Potential Land Use Research Articles

Anticipating of Potential Climate and Land Use Change Impacts on Floods: A Case Study of the Lower Nam Phong River Basin

This study aimed at quantifying the impacts of climate and land use changes on flood damage on different flood occurrences. A Hydrologic Engineering Center’s Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) model was calibrated for the period 2005–2011 and validated in the period 2012–2017, and was used to generate hydrographs using rainfall during the period 2020–2039 from CNRM-CM5, IPSL-CM5A-MR, and MPI-ESM-LR climate models under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5. A Hydrologic Engineering Center’s River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) model for use in generating inundation maps from hydrographs produced by HEC-HMS was calibrated and validated for 2010 and 2011 period, respectively. The climate and land use changes showed insignificant impacts on the extent of floods during 25-, 50-, and 100-year flood events, i.e., inundation in 2039 under RCP 4.5 is smaller than baseline (2000–2017) by 4.97–8.59 km2, whereas a larger difference of inundation is found for RCP 8.5 (0.39–5.30 km2). In contrast, the flood damage under RCP 4.5 (14.84–18.02 million US$) is higher than the baseline by 4.32–5.33 million US$, while the highest was found for RCP 8.5 (16.24–18.67 million US$). The agriculture was the most vulnerable, with a damage of 4.50–5.44 million US$ in RCP 4.5 and 4.94–5.72 million US$ in RCP 8.5, whereas baseline damages were 4.49–6.09 million US$. Finally, the findings are useful in the delivery of flood mitigation strategies to minimize flood risks in the lower Nam Phong River Basin.

Investigation of the vulnerability of a partly covered karst feature in Veszpr\xe9m, Hungary

Karst aquifers represent the most important renewable sources of drinking water. Because anthropogenic influences threaten the integrity of karst aquifers, it is important to determine the soil erosion and karst denudation rates. In order to study the complex signs of degradation processes of the karst, a paleodoline (paleo-polje) was selected near to the county seat Veszprém, Hungary. It was found that gamma radiation measurements can be a useful tool to detect the level of soil erosion since the low gamma radiation indicates the surface proximity of the carbonate bedrock. The level of gamma radiation also predicts the potential agricultural usability of a site. Both the patterns of contamination and the erosion attack zone are strongly defined by the relief. The gullies and the deepest parts of the karstic landscape are the traps of organic materials and pollutants. The amounts of 40K and its decay products originate from the covering sediment and negatively correlate with the soil depth. In the case of covered karsts, the measuring of the concentration of radionuclides and field gamma-ray dose measurement together can characterize the general horizontal and vertical trends of soil erosion, the potential land use, and the vegetation.

Efficiency Loss and Intensification Potential of Urban Industrial Land Use in Three Major Urban Agglomerations in China

In recent decades, efficiency and intensification have emerged as hot topics within urban industrial land use (UILU) studies in China. However, the measurement and analysis of UILU efficiency and intensification are not accurate and in-depth enough. The study of UILU efficiency loss and intensification potential and their relationship is still lacking, and the application of parametric methods with clearer causal mechanisms is insufficient. This paper argued that the intensification potential of UILU could be defined as the amount of saved land or output growth resulting from reduced efficiency loss of UILU. Accordingly, we constructed quantitative models for measuring and evaluating the intensification potential of UILU, using the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) method to calculate efficiency loss in three major urban agglomerations (38 cities) in China. Our results revealed a large scale and an expanding trend in the efficiency loss and intensification potential of UILU in three major urban agglomerations in China. From 2003 to 2016, the annual efficiency loss of UILU was 31.56%, the annual land-saving potential was 979.98 km2, and the annual output growth potential was 8775.23 billion Yuan (referring to the constant price for 2003). It is, therefore, imperative to formulate and implement better policies and measures to promote further intensification and to reduce inefficiency, especially in the Yangtze and Pearl River Deltas and prioritizing a few key cities, such as Dongguan, Shenzhen, and Shanghai.

Soil bacterial diversity mediated by microscale aqueous-phase processes across biomes

Soil bacterial diversity varies across biomes with potential impacts on soil ecological functioning. Here, we incorporate key factors that affect soil bacterial abundance and diversity across spatial scales into a mechanistic modeling framework considering soil type, carbon inputs and climate towards predicting soil bacterial diversity. The soil aqueous-phase content and connectivity exert strong influence on bacterial diversity for each soil type and rainfall pattern. Biome-specific carbon inputs deduced from net primary productivity provide constraints on soil bacterial abundance independent from diversity. The proposed heuristic model captures observed global trends of bacterial diversity in good agreement with predictions by an individual-based mechanistic model. Bacterial diversity is highest at intermediate water contents where the aqueous phase forms numerous disconnected habitats and soil carrying capacity determines level of occupancy. The framework delineates global soil bacterial diversity hotspots; located mainly in climatic transition zones that are sensitive to potential climate and land use changes.

Participatory Mapping of Village Potential with Geotagging Data (Case Study: Wedomartani Village, Sleman, Yogyakarta)

Digital spatial data has the highest demand, especially for the needs of analysis in terms of mapping. Mapping is currently the focus of attention of many institutions because real objects in the field in a wide range can be visualized in a precision field with a specif ic scale. Many villages do not have digital spatial data; one ofthem is Wedomartani village. Therefore, an inventory of digital spatial data of important village objects needs to be done. This study aims to map the potential of village using satellite imagery data from Google Earth and Geotagging photographs and determine the zoning potential of the Land Use of Wedomartani village. The method used to map the potential of villages using satellite imagery data is the method of interpretation, then geotagging photo data obtained through surveys utilizing GPS tag technology from smartphones and the participatory role of village communities. The determination of village land-use zoning used the matching method of the potential map with validation of geotagging photo data. The results interpretation of satellite images shows that the potential in the village of Wedomartani in the form of important objects as the potential of the village is public facilities, tourism objects, theme parks, sports facilities, buildings, roads, rivers, and agriculture. The zoning results of the potential land use of the Wedomartani village consist of Trade and Service Zones in the form of micro, small and medium businesses spread along the main road as a sector of economicpotential (212.73 Ha); The Recreation Zone is in the form of Maguwoharjo Football Stadium, Jogja Bay Pirates Adventure Park Family Park, Tambak Boyo Reservoir and Gebang Temple Cultural Heritage Site as a potential tourism sector (23.48 Ha); Agricultural and Plantation Zones in the form of irrigated rice, maize and chili as potential for sustainable agriculture (661.19 Ha).

Drought amnesia: lessons from protected areas in the eastern Lowveld of South Africa

Protected areas (PAs) adjacent to the Kruger National Park (KNP) are divided into fenced and unfenced properties. We discuss land-use development to provide context of how these savannas have evolved over the past century. Although the PAs have embraced the basic philosophies of the KNP management approach and have similar high-level objectives, they function at different spatial, and consequently temporal scales, largely because of fencing and the subsequent provision of water in these areas. We examine bottom up (environmental, rainfall) conditions using rainfall as a percentage of the mean and the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) leading into five drought periods dating back to 1982/1983 and top-down drivers focusing on animal number and type (geo-referenced data from annual helicopter counts) on fenced versus areas open to the larger KNP system. We then examine the response variables, grass species composition, cover and standing crop (all using the Multiple Indicator Method) and the capacity of these to attain a variety of potential land use objectives. Using a dataset spanning some 30 years, we provide scenarios that offer an early warning system to managers irrespective of land use objectives and management approach (laissez-faire or active).

Identification of Priority Areas for Ecological Restoration in Eastern Pará, Brazil

Abstract This study aimed to identify priority areas for the passive restoration of the Arauai river basin, municipality of Moju, Para, using a multicriteria model. This basin is located in a region with intense land use dynamics and expansion of oil palm cultivation, and with high forest loss and fragmentation. The Weighted Linear Combination method was used, with the aggregation of five criteria (Natural Erosion Vulnerability, Potential Land Use and Cover to Passive Restoration, Proximity to the Primary Forest, Forest cover deficit in PPAs, and Distance from Roads and Highways). This analysis allowed to evaluate different biophysical classes and types of land use that affect the selection of areas for restoration. A total of 207.82 km2 of priority areas for passive restoration were identified in the studied basin, with about 80% of its priority areas having medium to very high priority. The final map generated proved to be a useful instrument in the environmental management of restoration plans in the Amazon watershed.

A new framework of land use efficiency for the coordination among food, economy and ecology in regional development

Great challenges regarding land use conflicts in rapid urbanization call for deeper research on land use efficiency (LUE) from the perspective of sustainable land use for the coordination among food security, economic development, and ecological protection. This study firstly develops a new framework of LUE based upon the expectations in land use and the coordination among three sub-categories in food production, economic development, and ecological protection, then, uses the coupling coordination degree model to quantify the spatial differentiation characteristics and coupling coordination relationships among three sub-categories, and finally uses the multivariable linear regression and geographical detectors to analyze the impact factors of sub-category efficiency. The framework is applied to Jiangsu Province in eastern China by using ten indicators (i.e., cultivated land quality, grain output, multiple cropping index, average GDP per km2, population density, proportion of industry and service industry, vegetation cover index, water conservation index, soil retention index, and carbon sequestration index) in terms of food production, economy, and ecology analysis at the county level. Compared with expectations, the LUE of Jiangsu in food production, economic development, and ecological protection is 54.15%, 85.56%, and 54.95%, respectively, indicating that Jiangsu has great potential for sustainable land use. The coupling coordination degree in land use generally synchronizes with the coupling degree, accounting for 65.34% of the province's area, of which 75.00% are in lower-coupling & lower-coordination, medium-coupling & medium-coordination. Among all the factors, proportion of industry and service industry, population density, multiple cropping index, average GDP per km2, and water conservation index have the most important roles in the coordinated development of land use sub-systems. Therefore, we suggest land use/urban management need to implement more integrated planning and differentiated strategies to stimulate land use potential and maintain efficient and sustainable land use.

Assessment of Socio-Economic and Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources in Four European Lagoon Catchments

This study demonstrates the importance of considering potential land use and management changes in climate impact research. By taking into account possible trends of economic development and environmental awareness, we assess effects of global warming on water availability and quality in the catchments of four European lagoons: Ria de Aveiro (Portugal), Mar Menor (Spain), Vistula Lagoon (Poland and Russia), and Tyligulskyi Liman (Ukraine). Different setups of the process-based soil and water integrated model (SWIM), representing one reference and four socio-economic scenarios for each study area: the “business as usual”, “crisis”, “managed horizons”, and “set-aside” scenarios are driven by sets of 15 climate scenarios for a reference (1971–2000) and near future (2011–2040) scenario period. Modeling results suggest a large spatial variability of potential impacts across the study areas, due to differences in the projected precipitation trends and the current environmental and socio-economic conditions. While climate change may reduce water and nutrients input to the Ria de Aveiro and Tyligulsyi Liman and increase water inflow to the Vistula Lagoon the socio-economic scenarios and their implications may balance out or reverse these trends. In the intensely managed Mar Menor catchment, climate change has no notable direct impact on water resources, but changes in land use and water management may certainly aggravate the current environmental problems. The great heterogeneity among results does not allow formulating adaptation or mitigation measures at pan-European level, as initially intended by this study. It rather implies the need of a regional approach in coastal zone management.

The interactive effects of climate change and land use on boreal stream fish communities

Ongoing and projected climate change is likely to greatly alter co-occurring stressor mechanisms, yet these potential interactions remain poorly understood in natural freshwater systems worldwide. As the global biodiversity crisis deepens, successful conservation efforts will hinge on developing mechanistic multiple stressor frameworks that have been ground-truthed in natural systems containing complex species dynamics and ecological processes. Our study examined the combined and interacting effects of potential climate and land use stressors on boreal stream fishes using data from over 300 catchments across a broad 250,000 km2 region. To characterize boreal fish community health, we examined four indicators including species richness, total catch per unit effort, the proportion of lithophilic spawners (fish sensitive to sedimentation), and the assemblage tolerance index which provides a measurement of the overall community tolerance to disturbance. Land use stressors included total anthropogenic land use area and linear disturbance at multiple watershed scales as well as two site-specific habitat degradation indicators (dissolved oxygen and the proportion of fine substrate). Overall community richness and productivity were not negatively related to land use changes indicating potential compensatory dynamics (e.g. where intolerant species are replaced with more tolerant species as habitat quality degrades). In contrast, we observed declines for sensitive species, including highly valued salmonids, that varied depending on interactions between local climate, land use, and stream type. Sensitive species declines were concentrated in regions experiencing increased land use and warming, whereas increases were observed in cooler regions consistent with a subsidy-stress response. In addition, lithophilic spawners declined in watersheds experiencing warmer and wetter conditions owing to potential indirect effects on spawning habitat quality. Results from our study provide novel insight into complex climate and land use interactions occurring across a broad, real-world landscape, and highlight the potential for amplified species declines under future warming and land use scenarios.

How Might Autonomous Vehicles Impact the City? The Case of Commuting to Central Adelaide

ABSTRACTAutonomous Vehicles (AV) are likely to have profound effects on cities. Using a survey of regular commuters into the Adelaide CBD we investigate views on AV ownership, use, vehicle sharing and attachment to conventional vehicles. We then explore potential vehicle flow and land use change in the Adelaide CBD under two scenarios. Whilst the overall vehicle fleet reduces under both scenarios, total trips may increase and some of the predicted benefits of AVs may not eventuate until a lengthy transition period is complete. These findings have policy implications for how the transition to AVs is managed.

Supporting forest conservation through community-based land use planning and participatory GIS – lessons from Crocker Range Park, Malaysian Borneo

In tropical regions, expanding human activities have become increasingly threatening to the ecological integrity of protected areas. Shifting cultivation and other agricultural activities around the protected areas by rural communities often lead to increased carbon emissions, wildlife habitat destruction and increasing hunting pressure. Land use planning, with the participation of local communities in the buffer zones, is being considered to strengthen the implementation of the Man and the Biosphere Program at Crocker Range Park, Sabah, Malaysia. As part of the European Union’s ‘Tackling Climate Change Through Sustainable Forest Management and Community Development’ program, we emphasized the participatory geographic information systems (PGIS) approach to support village-scale land use planning that considers the needs of multiple stakeholders in the community. The PGIS was applied within a multi-criteria framework to determine the location of a potential community conservation area (CCA) and to plan future land use activities in the village. Key informant interviews were followed by a participatory mapping workshop, attended by various stakeholders and experts, which was convened to discuss and elicit local knowledge to generate the environmental and resource indicators for determining potential land use activities within the village (e.g., agriculture, tourism and recreation, and forest restoration). Based on the discussions and spatial analyses, a land use zoning map with a potential CCA was presented at a follow-up land use decision making workshop. The villagers and external stakeholders reached a consensus on the land use zoning; leading to the designation process of the CCA. The PGIS-based land use planning has effectively supported the community forest conservation and is potentially applicable to other Southeast Asia regions with similar environmental and socio-economic settings.

Diagnosis of Land Use Potential Conflict Based on DSE Model

Diagnosis of potential land use spatial conflicts plays an important role in land use spatial planning and regional spatial control. Taking Daye city as an example, a DSE diagnostic model is established from the three-dimensional perspectives of land adaptability, socio-economic driving force and ecosystem service value. Social-economic driving force is characterized by per capita net income of farmers, population density and night light data. Ecosystem service value is modified by illumination and soil erosion. The results show that the areas of extreme conflict, high conflict and moderate conflict in Daye are 28.43 km2, 137.12 km2 and 595.32 km2, respectively, accounting for 1.82%, 8.75% and 38.01% of the total area; the areas of extreme conflict are mainly distributed around the main urban area of Daye, while the areas of high conflict are widely distributed around the main urban area and town centers. The results accord with the actual situation of Daye

Long‐term subsidence in Mexico City from 2004 to 2018 revealed by five synthetic aperture radar sensors

AbstractAnthropogenic land subsidence is an example of changes to the natural environment due to human activities and is one of the key factors in causing land degradation at a range of scales. Previous studies assessing land subsidence in the Valley of Mexico either focused on regional scale or short (noncontinuous) temporal scale. In this study, long‐term land subsidence (~15 years) is mapped in Mexico City (Mexico) using two interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) methods, namely, GEOS (Geoscience and Earth Observing Systems Group)‐Advance Time‐series Analysis and GEOS‐Small Baseline Subset. An inverse distance weighted‐based integration module and maximum likelihood regression‐based M estimator are introduced to further enhance these two methods. The land subsidence was continuously mapped using ENVISAT (2004–2007), ALOS‐1 (2007–2011), COSMO‐SkyMed (2011–2014), ALOS‐2 (2014–2018), and SENTINEL‐1 (2015–2017) data sets. A comparison between InSAR time‐series and GPS measurement shows that the subsidence rates are consistent over 2004–2018. The subsidence map over 15 years was generated finding a maximum subsidence over 4.5 m. By comparing our InSAR results with a land use map, we find that the subsidence centre in Mexico City is mostly located in the residential regions with the consumption of groundwater contributing considerably to the local subsidence rate. A total volume of 1.20 × 108 m3 of the land in Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl subsided/degraded. A continuing subsidence process limits the potential land use causing serious land degradation. Our results may be used to assist disaster reduction plans.

EPIC WebGIS-A partilha de conhecimento como ferramenta de integração da paisagem nas políticas de ordenamento do território

La EPIC WebGIS es una infraestructura de datos espaciales que proporciona cartografía georreferenciada a escala nacional. Puede ser vista como una herramienta que jhpermite la integración del Paisaje en las políticas de planificación, ofreciendo acceso inmediato a los diversos temas sobre ecosistemas, estructura ecológica y aptitud ecológica a diferentes actividades humanas. La información disponible en esta plataforma abarca varios subsistemas de paisaje, en particular, geología/litología, suelo, agua, vegetación, clima y morfología del terreno, considerados esenciales para la planificación y gestión de los ecosistemas y recursos naturales. También integra varios temas relativos al Plan Potencial del Paisaje para Portugal, considerando la aptitud la ecológica para el establecimiento de diversas actividades humanas, tales como: conservación de la naturaleza, agricultura y horticultura, silvicultura y áreas urbanas.

Contributo para o estudo do povoamento rural de <em>Igaedis (civitas Igaeditanorum)</em> através de um mapa de usos potenciais da terra (MUPT)

Para poder comprender la ocupación del territorio en torno de Idanha-a-Velha (capital de la civitas Igaeditanorum) y las dinámicas del poblamiento que ahí se desarrollaron, construimos un Mapa de Usos Potenciales de la Tierra que cruzamos con los asentamientos rurales romanos identificados en trabajos de prospección intensiva. Esta cartografía digital arqueológica representa una metodología innovadora que raramente ha sido aplicada en territorio portugués. Se distingue de la cartografía tradicional de los suelos por el hecho de ser contextual, permitiendo al investigador producir el mapa en función de las particularidades del período estudiado. 
 
 [pt] Para compreendermos a ocupação do território em torno de Idanha-a-Velha (capital da civitas Igaeditanorum) e as dinâmicas de povoamento que aí se desenvolveram, construímos um Mapa de Usos Potenciais da Terra que cruzámos com os assentamentos rurais romanos identificados em trabalhos de prospeção intensiva. Esta cartografia digital arqueológica representa uma metodologia inovadora raramente aplicada em território português. Distingue-se da cartografia tradicional de solos pelo facto de ser contextual, permitindo ao investigador produzi-lo em função das particularidades do período a estudar.

Pursuing implementation solutions for targeted nitrogen management in agriculture- a novel approach to synthesize knowledge and facilitate sustainable decision making based on collaborative landscape modelling.

Regulation of nitrate emission from agriculture to aquatic environments in Denmark currently depend on general rules for nutrient application and associated farm-level reporting schemes. Similar or comparable centralized regulation instruments dedicated to controlling and limiting rather than focusing and improving N application practices exist in large parts of the OECD. Recent policy debates have exposed an array of problems relating to this type of regulation. Problems include issues of appropriate scale, transparency and failures to adapt intervention and regulation to relevant geo-ecological variations in contexts where general rules are being imposed on varied agro-ecosystems. Therefore it has been proposed to rescale regulation to better fit relevant socio-political and agro-environmental processes including the scale of farmers' decision making, the scale of relevant hydrological systems and the scale of key agro-ecological conditions such as soil characteristics and drainage. However, the challenge of shifting the regulation to a more local scale raises a number of questions. These include (1) How information produced locally can be integrated with national scale data? (2) In what way integrated datasets can used to model environmental effects of current and possible land use patterns? (3) In what way data and estimates of consequences of land use changes are best made available in decision making processes? To address these questions this article reports on ongoing work in Denmark to develop a decision support tool for N-management at the scale of agricultural landscapes, which are areas where a similar pattern of land use is repeated across the land surface, reflecting a specific mode of adapting agriculture to natural conditions. The aim of the article is to evaluate the design of a decision support tool aiming at enabling strategic N-management at landscape scales by linking decision support at the scale of individual farms with decision support targeted at groups of farms where a coordinated effort to solve common problems may be more efficient. Design targets for the tool were established empirically based on evidence from exploratory workshops with farmers and other stakeholders in 6 case areas across Denmark. On this basis a prototype GIS-tool for capturing, storing, editing, displaying and modelling landscape scale farming practices and associated emission consequences was developed. The tool was designed to integrate locally held knowledge with national scale datasets in live scenario situations through the implementation of a flexible, uniform and editable data model for land use data - the dNmark landscape model. Based on input data that is corrected and co-authored by workshop participants, the tool estimates the effect of potential land use scenarios on nutrient emissions. The tool was tested in 5 scenario workshops in case areas in Denmark in 2016, on the basis of which its design is evaluated and discussed in this article.

Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis for the Land Evaluation of Potential Agricultural Land Use Types in a Hilly Area of Central Vietnam

Land evaluation is a process that is aimed at the sustainable development of agricultural production in rural areas, especially in developing countries. Therefore, land evaluation involves many aspects of natural conditions, economic, and social issues. This research was conducted in a hilly region of Central Vietnam to assess the land suitability of potential agricultural land use types that are based on scientific and local knowledge. In the frame of this research, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA); Analytical Hierarchy Analysis (AHP); Geographic Information System (GIS); and, scoring based scientific literature and local knowledge were applied for Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) for land use evaluation. The results of the PRA survey reveal that five plants offer great agricultural potential in the research area, namely rice, cassava, acacia, banana, and rubber. The land suitability of each plant type varies, depending on physical conditions as well as economic and social aspects. Acacia and cassava represent the most suitable plant types in the research area. Recommendations regarding agricultural land use planning in the A Luoi district are brought forward based on the land evaluation results. The combination of scientific and local knowledge in land assessment based on GIS technology, AHP, and PRA methods is a promising approach for land evaluation.

Indicator use in soil remediation investments: Views from policy, research and practice

Soil contamination poses a global problem. To address this a lot of scientific progress has been made. However, the development of the economic aspect has been lacking even though the total cost of soil remediation in Europe is estimated to be 119 billion euro. Frameworks and tools are available (for example SuRF-UK framework) to address economic aspects of soil remediation, but an established set of well-defined indicators is currently not available. The introduction of a basic set of indicators for the investment analysis of a soil remediation project, based on an international survey, aims to fill this gap. The basic indicator set contains those indicators that were considered most relevant for an investment analysis by the respondents and includes, among other things, cost description, potential land use after remediation and estimation of human risk. In addition to this basic indicator set, three other indicator sets are defined to address the different needs for information of three large stakeholder groups (research, policy and practice) within the soil remediation sector. An indicator set for practitioners that includes, complementary to the basic indicator set, additional indicators concerning the practical issues of soil remediation projects (e.g. a BATNEEC analysis). For people working in policy, site valuation turned out to be a significant additional theme for an investment analysis, including indicators such as future land value. The indicator set designed to address the preferences of researchers included additional indicators related to financial support, local residents and neighbourhood, and boundaries and uncertainties allowing for a broader but also more detailed overview of the soil remediation project.

Distribution, Toxic Potential, and Influence of Land Use on Conventional and Emerging Contaminants in Urban Stormwater Pond Sediments.

This study examined the distribution and toxic potential of conventional and emerging contaminants in composite sediment samples from 15 stormwater ponds in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN metropolitan area. Previously, coal tar-based sealants were shown to be a major source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to these ponds, and concentrations of carcinogenic benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) equivalents were influencing management options about pond maintenance. For the second component of this study, a complex mixture of 13 metal(loid)s, 4-nonylphenols, 8 brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs), and total polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were detected in all surficial samples. Contaminants with detection frequencies ≥ 20% included: silver (46.7%), beryllium (20.0%), chloride (60.0%), bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (60.0%), 10 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs; 26.7-80.0%), 4-nonylphenol monoethoxylate (66.7%), 4-nonylphenol diethoxylate (40.0%), bifenthrin (20.0%), total permethrins (33.3%), and 24 other BDE congener groups (20.0-93.3%). Five stormwater ponds had contaminants exceeding benchmarks likely to be associated with harmful effects to benthic organisms. Ponds with watersheds dominated by either commercial and/or industrial land uses had significantly higher (p < 0.05) concentrations of zinc, 4-nonylphenol, six BDEs (28 + 33, 47, 99, 100, 154, and 209), and total PBDEs than those dominated by residential land uses. Multivariate statistical analyses verified that updated B[a]P equivalents were an effective chemical proxy for making management decisions about excavated pond sediment. Jurisdictions that do not test their stormwater pond sediments prior to maintenance dredging should consider the environmental ramifications of applying this potentially contaminated material to land.