; Forbes, Anthony T; Hutchings, Pat; Jia, Xiaoping; Kenchington, Richard; Carlos Marques, João; Zhu, Changbo

2008-09-01

In recent years, several sets of legislation worldwide (Oceans Act in USA, Australia or Canada; Water Framework Directive or Marine Strategy in Europe, National Water Act in South Africa, etc.) have been developed in order to address ecological quality or integrity, within estuarine and coastal systems. Most such legislation seeks to define quality in an integrative way, by using several biological elements, together with physico-chemical and pollution elements. Such an approach allows assessment of ecological status at the ecosystem level ('ecosystem approach' or 'holistic approach' methodologies), rather than at species level (e.g. mussel biomonitoring or Mussel Watch) or just at chemical level (i.e. quality objectives) alone. Increasing attention has been paid to the development of tools for different physico-chemical or biological (phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthos, algae, phanerogams, fishes) elements of the ecosystems. However, few methodologies integrate all the elements into a single evaluation of a water body. The need for such integrative tools to assess ecosystem quality is very important, both from a scientific and stakeholder point of view. Politicians and managers need information from simple and pragmatic, but scientifically sound methodologies, in order to show to society the evolution of a zone (estuary, coastal area, etc.), taking into account human pressures or recovery processes. These approaches include: (i) multidisciplinarity, inherent in the teams involved in their implementation; (ii) integration of biotic and abiotic factors; (iii) accurate and validated methods in determining ecological integrity; and (iv) adequate indicators to follow the evolution of the monitored ecosystems. While some countries increasingly use the establishment of marine parks to conserve marine biodiversity and ecological integrity, there is awareness (e.g. in Australia) that conservation and management of marine ecosystems cannot be restricted to Marine Protected Areas but must include areas outside such reserves. This contribution reviews the current situation of integrative ecological assessment worldwide, by presenting several examples from each of the continents: Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America.

[Evaluation on a demonstration project of ecological restoration of ditches at Qianwei Village of Chongming County, Shanghai].

PubMed

Zhou, Xiang-Xiang; Zhang, Li-Quan; Yuan, Lian-Qi

2008-02-01

By using biological slope-protection techniques, oxidation pond system, and zeolite treatment system, a demonstration project of ecological restoration of ditches at the Qianwei Village of Chongming County in Shanghai was implemented, and an evaluation on the project was made via a runoff simulation experiment and the measurements of the parameters soil shear strength, biodiversity, and ditch water quality. The results showed that covering the dich slopes with shrub could significantly increase soil shear strength, compactness and moisture content, and the formed vegetation had significant effects on retarding runoff and removing TSS (P < 0.05). Applying live fascines could significantly increase soil shear strength and TSS removal rate (P < 0.05), but its effects on increasing soil compactness and moisture content and retaining runoff were not significant. After the implement of the demonstration project, the total N and P concentrations in ditch water decreased significantly, habitat quality and aesthetic value of ditch slope improved, and biodiversity enhanced greatly. The integration of the biological techniques with other ecological restoration measures could stabilize ditch slope, improve ditch habitat quality, and restore the ecological environment of the ditches.

Constructing Ecological Networks Based on Habitat Quality Assessment: A Case Study of Changzhou, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yu; Ma, Lei; Liu, Jiaxun; Zhuang, Zhuzhou; Huang, Qiuhao; Li, Manchun

2017-04-01

Fragmentation and reduced continuity of habitat patches threaten the environment and biodiversity. Recently, ecological networks are increasingly attracting the attention of researchers as they provide fundamental frameworks for environmental protection. This study suggests a set of procedures to construct an ecological network. First, we proposed a method to construct a landscape resistance surface based on the assessment of habitat quality. Second, to analyze the effect of the resistance surface on corridor simulations, we used three methods to construct resistance surfaces: (1) the method proposed in this paper, (2) the entropy coefficient method, and (3) the expert scoring method. Then, we integrated habitat patches and resistance surfaces to identify potential corridors using graph theory. These procedures were tested in Changzhou, China. Comparing the outputs of using different resistance surfaces demonstrated that: (1) different landscape resistance surfaces contribute to how corridors are identified, but only slightly affect the assessment of the importance of habitat patches and potential corridors; (2) the resistance surface, which is constructed based on habitat quality, is more applicable to corridor simulations; and (3) the assessment of the importance of habitat patches is fundamental for ecological network optimization in the conservation of critical habitat patches and corridors.

Constructing Ecological Networks Based on Habitat Quality Assessment: A Case Study of Changzhou, China

PubMed Central

Gao, Yu; Ma, Lei; Liu, Jiaxun; Zhuang, Zhuzhou; Huang, Qiuhao; Li, Manchun

2017-01-01

Fragmentation and reduced continuity of habitat patches threaten the environment and biodiversity. Recently, ecological networks are increasingly attracting the attention of researchers as they provide fundamental frameworks for environmental protection. This study suggests a set of procedures to construct an ecological network. First, we proposed a method to construct a landscape resistance surface based on the assessment of habitat quality. Second, to analyze the effect of the resistance surface on corridor simulations, we used three methods to construct resistance surfaces: (1) the method proposed in this paper, (2) the entropy coefficient method, and (3) the expert scoring method. Then, we integrated habitat patches and resistance surfaces to identify potential corridors using graph theory. These procedures were tested in Changzhou, China. Comparing the outputs of using different resistance surfaces demonstrated that: (1) different landscape resistance surfaces contribute to how corridors are identified, but only slightly affect the assessment of the importance of habitat patches and potential corridors; (2) the resistance surface, which is constructed based on habitat quality, is more applicable to corridor simulations; and (3) the assessment of the importance of habitat patches is fundamental for ecological network optimization in the conservation of critical habitat patches and corridors. PMID:28393879

Information Theory Broadens the Spectrum of Molecular Ecology and Evolution.

PubMed

Sherwin, W B; Chao, A; Jost, L; Smouse, P E

2017-12-01

Information or entropy analysis of diversity is used extensively in community ecology, and has recently been exploited for prediction and analysis in molecular ecology and evolution. Information measures belong to a spectrum (or q profile) of measures whose contrasting properties provide a rich summary of diversity, including allelic richness (q=0), Shannon information (q=1), and heterozygosity (q=2). We present the merits of information measures for describing and forecasting molecular variation within and among groups, comparing forecasts with data, and evaluating underlying processes such as dispersal. Importantly, information measures directly link causal processes and divergence outcomes, have straightforward relationship to allele frequency differences (including monotonicity that q=2 lacks), and show additivity across hierarchical layers such as ecology, behaviour, cellular processes, and nongenetic inheritance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Linking stressors and ecological responses

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gentile, J.H.; Solomon, K.R.; Butcher, J.B.; Harrass, M.; Landis, W.G.; Power, M.; Rattner, B.A.; Warren-Hicks, W.J.; Wenger, R.; Foran, Jeffery A.; Ferenc, Susan A.

1999-01-01

To characterize risk, it is necessary to quantify the linkages and interactions between chemical, physical and biological stressors and endpoints in the conceptual framework for ecological risk assessment (ERA). This can present challenges in a multiple stressor analysis, and it will not always be possible to develop a quantitative stressor-response profile. This review commences with a conceptual representation of the problem of developing a linkage analysis for multiple stressors and responses. The remainder of the review surveys a variety of mathematical and statistical methods (e.g., ranking methods, matrix models, multivariate dose-response for mixtures, indices, visualization, simulation modeling and decision-oriented methods) for accomplishing the linkage analysis for multiple stressors. Describing the relationships between multiple stressors and ecological effects are critical components of 'effects assessment' in the ecological risk assessment framework.

Mitigating the Problem of Unmeasured Outcomes in Quality Reports

PubMed Central

Glazer, Jacob; McGuire, Thomas; Normand, Sharon-Lise T.

2009-01-01

Quality reports or profiles of health care providers are inevitably based on only a measurable subset of the “outputs” of the organization. Hospitals, for example, are being profiled on their mortality in the cardiac area but not in some other areas where mortality does not seem to be the appropriate measure of quality. If inputs used for outputs included in the profile also affect outputs outside the scope of the profile, it can be taken into account in constructing a profile of the measured outputs. This paper presents a theory for how such a commonality in production should be taken into account in designing a profile for a hospital or other health care provider. We distinguish between “conventional” weights in a quality profile, and “optimal” weights that take into account a commonality in the production process. The basic idea is to increase the weights on discharges for which output is measured that use inputs that are important to other discharges whose outputs are not included in the profile. PMID:20490360

Colorado Qualistar. QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Colorado's Qualistar prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for Family…

Pennsylvania Keystone STARS: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Pennsylvania's Keystone STARS prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for…

Minnesota Parent Aware: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Minnesota's Parent Aware prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for Family…

Ensuring the Quality of Data Packages in the LTER Network Provenance Aware Synthesis Tracking Architecture Data Management System and Archive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Servilla, M. S.; O'Brien, M.; Costa, D.

2013-12-01

Considerable ecological research performed today occurs through the analysis of data downloaded from various repositories and archives, often resulting in derived or synthetic products generated by automated workflows. These data are only meaningful for research if they are well documented by metadata, lest semantic or data type errors may occur in interpretation or processing. The Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network now screens all data packages entering its long-term archive to ensure that each package contains metadata that is complete, of high quality, and accurately describes the structure of its associated data entity and the data are structurally congruent to the metadata. Screening occurs prior to the upload of a data package into the Provenance Aware Synthesis Tracking Architecture (PASTA) data management system through a series of quality checks, thus preventing ambiguously or incorrectly documented data packages from entering the system. The quality checks within PASTA are designed to work specifically with the Ecological Metadata Language (EML), the metadata standard adopted by the LTER Network to describe data generated by their 26 research sites. Each quality check is codified in Java as part of the ecological community-supported Data Manager Library, which is a resource of the EML specification and used as a component of the PASTA software stack. Quality checks test for metadata quality, data integrity, or metadata-data congruence. Quality checks are further classified as either conditional or informational. Conditional checks issue a 'valid', 'warning' or 'error' response. Only an 'error' response blocks the data package from upload into PASTA. Informational checks only provide descriptive content pertaining to a particular facet of the data package. Quality checks are designed by a group of LTER information managers and reviewed by the LTER community before deploying into PASTA. A total of 32 quality checks have been deployed to date. Quality checks can be customized through a configurable template, which includes turning checks 'on' or 'off' and setting the severity of conditional checks. This feature is important to other potential users of the Data Manager Library who wish to configure its quality checks in accordance with the standards of their community. Executing the complete set of quality checks produces a report that describes the result of each check. The report is an XML document that is stored by PASTA for future reference.

Operation and Maintence, Vermilion Harbor, Erie County, Ohio.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-03-01

channel and structural maintenance activities at Vermilion Harbor. Although 6 ...- this alternative would eliminate temporary adverse ecological effects of...of dredging on water quality, aquatic ecology , and harbor recreation and related 4 businesses wbuld be reduced to a level commensurate with reduced...effects on aquatic ecology but would have long- term, beneficial effects on shoreline erosion and beach areas. There have been no specific requests from

Environmental Quality and the U.S. Power Sector: Air Quality, Land Use and Environmental Justice

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Massetti, Emanuele; Brown, Marilyn Ann; Lapsa, Melissa Voss

This baseline report summarizes key environmental quality issues associated with electricity generation, transmission, distribution, and end use in the United States. Its scope includes non-greenhouse gas air pollution (i.e., sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and hazardous air pollutants), land use, water pollution, ecological impacts, human health, and environmental justice. The discussion characterizes both current impacts and recent trends, as well as assessments of key drivers of change. For example, the air emissions section includes a quantitative decomposition analysis of the drivers of change in sulfur dioxide emissions reductions from coal-fired power plants. The report is divided into four topicalmore » sections: air emissions, land use and ecology, water quality, and environmental justice.« less

The Use of Silviculture and Prescribed Fire to Manage Stand Structure and Fuel Profiles in a Multi-aged Lodgepole Pine Forest

Treesearch

Colin C. Hardy; Helen Y. Smith; Ward McCaughey

2006-01-01

This paper presents several components of a multi-disciplinary project designed to evaluate the ecological and biological effects of two innovative silvicultural treatments coupled with prescribed fire in an attempt to both manage fuel profiles and create two-aged stand structures in lodgepole pine. Two shelterwood silvicultural treatments were designed to replicate as...

Using Virtual Reality to Characterize Episodic Memory Profiles in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: Influence of Active and Passive Encoding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plancher, G.; Tirard, A.; Gyselinck, V.; Nicolas, S.; Piolino, P.

2012-01-01

Most neuropsychological assessments of episodic memory bear little similarity to the events that patients actually experience as memories in daily life. The first aim of this study was to use a virtual environment to characterize episodic memory profiles in an ecological fashion, which includes memory for central and perceptual details,…

Geochemical distribution, fractionation and contamination assessment of heavy metals in marine sediments of the Asaluyeh port, Persian Gulf.

PubMed

Delshab, Hossein; Farshchi, Parvin; Keshavarzi, Behnam

2017-02-15

In this study, total concentration and speciation of heavy metals in sediments of the Asaluyeh, one of the Iran's largest commercial ports, are investigated. 48 sediment samples were collected and analyzed for trace and major elements. Sediment quality guidelines along with calculated enrichment factors and trace metal profiles indicate that Asaluyeh port is threated by contamination, especially with respect to Hg and Cu. Normalization to Sc indicated high enrichment factors in the sediments following the decreasing order of: Hg>Cu>As>Ni>Zn>Pb≈Cr≈Mn>Co≈V≈Fe≈Al. Hg displayed the greatest potential ecological risk factor among sampling stations. The results of sequential extraction procedure revealed that in some stations >50% of Mn, V, Cu and Zn occur in potentially mobile phases and therefore are more readily mobilized in the sediments of the study area. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

EPA ’s ECOLOGICAL MODELS FOR INTEGRATED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Aquatic ecological populations and communities are affected by the nature and quality of the water in which they live. Specific factors that affect instream biota include chemical variables, biotic interactions, energy source, flow regime, and habitat structure. As watershed mana...

Sibling Relationship Quality and Mexican-Origin Adolescents' and Young Adults' Familism Values and Adjustment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Killoren, Sarah E.; De Jesús, Sue A. Rodríguez; Updegraff, Kimberly A.; Wheeler, Lorey A.

2017-01-01

We examined profiles of sibling relationship qualities in 246 Mexican-origin families living in the United States using latent profile analyses. Three profiles were identified: "Positive," "Negative," and "Affect-Intense." Links between profiles and youths' familism values and adjustment were assessed using…

Delaware Stars for Early Success. QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Delaware's Stars for Early Success prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators…

Vermont STep Ahead Recognition System: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Vermont's STep Ahead Recognition System (STARS) prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for All Child Care Programs;…

Kentucky STARS for KIDS NOW: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Kentucky's STARS for KIDS NOW prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for…

North Carolina Star Rated License System: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of North Carolina's Star Rated License System prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4)…

Quantifying The Water Quality Services Of Wetlands

EPA Science Inventory

Wetlands are well recognized for their potential for providing a wide range of important ecological services including their ability to provide water quality protection. Watershed-scale water quality trading could create market driven incentives to restore and construct wetlands...

Species Profiles. Life Histories and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (South Atlantic). BLUE CRAB,

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-03-01

Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (South Atlantic) LW -’vasrK ’ras ben c,,BLUE RAB Li s and saits BLUE CRAB - fL4 is unkmitod. Coastal Ecology Group...1984 Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (South Atlantic) BLUE CRAB by Michael J. Van...fishes and invertebrates . U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. FVS/OBS-82/11. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, TR EL-82-4. This profile should be cited as follows: t

Hydrological, water-quality, and ecological data for streams in Independence, Missouri, June 2005 through September 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Niesen, Shelley L.; Christensen, Eric D.

2015-01-01

Water-quality, hydrological, and ecological data collected from June 2005 through September 2013 from the Little Blue River and smaller streams within the City of Independence, Missouri, are presented in this report. These data were collected as a part of an ongoing cooperative study between the U.S. Geological Survey and the City of Independence Water Pollution Control Department to characterize the water quality and ecological condition of Independence streams. The quantities, sources of selected constituents, and processes affecting water quality and aquatic life were evaluated to determine the resulting ecological condition of streams within Independence. Data collected for this study fulfill the municipal separate sewer system permit requirements for the City of Independence and can be used to provide a baseline with which city managers can determine the effectiveness of current (2014) and future best management practices within Independence. Continuous streamflow and water-quality data, collected during base flow and stormflow, included physical and chemical properties, inorganic constituents, common organic micro-constituents, pesticides in streambed sediment and surface water, fecal indicator bacteria and microbial source tracking data, and suspended sediment. Dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductance, water temperature, and turbidity data were measured continuously at seven sites within Independence. Base-flow and stormflow samples were collected at eight gaged and two ungaged sites. Fecal sources samples were collected for reference for microbial source tracking, and sewage influent samples were collected as additional source samples. Dry-weather screening was done on 11 basins within Independence to identify potential contaminant sources to the streams. Benthic macroinvertebrate community surveys and habitat assessments were done on 10 stream sites and 2 comparison sites outside the city. Sampling and laboratory procedures and quality-assurance and quality-control methods used in data collection for this study are described in this report.

NATIONAL COASTAL ASSESSMENT APPROACH AND FINDINGS IN THE NORTHEAST

EPA Science Inventory

The National Coastal Assessment (NCA) has three major goals: 1) assess ecological condition of the nation's estuarine resources based on comparable data of known quality, 2) determine reference conditions for more detailed studies of ecological stressors and responses, and 3) he...

Can Students Collaboratively Use Hypermedia to Learn Science? The Dynamics of Self-And Other-Regulatory Processes in an Ecology Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azevedo, Roger; Winters, Fielding I.; Moos, Daniel C.

2004-01-01

This classroom study examined the role of low-achieving students' self-regulated learning (SRL) behaviors and their teacher's scaffolding of SRL while using a Web-based water quality simulation environment to learn about ecological systems. Forty-nine 11th and 12th grade students learned about ecology and the effects of land use on water quality…

Personal and Planetary Well-Being: Mindfulness Meditation, Pro-Environmental Behavior and Personal Quality of Life in a Survey from the Social Justice and Ecological Sustainability Movement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacob, Jeffrey; Jovic, Emily; Brinkerhoff, Merlin B.

2009-01-01

Employing data from a mailed survey of a sample of ecologically and spiritually aware respondents (N = 829), the study tests the hypothesized relationship between ecologically sustainable behavior (ESB) and subjective well-being (SWB). The proposed link between ESB and SWB is the spiritual practice of mindfulness meditation (MM). In multiple…

Sibling relationship quality and Mexican-origin adolescents' and young adults' familism values and adjustment

PubMed Central

Killoren, Sarah E.; De Jesús, Sue A. Rodríguez; Updegraff, Kimberly A.; Wheeler, Lorey A.

2015-01-01

We examined profiles of sibling relationship qualities in 246 Mexican-origin families living in the United States using latent profile analyses. Three profiles were identified: Positive, Negative and Affect-Intense. Links between profiles and youths’ familism values and adjustment were assessed using longitudinal data. Siblings in the Positive profile reported the highest familism values, followed by siblings in the Affect-Intense profile and, finally, siblings in the Negative profile. Older siblings in the Positive and Affect-Intense profiles reported fewer depressive symptoms than siblings in the Negative profile. Further, in the Positive and Negative profiles, older siblings reported less involvement in risky behaviors than younger siblings. In the Negative profile, younger siblings reported greater sexual risk behaviors in late adolescence than older siblings; siblings in opposite-sex dyads, as compared to same-sex dyads, engaged in riskier sexual behaviors. Our findings highlight sibling relationship quality as promotive and risky, depending on sibling characteristics and adjustment outcomes. PMID:28239217

Sibling relationship quality and Mexican-origin adolescents' and young adults' familism values and adjustment.

PubMed

Killoren, Sarah E; De Jesús, Sue A Rodríguez; Updegraff, Kimberly A; Wheeler, Lorey A

2017-03-01

We examined profiles of sibling relationship qualities in 246 Mexican-origin families living in the United States using latent profile analyses. Three profiles were identified: Positive , Negative and Affect-Intense . Links between profiles and youths' familism values and adjustment were assessed using longitudinal data. Siblings in the Positive profile reported the highest familism values, followed by siblings in the Affect-Intense profile and, finally, siblings in the Negative profile. Older siblings in the Positive and Affect-Intense profiles reported fewer depressive symptoms than siblings in the Negative profile. Further, in the Positive and Negative profiles, older siblings reported less involvement in risky behaviors than younger siblings. In the Negative profile, younger siblings reported greater sexual risk behaviors in late adolescence than older siblings; siblings in opposite-sex dyads, as compared to same-sex dyads, engaged in riskier sexual behaviors. Our findings highlight sibling relationship quality as promotive and risky, depending on sibling characteristics and adjustment outcomes.

Unexpected Nongenetic Individual Heterogeneity and Trait Covariance in Daphnia and Its Consequences for Ecological and Evolutionary Dynamics.

PubMed

Cressler, Clayton E; Bengtson, Stefan; Nelson, William A

2017-07-01

Individual differences in genetics, age, or environment can cause tremendous differences in individual life-history traits. This individual heterogeneity generates demographic heterogeneity at the population level, which is predicted to have a strong impact on both ecological and evolutionary dynamics. However, we know surprisingly little about the sources of individual heterogeneity for particular taxa or how different sources scale up to impact ecological and evolutionary dynamics. Here we experimentally study the individual heterogeneity that emerges from both genetic and nongenetic sources in a species of freshwater zooplankton across a large gradient of food quality. Despite the tight control of environment, we still find that the variation from nongenetic sources is greater than that from genetic sources over a wide range of food quality and that this variation has strong positive covariance between growth and reproduction. We evaluate the general consequences of genetic and nongenetic covariance for ecological and evolutionary dynamics theoretically and find that increasing nongenetic variation slows evolution independent of the correlation in heritable life-history traits but that the impact on ecological dynamics depends on both nongenetic and genetic covariance. Our results demonstrate that variation in the relative magnitude of nongenetic versus genetic sources of variation impacts the predicted ecological and evolutionary dynamics.

[Ecological agriculture: future of agriculture for Chinese material medica].

PubMed

Guo, Lan-Ping; Wang, Tie-Lin; Yang, Wan-Zhen; Zhou, Liang-Yun; Chen, Nai-Fu; Han, Bang-Xing; Huang, Lu-Qi

2017-01-01

The ecological agriculture of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is generally acknowledged as the most advanced agricultural mode. However, it's still a doubt whether ecological agriculture could be widely applied in TCM agriculture. In this study, we first analyze both the differences and relationships between ecological and organic agriculture, which suggesting that ecological agriculture does not need all the inputs as traditional agriculture. After introducing the situation of ecological agriculture from all across the world, we analyze the differences and characteristics between ecological and chemical agricultures. Considered with the big challenge caused by chemical agriculture, we pointed out that ecological agriculture could definitely replace chemical agriculture. Last but not the least, combined with the situation and problems of Chinese agriculture, we analyze the distinctive advantages of TCM ecological agriculture from 3 aspects as its unique quality characteristics, its unique habitat requirements in production and its unique application and market characteristics, respectively. In conclusion, ecological agriculture is the straight way of TCM agriculture. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Use of an ecologically relevant modelling approach to improve remote sensing-based schistosomiasis risk profiling.

PubMed

Walz, Yvonne; Wegmann, Martin; Leutner, Benjamin; Dech, Stefan; Vounatsou, Penelope; N'Goran, Eliézer K; Raso, Giovanna; Utzinger, Jürg

2015-11-30

Schistosomiasis is a widespread water-based disease that puts close to 800 million people at risk of infection with more than 250 million infected, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Transmission is governed by the spatial distribution of specific freshwater snails that act as intermediate hosts and the frequency, duration and extent of human bodies exposed to infested water sources during human water contact. Remote sensing data have been utilized for spatially explicit risk profiling of schistosomiasis. Since schistosomiasis risk profiling based on remote sensing data inherits a conceptual drawback if school-based disease prevalence data are directly related to the remote sensing measurements extracted at the location of the school, because the disease transmission usually does not exactly occur at the school, we took the local environment around the schools into account by explicitly linking ecologically relevant environmental information of potential disease transmission sites to survey measurements of disease prevalence. Our models were validated at two sites with different landscapes in Côte d'Ivoire using high- and moderate-resolution remote sensing data based on random forest and partial least squares regression. We found that the ecologically relevant modelling approach explained up to 70% of the variation in Schistosoma infection prevalence and performed better compared to a purely pixel-based modelling approach. Furthermore, our study showed that model performance increased as a function of enlarging the school catchment area, confirming the hypothesis that suitable environments for schistosomiasis transmission rarely occur at the location of survey measurements.

Efficacy of single and multi-metric fish-based indices in tracking anthropogenic pressures in estuaries: An 8-year case study.

PubMed

Martinho, Filipe; Nyitrai, Daniel; Crespo, Daniel; Pardal, Miguel A

2015-12-15

Facing a generalized increase in water degradation, several programmes have been implemented for protecting and enhancing the water quality and associated wildlife, which rely on ecological indicators to assess the degree of deviation from a pristine state. Here, single (species number, Shannon-Wiener H', Pielou J') and multi-metric (Estuarine Fish Assessment Index, EFAI) community-based ecological quality measures were evaluated in a temperate estuary over an 8-year period (2005-2012), and established their relationships with an anthropogenic pressure index (API). Single metric indices were highly variable and neither concordant amongst themselves nor with the EFAI. The EFAI was the only index significantly correlated with the API, indicating that higher ecological quality was associated with lower anthropogenic pressure. Pressure scenarios were related with specific fish community composition, as a result of distinct food web complexity and nursery functioning of the estuary. Results were discussed in the scope of the implementation of water protection programmes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of nutrient profiling and price changes based on NuVal® scores on food purchasing in an online experimental supermarket.

PubMed

Epstein, Leonard H; Finkelstein, Eric A; Katz, David L; Jankowiak, Noelle; Pudlewski, Corrin; Paluch, Rocco A

2016-08-01

The goal of the present study was to apply experimental economic methods in an online supermarket to examine the effects of nutrient profiling, and differential pricing based on the nutrient profile, on the overall diet quality, energy and macronutrients of the foods purchased, and diet cost. Participants were provided nutrient profiling scores or price adjustments based on nutrient profile scores while completing a hypothetical grocery shopping task. Prices of foods in the top 20 % of nutrient profiling scores were reduced (subsidized) by 25 % while those in the bottom 20 % of scores were increased (taxed) by 25 %. We evaluated the independent and interactive effects of nutrient profiling or price adjustments on overall diet quality of foods purchased as assessed by the NuVal® score, energy and macronutrients purchased and diet cost in a 2×2 factorial design. A large (>10 000 food items) online experimental supermarket in the USA. Seven hundred and eighty-one women. Providing nutrient profiling scores improved overall diet quality of foods purchased. Price changes were associated with an increase in protein purchased, an increase in energy cost, and reduced carbohydrate and protein costs. Price changes and nutrient profiling combined were associated with no unique benefits beyond price changes or nutrient profiling alone. Providing nutrient profile score increased overall NuVal® score without a reduction in energy purchased. Combining nutrient profiling and price changes did not show an overall benefit to diet quality and may be less useful than nutrient profiling alone to consumers who want to increase overall diet quality of foods purchased.

Assessment of soil quality in different ecosystems (with soils of Podolsk and Serpukhov districts of Moscow oblast as examples)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavrilenko, E. G.; Ananyeva, N. D.; Makarov, O. A.

2013-12-01

The values of the soil-ecological index and microbiological parameters (the carbon of microbial biomass Cmic, its ratio to the total organic carbon Cmic/Corg, and basal respiration) were determined for the soddy-podzolic, soddy-gley, bog-podzolic, meadow alluvial, and gray forest soils under different land uses (forest, fallow, cropland, and urban areas) in the Podolsk and Serpukhov districts of Moscow oblast (237 and 45 sampling points, respectively). The soil sampling from the upper 10 cm (without the litter horizon) was performed in September and October. To calculate the soil-ecological index, both soil (physicochemical and agrochemical) and climatic characteristics were taken into account. Its values for fallow, cropland, and urban ecosystems averaged 70.2, 72.8, and 64.2 points ( n = 90, 17, and 24, respectively). For the soils of forest ecosystems, the average value of the soil-ecological index was lower (54.4; n = 151). At the same time, the micro-biological characteristics of the studied forest soils were generally higher than those in the soils of fallow, cropland, and urban ecosystems. In this context, to estimate the soil quality in different ecosystems on the basis of the soil-ecological index, the use of a correction coefficient for the biological properties of the soils (the Cmic content) was suggested. The ecological substantiation of this approach for assessing the quality of soils in different ecosystems is presented in the paper.

Dynamically Coupled Food-web and Hydrodynamic Modeling with ADH-CASM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piercy, C.; Swannack, T. M.

2012-12-01

Oysters and freshwater mussels are "ecological engineers," modifying the local water quality by filtering zooplankton and other suspended particulate matter from the water column and flow hydraulics by impinging on the near-bed flow environment. The success of sessile, benthic invertebrates such as oysters depends on environmental factors including but not limited to temperature, salinity, and flow regime. Typically food-web and other types of ecological models use flow and water quality data as direct input without regard to the feedback between the ecosystem and the physical environment. The USACE-ERDC has developed a coupled hydrodynamic-ecological modeling approach that dynamically couples a 2-D hydrodynamic and constituent transport model, Adaptive Hydraulics (ADH), with a bioenergetics food-web model, the Comprehensive Aquatics Systems Model (CASM), which captures the dynamic feedback between aquatic ecological systems and the environment. We present modeling results from restored oyster reefs in the Great Wicomico River on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, which quantify ecosystem services such as the influence of the benthic ecosystem on water quality. Preliminary results indicate that while the influence of oyster reefs on bulk flow dynamics is limited due to the localized influence of oyster reefs, large reefs and the associated benthic ecosystem can create measurable changes in the concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon in the areas around reefs. We also present a sensitivity analysis to quantify the relative sensitivity of the coupled ADH-CASM model to both hydrodynamic and ecological parameter choice.

New Mexico Look for the STARS--AIM HIGH: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of New Mexico's Look for the STARS--AIM HIGH prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4)…

Los Angeles County Steps to Excellence Project: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of Los Angeles County's Steps to Excellence Project prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs;…

From chemical risk assessment to environmental quality management: the challenge for soil protection.

PubMed

Bone, James; Head, Martin; Jones, David T; Barraclough, Declan; Archer, Michael; Scheib, Catherine; Flight, Dee; Eggleton, Paul; Voulvoulis, Nikolaos

2011-01-01

The 40 years that have passed since the beginning of the 'environmental revolution' has seen a large increase in development of policies for the protection of environmental media and a recognition by the public of the importance of environmental quality. There has been a shift from policy in reaction to high profile events, then to control of releases to single environmental media, and to the present position of moving toward integrated management of all environmental media at present. This development has moved away from classical chemical risk assessment toward environmental holism, including recognition of the ecological value of these media. This work details how policy developments have taken place for air and water, with examples from the USA and EU, in order to compare this with policy development regarding soil. Soil, with quite different policy frameworks and distinct uses, understanding, and threats compared to other environmental media, is currently attracting attention regarding the need for its protection independent of use. Challenges for soil policy are identified and evaluated, and recommendations on how these challenges can be overcome are discussed with relevance to water and air protection policy.

Characterization of Lake Michigan coastal lakes using zooplankton assemblages

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whitman, Richard L.; Nevers, Meredith B.; Goodrich, Maria L.; Murphy, Paul C.; Davis, Bruce M.

2004-01-01

Zooplankton assemblages and water quality were examined bi-weekly from 17 April to 19 October 1998 in 11 northeastern Lake Michigan coastal lakes of similar origin but varied in trophic status and limnological condition. All lakes were within or adjacent to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan. Zooplankton (principally microcrustaceans and rotifers) from triplicate Wisconsin net (80 I?m) vertical tows taken at each lake's deepest location were analyzed. Oxygen-temperature-pH-specific conductivity profiles and surface water quality were concurrently measured. Bray-Curtis similarity analysis showed small variations among sample replicates but large temporal differences. The potential use of zooplankton communities for environmental lake comparisons was evaluated by means of BIOENV (Primer 5.1) and principal component analyses. Zooplankton analyzed at the lowest identified taxonomic level yielded greatest sensitivity to limnological variation. Taxonomic and ecological aggregations of zooplankton data performed comparably, but less well than the finest taxonomic analysis. Secchi depth, chlorophyll a, and sulfate concentrations combined to give the best correlation with patterns of variation in the zooplankton data set. Principal component analysis of these variables revealed trophic status as the most influential major limnological gradient among the study lakes. Overall, zooplankton abundance was an excellent indicator of variation in trophic status.

Should nutrient profile models be 'category specific' or 'across-the-board'? A comparison of the two systems using diets of British adults.

PubMed

Scarborough, P; Arambepola, C; Kaur, A; Bhatnagar, P; Rayner, M

2010-06-01

Nutrient profile models have the potential to help promote healthier diets. Some models treat all foods equally (across-the-board), some consider different categories of foods separately (category specific). This paper assesses whether across-the-board or category-specific nutrient profile models are more appropriate tools for improving diets. Adult respondents to a British dietary survey were split into four groups using a diet quality index. Fifteen food categories were identified. A nutrient profile model provided a measure of the healthiness of all foods consumed. The four diet quality groups were compared for differences in (a) the calories consumed from each food category and (b) the healthiness of foods consumed in each category. Evidence of healthier diet quality groups consuming more of healthy food categories than unhealthy diet quality groups supported the adoption of across-the-board nutrient profile models. Evidence of healthier diet quality groups consuming healthier versions of foods within food categories supported adoption of category-specific nutrient profile models. A significantly greater percentage of the healthiest diet quality group's diet consisted of fruit and vegetables (21 vs 16%), fish (3 vs 2%) and breakfast cereals (7 vs 2%), and significantly less meat and meat products (7 vs 14%) than the least healthy diet quality group. The foods from the meat, dairy and cereals categories consumed by the healthy diet quality groups were healthier versions than those consumed by the unhealthy diet quality groups. All other things being equal, nutrient profile models designed to promote an achievable healthy diet should be category specific but with a limited number of categories. However models which use a large number of categories are unhelpful for promoting a healthy diet.

Unraveling Motivational Profiles of Health Care Professionals for Continuing Education: The Example of Pharmacists in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Tjin A Tsoi, Sharon L N M; de Boer, Anthonius; Croiset, Gerda; Koster, Andries S; Kusurkar, Rashmi A

2016-01-01

Continuing education (CE) can support health care professionals in maintaining and developing their knowledge and competencies. Although lack of motivation is one of the most important barriers of pharmacists' participation in CE, we know little about the quality or the quantity of motivation. We used the self-determination theory, which describes autonomous motivation (AM) as originating from within an individual and controlled motivation (CM) as originating from external factors, as a framework for this study. Our aim was to obtain insight into the quality and quantity of pharmacists' motivation for CE. The scores of 425 pharmacists on Academic Motivation Scale were subjected to K-means cluster analysis to generate motivational profiles. We unraveled four motivational profiles: (1) good quality with high AM/low CM, (2) high quantity with high AM/high CM, (3) poor quality with low AM/high CM, and (4) low quantity with low AM/low CM. Female pharmacists, pharmacists working in a hospital pharmacy, pharmacists working for more than 10 years, and pharmacists not in training were highly represented in the good-quality profile. Pharmacists working in a community pharmacy, pharmacists working for less than 10 years, and pharmacists in training were highly represented in the high-quantity profile. Male pharmacists were more or less equally distributed over the four profiles. The highest percentage of pharmacy owners was shown in the low-quantity profile, and the highest percentage of the nonowners was shown in the good-quality profile. Pharmacists exhibit different motivational profiles, which are associated with their background characteristics, such as gender, ownership of business, practice setting, and current training. Motivational profiles could be used to tailor CE courses for pharmacists.

Environmental quality of transitional waters: the lagoon of Venice case study.

PubMed

Micheletti, C; Gottardo, S; Critto, A; Chiarato, S; Marcomini, A

2011-01-01

The health status of European aquatic environments, including transitional waters such as coastal lagoons, is regulated by the Water Framework Directive (WFD), which requires the classification of the water bodies' environmental quality and the achievement of a good ecological status by 2015. In the Venice lagoon, a transitional water body located in the northeastern part of Italy, the achievement of a good ecological status is hampered by several anthropogenic and natural pressures, such as sediment and water chemical contamination, and sediment erosion. In order to evaluate the lagoon's environmental quality according to the WFD (i.e. 5 quality classes, from High to Bad), an integrated Weight-of-Evidence methodology was developed and applied to classify the quality of the lagoon water bodies, integrating biological, physico-chemical, chemical, ecotoxicological, and hydromorphological data (i.e. Lines of Evidence, LOE). The quality assessment was carried out in two lagoon habitat typologies (previously defined on the basis of morphological, sediment, and hydrodynamic characteristics) which were selected taking into account the ecological gradient from sea to land, and the differences in anthropogenic pressure and contamination levels. The LOE classification was carried out by using indicators scored by comparing site specific conditions to reference conditions measured in lagoon reference sites, or provided by local, national or European regulations (e.g. Environmental Quality Standards, EQS, for chemicals). Finally, the overall quality status for each water body was calculated by a probabilistic approach, i.e. by reporting the final result as the frequency distribution of quality classes. The developed procedure was applied by using data and information concerning selected LOE and collected from monitoring programs and research studies carried out in the last 15 years in the lagoon of Venice. A set of sampling stations characterized by spatially and temporally coherent information for each LOE was selected, and among these stations, potential reference sites for each water body typology were identified. The quality assessment highlighted that there are specific lagoon areas, especially those located near the industrially developed area, which are highly affected by anthropogenic activities, and that chemical contamination is one of the main pressures affecting ecological status (e.g. macro-benthonic biodiversity) in the Venice lagoon. The integrated quality assessment procedure that was developed provided a new tool supporting decision making, as well as lagoon assessment and management. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ECOLOGICAL IMPACT OF INTEGRATED CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL AQUATIC WEED CONTROL

EPA Science Inventory

This final report presents results of a four-year study of the ecological impacts of chemical, biological, and integrated methods of aquatic weed control. Biological and water quality changes occurred as abundance of macrophytic vegetation was altered by natural factors or manage...

Ecosystem Encounters: Lessons in Synthetic Ecology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adey, Walter H.

1992-01-01

The director of the Marine Systems Laboratory of the Smithsonian Institution discusses steps in developing ecological models. The following topics in using an aquarium for the ecosystem are described: lighting, water motion, water quality and filtration. Presents information on choosing living organisms for the ecosystem. Describes potential…

A Practical Probabilistic Graphical Modeling Tool for Weighing Ecological Risk-Based Evidence

EPA Science Inventory

Past weight-of-evidence frameworks for adverse ecological effects have provided soft-scoring procedures for judgments based on the quality and measured attributes of evidence. Here, we provide a flexible probabilistic structure for weighing and integrating lines of evidence for e...

The Urban Ecology Institute's field studies program: utilizing urban areas for experiential learning and ecological research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starry, O.

2005-05-01

The Urban Ecology Institute (UEI) promotes the stewardship of healthy urban ecosystems by improving science and civic education for middle and high school youth and by working with urban communities to protect and transform natural resources. Established in 1999, UEI's field studies program engages over 1000 youth in the greater Boston area. A substantial component of this program involves water quality monitoring. We have recently adapted protocols from published leaf breakdown studies for incorporation into the UEI water quality curriculum. A 2004 pilot study of these leaf breakdown activities, conducted at four sites, compared rates of red maple breakdown to those of Norway maple, a potentially invasive urban street tree. Preliminary data from this successful pilot study suggest that leaf litter inputs from the two different tree species have varying effects on stream ecosystem function. We present this study as an example of how urban areas can be utilized for both ecological research and inclusive experiential learning through which science and mathematic knowledge can be effectively communicated.

GIS-based health assessment of the marine ecosystem in Laizhou Bay, China.

PubMed

Song, Debin; Gao, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Hua; Xu, Fuxiang; Zheng, Xiangyu; Ai, Jinquan; Hu, Xiaoke; Huang, Guopei; Zhang, Haibo

2017-12-15

According to 2014-2016 monitoring data, an assessment index system including water quality, depositional environment and ecosystem was built to evaluate the health statue of marine ecosystem in the Laizhou Bay using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. The results, spatialized in ArcGIS software, show: while the comprehensive ecological health index is 0.62, the ecological environmental quality in the Laizhou Bay is in a sub-healthy state; the unhealthy area is mainly concentrated in southwestern inshore region, and impacted by serious environmental problems, such as water eutrophication and heavy metal pollution; the northwestern and southeastern inshore regions are in a sub-healthy state, while the eastern inshore and northern areas are in the healthiest state. The land-based pollutants that discharge into the sea may be the leading factors that are causing ecological environment deterioration in the Laizhou Bay, and the reclamation work ongoing around the port has exacerbated the ecological risk. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Primer Sets for Use in Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis of Aquatic Bacterial Communities: an Ecological Perspective▿

PubMed Central

Jones, Stuart E.; Shade, Ashley L.; McMahon, Katherine D.; Kent, Angela D.

2007-01-01

Two primer sets for automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) were used to assess the bacterial community composition (BCC) in Lake Mendota, Wisconsin, over 3 years. Correspondence analysis revealed differences in community profiles generated by different primer sets, but overall ecological patterns were conserved in each case. ARISA is a powerful tool for evaluating BCC change through space and time, regardless of the specific primer set used. PMID:17122397

Ecological quality boundary-setting procedures: the Gulf of Riga case study.

PubMed

Aigars, Juris; Müller-Karulis, Bärbel; Martin, Georg; Jermakovs, Vadims

2008-03-01

Two approaches for setting ecological class boundaries, response curves and a simplified mathematical boundary-setting protocol, were tested for coastal, transitional and open waters in the Gulf of Riga, Baltic Sea. The simplified mathematical boundary-setting protocol defines acceptable ecological status based on expert judgment by a uniform relative deviation from reference conditions. In contrast, response curves derive class boundary definitions from observed changes in biological quality elements along environmental pressure gradients for class boundary definitions. Identification of relevant environmental pressures for the construction of response curves was based on a conceptual model of eutrophication in the Gulf of Riga. Response curves were successfully established for summer chlorophyll a and transparency, as well as for macrozoobenthos abundance in the Central Gulf, macrozoobenthos biotic coefficient in the Southern Gulf, and maximum depth of phytobenthos in the Northern Gulf. In the Gulf of Riga response curves almost always permitted a larger deviation from reference conditions than the 50% deviation applied for the simplified mathematical boundary-setting protocol. The case study clearly demonstrated that class boundary definitions should take into account the sensitivity of the target water body. Also, the class boundaries for different ecological quality elements were internally more consistent than those derived by the simplified mathematical boundary-setting protocol.

Overcoming systemic roadblocks to sustainability: The evolutionary redesign of worldviews, institutions, and technologies

PubMed Central

Beddoe, Rachael; Costanza, Robert; Farley, Joshua; Garza, Eric; Kent, Jennifer; Kubiszewski, Ida; Martinez, Luz; McCowen, Tracy; Murphy, Kathleen; Myers, Norman; Ogden, Zach; Stapleton, Kevin; Woodward, John

2009-01-01

A high and sustainable quality of life is a central goal for humanity. Our current socio-ecological regime and its set of interconnected worldviews, institutions, and technologies all support the goal of unlimited growth of material production and consumption as a proxy for quality of life. However, abundant evidence shows that, beyond a certain threshold, further material growth no longer significantly contributes to improvement in quality of life. Not only does further material growth not meet humanity's central goal, there is mounting evidence that it creates significant roadblocks to sustainability through increasing resource constraints (i.e., peak oil, water limitations) and sink constraints (i.e., climate disruption). Overcoming these roadblocks and creating a sustainable and desirable future will require an integrated, systems level redesign of our socio-ecological regime focused explicitly and directly on the goal of sustainable quality of life rather than the proxy of unlimited material growth. This transition, like all cultural transitions, will occur through an evolutionary process, but one that we, to a certain extent, can control and direct. We suggest an integrated set of worldviews, institutions, and technologies to stimulate and seed this evolutionary redesign of the current socio-ecological regime to achieve global sustainability. PMID:19240221

Use of a macroinvertebrate based biotic index to estimate critical metal concentrations for good ecological water quality.

PubMed

Van Ael, Evy; De Cooman, Ward; Blust, Ronny; Bervoets, Lieven

2015-01-01

Large datasets from total and dissolved metal concentrations in Flemish (Belgium) fresh water systems and the associated macroinvertebrate-based biotic index MMIF (Multimetric Macroinvertebrate Index Flanders) were used to estimate critical metal concentrations for good ecological water quality, as imposed by the European Water Framework Directive (2000). The contribution of different stressors (metals and water characteristics) to the MMIF were studied by constructing generalized linear mixed effect models. Comparison between estimated critical concentrations and the European and Flemish EQS, shows that the EQS for As, Cd, Cu and Zn seem to be sufficient to reach a good ecological quality status as expressed by the invertebrate-based biotic index. In contrast, the EQS for Cr, Hg and Pb are higher than the estimated critical concentrations, which suggests that when environmental concentrations are at the same level as the EQS a good quality status might not be reached. The construction of mixed models that included metal concentrations in their structure did not lead to a significant outcome. However, mixed models showed the primary importance of water characteristics (oxygen level, temperature, ammonium concentration and conductivity) for the MMIF. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermal profiles for selected river reaches in the Stillaguamish River basin, Washington, August 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gandaszek, Andrew S.

2011-01-01

Watershed Sciences, LLC, 2002, Aerial surveys in the Stillaguamish and Skagit River Basins-Thermal infrared and color videography: Corvallis, Oreg., Water Sciences, for Washington Department of Ecology, 28 p.

Utilizing novel diversity estimators to quantify multiple dimensions of microbial biodiversity across domains

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Microbial ecologists often employ methods from classical community ecology to analyze microbial community diversity. However, these methods have limitations because microbial communities differ from macro-organismal communities in key ways. This study sought to quantify microbial diversity using methods that are better suited for data spanning multiple domains of life and dimensions of diversity. Diversity profiles are one novel, promising way to analyze microbial datasets. Diversity profiles encompass many other indices, provide effective numbers of diversity (mathematical generalizations of previous indices that better convey the magnitude of differences in diversity), and can incorporate taxa similarity information. To explore whether these profiles change interpretations of microbial datasets, diversity profiles were calculated for four microbial datasets from different environments spanning all domains of life as well as viruses. Both similarity-based profiles that incorporated phylogenetic relatedness and naïve (not similarity-based) profiles were calculated. Simulated datasets were used to examine the robustness of diversity profiles to varying phylogenetic topology and community composition. Results Diversity profiles provided insights into microbial datasets that were not detectable with classical univariate diversity metrics. For all datasets analyzed, there were key distinctions between calculations that incorporated phylogenetic diversity as a measure of taxa similarity and naïve calculations. The profiles also provided information about the effects of rare species on diversity calculations. Additionally, diversity profiles were used to examine thousands of simulated microbial communities, showing that similarity-based and naïve diversity profiles only agreed approximately 50% of the time in their classification of which sample was most diverse. This is a strong argument for incorporating similarity information and calculating diversity with a range of emphases on rare and abundant species when quantifying microbial community diversity. Conclusions For many datasets, diversity profiles provided a different view of microbial community diversity compared to analyses that did not take into account taxa similarity information, effective diversity, or multiple diversity metrics. These findings are a valuable contribution to data analysis methodology in microbial ecology. PMID:24238386

Puget Sound Dissolved Oxygen Modeling Study: Development of an Intermediate Scale Water Quality Model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khangaonkar, Tarang; Sackmann, Brandon S.; Long, Wen

2012-10-01

The Salish Sea, including Puget Sound, is a large estuarine system bounded by over seven thousand miles of complex shorelines, consists of several subbasins and many large inlets with distinct properties of their own. Pacific Ocean water enters Puget Sound through the Strait of Juan de Fuca at depth over the Admiralty Inlet sill. Ocean water mixed with freshwater discharges from runoff, rivers, and wastewater outfalls exits Puget Sound through the brackish surface outflow layer. Nutrient pollution is considered one of the largest threats to Puget Sound. There is considerable interest in understanding the effect of nutrient loads on themore » water quality and ecological health of Puget Sound in particular and the Salish Sea as a whole. The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) contracted with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to develop a coupled hydrodynamic and water quality model. The water quality model simulates algae growth, dissolved oxygen, (DO) and nutrient dynamics in Puget Sound to inform potential Puget Sound-wide nutrient management strategies. Specifically, the project is expected to help determine 1) if current and potential future nitrogen loadings from point and non-point sources are significantly impairing water quality at a large scale and 2) what level of nutrient reductions are necessary to reduce or control human impacts to DO levels in the sensitive areas. The project did not include any additional data collection but instead relied on currently available information. This report describes model development effort conducted during the period 2009 to 2012 under a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cooperative agreement with PNNL, Ecology, and the University of Washington awarded under the National Estuary Program« less

Environmental offsets, resilience and cost-effective conservation

PubMed Central

Little, L. R.; Grafton, R. Q.

2015-01-01

Conservation management agencies are faced with acute trade-offs when dealing with disturbance from human activities. We show how agencies can respond to permanent ecosystem disruption by managing for Pimm resilience within a conservation budget using a model calibrated to a metapopulation of a coral reef fish species at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. The application is of general interest because it provides a method to manage species susceptible to negative environmental disturbances by optimizing between the number and quality of migration connections in a spatially distributed metapopulation. Given ecological equivalency between the number and quality of migration connections in terms of time to recover from disturbance, our approach allows conservation managers to promote ecological function, under budgetary constraints, by offsetting permanent damage to one ecological function with investment in another. PMID:26587260

Examining Projected Changes in Weather & Air Quality Extremes Between 2000 & 2030 using Dynamical Downscaling

EPA Science Inventory

Climate change may alter regional weather extremes resulting in a range of environmental impacts including changes in air quality, water quality and availability, energy demands, agriculture, and ecology. Dynamical downscaling simulations were conducted with the Weather Research...

Interspecies Correlation Estimation - Applications in Water Quality Criteria and Ecological Risk Assessment

EPA Science Inventory

Water quality criteria (WQC) designate the maximum concentrations of water-borne toxicants that do not adversely affect specific protection goals under certain natural conditions. As the foundation of water quality standards, WQC provide a critical scientific basis for environmen...

SASS Applied to Optimum Work Roll Profile Selection in the Hot Rolling of Wide Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nolle, Lars

The quality of steel strip produced in a wide strip rolling mill depends heavily on the careful selection of initial ground work roll profiles for each of the mill stands in the finishing train. In the past, these profiles were determined by human experts, based on their knowledge and experience. In previous work, the profiles were successfully optimised using a self-organising migration algorithm (SOMA). In this research, SASS, a novel heuristic optimisation algorithm that has only one control parameter, has been used to find the optimum profiles for a simulated rolling mill. The resulting strip quality produced using the profiles found by SASS is compared with results from previous work and the quality produced using the original profile specifications. The best set of profiles found by SASS clearly outperformed the original set and performed equally well as SOMA without the need of finding a suitable set of control parameters.

Quality Control of Wind Data from 50-MHz Doppler Radar Wind Profiler

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vacek, Austin

2016-01-01

Upper-level wind profiles obtained from a 50-MHz Doppler Radar Wind Profiler (DRWP) instrument at Kennedy Space Center are incorporated in space launch vehicle design and day-of-launch operations to assess wind effects on the vehicle during ascent. Automated and manual quality control (QC) techniques are implemented to remove spurious data in the upper-level wind profiles caused from atmospheric and non-atmospheric artifacts over the 2010-2012 period of record (POR). By adding the new quality controlled profiles with older profiles from 1997-2009, a robust database will be constructed of upper-level wind characteristics. Statistical analysis will determine the maximum, minimum, and 95th percentile of the wind components from the DRWP profiles over recent POR and compare against the older database. Additionally, this study identifies specific QC flags triggered during the QC process to understand how much data is retained and removed from the profiles.

Quality Control of Wind Data from 50-MHz Doppler Radar Wind Profiler

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vacek, Austin

2015-01-01

Upper-level wind profiles obtained from a 50-MHz Doppler Radar Wind Profiler (DRWP) instrument at Kennedy Space Center are incorporated in space launch vehicle design and day-of-launch operations to assess wind effects on the vehicle during ascent. Automated and manual quality control (QC) techniques are implemented to remove spurious data in the upper-level wind profiles caused from atmospheric and non-atmospheric artifacts over the 2010-2012 period of record (POR). By adding the new quality controlled profiles with older profiles from 1997-2009, a robust database will be constructed of upper-level wind characteristics. Statistical analysis will determine the maximum, minimum, and 95th percentile of the wind components from the DRWP profiles over recent POR and compare against the older database. Additionally, this study identifies specific QC flags triggered during the QC process to understand how much data is retained and removed from the profiles.

District of Columbia Going for the Gold Tiered Rate Reimbursement System. QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of District of Columbia's Going for the Gold Tiered Rate Reimbursement Systemp repared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for…

A New Quality Control Method base on IRMCD for Wind Profiler Observation towards Future Assimilation Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Min; Zhang, Yu

2017-04-01

A wind profiler network with a total of 65 profiling radars was operated by the MOC/CMA in China until July 2015. In this study, a quality control procedure is constructed to incorporate the profiler data from the wind-profiling network into the local data assimilation and forecasting system (BJRUC). The procedure applies a blacklisting check that removes stations with gross errors and an outlier check that rejects data with large deviations from the background. Instead of the bi-weighting method, which has been commonly implemented in outlier elimination for one-dimensional scalar observations, an outlier elimination method is developed based on the iterated reweighted minimum covariance determinant (IRMCD) for multi-variate observations such as wind profiler data. A quality control experiment is separately performed for subsets containing profiler data tagged in parallel with/without rain flags at every 00UTC/12UTC from 20 June to 30 Sep 2015. From the results, we find that with the quality control, the frequency distributions of the differences between the observations and model background become more Gaussian-like and meet the requirements of a Gaussian distribution for data assimilation. Further intensive assessment for each quality control step reveals that the stations rejected by blacklisting contain poor data quality, and the IRMCD rejects outliers in a robust and physically reasonable manner.

[Assessment system for watershed ecological health in the United States: development and application].

PubMed

Zhang, Hua; Luo, Yong-Ming

2013-07-01

To meet the water quality goals of the Clean Water Act, the environmental agencies in the United States (U.S.) have developed a comprehensive ecological assessment system of watershed health in the last two decades. The system employs a watershed approach, and includes a large set of hydrological, chemical, and biological indices, having become an essential part of the watershed water quality management system in the U.S. and provided strong support for the protection of water environment and the restoration of aquatic system. In this paper, the development and application of the ecological assessment system of watershed health by the U.S. environmental regulators, especially the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), were overviewed from the aspects of related laws and regulations, ecosystem function analysis, ecological health indicators, comprehensive assessment system, and monitoring and data management systems, and the health assessment systems for the rivers, lakes, estuaries, coasts, and wetlands adopted by the National$t1-1-1 Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS) were introduced. Some suggestions for the future development of the scientific ecological assessment system of watershed health in China were put forward based on the understanding of the protection and remediation practices of our water environment.

Sight or Scent: Lemur Sensory Reliance in Detecting Food Quality Varies with Feeding Ecology

PubMed Central

Rushmore, Julie; Leonhardt, Sara D.; Drea, Christine M.

2012-01-01

Visual and olfactory cues provide important information to foragers, yet we know little about species differences in sensory reliance during food selection. In a series of experimental foraging studies, we examined the relative reliance on vision versus olfaction in three diurnal, primate species with diverse feeding ecologies, including folivorous Coquerel's sifakas (Propithecus coquereli), frugivorous ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata spp), and generalist ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta). We used animals with known color-vision status and foods for which different maturation stages (and hence quality) produce distinct visual and olfactory cues (the latter determined chemically). We first showed that lemurs preferentially selected high-quality foods over low-quality foods when visual and olfactory cues were simultaneously available for both food types. Next, using a novel apparatus in a series of discrimination trials, we either manipulated food quality (while holding sensory cues constant) or manipulated sensory cues (while holding food quality constant). Among our study subjects that showed relatively strong preferences for high-quality foods, folivores required both sensory cues combined to reliably identify their preferred foods, whereas generalists could identify their preferred foods using either cue alone, and frugivores could identify their preferred foods using olfactory, but not visual, cues alone. Moreover, when only high-quality foods were available, folivores and generalists used visual rather than olfactory cues to select food, whereas frugivores used both cue types equally. Lastly, individuals in all three of the study species predominantly relied on sight when choosing between low-quality foods, but species differed in the strength of their sensory biases. Our results generally emphasize visual over olfactory reliance in foraging lemurs, but we suggest that the relative sensory reliance of animals may vary with their feeding ecology. PMID:22870229

CASTNET

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET) is a national air quality monitoring network designed to provide data to assess trends in air quality, atmospheric deposition, and ecological effects due to changes in air pollutant emissions.

Freshwater Ecosystem Research in Water Quality Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferris, James J.; And Others

1974-01-01

Describes the use of modeling techniques to contribute to the basic knowledge of ecologic science, and in solving problems of biological production, resource-use planning and management, and environmental quality. (JR)

Evaluating the Economic and Social Benefits of Nutrient Reductions in Coastal New England Waters

EPA Science Inventory

New England’s coastal social-ecological systems are subject to chronic environmental problems, including water quality degradation. Researchers at EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) Atlantic Ecology Division (AED) are piloting an effort to further understand how reduc...

HUMAN AND ECOLOIGCAL RISK: CORRELATIONS AMONG HUMAN HEALTH, ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIORNMENTAL MONITORING DATA

EPA Science Inventory

While all life is affected by the quality of the environment, environmental risk factors for human and wildlife health are typically assessed using independent processes that are dissimilar in scale and scope. However, the integrated analysis of human, ecological, and environmen...

Dimensions of Parenting in Families Having Children with Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradley, Robert H.; And Others

1991-01-01

This study examined relationships between parenting, severity of disability, and 5 aspects of family ecology for 83 preschool and 69 elementary school children with disabilities. Family ecology variables included socioeconomic status, coping styles, social support, stressful life events, and marital quality. Results showed positive correlations…

ECOLOGICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY: A MEANS TO SAFEGUARD SERVICES OF NATURE THAT SUSTAIN HUMAN WELFARE

EPA Science Inventory

The services provided by nature are required to sustain human life and enhance its quality. Hence, environmental security must come from protecting those services. Ecological risk assessment can predict and estimate effects of proposed actions, but it is insufficient alone for ...

Measuring the Multifaceted Nature of Infant and Toddler Care Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mangione, Peter L.; Kriener-Althen, Kerry; Marcella, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Research Findings: The quality of group care infants and toddlers experience relates to their concurrent and later development. Recent quality improvement initiatives point to the need for ecologically valid measures that assess the multifaceted nature of child care quality. In this article, we present the psychometric properties of an infant and…

Wet process shotcrete: An ecological and economical quality product for the future

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bracher, G.

1995-12-31

Shotcrete is an essential component of modern tunnelling and its importance is continuously growing. In order to comply with this role, the demands made on quality and economy have increased considerably. The wet process Shotcrete has been established on all the major job sites in Switzerland. Regarding the technical and ecological aspects, the introduction of an alkali free non-toxic accelerator has set up a new standard. Enormous high early strengths in combination with strength gains compared to the reference concrete can be achieved.

OXYGEN REGIMES IN ESTUARIES: IMAGING ANOXIA THROUGH NORMOXIA

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. EPA, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Atlantic Ecology Division, is developing empirical stressor-response models linking nitrogen loading to near-bottom dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in semi-enclosed coastal systems. Sediment profil...

Ecology of red maple swamps in the glaciated northeast: A community profile

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Golet, F.C.; Calhoun, A.J.K.; DeRagon, W.R.

1993-06-01

In many areas of the glaciated northeastern United States, forested wetlands dominated by red maple (Acer rubrum) cover more of the landscape than all other nontidal wetland types combined. Yet surprisingly little of their ecology, functions, or social significance has been documented. Bogs, salt marshes, Atlantic white cedar swamps, and other less common types of wetlands have received considerable attention from scientists, but, except for botanical surveys, red maple swamps have been largely ignored. The report conveys what is known about these common wetlands and identifies topics most in need of investigation. Red maple swamps are so abundant and somore » widely distributed in the Northeast that their physical, chemical, and biological properties range widely as well, and their values to society are diverse. The central focus of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service community profile series is the plant and animal communities of wetlands and deepwater habitats.« less

Ecological Functions of Off-Channel Habitats of the Willamette River, Oregon, Database and Documentation (1997-2001)

EPA Science Inventory

The database from the Ecological Functions of Off-Channel Habitats of the Willamette River, Oregon project (OCH Project) contains data collected from 1997 through 2001 from multiple research areas of the project, and project documents such as the OCH Research Plan, Quality Assura...

The Ecology of Family Day Care.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kontos, Susan

1994-01-01

Examined interrelationships of family, child care, and children in the family day-care system to portray the ecology of family day care. Found that families did not choose caregivers who resembled themselves in terms of socioeconomic status, childrearing preferences, and stress. Family day-care quality was associated with conditions of caregiving…

An Integrated Ecological Modeling System for Assessing Impacts of Multiple Stressors on Stream and Riverine Ecosystem Services Within River Basins

EPA Science Inventory

We demonstrate a novel, spatially explicit assessment of the current condition of aquatic ecosystem services, with limited sensitivity analysis for the atmospheric contaminant mercury. The Integrated Ecological Modeling System (IEMS) forecasts water quality and quantity, habitat ...

Surprises and insights from long-term aquatic datasets and experiments

Treesearch

Walter K. Dodds; Christopher T. Robinson; Evelyn E. Gaiser; Gretchen J.A. Hansen; Heather Powell; Joseph M. Smith; Nathaniel B. Morse; Sherri L. Johnson; Stanley V. Gregory; Tisza Bell; Timothy K. Kratz; William H. McDowell

2012-01-01

Long-term research on freshwater ecosystems provides insights that can be difficult to obtain from other approaches. Widespread monitoring of ecologically relevant water-quality parameters spanning decades can facilitate important tests of ecological principles. Unique long-term data sets and analytical tools are increasingly available, allowing for powerful and...

Supercharged Snails for Stream Ecology & Water-Quality Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Arthur J.; Ryon, Michael G.

2003-01-01

Gill-breathing freshwater snails (Family "Pleuroceridae") are ecologically important, abundant in many streams in the United States, and easy to collect and maintain under classroom conditions. These snails can be used in classroom tests to demonstrate effects of pollutants on aquatic organisms. In more advanced classes, students can cage the…

Ecological Development and Validation of a Music Performance Rating Scale for Five Instrument Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wrigley, William J.; Emmerson, Stephen B.

2013-01-01

This study investigated ways to improve the quality of music performance evaluation in an effort to address the accountability imperative in tertiary music education. An enhanced scientific methodology was employed incorporating ecological validity and using recognized qualitative methods involving grounded theory and quantitative methods…

Preliminary Ecological Risk Assessment for Nitrogen at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipboard

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-12-01

Under authority of J. G. Grovhoug, Head R. H. Moore, Head Marine Environmental Quality Branch Environmental Science Division P I I I I I I I I PS I i... Environmental Science estuaries nitrogen Dissolved Concentration Potential eutrophication Particle Retention Efficiency Ecological Risk Assessment 16

January 1998 Volume II 1996 Field Investigation Report Ecological Risk Assessment of the Marsh Area of the LCP Chemical Site in Brunswick, Georgia

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Volume II contains the data tables and quality assurance review summaries cited in Volume I of the Ecological Risk Assessment for the Marsh (Estuarine) Operable Unit of the LCP Chemicals Site in Brunswick, Georgia.

USING LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY AND PARTIAL LEAST SQUARES PREDICTIONS TO MAP WATERSHEDS THAT ARE VULNERABLE TO NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development have mapped and interpreted landscape-scale (i.e., broad scale) ecological metrics among watersheds in the upper White River watershed, producing the first geospatial models of water quality vulnerabili...

[Construction and evaluation of ecological network in Poyang Lake Eco-economic Zone, China.

PubMed

Chen, Xiao Ping; Chen, Wen Bo

2016-05-01

Large-scale ecological patches play an important role in regional biodiversity conservation. However, with the rapid progress of China's urbanization, human disturbance on the environment is becoming stronger. Large-scale ecological patches will degrade not only in quantity, but also in quality, threatening the connections among them due to isolation and seriously affecting the biodiversity protection. Taking Poyang Lake Eco-economic Zone as a case, this paper established the potential ecological corridors by minimum cost model and GIS technique taking the impacts of landscape types, slope and human disturbance into consideration. Then, based on gravity quantitative model, we analyzed the intensity of ecological interactions between patches, and the potential ecological corridors were divided into two classes for sake of protection. Finally, the important ecological nodes and breaking points were identified, and the structure of the potential ecological network was analyzed. The results showed that forest and cropland were the main landscape types of ecological corridor composition, interaction between ecological patches differed obviously and the structure of the composed regional ecological network was complex with high connectivity and closure. It might provide a scientific basis for the protection of biodiversity and ecological network optimization in Poyang Lake Eco-economic Zone.

World Ocean Database and the Global Temperature and Salinity Profile Program Database: Synthesis of historical and near real-time ocean profile data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyer, T.; Sun, L.; Locarnini, R. A.; Mishonov, A. V.; Hall, N.; Ouellet, M.

2016-02-01

The World Ocean Database (WOD) contains systematically quality controlled historical and recent ocean profile data (temperature, salinity, oxygen, nutrients, carbon cycle variables, biological variables) ranging from Captain Cooks second voyage (1773) to this year's Argo floats. The US National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) also hosts the Global Temperature and Salinity Profile Program (GTSPP) Continuously Managed Database (CMD) which provides quality controlled near-real time ocean profile data and higher level quality controlled temperature and salinity profiles from 1990 to present. Both databases are used extensively for ocean and climate studies. Synchronization of these two databases will allow easier access and use of comprehensive regional and global ocean profile data sets for ocean and climate studies. Synchronizing consists of two distinct phases: 1) a retrospective comparison of data in WOD and GTSPP to ensure that the most comprehensive and highest quality data set is available to researchers without the need to individually combine and contrast the two datasets and 2) web services to allow the constantly accruing near-real time data in the GTSPP CMD and the continuous addition and quality control of historical data in WOD to be made available to researchers together, seamlessly.

Information analysis of a spatial database for ecological land classification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Frank W.; Dozier, Jeff

1990-01-01

An ecological land classification was developed for a complex region in southern California using geographic information system techniques of map overlay and contingency table analysis. Land classes were identified by mutual information analysis of vegetation pattern in relation to other mapped environmental variables. The analysis was weakened by map errors, especially errors in the digital elevation data. Nevertheless, the resulting land classification was ecologically reasonable and performed well when tested with higher quality data from the region.

Impacts of human-induced environmental change in wetlands on aquatic animals.

PubMed

Sievers, Michael; Hale, Robin; Parris, Kirsten M; Swearer, Stephen E

2018-02-01

Many wetlands harbour highly diverse biological communities and provide extensive ecosystem services; however, these important ecological features are being altered, degraded and destroyed around the world. Despite a wealth of research on how animals respond to anthropogenic changes to natural wetlands and how they use created wetlands, we lack a broad synthesis of these data. While some altered wetlands may provide vital habitat, others could pose a considerable risk to wildlife. This risk will be heightened if such wetlands are ecological traps - preferred habitats that confer lower fitness than another available habitat. Wetlands functioning as ecological traps could decrease both local and regional population persistence, and ultimately lead to extinctions. Most studies have examined how animals respond to changes in environmental conditions by measuring responses at the community and population levels, but studying ecological traps requires information on fitness and habitat preferences. Our current lack of knowledge of individual-level responses may therefore limit our capacity to manage wetland ecosystems effectively since ecological traps require different management practices to mitigate potential consequences. We conducted a global meta-analysis to characterise how animals respond to four key drivers of wetland alteration: agriculture, mining, restoration and urbanisation. Our overarching goal was to evaluate the ecological impacts of human alterations to wetland ecosystems, as well as identify current knowledge gaps that limit both the current understanding of these responses and effective wetland management. We extracted 1799 taxon-specific response ratios from 271 studies across 29 countries. Community- (e.g. richness) and population-level (e.g. density) measures within altered wetlands were largely comparable to those within reference wetlands. By contrast, individual fitness measures (e.g. survival) were often lower, highlighting the potential limitations of using only community- and population-level measures to assess habitat quality. Only four studies provided habitat-preference data, preventing investigation of the potential for altered wetlands to function as ecological traps. This is concerning because attempts to identify ecological traps may detect previously unidentified conservation risks. Although there was considerable variability amongst taxa, amphibians were typically the most sensitive taxon, and thus, may be a valuable bio-indicator of wetland quality. Despite suffering reduced survival and reproduction, measures such as time to and mass at metamorphosis were similar between altered and reference wetlands, suggesting that quantifying metamorphosis-related measures in isolation may not provide accurate information on habitat quality. Our review provides the most detailed evaluation to date of the ecological impacts of human alterations to wetland ecosystems. We emphasise that the role of wetlands in human-altered ecosystems can be complex, as they may represent important habitat but also pose potential risks to animals. Reduced availability of natural wetlands is increasing the importance of altered wetlands for aquatic animals. Consequently, we need to define what represents habitat quality from the perspective of animals, and gain a greater understanding of the underlying mechanisms of habitat selection and how these factors could be manipulated. Furthermore, strategies to enhance the quality of these wetlands should be implemented to maximise their conservation potential. © 2017 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Herbivory and body size: allometries of diet quality and gastrointestinal physiology, and implications for herbivore ecology and dinosaur gigantism.

PubMed

Clauss, Marcus; Steuer, Patrick; Müller, Dennis W H; Codron, Daryl; Hummel, Jürgen

2013-01-01

Digestive physiology has played a prominent role in explanations for terrestrial herbivore body size evolution and size-driven diversification and niche differentiation. This is based on the association of increasing body mass (BM) with diets of lower quality, and with putative mechanisms by which a higher BM could translate into a higher digestive efficiency. Such concepts, however, often do not match empirical data. Here, we review concepts and data on terrestrial herbivore BM, diet quality, digestive physiology and metabolism, and in doing so give examples for problems in using allometric analyses and extrapolations. A digestive advantage of larger BM is not corroborated by conceptual or empirical approaches. We suggest that explanatory models should shift from physiological to ecological scenarios based on the association of forage quality and biomass availability, and the association between BM and feeding selectivity. These associations mostly (but not exclusively) allow large herbivores to use low quality forage only, whereas they allow small herbivores the use of any forage they can physically manage. Examples of small herbivores able to subsist on lower quality diets are rare but exist. We speculate that this could be explained by evolutionary adaptations to the ecological opportunity of selective feeding in smaller animals, rather than by a physiologic or metabolic necessity linked to BM. For gigantic herbivores such as sauropod dinosaurs, other factors than digestive physiology appear more promising candidates to explain evolutionary drives towards extreme BM.

Herbivory and Body Size: Allometries of Diet Quality and Gastrointestinal Physiology, and Implications for Herbivore Ecology and Dinosaur Gigantism

PubMed Central

Clauss, Marcus; Steuer, Patrick; Müller, Dennis W. H.; Codron, Daryl; Hummel, Jürgen

2013-01-01

Digestive physiology has played a prominent role in explanations for terrestrial herbivore body size evolution and size-driven diversification and niche differentiation. This is based on the association of increasing body mass (BM) with diets of lower quality, and with putative mechanisms by which a higher BM could translate into a higher digestive efficiency. Such concepts, however, often do not match empirical data. Here, we review concepts and data on terrestrial herbivore BM, diet quality, digestive physiology and metabolism, and in doing so give examples for problems in using allometric analyses and extrapolations. A digestive advantage of larger BM is not corroborated by conceptual or empirical approaches. We suggest that explanatory models should shift from physiological to ecological scenarios based on the association of forage quality and biomass availability, and the association between BM and feeding selectivity. These associations mostly (but not exclusively) allow large herbivores to use low quality forage only, whereas they allow small herbivores the use of any forage they can physically manage. Examples of small herbivores able to subsist on lower quality diets are rare but exist. We speculate that this could be explained by evolutionary adaptations to the ecological opportunity of selective feeding in smaller animals, rather than by a physiologic or metabolic necessity linked to BM. For gigantic herbivores such as sauropod dinosaurs, other factors than digestive physiology appear more promising candidates to explain evolutionary drives towards extreme BM. PMID:24204552

Assessing the Effects of Grassland Management on Forage Production and Environmental Quality to Identify Paths to Ecological Intensification in Mountain Grasslands.

PubMed

Loucougaray, Grégory; Dobremez, Laurent; Gos, Pierre; Pauthenet, Yves; Nettier, Baptiste; Lavorel, Sandra

2015-11-01

Ecological intensification in grasslands can be regarded as a process for increasing forage production while maintaining high levels of ecosystem functions and biodiversity. In the mountain Vercors massif, where dairy cattle farming is the main component of agriculture, how to achieve forage autonomy at farm level while sustaining environmental quality for tourism and local dairy products has recently stimulated local debate. As specific management is one of the main drivers of ecosystem functioning, we assessed the response of forage production and environmental quality at grassland scale across a wide range of management practices. We aimed to determine which components of management can be harnessed to better match forage production and environmental quality. We sampled the vegetation of 51 grasslands stratified across 13 grassland types. We assessed each grassland for agronomic and environmental properties, measuring forage production, forage quality, and indices based on the abundance of particular plant species such as timing flexibility, apiarian potential, and aromatic plants. Our results revealed an expected trade-off between forage production and environmental quality, notably by stressing the contrasts between sown and permanent grasslands. However, strong within-type variability in both production and environmental quality as well as in flexibility of timing of use suggests possible ways to improve this trade-off at grassland and farm scales. As achieving forage autonomy relies on increasing both forage production and grassland resilience, our results highlight the critical role of the ratio between sown and permanent grasslands as a major path for ecological intensification in mountain grasslands.

The occurrence and potential ecological risk assessment of bauxite mine-impacted water and sediments in Kuantan, Pahang,Malaysia.

PubMed

Kusin, Faradiella Mohd; Rahman, Muhammad Syazwan Abd; Madzin, Zafira; Jusop, Shamshuddin; Mohamat-Yusuff, Ferdaus; Ariffin, Mariani; Z, Mohd Syakirin Md

2017-01-01

Recent bauxite mining activities in the vicinity of Kuantan, Pahang, have been associated with apparent environmental quality degradation and have raised environmental concerns among the public. This study was carried out to evaluate the overall ecological impacts on water and sediment quality from the bauxite mining activities. Water and sediment samples were collected at seven sampling locations within the bauxite mining areas between June and December 2015. The water samples were analyzed for water quality index (WQI) and distribution of major and trace element geochemistry. Sediment samples were evaluated based on geochemical indices, i.e., the enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (I geo ). Potential ecological risk index was estimated to assess the degree to which sediments of the mine-impacted areas have been contaminated with heavy metals. The results showed that WQIs of some locations were classified as slightly polluted and contained metal contents exceeding the recommended guideline values. The EFs indicated minimal to moderate enrichment of metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, Mn, As, Cd, Cr, Ni, Co, and Sr) in the sediments. I geo showed slightly to partially polluted sediments with respect to As at some locations. The potential ecological risk index (RI) showed that As posed the highest potential ecological risk with RI of 52.35-60.92 at two locations, while other locations indicated low risk. The findings from this study have demonstrated the impact of recent bauxite mining activities, which might be of importance to the local communities and relevant authorities to initiate immediate rehabilitation phase of the impacted area.

Ecological risk assessment of nonylphenol in coastal waters of China based on species sensitivity distribution model.

PubMed

Gao, Pei; Li, Zhengyan; Gibson, Mark; Gao, Huiwang

2014-06-01

Nonylphenol (NP) is an endocrine disruptor and causes feminization and carcinogenesis in various organisms. Consequently, the environmental distribution and ecological risks of NP have received wide concern. China accounts for approximately 10% of the total NP usage in the world, but the water quality criteria of NP have not been established in China and the ecological risks of this pollutant cannot be properly assessed. This study thus aims to determine the predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) of NP and to assess the ecological risks of NP in coastal waters of China with the PNEC as water quality criteria. To obtain the HC5 (hazardous concentration for 5% of biological species) and PNEC estimates, the species sensitivity distributions (SSDs) models were built with chronic toxicity data of NP on aquatic organisms screened from the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) ECOTOX database. The results showed that the PNEC for NP in freshwater and seawater was 0.48 μg L(-1) and 0.28 μg L(-1), respectively. The RQ (risk quotient) values of NP in coastal waters of China ranged from 0.01 to 69.7. About 60% of the reported areas showed a high ecological risk with an RQ value ≥ 1.00. NP therefore exists ubiquitously in coastal waters of China and it poses various risks to aquatic ecosystems in the country. This study demonstrates that the SSD methodology can provide a feasible tool for the establishment of water quality criteria for emergent new pollutants when sufficient toxicity data is available. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Complex Behavior of Contaminant Flux and the Ecology of the Lower Mississippi River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barton, C. C.; Manheim, F. T.; De Cola, L.; Bollinger, J. E.; Jenkins, J. A.

2001-12-01

This presentation is an overview of a collaborative NSF/USGS/Tulane funded multi-scale study of the Lower Mississippi River system. The study examines the system in three major dimensional realms: space, time, and complexity (systems and their hierarchies). Researchers at Tulane University and the U.S. Geological Survey have initiated a collaborative effort to undertake the study of interacting elements which directly or indirectly affect the water quality, ecology and physical condition of the Mississippi River. These researchers include experts in the fields of water quality chemistry, geochemistry, hydrologic modeling, bioengineering, biology, fish ecology, statistics, complexity analysis, epidemiology, and computer science. Underlying this research are large databases that permit quantitative analysis of the system over the past 40 years. Results to date show that the variation in discharge and the contaminant flux scale independently both exhibit fractal scaling, the signature geometry of nonlinear dynamical and complex systems. Public perception is that the Lower Mississippi River is a health hazard, but for the past decade, traditional water quality measurements show that contaminants are within current regulatory guidelines for human consumption. This difference between public perception and scientific reality represents a complex scientific and social issue. The connections and feedback within the ecological system and the Mississippi River are few because engineering structures isolate the lower Mississippi River from its surroundings. Investigation of the connections and feedback between human health and the ecological health of the River and the surrounding region as well as perceptions of these states of health - holds promise for explaining epidemiological patterns of human disease.

The roles of physical habitat in reproduction and survival of pallid sturgeon and shovelnose sturgeon in the Lower Missouri River, progress 2005–06: Chapter D in Factors affecting the reproduction, recruitment, habitat, and population dynamics of pallid sturgeon and shovelnose sturgeon in the Missouri River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jacobson, Robert B.; Johnson, Harold E.; Reuter, Joanna M.; Elliott, Caroline M.

2007-01-01

This report documents progress on three related components of habitat assessments in the Lower Missouri River during 2005–06. The habitat-use component links this research directly to sturgeon ecology research described in other chapters. The habitat availability and habitat dynamics assessments provide physical context for the ecological research. Results from 2005 to 2006 indicate that the methods developed to assess habitat use, quality, quantity, and dynamics are appropriate and sufficiently accurate to address critical questions about sturgeon habitat on the Lower Missouri River. Preliminary analysis of habitats occupied by adult female shovelnose sturgeon indicates that migrating sturgeon do not select for depth but seem to select for lower than reach-averaged velocities and higher than reach-averaged velocity gradients. Data collected to compile, calibrate, and validate multidimensional hydraulic models in probable spawning reaches appear to be sufficient to support the modeling objectives. Monitoring of selected channel cross sections and long profiles multiple times during the year showed little change at the upstreammost reach over the range of flows measured during 2006, likely because of channel stability associated with an armored bed. Geomorphic changes documented at monitoring cross sections increased with distance downstream. Hydroacoustic substrate-class parameters documented systematic changes with discharge and with hydraulic environment across the channel. Similarly, bed velocity varied predictably with discharge and hydraulic environment, indicating its potential as an indicator of bedload sediment transport. Longitudinal profiles showed substantial downstream movement of dunes over the monitored discharges, as well as substantial within-year variability in dune size. Observations of geomorphic change during the moderate flow range of 2006 support the hypothesis that the magnitude of flow modifications under consideration on the Lower Missouri River will be sufficient to transport sediment and potentially modify spawning habitats.

Modeling the ecological trap hypothesis: a habitat and demographic analysis for migrant songbirds

Treesearch

Therese M. Donovan; Frank R, III Thompson

2001-01-01

Most species occupy both high- and low-quality habitats throughout their ranges. As habitats become modified through anthropogenic change, low-quality habitat may become a more dominant component of the landscape for some species. To conserve species, information on how to assess habitat quality and guidelines for maintaining or eliminating low-quality habitats are...

Head Start Program Quality: Examination of Classroom Quality and Parent Involvement in Predicting Children's Vocabulary, Literacy, and Mathematics Achievement Trajectories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wen, Xiaoli; Bulotsky-Shearer, Rebecca J.; Hahs-Vaughn, Debbie L.; Korfmacher, Jon

2012-01-01

Guided by a developmental-ecological framework and Head Start's two-generational approach, this study examined two dimensions of Head Start program quality, classroom quality and parent involvement and their unique and interactive contribution to children's vocabulary, literacy, and mathematics skills growth from the beginning of Head Start…

Configurations of Adolescents' Peer Experiences: Associations With Parent-Child Relationship Quality and Parental Problem Behavior.

PubMed

Kretschmer, Tina; Sentse, Miranda; Meeus, Wim; Verhulst, Frank C; Veenstra, René; Oldehinkel, Albertine J

2016-09-01

Adolescents' peer experiences embrace behavior, relationship quality, status, and victimization, but studies that account for multiple dimensions are rare. Using latent profile modeling and measures of peer behavior, relationship quality, peer status, and victimization assessed from 1,677 adolescents, four profiles were identified: High Quality, Low Quality, Low Quality Victimized, and Deviant Peers. Multinomial logistic regressions showed that negative parent-child relationships in preadolescence reduced the likelihood of High Quality peer relations in mid-adolescence but only partly differentiated between the other three profiles. Moderation by gender was partly found with girls showing greater sensitivity to parent-child relationship quality with respect to peer experiences. Results underline the multifaceted nature of peer experiences, and practical and theoretical implications are discussed. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Research on Adolescence © 2015 Society for Research on Adolescence.

78 FR 69460 - Proposed License Renewal of the Prairie Island Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-19

...; climatology, meteorology and air quality; geology and soils; water resources; ecology and threatened and... significantly affect the quality of the human environment. No significant changes in NSPM's authorized...

Quality Education: Cultural Competence and a Sustainability Worldview

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nolet, Victor

2017-01-01

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals tie together equity, justice, and a more inclusive society with ecological sustainability. This article offers teaching strategies for integrating the goal of quality education for sustainability and multicultural education.

Study on the influence on water ecosystem by a lake inflow filtration system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Sushu; Gao, Shipei; Hu, Xiaodong; Weng, Songgan; Guo, Liuchao

2018-06-01

Lakes play important roles in the economic-social sustainable development. However, due to unreasonable development and urbanization in recent years, lake water pollution and ecological degradation have occurred in China. The improvement of the lake inflow water quality is very important. A filtration system includes Gravel filtering system, Aquatic plant area and Ecological bag area was established. The test river is one of the typical lake inflow river and located in the river network in the Chang Dang lake, China. Water quality, zooplankton and phytoplankton in the inflow river were observed form July to mid-August in order to analyze the general process. The average removal rate of NH3-N (ammonia nitrogen) TN (total nitrogen) and TP (total phosphorus) is 28.33, 25.76 and 24.43 %, respectively. The Pantle-Buck method was used to evaluate the water quality and the B/T index was used to evaluate the nutrition situation. The B/T values were reduced by 20 % and the SI pollution index was reduced by 11.8 %. Therefore, a positive effect on the water's ecological restoration was achieved by the filtration system.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF AMOMUM VILLOSUM: A SYSTEMATIC INVESTIGATION ON THREE DIFFERENT PRODUCTION MODES.

PubMed

Lai, Yun-Feng; Chen, Ling-Xiao; Chen, Yu-Ning; Zhao, Jing; Leong, Fong; Li, Xi-Wen; Yang, Qing; Li, Peng; Hu, Hao

2016-01-01

Amomum Villosum (A. Villosum ), called Chunsharen in Chinese, is widely used in treating gastrointestinal disease. Its clinical benefits have been confirmed by both in vitro and in vivo studies. Facing the shortage of wild A. Villosum , artificial cultivating and natural fostering have been practiced in recent years. Therefore, it would be wondered whether the three different types of A. Villosum are comparable or not, particularly the herbal qualities, technological challenges, ecological impacts and economic benefits. In this study, we combined quality research by using GC-MS, and field investigation to provide a systematic assessment about the three types of A. Villosum from these four aspects. It found that the wild type had low output and was in an endangered situation. The artificial cultivation had larger agriculturing area with higher productivity, but faced the ecological challenges. Lastly, the natural fostering type generated the highest economic benefit and relatively low ecological impact. In addition, the natural fostering type had relatively better quality than the other types. Therefore, it suggests that natural fostering can be applied for long-term sustainable development of A. Villosum .

Water Quality Indicators Guide [and Teacher's Handbook]: Surface Waters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terrell, Charles R.; Perfetti, Patricia Bytnar

This guide aids in finding water quality solutions to problems from sediment, animal wastes, nutrients, pesticides, and salts. The guide allows users to learn the fundamental concepts of water quality assessment by extracting basic tenets from geology, hydrology, biology, ecology, and wastewater treatment. An introduction and eight chapters are…

Measuring Environmental Quality in the Southern Appalachian Mountains

Treesearch

Linwood Pendleton; Brent Sohngen; Robert Mendelsohn; Thomas Holmes

1998-01-01

This study presents a method for valuing recreational environmental quality in the forests of the southeastern United States. The paper offers a method for choosing, measuring, and valuing forest attributes. Surveys and popular recreation literature are used to identify forest attributes that contribute to recreational quality. Standard ecological techniques are...

75 FR 4810 - Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of EPA Comments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-29

..., City and County Denver, CO. Summary: EPA expressed environmental concern about air quality impacts. EPA... TMDL preparation in the watershed of the water quality impaired Fisher River. Rating EC2. EIS No... impacts to water quality, aquatic habitat, aquatic ecological functions, and recommended additional...

INCORPORATING WETLANDS IN WATER QUALITY TRADING PROGRAMS: ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Water quality trading has grown in popularity and scope in recent years owing to its potential as a flexible low cost way to achieve water quality goals, especially nutrient removal goals. Wetlands probide a variety of ecosystem services. They can sequester CO2, they can provide ...

Justification of system of assessment of ecological safety degree of housing construction objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kankhva, Vadim

2017-10-01

In article characteristics and properties of competitiveness of housing construction objects are investigated, criteria and points of national systems of ecological building’s standardization are structured, the compliance assessment form on stages of life cycle of a capital construction project is developed. The main indicators of level of ecological safety considering requirements of the international ISO standards 9000 and ISO 14000 and which are based on the basic principles of general quality management (TQM) are presented.

Pawcatuck River and Narragansett Bay Drainage Basins Water and Related Land Resources Study. Big River Reservoir Project. Volume I. Main Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-01

Bristol County Water Company Kent County Water Authority Audubon Society of Rhode Island Rhode Island League of Women Voters Ecology Action for Rhode Island...restoration, or improvement of the quality of certain natural and cultural resources and ecological systems. The NED objectives can be achieved by...achieved by the same project purposes, if properly applied. Flood control measures that include or allow preser- vation of ecologically valuable wetland

Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Pacific Southwest) California Sea Mussel and Bay Mussel

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-09-01

FishesS and Invertebrates (Pacific Southwest) CALIFORNIA SEA MUSSEL AND BAY MUSSEL Cn Coastal Ecology Group *Fish and Wildlife Service Waterways...September 1988 Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Pacific Southwest) CALIFORNIA SEA MUSSEL...AND BAY MUSSEL by William N. Shaw Fred Telonicher Marine Laboratory Humboldt State University Trinidad, CA 95570 Thomas J. Hassler U.S. Fish anu

IMNGS: A comprehensive open resource of processed 16S rRNA microbial profiles for ecology and diversity studies.

PubMed

Lagkouvardos, Ilias; Joseph, Divya; Kapfhammer, Martin; Giritli, Sabahattin; Horn, Matthias; Haller, Dirk; Clavel, Thomas

2016-09-23

The SRA (Sequence Read Archive) serves as primary depository for massive amounts of Next Generation Sequencing data, and currently host over 100,000 16S rRNA gene amplicon-based microbial profiles from various host habitats and environments. This number is increasing rapidly and there is a dire need for approaches to utilize this pool of knowledge. Here we created IMNGS (Integrated Microbial Next Generation Sequencing), an innovative platform that uniformly and systematically screens for and processes all prokaryotic 16S rRNA gene amplicon datasets available in SRA and uses them to build sample-specific sequence databases and OTU-based profiles. Via a web interface, this integrative sequence resource can easily be queried by users. We show examples of how the approach allows testing the ecological importance of specific microorganisms in different hosts or ecosystems, and performing targeted diversity studies for selected taxonomic groups. The platform also offers a complete workflow for de novo analysis of users' own raw 16S rRNA gene amplicon datasets for the sake of comparison with existing data. IMNGS can be accessed at www.imngs.org.

Using 2H and 18O in assessing evaporation and water residence time of lakes in EPA’s National Lakes Assessment.

EPA Science Inventory

Stable isotopes of water and organic material can be very useful in monitoring programs because stable isotopes integrate information about ecological processes and record this information. Most ecological processes of interest for water quality (i.e. denitrification) require si...

Using water quality to assess ecological condition in the St. Marys River and Huron-Erie Corridor

EPA Science Inventory

The St. Marys River and Huron-Erie-Corridor were assessed by EPA for the first time in 2014-2016 as part of the National Coastal Condition Assessment (NCCA). NCCA uses a probabilistic survey design to allow unbiased assessment of ecological condition across the entire Great Lakes...

ATRAZINE ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS ASSESSMENT FOR OPP LEVEL OF CONCERN AND OW WATER QUALITY CRITERION FOR AQUATIC LIFE

EPA Science Inventory

Atrazine is a relatively water-soluble and persistent herbicide that can reach concentrations of possible ecological concern for aquatic plants in vulnerable watersheds in regions with high agricultural usage of atrazine. As a consequence, the U.S. EPA Office of Water is current...

USING LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY AND PARTIAL LEAST SQUARES PREDICITIONS TO MAP WATERSHEDS THAT ARE VULNERABLE TO NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency¿s Office of Research and Development have mapped and interpreted landscape-scale (i.e., broad scale) ecological metrics among watersheds in the upper White River watershed, producing the first geospatial models of water quality vulnerabili...

Genetic interactions in the white pine/blister rust pathosystem

Treesearch

Bohun B. Kinloch Jr.

2000-01-01

The nine white pine species native to North America have very different ecological roles and values, which include high quality timber production, important watershed protection, keystone ecological species, and the oldest and some of the most picturesque trees on earth. All are highly susceptible to white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), and...

Effects of Ethnic Attributes on the Quality of Family Planning Services in Lima, Peru: A Randomized Crossover Trial

PubMed Central

Planas, Maria-Elena; García, Patricia J.; Bustelo, Monserrat; Carcamo, Cesar P.; Martinez, Sebastian; Nopo, Hugo; Rodriguez, Julio; Merino, Maria-Fernanda; Morrison, Andrew

2015-01-01

Most studies reporting ethnic disparities in the quality of healthcare come from developed countries and rely on observational methods. We conducted the first experimental study to evaluate whether health providers in Peru provide differential quality of care for family planning services, based on the indigenous or mestizo (mixed ethnoracial ancestry) profile of the patient. In a crossover randomized controlled trial conducted in 2012, a sample of 351 out of the 408 public health establishments in Metropolitan Lima, Peru were randomly assigned to receive unannounced simulated patients enacting indigenous and mestizo profiles (sequence-1) or mestizo and then indigenous profiles (sequence-2), with a five week wash-out period. Both ethnic profiles used the same scripted scenario for seeking contraceptive advice but had distinctive cultural attributes such as clothing, styling of hair, make-up, accessories, posture and patterns of movement and speech. Our primary outcome measure of quality of care is the proportion of technical tasks performed by providers, as established by Peruvian family planning clinical guidelines. Providers and data analysts were kept blinded to the allocation. We found a non-significant mean difference of -0·7% (p = 0·23) between ethnic profiles in the percentage of technical tasks performed by providers. However we report large deficiencies in the compliance with quality standards of care for both profiles. Differential provider behaviour based on the patient's ethnic profiles compared in the study did not contribute to deficiencies in family planning outcomes observed. The study highlights the need to explore other determinants for poor compliance with quality standards, including demand and supply side factors, and calls for interventions to improve the quality of care for family planning services in Metropolitan Lima. PMID:25671664

Effects of ethnic attributes on the quality of family planning services in Lima, Peru: a randomized crossover trial.

PubMed

Planas, Maria-Elena; García, Patricia J; Bustelo, Monserrat; Carcamo, Cesar P; Martinez, Sebastian; Nopo, Hugo; Rodriguez, Julio; Merino, Maria-Fernanda; Morrison, Andrew

2015-01-01

Most studies reporting ethnic disparities in the quality of healthcare come from developed countries and rely on observational methods. We conducted the first experimental study to evaluate whether health providers in Peru provide differential quality of care for family planning services, based on the indigenous or mestizo (mixed ethnoracial ancestry) profile of the patient. In a crossover randomized controlled trial conducted in 2012, a sample of 351 out of the 408 public health establishments in Metropolitan Lima, Peru were randomly assigned to receive unannounced simulated patients enacting indigenous and mestizo profiles (sequence-1) or mestizo and then indigenous profiles (sequence-2), with a five week wash-out period. Both ethnic profiles used the same scripted scenario for seeking contraceptive advice but had distinctive cultural attributes such as clothing, styling of hair, make-up, accessories, posture and patterns of movement and speech. Our primary outcome measure of quality of care is the proportion of technical tasks performed by providers, as established by Peruvian family planning clinical guidelines. Providers and data analysts were kept blinded to the allocation. We found a non-significant mean difference of -0.7% (p = 0.23) between ethnic profiles in the percentage of technical tasks performed by providers. However we report large deficiencies in the compliance with quality standards of care for both profiles. Differential provider behaviour based on the patient's ethnic profiles compared in the study did not contribute to deficiencies in family planning outcomes observed. The study highlights the need to explore other determinants for poor compliance with quality standards, including demand and supply side factors, and calls for interventions to improve the quality of care for family planning services in Metropolitan Lima.

Examining the ecological validity of the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire.

PubMed

Martindale, Russell J J; Collins, Dave; Douglas, Carl; Whike, Ally

2013-01-01

It is clear that high class expertise and effective practice exists within many talent development environments across the world. However, there is also a general consensus that widespread evidence-based policy and practice is lacking. As such, it is crucial to develop solutions which can facilitate effective dissemination of knowledge and promotion of evidence-based talent development systems. While the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire (Martindale et al., 2010 ) provides a method through which this could be facilitated, its ecological validity has remained untested. As such, this study aimed to investigate the real world applicability of the questionnaire through discriminant function analysis. Athletes across ten distinct regional squads and academies were identified and separated into two broad levels, 'higher quality' (n = 48) and 'lower quality' (n = 51) environments, based on their process quality and productivity. Results revealed that the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire was able to discriminate with 77.8% accuracy. Furthermore, in addition to the questionnaire as a whole, two individual features, 'quality preparation' (P < 0.01) and 'understanding the athlete' (P < 0.01), were found to be significant discriminators. In conclusion, the results indicate robust structural properties and sound ecological validity, allowing the questionnaire to be used with more confidence in applied and research settings.

Use of wetlands for water quality improvement under the USEPA Region V Clean Lakes Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landers, Judith C.; Knuth, Barbara A.

1991-03-01

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Region V Clean Lakes Program employs artificial and modified natural wetlands in an effort to improve the water quality of selected lakes. We examined use of wetlands at seven lake sites and evaluated the physical and institutional means by which wetland projects are implemented and managed, relative to USEPA program goals and expert recommendations on the use of wetlands for water quality improvement. Management practices recommended by wetlands experts addressed water level and retention, sheet flow, nutrient removal, chemical treatment, ecological and effectiveness monitoring, and resource enhancement. Institutional characteristics recommended included local monitoring, regulation, and enforcement and shared responsibilities among jurisdictions. Institutional and ecological objectives of the National Clean Lakes Program were met to some degree at every site. Social objectives were achieved to a lesser extent. Wetland protection mechanisms and appropriate institutional decentralization were present at all sites. Optimal management techniques were employed to varying degrees at each site, but most projects lack adequate monitoring to determine adverse ecological impacts and effectiveness of pollutant removal and do not extensively address needs for recreation and wildlife habitat. There is evidence that the wetland projects are contributing to improved lake water quality; however, more emphasis needs to be placed on wetland protection and long-term project evaluation.

An ecology-oriented exploitation mode of groundwater resources in the northern Tianshan Mountains, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shang, Haimin; Wang, Wenke; Dai, Zhenxue; Duan, Lei; Zhao, Yaqian; Zhang, Jing

2016-12-01

In recent years, ecological degradation caused by irrational groundwater exploitation has been of growing concern in arid and semiarid regions. To address the groundwater-ecological issues, this paper proposes a groundwater-resource exploitation mode to evaluate the tradeoff between groundwater development and ecological environment in the northern Tianshan Mountains, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Field surveys and remote sensing studies were conducted to analyze the relation between the distribution of hydrological conditions and the occurrence of ecological types. The results show that there is a good correlation between groundwater depth and the supergene ecological type. Numerical simulations and ecological assessment models were applied to develop an ecology-oriented exploitation mode of groundwater resources. The mode allows the groundwater levels in different zones to be regulated by optimizing groundwater exploitation modes. The prediction results show that the supergene ecological quality will be better in 2020 and even more groundwater can be exploited in this mode. This study provides guidance for regional groundwater management, especially in regions with an obvious water scarcity.

An ecology-oriented exploitation mode of groundwater resources in the northern foot of Tianshan Mountain, China

DOE PAGES

Shang, Haimin; Wang, Wenke; Dai, Zhenxue; ...

2016-10-10

In recent years, ecological degradation caused by irrational groundwater exploitation has been of growing concern in arid and semiarid regions. To address the groundwater-ecological issues, this paper proposes a groundwater-resource exploitation mode to evaluate the tradeoff between groundwater development and ecological environment in the northern Tianshan Mountains, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Field surveys and remote sensing studies were conducted to analyze the relation between the distribution of hydrological conditions and the occurrence of ecological types. The results show that there is a good correlation between groundwater depth and the supergene ecological type. Numerical simulations and ecological assessment modelsmore » were applied to develop an ecology-oriented exploitation mode of groundwater resources. The mode allows the groundwater levels in different zones to be regulated by optimizing groundwater exploitation modes. The prediction results show that the supergene ecological quality will be better in 2020 and even more groundwater can be exploited in this mode. This study provides guidance for regional groundwater management, especially in regions with an obvious water scarcity.« less

An ecology-oriented exploitation mode of groundwater resources in the northern foot of Tianshan Mountain, China

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shang, Haimin; Wang, Wenke; Dai, Zhenxue

In recent years, ecological degradation caused by irrational groundwater exploitation has been of growing concern in arid and semiarid regions. To address the groundwater-ecological issues, this paper proposes a groundwater-resource exploitation mode to evaluate the tradeoff between groundwater development and ecological environment in the northern Tianshan Mountains, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Field surveys and remote sensing studies were conducted to analyze the relation between the distribution of hydrological conditions and the occurrence of ecological types. The results show that there is a good correlation between groundwater depth and the supergene ecological type. Numerical simulations and ecological assessment modelsmore » were applied to develop an ecology-oriented exploitation mode of groundwater resources. The mode allows the groundwater levels in different zones to be regulated by optimizing groundwater exploitation modes. The prediction results show that the supergene ecological quality will be better in 2020 and even more groundwater can be exploited in this mode. This study provides guidance for regional groundwater management, especially in regions with an obvious water scarcity.« less

[Ecological risks of reclaimed water irrigation: a review].

PubMed

Chen, Wei-Ping; Zhang, Wei-Ling; Pan, Neng; Jiao, Wen-Tao

2012-12-01

Wastewater reclamation and reuse have become an important approach to alleviate the water crisis in China because of its social, economic and ecological benefits. The irrigation on urban green space and farmland is the primary utilization of reclaimed water, which has been practiced world widely. To understand the risk of reclaimed water irrigation, we summarized and reviewed the publications associated with typical pollutants in reclaimed water including salts, nitrogen, heavy metals, emerging pollutants and pathogens, systematically analyzed the ecological risk posed by reclaimed water irrigation regarding plant growth, groundwater quality and public health. Studies showed that salt and salt ions were the major risk sources of reclaimed water irrigation, spreading disease was another potential risk of using reclaimed water, and emerging pollutants was the hot topic in researches of ecological risk. Based on overseas experiences, risk control measures on reclaimed water irrigation in urban green space and farmland were proposed. Five recommendations were given to promote the safe use of reclaimed water irrigation including (1) strengthen long-term in situ monitoring, (2) promote the modeling studies, (3) build up the connections of reclaimed water quality, irrigation management and ecological risk, (4) evaluate the soil bearing capacity of reclaimed water irrigation, (5) and establish risk management system of reclaimed water reuse.

Ecological risk of heavy metals in sediments of the Luan River source water.

PubMed

Liu, Jingling; Li, Yongli; Zhang, Bao; Cao, Jinling; Cao, Zhiguo; Domagalski, Joseph

2009-08-01

Distribution and characteristics of heavy metals enrichment in sediment were surveyed including the bio-available form analyzed for assessment of the Luan River source water quality. The approaches of sediment quality guidelines (SQG), risk assessment code and Hakanson potential ecological risk index were used for the ecological risk assessment. According to SQG, The results show that in animal bodies, Hg at the sampling site of Wuliehexia was 1.39 mg/kg, Cr at Sandaohezi was 152.37 mg/kg and Cu at Hanjiaying was 178.61 mg/kg exceeding the severe effect screening level. There were 90% of sampling sites of Cr and Pb and 50% sites of Cu exceeded the lowest effect screening level. At Boluonuo and Wuliehexia, the exchangeable and carbonate fractions for above 50% of sites were at high risk levels and that for above 30% of sites at Xiahenan and Wulieheshang were also at high risk levels. Other sites were at medium risk level. Compared to soil background values of China, Hg and Cd showed very strong ecological risk, and the seven heavy metals of Hg, Cd, Cu, As, Pb, Cr, Zn at ecological risk levels were in the descending order. The results could give insight into risk assessment of environmental pollution and decision-making for water source security.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brock, T.D.

Thermal pollution is discussed with regard to sources of manmade thermal water; thermal consequences of thermal pollution; and thermal effects on water quality. Natural habitats receiving thermal additions are discussed with regard to geothermal habitats and geothermal modification of normal aquatic ecosystems. Ecological observations on geothermal habitats include upper temperature limits for various taxonomic groups and consequences of species restriction by temperature. General ecological consequences of thermal polution are discussed with regard to differences between thermal effects on cold and warm water habitats; adaptation to the thermal environment; effect of temperature on gruwth rate; temperatare and water quality; and bacterialmore » indicators of thermal pollution. (HLW)« less

ecological geological maps: GIS-based evaluation of the Geo-Ecological Quality Index (GEQUI) in Sicily (Central Mediterranean)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nigro, Fabrizio; Arisco, Giuseppe; Perricone, Marcella; Renda, Pietro; Favara, Rocco

2010-05-01

The condition of landscapes and the ecological communities within them is strongly related to levels of human activity. As a consequence, determining status and trends in the pattern of human-dominated landscapes can be useful for understanding the overall conditions of geo-ecological resources. Ecological geological maps are recent tools providing useful informations about a-biotic and biotic features worldwide. These maps represents a new generation of geological maps and depict the lithospheric components conditions on surface, where ecological dynamics (functions and properties) and human activities develop. Thus, these maps are too a fundamental political tool to plan the human activities management in relationship to the territorial/environmental patterns of a date region. Different types of ecological geological maps can be develop regarding the: conditions (situations), zoning, prognosis and recommendations. The ecological geological conditions maps reflects the complex of parameters or individual characteristics of lithosphere, which characterized the opportunity of the influence of lithosphere components on the biota (man, fauna, flora, and ecosystem). The ecological geological zoning maps are foundamental basis for prognosis estimation and nature defenses measures. Estimation from the position of comfort and safety of human life and function of ecosystem is given on these maps. The ecological geological prognosis maps reflect the spatial-temporary prognoses of ecological geological conditions changing during the natural dynamic of natural surrounding and the main-during the economic mastering of territory and natural technical systems. Finally, the ecological geological recommendation maps are based on the ecological geological and social-economical informations, aiming the regulation of territory by the regulation of economic activities and the defense of bio- and socio-sphere extents. Each of these maps may also be computed or in analytic or in synthetic way. The first, characterized or estimated, prognosticated one or several indexes of geological ecological conditions. In the second type of maps, the whole complex is reflected, which defined the modern or prognosticable ecological geological situation. Regarding the ecological geological zoning maps, the contemporary state of ecological geological conditions may be evaluated by a range of parameters into classes of conditions and, on the basis of these informations, the estimation from the position of comfort and safety of human life and function of ecosystem is given. Otherwise, the concept of geoecological land evaluation has become established in the study of landscape/environmental plannings in recent years. It requires different thematic data-sets, deriving from the natural-, social- and amenity-environmental resources analysis, that may be translate in environmental (vulnerability/quality) indexes. There have been some attempts to develop integrated indices related to various aspects of the environment within the framework of sustainable development (e.g.: United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, World Economic Forum, Advisory Board on Indicators of Sustainable Development of the International Institute for Sustainable Development, Living Planet Index established by the World Wide Fund for Nature, etc.). So, the ecological geological maps represent the basic tool for the geoecological land evaluation policies and may be computed in terms of index-maps. On these basis, a GIS application for assessing the ecological geological zoning is presented for Sicily (Central Mediterranean). The Geo-Ecological Quality Index (GEQUI) map was computed by considering a lot of variables. Ten variables (lithology, climate, landslide distribution, erosion rate, soil type, land cover, habitat, groundwater pollution, roads density and buildings density) generated from available data, were used in the model, in which weighting values to each informative layer were assigned. An overlay analysis was carried out, allowing to classify the region into five classes: bad, poor, moderate, good and high.

Testing the extended biotic index in Slovakia: consistency, advantages, and limitations versus the saprobic assessment method of water quality.

PubMed

Pennelli, Bruno; Nagel, Karl-Otto; Crivellaro, Giuseppe; Fabiani, Claudio; Vancova, Alexandra; Mancini, Laura

2006-04-01

The European Union Water Framework Directive requires the achievement of environmental objectives for the ecological quality of water bodies. A comparable implementation of the Directive throughout member countries of the European Union is necessary to verify equal protection of surface waters. The Directive specifies that member states determine ecological quality by means of biological indices. To improve comparability of water quality assessment, this research carried out an intercalibration trial between the Slovak Saprobic Index and the Italian protocol of the Extended Biotic Index, as part of a cooperative program between Italy and the Slovak Republic. When assessing streams with no or low pollution, statistics showed similar results for both methods. In contrast, the comparison of indices was not accurate in the case of severely affected waters. Reliable conversion formulas are feasible to transform the Italian Extended Biotic Index into the Slovak Saprobic Index, and not vice versa.

Importance of A Priori Vertical Ozone Profiles for TEMPO Air Quality Retrievals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, M. S.; Sullivan, J. T.; Liu, X.; Zoogman, P.; Newchurch, M.; Kuang, S.; McGee, T. J.; Leblanc, T.

2017-12-01

Ozone (O3) is a toxic pollutant which plays a major role in air quality. Typically, monitoring of surface air quality and O3 mixing ratios is conducted using in situ measurement networks. This is partially due to high-quality information related to air quality being limited from space-borne platforms due to coarse spatial resolution, limited temporal frequency, and minimal sensitivity to lower tropospheric and surface-level O3. The Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) satellite is designed to address the limitations of current space-based platforms and to improve our ability to monitor North American air quality. TEMPO will provide hourly data of total column and vertical profiles of O3 with high spatial resolution to be used as a near-real-time air quality product. TEMPO O3 retrievals will apply the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory profile algorithm developed based on work from GOME, GOME-2, and OMI. This algorithm is suggested to use a priori O3 profile information from a climatological data-base developed from long-term ozone-sonde measurements (tropopause-based (TB-Clim) O3 climatology). This study evaluates the TB-Clim dataset and model simulated O3 profiles, which could potentially serve as a priori O3 profile information in TEMPO retrievals, from near-real-time data assimilation model products (NASA GMAO's operational GEOS-5 FP model and reanalysis data from MERRA2) and a full chemical transport model (CTM), GEOS-Chem. In this study, vertical profile products are evaluated with surface (0-2 km) and tropospheric (0-10 km) TOLNet observations and the theoretical impact of individual a priori profile sources on the accuracy of TEMPO O3 retrievals in the troposphere and at the surface are presented. Results indicate that while the TB-Clim climatological dataset can replicate seasonally-averaged tropospheric O3 profiles, model-simulated profiles from a full CTM resulted in more accurate tropospheric and surface-level O3 retrievals from TEMPO when compared to hourly and daily-averaged TOLNet observations. Furthermore, it is shown that when large surface O3 mixing ratios are observed, TEMPO retrieval values at the surface are most accurate when applying CTM a priori profile information compared to all other data products.

Field Observations of Hydrodynamics, Sediment Transport, and Water and Sediment Quality in the Hudson-Raritan Estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruno, M. S.; Glenn, S.; Chant, R.; Rankin, K.; Korfiatis, G.; Dimou, N.; Creed, E.; Fullerton, B.; Pence, A.; Burke, P.; Haldeman, C.; Hires, R.; Hunter, E.

2002-12-01

The New York-New Jersey Harbor estuary system is of enormous ecological and economic importance to the region. The presence of toxic chemicals in the water and sediments results in reduced water quality, fisheries restrictions/advisories, and general adverse impacts to the estuarine ecosystem. The Port of New York and New Jersey is central to the economy of the region. However, in recent years, problems associated with the management of contaminated dredged material, including high costs and the lack of suitable disposal/use alternatives, have threatened to impact the volume of shipping in the Harbor. Sources of contaminants include atmospheric deposition, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities, combined sewer and stormwater outfalls, and rainfall-induced runoff (non-point sources). In addition, Harbor sediments can act as a continuing source as they are re-suspended and moved throughout the system by both natural and man-made means. As part of the New Jersey Toxics Reduction Workplan, Stevens Institute of Technology and Rutgers University are conducting hydrodynamic, sediment transport, and water and suspended sediment quality measurements in Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill and the Kill van Kull. The goals of the project include: (1) collection of high resolution (event-driven and long-term) hydrodynamic, sediment transport and water and suspended sediment quality measurements for use in the assessment of the dominant physics of the system and in the development of a combined hydrodynamic-sediment transport-water/sediment quality model for the region. (2) identification of those tributaries to NY-NJ Harbor that are significant sources of the chemicals of concern, and evaluation of the importance of non-point sources and existing contaminated bottom sediments as sources of the chemicals of concern. (3) identification of point discharges that represent significant sources of the chemicals of concern. Observations were obtained over a two-year period, during 21 tributary flow "events", each having an approximate duration of 1 week. The measurement program included 3 fixed mooring stations and 5 shipboard locations. Each mooring consisted of an acoustic Doppler current profiler; a high-resolution pressure sensor; an OBS; a CTD; and a laser-based scatterometer. The ship-board measurements included vertical current profiles using a towed acoustic Doppler current profiler; CTD measurements; OBS measurements; suspended sediment concentration and particle size spectrum using a laser-based scatterometer; and chemical characterization of water and suspended sediment samples. The water and sediment quality measurements were obtained using a specially designed Trace Organics Platform Sampler. This sampler allowed for the measurement of low-level concentrations of PCBs (108 congeners), dioxins/furans, Pesticides, PAHs and metals (Hg, Cd, Pb). Preliminary analysis of the data has improved our understanding of the circulation and sediment transport patterns in this region of the estuary, including the influence of extreme tributary flow events, local winds, and anthropogenic effects such as port structures, vessels, and the navigation channels, and has identified the most highly contaminated reaches of the tributaries.

Mitigating Agricultural Diffuse Pollution: Learning from The River Eden Demonstration Test Catchment Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reaney, S. M.; Barker, P. A.; Haygarth, P.; Quinn, P. F.; Aftab, A.; Barber, N.; Burke, S.; Cleasby, W.; Jonczyk, J. C.; Owen, G. J.; Perks, M. T.; Snell, M. A.; Surridge, B.

2016-12-01

Freshwater systems continue to fail to achieve their ecological potential and provide associated ecological services due to poor water quality. A key driver of the failure to achieve good status under the EU Water Framework Directive derives from non-point (diffuse) pollution of sediment, phosphorus and nitrogen from agricultural landscapes. While many mitigation options exist, a framework is lacking which provides a holistic understanding of the impact of mitigation scheme design on catchment function and agronomics. The River Eden Demonstration Test Catchment project (2009-2017) in NW England uses an interdisciplinary approach including catchment hydrology, sediment-nutrient fluxes and farmer attitudes, to understand ecological function and diffuse pollution mitigation feature performance. Water flow (both surface and groundwater) and quality monitoring focused on three ca. 10km2 catchments with N and P measurements every 30 minutes. Ecological status was determined by monthly diatom community analysis and supplemented by macrophyte, macroinvertebrate and fish surveys. Changes in erosion potential and hydrological connectivity were monitored using extensive Landsat images and detailed UAV monitoring. Simulation modelling work utilised hydrological simulation models (CRAFT, CRUM3 and HBV-Light) and SCIMAP based risk mapping. Farmer behaviour and attitudes have been assessed with surveys, interviews and diaries. A suite of mitigation features have been installed including changes to land management - e.g. aeriation, storage features within a `treatment train', riparian fencing and woodland creation. A detailed dataset of the integrated catchment hydrological, water quality and ecological behaviour over multiple years, including a drought period and an extreme rainfall event, highlights the interaction between ecology, hydrological and nutrient dynamics that are driven by sediment and nutrients exported within a small number of high magnitude storm events. Hence these high-resolution processes must be studied in conjunction, rather than in isolation, to understand system dynamics and critically to evaluate effective mitigation schemes.

The influence of drought on flow‐ecology relationships in Ozark Highland streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lynch, Dustin T.; Leasure, D. R.; Magoulick, Daniel D.

2018-01-01

Drought and summer drying can have strong effects on abiotic and biotic components of stream ecosystems. Environmental flow‐ecology relationships may be affected by drought and drying, adding further uncertainty to the already complex interaction of flow with other environmental variables, including geomorphology and water quality.Environment–ecology relationships in stream communities in Ozark Highland streams, USA, were examined over two years with contrasting environmental conditions, a drought year (2012) and a flood year (2013). We analysed fish, crayfish and benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages using two different approaches: (1) a multiple regression analysis incorporating predictor variables related to habitat, water quality, geomorphology and hydrology and (2) a canonical ordination procedure using only hydrologic variables in which forward selection was used to select predictors that were most related to our response variables.Reach‐scale habitat quality and geomorphology were found to be the most important influences on community structure, but hydrology was also important, particularly during the flood year. We also found substantial between‐year variation in environment–ecology relationships. Some ecological responses differed significantly between drought and flood years, while others remained consistent. We found that magnitude was the most important flow component overall, but that there was a shift in relative importance from low flow metrics during the drought year to average flow metrics during the flood year, and the specific metrics of importance varied markedly between assemblages and years.Findings suggest that understanding temporal variation in flow‐ecology relationships may be crucial for resource planning. While some relationships show temporal variation, others are consistent between years. Additionally, different kinds of hydrologic variables can differ greatly in terms of which assemblages they affect and how they affect them. Managers can address this complexity by focusing on relationships that are temporally stable and flow metrics that are consistently important across groups, such as flood frequency and flow variability.

Fractionation and ecological risk of metals in urban river sediments in Zhongshan City, Pearl River Delta.

PubMed

Cai, Jiannan; Cao, Yingzi; Tan, Haijian; Wang, Yanman; Luo, Jiaqi

2011-09-01

Surface sediments collected from nine urban rivers located in Zhongshan City, Pearl River Delta, were analyzed for total concentration of metals with digestion and chemical fractionation adopting the modified European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) sequential extraction procedure. The results showed that concentration and fractionation of metals varied significantly among the rivers. The total concentration of eight metals in most rivers did not exceed the China Environmental Quality Standard for Soil, Grade III. The potential ecological risk of metals to rivers were related to the land use patterns, in the order of manufacturing areas > residential areas > agriculture areas. The concentration of Pb in the reducible fraction was relatively high (60.0-84.3%). The dominant proportions of Cd, Zn and Cu were primary in the non-residual fraction (67.0%, 71.8% and 81.4% on average respectively), while the percentages of the residual fractions of Cr and Ni varied over a wide range (43-85% and 24-71% respectively). The approaches of the Håkanson ecological risk index and Secondary Phase Enrichment Factor were applied for ecological risk assessment and metal enrichment calculation. The results indicated Hg and Cd had posed high potential ecological risk to urban rivers in this region. Meanwhile, there was widespread pollution and high enrichment of Cu in river sediments in this region. Multiple regression analysis showed that five water quality parameters (pH, DO, COD(Mn), NH(4)(+)-N, TP) had little influence on the distribution of metal fractionation. This result revealed that the ecological risk of metals was not eliminated along with the improvement in water quality. Correlation studies showed that among the metals, Group A (Cd, As, Pb, Zn Hg, r = 0.730-0.924) and Group B (Cr, Cu, Ni, r = 0.815-0.948) were obtained, and the metal contaminations were from industrial activities rather than residential.

Adaptation of the QBR index for use in riparian forests of central Ohio

Treesearch

Stephanie R. Colwell; David M. Hix

2008-01-01

Although high quality riparian forests are an endangered ecosystem type throughout the world, there has been no ecological index to measure the habitat quality of riparian forests in Ohio. The QBR (qualitat del bosc de ribera, or riparian forest quality) index was developed to assess the quality of habitat in Mediterranean forested riparian areas, and we have modified...

Metabolomics in chemical ecology.

PubMed

Kuhlisch, Constanze; Pohnert, Georg

2015-07-01

Chemical ecology elucidates the nature and role of natural products as mediators of organismal interactions. The emerging techniques that can be summarized under the concept of metabolomics provide new opportunities to study such environmentally relevant signaling molecules. Especially comparative tools in metabolomics enable the identification of compounds that are regulated during interaction situations and that might play a role as e.g. pheromones, allelochemicals or in induced and activated defenses. This approach helps overcoming limitations of traditional bioassay-guided structure elucidation approaches. But the power of metabolomics is not limited to the comparison of metabolic profiles of interacting partners. Especially the link to other -omics techniques helps to unravel not only the compounds in question but the entire biosynthetic and genetic re-wiring, required for an ecological response. This review comprehensively highlights successful applications of metabolomics in chemical ecology and discusses existing limitations of these novel techniques. It focuses on recent developments in comparative metabolomics and discusses the use of metabolomics in the systems biology of organismal interactions. It also outlines the potential of large metabolomics initiatives for model organisms in the field of chemical ecology.

Soil ecology of a rock outcrop ecosystem: Abiotic stresses, soil respiration, and microbial community profiles in limestone cedar glades

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cartwright, Jennifer M.; Advised by Dzantor, E. Kudjo

2015-01-01

Stress factors quantified by this research include shallow soil (depth to bedrock ranging from 2.4 to 22.6 cm), volumetric soil water content levels seasonally ranging from xeric (below 5%) to saturated (above 50%), and seasonally extreme ground-surface temperatures (above 48°C). Findings from this research indicate that spatial and temporal heterogeneity exists in limestone cedar glades in terms of abiotic stress factors and soil physical and chemical properties. Several such soil properties (e.g. soil depth, organic matter levels, pH, and particle size distribution) are spatially correlated. These soil properties were statistically related to ecological structures and functions such as vegetation patterns, soil respiration, the density of culturable heterotrophic microbes in soil and metabolic diversity of soil microbial community profiles. In general, zones within limestone cedar glades that had relatively shallow soil, alkaline pH, low levels of organic matter and high levels of silt also tended to have depressed rates of soil respiration and reduced densities and metabolic diversity of culturable heterotrophic soil microbes. Additionally, seasonally-relevant stress factors including soil water content and temperatures at or near the soil surface were related to the same set of ecological structures and functions.

Monitoring air quality in Southeast Alaska’s National Parks and Forests: Linking atmospheric pollutants with ecological effects

Treesearch

D. Schirokauer; L. Geiser; A. Bytnerowicz; M. Fenn; K. Dillman

2014-01-01

Air quality and air quality related values are important resources to the National Park Service (NPS) units and Wilderness areas in northern Southeast Alaska. Air quality monitoring was prioritized as a high-priority Vital Sign at the Southeast Alaska Network’s (SEAN) Inventory and Monitoring Program’s terrestrial scoping workshop (Derr and Fastie 2006). Air quality...

Simulation of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal in Ecological Ditch Based on EFDC Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, S. M.; Wang, X. L.; Zhou, Q. Y.; Han, N. N.

2018-03-01

Agricultural non-point source pollution threatens water quality and ecological system recently. To control it, the first and most important task is to control the migration and transformation of nitrogen and phosphorus in the agricultural ditches. An ecological ditch was designed, and according to the design a pilot device was built, the mechanism of N and P removal in ditches under the collaboration of aquatic organisms-hydraulic power was studied through the dynamic and static experiments, in order to find out the specific influences of different environmental factors such as influent concentration, influent flow and water level. The transport and diffusion of N and P in the ditch was simulated by a three dimensional water quality model EFDC, the simulation results and the experimental data were compared. The average relative errors of EFDC model simulated results were all less than 15%, which verified the reliability of the model.

Estimating the recreational carrying capacity of a lowland river section.

PubMed

Lorenz, Stefan; Pusch, Martin T

2012-01-01

Recreational boating represents a major human use of inland waters in many regions. However, boating tourism may affect the ecological integrity of surface waters in multiple ways. In particular, surface waves produced by boating may disturb freshwater invertebrates, such as interrupting the filtration activity of benthic mussels. As mussels may significantly contribute to self-purification, disturbance may have crucial impacts on water quality, and thus on water tourism. In this paper we calculate the carrying capacity of a river section for sustainable boating tourism based on the preservation of water quality. This approach is complemented by spatial and social approaches for carrying capacity estimates. The ecological carrying capacity significantly decreases with lower water levels during summer. Hence, the analysis of variables that influence the river's carrying capacity allows the formation of recommendations for management measures that integrate social, touristic and ecological aspects.

Test of the ecological-constraints model on ursine colobus monkeys (Colobus vellerosus) in Ghana.

PubMed

Teichroeb, Julie A; Sicotte, Pascale

2009-01-01

For group-living mammals, the ecological-constraints model predicts that within-group feeding competition will increase as group size increases, necessitating more daily travel to find food and thereby constraining group size. It provides a useful tool for detecting scramble competition any time it is difficult to determine whether or not food is limiting. We tested the ecological-constraints model on highly folivorous ursine colobus monkeys (Colobus vellerosus) at the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in Ghana. Three differently sized groups were followed for 13 months and two others were followed for 6 months each in 2004-2005 using focal-animal sampling and ranging scans; ecological plots and phenology surveys were used to determine home-range quality and food availability. There was relatively little difference in home-range quality, monthly food availability, diet, adult female ingestion rates, and rate of travel within food patches between the groups. However, home-range size, day-range length, and percent of time spent feeding all increased with group size. We performed a single large test of the ecological-constraints model by combining several separate Spearman correlations, each testing different predictions under the model, using Fisher's log-likelihood method. It showed that the ecological-constraints model was supported in this study; scramble competition in this population is manifesting in increased ranging and time spent feeding. How costly this increased energy expenditure is for individuals in larger groups remains to be determined. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Ecological relevance of current water quality assessment unit designations in impaired rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Layhee, Megan J.; Sepulveda, Adam; Ray, Andrew; Mladenka, Greg; Van Every, Lynn

2016-01-01

Managers often nest sections of water bodies together into assessment units (AUs) to monitor and assess water quality criteria. Ideally, AUs represent an extent of waters with similar ecological, watershed, habitat and land-use conditions and no overlapping characteristics with other waters. In the United States, AUs are typically based on political or hydrologic boundaries rather than on ecologically relevant features, so it can be difficult to detect changes in impairment status. Our goals were to evaluate if current AU designation criteria of an impaired water body in southeastern Idaho, USA that, like many U.S. waters, has three-quarters of its mainstem length divided into two AUs. We focused our evaluation in southeastern Idaho's Portneuf River, an impaired river and three-quarters of the river is divided into two AUs. We described biological and environmental conditions at multiple reaches within each AU. We used these data to (1) test if variability at the reach-scale is greater within or among AUs and, (2) to evaluate alternate AU boundaries based on multivariate analyses of reach-scale data. We found that some biological conditions had greater variability within an AU than between AUs. Multivariate analyses identified alternative, 2- and 3-group, AUs that reduced this variability. Our results suggest that the current AU designations in the mainstem Portneuf River contain ecologically distinct sections of river and that the existing AU boundaries should be reconsidered in light of the ecological conditions measured at the reach scale. Variation in biological integrity within designated AUs may complicate water quality and biological assessments, influence management decisions or affect where monitoring or mitigation resources are directed.

The use of biotopes in assessing the environmental quality of tidal estuaries in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ducrotoy, Jean-Paul

2010-02-01

In Europe, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) (European Commission 2000) - and the recently proposed EU Marine Strategy Directive - have established a framework for the protection of groundwater, inland surface waters, estuarine (transitional) waters and coastal waters. TheWFD has several objectives: to prevent water ecosystem deterioration, to protect and to enhance the status of water resources but the most important aspect is to achieve a 'Good Ecological Status' (GES) for all waters, by 2015. In essence, the WFD requires a water body to be compared against a reference condition and then its ecological status designated - if the water body does not meet good or high ecological status, i.e. it is in moderate, poor or bad ecological status, then remedial measures have to be taken (e.g. pollution has to be removed). Many indices were developed from benthic work and are often thought fit for purpose. Based on the successional model proposed by Pearson and Rosenberg (1978), most of these indices were effectively established for soft sediment benthos. However, those developed in the framework of the WFD were derived from work on the subtidal. They are difficult to use in the intertidal and in transitional waters. As they were derived from work on organic pollution, there is no or little evident link with chemical and physical pollution. Ecomorphology brings together a biological approach and a sedimentological approach to estuarine ecology. It considers the use of the biotope and related concepts (biocenosis, bio-facies, ecotone, habitat…) as a basis to a novel approach to environmental quality assessment. It addresses the problem of the estuarine quality paradox in recognising the role of nutrients and organic matter in biogeochemical cycles. The discussion shows the complementarity of biotopes with the Sato-Umi and the ecohydrolgy approaches.

Water quality assessment of bioenergy production

Treesearch

Rocio Diaz-Chavez; Goran Berndes; Dan Neary; Andre Elia Neto; Mamadou Fall

2011-01-01

Water quality is a measurement of the biological, chemical, and physical characteristics of water against certain standards set to ensure ecological and/or human health. Biomass production and conversion to fuels and electricity can impact water quality in lakes, rivers, and aquifers with consequences for aquatic ecosystem health and also human water uses. Depending on...

Approach to developing numeric water quality criteria for coastal waters: a transition from SeaWiFS to MODIS and MERIS satellites.

EPA Science Inventory

Human activities on land increase nutrient loads to coastal waters, which can increase phytoplankton production and biomass and potentially cause harmful ecological effects. States can adopt numeric water quality criteria into their water quality standards to protect the designa...

Fact Sheet: Revised Draft Ambient Water Quality Criteria Document for Atrazine and Request for Scientific Views

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Documents pertaining to Acute and Chronic Ambient Water Quality Aquatic Life Criteria for Atrazine (Freshwater and Salt Water) and revised Ecological Fate and Effects Risk Assessment for Atrazine. (Fact Sheet)

Workshop: Valuation of Ecological Benefits: Improving the Science Behind Policy Decisions (2005)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Two-day workshop includes research examining the benefits of improved coastal water quality, the value of improved fresh water quality, advances in the stated preference valuation method, balancing conservation and urban growth, and valuing biodiversity.

ASSESSING WATER QUALITY: AN ENERGETICS PERPECTIVE

EPA Science Inventory

Integrated measures of food web dynamics could serve as important supplemental indicators of water quality that are well related with ecological integrity and environmental well-being. When the concern is a well-characterized pollutant (posing an established risk to human health...

Combined proteomic and metallomic analyses in Scrobicularia plana clams to assess environmental pollution of estuarine ecosystems.

PubMed

González-Domínguez, Raúl; Santos, Hugo Miguel; Bebianno, Maria João; García-Barrera, Tamara; Gómez-Ariza, José Luis; Capelo, José Luis

2016-12-15

Estuaries are very important ecosystems with great ecological and economic value, but usually highly impacted by anthropogenic pressure. Thus, the assessment of pollution levels in these habitats is critical in order to evaluate their environmental quality. In this work, we combined complementary metallomic and proteomic approaches with the aim to monitor the effects of environmental pollution on Scrobicularia plana clams captured in three estuarine systems from the south coast of Portugal; Arade estuary, Ria Formosa and Guadiana estuary. Multi-elemental profiling of digestive glands was carried out to evaluate the differential pollution levels in the three study areas. Then, proteomic analysis by means of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry revealed twenty-one differential proteins, which could be associated with multiple toxicological mechanisms induced in environmentally stressed organisms. Accordingly, it could be concluded that the combination of different omic approaches presents a great potential in environmental research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ecological Networks in Stored Grain: Key Postharvest Nodes for Emerging Pests, Pathogens, and Mycotoxins.

PubMed

Hernandez Nopsa, John F; Daglish, Gregory J; Hagstrum, David W; Leslie, John F; Phillips, Thomas W; Scoglio, Caterina; Thomas-Sharma, Sara; Walter, Gimme H; Garrett, Karen A

2015-10-01

Wheat is at peak quality soon after harvest. Subsequently, diverse biota use wheat as a resource in storage, including insects and mycotoxin-producing fungi. Transportation networks for stored grain are crucial to food security and provide a model system for an analysis of the population structure, evolution, and dispersal of biota in networks. We evaluated the structure of rail networks for grain transport in the United States and Eastern Australia to identify the shortest paths for the anthropogenic dispersal of pests and mycotoxins, as well as the major sources, sinks, and bridges for movement. We found important differences in the risk profile in these two countries and identified priority control points for sampling, detection, and management. An understanding of these key locations and roles within the network is a new type of basic research result in postharvest science and will provide insights for the integrated pest management of high-risk subpopulations, such as pesticide-resistant insect pests.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Porter, Mark C.; Ketchum, Sarah

Noxious weeds threaten fish and wildlife habitat by contributing to increased sedimentation rates, diminishing riparian structure and function, and reducing forage quality and quantity. Wallowa Resources Wallowa Canyonlands Partnership (WCP) protects the unique ecological and economic values of the Hells Canyon grasslands along lower Joseph Creek, the lower Grande Ronde and Imnaha Rivers from invasion and degradation by noxious weeds using Integrated Weed Management techniques. Objectives of this grant were to inventory and map high priority weeds, coordinate treatment of those weeds, release and monitor bio-control agents, educate the public as to the dangers of noxious weeds and how tomore » deal with them, and restore lands to productive plant communities after treatment. With collaborative help from partners, WCP inventoried {approx} 215,000 upland acres and 52.2 miles of riparian habitat, released bio-controls at 23 sites, and educated the public through posters, weed profiles, newspaper articles, and radio advertisements. Additionally, WCP used other sources of funding to finance the treatment of 1,802 acres during the course of this grant.« less

Ecological Networks in Stored Grain: Key Postharvest Nodes for Emerging Pests, Pathogens, and Mycotoxins

PubMed Central

Hernandez Nopsa, John F.; Daglish, Gregory J.; Hagstrum, David W.; Leslie, John F.; Phillips, Thomas W.; Scoglio, Caterina; Thomas-Sharma, Sara; Walter, Gimme H.; Garrett, Karen A.

2015-01-01

Wheat is at peak quality soon after harvest. Subsequently, diverse biota use wheat as a resource in storage, including insects and mycotoxin-producing fungi. Transportation networks for stored grain are crucial to food security and provide a model system for an analysis of the population structure, evolution, and dispersal of biota in networks. We evaluated the structure of rail networks for grain transport in the United States and Eastern Australia to identify the shortest paths for the anthropogenic dispersal of pests and mycotoxins, as well as the major sources, sinks, and bridges for movement. We found important differences in the risk profile in these two countries and identified priority control points for sampling, detection, and management. An understanding of these key locations and roles within the network is a new type of basic research result in postharvest science and will provide insights for the integrated pest management of high-risk subpopulations, such as pesticide-resistant insect pests. PMID:26955074

The Spatial-Temporal Analysis of Ecological Environment of Red Bed Hills in East Sichuan - Taking LU County as a Case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, H.; Liu, Y.; Wang, X.; Liu, J.

2018-04-01

Good ecological environment is the foundation of human existence and development, the development of society and economy must be based on the premise of maintaining the stability and balance of the ecological environment. RS and GIS technology are used in this paper while the red-bed hills of Sichuan Province-Lu County have been taken as an example. According to the ecological environment characteristics of the study areas and the principle of choosing evaluation index, this paper selected six evaluation indicators (elevation, slope, aspect, vegetation cover, land use, gully density) to establish evaluation index system of ecological environment of Lu County. This paper determine the weight of each evaluation index by AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) and establishes a comprehensive evaluation model by the weighted comprehensive evaluation method. This model is used to divide the ecological environment quality of Lu County into excellent, good, middle, poor and worse, and to analyze the ecological environment change in Lu County in recent ten years.

Burnout, quality of life and emotional profile in general practitioners and psychiatrists.

PubMed

Vicentic, Sreten; Gasic, Miroslava Jasovic; Milovanovic, Aleksandar; Tosevski, Dusica Lecic; Nenadovic, Milutin; Damjanovic, Aleksandar; Kostic, Bojana Dunjic; Jovanovic, Aleksandar A

2013-01-01

Many studies confirm that psychological factors and burnout in physicians are interconnected. It is however not known, whether quality of life is another factor that plays a role in this connection.The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between quality of life and emotional profile with the level of burnout in physicians. 120 physicians participated in this study, i.e., sixty general practitioners (GPs) and sixty psychiatrists. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) were used to measure the job stress. The Quality of Life (QOL) and the Emotions Profile Index (EPI) were used to determine quality of life and emotional profile. Data were analyzed using methods of single and multiple correlation and regression methods. The QOL was higher in psychiatrists as a direct consequence of questions about finances and friendship. Analysis by gender showed that the growth of the burnout risk level (MBI) correlated with the growth of number of women who had stress coping problems. This research suggests that quality of life and individual factors represent a very significant role in burnout among physicians. Further researches in a bigger sample are required in order to identify key factors of quality of life related to burnout reducing, as well as for improvement of supervision strategies, including more the relevance of psychological profile of physicians.

Composition and function of sourdough microbiota: From ecological theory to bread quality.

PubMed

Gänzle, Michael; Ripari, Valery

2016-12-19

Sourdough has traditionally been used as leavening agent in artisanal baking. The production of baked and steamed cereal products increasingly employs sourdough as baking improver to achieve improved bread quality, or to obtain "clean label" products. Sourdoughs are maintained in bakeries by continuous propagation; composition and metabolic activity of sourdough microbiota and their impact on bread quality are therefore shaped by processing parameters and fermentation substrates. The diversity of fermentation processes leads to diverse compositions of sourdough microbiota. This communication explores whether concepts in community assembly support an improved understanding of the microbial ecology of sourdough. Community assembly is determined by diversification, drift, dispersal, and selection. Evidence for diversification in sourdoughs is inconclusive. Drift has been shown to shape sourdough microbiota only in specific cases. Increasing knowledge on the primary habitat of sourdough lactobacilli indicates that dispersal (limitation) is an important determinant in sourdoughs that are propagated only for short periods of time. In contrast, selection of adapted organisms mainly determines the microbiota of sourdoughs that are propagated for a long time. Bacterial metabolic traits that determine competitiveness in sourdough fermentation, i.e. effective use of maltose, exopolysaccharide formation from sucrose, the use of electron acceptors by heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria, and acid resistance mediated by arginine and glutamine conversion, also determine bread quality. The concepts in community assembly thus provide a valuable tool to understand the influence of the technology of sourdough fermentation on microbial ecology and on bread quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Burnout, quality of life, motivation, and academic achievement among medical students: A person-oriented approach.

PubMed

Lyndon, Mataroria P; Henning, Marcus A; Alyami, Hussain; Krishna, Sanjeev; Zeng, Irene; Yu, Tzu-Chieh; Hill, Andrew G

2017-04-01

The aim of this study was to identify burnout and quality of life profiles of medical students and determine their associations with academic motivation and achievement on progress tests using a person-oriented approach. Medical students (n = 670) in Year 3 to Year 5 at the University of Auckland were classified into three different profiles as derived from a two-step cluster analysis using World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF scores and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory scores. The profiles were used as independent variables to assess differences in academic motivation and achievement on progress tests using a multivariate analysis of co-variance and repeated measures analysis of co-variance methods. The response rate was 47%. Three clusters were obtained: Higher Burnout Lower Quality of Life (n = 62, 20%), Moderate Burnout Moderate Quality of Life (n = 131, 41%), and Lower Burnout Higher Quality of Life (n = 124, 39%). After controlling for gender and year level, Higher Burnout Lower Quality of Life students had significantly higher test anxiety (p < 0.0001) and amotivation scores (p < 0.0001); and lower intrinsic motivation (p < 0.005), self-efficacy (p < 0.001), and progress test scores (p = 0.03) compared with the other profiles. Burnout and Quality of Life profiles of medical students are associated with differences in academic motivation and achievement over time.

Towards a Quality Assessment Method for Learning Preference Profiles in Negotiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hindriks, Koen V.; Tykhonov, Dmytro

In automated negotiation, information gained about an opponent's preference profile by means of learning techniques may significantly improve an agent's negotiation performance. It therefore is useful to gain a better understanding of how various negotiation factors influence the quality of learning. The quality of learning techniques in negotiation are typically assessed indirectly by means of comparing the utility levels of agreed outcomes and other more global negotiation parameters. An evaluation of learning based on such general criteria, however, does not provide any insight into the influence of various aspects of negotiation on the quality of the learned model itself. The quality may depend on such aspects as the domain of negotiation, the structure of the preference profiles, the negotiation strategies used by the parties, and others. To gain a better understanding of the performance of proposed learning techniques in the context of negotiation and to be able to assess the potential to improve the performance of such techniques a more systematic assessment method is needed. In this paper we propose such a systematic method to analyse the quality of the information gained about opponent preferences by learning in single-instance negotiations. The method includes measures to assess the quality of a learned preference profile and proposes an experimental setup to analyse the influence of various negotiation aspects on the quality of learning. We apply the method to a Bayesian learning approach for learning an opponent's preference profile and discuss our findings.

Human Ecology and Health Advancement: The Newcastle Experience and Implications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graham, Jenny; Honari, Morteza

1992-01-01

Argues for the necessity of adopting a human ecological framework for the advancement of health. Focusing on the Australian experience, highlights the difficulties in moving beyond the narrow mold of Western Medical Science to a more holistic, quality of life orientation, and suggests that the role of education at all levels of the community is…

77 FR 26317 - Exemption of Material for Proposed Disposal Procedures for the Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Unit 3...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-03

... hazardous waste containing low-activity radioactive debris, at the US Ecology Idaho (USEI) Resource... for the disposal of waste from the HBPP at the US Ecology Idaho (USEI) facility in accordance with 10... significantly impact the quality of the human environment, and that the proposed action is the preferred...

Validation of the Early Childhood Ecology Scale-Revised: A Reflective Tool for Teacher Candidates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Belinda Bustos; Casebeer, Cindy M.; Riojas-Cortez, Mari

2011-01-01

Given increasing numbers of young culturally and/or linguistically diverse (CLD) children across the United States, it is crucial to prepare early childhood teachers to create high-quality environments that facilitate the development of all children. The Early Childhood Ecology Scale-Revised (ECES-R) has been developed as a reflective tool to help…

Energy and the Environment. Environmental Studies. 4 Color Transparencies, Reproducibles & Teaching Guide. Grade 3, 4, 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ortleb, Edward P.; And Others

The world is faced with a variety of environmental problems. No country has escaped pollution and resource depletion. Basic ecological principles are often ignored and sometimes this contributes to ecological disasters. This volume is designed to provide basic information about the quality of the earth's energy resources. The visual aids,…

Land Resources and Pollution. Environmental Studies. 4 Color Transparencies, Reproducibles & Teaching Guide. Grade 3, 4, 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ortleb, Edward P.; And Others

The world is faced with a variety of environmental problems. No country has escaped pollution and resource depletion. Basic ecological principles are often ignored and sometimes this contributes to ecological disasters. This volume is designed to provide basic information about the quality of the earth's land resources. The visual aids,…

USING LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY TO MAP WATERSHEDS THAT ARE VULNERABLE TO NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION IN THE OZARKS

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. EPA's Office of Research and Development, and U.S. EPA Region 7 have collaborated to map and interpret landscape-scale (i.e. broad-scale) ecological metrics among watershed of the Upper White River, and have produced the first geospatial models of water quality vulnerabi...

A Comparison of Affect Ratings Obtained with Ecological Momentary Assessment and the Day Reconstruction Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dockray, Samantha; Grant, Nina; Stone, Arthur A.; Kahneman, Daniel; Wardle, Jane; Steptoe, Andrew

2010-01-01

Measurement of affective states in everyday life is of fundamental importance in many types of quality of life, health, and psychological research. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is the recognized method of choice, but the respondent burden can be high. The day reconstruction method (DRM) was developed by Kahneman and colleagues ("Science,"…

Three subgroups of pain profiles identified in 227 women with arthritis: a latent class analysis.

PubMed

de Luca, Katie; Parkinson, Lynne; Downie, Aron; Blyth, Fiona; Byles, Julie

2017-03-01

The objectives were to identify subgroups of women with arthritis based upon the multi-dimensional nature of their pain experience and to compare health and socio-demographic variables between subgroups. A latent class analysis of 227 women with self-reported arthritis was used to identify clusters of women based upon the sensory, affective, and cognitive dimensions of the pain experience. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between cluster membership and health and sociodemographic characteristics. A three-class cluster model was most parsimonious. 39.5 % of women had a unidimensional pain profile; 38.6 % of women had moderate multidimensional pain profile that included additional pain symptomatology such as sensory qualities and pain catastrophizing; and 21.9 % of women had severe multidimensional pain profile that included prominent pain symptomatology such as sensory and affective qualities of pain, pain catastrophizing, and neuropathic pain. Women with severe multidimensional pain profile have a 30.5 % higher risk of poorer quality of life and a 7.3 % higher risk of suffering depression, and women with moderate multidimensional pain profile have a 6.4 % higher risk of poorer quality of life when compared to women with unidimensional pain. This study identified three distinct subgroups of pain profiles in older women with arthritis. Women had very different experiences of pain, and cluster membership impacted significantly on health-related quality of life. These preliminary findings provide a stronger understanding of profiles of pain and may contribute to the development of tailored treatment options in arthritis.

Recreational trails as a source of negative impacts on the persistence of keystone species and facilitation.

PubMed

Ballantyne, Mark; Pickering, Catherine Marina

2015-08-15

Hiking trails, which are among the most common forms of infrastructure created for nature-based tourism, can alter key ecological processes. Trails can damage plants that facilitate the establishment and growth of other species leading to changes in community and functional composition. This can be a particular concern in harsh alpine ecosystems where plant communities are often dominated by one or two keystone species that provide shelter to a suite of beneficiary species. We analysed how a hiking trail affects interspecific facilitation by a dominant trampling-sensitive nurse shrub in the highest National Park in Australia. First we assessed the effects of the trail on the abundance, size and density of the nurse shrub at different distances from the trail. We then compared species richness and composition between areas in, and out, of the nurse shrub's canopy at different distances from the trail. To better understand why some species may benefit from facilitation and any effects of the trail on the quality of facilitation we compared functional composition between quadrats using community trait weighted means calculated by combining plant composition with species functional traits (canopy height, leaf area, % dry weight of leaves and specific leaf area). The abundance, size and density of nurse shrubs was lower on the trail edges than further away, particularly on the leeward edge, where there was more bare ground and less shrub cover. There were differences in species richness, cover, composition and functional composition in and outside the nurse shrub canopy. The shrubs appeared to facilitate species with more competitive, but less stress tolerant traits (e.g. taller plants with leaves that were larger, had high specific leaf area and low dry matter content). However, despite reductions in nurse shrubs near the trail, where they do exist, they appear to provide the same 'quality' of facilitation as nurse shrubs further away. However, longer-term effects may be occurring as the loss of nurse shrubs alters the wind profile of the ridgeline and therefore succession. The use of a steel mesh walkway along the trail may facilitate the regeneration of nurse shrubs and other plants that require protection from wind. Our results highlight the importance of diversifying recreation ecology research to assess how trails affect important ecological processes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Traditional ecological knowledge underlying herding decisions of pastoralists.

PubMed

Tamou, C; de Boer, I J M; Ripoll-Bosch, R; Oosting, S J

2018-04-01

Pastoralists have traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), which is important for their livelihoods and for policies and interventions. Pastoralism is under pressure, however, which may result in a decline of pastoral lifestyle and its related TEK. We, therefore, addressed the following objectives (i) to inventorise and assess how pastoralists characterise and value soils and forages in their environment, (ii) to analyse how soil, forage and livestock (i.e. cattle) characteristics relate to herding decisions and (iii) to determine whether TEK underlying herding decisions differs across generations. Data were collected through focus groups and individual interviews with 72 pastoralists, belonging to three generations and to three agro-ecological zones. Using a three-point scale (high, medium, low), four grasses and three tree forages were assessed in terms of nutritional quality for milk, meat, health and strength. Using their own visual criteria, pastoralists identified five different soils, which they selected for herding at different times of the year. Pastoralists stated that Pokuri was the best soil because of its low moisture content, whereas Karaal was the worst because forage hardly grows on it. They stated that perennials, such as Andropogon gayanus and Loxoderra ledermannii, were of high nutritional quality, whereas annuals such as Andropogon pseudapricus and Hyparrhenia involucrata were of low nutritional quality. Afzelia africana was perceived of high quality for milk production, whereas Khaya senegalensis had the highest quality for meat, health and strength. Pastoralists first used soil, then forage and finally livestock characteristics in their herding decisions. Pastoralists' TEK was not associated with their generations, but with their agro-ecological zones. This study suggests that pastoralists had common and detailed TEK about soils, forages and livestock characteristics, underlying their herding decisions. To conclude, pastoralists use a holistic approach, combining soil, vegetation and livestock TEK in herding decisions. Such TEK can guide restoration or improvement of grazing lands, and land use planning.

Demonstration of Current Profile Shaping using Double Dog-Leg Emittance Exchange Beam Line at Argonne Wakefield Accelerator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ha, Gwanghui; Cho, Moo-Hyun; Conde, Manoel

Emittance exchange (EEX) based longitudinal current profile shaping is the one of the promising current profile shaping technique. This method can generate high quality arbitrary current profiles under the ideal conditions. The double dog-leg EEX beam line was recently installed at the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator (AWA) to explore the shaping capability and confirm the quality of this method. To demonstrate the arbitrary current profile generation, several different transverse masks are applied to generate different final current profiles. The phase space slopes and the charge of incoming beam are varied to observe and suppress the aberrations on the ideal profile. Wemore » present current profile shaping results, aberrations on the shaped profile, and its suppression.« less

Spatial and temporal variations in the relationship between lake water surface temperatures and water quality - A case study of Dianchi Lake.

PubMed

Yang, Kun; Yu, Zhenyu; Luo, Yi; Yang, Yang; Zhao, Lei; Zhou, Xiaolu

2018-05-15

Global warming and rapid urbanization in China have caused a series of ecological problems. One consequence has involved the degradation of lake water environments. Lake surface water temperatures (LSWTs) significantly shape water ecological environments and are highly correlated with the watershed ecosystem features and biodiversity levels. Analysing and predicting spatiotemporal changes in LSWT and exploring the corresponding impacts on water quality is essential for controlling and improving the ecological water environment of watersheds. In this study, Dianchi Lake was examined through an analysis of 54 water quality indicators from 10 water quality monitoring sites from 2005 to 2016. Support vector regression (SVR), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Back Propagation Artificial Neural Network (BPANN) methods were applied to form a hybrid forecasting model. A geospatial analysis was conducted to observe historical LSWTs and water quality changes for Dianchi Lake from 2005 to 2016. Based on the constructed model, LSWTs and changes in water quality were simulated for 2017 to 2020. The relationship between LSWTs and water quality thresholds was studied. The results show limited errors and highly generalized levels of predictive performance. In addition, a spatial visualization analysis shows that from 2005 to 2020, the chlorophyll-a (Chla), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total nitrogen (TN) diffused from north to south and that ammonia nitrogen (NH 3 -N) and total phosphorus (TP) levels are increases in the northern part of Dianchi Lake, where the LSWT levels exceed 17°C. The LSWT threshold is 17.6-18.53°C, which falls within the threshold for nutritional water quality, but COD and TN levels fall below V class water quality standards. Transparency (Trans), COD, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and Chla levels present a close relationship with LSWT, and LSWTs are found to fundamentally affect lake cyanobacterial blooms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of chronic shoulder pain on quality of life and occupational engagement in the population with chronic spinal cord injury: preparing for the best outcomes with occupational therapy.

PubMed

Silvestri, Jennifer

2017-01-01

Purpose To examine the implications of chronic shoulder pain on quality of life and occupational engagement in spinal cord injury (SCI). The Ecology of Human Performance Model and Self-Efficacy Theory will be used to further examine the interplay of shoulder pain, quality of life and engagement in this population. Method Analysis of literature. Results Persons with SCI have a high prevalence of shoulder pain and injury, affecting 37-84% of analysed studies; chronic pain limits occupational engagement and decreases quality of life. Remediation of pain provides improved occupational engagement, functional independence and quality of life in those with high self-efficacy and low depression. Conclusion Shoulder pain is a serious complication following SCI and the Ecology of Human Performance Model and Self-Efficacy Theory can be utilized in conjunction for a framework to evaluate, treat and prevent shoulder pain and its devastating effects on occupational engagement and quality of life in the spinal cord injured population. Thereafter, rehabilitation professionals will have a greater understanding of these interactions to serve as a guide for evaluation and intervention planning to promote optimal occupational engagement through limiting the experiences of occupational injustices for those with SCI and shoulder pain. Implications for Rehabilitation Musculoskeletal pain at the shoulder joint and depression are common complications following spinal cord injury that limit occupational engagement and decrease quality of life. To increase engagement and quality of life in this population, treatments need to address all factors including the under-lying psychosocial instead of task and environment modification alone. The Ecology of Human Performance Model and Self-efficacy Theory are effective frameworks that can be used for evaluation, treatment planning and outcome measurement to maximize occupational engagement and quality of life.

Holistic model-based monitoring of the human health status in an urban environment system: pilot study in Verona city, Italy.

PubMed

Tarocco, S; Amoruso, I; Caravello, G

2011-06-01

In recent decades the global health paradigm gained an increasing systemic characterization. The ecosystem health theory states that a healthy ecosystem, whether natural or artificial, significantly contributes to the good health status of the human population. The present study describes an interdisciplinary monitoring model that retrospectively analyzes the intersection between the urban environment and citizens. The model analyzes both the biophysical and the anthropic subsystems through the application of landscape ecology and environmental quality indexes along with human health indicators. Particularly, ecological quality of landscape pattern, atmospheric pollution, outdoor noise levels and local health indicators were assessed. Verona municipality was chosen as study area to test the preliminary efficiency of the model. Territory was split into two superimposed layers of land units, which were further geo-referentiated with Geographical Information System (GIS) technology. Interdependence of any of the analyzed traits was further investigated with Fisher exact test. Landscape composition was assessed and an Average Ecological Quality (AEQ) score assigned to each land unit. A direct proportionality emerged for concentrations of considered air pollutants and traffic levels: a spatial model for the atmospheric pollution was drawn. A map depicting the distribution of traffic-related noise levels was also drawn. From chosen indicators, a quality class score was assigned to every minor and major land unit. Age-standardised rates about hospitalizations for the municipal population and specific rates for the over-65s/1000 inhabitants were calculated. Quality class assignement for each health indicator was graphically rendered. After direct standardisation of rates for the population sample, data were compared with two reference populations, the Regional population and the Local Socio-sanitary Unit (ULSS20) population. Standardised hospitalization rates for the whole municipal population always resulted lower than the ULSS20 rates, except for auditory pathologies. It was notable that rates of hospitalizations for cancerous diseases for Verona municipal population were four times and two times lower than the ULSS20 and the Regional population ones, respectively. Contingency table were made for the health main indicator (specific rates for the over-65s/1000 inhabitants) and the environmental quality key factors of landscape ecological quality, outdoor noise level and air pollution. H0 of independence was rejected for respiratory pathologies and air pollution and for the triad cardiocirculatory pathologies, air pollution and landscape ecological quality at (a = 0.05). Fisher exact test confirmed the non-independence of cardiocirculatory diseases and biophysical environment and the analogous association for respiratory pathologies when comparison was made with global environmental quality index. The first testing of the model suggests some possible elements of implementation and integration which could further enhance it. Among them, the subjective investigation of the health status assumes a primary role. On the whole the monitoring model seems to effectively represent the real complexity of the urban environment systems and should be regarded as an important contribution to the new way of health research.

Relationship between weight-related behavioral profiles and health outcomes by sexual orientation and gender.

PubMed

VanKim, Nicole A; Erickson, Darin J; Eisenberg, Marla E; Lust, Katherine; Rosser, B R Simon; Laska, Melissa N

2016-07-01

Examine relationships between weight-related factors and weight status, body dissatisfaction, chronic health conditions, and quality of life across sexual orientation and gender. Two- and four-year college students participated in the College Student Health Survey (n = 28,703; 2009-2013). Risk differences were calculated to estimate relationships between behavioral profiles and weight status, body satisfaction, diagnosis of a chronic condition, and quality of life, stratified by gender and sexual orientation. Four behavioral profiles, characterized as "healthier eating habits, more physically active," "healthier eating habits," "moderate eating habits," and "unhealthy weight control," were utilized based on latent class analyses, estimated from nine weight-related behavioral survey items. Sexual orientation differences in weight and quality of life were identified. For example, sexual minority groups reported significantly poorer quality of life than their heterosexual counterparts (females: 22.5%-38.6% (sexual minority) vs. 19.8% (heterosexual); males: 14.3%-26.7% (sexual minority) vs. 11.8% (heterosexual)). Compared with the "healthier eating habits, more physically active" profile, the "unhealthy weight control" profile was associated with obesity, poor body satisfaction, and poor quality of life in multiple gender/sexual orientation subgroups. Interventions are needed to address obesity, body dissatisfaction, and poor quality of life among sexual minority college students. © 2016 The Obesity Society.

The Profile Quality of Pond In Kendal Regency to Diversification Aquaculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayuniar, Ligar Novi; Hidayat, Jafron Wasiq

2018-02-01

Water quality, particularly coastal areas, is systematically tropogenic. The decline in water quality is caused by industrial waste pollution, soil erosion carried by the river, and the depletion of mangrove areas. The decrease of water quality can affect the fishery cultivation activities that exist in the region. It also affects the quality of the cultivated fish. Fish cultivated in ponds with poor water quality can be harmful to the health of the people who consume the fish. One effort to manage the feasibility of pond waters is by identifying the quality. The purpose of this research is to know the profile of pond water quality and to know the diversity potential of aquaculture. Based on the nature of the problem this research is a field research, while the purpose of this study is descriptive and explanatory research. The method used in this research is research by using survey method. Aquatic profile results are essential to improve the quality and quantity of Fisheries, especially in diversifying fisheries.

Using pseudoalignment and base quality to accurately quantify microbial community composition

PubMed Central

Novembre, John

2018-01-01

Pooled DNA from multiple unknown organisms arises in a variety of contexts, for example microbial samples from ecological or human health research. Determining the composition of pooled samples can be difficult, especially at the scale of modern sequencing data and reference databases. Here we propose a novel method for taxonomic profiling in pooled DNA that combines the speed and low-memory requirements of k-mer based pseudoalignment with a likelihood framework that uses base quality information to better resolve multiply mapped reads. We apply the method to the problem of classifying 16S rRNA reads using a reference database of known organisms, a common challenge in microbiome research. Using simulations, we show the method is accurate across a variety of read lengths, with different length reference sequences, at different sample depths, and when samples contain reads originating from organisms absent from the reference. We also assess performance in real 16S data, where we reanalyze previous genetic association data to show our method discovers a larger number of quantitative trait associations than other widely used methods. We implement our method in the software Karp, for k-mer based analysis of read pools, to provide a novel combination of speed and accuracy that is uniquely suited for enhancing discoveries in microbial studies. PMID:29659582

The Actor, Partner, Similarity Effects of Personality, and Interactions with Gender and Relationship Duration among Chinese Emerging Adults

PubMed Central

Zhou, Yixin; Wang, Kexin; Chen, Shuang; Zhang, Jianxin; Zhou, Mingjie

2017-01-01

Understanding personality effects and their role in influencing relationship quality, varied according to gender and relationship duration, could help us better understand close relationships. Participants were Chinese dating dyads and were asked to complete both the Big Five Inventory and Perceived Relationship Quality Component scales. Males and those who had a long-term relationship perceived better relationship quality; individuals who scored higher on agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, and emotional stability enjoyed better relationship quality; gender and/or relationship duration moderated the actor effect of extraversion and the partner effects of conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness on relationship quality. Regarding the profile similarity, those couples who were more dissimilar in their profile personality had better relationship quality, especially when they were in a relatively long-term relationship. Meanwhile, with an increase in profile similarity, the males' perceived relationship quality decreased. PMID:29033878

Vertical profile, contamination assessment, and source apportionment of heavy metals in sediment cores of Kaohsiung Harbor, Taiwan.

PubMed

Chen, Chih-Feng; Ju, Yun-Ru; Chen, Chiu-Wen; Dong, Cheng-Di

2016-12-01

Six sediment cores collected at the Kaohsiung Harbor of Taiwan were analyzed to evaluate their vertical profiles, enrichments, accumulations, and source apportionments of heavy metals. This was performed to investigate any potential ecological risks posed by heavy metals. Results indicated that the mean heavy metal content (mg kg -1 ) in the six sediment cores was as follows: Hg (0.4-6.4), Cd (<0.05-2.4), Cr (18-820), Cu (16-760), Pb (31-140), and Zn (76-1900). The patterns of heavy metal content in the sediment cores differed substantially among the four river mouths. However, the vertical profiles of metals were relatively stable, indicating that wastewater has the constant characteristics and has been discharged into the rivers for a long period of time. Results of pollution assessment of enrichment factor, geo-accumulation index, and pollution load index revealed that river mouths experience severe enrichment, strong accumulation, and high contamination from the primary heavy metals. It was not consistent in the assessment results of mean effect range median quotient, potential ecological risk index, and total toxic unit method. Potential ecological risks caused by Hg in the sediments at Canon River and Love River mouths on aquatic organisms were extremely high. The estimates derived from the receptor modeling of multiple linear regression of the absolute principal component scores indicated that the contributions of the composite heavy metals derived from the Canon River and the Love River on the potential toxicity and risks to the water environment of Kaohsiung Harbor were highest, followed by those derived from Salt River and Jen-Gen River. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contrasting PCB bioaccumulation patterns among Lake Huron lake trout reflect basin-specific ecology.

PubMed

Paterson, Gordon; Ryder, Mark; Drouillard, Ken G; Haffner, G Douglas

2016-01-01

This study collected multiple age classes of lake trout from Lake Huron's Main Basin, Georgian Bay, and North Channel regions to compare and contrast top predator polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) bioaccumulation patterns in separate compartments of the same ecosystem. Sum PCB concentrations were highest for Main Basin (260 ± 24.9 ng g(-1) wet wt) fish, followed by Georgian Bay (74.6 ± 16.2 ng g(-1) ) and North Channel (42.0 ± 3.3 ng g(-1)) fish. Discriminant functions analysis of lake trout PCB profiles and stable carbon (δ(13)C) and nitrogen (δ(15)N) isotope values clearly distinguished fish by location, indicating high degrees of basin fidelity throughout their lifetimes in addition to highly contrasting PCB bioaccumulation profiles. These unique profiles were not attributable to significant differences in lake trout lipid contents (p = 0.856) or trophic position (δ(15)N; p = 0.334), with rainbow smelt representing the primary prey across the basins. Furthermore, significant differences were observed among the basins for the relationships between PCB biomagnification factors and hydrophobicity. An empirical model for predicting PCB biomagnification in Lake Huron lake trout indicated that basin-specific population growth rates and prey abundances were significant for explaining these contrasting patterns of PCB bioaccumulation. The results of the present study are fundamental for understanding the role of ecology in legacy persistent organic pollutant (POP) bioaccumulation. Specifically, ecosystem characteristics such as prey abundances, foraging ecology, and ultimately consumer growth can regulate the variability of legacy POP bioaccumulation as observed within and among a wide range of freshwater ecosystems. © 2015 SETAC.

Determination of the ecological connectivity between landscape patches obtained using the knowledge engineer (expert) classification technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selim, Serdar; Sonmez, Namik Kemal; Onur, Isin; Coslu, Mesut

2017-10-01

Connection of similar landscape patches with ecological corridors supports habitat quality of these patches, increases urban ecological quality, and constitutes an important living and expansion area for wild life. Furthermore, habitat connectivity provided by urban green areas is supporting biodiversity in urban areas. In this study, possible ecological connections between landscape patches, which were achieved by using Expert classification technique and modeled with probabilistic connection index. Firstly, the reflection responses of plants to various bands are used as data in hypotheses. One of the important features of this method is being able to use more than one image at the same time in the formation of the hypothesis. For this reason, before starting the application of the Expert classification, the base images are prepared. In addition to the main image, the hypothesis conditions were also created for each class with the NDVI image which is commonly used in the vegetation researches. Besides, the results of the previously conducted supervised classification were taken into account. We applied this classification method by using the raster imagery with user-defined variables. Hereupon, to provide ecological connections of the tree cover which was achieved from the classification, we used Probabilistic Connection (PC) index. The probabilistic connection model which is used for landscape planning and conservation studies via detecting and prioritization critical areas for ecological connection characterizes the possibility of direct connection between habitats. As a result we obtained over % 90 total accuracy in accuracy assessment analysis. We provided ecological connections with PC index and we created inter-connected green spaces system. Thus, we offered and implicated green infrastructure system model takes place in the agenda of recent years.

Nutrient profiling can help identify foods of good nutritional quality for their price: a validation study with linear programming.

PubMed

Maillot, Matthieu; Ferguson, Elaine L; Drewnowski, Adam; Darmon, Nicole

2008-06-01

Nutrient profiling ranks foods based on their nutrient content. They may help identify foods with a good nutritional quality for their price. This hypothesis was tested using diet modeling with linear programming. Analyses were undertaken using food intake data from the nationally representative French INCA (enquête Individuelle et Nationale sur les Consommations Alimentaires) survey and its associated food composition and price database. For each food, a nutrient profile score was defined as the ratio between the previously published nutrient density score (NDS) and the limited nutrient score (LIM); a nutritional quality for price indicator was developed and calculated from the relationship between its NDS:LIM and energy cost (in euro/100 kcal). We developed linear programming models to design diets that fulfilled increasing levels of nutritional constraints at a minimal cost. The median NDS:LIM values of foods selected in modeled diets increased as the levels of nutritional constraints increased (P = 0.005). In addition, the proportion of foods with a good nutritional quality for price indicator was higher (P < 0.0001) among foods selected (81%) than among foods not selected (39%) in modeled diets. This agreement between the linear programming and the nutrient profiling approaches indicates that nutrient profiling can help identify foods of good nutritional quality for their price. Linear programming is a useful tool for testing nutrient profiling systems and validating the concept of nutrient profiling.

Assessment of irrigation water quality. A proposal of a quality profile.

PubMed

Almeida, César; Quintar, Silvya; González, Patricia; Mallea, Miguel

2008-07-01

Water quality indices provide a simple and understandable tool for managers on the quality and possible uses for irrigation water, however an individual quality factor alone is not enough to evaluate the irrigation water quality because it could be restrictive and sometime it could give an unfavorable qualification. The aim of this paper was propose a quality profile of irrigation water using the preexisting water quality indices to be applied to arid and semi-arid regions. As a case studied, the water of the Del Molle River (Nogolí, San Luis, Argentina) was researched. Samples were collected during the period October 2005-May 2006. Conductivity, pH, total hardness, sulphate, nitrate, nitrite, alkalinity, chloride, sodium, potassium, TDS, DO and phosphate were analyzed. The irrigation water quality, according to Riverside Norm, belongs to C(2)-S(1) class, according to Wilcox Norm as excellent to good, according to Scott quality factor it is good and according to SAR < 10 and according to RCS it is recommendable. From the obtained data, it can be concluded that the water quality profile was good, so it is useful for normal irrigation agriculture.

WASP TRANSPORT MODELING AND WASP ECOLOGICAL MODELING

EPA Science Inventory

A combination of lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on excercises will be used to introduce pollutant transport modeling with the U.S. EPA's general water quality model, WASP (Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program). WASP features include a user-friendly Windows-based interfa...

Assessing trade-offs in large marine protected areas.

PubMed

Davies, Tammy E; Epstein, Graham; Aguilera, Stacy E; Brooks, Cassandra M; Cox, Michael; Evans, Louisa S; Maxwell, Sara M; Nenadovic, Mateja; Ban, Natalie C

2018-01-01

Large marine protected areas (LMPAs) are increasingly being established and have a high profile in marine conservation. LMPAs are expected to achieve multiple objectives, and because of their size are postulated to avoid trade-offs that are common in smaller MPAs. However, evaluations across multiple outcomes are lacking. We used a systematic approach to code several social and ecological outcomes of 12 LMPAs. We found evidence of three types of trade-offs: trade-offs between different ecological resources (supply trade-offs); trade-offs between ecological resource conditions and the well-being of resource users (supply-demand trade-offs); and trade-offs between the well-being outcomes of different resource users (demand trade-offs). We also found several divergent outcomes that were attributed to influences beyond the scope of the LMPA. We suggest that despite their size, trade-offs can develop in LMPAs and should be considered in planning and design. LMPAs may improve their performance across multiple social and ecological objectives if integrated with larger-scale conservation efforts.

Assessing trade-offs in large marine protected areas

PubMed Central

Aguilera, Stacy E.; Brooks, Cassandra M.; Cox, Michael; Evans, Louisa S.; Maxwell, Sara M.; Nenadovic, Mateja

2018-01-01

Large marine protected areas (LMPAs) are increasingly being established and have a high profile in marine conservation. LMPAs are expected to achieve multiple objectives, and because of their size are postulated to avoid trade-offs that are common in smaller MPAs. However, evaluations across multiple outcomes are lacking. We used a systematic approach to code several social and ecological outcomes of 12 LMPAs. We found evidence of three types of trade-offs: trade-offs between different ecological resources (supply trade-offs); trade-offs between ecological resource conditions and the well-being of resource users (supply-demand trade-offs); and trade-offs between the well-being outcomes of different resource users (demand trade-offs). We also found several divergent outcomes that were attributed to influences beyond the scope of the LMPA. We suggest that despite their size, trade-offs can develop in LMPAs and should be considered in planning and design. LMPAs may improve their performance across multiple social and ecological objectives if integrated with larger-scale conservation efforts. PMID:29668750

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in superficial water from a tropical estuarine system: Distribution, seasonal variations, sources and ecological risk assessment.

PubMed

Santos, Ewerton; Souza, Michel R R; Vilela Junior, Antônio R; Soares, Laiane S; Frena, Morgana; Alexandre, Marcelo R

2018-02-01

This study aimed to evaluate the PAH distribution, sources, seasonal variations and ecological risk assessment in superficial water from the Japaratuba River, Brazil. PAH concentrations ranged from 4 to 119ngL -1 . It was observed that the PAH total concentrations and profiles showed significant differences when comparing the dry season (summer) with the rainy season (winter). Furthermore, most of the PAH originated from pyrogenic sources in the winter, whereas a mixture of sources was observed in the summer. PAH concentration levels found in this study were considered lower than those obtained in other estuarine systems. Ecological risk assessment was determined for individual PAH, based on the risk quotient (RQ) to evaluate the risk of aquatic biota's exposure to PAH. Results suggested that the Japaratuba River has achieved a moderate degree of ecological risk for high molecular weight, showing the importance of identifying these carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds in aquatic systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Data Quality Control for Vessel Mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler. Application for the Western Mediterranean Sea

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia-Gorriz, E.; Front, J.; Candela, J.

1997-01-01

A systematic Data Quality Checking Protocol for vessel Mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler observations is proposed. Previous-to-acquisition conditions are considered along with simultaneous ones.

Long-term colonization ecology of forest-dwelling species in a fragmented rural landscape - dispersal versus establishment.

PubMed

Lõhmus, Kertu; Paal, Taavi; Liira, Jaan

2014-08-01

Species colonization in a new habitat patch is an efficiency indicator of biodiversity conservation. Colonization is a two-step process of dispersal and establishment, characterized by the compatibility of plant traits with landscape structure and habitat conditions. Therefore, ecological trait profiling of specialist species is initially required to estimate the relative importance of colonization filters. Old planted parks best satisfy the criteria of a newly created and structurally matured habitat for forest-dwelling plant species. We sampled species in 230 ancient deciduous forests (source habitat), 74 closed-canopy manor parks (target habitats), 151 linear wooded habitats (landscape corridors), and 97 open habitats (isolating matrix) in Estonia. We defined two species groups of interest: forest (107 species) and corridor specialists (53 species). An extra group of open habitat specialists was extracted for trait scaling. Differing from expectations, forest specialists have high plasticity in reproduction mechanisms: smaller seeds, larger dispersules, complementary selfing ability, and diversity of dispersal vectors. Forest specialists are shorter, less nutrient-demanding and mycorrhizal-dependent, stress-tolerant disturbance-sensitive competitors, while corridor specialists are large-seeded disturbance-tolerant competitors. About 40% of species from local species pools have immigrated into parks. The historic forest area, establishment-related traits, and stand quality enhance the colonization of forest specialists. The openness of landscape and mowing in the park facilitate corridor specialists. Species traits in parks vary between a forest and corridor specialist, except for earlier flowering and larger propagules. Forest species are not dispersal limited, but they continue to be limited by habitat properties even in the long term. Therefore, the shady parts of historic parks should be appreciated as important forest biodiversity-enhancing landscape structures. The habitat quality of secondary stands can be improved by nurturing a heterogeneous shrub and tree layer, and modest herb layer management.

Long-term colonization ecology of forest-dwelling species in a fragmented rural landscape – dispersal versus establishment

PubMed Central

Lõhmus, Kertu; Paal, Taavi; Liira, Jaan

2014-01-01

Species colonization in a new habitat patch is an efficiency indicator of biodiversity conservation. Colonization is a two-step process of dispersal and establishment, characterized by the compatibility of plant traits with landscape structure and habitat conditions. Therefore, ecological trait profiling of specialist species is initially required to estimate the relative importance of colonization filters. Old planted parks best satisfy the criteria of a newly created and structurally matured habitat for forest-dwelling plant species. We sampled species in 230 ancient deciduous forests (source habitat), 74 closed-canopy manor parks (target habitats), 151 linear wooded habitats (landscape corridors), and 97 open habitats (isolating matrix) in Estonia. We defined two species groups of interest: forest (107 species) and corridor specialists (53 species). An extra group of open habitat specialists was extracted for trait scaling. Differing from expectations, forest specialists have high plasticity in reproduction mechanisms: smaller seeds, larger dispersules, complementary selfing ability, and diversity of dispersal vectors. Forest specialists are shorter, less nutrient-demanding and mycorrhizal-dependent, stress-tolerant disturbance-sensitive competitors, while corridor specialists are large-seeded disturbance-tolerant competitors. About 40% of species from local species pools have immigrated into parks. The historic forest area, establishment-related traits, and stand quality enhance the colonization of forest specialists. The openness of landscape and mowing in the park facilitate corridor specialists. Species traits in parks vary between a forest and corridor specialist, except for earlier flowering and larger propagules. Forest species are not dispersal limited, but they continue to be limited by habitat properties even in the long term. Therefore, the shady parts of historic parks should be appreciated as important forest biodiversity-enhancing landscape structures. The habitat quality of secondary stands can be improved by nurturing a heterogeneous shrub and tree layer, and modest herb layer management. PMID:25247068

Public Data Archiving in Ecology and Evolution: How Well Are We Doing?

PubMed Central

Roche, Dominique G.; Kruuk, Loeske E. B.; Lanfear, Robert; Binning, Sandra A.

2015-01-01

Policies that mandate public data archiving (PDA) successfully increase accessibility to data underlying scientific publications. However, is the data quality sufficient to allow reuse and reanalysis? We surveyed 100 datasets associated with nonmolecular studies in journals that commonly publish ecological and evolutionary research and have a strong PDA policy. Out of these datasets, 56% were incomplete, and 64% were archived in a way that partially or entirely prevented reuse. We suggest that cultural shifts facilitating clearer benefits to authors are necessary to achieve high-quality PDA and highlight key guidelines to help authors increase their data’s reuse potential and compliance with journal data policies. PMID:26556502

Ecological resource management: A call to arms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Emlen, J.M.; Kapustka, Lawrence; Barnthouse, L.; Beyer, N.; Biddinger, G.; Kedwards, T.; Landis, W.; Menzie, C.; Munns, W.; Sorenson, M.; Wentsel, R.

2002-01-01

As the human population enlarges, it becomes increasingly difficult to sustain valued ecological resources. Human use of resources, whether it is the harvest of ocean fisheries, logging of forests, or farming of arable lands, has resulted in significant population declines in many wildlife species. The growth of urban areas and the expansion of impermeable surfaces alter landscape diversity and modify hydrologic patterns in ways that decrease habitat quality for many desired plant, fish, and wildlife species. Impaired water, air, and soil quality related to industrial, municipal, and agricultural activities have altered the composition of aquatic and terrestrial communities.

Latina adolescent sleep and mood: an ecological momentary assessment pilot study.

PubMed

Garcia, Carolyn; Zhang, Lei; Holt, Katie; Hardeman, Rachel; Peterson, Barbara

2014-08-01

Sleep and mood represent two important malleable opportunities for adolescent health. This study investigated the sleep-mood relationship in adolescent girls. Short-term, longitudinal design. Latina adolescents (N = 19, mean age 15) completed ecological momentary assessments on sleep (perceived quality, self-report quantity) and mood (negative affect, positive affect, and positivity ratio). Adolescents sent 1,598 texts on sleep and mood. Bidirectional sleep-mood relationships were in expected directions; negative affect and the positivity ratio affect predicted adolescents' sleep quality. Interventions should encourage sleep-mood relationship awareness, and further research should identify significant differences to inform tailored interventions with adolescents. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Challenges of microarray applications for microbial detection and gene expression profiling in food

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Microarray technology represents one of the latest advances in molecular biology. The diverse types of microarrays have been applied to clinical and environmental microbiology, microbial ecology, and in human, veterinary, and plant diagnostics. Since multiple genes can be analyzed simultaneously, ...

A fungal mock community control for amplicon sequencing experiments

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Microbial ecology has been profoundly advanced by the ability to profile complex microbial communities by sequencing of marker genes amplified from environmental samples. However, inclusion of appropriate controls is vital to revealing the limitations and biases of this technique. “Mock community” s...

A fungal mock community control for amplicon sequencing experiments

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The field of microbial ecology has been profoundly advanced by the ability to profile the composition of complex microbial communities by means of high throughput amplicon sequencing of marker genes amplified directly from environmental genomic DNA extracts. However, it has become increasingly clear...

Ammonium and phosphate enrichment across the dry-wet transition and their ecological relevance in a subtropical reservoir, China.

PubMed

Mo, Qiongli; Chen, Nengwang; Zhou, Xingpeng; Chen, Jixin; Duan, Shuiwang

2016-07-13

Small river reservoirs are widespread and can be ecologically sensitive across the dry-wet transition under monsoon climate with respect to nutrient loading and phenology. Monthly sampling and high-frequency in situ measurements were conducted for a river reservoir (southeast China) in 2013-2014 to examine the seasonal pattern of nutrients and phytoplankton. We found that nutrient concentrations were runoff-mediated and determined by watershed inputs and, in some cases, by internal cycling depending on hydrology and temperature. Ammonium and phosphate were relatively enriched in February-March (a transitional period from dry/cold to wet/hot climate), which can be ascribed to initial flushing runoff from human/animal waste and spring fertilizer use. A phytoplankton bloom (mainly Chlorophyta) occurred during April after a surge of water temperature, probably due to the higher availability of inorganic nutrients and sunlight and suitable hydraulic residence time (medium flow) in the transitional period. The concentration of phytoplankton was low during May-June (wet-hot climate) when the concentrations of total suspended matter (TSM) were highest, likely owing to the "shading" effect of TSM and turbulence of high flow conditions. Nutrient-algae shifts across the dry-wet season and vertical profiles suggested that algal blooms seem to be fueled primarily by phosphate and ammonium rather than nitrate. Current findings of a strong temporal pattern and the relationship between physical parameters, nutrient and biota would improve our understanding of drivers of change in water quality and ecosystem functions with dam construction.

Fostering the Quality of Teaching and Learning by Developing the "Neglected Half " of University Teachers' Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marentic Požarnik, Barica; Lavric, Andreja

2015-01-01

For too long, the quality of teaching and learning in universities has been undervalued in comparison to research. Current social, economic, ecological and other challenges require that more attention be given to measures to improve the situation. Academic staff should receive incentives, policy support and high-quality pedagogical training to…

77 FR 74923 - Water Quality Standards for the State of Florida's Estuaries, Coastal Waters, and South Florida...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-18

... proposing numeric water quality criteria to protect ecological systems, aquatic life, and human health from... Technical Support Section. http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wqssp/.everglades/docs/pctsd/IIIChapter.2.pdf... Water Quality Standards for the State of Florida's Estuaries, Coastal Waters, and South Florida Inland...

Associations of quality of sleep with lifestyle factors and profile of studies among Lithuanian students.

PubMed

Preišegolavičiūtė, Evelina; Leskauskas, Darius; Adomaitienė, Virginija

2010-01-01

The objective of the study was to analyze associations among quality of sleep, profile of the studies, and lifestyle factors among the students of three different study profiles (medicine, economics, and law). A total of 405 randomly selected students from the first and fourth years of studies from 4 different universities in Lithuania answered the standardized questionnaires consisting of two parts: 1) the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for subjective evaluation of sleep quality; 2) the questionnaire about sleep and lifestyle habits and impact of poor sleep on the quality of life developed by the researchers. More than half (59.4%) of the students scored higher than 5 on the PSQI, which allowed suspecting sleep disorders. A significant difference in the frequency of poor sleepers was found regarding the profile of studies (P<0.05) showing the highest frequency of sleep disturbances among medical students. There was a significant correlation between quality of sleep and subjective evaluation of quality of life (P<0.01). Medical students experienced the highest impact of poor sleep on the quality of life (P=0.008). Students studying before going to sleep, spending more time studying, and having less leisure time had worse quality of sleep (P<0.01). A significant difference was found among three profiles of studies regarding the anxiety about studies (P<0.0005) and subjective estimation of success in studies (χ²=27.9, P<0.0005), showing the highest anxiety and worst satisfaction among students of medicine. The incidence of sleep problems is high among students in Lithuania, reaching 59.4%. Medical students have worse quality of sleep and worse impact of poor sleep on the quality of life compared to students of law and economics. A significant difference was found between medical students and their peers in other profiles of studies regarding their attitudes and habits related to studies: medical students spent more time for studying, were more anxious about studies and less satisfied with the results, studied more often before going to sleep.

Temporal and Spatial Variation of Chemical Water Quality in a Contour Canal.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swanson, L. A.; Lunn, R. J.

2004-12-01

Chemical water quality is a highly variable aspect of any water body. Historically numerous researchers have investigated the chemical variability of rivers, streams and wetlands, artificial water bodies such as canals have been largely neglected. Canals are typically hydraulically characterised by low flows and a lack of mixing processes. This can potentially lead to significant spatial variability in water chemistry, and as a result many canals in the UK regularly fail water quality targets at specific locations. Recent changes to UK legislation, following the European Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC), have resulted in canals being subject to achieving `good ecological status'. In the case of canals, what constitutes `good ecological status' is largely unknown and little expertise is available since historically canal management has not been driven by chemical and ecological quality targets. Consequently, there is an urgent need for new research to determine the main factors influencing canal water quality and their ecological status. This research presents results from a study based on a UK contour canal, the Union Canal in central Scotland. The Union Canal typically demonstrates spatially and temporally variable levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) and orthophosphate (PO4-P): simultaneously, seasonal and diel fluctuations of DO and PO4-P are pronounced at a small number of locations. During 1995, minimum levels of DO along the canal length ranged from 9mgl-1 in Edinburgh to as low as 2mgl-1 approximately 20kms away, this then rose again to 8mgl-1 after a further distance of 2km. These acutely low levels of DO are coupled with events of excessive PO4-P up to 0.235mgl-1:10 times greater than those normally found in rivers, causing localised eutrophication and extensive fish kills. To determine the cause of the `hot spots' of poor water quality found on the Union Canal, simultaneous investigations of the hydraulic regime, spatial and temporal water quality variation and the canal's biological status were carried out. Velocity metering in the canal identified extremely low flow rates ~0.15m3s-1. A tracer testing procedure for the canal's low flow conditions was designed and implemented which identified a lack of rapid dispersion processes with D~0.133m3s-1. Water quality sampling consisted of a year-long programme of high frequency temporal and spatial sampling along the canal length. Observations demonstrate significant variability, with widely differing measurements of DO as little as 5m apart. In addition, spot samples of water quality taken from individual incoming field drains showed PO4-P concentrations up to 2mgl-1, with a predominance of nutrient bound clay and silt sediments that ultimately settle on the canal bed. Due to low dispersion rates, residence times for pollutants are long and field drains, in combination with navigational activity, may well be one of the primary causes of raised nutrient levels at some locations. This research has shown that canal water quality is highly spatially and temporally variable; far in excess of the variability normally found in river systems. This is mainly determined by a lack of hydraulic mixing and the presence of small quantities of incoming runoff water of very low quality. Whilst low in volume, incoming sediment from the drains appears to strongly influence the nearby canal water quality. These results have important consequences both for future monitoring strategies of canals and management of their gradual ecological improvement.

Importance of a Priori Vertical Ozone Profiles for TEMPO Air Quality Retrievals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Matthew S.; Sullivan, John; Liu, Xiong; Zoogman, Peter; Newchurch, Mike; Kuang, Shi; McGee, Thomas; Leblanc, Thierry

2017-01-01

Ozone (O3) is a toxic pollutant which plays a major role in air quality. Typically, monitoring of surface air quality and O3 mixing ratios is conducted using in situ measurement networks. This is partially due to high-quality information related to air quality being limited from space-borne platforms due to coarse spatial resolution, limited temporal frequency, and minimal sensitivity to lower tropospheric and surface-level O3. The Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) satellite is designed to address the limitations of current space-based platforms and to improve our ability to monitor North American air quality. TEMPO will provide hourly data of total column and vertical profiles of O3 with high spatial resolution to be used as a near-real-time air quality product. TEMPO O3 retrievals will apply the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory profile algorithm developed based on work from GOME (Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment), GOME-2, and OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument). This algorithm is suggested to use a priori O3 profile information from a climatological data-base developed from long-term ozone-sonde measurements (tropopause-based (TB-Clim) O3 climatology). This study evaluates the TB-Clim dataset and model simulated O3 profiles, which could potentially serve as a priori O3 profile information in TEMPO retrievals, from near-real-time data assimilation model products (NASA GMAO's (Global Modeling and Assimilation Office) operational GEOS-5 (Goddard Earth Observing System, Version 5) FP (Forecast Products) model and reanalysis data from MERRA2 (Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2)) and a full chemical transport model (CTM), GEOS-Chem. In this study, vertical profile products are evaluated with surface (0-2 kilometers) and tropospheric (0-10 kilometers) TOLNet (Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network) observations and the theoretical impact of individual a priori profile sources on the accuracy of TEMPO O3 retrievals in the troposphere and at the surface are presented. Results indicate that while the TB-Clim climatological dataset can replicate seasonally-averaged tropospheric O3 profiles, model-simulated profiles from a full CTM resulted in more accurate tropospheric and surface-level O3 retrievals from TEMPO when compared to hourly and daily-averaged TOLNet observations. Furthermore, it is shown that when large surface O3 mixing ratios are observed, TEMPO retrieval values at the surface are most accurate when applying CTM a priori profile information compared to all other data products.

A Profile Approach to Child Care Quality, Quantity, and Type of Setting: Parent Selection of Infant Child Care Arrangements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sosinsky, Laura Stout; Kim, Se-Kang

2013-01-01

Building on prior variable-oriented research which demonstrates the independence of the associations of child care quality, quantity, and type of setting with family factors and child outcomes, the current study identifies four profiles of child care dimensions from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Profiles accounted for…

Flemish consumer attitudes towards more sustainable food choices.

PubMed

Vanhonacker, Filiep; Van Loo, Ellen J; Gellynck, Xavier; Verbeke, Wim

2013-03-01

Intensive agricultural practices and current western consumption patterns are associated with increased ecological pressure. One way to reduce the ecological impact could be a shift to more sustainable food choices. This study investigates consumer opinions towards a series of food choices with a lower ecological impact. The investigated food choices range from well-known meat substitutes to alternatives which are more radical or innovative and that require an adaptation of food habits and cultural patterns. Results are obtained through a survey among 221 Flemish respondents in Spring 2011. Many consumers underestimate the ecological impact of animal production. Well-known alternatives such as organic meat, moderation of meat consumption and sustainable fish are accepted, although willingness to pay is clearly lower than willingness to consume. Consumers are more reluctant to alternatives that (partly) ban or replace meat in the meal. Opportunities of introducing insects currently appear to be non-existent. Five consumer segments were identified based on self-evaluated ecological footprint and personal relevance of the ecological footprint. The segments were termed Conscious, Active, Unwilling, Ignorant and Uncertain. A profile in terms of demographics, attitudinal and behavioral characteristics is developed for each segments, and conclusions with respect to opportunities for sustainable food choices are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functional profiles reveal unique ecological roles of various biological soil crust organisms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bowker, M.A.; Mau, R.L.; Maestre, F.T.; Escolar, C.; Castillo-Monroy, A. P.

2011-01-01

1. At the heart of the body of research on biodiversity effects on ecosystem function is the debate over whether different species tend to be functionally singular or redundant. When we consider ecosystem multi-function, the provision of multiple ecosystem functions simultaneously, we may find that seemingly redundant species may in fact play unique roles in ecosystems. 2. Over the last few decades, the significance of biological soil crusts (BSCs) as ecological boundaries and ecosystem engineers, and their multi-functional nature, has become increasingly well documented. We compiled 'functional profiles' of the organisms in this understudied community, to determine whether functional singularity emerges when multiple ecosystem functions are considered. 3. In two data sets, one representing multiple sites around the semi-arid regions of Spain (regional scale), and another from a single site in central Spain (local scale), we examined correlations between the abundance or frequency of BSC species in a community, and multiple surrogates of ecosystem functioning. There was a wide array of apparent effects of species on specific functions. 4. Notably, in gypsiferous soils and at regional scale, we found that indicators of carbon (C) and phosphorus cycling were apparently suppressed and promoted by the lichens Diploschistes diacapsis and Squamarina lentigera, respectively. The moss Pleurochaete squarrosa appears to promote C cycling in calcareous soils at this spatial scale. At the local scale in gypsiferous soils, D. diacapsis positively correlated with carbon cycling, but negatively with nitrogen cycling, whereas numerous lichens exhibited the opposite profile. 5. We found a high degree of functional singularity, i.e. that species were highly individualistic in their effects on multiple functions. Many functional attributes were not easily predictable from existing functional grouping systems based primarily on morphology. 6. Our results suggest that maintaining species-rich BSC communities is crucial to maintain the overall functionality of ecosystems dominated by these organisms, and that dominance and the outcome of competition could be highly influential in the determination of such functionality. ?? 2011 The Authors. Functional Ecology ?? 2011 British Ecological Society.

Does high antibiotic consumption still reflect bad practices?

PubMed

Levent, T; Delfosse, F; Lambiotte, F; Dezorzi, S; Gosteau, L; Vasseur, M

2012-07-01

The authors had for aim to assess the quality of antibiotic prescription in an intensive care unit because of their high rate of consumption. A prospective 5-month study was made of the first 50 prescriptions of ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, teicoplanin, vancomycin, and imipenem. Treatment was considered adequate at day 5 if the indication was relevant, with the right doses, and if the prescription was adapted to the antibiogram. Fifty treatments were evaluated (38 patients included). Eighty-four percent (42/50) was adequate at day 5. Glycopeptides and fluoroquinolones accounted for 2/3 of prescriptions. The absence of de-escalation was the most common mistake. The severity of presentations was evident with a mean SSI at 68 (22-113), and a mean BMI at 28 (18.5 - 50). Eighty-four percent (32/38) of patients were exposed to invasive devices, 47% died in the ICU. Most prescriptions were adequate. The patient profile could explain the high rate of antibiotic consumption. Bacteriological monitoring revealed an increased prevalence of resistant bacteria, which could explain a high rate of consumption along with adaptation of the dose to overweight. De-escalation, using aminosides more frequently, and shorter prescribed courses of fluoroquinolones should improve consumption rates does not always reflect bad practices, but may be adequate when considering bacterial ecology and patient profile. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Ecological Responses to Trout Habitat Rehabilitation in a Northern Michigan Stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosi-Marshall, Emma J.; Moerke, Ashley H.; Lamberti, Gary A.

2006-07-01

Monitoring of stream restoration projects is often limited and success often focuses on a single taxon (e.g., salmonids), even though other aspects of stream structure and function may also respond to restoration activities. The Ottawa National Forest (ONF), Michigan, conducted a site-specific trout habitat improvement to enhance the trout fishery in Cook’s Run, a 3rd-order stream that the ONF determined was negatively affected by past logging. Our objectives were to determine if the habitat improvement increased trout abundances and enhanced other ecological variables (overall habitat quality, organic matter retention, seston concentration, periphyton abundance, sediment organic matter content, and macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity) following rehabilitation. The addition of skybooms (underbank cover structures) and k-dams (pool-creating structures) increased the relative abundance of harvestable trout (>25 cm in total length) as intended but not overall trout abundances. Both rehabilitation techniques also increased maximum channel depth and organic matter retention, but only k-dams increased overall habitat quality. Neither approach significantly affected other ecological variables. The modest ecological response to this habitat improvement likely occurred because the system was not severely degraded beforehand, and thus small, local changes in habitat did not measurably affect most physical and ecological variables measured. However, increases in habitat volume and in organic matter retention may enhance stream biota in the long term.

Forbidden fruit: human settlement and abundant fruit create an ecological trap for an apex omnivore.

PubMed

Lamb, Clayton T; Mowat, Garth; McLellan, Bruce N; Nielsen, Scott E; Boutin, Stan

2017-01-01

Habitat choice is an evolutionary product of animals experiencing increased fitness when preferentially occupying high-quality habitat. However, an ecological trap (ET) can occur when an animal is presented with novel conditions and the animal's assessment of habitat quality is poorly matched to its resulting fitness. We tested for an ET for grizzly (brown) bears using demographic and movement data collected in an area with rich food resources and concentrated human settlement. We derived measures of habitat attractiveness from occurrence models of bear food resources and estimated demographic parameters using DNA mark-recapture information collected over 8 years (2006-2013). We then paired this information with grizzly bear mortality records to investigate kill and movement rates. Our results demonstrate that a valley high in both berry resources and human density was more attractive than surrounding areas, and bears occupying this region faced 17% lower apparent survival. Despite lower fitness, we detected a net flow of bears into the ET, which contributed to a study-wide population decline. This work highlights the presence and pervasiveness of an ET for an apex omnivore that lacks the evolutionary cues, under human-induced rapid ecological change, to assess trade-offs between food resources and human-caused mortality, which results in maladaptive habitat selection. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society.

Ecological risk of heavy metals in sediments of the luan river source water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liu, J.; Li, Y.; Zhang, B.; Cao, J.; Cao, Z.; Domagalski, Joseph L.

2009-01-01

Distribution and characteristics of heavy metals enrichment in sediment were surveyed including the bio-available form analyzed for assessment of the Luan River source water quality. The approaches of sediment quality guidelines (SQG), risk assessment code and Hakanson potential ecological risk index were used for the ecological risk assessment. According to SQG, The results show that in animal bodies, Hg at the sampling site of Wuliehexia was 1.39 mg/kg, Cr at Sandaohezi was 152.37 mg/kg and Cu at Hanjiaying was 178.61 mg/kg exceeding the severe effect screening level. There were 90% of sampling sites of Cr and Pb and 50% sites of Cu exceeded the lowest effect screening level. At Boluonuo and Wuliehexia, the exchangeable and carbonate fractions for above 50% of sites were at high risk levels and that for above 30% of sites at Xiahenan and Wulieheshang were also at high risk levels. Other sites were at medium risk level. Compared to soil background values of China, Hg and Cd showed very strong ecological risk, and the seven heavy metals of Hg, Cd, Cu, As, Pb, Cr, Zn at ecological risk levels were in the descending order. The results could give insight into risk assessment of environmental pollution and decision-making for water source security. ?? 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Comparative (Meta)genomic Analysis and Ecological Profiling of Human Gut-Specific Bacteriophage φB124-14

PubMed Central

Ogilvie, Lesley A.; Caplin, Jonathan; Dedi, Cinzia; Diston, David; Cheek, Elizabeth; Bowler, Lucas; Taylor, Huw; Ebdon, James; Jones, Brian V.

2012-01-01

Bacteriophage associated with the human gut microbiome are likely to have an important impact on community structure and function, and provide a wealth of biotechnological opportunities. Despite this, knowledge of the ecology and composition of bacteriophage in the gut bacterial community remains poor, with few well characterized gut-associated phage genomes currently available. Here we describe the identification and in-depth (meta)genomic, proteomic, and ecological analysis of a human gut-specific bacteriophage (designated φB124-14). In doing so we illuminate a fraction of the biological dark matter extant in this ecosystem and its surrounding eco-genomic landscape, identifying a novel and uncharted bacteriophage gene-space in this community. φB124-14 infects only a subset of closely related gut-associated Bacteroides fragilis strains, and the circular genome encodes functions previously found to be rare in viral genomes and human gut viral metagenome sequences, including those which potentially confer advantages upon phage and/or host bacteria. Comparative genomic analyses revealed φB124-14 is most closely related to φB40-8, the only other publically available Bacteroides sp. phage genome, whilst comparative metagenomic analysis of both phage failed to identify any homologous sequences in 136 non-human gut metagenomic datasets searched, supporting the human gut-specific nature of this phage. Moreover, a potential geographic variation in the carriage of these and related phage was revealed by analysis of their distribution and prevalence within 151 human gut microbiomes and viromes from Europe, America and Japan. Finally, ecological profiling of φB124-14 and φB40-8, using both gene-centric alignment-driven phylogenetic analyses, as well as alignment-free gene-independent approaches was undertaken. This not only verified the human gut-specific nature of both phage, but also indicated that these phage populate a distinct and unexplored ecological landscape within the human gut microbiome. PMID:22558115

ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT CALIBRATION OF WATER QUALITY IN ESTERO BAY MX964227

EPA Science Inventory

This project will produce a GIS database and habitat maps of benthic substrates and biological assemblages within the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve. A biological approach for identifying ambient water quality conditions will be developed. This will increase awareness among resource...

Floristic Quality Assessment Across the Nation: Status, Opportunities, and Challenges

EPA Science Inventory

Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) will be considered in the USEPA National Wetland Condition Assessment (NWCA). FQA is a powerful tool to describe wetland ecological condition, and is based on Coefficients of Conservatism (CC) of individual native plant species. CCs rank sensiti...

Soil agroecosystem health: current challenges and future opportunities

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil health is a broad concept that emphasizes the ecological importance of soils, including sustained plant and animal productivity, human health, and environmental quality. In the United States, soil degradation and associated water quality problems have been widely documented. Improvement and mai...

Meeting in Turkey: WASP Transport Modeling and WASP Ecological Modeling

EPA Science Inventory

A combination of lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on excercises will be used to introduce pollutant transport modeling with the U.S. EPA's general water quality model, WASP (Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program). WASP features include a user-friendly Windows-based interfa...

Meeting in Korea: WASP Transport Modeling and WASP Ecological Modeling

EPA Science Inventory

A combination of lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on excercises will be used to introduce pollutant transport modeling with the U.S. EPA's general water quality model, WASP (Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program). WASP features include a user-friendly Windows-based interfa...

Objectives and study design of the Colville study: silviculture, ecology, utilization, and economics of small-diameter densely stocked stands.

Treesearch

R.J. Barbour; S.D. Tesch; J. McNeel; S.A. Willits; R.D. Fight; A. Mason; K.E. Skog

1997-01-01

Public land managers in the United States are increasingly interested in managing forests to provide a range of ecological and social outputs in addition to timber. These outputs might include healthy riparian areas, connected blocks of late-successional forests, habitat for threatened and endangered species, and high quality recreational opportunities. On National...

The language of nature matters: we need a more public ecology

Treesearch

Bruce R. Hull; David P. Robertson

2000-01-01

The language we use to describe nature matters. It is used by policy analysts to set goals for ecological restoration and management, by scientists to describe the nature that did, does, or could exist, and by all of us to imagine possible and acceptable conditions of environmental quality. Participants in environmental decision making demand a lot of the language and...

Mapping human environment connections on the Olympic Peninsula: an atlas of landscape values

Treesearch

R. McLain; L. Cerveny; Paul M. Montesano; André Beaudoin; Guoqing Sun; Hans-Erik Andersen; Michael A. Wulder; S. Rohdy

2015-01-01

The advent of computerized mapping has greatly expanded the ability of land managers to map many aspects of ecological systems, such as tree species, soil types, wildlife habitat, air quality, and water conditions. Mapping the social and cultural aspects of ecological systems, however, has proved much more challenging. This atlas uses the Olympic Peninsula in western...

Violence Prevention and Students with Disabilities: Perspectives from the Field of Youth Violence Prevention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gorman-Smith, Deborah

2012-01-01

Much of the work in youth violence prevention has been based in a public health model and guided by a developmental-ecological perspective on risk and prevention (Bronfenbrenner, 1979, 1988). A central tenet of developmental-ecological theory is that individual development is influenced by the ongoing qualities of the social settings in which the…

ADOPTING A MODERN ECOLOGICAL VIEW OF THE METROPOLITAN LANDSCAPE: THE CASE OF A GREENSPACE SYSTEM FOR THE NEW YORK CITY REGION. (R825792)

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract

Concern about environmental quality and the long-term livability of urban areas is now a driving paradigm for planning professionals. Although a modern ecological framework exists, inappropriate or outdated concepts continue to be used in the context of land-u...

Assessing the ecological status of the Cisadane River’s headwaters using benthic macroinvertebrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krisanti, M.; Wardiatno, Y.; Anzani, Y. M.

2017-01-01

Benthic macroinvertebrates are commonly used in river health biomonitoring. In monitoring program biotic indices are now widely established in water quality monitoring around the world, including in the tropical countries. The aim of this study was to reveal the ecological status of Cisadane River’s headwaters in inside and outside of Mount Halimun-Salak National Park by using benthic macroinvertebrates. The research was conducted in the headwaters of Cisadane River located in Mount Halimun-Salak National Park. Macroinvertebrates were collected from four sites, i.e. inside the park (station 1, 2, 3, and 4) and from two sites outside the park (station 5 and 6). Collections were made twice a month, starting from April to June 2015 by means of Surber sampler (frame area 30x30 cm). A total of 65 genera from 38 families and 11 orders were found in the river. The results showed that based on diversity index, Lincoln Quality Index (LQI), Family Biotic Index (FBI), and Stream Invertebrate Grade Number Average Level 2 (SIGNAL 2), stations located within national park were ecologically better than those outside national park. Rivers with well-preserved riverside vegetation, as in the national park area have greater ecological status.

Preliminary Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Great Western Development Strategy: Safeguarding Ecological Security for a New Western China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Wei; Liu, Yan-Ju; Yang, Zhifeng

2012-02-01

The Great Western Development Strategy (GWDS) is a long term national campaign aimed at boosting development of the western area of China and narrowing the economic gap between the western and the eastern parts of China. The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) procedure was employed to assess the environmental challenges brought about by the western development plans. These plans include five key developmental domains (KDDs): water resource exploitation and use, land utilization, energy generation, tourism development, and ecological restoration and conservation. A combination of methods involving matrix assessment, incorporation of expert judgment and trend analysis was employed to analyze and predict the environmental impacts upon eight selected environmental indicators: water resource availability, soil erosion, soil salinization, forest destruction, land desertification, biological diversity, water quality and air quality. Based on the overall results of the assessment, countermeasures for environmental challenges that emerged were raised as key recommendations to ensure ecological security during the implementation of the GWDS. This paper is intended to introduce a consensus-based process for evaluating the complex, long term pressures on the ecological security of large areas, such as western China, that focuses on the use of combined methods applied at the strategic level.

Preliminary strategic environmental assessment of the Great Western Development Strategy: safeguarding ecological security for a new western China.

PubMed

Li, Wei; Liu, Yan-ju; Yang, Zhifeng

2012-02-01

The Great Western Development Strategy (GWDS) is a long term national campaign aimed at boosting development of the western area of China and narrowing the economic gap between the western and the eastern parts of China. The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) procedure was employed to assess the environmental challenges brought about by the western development plans. These plans include five key developmental domains (KDDs): water resource exploitation and use, land utilization, energy generation, tourism development, and ecological restoration and conservation. A combination of methods involving matrix assessment, incorporation of expert judgment and trend analysis was employed to analyze and predict the environmental impacts upon eight selected environmental indicators: water resource availability, soil erosion, soil salinization, forest destruction, land desertification, biological diversity, water quality and air quality. Based on the overall results of the assessment, countermeasures for environmental challenges that emerged were raised as key recommendations to ensure ecological security during the implementation of the GWDS. This paper is intended to introduce a consensus-based process for evaluating the complex, long term pressures on the ecological security of large areas, such as western China, that focuses on the use of combined methods applied at the strategic level.

MicroRNA expression profiles from eggs of different qualities associated with post-ovulatory ageing in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: Egg quality is an important aspect in rainbow trout farming. Post-ovulatory aging is one of the most important factors affecting egg quality. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are the major regulators in various biological processes and their expression profiles could serve as reliable biomarkers for v...

Profiles of Teacher-Child Interaction Quality in Preschool Classrooms and Teachers' Professional Competence Features

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hu, Bi Ying; Chen, Liang; Fan, Xitao

2018-01-01

This paper investigates early childhood education (ECE) teachers' self-reported and observed teacher-child interaction quality (TIQ) and the associated teachers' professional competence features using a latent profile analysis (LPA) approach to identify the variations in the quality of classroom experiences in Chinese preschools. A total of 164…

[Integrated assessment of ecosystem quality of arid inland river basin based on RS and GIS: A case study on Shiyang River Basin, Northwest China].

PubMed

Liang, Bian Bian; Shi, Pei Ji; Wang, Wei; Tang, Xiao; Zhou, Wen Xia; Jing, Ye

2017-01-01

The Shiyang River Basin is an important ecological area of the Eastern Hexi Corridor, and is one of the most prominent areas of water conflict and ecological environment problems. An assessment of ecosystem quality in the Shiyang River Basin can provide a reference for ecological protection in arid inland basin. Based on the concept of ecosystem quality and the statistical yearbook, remotely sensed and land cover data, an evaluation index was established with consideration of three aspects of ecosystem (i.e., productivity, stability and bearing capacity). Kruskal-Wallis (Φ 2 ) test and entropy method were applied to determine the weights of evaluation index. With the assistance of RS, GIS and SPSS software, a comprehensive evaluation and change analysis of ecosystem quality and corresponding index were conducted for various ecosystem types in the Shiyang River Basin in 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015. Results showed that the average ecosystem quality of the Shiyang River Basin was 57.76, and presented an obvious decrease with a magnitude of 0.72 per year du-ring 2000-2015. The spatial pattern of ecosystem quality was that the upstream was better than the midstream, and the midstream was superior to the downstream. The mean values of production capacity, stability and carrying capacity of ecosystem were 67.52, 45.37, and 58.53, respectively. Production capacity and stability had increased slightly, while carrying capacity gradually decreased. Considering various ecosystem types, the highest quality was detected for forest ecosystem with average annual value of 78.12, and this ecosystem presented the lowest decreasing magnitude of 0.28 per year; for grassland, farmland and urban ecosystems, the average annual value was 62.45, 58.76 and 50.29, respectively; the quality of wetland ecosystem was the lowest, and suffered the largest decline with an average rate of 0.98 per year.

A modeling approach to assess coastal management effects on benthic habitat quality: A case study on coastal defense and navigability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cozzoli, Francesco; Smolders, Sven; Eelkema, Menno; Ysebaert, Tom; Escaravage, Vincent; Temmerman, Stijn; Meire, Patrick; Herman, Peter M. J.; Bouma, Tjeerd J.

2017-01-01

The natural coastal hydrodynamics and morphology worldwide is altered by human interventions such as embankments, shipping and dredging, which may have consequences for ecosystem functionality. To ensure long-term ecological sustainability, requires capability to predict long-term large-scale ecological effects of altered hydromorphology. As empirical data sets at relevant scales are missing, there is need for integrating ecological modeling with physical modeling. This paper presents a case study showing the long-term, large-scale macrozoobenthic community response to two contrasting human alterations of the hydromorphological habitat: deepening of estuarine channels to enhance navigability (Westerschelde) vs. realization of a storm surge barrier to enhance coastal safety (Oosterschelde). A multidisciplinary integration of empirical data and modeling of estuarine morphology, hydrodynamics and benthic ecology was used to reconstruct the hydrological evolution and resulting long-term (50 years) large-scale ecological trends for both estuaries over the last. Our model indicated that hydrodynamic alterations following the deepening of the Westerschelde had negative implications for benthic life, while the realization of the Oosterschelde storm surge barriers had mixed and habitat-dependent responses, that also include unexpected improvement of environmental quality. Our analysis illustrates long-term trends in the natural community caused by opposing management strategies. The divergent human pressures on the Oosterschelde and Westerschelde are examples of what could happen in a near future for many global coastal ecosystems. The comparative analysis of the two basins is a valuable source of information to understand (and communicate) the future ecological consequences of human coastal development.

The Impact of Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) Profiles on Short-term Weather Forecasts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chou, Shih-Hung; Zavodsky, Brad; Jedlovec, Gary J.; Lapenta, William

2007-01-01

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), together with the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU), represents one of the most advanced spacebased atmospheric sounding systems. The combined AlRS/AMSU system provides radiance measurements used to retrieve temperature profiles with an accuracy of 1 K over 1 km layers under both clear and partly cloudy conditions, while the accuracy of the derived humidity profiles is 15% in 2 km layers. Critical to the successful use of AIRS profiles for weather and climate studies is the use of profile quality indicators and error estimates provided with each profile Aside form monitoring changes in Earth's climate, one of the objectives of AIRS is to provide sounding information of sufficient accuracy such that the assimilation of the new observations, especially in data sparse region, will lead to an improvement in weather forecasts. The purpose of this paper is to describe a procedure to optimally assimilate highresolution AIRS profile data in a regional analysis/forecast model. The paper will focus on the impact of AIRS profiles on a rapidly developing east coast storm and will also discuss preliminary results for a 30-day forecast period, simulating a quasi-operation environment. Temperature and moisture profiles were obtained from the prototype version 5.0 EOS science team retrieval algorithm which includes explicit error information for each profile. The error profile information was used to select the highest quality temperature and moisture data for every profile location and pressure level for assimilation into the ARPS Data Analysis System (ADAS). The AIRS-enhanced analyses were used as initial fields for the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) system used by the SPORT project for regional weather forecast studies. The ADASWRF system will be run on CONUS domain with an emphasis on the east coast. The preliminary assessment of the impact of the AIRS profiles will focus on quality control issues associated with AIRS, intelligent use of the quality indicators, and forecast verification.

Relationships between botanical and chemical composition of forages: a multivariate approach to grasslands in the Western Italian Alps.

PubMed

Ravetto Enri, Simone; Renna, Manuela; Probo, Massimiliano; Lussiana, Carola; Battaglini, Luca M; Lonati, Michele; Lombardi, Giampiero

2017-03-01

Plant composition of species-rich mountain grasslands can affect the sensorial and chemical attributes of dairy and meat products, with implications for human health. A multivariate approach was used to analyse the complex relationships between vegetation characteristics (botanical composition and plant community variables) and chemical composition (proximate constituents and fatty acid profile) in mesophilic and dry vegetation ecological groups, comprising six different semi-natural grassland types in the Western Italian Alps. Mesophilic and dry grasslands were comparable in terms of phenology, biodiversity indices and proportion of botanical families. The content of total fatty acids and that of the most abundant fatty acids (alpha-linolenic, linoleic and palmitic acids) were mainly associated to nutrient-rich plant species, belonging to the mesophilic grassland ecological group. Mesophilic grasslands showed also higher values of crude protein, lower values of fibre content and they were related to higher pastoral values of vegetation compared to dry grasslands. The proximate composition and fatty acid profile appeared mainly single species dependent rather than botanical family dependent. These findings highlight that forage from mesophilic grasslands can provide higher nutritive value for ruminants and may be associated to ruminant-derived food products with a healthier fatty acid profile. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Design and methods of the Midwest Stream Quality Assessment (MSQA), 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garrett, Jessica D.; Frey, Jeffrey W.; Van Metre, Peter C.; Journey, Celeste A.; Nakagaki, Naomi; Button, Daniel T.; Nowell, Lisa H.

2017-10-18

During 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Project (NAWQA), in collaboration with the USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Rivers and Streams Assessment (NRSA), and the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs assessed stream quality across the Midwestern United States. This Midwest Stream Quality Assessment (MSQA) simultaneously characterized watershed and stream-reach water-quality stressors along with instream biological conditions, to better understand regional stressor-effects relations. The MSQA design focused on effects from the widespread agriculture in the region and urban development because of their importance as ecological stressors of particular concern to Midwest region resource managers.A combined random stratified selection and a targeted selection based on land-use data were used to identify and select sites representing gradients in agricultural intensity across the region. During a 14-week period from May through August 2013, 100 sites were selected and sampled 12 times for contaminants, nutrients, and sediment. This 14-week water-quality “index” period culminated with an ecological survey of habitat, periphyton, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish at all sites. Sediment was collected during the ecological survey for analysis of sediment chemistry and toxicity testing. Of the 100 sites, 50 were selected for the MSQA random stratified group from 154 NRSA sites planned for the region, and the other 50 MSQA sites were selected as targeted sites to more evenly cover agricultural and urban stressor gradients in the study area. Of the 50 targeted sites, 12 were in urbanized watersheds and 21 represented “good” biological conditions or “least disturbed” conditions. The remaining 17 targeted sites were selected to improve coverage of the agricultural intensity gradient or because of historical data collection to provide temporal context for the study.This report provides a detailed description of the MSQA study components, including surveys of ecological conditions, routine water sampling, deployment of passive polar organic compound integrative samplers, and stream sediment sampling at all sites. Component studies that were completed to provide finer scale temporal data or more extensive analysis at selected sites, included continuous water-quality monitoring, daily pesticide sampling, laboratory and in-stream water toxicity testing efforts, and deployment of passive suspended-sediment samplers.

Construction of new profiler certification tracks.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-04-01

The existing smoothness specifications of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) require : certification of inertial profilers for ride quality assurance testing. Currently, inertial profilers are certified : based on profile measurements col...

The euryhaline yeast Debaryomyces hansenii has two catalase genes encoding enzymes with differential activity profile.

PubMed

Segal-Kischinevzky, Claudia; Rodarte-Murguía, Beatriz; Valdés-López, Victor; Mendoza-Hernández, Guillermo; González, Alicia; Alba-Lois, Luisa

2011-03-01

Debaryomyces hansenii is a spoilage yeast able to grow in a variety of ecological niches, from seawater to dairy products. Results presented in this article show that (i) D. hansenii has an inherent resistance to H2O2 which could be attributed to the fact that this yeast has a basal catalase activity which is several-fold higher than that observed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the same culture conditions, (ii) D. hansenii has two genes (DhCTA1 and DhCTT1) encoding two catalase isozymes with a differential enzymatic activity profile which is not strictly correlated with a differential expression profile of the encoding genes.

Exploring Mexican American adolescent romantic relationship profiles and adjustment

PubMed Central

Moosmann, Danyel A.V.; Roosa, Mark W.

2015-01-01

Although Mexican Americans are the largest ethnic minority group in the nation, knowledge is limited regarding this population's adolescent romantic relationships. This study explored whether 12th grade Mexican Americans’ (N = 218; 54% female) romantic relationship characteristics, cultural values, and gender created unique latent classes and if so, whether they were linked to adjustment. Latent class analyses suggested three profiles including, relatively speaking, higher, satisfactory, and lower quality romantic relationships. Regression analyses indicated these profiles had distinct associations with adjustment. Specifically, adolescents with higher and satisfactory quality romantic relationships reported greater future family expectations, higher self-esteem, and fewer externalizing symptoms than those with lower quality romantic relationships. Similarly, adolescents with higher quality romantic relationships reported greater academic self-efficacy and fewer sexual partners than those with lower quality romantic relationships. Overall, results suggested higher quality romantic relationships were most optimal for adjustment. Future research directions and implications are discussed. PMID:26141198

Effects of contrasting rooting distribution patterns on plant transpiration along a precipitation gradient

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Understanding and predicting ecosystem functioning in water limited ecosystems requires a thorough assessment of the role plant root systems. Widespread ecological phenomena such as shrub encroachment may drastically change root distribution in the soil profile affecting the uptake of water and nutr...

ECOLOGICAL RISKS OF DIOXINS IN LAKE ONTARIO: A TALE OF TWO CORES

EPA Science Inventory

Sediment box cores have frequently been used to determine organochlorine chemical loading histories of lakes and reservoirs. ? Typical profiles for PCBs or DDT show concentrations that increase from around 1940 to 1970 and then decline to the present. Applying these data to retr...

Methods to characterize environmental settings of stream and groundwater sampling sites for National Water-Quality Assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nakagaki, Naomi; Hitt, Kerie J.; Price, Curtis V.; Falcone, James A.

2012-01-01

Characterization of natural and anthropogenic features that define the environmental settings of sampling sites for streams and groundwater, including drainage basins and groundwater study areas, is an essential component of water-quality and ecological investigations being conducted as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment program. Quantitative characterization of environmental settings, combined with physical, chemical, and biological data collected at sampling sites, contributes to understanding the status of, and influences on, water-quality and ecological conditions. To support studies for the National Water-Quality Assessment program, a geographic information system (GIS) was used to develop a standard set of methods to consistently characterize the sites, drainage basins, and groundwater study areas across the nation. This report describes three methods used for characterization-simple overlay, area-weighted areal interpolation, and land-cover-weighted areal interpolation-and their appropriate applications to geographic analyses that have different objectives and data constraints. In addition, this document records the GIS thematic datasets that are used for the Program's national design and data analyses.

Defining chemical status of a temporary Mediterranean River.

PubMed

Skoulikidis, Nikolaos Th

2008-07-01

Although the majority of rivers and streams in the Mediterranean area are temporary, no particular attention is being paid for such systems in the Water Framework Directive (WFD). A typical temporal Mediterranean river, draining an intensively cultivated basin, was assessed for its chemical status. Elevated concentrations of nitrates and salts in river water as well as nutrients and heavy metals in river sediments have been attributed to agricultural land uses and practices and point sources of organic pollution. A scheme for the classification of the river's chemical status (within the ecological quality classification procedure) was applied by combining pollution parameters in groups according to related pressures. In light of the temporal hydrological regime and anthropogenic impacts, sediment chemical quality elements were considered, in addition to hydrochemical ones. Despite the extensive agricultural activities in the basin, the majority of the sites examined showed a good quality and only three of them were classified as moderate. For the classification of the chemical quality of temporary water bodies, there is a need to develop ecologically relevant salinity and sediment quality standards.

Improving Malaysian cocoa quality through the use of dehumidified air under mild drying conditions.

PubMed

Hii, Ching L; Law, Chung L; Cloke, Michael; Sharif, Suzannah

2011-01-30

Various studies have been conducted in the past to improve the quality of Malaysian cocoa beans. However, the processing methods still remain crude and lack technological advancement. In terms of drying, no previous study has attempted to apply advanced drying technology to improve bean quality. This paper presents the first attempt to improve the quality of cocoa beans through heat pump drying using constant air (28.6 and 40.4 °C) and stepwise (step-up 30.7-43.6-56.9 °C and step-down 54.9-43.9 °C) drying profiles. Comparison was made against hot air drying at 55.9 °C. Product quality assessment showed significant improvement in the quality of Malaysian cocoa beans. Quality was found to be better in terms of lower acidity (higher pH) and higher degree of browning (cut test) for cocoa beans dried using the step-up profile. All heat pump-dried samples showed flavour quality comparable to that of Ghanaian and better than that of Malaysian and Indonesian commercial samples. Step-up-dried samples showed the best flavour profile with high level of cocoa flavour, low in sourness and not excessive in bitterness and astringency. Dried cocoa samples from the step-up drying profile showed the best overall quality as compared with commercial samples from Malaysia, Indonesia and Ghana. The improvement of Malaysian cocoa bean quality is thus achievable through heat pump drying. 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

Estimation of Effect Thresholds for the Development of Water Quality Criteria

EPA Science Inventory

Biological and ecological effect thresholds can be used for determining safe levels of nontraditional stressors. The U.S. EPA Framework for Developing Suspended and Bedded Sediments (SABS) Water Quality Criteria (WQC) [36] uses a risk assessment approach to estimate effect thre...

National patterns in wetland water quality from the 2001 NWCA

EPA Science Inventory

Water quality (WQ) is central to understanding ecological condition of lakes, streams, and coastal waters but less often assessed in wetlands. The utility of national-scale wetland WQ data was examined in the 2011 National Wetland Condition Assessment, which covered 48 USA state...

INCORPORATING WETLANDS IN WATER QUALITY TRADING: ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS (Journal Article)

EPA Science Inventory

Incorporating the use of wetlands as a technology to enhance water quality trading programs requires consideration of ecological, legal, and economic issues. We explore the case of encouraging the use of wetlands with a focus on the economic considerations. Interestingly, it is...

INTEGRATING INDICATORS OF ECOLOGICAL CONDITION, STRESSOR EXPOSURE, AND QUALITY OF LIFE TOWARDS AN ASSESSMENT OF REGIONAL VULNERABILITY

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection's Regional Vulnerability Assessment (REVA) Program is developing and evaluating approaches to integrate information on environmental condition, estimated stressor exposures, and quality of life indicators so that regional risks can be prioritized...

Nanotechnology for Food Packaging and Food Quality Assessment.

PubMed

Rossi, Marco; Passeri, Daniele; Sinibaldi, Alberto; Angjellari, Mariglen; Tamburri, Emanuela; Sorbo, Angela; Carata, Elisabetta; Dini, Luciana

Nanotechnology has paved the way to innovative food packaging materials and analytical methods to provide the consumers with healthier food and to reduce the ecological footprint of the whole food chain. Combining antimicrobial and antifouling properties, thermal and mechanical protection, oxygen and moisture barrier, as well as to verify the actual quality of food, e.g., sensors to detect spoilage, bacterial growth, and to monitor incorrect storage conditions, or anticounterfeiting devices in food packages may extend the products shelf life and ensure higher quality of foods. Also the ecological footprint of food chain can be reduced by developing new completely recyclable and/or biodegradable packages from natural and eco-friendly resources. The contribution of nanotechnologies to these goals is reviewed in this chapter, together with a description of portable devices ("lab-on-chip," sensors, nanobalances, etc.) which can be used to assess the quality of food and an overview of regulations in force on food contact materials. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Systematic review for geo-authentic Lonicerae Japonicae Flos.

PubMed

Yang, Xingyue; Liu, Yali; Hou, Aijuan; Yang, Yang; Tian, Xin; He, Liyun

2017-06-01

In traditional Chinese medicine, Lonicerae Japonicae Flos is commonly used as anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antipyretic herbal medicine, and geo-authentic herbs are believed to present the highest quality among all samples from different regions. To discuss the current situation and trend of geo-authentic Lonicerae Japonicae Flos, we searched Chinese Biomedicine Literature Database, Chinese Journal Full-text Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Full-text Database, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Wanfang, and PubMed. We investigated all studies up to November 2015 pertaining to quality assessment, discrimination, pharmacological effects, planting or processing, or ecological system of geo-authentic Lonicerae Japonicae Flos. Sixty-five studies mainly discussing about chemical fingerprint, component analysis, planting and processing, discrimination between varieties, ecological system, pharmacological effects, and safety were systematically reviewed. By analyzing these studies, we found that the key points of geo-authentic Lonicerae Japonicae Flos research were quality and application. Further studies should focus on improving the quality by selecting the more superior of all varieties and evaluating clinical effectiveness.

Gender-heterogeneous working groups produce higher quality science.

PubMed

Campbell, Lesley G; Mehtani, Siya; Dozier, Mary E; Rinehart, Janice

2013-01-01

Here we present the first empirical evidence to support the hypothesis that a gender-heterogeneous problem-solving team generally produced journal articles perceived to be higher quality by peers than a team comprised of highly-performing individuals of the same gender. Although women were historically underrepresented as principal investigators of working groups, their frequency as PIs at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis is now comparable to the national frequencies in biology and they are now equally qualified, in terms of their impact on the accumulation of ecological knowledge (as measured by the h-index). While women continue to be underrepresented as working group participants, peer-reviewed publications with gender-heterogeneous authorship teams received 34% more citations than publications produced by gender-uniform authorship teams. This suggests that peers citing these publications perceive publications that also happen to have gender-heterogeneous authorship teams as higher quality than publications with gender uniform authorship teams. Promoting diversity not only promotes representation and fairness but may lead to higher quality science.

Gender-Heterogeneous Working Groups Produce Higher Quality Science

PubMed Central

Campbell, Lesley G.; Mehtani, Siya; Dozier, Mary E.; Rinehart, Janice

2013-01-01

Here we present the first empirical evidence to support the hypothesis that a gender-heterogeneous problem-solving team generally produced journal articles perceived to be higher quality by peers than a team comprised of highly-performing individuals of the same gender. Although women were historically underrepresented as principal investigators of working groups, their frequency as PIs at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis is now comparable to the national frequencies in biology and they are now equally qualified, in terms of their impact on the accumulation of ecological knowledge (as measured by the h-index). While women continue to be underrepresented as working group participants, peer-reviewed publications with gender-heterogeneous authorship teams received 34% more citations than publications produced by gender-uniform authorship teams. This suggests that peers citing these publications perceive publications that also happen to have gender-heterogeneous authorship teams as higher quality than publications with gender uniform authorship teams. Promoting diversity not only promotes representation and fairness but may lead to higher quality science. PMID:24205372

[Profiles of resilience and quality of life in people with acquired disability due to traffic accidents].

PubMed

Suriá Martínez, Raquel

2015-09-01

To identify distinct profiles of resilience in people with spinal cord injuries due to traffic accidents and to determine whether the profiles identified are related to differences in subjective well-being. The Resilience Scale (Wagnild and Young, 1993) and an adapted quality of life scale (GENCAT) were administered to 98 people with physical disabilities due to traffic accidents. Cluster analyses identified three different resilience profiles: a high-resilience group, a low-resilience group, and a group showing a predominance of high scores in self and life acceptance and social competence. The results also revealed statistically significant differences among profiles in most domains of subjective well-being. The results suggest the need to study resilience in greater depth and to design programs to enhance quality of life among people with disabilities due to traffic accidents. Copyright © 2014 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

The climate-wildfire-air quality system: interactions and feedbacks across spatial and temporal scales

Treesearch

E. Natasha Stavros; Donald McKenzie; Narasimhan Larkin

2014-01-01

Future climate change and its effects on social and ecological systems present challenges for preserving valued ecosystem services, including local and regional air quality. Wildfire is a major source of air-quality impact in some locations, and a substantial contributor to pollutants of concern, including nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which are regulated to...

River habitat assessment for ecological restoration of Wei River Basin, China.

PubMed

Yang, Tao; Wang, Shuo; Li, Xiaoping; Wu, Ting; Li, Li; Chen, Jia

2018-04-11

As an important composition component of river ecosystems, river habitats must undergo quality assessment to potentially provide scientific basis for river ecological restoration. Substrate composition, habitat complexity, bank erosion degree, river meandering degree, human activity intensity, vegetation buffer width, water quality, and water condition were determined as indicators for river habitat assessment. The comprehensive habitat quality index (CHQI) was established for the Wei River Basin. In addition, the indicator values were determined on the basis of a field investigation at 12 national hydrological stations distributed across the Wei, Jing, and Beiluo Rivers. The analytic hierarchy process was used to determine the indicator weights and thus distinguish the relative importance of the assessment indicator system. Results indicated that the average CHQIs for the Wei, Jing, and Beiluo Rivers were 0.417, 0.508, and 0.304, respectively. The river habitat quality for the three rivers was well. As for the whole river basin, the river habitat quality for 25% of the cross section was very well, the other 25% was well, and the 50% remaining was in critical state. The river habitat quality of the Jing River was better than that of the Wei and Beiluo Rivers.

An inventory of continental U.S. terrestrial candidate ecological restoration areas based on landscape context.

PubMed

Wickham, James; Riitters, Kurt; Vogt, Peter; Costanza, Jennifer; Neale, Anne

2017-11-01

Landscape context is an important factor in restoration ecology, but the use of landscape context for site prioritization has not been as fully developed. We used morphological image processing to identify candidate ecological restoration areas based on their proximity to existing natural vegetation. We identified 1,102,720 candidate ecological restoration areas across the continental United States. Candidate ecological restoration areas were concentrated in the Great Plains and eastern United States. We populated the database of candidate ecological restoration areas with 17 attributes related to site content and context, including factors such as soil fertility and roads (site content), and number and area of potentially conjoined vegetated regions (site context) to facilitate its use for site prioritization. We demonstrate the utility of the database in the state of North Carolina, U.S.A. for a restoration objective related to restoration of water quality (mandated by the U.S. Clean Water Act), wetlands, and forest. The database will be made publicly available on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's EnviroAtlas website (http://enviroatlas.epa.gov) for stakeholders interested in ecological restoration.

An inventory of continental U.S. terrestrial candidate ecological restoration areas based on landscape context

PubMed Central

Wickham, James; Riitters, Kurt; Vogt, Peter; Costanza, Jennifer; Neale, Anne

2018-01-01

Landscape context is an important factor in restoration ecology, but the use of landscape context for site prioritization has not been as fully developed. We used morphological image processing to identify candidate ecological restoration areas based on their proximity to existing natural vegetation. We identified 1,102,720 candidate ecological restoration areas across the continental United States. Candidate ecological restoration areas were concentrated in the Great Plains and eastern United States. We populated the database of candidate ecological restoration areas with 17 attributes related to site content and context, including factors such as soil fertility and roads (site content), and number and area of potentially conjoined vegetated regions (site context) to facilitate its use for site prioritization. We demonstrate the utility of the database in the state of North Carolina, U.S.A. for a restoration objective related to restoration of water quality (mandated by the U.S. Clean Water Act), wetlands, and forest. The database will be made publicly available on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's EnviroAtlas website (http://enviroatlas.epa.gov) for stakeholders interested in ecological restoration. PMID:29683130

Translocations as Experiments in the Ecological Resilience of an Asocial Mega-Herbivore

PubMed Central

Linklater, Wayne L.; Gedir, Jay V.; Law, Peter R.; Swaisgood, Ron R.; Adcock, Keryn; du Preez, Pierre; Knight, Michael H.; Kerley, Graham I. H.

2012-01-01

Species translocations are remarkable experiments in evolutionary ecology, and increasingly critical to biodiversity conservation. Elaborate socio-ecological hypotheses for translocation success, based on theoretical fitness relationships, are untested and lead to complex uncertainty rather than parsimonious solutions. We used an extraordinary 89 reintroduction and 102 restocking events releasing 682 black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) to 81 reserves in southern Africa (1981–2005) to test the influence of interacting socio-ecological and individual characters on post-release survival. We predicted that the socio-ecological context should feature more prominently after restocking than reintroduction because released rhinoceros interact with resident conspecifics. Instead, an interaction between release cohort size and habitat quality explained reintroduction success but only individuals' ages explained restocking outcomes. Achieving translocation success for many species may not be as complicated as theory suggests. Black rhino, and similarly asocial generalist herbivores without substantial predators, are likely to be resilient to ecological challenges and robust candidates for crisis management in a changing world. PMID:22295100

Translocations as experiments in the ecological resilience of an asocial mega-herbivore.

PubMed

Linklater, Wayne L; Gedir, Jay V; Law, Peter R; Swaisgood, Ron R; Adcock, Keryn; du Preez, Pierre; Knight, Michael H; Kerley, Graham I H

2012-01-01

Species translocations are remarkable experiments in evolutionary ecology, and increasingly critical to biodiversity conservation. Elaborate socio-ecological hypotheses for translocation success, based on theoretical fitness relationships, are untested and lead to complex uncertainty rather than parsimonious solutions. We used an extraordinary 89 reintroduction and 102 restocking events releasing 682 black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) to 81 reserves in southern Africa (1981-2005) to test the influence of interacting socio-ecological and individual characters on post-release survival. We predicted that the socio-ecological context should feature more prominently after restocking than reintroduction because released rhinoceros interact with resident conspecifics. Instead, an interaction between release cohort size and habitat quality explained reintroduction success but only individuals' ages explained restocking outcomes. Achieving translocation success for many species may not be as complicated as theory suggests. Black rhino, and similarly asocial generalist herbivores without substantial predators, are likely to be resilient to ecological challenges and robust candidates for crisis management in a changing world.

Competitive Traits Are More Important than Stress-Tolerance Traits in a Cadmium-Contaminated Rhizosphere: A Role for Trait Theory in Microbial Ecology.

PubMed

Wood, Jennifer L; Tang, Caixian; Franks, Ashley E

2018-01-01

Understanding how biotic and abiotic factors govern the assembly of rhizosphere-microbial communities is a long-standing goal in microbial ecology. In phytoremediation research, where plants are used to remediate heavy metal-contaminated soils, a deeper understanding of rhizosphere-microbial ecology is needed to fully exploit the potential of microbial-assisted phytoremediation. This study investigated whether Grime's competitor/stress-tolerator/ruderal (CSR) theory could be used to describe the impact of cadmium (Cd) and the presence of a Cd-accumulating plant, Carpobrotus rossii (Haw.) Schwantes, on the assembly of soil-bacterial communities using Illumina 16S rRNA profiling and the predictive metagenomic-profiling program, PICRUSt. Using predictions based on CSR theory, we hypothesized that Cd and the presence of a rhizosphere would affect community assembly. We predicted that the additional resource availability in the rhizosphere would enrich for competitive life strategists, while the presence of Cd would select for stress-tolerators. Traits identified as competitive followed CSR predictions, discriminating between rhizosphere and bulk-soil communities whilst stress-tolerance traits increased with Cd dose, but only in bulk-soil communities. These findings suggest that a bacterium's competitive attributes are critical to its ability to occupy and proliferate in a Cd-contaminated rhizosphere. Ruderal traits, which relate to community re-colonization potential, were synergistically decreased by the presence of the rhizosphere and Cd dose. Taken together this microcosm study suggests that the CSR theory is broadly applicable to microbial communities. Further work toward developing a simplified and robust strategy for microbial CSR classification will provide an ecologically meaningful framework to interpret community-level changes across a range of biomes.

Estimating the biological value of soft-bottom sediments with sediment profile imaging and grab sampling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Hoey, Gert; Birchenough, Silvana N. R.; Hostens, Kris

2014-02-01

Biological value estimation is based on a set of assessment questions and several thresholds to delineate areas of ecological importance (e.g. biodiversity). An existing framework, that was specifically designed to assess the ecosystem biodiversity, was expanded by adding new questions on the productivity, functionality and biogeochemical status of benthic habitats. The additional ecological and sedimentological information was collected by using sediment profile imagery (SPI) and grab sampling. Additionally, information on the performance and comparability of both techniques is provided in this study. The research idea was tested at a site near the harbor of Zeebrugge, an area under consideration as a new disposal site for dredged material from the harbor entrance. The sedimentology of the area can be adequately described based on the information from both SPI and Van Veen grab samples, but only the SPI revealed structural information on the physical habitat (layering, a-RPD). The latter information represented the current status of the benthic habitat, which was confirmed by the Van Veen grab samples. All information was summarized through the biological valuation framework, and provided clear evidence of the differences in biological value for the different sediment types within the area. We concluded that the installation of a new dredged material disposal site in this area was not in conflict with the benthic ecology. This area has a low biological value and the benthic system is adapted to changing conditions, which was signaled by the dominance of mobile, short living and opportunistic species. This study showed that suitable sedimentological and ecological information can be gathered by these traditional and complementary techniques, to estimate the biological value of an area in the light of marine spatial planning and environmental impact assessments.

Geotaxis baseline data for Drosophila

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schnebel, E. M.; Bhargava, R.; Grossfield, J.

1987-01-01

Geotaxis profiles for 20 Drosophila species and semispecies at different ages have been examined using a calibrated, adjustable slant board device. Measurements were taken at 5 deg intervals ranging from 0 deg to 85 deg. Clear strain and species differences are observed, with some groups tending to move upward (- geotaxis) with increasing angles, while others move downward (+ geotaxis). Geotactic responses change with age in some, but not all experimental groups. Sample geotaxis profiles are presented and their application to ecological and aging studies are discussed. Data provide a baseline for future evaluations of the biological effects of microgravity.

The ecological foundations of transmission potential and vector-borne disease in urban landscapes.

PubMed

LaDeau, Shannon L; Allan, Brian F; Leisnham, Paul T; Levy, Michael Z

2015-07-01

Urban transmission of arthropod-vectored disease has increased in recent decades. Understanding and managing transmission potential in urban landscapes requires integration of sociological and ecological processes that regulate vector population dynamics, feeding behavior, and vector-pathogen interactions in these unique ecosystems. Vectorial capacity is a key metric for generating predictive understanding about transmission potential in systems with obligate vector transmission. This review evaluates how urban conditions, specifically habitat suitability and local temperature regimes, and the heterogeneity of urban landscapes can influence the biologically-relevant parameters that define vectorial capacity: vector density, survivorship, biting rate, extrinsic incubation period, and vector competence.Urban landscapes represent unique mosaics of habitat. Incidence of vector-borne disease in urban host populations is rarely, if ever, evenly distributed across an urban area. The persistence and quality of vector habitat can vary significantly across socio-economic boundaries to influence vector species composition and abundance, often generating socio-economically distinct gradients of transmission potential across neighborhoods.Urban regions often experience unique temperature regimes, broadly termed urban heat islands (UHI). Arthropod vectors are ectothermic organisms and their growth, survival, and behavior are highly sensitive to environmental temperatures. Vector response to UHI conditions is dependent on regional temperature profiles relative to the vector's thermal performance range. In temperate climates UHI can facilitate increased vector development rates while having countervailing influence on survival and feeding behavior. Understanding how urban heat island (UHI) conditions alter thermal and moisture constraints across the vector life cycle to influence transmission processes is an important direction for both empirical and modeling research.There remain persistent gaps in understanding of vital rates and drivers in mosquito-vectored disease systems, and vast holes in understanding for other arthropod vectored diseases. Empirical studies are needed to better understand the physiological constraints and socio-ecological processes that generate heterogeneity in critical transmission parameters, including vector survival and fitness. Likewise, laboratory experiments and transmission models must evaluate vector response to realistic field conditions, including variability in sociological and environmental conditions.

Context matters: emergent variability in an effectiveness trial of online teaching modules.

PubMed

Ellaway, Rachel H; Pusic, Martin; Yavner, Steve; Kalet, Adina L

2014-04-01

Conducting research in real life settings (effectiveness studies) can introduce many confounding factors. Efficacy studies seek to control for researcher bias and data quality rather than considering how the efficacy of an intervention is changed by the contexts in which it is used. Relatively little is known about the impact of context on educational interventions, in particular on multimedia learning. An effectiveness study to understand implementation variance of online educational modules in surgery clerkships was conducted in six US medical schools participating in an efficacy trial of different multimedia designs. Student and teacher experiences were captured through focus groups and one-to-one interviews with trial participants and their teachers. Audio-recordings of these sessions were transcribed and analysed using grounded theory techniques. Differences were identified in student and teacher perceptions of how the educational intervention had been implemented and how its uptake had been influenced by context-dependent factors: (i) the intervention was implemented in different ways to suit different educational contexts and this influenced how students and teachers responded to it; (ii) the ways students and teachers interacted with, and behaved around, the intervention influenced its uptake; (iii) the way the intervention was perceived by students and teachers influenced its uptake; and (iv) the medium and design of the intervention had a directing influence on its uptake. It was observed that each institutional context formed a complex educational ecology. The intervention became interwoven with different educational ecologies so that it could no longer be considered a stable variable across the study. We suggest that researchers should conduct implementation-profiling studies in advance of any intervention-based research to account for the constructing nature of educational ecologies on their interventions and in doing so to more clearly differentiate between efficacy and effectiveness studies. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Heavy metal pollution characteristics and ecological risk analysis for soil around Haining electroplating industrial park].

PubMed

Li, Jiong-Hui; Weng, Shan; Fang, Jing; Huang, Jia-Lei; Lu, Fang-Hua; Lu, Yu-Hao; Zhang, Hong-Ming

2014-04-01

The pollution status and potential ecological risks of heavy metal in soils around Haining electroplating industrial park were studied. Hakanson index approach was used to assess the ecological hazards of heavy metals in soils. Results showed that average concentrations of six heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Cd and Cr) in the soils were lower than the secondary criteria of environmental quality standard for soils, indicating limited harmful effects on the plants and the environment in general. Though the average soil concentrations were low, heavy metal concentrations in six sampling points located at the side of road still exceeded the criteria, with excessive rate of 13%. Statistic analysis showed that concentrations of Cu and Cd in roadside soils were significantly higher than those in non-roadside soils, indicating that the excessive heavy metal accumulations in the soil closely related with traffic transport. The average potential ecological hazard index of soils around Haining electroplating industrial park was 46.6, suggesting a slightly ecological harm. However, the potential ecological hazard index of soils with excessive heavy metals was 220-278, suggesting the medium ecological hazards. Cd was the most seriously ecological hazard factor.

Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Annual technical progress report of ecological research, period ending July 31, 1994

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-07-31

The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) is a research unit of the University of Georgia (UGA) that is managed in conjunction with the University`s Institute of Ecology. The laboratory`s overall mission is to acquire and communicate knowledge of ecological processes and principles. SREL conducts basic and applied ecological research, as well as education and outreach programs, under an M&O contract with the US Department of Energy at the Savannah River Site. Significant accomplishments were made during the year ending July 31, 1994 in the areas of research, education and service. Reviewed in this document are research projects in the followingmore » areas: Environmental Operations Support (impacted wetlands, streams, trace organics, radioecology, database synthesis, wild life studies, zooplankton, safety and quality assurance); wood stork foraging and breeding ecology; defence waste processing facility; environmental risk assessment (endangered species, fish, ash basin studies); ecosystem alteration by chemical pollutants; wetlands systems; biodiversity on the SRS; Environmental toxicology; environmental outreach and education; Par Pond drawdown studies in wildlife and fish and metals; theoretical ecology; DOE-SR National Environmental Research Park; wildlife studies. Summaries of educational programs and publications are also give.« less

Ecological drivers of group living in two populations of the communally rearing rodent, Octodon degus

PubMed Central

Sobrero, Raúl; Quirici, Verónica; Castro, Rodrigo A.; Tolhuysen, Liliana Ortiz; Vargas, Francisco; Burger, Joseph Robert; Quispe, René; Villavicencio, Camila P.; Vásquez, Rodrigo A.; Hayes, Loren D.

2012-01-01

Intraspecific variation in sociality is thought to reflect a trade-off between current fitness benefits and costs that emerge from individuals' decision to join or leave groups. Since those benefits and costs may be influenced by ecological conditions, ecological variation remains a major, ultimate cause of intraspecific variation in sociality. Intraspecific comparisons of mammalian sociality across populations facing different environmental conditions have not provided a consistent relationship between ecological variation and group-living. Thus, we studied two populations of the communally rearing rodent Octodon degus to determine how co-variation between sociality and ecology supports alternative ecological causes of group living. In particular, we examined how variables linked to predation risk, thermal conditions, burrowing costs, and food availability predicted temporal and population variation in sociality. Our study revealed population and temporal variation in total group size and group composition that covaried with population and yearly differences in ecology. In particular, predation risk and burrowing costs are supported as drivers of this social variation in degus. Thermal differences, food quantity and quality were not significant predictors of social group size. In contrast to between populations, social variation within populations was largely uncoupled from ecological differences. PMID:22344477

Atmospheric Boundary Layer Wind Data During the Period January 1, 1998 Through January 31, 1999 at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. Volume 1; Quality Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zak, J. Allen; Rodgers, William G., Jr.

2000-01-01

The quality of the Aircraft Vortex Spacing System (AVOSS) is critically dependent on representative wind profiles in the atmospheric boundary layer. These winds observed from a number of sensor systems around the Dallas-Fort Worth airport were combined into single vertical wind profiles by an algorithm developed and implemented by MIT Lincoln Laboratory. This process, called the AVOSS Winds Analysis System (AWAS), is used by AVOSS for wake corridor predictions. During times when AWAS solutions were available, the quality of the resultant wind profiles and variance was judged from a series of plots combining all sensor observations and AWAS profiles during the period 1200 to 0400 UTC daily. First, input data was evaluated for continuity and consistency from criteria established. Next, the degree of agreement among all wind sensor systems was noted and cases of disagreement identified. Finally, the resultant AWAS solution was compared to the quality-assessed input data. When profiles differed by a specified amount from valid sensor consensus winds, times and altitudes were flagged. Volume one documents the process and quality of input sensor data. Volume two documents the data processing/sorting process and provides the resultant flagged files.

Never mind the length, feel the quality: The Impact of Long-term Epidemiological Data Sets on Theory, Application and Policy

PubMed Central

Rohani, Pejman; King, Aaron A.

2010-01-01

Infectious diseases have been a prime testing ground for ecological theory. At the same time, the ecological perspective is increasingly recognized as essential in epidemiology. Long-term, spatially-resolved, reliable disease incidence data and the ability to confront them with mechanistic models have been critical in this cross-fertilization. Here, we review some of the key intellectual developments in epidemiology facilitated by long-term data. We proceed to identify research frontiers at the interface of ecology and epidemiology and their associated data needs. PMID:20800928

Dissolved organic phosphorus speciation in the waters of the Tamar estuary (SW England)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monbet, Phil; McKelvie, Ian D.; Worsfold, Paul J.

2009-02-01

The speciation of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) in the temperate Tamar estuary of SW England is described. Eight stations from the riverine to marine end-members were sampled during four seasonal campaigns in 2007 and the DOP pool in the water column and sediment porewater was characterized and quantified using a flow injection manifold after sequential enzymatic hydrolysis. This enabled the enzymatically hydrolysable phosphorus (EHP) fraction and its component labile monoester phosphates, diester phosphates and a phytase-hydrolysable fraction that includes myo-inositol hexakisphosphate (phytic acid), to be determined and compared with the total DOP, dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) and total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) pools. The results showed that the DOP pool in the water column varied temporally and spatially within the estuary (1.1-22 μg L -1) and constituted 6-40% of TDP. The EHP fraction of DOP ranged from 1.1-15 μg L -1 and represented a significant and potentially bioavailable phosphorus fraction. Furthermore the spatial profiles of the three components of the EHP pool generally showed non-conservative behavior along the salinity gradient, with apparent internal estuarine sources. Porewater profiles followed broadly similar trends but were notably higher at the marine station throughout the year. In contrast to soil organic phosphorus profiles, the labile monoester phosphate fraction was the largest component, with diester phosphates also prevalent. Phytic acid concentrations were higher in the lower estuary, possibly due to salinity induced desorption processes. The EHP fraction is not commonly determined in aquatic systems due to the lack of a suitable measurement technique and the Tamar results reported here have important implications for phosphorus biogeochemistry, estuarine ecology and the development of efficient strategies for limiting the effects of phosphorus on water quality.

Reconciling an Ecological Curricular Framework Focusing on Quality of Life Outcomes with the Development and Instruction of Standards-Based Academic Goals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, Pam; McDonnell, John; Crockett, Margret A.

2012-01-01

The emergence of the standards-based reform movement has raised a number of issues related to the design of educational programs for students with severe disabilities, and a debate has arisen that presents an "either/or" choice between the general education curriculum and an ecological curricular framework that has traditionally guided…

Forest habitats and the nutritional ecology of Sitka black-tailed deer: a research synthesis with implications for forest management.

Treesearch

T.A. Hanley; C.T. Robbins; D.E. Spalinger

1989-01-01

Research on forest habitats and the nutritional ecology of Sitka black-tailed deer conducted during 1981 through 1986 is reviewed and synthesized. The research approach was based on the assumption that foraging efficiency is the best single measure of habitat quality for an individual deer. Overstory-understory relations and the influence of forest overstory on snow...

Urban Ecology for Secondary Schools, Unit I - Technology and Environmental Pollution, Parts 1 and 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Bureau of Curriculum Development.

Materials for a course on Urban Ecology are developed in these two documents which represent the first unit - Technology and Environmental Pollution. The entire course consists of seven units dealing with the many aspects of our way of life that produce an effect on, and in turn affected by, the quality of our physical environment. Unit I treats…

Proceedings of a Symposium on the Kings River Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Project: Progress and Current Status

Treesearch

Jared Verner

2002-01-01

Ecosystem management aligns different uses of the land with ecological parameters and goals of environmental quality. An important USDA Forest Service mission is to balance the multiple uses of its lands in an ecologically sustainable way. This objective has been particularly challenging for National Forests of the Sierra Nevada in the face of heated controversies over...

The Manpower Quality Decline: An Ecological Perspective

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

90 These factors can influence the human brain prenatally as well as during childhood and adolescence. In some cases, the ecological effects appear...decerebrate (as though they had no cerebral cortex) rigidity following application of 6 percent hexachlorophene powder. Examina- tion of brain stems of...correlation between hexachlorophene baths and lesions in white matter of brains .... Phisohex should not be used routinely for bathing infants. The 1976

Ecological health of river basins in forested regions of eastern Washington and Oregon.

Treesearch

Robert C. Wissmar; Jeanette E. Smith; Bruce A. McIntosh; Hiram W. Li; Gordon H. Reeves; James R. Sedell

1994-01-01

A retrospective examination of the history of the cumulative influences of past land and water uses on the ecological health of select river basins in forest regions of eastern Washington and Oregon indicates the loss of fish and riparian habitat diversity and quality since the 19th century. A physiographic framework of the eastern Washington and Oregon in terms of...

An integrated model of human-wildlife interdependence

USGS Publications Warehouse

John, Kun H.; Walsh, Richard G.; Johnson, R.L.

1994-01-01

This paper attempts to integrate wildlife-related ecologic and economic variables into an econometric model. The model reveals empirical evidence of the presumed interdependence of human-wildlife and the holistic nature of humanity's relationship to the ecosystem. Human use of biologic resources varies not only with income, education, and population, but also with sustainability of humankind's action relative to the quality and quantity of the supporting ecological base.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water from three estuaries of China: Distribution, seasonal variations and ecological risk assessment.

PubMed

Yan, Jinxia; Liu, Jingling; Shi, Xuan; You, Xiaoguang; Cao, Zhiguo

2016-08-15

The distribution, seasonal variations and ecological risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water from three estuaries in Hai River Basin of China, which has been suffering from different anthropogenic pressures, were investigated. In three estuaries, the average concentration of ΣPAHs was the lowest in Luan River estuary, followed by Hai River estuary, and the highest in Zhangweixin River estuary. There were significant seasonal variations in ΣPAHs, the concentrations of ΣPAHs were higher in November than in May and August. The composition profiles of PAHs in different sites were significantly different, and illustrated seasonal variations. Generally, 2-ring (Nap) and 3-ring PAHs (Acp, Fl and Phe) were the most abundant components at most sampling sites in three estuaries. The PAHs in three estuaries were mainly originated from pyrogenic sources. A method based on toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) and risk quotient (RQ) was proposed to assess the ecological risk of ΣPAHs, with the ecological risk of individual PAHs being considered separately. The results showed that the ecological risks caused by ΣPAHs were high in Hai River estuary and Zhangweixin River estuary, and moderate in Luan River estuary. The mean values of ecological risk in August were lower than those in November. The contributions of individual PAHs to ecological risk were different in May, August and November. 3-ring and 4-ring PAHs accounted for much more ecological risk than 2-ring, 5-ring and 6-ring, although the contributions of 5-ring and 6-ring to ecological risk were higher than these to PAHs concentrations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

GISD

Science.gov Websites

information on the ecology of the species, its impacts and management, a comprehensive bibliography and a list ) General Impact information Management information Distribution The Distribution page presents the global page collates management information from the profile narrative page plus location-specific management

Linking field-based metabolomics and chemical analyses to identify contaminants of emerging concern in the Great Lakes ecosystem

EPA Science Inventory

Although research has focused on remediating ecological impacts of environmental contaminants on the Great Lakes and other aquatic ecosystems, there exists a continuing need for additional biologically-based tools for monitoring success. Profiling of endogenous metabolites (i.e....

Disease Vector Ecology Profile: Somalia. Fourth Edition

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-09-15

excrement, decaying plant material and other debris). Eggs hatch in 1-3 weeks. Larval stage 4-6 weeks. Often associated with termite mounds . Biting...lengths of up to 14 feet. It occurs primarily in the forest and open bush country of northern Somalia, where it is found in tree stumps, termite mounds

Relationships between Adolescent Well-Being and Friend Support and Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Traylor, Amy C.; Williams, Javonda D.; Kenney, Jennifer L.; Hopson, Laura M.

2016-01-01

This article examines friend support and behavior, assessing for interdependent relationships with adolescent behavior and well-being. Keeping with an ecological framework, relationships were examined in the context of other risk and protective factors in youths' homes, neighborhoods, and schools. Using data from the School Success Profile,…

Colorado: The State and Its Educational System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodgkinson, Harold L.

A profile of Colorado is provided, which examines trends in the state's economy, environment, population, crime, and education. The state is characterized by a lack of economic diversity, ecological vulnerability, and concentrated population. Although the work force is generally well educated, Hispanic Americans tend to be less successful in…

Person-Oriented Approaches to Profiling Learners in Technology-Rich Learning Environments for Ecological Learner Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jang, Eunice Eunhee; Lajoie, Susanne P.; Wagner, Maryam; Xu, Zhenhua; Poitras, Eric; Naismith, Laura

2017-01-01

Technology-rich learning environments (TREs) provide opportunities for learners to engage in complex interactions involving a multitude of cognitive, metacognitive, and affective states. Understanding learners' distinct learning progressions in TREs demand inquiry approaches that employ well-conceived theoretical accounts of these multiple facets.…

Contribution of urban farms to urban ecology of a developing city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iswoyo, H.; Dariati, T.; Vale, B.; Bryant, M.

2018-05-01

Urban ecology has become a more popular concern as the awareness for mutual sharing between humans and other ecosystem members is increasing. This study aimed at assessing the value of urban farms in the city of Makassar, a fast-developing Indonesian city which according to its city council classification covered significant area of the city. The research employed Rapid Biodiversity Assessment (RBA) to assess quality of urban farms. The method assessed two important aspects of spaces in terms of ecology i.e. vegetation structures and vascular plants. Results showed the biodiversity of urban farms in Makassar compared to other typologies was high. Urban farms in Makassar in general have potential for ecological spots because despite they are more cultural than natural, their high plant biodiversity score, dominance of trees and less built areas make them always available for improvement to become more ecological spots.

Sewage impacts coral reefs at multiple levels of ecological organization.

PubMed

Reopanichkul, Pasinee; Schlacher, Thomas A; Carter, R W; Worachananant, Suchai

2009-09-01

Against a backdrop of rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification which pose global threats to coral reefs, excess nutrients and turbidity continue to be significant stressors at regional and local scales. Because interventions usually require local data on pollution impacts, we measured ecological responses to sewage discharges in Surin Marine Park, Thailand. Wastewater disposal significantly increased inorganic nutrients and turbidity levels, and this degradation in water quality resulted in substantial ecological shifts in the form of (i) increased macroalgal density and species richness, (ii) lower cover of hard corals, and (iii) significant declines in fish abundance. Thus, the effects of nutrient pollution and turbidity can cascade across several levels of ecological organization to change key properties of the benthos and fish on coral reefs. Maintenance or restoration of ecological reef health requires improved wastewater management and run-off control for reefs to deliver their valuable ecosystems services.

Importance of Dissolved Organic Nitrogen to Water Quality in Narragansett Bay

EPA Science Inventory

This preliminary analysis of the importance of the dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) pool in Narragansett Bay is being conducted as part of a five-year study of Narragansett Bay and its watershed. This larger study includes water quality and ecological modeling components that foc...

Stream Hydrology and Water Quality Impacts of Contrasting Urban Stormwater Mitigation Strategies: Centralized Versus Distributed

EPA Science Inventory

Urban land cover is commonly associated with degraded stream habitat including flashier hydrology, increased pollutant export, and lower ecological health , collectively termed “urban stream syndrome.” Pollutant export from urban areas can also contribute to water quality issues...

An Approach to Developing Numeric Water Quality Criteria for Using the SeaWiFS Satellite Data Record

EPA Science Inventory

Human activities on land increase nutrient loads to coastal waters, which can increase phytoplankton production and biomass and associated ecological impacts. Numeric nutrient water quality standards were needed to protect coastal waters from eutrophication impacts. The Environm...

A Framework Incorporating Community Preferences in Use Attainment and Related Water Quality Decision-Making (2010 Final)

EPA Science Inventory

The report is intended to assist water quality officials, watershed managers, members of stakeholder groups, and other interested individuals in fully evaluating ecological and socioeconomic objectives and the gains and losses that often are involved in use attainment decisions. ...

PREDICTING THE IMPACT OF TROPOSPHERIC OZONE ON ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES FOR SETTING NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS

EPA Science Inventory

The Clean Air Act provides for establishing National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public welfare (including crops, forests, ecosystems, and soils) from adverrse effects of air pollutants, including tropospheric ozone. The formulation of policies is science-bas...

High School Environmental Science Course Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donovan, Edward P.; Korman, Barbara

A course in environmental science was developed to increase course options for students of all abilities and interest levels. Major topic areas of the course include: introduction to ecological principles and ecosystems; extinction of species; human population dynamics; agricultural systems and pest control; air quality; water quality; solid…

Quality assurance report - Loch Vale Watershed, 1999-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Botte, Jorin A.; Baron, Jill S.

2004-01-01

The National Park Service initiated the Loch Vale Watershed (LVWS) project in 1980 with funding from the Aquatic Effects Research Program of the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program. Long-term ecological research and monitoring address watershed-scale ecosystem processes, particularly as they respond to atmospheric deposition and climate variability. Monitoring of meteorological, hydrologic, precipitation chemistry, and surface water quality parameters enable us to use long-term trends to distinguish natural from human-caused disturbances. Research into snow distribution, hydrologic flowpaths, vegetation responses to N deposition, isotopic transformations of N by forest and soil processes, trace metals, and aquatic ecological responses to disturbance enable us to understand processes that influence high elevation ecosystems.

A Randomized, Crossover Clinical Trial of Exoskeletal-Assisted Walking to Improve Mobility, Bowel Function, and Cardiometabolic Profiles in Persons with SCI

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

lipid profile, total testosterone, estradiol levels, and quality of life (QOL). 2. KEYWORDS: Powered exoskeletons, paraplegia, tetraplegia...high density lipoprotein, lipid profile, orthostatic tolerance, total testosterone, estradiol, quality of life , ReWalk, and Ekso 3. ACCOMPLISHMENTS...Nothing to Report What was the impact on society beyond science and technology? Nothing to Report 5. CHANGES/PROBLEMS: Nothing to Report

Risk profiling of schistosomiasis using remote sensing: approaches, challenges and outlook.

PubMed

Walz, Yvonne; Wegmann, Martin; Dech, Stefan; Raso, Giovanna; Utzinger, Jürg

2015-03-17

Schistosomiasis is a water-based disease that affects an estimated 250 million people, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. The transmission of schistosomiasis is spatially and temporally restricted to freshwater bodies that contain schistosome cercariae released from specific snails that act as intermediate hosts. Our objective was to assess the contribution of remote sensing applications and to identify remaining challenges in its optimal application for schistosomiasis risk profiling in order to support public health authorities to better target control interventions. We reviewed the literature (i) to deepen our understanding of the ecology and the epidemiology of schistosomiasis, placing particular emphasis on remote sensing; and (ii) to fill an identified gap, namely interdisciplinary research that bridges different strands of scientific inquiry to enhance spatially explicit risk profiling. As a first step, we reviewed key factors that govern schistosomiasis risk. Secondly, we examined remote sensing data and variables that have been used for risk profiling of schistosomiasis. Thirdly, the linkage between the ecological consequence of environmental conditions and the respective measure of remote sensing data were synthesised. We found that the potential of remote sensing data for spatial risk profiling of schistosomiasis is - in principle - far greater than explored thus far. Importantly though, the application of remote sensing data requires a tailored approach that must be optimised by selecting specific remote sensing variables, considering the appropriate scale of observation and modelling within ecozones. Interestingly, prior studies that linked prevalence of Schistosoma infection to remotely sensed data did not reflect that there is a spatial gap between the parasite and intermediate host snail habitats where disease transmission occurs, and the location (community or school) where prevalence measures are usually derived from. Our findings imply that the potential of remote sensing data for risk profiling of schistosomiasis and other neglected tropical diseases has yet to be fully exploited.

Biodiversity matters in feedbacks between climate change and air quality: a study using an individual-based model.

PubMed

Wang, Bin; Shuman, Jacquelyn; Shugart, Herman H; Lerdau, Manuel T

2018-03-30

Air quality is closely associated with climate change via the biosphere because plants release large quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOC) that mediate both gaseous pollutants and aerosol dynamics. Earlier studies, which considered only leaf physiology and simply scale up from leaf-level enhancements of emissions, suggest that climate warming enhances whole forest VOC emissions, and these increased VOC emissions aggravate ozone pollution and secondary organic aerosol formation. Using an individual-based forest VOC emissions model, UVAFME-VOC, that simulates system-level emissions by explicitly simulating forest community dynamics to the individual tree level, ecological competition among the individuals of differing size and age, and radiative transfer and leaf function through the canopy, we find that climate warming only sometimes stimulates isoprene emissions (the single largest source of non-methane hydrocarbon) in a southeastern U.S. forest. These complex patterns result from the combination of higher temperatures' stimulating emissions at the leaf level but decreasing the abundance of isoprene-emitting taxa at the community level by causing a decline in the abundance of isoprene-emitting species (Quercus spp.). This ecological effect eventually outweighs the physiological one, thus reducing overall emissions. Such reduced emissions have far-reaching implications for the climate-air-quality relationships that have been established on the paradigm of warming-enhancement VOC emissions from vegetation. This local scale modeling study suggests that community ecology rather than only individual physiology should be integrated into future studies of biosphere-climate-chemistry interactions. © 2018 by the Ecological Society of America.

Transcriptome profiling analysis of cultivar-specific apple fruit ripening and texture attributes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Molecular events regulating cultivar-specific apple fruit ripening and sensory quality are largely unknown. Such knowledge is essential for genomic-assisted apple breeding and postharvest quality management. In this study, transcriptome profile analysis, scanning electron microscopic examination an...

The Role of Religiousness/Spirituality in Health-Related Quality of Life Among Adolescents with HIV: A Latent Profile Analysis

PubMed Central

Kimmel, Allison L.; Cheng, Yao Iris; Wang, Jichuan

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether distinct latent profiles of religiousness/spirituality exist for ALWH, and if so, are latent profile memberships associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Latent profile analysis of religiosity identified four profiles/groups. Compared to the other three groups, higher levels of emotional well-being were found among young perinatally infected adolescents who attended religious services, but who did not pray privately, feel God's presence or identify as religious or spiritual. Social HRQoL was significantly higher among the highest overall religious/spiritual group. Understanding adolescent profiles of religiousness/spirituality on HRQoL could inform faith-based interventions. PMID:27071797

The Role of Religiousness/Spirituality in Health-Related Quality of Life Among Adolescents with HIV: A Latent Profile Analysis.

PubMed

Lyon, Maureen E; Kimmel, Allison L; Cheng, Yao Iris; Wang, Jichuan

2016-10-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether distinct latent profiles of religiousness/spirituality exist for ALWH, and if so, are latent profile memberships associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Latent profile analysis of religiosity identified four profiles/groups. Compared to the other three groups, higher levels of emotional well-being were found among young perinatally infected adolescents who attended religious services, but who did not pray privately, feel God's presence or identify as religious or spiritual. Social HRQoL was significantly higher among the highest overall religious/spiritual group. Understanding adolescent profiles of religiousness/spirituality on HRQoL could inform faith-based interventions. Trial registration NCT01289444.

[Constructing ecological security patterns in mountain areas based on geological disaster sensitivity: A case study in Yuxi City, Yunnan Province, China.

PubMed

Peng, Jian; Guo, Xiao Nan; Hu, Yi Na; Liu, Yan Xu

2017-02-01

As one of the key topics in the research of landscape ecology, regional ecological security patterns can effectively promote regional sustainable development and terrestrial ecological barriers construction. It is extremely important for middle Yunnan, with frequent disasters and fragile ecolo-gical environment, to construct ecological security patterns so as to effectively avoid the geological disasters, maintain ecosystem health, and promote the coordinated development of regional ecological system and social economic system. Taking Yuxi City as a case study area, this study firstly estimated the ecosystem services importance of water conservation, carbon fixation and oxygen release, soil conservation, and biodiversity according to the basal characteristics of regional ecological environment, and then identified ecological sources in consideration of the quality of integrated ecosystem services and single types. Secondly, the resistance surface based on land use types was modified by the sensitivity of regional geological disasters. Lastly, the ecological corridors were identified using minimum cumulative resistance model, and as a result, the ecological security pattern of Yuxi City was constructed. The results showed that there were 81 patches for ecological sources in Yuxi City, accounting for 38.4% of the total area, and overlaying 75.2% of nature protection areas. The ecological sources were mainly distributed in the western mountainous areas as well as eastern water areas of the city. The length of ecological corridors was 1642.04 km, presenting a spatial pattern of one vertical and three horizontals, and extending along river valleys and fault basins with high vegetation coverage. This paper constructed ecological security patterns in mountainous areas aiming at the characteristics of geological disasters, providing spatial guidance for development and conservation decision-making in mountain areas.

[UPLC characteristic chromatographic profile of Poria].

PubMed

Zhang, Qi; Wang, Zhenzhong; Xiao, Wei; Zhang, Liangqi; Bi, Kaishun; Jia, Ying

2012-04-01

To establish a UPLC characteristic chromatographic profile analysis method to quickly assess Poria quality and provide basis fro controlling Poria quality. The UPLC characteristic chromatographic profiles of fifteen batches of Poria were determined by ACQUITY UPLC, with HSS T3 Column (2.1 mm x 100 mm, 1.8 microm) eluted with the mobile phases of water containing 0.05% phosphoric acid and acetonitrile in gradient mode. The detection wavelength was set at 243 nm. The common mode of the UPLC characteristic chromatographic profile was set up. There were 20 common peaks, seven of which were identified, and the similar degrees of the fifteen samples to the common mode were between 0.787 and 0.974. The method was so time-saving that it can be used for the quality control of Poria.

Stratospheric ozone depletion and plant-insect interactions: Effects of UVB radiation on foliage quality of Citrus jambhiri for Trichoplusia ni

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCloud, E.S.; Berenbaum, M.R.

1994-03-01

Projected decreases in stratospheric ozone may result in increases in shortwave ultraviolet (UVB) irradiation at the earth's surface. Furanocoumarins, phototoxic compounds found in Citrus jambhiri foliage, increase in concentration when these plans are grown under enhanced UVB. Survivorship schedules of Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) caterpillars reared on plants in the presence and absence of enhanced UVB regimes differ significantly; larvae develop more slowly in early life when reared on plants exposed to increased UVB. This same developmental pattern is observed when T. ni larvae are reared on artificial diets amended with ecologically appropriate amounts of furanocoumarins. Thus, anthropogenically derived changesmore » in stratospheric ozone and concomitant changes in UV light quality at the earth's surface may influence ecological interactions between insects and their host plants by altering secondary metabolism and hence foliage quality for herbivores.« less