The chironomid (Insecta: Diptera) and other fauna of aMyriophylum spicatum L. plant bed in the lower Hudson River

The benthic fauna of a small cove of the Hudson River containing the aquatic plantMyriophyllum spicatum L. was studied for a one-year period. The fauna was characteristic of oligohaline zones of United States east coast estuaries. Total abundance of invertebrates retained on a 0.12 mm mesh sieve averaged 124,631 organisms m^?2 (sediment and plant populations combined) and ranged up to 196,000 m^?2. During the May–August period, invertebrates living on the plants comprised 16–35% of the invertebrate fauna in the cove. Chironomid larvae were the most abundant organisms on plants and the third most abundant in the sediments. Two assemblages of chironomid species were recognized; one lived solely in the sediments, the other lived primarily on the plants.Chironomus decorus andTanytarsus sp. dominated the former group andCricotopus sylvestris the latter. The chironomidDicrotendipes modestus utilized both habitats. During the May–August period, chironomid biomass on the plants comprised approximately 50% of total chironomid biomass in the cove. The mean dry-weight biomass of chironomids in the cove (1.6 g m^?2) is estimated to be sixteen times greater than that of the fauna in the deeper areas of the river. Because chironomid larvae are eaten by fish and invertebrates, shallow water regions with their rich chironomid (and other fauna) may contribute importantly to the trophic dynamics of estuarine systems. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY009 00004     

Map Scale Effects on Estimating the Number of Undiscovered Mineral Deposits

Estimates of numbers of undiscovered mineral deposits, fundamental to assessing mineral resources, are affected by map scale. Where consistently defined deposits of a particular type are estimated, spatial and frequency distributions of deposits are linked in that some frequency distributions can be generated by processes randomly in space whereas others are generated by processes suggesting clustering in space. Possible spatial distributions of mineral deposits and their related frequency distributions are affected by map scale and associated inclusions of non-permissive or covered geological settings. More generalized map scales are more likely to cause inclusion of geologic settings that are not really permissive for the deposit type, or that include unreported cover over permissive areas, resulting in the appearance of deposit clustering. Thus, overly generalized map scales can cause deposits to appear clustered. We propose a model that captures the effects of map scale and the related inclusion of non-permissive geologic settings on numbers of deposits estimates, the zero-inflated Poisson distribution. Effects of map scale as represented by the zero-inflated Poisson distribution suggest that the appearance of deposit clustering should diminish as mapping becomes more detailed because the number of inflated zeros would decrease with more detailed maps. Based on observed worldwide relationships between map scale and areas permissive for deposit types, mapping at a scale with twice the detail should cut permissive area size of a porphyry copper tract to 29% and a volcanic-hosted massive sulfide tract to 50% of their original sizes. Thus some direct benefits of mapping an area at a more detailed scale are indicated by significant reductions in areas permissive for deposit types, increased deposit density and, as a consequence, reduced uncertainty in the estimate of number of undiscovered deposits. Exploration enterprises benefit from reduced areas requiring detailed and expensive exploration, and land-use planners benefit from reduced areas of concern.     

Urban and suburban storm water runoff as a source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to Massachusetts estuarine and coastal environments

Urban and suburban storm water runoff from ten locations in eastern Massachusetts was analyzed for 39 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) compounds. Similar profiles in PAH composition were observed for groups of samples and appear to reflect land use. The largest group includes, urban storm water from areas with a mix of industrial, commercial, and residential use. Fluoranthene, phenanthrene, pyrene, chrysene, and benzo (b) fluoranthene were the predominant compounds in this group, but lighter molecular weight PAHs were also present. Sources of PAHs to storm water include a combination of petroleum and combustion. The profile of PAH compounds in local atmospheric deposition was similar to urban storm water, but differed in several of the predominant compounds. PAHs in storm water could increase the levels of these compounds in nearshore sediments and may be the most important source of high molecular weight PAHs to these environments.