South River Research Articles

An enhanced adaptive management approach for remediation of legacy mercury in the South River.

Uncertainties about future conditions and the effects of chosen actions, as well as increasing resource scarcity, have been driving forces in the utilization of adaptive management strategies. However, many applications of adaptive management have been criticized for a number of shortcomings, including a limited ability to learn from actions and a lack of consideration of stakeholder objectives. To address these criticisms, we supplement existing adaptive management approaches with a decision-analytical approach that first informs the initial selection of management alternatives and then allows for periodic re-evaluation or phased implementation of management alternatives based on monitoring information and incorporation of stakeholder values. We describe the application of this enhanced adaptive management (EAM) framework to compare remedial alternatives for mercury in the South River, based on an understanding of the loading and behavior of mercury in the South River near Waynesboro, VA. The outcomes show that the ranking of remedial alternatives is influenced by uncertainty in the mercury loading model, by the relative importance placed on different criteria, and by cost estimates. The process itself demonstrates that a decision model can link project performance criteria, decision-maker preferences, environmental models, and short- and long-term monitoring information with management choices to help shape a remediation approach that provides useful information for adaptive, incremental implementation.

The Holocene fluvial history of the Tremithos river (south central Cyprus) and its linkage to archaeological records

This study aims to reconstruct the Holocene fluvial history of the Tremithos river, south central Cyprus and examine linkages to regional and local archaeological records. Three stratigraphic profiles (Sp1, Sp2 and Sp3) located in the lower valley have been investigated using sedimentology and magnetic parameters. The 14C dating of 10 samples reveals mid-Holocene ages for Sp1 and Sp2, while the upper most part of Sp3 can be attributed to the early to mid-Holocene. Two main phases of vertical accretion have been recognised: the first, recorded in the lower most part of Sp3, could not be dated but might relate to the late Glacial period. It is not associated with any archaeological artefacts. The second, recorded in all profiles, dating from ca. 5000 to ca. cal 2800 BC, spans the Late Neolithic Sotira (cal 4800/4000 BC) and Late Chalcolithic (cal 2900–2500 BC) cultures. The sediments of Sp1 and Sp2 are up to 8–10 m thick and mainly composed of fine material. However, an intercalated phase of coarse sediment has been identified at the beginning of the third millennium BC, indicating a sudden change in river dynamics, potentially associated with the 5.2 ka rapid climate change regional event. Typical mid-Chalcolithic (ca. cal 3300–3050 BC) ceramics found in a palaeosol in Sp2 indicate for the first time human occupation of the Tremithos river terraces. Two other palaeosols have also been recognised in Sp3 and radiocarbon dated to ca. cal 5600–4100 BC and ca. cal 2900–2600 BC, respectively. These results make it possible to propose a palaeogeographic reconstruction of the Holocene evolution in the Tremithos valley and to make a preliminary assessment of the relative roles of tectonics, climate and anthropogenic forcing.

English

The Mullaiperiyar River is one of the most imperative South Indian rivers. The present study was aimed to investigate the influence of physico-chemical factors in biological changes of Mullaiperiyar River water in Theni district. Water samples were collected from the upstream area (near the Dam - Lower camp, Kullapagoundanpatty, Karunakka muthanPatti), urban stretch area (Surlipatti, Uthamapalayam, Chinnamanur and Veerapandi) and downstream area (Theni-Aranmanaipudur, Vaigai Dam) during the period of December 2013 to March 2014 for the analysis. The samples were analyzed for various physico-chemical parameters like temperature, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), total alkalinity (TA), calcium hardness, magnesium hardness, chloride, nitrate, nitrities, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), iron, and bacteriological analysis was also performed. The Mullaiperiyar River water was natural medium for the growth of bacteria. In this study, bacterial colonies such as Streptococcus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Proteus, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Salmonella typhi and Shigella dysentery organisms have been found and reported here. These findings demonstrated the non-portability of mullaiperiyar river water and this scenario alarms the need for appropriate sanitation and drainage systems. Key words: Mullaiperiyar River, physico-chemical parameters, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), Escherichia coli, Salmonella, non-portable water, sanitation.

The Bert W. Davis Site (41HP3) on the South Sulphur River in Hopkins County, Texas

The Bert W. Davis site in the South Sulphur River valley in East Texas was investigated by archaeologists from the University of Texas (UT) in 1919 and 1934, because an aboriginal cemetery had been exposed by plowing and later looting. The UT work consisted of a reconnaissance by J. E. Pearce in September 1919 and trenching by A. T. Jackson and crew in July 1934. A small assemblage of artifacts were recovered by UT during this work, but the collection (now at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory at UT) had never been fully studied or the results of the work published. This was unfortunate because it appears that the Bert W. Davis site is virtually a single component Woodland period site that was occupied during the early part of the period, from ca. 100 B.C. to A.D. 300. Such sites are rare in the East Texas archaeological record. In this article, I discuss the analysis of the site and its distinctive artifact assemblage.

荒漠区垂直河岸带植物多样性格局及其成因

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 荒漠区垂直河岸带植物多样性格局及其成因 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201401160128 作者: 作者单位: 新疆大学资源与环境科学学院,新疆大学资源与环境科学学院,新疆大学资源与环境科学学院,新疆大学资源与环境科学学院,新疆大学资源与环境科学学院,新疆大学资源与环境科学学院,新疆大学资源与环境科学学院,新疆大学资源与环境科学学院 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学重点基金项目(41130531);教育部创新团队项目(IRT1180);绿洲生态教育部重点实验室开放课题(XJDX0201-2013-08);国家自然科学基金(31060061) Patterns and mechanisms influencing plant diversity in an arid desert region riparian zone of the Aqikesu River, Xinjiang, China Author: Affiliation: College of Resources and Environment Science,Xinjiang University,College of Resources and Environment Science,Xinjiang University,College of Resources and Environment Science,Xinjiang University,College of Resources and Environment Science,Xinjiang University,College of Resources and Environment Science,Xinjiang University,College of Resources and Environment Science,Xinjiang University,College of Resources and Environment Science,Xinjiang University,College of Resources and Environment Science,Xinjiang University Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:荒漠区河岸植物多样性格局特征和影响机制研究可为河岸带生物多样性保护和管理提供依据。艾比湖荒漠区垂直河岸样带的植物多样性格局及其土壤影响机制的研究表明:(1)距河2.0-3.0 km (T3.0)和0.9-1.5 km (T1.5)的样带植物本质多样性、α多样性整体高于距河0.1-0.2 km (T0.2)和0.2-0.4 km (T0.4)的样带(P <0.05);(2) T0.4样带多样性最低,物种相似性最高,且植物生活型和土壤属性均较T0.2有较大的变化,反映了距河0.2-0.4 km区域群落性质的转变,0.2-0.4 km可作为确定河岸带宽度的参考样带;(3) 影响植物多样性的土壤因素和途径沿T0.2-T3.0样带趋于简单化,即由近河带(T0.2)贫营养(碳磷比(C/P)、土壤有机质(SOM))和高土壤水分(SWC)、盐分(TS)的限制作用,到远离河流旱胁迫加剧时对植物多样性影响逐渐突出的土壤全磷(P)和SWC;(4) 根据T1.5、T3.0植物多样性特征,研究区土壤水分在7.0-7.5%间, C/P在26.1-30.2之间以及盐分低于1.0%时能维持较高的多样性。最后对保护区河岸带和缓冲带宽度的确定、河岸带管理、植被资源保护以及生态系统恢复等提出针对性建议,以期为制定有效的河岸带生物多样性维护和资源管理对策提供理论参考和科学依据。 Abstract:Plant diversity in riparian areas is an important topic in restoration ecology and biodiversity conservation science. The Aqikesu River in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, a typical inland river in this arid desert region, is the only river located in the Ebinur Lake Wetland National Nature Reserve and thus plays a crucial role in maintaining balanced and sustainable development of the local ecosystem. Exploration of plant diversity patterns and influencing mechanisms in the riparian zone in this desert area provides scientific baseline data related to the conservation of riparian biodiversity and scientific management of this reserve. However, the patterns of biodiversity and influencing mechanisms in the riparian zone along this river remain unclear. This study used four transects established perpendicular to the Aqikesu River in north and south of Dongdaqiao Station. The four transects were located 0.1-0.2 km, 0.2-0.4 km, 0.9-1.5 km, and 2-3 km from the river and named T0.2, T0.4, T1.5, and T3.0, respectively. Plots were established in each transect based on the appearance and characteristics of the plant communities, that is 10 m × 10 m for trees, 5 m × 5 m for shrubs, and 1 m × 1 m for herbs. Specifically, T0.2 included nine plots (three, four and two for trees, shrubs and herbs, respectively) and T0.4 had six plots (two plots each for trees, shrubs and herbs). T1.5 had eight plots (two plots each for trees and herbs, and four for shrubs). T3.0 had eight plots (two plots for trees and three plots each for shrubs and herbs). Geographic data were recorded in each plot; abundance, height, and diameter at breast height of trees were surveyed and recorded along with the abundance of shrubs and herbs. Soil samples were collected in each plot and soil water content (SWC), total salt (TS), pH, soil organic matter (SOM), and soil phosphorus (P) were measured in the lab. First, based on field and experimental data, the intrinsic and α diversity indices of T1.5 and T3.0 transects were all higher than those of T0.2 and T0.4 transects. Secondly, T0.4 transects exhibited the lowest diversity; the Cody and Wilson index of T0.4 was significantly lower than in other transects (P <0.05), and the Jaccard and Sørenson indices of T0.4 were significantly higher than that of other transects (P < 0.05). Compared with T0.2, the T0.4 transects had greatly reduced herbaceous flora, SWC, TS, and soil organic matter, which indicated the transitional nature of the community. Therefore, the T0.4 transect could function as a reference for determining the width of the riparian zone. Third, as distance from the river increases as one proceeds from T0.2 to T3.0, the effects and influence of soil conditions on plant diversity gradually become simpler. In the nearest distance away from the river (T0.2), plant diversity is constrained by poor nutrition (low carbon/ phosphorus ratio (C/P) and low SOM), high soil moisture, and high salt content. Farther from the river in the T0.4 and T3.0 area, only soil P and SWC were observed to gradually and prominently affect plant diversity more and more as drought stress increases with distance from the river. Fourth, based on plant diversity traits of T1.5 and T3.0, the highest plant diversity occurs when soil conditions in the study area have a an SWC between 7.0% and 7.5%, soil C/P between 26.1 and 30.2, and soil salt content of less than 1.0%. Finally, specific suggestions for determining the appropriate width of riparian and buffer zones and suggestions for riparian zone management, vegetation resource protection, and ecosystem restoration were proposed to provide a theoretical and scientific basis for effective biodiversity maintenance, resource management, and habitat damage mitigation in riparian zones. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Using Real-Time Water-Resource Data to Manage Conflicting Water Needs in the Savannah River Basin, Georgia and South Carolina

Using Real-Time Water-Resource Data to Manage Conflicting Water Needs in the Savannah River Basin, Georgia and South Carolina

Final Clarifier Performance Evaluation and Capacity Assessment at the City of Atlanta’s South River Water Reclamation Center

Final Clarifier Performance Evaluation and Capacity Assessment at the City of Atlanta’s South River Water Reclamation Center

Eligibility Assessment of the Slippery Slope Site (41MS69) in TxDOT Right-of-Way in Mason County, Texas

A private landowner reported archeolgical materials were looted along a steep road cut on the southwestern side of Farm to Market (FM) road 1871 along the Llano River south of Mason, Texas (CSJ: 1111-04-002). The landowner was concerned that looting had undermined massive oak trees enough that they might fall directly onto the roadway below. The looting was occurring within Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) right-of-way and east of the existing fence line.

Enfermedad y daño. Etiología y tratamiento de la viruela entre las sociedades nativas de Araucanía (fines del siglo XVIII)

In the year of 1791, a smallpox epidemic which affected the Indian populations of the Arauco frontier –south of Bio-Bio river in Chile– worried the colonial authorities of Concepcion, due to the fear that the Spanish inhabitants of that region could also get infected. Acting according to the contagion paradigm, they imposed a cordon sanitaire in order to isolate them from the Natives, and suggested these do the same. Also, conscious that the plague was commonly attributed to Spanish witchcraft, they hurried to offer medicine and medical advice, in order to show there was no will to cause damage. The responses of the different Indian groups demonstrated the co-existence of a wide variety of perspectives regarding the etiology of smallpox and the possible paths of action: from a personalist conception which attributed it to witches’ activities, to the admission of their own inability to find proper treatment, which led to the acceptance of Spanish medicines. The general picture shows a native model of the illness that is both conservative and innovative, complex and dynamic at the same time. The description of those events, found in a folder which was later sent to Spain, and the references contained in other colonial documents, allow the examination of the epidemiologic event using as a comparative context the conceptualizations now current among the Mapuche. They also allow the analysis of dominant conceptions concerning illness among the Spaniards in the late eighteenth century.

Drought/flood spatial patterns in centennial cold and warm periods of the past 2000 years over eastern China

Drought/flood spatial patterns over eastern China under centennial cold and warm regimes were investigated. The 63-site yearly dry/wet grade data set derived from Chinese historical documents was used, together with an up-to-date 2000-year long temperature series reconstructed from synthesis of 28 temperature proxies in China. We defined the index of difference between drought and flood frequency to reconstruct the drought/flood spatial patterns for five cold periods (440-540, 780-920, 1390-1460, 1600-1700, and 1800-1900 CE) and four warm periods (650-750, 1000-1100, 1190-1290, and 1900-2000 CE). The results showed that there are no consistent patterns over eastern China among all cold/warm periods. However, for most warm periods, drought (flood) dominated north (south) of the Yangtze River. The ensemble mean drought/flood spatial patterns for all warm periods illustrated a dipole pattern with drought (south of 25°N)-flood (25°-30°N)-drought (north of 30°N), with the exception of flood in the Loess Plateau. For all cold periods, the ensemble mean drought/flood spatial patterns showed an east to west distribution, with flood east of 115°E and drought dominant west of 115°E, with the exception of flood between approximately110°E and 105°E. These differences in ensemble mean drought/flood patterns suggest that the probability of drought north of the Yangtze River and flood in the valleys of the XiangJiang and GanJiang rivers south of the Yangtze River is higher in warm periods than in cold periods.

Holocene sedimentary records of the Katarraktes cave system (northern Greece): a stratigraphical and environmental magnetism approach

The Katarraktes cave system is located in northern Greece and is a complex of a rockshelter and a cave formed on the south river bank of Krousovitis River canyon (Serres, Macedonia region). The archaeological site area is well known as one of the most important archaeological sites in SE Europe since it hosts numerous archaeological findings dating back to the Early Bronze Age. Detailed stratigraphic analysis of three archaeological sections was performed in order to define the depositional conditions of the cave entrance facies sediments. Mineral magnetic properties were performed to enhance the paleoenvironmental interpretations and to detect sediment origins. Magnetic susceptibility (klf) obtained in high and low frequency as well as remanence parameters, such as saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM) and S-ratio, were measured in samples collected2from the archaeological sections. Results indicate a significant variability in the magnetic signal stored in the sedimentary record of Kataraktes cave system distinguishing between natural and anthropogenic sequences. The combination of the stratigraphic and magnetic results along with the archaeological data reveals that flood events of Krousovitis River and sediment accumulation from slackwater in the rockshelter area occurred around 3000 yr BC and were possibly the key factor for the abandonment of the prehistoric settlement.

Southern Reflections: Evolving Attitudes on Race and Region in Indian Territory

Southern ReflectionsEvolving Attitudes on Race and Region in Indian Territory Linda English (bio) Key Words Indian Territory, women, African Americans, Native Americans, class, Great Depression, slavery “I had been married about six years when we decided to move to the Indian Territory, so a train of six wagons was formed with a family to each wagon and we started out, bound for the Chickasaw Nation,” Sarah Anne Wel-born revealed to journalist Hazel B. Green in an interview for the Works Progress Administration (wpa) on April 13, 1938.1 The interview focused primarily on Welborn’s migration to the south-central Great Plains in the late nineteenth century as well as her initial experiences with Native Americans. During the session, Welborn recalled the following story: When we first came over here I thought the Indians were awful looking and mighty ‘say nothin,’ and thought if I ever came in contact with them that I ought to treat them as we always had the negroes down in Texas. By that I mean we would not eat at the table with them and things like that. Shortly thereafter, Welborn confronted such a challenge after her husband suggested they invite some local Indian children to dine with them. She prepared the meal, but “ate before they came.” She continued, They came in and washed up and by signs I showed them everything. They could not speak a word of English, nor I Chickasaw. Well, I felt right ashamed of myself when they went to that table and bowed their heads and one of those little children returned Thanks. And they were nice and clean too.2 This experience led to a racial epiphany for Sarah Welborn. “After that I knew that I should treat the Indians as equals, because if they were just as good citizens as white people they were our equals, but if they were not good citizens they would not be our equals even if [End Page 365] their skins were white.”3 For Welborn, Indians turned out to be not so bad—they were clean, moral, and (if they acted like good citizens) equal. Despite the fluidity evidenced in her changing perception of Native Americans, her attitude toward “the negroes down in Texas” seems far more fixed. Initially she expected to treat the Native Americans like she treated blacks south of the Red River—not “eat at the table with them and things like that”—yet she evolved (at least toward the former group, but not the latter). Why the discrepancy? Why was dining with African Americans essentially “off the table”? This article examines the racial hierarchies that developed in Indian Territory in the mid-to the late nineteenth century and provides some insights into why such discrepancies in racial attitudes arose. Ultimately, several factors influenced perceptions of race and class in the region: the migration of southern sensibilities, the racial and power complexities of Indian heritage, Civil War resentment and loss in status tied to emancipation, women’s missionary work, adherence to Lost Cause sentiment, and the impact of the Great Depression. Race relations in Indian Territory during the nineteenth century were complicated not only by the tripartite racial categorizations of the period but also the fragile political and economic circumstances of the post-Civil War environment. While it is certainly not surprising to find racism in the nineteenth century or discover that those who settled in Indian Territory brought with them their racial biases, more perplexing is the willingness by some to temper their perceptions of one group (Native Americans) and not another (African Americans). In her study of white women’s attitudes toward Native Americans, Glenda Riley acknowledged that while white women were often able to extend their sympathies in a select manner to Native Americans, they did not apply their ability to change their views to all racial, ethnic, and religious “others” they encountered on the frontier. Riley explains that this was due in part because “women’s self-images did not undergo any changes that affected their feelings about these peoples.”4 Marginalized politically and economically, white women cast themselves at the top of the racial and social hierarchies that they, in effect...

Pure Devilment

Pure Devilment Maurice L. Goldsmith (bio) BERT Gage was terrified of snakes and nearly everyone knew it. His was not your ordinary, garden-variety fear of being bitten. That had happened in his youth—a copperhead strike on his ankle. Now the very word snake made Bert shiver. A picture of a snake stopped him dead in his tracks. I could only imagine with childish glee a meeting between Bert and a real live snake. All his adult life Bert had worked for my grandfather at his wholesale grocery business in the Old South river town of Demopolis, Alabama. The Merchants Grocery Company, it was called, an impressive collection of red brick warehouses on both sides of Walnut Street where it crossed the Southern Railroad tracks. Since the early 1900s Merchants Grocery had supplied the general stores and independent groceries of our area—north to Tuscaloosa, east to Selma, south to Monroeville and as far west as Meridian, Mississippi. Grandfather, a man of strong opinions generally, considered himself an especially keen judge of human character, and he had about five favorite people in the world: the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt was one; my sweet mother, Sadie Louise, his only child, was another; the great baseball player Ty Cobb, “the Georgia Peach,” was a third; Bert Gage; and I, his seven-year-old only grandchild, completed his pantheon, and more or less in that order. Bert returned my grandfather’s affection with total devotion and tireless work. A handsome black giant, he was even taller than my six foot one grandfather. Bert’s hair, which he kept clipped short, was just beginning to show a little gray. More than thirty years of wrestling heavy cases and bales of groceries had made Bert’s body hard as granite. He moved with power and a natural grace. According to Grandfather, who had been a semiprofessional baseball player and later player/coach of his cousin’s copper-mine team in Clifton, Arizona, Bert could have played in the majors, except for the times and his pigmentation. He took orders only from Grandfather, and nobody, black or white, gave Bert any trouble. A gentler, kinder man never lived. [End Page 597] Whenever I came to visit Grandfather, which was as often as possible, Bert would greet me with a wide grin, swoop me up with one huge hand, and place me reverently on his broad shoulders. We would begin with a tour to greet all the employees—my loyal subjects—starting with Miss Geneva, Grandfather’s secretary, who smelled like the stick of peppermint candy she always gave me. Then Bert and I would explore some fascinating part of what seemed to me the infinite labyrinth of warehouses, loading docks, and storerooms that constituted Merchants Grocery. Like everyone else I had heard about Bert’s snake phobia, though I found it hard to believe that he was afraid of anything in the world. And then one day, as I was riding his shoulders along the Southern Railway siding by one of the warehouses, I guess Satan entered into me. Pointing to a piece of rope between the tracks ahead, I yelled in his ear, “Bert, watch out for that snake!” His reaction was immediate and highly gratifying. He reversed direction in midstride and, with me bouncing along like a jockey on a thoroughbred, raced the one-hundred yards or so back down the tracks in ten seconds flat. When we were safely in the warehouse, I said, “Bert, I think that was just a piece of old plow line.” He looked at me, still wide-eyed and breathing hard. “Maybe it was, Honey,” he said, “and maybe it wasn’t.” This was a temptation too strong for me to resist. So, in spite of my admiration and deep love for Bert, for the next few months I tortured him with numerous false snake sightings, and he would react every time. One spring Saturday, as I was shopping with my twenty-five cent weekly allowance at what we called the dime store, I saw something irresistible. In the glass cubicle next to the lead World War ii soldiers I had come to buy, there lay...

Assessment of mitochondrial DNA damage in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) collected near a mercury-contaminated river.

Historical discharges of Hg into the South River near the town of Waynesboro, VA, USA, have resulted in persistently elevated Hg concentrations in sediment, surface water, ground water, soil, and wildlife downstream of the discharge site. In the present study, we examined mercury (Hg) levels in in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) from this location and assessed the utility of a non-destructively collected tissue sample (wing punch) for determining mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage in Hg exposed bats. Bats captured 1 and 3 km from the South River, exhibited significantly higher levels of total Hg (THg) in blood and fur than those from the reference location. We compared levels of mtDNA damage using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis of two distinct regions of mtDNA. Genotoxicity is among the many known toxic effects of Hg, resulting from direct interactions with DNA or from oxidative damage. Because it lacks many of the protective protein structures and repair mechanisms associated with nuclear DNA, mtDNA is more sensitive to the effects of genotoxic chemicals and therefore may be a useful biomarker in chronically exposed organisms. Significantly higher levels of damage were observed in both regions of mtDNA in bats captured 3 km from the river than in controls. However, levels of mtDNA damage exhibited weak correlations with fur and blood THg levels, suggesting that other factors may play a role in the site-specific differences.

Evaluation of Colilert-18® as an alternative method for monitoring total coliforms and Escherichia coli in some faecally polluted river waters

The increase in numbers and contamination levels of faecally polluted water has resulted in shifts worldwide towards methods which enumerate faecal indicator bacteria faster. Rapid methods enable more timely remedial and preventative actions which protect the health of water users. However, especially in the developing world, straightforward methods are also preferred as they reduce the requirement for highly qualified analysts. This study investigates the feasibility of using the rapid, semi-automated enzyme substrate test Colilert-18® instead of multiple-tube fermentation (MTF) in total coliform and Escherichia coli enumeration for South African river water, as one example of a surface water source carrying considerable faecal pollution, which needs monitoring. Spearman rank correlation coefficients (ρ) of 0.83 and 0.86 were obtained for total coliforms and E. coli respectively, indicating Colilert-18® performed acceptably in the pollution ranges encountered. A Bland–Altman plot further revealed that Colilert-18® showed no significant difference (p &amp;gt; 0.05) from MTF values below 100,000 E. coli most probable number/100 mL (estimated true value). Above this level Colilert-18® was found to progressively underestimate E. coli. This inadequacy of Colilert-18® was considered acceptable from a health risk assessment viewpoint as such high counts should have sounded the alarm for preventative and corrective action irrespective of method inaccuracy.

Occurrence of Malabar Snakehead, Channa diplogramma (Perciformes: Channidae) from River Valapattanam, Western Ghats of Kerala, India

We report the occurrence of Channa diplogramma in the Valapattanam River in March 2013 and this study adds to the species record of C. diplogramma in terms of diversity and range distribution in the River Valapattanam and South India.

Characterization of spatial distribution of syphilis in China, 2011

Objective To characterize the spatial distribution pattern of syphilis at the county level in China,and to provide a new method for syphilis surveillance and control.Methods A national geographic information system (GIS) database was developed based on reported cases of syphilis from all counties in China,2011.Exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) methods were used to study the frequency distribution of incidence,global and local spatial autocorrelation,of syphilis.Results The median incidence rate of syphilis was 21.17/100 000 (range:0.00-515.34/100 000; 25th percentile 9.28/100 000,75th percentile 43.00/100 000) in 2 925 counties in the mainland of China in 2011,with a highly positively skewed distribution (skewness =3.11).The global spatial autocorrelation analysis showed a positive spatial autocorrelation of syphilis incidence at the county level in China (global Moran's index =0.576 2,P ＜ 0.001),with the type of correlation being high-high cluster (General G index =0.033 1,P ＜ 0.001).The local spatial autocorrelation analysis delineated hot spots of syphilis (including primary and secondary syphilis,latent syphilis) at the county level.Totally,117 counties,which were mainly distributed in the Yangtze River delta region,northwest,northeastern and south China,were identified as hot spots for syphilis,with the incidence rate of primary or secondary syphilis being higher than 50/100 000.Conclusions The GIS and exploratory spatial data analysis,with the advantages of visualization and accurate localization,may serve as an important novel tool for syphilis surveillance and control. Key words: Syphilis; Geographic information systems; Spatial analysis

Exposed tree root analysis as a dendrogeomorphic approach to estimating bank retreat at the South River, Virginia

We use a biometric approach based on anatomical changes in the wood of exposed tree roots to quantify riverbank erosion along South River, Virginia, a site where commonly applied techniques for determining bank erosion rates are either not appropriate because of the required spatial scale of analysis (i.e., erosion pins, traditional surveys, LiDAR analysis) or have failed to detect obvious erosion (i.e., photogrammetric techniques). We sampled 73 exposed roots from 22 study reaches and identified the year of exposure macroscopically (2 to 20 times magnification) and microscopically (20 to 100 times magnification), comparing the estimated erosion rates between levels of magnification and to those obtained with photogrammetric techniques. We found no statistical differences between the results of macroscopic and microscopic analyses (t-test, α=0.01) but encountered difficulty in identifying the year of root exhumation in some samples. When comparing exposed root analysis to photogrammetric techniques, the results indicate that the exposed root approach is a feasible and effective method for estimating annual- to decadal-scale bank erosion. In addition to producing erosion rates statistically indistinguishable from photogrammetric techniques at sites with erosion rates large enough for detection using historical aerial photographs (regression analysis and t-test, α=0.01), exposed root analysis was able to estimate erosion rates at sites where photogrammetric techniques failed. We also identify deciduous species well suited for this approach (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) and others that prove more problematic (e.g., Acer negundo, Celtis occidentalis, Acer saccharinum). This study is significant because it describes a robust tool that provides insights into annual- to decadal-scale erosion where other commonly applied techniques may not be appropriate or easily applied.

The multi-phase Keele Arch, central Mackenzie Corridor, Northwest Territories

Abstract Keele Arch is a zone of anomalous structural, erosional, and depositional features along a corridor east of the Colville Hills and the northern Franklin Mountains, Northwest Territories, a region with significant economic potential. First described in 1975, it has since been found to have had a long history of uplift-to-sag reversals. This report presents a series of maps and sections, based largely on flattened reflection seismic lines that illustrate key stages of the arch’s development through time and space. In doing so it lays the foundation for future assessments of the arch’s influence on the surrounding stratigraphy. Preceded by a late Proterozoic syncline, it evolved through five major stages: 1) subsidence into a chain of Cambrian to mid-Ordovician grabens; 2) uplift of its central and southern zones to form a Late Silurian (pre-Devonian) arch; 3) renewed uplift into a pre-Cretaceous arch between the region east the Colville Hills and the Mackenzie River valley near Johnson River; 4) mid-Cretaceous reactivation of the pre-Cretaceous and southern pre-Devonian arches; and 5) subsidence of its central zone into Brackett Basin during the late-Campanian to Paleocene and inversion of the Cambrian McConnell Graben into the McConnell Range during late-Campanian to Paleocene time. The feature can be divided into four parts: 1) A northern segment between the Northern Franklin Mountains and the region east of the Colville Hills; 2) The north half of its central zone, where Cambro-Ordovician strata are exposed east of the northern Franklin Mountains; 3) The southern portion of the central zone between Brackett Lake and Keele River, where Tertiary rocks lie at the surface. This is the best documented and most tectonically active segment; and 4) a poorly understood segment under Mackenzie Valley, south of Keele River.

Observations of Riparian Tree Geometry and Bank Characteristics along a Bank Stability Gradient at the South River, VA

AbstractIn this study, we evaluate the use of riparian tree‐geometry and bank‐characteristic data in developing riverbank stability forecasts at four study sites along a mercury‐contaminated reach of the South River, Virginia. Our forecast data set includes measurements of tree diameter, lean angle and percent root‐plate undercut, coupled with bank characteristics included in the Pfankuch Index. Stepwise comparisons and statistical analyses of our tree‐geometry data reveal that lean angle and percent root‐plate undercut are effective measures for discriminating between riparian tree populations at eroding and stable banks, with the strongest discriminant power from the percent root‐plate undercut. Our stability forecasts, using both tree and bank characteristics, agree with long‐term observations, underscoring the value of rarely used tree‐geometry data in such evaluations. The application of these results is important in long study reaches where forecasts of erosion potential from contaminated banks are required to develop mitigation strategies, but direct measurements of bank stability are not feasible. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.