FANR 1100
Limits of acceptable change
1) establish the key values and characteristics of a place 2) set the maximum change before the resource is degraded to unacceptable extent - water quality, erosion, impacts around facilities, impacts in remote areas
Sustainable Waste Management
Sustainable Waste Management
Most known ozone depletants banned
- 1970s banned CFC-11 in spray cans - 1987 the montreal protocol cut productions of 5 CFCs in half by 1999 and froze production of Halons (24 countries) - 1988 new treaty complete ban of CFCs by 2000 - 1992 Copenhagen Amendments accelerated the phase out of CFCs and other ozone depleting compounds
We are sending less to landfills
- 1990: 142 million tons - 2008: 135 million tons - we are recycling a lot more - total amount sent to landfills has decreased despite 20% population increase since 1990
How many previous extinction events?
- 5 previous - had one species go extinct every 500-1000 years - 99% of species that have ever lived are now extinct
Acid Deposition 2
- Acids falling from the sky in rain, snow, or dry - Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) 70% comes from burning coal in power plants - Nitrogen Oxides 50% from vehicles and 40% from power plants - Rainfall pH (normal is 5.6 vs. 4.2 in 1980) - NE has highest acidity of precipitation
Types of outdoor rec
- Activity based vs. Resource Based - Consumptive vs. Non-consumptive
Trends in Activities
- Amount of activities rising fast for users 16 or older (Bird watching has largest growth)
Chronic health effects
- Chronic Bronchitis (irritation of bronchial tubes - Emphysema (Alveoli damaged) - Lung Cancer
Superfund Act
- Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) - Passed in 1980 and renewed in 1986 - Tax expired in 1995 and has not been renewed - Allows EPA to collect the cost of cleanup from dump operators or the companies that used the dump ($24 Billion since 1980) - By Dec. 2005, work completed at 966 sites (62%) and underway at another 422 -
Pollution
- DDT and lead bullets in Eagles - pesticides (leads to sterile frogs) - bioaccumulation/biomagnification
Harmful effects of acid deposition
- Destroys buildings and materials - reduces fertility of crops and soils - Aquatic Ecosystem (pH less than 5 is lethal to fish, 237 lakes in Adirondacks, 5,000 lakes in Canada, 17% of lakes and 20% of streams in 27 states damaged because of acidity, alter reproduction of fish, affect homing ability of Salmon, Abnormalities in fish at pH of level 5.5, leaches toxic materials)
Global Issues
- Developed countries like US, Europe, Japan have seen improvements in waste management, China, India, and other rapidly developing countries are far behind - as manufacturing moves to those cities, the waste (esp. hazardous) often follows
People and conflicts
- Different uses are not always compatible - some conflicts are asymmetric (one user has little idea they are causing a conflict for the other user) - recreation managers can handle this with rules, seasons, permits, separate areas, and other approaches
Extinction
- Disappearance of a species from earth - passenger pigeon, dinosaurs, dodo bird
Waste disposal: final option
- Dumps and Sanitary landfills - Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (ended open dumps by 1983; replaced by landfills; now have fewer sites where we deposit waste but we have far greater waste disposal capacity) - Incineration (120 incinerators, 14.5% of MSW; half of MSW is burned in Japan, Sweden, Denmark, and Switzerland) - Burning is controversial because of NIMBY and smokestacks as well as toxic emissions from plastics and metals and the ash can be hazardous and be disposed of properly
Impacts of outdoor rec
- Environmental degradation - overuse - pollution - transporting invasive species - disturbance of wildlife - consumptive activities
Benefits of outdoor rec
- Exercise and physical health - Challenge and accomplishment - solitude and reflection - leisure and relaxation - connecting with natural world - Education and Stewardship*
Nitrogen Oxides
- Formed during combustion - Nitric Oxide is relatively harmless unless at high concentrations - NO2 is more toxic (can lead to gum inflammation, internal bleeding, emphysema, lung cancer, pneumonia) is a reddish-brown gas with pungent choking odor and is major component of smog
2 examples of marine aquatic invasive species and how they were introduced
- Green mussel through ballast water - Lionfish through aquarium trade and human release
Impacts on soils, crops, native vegetation
- H ions displace Ca, P, Mg, Al (metals dissolve in water and contaminate rivers, lakes, groundwater, and wells) - Inhibit functioning of N-fixing bacteria - Acids leach minerals from leaves, kill buds, stunt growth, promote growth of acid tolerant moss - $5 billion in crop damage in US each year
Causes of Endangerment (in order of most common)
- Habitat destruction/fragmentation (Sumatran Orangutan and fragmentation - Invasive species - pollution - overexploitation (hunting) - disease
Current extinction era
- Holocene (the sixth) and it refers to the presence of people on earth - 1,100 species have gone extinct in last 400 years (10-100 times higher rate than previous 5)
exotic species
- Hydrilla, zebra mussel, wooly adelgid, Asia bug, rats, pythons
IUCN
- International Union for Conservation of Nature
Ways the public unknowingly introduce non-native species
- Most of the time it is by accident - boating hitchhikers (people move boats from one body of water to another can take species in or on the boat with it) - Ornamental pond release (intentionally released by people or escape from backyard ponds) - Home and classroom aquarium releases (people dumb pets into streams) - Live bait releases (non-native bait gets off hook or is dumped if not used)
Aquariums
- Never dispose of unwanted fish in local waters or storm drains. One plant or animal could make a huge impact - pour aquarium water into toilet or sink - alternatives to release of unwanted contents or returns or trades or give it to another aquarist
Gases in Atmosphere
- Nitrogen (most abundant at 78.1%) - Oxygen (20.9%) - Argon (.9%) - Carbon Dioxide (.03%; still has terrible effects even though a small percentage) - Water Vapor (.05%)
The atmosphere
- Occurs in layers surrounding earth: - air for breathing - insulation - distributes heat - sound vibrations - critical for life
Endangered Species act
- Passed in 1973 and later amended - US Supreme Court ruled it was the intent of congress to halt and reverse the trend toward species extinction whatever the cost - it applies to private citizens, corporations, and government entities - first law to protect plants - provides protection of critical habitat - most powerful environmental law ever passed - Only 45 have ever been delisted (9 went extinct, 16 were error in data)
Seven Principles of Leave No Trace
- Plan ahead and prepare - Travel and camp on durable surfaces - dispose of waste properly - leave what you find - minimize campfire impacts - respect wildlife - be considerate of other visitors
Major Atmospheric pollutants
- Primary pollutants are produced by various sources (Carbon Monoxide: 66%, Particulates: 11%, hydrocarbons, Sulfure Oxide: 1%, Nitrogen Oxide: 9%) - Secondary Pollutants are produced naturally from primary pollutants (ozone) - Volatile organic compounds 12% - lead 1% - % of sulfur oxides had gone down so much that we had to recalculate it. it was really bad but we handled it good, is a component of coal
We can impact the issue
- Reduce, reuse, recycle - energy recovery
Anthropogenic Pollution
- Since beginning of mankind - Accelerated by industrial revolution - Smog (fog that has been mixed and polluted with smoke)
Natural Air Pollution
- Smoke from lightning caused fires - Volcanoes - Other (pollen, bacteria, fungal spores, ash, methane)
Sustainably Managing our municipal wastes
- reduction approach (calls for reduced levels of material consumption) - reuse and recycle approach (calls for maximizing lifespan of a material in production-consumption cycle) - both are good but what are economic incentives?
Impacts
- Some countries have geology (rocks) that neutralize acid (limestone has high buffer capacity while Granite does not) - Acids erode buildings made of sandstone, limestone, marble, cement, metal - Acids corrode rail lines, bridges, industrial equipment, cars, airplanes ($5 billion/yr in eastern US, and some say it would cost too much to clean up this type of pollution)
Acid Deposition
- Sulfur Dioxide (60-70%) and Nitrogen Dioxide - Wet like rain and snow - dry like dust
Eliminating Acid Deposition
- Switch to low sulfur coal to reduces Sulfur Oxides - Install smokestack scrubbers to remove Sulfur and Nitrogen Oxides and Utility companies have already spent billions doing this - energy conservation which would lead to less demand - renewable energy would lead to less emissions - Federal legislation would cause incentives or mandates
St. Simon's
- Vehicles traveling there leave 5400 pounds of trash and 500 pounds of recyclables - tides twice a day and wash it into the ocean - glass on the beach is dangerous - solo cups are recyclable - use plastic coolers instead of styrofoam because styrofoam doesn't break down
Cap and Trade System
- a major environmental and economic success started in 1995 - Sets a permanent cap for Sulfur and Nitrogen Oxides emissions from power plants - Caps were lowered further in 2000 - Plants that cut emissions more than mandated have a credit that they can sell to plants that cannot meet requirements (trade) - Power plant sulfur oxide emissions down 50% from 1980 - plants buy credits or invest in plant improvements based on which is less expensive
Air pollution on human health
- about 50,000 americans die each year at least partially due to air pollution - Donora Disaster: 20 killed in industrial town of Penn, in 1948 (air pollution and inversion)
Types of aquatic plants
- algae - floating plants - emergent plants - submergent plants
Production of CFC
- almost cut to zero - HCFC's now being replace by Hydrofluorocarbons (no chlorine) - New changes to Montreal protocol may target HFC reduction in Future
Emergent plants
- are rooted in sediment - most of foliage is above the water - usually wetland plants like cattails, bulrushes, and willows
Why can aquatic invasive species spread easier than terrestrial?
- because most waterways are connected in some way
Hazardous Waste Landfills
- built to much high standards to prevent leaching of contents into surface or ground waters - expensive to operate and tipping fees are significantly higher than regular landfills or inert landfills - very difficult to locate new ones and get permits due to NIMBY
Disease
- chestnut blight fungus, dutch elm fungus, chytrid fungus
Carbon Monoxide
- colorless, odorless gas that is incomplete combustion of organic materials - 93% comes from nature like swamps and volcanoes - 7% from humans in cities (95% from automobiles) - emissions declined from 1980 to 1997 but has increased since 1997 (converted to CO2)
Sulfur Oxides
- combustion of sulfur containing fuels (coal and oil) - SO2 + H2O = H2SO4 - colorless but stings eyes and throats (1% of pop. experiences problems)
Volatile organic compounds
- compound chemicals that readily evaporate - hydrocarbons - many are chemically reactive
Outdoor Recreation Conflicts
- conflicts are often asymmetrical - multi-use areas and conflicting activities - experienced v. inexperienced users - urban v. rural users - younger v. older users - tourists v. local users
Be considerate of others
- courtesy; golden rule - allow others to enjoy outside with all of their senses - let natures sounds prevail
Special concern
- declining for reasons not understood - not a legal definition
Respect wildlife
- don't harass or feed them - always store food safely
Leave what you find
- don't take stuff with you, take pictures instead - hard for kids to learn
Top 4 pathways for marine invasive species
- fish stocking - ship fouling (organisms grown on ship then move with the boat) - ballast water (water used to balance the ship but then gets dumped in different body of water) - Aquaculture
Top 3 pathways for freshwater invasive species
- fish stocking (we put the fish in ponds) - aquarium release - bait release
Reasons why passenger pigeon went extinct
- forest clearing (dependent on hardwood) - disease (communal nesters) - weather - low reproductive output (1 egg per nest; low biotic potential) - fragmentation of habitat and flock - market hunting - Martha was last alive and died 9/1/1914 in a Cincy Zoo
Main problems with aquatic invasive species
- fouling of boats, docks, water pipes, fishing equipment, and other objects in water - interference with navigation and water control structures - introduction of new diseases - competition with and predation of native species - reduced water quality - decreased biodiversity in system - People less likely to use waterways and it impacts local economics
US landfills
- had about 8,000 in 1988 but less than 2,000 today - we have more capacity now than ever before; interstate shipments of trash are 45 of 47
Clean Air Act
- had them in 1963, 67, 70, 90, 2005 - Established standards for automobile emissions, industrial emissions, ambient air quality for urban areas - National Ambient Air Quality standards patrol carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, sulfur oxides, particulates, hydrocarbons - Emissions offset policy: new industry must request existing companies to lower their emissions to make room for newcomer - Noncompliance penalties: EPA can asses fines without going to court, taxes on manufacturing that use toxic chemicals that could potentially pollute - tradeable permit: 1 unit of pollutant equals one ton; companies can sell unused credit
What can land managers do?
- regulate through permits, fees, and restoration areas - education - management strategies like rec opportunity spectrum, limit of acceptable change, and zoned management
Hazardous Waste
- has properties that make it dangerous or potentially harmful to human or environmental health - products used in manufacturing (solvents, etc.) - by-products of refining or chemical manufacturing - unused paint, chemicals, pesticides, drugs, etc. - peaked at 275 million metric tons in 1991 - 37 million metric tons in 2001 - Many contaminated sites still remain - Love Canal, NY focused country's attention on hazardous waste in 1977 - standard procedure in purchasing land or real estate today is an assessment of environmental risks so new owner is not saddled with cleanup costs - Old Industrial sites ("brownfield") often sit unused due to potential liability associated with past use and environmental impacts
Recreational Opportunity Management
- has two principles - provide a range of recreation activities - conserve the natural environment
What can aquatic plants do when left uncontrolled
- impair rec uses - cause foul odors and bad tasting drinking waters - fish kills - reduce oxygen levels as plants die - increases nuisance insect populations - decrease property values - accidental drowning - block water flow to irrigation and drainage ditches
Endangered
- in imminent danger of going extinct
Solid waste
- is very expensive (about $300 million per year of disposable diapers - waste disposal is often second largest cost behind education - landfills require land and waste disposal requires labor which is expensive - $300 mil is a rounding error and ignores public health benefits and water savings - Cost of waste disposal usually does not affect actions at home - takes up costly and valuable land (some cities and state must ship it to another area) - represents a waste of resources (we have to mine or grow additional ones to replace what we wasted) - recycling is not free either (labor, water, and energy)
Reuse approach
- items we no longer have use for can be donated to others for their use (this is common sense and compassion for fellow people)
Minimize campfire impacts
- know the risks of wildfire - use existing rings if available - use nearby deadwood less than 4 inches in size - Don't use a fire - stoves are better for cooking
Threatened
- likely to become endangered in foreseeable future
T&E Scorecard
- lists threatened and endangered mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and plants
Characteristics of Invasive Species
- long lived - high reproductive rates - vegetation or clonal reproduction - single parent reproduction - high dispersal rates - high genetic variability - broad diet - wide tolerance range of environmental characteristics - habitat generalist - broad native range - associated with humans - occur in groups
Extirpation
- loss of a species from part of its range - Cougar in E. US or Red Wolf in SE US or Bison, Grizzlies, and grey wolf in West
Plants a problem or benefit?
- major source of photosynthesis (70-90% of dissolved oxygen) - can trap excessive nutrients and detoxify chemicals - can be sold for water gardens - can provide nursery habitat and foundation of aquatic food chain (provide food, dissolved oxygen, and nesting habitat)
Carrying Capacity
- maximum number of people/activities that environment can support without causing destruction or unacceptable decrease in user satisfaction - Ecological (how many people can land tolerate?) - Social (how many people can users tolerate?)
Algae
- microscopic (phytoplankton; can cause dense blooms and deplete oxygen which kills fish; bluegreen algae turns water pea green while euglonoid turns it reddish brown) - Filamentous Algae (dense free floating mats) - Macroalgae (chara)
Environmental impacts
- nature-based activities depend on environment - natural ecosystems are fragile and easily damaged - what if level of use exceeds ability to cope?
While fishing....
- never release live or dead bait or packaging into water if it is not from that body of water - release fish into same body of water they came from - be familiar with bait regulations - Clean your equipment thoroughly (if possible use hot water about 40C or 104F, or salt water, or hose if first two are not available; allow to dry for five days)
Effects of UVB radiation
- new hot topic - can be fatal to plants and suppress populations of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and larval fish - increasing problems with LDC's food supply
Technology
- new types of technology - new types of activities (geocaching) - more accessibility - allows for inexperienced users - good and bad
What can we do?
- obey rules and regulations - be conscientious of others - educate yourself - follow the leave no trace prinicples
Public lands
- open to all - managed for broad spectrum of users - viewed as inclusive or democrat - land managers are given specific, fixed directives based on formal laws and policies
Private lands
- open to few and have larger fees - managed for specific users - viewed as exclusive or elitist - land managers choose directives based on personal and economic needs or desires
Air pollution effects on local climate
- particulates can seed clouds downwind of cities and produce rain leads to more rainy days during the week when factories are operating - particulate matter can block sunlight and cool temperatures
Air Pollution Abatement and control
- particulates: three types of equipment are filter bag house, electrostatic precipitator, and cuclone filter - factories and power plants: Sulfur oxide
Goal of Pond Management?
- rec fishing - swimming and boating - wildlife habitat/aesthetics - livestock water supply - aquaculture - storm water management
Trends on private lands
- recreating on private lands is a popular option - stuff like hunting, fishing, motorbikes, etc. - Gives users more choices and economic and entrepreneurial options for landowners
Ozone layer depletion
- yearly variation in Ozone can vary by up to 10% - discovered ozone holes in 1979 over north and south poles which is linked to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Plan ahead on prepare
- research where you are going first and look at the terrain, what the weather might be like, how far you have to travel, etc. Take into account this info while packing as well as the number of people in your party
Preventing extinction
- restoration (captive breeding such as California Condor and Black-footed ferret) - Species Approach (habitat management and restoration from wild population; intensive study in wild) - Ecosystem approach (core reserve, buffer zone, corridors, conservation easements, preserve land and allow natural processes)
Recycling
- reuse after some form of processing - the processing consumes energy and water - items have to be separated (at source or at end point) - sorting is critical to make use of recycled material efficient and economical - we have increased our rate of recycling greatly - some of this was market driven and some was mandated by government - primary benefit has been reduction in amount we put in landfill and extension of landfill lives
Other applications of LNT
- rivers/streams use - trail use - motorized campgrounds - hunting - tailgating
Submergent plants
- rooted in sediment - only flowering structure is above the water - includes elodea, pondweeds, milfoil, southern naiad, coontail
Automotive emissions
- significant air pollution - emissions are controlled by: Catalytic converters (device that catalyzes conversion of CO and VOCs to CO2 and H2O but doesnt remove NO), inspection and maintenance (well tuned cars have less pollution), increasing fuel efficiency (improved to 1994 and has decreased since) - Energy tax act (1978) gas guzzler tax does not apply to SUV and trucks, vehicles over 8500 tons included in 2008
Stratospheric Ozone
- small number of compounds caused most of the problem - handful of manufacturers, all in developed countries - did not require direct changes by individuals - international agreement with compliance by all signatories - marginal impact on overall economy of each country
Particulate Matter
- small, solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air (natural and anthropogenic) - may remain suspended from seconds to months - comes from burning and agriculture - serious health issues such as respiratory problems
Traits of vulnerable species
- specialization - low reproductive rates - behavior like Manatee, Carolina parakeet, dodo bird (not afraid of humans/curious)
Critical Habitat
- specific areas in the geographical range at the time it is listed that have physical or biological features that are essential to conservation of a species
Travel and camp on durable sites
- stay on the trails and don't make new ones - avoid camping on the vegetation (use bare ground/rock) - higher impacts on smaller areas
Dispose of waste properly
- take your trash with you and store it in one place while there - use bathroom at least 200 feet from nearest river and try to cover it back up (same goes for pets) - use biodegradable soap at least 200 feet from river as well - pick up any other trash you find
Landfill capacity
- three companies: waste management (27 years of capacity), allied waste industries (36 years), Republic services (30 years) - regulated market works well - we have a glut of landfill capacity - old, unsafe, damaging landfills were shut down and replaced by larger, cleaner, safer ones - we are sending less material to landfills and they are lasting longer - landfills operate more efficiently (30% more dense in packing) - markets are working: perceived lack of landfill space prompted waste companies to add capacity
Ozone
- three oxygen atoms (O3) - pollutant that is bad at earth's surface but good in the atmosphere as the ozone layer is 15-30 km up - filters out some UVB long waves - small amounts can be beneficial in Vitamin D - excess can cause skin burns, cataracts, and skin cancer as well as suppress immune system - 1% of Ozone depletion leads to .7-2% increase in UVB penetration which is a 4% increase in skin cancer
Reduction Approach
- tough sell in consumer world - purchase more durable items (often cost more but last longer) - keep products longer (repair instead of replace) - Downsize if possible (cars, and homes) - simplify your life (less to maintain) - personal decisions are required
CFCs
- used as propellants and refrigerants - stable and inert in normal environment but reactive under high energy UV radiation in stratosphere and help destroy ozone - cold temperatures above poles in winter enhance this reaction
Curbside recycling
- usually mixed systems that require endpoint sorting - often not economical, must be subsidized - works best in urban areas with more dense population
Thermal/temperature inversion
- warm air layer forms above cool layer, which traps the gases - air is normally cooler at higher altitudes - Radiation inversion when ground and surface air cools faster than atmosphere during the night - subsidence inversion when warm air mass moves over a region forming a lid
Floating plants
- water lily - water lettuce - crested floating heart - water shield
Aquatic Weed control methods
- watershed management - physical - biological - chemical
Municipal Waste
- we are a throw away society - what we throw away contains a lot of useful materials we could recycle and reuse - this is an economic issue (cost of recovery vs. value of material) - most people do not look at economic side but focus on values or emotional side (we are throwing away things we could use) - both sides are important
Ozone layer
- we were smart and used data to reduce CFC and ozone hole has not grown thinner since 1998 but it could take several decades for us to get back to 1985 levels
Hunting
- well managed hunting can usually help a population - White rhino, egret, whales, spotted cats, wolves
Office or retail recycling
- works well for old corrugated containers (OCC) or office papers - collection, compaction, handling facilitated by concentration of material on site - empty trucks returning to distribution center backhaul baled waste
HCFC's
-CFC got replaced by Hydrofluorochlorocarbons which were better but still impacted ozone - slated to be phased out by 2030 - finding good compounds is critical because the developing world wants to add air conditioning
Acid Deposition and Ozone Depletion
Acid Deposition and Ozone Depletion
Air Pollution
Air Pollution
Sources of Acid Deposition
Anthropogenic - power plants - In US, Canada, Europe, Eastern Asia (US has 20.4 million tons per year in Sulfur Oxides and 64% came from power plants, 29% from industrial sources, and 7% from automobiles) - 50% of acid rain in Canada comes from US - US produces 23.5 million tons of Nitrogen Oxyides Natural - Volcanoes, swamps, forest fires
Endangered Species
Endangered Species
Ozone and photochemical smog
Good ozone layer in stratospher - protects from UV radiation Bad ozone in troposphere near ground - secondary pollutant - lung, nose, and eye irritant - can be as bad as smoking - brown haze- smog
Invasive Species
Invasive species
Leave no trace powerpoint
Leave no trace powerpoint
Outdoor Rec and Environmental Impact
Outdoor Rec and Environmental Impact
Zoned Managemen
Set zones where only certain activites are allowed to protect important areas
Outdoor Recreation
leisure pursuits that take place outdoor
