Great Lakes Area Research Articles

Regional and Longitudinal Dynamics of Cyanobacterial Blooms/Cyanobiome and Cyanotoxin Production in the Great Lakes Area

Regional and Longitudinal Dynamics of Cyanobacterial Blooms/Cyanobiome and Cyanotoxin Production in the Great Lakes Area

Major ion pore-water chemistry evolution in Lake Michigan benthic sediments: Evidence for direct input from Michigan Basin saline groundwater

The Michigan Basin is composed of geological formations that contain brines and evaporites, and solutes from these geological sources have affected benthic sediment pore-water chemistry in Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron). We hypothesize that there exists similar potential for upward solute transport directly from the Michigan Basin into other Great Lakes areas. To test our hypothesis, we present here previously unpublished pore-water chemistry analyses from sediment cores collected during multiple Lake Michigan sampling events (spanning 1991−1999) and a new evaluation of previously published data. In several box cores, pore-water chloride concentrations increase with depth, and Cl:Br ratios are consistent with a geological formation brine source. In all gravity cores we collected from southern Lake Michigan, pore-water sodium concentrations increase with sediment depth. At one sample station, pore-water sodium concentrations exceed 2000 mg L−1 within 2 m of the sediment-water interface. Given the pore-water chemistry changes reported here, combined with information from previous studies of Lake Michigan bedrock geology, a Devonian formation brine is a plausible solute source. The presence of saline pore water within glaciolacustrine sediments underlying Lake Michigan indicates that this solute flux has been active during the past 10 k.y. However, the origins of this solute flux, including timing (onset) and contributions from advective and/or diffusive transport, are unknown. The specific geological source and solute transport process are important to resolve in order to evaluate potential effects of these Michigan Basin solute sources on the Great Lakes’ sediment biogeochemistry and water quality.

How well do existing surveys track fish community performance measures in the St. Clair-Detroit River System?

The St. Clair-Detroit River System (SCDRS) connects Lake Huron to Lake Erie and provides important habitats for many fishes of economic and ecological importance. Portions of the SCDRS are designated as Great Lakes Areas of Concern and fish production and conservation may be compromised. Efforts to address beneficial use impairments have focused on restoring habitat for native fishes and improving aquatic ecosystem health. Considerable site-specific research and long-term, annual fish surveys have examined responses to habitat improvements. However, there is uncertainty surrounding whether individual studies and surveys can assess (1) population-level benefits of habitat enhancements and (2) whether management objectives are being met. To identify monitoring gaps and inform long-term monitoring program development, we compared outputs from SCDRS fish monitoring surveys (based on discussions with regional agencies) with performance measures specified in management plans (obtained through gray literature searches). Performance measures for harvested species aligned well with outputs of existing surveys. In contrast, at-risk fishes often had objectives and performance measures that reflected knowledge gaps and study needs. Although harvested species were well-monitored relative to specified performance measures, at-risk fishes were less reliably collected by existing surveys, except for lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens. Effective evaluation of restoration efforts for at-risk fishes may require additional survey efforts that target species-specific habitat use and life history characteristics.

Assessment of crAssphage as a human fecal source tracking marker in the lower Great Lakes

CrAssphage or crAss-like phage ranks as the most abundant phage in the human gut and is present in human feces-contaminated environments. Due to its high human specificity and sensitivity, crAssphage is a potentially robust source tracking indicator that can distinguish human fecal contamination from agricultural or wildlife sources. Its suitability in the Great Lakes area, one of the world's most important water systems, has not been well tested. In this study, we tested a qPCR-based quantification method using two crAssphage marker genes (ORF18-mod and CPQ_064) at Toronto recreational beaches along with their adjacent river mouths. Our results showed a 71.4 % (CPQ_064) and 100 % (ORF18-mod) human sensitivity for CPQ_064 and ORF18-mod, and a 100 % human specificity for both marker genes. CrAssphage was present in 57.7 % or 71.2 % of environmental water samples, with concentrations ranging from 1.45 to 5.14 log10 gene copies per 100 mL water. Though concentrations of the two marker genes were strongly correlated, ORF18-mod features a higher human sensitivity and higher positive detection rates in environmental samples. Quantifiable crAssphage was mostly present in samples collected in June and July 2021 associated with higher rainfall. In addition, rivers had more frequent crAssphage presence and higher concentrations than their associated beaches, indicating more frequent and greater human fecal contamination in the rivers. However, crAssphage was more correlated with E. coli and Enterococcus at the beaches than in the rivers, suggesting human fecal sources may be more predominant in driving the increases in E. coli and Enterococcus at the beaches when impacted by river plumes.

Economic Benefits from Restoration Actions in Coastal Communities

In this study, we measure the effect of restoration actions on the economic value of coastal communities. We use a residential sorting model to simulate residential moves between communities and then estimate the value of restoring shoreline uses in coastal communities. Our application measures the effect of cleaning up Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOC) — which are heavily polluted coastal locations prioritized for restoration in the United States and Canada — on the willingness to pay (WTP) of residents in the U.S. state of Michigan. While prior research documents the effect of individual AOCs on residents, particularly in local housing markets, little research has examined systematically where restoration is occurring and whether it affects mobility at a regional level. The results in this paper suggest that restoration actions can affect mobility, with point estimates indicating households are willing to pay $54/year for the uses restored between 2005 and 2015 in Michigan’s AOCs.

Current state of knowledge of the gold mineralization at Imonga-Saramabila, Maniema (DR Congo): a petrographic and mineralogical study of the mineralized vein system

The Great Lakes area in Central Africa forms a large metallogenic province that hosts important deposits of gold mineralization. We present a petrographic, mineralogical and geochemical study of unique borehole samples from the Imonga-Saramabila gold deposit, a historical mine site located in the Maniema Province (DR Congo) in the Karagwe-Ankole belt (KAB) in the Great Lakes area and one of the only places in the Maniema province with accessible boreholes allowing to study the mineralization. The samples are metasedimentary rocks belonging to the Mesoproterozoic Kivu Supergroup, with bedding-parallel meta-igneous rocks. These rocks have undergone upper greenschist to lower amphibolite facies metamorphism, based on the presence of andalusite and chiastolite porphyroblasts, and are affected by hydrothermal alteration. The porphyroblasts formed during peak metamorphism and posterior to a first vein generation. Three additional vein generations were identified at Imonga based on crosscutting relationships, with the second and third events overprinting the porphyroblasts by intense chloritization, and associated with sulfide mineralization. The fourth vein generation is again barren. The first veining event formed pre-folding and the three subsequent generations postdate folding, as concluded based on the relationship of the veins with the cleavage. Only one important folding event is proposed based on the development of only one cleavage. Gold occurs as free gold or is included in pyrite in the second (and maybe third) vein generation. Based on the paragenesis, structural characteristics, and the link between veining and metamorphic minerals, the gold mineralization at Imonga is interpreted to be linked to the early Neoproterozoic (~980 Ma) compressional deformation event, associated with the amalgamation of the Rodinia supercontinent.

Pegmatite zonation and the use of muscovite as a geochemical indicator for tin-tantalum-tungsten mineralization: Case studies from the Kalehe and Idjwi areas, Democratic Republic of Congo

The central part of the Karagwe-Ankole Belt (KAB) in the Great Lakes area of Central Africa is rich in various rare and strategic elements. The area north of Kalehe and Idjwi island within the Sud-Kivu Province of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) contains Nb, Ta, Sn and W mineralization hosted in pegmatites and quartz veins that are related to leucogranite intrusions. In this work, two granite-pegmatite fields were studied: the Bugarula field in the northern part of Idjwi island and the Kalehe field, along the west coast of Lake Kivu, with a view to determine the co-genetic link between different pegmatites and leucogranites in these regions. Based on mineralogical assemblages, five pegmatite zones were identified, occurring with some spatial overlap, but with an overall increasing distance from the inferred parental granite: 1) albite pegmatites, 2) two-mica pegmatites, 3) muscovite pegmatites, 4) beryl-bearing Nb–Ta–Sn mineralized pegmatites and 5) tourmaline-bearing Nb–Ta–Sn mineralized pegmatites. Muscovite compositions were analyzed from each zone and used to calculate pegmatite fractionation trends by using Rayleigh fractionation modelling. The model uses published partition coefficients (Kd) and measured contents of K, Rb and Cs in muscovite. Muscovites from the consecutive pegmatite zones in both the Bugarula and Kalehe pegmatite fields record a continuous fractionation trend, indicating a co-genetic magmatic evolution. A parental leucogranitic composition of 3.6 wt% K2O, 8 ppm Cs and 300 ppm Rb was iteratively determined to yield a best fit fractionation trend with the data. This composition is within the range of exposed leucogranites sampled in this study, which average at 4.2 wt% K2O, 7 ppm Cs and 400 ppm Rb (n = 12). It should be noted that individually, none of the sampled leucogranites gave satisfactory fractionation trajectories that would suggest a direct co-genetic link between them and the pegmatites. In the Idjwi granite-pegmatite field, the degree of fractionation with respect to the inferred parental leucogranite ranges from 20% to 99% for the least fractionated and most evolved Nb–Ta–Sn mineralized pegmatites, respectively. In the Kalehe area, fractionation values also range from 22% up to 99% for the least fractionated and most evolved (mineralized) pegmatites, respectively. Muscovites from mineralized pegmatites of zones 4 and 5 show high concentrations of Nb, Ta and Sn. As such, we show that muscovite compositions in these pegmatites provide a powerful tool to track Nb–Ta, Sn (and W) enrichment and potential mineralization. These high degrees of fractionation associated with the enrichment in economically interesting elements are similar to reported values for pegmatite fields elsewhere in the Karagwe-Ankole Belt.

Great Lakes for whom? Community outcomes in the Muskegon Lake and White Lake areas of concern

We use social science survey methods to evaluate the extent to which residents in Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOC) experience social gaps in accessing benefits of AOC restorations, comparing post-restoration outcomes in two AOCs with differing socioeconomic profiles in Muskegon County, Michigan: Muskegon Lake and White Lake. We find that survey respondents engage in similar types of recreational activities with similar rates of frequency across sites, but Muskegon residents have more pessimistic perceptions of the environmental and community outcomes of the Muskegon Lake restoration. On closer inspection, significant differences in post-restoration assessments exist within the City of Muskegon, with residents from neighborhoods where environmental (in)justice risk factors are high reporting continuing concerns about environmental quality and social problems. We highlight the relevance of these observations to community redevelopment in Great Lakes AOCs that share Muskegon’s historic context and present-day demographic profile, pointing to a potential for equity gaps that require conscientious planning.

Residential mobility and the value of water quality improvements in the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern

AbstractThis paper presents research on the benefits of removing legacy pollutants in Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs). AOCs are heavily polluted coastal locations identified as priorities for restoration under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) between the United States and Canada. Legacy pollutants pose a human and environmental health risk that can limit opportunities for redevelopment, recreation, and wildlife habitats. The AOC program improves water quality through remediation and restoration projects, which may increase the desirability of living in proximity to AOCs. In this paper, we estimate the economic benefit of cleaning up part of the Milwaukee Estuary AOC with a two-part sorting model using panel data on neighborhood populations and moving decisions before and after a series of remediation actions. Our results provide evidence that residents value remediation, though estimates are sensitive to the definition of the cleanup area. The average annual benefit for a household living near the AOC just downstream of cleanup is $268, with a range of $28-$499 depending on their race and tenure group; the aggregate benefit is $350 million. Results indicate a large difference in benefits between renters and owners but statistically insignificant differences between race groups.

A Line of Blood and Dirt: Creating the Canada–United States Border across Indigenous Lands

In this thorough analysis, Benjamin Hoy joins a small but growing number of historians who have accepted the challenge of writing comparative studies of U.S. and Canadian issues. He has expanded the difficulty such efforts encounter by adding a third component: the Indigenous people in each country. In doing so he strides boldly into the intimidating linguistic swamp scholars must traverse when they study Indigenous topics. Questions such as what terms should be used for group names, whether bands, tribes, nations, or another term, must be addressed. Hoy explains his choices carefully. His central theme is that the creation of the Canada-U.S. border was difficult, messy, and mostly unplanned. Unlike international boundaries drawn after wars, or other territorial cessions, this line grew in fits and starts from the 1783 Treaty of Paris granting the United States independence to the 1846 Oregon treaty extending the line west along the 49th parallel. The analysis examines border making in five regions, the Atlantic Northeast, the St. Lawrence River valley, the Great Lakes area, the plains and prairies region, and the Pacific Northwest—giving most attention to the last three areas. Throughout the discussion, Hoy shows that while each nation wanted a strong border, neither had the money or the determination to create one effectively.

Spatialized Life Cycle Assessment of Fluid Milk Production and Consumption in the United States

Purpose: Understanding the main factors affecting the environmental impacts of milk production and consumption along the value chain is key towards reducing these impacts. This paper aims to present detailed spatialized distributions of impacts associated with milk production and consumption across the United States (U.S.), accounting for locations of both feed and on-farm activities, as well as variations in impact intensity. Using a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) approach, focus is given to impacts related to (a) water consumption, (b) eutrophication of marine and freshwater, (c) land use, (d) human toxicity and ecotoxicity, and (e) greenhouse gases. Methods: Drawing on data representing regional agricultural practices, feed production is modelled for 50 states and 18 main watersheds and linked to regions of milk production in a spatialized matrix-based approach to yield milk produced at farm gate. Milk processing, distribution, retail, and consumption are then modelled at a national level, accounting for retail and consumer losses. Custom characterization factors are developed for freshwater and marine eutrophication in the U.S. context. Results and discussion: In the overall life cycle, up to 30% of the impact per kg milk consumed is due to milk losses that occur during the retail and consumption phases (i.e., after production), emphasizing the importance of differentiating between farm gate and consumer estimates. Water scarcity is the impact category with the highest spatial variability. Watersheds in the western part of the U.S. are the dominant contributors to the total water consumed, with 80% of water scarcity impacts driven by only 40% of the total milk production. Freshwater eutrophication also has strong spatial variation, with high persistence of emitted phosphorus in Midwest and Great Lakes area, but high freshwater eutrophication impacts associated with extant phosphorus concentration above 100 µg/L in the California, Missouri, and Upper Mississippi water basins. Overall, normalized impacts of fluid milk consumption represent 0.25% to 0.8% of the annual average impact of a person living in the U.S. As milk at farm gate is used for fluid milk and other dairy products, the production of milk at farm gate represents 0.5% to 3% of this annual impact. Dominant contributions to human health impacts are from fine particulate matter and from climate change, whereas ecosystem impacts of milk are mostly due to land use and water consumption. Conclusion: This study provides a systematic, national perspective on the environmental impacts of milk production and consumption in the United States, showing high spatial variation in inputs, farm practices, and impacts.

A Comparison of Two Macroinvertebrate Multi-Plate Sampling Methods to Inform Great Lakes Monitoring and Remediation Efforts.

Hester-Dendy (HD) multi-plate samplers have been widely used by state and federal government agencies for bioassessment of water quality through use of macroinvertebrate community data. To help guide remediation and restoration efforts at the Niagara River Great Lakes Area of Concern site, a multi-agency study was conducted in 2014 to assess the contribution of seven major urban tributaries on the US side of the river toward the impairment of the Niagara River. As part of this study, macroinvertebrate communities were sampled using two co-located versions of HD samplers: one version used by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and another by the US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development. Samplers were deployed in tributaries in highly developed watersheds with high percent impervious surface. The two sampling methods varied in terms of number and size of plates, between-plate spacing, and deployment method. Comparison of the similarity/grouping of communities with multivariate ordination techniques, Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling and Multi-Response Permutation Procedure, showed that both methods were able to detect differences in communities at stations, despite some grouping by month and method. The indices and metrics derived from the two HD methods were found to give comparable but not identical assessments of water quality. Despite their differences, the methods were robust with respect to water quality categories derived from indices used nationally (HBI) and by NY state (BAP). For the common richness metrics, total taxa and EPT richness, there was no statistical difference between means from 3 samplings. Some metrics, especially percent tolerant collector-gatherer individuals, did show significant differences at certain stations. Indicator Species Analysis showed some taxa associated with each method. The observed community differences were thought mostly due to the difference in sampler deployment position.

A drift isopach model for the southwestern Great Slave Lake region, Northwest Territories, Canada

ABSTRACT This study produced a drift thickness model for the southwestern Great Slave Lake area of northern Canada, using 12,692 lithostratigraphic records (seismic shothole drillers’ logs, diamond drill holes, petroleum wells), and field observations. Numerous algorithms and modelling parameters were tested using 6122 records of absolute drift thickness, and based on a cross-validation analysis, an empirical Bayesian kriging K-Bessel detrended algorithm was found to produce the best fit. The final model, incorporating selected maximum and minimum thickness estimate data, produced a root mean square error of 4.98 m, with 94.8% of the data points within ±2 m of the modelled drift thicknesses. The model identifies widespread areas of drift >10 m thick, and prominent southeast-northwest aligned bedrock ramps. Karst structures buried by ≤73 m of drift were identified southwest of Great Slave Lake and appear to be aligned with regional fault systems like ore-associated karst at Pine Point. These may be the source of anomalous glacial sediment-derived base metal indicators collected proximally to the west. The most striking drift anomaly is in Cameron Hills where the eastern and northern margins are comprised of shale and siltstone bedrock overlain by 20–40 m of glacial sediments, but the central and western uplands have petroleum well logs identifying glacial sediments up to 400 m thick. In addition to mineral exploration, results of this study provide baseline data that can be used predictively by the petroleum industry in designing future seismic and drilling (casing depth) operations, and by those modelling groundwater sources and flow.

Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know

Book Review| December 01 2022 Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know. By Brittan Luby. Illustrated by Joshya Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley. 2021. Groundwood. (ISBN 9781773063263). Hardcover. $18.95. Ebook also available. Kirstin Milks, Kirstin Milks Department Editor Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Frank Brown Cloud Frank Brown Cloud Department Editor Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar The American Biology Teacher (2022) 84 (9): 590. https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2022.84.9.590b Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Kirstin Milks, Frank Brown Cloud; Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know. The American Biology Teacher 1 December 2022; 84 (9): 590. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2022.84.9.590b Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentThe American Biology Teacher Search This peaceful, luminous book honors Indigenous knowledge in a bilingual story-poem and features vibrant illustrations that bring the seasons to life. Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know is written in both English and Anishinaabemowin, a language spoken by the Anishinaabe people of the Great Lakes area in the United States and Canada. It provided a rich opportunity for our family to celebrate the diversity of Indigenous languages spoken across North America / Turtle Island, as well as an accessible starting point for gently unpacking the historical contexts that led to our children’s ancestors losing access to their own Indigenous languages and cultures. Our kids selected this book for bedtime several times while we had it on loan from our local library, asking us to linger on the kid-friendly illustrations of a child and her grandmother as they explore (and delight in) the familiar changes of each season.... You do not currently have access to this content.

Coupling ecosystem-centered governance modes with environmental justice

In North America, Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) were established to remediate aquatic pollution in 1987 as part of a binational agreement between the United State of America and Canada. Although the action preceded formal environmental injustice acknowledgment, the AOC program's effort to remediate legacy pollutants includes language with the potential to accomplish core goals of EJ: democratizing decision-making and reducing disproportionate environmental burden. Yet, in AOCs, discussions of public engagement regarding AOC work tend to define participation institutionally (i.e., the state, market, and civil society) rather than by racial or socioeconomic inclusivity. Understanding how AOC governance processes consider representation of, and benefit to communities negotiating remediation decisions from positions of systemic disadvantage requires addressing the relationship between ecosystem-centered governance modes and environmental justice. In this study, interviews with governance actors reveal that concern for EJ issues wield different forms of authority as ecosystem-centered governance and environmental justice couple, decouple, and uncouple. Changes in coupling correspond with shifts in ecosystem-centric governance mode, but coupling does not rely on any one particular governance arrangement. Instead, coupling relies on leadership practices and conceptions of fairness that are EJ-responsive and present EJ as indistinct from ecosystem goals and targets. Our findings reinforce the assertion that ecosystem-centered governance can be reimagined to better facilitate EJ even without changes in financial and regulatory constraints. We conclude by proposing empirical measures that advance EGM-EJ qualitative scholarship and practical advice about how to cultivate EJ-responsive leadership in ecosystem-centered governance arrangements.

Community engagement and the importance of partnerships within the Great Lakes Areas of Concern program: A mixed-methods case study

The Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOC) program was created through amendments to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) in 1987 to restore contaminated sites using an ecosystem-based approach. This program represents one of the first instances of ecosystem-based management (EBM) in the Great Lakes region with a specific focus on the inclusion of the public and local stakeholders in the process. Despite official language incorporating EBM in the AOC program, implementation of these practices has not been consistent across AOCs given differences in local arrangements of Public Advisory Councils (PACs), approaches to community engagement, and environmental problems. To better understand community engagement in these complex AOCs, this research investigated community, PAC, and state agency perspectives in three AOCs in Michigan: the Kalamazoo River, Saginaw River and Bay, and Rouge River AOCs. We gathered data through interviews, focus groups, and participatory observations with community members, PAC members, and state officials in each AOC. Findings indicate that communities in these areas have minimal connection to the AOC program and PACs. Community members tended to have greater connection to local organizations that provide a variety of opportunities for community members to engage with their environment in ways they value. To better connect the public to the AOC program, PACs may benefit from intentional partnerships with community organizations to increase community engagement. To consistently bolster community engagement in AOCs, we further recommend that state agencies provide additional resources to improve connection to local communities.

Residential demand for sediment remediation to restore water quality: Evidence from Milwaukee

This paper examines the effect of removing pollutants, mainly polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), on home prices in Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs). AOCs are heavily polluted locations identified as priorities for restoration under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) between the United States and Canada. Since the signing of the GLWQA, AOCs have undergone cleanup actions that could encourage local redevelopment and raise nearby property values. This paper focuses on the Milwaukee Estuary AOC and estimates property owner willingness to pay as well as potential differences in willingness to pay for sediment remediation using a sorting model and home sales data before and after cleanup. Results indicate that home prices near the water increased significantly and that remediation did not change pre-existing inequalities generally favoring higher-income, predominantly white households through a process of demographic re-sorting.

Defining community revitalization in Great Lakes Areas of Concern and investigating how revitalization can be catalyzed through remediation and restoration

An international effort to restore contaminated areas across the Great Lakes has been underway for over 50 years. Although experts have increasingly recognized the inherent connections between ecological conditions and community level benefits, Great Lakes community revitalization continues to be a broad and complex topic, lacking a comprehensive definition. The purpose of this study was to generate a testable “AOC-Revitalization Framework” for linking remediation and restoration success, represented by Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) removal in U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOC), to community revitalization. Using directed content analysis, we conducted a literature review and identified 433 potential revitalization metrics and indicators and grouped them into 15 broader community revitalization attributes to develop the following definition of Great Lakes community revitalization: “locally driven community resurgence resulting in resilient and equitable enhancements to social, economic, and environmental community structures.” We surveyed experts within the Great Lakes AOC program on the likelihood remediation and restoration success, would positively impact revitalization attributes. Focus groups triangulated survey results. Results identified BUI removal was expected to positively affect revitalization, but the type of revitalization outcome was based on the BUI being removed. The AOC-Revitalization Framework is the first to empirically outline these possible linkages, providing a clear testable structure for future research; it can be used to better understand how environmental improvements are or are not leading to community revitalization and more accurately identify components of revitalization impacted, thus supporting more equitable representation, communication, and measurement of the relationship.

Sustainable Livelihood Security in the Poyang Lake Eco-economic Zone: Ecologically Secure, Economically Efficient or Socially Equitable?

Sustainable Livelihood Security (SLS) remains a rarely considered yet important issue for rural sustainability and natural resource management. Particularly in China, rural SLS research in a typical area is urgently needed, but insufficient under the background of National Rural Revitalization and Ten-year Fishing Ban of Yangtze River. Focusing on the policy-targeted inland lake area, we proposed a Livelihood Security Analysis (LSA) framework by establishing an adaptive indicator system and integrating multiple econometrical and geographical methods. This study aims to evaluate the SLS in Poyang Lake Eco-economic Zone comprehensively from the three aspects of ecology, economy and society, analyze their spatial patterns, identify the main constraints, and finally give specific suggestions for improving rural sustainability management. The results showed that rural SLS in the inland great lake area tended to be vulnerable mainly due to the lagging economic efficiency and unbalanced social equality, and mediated by regional ecological characteristics. The overall SLS and Ecological Security Index (ESI) were higher in the north and lower in the south, while Economic Efficiency Index (EEI) and Social Equality Index (SEI) were at the middle level and circularly distributed around Nanchang City. The dominating factors which have greatly shaped the spatial pattern of SLS include rural per capita electricity consumption, fishery breeding area, population dependency ratio, urbanization rate, and fishery population. The obstacle degree is ranked as economic system > social system > ecological system. An outdated economy and incomplete social services are the main constraints, characterized by weak electricity consumption, limited beds in hospitals, low urbanization rate, deficient agricultural machinery power, and a small agricultural output value. Therefore, one urgent need is to activate the rural economy by reinforcing rural electric power facilities and promoting agricultural mechanization. In addition, transforming the peasants/fishermen to the non-agricultural sector should be accelerated, which will help to reduce ecological pressure, boost urban-rural integration and narrow the income gap.

Tweeting the Laurentian Great Lakes: A community opinion analysis about Great Lakes areas as assessed through mentions on Twitter

Accounting for community opinions of environmental restoration is critical both for planning and evaluating these initiatives. While considerable research assesses the value of restoration through economic metrics focusing on expenditures or preferences for ecosystem services, these metrics may not adequately account for the sociocultural services that ecosystems provide communities, such as mental and physical health or recreational opportunities. To address this challenge, we explored the use of social media data to assess online discourse communities’ opinions about ecosystem services through a case study of Twitter mentions of sites targeted for restoration through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). While there is evidence of the economic and ecological benefits of GLRI, little is known about how these benefits at sites targeted for funding are perceived by the public. From April through October 2019, we collected 40,000 tweets that mentioned an Area of Concern or a Great Lakes National Park that received GLRI funding. We used a mixed-methodological approach combining tweet content and sentiment analysis to determine themes of discussion and characterize online discourse communities’ opinions around these topics. Half of all tweets were about one of three Areas of Concern, and recreation was the most discussed theme with an overall positive sentiment. A metric accounting for the number of tweets and the sentiment of tweets was derived to understand community opinions of restoration at these areas. Our findings demonstrate the potential of social media data mining as a tool for examining online conversations about and engagement with the Great Lakes.