ALBERT

Description: River otters ( Lontra canadensis ) were reintroduced from 1994–1996 into parts of Illinois where the species was extirpated due to over harvest and habitat loss. At the time of reintroduction, managing for the persistence of the population through habitat was very important and research was conducted to determine which watersheds had quality habitat and which needed increased management and protection. In a study conducted in the mid-1990s, biologists used pattern recognition (PATREC) modeling to identify high and low quality habitat for river otters at the subunit level (i.e., divided watershed), based on specific habitat attributes including wooded area, sinuosity, and wetland edge. We compared the habitat quality ratings of subunits with river otter use at 112 bridge sites from 2012–2014 to determine if river otters have distributed themselves according to previously determined habitat quality. We found that the PATREC model was a poor predictor of river otter use when sites were located close to the otter reintroduction points. The PATREC model was most likely a poor predictor of river otter use due to an over-emphasis on the importance of woody vegetation to habitat suitability for river otter in the model. We recommend that future work on the assessment of habitat suitability for river otter use, and accuracy of this assessment, be conducted at a local spatial scale and over a shorter temporal scale. We also recommend that watershed policies and habitat assessments consider changes to land-cover and follow an adaptive management approach to assess habitat suitability for reintroduced species.

Description: Anthropogenic pollution has impacted ecosystems and organisms globally. Aquatic freshwater systems are of particular concern because of their importance to human health and livelihoods. Sentinel species can serve as indicators for both individual and population-level health risks to both wildlife and humans, and therefore facilitate the mitigation and prevention of such contamination. When such species are also keystone species and/or ecological engineers in aquatic ecosystems, understanding the influence of pollutants on their physiology and behavior acquires added importance. Given that river otters ( Lontra canadensis and Lutra lutra ) and beavers ( Castor canadensis and C. fiber ) serve such roles and are susceptible to a wide-range of anthropogenic pollution, this makes them prime candidates as indicators or sentinels of aquatic ecosystem health. We review published evidence on the toxicological impacts of pollutants in beavers and river otters and discuss the implications of exposure to their behavioral systems, conservation, and surrounding ecosystem.

Description: New records of the endemic semi-aquatic Nimba Otter Shrew Micropotamogale lamottei (Tenrecidae, Potamogalinae) were obtained during recent Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) in Liberia. We discuss the future of this Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species in the face of large-scale landscape transformations. In an attempt to assess genetic diversity and genetic differentiation of M. lamottei throughout its distributional range, we examined two mitochondrial loci (cytochrome b and 12S rRNA) from five samples of Nimba Otter Shrews at three localities in Liberia and compared the 12S sequences with a GenBank sequence from Côte d'Ivoire. While all six individuals examined had unique mitochondrial haplotypes, the sequence divergence among these haplotypes was less than 1 %. However, the F ST values indicated substantial differences between East Nimba and the other two populations. Recognizing that the genetic results are based on very small samples, the data suggest that the three populations experienced sufficient gene flow in the past, preventing sequence divergence, but currently there is substantially reduced gene flow with the East Nimba population. More targeted surveys in the Upper Guinea Region are recommended for this elusive species using aquatic traps in combination with an environmental DNA (eDNA) approach.

Description: Riparian ecosystems provide important habitat for wildlife and serve as corridors for animal movements. Surface mining activities clearly impact wildlife habitat by removing vegetation needed by wildlife. However, few studies have assessed longer-term success of habitat restoration in riparian ecosystems following surface mining. During 2012–13, we evaluated microhabitat quality at three stream segments restored 30 years ago following surface mining for coal and one unmined stream segment in Perry County, Illinois. Microhabitat differences were very minor among restored and control stream sites. Of the 41 habitat variables measured, 14 differed among sites, four of which were uncorrelated: canopy cover, overstory hard mast, bare ground, and herbaceous ground cover; thus, restored riparian buffers were comparable to unmined sites, indicating that habitat restoration efforts were successful. Our analysis from data collected at Burning Star 4 mine in Perry County, Illinois, is of value to land managers for it shows how the reclamation process has successfully jump-started wildlife habitat in buffers around streams affected by mining.

Description: Population modeling is an invaluable tool for predicting wildlife population dynamics and the effects of management. I created a state-space population model for unharvested river otters in the Illinois, Kaskaskia, and Wabash river basins in Illinois, and modeled future harvest at 5%, 10%, and 20% levels. River otter populations increased in the absence of harvest during 2000 – 2009 to 8,408 ± 1,934 individuals (λ = 1.11 ± 0.09). Harvest at 0%, 5%, 10%, and 20% levels resulted in continued population growth over time, with annual harvest numbers ranging from 446 – 1,786 in 2010 to 884 – 2,614 in 2014, depending on harvest scenario. I concluded that river otter populations in Illinois were thriving and capable of withstanding a regulated harvest.

Description: Recent decades have seen an evolution in resource management paradigms from the multiple use and sustained yield toward ecosystem management. This ongoing paradigm shift has generated interest in collaborative decision-making as a more promising alternative to conventional top down institutions. While a collaborative approach to ecosystem management promises several benefits, including equity, efficiency, and sustainability, institutional constraints often impede the success of these initiatives. Using the Cache River Joint Venture Partnership in southern Illinois, USA as a case study, this study employed a qualitative research approach to understand how various institutional attributes influence prospects for conflict and cooperation in collaborative decision-making processes. We found that stakeholder motivation and capacity for cooperation with other partners in ecosystem management can be enabled or constrained by several institutional factors, including external policy and regulatory mandates, internal administrative and budget structures, institutional cultures, and approaches to science and decision-making criteria. We conclude with a suggestion that stakeholders in collaborative ecosystem management partnerships identify and address constraints for cooperative action during the early stages of the process.

Description: Developing countries face many critical social, agricultural, and natural resource-related issues where watershed management plays a prominent role. Short-term gains in productivity often occur at the expense of long term system resiliency needed to achieve sustainability. Post-secondary (tertiary) education institutions are underfunded and hampered by bureaucratic inertia limiting their relevance toward addressing emerging water resources concerns. As populations urbanize, rural constituencies continue to lose influence. Using the case of Samaru College of Agriculture, part of Ahmadu Bello University in north-central Nigeria, this paper identifies institutional challenges and suggests solutions to help similar institutions better address watershed management issues. Given current constraints, a watershed management curriculum could be built upon existing courses offered in related majors. Developing partnerships with an expanding private sector could help create opportunities for meaningful solutions to management issues and foster problem solving skills among students. Outside investment in increasing university capacity to address watershed education, including hiring staff focused on these issues, is justifiable given the humanitarian and security crises that have been afflicting northern Nigeria's vulnerable agricultural landscape.

Description: Social network analysis (SNA) was investigated as an efficient way to understand the dynamics behind collaborative endeavors and group formation in project based courses. The SNA was applied to a junior level undergraduate engineering hydrology class with two sections taught by two professors with varying levels of structure. It was found that students tended to use formal sources of information (i.e., professor, teaching assistant, textbook, or class notes); however, the use depended on the amount of structure in the class. More independent students did not collaborate in assigned groups, preferring to self-select study groups. Furthermore, the less structured class created a split atmosphere of “connected” students who had many interactions as well as “disconnected” students on the other end of the spectrum. The more structured class created fewer but more even distribution of interactions between students. The SNA study corroborated that collaborations correlate positively with class grade. In fact, those students with fewer interactions with their classmates performed poorly in the class.

Description: The Delaware River basin is a valuable ecological and economic resource that supplies drinking water to five percent of the population of the United States. Located in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, the basin supplies drinking water to the nation's first (New York City) and seventh (Philadelphia) largest metropolitan economies, and supports the largest freshwater port in the world while sustaining a recovering anadromous shad and striped bass fishery. The Delaware basin contributes over $22 billion in annual economic activity from potential Marcellus Shale gas extraction ($425 million), recreation ($1.2 billion), fish/wildlife ($1.5 billion), public parks ($1.8 billion), water quality ($2.5 billion), navigation ($2.6 billion), agriculture ($3.4 billion), water supply ($3.8 billion), and forest ($5.1 billion) benefits. The value of natural goods and services from Delaware basin ecosystems is $21 billion ($2010) with net present value of $683 billion with contributions from Delaware ($2.5 billion), New Jersey ($6.6 billion), New York ($3.5 billion), and Pennsylvania ($8.6 billion). The Delaware basin supports 600,000 direct/indirect jobs with $10 billion in wages in the coastal, farm, ecotourism, water/wastewater, ports, and recreation industries. This research demonstrates that the Delaware River basin provides significant economic benefits to the region and is worthy of priority investments by elected officials and decision-makers to protect and restore these natural resources.

Description: Natural resource management and education must account for both the natural and human components of a complex system, yet examples of such interdisciplinary approaches are still relatively rare, especially in education. This study discusses a graduate seminar on water management, developed from an interdisciplinary National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. The seminar applied constructivist pedagogy which is not only best suited for interdisciplinary work, but also allows flexibility to redesign the course components and deliverables after each evaluation cycle. While the seminar was a successful experiment, several challenges remain when implementing such courses. These challenges include not only the organization and assessment of course deliverables, but also fitting such courses into the administrative structure of the university when represented disciplines are located in several colleges across campus.

Description: We examine the discursive influence of competing interest groups and how and when U.S. federal legislators use empirical evidence to consider Missouri River diversion projects originating in the relief, recovery, and reform thinking behind President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. Twelve U.S. Congressional committee hearings that occurred between 1944 and 2006 are content analyzed to demonstrate the nature of instrumental arguments in legislative deliberations. Members of Congress in favor of diversion projects used more economic-based, instrumental arguments than interest group representatives sharing their views while members of Congress opposed to the diversion projects consistently used less science-based, instrumental arguments than did interest group representatives sharing their stance. As a percentage, more instrumental arguments were made in field hearings than in Washington, D.C. hearings. While more economic-based, instrumental arguments were made in Senate-related hearings than in House of Representatives related hearings, in the House more science-based, instrumental arguments were made than in the Senate.

Description: To assess management impacts on the functionality of intensively managed agroecosystems, a modeling framework was developed with a bottom-up approach and spatially distributed, process-based models. The framework is equipped with dynamic, data-informed indicators and indices to illuminate the factors influencing sustainability. The proposed dynamic indices consider natural and human aspects of an agroecosystem such as erosion, biogeochemistry, and economics. Most current indicators are static, or slow-changing, soil characterization parameters that reflect better long-term interactions between landscape features, climate, and biology. However, the ever-changing land management and climate necessitates the use of dynamic parameters that reflect agroecosystem responses to different land management on similar timescales (e.g., seasonally). Our framework examines the performance of different ecosystem services including crop productivity, carbon storage, and net income under three different strategies with varying degrees of tillage intensity. The strategy with the highest intensity produced the highest yields, but also had the highest production costs. The second most intense strategy also had high yields, as well as the highest net income. However, these two strategies produced high erosion rates, which depleted the recalcitrant soil carbon, a critical component of system productivity and health. The index that provided the clearest picture of improvement within an agroecosystem was the Carbon Management Index ( CMI ), which incorporates carbon lability and the implicit accounting of soil carbon redistribution from erosion. The CMI for the more intense strategies decreased in recent years, showing that they are not sustainable despite their high short-term productivity or profitability. The least intense strategy had the lowest Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) depletion through erosion and the highest CMI with a trend that is still-increasing through the present. Our study shows that to augment SOC storage, it important not only to increase the overall organic matter input, but also increase the amount of recalcitrant carbon in the soil and the longevity of all soil carbon through aggregate formation.

Description: In February 2014 the USDA established regional climate hubs across the United States to assist farmers, ranchers and foresters in adapting to the effects of climate change. The Southwest (SW) region encompasses six states which provide highly diverse agricultural crops including cotton, stone fruit and grapes. Here we report on the hydrologic context within which SW working landowners operate, with focus on regional water resources and likely impacts of climate change. Water is a critical component of agricultural vulnerability in the SW, where high agricultural production can occur with sufficient irrigation. Since 1978, crop yield declines were reported on 11–21% of total irrigated acres, mostly due to surface water shortage. Southwestern agriculture relies on groundwater, using it to supply at least one-third of the agricultural water demand across the region since 1955. Regional groundwater use varies over time, with a decline in the agricultural groundwater fraction in Arizona, but an increase in the fraction in Nevada and Utah. Observed and predicted changes in the southwestern hydrologic cycle can impact regional agriculture. Observed records show an increase in the fraction of precipitation falling as rain, which is expected to continue with future warming, and decrease the natural high-mountain storage reservoir provided by snowpack. Warming causes the snowmelt to peak earlier in the season than observed in historical records, and can reduce water available to crops during the summer months without additional water storage. Observed records indicate streamflow has shifted earlier in the year, most notably in snow dominated watersheds. A continuation of this trend may challenge regional agriculture by further limiting water supplies.

Description: Several commentators have suggested adoption of improved irrigation will be important for agricultural adaptation to climate change. This study used data from a special tabulation of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey to examine how climate and other factors influence the choice of sprinkler versus gravity-flow irrigation across 17 western states. Because studies of irrigation technology adoption often concentrate on small geographic areas with the same climate, few have estimated effects of climate on irrigation technology choice. Results suggest sprinkler irrigation is a more promising climate adaptation in areas that are relatively cooler and where extreme precipitation events increase. Sprinkler adoption is less likely in warmer climates and under drier climate change scenarios. An implication is that for hot, arid parts of the West, other climate adaptation strategies may be more important to pursue. Consistent with several previous studies, sprinkler adoption was greater among farms that were larger, had higher water costs, and relied more on groundwater. Sprinkler adoption was also greater in states with a higher erosion index that captured effects of rainfall, field slope, and soil water-holding capacity, which also have been found to be important adoption predictors in a number of previous studies.

Description: The command-and-control paradigm of water resource management that dominated 20th century water policy has resulted in vulnerabilities due to its inadequate consideration of the human dimensions as well as its failure to prioritize the need for learning and adapting to change and uncertainties. In response to these shortfalls, recent years have seen the emergence of alternative water policy frameworks, notably integrated water resource management (IWRM) and adaptive management. However, while IWRM broadens the planning goals and scope of water resource governance through integration and coordination across scales and sectors, it does not adequately emphasize learning to deal with uncertainty. On the other hand, adaptive management emphasizes the need to prioritize learning to deal with uncertainty in resource management through monitoring and experimentation, but places less emphasis on the human dimensions required for its successful implementation. This paper discusses adaptive water governance – collaborative, flexible, and learning-based institutions that connect state and non-state actors across multiple levels for ecosystem-based management of land and water resources – as a promising institutional mechanism for integrating the human dimensions into water resource governance while building the capacity of water resource systems to learn and adapt to change. The paper highlights four attributes of adaptive water governance: (1) reintegrating humans into nature; (2) integrating diverse sources and types of knowledge; (3) promoting adaptive and integrative management goals; and (4) using polycentric institutions and analytic deliberation processes. Through these mechanisms, adaptive governance can contribute to sustainability, good governance, conflict management, and social-ecological resilience in water resource systems.

Description: Concerns about the high rate of depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer in the Southern High Plains of Texas (Texas High Plains) in recent years have led to the enactment of policies designed to slow down water extraction and increase the usable life of the aquifer. However, policy implementation has not been uniform across the aquifer, leaving some farmers in portions of the aquifer with no effective groundwater extraction restrictions only a short distance away from areas where farmers face regulatory limits. This study investigates the effects of policy implementation uncertainty on the extraction of groundwater. An econometric model is estimated for harvested acreage of the three major crops produced in the five representative counties of the Texas High Plains. Corn acreage (an irrigation-intensive crop) is used as a proxy for groundwater use. After controlling for price and climate effects, it was concluded that there is strong evidence that groundwater use policy uncertainty is likely to increase groundwater extraction in the Texas High Plains region. The social desire to achieve perpetual sustainability of groundwater resources in the study region, or at the very least to prolong the life of the Ogallala Aquifer, has resulted in discussions about alternative groundwater management policies. Producers, in their concern about the implementation of policies to slow down groundwater extraction, increase their use of water in the short-run in order to maximize profits before groundwater use restriction policies are enforced.

Description: Nonpoint source pollution is recognized as one of the greatest threats to water quality in the United States. Outreach is one tool that can be used to help increase public awareness and motivate action towards addressing water issues. In order to create effective outreach, we must understand public perceptions of water quality, perceived barriers to implementing environmental solutions, and what types of outreach best connect with target audiences. In 2010, social indicator surveys were distributed in two watersheds in Indiana to gather baseline data on urban and agricultural residents' attitudes towards and usage of water quality conservation practices. Local watershed organizations then used various outreach methods to encourage residents to implement specific practices. In 2014, post-project surveys were conducted in both watersheds to assess whether the outreach efforts had been effective. Even with outreach efforts, many residents still were unaware that specific water pollutants were problems in their watershed. There were, however, positive changes in overall water quality attitudes. Changes in awareness and adoption of conservation practices varied by watershed and resident type, yet generally moved in a positive direction or were unchanged. The primary barrier to practice adoption for all respondents was cost. Outreach events were generally not well attended and did little to change attendee behavior. Some outreach activities seem to be more useful than others in terms of self-reported effectiveness while others are clearly visible to the community and may be a helpful way to raise awareness.

Description: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) led a multi-state, collaborative natural lawn care outreach program promoting sustainable lawn care practices at the community and household level. The programmatic goal was to improve Lake Michigan basin ecosystem health by reducing pesticide, synthetic fertilizer, and irrigation water use and runoff within the watershed through changing the practices of those responsible for the creation and upkeep of lawns. Targeted audiences were educated about the relationship between Great Lakes Basin watershed health and lawn care practices as well as trained in natural, low-input lawn care methods. The program aimed at achieving efficiency by leveraging collaborating partner resources to adapt existing materials and transfer programs across partners and states. Anticipated program impacts were estimated prior to implementation based on previous program evaluations and available research, and additional evaluations were conducted during the project period (2010–2014). Over the outreach period, over 300 landscape professionals, 400 Master Gardeners and teachers, and 2,000 homeowners were trained in natural lawn care practices. Using an evaluation transfer approach, this effort translates into an estimated reduction of 3.4 million pounds of weed and feed applied to lawns per year with associated decreases in pesticides, phosphorous, and irrigation. This paper reflects on lessons learned though the natural lawn care program evaluation experience and makes recommendations for future programming.

Description: Roadside springs are prevalent across Pennsylvania, but little information has been available about their public use or their suitability as a drinking water source. Penn State Extension conducted research to document roadside spring use and drinking water quality between 2013 and 2015. A survey of over 1,000 Pennsylvania residents found that 30% have consumed water from a roadside spring and 12% consume water every year, mostly because they perceive the water as natural with a good taste. A synoptic survey of 37 springs in 2013–2014 found that more than 90% failed one or more health-based drinking water standards. A more intensive follow-up study in 2014–2015 on ten of the 37 roadside springs found that they consistently failed drinking water standards throughout the year, including some presence of both Giardia and Cryptosporidium cysts. Total coliform bacteria were found to be a better indicator of the overall microbiological drinking water safety of these springs than Escherichia coli bacteria when only a single sample is collected. The frequent use of roadside springs along with poor drinking water quality represent a significant health risk that needs to be addressed in public health education programs.

Description: Management of water resources at a watershed scale often occurs at the local level and relies on the effectiveness of local staff and leaders. Four land-grant universities in Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio are delivering training programs that build the capacity of local water resource professionals. Based on experience from these programs, a survey on watershed management core competencies, and two surveys of information and training needs for watershed groups, we examined what core proficiencies are needed by watershed group leaders, how existing programs have approached professional training, and effective methods for delivering the training. Results indicated that successful watershed leaders said they must have skills in leadership, communication, collaboration, technology, policy, and planning along with a solid understanding of natural science disciplines. More importantly, they must be able to integrate these skills to solve problems. The mode of delivery (distance or in-person) depended on the audience and training goals, emphasized networking opportunities with the instructor and other participants, and encouraged participants to apply lessons to their own situations. Features of a successful training program that effectively build watershed leadership capacity are provided.

Description: The One World One Water Center for Urban Water Education and Stewardship (O'WOW Center) at Metropolitan State University of Denver is an innovative program designed to educate students and others about the important role of water in Colorado's economy and environment. The Center was created in 2011 with a $1 million donation to develop “urban water stewards” from diverse backgrounds and a wide range of disciplines. Students who study hydrology, history, politics, biology, water law, psychology, theater, art, geography, environmental science, chemistry, conflict resolution and negotiation, and other disciplines will be guided toward internships, careers, and volunteer opportunities to help shape new solutions for local and statewide water issues. To date, approximately 6,000 people have been directly reached by the O'WOW Center during the first four years of operation with potentially thousands of others reached indirectly. Outreach activities have included water festivals, water summits, author talks, seminars, media events and field trips. This paper illustrates the need for the O'WOW Center and presents information regarding MSU Denver, the Pilot Project and how the Center was created. The new Water Studies minor and Water Studies Certificate, fundraising and other current projects of O'WOW are described. Finally, the paper explores successes and challenges experienced by the faculty and staff of the O'WOW Center.

Description: Informal science education has received great attention nationally in recent years, however little has been included in the research or policy literature regarding camps as contexts for informal learning. This article first describes how a Great Lakes water resource education camp is based upon professional definitions of informal, nonformal and formal education. Next, we describe specific details of our long-running Michigan 4-H Great Lakes and Natural Resources Camp designed to foster teen leadership and watershed stewardship. The Camp utilizes research-based best practices in nonformal science education, Place Based Education, Great Lakes Literacy education, and environmental education, as we demonstrate through detailed literature review. We also provide details of quantitative impact evaluation conducted between 1999 and 2012 and involving over 700 youth participants. Youth received pre-Camp and immediate post-Camp surveys. The Camp had a positive impact on teens' Great Lakes literacy, place attachment, and stewardship intentions. We conclude with recommendations for designing nonformal water literacy education, based on guidelines from the National Research Council and from our experiences, to enhance whole-person development and deep learning through nonformal camp-based programs.

Description: Extension has a long history of conducting educational programs for agricultural producers on a wide array of issues, including water quality. In Ohio, the focus of these educational efforts has grown to include best management practices for nutrient management. The need for education in nutrient management began in earnest in the 1970s due to the presence of harmful algal blooms (HAB) in the Western Lake Erie Basin. International actions taken during that time all but eliminated the HABs from the lake until they made a resurgence in the 1990s. Twenty years later, the HAB threat in Lake Erie is still present and has major implications for commerce, tourism, and human and environmental health. The HAB threat has spurred outcries from the general public, resulting in the creation of new laws by the Ohio Legislature, and an expanded and enhanced focus area for Ohio State University Extension (OSUE) programming. In this paper, we describe the conditions that have led to the development of the HAB in Lake Erie, the legislative action that has been taken in attempts to curb the problem, and the educational programs developed by OSUE in partnership with state agencies, non-government organizations, and other interested parties to address these water quality issues with Ohio agricultural producers and the general public.

Description: Stormwater management is a concern for communities in the United States, particularly those with populations over 10,000 because of mandates to reduce runoff volumes and associated pollutants. An extension Stormwater and Greenspace Work Group was organized at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) in 2006 to develop educational programs addressing municipal stormwater runoff using green infrastructure and other best management practices. A USDA-NIFA integrated grant was received in 2009 which greatly expanded the audience and scope of programming to include extension, education, and research components. Extension programming was targeted at design and green industry professionals, MS4 stormwater program managers, municipal officials, Master Gardeners, and homeowners. Extension activities included: meeting presentations; all-day rain garden workshops/installations; green infrastructure tours; rain barrel construction workshops; web-based resources; interactive rain garden models; youth activities; and publications. Academic programs in landscape architecture and landscape horticulture expanded curriculum in green infrastructure, low impact development, and stormwater best management practice design and construction. Efforts have culminated in new course lectures as well as studio design projects that conceptually addressed real-world clients and stormwater management projects. Project research studies evaluated in-situ rain garden hydrologic and plant growth attributes, homeowner perspectives on rain garden installation programs, and current regional bioretention design standards. The strong integration of extension, teaching, and research, which can often be a significant challenge, is a primary key to the success of UNL stormwater management programming. The resulting synergy has helped communities and individuals more effectively manage stormwater quantity and quality while building a knowledge-base that will support future initiatives and programs.