Application and Refinement of the Karst Disturbance Index in West-central, Florida

Application and Refinement of the Karst Disturbance Index in West-central, Florida
Author: Leslie A. North
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2007
Genre:
ISBN:

ABSTRACT: A hierarchical and standardized environmental disturbance index, specifically designed for karst landscapes, was created by van Beynen and Townsend (2005). To assess the applicability of the index and provide recommendations for its refinement, the index was applied in four west-central Florida counties and interviews were conducted with local and state officials, community planners, and land resource managers. The karst disturbance index consists of 30 indicators contained within five broad categories: geomorphology, hydrology, atmosphere, biota, and culture. Data was readily available for most environmental indicators used to construct the index. Overall, levels of disturbance vary between the counties due to the level of urbanization, with the highly populated Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties having higher degrees of disturbance than less developed Pasco and Hernando Counties. While this result may seem obvious, the measure of disturbance using many indicators provides benchmarks of levels of disturbance that can be reassessed with time and highlights those aspects of the environment most in need of attention. Several minor issues arose during the testing: the need for broader indicator descriptions that encompass a variety of scenarios, a new water quality indicator, obsolete sinkhole data, and a lack of data for biota indicators. The lack of data for certain indicators suggests where future research efforts can be directed.

Bela krajina

Bela krajina
Author: Daniela Ribeiro
Publisher: Založba ZRC
Total Pages: 142
Release: 2020
Genre:
ISBN: 9610504612

Trajnostni razvoj na kraških območjih bi moral biti prilagojen posebnostim te pokrajine, posebej njeni ranljivosti. Pravilno vrednotenje razvojnega potenciala in upravljanje s kraškimi območji je zelo pomembno za Slovenijo. V tej knjigi so predstavljene analize vpliva pokrajinskih značilnosti na rabo zemljišč in trajnostni razvoj obmejne slovenske kraške pokrajine ‒ Bele krajine. Da bi opozorili na kombinacijo družbenih dejavnikov in naravnih razmer za celostni pogled na kraško pokrajino, smo uporabili tri pristope: 1. oceno obremenjenosti kraške pokrajine zaradi človeka, 2. analizo sprememb rabe zemljišč in 3. kvantitativno in kvalitativno analizo trajnostnega razvoja Bele krajine. Kraški pojavi na trajnostni razvoj lahko vplivajo tako pozitivno kot negativno. Po mnenju lokalnih deležnikov so pozitivni učinki povezani večinoma s turizmom, negativni učinki pa predvsem v omejenem kmetijstvu. Sklenimo z mislijo, da so kraški pokrajinski pojavi lahko več kot le omejevalni dejavniki, saj imajo tudi razvojni potencial.

Biogeochemistry of Wetlands

Biogeochemistry of Wetlands
Author: K. Ramesh Reddy
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 926
Release: 2022-09-10
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0429531931

The globally important nature of wetland ecosystems has led to their increased protection and restoration as well as their use in engineered systems. Underpinning the beneficial functions of wetlands are a unique suite of physical, chemical, and biological processes that regulate elemental cycling in soils and the water column. This book provides an in-depth coverage of these wetland biogeochemical processes related to the cycling of macroelements including carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur, secondary and trace elements, and toxic organic compounds. In this synthesis, the authors combine more than 100 years of experience studying wetlands and biogeochemistry to look inside the black box of elemental transformations in wetland ecosystems. This new edition is updated throughout to include more topics and provide an integrated view of the coupled nature of biogeochemical cycles in wetland systems. The influence of the elemental cycles is discussed at a range of scales in the context of environmental change including climate, sea level rise, and water quality. Frequent examples of key methods and major case studies are also included to help the reader extend the basic theories for application in their own system. Some of the major topics discussed are: Flooded soil and sediment characteristics Aerobic-anaerobic interfaces Redox chemistry in flooded soil and sediment systems Anaerobic microbial metabolism Plant adaptations to reducing conditions Regulators of organic matter decomposition and accretion Major nutrient sources and sinks Greenhouse gas production and emission Elemental flux processes Remediation of contaminated soils and sediments Coupled C-N-P-S processes Consequences of environmental change in wetlands# The book provides the foundation for a basic understanding of key biogeochemical processes and its applications to solve real world problems. It is detailed, but also assists the reader with box inserts, artfully designed diagrams, and summary tables all supported by numerous current references. This book is an excellent resource for senior undergraduates and graduate students studying ecosystem biogeochemistry with a focus in wetlands and aquatic systems.

Guidelines for Applying Protected Area Management Categories

Guidelines for Applying Protected Area Management Categories
Author: Nigel Dudley
Publisher: IUCN
Total Pages: 106
Release: 2008
Genre: Science
ISBN: 2831710863

IUCN's Protected Areas Management Categories, which classify protected areas according to their management objectives, are today accepted as the benchmark for defining, recording, and classifying protected areas. They are recognized by international bodies such as the United Nations as well as many national governments. As a result, they are increasingly being incorporated into government legislation. These guidelines provide as much clarity as possible regarding the meaning and application of the Categories. They describe the definition of the Categories and discuss application in particular biomes and management approaches.