Department Of Natural Resources Research Articles

Application of Domestic High-Resolution Satellite Data in Remote Sensing Geological Survey of the Metallogenic Belt in Zhejiang Province

A metallogenic belt is a metallogenic geological unit with rich mineral resources and potential. The study of metallogenic belts can provide a basis for mineral monitoring and deployment. Research of the metallogenic belt in Zhejiang Province is too deficient. This paper uses the domestic high-resolution satellite data from 2018 to 2021 to carry out the application of remote sensing in a comprehensive geological survey on different metallogenic belts in Zhejiang Province. The survey results show that the area of each metallogenic belt is decreasing year by year, which shows that under the regulation of the natural resources department, the unqualified mining activities in key control areas such as nature reserves, ecological red lines, and the Yangtze River economic belt are timely stopped and forcibly closed, so that the mining development order gradually tends to be good. The restoration and control points show a trend of less in the south and more in the north, mainly distributed in the economically developed areas of the northern, central, and eastern plains of Zhejiang Province. According to the statistics of the degree of mine environment restoration and treatment (treatment percentage), the Taishun-Zhoushan metallogenic belt is the highest, and treatment percentage from 2018 to 2021 is 83.01%, 80.07%, 76.91%, and 73.78%, respectively. For four consecutive years, the number of restoration and treatment projects has been increasing, and the restoration and treatment area has increased significantly. The countermeasures and suggestions for mine environmental restoration in the metallogenic belt have been put forward. In the mining area, if the geological environment is good, the rainfall is sufficient, and so on, then natural re greening can be considered. According to the brief evaluation criteria, a total of 2983 mines can be restored naturally, including 311 in the Si’an-Changxing metallogenic belt, 325 in the Lin’an-Huzhou metallogenic belt, 387 in the Kaihua-Hangzhou metallogenic Belt, 598 in the Quzhou-Shaoxing metallogenic belt, 765 in the Longquan-Shangyu metallogenic belt, and 597 in the Taishun-Zhoushan metallogenic belt. A total of 1911 mines were involved within 1 km of the “three zones and two lines”. There are 50 places in the Si’an-Changxing metallogenic belt, 151 in the Lin’an-Huzhou metallogenic belt, 236 in the Kaihua-Hangzhou metallogenic belt, 326 in the Quzhou-Shaoxing metallogenic belt, 513 in the Longquan-Shangyu metallogenic belt, and 635 in the Taishun-Zhoushan metallogenic belt. The survey results and suggestions can provide scientific basis and important reference for the local mining administration department to carry out the restoration of the mine ecological environment in metallogenic belts, and they are of great significance to promote the wide and in-depth application and technological progress of remote sensing technology.

Multiple Linear Regression Analysis Applied for Modeling in Torrens Community Disaster Resilience Score Card for Flood-Prone Schools in the Schools Division of Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao – the Philippines

Accurate assessment of the level and extent of disaster resilience of flood-prone schools and their communities is a complicated task. This is given the various means to measure disaster resilience. This is further complicated by the fact that disaster resilience is context-specific. Therefore, applying one of these measures for disaster resilience modeling proves to be a practical approach, as this model has the advantage of having context-specific viability in predicting disaster resilience. One of the statistical methods that can be used for testing a model in disaster resilience is Multiple Linear Regression (MLR). Therefore, this work aims to test a model for disaster resilience. For this, 26 schools in the Schools Division of Misamis Oriental were identified as flood-prone areas based on the geo-hazard maps of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. With the use of the Torrens Community Disaster Resilience Score Card, the schools and their communities were rated by their respective School Administrator/Principal; School Disaster Risk Reduction Management Coordinator; Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer; President of the General Parents-Teachers Association; President of the Student School Government; and the Barangay Chairperson. The ratings served as the data. Multiple Linear Regression was applied to generate a new model with four explanatory variables, i.e. community-connectedness, risk and vulnerability, planning and procedures, and available resources; and the response variable is Disaster Resilience. The MLR model obtained an Adjusted R Square of 0.965, which means that the four explanatory variables explained 96.5% of the variability of Disaster Resilience. The Goodness of Fit of the model had shown a right-tailed, F=175.9, p-value=7.77156e-16, thus, rejecting the null hypothesis that the model is not a good fit. All four variables are significant predictors of Disaster Resilience, hence, attesting to the adequacy of the model. Thus indicative that in the context of these flood-prone school and their communities, the model justifies that the application of the said scorecard is of great importance to these schools and their communities as well as those people responsible for disaster risk and reduction management regular monitoring and assessment for disaster resilience.

The Categorized of Surface Water Quality Variation using Multivariate Statistical Approaches: A Case Study of Ben Tre Province, Vietnam

This study evaluated surface water quality changes in Ben Tre province using multivariate statistical analyses. The water monitoring data were collected from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ben Tre province in 2020, which 13 water parameters have been measured, including pH, water temperature (T), salinity (Sal), turbidity (Turb), total suspended solids (TSS), dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium (NH4+_N), nitrate (NO3-_N), orthophosphate (PO43-_P), iron (Fe) and coliform bacteria. Water quality was assessed using national technical regulations on surface water quality of QCVN 08-MT: 2015/BTNMT. Spatiotemporal variation of water quality was evaluated using cluster analysis (CA) while potential pollution sources and key water variables influencing water quality were evaluated using principal component analysis (PCA). The findings showed that the water parameters of turbidity, salinity, TSS, DO, BOD, COD, NH4+_N, PO43-_P, Fe and coliform exceeded the allowable limits of QCVN 08-MT:2015/BTNMT. The water parameters of BOD, COD, NO3-_N, PO43-_P in the rainy season tended to be higher than those in the dry season. Cluster analysis divided surface water quality into 7 clusters, thus reducing 8 sampling sites, and 2 monitoring times of frequency. Principal component analysis identified 13 potential pollution sources affecting surface water quality in the study area, in which, 76.10 % of the variation in surface water quality were contributed by PC1, PC2, PC3, PC4 and PC5. PCA results also showed that 13 observed water parameters significantly contribute to the variation in water quality. The current study results could be very useful in reducing sites and frequency of surface water quality monitoring in Ben Tre province. HIGHLIGHTS The water quality in the study area was polluted by suspended particulate matters, organics, nutrients, heavy metals and salinity. Thirteen potential water pollution sources have been identified by principal component ananlysis (PCA), in which, 76.1 % of surface water quality variations were explained by five key sources sources of PC1-PC5 The water quality parameters of BOD, COD, NO3-_N, PO43-_P in the rainy season tended to be higher than those in the dry season Cluster analysis (CA) suggested the current surface water monitoring sites and frequency of the sampling could be reduced by 8 and 2, respectively, thus, saving the monitoring cost GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Assessment of a Habitat Equivalency Analysis for Freshwater Mussels in the Upper Mississippi River

The upper Mississippi River (UMR) contains diverse, dense, and reproducing assemblages of native freshwater mussels. In the case of an injury to mussels and their habitats, such as a hazardous material spill, train derailment, or barge grounding, resource managers have few restoration strategies. Resource managers need a means to document, quantify, and mitigate adverse effects on mussels resulting from injury. Habitat equivalency analysis (HEA), developed for use with a wide variety of habitat types, is a restoration scaling technique that compares ecological services lost from injury to ecological services gained through restoration actions. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Iowa Department of Natural Resources modified the HEA for use with native mussels. The mussel HEA has been applied within the UMR to estimate the quantity of restoration needed to compensate the public for injuries to mussels due to contaminant spills and construction projects. Our objective was to describe the UMR HEA for a general audience and assess if the four biological input variables used in the mussel HEA were reasonable based on literature values. We also evaluated the performance of HEA under a range of input scenarios. Although the input estimates used in HEA were within ranges reported in the peer-reviewed literature or were supported by professional judgment in the absence of peer-reviewed literature, outcomes of the mussel HEA were highly variable and would benefit from additional research to reduce uncertainty in the biological inputs. The application of HEA to mussels provides resource managers with a tool to quantify mussel-related ecological services lost from injury and to guide restoration efforts in the UMR.

Length-Weight Relationships (LWRs) and Condition Factor of Seven Fish Species in River Nyangweta Tributary, Kenya

Length-Weight Relationships (LWRs) and Condition Factor of Seven Fish Species in River Nyangweta Tributary, Kenya by Fredrick Mang’era Ondemo 1,2 * , Albert Getabu 1, Zipporah Gichana 1, Job Ombiro Omweno 1 1 Department of Environment, Natural resources and Aquatic Sciences, Kisii University, P.O Box 408-40200, Kisii, Kenya.2 Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock & Cooperatives

A comparison of fish catch rates among local, non-local, and non-resident anglers of three northern Wisconsin lakes

Understanding influences of angler proximity on fisheries resources, in the distances anglers are willing to travel for angling opportunities and their success rates after they arrive, could influence fisheries resiliency and management applications. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Northern Highland Fishery Research Area (NHFRA), Vilas County, Wisconsin maintains a compulsory creel census that collects angler ZIP code information and species-specific angler catch rates from all visiting anglers. We used NHFRA angler ZIP code data from 2014 to 2019 on Escanaba, Nebish, and Pallette lakes to construct anglershed maps (i.e., highest density areas from which anglers traveled to fish the lakes) for muskellunge (Esox masquinongy), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), walleye (Sander vitreus), and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) to better understand angler travel patterns. We then tested for differences in species-specific catch rates among local (from counties surrounding or adjacent to the lakes, <100-km away), non-local (from counties in southern Wisconsin, >350-km away), and non-Wisconsin resident anglers. We hypothesized that local anglers would have higher overall species-specific catch rates due to proximity to the lakes and local knowledge than non-local or non-resident anglers. Anglersheds showed high use of the lakes by non-local anglers associated with major population centers in southern Wisconsin (Dane and Milwaukee counties) and adjacent states (Illinois and Minnesota). Species-specific catch rates did not differ appreciably among local, non-local, and non-resident anglers. Our results suggest that local knowledge may not be a good indicator of fishing trip success or elevated catch rates. Technology and angler information sources may level the playing field for anglers resulting in the homogenization of catch rates. Therefore, distance from a fishery may not aid in strengthening fisheries resilience.

Institutional analysis of organizations active in the restoration of Lake Urmia: the application of the social network analysis approach

ABSTRACT This study aimed to analyse, using the social network analysis approach, the institutional organizations active in the restoration of Lake Urmia regarding the issues related to credit and management in the provinces of East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan. Forty relevant institutional organizations were identified and their communications and interactions were analysed using expert and key information. According to the results, the density index is low in the networks of organizations involved in issues related to credit and management. Results pertaining to issues of credit in the studied network revealed that certain institutions (Urmia Lake Restoration Program, Department of Natural Resources and Watershed of West Azerbaijan Province, Keshavarzi Bank and Urmia Lake Restoration Program, West Azerbaijan Province) had a higher impact (higher betweenness centrality) on others, but different institutions (Urmia Lake Restoration Program, educational and academic centres, West Azerbaijan Province Meteorological Department, and Department of Natural Resources and Watershed of West Azerbaijan Province) had a higher impact (higher betweenness centrality) on other institutions concerning issues related to management.

Modeling Potential Changes in Rare Species Habitat from Planned Timber Harvest in Minnesota, USA

In 2018, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conducted the Sustainable Timber Harvest Analysis that resulted in the 10-year Stand Exam List (SEL). The SEL includes stands that will be assessed for potential management action from 2021 to 2030, but the location, number, and impact of stands actually harvested remains unknown. This study sought to use modeling to assess potential habitat changes from the SEL for five threatened, endangered, or special concern wildlife species. Three simulation scenarios captured the potential range of harvest from the SEL, and the Wildlife Habitat Indicator for Native Genera and Species model assessed associated habitat changes. The most realistic simulation scenario resulted in statistically insignificant habitat changes of less than ±6%, while two scenarios providing the upper and lower extremes of harvest resulted in statistically significant changes for one species each. Scenarios that resulted in less harvest and more mature forests benefited the five species, reflecting their habitat preferences. The tempering of habitat change values in the most realistic simulation scenario provides evidence for forest management tradeoffs between different wildlife species habitat requirements, as well as other forest resource management objectives.

Harmful Algal Bloom Species in the St. Martin River: Surveying the Headwaters of Northern Maryland's Coastal Bays

Wolny, J.L.; McCollough, C.B.; Rosales, D.S., and Pitula, J.S., 2022. Harmful algal bloom species in the St. Martin River: Surveying the headwaters of northern Maryland's coastal bays. Journal of Coastal Research, 38(1), 86–98. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. In the spring seasons of 2015 through 2017, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore monitored the phytoplankton community of the headwaters of the St. Martin River, a tributary at the northern end of Maryland's coastal bays, to determine the presence and extent of harmful algal bloom (HAB) species. The phytoplankton community composition, including HAB species, was examined via weekly sampling from March through June. In 2015, HAB events began in late March with a bloom of Gymnodinium aureolum, representing the first report of this species in Maryland waters. Following the G. aureolum bloom, blooms of other HAB species occurred, including Dinophysis acuminata, Karlodinium veneficum, Prorocentrum minimum, and a species in the Alexandrium minutum complex. Initiating at the NW extent of the St. Martin River, these blooms became distributed both temporally and spatially throughout the study area. These same species were detected in 2016 and 2017 but at lower concentrations than those seen in 2015. High concentrations and diverse blooms of HAB species in 2015 may have been due to significant rain events and/or an increase in ammonium levels from a legacy nutrient pool following the removal of the Bishopville Dam, located upstream of the study site in November 2014. This study provides a baseline assessment for future work on harmful algae in the St. Martin River watershed and a look into phytoplankton community dynamics after a dam removal.

An Assessment of Water Quality Parameters at the Cerrillos Reservoir, Ponce, Puerto Rico in the Aftermath of Hurricane Maria

Maintaining the water quality of lakes and reservoirs is part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an initiative promoted by the United Nations, including anthropogenic and natural factors that may influence water quality. The water reservoirs of Puerto Rico were built in watersheds to provide runoff control and for primary uses. The Cerrillos Reservoir is one of the largest water reservoirs in southern Puerto Rico, and is used as a source of potable water and for recreational activities. After hurricane Maria, in September 2017, many communities were without public water service and have obtained their drinking water from local rivers or their tributaries, without filtration or purification treatment. This research explored the physical-chemical parameters of Cerrillos Reservoir’s surface water from May 2018 to January 2019. The objective of the present study is to assess seasonal variations in surface water quality with respect to physical (temperature, turbidity, and conductivity), chemical (nutrient concentrations: (Phosphorus (P) (Soluble Reactive Phosphorus, phosphate, or orthophosphate) and Nitrogen (N) (nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia)), pH, and dissolved oxygen), and biological (total coliforms and Escherichia coli) parameters. Results suggest that Cerrillos Reservoir did not exceed the parameters of temperature, turbidity, conductivity, pH and DO, established by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PRDNER). The reservoir showed a stable trophic state in relation to inorganic phosphorus and nitrogen as N and P concentrations did not increase sufficiently to disrupt this ecosystem. However, total coliforms exceeded the maximum parameter (23 MPN/100mL - 994 MPN/100mL) established for the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and are likely to be the results of the disruption caused by hurricane Maria.

ВОДОКОРИСТУВАННЯ У БАСЕЙНІ РІЧКИ ЛАТОРИЦЯ: СТАН ТА ОПТИМІЗАЦІЯ

The urgency of constructive-geographical analysis of water use within the upper part of the basin of the river Latorytsia is substantiated. In the materials of the article the water-resource and morphometric characteristics of the rivers of the upper part of the Latorytsia river basin are analyzed. The main works of domestic scientists and practitioners in the field of hydrology, hydromorphology and hydroecology, which relate to rivers within the Latoritsa basin in the Transcarpathian region, are considered. The stock materials of the Transcarpathian Center for Hydrometeorology, the Tisza River Basin Department and the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Transcarpathian Regional State Administration were collected and processed. A brief description of the hydrological parameters of Upper Latorytsia is given. Based on a statistical series of data, the structure and dynamics of water use within the Latorytsia river basin from its source to Mukachevo for the period from 1990 to 2020 were studied in detail. Statistical samples of such water use indicators as total water users, intake use of water in general and for individual water management purposes, volumes of discharged water in general and by certain categories, water losses during transportation, etc. The state and performance of sewage treatment plants of the largest water users within the studied part of the Latoritsa basin are considered separately: volumes of water discharge by different categories and types of treatment. The main trends, characteristics, changes in the structure, needs and dynamics of water use indicators within the upper part of the Latorytsia river basin over a 30-year period have been identified. The impact of the main surface water pollutants in the Latoritsa basin, including utilities and recreational facilities, was analyzed. Initial data from the Tisza River Basin Management were used to build a map of the river network of the Latorytsia river basin within the Transcarpathian region and a map of the location of the main water users within the upper part of the Latorytsia river basin. Based on the study, including a detailed analysis of 2-TP water management reports, a number of water management problems were identified and ways to solve them, as well as measures to optimize water use within the Latoritsa basin system to reduce anthropogenic pressure on surface water bodies and improve their environmental state.

RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED TERRITORIES OF CHERNIHIVSKA OBLAST OF UKRAINE: THE RADIATION-ECOLOGICAL AND MEDICAL-DEMOGRAPHIC PAST AND PRESENT.

to determine the current radiationecological and medicaldemographic parameters of the territories of Chernihivska oblast of Ukraine, which were recognized as radioactively contaminated as a result of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident, and to assess their changes in the postaccident period. The parameters of contamination of natural environments (soil, food products), both with number, structure, natural and migratory movement of population of radioactively contaminated territories of Chernihivska oblast of Ukraine (Kozeletskyi, Koriukivskyi, NovhorodSiverskyi, Ripkynskyi, Semenivskyi, Sosnytskyi, and Chernihivskyi districts) were the study objects. Data from the Chernihiv Regional Office of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine,Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Chernihiv Regional State Administration, and CentralEnvironmental Dosimetry Register of the State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine» were used. General scientific, mathematicalstatistical, graphic, cartographic, and softwaretechnological research methods are applied. After the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant the largescale radioecological monitoring was conducted on the territory of Chernihivska oblast, where a significant improvement in the state of radioactively contaminated areas had been observed. The number of settlements where the soil contamination density with cesium isotopes exceeded the lower limit for the zone of guaranteed voluntary resettlement (185 kBq*m2) has decreased from 8 to 1. The average regional concentration of 137Cs in milk mostly did not exceed 50 Bq*l1. The average concentration of 137Cs in potatoes from private households over the entire observation period was 5-10 times lower than in milk. Analysis of medical and demographic data allowed concluding that the districts of Chernihivska oblast, which were most intensively contaminated after the Chornobyl accident, feature now some regional problems. There are trends towards population decline and birth rate decrease along with increase in mortality. The most intensive changes had occurred in Kozeletskyi and Ripkynskyi districts, where destructive processes in the age structure of population and a stable trend of increase of mortality rates were revealed. Research should be continued.

Demographics, attitudes and emotions as predictors of support for bear management

Context The Illinois Department of Natural Resources was mandated by legislation to develop management plans for American Black Bears and needed Illinois residents’ preferences for bear management strategies. Aims The aim of this article was to examine how demographics, emotions and attitudes were related to support for three American black bear management strategies (active reintroduction, natural recolonisation, having breeding populations of black bears). Researchers have repeatedly suggested that these predictors are related to support for management actions. Methods Data were obtained from a mail survey sent to two populations of stakeholder groups. A total of 896 agricultural producers completed the questionnaire (response rate = 36%); 904 hunters completed the questionnaire (response rate = 36%). Five demographic variables were used in the analyses: (1) agricultural producer; (2) hunter; (3) age; (4) sex; and (5) residence growing up. Positive and negative emotional dispositions were operationalised with eight items. General attitude toward bears was measured with four items. All three management questions were asked for ‘in Illinois’ and ‘in my county’. Reliability analyses supported combining the psychological variables into indices for each construct. Key results Findings indicated that demographic and psychological characteristics are related to support for bear management strategies, but that these relationships are complex for a number of reasons. First, the regression beta coefficients for the demographic regression models were ‘minimal’ (M = 0.13), whereas the coefficients for psychological variables were ‘typical’ (M = 0.30). Second, not all of the demographic and psychological variables affected support for agency actions in the same way. Third, the average R2 for the three demographic models was only 16%, whereas the average R2 for the three psychological characteristics models was 53%. Conclusions Given the weak relationships between demographics and support for bear management, managers may not need to always target specific groups based on their demographics. Implications Certain situations may warrant specific messages to target audiences; weak demographic relationships suggest that managers should be cautious when using these characteristics to target communication messages to specific groups.

TERMSFOR CREATION OF FOREST CROPS OF BLACK SAXAUL (HALOXYLON APHYLLUM) IN WEST KAZAKHSTAN

The authors of the article, on the basis of studies conducted on the territory of the state forest fund of the KSU "Samsk State Institution for the Forests and Wildlife Protection" of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management in Mangystau Region, prove that in the arid conditions of Western Kazakhstan, the terms of planting black saxaul affects growth and survival rate. The main indicator of the success of silvicultural work is the survival rate and growth, which more fully characterize the physiological state of plants in connection with transplantation. The survival rate of seedlings is closely related to the amount of soil moisture at the time of planting and in the first 10-15 days after it. The article presents the results of the optimal terms of the creation of black saxaul crops in spring. The most reliable way to create forest saxaul crops is spring planting with annual standard seedlings, which ensures a high percentage of survival rate and distribution of plants over the entire area compared to autumn sowing. Preliminarily, the first ten days of April should be considered the optimal planting time for the arid conditions of Western Kazakhstan. Delay in forest planting by one decade significantly reduces the survival rate of crops.

Red tide monitoring method in coastal waters of Hebei Province based on decision tree classification

Abstract According to the water characteristics of the coastal waters of Hebei Province, this paper selects the data of the Marine Environmental Quality Bulletin of Hebei Province from 2009 to 2018 published on the website of the Department of Natural Resources of Hebei Province, and proposes a red tide monitoring method based on decision tree classification for the pre-processed MODIS 1B image data. The most important thing in the construction of decision tree is the determination of threshold, and this process is finally determined according to the value of Entropy. In this paper, the newly constructed red tide monitoring method is used to extract the occurrence area of red tide and count the red tide area. Finally, the decision tree classification method is compared with other typical red tide monitoring methods. The experimental results show that the red tide occurrence area and statistical area extracted by the red tide monitoring method based on decision tree classification are closer to the data displayed in the Ocean Bulletin, which demonstrates that this method is suitable for red tide monitoring in the coastal waters of Hebei Province.

Forest Management System using iD3 Decision Tree Algorithm for Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Accuracy of decision is a significant factor for organizations to survive. Most organizations today are already using data warehouses for a data-mining strategy to extract data based on historical and transactional data to create meaningful decisions. This strategy creates an imperative business perspective to direct the organization's future. This study is a development of a forest management system for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The researchers integrated the use of an ID3 decision tree algorithm data mining in the development. ID3 decision tree algorithm is used as a data mining technique to identify suitable species of trees to be planted according to uses, tree type, soil type, and tolerance to different diseases and pests. On ISO 25010 Systems Quality Standards, the SFM received "Very Great Extent." This implies that the system is ready for deployment and utilization.

Находки редких видов сосудистых растений и лишайников в Брянской области в 2018–2021 гг.

In 2018–2021 the authors carried out floristic and geobotanical studies in the Bryansk Region according to the Program for maintaining the regional Red Data Book. In 2020 and 2021 this work was supported by the regional Department of Natural Resources and Ecology. As a result, the studies in the Bryansk Region and in the urban district of Bryansk discovered previously unknown locations of rare species of vascular plants and lichens, including those listed in the Red Data Book of the Region (Krasnaia..., 2016), and a list of species requiring additional observation and monitoring.

GEOECOLOGICAL STATE OF THE RIVER OKONKA BASIN AND ITS OPTIMIZATION

The impact of economic activity on the environment can best be traced in the scale of small river basins. One of such rivers is the Okonka River, which flows through the territory of the former Manevychi (Kamin-Kashyrskyi according to the new administrative-territorial structure) district. Among the environmental problems of the basin, the most acute are: surface water pollution due to runoff from agricultural fields, livestock farms, unauthorized landfills, etc. Improving the geo-ecological condition of the Okonka River basin on the basis of ecologically safe sustainable development is an urgent problem of the territory's development. The Okonka River Basin is one of the least explored regions of the Volyn Region. Materials from the Regional Office of Water Resources in Volyn Oblast, the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Volyn Oblast State Administration, own expeditionary research, cartographic materials, electronic maps (Google Map, OpenStreetMap) and satellite images were used to prepare the publication. Also, more than 20 literature sources and electronic resources, laws and regulations of Ukraine in the field of rational use and protection of water resources were developed. The following methods were used during the research: collection and processing of archival, literary, graphic, cartographic and tabular material, regime quantitative and qualitative observations of river characteristics; field research of channel processes; mathematical and engineering calculations, mathematical modeling, analysis of anthropogenic impact on water resources of the studied region, constructive-geographical method and method of expert assessments. The natural conditions of the basin contribute to the settlement and development of the economy. Particularly favorable are the terrain, climate, inland waters. Within the basin there are 7 objects and territories of the nature reserve fund. The impact of anthropogenic activity on the river basin is quite significant. This is due to intensive agricultural and residential use, the development of drainage reclamation. The level of radiation pollution is assessed as "satisfactory", the use of land resources - "close to normal. The water quality of the Okonka River in the upper line (leak) is assessed by the second class of the third category (water is quite good in quality, quite clean in purity). The environmental index is 2.92. Environmental protection measures are proposed to improve the geoecological condition of the river basin. The complex of environmental protection measures should include: development of a local eco-network; creation of new and expansion of the network of existing nature reserves; improvement of the situation with waste management, elimination of spontaneous dumps; monitoring of soils to protect them from degradation and pollution; monitoring of surface waters in order to protect them from depletion and pollution; an inventory of drainage systems in order to establish the feasibility of further use in agricultural separate areas, the allocation of parts of the drainage systems that can be renaturalized in the future; prevention of peat and forest fires.&#x0D; Key words: river, river basin, geological condition of the river basin, geographical features of the basin, ecological assessment of river water quality, measures to improve the geoecological condition of the basin.

Social-Ecological Risk and Vulnerability to Flooding and Erosion along the Ohio Lake Erie Shoreline

The Laurentian Great Lakes system holds approximately 20% of the world’s available surface freshwater and represents an immense economic engine for the region. Lake Erie, one of the five North American Great Lakes is classified as highly stressed and deteriorating with significant flooding and erosion issues stemming from record-high water levels. This study adapts a well-established oceanic coastal vulnerability index to estimate impacts and risks of lake-level rise on the Ohio portion of Lake Erie coastal social-ecological system. The authors worked closely with coastal engineers, planners, and other practitioners associated with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and the Office of Coastal Management (OCM) to help adapt a scientifically-grounded framework for natural resource and policy decision making. Overall, place-based risk and vulnerability to flooding and erosion necessitates an integrated approach that combines socio-economic, built-environment, political boundaries, and bio-physical characteristics. While most of the integrated methodologies are focused on the oceanic coasts at the county scale, this research presents a model for Lake Erie-relevant variables at the higher-resolution census-tract unit of analysis and a coastal vulnerability index at 100-foot intervals along the coastline for four decades and each season. The result is both a foundation for Ohio’s Department of Natural Resources, Office of Coastal Management to identify scientifically-informed, place-based priority management areas for flooding and erosion, as well as a methodological roadmap to adapt the Coastal and Place Vulnerability Indices to the other Great Lakes’ states and provincial shorelines.

Tidal marsh restoration at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland: A case study in thin-layer placement

Tidal marsh loss at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) has been a major concern of refuge managers in recent decades. The approximately 2,035 hectares (5,028 acres) of tidal marsh that have converted to open water in Blackwater NWR since 1938 (Scott et al. 2009) represent one of the most significant areas of marsh conversion within the Chesapeake Bay. In 2013, a suite of climate adaptation strategies focused on sea level rise was developed for Blackwater NWR and surrounding areas of Dorchester County by the Blackwater Climate Adaptation Project (BCAP). The BCAP is a collaboration of The Conservation Fund, Audubon Maryland-DC, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, assisted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MD DNR), U.S. Geological Survey, and others. In 2016, the BCAP implemented a thin-layer placement (TLP) project at Shorter’s Wharf in Blackwater NWR on 16 hectares (40 acres) of subsiding and fragmenting tidal marsh dominated by Schoenoplectus americanus, Spartina alterniflora, and Spartina patens. The purpose of the project was to increase the 16 hectares’ (40 acres’) resiliency to climate-driven sea level rise and storm impacts. The project built up the marsh elevation by applying thin layers of sediment dredged from the adjacent Blackwater River. The sediment enhancement was designed to extend the longevity of the marsh and increase its resiliency by raising its surface elevation in relation to the tidal regime and to return the habitat to its prior high-marsh condition with S. patens dominating. The colonization of this site by saltmarsh sparrow would be an indicator of success in reaching this goal. Dredging operations in November and December 2016 placed approximately 19,900 cubic meters (26,000 cubic yards) of sediment on the project site. Post-restoration elevations obtained one year after material placement indicated that, although the target elevations were achieved in 78% of the surveyed placement area, the material was not distributed uniformly. Coarser material tended to stack up at the discharge location while the grain size declined and the slopes flattened toward the periphery of the discharge area. In 2017, natural vegetation had regenerated through the placed sediment with vigorous regrowth of S. americanus and S. alterniflora . This regrowth was supplemented with hand-planting of more than 200,000 plugs of S. patens. Vegetation monitoring is ongoing to determine the plant composition evolution within the placement site. Pre-dredge and post-dredge bathymetric surveys reveal 70% accretion nearly two years after dredging within the borrow area footprint.