The use of biomarkers in environmental monitoring programmes

The monitoring of biological effects has recently become an integral component of environmental monitoring programmes as a supplement to the commonly used contaminant monitoring. Over the years, many biomarkers have been developed that are claimed to be efficient at providing an early warning of deleterious effects on biological systems and for estimating biological effects due to contaminants. Although biomarkers are potentially useful, they have a number of important limitations. In this paper, we examine some of the key assumptions behind the theory and practice of use of biomarkers, and propose a scheme, which may facilitate decisions by environmental managers as to how and when to use biomarkers in their monitoring programmes.     

Environmental technology education: Models for international collaboration

International collaboration within environmental technology education is seen as one of the tools for an international dimension in the prevention and cure of environmental problems. Several different models for international collaboration have been found: researcher education, university-enterprise collaboration, summer universities, international organizations' activities, East-West and North-South university collaboration. International collaboration is found both within pollution prevention and pollution control. Tools found are: PhD programme, researcher course programme, student courses, student exchange, student-placement exchange in enterprise, university-university exchange, university-enterprise exchange, train-the-trainers activities, transfer of concepts, exchange of concepts, workshop and conferences, surveys and inventories, and working groups.     

How do long-term patterns affect time-limited environmental monitoring programmes?

A five year Environmental Monitoring Programme (EMP) was set up in east-Australian coastal waters to determine the environmental effects of diverting most of Sydney's primary treated sewage from cliff face outfalls to diffuser outfall systems some 3 km offshore in 60–80 m of water. Many component EMP studies adopted Before and After Control Impact (BACI and ‘beyond BACI’) designs, to isolate outfall impacts on the marine ecosystem from background variability. Although seasonal patterns dominated ambient conditions in coastal waters, long-term climatic signals, such as the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), were apparent during the EMP. The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) indicated the two year post-commissioning study period of 1991–1993 was dominated by an El Nino episode, while the 1989–1990 pre-commissioning period experienced a La Nina episode. Anomalous rainfall conditions and ocean temperature structure were associated with these episodes with respect to long-term records. Rainfall patterns suggested that the pre-commissioning period experienced high rainfall causing an increased incidence of stormwater pollution in coastal waters. Effects of the lower rain levels during post-commissioning phase were, however, outweighed by the dramatic improvements due to the commissioning of the deepwater outfalls. Decreased thermal stratification was experienced during the winter months of the 1992–1993 El Nino episode, and promoted increased dilutions associated with a greater frequency in sewage plume surfacing. There was, however, no apparent short-term effect of this change in plume behaviour on the marine environment as measured by EMP indicators.     

The changing role of ecohydrological science in guiding environmental flows

Abstract

The term “environmental flows” is now widely used to reflect the hydrological regime required to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems, and the human livelihoods and well-being that depend on them. The definition suggests a central role for ecohydrological science to help determine a required flow regime for a target ecosystem condition. Indeed, many countries have established laws and policies to implement environmental flows with the expectation that science can deliver the answers. This article provides an overview of recent developments and applications of environmental flows on six continents to explore the changing role of ecohydrological sciences, recognizing its limitations and the emerging needs of society, water resource managers and policy makers. Science has responded with new methods to link hydrology to ecosystem status, but these have also raised fundamental questions that go beyond ecohydrology, such as who decides on the target condition of the ecosystem? Some environmental flow methods are based on the natural flow paradigm, which assumes the desired regime is the natural “unmodified” condition. However, this may be unrealistic where flow regimes have been altered for many centuries and are likely to change with future climate change. Ecosystems are dynamic, so the adoption of environmental flows needs to have a similar dynamic basis. Furthermore, methodological developments have been made in two directions: first, broad-scale hydrological analysis of flow regimes (assuming ecological relevance of hydrograph components) and, second, analysis of ecological impacts of more than one stressor (e.g. flow, morphology, water quality). All methods retain a degree of uncertainty, which translates into risks, and raises questions regarding trust between scientists and the public. Communication between scientists, social scientists, practitioners, policy makers and the public is thus becoming as important as the quality of the science.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz

Citation Acreman, M.C., Overton, I.C., King, J., Wood, P., Cowx, I.G., Dunbar, M.J., Kendy, E., and Young, W., 2014. The changing role of ecohydrological science in guiding environmental flows. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (3–4), 433–450     

The science and practice of environmental flows and the role of hydrogeologists

Conflicts between ecosystems and human needs for fresh water are increasing. The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness in the hydrogeologic community of environmental flows (EFs) and to address the major challenges involved in their protection. Ground water is a key component of EFs, and therefore hydrogeologists are called upon to get involved in the ongoing debates about maintaining healthy riverine ecosystems. Promising opportunities for achieving EFs in both underallocated and overallocated basins as well as new methods for protecting fresh water ecosystems developed in different countries are outlined. EF protection measures include private water trusts, "upside-down instream flow water rights," the "public trust" doctrine, and water markets, among other measures. A number of knowledge gaps are identified, to which hydrogeologists could contribute, such as our rudimentary knowledge about ground water-dependent ecosystems, aspects of stream-aquifer interactions, and the impacts of land-use changes. The values that society places on the different uses of water ultimately determine where the water is allocated. EF requirements can be legitimately recognized and addressed by basing the environmental needs of hydrologic systems on robust science, focusing on increasing the productivity of water use, engaging society in understanding the benefits and costs of decisions that affect ecosystems, and taking advantage of various opportunities for achieving EF goals.     

The role of the water/soil distribution coefficient in the watershed transport of environmental radionuclides

The concept of the distribution coefficient is invoked to rationalize the observed dependence of the watershed residence time of a radionuclide on its nature. A mathematical model is presented to show that this residence time is proportional to the dimensionless field distribution coefficient of the radionuclide. The proportionality constant, β, is defined as the ratio of the volume of rain-impacted soil in the watershed and the annual volume of rainfall in the watershed or expressed as the ratio between the water penetration depth in soil and the annual thickness of water above the soil surface. An empirical evaluation of β supports our assumption of its constancy in a given watershed. The described model may be very useful in deciphering the impact of atmospherically delivered pollutants on watershed quality. Expressions are also derived to estimate the value of soil erosion constant using naturally occurring radionuclides.     

Integrated environmental management: The Dutch Governmental view

In the last 10 years concern for the economic and ecological value of the North Sea has increased. Many different users are putting increasing pressure on the resources of the North Sea and its adjacent estuaries. Its uses include shipping, fisheries, the oil and gas industry, mineral extraction, and—along its shores—recreation. The North Sea suffers pollution directly from some of these sources, but also indirectly from discharges from land, from rivers and from the atmosphere. The resilience of the North Sea ecosystem puts limits on the human use. These limits have in a number of cases been exceeded. It is necessary to define and assess the sustainable use of the North Sea ecosystem. The sustainable use may be defined as the long-term use of current and future potential while ensuring sustainable conservation of the ecological value of the North Sea and adjacent vulnerable water systems. Integrated environmental management for the North Sea implies that policy-makers assess all interests and resolve any conflicts which arise. This paper considers the problem of input of organic substances into the North Sea. It considers a target scenario of sustainable use and ecological health, in relation to what concentrations of organic substances are permissible. Secondly, it considers a target percentage reduction in current inputs. Thirdly, it is necessary to give the measures to be taken to deal with the major sources of the pollution, i.e. to define target groups. Finally, the paper gives examples of the statutory instruments available to implement the chosen policy.     

Conservation of biodiversity of the coastal resources of Sundarbans,Northeast India: an integrated approach through environmental education

The Indian Sundarbans, a diversified coastal wetland on the southern fringe of the State of West Bengal, harbors a luxuriant biodiversity and acts as a potential refuge of living marine resources. Girdled with thick mangrove foliage, this estuarine delta system offers an excellent nursery ground for most of the brackishwater finfish and shellfish. Since supply of hatchery-produced tiger prawn seed (Penaeus monodon) is highly inadequate in West Bengal, the aquaculture farms of this region largely depend on the supply from natural resources. Being motivated by a regular cash income, the majority of coastal people from Sundarbans have adopted prawn seed collection as their profession almost throughout the year as an important source of earning. The users are neither trained nor guided at any stage from collection to marketing and are fully dependent on traditional methods. They first sort out the tiger prawn seeds (mainly the postlarval stage PL 20) accounting only 0.25-0.27% of the total catch and thereafter the major portion of the haul are thrown away on the beach flats or the tidal mudflats. This wasted by-catch contains the juveniles of economic and uneconomic varieties of finfish and shellfish along with a bulk of holoplankters and meroplankters (non-target species). This practice causes several ecological and occupational consequences, namely, (i) the huge destruction of the pelagic biota that can lead to severe stock depletion as well as hamper the energy transference through the marine ecosystem food webs; (ii) constant dragging of nets along the coast and tidal creeks paves the way for soil erosion, uprooting the mangrove seedlings and saltmarsh vegetation; (iii) the water quality is deteriorating in the catchment areas due to mud erosion and (iv) due to constant contact with the seawater, the collectors are affected with waterborne diseases, skin infections, reproductive tract disease in women and many other contagious diseases.This paper, in addition to identifying the challenge to environmental quality and resource abundance, emphasizes the need for grass-root public education so that local people come to understand, support and implement sustainable resource conservation and environmental protection activities now and in the future. As a follow-up course of action, the authors have initiated a general awareness program for developing consciousness among the coastal people regarding proper use of natural resources. Initiatives are taken for educating coastal people by holding workshops and seminars with the use of educational resource materials. Exclusive awareness camps and grass root level training for coastal people are also being proposed as a future course of action by means of exhibitions, audiovisuals etc. It is proposed that local government bodies come forward to mitigate this problem with scientific and rational approaches and to take proper actions towards conservation.     

Pro-active management: the role of environmental flows in transboundary cooperative planning for the Okavango River system

Abstract

The Okavango River system flows through Angola, Namibia and Botswana. It is in near-natural condition and supports globally iconic wetlands and wildlife. The basin’s people are poor and development is inevitable: the next decade is critical. The river could become an example of responsible planning that resolutely addresses the three pillars of sustainable development. Recognizing this, the Member States completed a transboundary diagnostic analysis (TDA) in 2010 funded by the three governments and the Global Environment Facility. A central feature of the TDA was a basin-wide environmental flow assessment using the DRIFT (Downstream Response to Imposed Flow Transformation) holistic approach. This produced scenarios of increasing water resource use that spelled out the costs and benefits in terms of the health of the river ecosystem, associated social structures and local and national economies. The results were used to help create a transboundary strategic action programme, which the Member States are now beginning to act on. This article describes the DRIFT application, the findings and how these could be used to help achieve sustainable development.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Guest editor M. Acreman

Citation King, J., Beuster, H., Brown, C., and Joubert, A., 2014. Pro-active management: the role of environmental flows in transboundary cooperative planning for the Okavango River system. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (3–4), 786–800.     

第10代国际地磁参考场

国际地磁与超高层大气物理学协会（IAGA）于2004年12月12日发表了第10代国际地磁参考场（IGRF）。这是对地球主磁场标准数学描述的最新版本，在对地球深部、地壳、电离层及磁层的研究中有广泛应用。国际地磁参考场系数由国际地磁与超高层大气物理学协会的一个特别工作组最终确定下来。国际地磁参考场是地磁场模型工作者和全世界从事卫星及台站地磁观测数据收集和发布的单位共同努力的结果。     

绝对重力仪国际比对现状

当前负责重力测量的国际组织CCM-WGG和SGCAG决定今后将举办绝对重力仪区域性国际比对,并开始着手在世界范围内选择区域性国际比对点.CCM-WGG和SGCAG制定了国际比对的技术规范,讨论了绝对重力仪比对申请为关键性国际比对的议案.本文将介绍相关的国际情况以及中国计量科学研究院在这方面所做的工作.本文还将介绍2005年第七次国际绝对重力仪比对的情况和初步结果.