Publications From All Seven NERPs:
TITLE AUTHORS SUBJECT DESCRIPTION RESEARCH ORGANIZATION SPONSORING ORGANIZATION PUBLICATION COUNTRY PUBLICATION DATE RESOURCE TYPE DOI CITATION URL
2022 Site Environmental Report: Idaho National Laboratory Forman, Amy D.; Teckmeyer, Blane E.; Donovan, Brian Mitchell; Bybee, Bryan F.; Kramer, Colby J.; Cook, Elizabeth; Holmer, Nicholas A.; Daley, Jason; Sondrup, A. Jeffrey; Shive, Jeremy; Claver, Kevin T.; Overin, Kira Brianne; Kaser, Kristin N.; Scherbinske, Peggy; Devasirvatham, Rajkumar S.; Williams, Samuel Richard; Rackow, Tom; Campbell, Christopher; Millward, Danielle; Traub, Eric; Thomas, Jennifer; Alberico, Kristina; Thompson, Sarah; Vilord, Sue; Morgan, Vanessa; Holmes, Betsy; Ljungberg, Charles; Anderson, Jason; Laner, Jimmy; Hernandez, Nicole; Badrov, Nicole; Goodwin, Shelby; Wahnschaffe, Steve; Butler, Tauna; Hartzell, Chase; Backstrom, Guy; Larsen, Daphne; Balsmeier, Nick; Sanders, Ty; Thompson, Tommy; Herzog, Doug; Miller, Danielle; Pruitt, Doug; Harvey, Chris; Simmons, Chauntel; Neville, Trent; Rich, Jason; Twining, Brian; Treinen, Kerri; Trcka, Allison; Hendricks, Brande M 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; Dose to the Public and Biota; Environmental Compliance; Environmental Management Systems; Environmental Monitoring Programs â Agricultural Products, Wildlife, Soil, and Direct Radiation; Environmental Monitoring Programs â Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer; Environmental Monitoring Programs: Air; Environmental Monitoring Programs: Liquid Effluents Monitoring; Natural and Cultural Resources Conservation and Planning; Quality Assurance The INL Siteâs operations, as well as the ongoing cleanup mission involve a commitment to environmental stewardship and full compliance with environmental protection laws. As part of this commitment, the INL Site Environmental Report is prepared annually to inform the public, regulators, stakeholders, and other interested parties of the INL Siteâs environmental performance during the year. This report is published for U.S. Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) in compliance with DOE O 231.1B, âEnvironment, Safety and Health Reporting.â The purpose of the report is to provide the following: (1) Present the INL Site, mission, and programs, (2) Report compliance status with applicable federal, state, and local regulations, (3) Describe the INL Site environmental programs and activities, (4) Summarize results of environmental monitoring, (5) Discuss potential radiation doses to the public residing in the vicinity of the INL Site, (6) Report on ecological monitoring and research conducted by contractors and affiliated agencies and by independent researchers through the Idaho National Environmental Research Park, (7) Describe quality assurance methods used to ensure confidence in monitoring data, and (8) Provide supplemental technical data and reports that support the INL Site Environmental Report (https://idahoeser.inl.gov/publications.html). Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE United States 2023-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/2278840 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2278840
2021 Idaho National Laboratory Site Environmental Report Hendricks, Brande M. 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Surveillance The INL Siteâs operations, as well as the ongoing cleanup, necessarily involve a commitment to environmental stewardship and full compliance with environmental protection laws. As part of this commitment, the INL Site Environmental Report is prepared annually to inform the public, regulators, stakeholders, and other interested parties of the INL Siteâs environmental performance during the year. This report is published for the DOE-ID in compliance with DOE O 231.1B, âEnvironment, Safety and Health Reporting.â Its purpose is to: ⢠Present the INL Site, mission, and programs ⢠Report compliance status with applicable federal, state, and local regulations ⢠Describe the INL Site environmental programs and activities ⢠Summarize results of environmental monitoring ⢠Discuss potential radiation doses to the public residing in the vicinity of the INL Site ⢠Report on ecological monitoring and research conducted by contractors and affiliated agencies and by independent researchers through the Idaho National Environmental Research Park ⢠Describe quality assurance methods used to ensure confidence in monitoring data ⢠Provide supplemental technical data and reports that support the INL Site Environmental Report (https://idahoeser.inl.gov/publications.html). Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Environmental Protection, Sustainability Support and Analysis (AU-20) United States 2022-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1894895 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1894895
Environmental Survey Report for ORNL: Small Mammal Abundance and Distribution Survey Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park 2009 - 2010 Giffen, Neil R; Reasor, R. Scott; Campbell, Claire L. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; DISTRIBUTION; ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION; HABITAT; MAMMALS; MANAGEMENT; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORNL; PLANTS; SAMPLING; SHREWS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; STREAMS; TRAPPING; VOLES This report summarizes a 1-year small mammal biodiversity survey conducted on the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park (OR Research Park). The task was implemented through the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Natural Resources Management Program and included researchers from the ORNL Environmental Sciences Division, interns in the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Higher Education Research Experiences Program, and ORNL Environmental Protection Services staff. Eight sites were surveyed reservation wide. The survey was conducted in an effort to determine species abundance and diversity of small mammal populations throughout the reservation and to continue the historical inventory of small mammal presence for biodiversity records. This data collection effort was in support of the approved Wildlife Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation, a major goal of which is to maintain and enhance wildlife biodiversity on the Reservation. Three of the sites (Poplar Creek, McNew Hollow, and Deer Check Station Field) were previously surveyed during a major natural resources inventory conducted in 1996. Five new sites were included in this study: Bearden Creek, Rainy Knob (Natural Area 21), Gum Hollow, White Oak Creek and Melton Branch. The 2009-2010 small mammal surveys were conducted from June 2009 to July 2010 on the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park (OR Research Park). The survey had two main goals: (1) to determine species abundance and diversity and (2) to update historical records on the OR Research Park. The park is located on the Department of Energy-owned Oak Ridge Reservation, which encompasses 13,580 ha. The primary focus of the study was riparian zones. In addition to small mammal sampling, vegetation and coarse woody debris samples were taken at certain sites to determine any correlations between habitat and species presence. During the survey all specimens were captured and released using live trapping techniques including Sherman and pitfall traps. In total 227 small mammals representing nine species were captured during the course of the study. The most common species found in the study was the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus). The least common species found were the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius), woodland vole (Microtus pinetorum), and northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda). Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) ORNL other overhead United States 2009-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1024705 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1024705
Natural Resources Assessment for the SNS Second Target Station, Oak Ridge, Tennessee Carter, Evin T.; Byrd, Greg; McCracken, Kitty; Darling, Sara E.; Herold, Jamie; Hayter, Lindsey; Giffen, Neil R. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES The US Department of Energyâs Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a leading institution in advanced materials, supercomputing, neutrons, and nuclear science. As a research laboratory managed by UT-Battelle, LLC for DOE, ORNL has national priorities in energy, security, and scientific discovery that necessitate facility improvements and expansions. DOE is also committed to environmental stewardship. The laboratory is located on the ~32,000-acre Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), much of which is categorized as a National Environmental Research Park and a state Wildlife Management Area. DOE works with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), US Department of Agriculture, and other agencies to serve as an effective steward of the ORR. Accordingly, project managers must conform to environmental regulations, agreements, and policies at the federal, state, and institutional levels. Per 40 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) 1508.14, potential effects on research and science education on the National Environmental Research Park represent potential impacts of federal actions. Moreover, federal actions that affect the quantity and quality of hunting opportunities and deer reduction harvest on the Oak Ridge Wildlife Management Area must be considered whenever other aspects of the human environment (as defined by NEPA) are affected. The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) is a premiere facility at ORNL that provides advanced capabilities in neutron scattering to promote new discoveries and research opportunities in material sciences, physics, chemistry, biological sciences, and others. A conceptual design for a Second Target Station (STS) has been in consideration for several years. The STS is intended to complement and enhance existing ORNL capabilities, notably research and exploration of complex materials. The proposed STS will involve development of existing natural areas on the ORR, which might contain sensitive resources that require mitigation or avoidance in accordance with existing policies and regulation. This report summarizes current knowledge of natural and cultural resources within the STS project area. At the time of this report, the proposed STS project consisted of an operations area comprising 55.4 acres (22.4 ha) and a total review area for potential construction comprising ~224 acres (90.6 ha). The review area is located primarily within forested natural areas of the ORR with minor development in the form of power-line rights-of-way and secondary/graveled roads (Figure 1). The primary goal was to evaluate potential effects on sensitive resources that might result from development of the STS. In addition to onthe-ground surveys during summer 2009 and fall 2019 to summer 2020 by ORNL Natural Resources Management Program and Aquatic Ecology Group staff, this report makes use of historical (pre-1995) and contemporary (1995 to present) data from additional confirmed sources (e.g., TDEC). Likewise, forest conditions were compiled primarily from a 2013 forest inventory effort for Forest Management Compartment 17 and supplemented with limited ground observations in 2019. The individuals who obtained and compiled the data that are presented here are familiar with and routinely assess sensitive resources on the ORR. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE United States 2020-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1669759 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1669759
National Environmental Research Parks 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540150; 540250; 540350; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; LAND USE; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; US DOE The National Environmental Research Parks are outdoor laboratories that provide opportunities for environmental studies on protected lands that act as buffers around Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. The research parks are used to evaluate the environmental consequences of energy use and development as well as the strategies to mitigate these effects. They are also used to demonstrate possible environmental and land-use options. The seven parks are: Fermilab National Environmental Research Park; Hanford National Environmental Research Park; Idaho National Environmental Research Park; Los Alamos National Environmental Research Park; Nevada National Environmental Research Park; Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park; and Savannah River National Environmental Research Park. This document gives an overview of the events that led to the creation of the research parks. Its main purpose is to summarize key points about each park, including ecological research, geological characteristics, facilities, and available databases. USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10161197 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10161197
Assessment of Nonnative Invasive Plants in the DOE Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park Drake, S J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ANIMALS; COMMUNITIES; DISTRIBUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; GEOLOGIC SURVEYS; MANAGEMENT; TENNESSEE; VALLEYS The Department of Energy (DOE) National Environmental Research Park at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is composed of second-growth forest stands characteristic of much of the eastern deciduous forest of the Ridge and Valley Province of Tennessee. Human use of natural ecosystems in this region has facilitated the establishment of at least 167 nonnative, invasive plant species on the Research Park. Our objective was to assess the distribution, abundance, impact, and potential for control of the 18 most abundant invasive species on the Research Park. In 2000, field surveys were conducted of 16 management areas on the Research Park (14 Natural Areas, 1 Reference Area, and Walker Branch Watershed) and the Research Park as a whole to acquire qualitative and quantitative data on the distribution and abundance of these taxa. Data from the surveys were used to rank the relative importance of these species using the ''Alien Plant Ranking System, Version 5.1'' developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. Microstegium (Microstegium vimineum) was ranked highest, or most problematic, for the entire Research Park because of its potential impact on natural systems, its tendency to become a management problem, and how difficult it is to control. Microstegium was present in 12 of the 16 individual sites surveyed; when present, it consistently ranked as the most problematic invasive species, particularly in terms of its potential impact on natural systems. Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) and Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) were the second- and third-most problematic plant species on the Research Park; these two species were present in 12 and 9 of the 16 sites surveyed, respectively, and often ranked second- or third-most problematic. Other nonnative, invasive species, in decreasing rank order, included kudzu (Pueraria montma), multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), Chinese lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneara), and other species representing a variety of life forms and growth forms. Results of this research can be used to prioritize management and research activities related to these invasive taxa on the Research Park as a whole and for specific Natural or Reference Areas. Additional research on the autecology and synecology of each species surveyed is suggested. In particular, research should focus on assessing the impacts of these species on the invaded plant and animal communities and ecosystems. Finally, this ranking system could be used to similarly rank the many other nonnative, invasive species present on the Research Park not included in this study. ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2002-11-05T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/814178 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/814178
Sensitive Resources Assessment and Forest Analysis for the Proposed Versatile Test Reactor, Oak Ridge, Tennessee Carter, Evin; Byrd, Greg; Herold, Jamie; Darling, Sara; McCracken, Kitty; Hayter, Lindsey; Wade, Bryce; Giffen, Neil 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS The US Department of Energyâs (DOEâs) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a leading institution in advanced materials, supercomputing, neutrons, and nuclear science. As a research laboratory managed by UT-Battelle, LLC for DOE, ORNL has national priorities in energy, security, and scientific discovery that necessitate facility improvements and expansions. DOE is also committed to environmental stewardship. The laboratory is located on the ~32,000-acre (~13,000-ha) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), much of which is categorized as a National Environmental Research Park (NERP) and a state Wildlife Management Area. DOE works with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), US Department of Agriculture, and other agencies to serve as an effective steward of the ORR. Accordingly, project managers must conform to environmental regulations, agreements, and policies at the federal, state, and institutional levels. Per 40 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) 1508.14, potential effects on research and science education also represent potential effects of federal actions on the NERP, and impacts on, e.g., deer harvest, must be considered on the Oak Ridge Wildlife Management Area when other aspects of the human environment are affected. The United States currently has no fast neutron testing capability to support advanced nuclear research and development. The proposed Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) will take advantage of current investments by the US government and private industry in nuclear reactors to expedite the design and construction process, using proven technology to create a world-class scientific infrastructure. The VTR will take advantage of fast neutrons provided by this proven technology, along with a capability to rapidly insert, conduct, and remove state-of-the-art experiments. An advantage of the VTR is that it can support future innovations in experimental capabilities without modifying the facility. The VTR will support progress in a variety of science and technology areas, including testing and qualification of advanced reactor fuels; testing and qualification of innovative structural materials; testing of innovative components and instruments; validation of advanced modeling and simulation tools; and versatility for future technical missions. Through proven technology, the VTR can take advantage of existing reactor designs and operating experience to reduce the risk, cost, and time for design and construction. The top available resources of DOE laboratories, industry, and universities will be used to expedite reactor design and construction toward developing the scientific infrastructure that affords a strong testing capability that can be sustained over many years. This report summarizes current knowledge of natural and cultural resources primarily within the VTR construction area. At the time of this report, the proposed VTR site design includes a construction area of ~150.4 acres (~69.9 ha), which contains an ~51.3-acre (~20.8-ha) operations area, located within forested natural areas of the ORR. The primary goal of the work presented here was to evaluate potential effects on sensitive resources that might result from development and construction activities associated with VTR. In addition to on-the-ground surveys during spring and summer 2020 by the ORNL Natural Resources Management Program and Aquatic Ecology Group staff, this report makes use of historical (pre-1995) and contemporary (1995 to present) data from additional confirmed sources (e.g., TDEC). Likewise, forest conditions were compiled from a 2011 forest inventory and supplemented with limited ground observations in 2020. The individuals who obtained and compiled the data presented here are familiar with and routinely assess sensitive resources on the ORR. Anyone who references this report must consider that the timing of surveys did not permit a complete delineation of the resources that will be affected. If the VTR project proceeds, additional surveys will be required to account for the seasonal patterns of various threatened and endangered species. Data deficiencies and potential resources that likely went undetected are indicated where possible. Accordingly, this report should facilitate more environmentally sound decisions during planning and 2 development of the VTR site, provide a foundation for further assessment of sensitive and cultural resources, and help project managers better address regulatory guidance and DOE policies on sustainable development in compliance with, for example, the US Endangered Species Act (ESA), Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), Tennessee Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act of 1985, Tennessee Nongame and Endangered or Threatened Wildlife Species Conservation Act of 1974, several federal and state regulations regarding aquatic resource protection, and site-specific policies as outlined in various ORR management plans developed by ORNL and TWRA for DOE. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE United States 2020-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1675045 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1675045
Environmental Assessment for Lease of Land for the Development of a Research Park at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico - Final Document 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; ACCIDENTS; EA; ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; EMPLOYMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; EXPENDITURES; HABITAT; LAND; LANL; LEASE; LEASES; LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY; NUCLEAR ENERGY; PERSONNEL; RESEARCH PARK As part of its initiative to fulfill its responsibilities to provide support for the incorporated County of Los Alamos (the County) as an Atomic Energy Community, while simultaneously fulfilling its obligations to enhance the self-sufficiency of the County under authority of the Atomic Energy Community Act of 1955 and the Defense Authorization Act, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to lease undeveloped land in Los Alamos, New Mexico, to the County for private sector use as a research park. The Proposed Action is intended to accelerate economic development activities within the County by creating regional employment opportunities through offering federal land for private sector lease and use. As a result of the proposed land lease, any government expenditures for providing infrastructure to the property would be somewhat supplemented by tenant purchase of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) expertise in research and development activities. The presence of a research park within LANL boundaries is expected to allow private sector tenants of the park to be able to quickly and efficiently call upon LANL scientific expertise and facility and equipment capabilities as part of their own research operations and LANL research personnel, in turn, would be challenged in areas complementary to their federally funded research. In this way a symbiotic relationship would be enjoyed by both parties while simultaneously promoting economic development for the County through new job opportunities at the Research Park and at LANL, new indirect support opportunities for the community at large, and through payment of the basic building space leases. A ''sliding-scale'' approach (DOE 1993) is the basis for the analysis of effects in this Environmental Assessment (EA). That is, certain aspects of the Proposed Action have a greater potential for creating adverse environmental effects than others; therefore, they are discussed in greater detail in this EA than those aspects of the action that have little potential for effect. The Proposed Action would result in an increase of as many as 1,500 new direct jobs and, as many as 2,565 indirect jobs could be created from the development of a research park. Lease of the tract would not reduce the size of LANL or change its site boundary. However, approximately 30 ac (12 ha) of a 60-ac (24-ha) tract would be changed from an undeveloped to a developed status. Under the No Action Alternative, no transfer or lease of Federal lands would occur. LANL would not have the benefit of its research personnel working on a variety of complementary research efforts beyond their federally funded responsibilities. No new jobs would be created from proposed development activities. Undeveloped lands would remain in their current condition. Two hypothetical accidents were analyzed that evaluated a potential chemical release and radiological doses to the public from hypothetical accidents at the proposed Research Park. Neither accident scenario resulted in potentially serious health effects for workers or the public at the proposed Research Park. The cumulative effects of the Proposed Action as well as reasonably foreseeable related actions could result in potential adverse health effects. Environmental effects would be limited to the loss of a small amount of wildlife habitat. Additional economic development would be expected to occur. USDOE Los Alamos Area Office, Los Alamos, NM (US) USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US) United States 1997-10-07T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/768512 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/768512
Vertebrate fauna of the Idaho National Environmental Research Park Reynolds, T D; Connelly, J W; Halford, D K; Arthur, W J 560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ABUNDANCE; AMPHIBIANS; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BIRDS; DATA; DISTRIBUTION; ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FISHES; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; INFORMATION; MAMMALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; NUMERICAL DATA; RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT; RESOURCES; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) is an energy research and development site administered by the US Department of Energy (DOE). The Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 ordered the US Energy Research and Development Administration (precursor to DOE) to engage in environmental research related to the development of energy sources to advance the goals of restoring, protecting, and enhancing environmental quality. The INEL was designated the nation's second National Environmental Research Park (NERP) in 1975 to satisfy this directive. The NERP provides a controlled, protected, outdoor laboratory for environmentally related research to help achieve national environmental goals as stated in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. The NERP charter presents broad objectives which, in part, require that each NERP serve as a bench mark for quantitatively assessing and predicting the environmental impact of man's activities. The compilation of baseline data, including species lists and identification of ecological communities, is fundamental to the NERP objectives. Much of the research on individual species of wildlife found on the Idaho NERP has been published in the scientific literature or presented in theses, dissertation, or reports (vide Markham 1973, 1978, 1983). This paper represents a consolidation of those findings which, combined with unpublished information provide baseline data on the abundance, distribution, habitat preference and seasonal occurrence of the vertebrate species recorded on the Idaho NERP. 79 references, 1 figure, 4 tables. Dept. of Energy, Idaho Falls, ID United States 1986-07-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6956390
Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park, Department of Energy Program Plan Parr, P D 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; 290400 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources; 293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy, Legislation, & Regulation; 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 520500 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES; COMPLIANCE; EDUCATION; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; FEDERAL REGION IV; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; HANFORD RESERVATION; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LAWS; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; NORTH AMERICA; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TENNESSEE; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA The Department of Energy's Office of Health and Environmental Research (DOE-OHER) is developing an overall research plan for the National Environmental Research Parks (NERPs) program, which it administers nationally. Each NERP will develop its own program plan, following an outline developed by NERP managers, DOE Operations Offices, and DOE-OHER. The Oak Ridge NERP program plan includes an introduction to the concept and mission of a NERP; the philosophy, program integration, and administration of the Oak Ridge NERP; specific goals and objectives; progress to date; and, future issues on a national and local level. 5 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1987-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5608715
Resource management plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 30, Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park natural areas and reference areas--Oak Ridge Reservation environmentally sensitive sites containing special plants, animals, and communities Pounds, L R; Parr, P D; Ryon, M G 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210; ANIMALS; BASIC STUDIES; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HABITAT; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANTS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Areas on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) that contain rare plant or animal species or are special habitats are protected through National Environmental Research Park Natural Area (NA) or Reference Area (RA) designations. The US Department of Energy`s Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park program is responsible for identifying species of vascular plants that are endangered, threatened, or rare and, as much as possible, for conserving those areas in which such species grow. This report includes a listing of Research Park NAs and RAs with general habitat descriptions and a computer-generated map with the areas identified. These are the locations of rare plant or animal species or special habitats that are known at this time. As the Reservation continues to be surveyed, it is expected that additional sites will be designated as Research Park NAs or RAs. This document is a component of a larger effort to identify environmentally sensitive areas on ORR. This report identifies the currently known locations of rare plant species, rare animal species, and special biological communities. Floodplains, wetlands (except those in RAs or NAs), and cultural resources are not included in this report. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10179639 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10179639
Oak Ridge Reservation Bird Records and Population Trends Roy, W. Kelly; Giffen, Neil R.; Wade, Murray; Haines, Angelina; Evans, James W.; Jett, Robert Trent 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Bird Records; Oak Ridge Reservation; Population Trends Bird data have been collected through surveys, environmental assessments, and other observations for decades in the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park, located on the US Department of Energy s Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in East Tennessee. Birds were recorded in a variety of habitats, including wetlands, interior forests, grasslands, ponds, corridors, forest edges, and more. Most of the information was gathered from waterfowl surveys conducted from 1990 to 2008, from Partners in Flight (PIF) breeding bird surveys conducted from 1995 to 2013, and from past publications and research on Reservation birds. We have also included our own observations and, in a few instances, credible observations of ORR birds of which we have been made aware through eBird or discussions with area ornithologists and bird watchers. For the period 1950 2014, we were able to document 228 species of birds on the ORR. Several of these species are known from historic records only, while others were not known to have ever occurred on the Reservation until recently. This report does not include PIF breeding bird data from the 2014 season or any records after July 2014. Twenty-two species approximately 10% of the total number of species observed have state-listed status in Tennessee as endangered, threatened, or in need of management. Of the 228 species we documented, 120 are believed to be breeding birds on the ORR. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE United States 2014-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1185458 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1185458
Oak Ridge Reservation Bird Records and Population Trends Roy, W. K.; Giffen, N. R.; Wade, M. C.; Haines, A. M.; Evans, J. W.; Jett, R. T. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Bird Records; Oak Ridge Reservation; Population Trends Bird data have been collected through surveys, environmental assessments, and other observations for decades in the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park, located on the US Department of Energyâs Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in East Tennessee. Birds were recorded in a variety of habitats, including wetlands, interior forests, grasslands, ponds, corridors, forest edges, and more. Most of the information was gathered from waterfowl surveys conducted from 1990 to 2008, from Partners in Flight (PIF) breeding bird surveys conducted from 1995 to 2013, and from past publications and research on Reservation birds. We have also included our own observations and, in a few instances, credible observations of ORR birds of which we have been made aware through eBird or discussions with area ornithologists and bird watchers. For the period 1950-2014, we were able to document 228 species of birds on the ORR. Several of these species are known from historic records only, while others were not known to have ever occurred on the Reservation until recently. This report does not include PIF breeding bird data from the 2014 season or any records after July 2014. Twenty-two species--approximately 10% of the total number of species observed--have state-listed status in Tennessee as endangered, threatened, or in need of management. Of the 228 species we documented, 120 are believed to be breeding birds on the ORR. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE; Audubon and Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology (eBird); Bird Banding Laboratory, U.S. Geological Survey; CDM Smith; Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation; Tennessee Technological University; Tennessee Valley Authority; Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency; University of Tennessee; US Department of Agriculture-Wildlife Services; and US Fish and Wildlife Services United States 2014-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1163889 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1163889
Status of the flora of the Los Alamos National Environmental Research Park Foxx, T S; Tierney, G D 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HABITAT; LASL; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; PLANTS; RESOURCES; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, it became necessary to locate critical habitats of plant species in danger of extinction on State and Federal lands. In 1976 the Los Alamos National Environmental Research park (LA/NERP) was established to provide a study area that would contribute to the understanding of how man can best live in balance with nature while enjoying the benefits of technology. Under this mandate, a study to provide information regarding the locations of possible endangered, threatened, protected, and rare species within the LA/NERP was initiated in August 1977. Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA) United States 1980-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5341682 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5341682
Status of the flora of the Los Alamos National Environmental Research Park: a historical perspective. Volume 2 Foxx, T S; Tierney, G D 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMMUNITIES; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HABITAT; LAND USE; LASL; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; PLANTS; RESOURCES; SPECIES DIVERSITY; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS Studies of the flora of the Los Alamos National Environmental Research Park (LA/NERP) are continued in Water and Pajarito Canyons and their extensions to natural boundaries outside the LA/NERP. Six plant communities and sixteen plant habitats are described for the plant communities and sixteen plant habitats are described for the study area. The status of endangered, threatened, and rare plant species in the study area is reviewed, and land-use history of the Pajarito Plateau is related to the levels of apparent anthropogenic disturbance in the study areas' six plant communities. 66 references, 20 figures. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) United States 1984-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6212102
Resource Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation: Volume 23, Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park, Research Sites, and State Natural Areas Parr, P D; Pounds, L R 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; FEDERAL REGION IV; MANAGEMENT; NATURE RESERVES; NORTH AMERICA; OAK RIDGE; PLANNING; RESOURCE ASSESSMENT; RESOURCES; TENNESSEE; USA The Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park (NERP) program provides 5008 ha (12,374 acres) of land and water areas on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) that are protected for research and education in the environmental sciences. Through environmental research projects and other approved resource uses of the area, the NERP serves to demonstrate that energy technology and Department of Energy (DOE) facilities are compatible with a quality environment. Oak Ridge NERP activities include (1) research in the environmental sciences and coordination of all Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) research and monitoring sites on the NERP, (2) preservation of genetic diversity within the area and protection of sites for baseline information in research through NERP Natural Areas and NERP Reference Areas, (3) coordination with state and federal agencies regarding rare plant populations on the ORR and responsibility for the State Natural Areas registered on the ORR, (4) educational activities that allow precollege students to gain hands-on experience in environmental field activities, and (5) opportunities for college students and faculty to pursue research on the ORR. The original NERP Management Plan (1981), the DOE-NERP Charter, and its Program Directives are the basis for this volume. NERP activities and goals have been expanded and revised to reflect current directions. Also included are maps and descriptions of Research Sites, DOE-NERP Natural Areas and Reference Areas, and State natural Areas. Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (USA) United States 1987-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6369455
Proposal to establish a National Environmental Research Park at El Faro, Fajardo, Puerto Rico Clements, R G; Bunnell, R C 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; AMBIENT TEMPERATURE; BASELINE ECOLOGY; CLIMATES; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; FEDERAL REGION II; GEOGRAPHY; GEOLOGY; GREATER ANTILLES; ISLANDS; NATURE RESERVES; NORTH AMERICA; PLANTS; PUERTO RICO; RESOURCES; SOILS; TOPOGRAPHY; USA; WEST INDIES A characterization study was conducted to determine the potential of the site known as El Faro near Fajardo, Puerto Rico, as a National Environmental Research Park. The characterization included description of geology, soils, climatology and vegetation in the area proposed for the park. Elements of the fauna and the lagoon ecosystem were also discussed. The report outlines ongoing and proposed research for the site. 11 references, 20 figures. Center for Energy and Environment Research, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico) United States 1978-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6202214
National Environmental Research Park, Savannah River Plant, Aiken, South Carolina 500500 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 520500 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ECOSYSTEMS; FOOD CHAINS; FORESTRY; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; METEOROLOGY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; POLLUTION; RADIATION HAZARDS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; RIVERS; SAVANNAH RIVER; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; STREAMS; SURFACE WATERS; SWAMPS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; THERMAL POLLUTION; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WETLANDS; WILD ANIMALS The United States' first National Environmental Research Park consists of 200,000 acres of the Savannah River Plant. This pamphlet briefly describes the park and ten major research areas currently being pursued: food chain analysis, heated pond studies, thermal effects laboratory, swamp studies, dose-to-man program, river studies, research in natural areas, wildlife, meteorological data, and forestry research. (ACR) Energy Research and Development Administration, Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Operations Office United States 1975-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6386535
Proposal to Establish a National Environmental Research Park within the ERDA Oak Ridge Reservation Hibbs, R F The purpose of this proposal is to recorranend that areas within the ERDA Oak Ridge Reservation be designated as a National Environmental Research Park (NERP). The NERP concept is intended to provide research areas, representing different biological communities throughout the United States, to assess the impact of energy-producing technologies upon environmental quality. Oak Ridge is a particularly excellent site, in that it represents the Ridge and Valley Province of the South Appalachians and has an established reputation for excellence in environmental research. The NERP at Oak Ridge will be formed by selected land and water areas within the ERDA Oak Ridge Reservation which the Environmental Sciences Division, ORNL, has used for many years. Management of the Park by the Oak Ridge Operations will ensure compatibility with ERDA needs and long-range development plans. Current information about the NERP can be found at NERP.ornl.gov. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE United States 1977-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/3001732 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/3001732
Proceedings of the National Environmental Research Park symposium, Idaho Falls, Idaho, October 22, 1974 *AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS-- RESEARCH PROGRAMS; *TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS-- RESEARCH PROGRAMS; *US ERDA-- RESEARCH PROGRAMS; 500100* --Environmental Sciences, Atmospheric--Basic Studies; ENVIRONMENT; N44000* --Environmental & Earth Sciences; PLANTS; WILD ANIMALS ERDA programs for environmental research are reviewed briefly. Emphasis is placed on the advantages and disadvantages of the identification of a site at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (formerly National Reactor Testing Station (NRTS)) as a National Environmental Research Park for ecological research and wild life protection. Activities at the nation's first environmental research park at the Savannah River Plant near Aiken, South Carolina, are reviewed. The potential advantages are discussed of the identification of sites at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, New Mexico, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Washington, Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York, Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, California, and the Puerto Rico Nuclear Center, Puerto Rico, as national environmental research parks. (CH) Idaho Coll., Caldwell (USA). Snake River Regional Studies Center United States 1974-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4038844
The Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report: 2007 Hughes, Joan; Thompson, Sharon; Page, David 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES The Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) consists of three major government-owned, contractor-operated facilities: the Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and East Tennessee Technology Park. The ORR was established in the early 1940s as part of the Manhattan Project, a secret undertaking that produced materials for the first atomic bombs. The reservationâs role has evolved over the years, and it continues to adapt to meet the changing defense, energy, and research needs of the United States. Both the work carried out for the war effort and subsequent research, development, and production activities have involved, and continue to involve, the use of radiological and hazardous materials. The Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report and supporting data are available at Http://www.ornl.gov/sci/env_rpt or from the project director. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant (Y-12), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Bechtel Jacobs Co., Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2008-09-30T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1185230 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1185230
Oak Ridge Reservation annual site environmental report for 2008 The Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) consists of three major government-owned, contractor-operated facilities: the Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and East Tennessee Technology Park. The ORR was established in the early 1940s as part of the Manhattan Project, a secret undertaking that produced materials for the first atomic bombs. The reservationâs role has evolved over the years, and it continues to adapt to meet the changing defense, energy, and research needs of the United States. Both the work carried out for the war effort and subsequent research, development, and production activities have involved, and continue to involve, the use of radiological and hazardous materials. The Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report and supporting data are available at http://www.ornl.gov/sci/env_rpt or from the project director. This document is prepared annually to summarize environmental activities, primarily environmental monitoring activities, on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) and within the ORR surroundings. The document fulfills the requirement of Department of Energy (DOE) Order 231.1A, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting, for an annual summary of environmental data to characterize environmental performance. The environmental monitoring criteria are described in DOE Order 450.1A, Environmental Protection Program. The results summarized in this report are based on data collected prior to and through 2008. This report is not intended to provide the results of all sampling on the ORR. Additional data collected for other site and regulatory purposes, such as environmental restoration/remedial investigation reports, waste management characterization sampling data, and environmental permit compliance data, are presented in other documents that have been prepared in accordance with applicable DOE guidance and/or laws and are referenced herein as appropriate. Corrections to the report for the previous year are found in Appendix A. Appendix B contains a glossary of technical terms that may be useful for clarifying some of the language used in this document. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2009-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1224063 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1224063
Current and Future Dynamics of the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Population Inhabiting the Savannah River National Environmental Research Park: Managing For Population Growth Walters, J R; Taylor, T B; Daniels, S J; Crowder, L B; Pridd, J A 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIRDS; DISPERSAL RATES; HABITAT; LIMITING FACTORS; POPULATION DYNAMICS; POPULATION GROWTH; RECRUITMENT CLUSTERS; RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SAVANNAH RIVER SITE; SIMULATION MODELING; TREES Research aimed to study the dynamics of the SRS population of Red-Cockaded woodpecker and compare to those of other populations to identify factors limiting population growth; recruitment clusters were evaluated to determine what properties of individual cavity trees, surrounding habitat and the surrounding landscape might limit occupancy through natural dispersal. A spatial simulation model was used to project expected dispersal rates and population growth under current conditions and compare those estimates to observed dispersal and population growth. Red cockaded woodpecker populations at SRS are stable considering size. Research reveals that closer placement of recruitment clusters to active territories would produce higher growth rates while decreasing management intensity. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton,SC (US) (US) United States 2001-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/807835 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807835
Hanford National Environmental Research Park (NERP): a descriptive summary of the site and site-related research programs, 1952--1977 Vaughan, B E; Rickard, W H 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520100 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; CLIMATES; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; GEOLOGY; HANFORD RESERVATION; HYDROLOGY; LAND USE; METEOROLOGY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RADIOECOLOGY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TOPOGRAPHY; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WATER RESOURCES The Hanford National Environmental Research Park site is described in general terms and major plant communities and special habitats are discussed. Important bird, mammal, and fish populations are listed. Current research programs on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and radioecology are reviewed briefly. A list is included of some 100 publications that report results of research studies in detail. Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, Wash. (USA) United States 1977-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/7208265 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7208265
A regional assessment of white-tailed deer effects on plant invasion Averill, Kristine M.; Mortensen, David A.; Smithwick, Erica A. H.; Kalisz, Susan; McShea, William J.; Bourg, Norman A.; Parker, John D.; Royo, Alejandro A.; Abrams, Marc D.; Apsley, David K.; Blossey, Bernd; Boucher, Douglas H.; Caraher, Kai L.; DiTommaso, Antonio; Johnson, Sarah E.; Masson, Robert; Nuzzo, Victoria A. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Odocoileus virginianus; biological invasions; exotic plants; herbivory; introduced plants; palatability; plant invasion; regional pooled analysis Herbivores can profoundly influence plant species assembly, including plant invasion, and resulting community composition. Population increases of native herbivores, e.g., white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), combined with burgeoning plant invasions raise concerns for native plant diversity and forest regeneration. While individual researchers typically test for the impact of deer on plant invasion at a few sites, the overarching influence of deer on plant invasion across regional scales is unclear. We tested the effects of deer on the abundance and diversity of introduced and native herbaceous and woody plants across 23 white-tailed deer research sites distributed across the east central and northeastern United States and representing a wide range of deer densities and invasive plant abundance and identity. Deer access/exclusion or deer population density did not affect introduced plant richness or community-level abundance. Native and total plant species richness, abundance (cover and stem density), and Shannon diversity were lower in deer-access vs. deer-exclusion plots. Among deer access plots, native species richness, native and total cover, and Shannon diversity (cover) declined as deer density increased. Deer access increased the proportion of introduced species cover (but not of species richness or stem density). As deer density increased, the proportion of introduced species richness, cover, and stem density all increased. Because absolute abundance of introduced plants was unaffected by deer, the increase in proportion of introduced plant abundance is likely an indirect effect of deer reducing native cover. Indicator species analysis revealed that deer access favored three introduced plant species, including Alliaria petiolata and Microstegium vimineum, as well as four native plant species. In contrast, deer exclusion favored three introduced plant species, including Lonicera japonica and Rosa multiflora, and fifteen native plant species. Altogether, native deer reduced community diversity, lowering native plant richness and abundance, and benefited certain invasive plants, suggesting pervasive impacts of this keystone herbivore on plant community composition and ecosystem services in native forests across broad swathes of the eastern US. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) United States 2017-12-07T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1093/aobpla/plx047 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1406125
Resource Management Plan for the US Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 13, Appendix M: Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park Preston, E L 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290400* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources; 510500 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS The Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park (NERP) is one of five NERPs established to date under the policy of the Department of Energy (DOE) for the purpose of providing protected land areas for research and education in the environmental sciences and demonstration of the environmental compatibility of energy technology developments. The Oak Ridge NERP consists of 5,5000 ha of the Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The NERP lies in the heart of an eastern deciduous forest area of streams and reservoirs, mesic hardwood forests, and extensive upland mixed forests. Continuing characterization of the Oak Ridge NERP lands, which is supported by DOE funds, includes the collection of meteorological, geological, and hydrological data and a cataloging of terrestrial and aquatic fauna and flora. 11 references, 2 figures, 1 table. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1984-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6257365
Demographic responses of amphibians to wetland restoration in Carolina bays on the Savannah River Site. Kinkead, Karen E 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; AMPHIBIANS; CAROLINA BAYS; DRAINAGE; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; WETLAND RESTORATION; WETLANDS This project studied the effects of wetland restoration on amphibian populations. These wetlands were Carolina bays located on the Savannah River Site, located near Aiken, S.C. The Savannah River Site is a National Environmental Research Park owned and operated by the U.S. Department of Energy. The study sites included three reference bays (functionally intact), three control bays (with active drainage ditches), six treatment bays (restored during 2001), and four bays near two of the treatment bays (in effect creating two metapopulations). USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (US) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US) United States 2004-09-30T04:00:00Z Other https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835218
Fermilab Joins a Network of DOE National Environmental Research Parks Brown, Kevin A. Abstract Not Provided Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) United States 1989-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1128166
Nitrogen limitation in a sweetgum plantation: Implications for carbon storage at ORNL FACE Iversen, Colleen M; Norby, Richard J 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AVAILABILITY; BIOMASS; CARBON; FERTILIZATION; FORESTS; NITROGEN; NUTRIENTS; ORNL; PRODUCTION; PRODUCTIVITY; SHAPE; SOILS; STORAGE; UREA N availability may constrain long-term increases in forest productivity and subsequent increases in C storage in response to CO2-fertilization. Fumigation with elevated [CO2] resulted in increased fine-root production in the sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) Free-Air CO2-Enrichment (FACE) experiment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Fine roots turn over quickly at ORNL FACE and C storage in sweetgum biomass was limited. To examine the premise that increased root production at ORNL FACE was a physiological response to N-limitation, we fertilized a sweetgum plantation adjacent to ORNL FACE on the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park (NERP). Annual additions of 200 kg ha-1 of N as urea in 2004 and 2005 increased inorganic soil N availability, which in turn increased stand net primary production (NPP) by approximately 25%. Fertilization increased leaf N concentration and canopy leaf area production, which facilitated a greater than 30% increase in stem production and shifted C partitioning aboveground. We conclude that sweetgum production on the Oak Ridge NERP is limited by soil N availability, and we suggest that N-limitation may have caused increased belowground partitioning in ORNL FACE. Current soil nutrient status and changes in soil N availability mediated by changes in forest C partitioning will shape future forest responses to elevated [CO2]. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1139/X07-213 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/937127
Survey for bats in the Los Alamos National Environmental Research Park, with special emphasis on the spotted bat, Euderma maculatum Tyrell, K; Brack, V Jr 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); ANIMALS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; BATS; BEHAVIOR; ECOLOGY; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HABITAT; LANL; MAMMALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; POPULATIONS; SURVEYS; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES To increase knowledge about the presence of endangered species and their habitat at the LANL, 3D/Environmental Services, Inc. conducted a mist net survey for bats on Laboratory lands. In addition to documenting the presence of threatened and endangered species, this survey was conducted to gain more knowledge about the diversity and distribution of the bat fauna existing on the Laboratory. There are 25 species of bats found in New Mexico, about 16 of which are likely to occur in the region of the Laboratory. Of particular interest was documentation of the presence of the spotted bat, Euderma maculatum. The spotted bat is listed as Endangered, Group 2 by the State of New Mexico, and is a Federal Candidate for listing as endangered. As such, conservation of this species and its habitat should be a management priority on the Laboratory. A total of 94 bats were captured in 16 net nights, between 30 June and 05 July 1992. Thirteen species of bats were caught during the study: Antrozous pallidus (pallid bat), 10.6 percent; Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat), 10.6 percent; Lasionycteris noctivigans (silver-haired bat), 16 percent; Lasiurus cinereus (hoary bat), 11.7 percent; Myotis californicus (California myotis), 4.3 percent; M. evotis (long-eared myotis), 7.4 percent; M. leibii (small-footed myotis), 5.3 percent; M. thysanodes (fringed myotis), 13.8 percent; M. volans (long-legged myotis), 7.4 percent of the catch; M. yumanensis,(Yuma myotis), 5.3 percent; Pipistrellus hesperus (western pipistrelle), 1.1 percent; Plecotus townsendii (Townsend's big-eared bat), 1.1 percent, and Tadarida brasiliensis (Brazilian free-tailed bat), 5.3 percent. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); 3D/Environmental Services, Inc., Cincinnati, OH (United States) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-10-29T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6593281
Survey for bats in the Los Alamos National Environmental Research Park, with special emphasis on the spotted bat, Euderma maculatum Tyrell, K; Brack, V Jr 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210; BASELINE ECOLOGY; BASIC STUDIES; BATS; BEHAVIOR; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HABITAT; LANL; POPULATIONS; SURVEYS To increase knowledge about the presence of endangered species and their habitat at the LANL, 3D/Environmental Services, Inc. conducted a mist net survey for bats on Laboratory lands. In addition to documenting the presence of threatened and endangered species, this survey was conducted to gain more knowledge about the diversity and distribution of the bat fauna existing on the Laboratory. There are 25 species of bats found in New Mexico, about 16 of which are likely to occur in the region of the Laboratory. Of particular interest was documentation of the presence of the spotted bat, Euderma maculatum. The spotted bat is listed as Endangered, Group 2 by the State of New Mexico, and is a Federal Candidate for listing as endangered. As such, conservation of this species and its habitat should be a management priority on the Laboratory. A total of 94 bats were captured in 16 net nights, between 30 June and 05 July 1992. Thirteen species of bats were caught during the study: Antrozous pallidus (pallid bat), 10.6 percent; Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat), 10.6 percent; Lasionycteris noctivigans (silver-haired bat), 16 percent; Lasiurus cinereus (hoary bat), 11.7 percent; Myotis californicus (California myotis), 4.3 percent; M. evotis (long-eared myotis), 7.4 percent; M. leibii (small-footed myotis), 5.3 percent; M. thysanodes (fringed myotis), 13.8 percent; M. volans (long-legged myotis), 7.4 percent of the catch; M. yumanensis,(Yuma myotis), 5.3 percent; Pipistrellus hesperus (western pipistrelle), 1.1 percent; Plecotus townsendii (Townsend`s big-eared bat), 1.1 percent, and Tadarida brasiliensis (Brazilian free-tailed bat), 5.3 percent. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); 3D/Environmental Services, Inc., Cincinnati, OH (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-10-29T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10146546
Environmental Science and Research Foundation, Inc. annual technical report: Calendar year 1997 Reynolds, R D; Warren, R W 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; MONITORING; NUMERICAL DATA; PROGRESS REPORT; REMEDIAL ACTION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAFETY; WASTE MANAGEMENT This Annual Technical Report describes work conducted for the Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID), by the Environmental Science and Research Foundation (Foundation). The Foundation`s mission to DOE-ID provides support in several key areas. The Foundation conducts an environmental monitoring and surveillance program over an area covering much of the upper Snake River Plain, and provides environmental education and support services related to Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) natural resource issues. Also, the Foundation, with its University Affiliates, conducts ecological and radioecological research on the Idaho National Environmental Research Park. This research benefits major DOE-ID programs including Waste Management, Environmental Restoration, Spent Nuclear Fuels, and Land Management Issues. Summaries are included of the individual research projects. Environmental Science and Research Foundation, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/656455 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/656455
Bald eagles of the Hanford National Environmental Research Park Fitzner, R. E.; Watson, D. G.; Rickard, W. H. 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; BIRDS; DATA; DATA COMPILATION; ECOLOGY; HANFORD RESERVATION; INFORMATION; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUMERICAL DATA; POPULATION DYNAMICS; PREDATOR-PREY INTERACTIONS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES Since 1961, near-yearly aerial surveys of bald eagles along the Hanford reach of the Columbia River have been conducted. Prey resources available to the eagles have also been monitored and we have thus been able to examine predator-prey relationships in a statistical fashion. We report on a unique set of data which provides insight into one of the factors (prey availability) controlling bald eagle wintering populations. The winter distribution of the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) has been reported to closely follow the availability of prey (Servheen 1975, Southern 1963, Shea 1973, Spencer 1976). Fitzner and Hanson (1979) compared twelve years of eagle winter survey data on the Hanford DOE Site with waterfowl numbers and salmon redd densities over the same period and provided some statistical evidence that eagle wintering numbers varied somewhat dependently with changing salmon redd numbers but not with changing waterfowl numbers. This report re-examines Fitzner and Hanson's (1979) twelve year data set and supplies two additional years of data for the Hanford DOE Site in order to gain additional insight into predator-prey interactions. Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA) United States 1980-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6580437 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6580437
Microbial Characteristics of Native Aquatic Species of Savannah River Wetlands McKinsey, P C 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BACTERIA; BIOLOGY; POPULATION DYNAMICS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SPECIES DIVERSITY; WETLANDS In 1974 the Savannah River Site (SRS) was established as a National Environmental Research Park (NERP) in the United States. NERP provided locations for long-term ecological research investigation. Many of the ecological studies that have been conducted in the past mainly focused on the macroscopic view. The Savannah River Site contains wetlands that are home to many diverse organisms. We conducted a preliminary survey of microbial habitats in order to explore the biodiversity of species-specific symbionts. Bacterial surveys included viable counts, direct counts, isolation, identification, and metabolic profiles. Savannah River Site (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2000-12-12T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/773113
SRS ECOLOGY ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION DOCUMENT Wike, L; Doug Martin, D; Eric Nelson, E; Nancy Halverson, N; John Mayer, J; Michael Paller, M; Rodney Riley, R; Michael Serrato, M 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; ANIMALS; COMMUNITIES; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; MONITORING; NUCLEAR ENERGY; SAND; SOILS; WETLANDS The SRS Ecology Environmental Information Document (EEID) provides a source of information on the ecology of Savannah River Site (SRS). The SRS is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)--owned property on the upper Atlantic Coastal Plain of South Carolina, centered approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Augusta, Georgia. The entire site was designated a National Environmental Research Park in 1972 by the Atomic Energy Commission, the predecessor of DOE. This document summarizes and synthesizes ecological research and monitoring conducted on the three main types of ecosystems found at SRS: terrestrial, wetland and aquatic. It also summarizes the available information on the threatened and endangered species found on the Savannah River Site. SRS is located along the Savannah River and encompasses an area of 80,267 hectares (310 square miles) in three South Carolina counties. It contains diverse habitats, flora, and fauna. Habitats include upland terrestrial areas, wetlands, streams, reservoirs, and the adjacent Savannah River. These diverse habitats support a variety of plants and animals, including many commercially or recreationally valuable species and several rare, threatened, or endangered species. Soils are the basic terrestrial resource, influencing the development of terrestrial biological communities. Many different soils exist on the SRS, from hydric to well-drained, and from sand to clay. In general, SRS soils are predominantly well-drained loamy sands. SRS DOE United States 2006-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/891666 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/891666
Fishes of the Savannah River Plant: National Environmental Research Park. [Contains glossary] Bennett, D H; McFarlane, R W 520500* -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BIOLOGY; DATA; DATA COMPILATION; DISTRIBUTION; ECOLOGY; FEDERAL REGION IV; FISHES; HABITAT; INFORMATION; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; NORTH AMERICA; NUMERICAL DATA; POPULATION DYNAMICS; RESOURCES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOUTH CAROLINA; SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION; TAXONOMY; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; VERTEBRATES An update of the taxonomic, distributional and ecological information on fish inhabiting waters adjacent to the DOE Savannah River Plant (SRP) is provided. Information on the SRP, ground and surface water, habitat types, historical aspects, and relative abundance of fishes (in both lotic and lentic ecosystems) is provided. In addition, a glossary, an annotated bibliography and keys to fish families and species are included. 131 references, 22 figures, 4 tables. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (USA) United States 1983-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5213396
Environmental Science and Research Foundation annual technical report: Calendar year 1996 Morris, R C; Blew, R D 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; EDUCATION; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HABITAT; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; MONITORING; PROGRESS REPORT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RISK ASSESSMENT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION This Annual Technical Report describes work conducted for the Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID), by the Environmental Science and Research Foundation (Foundation). The Foundation`s mission to DOE-ID provides support in several key areas. The authors conduct an environmental monitoring and surveillance program over an area covering much of the upper Snake River Plain, and provide environmental education and support services related to Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) natural resource issues. Also, the Foundation, with its University Affiliates, conducts ecological and radioecological research in the Idaho National Environmental Research Park. This research benefits major DOE-ID programs including Waste Management, Environmental Restoration, Spent Nuclear Fuels, and Land Management Issues. The major accomplishments of the Foundation and its University Affiliates during the calendar year 1996 are discussed. Environmental Science and Research Foundation, Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/541829 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/541829
Environmental Science and Research Foundation annual technical report to DOE-ID, January , 1995--December 31, 1995 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENT; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; PROGRESS REPORT The foundation conducts an environmental monitoring and surveillance program over an area covering much of the upper Snake River Plain and provide environmental education and support services related to INEL natural resource issues. Also, the foundation, with its university affiliates, conducts ecological and radioecological research on the Idaho National Environmental Research Park. This research benefits major DOE-ID programs including waste management, environmental restoration, spent nuclear fuels, and land management issues. Major accomplishments during CY1995 can be divided into five categories: environmental surveillance program, environmental education, environmental services and support, ecological risk assessment, and research benefitting the DOE-ID mission. Environmental Science and Research Foundation, Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1996-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/369610 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/369610
Gray fox ecology in the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park: Food habits, home range, and habitat use Greenberg, C H; Pelton, M R; Parr, P D 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; DIET; ECOLOGY; FOXES; INVERTEBRATES; MAMMALS; PLANTS; PREDATOR-PREY INTERACTIONS; RABBITS; RODENTS; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; VARIATIONS; VERTEBRATES Examination of 170 gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) scats collected between September 1986 and August 1987 on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), East Tennessee, revealed that plant foods were utilized most heavily, followed by invertebrate and animal prey. Proportions of the 3 categories utilized were not evenly distributed among months and were dictated by availability. Biological seasons were delineated by detection of statistically significant shifts in diet among the 3 food categories. Animal prey, predominantly rabbits and rodents, comprised 67.0% of winter (January-April) dry weight (100% occurrence); arthropods, predominantly 17-year locusts (Magicicada sp.), comprised 96.1% of spring (May) dry weight (275% occurrence); plant material, predominantly persimmon, cherry, blackberry and squaw-root, comprised 92.9% of summer-fall (June-December) dry weight (161.6% occurrence). This study indicated that gray foxes may switch dietary trophic level depending on seasonal food availability. 188 refs., 25 figs., 14 tabs. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1988-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7097297
Creating a fuels baseline and establishing fire frequency relationships to develop a landscape management strategy at the Savannah River Site. Parresol, Bernard R; Shea, Dan; Ottmar, Roger 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BULK DENSITY; FIRES; FORESTRY; FORESTS; Fire; MANAGEMENT; PINES; Savannah River Site; landscape management USDA Forest Service Proceedings RMRS-P-41. pp 351-366. AbstractâThe Savannah River Site is a Department of Energy Nuclear Defense Facility and a National Environmental Research Park located in the upper coastal plain of South Carolina. Prescribed burning is conducted on 15,000 to 20,000 ac annually. We modifi ed standard forest inventory methods to incorporate a complete assessment of fuel components on 622 plots, assessing coarse woody debris, ladder fuels, and the litter and duff layers. Because of deficiencies in south-wide data on litter-duff bulk densities, which are the fuels most often consumed in prescribed fires, we developed new bulk density relationships. Total surface fuel loading across the landscape ranged from 0.8 to 48.7 tons/ac. The variables basal area, stand age, and site index were important in accounting for variability in ladder fuel, coarse woody debris, and litter-duff for pine types. For a given pine stand condition, litter-duff loading decreased in direct proportion to the number of burns in the preceding thirty years. Ladder fuels for loblolly and longleaf increased in direct proportion to the years since the last prescribed burn. The pattern of fuel loading on the SRS reflects stand dynamics, stand management and fire management. It is suggested that the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program can easily modify sampling protocols to incorporate collection of fuels data. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2006-03-15T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/896219
Oak Ridge Reservation Physical Characteristics and Natural Resources Parr, P D; Hughes, J F 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; AGRICULTURE; BUFFERS; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; GASEOUS DIFFUSION; GEOLOGY; HYDROLOGY; ISOTOPE SEPARATION; NATIONAL SECURITY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORNL; PLANTS; SATELLITES; TOPOGRAPHY The topography, geology, hydrology, vegetation, and wildlife of the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) provide a complex and intricate array of resources that directly impact land stewardship and use decisions (Fig. 1). The purpose of this document is to consolidate general information regarding the natural resources and physical characteristics of the ORR. The ORR, encompassing 33,114 acres (13,401 ha) of federally owned land and three Department of Energy (DOE) installations, is located in Roane and Anderson Counties in east Tennessee, mostly within the corporate limits of the city of Oak Ridge and southwest of the population center of Oak Ridge. The ORR is bordered on the north and east by the population center of the city of Oak Ridge and on the south and west by the Clinch River/Melton Hill Lake impoundment. All areas of the ORR are relatively pristine when compared with the surrounding region, especially in the Valley and Ridge Physiographic Province (Fig. 2). From the air, the ORR is clearly a large and nearly continuous island of forest within a landscape that is fragmented by urban development and agriculture. Satellite imagery from 2006 was used to develop a land-use/land-cover cover map of the ORR and surrounding lands (Fig. 3). Following the acquisition of the land comprising the ORR in the early 1940s, much of the Reservation served as a buffer for the three primary facilities: the X-10 nuclear research facility (now known as the Oak Ridge National Laboratory [ORNL]), the first uranium enrichment facility or Y-12 (now known as the Y-12 National Security Complex [Y-12 Complex]), and a gaseous diffusion enrichment facility (now known as the East Tennessee Technology Park [ETTP]). Over the past 60 years, this relatively undisturbed area has evolved into a rich and diverse eastern deciduous forest ecosystem of streams and reservoirs, hardwood forests, and extensive upland mixed forests. The combination of a large land area with complex physical characteristics and diverse natural resources has provided a critical foundation for supporting DOE's environmental research mission, as well as the area in which to build leading-edge facilities. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2006-09-19T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/921773 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/921773
Status of the flora of the Los Alamos National Environmental Research Park. Checklist of vascular plants of the Pajarito Plateau and Jemez Mountains. Volume 3 Foxx, T S; Tierney, G D 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOLOGY; DATA; DATA COMPILATION; FEDERAL REGION VI; INFORMATION; LOS ALAMOS; NEW MEXICO; NORTH AMERICA; NUMERICAL DATA; PLANTS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TAXONOMY; USA This report lists all taxonomic identifications recorded from the Pajarito Plateau Valles del los Sierros, Valles Caldera, and portions of the Jemez Plateau of the Jemez Mountains in north-central New Mexico. Approximately 900 plants representing more than 80 families are documented. 36 refs. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) United States 1985-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5271011
Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest ServiceFSavannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/jes.2008.21 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977255
Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest ServiceFSavannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/jes.2008.21 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977254
Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: A pilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; CARBON MONOXIDE; FORESTS; MONITORING; OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE; PARTICULATES; RIVERS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; URINE; US FOREST SERVICE; WOOD; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest ServiceFSavannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribedburn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/jes.2008.21 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978333
Selection criteria for adding management units to the SAMAB regional biosphere reserve Mann, L K; Martin, G; Abrell, J; Meriwether, D 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS; BIOSPHERE; COOPERATION; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; MOUNTAINS; NATURE RESERVES; REGIONAL COOPERATION; RESOURCE CONSERVATION; RESOURCES The SAMAB (Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere) regional biosphere reserve initially consisted of three land management units in the southern Appalachians (Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory's National Environmental Research Park). Traditional biosphere reserves in UNESCOs Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program have been defined by [open quote]core[close quote], [open quote]buffer[close quote], and [open quote]transition[close quote] zones. These concepts are difficult to apply to regional biosphere reserves. Therefore, selection criteria for incorporating additional land management units into SAMAB were developed which recognize 4 components of the regional reserve: biosphere reserve (core) units, varied and harmonious landscapes, modified landscapes, and the zone of cooperation. Selection criteria define ecological, political, logistic, and educational requirements for inclusion. The Tennessee River Gorge Trust is currently under evaluation for inclusion in SAMAB. United States 1994-06-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7269654
Proposal to designate land areas of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory as a National Environmental Research Park Hanson, W C *LASL-- TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; *NEW MEXICO; *TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS-- RESEARCH PROGRAMS; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING; N44500* --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Site Surveys; PLANNING; USES Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N.Mex. (USA) United States 1974-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4252534
Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/jes.2008.21 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977262
Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/jes.2008.21 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977260
Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: A pilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/jes.2008.21 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977259
Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/jes.2008.21 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977258
Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/jes.2008.21 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977257
Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/jes.2008.21 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977256
Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/jes.2008.21 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977253
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Annual technical progress report of ecological research, period ending July 31, 1994 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; HEALTH AND SAFETY; PROGRESS REPORT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) is a research unit of the University of Georgia (UGA) that is managed in conjunction with the University`s Institute of Ecology. The laboratory`s overall mission is to acquire and communicate knowledge of ecological processes and principles. SREL conducts basic and applied ecological research, as well as education and outreach programs, under an M&O contract with the US Department of Energy at the Savannah River Site. Significant accomplishments were made during the year ending July 31, 1994 in the areas of research, education and service. Reviewed in this document are research projects in the following areas: Environmental Operations Support (impacted wetlands, streams, trace organics, radioecology, database synthesis, wild life studies, zooplankton, safety and quality assurance); wood stork foraging and breeding ecology; defence waste processing facility; environmental risk assessment (endangered species, fish, ash basin studies); ecosystem alteration by chemical pollutants; wetlands systems; biodiversity on the SRS; Environmental toxicology; environmental outreach and education; Par Pond drawdown studies in wildlife and fish and metals; theoretical ecology; DOE-SR National Environmental Research Park; wildlife studies. Summaries of educational programs and publications are also give. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-07-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10121848 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10121848
Protection of biota on nonpark public lands: Examples from the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation Mann, L K; Parr, P D; Pounds, L R 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENDANGERED SPECIES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANTS; PUBLIC LANDS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; WILD ANIMALS Security buffers of Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Energy (DOE) reservations provide long-term habitat protection for many rare and endangered species. The importance of these government-owned reservations as nationally valuable resources has been relatively unrecognized. During the last 50 years, the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) has been a relatively protected island in a region of rapidly expanding urbanization and land clearing. Consisting of the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park and associated lands surrounding DOE facilities at Oak Ridge Tennessee, the unique nature of the ORR in the surrounding landscape is clearly visible from the air and has been documented using remote sensing data. Although forests dominate much of other regions of eastern Tennessee, this 15,000-ha tract of mostly natural forest habitat is unique in the southern Ridge and Valley physiographic province, which is otherwise widely developed for pasture, marginal cropland, woodlot, and urban uses. Twenty state-listed and federal-candidate plant species are known to be present on the ORR. This richness of species, which are provided protection by state and federal taws, exceeds that of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a species area basis and is an index of the value of the ORR both regionally and nationally in conserving biodiversity. With the end of the Cold War, changing DoD and DOE missions combined with increasing development pressure contribute to uncertainty in the future management of security reservations. USDOE United States 1996-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/BF01204005 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/244011
Insect community structure and function in Upper Three Runs, Savannah River Site, South Carolina Morse, J C; English, W R; Looney, B B 053003; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540310; 540350; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BASIC STUDIES; BIOLOGICAL VARIABILITY; CHEMICAL AND THERMAL EFFLUENTS; COMPILED DATA; DIAGRAMS; EPHEMEROPTERA; HABITAT; INSECTS; PLANT STEMS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; STREAMS; WATER QUALITY A project to document the insect species in the upper reaches of Upper Three Runs at the Savannah River site was recently completed. This research was supported by the US Department of Energy under the National Environmental Research Park Program. The work was performed by the Department of Entomology at Clemson University in clemson, SC, by John C. Morse (principal investigator), William R. English and their colleagues. The major output from this study was the dissertation of Dr. William R. English entitled ``Ecosystem Dynamics of a South Carolina Sandhills Stream.`` He investigated selected environmental resources and determined their dynamics and the dynamics of the aquatic invertebrate community structure in response to them. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-07-08T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10117375 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10117375
Oak Ridge National Laboratory`s (ORNL) ecological and physical science study center: A hands-on science program for K-12 students Bradshaw, S P 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; CHILDREN; ECOLOGY; EDUCATION; EDUCATIONAL TOOLS; LEARNING; ORNL; RECOMMENDATIONS; SCIENTIFIC PERSONNEL; STANDARDS; TRAINING In our tenth year of educational service and outreach, Oak Ridge National Laboratory`s Ecological and Physical Science Study Center (EPSSC) provides hands-on, inquiry-based science activities for area students and teachers. Established in 1984, the EPSSC now hosts over 20,000 student visits. Designed to foster a positive attitude towards science, each unit includes activities which reinforce the science concept being explored. Outdoor science units provide field experience at the Department of Energy`s Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park and outreach programs are offered on-site in area schools. Other programs are offered as extensions of the EPSSC core programs, including on-site student science camps, all-girl programs, outreach science camps, student competitions, teacher in-service presentations and teacher workshops. Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC (United States) United States 1994-12-31T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/111158
Future land use and concerns about the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory: A survey of urban dwellers Burger, J; Roush, D; Wartenberg, D; Gochfeld, M 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ATTITUDES; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LAND USE; SAFETY; URBAN AREAS The authors examined environmental concerns and future land-use preferences of 487 people attending the Boise River Festival in Boise, Idaho, USA, about the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (NEEL), owned by the US Department of Energy (DOE). They were particularly interested in the perceptions of urban dwellers living at some distance from the facility, since attitudes and perceptions are usually examined for people living near such facilities. More than 50% of the people were most worried about contamination and about waste storage and transport, another 23% were concerned about human health and accidents and spills, and the rest listed other concerns such as jobs and the economy of education. When given a list of possible concerns, accidents and spills, storage of current nuclear materials, and storage of additional nuclear materials were rated the highest. Thus both open-ended and structured questions identified nuclear storage and accidents and spills as the most important concerns, even for people living far from a DOE site. The highest rated future land used were National Environmental Research Park, recreation, and returning the land to the Shoshone-Bannock tribes; the lowest rated future land uses were homes and increased nuclear waste storage. These relative rankings are similar to those obtained for other Idahoans living closer to the site and for the people living near the Savannah River Site. The concern expressed about accidents and spills and waste storage translated into a desire not to see additional waste brought to INEEL and a low rating for using INEEL for building homes. Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ (US) US Department of Energy United States 1999-11-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s002679900253 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/20001031
Research organization: Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Reichle, D E 500200 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 500300 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510200* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOMASS; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON OXIDES; CHALCOGENIDES; CHEMISTRY; ECOLOGY; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENT; GEOCHEMISTRY; GROUND WATER; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROLOGY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SOILS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WATER The Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a multidisciplinary research and development organization with a staff of over 200, plus nearly 180 visiting professional collaborators and students, occupying a complex of six major laboratory and office buildings. The Division's unique role is the development of fundamental scientific knowledge and the application of this knowledge to the solution of complex, long-term, and large-scale environmental problems of national importance. These problems are addressed by interdisciplinary teams of technical specialists from the fields of atmospheric chemistry, aquatic and terrestrial ecology, earth sciences, and geohydrology. A unique combination of basic and applied research, environmental assessment, and demonstration projects on the 550-ha Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park makes the Division one of the nation's largest and most respected environmental research organizations. The Division conducts research on the environmental aspects of existing and emerging energy systems and applies this information to ensure that technology development and energy use are consistent with national environmental goals. ESD performs basic and applied research, environmental assessments, environmental engineering and demonstration projects, technology and operational support functions, and program management for the US Department of Energy (DOE), other federal and state agencies, and industry, working collaboratively with a number of federal agencies, universities, and the private sector in accomplishing its objectives. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1989-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5605060
Oak Ridge Reservation annual site environmental report for 1996 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMPLIANCE; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; MONITORING; NUMERICAL DATA; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SITE CHARACTERIZATION The US Department of Energy currently oversees activities on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), a government-owned, contractor-operated facility. Three sites compose the reservation: the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and East Tennessee Technology Park (formerly the K-25 Site). The ORR was established in the early 1940s as part of the Manhattan Project, a secret undertaking that produced the materials for the first atomic bombs. The reservation`s role has evolved over the years, and it continues to adapt to meet the changing defense, energy, and research needs of the US. Both the work carried out for the war effort and subsequent research, development, and production activities have produced (and continue to produce) radiological and hazardous wastes. This document contains a summary of environmental monitoring activities on the ORR and its surroundings. Environmental monitoring on the ORR consists of two major activities: effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. Effluent monitoring involves the collection and analysis of samples or measurements of liquid and gaseous effluents prior to release into the environment; these measurements allow the quantification and official reporting of contaminants, assessment of radiation exposures to the public, and demonstration of compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements. Environmental surveillance consists of the collection and analysis of environmental samples from the site and its environs; this provides direct measurement of contaminants in air, water, groundwater, soil, foods, biota, and other media subsequent to effluent release into the environment. Environmental surveillance data verify ORR`s compliance status and, combined with data from effluent monitoring, allow the determination of chemical and radiation dose/exposure assessment of ORR operations and effects, if any, on the local environment. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (United States); East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/654062 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/654062
Guidelines for field work and safety McConathy, R K; Parr, P D 560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES; FIRE PREVENTION; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; PERSONNEL; PERSONNEL MONITORING; QUALITY ASSURANCE; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIATION PROTECTION; SAFETY; TRAINING; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS The purpose of this document is to provide new employees or guests information on the safety program in the Environmental Sciences Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and to acquaint the reader with procedural and operational information related to work at the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park (NERP). Topics discussed include general and radiation safety, medical concerns, and the quality assurance program. Procedures for conducting research, waste disposal, and radio use are reviewed. Requirements for field research and access to the NERP are also presented. Appendices have additional information, including safety signs, an off-hours field work checklist, and a map of the Oak Ridge Reservation. 16 refs. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1988-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6687784
Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2008-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/jes.2008.21 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977261
Facility siting as a decision process at the Savannah River Site Wike, L D 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; DECISION MAKING; ECOLOGY; ECONOMIC IMPACT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GEOLOGY; HYDROLOGY; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; POLLUTION REGULATIONS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SECURITY; SITE SELECTION; STANDARDIZED TERMINOLOGY Site selection for new facilities at Savannah River Site (SRS) historically has been a process dependent only upon specific requirements of the facility. While this approach is normally well suited to engineering and operational concerns, it can have serious deficiencies in the modern era of regulatory oversight and compliance requirements. There are many issues related to the site selection for a facility that are not directly related to engineering or operational requirements; such environmental concerns can cause large schedule delays and budget impact,s thereby slowing or stopping the progress of a project. Some of the many concerns in locating a facility include: waste site avoidance, National Environmental Policy Act requirements, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, wetlands conservation, US Army Corps of Engineers considerations, US Fish and Wildlife Service statutes including threatened and endangered species issues, and State of South Carolina regulations, especially those of the Department of Health and Environmental Control. In addition, there are SRS restrictions on research areas set aside for National Environmental Research Park (NERP), Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Savannah River Forest Station, University of South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, Southeastern Forest Experimental Station, and Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) programs. As with facility operational needs, all of these siting considerations do not have equal importance. The purpose of this document is to review recent site selection exercises conducted for a variety of proposed facilities, develop the logic and basis for the methods employed, and standardize the process and terminology for future site selection efforts. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-12-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/383597 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/383597
National Environmental Research Areas: FOCI for integrated research in western energy resource regions. A feasibility study report Jewell, S R 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; 010900* -- Coal, Lignite, & Peat-- Environmental Aspects; 02 PETROLEUM; 020900 -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects; 03 NATURAL GAS; 030800 -- Natural Gas-- Environmental Aspects; 04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS; 041000 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Environmental Aspects; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 530200 -- Environmental-Social Aspects of Energy Technologies-- Assessment of Energy Technologies-- (-1989); COLORADO; ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FEASIBILITY STUDIES; FEDERAL REGION VII; FEDERAL REGION VIII; FEDERAL REGION X; IDAHO; MONTANA; NATURE RESERVES; NEBRASKA; NORTH AMERICA; NORTH DAKOTA; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; SOUTH DAKOTA; USA; UTAH; WYOMING A feasibility study to determine the problems and benefits of establishing a National Environmental Research Park/Area in the Rocky Mountain Overthrust Belt of Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming, and/or the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana has been completed. The study was performed with the support of a group of universities interested in a consortium to develop, manage, and coordinate research in the Park/Area, provide a physical definition of the Park, prepare methods of funding both the research and the consortium, and present an exemplary research program. The results of the study have been positive, and have given additional insight into the formation of National Environmental Research Parks/Areas that was not foreseen at the inception of the study. Therefore, a recommendation is made to establish National Environmental Research Areas (NERA's) (in lieu of Research Parks) which will facilitate formation and reduce the time requirement. Two exemplary research programs have been selected. One involves environmental baseline information collection and interpretation related to oil and gas development in the Rocky Mountain Overthrust Belt of Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho. The second is a study of the hydrological impacts of in situ fossil fuel or uranium recovery of the Powder River Basin. Wyoming Univ., Laramie (USA) United States 1978-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5932806
Ecological studies on the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Site. 1978 progress report. [Lead abstract] Markham, O D 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 510302 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 520302 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 520500 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSTRACTS; ANIMALS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGY; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LEADING ABSTRACT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; PLANTS; RADIOECOLOGY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; RIVERS; STREAMS; SURFACE WATERS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS Separate abstracts were prepared for the 33 papers presented in this report. Two additional abstracts are included dealing with the seasonality of shrub litterfall and interpretation of Idaho National Environmental Research Park functions and activities. Publications and oral presentations originating with the personnel of the radioecological program and the National Environmental Research Park are listed. (ERB) Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls (USA) United States 1978-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6139364
The effects of precommercial thinning and midstory-control on the flora and fauna of young longleaf pine plantations. Simmons, Robert 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; Accord®, Amphibian, Arsenal®; Avian; BIRDS; Breeding bird; COMMUNITIES; Garlon®; HERBICIDES; Herbicide; Herpetofauna; Longleaf pine; MAMMALS; PINES; PLANTS; Pinus palustris; Precommercial thinning; Prescribed fire; Reptile; Restoration; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SILVICULTURE; SOUTH CAROLINA; Savannah River Site; Small mammal; South Carolina; VERTEBRATES; Velpar® I examined the effects of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) restoration using plantation silviculture on the avian, small mammal, and herpetofauna communities on the Savannah River Site, a National Environmental Research Park near Aiken, South Carolina. Vertebrate populations were surveyed from 1995 through 2003 on a series of plantations that had been precommercially thinned and/or received midstory-control via herbicides between 1994 and 1996. Understory and overstory vegetation was surveyed from 1994 through 2004. Thinning and midstory vegetation reduction treatments had greater herbaceous cover than the control through 2004 after a 1-2 year decline on midstory-control plots. Initially, thinned plots had the greatest herbaceous cover. However from 1998 through 2004, the combined treatment had the most herbaceous cover. Without midstory-control, thinning released midstory hardwoods. The effect of thinning or midstory-control alone on bird abundance was positive but short-lived. The positive effects were larger and persisted longer on combined treatment plots. My results indicate that precommercial thinning longleaf plantations, particularly when combined with midstory-control and prescribed fire, had a modest beneficial impact on avian communities by developing stand conditions more typical of natural longleaf stands maintained by periodic fire. All treatments resulted in short-term increases in small mammal abundance, but effects were minimal by 5-7 years after treatment. By 2001, pine basal area had returned to pre-treatment levels on thinned plots suggesting that frequent thinning may be required to maintain abundant and diverse small mammal communities in longleaf pine plantations. I did not detect any treatment related differences in herpetofauna abundance. These results suggest that restoring longleaf with a combination of precommercial thinning, midstory-control with herbicides, and prescribed fire can have a short-term positive effect on the avian and small mammal communities without affecting the herpetofauna community. However, periodic thinnings may be necessary to extend the positive effects. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC. USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2007-05-01T04:00:00Z Other https://www.osti.gov/biblio/909326
The role of coarse woody debris in southeastern pine forests; preliminary results from a large-scale experiment. McCay Timothy, S; Wright-Miley Bret, D 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ANIMALS; Coarse Woody Debris; FOREST LITTER; FORESTRY; FORESTS; HABITAT; MONITORING; PINES; REMOVAL; Southeastern Pine Forests McCay, Timothy S., James L. Hanula, Susan C. Loeb, Steven M. Lohr, James W. McMinn, and Bret D. Wright-Miley. 2002. The role of coarse woody debris in southeastern pine forests; preliminary results from a large-scale experiment. 135-144. In: Proceedings of the symposium on the ecology and management of dead wood in western forests. 1999 November 2-4; Reno, NV. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-181. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture 949 p. ABSTRACT: We initiated a long-term experiment involving manipulation of coarse woody debris (CWD) at the Savannah River National Environmental Research Park in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Each of four 9.3-ha plots in each of four blocks was subject to one of the following treatments: removal of all snags and fallen logs, removal of fallen logs only, felling and girdling to simulate a catastrophic pulse of CWD, and control. Removal treatments were applied in 1996, and the felling or snag-creation treatment will be applied in 2000-2001. Monitoring of invertebrate, herptile, avian, and mammalian assemblages and CWD dynamics began immediately after CWD removal and continues through the present. Removal treatments resulted in a fivefold to tenfold reduction in CWD abundance. To date, significant differences among treatments have only been detected for a few animal taxa. However, preliminary results underscore the benefits of large-scale experiments. This experiment allowed unambiguous tests of hypotheses regarding the effect of CWD abundance on fauna. Coupled with studies of habitat use and trophic interactions, the experimental approach may result in stronger inferences regarding the function of CWD than results obtained through natural history observation or uncontrolled correlative studies. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2002-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/835556 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835556
Set-aside areas, National Environmental Research Park, Savannah River Plant, Aiken, South Carolina Hillestad, H O; Bennett, Jr, S H 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 520500 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ECOSYSTEMS; HABITAT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS This report has been prepared to give a detailed description of the ten existing Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) reserve sites at the Savannah River Plant (SRP). These areas were selected by SREL to represent the major vegetational communities of the SRP, and in 1967 were formally set aside by the Federal Manager of the SRP site to promote ecological research. The regional and local environmental settings as well as the physical descriptions of the sites and their major floral and faunal species are described; and the history, research accomplished, and current disposition of these areas reviewed. The purpose is to acquaint scientists with the potential for conducting future studies in these areas that provide protected habitats of a highly diverse nature and to provide a portion of the background information essential to the re-evaluation of the reserve system. Georgia Univ., Athens (USA). Research Foundation; Southeastern Wildlife Services, Inc., Athens, GA (USA); South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Dept., Columbia (USA) United States Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5303237
Arid Lands Ecology Facility management plan 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); ANIMALS; ARID LANDS; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; HABITAT; HANFORD RESERVATION; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PLANTS; REGULATIONS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SOILS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WILD ANIMALS The Arid Lands Ecology (ALE) facility is a 312-sq-km tract of land that lies on the western side of the Hanford Site in southcentral Washington. The US Atomic Energy Commission officially set aside this land area in 1967 to preserve shrub-steppe habitat and vegetation. The ALE facility is managed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the US Department of Energy (DOE) for ecological research and education purposes. In 1971, the ALE facility was designated the Rattlesnake Hills Research Natural Area (RNA) as a result of an interagency federal cooperative agreement, and remains the largest RNA in Washington. it is also one of the few remaining large tracts of shrub-steppe vegetation in the state retaining a predominant preeuropean settlement character. This management plan provides policy and implementation methods for management of the ALE facilities consistent with both US Department of Energy Headquarters and the Richland Field Office decision (US Congress 1977) to designate and manage ALE lands as an RNA and as a component of the DOE National Environmental Research Park System. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6469367 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6469367
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, annual report 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 510300* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 560205 -- Thermal Effects-- Vertebrates-- (-1987); 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ABSTRACTS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; BIBLIOGRAPHIES; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; LEADING ABSTRACT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS Each of the four main sections of the report were abstracted and indexed individually for EDB/ERA. Sections are also included on cooperative programs with the Department of Energy, National Environmental Research Park programs, a bibliography, and papers in press. (JGB) Georgia Univ., Athens (USA). Inst. of Ecology United States 1981-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5548514
Movements and dispersal of bobcats in East Tennessee Kitchings, J T; Story, J D 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; BIOLOGY; CATS; DISTRIBUTION; HABITAT; MAMMALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; POPULATION DYNAMICS; SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES In spring 1978, a study was initiated to acquire data on home range, spatial distribution, behavior, and movement of bobcats on the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park (NERP). The objective of this paper is to describe the movements of 15 adult and juvenile animals from March 1978 through June 1981 with particular emphasis on dispersal of young bobcats. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN United States 1984-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.2307/3801447 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5306230
Environmental Sciences Division. Annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1980. [Lead abstract] Auerbach, S I; Reichle, D E 510302 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 520302* -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSTRACTS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; LEADING ABSTRACT; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR ENERGY; ORNL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT; REVIEWS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT Research conducted in the Environmental Sciences Division for the Fiscal Year 1980 included studies carried out in the following Division programs and sections: (1) Advanced Fossil Energy Program, (2) Nuclear Program, (3) Environmental Impact Program, (4) Ecosystem Studies Program, (5) Low-Level Waste Research and Development Program, (6) National Low-Level Waste Program, (7) Aquatic Ecology Section, (8) Environmental Resources Section, (9) Earth Sciences Section, and (10) Terrestrial Ecology Section. In addition, Educational Activities and the dedication of the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park are reported. Separate abstracts were prepared for the 10 sections of this report. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1981-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6498667 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6498667
Third annual Walker Branch Watershed research symposium. Program and abstracts 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210; 58 GEOSCIENCES; 580000; BASIC STUDIES; CARBON DIOXIDE; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; ECOSYSTEMS; FLOW MODELS; GEOCHEMISTRY; GEOSCIENCES; GLOBAL ASPECTS; HYDROLOGY; LAND USE; LEADING ABSTRACT; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; MEETINGS; ORNL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY; WATERSHEDS The methods and concepts of watershed research, originally applied in an experimental or monitoring mode to relatively small catchments, are increasingly being used at larger scales and for specific applied problems. Research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the US Forest Service, and other agencies and institutions participating in this symposium reflects research over a broad range of spatial scales that is being integrated through large-scale experiments along with computer modeling and graphical interfaces. These research projects address the basic atmospheric, geophysical, biogeochemical, and biological processes that regulate the responses of forested ecosystems to natural environmental variation and anthropogenic stresses. Regional and global issues addressed by presentations include emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other hydrocarbons; deposition of sulfate, nitrate, and mercury; land-use changes; biological diversity; droughts; and water quality. The reports presented in this symposium illustrate a wide range of methods and approaches and focus more on concepts and techniques than on a specific physical site. Sites and projects that have contributed research results to this symposium include Walker Branch Watershed (DOE), the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory and LTER site (USFS and NSF), Great Smoky Mountains National Park (research funded by NPS, TVA, and EPRI), Imnavait Creek, Alaska (DOE), the TVA-Norris Whole-tree Facility (TVA and EPRI), and DOE`s Biomass Program. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-03-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10134417
Description of the terrestrial ecology of the Oak Ridge Environmental Research Park Kitchings, T.; Mann, L. K. 510302* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; BIOMASS; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY SOURCES; GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS; INDUSTRIAL PLANTS; ISOTOPE SEPARATION PLANTS; LAND USE; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ORGDP; ORNL; PLANTS; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SOUTHEAST REGION; TENNESSEE; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TREES; US AEC; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; WILD ANIMALS; Y-12 PLANT The Environmental Sciences Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has begun to develop research and administrative foundations necessary to establish and operate an Environmental Research Park (ERP) on the Energy Research and Development Administration Reservation at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Important in developing a functional research area is a description and inventory of the species and ecosystems which comprise the Research Park. This report describes some of the floral and faunal components of the Oak Ridge Reservation. Emphasis is placed on the relationship of faunal communities to the vegetation type in which they occur. Unique vegetational areas and rare and endangered species are also discussed. Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn. (USA) United States 1976-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/7251127 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7251127
Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1987 to the DOE office of energy research: Part 2, Environmental sciences 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 520100 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; GEOCHEMISTRY; MICROORGANISMS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; PROGRESS REPORT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; STRESSES; SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENTS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WILD ANIMALS This report summarizes progress in environmental sciences research conducted by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the Office of Health and Environmental Research in FY 1987. Research is directed toward developing a fundamental understanding of processes controlling the long-term fate and biological effects of fugitive chemicals and other stressors resulting from energy development. The research, focused on terrestrial, subsurface, and coastal marine systems, forms the basis for defining and quantifying processes that affect humans and the environment at the regional and global levels. Research is multidisciplinary and multitiered, providing integrated system-level insights into critical environmental processes. Research initiatives in subsurface microbiology and transport, global change, radon, and molecular sciences are building on PNL technical strengths in biogeochemistry, hydrodynamics, molecular biology, and theoretical ecology. Unique PNL facilities are used to probe multiple phenomena complex relationships at increasing levels of complexity. Intermediate-scale experimental systems are used to examine arid land watershed dynamics, aerosol behavior and effects, and multidimensional subsurface transport. In addition, field laboratories (the National Environmental Research Park and Marine Research Laboratory) are used in conjunction with advanced measurement techniques to validate concepts and models, and to extrapolate the results to the system and global levels. Strong university liaisons now in existence are being markedly expanded so that PNL resources and the specialized technical capabilities in the university community can be more efficiently integrated. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) United States 1988-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6912850 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6912850
Vertebrates of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Arthur, W J; Connelly, J W; Halford, D K; Reynolds, T D 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 520100 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMPHIBIANS; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BIRDS; DATA; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FISHES; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; INFORMATION; INVENTORIES; MAMMALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUMERICAL DATA; REPTILES; SPECIES DIVERSITY; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES Abundance, habitat use, and seasonal occurrence are reported for the 5 fish, 1 amphibian, 9 reptile, 159 bird and 37 mammal species recorded on the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory National Environmental Research Park in southeastern Idaho. An additional 45 species, for which site records are lacking, were listed as possibly occurring because portions of their documented range and habitat overlap the INEL. Species of special concern on the federal and state level are discussed. 41 references, 4 tables. USDOE Radiological and Environmental Sciences Lab., Idaho Falls, ID United States 1984-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6312724
Savannah River Plant environment Dukes, E K 510302 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 520500 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES; BACKGROUND RADIATION; CLIMATES; DATA; DATA COMPILATION; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENT; FORESTS; GEOLOGY; GROUND WATER; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROLOGY; INFORMATION; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; NUMERICAL DATA; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIATIONS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOILS; SURFACE WATERS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WATER; WILD ANIMALS On June 20, 1972, the Atomic Energy Commission designated 192,323 acres of land near Aiken, SC, as the nation's first National Environmental Research Park. The designated land surrounds the Department of Energy's Savannah River Plant production complex. The site, which borders the Savannah River for 17 miles, includes swampland, pine forests, abandoned town sites, a large man-made lake for cooling water impoundment, fields, streams, and watersheds. This report is a description of the geological, hydrological, meteorological, and biological characteristics of the Savannah River Plant site and is intended as a source of information for those interested in environmental research at the site. 165 references, 68 figures, 52 tables. Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab. United States 1984-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5016271
Cedar barrens Parr, P D; Pounds, L R 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 140504* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989); 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 553000 -- Agriculture & Food Technology; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ANIMALS; ARTHROPODS; BIOLOGICAL EXTINCTION; CEDARS; CONIFERS; DAMAGE; DATA BASE MANAGEMENT; ECOLOGY; HABITAT; INSECTS; INVERTEBRATES; MANAGEMENT; MONITORING; PINOPHYTA; PLANTS; POPULATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SEEDS; TREES Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park staff are working with the Tennessee Department of Conservation and Boeing Tennessee, Inc. to preserve and monitor an area containing one of the best known remaining examples of the rare cedar barrens plant community. Several rare plant species occur on the site and research has been initiated on Agalinis auriculata which is under consideration for federal listing. Preliminary data collected in 1984 has demonstrated an increase in Agalinis with movement out of the sampling grid area. Of 132 plants sampled in 1986, the Agalinis was found most often in a moss substrate (43%), on bare ground (28%) and in grass litter (23%). preliminary germination studies indicate it is an early spring germinating summer annual. Research has been initiated to determine seed bank information, germination requirements, seedling survival, and insect predation. Oak Ridge National Lab., Oak Ridge, TN (US); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (US) United States 1987-07-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6110921
SideIO: A Side I/O Framework System for Eliminating Analysis Data Migration Liu, Qing Gary Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE Office of Science (SC) United States 2015-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1311224
Proposal to designate the Hanford Reservation as an environmental research park 510302 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ARID LANDS; DESERTS; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENT; HAPO; LAND USE; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PLANNING; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US AEC; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS The purpose of this proposal is to recommend designation of the Energy Research and Development Administration's Hanford Works Reservation as a National Environmental Research Park. The proposal has precedents in previous actions taken on Energy Research and Development Administration property in South Carolina and in Idaho. The National Environmental Research Park concept seeks to provide landscapes representing different biological environments to assess the impact of technology upon environmental quality. The Hanford Reservation is especially suitable for environmental research because of its large size, and its land-use history. Although the primary technological use of the Hanford Reservation for 30 years has been plutonium production, much of the land surrounding the reactors and chemical processing buildings has not been used and has benefited from protection from livestock grazing and agricultural uses that most likely would have been imposed upon the land in the absence of nuclear technology. Energy Research and Development Administration, Richland, Wash. (USA). Richland Operations Office United States Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7341222
Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1979 to the DOE Assistant Secretary for Environment. Part 2. Ecological sciences Vaughan, B E 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 520100 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 560100 -- Biomedical Sciences, Applied Studies-- Radiation Effects; 560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ALASKA; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; BITUMINOUS MATERIALS; CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS; ELEMENTS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENERGY STORAGE; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS; LAND RECLAMATION; MANAGEMENT; NORTH AMERICA; OIL SHALES; PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGION; POWER PLANTS; PRODUCTIVITY; PUMPED STORAGE; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; STORAGE; SYNTHETIC FUELS; UPTAKE; USA; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER CHEMISTRY Research in Environment, Health, and Safety conducted during fiscal year 1979 is reported. This volume consists of project reports from the Ecological Sciences research department. The reports are grouped under the following subject areas: National Environmental Research Park and land use; Alaskan resource research; shale oil; synfuels; nuclear waste; fission; marine research programs; statistical development of field research; nuclear fusion; pumped storage and hydroelectric development; pathways modelling, assessment and Hanford project support; electric field and microwave research; and energy research for other agencies. (ACR) Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA) United States 1980-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5617739 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5617739
Resource management plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 29, Rare plants on the Oak Ridge Reservation Cunningham, M; Pounds, L; Oberholster, S; Parr, P; Mann, L; Edwards, L; Rosensteel, B 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210; 540250; BASIC STUDIES; ENDANGERED SPECIES; FORESTS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANTS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SURVEYS; TENNESSEE; US FWS; WETLANDS Rare plant species listed by state or federal agencies and found on or near the Department of Energy`s Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) are identified. Seventeen species present on the ORR are listed by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation as either endangered, threatened, or of special concern. Four of these are under review by the US Fish and Wildlife Service for possible listing as threatened or endangered species. Ten species listed by the state occur near and may be present on the ORR; four are endangered in Tennessee, and one is a candidate for federal listing. A range of habitats supports the rare taxa on the ORR: River bluffs, calcareous barrens, wetlands, and deciduous forest. Sites for listed rare species on the ORR have been designated as Research Park Natural Areas. Consideration of rare plant habitats is an important component of resource management and land-use planning; protection of rare species in their natural habitat is the best method of ensuring their long-term survival. In addition, the National Environmental Policy Act requires that federally funded projects avoid or mitigate impacts to listed species. The list of rare plant species and their location on the ORR should be considered provisional because the entire ORR has not been surveyed, and state and federal status of all species continues to be updated. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10179973 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10179973
Food habits of bobcats in eastern Tennessee Story, J D; Galbraith, W J; Kitchings, J T 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; CATS; DEER; FEDERAL REGION IV; FOOD; FOOD CHAINS; HABITAT; MAMMALS; NORTH AMERICA; PREDATOR-PREY INTERACTIONS; RABBITS; RODENTS; RUMINANTS; TENNESSEE; USA; VERTEBRATES; VOLES Food habits of bobcats (Lynx rufus) in eastern Tennessee were determined from analyzing 176 cat samples collected on the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park. Remains of cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) were the most frequently occurring food item. White-tail deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and pine vole (Microtus pinetorum) remains also were found frequently in samples. Data obtained from this study indicated that food preferences for bobcats in eastern Tennessee are similar to those in other southeastern states where the habitat is similar to the Oak Ridge area and somewhat different from those with significantly different habitat. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN United States 1982-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7056709
Vegetation of the Savannah River Site: Major community types Workman, S W; McLeod, K W 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; COMMUNITIES; CONIFERS; ECOSYSTEMS; EVALUATION; FEDERAL REGION IV; FORESTS; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; PINES; PINOPHYTA; PLANTS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SOUTH CAROLINA; SWAMPS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TOPOGRAPHY; TREES; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; WETLANDS; WILD ANIMALS The eight major plant community types of the Savannah River Site (SRS) are distributed along topographic and moisture gradients and strongly controlled by local management practices. Communities range from sandhill communities in the xeric uplands to bottomland or swamp forests in low-lying areas subject to periodic flooding. The variety of community types and extensive land area (78,000 ha) of the SRS provides habitat for a diversity of plant species. As a National Environmental Research Park, the SRS provides an area for study of man-altered systems in relation to natural systems. A site-wide Set-Aside Areas program designates specific parcels of land representing different community types on the SRS. These areas conserve habitat for plants and wildlife, including some endangered, threatened and rare species. This document provides descriptions, including community characteristics and species composition, for the eight major vegetation communities of the SRS (old field, sandhill, upland hardwood, pinelands, bottomland, swamp, Carolina bay and fresh water). Species lists of tree, shrub, vine, herbaceous, and lower plant species of the SRS, by community type, were compiled from existing literature, herbarium information, and solicited additions from researchers familiar with SRS vegetation; these are provided in appendices. 130 refs., 19 figs. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (USA) DOE/DP United States 1990-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6877070
Resource data inventory for the Oak Ridge area Mann, L K; Kitchings, J T 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990200* -- Mathematics & Computers; CHEMISTRY; COMPUTER CODES; DATA BASE MANAGEMENT; FEDERAL REGION IV; GEOLOGY; I CODES; INFORMATION RETRIEVAL; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; OAK RIDGE; ORNL; RESOURCE ASSESSMENT; SOIL CHEMISTRY; SOILS; TENNESSEE; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA A natural resources data base is described that is useful in natural resource management on the Department of Energy Reservation at Oak Ridge, in research site selection on the National Environmental Research Park (NERP) within the Reservation, in summarizing and analyzing resource data in areas selected for industrial development in and near the Reservation, and in regional analyses both on the Reservation and on adjacent land. Soils, surface geology, slope classes, slope aspect, land use, and roads have been digitized on a 0.5-ha cell size for the Oak Ridge area. Two examples of using the data base with IMGRID, a data storage, retrieval, and modeling system developed by the Tennessee Valley Authority are presented. The first example is a search for barren or glade type soils and the second is a summary of forest productivity classes. Summary information concerning soil series distribution, most common soils, and taxonomy of soils is also included. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1982-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5063325
Competition and coexistence of small mammals in an East Tennessee pine plantation Seagle, S W 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; COMPETITION; CONIFERS; ECOLOGY; HABITAT; MAMMALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PINES; PLANTS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TREES; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES Microhabitat use and niche characteristics of Peromyscus leucopus, Ochrotomys nuttalli and Blarina brevicauda were examined in a pine plantation on the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park. Although general microhabitat use was the same, niche parameters (such as niche breadth) for each species varied between two study grids, apparently in response to differing understory density. Microhabitat specialization is thus proposed to be a function of local microhabitat structure. Removal of the generalist species, P. leucopus, from one grid while maintaining the other grid as a control elicited a significant microhabitat shift and increase in niche breadth by O. nuttalli. Blarina brevicauda displayed a slight microhabitat shift and increased niche breadth. These results are inconsistent with the hypothesis that generalist species are poor competitors. Microhabitat heterogeneity created by plant succession and extrinsic disturbances such as tree blow-down are suggested to allow coexistence of these species by altering competitive abilities or microhabitat selection. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN United States 1985-10-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.2307/2425602 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6383445
ADIOS Podhorszki, Norbert; Klasky, Scott A; Liu, Qing Gary; Tian, Yuan; Parashar, Manish; Schwan, Karsten; Wolf, Matthew; Lakshminarasimhan, Sriram Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE Office of Science (SC) United States 2014-01-01T04:00:00Z Book https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1311214
Ground-dwelling Beetle Responses to Long-term Precipitation Alterations in a Hardwood Forest Williams, RS; Marbert, BS; Fisk, MC; Hanson, Paul J Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2014-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1656/058.013.0114 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1122679
Resource Management Plan for the US Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 2, Appendix A: aquatic habitats Loar, J M 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290400* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources; 520500 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; RESOURCES; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS A diversity of aquatic habitats, ranging from undisturbed small streams to liquid waste disposal ponds, exist on the Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation. The most important of these habitats may support populations of threatened or endangered aquatic species or provide sites for experimental ecological research. A management plan is proposed that will ensure the long-term preservation of these habitats by controlling various land-use practices in the watershed. The impacts associated with timber harvest and management practices can be minimized by careful planning of access roads to the harvest sites and by providing a narrow buffer strip of uncut trees and shrubs along the stream margins. Reservation streams should be surveyed to determine the presence of any threatened or endangered aquatic vertebrate species. If such species are found, their habitat should be designated a natural area within the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park. Resolution of conflicts over competing land-use practices will require careful planning in the early stages of project development, close coordination with forest management plans, and recognition of the long-term benefits that accrue when some watersheds remain in a undisturbed state. 28 references, 1 figure, 1 table. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1984-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5997789
DOE Research Set-Aside Areas of the Savannah River Site Davis, C E; Janecek, L L 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BASELINE ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HABITAT; LAND USE; NUMERICAL DATA; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT Designated as the first of seven National Environmental Research Parks (NERPs) by the Atomic Energy Commission (now the Department of Energy), the Savannah River Site (SRS) is an important ecological component of the Southeastern Mixed Forest Ecoregion located along the Savannah River south of Aiken, South Carolina. Integral to the Savannah River Site NERP are the DOE Research Set-Aside Areas. Scattered across the SRS, these thirty tracts of land have been set aside for ecological research and are protected from public access and most routine Site maintenance and forest management activities. Ranging in size from 8.5 acres (3.44 ha) to 7,364 acres (2,980 ha), the thirty Set-Aside Areas total 14,005 acres (5,668 ha) and comprise approximately 7% of the Site`s total area. This system of Set-Aside Areas originally was established to represent the major plant communities and habitat types indigenous to the SRS (old-fields, sandhills, upland hardwood, mixed pine/hardwood, bottomland forests, swamp forests, Carolina bays, and fresh water streams and impoundments), as well as to preserve habitats for endangered, threatened, or rare plant and animal populations. Many long-term ecological studies are conducted in the Set-Asides, which also serve as control areas in evaluations of the potential impacts of SRS operations on other regions of the Site. The purpose of this document is to give an historical account of the SRS Set-Aside Program and to provide a descriptive profile of each of the Set-Aside Areas. These descriptions include a narrative for each Area, information on the plant communities and soil types found there, lists of sensitive plants and animals documented from each Area, an account of the ecological research conducted in each Area, locator and resource composition maps, and a list of Site-Use permits and publications associated with each Set-Aside. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-08-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/595640 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/595640
Resource Management Plan for the US Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 11, Appendix K: site development Chance, W W; Baumgardner, D R 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290400* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources; 510500 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECONOMIC IMPACT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS; INDUSTRIAL PLANTS; ISOTOPE SEPARATION PLANTS; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORGDP; ORNL; PLANNING; SITE SURVEYS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; Y-12 PLANT When it was formed, DOE brought together under one program a vast variety of physical facilities, making it the second largest holder of property and facilities in civilian sector of the federal government. It is DOE's goal to use these facilities in civilian sector of the federal government. It is DOE's goal to use these facilities effectively in order to accomplish its mission efficiently. To carry out this mission site planning and management have been determined to be critical. DOE's Oak Ridge Reservation contains three major facilities: the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP), for enriching uranium; the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), for energy research and development and defense; and the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant (OR Y-12 Plant), for weapons production. Despite the short amount of time taken for development of these facilities, they have continued to expand and develop over the past 40 years to represent a current investment of over $3.1 billion in plant equipment. It has only been in the past few years that serious effort has been devoted to site planning, reflecting a change in thinking toward long-range planning and utilization of these permanent facilities. Other facilities that impact the resources and thus the planning for the reservation include the following: (1) the Demonstration Reprocessing Plant, part of the Consolidated Fuel Reprocessing Program; (2) the ELMO Bumpy Torus Proof-of-Principle device; (3) the Fusion Engineering Device; (4) the Waste Heat Utilization System; (5) the National Environmental Research Park; (6) the Comparative Animal Research Laboratory; (7) the Centralized Waste Storage Facility; and (8) the Synthetic Fuels Plant. 18 references, 20 figures, 3 tables. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1984-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6191660
Benefits of a Biological Monitoring Program for Assessing Remediation Performance and Long-Term Stewardship Peterson, Mark J 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; BMAP; MONITORING; PERFORMANCE; WASTE MANAGEMENT No abstract prepared. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL work for others United States 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1045847
Introduction to the Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program Peterson, Mark J Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL work for others United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s00267-011-9627-2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1025819
Sources of mercury to a contaminated stream - implications for time scale of effective remediation Southworth, George R; Brooks, Scott C; Greeley, Jr, Mark Stephen; Ketelle, Richard H; Peterson, Mark J; Mathews, Teresa J Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL work for others; SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2013-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1072986
Ecologic assessment of closure options for Savannah River Plant waste sites 052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage; 054000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Health & Safety; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; COMPILED DATA; DATA; DECOMMISSIONING; EVALUATION; FEDERAL REGION IV; FLOW RATE; GROUND DISPOSAL; GROUND WATER; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; INFORMATION; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; NUMERICAL DATA; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PONDS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SAMPLING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SEDIMENTS; SETTLING PONDS; SOILS; SOUTH CAROLINA; SURFACE WATERS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER The report contains ecologic analyses of closure options for each of 26 functional groups of waste sites at SRP. Some of these waste sites have historically received hazardous, radioactive, or mixed wastes. SRP has been a designated National Environmental Research Park since 1972. In addition, the effect of 30 years of restricted public access has been to make the SRP, in a sense, a wildlife refuge. Contemporaneously with restricted access and production of strategic nuclear materials, there have been increases in wildlife populations, extensive pine planting, and return of formerly agricultural land to natural succession. In preparing this report, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) utilized data for contaminants in groundwater, surface waters, basin sediments, and waste site soils collected by various contractors and provided by du Pont. In addition, the ecologic assessments are based upon PATHRAE ground water transport modeling performed by Rogers and Associates Engineering, and a stream dilution modeling methodology adopted by du Pont. SAIC did not perform field work in the course of the assessment, but did visit the major sites for cursory visual inspection and examined aerial photographs of waste sites and surrounding terrain. 111 refs., 22 figs., 163 tabs. Science Applications International Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (USA) United States 1987-04-17T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6817318
Monitoring Fish Contaminant Responses to Abatement Actions: Factors That Affect Recovery Southworth, George R Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL work for others United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s00267-011-9637-0 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1068729
Mercury Issues and Complexities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee: Redefining the Conceptual Model Peterson, Mark J; Looney, Brian; Southworth, George R; Eddy-Dilek, Carol; Watson, David B; Ketelle, Richard 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; MERCURY; TENNESSEE; WASTE MANAGEMENT No abstract prepared. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park EM USDOE - Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) United States 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1045848
Long-term Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Monitoring to Assess Pollution Abatement Effectiveness Smith, John G; Christensen, Sigurd W; Brandt, Craig C Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL work for others United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s00267-010-9610-3 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1038777
Forest soil carbon oxidation state and oxidative ratio responses to elevated CO2 Hockaday, William C.; Gallagher, Morgan E.; Masiello, Caroline A.; Baldock, Jeffrey A.; Iversen, Colleen M.; Norby, Richard J. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; carbon cycle; carbon oxidation state; elevated carbon dioxide; oxidative ratio; respiratory quotient; soil organic matter The oxidative ratio (OR) of the biosphere is the stoichiometric ratio (O2/CO2) of gas exchange by photosynthesis and respiration a key parameter in budgeting calculations of the land and ocean carbon sinks. Carbon cycle-climate feedbacks could alter the OR of the biosphere by affecting the quantity and quality of organic matter in plant biomass and soil carbon pools. Here, this study considers the effect of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations ([CO2]) on the OR of a hardwood forest after nine growing seasons of Free-Air CO2 Enrichment. We measured changes in the carbon oxidation state (Cox) of biomass and soil carbon pools as a proxy for the ecosystem OR. The OR of net primary production, 1.039, was not affected by elevated [CO2]. However, the Cox of the soil carbon pool was 40% higher at elevated [CO2], and the estimated OR values for soil respiration increased from 1.006 at ambient [CO2] to 1.054 at elevated [CO2]. A biochemical inventory of the soil organic matter ascribed the increases in Cox and OR to faster turnover of reduced substrates, lignin and lipids, at elevated [CO2]. This implicates the heterotrophic soil community response to elevated [CO2] as a driver of disequilibrium in the ecosystem OR. The oxidation of soil carbon pool constitutes an unexpected terrestrial O2 sink. Carbon budgets constructed under the assumption of OR equilibrium would equate such a terrestrial O2 sink to CO2 uptake by the ocean. We find that the potential for climate-driven disequilibriua in the cycling of O2 and CO2 warrants further investigation. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park NSF; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23) United States 2015-09-21T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/2015JG003010 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1328279
A belowground perspective on the drought sensitivity of forests: Towards improved understanding and simulation Phillips, Richard P.; Ibanez, Ines; DâOrangeville, Loic; Hanson, Paul J.; Ryan, Michael G.; McDowell, Nathan G. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Earth system models; drought resilience; ecosystem modeling; land surface models; rooting strategies; water stress Predicted increases in the frequency and intensity of droughts across the temperate biome have highlighted the need to examine the extent to which forests may differ in their sensitivity to water stress. At present, a rich body of literature exists on how leaf- and stem-level physiology influence tree drought responses; however, less is known regarding the dynamic interactions that occur below ground between roots and soil physical and biological factors. Hence, there is a need to better understand how and why processes occurring below ground influence forest sensitivity to drought. Here, we review what is known about tree speciesâ below ground strategies for dealing with drought, and how physical and biological characteristics of soils interact with rooting strategies to influence forest sensitivity to drought. Then, we highlight how a below ground perspective of drought can be used in models to reduce uncertainty in predicting the ecosystem consequences of droughts in forests. Lastly, we describe the challenges and opportunities associated with managing forests under conditions of increasing drought frequency and intensity, and explain how a below ground perspective on drought may facilitate improved forest management. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE Office of Science (SC) United States 2016-09-13T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.foreco.2016.08.043 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1329147
Using Ecosystem Experiments to Improve Vegetation Models Medlyn, Belinda; Zaehle, S; DeKauwe, Martin G.; Walker, Anthony P.; Dietze, Michael; Hanson, Paul J.; Hickler, Thomas; Jain, Atul; Luo, Yiqi; Parton, William; Prentice, I. Collin; Thornton, Peter E.; Wang, Shusen; Wang, Yingping; Weng, Ensheng; Iversen, Colleen M.; McCarthy, Heather R.; Warren, Jeffrey; Oren, Ram; Norby, Richard J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Ecosystem responses to rising CO2 concentrations are a major source of uncertainty in climate change projections. Data from ecosystem-scale Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiments provide a unique opportunity to reduce this uncertainty. The recent FACE ModelâData Synthesis project aimed to use the information gathered in two forest FACE experiments to assess and improve land ecosystem models. A new 'assumption-centred' model intercomparison approach was used, in which participating models were evaluated against experimental data based on the ways in which they represent key ecological processes. Identifying and evaluating the main assumptions caused differences among models, and the assumption-centered approach produced a clear roadmap for reducing model uncertainty. We explain this approach and summarize the resulting research agenda. We encourage the application of this approach in other model intercomparison projects to fundamentally improve predictive understanding of the Earth system. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE Office of Science (SC) United States 2015-05-21T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/nclimate2621 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1209205
Habitat availability and animal community characteristics Seagle, S W; Shugart, H H; West, D C 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ANIMALS; COMMUNITIES; COMPETITION; DATA; ECOLOGY; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FORESTS; HABITAT; INFORMATION; MAMMALS; MICE; NUMERICAL DATA; RODENTS; SHREWS; VERTEBRATES The microhabitat utilization and niche characteristics of Peromyscus leucopus, Ochrotomys nuttalli, and Blarina brevicauda were examined within a pine plantation on the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park (NERP) in East Tennessee. Although general microhabitat utilization was the same, niche parameters (such as niche breadth) for each species varied between two study grids, apparently in response to differing understory density. Specialization is thus proposed to be a function of local microhabitat structure. Removal of the generalist species, P. leucopus, from one grid while maintaining the other as a control elicited a significant microhabitat shift and increase in niche breadth by O. nuttalli. B. brevicauda displayed a slight but nonsignificant microhabitat shift and increased niche breadth. These results are a counter example to the hypothesis that generalist species are poor competitors. Spatial microhabitat heterogeneity created by plant secondary succession and extrinsic disturbances such as tree blow-down is suggested to allow coexistence of these species by altering competitive abilities or microhabitat selection at a small spatial scale. Since interspecific competition affects small mammal niche characteristics, two hypotheses to explain the relative abundances of coexisting animal species are examined. Analysis of the small mammal fauna of the Oak Ridge NERP indicates that habitat availability, not niche breadth, is a good predictor of abundance. This result is discussed in the context of habitat dynamics and the evolutionary history of the species. 103 references, 10 figures, 10 tables. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1984-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6272235
Power Cycle Testing of Power Switches: A Literature Survey GopiReddy, Lakshmi Reddy; Tolbert, Leon M.; Ozpineci, Burak 42 ENGINEERING; FAILURE; Failure mechanisms; HEALTH MANAGEMENT; IGBT MODULES; LIFETIME; PHYSICS; RELIABILITY; SYSTEM; TECHNOLOGIES; TRACTION; lifetime estimation; physics of failure; power cycling; precursor indicators; semiconductor reliability Reliability of power converters and lifetime prediction has been a major topic of research in the last few decades, especially for traction applications. The main failures in high power semiconductors are caused by thermomechanical fatigue. Power cycling and temperature cycling are the two most common thermal acceleration tests used in assessing reliability. The objective of this paper is to study the various power cycling tests found in the literature and to develop generalized steps in planning application specific power cycling tests. A comparison of different tests based on the failures, duration, test circuits, and monitored electrical parameters is presented. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE; NSF United States 2014-09-18T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1109/TPEL.2014.2359015 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1325461
Plant root distributions and nitrogen-uptake efficiency predicted by an hypothesis of optimal root foraging McMurtrie, Ross; Iversen, Colleen M; Dewar, Roderick C; Medlyn, Belinda; Nasholm, Torgny; Norby, Richard J Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/ece3.266 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1081908
Where does the carbon go? A model-data intercomparison of vegetation carbon allocation and turnover processes at two temperate forest free-air CO2 enrichment sites. DeKauwe, Martin G; Medlyn, Belinda; Zaehle, S; Walker, Anthony P; Dietze, Michael; Wang, Yingping; Luo, Yiqi; Jain, Atul; El-Masri, Bassil; Hickler, Thomas; Warlind, David; Weng, Ensheng; Parton, William; Thornton, Peter E; Wang, Shusen; Prentice, I. Collin; Asao, Shinichi; Smith, Benjamin; McCarthy, Heather R; Iversen, Colleen M; Hanson, Paul J; Warren, Jeffrey; Oren, Ram; Norby, Richard J Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2014-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/nph.12847 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1136832
Evaluation of eleven terrestrial carbon-nitrogen cycle models against observations from two temperate Free-Air CO2 Enrichment Studies Zaehle, S; Medlyn, Belinda; DeKauwe, Martin G; Walker, Anthony P; Dietze, Michael; Hickler, Thomas; Luo, Yiqi; Wang, Yingping; El-Masri, Bassil; Thornton, Peter E; Jain, Atul; Wang, Shusen; Warlind, David; Weng, Ensheng; Parton, William; Iversen, Colleen M; Gallet-budynek, Anne; McCarthy, Heather R; Finzi, Adrien C; Hanson, Paul J; Prentice, I. Collin; Oren, Ram; Norby, Richard J Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2014-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/nph.12697 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1133548
Can geoengineering be green? Marland, Gregg 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; ENERGY CONSERVATION; ENGINEERING; ORNL No abstract prepared. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-09-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015073
Organic-matter decomposition along a temperature gradient in a forested headwater stream Griffiths, Natalie A.; Tiegs, Scott D. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES Here, we used a natural temperature gradient in Walker Branch, a spring-fed forested stream in eastern Tennessee, USA, to examine the influence of temperature on organic-matter decomposition. These upstream sites are warmer than downstream sites in winter and are cooler than downstream sites in summer. We used a cotton-strip assay to examine breakdown of a substrate of uniform quality (95% cellulose) along the temperature gradient monthly for 2 y and litter bags to examine the interactive effects of leaf-litter quality (labile red maple [Acer rubrum] and tulip poplar [Liriodendron tulipifera], and less labile white oak [Quercus alba]), invertebrates, and temperature on breakdown rates along the downstream temperature gradient for 90 d in winter. Cotton-strip tensile loss and leaf-litter breakdown rates were highly variable. Tensile-loss rates likely were driven by a combination of daily and diel temperature, discharge, streamwater nutrients that varied seasonally and spatially along the temperature gradient. Leaf litter breakdown rates tended to be faster in warmer upstream sites (red maple = 0.0452/d, tulip poplar = 0.0376/d, white oak = 0.0142/d) and slower in cooler downstream sites (red maple = 0.0312/d, tulip poplar = 0.0236/d, white oak = 0.0107/d), and breakdown rates were positively correlated with total invertebrate density. Furthermore, temperature sensitivity of decomposition was similar among the 3 litter types. These results highlight the high degree of spatial and temporal heterogeneity that can exist for ecosystem processes and their drivers. Quantifying this heterogeneity is important when scaling functional metrics to stream and watershed scales and for understanding how organic-matter processing will respond to the warmer streamwater temperatures expected as a result of global climate change. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE Office of Science (SC) United States 2016-02-11T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1086/685657 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1325411
Litterfall 15N Abundance Indicates Declining Soil Nitrogen Availability in a Free Air CO2 Enrichment Experiment Garten, Jr, Charles T; Iversen, Colleen M; Norby, Richard J doi:10.1890/10-0293.1 Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1890/10-0293.1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1081636
VARIATION IN FOLIAR NITROGEN AND ALBEDO IN RESPONSE TO NITROGEN FERTILIZATION AND ELEVATED CO2 Wicklein, Haley F; Ollinger, S. V.; Martin, Mary M; Hollinger, D.; Lepine, Lucie C; Day, Michelle C; Bartlett, Megan K; Richardson, Andrew D.; Norby, Richard J Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL work for others United States 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s00442-012-2263-6 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1081799
Spatiotemporal patterns of evapotranspiration in response to multiple environmental factors simulated by the Community Land Model Shi, Xiaoying; Mao, Jiafu; Thornton, Peter E; Huang, Maoyi; Hoffman, Forrest In this study, spatial and temporal patterns of evapotranspiration (ET) over the period of 1982-2008 are investigated and attributed to multiple environmental factors using the Community Land Model version 4 (CLM4). Our results show that CLM4 captures the spatial distribution and interannual variability of ET well when compared to observation-based estimates derived from the FLUXNET network of eddy covariance towers using the model tree ensembles (MTE) approach. We find that climate trends and variability dominate predicted variability in ET. Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration also plays an important role in modulating the trend of predicted ET over most land areas, and functions as the dominant factor controlling ET changes over North America, South America and Asia regions. Compared to the effect of climate change and CO2 concentration, the roles of other factors such as nitrogen deposition, land use change and aerosol deposition are less pronounced and regionally dependent. For example, the aerosol deposition contribution is the third-most important factor for trends of ET over Europe, while it has the smallest impact on ET trend over other regions. As ET is a dominant component of the terrestrial water cycle, our results suggest that environmental factors like elevated CO2, nitrogen and aerosol depositions, and land use and land cover change, in addition to climate, could have significant impact on future projections of water resources and water cycle dynamics at global and regional scales. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2013-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1088/1748-9326/8/2/024012 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1092248
Forest water use and water use efficiency at elevated CO2: a model-data intercomparison at two contrasting temperate forest FACE sites DeKauwe, Martin G; Medlyn, Belinda; Zaehle, S; Walker, Anthony P; Dietze, Michael; Hickler, Thomas; Jain, Atul; Luo, Yiqi; Parton, William; Prentice, I. Collin; Smith, Benjamin; Thornton, Peter E; Wang, Shusen; Wang, Yingping; Warlind, David; Weng, Ensheng; Crous, Kristine; Ellsworth, David; Hanson, Paul J; Seok-Kim, Hyun; Warren, Jeffrey; Oren, Ram; Norby, Richard J Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2013-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/gcb.12164 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1088147
ARM CLIMATE MODELING BEST ESTIMATE DATA A New Data Product for Climate Studies Xie, Shaocheng; McCord, Raymond A; Palanisamy, Giri; Clothiaux, Eugene E; Long, Charles N; Mather, James H; McFarlane, Sally A; Shi, Yan; Golaz, Jean-Christophe; Lin, Yanluan; Wiscombe, Warren J; Jensen, Michael P; Johnson, Karen L; Turner, David D 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLIMATES; CLOUDS; SIMULATION No abstract prepared. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1175/2009BAMS2891.1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015725
Detection and analysis of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) in environmental samples by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy Hatab, Nahla A; Gu, Baohua; Eres, Gyula; Hatzinger, Paul B 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; DETECTION; GOLD; RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY; RDX; SCATTERING; SECURITY; SENSITIVITY; SERS detection; SPECTROSCOPY; SUBSTRATES; explosives; gold nanoparticles; groundwater Techniques for rapid and sensitive detection of energetics such as cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) are needed both for environmental and security screening applications. Here we report the use of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy to detect traces of RDX with good sensitivity and reproducibility. Using gold (Au) nanoparticles ( 90 100 nm in diameter) as SERS substrates, RDX was detectable at concentrations as low as 0.15 mg/l in a contaminated groundwater sample. This detection limit is about two orders of magnitude lower than those reported previously using SERS techniques. A surface enhancement factor of 6 104 was obtained. This research further demonstrates the potential for using SERS as a rapid, in situ field screening tool for energetics detection when coupled with a portable Raman spectrometer. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-10-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/jrs.2574 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015739
Can we reconcile atmospheric estimates of the Northern terrestrial carbon sink with land-based accounting? Ciais, Philippe; Luyssaert, Sebastiaan; Chevallier, Fredric; Poussi, Zegbeu; Peylin, Philippe; Breon, Francois-Marie; Canadell, J G; Shvidenko, Anatoly; Jonas, Matthias; King, Anthony Wayne; Schulze, E -D; Roedenbeck, Christian; Piao, Shilong; Peters, Wouter 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ACCURACY; CARBON SINKS; DISTRIBUTION; NORTHERN HEMISPHERE; SLOWING-DOWN; TEMPERATURE INVERSIONS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS We estimatethenorthernhemisphere(NH)terrestrialcarbon sink bycomparingfourrecentatmosphericinversionswith land-based Caccountingdataforsixlargenorthernregions. The meanNHterrestrialCO2 sink fromtheinversionmodelsis 1.7 PgCyear1 over theperiod2000 2004. Theuncertaintyof this estimateisbasedonthetypicalindividual(1-sigma) precision ofoneinversion(0.9PgCyear1) andisconsistent with themin max rangeofthefourinversionmeanestimates (0.8 PgCyear1). Inversionsagreewithintheiruncertaintyfor the distributionoftheNHsinkofCO2 in longitude,withRussia being thelargestsink.Theland-basedaccountingestimateof NH carbonsinkis1.7PgCyear1 for thesumofthesixregions studied. The1-sigmauncertaintyoftheland-basedestimate (0.3 PgCyear1) issmallerthanthatofatmosphericinversions, but noindependentland-basedfluxestimateisavailableto derive a betweenaccountingmodel uncertainty. Encouragingly, thetop-downatmosphericandthebottom-up land-based methodsconvergetoconsistentmeanestimates within theirrespectiveerrors,increasingtheconfidenceinthe overall budget.Theseresultsalsoconfirmthecontinuedcritical role ofNHterrestrialecosystemsinslowingdownthe atmospheric accumulationofanthropogenicCO2 Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-10-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.cosust.2010.06.008 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015078
Temporal variation in the importance of a dominant consumer to stream nutrient cycling Griffiths, Natalie A.; Hill, Walter 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Animal excretion can be a significant nutrient flux within ecosystems, where it supports primary production and facilitates microbial decomposition of organic matter. The effects of excretory products on nutrient cycling have been documented for various species and ecosystems, but temporal variation in these processes is poorly understood. We examined variation in excretion rates of a dominant grazing snail, Elimia clavaeformis, and its contribution to nutrient cycling, over the course of 14 months in a well-studied, low-nutrient stream (Walker Branch, east Tennessee, USA). Biomass-specific excretion rates of ammonium varied over twofold during the study, coinciding with seasonal changes in food availability (measured as gross primary production) and water temperature (multiple linear regression, R2 = 0.57, P = 0.053). The contribution of ammonium excretion to nutrient cycling varied with seasonal changes in both biological (that is, nutrient uptake rate) and physical (that is, stream flow) variables. On average, ammonium excretion accounted for 58% of stream water ammonium concentrations, 26% of whole-stream nitrogen demand, and 66% of autotrophic nitrogen uptake. Phosphorus excretion by Elimia was contrastingly low throughout the year, supplying only 1% of total dissolved phosphorus concentrations. The high average N:P ratio (89:1) of snail excretion likely exacerbated phosphorus limitation in Walker Branch. To fully characterize animal excretion rates and effects on ecosystem processes, multiple measurements through time are necessary, especially in ecosystems that experience strong seasonality. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE Office of Science (SC) United States 2014-06-19T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s10021-014-9785-1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1159990
Thermal workshop revives interest in water temperatures Coutant, Charles C 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; FISHERIES; TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT; TEMPERATURE MONITORING; WATER; WELL TEMPERATURE No abstract prepared. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1014265
Vegetation types and surface soils of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory site McBride, R; French, N R; Dahl, A H; Detmer, J E 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOMASS; CLASSIFICATION; DATA COMPILATION; ENERGY SOURCES; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; MAPS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PHOTOGRAPHY; PLANTS; REACTOR SITES; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; SOILS; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS In 1956 the newly formed Ecology Branch of the Atomic Energy Commission's (AEC) National Reactor Testing Station (NRTS), now called the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), under the Department of Energy, initiated a project, using aerial photos taken in 1949, 1953, and 1954 to prepare a vegetation map of the site. This area was designated a National Environmental Research Park (NERP) in 1975. The first map prepared by N. R. French and Ray McBride was produced in 1958, and differentiated vegetation types on the basis of the two most prominent species of plants occurring in each type. This map gave adequate resolution between major vegetation types only in the complex mosaic of types at the northern end of the site, designating everything else as one homogeneous vegetation classification: Artemisia tridentata (big sagebrush) and Chrysothamnus viscidifluorus (green rabbitbrush). To improve the resolution of the vegetation map and thereby make it more useful in distinguishing habitats in all parts of the site, efforts were immediately begun to reclassify the vegetation types on the basis of the three (instead of two) most prominent species of plants representative of each type. This effort was continued on a low-priority basis for several years. In 1965 a vegetation map, according to the three species designation, was prepared by Ray McBride. The map was never documented in a formal report, but was reproduced in a thesis by Harniss (1968) and was referenced by Harniss and West (1973a) in their outline of the vegetation types of the NRTS. It is the purpose of this report to document the original vegetation type map prepared by the late Ray McBride and to provide general descriptions of the different vegetation types. The map has been revised and redrawn, and is appended to this report. Because vegetation is intimately related to soil development, a preliminary soil type map prepared and discussed by Adrian H. Dahl is included in this report. Department of Energy, Idaho Falls, ID (USA). Idaho Operations Office United States 1978-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6655390
Climate control of terrestrial carbon exchange across biomes and continents Ricciuto, Daniel M; Gu, Lianhong 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBON CYCLE; CARBON DIOXIDE; CLIMATES; ECOSYSTEMS; SENSITIVITY; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS Understanding the relationships between climate and carbon exchange by terrestrial ecosystems is critical to predict future levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide because of the potential accelerating effects of positive climate carbon cycle feedbacks. However, directly observed relationships between climate and terrestrial CO2 exchange with the atmosphere across biomes and continents are lacking. Here we present data describing the relationships between net ecosystem exchange of carbon (NEE) and climate factors as measured using the eddy covariance method at 125 unique sites in various ecosystems over six continents with a total of 559 site-years. We find that NEE observed at eddy covariance sites is (1) a strong function of mean annual temperature at mid- and high-latitudes, (2) a strong function of dryness at mid- and low-latitudes, and (3) a function of both temperature and dryness around the mid-latitudinal belt (45 N). The sensitivity of NEE to mean annual temperature breaks down at ~ 16 C (a threshold value of mean annual temperature), above which no further increase of CO2 uptake with temperature was observed and dryness influence overrules temperature influence. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-07-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015731
Effects of climate change, land-use change, and invasive species on the ecology of the Cumberland forests Dale, Virginia H; Lannom, Karen O; Hodges, Donald G; Tharp, M Lynn; Fogel, Jonah Effects of climate change, land-use change, and invasive species on the ecology of the Cumberland forests Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-02-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1139/X08-172 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015057
Elevated CO2 increases tree-level intrinsic water use efficiency: insights from carbon and oxygen isotope analyses in tree rings across three forest FACE sites Battipaglia, Giovanna; Saurer, Matthias; Cherubini, Paulo; Califapietra, Carlo; McCarthy, Heather R; Norby, Richard J; Cotrufo, M. Francesca Elevated CO2 increases intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi) of forests, but the magnitude of this effect and its interaction with climate is still poorly understood. We combined tree ring analysis with isotope measurements at three Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE, POP-EUROFACE, in Italy; Duke FACE in North Carolina and ORNL in Tennessee, USA) sites, to cover the entire life of the trees. We used 13C to assess carbon isotope discrimination ( 13C ci/ca) and changes in WUEi, while direct CO2 effects on stomatal conductance were explored using 18O as a proxy. Across all the sites, elevated CO2 increased 13C-derived WUEi on average by 73% for Liquidambar styraciflua, 77% for Pinus taeda and 75% for Populus sp., but through different ecophysiological mechanisms. Our findings provide a robust means of predicting WUEi responses from a variety of tree species exposed to variable environmental conditions over time, and species-specific relationships that can help modeling elevated CO2 and climate impacts on forest productivity, carbon and water balances. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2013-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/nph.12044 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1062607
Symmetry Properties of Single-Walled BC2N Nanotubes Pan, Hui; Feng, Yuan Ping; Lin, Jainyi 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; 77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; BC2N nanotubes - Symmetry - Group theory; BORON NITRIDES; CARBON; NANOTUBES; PHONONS; SYMMETRY; VECTORS The symmetry properties of the single-walled BC2N nanotubes were investigated. All the BC2N nanotubes possess nonsymmorphic line groups. In contrast with the carbon and boron nitride nanotubes, armchair and zigzag BC2N nanotubes belong to different line groups, depending on the index n (even or odd) and the vector chosen. The number of Raman- active phonon modes is almost twice that of the infrared-active phonon modes for all kinds of BC2N nanotubes. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-06-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s11671-009-9272-3 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015098
The development and application of the chemical mixture methodology in analysis of potential health impacts from airborne release in emergencies Yu, Xiao-Ying; Glantz, Clifford S; Trott, Donna M; Bouslaugh, Philip; Petrocchi, Achille J; Craig, Douglas K; Bond, Jayne-Anne; TuccinardiJr, Thomas E; Ciolek, John; Lu, Po-Yung Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/jat.1558 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015079
Update on CO2 emissions Friedingstein, P; Houghton, R A; Marland, Gregg; Hackler, J; Boden, Thomas A; Conway, T J; Canadell, J G; Raupach, Mike; Ciais, Philippe; Le Quere, Corrine 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; DEFORESTATION; ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; ECONOMICS; FORESTS; FOSSIL FUELS; LAND USE Emissions of CO2 are the main contributor to anthropogenic climate change. Here we present updated information on their present and near-future estimates. We calculate that global CO2 emissions from fossil fuel burning decreased by 1.3% in 2009 owing to the global financial and economic crisis that started in 2008; this is half the decrease anticipated a year ago1. If economic growth proceeds as expected2, emissions are projected to increase by more than 3% in 2010, approaching the high emissions growth rates that were observed from 2000 to 20081, 3, 4. We estimate that recent CO2 emissions from deforestation and other land-use changes (LUCs) have declined compared with the 1990s, primarily because of reduced rates of deforestation in the tropics5 and a smaller contribution owing to forest regrowth elsewhere. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-12-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/ngeo1022 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015075
Technique for rapid establishment of American lotus in remediation efforts Ryon, M. G.; Jett, R. T.; McCracken, M. K.; Morris, G. W.; Roy, W. K.; Fortner, A. M.; Goins, K. N.; Riazi, A. S. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Wetland; planting; pond; propagation; restoration A technique for increasing the establishment rate of American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) and simplifying planting was developed as part of a pond remediation project. Lotus propagation techniques typically require scarification of the seed, germination in heated water, and planting in nursery containers. Then mature (~ 1 yr) nursery-grown stock is transferred to planting site or scarified seed are broadcast applied. Mature plants should grow more quickly, but can be sensitive to handling, require more time to plant, and cost more. Scarified seeds are easier to plant and inexpensive, but have a lag time in growth, can fail to germinate, and can be difficult to site precisely. We developed an intermediate technique using small burlap bags that makes planting easier, provides greater germination success, and avoids lag time in growth. Data on survival and growth from experiments using mature stock, scarified seeds, and bag lotus demonstrate that bag lotus grow rapidly in a variety of conditions, have a high survival rate, can be processed and planted easily and quickly, and are very suitable for a variety of remediation projects Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL work for others United States 2013-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.3368/npj.14.1.33 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1068073
Application of a Rule-Based Model to Estimate Mercury Exchange for Three Background Biomes in the Continental United States Hartman, Jelena S; Weisberg, Peter J; Pillai, Rekha; Ericksen, Joey A; Gustin, Mae S; Kuiken, Todd; Zhang, Hong; Lindberg, Steven Eric; Rytuba, J J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; DESERTS; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS; MERCURY; RANGELANDS; RECOMMENDATIONS; SAMPLING; SOILS; SURFACE AREA; WASHOUT Ecosystems that have low mercury (Hg) concentrations (i.e., not enriched or impacted by geologic or anthropogenic processes) cover most of the terrestrial surface area of the earth yet their role as a net source or sink for atmospheric Hg is uncertain. Here we use empirical data to develop a rule-based model implemented within a geographic information system framework to estimate the spatial and temporal patterns of Hg flux for semiarid deserts, grasslands, and deciduous forests representing 45% of the continental United States. This exercise provides an indication of whether these ecosystems are a net source or sink for atmospheric Hg as well as a basis for recommendation of data to collect in future field sampling campaigns. Results indicated that soil alone was a small net source of atmospheric Hg and that emitted Hg could be accounted for based on Hg input by wet deposition. When foliar assimilation and wet deposition are added to the area estimate of soil Hg flux these biomes are a sink for atmospheric Hg. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-07-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1021/es900075q https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015093
Belowground fate of 15N injected into sweetgum trees (Liquidambar styraciflua) at the ORNL FACE experiment Garten, Jr, Charles T; Brice, Deanne Jane 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AVAILABILITY; BIOMASS; CARBON DIOXIDE; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; NITROGEN; NITROGEN 15; ORGANIC MATTER; ORNL; PARTICULATES; PRODUCTION; SOILS; SULFATES; TREES doi:10.1002/rcm.4227 Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/rcm.4227 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/963389
Role of N2-fixation in constructed old-field communities under different regimes of [CO2], temperature, and water availability Garten, Jr, Charles T; Classen, Aimee T; Norby, Richard J; Brice, Deanne Jane; Weltzin, Jake doi:10.1007/s10021-007-9112-1 Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2008-02-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s10021-007-9112-1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930899
Analyzing Impact of Intermodal Facilities on Design and Management of Biofuel Supply Chain Eksioglu, Sandra D; Li, Song; Zhang, Shu; Petrolia, Daniel; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AVAILABILITY; BIOFUELS; BIOMASS; BUSINESS; CAPACITY; CARGO; DECISION MAKING; DESIGN; DISTRIBUTION; MANAGEMENT; PROCESSING; PRODUCTION; SCHEDULES; TESTING The impact of an intermodal facility on location and transportation decisions for biofuel production plants is analyzed. Location decisions affect the management of the inbound and outbound logistics of a plant. This supply chain design and management problem is modeled as a mixed integer program. Input data for this model are location of intermodal facilities and available transportation modes, cost and cargo capacity for each transportation mode, geographical distribution of biomass feedstock and production yields, and biomass processing and inventory costs. Outputs from this model are the number, location, and capacity of biofuel production plants. For each plant, the transportation mode used, timing of shipments, shipment size, inventory size, and production schedule that minimize the delivery cost of biofuel are determined. The model proposed in this research can be used as a decision-making tool for investors in the biofuels industry since it estimates the real cost of the business. The state of Mississippi is considered as the testing grounds for the model. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-09-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.3141/2191-18 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015066
Desert dust and anthropogenic aerosol interactions in the Community Climate System Model coupled-carbon-climate model Mahowald, Natalie; Rothenberg, D; Lindsay, Keith; Doney, Scott C; Moore, Jefferson Keith; Randerson, James T; Thornton, Peter E; Jones, C D 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AEROSOLS; BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; CARBON CYCLE; CLIMATES; DEPOSITION; DESERTS; DUSTS; FEEDBACK; IRON; NITROGEN CYCLE; PRODUCTIVITY; SENSITIVITY; TRANSIENTS Coupled-carbon-climate simulations are an essential tool for predicting the impact of human activity onto the climate and biogeochemistry. Here we incorporate prognostic desert dust and anthropogenic aerosols into the CCSM3.1 coupled carbon-climate model and explore the resulting interactions with climate and biogeochemical dynamics through a series of transient anthropogenic simulations (20th and 21st centuries) and sensitivity studies. The inclusion of prognostic aerosols into this model has a small net global cooling effect on climate but does not significantly impact the globally averaged carbon cycle; we argue that this is likely to be because the CCSM3.1 model has a small climate feedback onto the carbon cycle. We propose a mechanism for including desert dust and anthropogenic aerosols into a simple carbon-climate feedback analysis to explain the results of our and previous studies. Inclusion of aerosols has statistically significant impacts on regional climate and biogeochemistry, in particular through the effects on the ocean nitrogen cycle and primary productivity of altered iron inputs from desert dust deposition. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2011-02-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.5194/bg-8-387-2011 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015083
A new species of antipatharian coral (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia: Schizopathidae) from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica Opresko, D. M.; Breedy, Odalisca 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES There is a new species of black coral, Aphanipathes colombiana (Cnidaria:Antipatharia) from the Caribbean coast of Colombia is described. Furthermore, the species forms small flabellate colonies with anisomorphic polypar spines. It is morphologically similar to the western Atlantic species A. thyoides (Pourtales) but its hypostomal polypar spines are not reduced in size. The new species also resembles the Indo-Pacific species A. reticulata van Pesch but it has smooth-surfaced polypar spines, whereas in A. reticulata these spines have small tubercles on their surface Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-09-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.2988/10-06.1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015741
Forest biomass supply logistics for a power plant using the discrete-event simulation approach Mobini, Mahdi; Sowlati, T; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine Bioenergy; Biofuel; Forest biomass; IBSAL; Simulation; Supply chain This study investigates the logistics of supplying forest biomass to a potential power plant. Due to the complexities in such a supply logistics system, a simulation model based on the framework of Integrated Biomass Supply Analysis and Logistics (IBSAL) is developed in this study to evaluate the cost of delivered forest biomass, the equilibrium moisture content, and carbon emissions from the logistics operations. The model is applied to a proposed case of 300 MW power plant in Quesnel, BC, Canada. The results show that the biomass demand of the power plant would not be met every year. The weighted average cost of delivered biomass to the gate of the power plant is about C$ 90 per dry tonne. Estimates of equilibrium moisture content of delivered biomass and CO2 emissions resulted from the processes are also provided. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2011-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.apenergy.2010.10.016 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015082
Distributed Grooming in Multi-Domain IP/MPLS-DWDM Networks Liu, Qing 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; COMPUTER NETWORKS; PERFORMANCE; ROUTING; SIMULATION This paper studies distributed multi-domain, multilayer provisioning (grooming) in IP/MPLS-DWDM networks. Although many multi-domain studies have emerged over the years, these have primarily considered 'homogeneous' network layers. Meanwhile, most grooming studies have assumed idealized settings with 'global' link state across all layers. Hence there is a critical need to develop practical distributed grooming schemes for real-world networks consisting of multiple domains and technology layers. Along these lines, a detailed hierarchical framework is proposed to implement inter-layer routing, distributed grooming, and setup signaling. The performance of this solution is analyzed in detail using simulation studies and future work directions are also high-lighted. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-12-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017343
Season mediates herbivore effects on litter and soil microbial abundance and activity in a semi-arid woodland Classen, Aimee T; Hart, Stephen C; Whitham, Thomas G Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s11104-007-9277-6 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931831
Scientific Opportunities for Monitoring of Environmental Remediation Sites (SOMERS) Bunn, Amoret L; Wellman, Dawn M.; Deeb, Rula A; Hawley, Elisabeth L; Truex, Michael J; Peterson, Mark J; Freshley, Mark D; Pierce, Eric M; Mccord, John; Young, Michael H; Gilmore, Tyler J; Miller, Rick; Miracle, Ann L; Kaback, Dawn; Eddy-Dilek, Carol; Rossabi, Joe; Lee, M Hope; Bush, Richard; Beam, Paul; Chamberlain, Grover; Gerdes, Kurt; Collazo, Yvette The US Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for risk reduction and cleanup of its nuclear weapons complex. DOE maintains the largest cleanup program in the world, currently spanning over a million acres in 13 states. The inventory of contaminated materials includes 90 million gallons of radioactive waste, 6.4 trillion liters of groundwater, and 40 million cubic meters of soil and debris. It is not feasible to completely restore many sites to predisposal conditions. Any contamination left in place will require monitoring, engineering controls and/or land use restrictions to protect human health and environment. Research and development efforts to date have focused on improving characterization and remediation. Yet, monitoring will result in the largest life-cycle costs and will be critical to improving performance and protection. Through an inter-disciplinary effort, DOE is addressing a need to advance monitoring approaches from sole reliance on cost- and labor-intensive point-source monitoring to integrated systems-based approaches such as flux-based approaches and the use of early indicator parameters. Key objectives include identifying current scientific, technical and implementation opportunities and challenges, prioritizing science and technology strategies to meet current needs within the DOE complex for the most challenging environments, and developing an integrated and risk-informed monitoring framework. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park EM USDOE - Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) United States 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1081971
Environmental Management Welcomes a New Face and Reinforces Its Focus on Science-Based Stewardship Dale, Virginia H 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOLOGY; BOTANY; COMMUNICATIONS; DIMENSIONS; ECOLOGY; ECONOMICS; ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING; FISHERIES; FORESTS; GEOGRAPHY; HYPOTHESIS; MANAGEMENT; PLANETS; RISK ASSESSMENT; WATER QUALITY; ZOOLOGY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT is pleased to announce that Rebecca Efroymson will join Virginia Dale as Co-Editors-in-Chief of the journal. Dr. Efroymson brings extensive expertise in risk assessment and environmental toxicology. Her work has focused on land management, natural resources, water quality, and rare species, with recent work on benefits and risks of energy alternatives. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT has been publishing research on the management and conservation of natural resources and habitats since 1976. Articles discuss implications for an international audience and examine a scientific or management hypothesis. As a premier scientific journal in applied and cross-cutting areas, articles come from a variety of disciplines including biology, botany, climatology, earth sciences, ecology, ecological economics, environmental engineering, fisheries, forest sciences, geography, information science, law, management science, politics, public affairs, social sciences, and zoology, most often in combinations determined by the interdisciplinary topic of the study. The journal strives to improve cross-disciplinary communication by making ideas and results available to environmental practitioners from other backgrounds. The goal of ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT is to present a wide spectrum of viewpoints and approaches, and to this end the journal consists of four main sections. Forum contains addresses, editorials, comments, and opinions about environmental matters. Articles in the Profile section describe and evaluate particular case histories, events, policies, problems, or organizations and their work. Papers in the Research section present the methods and findings from empirical and model-based scientific studies. The section on Environmental Assessment is for articles that cover methods of appraisal, measurement, and comparison. Generally, the debates published in the journal's Forum help construct better environmental research or policies; Research and Assessment sections foster understanding of environmental problems and usually of their solutions; and Profile articles may contribute to either aim, or both. In the event that important differences of opinion cannot be resolved between authors and referees or readers, the Forum section may be used to present a Comment on an article that has recently been published in the journal, which may be followed by the author's Reply. The journal publishes innovative research that both identifies new problems and formulates novel solutions to well-known ones. Articles are accepted from all over the world, as the international dimension is considered especially important. Research reported in the journal ranges from environmental problems that are common to a wide variety of nations to issues that are either of global concern or not limited to national boundaries. The journal provides a way for scientists to share approaches, methods, and experiences among environmental practitioners in many countries, so that the problems and opportunities of our ever more-interdependent planet may be studied in a concerted manner. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-06-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s00267-010-9505-3 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015071
How Uncertain Are Estimates of CO2 Emissions Marland, Gregg; Hamal, Khrystyna; Jonas, Matthias 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; CARBON CYCLE; CARBON DIOXIDE; EMISSION; FOSSIL FUELS; POWER PLANTS Can satellite or other remotely sensed data provide independent estimates - or even confirmation of existing estimates - for emissions from power plants, highways, projects, cities, countries, or groups of countries? The answer for now is no; estimates of emissions from fossil fuels are actually one of the best constrained pieces of data in analyzing the global carbon cycle. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-02-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2009.00108.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017342
Impact of collection container material and holding times on sample integrity for mercury and methylmercury in water Riscassi, Ami L; Miller, Carrie L; Brooks, Scott C LDPE bags; holding time; mercury; methylmercury Mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in streamwater can vary on short timescales (hourly or less) during storm flow and on a diel cycle; the frequency and timing of sampling required to accurately characterize these dynamics may be difficult to accomplish manually. Automated sampling can assist in sample collection; however use has been limited for Hg and MeHg analysis due to stability concerns of trace concentrations during extended storage times. We examined the viability of using automated samplers with disposable low-density polyethylene (LDPE) sample bags to collect industrially contaminated streamwater for unfiltered and filtered Hg and MeHg analysis. Specifically we investigated the effect of holding times ranging from hours to days on streamwater collected during baseflow and storm flow. Unfiltered and filtered Hg and MeHg concentrations decreased with increases in time prior to sample processing; holding times of 24 hours or less resulted in concentration changes (mean 11 7% different) similar to variability in duplicates collected manually during analogous field conditions (mean 7 10% different). Comparisons of samples collected with manual and automated techniques throughout a year for a wide range of stream conditions were also found to be similar to differences observed between duplicate grab samples. These results demonstrate automated sampling into LDPE bags with holding times of 24 hours or less can be effectively used to collect streamwater for Hg and MeHg analysis, and encourage the testing of these materials and methods for implementation in other aqueous systems where high-frequency sampling is warranted. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2014-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.4319/lom.2014.12.407 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1185389
INFLUENCE OF COUPLED PROCESSES ON CONTAMINANT FATE AND TRANSPORT IN SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENTS Jardine, Philip M 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; PRODUCTION; TRANSPORT; WASTE DISPOSAL; WEAPONS The following chapter emphasizes subsurface environmental research investigations over the past 10 to 15 years that couple hydrological, geochemical, and biological processes as related to contaminant fate and transport. An attempt is made to focus on field-scale studies with possible reference to laboratory-scale endeavors. Much of the research discussed reflects investigations of the influence of coupled processes on the fate and transport of inorganic, radionuclide, and organic contaminants in subsurface environments as a result of natural processes or energy and weapons production endeavors that required waste disposal. The chapter provides on overview of the interaction between hydro-bio-geochemical processes in structured, heterogeneous subsurface environments and how these interactions control contaminant fate and transport, followed by experimental and numerical subsurface science research and case studies involving specific classes of inorganic and organic contaminants. Lastly, thought provoking insights are highlighted on why the study of subsurface coupled processes is paramount to understanding potential future contaminant fate and transport issues of global concern. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/S0065-2113(08)00401-X https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034666
Switchgrass selection as a model" bioenergy crop: A history of the process""" Wright, Lynn L; Turhollow, Jr, Anthony F 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOFUELS; CROPS; Crop yields; ECONOMICS; Environmental issues; FOCUSING; Herbaceous energy crops; Lignocellulosic; NUTRIENTS; PRODUCTIVITY; Panicum virgatum; REEDS; SOILS; SWITCHGRASS; Sorghum bicolor; WATER; Weather A review of several publications of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Biofuels Feedstock Development Program and final reports from the herbaceous crop screening trials show that technology, environmental, and funding issues influenced the decision to focus on a single herbaceous model crop species. Screening trials funded by the U.S. Department of Energy in the late 1980s to early 1990s assessed thirty-four herbaceous species on a wide range of soil types at thirty-one different sites spread over seven states in crop producing regions of the U.S. Several species, including sorghums, reed canarygrass, wheatgrasses, and other crops, were identified as having merit for further development. Six of the seven institutions performing the screening included switchgrass among the species recommended for further development in their region and all recommended that perennial grasses be given high research priority. Reasons for the selection of switchgrass included demonstration of relatively high, reliable productivity across a wide geographical range, suitability for marginal quality land, low water and nutrient requirements, and other positive environmental attributes. Crop screening results, economic and environmental assessments by the Biofuels Feedstock Development Program staff, and Department of Energy funding limitations all contributed to the decision to further develop only switchgrass as a model or prototype species in 1991. The following ten year focus on development of switchgrass as a bioenergy crop proved the value of focusing on a single model herbaceous crop. The advancements and attention gained were sufficient to give government leaders, policymakers, farmers, and biofuel industry developers the confidence that lignocellulosic crops could support an economically viable and environmentally sustainable biofuel industry in the U.S. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-06-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.biombioe.2010.01.030 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015724
Predicting long-term carbon sequestration in response to CO2 enrichment: How and why do current ecosystem models differ? Walker, Anthony P.; Zaehle, Sönke; Medlyn, Belinda E.; De Kauwe, Martin G.; Asao, Shinichi; Hickler, Thomas; Parton, William; Ricciuto, Daniel M.; Wang, Ying -Ping; Wårlind, David; Norby, Richard J. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Large uncertainty exists in model projections of the land carbon (C) sink response to increasing atmospheric CO2. Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiments lasting a decade or more have investigated ecosystem responses to a step change in atmospheric CO2 concentration. To interpret FACE results in the context of gradual increases in atmospheric CO2 over decades to centuries, we used a suite of seven models to simulate the Duke and Oak Ridge FACE experiments extended for 300 years of CO2 enrichment. We also determine key modeling assumptions that drive divergent projections of terrestrial C uptake and evaluate whether these assumptions can be constrained by experimental evidence. All models simulated increased terrestrial C pools resulting from CO2 enrichment, though there was substantial variability in quasi-equilibrium C sequestration and rates of change. In two of two models that assume that plant nitrogen (N) uptake is solely a function of soil N supply, the net primary production response to elevated CO2 became progressively N limited. In four of five models that assume that N uptake is a function of both soil N supply and plant N demand, elevated CO2 led to reduced ecosystem N losses and thus progressively relaxed nitrogen limitation. Many allocation assumptions resulted in increased wood allocation relative to leaves and roots which reduced the vegetation turnover rate and increased C sequestration. Additionally, self-thinning assumptions had a substantial impact on C sequestration in two models. As a result, accurate representation of N process dynamics (in particular N uptake), allocation, and forest self-thinning is key to minimizing uncertainty in projections of future C sequestration in response to elevated atmospheric CO2. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park. Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) USDOE Office of Science (SC) United States 2015-04-27T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/2014GB004995 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1209197
Sensitivity of plants to changing atmospheric CO2 concentration: From the geological past to the next century Franks, Peter J; Adams, Mark A; Amthor, Jeffrey S.; Barbour, Margaret M; Berry, Joseph A; Ellsworth, David; Farquhar, Graham D; Ghannoum, Oula; Lloyd, Jon; McDowell, Nathan; Norby, Richard J; Tissue, David Thomas; Von Caemmerer, Susanne The rate of CO2 assimilation by plants is directly influenced by the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, ca. In response to a short-term change in ca, plants adjust stomatal conductance to CO2 and water vapour to maximise carbon gain in terms of the amount of water lost. This is one of several fundamental feedback processes between plants and their environment that govern the exchange of water for carbon. As an environmental variable, ca further has a unique global and historic significance. Although relatively stable and uniform in the short term, global ca has varied substantially on the timescale of thousands to millions of years, and currently is increasing at seemingly an unprecedented rate. This may exert profound impacts on both climate and plant function. Here we utilise extensive data sets and numerous models to develop an integrated, multi-scale assessment of the impact of changing ca on plant carbon dioxide uptake and water use. We find that, overall, the sensitivity of plants to rising or falling atmospheric CO2 concentration is qualitatively similar across all scales considered. It is characterised by an adaptive feedback response that moves towards maximising the rate of return, in the form of carbon, for the water and nitrogen resources invested in the process of carbon assimilation. This is achieved through predictable adjustments to stomatal anatomy and chloroplast biochemistry. Importantly, the long-term response to changing ca can be described by simple equations rooted in the formulation of more commonly studied short-term responses. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2013-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/nph.12104 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1062609
Comprehensive ecosystem model-experiment synthesis using multiple datasets at two temperate forest free-air CO2 enrichment experiments: model performance and compensating biases Walker, Anthony P; Hanson, Paul J; DeKauwe, Martin G; Medlyn, Belinda; Zaehle, S; Asao, Shinichi; Dietze, Michael; Hickler, Thomas; Huntinford, Chris; Iversen, Colleen M; Jain, Atul; Lomas, Mark; Luo, Yiqi; McCarthy, Heather R; Parton, William; Prentice, I. Collin; Thornton, Peter E; Wang, Shusen; Wang, Yingping; Warlind, David; Weng, Ensheng; Warren, Jeffrey; Woodward, F. Ian; Oren, Ram; Norby, Richard J Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiments provide a remarkable wealth of data to test the sensitivities of terrestrial ecosystem models (TEMs). In this study, a broad set of 11 TEMs were compared to 22 years of data from two contrasting FACE experiments in temperate forests of the south eastern US the evergreen Duke Forest and the deciduous Oak Ridge forest. We evaluated the models' ability to reproduce observed net primary productivity (NPP), transpiration and Leaf Area index (LAI) in ambient CO2 treatments. Encouragingly, many models simulated annual NPP and transpiration within observed uncertainty. Daily transpiration model errors were often related to errors in leaf area phenology and peak LAI. Our analysis demonstrates that the simulation of LAI often drives the simulation of transpiration and hence there is a need to adopt the most appropriate of hypothesis driven methods to simulate and predict LAI. Of the three competing hypotheses determining peak LAI (1) optimisation to maximise carbon export, (2) increasing SLA with canopy depth and (3) the pipe model the pipe model produced LAI closest to the observations. Modelled phenology was either prescribed or based on broader empirical calibrations to climate. In some cases, simulation accuracy was achieved through compensating biases in component variables. For example, NPP accuracy was sometimes achieved with counter-balancing biases in nitrogen use efficiency and nitrogen uptake. Combined analysis of parallel measurements aides the identification of offsetting biases; without which over-confidence in model abilities to predict ecosystem function may emerge, potentially leading to erroneous predictions of change under future climates. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2014-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1135838
Long-term Biological Monitoring of an Impaired Stream: Synthesis and Environmental Management Implications Peterson, Mark J; Efroymson, Rebecca Ann; Adams, Marshall 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AUFWUCHS; COMMUNITIES; DESIGN; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; INVERTEBRATES; MANAGEMENT; MONITORING; POLLUTION ABATEMENT; POPLARS; REMEDIAL ACTION; SAMPLING; STREAMS; SYNTHESIS; TENNESSEE; TESTING; TOXICITY; WATER CHEMISTRY The long-term ecological recovery of an impaired stream in response to an industrial facility's pollution abatement actions and the implications of the biological monitoring effort to environmental management is the subject of this special issue of Environmental Management. This final article focuses on the synthesis of the biological monitoring program's components and methods, the efficacy of various biological monitoring techniques to environmental management, and the lessons learned from the program that might be applicable to the design and application of other programs. The focus of the 25-year program has been on East Fork Poplar Creek, an ecologically impaired stream in Oak Ridge, Tennessee with varied and complex stressors from a Department of Energy facility in its headwaters. Major components of the long-term program included testing and monitoring of invertebrate and fish toxicity, bioindicators of fish health, fish contaminant accumulation, and instream communities (including periphyton, benthic macroinvertebrate, and fish). Key parallel components of the program include water chemistry sampling and data management. Multiple lines of evidence suggested positive ecological responses during three major pollution abatement periods. Based on this case study and the related literature, effective environmental management of impaired streams starts with program design that is consistent across space and time, but also adaptable to changing conditions. The biological monitoring approaches used for the program provided a strong basis for assessments of recovery from remedial actions, and the likely causes of impairment. This case study provides a unique application of multidisciplinary and quantitative techniques to address multiple and complex regulatory and programmatic goals, environmental stressors, and remedial actions. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL work for others United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s00267-011-9665-9 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1025829
The La Mesa Fire: Studies and Observations from 1975 through 2012 Foxx, Teralene S.; Hansen, Leslie A.; Oertel, Rebecca; Haffey, Collin; Beeley, Kay 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Environmental Protection In 1996, Swetnam and Baisan stated the following: âThe 1977 La Mesa burn was a wake-up call to perhaps the most pressing forest health problem in Southwestern forestsâhistorically anomalous, catastrophic wildfire in the ponderosa pineâcreated by many decades of fire exclusion.â However, the wake-up call was only momentary and was forgotten until the Dome Fire (1996), Oso Complex Fire (1998), and Cerro Grande Fire (2000) burned lands within the community of Los Alamos, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Bandelier National Monument (BNM), and Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF). After the Dome Fire, several initiatives were under way to understand the wildland-urban interface and the conditions that have brought the forests of the Pajarito Plateau dangerously close to multiple, large, and intense wildfires. After the Dome Fire, the Interagency Wildfire Management Team was formed, bringing together adjoining agencies to deal with the ever-increasing threat of conflagration that could result in loss of property and human life. This study is about the history before and after the La Mesa Fireâat the time, the first large wildfire on the Pajarito Plateau in over 80 years. It represents 37 years of research and observations that began when management of fire on the Pajarito Plateau was first being explored by BNM. It documents changes in vegetation composition since June 1977 and shows the progression of change in understanding fireâs essential place in the ecosystems of the Pajarito Plateau. The study began in 1975 and 1976, when Loren Potter and I examined previously burned areas to determine a fire frequency for the east Jemez Mountains. We had examined areas of 10 acres or more that had burned at various times, e.g., 1939, 1945, 1950, 1955, 1960, and 1976. A year and a half into the study, the La Mesa Fire ignited on Mesa del Rito, ultimately burning about 15,000 acres of BNM, SFNF, and LANL, including our established plots. After the fire, we set up 20- by 50-meter permanent plots along four ornithological transects established by ornithologist Roland Wauer. Wauerâs transects were mostly in ponderosa pine, with one in mixed conifer and one in the piñon-juniper woodland. Plots within the ponderosa pine were visited in 1977, 1978, 1985, 1992, 1998, 1999, 2010, 2011 and 2012. We mapped the standing trees, photographed each plot, and collected data on the understory components. Transects in the mixed conifer were visited in 1977, 1992, 1999, 2010 and 2012. Plots in the piñon-juniper were visited in 1977, 1999, and 2010 for taking photographs and data years after the fire. Additionally, plots were established in LANL Technical Area 49 as a control to post-fire seeding. We visited these plots in 1977, 1992, and 1998. Ironically, this study ends with another large fire burning over the plots we have followed all these years. In June 2011, the Las Conchas Fire became the largest fire in New Mexicoâs history to that time and burned most of the area of the La Mesa Fire and the plots studied over the years. In this report, we summarize information about the vegetation changes within the boundaries of the La Mesa Fire. Thirty-seven years of observations and studies have provided long-term data related to regeneration of trees, water relations of grasses and pines, the influence of seeding with non-native grasses, pyrodendrochronology, and plant succession as related to fire. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) United States 2013-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1084501 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1084501
Ecological Lessons from Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) Experiments Norby, Richard J; Zak, Donald R 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBON CYCLE; DESIGN; DISTRIBUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; NITROGEN CYCLE; ORGANIC MATTER; PRODUCTIVITY; SOILS; STORAGE; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS Free-air CO{sub 2} enrichment (FACE) experiments have provided novel insights into the ecological mechanisms controlling the cycling and storage of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems and contribute to our ability to project how ecosystems respond to increasing CO{sub 2} in the Earth's atmosphere. Important lessons emerge by evaluating a set of hypotheses that initially guided the design and longevity of forested FACE experiments. Net primary productivity is increased by elevated CO{sub 2}, but the response can diminish over time. Carbon accumulation is driven by the distribution of carbon among plant and soil components with differing turnover rates and by interactions between the carbon and nitrogen cycles. Plant community structure may change, but elevated CO{sub 2} has only minor effects on microbial community structure. FACE results provide a strong foundation for next-generation experiments in unexplored ecosystems and inform coupled climate-biogeochemical models of the ecological mechanisms controlling ecosystem response to the rising atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentration. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-102209-144647 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1022639
Fish Migration, Dams, and Loss of Ecosystem Services in the Mekong Basin Dugan, Patrick J; Barlow, Chris; Agostinho, Angelo A; Baran, Eric; Cada, Glenn F; Chen, Daqing; Cowx, Ian G; Ferguson, John W; Jutagate, Tuantong; Mallen-Cooper, Martin; Marmulla, Gerd; Nestler, John; Petrere, Miquel; Winemiller, Kirk O 13 HYDRO ENERGY; CONSTRUCTION; DAMS; ECOSYSTEMS; FISHERIES; FOOD; INCOME; MANAGEMENT The past decade has seen increased international recognition of the importance of the services provided by natural ecosystems. It is unclear however whether such international awareness will lead to improved environmental management in many regions. We explore this issue by examining the specific case of fish migration and dams on the Mekong river. We determine that dams on the Mekong mainstem and major tributaries will have a major impact on the basin's fisheries and the people who depend upon them for food and income. We find no evidence that current moves towards dam construction will stop, and consider two scenarios for the future of the fisheries and other ecosystems of the basin. We conclude that major investment is required in innovative technology to reduce the loss of ecosystem services, and alternative livelihood strategies to cope with the losses that do occur Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-06-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s13280-010-0036-1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015070
Stored carbon partly fuels fine-root respiration but is not used for production of new fine roots Lynch, Douglas J; Matamala-Paradeda, Roser; Iversen, Colleen M; Norby, Richard J; Gonzalez-Meler, Miguel A 13C; FACE; fine roots; post-carboxylation fractionation; root respiration; root turnover; stored C; sweetgum The relative use of new photosynthate compared to stored C for the production and maintenance of fine roots, and the rate of C turnover in heterogeneous fine-root populations, are poorly understood. We followed the relaxation of a 13C tracer in fine roots in a Liquidambar styraciflua plantation at the conclusion of a free-air CO2 enrichment experiment. Goals included quantifying the relative fractions of new photosynthate versus stored C used in root growth and root respiration, as well as the turnover rate of fine-root C fixed during [CO2] fumigation. New fine-root growth was largely from recent photosynthate, while nearly one-quarter of respired C was from a storage pool. Changes in the isotopic composition of the fine-root population over two full growing seasons indicated heterogeneous C pools; less than 10% of root C had a residence time 2 years. Compared to a 1-pool model, a 2-pool model for C turnover in fine roots (with 5 and 0.37 yr-1 turnover times) doubles the fine-root contribution to forest NPP (9-13%) and supports the 50% root-to-soil transfer rate often used in models. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2013-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/nph.12290 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1089774
Stochastic estimation of aquifer geometry using seismic refraction data with borehole depth constraints Chen, Jinsong; Hubbard, Susan S; Korneev, V; Gaines, David; Baker, Gregory S; Watson, David We develop a Bayesian model to invert surface seismic refraction data with depth constraints from boreholes for characterization of aquifer geometry and apply it to seismic and borehole data sets collected at the contaminated Oak Ridge National Laboratory site in Tennessee. Rather than the traditional approach of first inverting the seismic arrival times for seismic velocity and then using that information to aid in the spatial interpolation of wellbore data, we jointly invert seismic first arrival time data and wellbore based information, such as depths of key lithological boundaries. We use a staggered grid finite difference algorithm with second order accuracy in time and fourth order accuracy in space to model seismic full waveforms and use an automated method to pick the first arrival times. We use Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods to draw many samples from the joint posterior probability distribution, on which we can estimate the key interfaces and their associated uncertainty as a function of horizontal location and depth. We test the developed method on both synthetic and field case studies. The synthetic studies show that the developed method is effective at rigorous incorporation of multiscale data and the Bayesian inversion reduces uncertainty in estimates of aquifer zonation. Applications of the approach to field data, including two surface seismic profiles located 620 m apart from each other, reveal the presence of a low velocity subsurface zone that is laterally persistent. This geophysically defined feature is aligned with the plume axis, suggesting it may serve as an important regional preferential flow pathway. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-11-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1029/2009WR008715 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015067
Review and model-based analysis of factors influencing soil carbon sequestration beneath switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) Garten, Jr, Charles T Abstract. A simple, multi-compartment model was developed to predict soil carbon sequestration beneath switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) plantations in the southeastern United States. Soil carbon sequestration is an important component of sustainable switchgrass production for bioenergy because soil organic matter promotes water retention, nutrient supply, and soil properties that minimize erosion. A literature review was included for the purpose of model parameterization and five model-based experiments were conducted to predict how changes in environment (temperature) or crop management (cultivar, fertilization, and harvest efficiency) might affect soil carbon storage and nitrogen losses. Predictions of soil carbon sequestration were most sensitive to changes in annual biomass production, the ratio of belowground to aboveground biomass production, and temperature. Predictions of ecosystem nitrogen loss were most sensitive to changes in annual biomass production, the soil C/N ratio, and nitrogen remobilization efficiency (i.e., nitrogen cycling within the plant). Model-based experiments indicated that 1) soil carbon sequestration can be highly site specific depending on initial soil carbon stocks, temperature, and the amount of annual nitrogen fertilization, 2) response curves describing switchgrass yield as a function of annual nitrogen fertilization were important to model predictions, 3) plant improvements leading to greater belowground partitioning of biomass could increase soil carbon sequestration, 4) improvements in harvest efficiency have no indicated effects on soil carbon and nitrogen, but improve cumulative biomass yield, and 5) plant improvements that reduce organic matter decomposition rates could also increase soil carbon sequestration, even though the latter may not be consistent with desired improvements in plant tissue chemistry to maximize yields of cellulosic ethanol. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s12155-011-9154-2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1054993
Climate Change Alters Seedling Emergence and Establishment in an Old-Field Ecosystem Classen, Aimee T; Norby, Richard J; Campany, Courtney E; Sides, Katherine E; Weltzin, Jake 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; MOISTURE; PHENOLOGY; SEEDLINGS; SEEDS; SHAPE; SOILS; TRAJECTORIES In shaping how ecosystems respond to climatic change, ecosystem structure can dominate over physiological responses of individuals, especially under conditions of multiple, simultaneous changes in environmental factors. Ecological succession drives large-scale changes in ecosystem structure over time, but the mechanisms whereby climatic change alters succession remain unresolved. Here, we investigate effects of atmospheric and climatic change on seedling establishment, recognizing that small shifts in seedling establishment of different species may have long-term repercussions on the transition of fields to forests in the future. Our 4-year experiment in an old-field ecosystem revealed that response of seedling emergence to different combinations of atmospheric CO2 concentration, air temperature, and soil moisture depends on seed phenology, the timing of seed arrival into an ecosystem. We conclude that seed phenology is an important plant trait that can shape, and help predict, the trajectories of ecosystems under climatic change. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1371/journal.pone.0013476 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/992517
Persistence of Hydrologic Variables and Reactive Stream Solute Concentrations in an East Tennessee Watershed Koirala, Shesh R; Gentry, Randall W; Mulholland, Patrick J; Perfect, Edmund; Schwartz, John S; Sayler, Gary Steven 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CALCIUM; HYDROLOGY; Persistence; Reactive water chemistry; SOLUTES; SULFATES; Spectral analysis; Time series; WATER CHEMISTRY; WATERSHEDS; Wavelet analysis Time and frequency domain analyses were conducted on weekly time series of water chemistry (nitrate, sulfate and calcium concentrations) collected from November 1995 to December 2005 at the West Fork of Walker Branch in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to evaluate the extent of their persistence and the relationship of this persistence to discharge and rainfall. In this study, spectral and wavelet analyses provided a theoretical basis for insights into long-term water chemistry behavior. All water chemistry parameters showed some level of persistence that was influenced by rainfall and/or discharge. Short-term persistence (less than a year) was related to the persistence of rainfall and discharge, whereas long-term persistence (more than a year) was related to the persistence of discharge. The Walker Branch conceptual hydrology model is augmented by these results that relate characteristic periodicities with flowpaths through different zones: the vadose zone ( 50 week period) with implications for reactive chemistries within the watershed. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.02.022 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1030613
Cesium-137 in the Environment: Radioecology and Approaches to Assessment and Management (NCRP Report No. 154) Whicker, F W; Garten, Jr, Charles T; Hamby, D M; Higley, K A; Hinton, T G; Kaplan, D I; Rowan, D J; Schreckhise, R G 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CESIUM 137; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; MANAGEMENT; MITIGATION; RADIOECOLOGY The overall goals of this Report are to summarize the current state of knowledge on radiocesium in the environment and to iden- tify future management issues concerning 137Cs-contaminated eco- systems. Current knowledge and concepts are described concerning sources, levels in the general environment and at selected U.S. Department of Energy sites, environmental transport processes, parameters and models, and the management or mitigation of contaminated environments. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2007-03-01T04:00:00Z Book https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931512
Connectivity from a different perspective: comparing seed dispersal kernels in connected vs. unfragmented landscapes Herrmann, John D.; Carlo, Tomás A.; Brudvig, Lars A.; Damschen, Ellen I.; Haddad, Nick M.; Levey, Douglas J.; Orrock, John L.; Tewksbury, Joshua J. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Anemochory; connectivity; dispersal kernel; habitat fragmentation; isotope marker; landscape ecology; longleaf pine savanna; seed dispersal; zoochory. Habitat fragmentation can create significant impediments to dispersal. A technique to increase dispersal between otherwise isolated fragments is the use of corridors. Although previous studies have compared dispersal between connected fragments to dispersal between unconnected fragments, it remains unknown how dispersal between fragments connected by a corridor compares to dispersal in unfragmented landscapes. To assess the extent to which corridors can restore dispersal in fragmented landscapes to levels observed in unfragmented landscapes, we employed a stableâisotope marking technique to track seeds within four unfragmented landscapes and eight experimental landscapes with fragments connected by corridors. We studied two windâ and two birdâdispersed plant species, because previous communityâbased research showed that dispersal mode explains how connectivity effects vary among species. We constructed dispersal kernels for these species in unfragmented landscapes and connected fragments by marking seeds in the center of each landscape with 15N and then recovering marked seeds in seed traps at distances up to 200 m. For the two windâdispersed plants, seed dispersal kernels were similar in unfragmented landscapes and connected fragments. In contrast, dispersal kernels of birdâdispersed seeds were both affected by fragmentation and differed in the direction of the impact: Morella cerifera experienced more and Rhus copallina experienced less longâdistance dispersal in unfragmented than in connected landscapes. These results show that corridors can facilitate dispersal probabilities comparable to those observed in unfragmented landscapes. Although dispersal mode may provide useful broad predictions, we acknowledge that similar species may respond uniquely due to factors such as seasonality and disperser behavior. Furthermore, our results further indicate that prior work has likely underestimated dispersal distances of windâdispersed plants and that factors altering longâdistance dispersal may have a greater impact on the spread of species than previously thought. USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Acquisition and Project Management; National Science Foundation (NSF) United States 2016-03-09T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1890/15-0734.1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1254826
An integrative modeling framework to evaluate the productivity and sustainability of biofuel crop production systems Zhang, X; Izaurralde, R C; Manowitz, D; West, T O; Thomson, A M; Post, Wilfred M; Bandaru, Vara Prasad; Nichols, Jeff; Williams, J bioenergy; biomass feedstock; environmental sustainability; geographic information system; greenhouse gases; multiobjective optimization; soil erosion The potential expansion of biofuel production raises food, energy, and environmental challenges that require careful assessment of the impact of biofuel production on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, soil erosion, nutrient loading, and water quality. In this study, we describe a spatially explicit integrative modeling framework (SEIMF) to understand and quantify the environmental impacts of different biomass cropping systems. This SEIMF consists of three major components: (1) a geographic information system (GIS)-based data analysis system to define spatial modeling units with resolution of 56 m to address spatial variability, (2) the biophysical and biogeochemical model Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) applied in a spatially-explicit way to predict biomass yield, GHG emissions, and other environmental impacts of different biofuel crops production systems, and (3) an evolutionary multiobjective optimization algorithm for exploring the trade-offs between biofuel energy production and unintended ecosystem-service responses. Simple examples illustrate the major functions of the SEIMF when applied to a nine-county Regional Intensive Modeling Area (RIMA) in SW Michigan to (1) simulate biofuel crop production, (2) compare impacts of management practices and local ecosystem settings, and (3) optimize the spatial configuration of different biofuel production systems by balancing energy production and other ecosystem-service variables. Potential applications of the SEIMF to support life cycle analysis and provide information on biodiversity evaluation and marginal-land identification are also discussed. The SEIMF developed in this study is expected to provide a useful tool for scientists and decision makers to understand sustainability issues associated with the production of biofuels at local, regional, and national scales. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-10-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1757-1707.2010.01046.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015734
A Probabilistic Assessment of the Chemical and Radiological Risks of Chronic Exposure to Uranium in Freshwater Ecosystems Mathews, Teresa J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BENCHMARKS; CHRONIC EXPOSURE; DECAY; DOSE RATES; ECOSYSTEMS; RADIOISOTOPES; RISK ASSESSMENT; SOURCE TERMS; TOXICITY; URANIUM; WATER QUALITY Uranium (U) presents a unique challenge for ecological risk assessments (ERA) because it induces both chemical and radiological toxicity, and the relative importance of these two toxicities differs among the various U source terms (i.e., natural, enriched, depleted). We present a method for the conversion between chemical concentrations microg L(-1)) and radiological dose rates (microGy h(-1)) for a defined set of reference organisms, and apply this conversion method to previously derived chemical and radiological benchmarks to determine the extent to which these benchmarks ensure radiological and chemical protection, respectively, for U in freshwater ecosystems. Results show that the percentage of species radiologically protected by the chemical benchmark decreases with increasing degrees of U enrichment and with increasing periods of radioactive decay. In contrast, the freshwater ecosystem is almost never chemically protected by the radiological benchmark, regardless of the source term or decay period considered, confirming that the risks to the environment from uranium's chemical toxicity generally outweigh those of its radiological toxicity. These results are relevant to developing water quality criteria that protect freshwater ecosystems from the various risks associated with the nuclear applications of U exploitation, and highlight the need for (1) further research on the speciation, bioavailability, and toxicity of U-series radionuclides under different environmental conditions, and (2) the adoption of both chemical and radiological benchmarks for coherent ERAs to be conducted in U-contaminated freshwater ecosystems. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1021/es9005288 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015064
Trends in the sources and sinks of carbon dioxide Le Quere, Corrine; Raupach, Mike; Canadell, J G; Marland, Gregg; Bopp, Laurent; Ciais, Philippe; Friedlingstein, Pierre; Viovy, Nicolas; Conway, T J; Doney, Scott C; Feely, R A; Foster, Pru; House, Joanna I; Prentice, Colin I; Gurney, Kevin; Houghton, R A; Huntingford, Chris; Levy, Peter E; Lomas, M R; Woodward, F I; Majkut, Joseph; Sarmiento, Jorge L; Metzl, Nicolas; Ometto, Jean P; Randerson, James T; Peters, Glen P; Running, Steven; Sitch, Stephen; Takahashi, Taro; Van der Werf, Guido 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON SINKS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COAL; FOSSIL FUELS; LAND USE; REDUCTION; STABILIZATION Efforts to control climate change require the stabilization of atmospheric CO2 concentrations. This can only be achieved through a drastic reduction of global CO2 emissions. Yet fossil fuel emissions increased by 29% between 2000 and 2008, in conjunction with increased contributions from emerging economies, from the production and international trade of goods and services, and from the use of coal as a fuel source. In contrast, emissions from land-use changes were nearly constant. Between 1959 and 2008, 43% of each year's CO2 emissions remained in the atmosphere on average; the rest was absorbed by carbon sinks on land and in the oceans. In the past 50 years, the fraction of CO2 emissions that remains in the atmosphere each year has likely increased, from about 40% to 45%, and models suggest that this trend was caused by a decrease in the uptake of CO2 by the carbon sinks in response to climate change and variability. Changes in the CO2 sinks are highly uncertain, but they could have a significant influence on future atmospheric CO2 levels. It is therefore crucial to reduce the uncertainties. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-12-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/ngeo689 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015099
Evaluating possible cap and trade legislation on cellulosic feedstock availability Hellwinckel, Chad; Perlack, Robert D; West, T O biofuel; biomass; carbon sequestration; emissions offsets; energy; ethanol; greenhouse gas emissions An integrated, socioeconomic biogeophysical model is used to analyze the interactions of cap-and-trade legislation and the Renewable Fuels Standard. Five alternative policy scenarios were considered with the purpose of identifying policies that act in a synergistic manner to reduce carbon emissions, increase economic returns to agriculture, and adequately meet ethanol mandates. We conclude that climate and energy policies can best be implemented together by offering carbon offset payments to conservation tillage, herbaceous grasses for biomass, and by constraining crop residue removal for ethanol feedstocks to carbon neutral level. When comparing this scenario to the Baseline scenario, the agricultural sector realizes an economic benefit of US$156 billion by 2030 and emissions are reduced by 135 Tg C-equivalent (Eq) yr 1. Results also indicate that geographic location of cellulosic feedstocks could shift significantly depending on the final policies implemented in cap and trade legislation. Placement of cellulosic ethanol facilities should consider these possible shifts when determining site location. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-11-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1757-1707.2010.01052.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015735
Impact of the new nuclear decay data of ICRP publication 107 on inhalation dose coefficients for workers Manabe, K; Endo, Akira; Eckerman, Keith F 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; DECAY; INHALATION; ISOTOPES; NUCLEAR DECAY; RADIATIONS; RADIOISOTOPES The impact a revision of nuclear decay data had on dose coefficients was studied using data newly published in ICRP Publication 107 (ICRP 107) and existing data from ICRP Publication 38 (ICRP 38). Committed effective dose coefficients for occupational inhalation of radionuclides were calculated using two sets of decay data with the dose and risk calculation software DCAL for 90 elements, 774 nuclides and 1572 cases. The dose coefficients based on ICRP 107 increased by over 10 % compared with those based on ICRP 38 in 98 cases, and decreased by over 10 % in 54 cases. It was found that the differences in dose coefficients mainly originated from changes in the radiation energy emitted per nuclear transformation. In addition, revisions of the half-lives, radiation types and decay modes also resulted in changes in the dose coefficients. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1093/rpd/ncp259 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015742
Individual variation in life history characteristics can influence extinction risk (vol 144, pg 61, 2001) Correction Jager, Yetta 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Acipenser transmontanus; Age at maturation; Extinction; FISHES; Genetic model; Individual variation; Individual-based model; Persistence; Population viability analysis; SIMULATION; VIABILITY The white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) shows great individual variation in the age at maturation. This study examines the consequences of model assumptions about individual variation in the age at maturation on predicted population viability. I considered: (1) the effects of variation in age at maturation alone; (2) the effects of heritability; and (3) the influence of a stable and an altered selective regime. Two selective regimes represented conditions before and after the impoundment of a river, blocking access of anadromous white sturgeon populations to the ocean. In contrast to previous simulation studies, I found that increased individual variation in the age at maturity did not necessarily lead to a higher likelihood of persistence. Individual variation increased the simulated likelihood of persistence when the variation was heritable and the selective regime had changed such that the mean age at maturity was no longer optimal. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/S0304-3800(01)00362-3 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015715
Atmospheric chemistry of cyclohexanone: UV spectrum and kinetics of reaction with chlorine atoms Wallington, T J; Iwasaki, E; Matsumi, Y; Kaiser, E W; Calvert, Jack G 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSORPTION; ARGON; ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY; ATOMS; CHLORINE; CROSS SECTIONS; CYCLOHEXANONE; KINETICS Absolute and relative rate techniques were used to study the reactivity of Cl atoms with cyclohexanone in 6 Torr of argon or 800 950 Torr of N2 at 295 2 K. The absolute rate experiments gave k(Cl + cyclohexanone) = (1.88 0.38) 10 10, whereas the relative rate experiments gave k(Cl + cyclohexanone) = (1.66 0.26) 10 10 cm3 molecule 1 s 1. Cyclohexanone has a broad UV absorption band with a maximum cross section of (4.0 0.3) 10 20 cm2 molecule 1 near 285 nm. The results are discussed with respect to the literature data. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-05-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017334
Natural 15N- and 13C-abundance as indicators of forest nitrogen status and soil carbon dynamics Garten, Jr, Charles T; Hanson, Paul J; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Lu, Benwhea Bonnie; Brice, Deanne Jane 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; CARBON 13; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; NITROGEN 15; ORGANIC MATTER; POLLUTION; SOILS; STABLE ISOTOPES; WATER; WATERSHEDS This book highlights new and emerging uses of stable isotope analysis in a variety of ecological disciplines. While the use of natural abundance isotopes in ecological research is now relatively standard, new techniques and ways of interpreting patterns are developing rapidly. The second edition of this book provides a thorough, up-to-date examination of these methods of research. As part of the Ecological Methods and Concepts series which provides the latest information on experimental techniques in ecology, this book looks at a wide range of techniques that use natural abundance isotopes to: {sm_bullet} follow whole ecosystem element cycling {sm_bullet} understand processes of soil organic matter formation {sm_bullet} follow the movement of water in whole watersheds {sm_bullet} understand the effects of pollution in both terrestrial and aquatic environments {sm_bullet} study extreme systems such as hydrothermal vents {sm_bullet}follow migrating organisms In each case, the book explains the background to the methodology, looks at the underlying principles and assumptions, and outlines the potential limitations and pitfalls. Stable Isotopes in Ecology and Environmental Science is an ideal resource for both ecologists who are new to isotopic analysis, and more experienced isotope ecologists interested in innovative techniques and pioneering new uses. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2007-09-01T04:00:00Z Book https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931960
A model-data intercomparison of CO2 exchange across North America: Results from the North American Carbon Program site synthesis Schwalm, Christopher R; Williams, Christopher A; Schaefer, Kevin; Anderson, Ryan; Arain, A; Baker, Ian; Lokupitiya, Erandathie; Barr, Alan; Black, T A; Gu, Lianhong; Riciutto, Dan M 0793; 1615; 4805; 4912); Biogeosciences: Biogeochemical cycles; Biogeosciences: Carbon cycling (4806); Computational Geophysics: Model verification and validation; Geographic Locat; Global Change: Earth system modeling (1225); and modeling (0412; processes Our current understanding of terrestrial carbon processes is represented in various models used to integrate and scale measurements of CO2 exchange from remote sensing and other spatiotemporal data. Yet assessments are rarely conducted to determine how well models simulate carbon processes across vegetation types and environmental conditions. Using standardized data from the North American Carbon Program we compare observed and simulated monthly CO2 exchange from 44 eddy covariance flux towers in North America and 22 terrestrial biosphere models. The analysis period spans 220 site-years, 10 biomes, and includes two large-scale drought events, providing a natural experiment to evaluate model skill as a function of drought and seasonality. We evaluate models' ability to simulate the seasonal cycle of CO2 exchange using multiple model skill metrics and analyze links between model characteristics, site history, and model skill. Overall model performance was poor; the difference between observations and simulations was 10 times observational uncertainty, with forested ecosystems better predicted than nonforested. Model-data agreement was highest in summer and in temperate evergreen forests. In contrast, model performance declined in spring and fall, especially in ecosystems with large deciduous components, and in dry periods during the growing season. Models used across multiple biomes and sites, the mean model ensemble, and a model using assimilated parameter values showed high consistency with observations. Models with the highest skill across all biomes all used prescribed canopy phenology, calculated NEE as the difference between GPP and ecosystem respiration, and did not use a daily time step. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-12-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015736
Nuisance Wildlife Education and Prevention Plan for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Giffen, Neil R 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIRDS; HABITAT; INSECTS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORNL; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SNAKES; WILD ANIMALS This document outlines a plan for management of nuisance wildlife at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Nuisance wildlife management includes wildlife population control through hunting, trapping, removal, and habitat manipulation; wildlife damage control; and law enforcement. This plan covers the following subjects: (1) roles and responsibilities of individuals, groups, and agencies; (2) the general protocol for reducing nuisance wildlife problems; and (3) species-specific methodologies for resolving nuisance wildlife management issues for mammals, birds, snakes, and insects. Achievement of the objectives of this plan will be a joint effort between the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA); U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)-Wildlife Services (WS); and ORNL through agreements between TWRA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE); DOE and UT-Battelle, LLC; and UT-Battelle, LLC; and USDA, APHIS-WS. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL other overhead United States 2007-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/932616 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/932616
Data-model integration is not magic Classen, Aimee T; Langley, Dr. J. Adam 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; DATA ANALYSIS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; PLANTS No abstract prepared. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2005-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2005.01414.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/937124
Reflections on the impact of advances in the assessment of genetic risks of exposure to ionizing radiation on international radiation protection recommendations between the mid-1950s and the present Sankaranarayanan, K; Wassom, John S 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; GENETIC EFFECTS; GENETICS; IONIZING RADIATIONS; LEARNING; MEDICINE; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIATIONS; RECOMMENDATIONS Efforts at protecting people against the harmful effects of radiation had their beginnings in the early 1900s with the intent of protecting individuals in medicine and associated professions. Such efforts remain vital for all of us more than 100 years later as part of our 'learning to live with ionizing radiation.' The field of radiation protection has evolved slowly over time with advances in knowledge on hereditary (i.e., genetic) and carcinogenic effects of radiation continually improving our ability to make informed judgments about how best to balance risks against benefits of radiation exposure. This paper examines just one aspect of these efforts, namely, how advances in knowledge of genetic effects of radiation have impacted on the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The focus is on the period from the mid-1950s (when genetic risk estimates were first made) to 2007. This article offers a detailed historical analysis and personal perspective, and concludes with a synopsis of key developments in radiation protection. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.mrrev.2007.10.004 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015049
Native Grass Community Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation Ryon, Michael G; Parr, Patricia Dreyer; Cohen, Kari 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; GRAMINEAE; HABITAT; LAND RECLAMATION; LAND RESOURCES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Land managers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory in East Tennessee are restoring native warm-season grasses and wildflowers to various sites across the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). Some of the numerous benefits to planting native grasses and forbs include improved habitat quality for wildlife, improved aesthetic values, lower long-term maintenance costs, and compliance with Executive Order 13112 (Clinton 1999). Challenges to restoring native plants on the ORR include the need to gain experience in establishing and maintaining these communities and the potentially greater up-front costs of getting native grasses established. The goals of the native grass program are generally outlined on a fiscal-year basis. An overview of some of the issues associated with the successful and cost-effective establishment and maintenance of native grass and wildflower stands on the ORR is presented in this report. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL other overhead United States 2007-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/930916 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930916
Benefits of dealing with uncertainty in greenhouse gas inventories: introduction Jonas, Matthias; Winiwarter, Wilfried; Marland, Gregg; White, Thomas; Nahorski, Zbigniew; Bun, Rostyslav 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COMPLIANCE; GREENHOUSE GASES; INVENTORIES; MONITORING The assessment of greenhouse gases emitted to and removed from the atmosphere is high on the international political and scientific agendas. Growing international concern and cooperation regarding the climate change problem have increased the need for policy-oriented solutions to the issue of uncertainty in, and related to, inventories of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The approaches to addressing uncertainty discussed in this Special Issue reflect attempts to improve national inventories, not only for their own sake but also from a wider, systems analytical perspective-a perspective that seeks to strengthen the usefulness of national inventories under a compliance and/or global monitoring and reporting framework. These approaches demonstrate the benefits of including inventory uncertainty in policy analyses. The authors of the contributed papers show that considering uncertainty helps avoid situations that can, for example, create a false sense of certainty or lead to invalid views of subsystems. This may eventually prevent related errors from showing up in analyses. However, considering uncertainty does not come for free. Proper treatment of uncertainty is costly and demanding because it forces us to make the step from 'simple to complex' and only then to discuss potential simplifications. Finally, comprehensive treatment of uncertainty does not offer policymakers quick and easy solutions. The authors of the papers in this Special Issue do, however, agree that uncertainty analysis must be a key component of national GHG inventory analysis. Uncertainty analysis helps to provide a greater understanding and better science helps us to reduce and deal with uncertainty. By recognizing the importance of identifying and quantifying uncertainties, great strides can be made in ongoing discussions regarding GHG inventories and accounting for climate change. The 17 papers in this Special Issue deal with many aspects of analyzing and dealing with uncertainty in emissions estimates. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s10584-010-9922-6 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034672
Woody energy crops in the southeastern United States: Two centuries of practitioner experience Kline, Keith L; Coleman, Mark Bioenergy feedstocks; Commercial production costs; Hardwood plantations; Productivity; Short-rotation woody crops; Southern pine plantations Forest industry experts were consulted on the potential for hardwood tree species to serve as feedstock for bioenergy in the southeastern United States. Hardwoods are of interest for bioenergy because of desirable physical qualities, genetic research advances, and growth potential. Yet little data is available regarding potential productivity and costs. This paper describes required operations and provides a realistic estimate of the costs of producing bioenergy feedstock based on commercial experiences. Forestry practitioners reported that high productivity rates in southeastern hardwood plantations are confined to narrow site conditions or require costly inputs. Eastern cottonwood and American sycamore grow quickly on rich bottomlands, but are also prone to pests and disease. Sweetgum is frost hardy, has few pest or disease problems, and grows across a broad range of sites, yet growth rates are relatively low. Eucalypts require fewer inputs than do other species and offer high potential productivity but are limited by frost to the lower Coastal Plain and Florida. Further research is required to study naturally regenerated hardwood biomass resources. Loblolly pine has robust site requirements, growth rates rivaling hardwoods, and lower costs of production. More time and investment in silviculture, selection, and breeding will be needed to develop hardwoods as competitive biofuel feedstock species. Because of existing stands and fully developed operations, the forestry community considers loblolly pine to be a prime candidate for plantation bioenergy in the Southeast. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.biombioe.2010.05.005 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034670
Selecting indicators of soil, microbial, and plant conditions to understand ecological changes in Georgia pine forests Dale, Virginia H; Garten, Jr, Charles T; Wolfe, Amy K; Sobek, Edward A 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Discriminant analysis; Disturbance; FORESTS; GEORGIA; Indicators; MANAGEMENT; Microbes; Military land; PINES; PLANTS; SOIL CHEMISTRY; SOILS; Soil; TRAINING; Vegetation Characterizing how resource use and management activities affect ecological conditions is necessary to document and understand anthropogenic changes in ecological systems. Resource managers on military installations have the delicate task of balancing the training needs of soldiers effectively with the need to maintain a high quality of ecological conditions. This study considers ways that ecological indicators can provide information on impacts that training has on environmental characteristics that occur at different scales and in different sectors of the environment. The characteristics examined include soil chemistry, soil microbes, and vegetation. A discriminant function analysis was conducted to determine whether ecological indicators could differentiate among different levels of military use. A combination of 10 indicators explained 90% of the variation among plots from five different military use levels. Results indicated that an appropriate suite of ecological indicators for military resource managers includes soil, microbial, and vegetation characteristics. Since many of these indicators are related, managers at this location potentially have freedom to choose indicators that are relatively easy to measure, without sacrificing information. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-11-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.ecolind.2007.08.001 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015033
Agriculture - Sustainable biofuels Redux Robertson, G Phillip; Dale, Virginia H; Doering, Otto C; Hamburg, Steven P; Melillo, Jerry M; Wander, Michele M; Parton, William 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AGRICULTURE; BIOFUELS; BIOMASS; CELLULOSIC ETHANOL; DESIGN; PRODUCTION; TARGETS; TRANSPORT Last May's passage of the 2008 Farm Bill raises the stakes for biofuel sustainability: A substantial subsidy for the production of cellulosic ethanol starts the United States again down a path with uncertain environmental consequences. This time, however, the subsidy is for both the refiners ($1.01 per gallon) and the growers ($45 per ton of biomass), which will rapidly accelerate adoption and place hard-to-manage pressures on efforts to design and implement sustainable production practices - as will a 2007 legislative mandate for 16 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year by 2022. Similar directives elsewhere, e.g., the European Union's mandate that 10% of all transport fuel in Europe be from renewable sources by 2020, make this a global issue. The European Union's current reconsideration of this target places even more emphasis on cellulosic feedstocks (1). The need for knowledge- and science-based policy is urgent. Biofuel sustainability has environmental, economic, and social facets that all interconnect. Tradeoffs among them vary widely by types of fuels and where they are grown and, thus, need to be explicitly considered by using a framework that allows the outcomes of alternative systems to be consistently evaluated and compared. A cellulosic biofuels industry could have many positive social and environmental attributes, but it could also suffer from many of the sustainability issues that hobble grain-based biofuels, if not implemented the right way. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-10-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1126/science.1161525 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1014266
Temporary storage of carbon in the biosphere does have value for climate change mitigation: a response to the paper by Miko Kirschbaum Marland, Gregg; Dornburg, Veronika 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOSPHERE; CARBON; CARBON SINKS; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; Carbon sequestration Carbon sinks; MITIGATION; STORAGE Kirschbaum (Mitig Adapt Strat Glob Change 11:1151 1164, 2006) explores the climatic impact over time of temporarily sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. He concludes that temporary storage of carbon in the terrestrial biosphere achieves effectively no climate-change mitigation . His strongly worded statement begs for a response. This paper argues that Kirschbaum s conclusion is an artifact of the specific perspective of his analysis and his choice of a definition for climate-change impact. Even temporary sinks put us on a lower path for climate change, a path that will not otherwise be accessible. For carbon sinks in the terrestrial biosphere, we argue that sooner is better and longer is better, but even known temporary sinks have value. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1014268
Elevated CO2 enhances leaf senescence during extreme heat and drought in a temperate forest Warren, Jeffrey; Norby, Richard J; Wullschleger, Stan D In 2007, an extreme drought and acute heat wave damaged ecosystems across the southeastern US, including a 19-year-old Liquidambar styraciflua L. (sweetgum) tree plantation exposed to long-term elevated CO2 treatments. Stem sap velocities in trees exposed to ambient (A) or elevated (E) CO2 were analyzed to assess potential interactions between CO2 and these weather extremes. Leaf temperature (Tleaf) and net carbon uptake (GPP) were modeled based on patterns of sap velocity to estimate indirect impacts of CO2-reduced transpiration on premature leaf senescence. Elevated CO2 reduced sap flow by 28% during early summer, and by up to 45% late in the drought during record-setting high air temperatures. Canopy transpiration and conductance declined more rapidly in ECO2 plots, resulting in ECO2 Tleaf up to 45 C, which was 1-2 C greater than ACO2 Tleaf. Pre-drought GPP was ~7% greater in ECO2 plots, then declined to 30% less than ACO2 GPP as the drought progressed. Leaf abscission peaked during this period, and was 30% greater for ECO2 trees. While ECO2 can reduce leaf-level water use under droughty conditions, acute drought or heat conditions may induce excessive stomatal closure that could offset benefits of ECO2 to temperate forest species during extreme weather events. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1093/treephys/tpr002 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1081615
Climate adaptation planning in practice: an evaluation of adaptation plans from three developed nations Preston, Benjamin L; Westaway, Richard M; Yuen, Emma J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CAPACITY; CAPITAL; CLIMATES; EVALUATION; PLANNING; VULNERABILITY Formal planning for climate change adaptation is emerging rapidly at a range of geo-political scales. This first generation of adaptation plans provides useful information regarding how institutions are framing the issue of adaptation and the range of processes that are recognized as being part of an adaptation response. To better understand adaptation planning among developed nations, a set of 57 adaptation plans from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States was evaluated against a suite of 19 planning processes identified from existing guidance instruments for adaptation planning. Total scores among evaluated plans ranged from 16% of the maximum possible score to 61%, with an average of 37%. These results suggest adaptation plans are largely under-developed. Critical weaknesses in adaptation planning are related to limited consideration for non-climatic factors as well as neglect for issues of adaptive capacity including entitlements to various forms of capital needed for effective adaptation. Such gaps in planning suggest there are opportunities for institutions to make better use of existing guidance for adaptation planning and the need to consider the broader governance context in which adaptation will occur. In addition, the adaptation options prescribed by adaptation plans reflect a preferential bias toward low-risk capacity-building (72% of identified options) over the delivery of specific actions to reduce vulnerability. To the extent these findings are representative of the state of developed nation adaptation planning, there appear to be significant deficiencies in climate change preparedness, even among those nations often assumed to have the greatest adaptive capacity. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2011-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s11027-010-9270-x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015712
Estimating Effective Hydraulic Parameters of Unsaturated Layered Sediments Using a Cantor Set Composite Medium Model Tang, Guoping; Perfect, Edmund; Van Den Berg, Engelmundus H; Mayes, Melanie; Parker, Jack C 58 GEOSCIENCES; APPROXIMATIONS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; FRACTALS; GEOLOGIC MODELS; HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY; SEDIMENTS; WATER Estimating effective hydraulic parameters of variably-saturated layered sediments has been extensively studied using deterministic, stochastic or combined approaches and experiments. However, heterogeneity and scale dependence remain as major obstacles for the prediction of water flow and contaminant transport at DOE sites. A physically-based fractal model is introduced in this work to characterize the heterogeneity of layered sediments at different scales and to estimate effective hydraulic parameters with a composite medium approximation approach. Fractal parameters for the Hanford formation are estimated by spectral analysis of a set of gamma ray log data. Numerical simulation results show that the Cantor set composite medium model may work well at small length scale, low gradients or dry conditions. Under unfavorable conditions, the influence of gradient, or pressure or hydraulic conductivity variance on the effective hydraulic conductivity may not be ignored. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.2136/vzj2007.0013 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/937519
Inverse Method for Estimating the Spatial Variability of Soil Particle Size Distribution from Observed Soil Moisture Pan, Feifei; Peters-lidard, Christa D; King, Anthony Wayne 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CAPACITY; DISTRIBUTION; DRAINAGE; EVAPORATION; HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY; HYDRAULICS; MOISTURE; PARTICLE SIZE; RUNOFF; SAND; SILT; SOILS; TENNESSEE; THROUGHFALL; WATER; WATERSHEDS Soil particle size distribution (PSD) (i.e., clay, silt, sand, and rock contents) information is one of critical factors for understanding water cycle since it affects almost all of water cycle processes, e.g., drainage, runoff, soil moisture, evaporation, and evapotranspiration. With information about soil PSD, we can estimate almost all soil hydraulic properties (e.g., saturated soil moisture, field capacity, wilting point, residual soil moisture, saturated hydraulic conductivity, pore-size distribution index, and bubbling capillary pressure) based on published empirical relationships. Therefore, a regional or global soil PSD database is essential for studying water cycle regionally or globally. At the present stage, three soil geographic databases are commonly used, i.e., the Soil Survey Geographic database, the State Soil Geographic database, and the National Soil Geographic database. Those soil data are map unit based and associated with great uncertainty. Ground soil surveys are a way to reduce this uncertainty. However, ground surveys are time consuming and labor intensive. In this study, an inverse method for estimating mean and standard deviation of soil PSD from observed soil moisture is proposed and applied to Throughfall Displacement Experiment sites in Walker Branch Watershed in eastern Tennessee. This method is based on the relationship between spatial mean and standard deviation of soil moisture. The results indicate that the suggested method is feasible and has potential for retrieving soil PSD information globally from remotely sensed soil moisture data. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-11-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0000274 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015737
Estimating Reaction Rate Coefficients Within a Travel-Time Modeling Framework Gong, R; Lu, C; Luo, Jian; Wu, Wei-min; Cheng, H; Criddle, Craig; Kitanidis, Peter K; Gu, Baohua; Watson, David B; Jardine, Philip M; Brooks, Scott C 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUIFERS; BIOREMEDIATION; DISTRIBUTION; ETHANOL; MIXTURES; OPTIMIZATION; REACTION KINETICS; SIMULATION; TRANSPORT A generalized, efficient, and practical approach based on the travel-time modeling framework is developed to estimate in situ reaction rate coefficients for groundwater remediation in heterogeneous aquifers. The required information for this approach can be obtained by conducting tracer tests with injection of a mixture of conservative and reactive tracers and measurements of both breakthrough curves (BTCs). The conservative BTC is used to infer the travel-time distribution from the injection point to the observation point. For advection-dominant reactive transport with well-mixed reactive species and a constant travel-time distribution, the reactive BTC is obtained by integrating the solutions to advective-reactive transport over the entire travel-time distribution, and then is used in optimization to determine the in situ reaction rate coefficients. By directly working on the conservative and reactive BTCs, this approach avoids costly aquifer characterization and improves the estimation for transport in heterogeneous aquifers which may not be sufficiently described by traditional mechanistic transport models with constant transport parameters. Simplified schemes are proposed for reactive transport with zero-, first-, nth-order, and Michaelis-Menten reactions. The proposed approach is validated by a reactive transport case in a two-dimensional synthetic heterogeneous aquifer and a field-scale bioremediation experiment conducted at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The field application indicates that ethanol degradation for U(VI)-bioremediation is better approximated by zero-order reaction kinetics than first-order reaction kinetics. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2011-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1745-6584.2010.00683.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015088
Investigating Habitat Value in Support of Contaminant Remediation Decisions: Approach Efroymson, Rebecca Ann; Peterson, Mark J; Welsh, Christopher John Edward; Druckenbrod, Daniel L; Ryon, Michael G; Smith, John G; Hargrove, William Walter; Giffen, Neil R; Roy, W Kelly; Quarles, III, Harry Dewitt 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMMUNITIES; DECISION MAKING; DIMENSIONS; HABITAT; IMPLEMENTATION; LAND USE; METRICS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PONDS; SURFACE WATERS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; USA Habitat valuation methods are most often developed and used to prioritize candidate lands for conservation. In this study the intent of habitat valuation was to inform the decision-making process for remediation of chemical contaminants on specific lands or surface water bodies. Methods were developed to summarize dimensions of habitat value for six representative aquatic and terrestrial contaminated sites at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) on the US Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation in Oak Ridge, TN, USA. Several general valuation metrics were developed for three broad categories: site use by groups of organisms, site rarity, and use value added from spatial context. Examples of use value metrics are taxa richness, a direct measure of number of species that inhabit an area, complexity of habitat structure, an indirect measure of potential number of species that may use the area, and land use designation, a measure of the length of time that the area will be available for use. Measures of rarity included presence of rare species or communities. Examples of metrics for habitat use value added from spatial context included similarity or complementarity of neighboring habitat patches and presence of habitat corridors. More specific metrics were developed for groups of organisms in contaminated streams, ponds, and terrestrial ecosystems. For each of these metrics, cutoff values for high, medium, and low habitat value were suggested, based on available information on distributions of organisms and landscape features, as well as habitat use information. A companion paper describes the implementation of these habitat valuation metrics and scoring criteria in the remedial investigation for ETTP. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL work for others; ORNL other overhead United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.jenvman.2007.07.023 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/940322
Trading permanent and temporary carbon emissions credits Marland, Gregg; Marland, Eric 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOSPHERE; CARBON; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON SEQUESTRATION; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; DESIGN; FORESTS; KYOTO PROTOCOL; MITIGATION; POWER PLANTS; SOILS; TREES In this issue of Climatic Change, Van Kooten (2009) addresses an issue that has bedeviled negotiators since the drafting stage of the Kyoto Protocol. If we accept that increasing withdrawals of carbon dioxide from the atmpshere has the same net impact on the climate system as reducing emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, how do we design a system that allows trading of one for the other? As van Kooten expresses the challenge: 'The problem is that emissions reduction and carbon sequestration, while opposite sides of the same coin in some sense, are not directly comparable, thereby inhibiting their trade in carbon markets.' He explains: 'The difficulty centers on the length of time that mitigation strategies without CO{sub 2} from entering the atmosphere - the duration problem.' While reducing emissions of CO{sub 2} represents an essentially permanent benefit for the atmosphere, capturing CO{sub 2} that has been produced (whether capture is from the atmosphere or directly from, for example, the exhaust from power plants) there is the challenge of storing the carbon adn the risk that it will yet escape to the atmosphere. Permanent benefit to the atmosphere is often not assured for carbon sequestration activities. This is especially true if the carbon is taken up and stored in the biosphere - e.g. in forest trees or agricultural soils. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-08-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s10584-009-9624-0 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017341
Elevated air temperature alters an old-field insect community in a multi-factor climate change experiment Villalpando, Sean; Williams, Ray; Norby, Richard J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; AIR; CLIMATIC CHANGE; FEEDING; INSECTS; INTERACTIONS; PLANTS; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; WATER To address how multiple, interacting climate drivers may affect plant-insect community associations, we sampled the insect community from a constructed old-field plant community grown under simultaneous [CO2], temperature, and water manipulation. Insects were identified to morphospecies, assigned to feeding guilds and abundance, richness and evenness quantified. Warming significantly increased Order Thysanoptera abundance and reduced overall morphospecies richness and evenness. Non-metric multidimensional scaling clearly supported the effect of warming on insect community composition. Reductions in richness for herbivores and parasitoids suggest trophic-level effects within the insect community. Analysis of dominant insects demonstrated the effects of warming were limited to a relatively small number of morphospecies. Reported reductions in whole-community foliar N at elevated [CO2] unexpectedly did not result in any effects on herbivores. These results demonstrate climatic warming may alter certain insect communities via effects on insect species most responsive to higher temperature, contributing to a change in community structure. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01721.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/958838
Significant Association between Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria and Uranium-Reducing Microbial Communities as Revealed by a Combined Massively Parallel Sequencing-Indicator Species Approach Cardenas, Erick; Leigh, Mary Beth; Marsh, Terence; Tiedje, James M; Wu, Wei-min; Luo, Jian; Ginder-Vogel, Matthew; Kitanidis, Peter K; Criddle, Craig; Carley, Jack M; Carroll, Sue L; Gentry, Terry J; Watson, David B; Gu, Baohua; Jardine, Philip M; Zhou, Jizhong 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; BACTERIA; BINDING ENERGY; BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS; CONTAMINATION; DESULFOVIBRIO; ELECTRONS; ETHANOL; HEAVY METALS; INJECTION WELLS; NUCLEOTIDES; PLUMES; SEDIMENTS; SUBSTRATES; SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA; URANIUM IONS; VALENCE Massively parallel sequencing has provided a more affordable and high-throughput method to study microbial communities, although it has mostly been used in an exploratory fashion. We combined pyrosequencing with a strict indicator species statistical analysis to test if bacteria specifically responded to ethanol injection that successfully promoted dissimilatory uranium(VI) reduction in the subsurface of a uranium contamination plume at the Oak Ridge Field Research Center in Tennessee. Remediation was achieved with a hydraulic flow control consisting of an inner loop, where ethanol was injected, and an outer loop for flow-field protection. This strategy reduced uranium concentrations in groundwater to levels below 0.126 M and created geochemical gradients in electron donors from the inner-loop injection well toward the outer loop and downgradient flow path. Our analysis with 15 sediment samples from the entire test area found significant indicator species that showed a high degree of adaptation to the three different hydrochemical-created conditions. Castellaniella and Rhodanobacter characterized areas with low pH, heavy metals, and low bioactivity, while sulfate-, Fe(III)-, and U(VI)-reducing bacteria (Desulfovibrio, Anaeromyxobacter, and Desulfosporosinus) were indicators of areas where U(VI) reduction occurred. The abundance of these bacteria, as well as the Fe(III) and U(VI) reducer Geobacter, correlated with the hydraulic connectivity to the substrate injection site, suggesting that the selected populations were a direct response to electron donor addition by the groundwater flow path. A false-discovery-rate approach was implemented to discard false-positive results by chance, given the large amount of data compared. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-10-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1128/AEM.01097-10 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015722
Mercury emission from terrestrial background surfaces in the eastern USA. Part I: Air/surface exchange of mercury within a southeastern deciduous forest (Tennessee) over one year Kuiken, Todd; Zhang, Hong; Gustin, Mae S; Lindberg, Steven Eric 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BACKGROUND RADIATION; DEPOSITION; FORESTS; MERCURY; SOILS; TENNESSEE This study focused on the development of a seasonal data set of the Hg air/surface exchange over soils associated with low Hg containing surfaces in a deciduous forest in the southern USA. Data were collected every month for 11 months in 2004 within Standing Stone State Forest in Tennessee using the dynamic flux chamber method. Mercury air/surface exchange associated with the litter covered forest floor was very low with the annual mean daytime flux being 0.4 0.5 ng m-2 h-1 (n = 301). The daytime Hg air/surface exchange over the year oscillated between emission (81% of samples with positive flux) and deposition (19% of samples with negative flux). A seasonal trend of lower emission in the spring and summer (closed canopy) relative to the fall and winter (open canopy) was observed. Correlations were found between the air/surface exchange and certain environmental factors on specific days sampled but not collectively over the entire year. The very low magnitude of Hg air/surface exchange as observed in this study suggests that an improved methodology for determining and reporting emission fluxes is needed when the values of fluxes and chamber blanks are both very low and comparable. This study raises questions and points to a need for more research regarding how to scale the Hg air/surface exchange for surfaces with very low emissions. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2007.12.006 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015032
Time and frequency domain analyses of high-frequency hydrologic and chloride data in an east Tennessee watershed Koirala, Shesh R; Gentry, Randall W; Mulholland, Patrick J; Perfect, Edmund; Schwartz, John S 58 GEOSCIENCES; CHLORIDES; STORAGE; TENNESSEE; WATER CHEMISTRY; WATERSHEDS In the realm of sustainability science, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the basal condition of a natural system as well as its long-term behavior. Research is needed to better explain the temporal scaling of water chemistry in streams and watersheds and its relationship with the hydrologic factors that influence its behavior. Persistence of dissolved chemicals in streams has been demonstrated to be linked to certain hydrologic processes, such as interaction between hydrologic units and storage in surface or sub-surface systems. In this study, spectral and wavelet analyses provided a novel theoretical basis for insights into long-term chloride behavior in an east Tennessee watershed. Temporal scaling analyses were conducted on weekly time series data of chloride collected from November 1995 to December 2005 at the West Fork of Walker Branch in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The objectives of the study were to: evaluate chloride concentration (a conservative solute) to determine the presence of statistical persistence and the relationship of the persistence to hydrologic variables (discharge and rainfall) using time and frequency domain analyses of high-frequency hydrologic and chloride concentration data. Results demonstrated that chloride showed some level of statistical persistence that was influenced by rainfall and/or discharge. Short-term statistical persistence (less than a year) was related to the persistence of rainfall and discharge, whereas long-term statistical persistence (more than a year) was related to the persistence of discharge. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2010.04.014 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/984385
Patterns of fish community composition along a river affected by agricultural and urban disturbance in south-central Chile Orrego, Rodrigo; Barra, Ricardo; Chiang, Gustavo; Adams, Marshall; Gavilan, Juan F 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; CHILE; COMMUNITIES; DISTURBANCES; FEEDING; Fish - Assemblages - Sewage - Cause effect relationship; HABITAT; RIVERS; WATER QUALITY Patterns of fish community composition in a south-central Chile river were investigated along the altitudinal-spatial and environmental gradient and as a function of anthropogenic factors. The spatial pattern of fish communities in different biocoenotic zones of the Chillan River is influenced by both natural factors such a hydrologic features, habitat, and feeding types, and also by water quality variables which can reduce the diversity and abundance of sensitive species. A principal component analysis incorporating both water quality parameters and biomarker responses of representative fish species was used to evaluate the status of fish communities along the spatial gradient of the stream. The abundance and diversity of the fish community changed from a low in the upper reaches where the low pollution-tolerant species such as salmonid dominated, to a reduced diversity in the lower reaches of the river where tolerant browser species such as cypriniformes dominated. Even though the spatial pattern of fish community structure is similar to that found for the Chilean Rivers, the structure of these communities is highly influenced by human disturbance, particularly along the lower reaches of the river. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015094
Potential negative consequences of adding phosphorus-based fertilizers to immobilize lead in soil Kilgour, Douglas W; Moseley, Rebecca A; Savage, Kaye S; Jardine, Philip M 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; ANTIMONY; ARSENIC; FERTILIZERS; HARDENING; IN VITRO; LEACHING; ORIGIN; PHOSPHATES; SOILS A study of the potential negative consequences of adding phosphate (P)-based fertilizers as amendments to immobilize lead (Pb) in contaminated soils was conducted. Lead-contaminated firing range soils also contained elevated concentrations of antimony (Sb), a common Pb hardening agent, and some arsenic (As) of unknown (possibly background) origin. After amending the soils with triple superphosphate, a relatively soluble P source, column leaching experiments revealed elevated concentrations of Sb, As, and Pb in the leachate, reflecting an initial spike in soluble Pb and a particularly dramatic increase in Sb and As mobility. Minimal As, Sb, and Pb leaching was observed during column tests performed on non-amended control soils. In vitro extractions tests were performed to assess changes in Pb, As, and Sb bioaccessibility on P amendment. Lead bioaccessibility was systematically lowered with increasing P dosage, but there was much less of an effect on As and Sb bioaccessibility than on mobility. Our results indicate that although P amendments may aid in lowering the bioaccessibility of soil-bound Pb, it may also produce an initial increase in Pb mobility and a significant release of Sb and As from the soil, dramatically increasing their mobility and to a lesser extent their bioavailability. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-09-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.2134/jeq2007.0409 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017335
You are not always what we think you eat. Selective assimilation across multiple whole-stream isotopic tracer studies Dodds, W. K.; Collins, S. M.; Hamilton, S. K.; Tank, J. L.; Johnson, S.; Webster, J. R.; Simon, K. S.; Whiles, M. R.; Rantala, H. M.; McDowell, W. H.; Peterson, S. D.; Riis, T.; Crenshaw, C. L.; Thomas, S. A.; Kristensen, P. B.; Cheever, B. M.; Flecker, A. S.; Griffiths, N. A.; Crowl, T.; Rosi-Marshall, E. J.; El-Sabaawi, R.; MartÃ, E. 07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES; consumer; food resources; food web; label mismatch; nitrogen cycling; stable isotope tracer addition; ¹âµN Analyses of 21 15N stable isotope tracer experiments, designed to examine food web dynamics in streams around the world, indicated that the isotopic composition of food resources assimilated by primary consumers (mostly invertebrates) poorly reflected the presumed food sources. Modeling indicated that consumers assimilated only 33â50% of the N available in sampled food sources such as decomposing leaves, epilithon, and fine particulate detritus over feeding periods of weeks or more. Thus, common methods of sampling food sources consumed by animals in streams do not sufficiently reflect the pool of N they assimilate. Lastly, Isotope tracer studies, combined with modeling and food separation techniques, can improve estimation of N pools in food sources that are assimilated by consumers. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE Office of Science (SC) United States 2014-10-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1890/13-2276.1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1162074
A new method for the experimental heating of intact soil profiles for application to climate change experiments Hanson, Paul J; Childs, Kenneth W; Wullschleger, Stan D; Riggs, Jeffery S; Thomas, Warren Kyle; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Warren, Jeffrey 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; ANIMALS; CARBON; CLIMATES; COMMUNITIES; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; HEATERS; HEATING; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SOILS; STIMULATION; climate change; heating; soil respiration; soil temperature; warming Advanced facilities are needed to evaluate the response of complex ecosystems to projected unique climate conditions not observable in the context of current natural variation or through the use of climate gradients. A next-generation, experimental system for simulating future belowground temperature increases was conceived, simulated, constructed and tested in a temperate deciduous forest in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. The new system uses low-wattage, 3-m deep, circumferentially-installed heaters surrounding a defined soil volume to both add the necessary energy to support a set-point soil temperature differential within the treatment area and to add exterior energy inputs equal to that which might be lost from lateral heat conduction. This approach, which is designed to work in conjunction with aboveground heated chambers, requires only two control positions, (1) aboveground air temperatures at 1 m and (2) belowground temperatures at 0.8 m. The approach is capable of achieving in situ target temperature differentials in the tested range of +4.0 0.5 C for soils to a measured depth of -2 m located within the aboveground boundary for air heating. These differentials were sustained throughout 2009, and both diurnal and seasonal cycles at all soil depths were retained using this simple heating approach. Measured mean energy inputs required to sustain the target heating level of +4 C over the 7.1 m2 target area were substantial: 21.1 kW h d-1 m-2 for aboveground heating but 16 times lower for belowground heaters at 1.3 kW h d-1 m-2. Observations of soil CO2 efflux from the surface of the target soil volumes showed CO2 losses throughout 2009 that were elevated above the temperature response curve for control CO2 losses at levels greater than have been reported in previous soil warming studies. Stimulation of biological activity of previously undisturbed deep-soil carbon stocks is the expected source. Long-term research programs may be able to apply similar experimental systems to address uncertainties in process-level responses of microbial, plant, and animal communities in whole, intact ecosystems using this new heating method that capture expected future warming and temperature dynamics throughout the soil profile. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02221.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003742
Distinguishing dynamics of dissolved organic matter components in a forested stream using kinetic enrichments Lutz, Brian D; Bernhardt, Emily; Roberts, Brian; Mulholland, Patrick J; Cory, Rose M 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ALGAE; BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; CARBON; CHEMICAL COMPOSITION; FLUORESCENCE; KINETICS; NITROGEN; ORGANIC MATTER; PRODUCTION; SOLUTES; TENNESSEE Traditional methods for investigating stream solute biogeochemistry measure longitudinal rates of uptake by increasing either the concentration or isotopic composition of solutes. These methods cannot be applied to dissolved organic matter (DOM) because we cannot replicate the heterogeneous native DOM pool. We explored an alternative approach, attempting to displace or enhance benthic uptake of native DOM by supplying an exogenous source of labile carbon or by enriching the stream with inorganic nitrogen. This approach allows us to measure uptake rates of enriched solutes, as well as changes in the concentration and composition of native DOM resulting from the experimental manipulations. We examined DOM composition using fluorescence characterization. We were able to elicit changes in the chemical composition of native DOM by differentially altering the dynamics of autotrophic production and heterotrophic uptake within the second-order reach of Walker Branch, a well-studied stream in eastern Tennessee. Supplying heterotrophs with labile carbon resulted in an increase in fluorescence associated with terrestrially derived DOM. Stimulating algae by adding inorganic nitrogen increased autochthonous production and indirectly displaced heterotrophic demand for terrestrial DOM due to increased in-stream production of bioavailable DOM. While we were able to alter the composition of the native DOM pool, we observed little change in DOM concentrations. The ability to differentiate between DOM subcomponents provides insight into processes controlling DOM production and consumption that cannot be gained by treating DOM as a single bulk pool. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.4319/lo.2012.57.1.0076 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1033521
Soil Microbial Community Responses to Multiple Experimental Climate Change Drivers Castro Gonzalez, Hector F; Classen, Aimee T; Austin, Emily E; Norby, Richard J; Schadt, Christopher Warren 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COMMUNITIES; DISTRIBUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; GENES; PRECIPITATION; SOILS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS Researchers agree that climate change factors such as rising atmospheric [CO{sub 2}] and warming will likely interact to modify ecosystem properties and processes. However, the response of the microbial communities that regulate ecosystem processes is less predictable. We measured the direct and interactive effects of climatic change on soil fungal and bacterial communities (abundance and composition) in a multifactor climate change experiment that exposed a constructed old-field ecosystem to different atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentration (ambient, +300 ppm), temperature (ambient, +3 C), and precipitation (wet and dry) might interact to alter soil bacterial and fungal abundance and community structure in an old-field ecosystem. We found that (i) fungal abundance increased in warmed treatments; (ii) bacterial abundance increased in warmed plots with elevated atmospheric [CO{sub 2}] but decreased in warmed plots under ambient atmospheric [CO{sub 2}]; (iii) the phylogenetic distribution of bacterial and fungal clones and their relative abundance varied among treatments, as indicated by changes in 16S rRNA and 28S rRNA genes; (iv) changes in precipitation altered the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria, where Acidobacteria decreased with a concomitant increase in the Proteobacteria in wet relative to dry treatments; and (v) changes in precipitation altered fungal community composition, primarily through lineage specific changes within a recently discovered group known as soil clone group I. Taken together, our results indicate that climate change drivers and their interactions may cause changes in bacterial and fungal overall abundance; however, changes in precipitation tended to have a much greater effect on the community composition. These results illustrate the potential for complex community changes in terrestrial ecosystems under climate change scenarios that alter multiple factors simultaneously. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL LDRD Director's R&D United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1128/AEM.02874-09 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/973545
Sectoral approaches to improve regional carbon budgets Smith, Pete; Nabuurs, Gert-Jan; Marland, Gregg 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AVAILABILITY; CARBON; CARBON CYCLE; ECOLOGY; FOOD; FORESTRY; FORESTS; FOSSIL FUELS; GOODS AND SERVICES; GREENHOUSE GASES; MANAGEMENT; PERMAFROST; PERSONNEL; PRODUCTION; RANGELANDS; WETLANDS Humans utilise about 40% of the earth s net primary production (NPP) but the products of this NPP are often managed by different sectors, with timber and forest products managed by the forestry sector and food and fibre products from croplands and grasslands managed by the agricultural sector. Other significant anthropogenic impacts on the global carbon cycle include human utilization of fossil fuels and impacts on less intensively managed systems such as peatlands, wetlands and permafrost. A great deal of knowledge, expertise and data is available within each sector. We describe the contribution of sectoral carbon budgets to our understanding of the global carbon cycle. Whilst many sectors exhibit similarities for carbon budgeting, some key differences arise due to differences in goods and services provided, ecology, management practices used, landmanagement personnel responsible, policies affecting land management, data types and availability, and the drivers of change. We review the methods and data sources available for assessing sectoral carbon budgets, and describe some of key data limitations and uncertainties for each sector in different regions of the world. We identify the main gaps in our knowledge/data, show that coverage is better for the developed world for most sectors, and suggest how sectoral carbon budgets could be improved in the future. Research priorities include the development of shared protocols through site networks, a move to full carbon accounting within sectors, and the assessment of full greenhouse gas budgets. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-06-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s10584-007-9378-5 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015038
Forest phenology and a warmer climate - Growing season extension in relation to climatic provenance Gunderson, Carla A; Edwards, Nelson T; Walker, Ashley V; O'Hara, Keiran H; Campion, Christina M; Hanson, Paul J Betula alleghaniensis; Climate change; Liquidambar styraciflua; Populus grandidentata; Quercus rubra; aspen; autumn; birch; forest; oak; phenology; spring; sweetgum; trees; warming Predicting forest responses to warming climates relies on assumptions about niche and temperature sensitivity that remain largely untested. Observational studies have related current and historical temperatures to phenological shifts, but experimental evidence is sparse, particularly for autumn responses. A five-year field experiment exposed four deciduous forest species from contrasting climates (Liquidambar styraciflua, Quercus rubra, Populus grandidentata, and Betula alleghaniensis) to air temperatures 2 and 4 C above ambient controls. Impacts of year-round warming on bud burst (BB), senescence and abscission were evaluated in relation to thermal provenance. Leaves emerged earlier in all species, by an average of 6-9 days at +2 and +4 C. Magnitude of advance varied with species and year, but was larger for the first 2 C increment than the second. The effect of warming increased with early BB, favoring Liquidambar, from the warmest climate, but even BB in northern species advanced, despite temperatures well beyond those of the realized niche. Treatment differences in BB were poorly explained by temperature sums, which increased with treatment. In autumn, chlorophyll was retained an average of 4 and 7 days longer in +2 and +4 C treatments, and abscission delayed by 8 and 13 days. Species differences in autumn responses were marginally significant. Growing seasons in the warmer atmospheres were 6 - 28 days longer, with the least impact in Quercus. Results are compared with a 16-year record of canopy onset and offset in a nearby upland deciduous forest, where BB showed similar responsiveness to spring temperatures (2 - 4 days C-1). Offset dates in the stand tracked August-September temperatures, except when late summer drought caused premature senescence. The common garden-like experimental approach provides evidence that warming alone extends the growing season, at both ends, even if stand-level impacts are complicated by other environmental factors. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02632.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1054994
Soil carbon and nitrogen cycling and storage throughout the soil profile in a sweetgum plantation after 11 years of CO2-enrichment Iversen, Colleen M; Keller, Dr. Jason K.; Garten, Jr, Charles T; Norby, Richard J 13C; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AVAILABILITY; CARBON; FACE; FORESTS; Liquidambar styraciflua; MINERALIZATION; NITROGEN; ORGANIC MATTER; PARTICULATES; PRODUCTION; SOILS; STORAGE; carbon mineralization; elevated [CO2]; fine roots; mineral-associated organic matter; nitrogen mineralization; particulate organic matter; soil depth Increased partitioning of carbon (C) to fine roots under elevated [CO2], especially deep in the soil profile, could alter soil C and nitrogen (N) cycling in forests. After more than 11 years of free-Air CO2 enrichment in a Liquidambar styraciflua L. (sweetgum) plantation in Oak Ridge, TN, USA, greater inputs of fine roots resulted in the incorporation of new C (i.e., C with a depleted 13C) into root-derived particulate organic matter (POM) pools to 90-cm depth. Even though production in the sweetgum stand was limited by soil N availability, soil C and N content increased over time, and were greater throughout the soil profile under elevated [CO2] at the conclusion of the experiment. However, greater C inputs under elevated [CO2] did not result in increased net N immobilization or C mineralization rates in long-term laboratory incubations, and did not appear to prime the decomposition of older SOM. The 13CO2 of the C mineralized from the incubated soil closely tracked the 13C of the labile POM pool in the elevated [CO2] treatment, especially in shallower soil, and did not indicate the decomposition of older (i.e., pre-experiment) SOM. While potential C mineralization rates were positively and linearly related to total soil organic matter (SOM) C content in the top 30 cm of soil, this relationship did not hold in deeper soil. Taken together with an increased mean residence time of C in deeper soil pools, these findings indicate that C inputs from relatively deep roots under elevated [CO2] may have increased potential for long-term storage. Expanded representation of biogeochemical cycling throughout the soil profile may improve model projections of future forest responses to rising atmospheric [CO2]. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2012.02643.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1042824
Managing the cost of emissions for durable, carbon-containing products Shirley, Kevin; Marland, Eric; Cantrell, Jenna; Marland, Gregg 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON DIOXIDE; Carbon sequestration CO2 emissions Carbon accounting Life insurance Carbon economics Wood products; DECAY; DISTRIBUTION; INSURANCE; OXIDATION; PROBABILITY; PRODUCTION We recognize that carbon-containing products do not decay and release CO2 to the atmosphere instantaneously, but release that carbon over extended periods of time. For an initial production of a stock of carbon-containing product, we can treat the release as a probability distribution covering the time over which that release occurs. The probability distribution that models the carbon release predicts the amount of carbon that is released as a function of time. The use of a probability distribution in accounting for the release of carbon to the atmosphere realizes a fundamental shift from the idea that all carbon-containing products contribute to a single pool that decays in proportion to the size of the stock. Viewing the release of carbon as a continuous probabilistic process introduces some theoretical opportunities not available in the former paradigm by taking advantage of other fields where the use of probability distributions has been prevalent for many decades. In particular, theories developed in the life insurance industry can guide the development of pricing and payment structures for dealing with the costs associated with the oxidation and release of carbon. These costs can arise from a number of proposed policies (cap and trade, carbon tax, social cost of carbon, etc), but in the end they all result in there being a cost to releasing carbon to the atmosphere. If there is a cost to the emitter for CO2 emissions, payment for that cost will depend on both when the emissions actually occur and how payment is made. Here we outline some of the pricing and payment structures that are possible which result from analogous theories in the life insurance industry. This development not only provides useful constructs for valuing sequestered carbon, but highlights additional motivations for employing a probability distribution approach to unify accounting methodologies for stocks of carbon containing products. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2011-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s11027-010-9268-4 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015090
A New Name for the Hawaiian Antipatharian Coral Formerly Known as Antipathes dichotoma (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia) Opresko, Dennis M 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; CNIDARIA; CORALS; MORPHOLOGY A Hawaiian species of antipatharian coral previously identified as Antipathes dichotoma Pallas, 1766, is described as Antipathes griggi Opresko, n. sp. The species forms tall, bushy colonies with elongate, upright terminal branches, often arranged uniserially. Spines are conical, mostly 0.20 to 0.26 mm tall, apically bifurcated, multilobed to jagged in appearance, and covered over most of their surface with small roundish to elongate papillae. Minute secondary spines may occur on some of the thicker branches. Polyps are 1 to 1.6 mm in transverse diameter. The species resembles A. fruticosa Gray in branching pattern, size of spines, and presence of secondary spines but differs in morphology and density of the spines (thicker, more crowded primary spines and fewer secondary spines in A. griggi). Other related species differ from A. griggi in having more widely spreading and irregularly arranged branches, no secondary spines, and either smaller spines with fewer apical lobes (A. curvata van Pesch, A. arborea Dana, and A. galapagensis Deichmann) or larger spines with the apical lobes arranged in a somewhat coronate pattern [A. spinulosa (Schultze) and A. lentipinna Brook]. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.2984/049.063.0209 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015100
Comparing intra- and inter-specific effects on litter decomposition in an old-field ecosystem Crutsinger, Greg; Sanders, Dr Nathan James; Classen, Aimee T 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ECOSYSTEMS; GENETICS; GENOTYPE; NITROGEN; NUTRIENTS; SPECIES DIVERSITY Plant species can differ in the quantity and quality of leaf litter they produce, and many studies have examined whether plant species diversity affects leaf-litter decomposition and nutrient release. A growing number of studies have indicated that intra-specific variation within plant species can also affect key ecosystem processes. However, the relative importance of intra- versus inter-specific variation for the functioning of ecosystems remains poorly known. Here, we investigate the effects of intra-specific variation in a dominant old-field plant species, tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima), and inter-specific variation among goldenrod species on litter quality, decomposition, and nitrogen (N) release. We found that the nutrient concentration of leaf litter varied among genotypes, which translated into 50% difference in decomposition rates. Variation among other goldenrod species in decomposition rate was more than twice that of genetic variation within S. altissima. Furthermore, by manipulating litterbags to contain 1, 3, 6, or 9 genotypes, we found that S. altissima genotype identity had much stronger effects than did genotypic diversity on leaf-litter quality, decomposition, and N release. Taken together, these results suggest that the order of ecological importance for controlling leaf-litter decomposition and N release dynamics is plant species identitygenotype identity>genotypic diversity. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-09-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.baae.2008.10.011 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015054
Simple and inexpensive method of wood pellets macro-porosity measurement Igathinathane, C; Tumuluru, J S; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Bi, X T; Lim, C Jim; Melin, Staffan; Mohammad, E 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BULK DENSITY; Biomass; COMPRESSIBILITY; DENSITY; Density; GEOMETRY; PELLETS; Physical property; Porosity; WOOD FUELS; Wood pellet A novel simplified stereometric measurement method for determining the macro-porosity of wood pellets through geometrical approach was successfully developed and tested. The irregular ends of pellets of circular cross-section were sanded flat so that their geometry becomes cylinder and their volumes evaluated using mensuration formula. Such formed cylindrical pellets were loose or tap filled to selected volumes to evaluate the macro-porosity and the constant specific weight. The method was extended to evaluate actual wood pellets properties. Overall macro-porosity of actual wood pellets was determined as 41.0 2.5% and 35.5 2.7%, mean bulk density as and, and classified as Class-3:Medium and Class-3&4:Medium to Low for loose and tapped fills, respectively. Hausner ratio and Carr s compressibility index classify wood pellets as freely flowing. The developed stereometric method can be used as a handy inexpensive laboratory procedure to estimate the macro-porosity of different types and makes of wood pellets and other similar packaged materials. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.biortech.2010.03.034 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034671
Hydroelectric power provides a cheap source of electricity with few carbon emissions. Yet, reservoirs are not operated sustainably, which we define as meeting societal needs for water and power while protecting long-term health of the river ecosystem. Reservoirs that generate hydropower are typically operated with the goal of maximizing energy reve Jager, Yetta; Smith, Brennan T 13 HYDRO ENERGY; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; CARBON; DISSOLVED GASES; ECOSYSTEMS; ELECTRICITY; HYDROELECTRIC POWER; NUTRIENTS; OPTIMAL CONTROL; OPTIMIZATION; OXYGEN; RIVERS; WATER; WATER QUALITY; WATER REQUIREMENTS; ecological valuation; hydropower; natural flow regime; optimization; reservoir operation; riverine ecosystems; sustainability Hydroelectric power provides a cheap source of electricity with few carbon emissions. Yet, reservoirs are not operated sustainably, which we define as meeting societal needs for water and power while protecting long-term health of the river ecosystem. Reservoirs that generate hydropower are typically operated with the goal of maximizing energy revenue, while meeting other legal water requirements. Reservoir optimization schemes used in practice do not seek flow regimes that maximize aquatic ecosystem health. Here, we review optimization studies that considered environmental goals in one of three approaches. The first approach seeks flow regimes that maximize hydropower generation, while satisfying legal requirements, including environmental (or minimum) flows. Solutions from this approach are often used in practice to operate hydropower projects. In the second approach, flow releases from a dam are timed to meet water quality constraints on dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature and nutrients. In the third approach, flow releases are timed to improve the health of fish populations. We conclude by suggesting three steps for bringing multi-objective reservoir operation closer to the goal of ecological sustainability: (1) conduct research to identify which features of flow variation are essential for river health and to quantify these relationships, (2) develop valuation methods to assess the total value of river health and (3) develop optimal control softwares that combine water balance modelling with models that predict ecosystem responses to flow. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-02-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/rra.1069 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1014249
Life cycle assessment of base-load heat sources for district heating system options Ghafghazi, Saeed; Sowlati, T; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Melin, Staffan 03 NATURAL GAS; 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS; DEMOLITION; DISTRICT HEATING; ECOSYSTEMS; ELECTRICITY; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FOSSIL FUELS; GREENHOUSE EFFECT; HEAT PRODUCTION; HEAT PUMPS; HEAT SOURCES; LIFE CYCLE; LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT; NATURAL GAS; OZONE LAYER; PELLETS; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESOURCE DEPLETION; WOOD FUELS Purpose There has been an increased interest in utilizing renewable energy sources in district heating systems. District heating systems are centralized systems that provide heat for residential and commercial buildings in a community. While various renewable and conventional energy sources can be used in such systems, many stakeholders are interested in choosing the feasible option with the least environmental impacts. This paper evaluates and compares environmental burdens of alternative energy source options for the base load of a district heating center in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC) using the life cycle assessment method. The considered energy sources include natural gas, wood pellet, sewer heat, and ground heat. Methods The life cycle stages considered in the LCA model cover all stages from fuel production, fuel transmission/transportation, construction, operation, and finally demolition of the district heating system. The impact categories were analyzed based on the IMPACT 2002+ method. Results and discussion On a life-cycle basis, the global warming effect of renewable energy options were at least 200 kgeqCO2 less than that of the natural gas option per MWh of heat produced by the base load system. It was concluded that less than 25% of the upstream global warming impact associated with the wood pellet energy source option was due to transportation activities and about 50% of that was resulted from wood pellet production processes. In comparison with other energy options, the wood pellets option has higher impacts on respiratory of inorganics, terrestrial ecotoxicity, acidification, and nutrification categories. Among renewable options, the global warming impact of heat pump options in the studied case in Vancouver, BC, were lower than the wood pellet option due to BC's low carbon electricity generation profile. Ozone layer depletion and mineral extraction were the highest for the heat pump options due to extensive construction required for these options. Conclusions Natural gas utilization as the primary heat source for district heat production implies environmental complications beyond just the global warming impacts. Diffusing renewable energy sources for generating the base load district heat would reduce human toxicity, ecosystem quality degradation, global warming, and resource depletion compared to the case of natural gas. Reducing fossil fuel dependency in various stages of wood pellet production can remarkably reduce the upstream global warming impact of using wood pellets for district heat generation. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2011-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s11367-011-0259-9 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015085
Integrating semantic web technologies and geospatial catalog services for geospatial information discovery and processing in cyberinfrastructure Yue, Peng; Gong, Jianya; Di, Liping; He, Lianlian; Wei, Yaxing 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; ADVERTISING; COMPUTERS; CSW ebRIM Semantic Cyberinfrastructure Service chain Geoprocessing workflow; INTERNET; PROCESSING; SPECIFICATIONS; WEBSITES Abstract A geospatial catalogue service provides a network-based meta-information repository and interface for advertising and discovering shared geospatial data and services. Descriptive information (i.e., metadata) for geospatial data and services is structured and organized in catalogue services. The approaches currently available for searching and using that information are often inadequate. Semantic Web technologies show promise for better discovery methods by exploiting the underlying semantics. Such development needs special attention from the Cyberinfrastructure perspective, so that the traditional focus on discovery of and access to geospatial data can be expanded to support the increased demand for processing of geospatial information and discovery of knowledge. Semantic descriptions for geospatial data, services, and geoprocessing service chains are structured, organized, and registered through extending elements in the ebXML Registry Information Model (ebRIM) of a geospatial catalogue service, which follows the interface specifications of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Catalogue Services for the Web (CSW). The process models for geoprocessing service chains, as a type of geospatial knowledge, are captured, registered, and discoverable. Semantics-enhanced discovery for geospatial data, services/service chains, and process models is described. Semantic search middleware that can support virtual data product materialization is developed for the geospatial catalogue service. The creation of such a semantics-enhanced geospatial catalogue service is important in meeting the demands for geospatial information discovery and analysis in Cyberinfrastructure. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2011-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s10707-009-0096-1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015084
Trade, transport, and sinks extend the carbon dioxide responsibility of countries: An editorial essay Peters, Glen P; Marland, Gregg; Hertwich, Edgar G; Saikku, Laura 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON CYCLE; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON SEQUESTRATION; CARBON SINKS; CLIMATES; COMBUSTION; DESIGN; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; GLOBALIZATION; GREENHOUSE GASES; INVENTORIES; LAND USE; MITIGATION; POLLUTION; PRODUCTION; TRANSPORT Globalization and the dynamics of ecosystem sinks need be considered in post-Kyoto climate negotiations as they increasingly affect the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. Currently, the allocation of responsibility for greenhouse gas mitigation is based on territorial emissions from fossil-fuel combustion, process emissions and some land-use emissions. However, at least three additional factors can significantly alter a country's impact on climate from carbon dioxide emissions. First, international trade causes a separation of consumption from production, reducing domestic pollution at the expense of foreign producers, or vice versa. Second, international transportation emissions are not allocated to countries for the purpose of mitigation. Third, forest growth absorbs carbon dioxide and can contribute to both carbon sequestration and climate change protection. Here we quantify how these three factors change the carbon dioxide emissions allocated to China, Japan, Russia, USA, and European Union member countries. We show that international trade can change the carbon dioxide currently allocated to countries by up to 60% and that forest expansion can turn some countries into net carbon sinks. These factors are expected to become more dominant as fossil-fuel combustion and process emissions are mitigated and as international trade and forest sinks continue to grow. Emission inventories currently in wide-spread use help to understand the global carbon cycle, but for long-term climate change mitigation a deeper understanding of the interaction between the carbon cycle and society is needed. Restructuring international trade and investment flows to meet environmental objectives, together with the inclusion of forest sinks, are crucial issues that need consideration in the design of future climate policies. And even these additional issues do not capture the full impact of changes in the carbon cycle on the global climate system. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s10584-009-9606-2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034667
The Role of Periphyton in Mediating the Effects of Pollution in a Stream Ecosystem Hill, Walter R; Ryon, Michael G; Smith, John G; Adams, Marshall; Boston, III, Harry L; Stewart, Arthur J 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ALGAE; AUFWUCHS; BIOMASS; CADMIUM; COMMUNITIES; COPPER; ECOSYSTEMS; FOOD; HEAVY METALS; INVERTEBRATES; MERCURY; MONITORING; NICKEL; NUTRIENTS; POLLUTANTS; POLLUTION; PRODUCTION; Periphyton - Eutrophication - Nutrients - Biomonitoring - Metals - Stream fish; STREAMS; TREES; ZINC The effects of pollutants on primary producers ramify through ecosystems because primary producers provide food and structure for higher trophic levels and they mediate the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients and contaminants. Periphyton (attached algae) were studied as part of a long-term biological monitoring program designed to guide remediation efforts by the Department of Energy s Y-12 National Security Complex on East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. High concentrations of nutrients entering EFPC were responsible for elevated periphyton production and placed the stream in a state of eutrophy. High rates of primary production at upstream locations in EFPC were associated with alterations in both invertebrate and fish communities. Grazers represented >50% of the biomass of invertebrates and fish near the Y-12 Complex but <10% at downstream and reference sites. An index of epilithic periphyton production accounted for 95% of the site-to-site variation in biomass of grazing fish. Analyses of heavy metals in EFPC periphyton showed that concentrations of zinc, cadmium, copper and nickel in periphyton decreased exponentially with distance downstream from Y-12. Zinc uptake by periphyton was estimated to reduce the concentration of this metal in stream water ~60% over a 5-km reach of EFPC. Management options for mitigating eutrophy in EFPC include additional reductions in nutrient inputs and/or allowing streamside trees to grow and shade the stream. However, reducing periphyton growth may lead to greater downstream transport of contaminants while simultaneously causing higher concentrations of mercury and PCBs in fish at upstream sites. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015730
Increased mercury in forest soils under elevated carbon dioxide Natali, Susan M.; Sa_udo-Wilhelmy, Sergio A.; Norby, Richard J; Finzi, Adrien C; Lerdau, Manuel T. 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; BIOSPHERE; CAPACITY; CARBON DIOXIDE; COMBUSTION; DEPOSITION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; FOSSIL FUELS; MERCURY; NUTRIENTS; ORGANIC MATTER; SOILS; STORAGE; THROUGHFALL Fossil fuel combustion is the primary anthropogenic source of both CO2 and Hg to the atmosphere. On a global scale, most Hg that enters ecosystems is derived from atmospheric Hg that deposits onto the land surface. Increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2 may affect Hg deposition to terrestrial systems and storage in soils through CO2-mediated changes in plant and soil properties. We show, using free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiments, that soil Hg concentrations are almost 30% greater under elevated atmospheric CO2 in two temperate forests. There were no direct CO2 effects, however, on litterfall, throughfall or stemflow Hg inputs. Soil Hg was positively correlated with percent soil organic matter (SOM), suggesting that CO2-mediated changes in SOM have influenced soil Hg concentrations. Through its impacts on SOM, elevated atmospheric CO2 may increase the Hg storage capacity of soils and modulate the movement of Hg through the biosphere. Such effects of rising CO2, ones that transcend the typically studied effects on C and nutrient cycling, are an important next phase for research on global environmental change. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s00442-008-1135-6 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/942232
Relationships among forest soil C isotopic composition, partitioning, and turnover times Garten, Jr, Charles T 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ALTITUDE; APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS; AVAILABILITY; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; MINERALIZATION; SOILS The purpose of this research was to test the hypothesis that vertical enrichment of soil {delta}{sup 13}C values is related to rates of soil C turnover in undisturbed, mature forest ecosystems. Soil C and N were measured at nine sites along an altitudinal gradient in the southern Appalachian Mountains (Tennessee and North Carolina, USA). Measurements indicated greater labile and total soil C stocks with increasing altitude. Laboratory incubations (3 days) of rewetted, air-dry soils indicated potential soil C mineralization ({micro}g CO{sub 2} produced {center_dot} g{sup -1} soil C) declined with elevation. A principal component analysis indicated N availability increased with altitude. At each site, there was a significant relationship between {delta}{sup 13}C and log-transformed C concentrations in the soil profile (30 cm deep). Enrichment factors ({var_epsilon}) from the Rayleigh equation were also equally useful for describing soil {delta}{sup 13}C profiles at each site. Soil C partitioning and turnover times along the gradient were correlated with {sup 13}C-enrichment factors. Greater rates of change in {delta}{sup 13}C through the soil profile were correlated with faster soil C turnover. Environmental factors, soil C partitioning, and the rate of vertical change in soil {sup 13}C abundance are interrelated such that {delta}{sup 13}C measurements are a potential indicator of C dynamics in undisturbed forest soils. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2006-09-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1139/X06-115 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978237
Twenty-Plus Years of Environmental Change and Ecological Recovery of East Fork Poplar Creek: Background and Trends in Water Quality Smith, John G; Stewart, Arthur J; Loar, James M 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COOLING TOWERS; ECOSYSTEMS; HEAVY METALS; IMPLEMENTATION; MANAGEMENT; MIXTURES; MONITORING; NITRATES; POLLUTANTS; POLLUTION; POLLUTION ABATEMENT; POLLUTION CONTROL; REMEDIAL ACTION; SAMPLING; STREAMS; WASTE WATER; WATER POLLUTION CONTROL; WATER QUALITY; Y-12 PLANT In May 1985, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit was issued for the Department of Energy's Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12 Complex) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA, allowing discharge of effluents to East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC). The effluents ranged from large volumes of chlorinated once-through cooling water and cooling tower blow-down to smaller discharges of treated and untreated process wastewaters, which contained a mixture of heavy metals, organics, and nutrients, especially nitrates. As a condition of the permit, a Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) was developed to meet two major objectives: demonstrate that the established effluent limitations were protecting the classified uses of EFPC, and document the ecological effects resulting from implementing a Water Pollution Control Program at the Y-12 Complex. The second objective is the primary focus of the other papers in this special series. This paper provides a history of pollution and the remedial actions that were implemented; describes the geographic setting of the study area; and characterizes the physicochemical attributes of the sampling sites, including changes in stream flow and temperature that occurred during implementation of the BMAP. Most of the actions taken under the Water Pollution Control Program were completed between 1986 and 1998, with as many as four years elapsing between some of the most significant actions. The Water Pollution Control Program included constructing nine new wastewater treatment facilities and implementation of several other pollution-reducing measures, such as a best management practices plan; area-source pollution control management; and various spill-prevention projects. Many of the major actions had readily discernable effects on the chemical and physical conditions of EFPC. As controls on effluents entering the stream were implemented, pollutant concentrations generally declined and, at least initially, the volume of water discharged from the Y-12 Complex declined. This reduction in discharge was of ecological concern and led to implementation of a flow management program for EFPC. Implementing flow management, in turn, led to substantial changes in chemical and physical conditions of the stream: stream discharge nearly doubled and stream temperatures decreased, becoming more similar to those in reference streams. While water quality clearly improved, meeting water quality standards alone does not guarantee protection of a waterbody's biological integrity. Results from studies on the ecological changes stemming from pollution-reduction actions, such as those presented in this series, also are needed to understand how best to restore or protect biological integrity and enhance ecological recovery in stream ecosystems. With a better knowledge of the ecological consequences of their decisions, environmental managers can better evaluate alternative actions and more accurately predict their effects. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL work for others United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1038778
Evaluation of Effects of Sustained Decadal Precipitation Manipulations on Soil Carbon Stocks Froeberg, Mats J; Hanson, Paul J; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Johnson, Dale W. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; EVALUATION; FORESTS; NUTRIENTS; PRECIPITATION; PRODUCTION; SOILS; STORAGE; THROUGHFALL Throughout a 13 year period, the Throughfall Displacement Experiment sustained both increased (+33) and decreased (-33%) throughfall into an upland Oak forest in Tennessee. Organic (O) horizon carbon (C) stocks were measured at several occasions before, during and after the experiment and mineral soil C stocks before and after the experiment. In the O horizon, higher litter fall rates and slower decomposition lead to higher C stocks in the dry treatment compared to the ambient and wet. Dry plot accumulation of C in the O horizon was attributable to a combination of enhanced litter inputs and reduced decomposition. Implications of the immobilization of nutrient elements as long-term feedbacks are discussed. No treatment effect on C stocks was found in the mineral soil, but a significant long-term reduction in mineral soil C stocks was found between the start and the end at the experiment from 3.5 to 2.7% C in the 0-15 cm layer and from 0.6 to 0.5% in the 15-30 cm layer. Explanations for this significant trend in C storage were not readily apparent, but are fully discussed in the context of measurement bias, temperature, and primary production. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s10533-008-9205-8 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/935179
ForCent Model Development and Testing using the Enriched Background Isotope Study (EBIS) Experiment Parton, William; Hanson, Paul J; Swanston, Chris; Torn, Margaret S.; Trumbore, Susan E.; Riley, William J.; Kelly, Robin 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CARBON; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; HUMUS; ORGANIC MATTER; ORNL; PRODUCTION; RESPIRATION; SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS; SOILS; TESTING; VALIDATION The ForCent forest ecosystem model was developed by making major revisions to the DayCent model including: (1) adding a humus organic pool, (2) incorporating a detailed root growth model, and (3) including plant phenological growth patterns. Observed plant production and soil respiration data from 1993 to 2000 were used to demonstrate that the ForCent model could accurately simulate ecosystem carbon dynamics for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory deciduous forest. A comparison of ForCent versus observed soil pool 14C signature (? 14C) data from the Enriched Background Isotope Study 14C experiment (1999-2006) shows that the model correctly simulates the temporal dynamics of the 14C label as it moved from the surface litter and roots into the mineral soil organic matter pools. ForCent model validation was performed by comparing the observed Enriched Background Isotope Study experimental data with simulated live and dead root biomass ? 14C data, and with soil respiration ? 14C (mineral soil, humus layer, leaf litter layer, and total soil respiration) data. Results show that the model correctly simulates the impact of the Enriched Background Isotope Study 14C experimental treatments on soil respiration ? 14C values for the different soil organic matter pools. Model results suggest that a two-pool root growth model correctly represents root carbon dynamics and inputs to the soil. The model fitting process and sensitivity analysis exposed uncertainty in our estimates of the fraction of mineral soil in the slow and passive pools, dissolved organic carbon flux out of the litter layer into the mineral soil, and mixing of the humus layer into the mineral soil layer. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1029/2009JG001193 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003737
The role of plant-soil feedbacks and land-use legacies in restoration of a temperate steppe in northern China Jiang, Lili; Han, Xingguo; Zhang, Guangming; Kardol, Paul 09 BIOMASS FUELS; Abiotic and biotic soil properties - Biogeochemistry - Land-use history - Natural experiment approach - Old-field - Secondary succession - Soil chemistry; BIOMASS; CHINA; DISTURBANCES; ECOSYSTEMS; FEEDBACK; LAND USE; ORIGIN; PERFORMANCE; PLANTS; SOILS; TARGETS Plant soil feedbacks affect plant performance and plant community dynamics; however, little is known about their role in ecological restoration. Here, we studied plant soil feedbacks in restoration of steppe vegetation after agricultural disturbance in northern China. First, we analyzed abiotic and biotic soil properties under mono-dominant plant patches in an old-field restoration site and in a target steppe site. Second, we tested plant soil feedbacks by growing plant species from these two sites on soils from con- and heterospecific origin. Soil properties generally did not differ between the old-field site and steppe site, but there were significant differences among mono-dominant plant patches within the sites. While soil species origin (i.e., the plant species beneath which the soil was collected) affected biomass of individual plant species in the feedback experiment, species-level plant soil feedbacks were neutral . Soil site origin (old-field, steppe) significantly affected biomass of old-field and steppe species. For example, old-field species had higher biomass in old-field soils than in steppe soils, indicating a positive land-use legacy. However, soil site origin effects depended on the plant species beneath which the soils were collected. The predictive value of abiotic and biotic soil properties in explaining plant biomass differed between and within groups of old-field and steppe species. We conclude that the occurrence of positive land-use legacies for old-field species may retard successional replacement of old-field species by steppe species. However, high levels of idiosyncrasy in responses of old-field and steppe plant species to con- and heterospecific soils indicate interspecific variation in the extent to which soil legacies and plant soil feedbacks control successional species replacements in Chinese steppe ecosystems. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-11-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s11284-010-0735-x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015727
Numerical modeling of coupled fluid flow and thermal and reactive biogeochemical transport in porous and fractured media Yeh, Gour-Tsyh; Fang, Yilin; Zhang, Fan; Sun, Jiangtao; Li, Yuan; Li, Ming-Hsu; Siegel, Malcolm D 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ALGORITHMS; Biogeochemical modeling - Reactive transport - HYDROGEOCHEM - Reaction network - Fluid flow - Thermal transport; CONTAMINATION; ENGINEERS; FLUID FLOW; INTERSTITIALS; PRODUCTION; RADIOISOTOPES; SIMULATION; SOILS; SOLUTES; TRANSFORMATIONS; TRANSPORT; VERIFICATION Subsurface contamination problems of metals and radionuclides are ubiquitous. Metals and radionuclides may exist in the solute phase or may be bound to soil particles and interstitial portions of the geologic matrix. Accurate tools to reliably predict the migration and transformation of these metals and radionuclides in the subsurface environment enhance the ability of environmental scientists, engineers, and decision makers to analyze their impact and to evaluate the efficacy of alternative remediation techniques prior to incurring expense in the field. A mechanistic-based numerical model could provide such a tool. This paper communicates the development and verification of a mechanistically coupled fluid-flow thermal-reactive biogeochemical-transport model where both fast and slow reactions occur in porous and fractured media. Theoretical bases, numerical implementations, and numerical experiments using the model are described. A definition of the rates of fast/equilibrium reactions is presented to come up with a consistent set of governing equations. Two example problems are presented. The first one is a reactive transport problem which elucidates the non-isothermal effects on heterogeneous reactions. It also demonstrates that the rates of fast/equilibrium reactions are not necessarily greater than that of slow/kinetic reactions in the context of reactive transport. The second example focuses on a complicated but realistic advective dispersive reactive transport problem. This example exemplifies the need for innovative numerical algorithms to solve problems involving stiff geochemical reactions. It also demonstrates that rates of all fast/equilibrium reactions are finite and definite. Furthermore, it is noted that a species-versus-time curve cannot be used to characterize the rate of homogeneous fast/equilibrium reaction in a reactive transport system even if one and only one such reaction is responsible for the production of this species. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015726
Accounting for Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Bioenergy Systems Marland, Gregg 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOFUELS; BIOMASS; CARBON; CARBON DIOXIDE; CLIMATES; COMBUSTION; ECONOMICS; FORESTRY; FORESTS; FOSSIL FUELS; GREENHOUSE GASES; INVENTORIES; KYOTO PROTOCOL; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; RECOMMENDATIONS; US EPA Researchers have recently argued that there is a 'critical climate accounting error' and that we should say 'goodbye to carbon neutral' for bioenergy. Many other analysts have published opionions on the same topic, and the US Environmental Protection Agency posted a specific call for information. The currently burning questions for carbon accounting is how to deal with bioenergy. The questions arises because, unlike for fossil fuels, burning of biomass fuels represents part of a cycle in which combustion releases back to the atmosphere carbon that was earlier removed from the atmosphere by growing plants. In a sustainable system, plants will again remove the carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) from the atmosphere. Conceptually, it is clear that there are no net emissions of the greenhouse gas CO{sub 2} if biomass is harvested and combusted at the same rate that biomass grows and removes CO{sub 2} from the atmosphere. The problem lies in the fact that growth and combustion do not occur at the same time or in the same place, and our accounting system boundaries - spatial and temporal - frequently do not provide full and balanced accounting. When the first comprehensive guidelines for estimating national greenhouse gas emissions and sinks were put together by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, they noted that it has been argued that CO{sub 2} emissions resulting from bioenergy consumption should not be included in a country's official emission inventory because there are no net emissions if the biomass is produced sustainably, and if the biomass is not produced sustainably, the loss of carbon will be captured as part of the accounting for emissions from land-use change. In the same philosophical vein, the Kyoto Protocol provides that emissions or sinks of CO{sub 2} from land-use change and forestry activities be measured as the 'verifiable changes in carbon stocks'. From these has grown the convention that emissions from biomass fuels are generally not counted as part of emissions inventories, and biomass energy is sometimes referred to as being 'carbon neutral.' But what happens when a forest is harvested for fuel but takes 60 years to regrow or when biomass is harvested in a country that is not party to an international accord but is burned in a country that is party to an international accord? Biomass energy is only truly 'carbon neutral' if we get the system boundaries right. They need to make sure that the accounting methodology is compatible with our needs and realities in management and policy. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-12-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2010.00303.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015738
Assessing net ecosystem carbon exchange of U S terrestrial ecosystems by integrating eddy covariance flux measurements and satellite observations Zhuang, Qianlai; Law, Beverly E; Baldocchi, Dennis; Ma, Siyan; Chen, Jiquan; Richardson, Andrew; Melillo, Jerry; Davis, Ken J; Hollinger, D; Wharton, Sonia; Falk, Matthias; Paw, U Kyaw Tha; Oren, Ram; Katulk, Gabriel G; Noormets, Asko; Fischer, Marc; Verma, Shashi; Suyker, A E; Cook, David R; Sun, G; McNulty, Steven G; Wofsy, Steve; Bolstad, Paul V; Burns, Sean; Monson, Russell K; Curtis, Peter; Drake, Bert G; Foster, David R; Gu, Lianhong; Hadley, Julian L; Litvak, Marcy; Martin, Timothy A; Matamala, Roser; Meyers, Tilden; Oechel, Walter C; Schmid, H P; Scott, Russell L; Torn, Margaret S 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBON CYCLE; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON SINKS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; DISTRIBUTION; DISTURBANCES; DROUGHTS; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; HURRICANES; RESOLUTION; SATELLITES; SAVANNAS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS More accurate projections of future carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere and associated climate change depend on improved scientific understanding of the terrestrial carbon cycle. Despite the consensus that U.S. terrestrial ecosystems provide a carbon sink, the size, distribution, and interannual variability of this sink remain uncertain. Here we report a terrestrial carbon sink in the conterminous U.S. at 0.63 pg C yr 1 with the majority of the sink in regions dominated by evergreen and deciduous forests and savannas. This estimate is based on our continuous estimates of net ecosystem carbon exchange (NEE) with high spatial (1 km) and temporal (8-day) resolutions derived from NEE measurements from eddy covariance flux towers and wall-to-wall satellite observations from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). We find that the U.S. terrestrial ecosystems could offset a maximum of 40% of the fossil-fuel carbon emissions. Our results show that the U.S. terrestrial carbon sink varied between 0.51 and 0.70 pg C yr 1 over the period 2001 2006. The dominant sources of interannual variation of the carbon sink included extreme climate events and disturbances. Droughts in 2002 and 2006 reduced the U.S. carbon sink by 20% relative to a normal year. Disturbances including wildfires and hurricanes reduced carbon uptake or resulted in carbon release at regional scales. Our results provide an alternative, independent, and novel constraint to the U.S. terrestrial carbon sink. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015080
Alteration of belowground carbon dynamics by nitrogen addition in southern California mixed conifer forests Nowinski, Nicole S; Trumbore, Susan E; Jimenez, Gloria; Fenn, Mark E 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; CARBON; CELLULOSE; CONIFERS; DEPOSITION; ECOSYSTEMS; ENZYME ACTIVITY; FORESTS; LIGNIN; NITROGEN; NITROGEN ADDITIONS; ORGANIC MATTER; PINES; POLLUTION; RESPIRATION; SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS; SOILS; STORAGE; SUBSTRATES; TREES; UREA Nitrogen deposition rates in southern California are the highest in North America and have had substantial effects on ecosystem functioning. We document changes in the belowground C cycle near ponderosa pine trees experiencing experimental nitrogen (N) addition (50 and 150 kg N ha 1 a 1 as slow release urea since 1997) at two end member sites along a pollution gradient in the San Bernardino Mountains, California. Despite considerable differences in N deposition between the two sites, we observed parallel changes in microbial substrate use and soil enzyme activity with N addition. 14C measurements indicate that the mean age of C respired by the Oa horizon declined 10 15 years with N addition at both sites. N addition caused an increase in cellulolytic enzyme activity at the polluted site and a decrease in ligninolytic enzyme activity at the unpolluted site. Given the likely differences in lignin and cellulose ages, this could explain the difference in the age of microbial respiration with N addition. Measurements of fractionated soil organic matter did not show the same magnitude of changes in response to N addition as were observed for respired C. This lesser response was likely because the soils are mostly composed of C having turnover times of decades to centuries, and 9 years of N amendment were not enough to affect this material. Consequently, 14C of respired CO2 provided a more sensitive indicator of the effects of N addition than other methods. Results suggest that enhanced N deposition alone may not result in increased soil C storage in xeric ecosystems. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1029/2008JG000801 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015095
Elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide increases soil carbon Norby, Richard J; Jastrow, Julie D; Miller, Michael R; Matamala, Roser; Boutton, Thomas W; Rice, Charles W; Owensby, Clenton E 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBON DIOXIDE; FORESTS; RANGELANDS; SOILS In a study funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, researchers from Argonne and Oak Ridge National Laboratories and Kansas State and Texas A&M Universities evaluated the collective results of earlier studies by using a statistical procedure called meta-analysis. They found that on average elevated CO2 increased soil carbon by 5.6 percent over a two to nine year period. They also measured comparable increases in soil carbon for Tennessee deciduous forest and Kansas grassland after five to eight years of experimental exposure to elevated CO2. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2005-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003669
SAFETY FACTORS FOR XYLEM FAILURE BY IMPLOSION AND AIR-SEEDING WITHIN ROOTS, TRUNKS AND BRANCHES OF YOUNG AND OLD CONIFER TREES Domec, Jean-Christophe; Warren, Jeffrey M; Meinzer, Rick; Lachenbruch, Barbara 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ANATOMY; CELL WALL; CONIFERS; Cell wall; EFFICIENCY; FUNCTIONALS; HYDRAULICS; HYDROGEN; IMPLOSIONS; JUVENILES; PINES; RUPTURES; SAFETY; TRANSPORT; TREES; VULNERABILITY; WATER; WOOD; embolism; juvenile wood; mature wood; tracheid The cohesion-tension theory of water transport states that hydrogen bonds hold water molecules together and that they are pulled through the xylem under tension. This tension could cause transport failure in at least two ways: collapse of the conduit walls (implosion), or rupture of the water column through air-seeding. The objective of this research was to elucidate the functional significance of variations in tracheid anatomical features, earlywood to latewood ratios and wood densities with position in young and old Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine trees in terms of their consequences for the safety factors for tracheid implosion and air-seeding. For both species, wood density increased linearly with percent latewood for root, trunk and branch samples. However, the relationships between anatomy and hydraulic function in trunks differed from those in roots and branches. In roots and branches increased hydraulic efficiency was achieved at the cost of increased vulnerability to air-seeding. Mature wood of trunks had earlywood with wide tracheids that optimized water transport and had a high percentage of latewood that optimized structural support. Juvenile wood had higher resistance to air-seeding and cell wall implosion. The two safety factors followed similar axial trends from roots to terminal branches and were similar for both species studied and between juvenile and mature wood. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1163/22941932-90000207 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034669
Soil moisture surpasses elevated CO2 and temperature as a control on soil carbon dynamics in a multi-factor climate change experiment Garten, Jr, Charles T; Classen, Aimee T; Norby, Richard J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBON ISOTOPES; CLIMATES; DROUGHTS; MOISTURE; NITROGEN; ORGANIC MATTER; PARTICULATES; PRECIPITATION; SEASONS; SOILS Some single-factor experiments suggest that elevated CO2 concentrations can increase soil carbon, but few experiments have examined the effects of interacting environmental factors on soil carbon dynamics. We undertook studies of soil carbon and nitrogen in a multi-factor (CO2 x temperature x soil moisture) climate change experiment on a constructed old-field ecosystem. After four growing seasons, elevated CO2 had no measurable effect on carbon and nitrogen concentrations in whole soil, particulate organic matter (POM), and mineral-associated organic matter (MOM). Analysis of stable carbon isotopes, under elevated CO2, indicated between 14 and 19% new soil carbon under two different watering treatments with as much as 48% new carbon in POM. Despite significant belowground inputs of new organic matter, soil carbon concentrations and stocks in POM declined over four years under soil moisture conditions that corresponded to prevailing precipitation inputs (1,300 mm yr-1). Changes over time in soil carbon and nitrogen under a drought treatment (approximately 20% lower soil water content) were not statistically significant. Reduced soil moisture lowered soil CO2 efflux and slowed soil carbon cycling in the POM pool. In this experiment, soil moisture (produced by different watering treatments) was more important than elevated CO2 and temperature as a control on soil carbon dynamics. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s11104-008-9851-6 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/958854
Mysterious diel cycles of mercury emission from soils held in the dark at constant temperature Zhang, Hong; Kuiken, Todd; Lindberg, Steven Eric 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY; Air/surface exchange; Atmospheric chemistry; DAILY VARIATIONS; Global biogeochemistry; Heavy metal; MERCURY; PROBES; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SOILS; SOLAR RADIATION; Solar radiation; WEATHER It is well known that mercury (Hg) emission from soils is largely controlled by solar radiation and soil temperature, exhibiting diel cycles that closely follow diel variations of solar radiation. To study soil Hg emission processes, we conducted experiments by measuring soil Hg emission fluxes under controlled conditions in the laboratory with a dynamic flux chamber using outside ambient air as flushing air. Unexpectedly, we observed consistent, recurring diel cycles of Hg emissions from dry soils held at constant temperature in the dark in our laboratory. The peaks of the emissions also seemed subject to some seasonal variation and to respond to local weather conditions with lower flux peaks in wintertime and on cloudy or rainy days. Finally, much lower soil Hg emission fluxes were observed in the presence of Hg-free zero air than in the presence of outside ambient air. It is hypothesized that some unidentified air-borne substance(s) in the ambient air might be responsible for the observed diel cycles of soil Hg emission. Further elaborate mechanistic investigations are clearly needed to test the initial working hypotheses and uncover the cause for this interesting, mysterious phenomenon. The present work and recent finding of enhancement of Hg emissions from soil and mineral particles by O3 seem to point to a research need to probe the possible role of near-ground atmospheric chemistry in Hg air/soil exchange. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2008.02.037 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1038068
Geochemical Modeling of Reactions and Partitioning of Trace Metals and Radionuclides during Titration of Contaminated Acidic Sediments Zhang, Fan; Parker, Jack C.; Luo, Wensui; Spalding, Brian Patrick; Brooks, Scott C; Watson, David B; Jardine, Philip M; Gu, Baohua 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIONS; AQUIFERS; BUFFERS; CAPACITY; CATIONS; ION EXCHANGE; PRECIPITATION; RADIOISOTOPES; SEDIMENTS; SOILS; SORPTION; TITRATION; TRANSPORT Many geochemical reactions that control aqueous metal concentrations are directly affected by solution pH. However, changes in solution pH are strongly buffered by various aqueous phase and solid phase precipitation/dissolution and adsorption/desorption reactions. The ability to predict acid-base behavior of the soil-solution system is thus critical to predict metal transport under variable pH conditions. This study was undertaken to develop a practical generic geochemical modeling approach to predict aqueous and solid phase concentrations of metals and anions during conditions of acid or base additions. The method of Spalding and Spalding was utilized to model soil buffer capacity and pH-dependent cation exchange capacity by treating aquifer solids as a polyprotic acid. To simulate the dynamic and pH-dependent anion exchange capacity, the aquifer solids were simultaneously treated as a polyprotic base controlled by mineral precipitation/dissolution reactions. An equilibrium reaction model that describes aqueous complexation, precipitation, sorption and soil buffering with pH-dependent ion exchange was developed using HydroGeoChem v5.0 (HGC5). Comparison of model results with experimental titration data of pH, Al, Ca, Mg, Sr, Mn, Ni, Co, and SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} for contaminated sediments indicated close agreement, suggesting that the model could potentially be used to predict the acid-base behavior of the sediment-solution system under variable pH conditions. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1021/es800311m https://www.osti.gov/biblio/943538
Effects of multiple climate change factors on the tall fescue-fungal endophyte symbiosis: infection frequency and tissue chemistry. Brosi, Glade; McCulley, Rebecca L; Bush, L P; Nelson, Jim A; Classen, Aimee T; Norby, Richard J 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ALKALOIDS; CELLULOSE; CHEMISTRY; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COMMUNITIES; ECOSYSTEMS; HEMICELLULOSE; LIGNIN; NITROGEN; PRECIPITATION; SYMBIOSIS Climate change (altered CO{sub 2}, warming, and precipitation) may affect plant-microbial interactions, such as the Lolium arundinaceum-Neotyphodium coenophialum symbiosis, to alter future ecosystem structure and function. To assess this possibility, tall fescue tillers were collected from an existing climate manipulation experiment in a constructed old-field community in Tennessee (USA). Endophyte infection frequency (EIF) was determined, and infected (E+) and uninfected (E-) tillers were analysed for tissue chemistry. The EIF of tall fescue was higher under elevated CO{sub 2} (91% infected) than with ambient CO{sub 2} (81%) but was not affected by warming or precipitation treatments. Within E+ tillers, elevated CO{sub 2} decreased alkaloid concentrations of both ergovaline and loline, by c. 30%; whereas warming increased loline concentrations 28% but had no effect on ergovaline. Independent of endophyte infection, elevated CO{sub 2} reduced concentrations of nitrogen, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. These results suggest that elevated CO{sub 2}, more than changes in temperature or precipitation, may promote this grass-fungal symbiosis, leading to higher EIF in tall fescue in old-field communities. However, as all three climate factors are likely to change in the future, predicting the symbiotic response and resulting ecological consequences may be difficult and dependent on the specific atmospheric and climatic conditions encountered. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2010.03532.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1001725
Climate change effects on soil microarthropod abundance and community structure Kardol, Paul; Reynolds, W. Nicholas; Norby, Richard J; Classen, Aimee T 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; AMBIENT TEMPERATURE; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COMMUNITIES; ECOSYSTEMS; MITES; MOISTURE; PRECIPITATION; SOILS Long-term ecosystem responses to climate change strongly depend on how the soil subsystem and its inhabitants respond to these perturbations. Using open-top chambers, we studied the response of soil microarthropods to single and combined effects of ambient and elevated atmospheric [CO{sub 2}], ambient and elevated temperatures and changes in precipitation in constructed old-fields in Tennessee, USA. Microarthropods were assessed five years after treatments were initiated and samples were collected in both November and June. Across treatments, mites and collembola were the most dominant microarthropod groups collected. We did not detect any treatment effects on microarthropod abundance. In November, but not in June, microarthropod richness, however, was affected by the climate change treatments. In November, total microarthropod richness was lower in dry than in wet treatments, and in ambient temperature treatments, richness was higher under elevated [CO{sub 2}] than under ambient [CO{sub 2}]. Differential responses of individual taxa to the climate change treatments resulted in shifts in community composition. In general, the precipitation and warming treatments explained most of the variation in community composition. Across treatments, we found that collembola abundance and richness were positively related to soil moisture content, and that negative relationships between collembola abundance and richness and soil temperature could be explained by temperature-related shifts in soil moisture content. Our data demonstrate how simultaneously acting climate change factors can affect the structure of soil microarthropod communities in old-field ecosystems. Overall, changes in soil moisture content, either as direct effect of changes in precipitation or as indirect effect of warming or elevated [CO{sub 2}], had a larger impact on microarthropod communities than did the direct effects of the warming and elevated [CO{sub 2}] treatments. Moisture-induced shifts in soil microarthropod abundance and community composition may have important impacts on ecosystem functions, such as decomposition, under future climatic change. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.apsoil.2010.11.001 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1001303
Modeling soil respiration and variations of source components using a multi-factor global climate change experiment Chen, Xiongwen; Post, Wilfred M; Norby, Richard J; Classen, Aimee T 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; CARBON CYCLE; CARBON DIOXIDE; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; DRYING; FORECASTING; MOISTURE; RESPIRATION; SOILS; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; TIME DELAY; autotrophic respiration; global climate change; heterotrophic respiration; modeling; source components; total soil respiration Soil respiration is an important component of the global carbon cycle and is highly responsive to changes in soil temperature and moisture. Accurate prediction of soil respiration and its changes under future climatic conditions requires a clear understanding of the processes involved. In spite of this, most current empirical soil respiration models incorporate just few of the underlying mechanisms that may influence its response. In this study, a new partial process-based component model built on source components of soil respiration was tested using data collected from a multi-factor climate change experiment that manipulates CO2 concentrations, temperature and precipitation. These results were then compared to results generated using several other established models. The component model we tested performed well across different treatments of global climate change. In contrast, some other models, which worked well predicting ambient environmental conditions, were unable to predict the changes under different climate change treatments. Based on the component model, the relative proportions of heterotrophic respiration (Rh) in the total soil respiration at different treatments varied from 0.33 to 0.85. There is a significant increase in the proportion of Rh under the elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration in comparison ambient conditions. The dry treatment resulted in higher proportion of Rh at elevated CO2 and ambient T than under elevated CO2 and elevated T. Also, the ratios between root growth and root maintenance respiration varied across different treatments. Neither increased temperature nor elevated atmospheric CO2 changed Q10 values significantly, while the average Q10 value at wet sites was significantly higher than it at dry sites. There was a higher possibility of increased soil respiration under drying relative to wetting conditions across all treatments based on monthly data, indicating that soil respiration may also be related to soil moisture at previous time periods. Our results reveal that the extent, time delay and contribution of different source components need to be included into mechanistic/processes-based soil respiration models at corresponding scale. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL LDRD Director's R&D; SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s10584-010-9942-2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1022623
Estimating nocturnal ecosystem respiration from the vertical turbulent flux and change in storage of CO2 Gu, Lianhong; Van Gorsel, Eva; Leuning, Ray; Delpierre, Nicolas; Black, Andy; Chen, Baozhang; Munger, J William; Wofsy, Steve; Aubinet, M 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ADVECTION; AIR FLOW; Advection; CANOPIES; CARBON; Chamber; DECOUPLING; DRAINAGE; ECOSYSTEMS; Ecosystem respiration; Eddy covariance; FORESTS; FRICTION; Micrometeorology; Process-based modelling; RESPIRATION; RESPONSE FUNCTIONS; SOILS; STORAGE; VELOCITY; u-star correction Micrometeorological measurements of nighttime ecosystem respiration can be systematically biased when stable atmospheric conditions lead to drainage flows associated with decoupling of air flow above and within plant canopies. The associated horizontal and vertical advective fluxes cannot be measured using instrumentation on the single towers typically used at micrometeorological sites. A common approach to minimize bias is to use a threshold in friction velocity, u*, to exclude periods when advection is assumed to be important, but this is problematic in situations when in-canopy flows are decoupled from the flow above. Using data from 25 flux stations in a wide variety of forest ecosystems globally, we examine the generality of a novel approach to estimating nocturnal respiration developed by van Gorsel et al. (van Gorsel, E., Leuning, R., Cleugh, H.A., Keith, H., Suni, T., 2007. Nocturnal carbon efflux: reconciliation of eddy covariance and chamber measurements using an alternative to the u*-threshold filtering technique. Tellus 59B, 397 403, Tellus, 59B, 307-403). The approach is based on the assumption that advection is small relative to the vertical turbulent flux (FC) and change in storage (FS) of CO2 in the few hours after sundown. The sum of FC and FS reach a maximum during this period which is used to derive a temperature response function for ecosystem respiration. Measured hourly soil temperatures are then used with this function to estimate respiration RRmax. The new approach yielded excellent agreement with (1) independent measurements using respiration chambers, (2) with estimates using ecosystem light-response curves of Fc + Fs extrapolated to zero light, RLRC, and (3) with a detailed process-based forest ecosystem model, Rcast. At most sites respiration rates estimated using the u*-filter, Rust, were smaller than RRmax and RLRC. Agreement of our approach with independent measurements indicates that RRmax provides an excellent estimate of nighttime ecosystem respiration Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-11-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015050
DEVELOPMENT OF A POPULATION BALANCE MODEL TO SIMULATE FRACTIONATION OF GROUND SWITCHGRASS Naimi, L J; Bi, X T; Lau, A K; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Womac, A R; Igathinathane, C; Sowlati, T; Melin, Staffan; Emami, M; Afzal, M 09 BIOMASS FUELS; APERTURES; BIOMASS; Carbon sequestration CO2 emissions Carbon accounting Life insurance Carbon economics Wood products; DISTRIBUTION; FLOW RATE; FRACTIONATION; GRINDING; PARTICLE SIZE; SWITCHGRASS; TRANSIENTS The population balance model represents a time-dependent formulation of mass conservation for a ground biomass that flows through a set of sieves. The model is suitable for predicting the change in size and distribution of ground biomass while taking into account the flow rate processes of particles through a grinder. This article describes the development and application of this model to a switchgrass grinding operation. The mass conservation formulation of the model contains two parameters: breakage rate and breakage ratio. A laboratory knife mill was modified to act as a batch or flow-through grinder. The ground switchgrass was analyzed over a set of six Tyler sieves with apertures ranging from 5.66 mm (top sieve) to 1 mm (bottom sieve). The breakage rate was estimated from the sieving tests. For estimating the breakage ratio, each of the six fractions was further ground and sieved to 11 fractions on a set of sieves with apertures ranging from 5.66 to 0.25 mm (and pan). These data formed a matrix of values for determining the breakage ratio. Using the two estimated parameters, the transient population balance model was solved numerically. Results indicated that the population balance model generally underpredicted the fractions remaining on sieves with 5.66, 4.00, and 2.83 mm apertures and overpredicted fractions remaining on sieves with 2.00, 1.41, and 1.00 mm apertures. These trends were similar for both the batch and flow-through grinder configurations. The root mean square of residuals (RSE), representing the difference between experimental and simulated mass of fractions, was 0.32 g for batch grinding and 0.1 g for flow-through grinding. The breakage rate exhibited a linear function of the logarithm of particle size, with a regression coefficient of 0.99. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015091
Spatial Scaling of Microbial Diversity across Various Functional and Phylogenetic Taxa Schadt, Christopher Warren; Garten, Jr, Charles T; Kang, S.; Zhou, Jizhong Microbial Communities; Spatial Scaling Understanding the spatial patterns of organisms and the underlying mechanisms shaping biotic communities is a central goal in community ecology. One of the most well documented spatial patterns in plant and animal communities is the positive-power law relationship between species (or taxa) richness and area. Such a taxa-area relationships (TARs) are one of the principal generalizations in ecology, and are fundamental to our understanding of the distribution of global biodiversity. However, TARs remain elusive and controversial in microbial communities, especially in soil habitats, due to inadequate sampling methodologies. Here, we describe TARs, at a whole-community level, across various microbial functional and phylogenetic groups in a forest soil using a comprehensive functional gene array (FGA) with > 24,000 probes. Our analysis indicated that the forest soil microbial community exhibited a relatively flat taxa-area relationship (slope z = 0.0624), but the z values varied considerably across different functional and phylogenetic groups (z = 0.0475-0.0959), which are several times lower than those commonly observed in higher plants and animals. These results suggest that the turnover in space of microorganisms may be, in general, lower than that of plants and animals. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/944598
Thermal Plasticity of Photosynthesis: the Role of Acclimation in Forest Responses to a Warming Climate Gunderson, Carla A; O'Hara, Keiran H; Campion, Christina M; Walker, Ashley V; Edwards, Nelson T 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; CARBON; CLIMATES; DECIDUOUS TREES; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; HOMEOSTASIS; OAKS; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; PLASTICITY; PRODUCTIVITY; SEASONS; SENSITIVITY; TREES; global change; trees; trees warming The increasing air temperatures central to climate change predictions have the potential to alter forest ecosystem function and structure by exceeding temperatures optimal for carbon gain. Such changes are projected to threaten survival of sensitive species, leading to local extinctions, range migrations, and altered forest composition. This study investigated photosynthetic sensitivity to temperature and the potential for acclimation in relation to the climatic provenance of five species of deciduous trees, Liquidambar styraciflua, Quercus rubra, Quercus falcata, Betula alleghaniensis, and Populus grandidentata. Open-top chambers supplied three levels of warming (+0, +2, and +4 C above ambient) over 3 years, tracking natural temperature variability. Optimal temperature for CO2 assimilation was strongly correlated with daytime temperature in all treatments, but assimilation rates at those optima were comparable. Adjustment of thermal optima was confirmed in all species, whether temperatures varied with season or treatment, and regardless of climate in the species' range or provenance of the plant material. Temperature optima from 17 to 34 were observed. Across species, acclimation potentials varied from 0.55 C to 1.07 C per degree change in daytime temperature. Responses to the temperature manipulation were not different from the seasonal acclimation observed in mature indigenous trees, suggesting that photosynthetic responses should not be modeled using static temperature functions, but should incorporate an adjustment to account for acclimation. The high degree of homeostasis observed indicates that direct impacts of climatic warming on forest productivity, species survival, and range limits may be less than predicted by existing models. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02090.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/986766
A disconnect between O horizon and mineral soil carbon - Implications for soil C sequestration Garten, Jr, Charles T 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AVAILABILITY; CARBON; CARBON SEQUESTRATION; FORESTS; NITROGEN; ORGANIC MATTER; SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS; SOILS; STORAGE Changing inputs of carbon to soil is one means of potentially increasing carbon sequestration in soils for the purpose of mitigating projected increases in atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentrations. The effect of manipulations of aboveground carbon input on soil carbon storage was tested in a temperate, deciduous forest in east Tennessee, USA. A 4.5-year experiment included exclusion of aboveground litterfall and supplemental litter additions (three times ambient) in an upland and a valley that differed in soil nitrogen availability. The estimated decomposition rate of the carbon stock in the O horizon was greater in the valley than in the upland due to higher litter quality (i.e., lower C/N ratios). Short-term litter exclusion or addition had no effect on carbon stock in the mineral soil, measured to a depth of 30 cm, or the partitioning of carbon in the mineral soil between particulate- and mineral-associated organic matter. A two-compartment model was used to interpret results from the field experiments. Field data and a sensitivity analysis of the model were consistent with little carbon transfer between the O horizon and the mineral soil. Increasing aboveground carbon input does not appear to be an effective means of promoting carbon sequestration in forest soil at the location of the present study because a disconnect exists in carbon dynamics between O horizon and mineral soil. Factors that directly increase inputs to belowground soil carbon, via roots, or reduce decomposition rates of organic matter are more likely to benefit efforts to increase carbon sequestration in forests where carbon dynamics in the O horizon are uncoupled from the mineral soil. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.actao.2008.10.004 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/948047
Quantifying phosphorus and light effects in stream algae Hill, Walter; Fanta, S E; Roberts, Brian J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ALGAE; CHLOROPHYLL; HYPOTHESIS; METABOLISM; NITROGEN; PHOSPHORUS; PHOTONS; SATURATION; SHADING; TURBIDITY Simultaneous gradients of phosphorus and light were applied in experimental streams to develop quantitative relationships between these two important abiotic variables and the growth and composition of benthic microalgae. Algal biovolume and whole-stream metabolism responded hyperbolically to phosphorus enrichment, increasing approximately two-fold over the 5-300 g L-1 range of experimental phosphorus concentrations. The saturation threshold for phosphorus effects occurred at 25 g L-1 of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP). Light effects were much stronger than those of phosphorus, resulting in a nearly ten-fold increase in algal biovolume over the 10-400 mol photons m-2 s-1 range of experimental irradiances. Biovolume accrual was light-saturated at 100 mol photons m-2 s-1 (5 mol photons m-2 d-1). Light effects were diminished by low phosphorus concentrations, and phosphorus effects were diminished by low irradiances, but evidence of simultaneous limitation by both phosphorus and light at subsaturating irradiances was weak. Contrary to the light:nutrient hypothesis, algal phosphorus content was not significantly affected by light, even in the lowest SRP treatments. However, algal nitrogen content increased substantially at lower irradiances, and it was very highly correlated with algal chlorophyll a content. Phosphorus enrichment in streams is likely to have its largest effect at concentrations <25 g L-1 SRP, but the effect of enrichment is probably minimized when streambed irradiances are kept below 2 mol photons m-2 d-1 by riparian shading or turbidity Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.4319/lo.2009.54.1.0368 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015097
Effect of moisture on leaf litter decomposition and its contribution to soil respiration in a temperate forest Cisneros-Dozal, Luz Maria; Trumbore, Susan E.; Hanson, Paul J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CAPACITY; FORESTS; INCUBATION; MOISTURE; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; RESPIRATION; SENSITIVITY; SOILS; STIMULATION; SUBSTRATES; TRANSIENTS; WATER The degree to which increased soil respiration rates following wetting is caused by plant (autotrophic) versus microbial (heterotrophic) processes, is still largely uninvestigated. Incubation studies suggest microbial processes play a role but it remains unclear whether there is a stimulation of the microbial population as a whole or an increase in the importance of specific substrates that become available with wetting of the soil. We took advantage of an ongoing manipulation of leaf litter 14C contents at the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to (1) determine the degree to which an increase in soil respiration rates that accompanied wetting of litter and soil, following a short period of drought, could be explained by heterotrophic contributions; and (2) investigate the potential causes of increased heterotrophic respiration in incubated litter and 0-5 cm mineral soil. The contribution of leaf litter decomposition increased from 6 3 mg C m 2 hr 1 during a transient drought, to 63 18 mg C m 2 hr 1 immediately after water addition, corresponding to an increase in the contribution to soil respiration from 5 2% to 37 8%. The increased relative contribution was sufficient to explain all of the observed increase in soil respiration for this one wetting event in the late growing season. Temperature (13 C versus 25 C) and moisture (dry versus field capacity) conditions did not change the relative contributions of different decomposition substrates in incubations, suggesting that more slowly cycling C has at least the same sensitivity to decomposition as faster cycling organic C at the temperature and moisture conditions studied. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1029/2006JG000197 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930816
QUALITY OF WOOD PELLETS PRODUCED IN BRITISH COLUMBIA FOR EXPORT Tumuluru, J S; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Lim, C Jim; Bi, X T; Lau, A K; Melin, Staffan; Oveisi, E; Sowlati, T 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ASH CONTENT; BRITISH COLUMBIA; BULK DENSITY; CALORIFIC VALUE; CEN; DATA; EXPORTS; MARKET; MARKETERS; MOISTURE; PELLETS; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; POWER GENERATION; PRODUCTION; Pellet grades; Pellet properties; Pellet standards; SAMPLING; SPECIFICATIONS; STORAGE; Solid fuel; WOOD FUELS; Wood pellets Wood pellet production and its use for heat and power production are increasing worldwide. The quality of export pellets has to consistently meet certain specifications as stipulated by the larger buyers, such as power utilities or as specified by the standards used for the non-industrial bag market. No specific data is available regarding the quality of export pellets to Europe. To develop a set of baseline data, wood pellets were sampled at an export terminal in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The sampling period was 18 months in 2007-2008 when pellets were transferred from storage bins to the ocean vessels. The sampling frequency was once every 1.5 to 2 months for a total of 9 loading/shipping events. The physical properties of the wood pellets measured were moisture content in the range of 3.5% to 6.5%, bulk density from 728 to 808 kg/m3, durability from 97% to 99%, fines content from 0.03% to 0.87%, calorific value as is from 17 to almost 18 MJ/kg, and ash content from 0.26% to 0.93%.The diameter and length were in the range of 6.4 to 6.5 mm and 14.0 to 19.0 mm, respectively. All of these values met the published non-industrial European grades (CEN) and the grades specified by the Pellet Fuel Institute for the United States for the bag market. The measured values for wood pellet properties were consistent except the ash content values decreased over the test period. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-11-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.13031/2013.35902 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015076
Assessment of 10 years of CO2 fumigation on soil microbial communities and function in a sweetgum plantation Austin, Emily E; Castro Gonzalez, Hector F; Sides, Katherine E; Schadt, Christopher Warren; Classen, Aimee T 16S rRNA genes; Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE); bacterial community structure; climate change; elevated carbon dioxide; enzyme activity; potential nitrogen mineralization Increased vegetative growth and soil carbon (C) storage under elevated carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) has been demonstrated in a number of experiments. However, the ability of ecosystems, either above- or belowground, to maintain increased carbon storage relies on the response of soil processes, such as nitrogen (N) availability, to climatic change. These soil processes are mediated by microbial communities whose activity and structure may also respond to increasing atmospheric [CO2]. We took advantage of a long-term (ca 10 year) CO2 enrichment experiment in a sweetgum plantation located in Tennessee to test the hypothesis that observed increases in root production in elevated relative to ambient CO2 plots would alter microbial community structure, increase microbial activity, and increase soil nutrient cycling. We found that elevated [CO2] had no detectable effect on microbial community structure using 16S rRNA gene cloning libraries, on microbial activity measured with extracellular enzyme activity, or on potential soil N mineralization and nitrification rates. These results are similar to those found at other sites and are consistent with continued C storage in forest ecosystems in the near future. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.soilbio.2008.12.010 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1118738
Current production and metal oxide reduction by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 wild type and mutants (vol 73, pg 7003, 2007) Bretschger, Orianna; Obraztsova, Anna Y; Sturm, Carter A; Chang, In Seop; Gorby, Yuri A; Reed, Samantha; Culley, David E; Reardon, Catherine L; Barua, Soumitra; Romine, Margaret F; Zhou, Jizhong; Beliaev, Alexander S; Bouhenni, Rachida; Saffarini, Daad; Mansfeld, Florian; Kim, Byung Hong; Fredrickson, James K; Nealson, Kenneth H 30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION; BINDING ENERGY; CYTOCHROMES; ELECTRON TRANSFER; ELECTRONS; FUEL CELLS; MUTANTS; OXIDES; PRODUCTION; SUBSTRATES; VALENCE Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 is a gram-negative facultative anaerobe capable of utilizing a broad range of electron acceptors, including several solid substrates. S. oneidensis MR-1 can reduce Mn(IV) and Fe(III) oxides and can produce current in microbial fuel cells. The mechanisms that are employed by S. oneidensis MR-1 to execute these processes have not yet been fully elucidated. Several different S. oneidensis MR-1 deletion mutants were generated and tested for current production and metal oxide reduction. The results showed that a few key cytochromes play a role in all of the processes but that their degrees of participation in each process are very different. Overall, these data suggest a very complex picture of electron transfer to solid and soluble substrates by S. oneidensis MR-1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1128/AEM.02560-07 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1014260
Determination of Protein by Fluorescence Enhancement of Curcumin in Lanthanum-Curcumin-Sodium Dodecyl Benzene Sulfonate-Protein System Wang, Feng; Huang, Wei; Zhang, Yunfeng; Wang, Mingyin; Sun, Lina; Tang, Bo; Wang, Wei 08 HYDROGEN; ALBUMINS; BENZENE; BLOOD SERUM; BONDING; CATTLE; CURCUMIN; ELECTROSTATICS; ENERGY TRANSFER; EXCITATION; FLUORESCENCE; HYDROGEN; LANTHANUM; PROTEINS; REACTION KINETICS; SENSITIVITY; SODIUM; VAN DER WAALS FORCES We found that the fluorescence intensity of the lanthanum (La(3+))-curcumin (CU) complex can be highly enhanced by proteins in the presence of sodium dodecyl benzene sulphonate (SDBS). Based on this finding, a new fluorimetric method for the determination of protein was developed. Under optimized conditions, the enhanced intensities of fluorescence are quantitatively in proportion to the concentrations of proteins in the range 0.0080-20.0 g mL(-1) for bovine serum albumin (BSA) and 0.00080-20.0 g mL(-1) for human serum albumin (HSA) with excitation of 425 nm, and 0.00020-20.0 g mL(-1) for bovine serum albumin (BSA) and 0.00080-20.0 g mL(-1)for human serum albumin (HSA) with excitation of 280 nm, while corresponding qualitative detection limits (S/N 3) are as low as 5.368, 0.573, 0.049, 0.562 g mL(-1), respectively. Study on reaction mechanism reveals that proteins can bind with La(3+), CU and SDBS through self-assembling function with electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interaction and van der Waals forces, etc. The proteins form a supermolecular association with multilayer structure, in which La(3+)-CU is clamped between BSA and SDBS. The unique high fluorescence enhancement of CU is resulted through synergic effects of favorable hydrophobic microenvironment provided by BSA and SDBS, and efficient intermolecular energy transfer among BSA, SDBS and CU. In energy transfer process, La(3+) plays a crucial role because it not only shortens the distance between SDBS and CU, but also acts as a "bridge" for transferring the energy from BSA to CU. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s10895-010-0686-1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015087
Predicting Agricultural Management Influence on Long-Term Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics: Implications for Biofuel Production Gollany, H T; Rickman, R W; Albrecht, S L; Liang, Y; Kang, Shujiang; Machado, S 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOFUELS; CARBON; CLIMATES; CROPS; FERTILIZERS; MANAGEMENT; MANURES; ORGANIC MATTER; PRECIPITATION; PRODUCTION; REMOVAL; RESIDUES; ROTATION; SIMULATION; SOILS Long-term field experiments (LTE) are ideal for predicting the influence of agricultural management on soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics and examining biofuel crop residue removal policy questions. Our objectives were (i) to simulate SOC dynamics in LTE soils under various climates, crop rotations, fertilizer or organic amendments, and crop residue managements using the CQESTR model and (ii) to predict the potential of no-tillage (NT) management to maintain SOC stocks while removing crop residue. Classical LTEs at Champaign, IL (1876), Columbia, MO (1888), Lethbridge, AB (1911), Breton, AB (1930), and Pendleton, OR (1931) were selected for their documented history of management practice and periodic soil organic matter (SOM) measurements. Management practices ranged from monoculture to 2- or 3-yr crop rotations, manure, no fertilizer or fertilizer additions, and crop residue returned, burned, or harvested. Measured and CQESTR predicted SOC stocks under diverse agronomic practices, mean annual temperature (2.1 19 C), precipitation (402 973 mm), and SOC (5.89 33.58 g SOC kg 1) at the LTE sites were significantly related (r 2 = 0.94, n = 186, P < 0.0001) with a slope not significantly different than 1. The simulation results indicated that the quantities of crop residue that can be sustainably harvested without jeopardizing SOC stocks were influenced by initial SOC stocks, crop rotation intensity, tillage practices, crop yield, and climate. Manure or a cover crop/intensified crop rotation under NT are options to mitigate loss of crop residue C, as using fertilizer alone is insufficient to overcome residue removal impact on SOC stocks Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.2134/agronj2010.0203s https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015081
Global potential net primary production predicted from vegetation class, precipitation, and temperature Del Grosso, Stephen; Parton, William; Stohlgren, Thomas; Zheng, Daolan; Bachelet, Dominique; Prince, Stephen; Hibbard, Kathy; Olson, Richard K 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON CYCLE; CLIMATES; DISTURBANCES; EFFICIENCY; GRAMINEAE; NUTRIENTS; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; PLANTS; PRECIPITATION; PRODUCTION; RESPIRATION; SYNTHESIS; WATER Net primary production (NPP), the difference between CO2 fixed by photosynthesis and CO2 lost to autotrophic respiration, is one of the most important components of the carbon cycle. Our goal was to develop a simple regression model to estimate global NPP using climate and land cover data. Approximately 5600 global data points with observed mean annual NPP, land cover class, precipitation, and temperature were compiled. Precipitation was better correlated with NPP than temperature, and it explained much more of the variability in mean annual NPP for grass- or shrub-dominated systems (r2 = 0.68) than for tree-dominated systems (r2 = 0.39). For a given precipitation level, tree-dominated systems had significantly higher NPP (approximately 100-150 g C m(-2) yr(-1)) than non-tree-dominated systems. Consequently, previous empirical models developed to predict NPP based on precipitation and temperature (e.g., the Miami model) tended to overestimate NPP for non-tree-dominated systems. Our new model developed at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (the NCEAS model) predicts NPP for tree-dominated systems based on precipitation and temperature; but for non-tree-dominated systems NPP is solely a function of precipitation because including a temperature function increased model error for these systems. Lower NPP in non-tree-dominated systems is likely related to decreased water and nutrient use efficiency and higher nutrient loss rates from more frequent fire disturbances. Late 20th century aboveground and total NPP for global potential native vegetation using the NCEAS model are estimated to be approximately 28 Pg and approximately 46 Pg C/yr, respectively. The NCEAS model estimated an approximately 13% increase in global total NPP for potential vegetation from 1901 to 2000 based on changing precipitation and temperature patterns. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-08-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1890/07-0850.1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017332
Corn stover availability for biomass conversion: situation analysis Hess, J Richard; Kenney, Kevin L; Wright, Christopher; Perlack, Robert D 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; AGRICULTURAL WASTES; AVAILABILITY; BIOMASS; BULK DENSITY; CAPACITY; CAPITAL; DESIGN; EFFICIENCY; Feedstock logistics; HARVESTING; MAIZE; MINIMIZATION; MOISTURE; OPTIMIZATION; STABILITY; STORAGE; collection; corn stover; harvesting; processing; storage; transportation As biorefining conversion technologies become commercial, feedstock availability, supply system logistics, and biomass material attributes are emerging as major barriers to the availability of corn stover for biorefining. While systems do exist to supply corn stover as feedstock to biorefining facilities, stover material attributes affecting physical deconstruction, such as densification and post-harvest material stability, challenge the cost-effectiveness of present-day feedstock logistics systems. In addition, the material characteristics of corn stover create barriers with any supply system design in terms of equipment capacity/efficiency, dry matter loss, and capital use efficiency. However, analysis of a conventional large square bale corn stover feedstock supply system concludes that (1) where other agronomic factors are not limiting, corn stover can be accessed and supplied to a biorefinery using existing bale-based technologies, (2) technologies and new supply system designs are necessary to overcome biomass bulk density and moisture material property challenges, and (3) major opportunities to improve conventional bale biomass feedstock supply systems include improvements in equipment efficiency and capacity and reducing biomass losses in harvesting, collection, and storage. Finally, the backbone of an effective stover supply system design is the optimization of intended and minimization of unintended material property changes as the corn stover passes through the individual supply system processes from the field to the biorefinery conversion processes. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-08-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s10570-009-9323-z https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015058
Investigating Habitat Value in Support of Contaminant Remediation Decisions: Case Study Efroymson, Rebecca Ann; Peterson, Mark J; Giffen, Neil R; Ryon, Michael G; Smith, John G; Hargrove, William Walter; Roy, W Kelly; Welsh, Christopher John Edward; Druckenbrod, Daniel L; Quarles, III, Harry Dewitt 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMPHIBIANS; DECISION MAKING; HABITAT; INVERTEBRATES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; REMEDIAL ACTION; VERTEBRATES; WETLANDS Habitat valuation methods were implemented to support remedial decisions for aquatic and terrestrial contaminated sites at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) on the US Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation in Oak Ridge, TN, USA. The habitat valuation was undertaken for six contaminated sites: Contractor's Spoil Area, K-901-N Disposal Area, K-770 Scrapyard, K-1007-P1 pond, K-901 pond, and the Mitchell Branch stream. Four of these sites are within the industrial use area of ETTP and two are in the Black Oak Ridge Conservation Easement. These sites represent terrestrial and aquatic habitat for vertebrates, terrestrial habitat for plants, and aquatic habitat for benthic invertebrates. Current and potential future, no-action (no remediation) scenarios were evaluated primarily using existing information. Valuation metrics and scoring criteria were developed in a companion paper, this volume. The habitat valuation consists of extensive narratives, as well as scores for aspects of site use value, site rarity, and use value added from spatial context. Metrics for habitat value were expressed with respect to different spatial scales, depending on data availability. There was significant variation in habitat value among the six sites, among measures for different taxa at a single site, between measures of use and rarity at a single site, and among measures for particular taxa at a single site with respect to different spatial scales. Most sites had aspects of low, medium, and high habitat value. Few high scores for current use value were given. These include: wetland plant communities at all aquatic sites, Lepomid sunfish and waterbirds at 1007-P1 pond, and Lepomid sunfish and amphibians at K-901 pond. Aquatic sites create a high-value ecological corridor for waterbirds, and the Contractor's Spoil Area and possibly the K-901-N Disposal Site have areas that are part of a strong terrestrial ecological corridor. The only example of recent observations of rare species at these sites is the gray bat observed at the K-1007-P1 pond. Some aspects of habitat value are expected to improve under no-action scenarios at a few of the sites. Methods are applicable to other contaminated sites where sufficient ecological data are available for the site and region. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL work for others; ORNL other overhead United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.jenvman.2007.07.024 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/941024
In-stream biotic control on nutrient biogeochemistry in a forested sheadwater tream, West Fork of Walker Branch Roberts, Brian J; Mulholland, Patrick J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 58 GEOSCIENCES; BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; METABOLISM; NITRATES; NUTRIENTS; STREAMS; UPTAKE; VARIATIONS; dissolved inorganic nitrogen; ecosystem metabolism; ecosystem respiration; light; nutrient uptake; primary production; soluble reactive phosphorus; stream; temporal variability A growing body of evidence demonstrates the importance of in-stream processing in regulating nutrient export, yet the influence of temporal variability in stream metabolism on net nutrient uptake has not been explicitly addressed. Streamwater DIN and SRP concentrations in Walker Branch, a first-order deciduous forest stream in eastern Tennessee, show a repeated pattern of annual maxima in summer and biannual minima in spring and autumn. Temporal variations in catchment hydrologic flowpaths result in lower winter and higher summer nutrient concentrations, but do not explain the spring and autumn nutrient minima. Ambient nutrient uptake rates were measured 2-3 times per week over an 18-mo period and compared to daily rates of gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) to examine the influence of in-stream biotic activity on nutrient export. GPP and ER rates explained 85% of the variation in net DIN retention with high net NO3- uptake (and lower net NH4+ release) rates occurring during spring and autumn and net DIN release in summer. Diel nutrient concentration patterns were examined several times throughout the year to determine the relative importance of autotrophic and heterotrophic activity on net nutrient uptake. High spring GPP corresponded to daily decreases in NO3- over the illuminated hours resulting in high diel NO3- amplitude which dampened as the canopy closed. GPP explained 91% of the variance in diel NO3- amplitude. In contrast, the autumn nutrient minima was largely explained by heterotrophic respiration since GPP remained low and little diel NO3- variation was observed during the autumn. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931994
Simulation of carbon cycling, including dissolved organic carbon transport, in forest soil locally enriched with 14C Tipping, Ed; Chamberlain, Paul M.; Froberg, Mats J.; Hanson, Paul J; Jardine, Philip M 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ADSORPTION; CARBON; FORESTS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORGANIC MATTER; PERFORMANCE; SIMULATION; SOILS; TRANSFORMATIONS; TRANSPORT; WATER The DyDOC model was used to simulate organic matter decomposition and dissolved organic matter (DOM) transport in deciduous forest soils at the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in Tennessee, USA. The model application relied on extensive data from the Enriched Background Isotope study (EBIS), which made use of a local atmospheric enrichment of radiocarbon to establish a large-scale manipulation experiment with different inputs of 14C from both above-ground and below-ground litter. The aim of the modelling was to test if the processes that constitute DyDOC can explain the available observations for C dynamics in the ORR. More specifically we used the model to investigate the origins of DOM, its dynamics within the soil profile, and how it contributes to the formation of stable carbon in the mineral soil. The model was first configured to account for water transport through the soil, then observed pools and fluxes of carbon and 14C data were used to fit the model parameters that describe the rates of the metabolic transformations. The soils were described by a thin O-horizon, a 15 cm thick A-horizon and a 45-cm thick B-horizon. Within the thin O-horizon, litter is either converted to CO2 or to a second organic matter pool, which is converted to CO2 at a different rate, both pools being able to produce DOM. The best model performance was obtained by assuming that adsorption of downwardly transported DOM in horizons A and B, followed by further conversion to stable forms, produces mineral-associated carbon pools, while root litter is the source of non-mineral associated carbon, with relatively short residence times. In the simulated steady-state, most carbon entering the O-horizon leaves quickly as CO2, but 17% (46 gC m-2 a-1) is lost as DOC in percolating water. The DOM comprises mainly hydrophobic material, 40% being derived from litter and 60% from older organic matter pools (residence time ~ 10 years). Most of the DOM is converted to CO2 in the mineral soil, over timescales of 1 to 15 years, but there is a conversion of 11 gC m-2 a-1 into stabilised forms that turnover on a timescale of 100-200 years. The small flux of DOC leaving the B-horizon (1.2 gC m-2 a-1) is mainly hydrophilic material, some of which can penetrate to depth quickly after formation. Considering the soil profile as single entity, the simulated soil carbon pools at ORR have mean residence times in the range 1-200 years, most of the carbon being in the slow pools, most of the turnover associated with the faster ones. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s10533-011-9575-1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1035519
Maximum height in a conifer is associated with conflicting requirements for xylem design Domec, Jean-Christophe; Lachenbruch, Barbara; McCulloh, Katherine A; Meinzer, Rick; Woodruff, David R; Warren, Jeffrey M 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; APERTURES; AVOIDANCE; CONIFERS; DESIGN; EFFICIENCY; HYDRAULICS; MODIFICATIONS; Pseudotsuga menziesii; SAFETY; TRANSPORT; TREES; WATER; air-seeding pressure; bordered pit; embolism; hydraulic architecture Despite renewed interest in the nature of limitations on maximum tree height, the mechanisms governing ultimate and species-specific height limits are not yet understood, but they likely involve water transport dynamics. Tall trees experience increased risk of xylem embolism from air-seeding because tension in their water column increases with height because of path-length resistance and gravity. We used morphological measurements to estimate the hydraulic properties of the bordered pits between tracheids in Douglas-fir trees along a height gradient of 85 m. With increasing height, the xylem structural modifications that satisfied hydraulic requirements for avoidance of runaway embolism imposed increasing constraints on water transport efficiency. In the branches and trunks, the pit aperture diameter of tracheids decreases steadily with height, whereas torus diameter remains relatively constant. The resulting increase in the ratio of torus to pit aperture diameter allows the pits to withstand higher tensions before air-seeding but at the cost of reduced pit aperture conductance. Extrapolations of vertical trends for trunks and branches show that water transport across pits will approach zero at a heights of 109 m and 138 m, respectively, which is consistent with historic height records of 100 127 m for this species. Likewise, the twig water potential corresponding to the threshold for runaway embolism would be attained at a height of 107 m. Our results suggest that the maximum height of Douglas-fir trees may be limited in part by the conflicting requirements for water transport and water column safety Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-08-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1073/pnas.0710418105 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1014248
Mercury emission from terrestrial background surfaces in the eastern USA. II: Air/surface exchange of mercury within forests from South Carolina to New England Kuiken, Todd; Zhang, Hong; Gustin, Mae S; Lindberg, Steven Eric Mercury air/surface exchange was measured over litter-covered soils with low Hg concentrations within various types of forests along the eastern seaboard of the USA. The fieldwork was conducted at six forested sites in state parks in South Carolina, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Maine from mid-May to early June 2005. The study showed that the Hg air/surface exchange was consistently very low and similar (overall daytime mean flux = 0.2 0.9 ng m 2 h 1, n = 310, for all six sites monitored) with the various forest types. These flux values are comparable with those found in a year-long study in Tennessee (yearly daytime mean = 0.4 0.5 ng m 2 h 1), but lower than many previous flux results reported for background soils. The Hg fluxes at all sites oscillated around zero, with many episodes of deposition (negative fluxes) occurring in both daytime and nighttime. While there were particular days showing significant correlations among the Hg air/surface exchange and certain environmental parameters, perhaps because of the low fluxes encountered, few significant correlations were found for any particular day of sampling between the Hg flux and environmental parameters such as solar radiation, soil temperature, air temperature (little variability seen), relative humidity, and ambient air Hg concentrations. Factors driving the Hg exchange as previously found for enriched soils may not hold for these background litter-covered forest soils. The results suggest that spatial variations of the Hg air/surface exchange were small among these different forest types for this particular time of year. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2007.12.007 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015031
Short-term recovery of NH4-15N applied to a temperate forest inceptisol and ultisol in east Tennessee USA Garten, Jr, Charles T; Brice, Deanne Jane; Todd, Jr, Donald E 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; EBIS; FORESTS; NITROGEN 15; OAKS; RETENTION; SOILS; TENNESSEE The short-term fate and retention of ammonium (NH4)-{sup 15}nitrogen (N) applied to two types of forest soils in east Tennessee was investigated. Four ridgetop forests, predominantly oak (Quercus spp.), were studied. Five applications of NH{sub 4}-{sup 15}N tracer were made to the forest floor at 2- to 4-week intervals over a 14-week period in 2004. Nitrogen-15 recovery in the forest floor, fine roots (<2 mm), and the mineral soil (0-20 cm) was calculated at 6, 21, and 42 weeks after the last application. Most of the {sup 15}N was retained in the forest floor and the mineral soil, with only small amounts ({approx}<2%) found in roots from both soil layers. Recovery of NH{sub 4}-{sup 15}N was greater in Inceptisols, which had a wider carbon (C)-to-N ratio than Ultisols. For both soil types, higher NH{sub 4}-{sup 15}N recoveries and long retention times (half-lives>100 weeks) indicated the forest floor is an effective filter for atmospheric N inputs. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2007-11-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1080/00103620701662919 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930867
The MODIS (Collection V005) BRDF/albedo product: Assessment of spatial representativeness over forested landscapes Roman, Miguel O; Schaaf, Crystal; Woodcock, Curtis E; Strahler, Alan; Yang, Xiaoyuan; Braswell, Rob H; Curtis, Peter; Davis, Kenneth J; Dragoni, Danilo; Goulden, Michael L; Gu, Lianhong; Hollinger, David Y; Meyers, Tilden P; Wilson, Tim B; Munger, J William; Wofsy, Steve; Privette, Jeffrey L; Richardson, Andrew D 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 6S; ALBEDO; ANISOTROPY; AmeriFlux; BRDF; DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS; ECOSYSTEMS; EOS Land Validation Core Sites; ETM+; FLUXNET; Geostatistics; MODIS; REMOTE SENSING; RESOLUTION; Remote sensing; SATELLITES; SIMULATION; Spatial analysis; Surface albedo; VALIDATION; Validation A new methodology for establishing the spatial representativeness of tower albedo measurements that are routinely used in validation of satellite retrievals from global land surface albedo and reflectance anisotropy products is presented. This method brings together knowledge of the intrinsic biophysical properties of a measurement site, and the surrounding landscape to produce a number of geostatistical attributes that describe the overall variability, spatial extent, strength of the spatial correlation, and spatial structure of surface albedo patterns at separate seasonal periods throughout the year. Variogram functions extracted from Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) retrievals of surface albedo using multiple spatial and temporal thresholds were used to assess the degree to which a given point (tower) measurement is able to capture the intrinsic variability of the immediate landscape extending to a satellite pixel. A validation scheme was implemented over a wide range of forested landscapes, looking at both deciduous and coniferous sites, from tropical to boreal ecosystems. The experiment focused on comparisons between tower measurements of surface albedo acquired at local solar noon and matching retrievals from the MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) (Collection V005) Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF)/albedo algorithm. Assessments over a select group of field stations with comparable landscape features and daily retrieval scenarios further demonstrate the ability of this technique to identify measurement sites that contain the intrinsic spatial and seasonal features of surface albedo over sufficiently large enough footprints for use in modeling and remote sensing studies. This approach, therefore, improves our understanding of product uncertainty both in terms of the representativeness of the field data and its relationship to the larger satellite pixel. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-11-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.rse.2009.07.009 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015714
Estimation of stream nutrient uptake from nutrient addition experiments Payn, Robert 58 GEOSCIENCES; DATA ANALYSIS; NUTRIENTS; PHOSPHORUS Nutrient uptake in streams is often quantified by determining nutrient uptake length. However, current methods for measuring nutrient uptake length are often impractical, expensive, or demonstrably incorrect. We have developed a new method to estimate ambient nutrient uptake lengths using field experiments involving several levels of nutrient addition. Data analysis involves plotting nutrient addition uptake lengths versus added concentration and extrapolating to the negative ambient concentration. This method is relatively easy, inexpensive, and based on sound theoretical development. It is more accurate than the commonly used method involving a single nutrient addition. The utility of the method is supported by field studies directly comparing our new method with isotopic tracer methods for determining uptake lengths of phosphorus, ammonium, and nitrate. Our method also provides parameters for comparing potential nutrient limitation among streams. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2005-09-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.4319/lom.2005.3.174 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989632
Distribution of organic carbon in physical fractions of soils as affected by agricultural management Sindhu, Jagadamma; Lal, Dr Rattan 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CAPACITY; CARBON; CLAYS; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; CROPS; DISTRIBUTION; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; ORGANIC MATTER; RADAR; REFINING; ROTATION; SAND; SATURATION; SILT; SOILS; SOYBEANS; TEXTURE Soil organic carbon (SOC) is distributed heterogeneously among different-sized primary particles and aggregates. Further, the SOC associated with different physical fractions respond differently to managements. Therefore, this study was conducted with the objective to quantify the SOC associated with all the three structural levels of SOC (particulate organic matter, soil separates and aggregate-size fractions) as influenced by long-term change in management. The study also aims at reevaluating the concept that the SOC sink capacity of individual size-fractions is limited. Long-term tillage and crop rotation effects on distribution of SOC among fractions were compared with soil from adjacent undisturbed area under native vegetation for the mixed, mesic, Typic Fragiudalf of Wooster, OH. Forty five years of no-till (NT) management resulted in more SOC accumulation in soil surface (0 7.5 cm) than in chisel tillage and plow tillage (PT) treatments. However, PT at this site resulted in a redistribution of SOC from surface to deeper soil layers. The soils under continuous corn accumulated significantly more SOC than those under corn soybean rotation at 7.5 45 cm depth. Although soil texture was dominated by the silt-sized particles, most of the SOC pool was associated with the clay fraction. Compared to PT, the NT treatment resulted in (i) significantly higher proportion of large macroaggregates (>2,000 m) and (ii) 1.5 2.8 times higher SOC concentrations in all aggregate-size classes. A comparative evaluation using radar graphs indicated that among the physical fractions, the SOC associated with sand and silt fractions quickly changed with a land use conversion from native vegetation to agricultural crops. A key finding of this study is the assessment of SOC sink capacity of individual fractions, which revealed that the clay fraction of agricultural soils continues to accumulate more SOC, albeit at a slower rate, with progressive increase in total SOC concentration. However, the clay fraction of soil under native woodlot showed an indication for SOC saturation. The data presented in this study from all the three structural levels of SOC would be helpful for refining the conceptual pool definitions of the current soil organic matter prediction models. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-08-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015723
Net mineralization of N at deeper soil depths as a potential mechanism for sustained forest production under elevated [CO2] Iversen, Colleen M; Hooker, Toby; Classen, Aimee T; Norby, Richard J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AVAILABILITY; CARBON; DILUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; EXPLORATION; FORESTS; ION EXCHANGE; MINERALIZATION; MINING; MORTALITY; NITROGEN; NUTRIENTS; PRODUCTION; RESINS; SOILS; STORAGE; TREES; elevated [CO2]; fine roots; isotope pool dilution; potential gross N mineralization; soil depth; sweetgum Elevated atmospheric [CO2] is projected to increase forest production, which could increase ecosystem carbon (C) storage. However, sustained forest production will depend on the nutrient balance of the forested ecosystem. Our aim was to examine the causes and consequences of increased fine-root production and mortality throughout the soil profile under elevated CO2 with respect to potential gross nitrogen (N) cycling rates. Our study was conducted in a CO2-enriched sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) plantation in Oak Ridge, TN, USA. We used isotope pool dilution methodology to measure potential gross N cycling rates in laboratory incubations of soil from four depth increments to 60 cm. Our objectives were two-fold: (1) determine whether N is available for root acquisition in deeper soil, and (2) determine whether increased inputs of labile C from greater fine-root mortality at depth under elevated [CO2] had altered N cycling rates. While gross N fluxes declined with soil depth, we found that N is potentially available for roots to access, especially below 15 cm depth where microbial consumption of mineral N was reduced. Overall, up to 60% of potential gross N mineralization, and 100% of potential net N mineralization, occurred below 15-cm depth at this site. This finding was supported by in situ measurements from ion-exchange resins, where total inorganic N availability at 55 cm depth was equal to or greater than N availability at 15 cm depth. While it is likely that trees grown under elevated [CO2] are accessing a larger pool of inorganic N by mining deeper soil, we found no effect of elevated [CO2] on potential gross or net N cycling rates. Thus, increased root exploration of the soil volume under elevated [CO2] may be more important than changes in potential gross N cycling rates in sustaining forest responses to rising atmospheric CO2. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02240.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1001718
Techno-economic analysis of wood biomass boilers for the greenhouse industry Chau, J; Sowlati, T; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Bi, X T; Preto, F; Melin, Staffan Cost analysis; Economic evaluation; Greenhouses; Wood biomass boiler; Wood pellets; Wood residue The objective of this study is to perform a techno-economic analysis on a typical wood pellet and wood residue boiler for generation of heat to an average-sized greenhouse in British Columbia. The variables analyzed included greenhouse size and structure, boiler efficiency, fuel types, and source of carbon dioxide (CO2) for crop fertilization. The net present value (NPV) show that installing a wood pellet or a wood residue boiler to provide 40% of the annual heat demand is more economical than using a natural gas boiler to provide all the heat at a discount rate of 10%. For an assumed lifespan of 25 years, a wood pellet boiler system could generate NPV of C$259,311 without electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and C$74,695 with ESP, respectively. While, installing a wood residue boiler with or without an ESP could provide NPV of C$919,922 or C$1,104,538, respectively. Using a wood biomass boiler could also eliminate over 3000 tonne CO2 equivalents of greenhouse gases annually. Wood biomass combustion generates more particulate matters than natural gas combustion. However, an advanced emission control system could significantly reduce particulate matters emission from wood biomass combustion which would bring the particulate emission to a relatively similar level as for natural gas. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.apenergy.2008.05.010 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015052
Changes in Soil Carbon and Nitrogen in Forests of Walker Branch Watershed 1972-2004 Todd, Jr, Donald E; Johnson, Dale W.; Trettin, Carl 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; LEACHING; NITROGEN; PLANTS; SAMPLING; SOILS; STORAGE; WATERSHEDS Changes in soil C and N concentrations and contents in four samplings during a 32-yr period on Walker Branch watershed in Tennessee were determined and compared with previously measured C and N fluxes and with changes in ecosystem C and N pools during this period. Soils showed significant increases in C and N concentrations in surface horizons from 1972 to 2004, and most of this increase occurred between 1972 and 1982. A previously observed decline in soil C and N contents between 1982 and 1993 was reversed in 2004 such that the latter increased to near 1982 values. The changes in soil C content could be approximately accounted for by previously measured litterfall and soil CO{sub 2}-C fluxes. Changes in soil N could not be accounted for by leaching, increments in vegetation, or by laboratory bias, changes during sample storage, or reasonable estimates of field sampling errors. We conclude that, although vegetation C and N pools increased steadily during the sampling period in most cases, changes in soil C and N pools on Walker Branch watershed are highly variable in both space and time, and there has been no unidirectional trend during the time period of this study. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/944591
Size reduction of high- and low-moisture corn stalks by linear knife grid system Womac, A R; Igathinathane, C; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Narayan, S 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AGRICULTURAL WASTES; BIOMASS; Biomass; Corn stalk; Cutting; DESIGN; Energy; FORAGE; Knife grid; MAIZE; MOISTURE; PERFORMANCE; SHEAR; STRESSES; Shear stress; Size reduction High- and low-moisture corn stalks were tested using a linear knife grid size reduction device developed for first-stage size reduction. The device was used in conjunction with a universal test machine that quantified shearing stress and energy characteristics for forcing a bed of corn stalks through a grid of sharp knives. No published engineering performance data for corn stover with similar devices are available to optimize performance; however, commercial knife grid systems exist for forage size reduction. From the force displacement data, mean and maximum ultimate shear stresses, cumulative and peak mass-based cutting energies for corn stalks, and mean new surface area-based cutting energies were determined from 4 5 refill runs at two moisture contents (78.8% and 11.3% wet basis), three knife grid spacings (25.4, 50.8, and 101.6 mm), and three bed depths (50.8, 101.6, and 152.4 mm). In general, the results indicated that peak failure load, ultimate shear stress, and cutting energy values varied directly with bed depth and inversely with knife grid spacing. Mean separation analysis established that high- and low-moisture conditions and bed depths 101.6 mm did not differ significantly (P < 0.05) for ultimate stress and cutting energy values, but knife grid spacing were significantly different. Linear knife grid cutting energy requirements for both moisture conditions of corn stalks were much smaller than reported cutting energy requirements. Ultimate shear stress and cutting energy results of this research should aid the engineering design of commercial scale linear knife gird size reduction equipment for various biomass feedstocks. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015056
Light, nutrients, and herbivore growth in oligotrophic streams Hill, Walter R; Smith, John G; Stewart, Arthur J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; AUFWUCHS; Elimia clavaeformis; FOOD; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; MORTALITY; NITRATES; NITROGEN; NUTRIENTS; PHENOLOGY; PHOSPHATES; PHOSPHORUS; PRODUCTION; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SNAILS; STREAMS; algae; competition; herbivore; light : nutrient hypothesis; nitrogen; phosphorus; snails; streams The light : nutrient hypothesis posits that herbivore growth is increasingly constrained by low food quality as the ratio of light to nutrients increases in aquatic ecosystems. We tested predictions of this hypothesis by examining the effects of large seasonal cycles in light and nutrients on the mineral content of periphyton and the growth rate of a dominant herbivore (the snail Elimia clavaeformis) in two oligotrophic streams. Streambed irradiances in White Oak Creek and Walker Branch (eastern Tennessee, USA) varied dramatically on a seasonal basis due to leaf phenology in the surrounding deciduous forests and seasonal changes in sun angle. Concentrations of dissolved nutrients varied inversely with light, causing light : nitrate and light : phosphate to range almost 100-fold over the course of any individual year. Periphyton nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were much lower than the concentrations of these elements in snails, and they bottomed out in early spring when streambed irradiances were highest. Snail growth, however, peaked in early spring when light:nutrient ratios were highest and periphyton nutrient concentrations were lowest, Growth was linearly related to primary production (accounting for up to 85% of growth variance in individual years), which in turn was driven by seasonal variation in light. Conceptual models of herbivore growth indicate that growth should initially increase as increasing light levels stimulate primary production, but then level off, and then decrease as the negative effects of decreasing algal nutrient content override the positive effects of increased food production. Our results showed no evidence of an inflection point where increasing ratios of light to nutrients negatively affected growth. Snail growth in these intensively grazed streams is probably unaffected by periphyton nutrient content because exploitative competition for food reduces growth rates to levels where the demand for nitrogen and phosphorus is small enough to be satisfied by even low levels of these nutrients in periphyton. Competition for limited food resources in habitats where herbivore densities are uncontrolled by predation or other mortality factors should strongly influence the potential for herbivores to be limited by mineral deficits in their food Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-02-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1890/09-0703.1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015729
THE RESILIENCE OF UPLAND-OAK FOREST CANOPY TREES TO CHRONIC AND ACUTE PRECIPITATION MANIPULATIONS Hanson, Paul J; Tschaplinski, Timothy J; Wullschleger, Stan D; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Auge, Robert M. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; DEPTH; DROUGHTS; FORESTS; OAKS; PHENOLOGY; PLANT GROWTH; ROOTS Implications of chronic ( 33 percent) and acute (-100 percent) precipitation change were evaluated for trees of upland-oak forests of the eastern United States. Chronic manipulations have been conducted since 1993, and acute manipulations of dominant canopy trees (Quercus prinus; Liriodendron tulipifera) were initiated in 2003. Through 12 years of chronic manipulations tree growth remained unaffected by natural or induced rainfall deficits even though severe drought conditions dramatically reduced canopy function in some years. The resilience of canopy trees to chronic-change was the result of a disconnect between tree growth phenology and late-season drought occurrence. Acute precipitation exclusion from the largest canopy trees also produced limited growth reductions from 2003 through 2005. Elimination of lateral root water sources for the acute treatment trees, via trenching midway through the 2004 growing-season, forced the conclusion that deep rooting was a key mechanism for large-tree resilience to severe drought. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930814
A distributed approach to accounting for carbon in wood products Marland, Eric; Stellar, Kirk; Marland, Gregg 02 PETROLEUM; 09 BIOMASS FUELS; CARBON; CARBON CYCLE; Carbon in wood products - Carbon sequestration - Carbon accounting - CO2 emissions; DECAY; ECONOMICS; GREENHOUSE GASES; IMPLEMENTATION; INVENTORIES; LIFETIME; PETROCHEMICALS; PRODUCTION; WOOD With an evolving political environment of commitments to limit emissions of greenhouse gases, and of markets to trade in emissions permits, there is growing scientific, political, and economic need to accurately evaluate carbon (C) stocks and flows especially those related to human activities. One component of the global carbon cycle that has been contentious is the stock of carbon that is physically held in harvested wood products. The carbon stored in wood products has been sometimes overlooked, but the amount of carbon contained in wood products is not trivial, it is increasing with time, and it is significant to some Parties. This paper is concerned with accurate treatment of harvested wood products in inventories of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. The methodologies outlined demonstrate a flexible way to expand current methods beyond the assumption of a simple, first-order decay to include the use of more accurate and detailed data while retaining the simplicity of simple formulas. The paper demonstrates that a more accurate representation of decay time can have significant economic implications in a system where emissions are taxed or emissions permits are traded. The method can be easily applied using only data on annual production of wood products and two parameters to characterize their expected lifetime. These methods are not specific to wood products but can be applied to long-lived, carbon-containing products from sources other than wood, e.g. long-lived petrochemical products. A single unifying approach that is both simple and flexible has the potential to be both more accurate in its results, more efficient in its implementation, and economically important to some Parties. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s11027-009-9205-6 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015740
Soil ecosystem functioning under climate change: plant species and community effects Kardol, Paul; Cregger, Melissa; Campany, Courtney E; Classen, Aimee T 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; AVAILABILITY; CLIMATES; COMMUNITIES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENZYMES; NEMATODES; SHAPE; SOILS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; WATER Feedbacks of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change depend on soil ecosystem dynamics. Soil ecosystems can directly and indirectly respond to climate change. For example, warming directly alters microbial communities by increasing their activity. Climate change may also alter plant community composition, thus indirectly altering the microbial communities that feed on their inputs. To better understand how climate change may directly and indirectly alter soil ecosystem functioning, we investigated old-field plant community and soil ecosystem responses to single and combined effects of elevated [CO2], warming, and water availability. Specifically, we collected soils at the plot level (plant community soils), and beneath dominant plant species (plant-specific soils). We used microbial enzyme activities and soil nematodes as indicators for soil ecosystem functioning. Our study resulted in two main findings: 1) Overall, while there were some interactions, water, relative to increases in [CO2] and warming, had the largest impact on plant community composition, soil enzyme activities, and soil nematodes. Multiple climate change factors can interact to shape ecosystems, but in this case, those interactions were largely driven by changes in water availability. 2) Indirect effects of climate change, via changes in plant communities, had a significant impact on soil ecosystem functioning and this impact was not obvious when looking at plant community soils. Climate change effects on enzyme activities and soil nematode abundance and community structure strongly differed between plant community soils and plant-specific soils, but also within plant-specific soils. In sum, these results indicate that accurate assessments of climate change impacts on soil ecosystem functioning require incorporating the concurrent changes in plant function and plant community composition. Climate change-induced shifts in plant community composition will likely modify or counteract the direct impact of climate change on soil ecosystem functioning, and hence, these indirect effects should be taken into account when predicting how climate change will alter ecosystem functioning. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC); ORNL other overhead United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1890/09-0135.1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/981773
Responses of an old-field plant community to interacting factors of elevated [CO2], warming, and soil moisture Engel, Elizabeth C.; Weltzin, Jake; Norby, Richard J; Classen, Aimee T 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COMMUNITIES; ECOSYSTEMS; FORECASTING; MOISTURE; RAIN; SHAPE; SHELTERS; SOILS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; USA Aims The direct effects of atmospheric and climatic change factors atmospheric [CO2], air temperature, and changes in precipitation can shape plant community composition and alter ecosystem function, but it is essential to understand how these factors interact to make better predictions about how ecosystem may respond to change. We investigated the direct and interactive effects of [CO2], warming, and altered soil moisture in open-top chambers enclosing a constructed old-field community to test how the these factors shape plant communities. Materials and methods The experimental facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA made use of 4-m diameter open-top chambers and rain shelters to manipulate [CO2] (ambient, ambient + 300 ppm), air temperature (ambient, ambient + 3.5 C), and soil moisture (wet, dry). The plant communities within the chambers comprised seven common old-field species, including grasses, forbs, and legumes. We tracked foliar cover for each species and calculated community richness, evenness, and diversity from 2003-2005. Important findings This work resulted in three main results: 1) warming had species-specific effects on foliar cover that varied through time and were altered by soil moisture treatments; 2) [CO2] had little effect on individual species or the community; 3) diversity, evenness, and richness were influenced most by soil moisture, primarily reflecting the response of one dominant species. This experiment demonstrated that individualistic species responses to atmospheric and climatic change can alter community composition, and plant community response should be an important component of analyses of terrestrial ecosystem response. Prediction of plant community changes will remain difficult, however, given the occurrence of interactions between factors and the changes in response through time. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1093/jpe/rtn026 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/951083
Flux of carbon from 14C-enriched leaf litter throughout a forest soil mesocosm Froberg, Mats J.; Hanson, Paul J; Trumbore, Susan E.; Swanston, Christopher W.; Todd, Jr, Donald E 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; LEACHING; MINERALIZATION; RESPIRATION; RETENTION; SOILS; THROUGHFALL; TRANSPORT The role of DOC for the build-up of soil organic carbon pools is still not well known, but it is thought to play a role in the transport of carbon to a greater depth where it becomes more stable. The aim of this study was to elucidate within-year dynamics of carbon transport from litter to the O (Oe and Oa) and A horizons. Mesocosms with constructed soil profiles were used to study dynamics of C transport from 14C-enriched (about 1000 ) leaf litter to the Oe/Oa and A horizons as well as the mineralization of leaf litter. The mesocosms were placed in the field for 17 months during which time fluxes and 14C content of DOC and CO2 were measured. Changes in 14C in leaf litter and bulk soil C pools were also recorded. Significant simultaneous release and immobilization of DOC occurring in both the O and A horizons was hypothesized. Contrary to our hypothesis, DOC released from the labeled Oi horizon was not retained within the Oe/Oa layer. DOC originating in the unlabeled Oe/Oa layer was also released for transport. Extensive retention of DOC occurred in the A horizon. DOC leaching from A horizon consisted of a mix of DOC from different sources, with a main fraction originating in the A horizon and a smaller fraction leached from the overlaying horizons. The C and 14C budget for the litter layer also indicated a surprisingly large amount of carbon with ambient Δ14C-signature to be respired from this layer. Data for this site also suggested significant contributions from throughfall to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) transport into and respiration from the litter layer. The results from this study showed that DOC retentionwas low in the O horizon and therefore not important for the O horizon carbon budget. In the A horizon DOC retention was extensive, but annual DOC input was small compared to C stocks and therefore not important for changes in soil C on an annual timescale. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.geoderma.2008.11.029 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/948849
The European carbon balance. Part 1: fossil fuel emissions Ciais, Philippe; Paris, J D; Peylin, Philippe; Piao, S L; River, L; Marland, Gregg; Levin, I; Pregger, T; Scholz, Y; Friedrich, R; Schulze, E -D 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; ACCELERATION; CARBON; CARBON DIOXIDE; CEMENTS; ECONOMICS; EU-25; EUROPEAN UNION; FOSSIL FUELS; INVENTORIES; MANUFACTURING; MEMBER STATES; RESOLUTION; STABILITY; STATISTICS; TRANSPORT; TRANSPORTATION SECTOR; emission uncertainties; fossil-fuel We analyzed the magnitude, the trends and the uncertainties of fossil-fuel CO2 emissions in the European Union 25 member states (hereafter EU-25), based on emission inventories from energy-use statistics. The stability of emissions during the past decade at EU-25 scale masks decreasing trends in some regions, offset by increasing trends elsewhere. In the recent 4 years, the new Eastern EU-25 member states have experienced an increase in emissions, reversing after a decade-long decreasing trend. Mediterranean and Nordic countries have also experienced a strong acceleration in emissions. In Germany, France and United Kingdom, the stability of emissions is due to the decrease in the industry sector, offset by an increase in the transportation sector. When four different inventories models are compared, we show that the between-models uncertainty is as large as 19% of the mean for EU-25, and even bigger for individual countries. Accurate accounting for fossil CO2 emissions depends on a clear understanding of system boundaries, i.e. emitting activities included in the accounting. We found that the largest source of errors between inventories is the use of distinct systems boundaries (e.g. counting or not bunker fuels, cement manufacturing, nonenergy products). Once these inconsistencies are corrected, the between-models uncertainty can be reduced down to 7% at EU-25 scale. The uncertainty of emissions at smaller spatial scales than the country scale was analyzed by comparing two emission maps based upon distinct economic and demographic activities. A number of spatial and temporal biases have been found among the two maps, indicating a significant increase in uncertainties when increasing the resolution at scales finer than 200 km. At 100km resolution, for example, the uncertainty of regional emissions is estimated to be 60 gCm2 yr1, up to 50% of the mean. The uncertainty on regional fossil-fuel CO2 fluxes to the atmosphere could be reduced by making accurate 14C measurements in atmospheric CO2, and by combining them with transport models. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-05-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015733
Two new species of Chrysopathes (Cnidaria : Anthozoa : Antipatharia) from the western Atlantic Opresko, Dennis M; Loiola, L de Laia 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BRAZIL; Brazil; CNIDARIA; Chrysopathes micracantha; Chrysopathes oligocrada; Cladopathidae; MEXICO; Mexico; USA; United States; Yucatan Two new species of Chrysopathes are described, C. oligocrada from Yucatan and Brazil, and C. micracantha from the southeastern coast of the U.S. and Brazil. Chrysopathes oligocrada is characterized by lateral pinnules mostly 7 8 mm long (to 2 cm); 18 21 primary pinnules per cm; anterior-most primary pinnules with no more than one secondary pinnule (absent on some); some posterior primaries with a single secondary pinnule; lateral primary pinnules usually simple, rarely with a single subpinnule; tertiary pinnules absent; pinnular spines to 0.07 mm. This species is similar to C. formosa Opresko 2003 from the Pacific; the latter species differing in density of pinnulation (15 18 per cm) and size of the spines (to 0.16 mm). Chrysopathes micracantha is characterized by lateral pinnules mostly 5 6 mm long (to 2 cm); 24 33 primary pinnules per cm; anterior and posterior primary pinnules with as many as two subopposite secondary pinnules; lateral primary pinnules usually simple but with subpinnules on the thicker branches and stem; tertiary pinnules rarely present; pinnular spines to 0.1 mm. Chrysopathes micracantha is similar to C. speciosa Opresko 2003 from the Pacific, the latter species differing in a greater number of secondary pinnules per primary (three or more) and in size of the spines (to 0.18 mm). Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-02-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1014251
The combined effects of thinning and prescribed fire on carbon and nutrient budgets in a Jeffrey pine forest Johnson, Dale W; Murphy, James D; Walker, Roger F; Miller, Watkins W; Glass, D W; Todd, Jr, Donald E 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CAPITAL; CARBON; DEPOSITION; ECOSYSTEMS; EXPORTS; FORESTS; HARVESTING; LEAVES; MOUNTAINS; NUTRIENTS; PINES Both burning and harvesting cause carbon and nutrient removals from forest ecosystems, but few studies have addressed the combination of these effects. For a Pinus jeffreyii forest in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, we posed the question: what are the relative impacts of thinning and subsequent burning on carbon and nutrient removals? The thinning methods included whole-tree thinning (WT, where all aboveground biomass was removed) cut to length (CTL, where branches and foliage were left on site in a slash mat on top of skid trails) and no harvest (CONT). Total C and nutrient exports with thinning and burning were greater in the WT and CTL than in the CONT treatments. Total C and N removals were approximately equal for the WT and CTL treatments, although harvesting dominated exports in the WT treatment and burning dominated exports in the CTL treatment. Total removals of P, K, Ca, Mg and S were greatest in the WT treatments, where harvesting dominated removals. Comparisons of nutrient removals with ecosystem capital and calculations of potential replenishment by atmospheric deposition suggested that N is the nutrient likely to be most depleted by harvesting and burning treatments. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-09-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1051/forest:2008041 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003772
Defining linkages between the GSC and NSF's LTER program: How the Ecological Metadata Language (EML) relates to GCDML and other outcomes Inigo, Gil San; Servilla, Mark; Brunt, James; Michener, William; Sheldon, Wade; Schmidt, Tom; Cole, James; Aguilar, Raul; Gries, Corinna; Gray, Tanya; Field, Dawn; Pan, Jerry Yun; Palanisamy, Giri; Henshaw, Donald; O'Brien, Margaret 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; BIOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; IMPLEMENTATION; NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION; SYNTHESIS; TRAINING The Genomic Standards Consortium (GSC) invited a representative of the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) to its fifth workshop to present the Ecological Metadata Language (EML) metadata standard and its relationship to the Minimum Information about a Genome/Metagenome Sequence (MIGS/MIMS) and its implementation, the Genomic Contextual Data Markup Language (GCDML). The LTER is one of the top National Science Foundation (NSF) programs in biology since 1980, representing diverse ecosystems and creating long-term, interdisciplinary research, synthesis of information, and theory. The adoption of EML as the LTER network standard has been key to build network synthesis architectures based on high-quality standardized metadata. EML is the NSF-recognized metadata standard for LTER, and EML is a criteria used to review the LTER program progress. At the workshop, a potential crosswalk between the GCDML and EML was explored. Also, collaboration between the LTER and GSC developers was proposed to join efforts toward a common metadata cataloging designer's tool. The community adoption success of a metadata standard depends, among other factors, on the tools and trainings developed to use the standard. LTER's experience in embracing EML may help GSC to achieve similar success. A possible collaboration between LTER and GSC to provide training opportunities for GCDML and the associated tools is being explored. Finally, LTER is investigating EML enhancements to better accommodate genomics data, possibly integrating the GCDML schema into EML. All these action items have been accepted by the LTER contingent, and further collaboration between the GSC and LTER is expected. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-06-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015035
MIRD Pamphlet No. 21: A Generalized Schema for Radiopharmaceutical Dosimetry-Standardization of Nomenclature Bolch, W E; Eckerman, Keith F; Sgouros, George; Thomas, Steven R 62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE; COMMUNITIES; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; COMPARTMENTS; DOSIMETRY; ICRP schema; IONIZING RADIATIONS; MIRD schema; NUCLEAR MEDICINE; ORGANS; PATIENTS; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS; RECOMMENDATIONS; THERAPY; absorbed dose; effective dose; equivalent dose The internal dosimetry schema of the Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) Committee of the Society of Nuclear Medicine has provided a broad framework for assessment of the absorbed dose to whole organs, tissue subregions, voxelized tissue structures, and individual cellular compartments for use in both diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine. The schema was originally published in 1968, revised in 1976, and republished in didactic form with comprehensive examples as the MIRD primer in 1988 and 1991. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is an organization that also supplies dosimetric models and technical data, for use in providing recommendations for limits on ionizing radiation exposure to workers and members of the general public. The ICRP has developed a dosimetry schema similar to that of the MIRD Committee but has used different terminology and symbols for fundamental quantities such as the absorbed fraction, specific absorbed fraction, and various dose coefficients. The MIRD Committee objectives for this pamphlet are 3-fold: to restate its schema for assessment of absorbed dose in a manner consistent with the needs of both the nuclear medicine and the radiation protection communities, with the goal of standardizing nomenclature; to formally adopt the dosimetry quantities equivalent dose and effective dose for use in comparative evaluations of potential risks of radiation-induced stochastic effects to patients after nuclear medicine procedures; and to discuss the need to identify dosimetry quantities based on absorbed dose that address deterministic effects relevant to targeted radionuclide therapy. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.2967/jnumed.108.056036 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015096
A continuous measure of gross primary production for the conterminous United States derived from MODIS and AmeriFlux data Xiao, Jingfeng; Zhuang, Qianlai; Law, Beverly E; Chen, Jiquan; Baldocchi, D D; Ma, Siyan; Cook, David R; Oren, Ram; Katul, G G; Gu, Lianhong 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOSPHERE; CARBON; CARBON DIOXIDE; CLIMATES; DISTURBANCES; ECOSYSTEMS; HURRICANES; PRODUCTION; PRODUCTIVITY; RESOLUTION; TREES; ameriflux; biomes; carbon fluxes; eddy covariance; gross primary productivity; interannual variability; modis; regression tree; satellite data; us The quantification of carbon fluxes between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere is of scientific importance and also relevant to climate-policy making. Eddy covariance flux towers provide continuous measurements of ecosystem-level exchange of carbon dioxide spanning diurnal, synoptic, seasonal, and interannual time scales. However, these measurements only represent the fluxes at the scale of the tower footprint. Here we used remotely sensed data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to upscale gross primary productivity (GPP) data from eddy covariance flux towers to the continental scale. We first combined GPP and MODIS data for 42 AmeriFlux towers encompassing a wide range of ecosystem and climate types to develop a predictive GPP model using a regression tree approach. The predictive model was trained using observed GPP over the period 2000 2004, and was validated using observed GPP over the period 2005 2006 and leave-one-out cross-validation. Our model predicted GPP fairly well at the site level. We then used the model to estimate GPP for each 1 km 1 km cell across the U.S. for each 8-day interval over the period from February 2000 to December 2006 using MODIS data. Our GPP estimates provide a spatially and temporally continuous measure of gross primary production for the U.S. that is a highly constrained by eddy covariance flux data. Our study demonstrated that our empirical approach is effective for upscaling eddy flux GPP data to the continental scale and producing continuous GPP estimates across multiple biomes. With these estimates, we then examined the patterns, magnitude, and interannual variability of GPP. We estimated a gross carbon uptake between 6.91 and 7.33 Pg C yr 1 for the conterminous U.S. Drought, fires, and hurricanes reduced annual GPP at regional scales and could have a significant impact on the U.S. net ecosystem carbon exchange. The sources of the interannual variability of U.S. GPP were dominated by these extreme climate events and disturbances. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.rse.2009.10.013 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015743
Long-Term Data Reveal Patterns and Controls on Stream Water Chemistry in a Forested Stream: Walker Branch, Tennessee Lutz, Brian D; Mulholland, Patrick J; Bernhardt, Emily We present 20 years of weekly stream water chemistry, hydrology, and climate data for the Walker Branch watershed in eastern Tennessee, USA. Since 1989, the watershed has experienced a similar to 1.08 degrees C increase in mean annual temperature, a similar to 20% decline in precipitation, and a similar to 30% increase in forest evapotranspiration rates. As a result, stream runoff has declined by similar to 34%. We evaluate long-term trends in stream water concentrations and fluxes for nine solutes and use wet deposition data to calculate approximate watershed input-output budgets. Dissolved constituents were classified as geochemical solutes (Ca2+, Mg2+, and SO42-) or nutrients (NH4+, NO3-, soluble reactive phosphorus [SRP], total soluble nitrogen [TSN], total soluble phosphorus [TSP], and dissolved organic carbon [DOC]). Geochemical solutes are predominantly controlled by discharge, and the long-term changes in catchment hydrology have led to significant trends in the concentrations and fluxes of these solutes. Further, the trends in geochemical solute concentrations indicate shifting soil flowpath contributions to streamflow generation through time, with deep groundwater having a greater proportional contribution in recent years. Despite dramatic changes in watershed runoff, there were no trends in inorganic nutrient concentrations (NH4+, NO3-, and SRP). While most nutrients entering the watershed are retained, stream fluxes of nutrient solutes have declined significantly as a result of decreasing runoff. Nutrient concentrations in the stream exhibit large seasonality controlled by in-stream biological uptake. Stream benthic communities are sensitive to hydrologic disturbance, and changes in the frequency or intensity of storm events through time can affect nutrient fluxes. Stream NO3- concentrations are also sensitive to drought, with concentrations decreasing (increasing) if conditions during the three years prior to the time of sampling were drier (wetter) than the long-term mean. Future changes in the incidence of storm events, as well as the number and duration of droughts, have the potential to significantly alter watershed nutrient losses. Our analysis indicates that changing climates can differentially affect watershed element cycles either through changes in biogeochemical process rates or through changes in catchment hydrology. Furthermore, climate change can include both long-term trending in mean climate variables, as well as changes in the frequency and intensity of storms and droughts, with each of these types of change having distinct effects on the biological and geochemical processes governing different solutes. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1890/11-1129.1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1054990
How do elevated [CO2], warming, and reduced precipitation interact to affect soil moisture and LAI in an old field ecosystem? Dermody, Orla; Weltzin, Jake; Engel, Elizabeth C.; Allen, Phillip; Norby, Richard J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AVAILABILITY; CLIMATES; DRYING; ECOSYSTEMS; IRRIGATION; MOISTURE; ORNL; PRECIPITATION; SOILS; TENNESSEE Soil moisture content and leaf area index (LAI) are properties that will be particularly important in mediating whole system responses to the combined effects of elevated atmospheric [CO2], warming and altered precipitation. Warming and drying will likely reduce soil moisture, and this effect may be exacerbated when these factors are combined. However, elevated [CO2] may increase soil moisture contents and when combined with warming and drying may partially compensate for their effects. The response of LAI to elevated [CO2] and warming will be closely tied to soil moisture status and may mitigate or exacerbate the effects of global change on soil moisture. Using open-top chambers (4-m diameter), the interactive effects of elevated [CO2], warming, and differential irrigation on soil moisture availability were examined in the OCCAM (Old-Field Community Climate and Atmospheric Manipulation) experiment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in eastern Tennessee. Warming consistently reduced soil moisture contents and this effect was exacerbated by reduced irrigation. However, elevated [CO2] partially compensated for the effects of warming and drying on soil moisture. Changes in LAI were closely linked to soil moisture status. LAI was determined using an AccuPAR ceptometer and both the leaf area duration (LAD) and canopy size were increased by irrigation and elevated [CO2]. The climate of the southeastern United States is predicted to be warmer and drier in the future. This research suggests that although elevated [CO2] will partially ameliorate the effects of warming and drying, losses of soil moisture will increase from old field ecosystems in the future. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s11104-007-9443-x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930948
Long-Term Wet and Dry Deposition of Total and Methyl Mercury in the Remote Boreal Ecoregion of Canada Graydon, Jennifer A; Louis, Vincent; Hintelmann, Holger; Lindberg, Steven Eric 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; CANADA; CANOPIES; DEPOSITION; FORESTS; LAKES; LEAVES; MAPLES; MERCURY; PINES; THROUGHFALL; WASHOUT; WATERSHEDS; WETLANDS Although a positive relationship between atmospheric loadings of inorganic mercury (Hg(II)) to watersheds and concentrations of methyl mercury (MeHg) in fish has now been established, net wet and dry deposition of Hg(II) and MeHg to watersheds remains challenging to quantify. In this study, concentrations and loadings of total mercury (THg; all forms of Hg in a sample) and MeHg in open area wet deposition, throughfall, and litterfall were quantified at the remote Experimental Lakes Area in the boreal ecoregion, NW Ontario, Canada. Between 1992 and 2006, mean annual THg and MeHg loadings in the open were 36 17 and 0.5 0.2 mg ha 1, respectively. Throughfall THg and MeHg loadings were generally 2 4 times and 0.8 2 times higher, respectively, than loadings in the open. Loadings of both THg and MeHg were highest under an old growth spruce/fir canopy and lowest under a deciduous maple canopy, whereas loadings under young jack pine and wetland spruce/pine/alder canopies were intermediate. Litterfall generally represented the largest input of THg (86 105 mg ha 1) and MeHg (0.7 0.8 mg ha 1) to the landscape on an annual basis. Using the direct method of estimating dry deposition (thoughfall + litterfall open loadings), we calculated that annual dry deposition of THg and MeHg under forest canopies ranged from 105 to 201 mg ha 1, whereas dry deposition of MeHg ranged from 0.7 to 1.2 mg ha 1. Photoreduction and emission of wet-deposited Hg(II) from canopy foliage were accounted for, resulting in 3 5% (5 6 mg ha 1) higher annual estimates of dry deposition than via the direct method alone. Net THg and MeHg loadings to this remote landscape were lower than at any other previously studied forested site globally. This study shows that THg and MeHg loading can be extremely variable within a heterogeneous boreal landscape and that processes such as Hg photoreduction and emission from foliage should be considered when estimating dry deposition of Hg. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-11-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1021/es801056j https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017333
Improvements of a dynamic global vegetation model and simulations of carbon and water at an upland-oak forest. Mau, J.; Wang, B.; Dai, Yongjiu; Woodward, F. I.; Hanson, Paul J; Lomas, M. R. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; FORESTS; GROUND WATER; NITROGEN; OAKS; PLANTS; RESOLUTION; RESPIRATION; SOILS; TENNESSEE; TEXTURE; WATER; WATERSHEDS The interest in the development and improvement of the dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs), which have the potential to simulate fluxes of carbon, water and nitrogen, and vegetation dynamics in an integrated system has been increasing. In this paper, some numerical schemes and a higher resolution soil texture dataset are employed to improve the Sheffield Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (SDGVM). Using the eddy covariance-based measurements, we then test the standard version of the SDGVM and the modified version of the SDGVM. Detailed observations of daily carbon and water fluxes made at the upland oak forest on the Walker Branch Watershed in Tennessee, USA offered a unique opportunity for these comparisons. The results revealed that, the modified version of the SDGVM did a reasonable job of simulating the carbon flux, water flux and the variation of soil water content. However, at the end of the growing season, it failed to simulate the dynamics of limitations on the soil respiration and as a result underestimated the soil respiration. It was also noted that the modified version overestimated the increase in soil water content following summer rainfall, which was attributed to an inadequate representation of the ground water and thermal cycle. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s00376-007-0311-7 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931286
Climate change effects on plant biomass alter dominance patterns and community evenness in an experimental old-field ecosystem Kardol, Paul; Campany, Courtney E; Souza, Lara; Norby, Richard J; Weltzin, Jake; Classen, Aimee T 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ADDITIVES; AIR; BIOMASS; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ECOSYSTEMS; PRECIPITATION; PRODUCTION; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS Atmospheric and climatic change can alter plant biomass production and plant community composition. However, we know little about how climate change-induced alterations in biomass production affect plant community composition. To better understand how climate change will alter both individual plant species and community biomass we manipulated atmospheric [CO2], air temperature and precipitation in a constructed old-field ecosystem. Specifically, we compared the responses of dominant and subdominant species to our treatments, and explored how changes in plant dominance patterns alter community evenness over two years. Our study resulted in four major findings: 1) All treatments, elevated [CO2], warming and increased precipitation, increased plant biomass and the effects were additive rather than interactive, 2) Plant species differed in their response to the treatments, resulting in shifts in the proportional biomass of individual species, which altered the plant community composition; however, the plant community response was largely driven by the responses of the dominant species, 3) Precipitation explained most of the variation in plant community composition among treatments, and 4) Changes in precipitation caused a shift in the dominant species proportional biomass that resulted in higher community evenness in the dry relative to wet treatments. Interestingly, compositional and evenness responses of the subdominant community to the treatments did not always follow the responses of the whole plant community. Our data suggest that changes in plant dominance patterns and community evenness are an important part of community responses to climate change, and generally, that compositional shifts can have important consequences for the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02162.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/986777
Long-term successional forest dynamics: species and community responses to climatic variability Kardol, Paul; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Hanson, Paul J; Mulholland, Patrick J 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BEETLES; BIOMASS; CHESTNUTS; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; DROUGHTS; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; INSECTS; PINES; POPLARS; SEASONS; TREES; VULNERABILITY; WATERSHEDS Question: Are tree dynamics sensitive to climatic variability, and do tree species differ in their responses to climatic variability? Hence, is vulnerability of forest communities to climatic variability depending on stand composition? Location: Mixed young forest at Walker Branch Watershed near Oak Ridge, East-Tennessee, USA. Methods: Using a long-term data set (1967-2006), we analyzed temporal forest dynamics at the tree and species level, and we analyzed community dynamics for forest stands that different in their initial species composition (i.e., Chestnut Oak, Oak-Hickory, Pine, and Yellow poplar stands). Using summer drought and growing season temperature as defined climate drivers, we evaluated relationships between forest dynamics and climate across levels of organization. Results: Over the 4-decade studied period, forest communities underwent successional change and substantially increased their biomass. Variation in summer drought and growing season temperature contributed to temporal biomass dynamics for some tree species, but not for others. Stand-level responses to climatic variability were shown to be related to responses of specific component species; however, not for Pine stands. Pinus echinata, the dominant species in stands initially identified as Pine stands, decreased over time due to periodical outbreaks of the pine bark beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis). The outbreaks on Walker Branch could not be directly related to climatic conditions. Conclusions: Our results imply that vulnerability of developing forests to predicted climate conditions is stand-type dependent, and hence, is a function of species composition. Autogenic successional processes (or insect outbreaks) were found to prevail over climatic variability in determining long-term forest dynamics for stands dominated by sensitive species, emphasizing the importance of studying interactions between forest succession and climate change. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1654-1103.2010.01171.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/984759
Using morphometrics, in situ observations and genetic characters to distinguish among commercially valuable Hawaiian black coral species; a redescription of Antipathes grandis Verrill, 1928 (Antipatharia : Antipathidae) Wagner, Daniel; Toonen, Robert J; Brugler, Mercer R; France, Scott C; Opresko, Dennis M; Montgomery, Anthony D 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; COI barcode; COLOR; CORALS; DNA; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; ELECTRONS; GENETIC VARIABILITY; GENETICS; IMAGES; SAMPLING; internal transcribed spacer; mitochondrial intergenic region; precious coral; scanning electron microscopy; taxonomy The commercially valuable Hawaiian black coral Antipathes grandis Verrill, 1928 is redescribed based on reexamination of the holotype from the Bernice P. Bishop Museum and field collections of 34 specimens from depths of 27-127 m. The first scanning electron micrographs of A. grandis skeletal spines are provided, along with a series of in situ color photographs and morphometric measurements of spines and polyps. Three color morphotypes were collected in the field (red, pale red, and white), none of which could be differentiated based on morphological or genetic characters (two mitochondrial and two nuclear markers). In situ observations are used in conjunction with morphological and genetic characters to distinguish among the commercially valuable Hawaiian black coral species A. grandis and A. griggi Opresko, 2009. A. grandis is differentiated from A. griggi by its finer and more irregular branching, smaller and more closely-spaced polyps, and conical spines that are smaller and not characterized by bifurcations towards their apex. Morphologically, the species most closely resembling A. grandis is A. caribbeana Opresko, 1996 from the Caribbean. Among analyzed congenerics, DNA sequences of A. grandis were likewise most similar to those of A. caribbeana for three of the four molecular markers used in this study. A combination of low genetic variability, incomplete taxonomic sampling, and unexpected similarity between A. caribbeana and the unbranched whip coral Stichopathes cf. occidentalis (Gray, 1860), hindered our ability to determine the sister relationship of A. grandis. However, in no phylogenetic reconstruction did A. grandis group sister to its sympatric congener A. griggi. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1071/IS10004 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034676
An update on the natural sources and sinks of atmospheric mercury Gustin, Mae S; Weisberg, Peter J; Lindberg, Steven Eric 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; CONTAMINATION; DEPOSITION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; LEAVES; MASS BALANCE; MERCURY; MINERALIZATION; POINT SOURCES; RECYCLING; SOILS; SUBSTRATES This paper summarizes recent advances in the understanding of the exchange of Hg between the atmosphere and natural terrestrial surfaces including substrates (soil, rocks, litter-covered surfaces and weathered lithological material) and foliage. Terrestrial landscapes may act as new sources of atmospheric Hg, and as repositories or temporary residences for anthropogenically and naturally derived atmospheric Hg. The role of terrestrial surfaces as sources and sinks of atmospheric Hg must be quantified in order to develop regional and global Hg mass balances, and to assess the efficacy of regulatory controls on anthropogenic point sources in reduction of human Hg exposure. Continued field research has allowed for refinement of emission estimates for geothermal and volcanic, and Hg mineralized areas in the western USA to 1.2 3.0, and 10 20 Mg/a, respectively. The emission estimate for areas of Hg mineralization in the western USA includes only identified Hg deposits and occurrences, and since other areas of geologic Hg enrichment such as Au and Ag deposits are not considered, the range in values is most likely an underestimate. Laboratory and field measurements have improved understanding of air surface Hg exchange associated with soils with low or natural background concentrations of Hg (<100 ppb), litter-covered forest floors, and foliar surfaces, all of which have large spatial coverage. Deposition of atmospheric Hg and re-emission are important processes occurring at these surfaces on diel and seasonal time scales. Foliage is a significant sink for atmospheric elemental Hg, however, the net flux associated with low Hg containing soils is uncertain. Mass balances developed for soil air exchange using measured fluxes and estimated deposition indicate that over a year background soils may exhibit no net flux. This suggests that the residence time for elemental Hg in the air is on the order of hours to weeks. Short term exchange would result in a homogenous air Hg concentration due to constant mixing and in an apparent calculated residence time that is most likely too long (one year). Recycling of atmospheric Hg between natural background soils and foliar surfaces also provides a mechanism for long-term atmospheric contamination and continued deposition in pristine ecosystems well after anthropogenic sources are controlled. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2007.12.010 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015030
Use of Stored Carbon Reserves in Growth of Temperate Tree Roots and Leaf Buds: Analyses Using Radiocarbon Measurements and Modeling Gaudinski, Julia B.; Torn, Margaret S.; Riley, W. J.; Swanston, Christopher W.; Trumbore, Susan E.; Majdi, H; Dawson, Todd E.; Hanson, Paul J 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; CARBON 14; FORESTS; ISOTOPIC EXCHANGE; LEAVES; OAKS; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; PLANT GROWTH; ROOTS Characterizing the use of C reserves in trees is important for understanding stress responses, impacts of asynchrony between photosynthesis and growth demand, and isotopic exchanges in plant dynamic studies. Using an inadvertent, whole ecosystem radiocarbon (14C) exposure in a temperate deciduous oak forest and numerical modeling, we calculated that the mean age of stored C used to grow leaf buds and new fine root tissue is 0.5-1.0 y. The mean age of stored C used to grow new roots was about 0.7 y across a range of realistic values of 14C inputs to the system. The amount of stored C used on an annual basis to grow fine roots was between 15 and 55% of total root growth, with the range defined by the assumed 14C input profile. We estimate the annually-averaged mean age of C in new root tissues is 1-5 months. Therefore, accounting for storage C use in isotope root models may be unnecessary in all but the fastest cycling root populations (i.e., mean age <1 y). Consistent with the whole ecosystem labeling results, we found, using "bomb-14C," that the mean C age of new root tissues in three additional forest sites (one deciduous, two coniferous) was less than 2 years. We conclude that in many ecosystem types, growth from stored C is insufficient to impact bomb-14C based estimates of long root lifetimes. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01736.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/949992
Comparison of Forest Soil Carbon Dynamics at Five Sites Along a Latitudinal Gradient Garten, Jr, Charles T 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; FLOORS; FORESTS; ORGANIC MATTER; SAMPLING; SOILS; STABILIZATION; STORAGE; TEXTURE Carbon stocks, and C:N ratios, were measured in the forest floor, mineral soil, and two mineral soil fractions (particulate and mineral-associated organic matter, POM and MOM, respectively) at five forest sites, ranging from 60 to 100 years old, along a latitudinal gradient in the eastern United States. Sampling at four sites was replicated over two consecutive years. For many measurements (like forest floor carbon stocks, cumulative soil organic carbon stocks to 20 cm, and the fraction of whole soil carbon in POM), there was no significant difference between years at each site despite the use of somewhat different sampling methods. With one exception, forest floor and mineral soil carbon stocks increased from warm, southern, sites (with fine-textured soils) to northern, cool, sites (with more coarse-textured soils). The exception was a northern site, with less than 10% silt-clay content, that had a soil organic carbon stock similar to those measured at southern sites. Soil carbon at each site was partitioned into two pools (labile and stable) on the basis of carbon measured in the forest floor and POM and MOM fractions from the mineral soil. A two-compartment steady-state model, with randomly varying parameter values, was used in probabilistic calculations to estimate the turnover time of labile soil organic carbon (MRTU) and the annual transfer of labile carbon to stable carbon (k2) at each site in two different years. Based on empirical data, the turnover time of stable soil carbon (MRTS) was determined by mean annual temperature and increased from 30 to 100 years from south to north. Moving from south to north, MRTU increased from approximately 5 to 14 years. Consistent with prior studies, 13C enrichment factors ( ) from the Rayleigh equation, that describe the rate of change in 13C through the soil profile, were an indicator of soil carbon turnover times along the latitudinal gradient. Consistent with its role in stabilization of soil organic carbon, silt-clay content along the gradient was positively correlated (r = 0.91; P 0.001) with parameter k2. Mean annual temperature was indicated as the environmental factor most strongly associated with south to north differences in the storage and turnover of labile soil carbon. However, soil texture appeared to override the influence of temperature when there was too little silt-clay content to stabilize labile soil carbon and thereby protect it from decomposition. Irrespective of latitudinal differences in measured soil carbon stocks, each study site had a relatively high proportion of labile soil carbon (approximately 50% of whole soil carbon to a depth of 20 cm). Depending on unknown temperature sensitivities, large labile pools of forest soil carbon are potentially at risk of depletion by decomposition in a warming climate, and losses could be disproportionately higher from coarse textured forest soils. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.08.007 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1033516
Endogenous and exogenous control of ecosystem function: N cycling in headwater streams Mulholland, Patrick J; Valett, H. Maurice; Thomas, Steve; Webster, Jackson; Dahm, Cliff; Fellows, Christine; Crenshaw, Chelsea; Peterson, Chris G. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECOSYSTEMS; METABOLISM; NITRATES; NITROGEN; OXYGEN; PRODUCTION; REMOVAL; RESPIRATION; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; STREAMS; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; UPTAKE Allochthonous inputs act as resource subsidies to many ecosystems, where they exert strong influences on metabolism and material cycling. At the same time, metabolic theory proposes endogenous thermal control independent of resource supply. To address the relative importance of exogenous and endogenous influences, we quantified spatial and temporal variation in ecosystem metabolism and nitrogen (N) uptake using seasonal releases of {sup 15}N as nitrate in six streams differing in riparian-stream interaction and metabolic character. Nitrate removal was quantified using a nutrient spiraling approach based on measurements of downstream decline in {sup 15}N flux. Respiration (R) and gross primary production (GPP) were measured with whole-stream diel oxygen budgets. Uptake and metabolism metrics were addressed as z scores relative to site means to assess temporal variation. In open-canopied streams, areal uptake (U; {micro}g N {center_dot} m{sup -2} {center_dot} s{sup -1}) was closely related to GPP, metabolic rates increased with temperature, and R was accurately predicted by metabolic scaling relationships. In forested streams, N spiraling was not related to GPP; instead, uptake velocity (v{sub f}; mm/s) was closely related to R. In contrast to open-canopied streams, N uptake and metabolic activity were negatively correlated to temperature and poorly described by scaling laws. We contend that streams differ along a gradient of exogenous and endogenous control that relates to the relative influences of resource subsidies and in-stream energetics as determinants of seasonal patterns of metabolism and N cycling. Our research suggests that temporal variation in the propagation of ecological influence between adjacent systems generates phases when ecosystems are alternatively characterized as endogenously and exogenously controlled. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/944101
Bulk density of wet and dry wheat straw and switchgrass particles Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Bi, X T; Naimi, L J; Hoque, M; Mani, Sudhagar; Narayan, S 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; BULK DENSITY; Bulk density; CONTAINERS; GEOMETRY; MOISTURE; PARTICLE SIZE; PYCNOMETERS; SHAPE; STRAW; SWITCHGRASS; TRANSPORT; VALIDATION; WHEAT; fibrous biomass; packing; straw; switchgrass ABSTRACT. Bulk density is a major physical property in designing the logistic system for biomass handling. The size, shape, moisture content, individual particle density, and surface characteristics are few factors affecting the bulk density. This research investigates the effects of true particle lengths ranging from 6 to 50 mm and moisture contents ranging from 8% to 60% wet basis (wb) on the bulk density of wheat straw and switchgrass. Three types of particle densities of straw and switchgrass measured were: a hollow particle density assuming a hollow cylindrical geometry, a solid particle density assuming a solid cylindrical geometry, and a particle density measured using a gas pycnometer at a gas pressure of 40 kPa. The bulk density of both loose fill and packed fill biomass samples was examined. The calculated wet and dry bulk density ranged from 24 to 111 kg m 3 for straw and from 49 to 266 kg m 3 for switchgrass. The corresponding tapped bulk density ranged from 34 to 130 kg m 3 for straw and 68 to 323 kg m 3 for switchgrass. The increase in bulk density due to tapping the container was from 10% for short 6 mm particles to more than 50% for long 50 mm particles. An equation relating the bulk density of stems as a function of moisture content, dry bulk density, and particle size was developed. After the validation of this bulk density equation, the relationship would be highly useful in designing the logistics system for large scale transport of biomass to a biorefinery. The bulk density and particle density data of uniform particles would be important, if straw and switchgrass is used for pulping and paper making. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-05-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017330
Disparate effects of plant genotypic diversity on foliage and litter arthropod communities Crutsinger, Greg; Reynolds, Nicholas; Classen, Aimee T; Sanders, Dr. Nathan James 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ARTHROPODS; COMMUNITIES; Community genetics; GENETICS; GENOTYPE; LEAVES; PLANT TISSUES; Solidago altissima; decomposition; genotypic diversity; herbivores; host plant; leaf litter; microarthropods Intraspecific diversity within plant species is increasingly recognized as an important influence on the structure of associated arthropod communities, though whether there are congruent responses of above- and belowground communities to intraspecific diversity remains unclear. In this study, we compare the effects of host-plant genotype and genotypic diversity of the perennial plant, Solidago altissima, on the arthropod community associated with living plant tissue (foliage-based community) and microarthropods associated with leaf litter (litter-based community). We found that variation among host-plant genotypes had strong effects on the diversity and composition of foliage-based arthropods, but only weak influence on litter-based microarthropods. Furthermore, host-plant genotypic diversity was positively related to the abundance and diversity of foliage-based arthropods, including herbivore and predator trophic levels. In contrast, there were minimal effects of genotypic diversity in litter on microarthropods. Our study illustrates that incorporating both above- and belowground perspective into community genetics studies leads to very different conclusions about the importance of intraspecific diversity, than when considering aboveground responses in isolation. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL LDRD Director's R&D; SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s00442-008-1130-y https://www.osti.gov/biblio/939643
Aquatic Natural Areas Analysis and Evaluation: Oak Ridge Reservation Baranski, Dr. Michael J. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLINCH RIVER; DISTURBANCES; EVALUATION; GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS; HABITAT; MANAGEMENT; NUMERICAL DATA; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; POPLARS; REGULATIONS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; STREAMS; SURFACE WATERS; TENNESSEE; WATER QUALITY; WATERSHEDS; aquatic natural areas; natural areas; oak ridge reservation This report presents an assessment of the natural area value of eight Aquatic Natural Areas (ANAs) and seven Aquatic Reference Areas (ARAs) on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in Anderson and Roane Counties in east Tennessee. It follows a previous study in 2009 that analyzed and evaluated terrestrial natural areas on the Reservation. The purpose of both studies was to evaluate and rank those specially designated areas on the Reservation that contain sensitive species, special habitats, and natural area value. Natural areas receive special protections through established statutes, regulations, and policies. The ORR contains 33,542 acres (13,574 ha) administered by the Department of Energy. The surface waters of the Reservation range from 1st-order to 5th-order streams, but the majority of the streams recognized as ANAs and ARAs are 1st- and 2nd-order streams. East Fork Poplar Creek is a 4th-order stream and the largest watershed that drains Reservation lands. All the waters of the Reservation eventually reach the Clinch River on the southern and western boundaries of the ORR. All available information was collected, synthesized, and evaluated. Field observations were made to support and supplement the available information. Geographic information system mapping techniques were used to develop several quantitative attributes about the study areas. Narrative descriptions of each ANA and ARA and tables of numerical data were prepared. Criteria for assessment and evaluation were developed, and eight categories of factors were devised to produce a ranking system. The evaluation factors used in the ranking system were: (A) size of area, (B) percentage of watershed protected, (C) taxa present with protected status, (D) overall biotic diversity, (E) stream features, (F) water quality and use support ratings, (G) disturbance regime, and (H) other factors. Each factor was evaluated on a 5-point ranking scale (0-4), and each area received a composite score, where 32 was the maximum score possible. A highly ranked ANA or ARA is one that is large in size compared to other areas, includes a greater proportion of the watershed within Reservation boundaries, contains a number of status taxa at high densities, exhibits a high overall biodiversity, has very good or excellent habitat and water quality, is well protected and isolated from disturbances, and shows several other characteristics that contribute to natural area value. In this report, the term 'natural area' is loosely defined as a terrestrial or aquatic system that exhibits, or is thought to exhibit, high natural integrity and other significant natural values. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate and rank the currently recognized Aquatic Natural Areas (ANAs) and Aquatic Reference Areas (ARAs) on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) for their natural area value. A previous study (Baranski 2009) analyzed, evaluated, and ranked terrestrial areas (Natural Areas [NAs], Reference Areas [RAs], and Cooperative Management Areas [CMAs]) on the ORR for natural area value, and a precise methodology for natural area evaluation was developed. The present study is intended to be a complement and companion to the terrestrial area study and attempts to employ a similar methodology for aquatic areas so that aquatic and terrestrial areas can be compared on a similar scale. This study specifically develops criteria for assessing the ecological, biodiversity, and natural area importance and significance of aquatic systems on the Reservation in a relevant and consistent manner. The information can be integrated into the Tennessee Natural Heritage Program (http://tn.gov/environment/na/nhp.shtml) system and applied to potential new aquatic areas. Further, the information will be useful in planning, management, and protection efforts on the ORR. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL other overhead United States 2011-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1023838 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1023838
Stream ecosystem responses to the 2007 spring freeze in the Southeastern United States: unexpected effects of climate change Mulholland, Patrick J; Roberts, Brian J; Hill, Walter; Smith, John G 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; GREENHOUSE GASES; NITRATES; NUTRIENTS; PHENOLOGY; PLANTS; PRODUCTION; PRODUCTIVITY; SNAILS; TENNESSEE; WATER; WEATHER Some expected changes in climate resulting from human greenhouse gas emissions are clear and well documented, but others may be harder to predict because they involve extreme weather events or heretofore unusual combinations of weather patterns. One recent example of unusual weather that may become more frequent with climate change occurred in early spring 2007 when a large Arctic air mass moved into the eastern United States following a very warm late winter. In this paper, we document effects of this freeze event on Walker Branch, a well-studied stream ecosystem in eastern Tennessee. The 2007 spring freeze killed newly grown leaf tissues in the forest canopy, dramatically increasing the amount of light reaching the stream. Light levels at the stream surface were sustained at levels considerably above those normal for the late spring and summer months due to the incomplete recovery of canopy leaf area. Increased light levels caused a cascade of ecological effects in the stream beginning with considerably higher (two-three times) rates of gross primary production (GPP) during the late spring and summer months when normally low light levels severely limit stream GPP. Higher rates of stream GPP in turn resulted in higher rates of nitrate (NO3-) uptake by the autotrophic community and lower NO3- concentrations in stream water. Higher rates of stream GPP in summer also resulted in higher growth rates of a dominant herbivore, the snail Elimia clavaeformis. Typically, during summer months net NO3- uptake and snail growth rates are zero to negative; however, in 2007 uptake and growth were maintained at moderate levels. These results show how changes in forest vegetation phenology can have dramatic effects on stream productivity at multiple trophic levels and on nutrient cycling as a result of tight coupling of forest and stream ecosystems. Thus, climate change-induced changes in canopy structure and phenology may lead to large effects on stream ecosystems in the future. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.01864.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/958892
HYGROSCOPIC MOISTURE SORPTION KINETICS MODELING OF CORN STOVER AND ITS FRACTIONS Igathinathane, C; Pordesimo, L O; Womac, A R; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AGRICULTURAL WASTES; BIOCONVERSION; BIOMASS; Biomass; Corn stover; DESORPTION; HUMIDITY; Hydration; KINETICS; Kinetics; MAIZE; MOISTURE; Models; Moisture; NOMOGRAMS; PERFORMANCE; PROCESSING; SIMULATION; SORPTION; STORAGE; STORAGE FACILITIES; Sorption; TRANSPORT Corn stover, a major crop-based lignocellulosic biomass feedstock, is required to be at an optimum moisture content for efficient bioconversion processes. Environmental conditions surrounding corn stover, as in storage facilities, affect its moisture due to hygroscopic sorption or desorption. The measurement and modeling of sorption characteristics of corn stover and its leaf, husk, and stalk fractions are useful from utilization and storage standpoints, hence investigated in this article. A benchtop low-temperature humidity chamber provided the test environments of 20 C, 30 C, and 40 C at a constant 95% relative humidity. Measured sorption characteristics with three replications for each fraction were obtained from instantaneous sample masses and initial moisture contents. Observed sorption characteristics were fitted using exponential, Page, and Peleg models. Corn stover fractions displayed a rapid initial moisture uptake followed by a slower sorption rates and eventually becoming almost asymptotic after 25 h. Sorption characteristics of all corn stover fractions were significantly different (P 0.05) on these fractions. The initial 30 min of sorption was found to be critical due to peak rates of sorption from storage, handling, and processing standpoints. The Page and Peleg models had comparable performance fitting the sorption curves (R2 = 0.995), however the exponential model (R2 = 0.91) was not found suitable because of patterned residuals. The Arrhenius type relationship (P < 0.05; R2 = 0.80) explained the temperature variation of the fitted sorption model parameters. The Peleg model fitted constants, among the sorption models studied, had the best fit (R2 = 0.93) with the Arrhenius relationship. A developed method of mass proportion, involving individual corn stover fraction dry matter ratios, predicted the whole corn stover sorption characteristics from that of its individual fractions. Sorption characteristics models of individual corn stover fractions and predicted whole corn stover including a nomogram can be used for direct and quick estimation. Developed sorption characteristics find application in several fields of corn stover biomass processing, handling, and transport Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.13031/2013.25420 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015053
Why is plant-growth response to elevated CO2 amplified when water is limiting but reduced when nitrogen is limiting? A growth-optimisation hypothesis. McMurtrie, Ross E; Norby, Richard J; Ellsworth, David; Tissue, David Thomas 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; CARBON DIOXIDE; DECIDUOUS TREES; HYPOTHESIS; LIMITING VALUES; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; NITROGEN; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; PLANT GROWTH; WATER Considerable experimental evidence indicates that stomatal conductance and leaf-nitrogen concentration ([N]) decline under CO2-enrichment, and that the percentage growth response of plants to elevated CO2 is amplified under water limitation but reduced under nitrogen limitation. In this paper we advance simple explanations for these responses based on an optimisation hypothesis. We explore this hypothesis using a simple model of the annual carbon - nitrogen - water economy of deciduous trees growing at a ten-year duration CO2-enrichment field experiment at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The model is shown to have an optimum for leaf [N], stomatal conductance and leaf-area index (LAI), where annual plant productivity is maximised. The model is used to evaluate the optimum in years with contrasting rainfall and N fertility. If annual rainfall is increased, the optimum shifts to increased stomatal conductance and LAI and reduced leaf [N], whereas if N supply is increased, the optimum shifts to increased leaf [N] and LAI and reduced stomatal conductance. When atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) is increased, the optimum shifts to reduced stomatal conductance and leaf [N] and enhanced LAI. The model is used to predict maximum net primary productivity (NPP) at current and elevated [CO2] in years with contrasting rainfall and plant N uptake. The predicted CO2 response of maximum NPP is greatest in a dry, high-N year and least in a wet, low-N year. The underlying physiological explanation for this contrast in the effects of water versus nitrogen limitation is that leaf photosynthesis is more sensitive to [CO2] at lower stomatal conductance whereas it is less sensitive to [CO2] at lower leaf [N]. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1071/FP08128 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/936284
Effects of Throughfall Manipulation on Soil Nutrient Status: Results of 12 years Sustained Wet and Dry Treatments Johnson, Dale W.; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Hanson, Paul J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AVAILABILITY; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; MEMBRANES; NUTRIENTS; PRECIPITATION; RESINS; SOILS; TENNESSEE; THROUGHFALL; WATERSHEDS To investigate the potential effects of changing precipitation on forest ecosystems, the Throughfall Displacement Experiment (TDE) was established on Walker Branch Watershed, Tennessee in 1993. Three different throughfall amounts were tested: -33% (DRY), ambient (no change, AMB), and +33% (WET). Throughfall manipulations had no statistically significant effects on total C, N, exchangeable Ca2+, Mg2+, bicarbonate-extractable P, or extractable SO42- in soils after twelve years of sustained treatments. Increased K+ inputs in the WET treatment resulted in relative increases in exchangeable K+ compared to the AMB and DRY treatments. Soil C, N, and extractable P declined in all treatments over the 12-year study, and the declines in N were inexplicably large. Field observations contrasted with earlier simulations from the Nutrient Cycling Model (NuCM), which predicted greater decreases in exchangeable K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and extractable P on the order of WET > AMB > DRY and no change in C, N, and extractable SO42-. The failure of the NuCM model to accurately predict observed changes is attributed to the lack of mechanisms for deep rooting and the transfer of throughfall K+ from one plot to another in the model. Measurements of element availability using resin membranes during the final years showed higher values in wet and lower values in dry treatments compared to ambient in for mineral N, K, Mn, Zn, and Al but the opposite for B, Ca, and Mg. In the cases of Ca and Mg, the patterns in resin values were similar to those on the soil exchange sites (greatest in the dry treatment) and appeared to reflect pre-treatment differences. This study showed that while longer term changes in soil nutrients are likely to occur with changes in precipitation, potential changes over this twelve-year interval were buffered by ecosystem processes such as deep rooting. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01601.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/932629
Forest fine-root production and nitrogen use under elevated CO2: Contrasting responses explained by a common principle Franklin, Oscar; McMurtrie, Ross E; Iversen, Colleen M; Crous, Kristine; Finzi, Adrien C; Tissue, David Thomas; Ellsworth, David; Oren, Ram; Norby, Richard J 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AVAILABILITY; BIOMASS; CARBON; CARBON SEQUESTRATION; EXPLORATION; FEEDBACK; FERTILIZATION; FORESTS; NITROGEN; ORNL; PRODUCTION; PRODUCTIVITY; SOILS; TREES Despite the importance of nitrogen (N) limitation of forest carbon (C) sequestration at rising atmospheric CO2 concentration, the mechanisms responsible are not well understood. To elucidate the interactive effects of elevated CO2 (eCO2) and soil N availability on forest productivity and C allocation, we hypothesized that 1) trees maximize fitness by allocating N and C to maximize their net growth, and 2) that N uptake is controlled by root exploration for N. We tested this model using data collected in FACE sites dominated by evergreen (Pinus taeda; Duke Forest) and deciduous (Liquidambar styraciflua; Oak Ridge National Laboratory ORNL) trees. The model explained 80-95% of variation in productivity and N-uptake data among eCO2, N fertilization and control treatments over six years. The model explains why fine-root production increased, and why N uptake increased despite reduced soil N availability under eCO2 at ORNL and Duke. In agreement with observations at other sites, soil N availability reduced below a critical level diminishes all eCO2 responses. At Duke, a negative feedback between reduced soil N availability and N uptake counteracted progressive reduction in soil N availability at eCO2. At ORNL, decreasing soil N availability was perpetuated as it generated no reduction in N uptake, due to strongly increased production of fast turnover fine-roots. This implies that species with fast root turnover could be more prone to progressive N limitation of carbon sequestration in woody biomass than species with slow root turnover, such as evergreens. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01710.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/946099
Oak Ridge Reservation annual site environmental report for 1997: Color your tomorrow Hamilton, L V 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; LAND USE; MONITORING; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORGDP; ORNL; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; Y-12 PLANT The U.S. Department of Energy currently oversees activities on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), a government-owned, contractor-operated facility. The reservation contains three major operating sites: the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and East Tennessee Technology Park (formerly the K-25 Site). The ORR was established in the early 1940s as part of the Manhattan Project, a secret undertaking that produced the materials for the first atomic bombs. The reservation's role has evolved over the years, and it continues to adapt to meet the changing defense, energy, and research needs of the United States. Both the work carried out for the war effort and subsequent research, development, and production activities have involved (and continue to involve) radiological and hazardous materials. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US); Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (US); East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, TN (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 1998-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/771197 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/771197
Resource synergy in stream periphyton communities Hill, Walter; Fanta, S E; Roberts, Brian J; Francoeur, Steven N 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ABUNDANCE; AUFWUCHS; AUTOTROPHS; AVAILABILITY; Algae; BIOMASS; CAPACITY; CHLOROPHYLL; COMMUNITIES; DIATOMS; ECOSYSTEMS; METABOLISM; NUTRIENTS; PHOSPHORUS; PHOTONS; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; POPULATIONS; PRODUCTION; PRODUCTIVITY; SYNTHESIS; TRANSFORMATIONS; aquatic plant ecology; bacteria; community structure; light; phosphorus; primary production; resource synergy; streams 1. Light and nutrients play pivotal roles in determining the growth of autotrophs, yet the potential for synergistic interactions between the two resources in algal communities is poorly understood, especially in stream ecosystems. In this study, light and phosphorus were manipulated in large experimental streams to examine resource colimitation and synergy in stream periphyton. 2. Whole-stream metabolism was simultaneously limited by light and phosphorus. Increasing the supply of either light or phosphorus resulted in significant increases in primary production and the transformation of the streams from heterotrophy to autotrophy. 3. Resource-driven changes in periphyton community structure occurred in concert with changes in production. Algal assemblages in highly shaded streams were composed primarily of small diatoms such as Achnanthidium minutissima, whereas larger diatoms such as Melosira varians predominated at higher irradiances. Phosphorus enrichment had relatively little effect on assemblage structure, but it did substantially diminish the abundance of Meridion circulare, a diatom whose mucilaginous colonies were conspicuously abundant in phosphorus-poor, high-light streams. Bacterial biomass declined relative to algal biomass with increases in primary productivity, regardless of whether the increases were caused by light or phosphorus. 4. Synergistic effects on primary production appeared to occur because the availability of one resource facilitated the utilization of the other. Light increased the abundance of large diatoms, which are known to convert high concentrations of nutrients into primary production more effectively than smaller taxa. Phosphorus enrichment led to the replacement of Meridion circulare by non-mucilaginous taxa in phosphorus-enriched streams, and we hypothesize that this change enabled more efficient use of light in photosynthesis. Higher ratios of chlorophyll a : biomass in phosphorus-enriched streams may have also led to more efficient photon capture and higher photosynthetic rates. 5.Synthesis. Our results underscore the potential for resource colimitation, even in habitats where a single resource is as strongly limiting as is light in shaded streams. The capacity of autotrophic communities to respond to more than one limiting resource suggests that prevailing single-resource models of ecosystem productivity are overly simplistic. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2011-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-2745.2010.01785.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015086
Estimation of net ecosystem carbon exchange for the conterminous United States by combining MODIS and AmeriFlux data Xiao, Jingfeng; Zhuang, Qianlai; Baldocchi, Dennis; Ma, Siyan; Law, Beverly E; Richardson, Andrew D; Chen, Jiquan; Oren, Ram AmeriFlux; Eddy covariance; MODIS; NEE; Net ecosystem carbon exchange; Regression tree Eddy covariance flux towers provide continuous measurements of net ecosystem carbon exchange (NEE) for a wide range of climate and biome types. However, these measurements only represent the carbon fluxes at the scale of the tower footprint. To quantify the net exchange of carbon dioxide between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere for regions or continents, flux tower measurements need to be extrapolated to these large areas. Here we used remotely sensed data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) instrument on board the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s (NASA) Terra satellite to scale up AmeriFlux NEE measurements to the continental scale.We first combined MODIS and AmeriFlux data for representative U.S. ecosystems to develop a predictive NEE model using a modified regression tree approach. The predictive model was trained and validated using eddy flux NEE data over the periods 2000 2004 and 2005 2006, respectively. We found that the model predicted NEE well (r = 0.73, p < 0.001). We then applied the model to the continental scale and estimated NEE for each 1 km 1 km cell across the conterminous U.S. for each 8-day interval in 2005 using spatially explicit MODIS data. The model generally captured the expected spatial and seasonal patterns of NEE as determined from measurements and the literature. Our study demonstrated that our empirical approach is effective for scaling up eddy flux NEE measurements to the continental scale and producing wall-to-wall NEE estimates across multiple biomes. Our estimates may provide an independent dataset from simulations with biogeochemical models and inverse modeling approaches for examining the spatiotemporal patterns of NEE and constraining terrestrial carbon budgets over large areas. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-10-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.agrformet.2008.06.015 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015036
Modeled Interactive Effects of Precipitation, temperature, and [CO2] on Ecosystem Carbon and Water Dynamics in Different Climatic Zones Luo, Yiqi; Gerten, Dieter; Le Maire, Guerric; Parton, William; Weng, Ensheng; Zhou, Xuhuui; Keough, Cindy; Beier, Claus; Ciais, Philippe; Cramer, Wolfgang; Dukes, Jeff; Emmett, Bridget; Hanson, Paul J; Knapp, Alan; Linder, Sune; Nepstad, Daniel; Rustad, Lindsey 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMBIENT TEMPERATURE; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; CARBON DIOXIDE; CLIMATE MODELS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; INTERACTIONS; WATER Interactive effects of multiple global change factors on ecosystem processes are complex. It is relatively expensive to explore those interactions in manipulative experiments. We conducted a modeling analysis to identify potentially important interactions and to stimulate hypothesis formulation for experimental research. Four models were used to quantify interactive effects of climate warming (T), altered precipitation amounts [doubled (DP) and halved (HP)] and seasonality (SP, moving precipitation in July and August to January and February to create summer drought), and elevated [CO2] (C) on net primary production (NPP), heterotrophic respiration (Rh), net ecosystem production (NEP), transpiration, and runoff.We examined those responses in seven ecosystems, including forests, grasslands, and heathlands in different climate zones. The modeling analysis showed that none of the threeway interactions among T, C, and altered precipitation was substantial for either carbon or water processes, nor consistent among the seven ecosystems. However, two-way interactive effects on NPP, Rh, and NEP were generally positive (i.e. amplification of one factor s effect by the other factor) between T and C or between T and DP. A negative interaction (i.e. depression of one factor s effect by the other factor) occurred for simulated NPP between T and HP. The interactive effects on runoff were positive between T and HP. Four pairs of two-way interactive effects on plant transpiration were positive and two pairs negative. In addition, wet sites generally had smaller relative changes in NPP, Rh, runoff, and transpiration but larger absolute changes in NEP than dry sites in response to the treatments. The modeling results suggest new hypotheses to be tested in multifactor global change experiments. Likewise, more experimental evidence is needed for the further improvement of ecosystem models in order to adequately simulate complex interactive processes. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01629.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/936786
Climate change effects on species composition mediates decomposition in an old-field ecosystem Tyner, Marlene L; Classen, Aimee T 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AMBIENT TEMPERATURE; BIOMASS; CARBON; CLIMATES; COMMUNITIES; ECOSYSTEMS; NITROGEN Decomposition of leaf litter collected from an old-field community grown under a combination of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations (+300 ppm) and elevated surface temperature (+ 3.2˚C) was examined in ambient conditions over 8 months in two separate experiments. In the first experiment, we examined the main effects and interactions of CO2 and warming on litter quality and subsequent mass loss rates. Multi-species litter bags were constructed with litter collected from chambers with ambient CO2 and ambient temperatures (ACAT), elevated CO2 and elevated temperature (ECET), ambient CO2 and elevated temperature (ACET), and elevated CO2 and ambient temperature (ECAT). Litter collected from 6 species in each chamber was represented in decomposition bags in equal proportions. There were no differences in initial litter percent carbon (C) or nitrogen (N) among treatments. After 8 months, litter collected from ACET chambers lost over 20% more mass than litter collected from ECET or ACAT chambers, although biological differences were small. In the second experiment, we examined the indirect effect climate change may have on plant community composition, litter inputs, and subsequent mass loss rates. Litter bags were made from the same chambers mentioned above, but the amount of litter in the bag from each species was proportional to peak standing biomass of that species within the treatment. Initial litter in ECAT bags had up to 4% less C and 29% less N than ECET and ACET bags. Mass loss from ACET bags was 48% higher than mass loss from ECAT bags and 37% higher than mass loss from ACAT bags after 8 months of decomposition. These differences may have been driven by the higher proportion of litter from Lespedeza, a N-fixer, in the natural ACET bags. Taken together, these data suggest that climate change will have a larger effect on decomposition by causing shifts in plant communities than it will by altering litter quality. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931990
Contact patterns in wild pigs (n Sus scrofan ) from GPS tracking reveal spatial and temporal dynamics of social behaviour McIlraith, Jack R.; Webb, Stephen L. (ORCID:0000000160345164); Beasley, James C. (ORCID:0000000197073713); Schlichting, Peter E. (ORCID:0000000324917940); Chinn, Sarah (ORCID:0000000191555359); Boughton, Raoul (ORCID:0000000235015697); Long, Jed A. (ORCID:0000000339613085) Wild pig ( Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758) social behaviour affects disease transmission and landscape-level population management. Recent research has incorporated analysis of social structure to better understand the risk of disease transmission in wild pigs, although the relationship between overall social structure of wild pigs remains unclear. Here, we seek to improve understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics of wild pig social structure and contact rates to better inform management strategies. Using GPS tracking data, we measured home range overlap, and estimated contact rates of wild pigs at four study sites in the southern USA to identify pairwise social associations (i.e., contacts) based on synchronous movement. Contact rate was strongly associated with home range overlap, but exhibited substantial variation, especially at moderate levels of home range overlap. We found that femaleâfemale dyads had higher contact rates and longer duration phases of social association compared to femaleâmale and maleâmale dyads. We found maleâmale dyads tended to experience social associations farther from their home range centers than femaleâfemale or femaleâmale dyads. Social associations between wild pig dyads are highly dynamic in their spatial and temporal structure. Further, dyads with strong social associations still experience substantial time apart. Our findings highlight the challenges of predicting spatial and social associations in wild pig social pairs due to their dynamic social structure over space and time.
USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) Canada 2025-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1139/cjz-2024-0099 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2562980
Temperature-independent diel variation in soil respiration observed from a temperate deciduous forest Post, Wilfred M; Liu, Qing; Edwards, Nelson T; Gu, Lianhong; Childs, Joanne; Lenhart, Suzanne M 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; DAILY VARIATIONS; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; RADIATIONS; RESPIRATION; SENSITIVITY; SOILS The response of soil respiration (Rs) to temperature depends largely on the temporal and spatial scales of interest and how other environmental factors interact with this response. They are often represented by empirical exponential equations in many ecosystem analyses because of the difficulties in separating covarying environmental responses and in observing below ground processes. The objective of this study was to quantify a soil temperature-independent component in Rs by examining the diel variation of an Rs time series measured in a temperate deciduous forest located at Oak Ridge, TN, USA between March and December 2003. By fitting 2 hourly, continuous automatic chamber measurements of CO2 efflux at the soil surface to a Q10 function to obtain the temperature-dependent respiration (Rt) and plotting the diel cycles of Rt, Rs, and their difference (Ri), we found that an obvious temperature-independent component exists in Rs during the growing season. The diel cycle of this component has a distinct day/night pattern and agrees well with diel variations in photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and air temperature. Elevated canopy CO2 concentration resulted in similar patterns in the diel cycle of the temperature-independent component but with different daily average rates in different stages of growing season. We speculate that photosynthesis of the stand is one of the main contributors to this temperature-independent respiration component although more experiments are needed to draw a firm conclusion. We also found that despite its relatively small magnitude compared with the temperature-dependent component, the diel variation in the temperature-independent component can lead to significantly different estimates of the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration in the study forest. As a result, the common practice of using fitted temperature-dependent function from night-time measurements to extrapolate soil respiration during the daytime may underestimate daytime soil respiration. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park PI USDOE - Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Affairs United States 2006-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003689
Lederman Science Center at Fermilab Akhobadze, Ketevan 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS Fermilab is America's particle physics and accelerator laboratory. We bring the world together to solve the mysteries of matter, energy, space and time, for the benefit of all. LSC was opened in 1992, with the mission to serve as a bridge between Fermilabâs leading-edge science and our community. It was named after Leon M. Lederman â Nobel Prize winning physicist, Fermilabâs second director, and a passionate advocate for science education. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) United States 2023-10-05T04:00:00Z Conference 10.2172/2008075 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2008075
Fine Root Mortality Rates in a Temperate Forest: Estimates using Radiocarbon Data and Numerical Modeling Riley, William J.; Gaudinski, Julia B.; Torn, Margaret S.; Hanson, Paul J 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CARBON; FORESTS; MORTALITY; RESPIRATION; SIMULATION; SOILS Carbon (C) fluxes through roots are the most uncertain of all C exchanges between the atmosphere, plants, and soil. Yet the three dominant methods to characterize root C fluxes (minirhizotron, sequential coring, and isotopes) yield significantly different estimates of temperate forest root mortality turnover times. We contend that these discrepancies result from limitations in interpreting these very distinct types of observations. In this study we used a whole-ecosystem 14C label to develop, parameterize, and test a model (Radix1.0) of fine-root mortality and decomposition. Radix simulates two live roots pools (one with structural and non-structural C components), two dead root pools, non-normally distributed root mortality turnover times, a stored C pool, seasonal growth and respiration patterns, a best-fit to measurements approach to estimate model parameters, and Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis. We applied Radix at a temperate forest in Oak Ridge Tennessee using 14C measurements from two root size classes (<0.5 mm and 0.5−2.0 mm) and three soil depth increments (O horizon, 0−15, and 30−60 cm). Predicted root lifetimes were 0.1-0.9 y and 11-14 y for fast and slow live root pools respectively, and 0.1-4 y and 11-14 y for fast and slow dead root pool decomposition turnover times, respectively. We estimated that C fluxes through fine roots <2 mm diameter are ~40, 220, and 90 g C m-2 y 1 in the O horizon, 0−15 cm, and 30−60 cm depth intervals, respectively. We conclude that accurate characterization of C flows through fine roots required a model with two live fine-root pools, two dead fine-root pools, and root respiration. Further, root turnover times on the order of a decade imply different response times in biomass and growth than are currently predicted by models with a single annual turnover pool. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.02980.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/966390
Coupling nutrient uptake and energy flow in headwater streams Mulholland, Patrick J; Fellows, Christine; Valett, H Maurice; Dahm, Cliff; Thomas, Steve 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AUTOTROPHS; AVAILABILITY; CANOPIES; CARBON; ECOSYSTEMS; METABOLISM; NUTRIENTS; ORGANIC MATTER; PRODUCTION; RESPIRATION; SEDIMENTS Nutrient cycling and energy flow in ecosystems are tightly linked through the metabolic processes of organisms. Greater uptake of inorganic nutrients is expected to be associated with higher rates of metabolism [gross primary production (GPP) and respiration (R)], due to assimilatory demand of both autotrophs and heterotrophs. However, relationships between uptake and metabolism should vary with the relative contribution of autochthonous and allochthonous sources of organic matter. To investigate the relationship between metabolism and nutrient uptake, we used whole-stream and benthic chamber methods to measure rates of nitrate-nitrogen (NO{sub 3}-N) uptake and metabolism in four headwater streams chosen to span a range of light availability and therefore differing rates of GPP and contributions of autochthonous carbon. We coupled whole-stream metabolism with measures of NO{sub 3}-N uptake conducted repeatedly over the same stream reach during both day and night, as well as incubating benthic sediments under both light and dark conditions. NO{sub 3}-N uptake was generally greater in daylight compared to dark conditions, and although day-night differences in whole-stream uptake were not significant, light-dark differences in benthic chambers were significant at three of the four sites. Estimates of N demand indicated that assimilation by photoautotrophs could account for the majority of NO{sub 3}-N uptake at the two sites with relatively open canopies. Contrary to expectations, photoautotrophs contributed substantially to NO{sub 3}-N uptake even at the two closed-canopy sites, which had low values of GPP/R and relied heavily on allochthonous carbon to fuel R. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2006-08-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989677
Missing links in the root-soil organic matter continuum O'Brien, Sarah L.; Iversen, Colleen M 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANNELIDS; BEETLES; BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; DETRITUS; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; HABITAT; INCUBATION; INVERTEBRATES; LARVAE; NUTRIENTS; ORGANIC MATTER; PELLETS; RANGELANDS; RESIDUES; SAMPLING; SCATTERING; SOILS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TRANSFORMATIONS; meeting report; rhizosphere; root-soil organic matter continuum; soil The soil environment remains one of the most complex and poorly understood research frontiers in ecology. Soil organic matter (SOM), which spans a continuum from fresh detritus to highly processed, mineral-associated organic matter, is the foundation of sustainable terrestrial ecosystems. Heterogeneous SOM pools are fueled by inputs from living and dead plants, driven by the activity of micro- and mesofauna, and are shaped by a multitude of abiotic factors. The specialization required to measure unseen processes that occur on a wide range of spatial and temporal scales has led to the partitioning of soil ecology research across several disciplines. In the organized oral session 'Missing links in the root-soil organic matter continuum' at the annual Ecological Society of America meeting in Albuquerque, NM, USA, we joined the call for greater communication and collaboration among ecologists who work at the root-soil interface (e.g. Coleman, 2008). Our goal was to bridge the gap between scientific disciplines and to synthesize disconnected pieces of knowledge from root-centric and soil-centric studies into an integrated understanding of belowground ecosystem processes. We focused this report around three compelling themes that arose from the session: (1) the influence of the rhizosphere on SOM cycling, (2) the role of soil heterotrophs in driving the transformation of root detritus to SOM, and (3) the controlling influence of the soil environment on SOM dynamics. We conclude with a discussion of new approaches for gathering data to bridge gaps in the root-SOM continuum and to inform the next generation of ecosystem models. Although leaf litter has often been considered to be the main source of organic inputs to soil, Ann Russell synthesized a convincing body of work demonstrating that roots, rather than surface residues, control the accumulation of SOM in a variety of ecosystems. Living roots, which are chemically diverse and highly dynamic, also influence a wide range of soil processes, from the exudation of labile C compounds to the development of fungal associations. For example, Zoe Cardon demonstrated that the root-mediated redistribution of deep soil water to relatively dry shallower soil, increased soil CO{sub 2} efflux and nutrient cycling near the surface in an arid ecosystem. Andrew Kulmatiski also discussed the importance of rooting distribution throughout the soil profile for strategies of water uptake by different species in an African savanna. Later, Julie Jastrow demonstrated that living roots shape soil physical structure by promoting the formation of soil aggregates, which facilitated accrual of SOM in restored grasslands. Taken together, the evidence is compelling that living roots, and organic matter derived from root detritus, are important parts of the continuum of organic matter in the soil. Larger soil organisms (i.e. 50 {micro}m to many cm in body size) play an important role in the root-SOM continuum by grazing on roots and microbes, comminuting organic matter and aggregating soil in fecal pellets. However, litterbag and soil incubation studies necessarily exclude invertebrates, and research on faunal activity and trophic dynamics tends to be independent from research on the biogeochemistry of SOM cycling. Tim Filley used plant-derived biomarkers in invertebrate residues to bridge the gap between larger soil organisms, such as earthworms and beetle larvae, and SOM distribution. He found that larger soil organisms help to stabilize root-derived organic matter in soil aggregates. Similar coupling of biogeochemistry with food web studies could prove fruitful for describing mechanisms that underlie critical ecosystem processes. Despite considerable research efforts, the breadth of the microbial role in the root-SOM continuum remains unresolved. Using advanced pyrosequencing techniques, David Nelson demonstrated the importance of archea as nitrifiers in agricultural systems exposed to elevated [CO{sub 2}]. Rising atmospheric [CO{sub 2}] and other changing environmental factors add a layer of complexity to the quest to understand microbial process. For example, Claudia Boot demonstrated that microbially mediated C and N cycling in Mediterranean California grasslands is intricately linked with summer drought. Ongoing research across subdisciplines seeks to uncover the many complex links between soil organisms of all sizes and the root-SOM continuum. While the role that living organisms play in the transformation of root detritus to SOM is disproportionate to their body size, the nonliving soil environment also influences SOM cycling. However, destructive sampling can obscure feedbacks between abiotic and biotic processes, making it difficult to quantify the role of edaphic factors in the root-SOM continuum. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.03059.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015681
Fine-root turnover patterns and their relationship to root diameter and soil depth in a 14C-labeled hardwood forest Gaudinski, Julia B.; Torn, Margaret S.; Riley, W. J.; Hanson, Paul J 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CARBON; DISTRIBUTION; FORESTS; SOILS Characterization of turnover times of fine roots is essential to understanding patterns of carbon allocation in plants and describing forest C cycling. We used the rate of decline in the ratio of 14C to 12C in a mature hardwood forest, enriched by an inadvertent 14C pulse, to investigate fine-root turnover and its relationship with fine-root diameter and soil depth. Biomass and ?14C values were determined for fine roots collected during three consecutive winters from four sites, by depth, diameter size classes (<0.5 or 0.5-2 mm), and live-or-dead status. Live-root pools retained significant 14C enrichment over 3 yr, demonstrating a mean turnover time on the order of years. However, elevated ?14C values in dead-root pools within 18 months of the pulse indicated an additional component of live roots with short turnover times (months). Our results challenge assumptions of a single live fine-root pool with a unimodal and normal age distribution. Live fine roots <0.5 mm and those near the surface, especially those in the O horizon, had more rapid turnover than 0.5-2 mm roots and deeper roots, respectively. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2006-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2006.01847.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930812
CO2 enrichment accelerates successional development of an understory plant community Souza, Lara; Belote, R. Travis Travis; Kardol, Paul; Weltzin, Jake; Norby, Richard J 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ABUNDANCE; BIOMASS; CARBON DIOXIDE; COMMUNITIES; FORESTS; FUNCTIONALS; HARVESTING; ORNL; PRODUCTION Rising concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide ([CO{sub 2}]) may influence forest successional development and species composition of understory plant communities by altering biomass production of plant species of functional groups. Here, we describe how elevated [CO{sub 2}] (eCO{sub 2}) affects aboveground biomass within the understory community of a temperate deciduous forest at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) free-air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) facility in eastern Tennessee, USA. We asked if (i) CO{sub 2} enrichment affected total understory biomass and (ii) whether total biomass responses could be explained by changes in understory species composition or changes in relative abundance of functional groups through time. The FACE experiment started in 1998 with three rings receiving ambient [CO{sub 2}] (aCO{sub 2}) and two rings receiving eCO{sub 2}. From 2001 to 2003, we estimated species-specific, woody versus herbaceous and total aboveground biomass by harvesting four 1 x 0.5-m subplots within the established understory plant community in each FACE plot. In 2008, we estimated herbaceous biomass as previously but used allometric relationships to estimate woody biomass across two 5 x 5-m quadrats in each FACE plot. Across years, aboveground biomass of the understory community was on average 25% greater in eCO{sub 2} than in aCO{sub 2} plots. We could not detect differences in plant species composition between aCO{sub 2} and eCO{sub 2} treatments. However, we did observe shifts in the relative abundance of plant functional groups, which reflect important structural changes in the understory community. In 2001-03, little of the understory biomass was in woody species; herbaceous species made up 94% of the total understory biomass across [CO{sub 2}] treatments. Through time, woody species increased in importance, mostly in eCO{sub 2}, and in 2008, the contribution of herbaceous species to total understory biomass was 61% in aCO{sub 2} and only 33% in eCO{sub 2} treatments. Our results suggest that rising atmospheric [CO{sub 2}] could accelerate successional development and have longer term impact on forest dynamics. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1093/jpe/rtp032 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/973127
Causes of interannual variability in ecosystem-atmosphere CO2 exchange in a northern Wisconsin forest using a Bayesian model calibration Ricciuto, Daniel M; Butler, Martha; Davis, Kenneth; Cook, Bruce D 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ACCURACY; CALIBRATION; CAPACITY; CARBON DIOXIDE; ECOSYSTEMS; EFFICIENCY; FORESTS; PINES; PLANTS; PRODUCTION; RESPIRATION; SAMPLING; SEASONS; SHRUBS; WETLANDS Carbon dioxide fluxes were examined over the growing seasons of 2002 and 2003 from 14 different sites in Upper Midwest (USA) to assess spatial variability of ecosystem-atmosphere CO2 exchange. These sites were exposed to similar temperature/precipitation regimes and spanned a range of vegetation types typical of the region (northern hardwood, mixed forest, red pine, jack pine, pine barrens and shrub wetland). The hardwood and red pine sites also spanned a range of stand ages (young, intermediate, mature). While seasonal changes in net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and photosynthetic parameters were coherent across the 2 years at most sites, changes in ecosystem respiration (ER) and gross ecosystem production (GEP) were not. Canopy height and vegetation type were important variables for explaining spatial variability of CO2 fluxes across the region. Light-use efficiency (LUE) was not as strongly correlated to GEP as maximum assimilation capacity (Amax). A bottom-up multi-tower land cover aggregated scaling of CO2 flux to a 2000 km(2) regional flux estimate found June to August 2003 NEE, ER and GEP to be -290 +/- 89, 408 +/- 48, and 698 +/- 73 gC m(-2), respectively. Aggregated NEE, ER and GEP were 280% larger, 32% smaller and 3% larger, respectively, than that observed from a regionally integrating 447 m tall flux tower. However, when the tall tower fluxes were decomposed using a footprint-weighted influence function and then re-aggregated to a regional estimate, the resulting NEE, ER and GEP were within 11% of the multi-tower aggregation. Excluding wetland and young stand age sites from the aggregation worsened the comparison to observed fluxes. These results provide insight on the range of spatial sampling, replication, measurement error and land cover accuracy needed for multi-tiered bottom-up scaling of CO2 fluxes in heterogeneous regions such as the Upper Midwest, USA. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.agrformet.2007.08.001 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003774
C-13 dynamics in benthic algae: Effects of light, phosphorus, and biomass development Hill, Walter; Fanta, S E; Roberts, Brian J 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ALGAE; BIOMASS; CARBON; CARBON SOURCES; FRACTIONATION; GROWTH FACTORS; INDOORS; NUTRIENTS; PHOSPHORUS We performed three experiments in indoor streams and one experiment in a natural stream to investigate the effects of growth factors on {delta}{sup 13}C levels in benthic microalgae. In the indoor streams, algae grown under conditions of high light and high phosphorus had {delta}{sup 13}C values that were 16% higher than those in algae grown under conditions of low light and low phosphorus. Light effects were much stronger than phosphorus effects. The effects of both factors increased in strength as algal biomass accrued, and by the end of the experiments, algal {delta}{sup 13}C and biomass were highly correlated. In the natural stream, algae exposed to direct sunlight were enriched 15% over shaded algae, corroborating the strong effect of light in the indoor streams. Growth factors such as light and nutrients probably reduce discrimination against {delta}{sup 13}C (raising {delta}{sup 13}C values) in benthic microalgae by causing CO{sub 2} depletion both within individual cells and within the assemblage matrix. However, because the most marked fractionation occurred in older and thicker assemblages, CO{sub 2} depletion within the assemblage matrix appeared to be more important than depletion within individual cells. In the absence of carbon-concentrating mechanisms, elevated {delta}{sup 13}C suggests that inorganic carbon may limit the growth of benthic algae. The extensive range of d13C values (-14{per_thousand} to -36{per_thousand}) created by light and nutrient manipulations in this study easily encompassed the mean {delta}{sup 13}C values of both C{sub 3} and C{sub 4} terrestrial plants, indicating the challenge aquatic ecologists face in identifying carbon sources for higher trophic levels when light and nutrient conditions vary. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-07-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.4319/lo.2008.53.4.1217 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017336
Recent (<4 year old) Leaf Litter is Not a Major Source of Microbial Carbon in a Temperate Forest Mineral Soil Kramer, Christiane; Trumbore, Susan E.; Froberg, Mats J.; Cisneros dozal, Luz Maria; Zhang, Dachun; Xu, Xiamei; Santos, Guaciara; Hanson, Paul J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBOXYLIC ACIDS; COMMUNITIES; FORESTS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORGANIC MATTER; PHOSPHOLIPIDS; RESPIRATION; SOILS; SUBSTRATES Microbial communities in soil A horizons derive their carbon from several potential sources: organic carbon (C) transported down from overlying litter and organic horizons, root-derived C, or soil organic matter. We took advantage of a multi-year experiment that manipulated the {sup 14}C isotope signature of surface leaf litter inputs in a temperate forest at the Oak Ridge Reservation, Tennessee, USA, to quantify the contribution of recent leaf litter C to microbial respiration and biomarkers in the underlying mineral soil. We observed no measurable difference (< {approx}40{per_thousand} given our current analytical methods) in the radiocarbon signatures of microbial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) isolated from the top 10 cm of mineral soil in plots that experienced 3 years of litterfall that differed in each year by {approx}750{per_thousand} between high-{sup 14}C and low-{sup 14}C treatments. Assuming any difference in {sup 14}C between the high- and low-{sup 14}C plots would reflect C derived from these manipulated litter additions, we estimate that <6% of the microbial C after 4 years was derived from the added 1-4-year-old surface litter. Large contributions of C from litter < 1 year (or >4 years) old (which fell after (or prior to) the manipulation and therefore did not differ between plots) are not supported because the {sup 14}C signatures of the PLFA compounds (averaging 200-220{per_thousand}) is much higher that of the 2004-5 leaf litter (115{per_thousand}) or pre-2000 litter. A mesocosm experiment further demonstrated that C leached from {sup 14}C-enriched surface litter or the O horizon was not a detectable C source in underlying mineral soil microbes during the first eight months after litter addition. Instead a decline in the {sup 14}C of PLFA over the mesocosm experiment likely reflected the loss of a pre-existing substrate not associated with added leaf litter. Measured PLFA {Delta}{sup 14}C signatures were higher than those measured in bulk mineral soil organic matter in our experiments, but fell within the range of {sup 14}C values measured in mineral soil roots. Together, our experiments suggest that root-derived C is the major (>60%) source of C for microbes in these temperate deciduous forest soils. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.soilbio.2010.02.021 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978816
Potential net soil N mineralization and decomposition of glycine-13C in forest soils along an elevation gradient Garten, Jr, Charles T 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS; AVAILABILITY; CHEMISTRY; FORESTS; GLYCINE; MICROORGANISMS; MINERALIZATION; NITROGEN; ORGANIC MATTER; SOILS; SUBSTRATES The objective of this research was to better understand patterns of soil nitrogen (N) availability and soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition in forest soils across an elevation gradient (235-1670 m) in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Laboratory studies were used to determine the potential rate of net soil N mineralization and in situ studies of {sup 13}C-labelled glycine were used to infer differences in decomposition rates. Nitrogen stocks, surface soil (0-5 cm) N concentrations, and the pool of potentially mineralizable surface soil N tended to increase from low to high elevations. Rates of potential net soil N mineralization were not significantly correlated with elevation. Increasing soil N availability with elevation is primarily due to greater soil N stocks and lower substrate C-to-N ratios, rather than differences in potential net soil N mineralization rates. The loss rate of {sup 13}C from labelled soils (0-20 cm) was inversely related to study site elevation (r = -0.85; P < 0.05) and directly related to mean annual temperature (+0.86; P<0.05). The results indicated different patterns of potential net soil N mineralization and {sup 13}C loss along the elevation gradient. The different patterns can be explained within a framework of climate, substrate chemistry, and coupled soil C and N stocks. Although less SOM decomposition is indicated at cool, high-elevation sites, low substrate C-to-N ratios in these N-rich systems result in more N release (N mineralization) for each unit of C converted to CO{sub 2} by soil microorganisms. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 2004-09-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.soilbio.2004.04.019 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989636
Large-scale biomass for energy, with considerations and cautions: an editorial comment Marland, Gregg; Obersteiner, Michael 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CARBON; CLIMATES; CROPS; ECONOMIC ANALYSIS; ECONOMICS; ENERGY SYSTEMS; FOOD; GREENHOUSE GASES; OPTIMIZATION; PRICES; PRODUCTION; TAXES Greenhouse gas abatement policies will increase the demand for renewable sources of energy, including bioenergy. In combination with a global growing demand for food, this could lead to a food-fuel competition for bio-productive land. Proponents of bioenergy have suggested that energy crop plantations may be established on less productive land as a way of avoiding this potential food-fuel competition. However, many of these suggestions have been made without any underlying economic analysis. In this paper, we develop a long-term economic optimization model (LUCEA) of the U.S. agricultural and energy system to analyze this possible competition for land and to examine the link between carbon prices, the energy system dynamics and the effect of the land competition on food prices. Our results indicate that bioenergy plantations will be competitive on cropland already at carbon taxes about US $20/ton C. As the carbon tax increases, food prices more than double compared to the reference scenario in which there is no climate policy. Further, bioenergy plantations appropriate significant areas of both cropland and grazing land. In model runs where we have limited the amount of grazing land that can be used for bioenergy to what many analysts consider the upper limit, most of the bioenergy plantations are established on cropland. Under the assumption that more grazing land can be used, large areas of bioenergy plantations are established on grazing land, despite the fact that yields are assumed to be much lower (less than half) than on crop land. It should be noted that this allocation on grazing land takes place as a result of a competition between food and bioenergy production and not because of lack of it. The estimated increase in food prices is largely unaffected by how much grazing land can be used for bioenergy production. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2008-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s10584-007-9386-5 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1014264
Low dissolved organic carbon input from fresh litter to deep mineral soils Froeberg, Mats J; Jardine, Philip M; Hanson, Paul J; Swanston, Christopher; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Phillips, Jana Randolph; Garten, Jr, Charles T 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; CARBON; ECOSYSTEMS; FLOORS; FORESTS; LEACHING; LYSIMETERS; OAKS; ORGANIC MATTER; ORNL; SOILS; TRANSPORT; USA Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leached from recent litter in the forest floor has been suggested to be an important source of C to the mineral soil of forest ecosystems. In order to determine the rate at which this flux of C occurs we have taken advantage of a local release of 14C at Oak Ridge National Laboratory Reservation, USA (latitude N 35 58'; longitude W 84 16'). Eight replicate 7x7 m plots were estab lished at four field sites on the reservation in an upland oak forest setting. Half of the plots were provided with 14C-enriched litter (∆14C ≈1000 ), and the other half with near-background litter (∆14C ≈220 ) over multiple years. Differences in the labeled leaf litter were used to quantify the movement of litter derived DOC through the soil profile. Soil solutions were collected over several years with tension lysimeters at 15 and 70 cm depth and measured for DOC concentration and 14C abundance. The net amount of DOC retained between 15 and 70 cm was 1.5-6 g m-2 y-1. There were significant effects of the litter additions on the 14C abundance in the DOC, but the net transport of 14C from the added litter was small. The difference in ∆14C between the treatments with enriched and near-background litter was only about 130 at both depths, which is small compared with the difference in Δ14C in the added litter. The primary source of DOC within the mineral soil must therefore have been either the Oe/Oa horizon or the organic matter in the mineral soil. Over a 2-year time frame, leaching of DOC from recent litter did not have a major impact on the C stock in the mineral soil below 15 cm in this ecosystem. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.2136/sssaj2006.0188 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931285
Variability in Soil Properties at Different Spatial Scales (1 m to 1 km) in a Deciduous Forest Ecosystem Garten, Jr, Charles T; Kang, S.; Brice, Deanne Jane; Schadt, Christopher Warren; Zhou, Jizhong 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLAYS; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; ORGANIC MATTER; PARTICULATES; SAMPLING; SILT; SOILS; TENNESSEE; TEXTURE The purpose of this research was to test the hypothesis that variability in 11 soil properties, related to soil texture and soil C and N, would increase from small (1 m) to large (1 km) spatial scales in a temperate, mixed-hardwood forest ecosystem in east Tennessee, USA. The results were somewhat surprising and indicated that a fundamental assumption in geospatial analysis, namely that variability increases with increasing spatial scale, did not apply for at least five of the 11 soil properties measured over a 0.5-km2 area. Composite mineral soil samples (15 cm deep) were collected at 1, 5, 10, 50, 250, and 500 m distances from a center point along transects in a north, south, east, and westerly direction. A null hypothesis of equal variance at different spatial scales was rejected (P{le}0.05) for mineral soil C concentration, silt content, and the C-to-N ratios in particulate organic matter (POM), mineral-associated organic matter (MOM), and whole surface soil. Results from different tests of spatial variation, based on coefficients of variation or a Mantel test, led to similar conclusions about measurement variability and geographic distance for eight of the 11 variables examined. Measurements of mineral soil C and N concentrations, C concentrations in MOM, extractable soil NH{sub 4}-N, and clay contents were just as variable at smaller scales (1-10 m) as they were at larger scales (50-500 m). On the other hand, measurement variation in mineral soil C-to-N ratios, MOM C-to-N ratios, and the fraction of soil C in POM clearly increased from smaller to larger spatial scales. With the exception of extractable soil NH4-N, measured soil properties in the forest ecosystem could be estimated (with 95% confidence) to within 15% of their true mean with a relatively modest number of sampling points (n{le}25). For some variables, scaling up variation from smaller to larger spatial domains within the ecosystem could be relatively easy because small-scale variation may be indicative of variation at larger scales. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.soilbio.2007.04.033 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931706
Decadal changes in potassium, calcium, and magnesium in a deciduous forest soil Mulholland, Patrick J; Johnson, Dale W.; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Trettin, Carl 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CALCIUM; DETRITUS; FORESTS; LEACHING; MAGNESIUM; MORTALITY; OAKS; PLANTS; POTASSIUM; SAMPLING; SOILS; WATERSHEDS; WEATHERING Decadal changes in soil exchangeable K{sup +}, Ca{sup 2+}, and Mg{sup 2+} concentrations and contents from 1972 to 2004 in eight intensively monitored plots on Walker Branch Watershed were compared with estimates of increments or decrements in vegetation and detritus. The results from these eight plots compared favorably with those from a more extensive set from 24 soil sampling plots sampled in 1972 and 2004. Increases in exchangeable K{sup +} were noted between 1972 and 1982, but few changes were noted between 1982 and 2004 despite significant increments in vegetation and detritus and significant potential losses by leaching. Total K contents of soils in the 0- to 60-cm sampling depth were very large and a slight amount of weathering could have replenished the K{sup +} lost from exchanges sites. With one notable exception, exchangeable Ca{sup 2+} and Mg{sup 2+} concentrations and contents decreased continuously during the sampling period. Decreases in exchangeable Ca{sup 2+} could be attributed mostly to increments in biomass and detritus, whereas decreases in exchangeable Mg{sup 2+} could not and were attributed to leaching. The major exception to these patterns was in the case of exchangeable Ca{sup 2+}, where significant increases were noted in one plot and attributed to Ca release from the decomposition of Ca-rich coarse woody debris from oak (Quercus spp.) mortality. With minor exceptions, soils and changes in soils among the eight intensively sampled core plots were similar to those in a more extensive set of plots distributed across the watershed. This study shows that averaging among plots can mask significant and important spatial patterns in soil change that must be taken into account in assessing long-term trends. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ME USDOE - Office of Management, Budget, and Evaluation; ORNL work for others United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/944109
Applying the light: nutrient hypothesis to stream periphyton Fanta, S E; Hill, Walter; Smith, Timothy B; Roberts, Brian J 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ALGAE; AUFWUCHS; FOOD; HYPOTHESIS; NUTRIENTS; PHOSPHORUS; PHOTONS; WATER; benthic algae; light : nutrient hypothesis; periphyton; stoichiometry; stream The light:nutrient hypothesis (LNH) states that algal nutrient content is determined by the balance of light and dissolved nutrients available to algae during growth. Light and phosphorus gradients in both laboratory and natural streams were used to examine the relevance of the LNH to stream periphyton. Controlled gradients of light (12-426 mol photons m{sup -2} s{sup -1}) and dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP, 3-344 {mu}g L{sup -1}) were applied experimentally to large flow-through laboratory streams, and natural variability in canopy cover and discharge from a wastewater treatment facility created gradients of light (0.4-35 mol photons m{sup -2} day{sup -1}) and DRP (10-1766 {mu}g L{sup -1}) in a natural stream. Periphyton phosphorus content was strongly influenced by the light and DRP gradients, ranging from 1.8 to 10.7 {mu}g mg AFDM{sup -1} in the laboratory streams and from 2.3 to 36.9 {mu}g mg AFDM{sup -1} in the natural stream. Phosphorus content decreased with increasing light and increased with increasing water column phosphorus. The simultaneous effects of light and phosphorus were consistent with the LNH that the balance between light and nutrients determines algal nutrient content. In experiments in the laboratory streams, periphyton phosphorus increased hyperbolically with increasing DRP. Uptake then began leveling off around 50 {mu}g L{sup -1}. The relationship between periphyton phosphorus and the light: phosphorus ratio was highly nonlinear in both the laboratory and natural streams, with phosphorus content declining sharply with initial increases in the light: phosphorus ratio, then leveling off at higher values of the ratio. Although light and DRP both affected periphyton phosphorus content, the effects of DRP were much stronger than those of light in both the laboratory and natural streams. DRP explained substantially more of the overall variability in periphyton phosphorus than did light, and light effects were evident only at lower phosphorus concentrations ({approx}< 25 {mu}g L{sup -1}) in the laboratory streams. These results suggest that light has a significant negative effect on the food quality of grazers in streams only under a limited set of conditions. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-2427.2009.02309.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034675
Albedo estimates for land surface models and support for a new paradigm based on foliage nitrogen concentration Hollinger, D; Ollinger, S V; Richardson, A D; Martin, M E; Meyers, T P; Dail, D B; Scott, N A; Arkebauer, T J; Baldocchi, D D; Clark, K L; Curtis, Peter; Davis, K J; Desai, Desai Ankur R; Dragoni, Danilo; Goulden, M L; Gu, Lianhong; Katul, G G; Pallardy, Stephen G; Pawu, K T; Schmid, H P; Stoy, P C; Suyker, A E; Verma, Shashi 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ALBEDO; CLIMATE MODELS; CLIMATES; CROPS; DATA COMPILATION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; LEAVES; MAIZE; NITROGEN; PLANTS; RANGELANDS; SEASONS; SIMULATION; SOYBEANS; TREES; albedo; nitrogen; vegetation Vegetation albedo is a critical component of the Earth s climate system, yet efforts to evaluate and improve albedo parameterizations in climate models have lagged relative to other aspects of model development. Here, we calculated growing season albedos for deciduous and evergreen forests, crops, and grasslands based on over 40 site-years of data from the AmeriFlux network and compared them with estimates presently used in the land surface formulations of a variety of climate models. Generally, the albedo estimates used in land surface models agreed well with this data compilation. However, a variety of models using fixed seasonal estimates of albedo overestimated the growing season albedo of northerly evergreen trees. In contrast, climatemodels that rely on a common two-stream albedo submodel provided accurate predictions of boreal needle-leaf evergreen albedo but overestimated grassland albedos. Inverse analysis showed that parameters of the two-stream model were highly correlated. Consistent with recent observations based on remotely sensed albedo, the AmeriFlux dataset demonstrated a tight linear relationship between canopy albedo and foliage nitrogen concentration (for forest vegetation: albedo 50.0110.071%N, r250.91; forests, grassland, and maize: albedo50.0210.067%N, r250.80). However, this relationship saturated at the higher nitrogen concentrations displayed by soybean foliage. We developed similar relationships between a foliar parameter used in the two-stream albedo model and foliage nitrogen concentration. These nitrogen-based relationships can serve as the basis for a new approach to land surface albedo modeling that simplifies albedo estimation while providing a link to other important ecosystem processes. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-02-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015732
Natural Areas Analysis and Evaluation: Oak Ridge Reservation Baranski, Micahel J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BUFFERS; CLASSIFICATION; COMMUNITIES; DISTURBANCES; EVALUATION; FORESTS; GEOLOGY; NERP; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PERSONNEL; RECOMMENDATIONS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; SYNTHESIS; natural areas criteria EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Oak Ridge Reservation, encompassing 33,639 acres in the Valley and Ridge Physiographic Province of East Tennessee, has long been known for its unfragmented forests and high biodiversity. Many areas on the Reservation have been recognized as important natural areas, but no comprehensive treatment has been performed to evaluate the relative significance and importance of these areas compared to each other. The present study was conducted to develop a set of guidelines for evaluating the natural value of specific areas, to evaluate all the terrestrial areas that are currently delineated, and to rank all areas according to their relative biodiversity importance. All available data, reports and site-specific information relevant to Reservation lands, including Tennessee Division of Natural Areas database information, were evaluated and field work was conducted. Methodologies and criteria for assessment and evaluation of areas were developed; categories of criteria were devised; and a ranking system for evaluation of natural areas was produced. There were 70 areas evaluated during the study. The system is flexible, dynamic and easily revised to reflect updated and new information and interpretations. Eight categories of evaluation factors were established and used to characterize each site. These were the following: size of area, number or status taxa present, number of Endangered and Threatened taxa present, rarity of the Endangered and Threatened taxa on the Reservation, community diversity, site integrity and quality, disturbance and threat levels, and other significant features and factors. Each category generally consisted of a 5-point ranking scale from 0-4, allowing for a possible composite score of 32, with higher ranked, more important, sites attaining higher scores. Highly ranked sites are representative of regional natural diversity; contain outstanding natural features, communities or geology and/or very rare taxa or other elements; are relatively large in size with mature or old-growth community composition; lack current disturbance factors or potential threats and disturbances; are in excellent condition with good buffers; are places where ecological and evolutionary processes can occur relatively unaffected by humans; and can be reasonably defended and maintained as natural areas in an undeveloped condition. Highly ranked sites are the most significant and should receive the greatest protections. Composite scores of the ranked areas ranged from 1-25.5, with a mean score of 12. The ranked areas were divided into three Priority Groups. Group I, the most highly ranked group, included 20 sites and covered 5189 acres or 15.4% of Reservation lands; Group II included 31 sites and covered 4108 acres; Group III included 19 sites covering 400 acres of Reservation lands. All sites together comprise 9697 acres or 28.8% of Reservation lands. Six sites emerged as clearly the most significant natural areas on the Reservation. The study developed a number of recommendations that should be implemented in order to enhance and refine the natural areas data for the Reservation. There is a clear need for better and standardized ecological community classification and identification. Several areas are proposed for merger into larger units, and some new areas are proposed for inclusion and recognition in a natural areas system. Various gaps and discrepancies in the existing data are described and should be corrected. Other recommendations are made, including the development of a corollary system that can accommodate aquatic natural areas. The study relied primarily on the synthesis of information from many sources and from limited reconnaissance and direct observation during field work to produce a methodology for assessing natural area importance and assigning priorities for protection. Many instances of incomplete, missing or conflicting information made it difficult to complete thorough analysis. Further review and discussion among natural resources personnel will likely reveal possibilities for refinement and some additional factors that should be included in the evaluation. Despite the limitations, this study, as conducted, illustrates the importance of the Oak Ridge Reservation for protecting the nation s increasingly threatened and declining biodiversity. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL other overhead United States 2009-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1023815 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1023815
Radiocesium discharges and subsequent environmental transport at the major US weapons production facilities Garten, Jr, Charles T; Hamby, D M; Schreckhise, R G 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY FACILITIES; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; PRODUCTION; RADIOISOTOPES; TRANSPORT; WEAPONS Radiocesium is one of the more prevalent radionuclides in the environment as a result of weapons production-related atomic projects in the USA and the former Soviet Union. Radiocesium discharges during the 1950s account for a large fraction of the historical releases from US weapons production facilities. Releases of radiocesium to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems during the early years of nuclear weapons production provided the opportunity to conduct multidisciplinary studies on the transport mechanisms of this potentially hazardous radionuclide. The major US Department of Energy facilities (Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee, Hanford Site near Richland, Washington, and Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina, USA) are located in regions of the country that have different geographical characteristics. The facility siting provided diverse backgrounds for the development of an understanding of environmental factors contributing to the fate and transport of radiocesium. In this paper, we summarize the significant environmental releases of radiocesium in the early years of weapons production and then discuss the historically significant transport mechanisms for {sup 137}Cs at the three facilities that were part of the US nuclear weapons complex. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 2000-06-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/S0048-9697(00)00449-6 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989641
Importance of changing CO2, temperature, precipitation, and ozone on carbon and water cycles of an upland-oak forest: incorporating experimental results into model simulations Hanson, Paul J; Wullschleger, Stan D; Norby, Richard J; Tschaplinski, Timothy J; Gunderson, Carla A 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CARBON; ECOSYSTEMS; EVALUATION; FORESTS; OAKS; OZONE; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; PLANTS; PRECIPITATION; RESPIRATION; WATER; WOOD Observed responses of upland-oak vegetation of the eastern deciduous hardwood forest to changing CO2, temperature, precipitation and tropospheric ozone (O3) were derived from field studies and interpreted with a stand-level model for an 11-year range of environmental variation upon which scenarios of future environmental change were imposed. Scenarios for the year 2100 included elevated [CO2] and [O3] (1385ppm and 120 ppb, respectively), warming (14 1C), and increased winter precipitation (120% November-March). Simulations were run with and without adjustments for experimentally observed physiological and biomass adjustments. Initial simplistic model runs for single-factor changes in CO2 and temperature predicted substantial increases (1191% or 508 gCm 2 yr 1) or decreases ( 206% or 549 gCm 2 yr 1), respectively, in mean annual net ecosystem carbon exchange (NEEa 266 23 gCm 2 yr 1 from 1993 to 2003). Conversely, single-factor changes in precipitation or O3 had comparatively small effects on NEEa (0% and 35%, respectively). The combined influence of all four environmental changes yielded a 29% reduction in mean annual NEEa. These results suggested that future CO2-induced enhancements of gross photosynthesis would be largely offset by temperature-induced increases in respiration, exacerbation of water deficits, and O3-induced reductions in photosynthesis. However, when experimentally observed physiological adjustments were included in the simulations (e.g. acclimation of leaf respiration to warming), the combined influence of the year 2100 scenario resulted in a 20% increase in NEEa not a decrease. Consistent with the annual model's predictions, simulations with a forest succession model run for gradually changing conditions from 2000 to 2100 indicated an 11% increase in stand wood biomass in the future compared with current conditions. These model-based analyses identify critical areas of uncertainty for multivariate predictions of future ecosystem response, and underscore the importance of long term field experiments for the evaluation of acclimation and growth under complex environmental scenarios. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2005-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2005.00991.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930810
Multiple scales of temporal variability in ecosystem metabolism rates: results from two years of continuous monitoring in a forested headwater stream Roberts, Brian J; Mulholland, Patrick J; Hill, Walter 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON SINKS; CARBON SOURCES; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; METABOLISM; MONITORING; ORGANIC MATTER; Oedogonium; PRODUCTION; RESPIRATION; STREAMS; VARIATIONS; bryophytes; disturbance; ecosystem respiration; inter-annual variability; leaf litter; light; macroalgae; periphyton; primary production; reaeration; seasonal patterns; storms Headwater streams are key sites of nutrient and organic matter processing and retention, but little is known about temporal variability in gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) rates as a result of the short duration of most ecosystem metabolism measurements in lotic ecosystems. We examined temporal variability and controls on ecosystem metabolism by measuring daily rates continuously for two years in Walker Branch, a first-order deciduous forest stream. Four important scales of temporal variability in ecosystem metabolism rates were identified: (1) seasonal, (2) day-to-day, (3) episodic (storm-related), and (4) inter-annual. Seasonal patterns were largely controlled by the leaf phenology and productivity of the deciduous riparian forest. Walker Branch was strongly net heterotrophic throughout the year with the exception of the open-canopy spring when GPP and ER rates were similar. Day-to-day variability in weather conditions influenced light reaching the streambed, resulting in high day-to-day variability in GPP particularly during spring (daily light levels explained 84% of the variance in daily GPP in April). Episodic storms depressed GPP for several days in spring, but increased GPP in autumn by removing leaves shading the streambed. Storms depressed ER initially, but then stimulated ER to 2-3 times pre-storm levels for several days. Walker Branch was strongly net heterotrophic in both years of the study (NEP = -1156 and -773 g O2 m-2 y-1), with annual GPP being similar (488 and 519 g O2 m-2 y-1) but annual ER being higher in 2004 than 2005 (-1645 vs. -1292 g O2 m-2 y-1). Inter-annual variability in ecosystem metabolism (assessed by comparing 2004 and 2005 rates with previous measurements) was the result of the storm frequency and timing and the size of the spring macroalgal bloom. Changes in local climate can have substantial impacts on stream ecosystem metabolism rates and ultimately influence the carbon source and sink properties of these important ecosystems. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL work for others United States 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s10021-007-9059-2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931962
Forest response to elevated CO2 is conserved across a broad range of productivity Norby, Richard J; DeLucia, E H; Gielen, Birgit; Califapietra, Carlo; Giardina, Christian P; King, John S; Childs, Joanne; McCarthy, Heather R; Moore, D J; Ceulemans, Reinhart; DeAngelis, Paolo; Finzi, Adrien C; Karnosky, David; Kubiske, Mark E; Lukac, Martin; Pregitzer, Kurt; Scarascia-Mugnozza, Giuseppe E; Oren, Ram; Schlesinger, William H 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON CYCLE; CARBON DIOXIDE FIXATION; CLIMATE MODELS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; FORESTS; PRODUCTIVITY; RESPONSE FUNCTIONS Climate change predictions derived from coupled carbon-climate models are highly dependent on assumptions about feedbacks between the biosphere and atmosphere. One critical feedback occurs if C uptake by the biosphere increases in response to the fossil-fuel driven increase in atmospheric [CO2] ('CO2 fertilization'), thereby slowing the rate of increase in atmospheric [CO2]. Carbon exchanges between the terrestrial biosphere and atmosphere are often first represented in models as net primary productivity (NPP). However, the contribution of CO2 fertilization to the future global C cycle has been uncertain, especially in forest ecosystems that dominate global NPP, and models that include a feedback between terrestrial biosphere metabolism and atmospheric [CO2] are poorly constrained by experimental evidence. We analyzed the response of NPP to elevated CO2 ({approx}550 ppm) in four free-air CO2 enrichment experiments in forest stands. We show that the response of forest NPP to elevated [CO2] is highly conserved across a broad range of productivity, with a stimulation at the median of 23 {+-} 2%. At low leaf area indices, a large portion of the response was attributable to increased light absorption, but as leaf area indices increased, the response to elevated [CO2] was wholly caused by increased light-use efficiency. The surprising consistency of response across diverse sites provides a benchmark to evaluate predictions of ecosystem and global models and allows us now to focus on unresolved questions about carbon partitioning and retention, and spatial variation in NPP response caused by availability of other growth limiting resources. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2005-12-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1073/pnas.0509478102 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/932149
Forest response to elevated CO2 is conserved across a broad range of productivity Norby, Richard J; DeLucia, E H; Gielen, Birgit; Califapietra, Carlo; Giardina, Christian P; King, John S; Childs, Joanne; McCarthy, Heather R; Moore, D J; Ceulemans, Reinhart; DeAngelis, Paolo; Finzi, Adrien C; Karnosky, David; Kubiske, Mark E; Lukac, Martin; Pregitzer, Kurt; Scarascia-Mugnozza, Giuseppe E; Schlesinger, William H; Oren, Ram 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSORPTION; AVAILABILITY; BENCHMARKS; BIOSPHERE; CARBON; CLIMATES; ECOSYSTEMS; EFFICIENCY; FEEDBACK; FERTILIZATION; FORESTS; METABOLISM; PRODUCTIVITY; RETENTION; STIMULATION Climate change predictions derived from coupled carbon-climate models are highly dependent on assumptions about feedbacks between the biosphere and atmosphere. One critical feedback occurs if C uptake by the biosphere increases in response to the fossil-fuel driven increase in atmospheric [CO{sub 2}] ('CO{sub 2} fertilization'), thereby slowing the rate of increase in atmospheric [CO{sub 2}]. Carbon exchanges between the terrestrial biosphere and atmosphere are often first represented in models as net primary productivity (NPP). However, the contribution of CO{sub 2} fertilization to the future global C cycle has been uncertain, especially in forest ecosystems that dominate global NPP, and models that include a feedback between terrestrial biosphere metabolism and atmospheric [CO{sub 2}] are poorly constrained by experimental evidence. We analyzed the response of NPP to elevated CO{sub 2} ({approx}550 ppm) in four free-air CO{sub 2} enrichment experiments in forest stands. We show that the response of forest NPP to elevated [CO{sub 2}] is highly conserved across a broad range of productivity, with a stimulation at the median of 23 {+-} 2%. At low leaf area indices, a large portion of the response was attributable to increased light absorption, but as leaf area indices increased, the response to elevated [CO{sub 2}] was wholly caused by increased light-use efficiency. The surprising consistency of response across diverse sites provides a benchmark to evaluate predictions of ecosystem and global models and allows us now to focus on unresolved questions about carbon partitioning and retention, and spatial variation in NPP response caused by availability of other growth limiting resources. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2005-11-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1073/pnas.0509478102 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989626
Reconciling Change in Oi-Horizon Carbon-14 with Mass Loss for an Oak Forest Hanson, Paul J; Swanston, Christopher W.; Garten, Jr, Charles T; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Trumbore, Susan E. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBON 14; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COMMINUTION; DILUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; FRAGMENTATION; OAKS; RECYCLING; SOILS; TRANSPORT First-year litter decomposition was estimated for an upland-oak forest ecosystem using enrichment or dilution of the 14C-signature of the Oi-horizon. These isotopically-based mass-loss estimates were contrasted with measured mass-loss rates from past litterbag studies. Mass-loss derived from changes in the 14C-signature of the Oi-horizon suggested mean mass loss over 9 months of 45% which was higher than the corresponding 9-month rate extrapolated from litterbag studies (~35%). Greater mass loss was expected from the isotopic approach because litterbags are known to limit mass loss processes driven by soil macrofauna (e.g., fragmentation and comminution). Although the 14C-isotope approach offers the advantage of being a non-invasive method, it exhibited high variability that undermined its utility as an alternative to routine litterbag mass loss methods. However, the 14C approach measures the residence time of C in the leaf litter, rather than the time it takes for leaves to disappear; hence radiocarbon measures reflect C immobilization and recycling in the microbial pool, and do not necessarily replicate results from litterbag mass loss. The commonly applied two-compartment isotopic mixing model was appropriate for estimating decomposition from isotopic enrichment of near-background soils, but it produced divergent results for isotopic dilution of a multi-layered system with litter cohorts having independent 14C-signatures. This discrepancy suggests that cohort-based models are needed to adequately capture the complex processes involved in carbon transport associated with litter mass-loss. Such models will be crucial for predicting intra- and interannual differences in organic horizon decomposition driven by scenarios of climatic change. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2005-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.2136/sssaj2004.0300 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003646
Soil carbon storage beneath recently established tree plantations in Tennessee and South Carolina, USA Garten, Jr, Charles T 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; FARMS; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; ORGANIC MATTER; PARTICULATES; PINES; SAND; SOILS; STORAGE; TREES Rates of soil carbon (C) accumulation under 7 recently established tree plantations in Tennessee and South Carolina (USA) were estimated by comparing soil C stocks under the plantations to adjacent reference (nonplantation) sites. Estimated rates of C accumulation in surface (0-40 cm) mineral soil were 40-170 gCm{sup -2} yr{sup -1} during the first decade following plantation establishment. Most soil C at each site was found in mineral-associated organic matter (i.e., soil C associated with the silt-clay fraction). Soils with high sand content and low initial C stocks exhibited the greatest gains in particulate organic matter C (POM-C). Labile soil C stocks (consisting of forest floor and mineral soil POM-C) became an increasingly important component of soil C storage as loblolly pine stands aged. Rates of mineral soil C accumulation were highly variable in the first decade of plantation growth, depending on location, but the findings support a hypothesis that farm to tree plantation conversions can result in high initial rates of soil C accumulation in the southeastern United States. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 2002-02-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/S0961-9534(02)00033-8 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989639
Galling by Rhopalomyia solidaginis alters Solidago altissima architecture and litter nutrient dynamics in an old-field ecosystem Crutsinger, Greg; Habenicht, Melissa N; Classen, Aimee T; Schweitzer, Jennifer A; Sanders, Dr. Nathan James 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ARCHITECTURE; BIOMASS; CHEMISTRY; ECOSYSTEMS; INSECTS; NITROGEN; NORTH AMERICA; NUTRIENTS; ORNL NERP; decompostion; insects Plant-insect interactions can alter ecosystem processes, especially if the insects modify plant architecture, quality, or the quantity of leaf litter inputs. In this study, we investigated the interactions between the gall midge Rhopalomyia solidaginis and tall goldenrod, Solidago altissima, to quantify the degree to which the midge alters plant architecture and how the galls affect rates of litter decomposition and nutrient release in an old-field ecosystem. R. solidaginis commonly leads to the formation of a distinct apical rosette gall on S. altissima and approximately 15% of the ramets in a S. altissima patch were galled (range: 3-34%). Aboveground biomass of galled ramets was 60% higher and the leaf area density was four times greater on galled leaf tissue relative to the portions of the plant that were not affected by the gall. Overall decomposition rate constants did not differ between galled and ungalled leaf litter. However, leaf-litter mass loss was lower in galled litter relative to ungalled litter, which was likely driven by modest differences in initial litter chemistry; this effect diminished after 12 weeks of decomposition in the field. The proportion of N remaining was always higher in galled litter than in ungalled litter at each collection date indicating differential release of nitrogen in galled leaf litter. Several studies have shown that plant-insect interactions on woody species can alter ecosystem processes by affecting the quality or quantity of litter inputs. Our results illustrate how plant-insect interactions in an herbaceous species can affect ecosystem processes by altering the quality and quantity of litter inputs. Given that S. altissima dominates fields and roadsides and that R. solidaginis galls are highly abundant throughout eastern North America, these interactions are likely to be important for both the structure and function of old-field ecosystems. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park ORNL LDRD Director's R&D; SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s11104-007-9490-3 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931008
Landscape level differences in soil carbon and nitrogen: implications for soil carbon sequestration Garten, Jr, Charles T; Ashwood, Tom L 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBON SEQUESTRATION; CHEMISTRY; COMPLEX TERRAIN; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; NITROGEN; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORGANIC MATTER; PARTICULATES; PASTURES; PLANTS; SOILS; STORAGE; TENNESSEE; TOPOGRAPHY The objective of this research was to understand how land cover and topography act, independently or together, as determinants of soil carbon and nitrogen storage over a complex terrain. Such information could help to direct land management for the purpose of carbon sequestration. Soils were sampled under different land covers and at different topographic positions on the mostly forested 14,000 ha Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee, USA. Most of the soil carbon stock, to a 40-cm soil depth, was found to reside in the surface 20 cm of mineral soil. Surface soil carbon and nitrogen stocks were partitioned into particulate ({ge}53 {micro}m) and mineral-associated organic matter (<53 {micro}m). Generally, soils under pasture had greater nitrogen availability, greater carbon and nitrogen stocks, and lower C:N ratios than soils under transitional vegetation and forests. The effects of topography were usually secondary to those of land cover. Because of greater soil carbon stocks, and greater allocation of soil carbon to mineral-associated organic matter (a long-term pool), we conclude that soil carbon sequestration, but not necessarily total ecosystem carbon storage, is greater under pastures than under forests. The implications of landscape-level variation in soil carbon and nitrogen for carbon sequestration are discussed at several different levels: (1) nitrogen limitations to soil carbon storage; (2) controls on soil carbon turnover as a result of litter chemistry and soil carbon partitioning; (3) residual effects of past land use history; and (4) statistical limitations to the quantification of soil carbon stocks. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 2002-12-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1029/2002GB001918 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989638
Contrasting responses of forest ecosystems to rising atmospheric CO2: Implications for the global C cycle Norby, Richard J; DeLucia, E. H.; Moore, D J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSORPTION; AIR; ECOSYSTEMS; EFFICIENCY; FORESTS; GROWTH; LAND USE; PINES; PRODUCTION; RESPIRATION; STIMULATION; STORAGE In two parallel but independent experiments, Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) technology was used to expose plots within contrasting evergreen loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and deciduous sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) forests to the level of CO2 anticipated in 2050. Net primary production (NPP) and net ecosystem production (NEP) increased in both forests. In the year 2000, after exposing pine and sweetgum to elevated CO2 for approximately 5 and 3 years, a complete budget calculation revealed increases in net ecosystem production (NEP) of 41% and 44% in the pine forest and sweetgum forest, respectively, representing the storage of an additional 174 gC m-2 and 128 gC m-2 in these forests. The stimulation of NPP without corresponding increases in leaf area index or light absorption in either forest resulted in 23-27% stimulation in radiation-use efficiency, defined as NPP per unit absorbed photosynthetically active radiation. Greater plant respiration contributed to lower NPP in the loblolly pine forest than in the sweetgum forest, and these forests responded differently to CO2 enrichment. Where the pine forest added C primarily to long-lived woody tissues, exposure to elevated CO2 caused a large increase in the production of labile fine roots in the sweetgum forest. Greater allocation to more labile tissues may cause more rapid cycling of C back to the atmosphere in the sweetgum forest compared to the pine forest. Imbalances in the N cycle may reduce the response of these forests to experimental exposure to elevated CO2 in the future, but even at the current stimulation observed for these forests, the effect of changes in land use on C sequestration are likely to be larger than the effect of CO2-induced growth stimulation. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2005-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003668
Initial characterization of processes of soil carbon stabilizaton using forest satnd-level radiocarbon enrichment Swanston, Christopher W.; Torn, Margaret S.; Hanson, Paul J; Southon, John R.; Garten, Jr, Charles T; Hanlon, Erin M.; Ganio, L. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; FORESTS; FRACTIONATION; ORGANIC MATTER; PARTICULATES; SEDIMENTS; SOILS; STABILIZATION Although the rates and mechanisms of soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization are difficult to observe directly, radiocarbon has proven an effective tracer of soil C dynamics, particularly when coupled with practical fractionation schemes. To explore the rates of C cycling in temperate forest soils, we took advantage of a unique opportunity in the form of an inadvertent standlevel 14C-labeling originating from a local industrial release. A simple density fractionation scheme separated SOM into interaggregate particulate organic matter (free light fraction, free LF), particulate organic matter occluded within aggregates (occluded LF), and organic matter that is complexed with minerals to form a dense fraction (dense fraction, DF). Minimal agitation and density separation was used to isolate the free LF. The remaining dense sediment was subjected to physical disruption and sonication followed by density separation to separate it into occluded LF and DF. The occluded LF had higher C concentrations and C:N ratios than the free LF, and the C concentration in both light fractions was ten times that of the DF. As a result, the light fractions together accounted for less than 4% of the soil by weight, but contained 40% of the soil C in the 0-15 cm soil increment. Likewise, the light fractions were less than 1% weight of the 15-30 cm increment, but contained more than 35% of the soil C. The degree of SOM protection in the fractions, as indicated by D14C, was different. In all cases the free LF had the shortest mean residence times. A significant depth by fraction interaction for 14C indicates that the relative importance of aggregation versus organo-mineral interactions for overall C stabilization changes with depth. The rapid incorporation of 14C label into the otherwise depleted DF shows that this organo-mineral fraction comprises highly stable material as well as more recent inputs. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2005-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.geoderma.2004.12.015 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930808
Seasonal trends in environmental tritium concentrations in a small forest adjacent to a radioactive waste storage area Amano, H; Garten, Jr, Charles T 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; FORESTS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE; TRITIUM No abstract prepared. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 1992-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978728
Partitioning sources of soil-respired CO2 and their seasonal variation using a unique radiocarbon tracer Cisneros-Dozal, Luz Maria; Trumbore, Susan E.; Hanson, Paul J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBOHYDRATES; CARBON DIOXIDE; FORESTS; ORGANIC MATTER; RESPIRATION; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SEASONS; SOILS Soil respiration is derived from heterotrophic (decomposition of soil organic matter) and autotrophic (root/rhizosphere respiration) sources, but there is considerable uncertainty about what factors control variations in their relative contributions in space and time. We took advantage of a unique whole-ecosystem radiocarbon label in a temperate forest to partition soil respiration into three sources: (1) recently photosynthesized carbon (C), which dominates root and rhizosphere respiration; (2) leaf litter decomposition and (3) decomposition of root litter and soil organic matter 41-2 years old. Heterotrophic sources and specifically leaf litter decomposition were large contributors to total soil respiration during the growing season. Relative contributions from leaf litter decomposition ranged from a low of 1 3% of total soil respiration (63 mgCm 2 h 1) when leaf litter was extremely dry, to a high of 42 16% (96 38mgCm 2 h 1). Total soil respiration fluxes varied with the strength of the leaf litter decomposition source, indicating that moisture-dependent changes in litter decomposition drive variability in total soil respiration fluxes. In the surface mineral soil layer, decomposition of C fixed in the original labeling event (3-5 years earlier) dominated the isotopic signature of heterotrophic respiration. Root/rhizosphere respiration accounted for 16 10% to 64 22% of total soil respiration, with highest relative contributions coinciding with low overall soil respiration fluxes. In contrast to leaf litter decomposition, root respiration fluxes did not exhibit marked temporal variation ranging from 34 14 to 40 16mgCm 2 h 1 at different times in the growing season with a single exception (88 35 mgCm 2 h 1). Radiocarbon signatures of root respired CO2 changed markedly between early and late spring (March vs. May), suggesting a switch from stored nonstructural carbohydrate sources to more recent photosynthetic products. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2006-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2005.001061.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930811
Translocation of Long-Term Captive Eastern Box Turtles and the Efficacy of Soft-Release: Implications for Turtle Confiscations Rimple, Ryan J.; Kohl, Michel T.; Buhlmann, Kurt A.; Tuberville, Tracey D. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES Translocation, the human mediated movement of organisms, is an important tool to conserve wildlife populations, and turtles are commonly subject to this management action. One potential source stock for turtle translocations are animals confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade or otherwise held in captivity. There is limited information, however, on the post-release behavior and survival of these animals. We monitored 26 translocated long-term captive (i.e., former pet) Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) to assess their survivorship, space use, and the effects of soft-release (penning) on site fidelity. We found long-term captives displayed high first-year survivorship (88.5â92.3%) and similar space use to resident turtles, and that soft-release was effective at reducing post-release movements. Furthermore, our study indicates long-term captive turtles may be suitable for release and provides insights for how confiscated turtles may best contribute to conservation. Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE United States 2024-07-23T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1656/045.031.s1221 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2428950
Sieveless particle size distribution analysis of particulate materials through computer vision Igathinathane, C; Pordesimo, L O; Columbus, Eugene P; Batchelor, William D; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ACCURACY; BIOMASS; Biomass sieve analysis; COMPUTERS; DIMENSIONS; DISTRIBUTION; Dimension; FORESTS; GRAMINEAE; IMAGE PROCESSING; Image processing; ImageJ plugin; JAVA; OAKS; PARTICLE SIZE; PARTICULATES; PINES; Particle size distribution; Physical property; RESIDUES; RICE; STRAW; SWITCHGRASS; THICKNESS; WHEAT; WOOD This paper explores the inconsistency of length-based separation by mechanical sieving of particulate materials with standard sieves, which is the standard method of particle size distribution (PSD) analysis. We observed inconsistencies of length-based separation of particles using standard sieves with manual measurements, which showed deviations of 17 22 times. In addition, we have demonstrated the falling through effect of particles cannot be avoided irrespective of the wall thickness of the sieve. We proposed and utilized a computer vision with image processing as an alternative approach; wherein a user-coded Java ImageJ plugin was developed to evaluate PSD based on length of particles. A regular flatbed scanner acquired digital images of particulate material. The plugin determines particles lengths from Feret's diameter and width from pixel-march method, or minor axis, or the minimum dimension of bounding rectangle utilizing the digital images after assessing the particles area and shape (convex or nonconvex). The plugin also included the determination of several significant dimensions and PSD parameters. Test samples utilized were ground biomass obtained from the first thinning and mature stand of southern pine forest residues, oak hard wood, switchgrass, elephant grass, giant miscanthus, wheat straw, as well as Basmati rice. A sieveless PSD analysis method utilized the true separation of all particles into groups based on their distinct length (419 639 particles based on samples studied), with each group truly represented by their exact length. This approach ensured length-based separation without the inconsistencies observed with mechanical sieving. Image based sieve simulation (developed separately) indicated a significant effect (P < 0.05) on number of sieves used in PSD analysis, especially with non-uniform material such as ground biomass, and more than 50 equally spaced sieves were required to match the sieveless all distinct particles PSD analysis. Results substantiate that mechanical sieving, owing to handling limitations and inconsistent length-based separation of particles, is inadequate in determining the PSD of non-uniform particulate samples. The developed computer vision sieveless PSD analysis approach has the potential to replace the standard mechanical sieving. The plugin can be readily extended to model (e.g., Rosin Rammler) the PSD of materials, and mass-based analysis, while providing several advantages such as accuracy, speed, low cost, automated analysis, and reproducible results. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-05-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.compag.2009.01.005 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015063
Effects of light on NO3 uptake in small forested streams: diurnal and day-to-day variations Mulholland, Patrick J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AUTOTROPHS; DAILY VARIATIONS; FORESTS; NITRATES; NITROGEN CYCLE; NUTRIENTS; PLANTS; PRODUCTIVITY; SOLAR RADIATION; STREAMS; TENNESSEE; UPTAKE We investigated the effects of autotrophy on short-term variations in nutrient dynamics by measuring diurnal and day-to-day variations in light level, primary productivity, and NO{sub 3}{sup -} uptake during early and late spring in 2 forested streams, the East and West Forks of Walker Branch in eastern Tennessee, USA. We predicted that diurnal and day-to-day variations in NO{sub 3}{sup -} uptake rate would be larger in the West Fork than in the East Fork in early spring because of higher rates of primary productivity resulting from a more stable substratum in the West Fork. We also predicted minimal diurnal variations in both streams in late spring after forest leaf emergence when light levels and primary productivity are uniformly low. Reach-scale rates of gross primary production (GPP) were determined using the diurnal dissolved O{sub 2} change technique, and reach-scale rates of NO{sub 3}{sup -} uptake were determined by tracer {sup 15}N-NO{sub 3}{sup -} additions. In the West Fork, significant diurnal and day-to-day variations in NO{sub 3}{sup -} uptake were related to variations in light level and primary productivity in early spring but not in late spring, consistent with our predictions. In early spring, West Fork NO{sub 3}{sup -} uptake rates were 2 to 3x higher at midday than during predawn hours and 50% higher on 2 clear days than on an overcast day several days earlier. In the East Fork, early spring rates of GPP were 4 to 5x lower than in the West Fork and diurnal and day-to-day variations in NO{sub 3}{sup -} uptake rates were <30%, considerably lower than in the West Fork. However, diurnal variations in NO{sub 3}{sup -} uptake rates were greater in late spring in the East Fork, possibly because of diurnal variation in water temperature. Our results indicate the important role of autotrophs in nutrient uptake in some forested streams, particularly during seasons when forest vegetation is dormant and light levels are relatively high. Our results also have important implications for longer-term assessments of N cycling in streams that rely on daytime measurements or measurements only under limited weather conditions (i.e., clear days). Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2006-08-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1899/0887-3593(2006)25[583:EOLONU]2.0.CO;2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989631
OAK FOREST CARBON AND WATER SIMULATIONS: MODEL INTERCOMPARISONS AND EVALUATIONS AGAINST INDEPENDENT DATA Hanson, Paul J; Amthor, Jeffrey S; Wullschleger, Stan D; Wilson, K.; Grant, Robert F.; Hartley, Anne; Hui, D.; Johnson, Dale W.; Kimball, John S.; King, Anthony Wayne; Luo, Yiqi; McNulty, Steven G.; Sun, G.; Thornton, Peter; Wang, S.; Williams, M.; Baldocchi, D. D.; Cushman, Robert Michael 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBON CYCLE; DROUGHTS; ECOSYSTEMS; EFFICIENCY; EVALUATION; FORESTS; OAKS; PERFORMANCE; PRODUCTION; RESPIRATION; SOILS; STATISTICS; TENNESSEE; TESTING; WATER Models represent our primary method for integration of small-scale, processlevel phenomena into a comprehensive description of forest-stand or ecosystem function. They also represent a key method for testing hypotheses about the response of forest ecosystems to multiple changing environmental conditions. This paper describes the evaluation of 13 stand-level models varying in their spatial, mechanistic, and temporal complexity for their ability to capture intra- and interannual components of the water and carbon cycle for an upland, oak-dominated forest of eastern Tennessee. Comparisons between model simulations and observations were conducted for hourly, daily, and annual time steps. Data for the comparisons were obtained from a wide range of methods including: eddy covariance, sapflow, chamber-based soil respiration, biometric estimates of stand-level net primary production and growth, and soil water content by time or frequency domain reflectometry. Response surfaces of carbon and water flux as a function of environmental drivers, and a variety of goodness-of-fit statistics (bias, absolute bias, and model efficiency) were used to judge model performance. A single model did not consistently perform the best at all time steps or for all variables considered. Intermodel comparisons showed good agreement for water cycle fluxes, but considerable disagreement among models for predicted carbon fluxes. The mean of all model outputs, however, was nearly always the best fit to the observations. Not surprisingly, models missing key forest components or processes, such as roots or modeled soil water content, were unable to provide accurate predictions of ecosystem responses to short-term drought phenomenon. Nevertheless, an inability to correctly capture short-term physiological processes under drought was not necessarily an indicator of poor annual water and carbon budget simulations. This is possible because droughts in the subject ecosystem were of short duration and therefore had a small cumulative impact. Models using hourly time steps and detailed mechanistic processes, and having a realistic spatial representation of the forest ecosystem provided the best predictions of observed data. Predictive ability of all models deteriorated under drought conditions, suggesting that further work is needed to evaluate and improve ecosystem model performance under unusual conditions, such as drought, that are a common focus of environmental change discussions. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2004-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1890/03-4049 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003644
Nitrogen uptake, distribution, turnover, and efficiency of use in a CO2-enriched sweetgum forest Norby, Richard J; Iversen, Colleen M 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CARBON DIOXIDE; DISTRIBUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; EFFICIENCY; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; NITROGEN; PRODUCTION; PRODUCTIVITY; SOILS; STIMULATION; TREES The Progressive Nitrogen Limitation (PNL) hypothesis suggests that ecosystems in a CO2-enriched atmosphere will sequester C and N in long-lived biomass and soil organic pools, thereby limiting available N and constraining the continued response of net primary productivity to elevated [CO2]. Here, we present a six-year record of N dynamics of a sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) stand exposed to elevated [CO2] in the free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiment at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. We also evaluate the concept of PNL for this ecosystem from the perspective of N uptake, content, distribution, and turnover, and N-use efficiency. Leaf N content was 11% lower on a leaf mass basis (NM) and 7% lower on a leaf area basis (N{sub A}) in CO2-enriched trees. However, there was no effect of [CO2] on total canopy N content. Resorption of N during senescence was not altered by [CO2], so NM of litter, but not total N content, was reduced. The NM of fine roots was not affected, but the total amount of N required for fine-root production increased significantly, reflecting the large stimulation of fine-root production in this stand. Hence, total N requirement of the trees was higher in elevated [CO2], and the increased requirement was met through an increase in N uptake rather than increased retranslocation of stored reserves. Increased N uptake was correlated with increased net primary productivity (NPP). N-use efficiency, however, did not change with CO2 enrichment because increased N productivity was offset by lower mean residence time of N in the trees. None of the measured responses of plant N dynamics in this ecosystem indicated the occurrence of PNL, and the stimulation of NPP by elevated [CO2] was sustained for the first six years of the experiment. Although there are some indications of developing changes in the N economy, the N supply in the soil at this site may be sufficient to meet an increasing demand for available N, especially as the roots of CO2-enriched trees explore deeper in the soil profile. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2006-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1890/04-1950 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/932148
Nitrogen uptake, distribution, turnover, and efficiency of use in a CO2-enriched sweetgum forest Norby, Richard J; Iversen, Colleen M 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AVAILABILITY; BIOMASS; DISTRIBUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; EFFICIENCY; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; NITROGEN; PRODUCTION; PRODUCTIVITY; SOILS; STIMULATION; TREES The Progressive Nitrogen Limitation (PNL) hypothesis suggests that ecosystems in a CO2-enriched atmosphere will sequester C and N in long-lived biomass and soil organic pools, thereby limiting available N and constraining the continued response of net primary productivity to elevated [CO2]. Here, we present a six-year record of N dynamics of a sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) stand exposed to elevated [CO2] in the free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiment at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. We also evaluate the concept of PNL for this ecosystem from the perspective of N uptake, content, distribution, and turnover, and N-use efficiency. Leaf N content was 11 percent lower on a leaf mass basis (NM) and 7 percent lower on a leaf area basis (NA) in CO2-enriched trees. However, there was no effect of [CO2] on total canopy N content. Resorption of N during senescence was not altered by [CO2], so NM of litter, but not total N content, was reduced. The NM of fine roots was not affected, but the total amount of N required for fine-root production increased significantly, reflecting the large stimulation of fine-root production in this stand. Hence, total N requirement of the trees was higher in elevated [CO2], and the increased requirement was met through an increase in N uptake rather than increased retranslocation of stored reserves. Increased N uptake was correlated with increased net primary productivity (NPP). N-use efficiency, however, did not change with CO2 enrichment because increased N productivity was offset by lower mean residence time of N in the trees. None of the measured responses of plant N dynamics in this ecosystem indicated the occurrence of PNL, and the stimulation of NPP by elevated [CO2] was sustained for the first six years of the experiment. Although there are some indications of developing changes in the N economy, the N supply in the soil at this site may be sufficient to meet an increasing demand for available N, especially as the roots of CO2-enriched trees explore deeper in the soil profile. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2006-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1890/04-1950 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003634
A multiyear synthesis of soil respiration responses to elevated atmospheric CO2 from four forest FACE experiments King, John S.; Hanson, Paul J; Bernhardt, Emily; DeAngelis, Paolo; Norby, Richard J; Pregitzer, Kurt 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBON CYCLE; CARBON DIOXIDE; FORESTS; RESPIRATION; SOILS; SYNTHESIS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS The rapidly rising concentration of atmospheric CO2 has the potential to alter forest and global carbon cycles by altering important processes that occur in soil. Forest soils contain the largest and longest lived carbon pools in terrestrial ecosystems and are therefore extremely important to the land-atmosphere exchange of carbon and future climate. Soil respiration is a sensitive integrator of many soil processes that control carbon storage in soil, and is therefore a good metric of changes to soil carbon cycling. Here, we summarize soil respiration data from four forest free-air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) experiments in developing and established forests that have been exposed to elevated atmospheric [CO2] (168 lLL 1 average enrichment) for 2-6 years. The sites have similar experimental design and use similar methodology (closed-path infrared gas analyzers) to measure soil respiration, but differ in species composition of the respective forest communities. We found that elevated atmospheric [CO2] stimulated soil respiration at all sites, and this response persisted for up to 6 years. Young developing stands experienced greater stimulation than did more established stands, increasing 39% and 16%, respectively, averaged over all years and communities. Further, at sites that had more than one community, we found that species composition of the dominant trees was a major controller of the absolute soil CO2 efflux and the degree of stimulation from CO2 enrichment. Interestingly, we found that the temperature sensitivity of bulk soil respiration appeared to be unaffected by elevated atmospheric CO2. These findings suggest that stage of stand development and species composition should be explicitly accounted for when extrapolating results from elevated CO2 experiments or modeling forest and global carbon cycles. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2004-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1529-8817.2003.00789.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930798
Changes in ecosystem carbon and nitrogen in a loblolly pine plantation over the first 18 years Johnson, Dale W; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Tolbert, Virginia R 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CARBON; DEPOSITION; ECOSYSTEMS; FERTILIZATION; FERTILIZERS; FORESTS; MINERALIZATION; NITROGEN; PINES; SOILS; TREES Eighteen years after the establishment of a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantation, ecosystem C content had approximately tripled (from 54 to 161 Mg C ha{sup -1}) primarily because of increases in tree biomass. Ninety-three percent of the net ecosystem C accumulated in biomass (100 Mg C ha{sup -1}) and 6% of net ecosystem C accumulated in the forest floor (13 Mg C ha{sup -1}). No statistically significant changes in soil C were found. Growth responses to fertilization noted in Year 4 were no longer statistically significant in Year 18. Nitrogen accumulation in aboveground biomass and forest floor were approximately equal (averaging approximately 270 kg N ha{sup -1} each) and could have come from a combination of atmospheric deposition, soil N mineralization, and, in the treated plots, fertilizer input. No statistically significant changes in soil N content were found. The results of this study are similar to those from a previous study in a loblolly pine plantation in South Carolina but contrast with those in nearby deciduous forests where substantial changes in soil C and N over similar time periods have been noted. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 2003-09-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.2136/sssaj2003.1594 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978227
Responses of soil respiration to elevated CO2, air warming, and changing soil water availability in an old-field grassland Wan, Shiqiang; Norby, Richard J; Childs, Joanne; Weltzin, Jake 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; AVAILABILITY; Air warming; CLIMATIC CHANGE; MOISTURE; PLANT GROWTH; RESPIRATION; RESPONSE FUNCTIONS; SOILS; WATER; WATER TREATMENT; atmospheric CO2 concentration; old-field grassland; soil respiration; soil water availability; temperature sensitivity Responses of soil respiration to atmospheric and climatic change will have profound impacts on ecosystem and global C cycling in the future. This study was conducted to examine effects on soil respiration of the concurrent driving factors of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration, rising temperature, and changing precipitation in a constructed old-field grassland in eastern Tennessee, USA. Model ecosystems of seven old-field species in 12 open-top chambers (4 m in diameter) were treated with two CO2 (ambient and ambient plus 300 ppm) and two temperature (ambient and ambient plus 3 C) levels. Two split plots with each chamber were assigned with high and low soil moisture levels. During the 19-month experimental period from June 2003 to December 2004, higher CO2 concentration and soil water availability significantly increased mean soil respiration by 35.8% and 15.7%, respectively. The effects of air warming on soil respiration varied seasonally from small reductions to significant increases to no response, and there was no significant main effect. In the wet side of elevated CO2 chambers, air warming consistently caused increases in soil respiration, whereas in other three combinations of CO2 and water treatments, warming tended to decrease soil respiration over the growing season but increase it over the winter. There were no interactive effects on soil respiration among any two or three treatment factors irrespective of testing time period. Temperature sensitivity of soil respiration was reduced by air warming, lower in the wet than the dry side, and not affected by CO2 treatment. Variations of soil respiration responses with soil temperature and soil moisture ranges could be primarily attributable to the seasonal dynamics of plant growth and its responses to the three treatments. Using a conceptual model to interpret the significant relationships of treatment-induced changes in soil respiration with changes in soil temperature and moisture observed in this study, we conclude that elevated CO2, air warming, and changing soil water availability had both direct and indirect effects on soil respiration via changes in the three controlling factors: soil temperature, soil moisture, and C substrate. Our results demonstrate that the response of soil respiration to climatic warming should not be represented in models as a simple temperature response function. A more mechanistic understanding of the direct and indirect impacts of concurrent global change drivers on soil respiration is needed to facilitate the interpretation and projection of ecosystem and global C cycling in response to atmospheric and climate change. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2007.01433.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931979
Climate controls on forest soil C isotope ratios in the southern Appalachian Mountains Garten, Jr, Charles T; Cooper, Lee W; Post, Wilfred M; Hanson, Paul J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS; CARBON; CLIMATES; ECOSYSTEMS; FOREST LITTER; FORESTS; FRACTIONATION; ISOTOPE RATIO; MOISTURE; ORGANIC MATTER; SOILS A large portion of terrestrial carbon (C) resides in soil organic carbon (SOC). The dynamics of this large reservoir depend on many factors, including climate. Measurements of {sup 13}C:{sup 12}C ratios, C concentrations, and C:N ratios at six forest sites in the Southern Appalachian Mountains (USA) were used to explore several hypotheses concerning the relative importance of factors that control soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition and SOC turnover. Mean {delta}{sup 13}C values increased with soil depth and decreasing C concentrations along a continuum from fresh litter inputs to more decomposed soil constituents. Data from the six forest sites, in combination with data from a literature review, indicate that the extent of change in {delta}{sup 13}C values from forest litter inputs to mineral soil (20 cm deep) is significantly associated with mean annual temperature. The findings support a conceptual model of vertical changes in forest soil {delta}{sup 13}C values, C concentrations, and C:N ratios that are interrelated through climate controls on decomposition. We hypothesize that, if other environmental factors (like soil moisture) are not limiting, then temperature and litter quality indirectly control the extent of isotopic fractionation during SOM decomposition in temperate forest ecosystems. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 2000-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1890/0012-9658(2000)081[1108:CCOFSC]2.0.CO;2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989643
Relationships between soil nitrogen dynamics and natural 15N-abundance in plant foliage from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Garten, Jr, Charles T; Van Miegroet, H M 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; AVAILABILITY; FERNS; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; ISOTOPE RATIO; LEAVES; MAPLES; MINERALIZATION; MOUNTAINS; NITRIFICATION; NITROGEN; ORGANIC MATTER; SOILS; TRANSFORMATIONS We tested the hypothesis that naturally occurring nitrogen (N) isotope ratios in foliage (from plants that do not symbiotically fix atmospheric N{sub 2}) are an indicator of soil N dynamics in forests. Replicate plots were established at eight locations ranging in elevation from 615 to 1670 m in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee, U.S.A. The locations selected ranged from N-poor (low-elevation) to N-rich (high-elevation) forest stands. Soils were sampled in June 1992; plants, forest floors, and upper mineral soils were sampled in August 1992. Net N mineralization and net nitrification potentials for surface mineral soils and organic matter layers at each site were determined by aerobic laboratory incubations. Soils and organic layers from high-elevation sites had greater net N mineralization and nitrification potentials than soils from low-elevation sites. There were significant (P {le} 0.05) differences between study sites in soil {sup 15}N abundance. Therefore, we examined correlations between measures of soil N availability and both mean foliar {delta}{sup 15}N values and mean enrichment factors ({var_epsilon}{sub p-s} = {delta}{sup 15}N{sub leaf} - {delta}{sup 15}N{sub soil}). In evergreens, maples, and ferns, mean foliar {delta}{sup 15}N values and mean enrichment factors were positively correlated with net N mineralization and net nitrification potentials in soil. The observed relationships between natural {sup 15}N abundance in plant leaves and soil N availability were explained by a simple model of soil N dynamics. The model predicts how the isotopic composition of plant N is affected by the following factors: (i) varying uptake of soil NH{sub 4}-N and NO{sub 3}-N, (ii) the isotopic composition of different soil N pools, and (iii) relative rates of soil N transformations. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 1994-08-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1139/x94-212 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978238
KNIFE MILL COMMINUTION ENERGY ANALYSIS OF SWITCHGRASS, WHEAT STRAW, AND CORN STOVER AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS Bitra, V S.P.; Womac, A R; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Igathinathane, C 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AGRICULTURAL WASTES; BIOMASS; COMMINUTION; DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS; Direct energy measurement; ENERGY ANALYSIS; ETHANOL; Energy optimization; FORAGE; GRINDING; MAIZE; OPENINGS; PARTICLE SIZE; POLYNOMIALS; POWER INPUT; Particle size characterization; ROTORS; Rosin-Rammler distribution; SCREENS; SPECTRA; STRAW; SWITCHGRASS; Size reduction of biomass; Specific energy; WHEAT Biomass preprocessing and pretreatment technologies such as size reduction and chemical preconditioning are aimed at reducing the cost of ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. Size reduction is an energy-intensive biomass preprocessing unit operation. In this study, switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover were chopped in an instrumented knife mill to evaluate size reduction energy and corresponding particle size distribution as determined with a standard forage sieve analyzer. Direct mechanical power inputs were determined using a dedicated data acquisition system for knife mill screen openings from 12.7 to 50.8 mm, rotor speeds between 250 and 500 rpm, and mass feed rates from 1 to 11 kg/min. A speed of 250 rpm gave optimum performance of the mill. Optimum feed rates for 25.4 mm screen and 250 rpm were 7.6, 5.8, and 4.5 kg/min for switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover, respectively. Total specific energy (MJ/Mg) was defined as the size reduction energy required to operate the knife mill plus that imparted to the biomass. Effective specific energy was defined as the energy imparted to the biomass. For these conditions, total specific energies were 27.3, 37.9, and 31.9 MJ/Mg and effective specific energies were 10.1, 15.5, and 3.2 MJ/Mg for switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover, respectively. These results demonstrated that biomass selection affects the size reduction energy, even for biomass with similar features. Second-order polynomial equations for the total specific energy requirement fitted well (R2 > 0.95) as a function of knife mill screen size, mass feed rate, and speed for biomass materials tested. The Rosin-Rammler equation fitted the cumulative undersize mass of switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover chop passed through ASABE sieves with high R2 (>0.983). Knife mill chopping of switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover resulted in particle size distributions classified as 'well-graded strongly fine-skewed mesokurtic', 'well-graded fine-skewed mesokurtic', and 'well-graded fine-skewed mesokurtic', respectively, for small knife mill screen sizes (12.7 to 25.4 mm) and distributions classified as 'well-graded fine-skewed mesokurtic', 'well-graded strongly fine-skewed mesokurtic', and 'well-graded fine-skewed mesokurtic', respectively, for the large screen size (50.8 mm). Total and effective specific energy values per unit size reduction of wheat straw were greater compared to those for switchgrass. Corn stover resulted in reduced total and effective specific energy per unit size reduction compared to wheat straw for the same operating conditions, but higher total specific energy per unit size reduction and lesser effective specific energy per unit size reduction compared to switchgrass. Data on minimized total specific energy with corresponding particle spectra will be useful for preparing feed material with a knife mill for subsequent grinding with finer size reduction devices. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015065
Modeling the potential role of a forest ecosystem in phytostabilization and phytoextraction of 90Sr at a contaminated watershed Garten, Jr, Charles T 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; BIOMASS; CROPS; DECAY; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; MANAGEMENT; MINIMIZATION; POLLUTION; PRESERVATION; REMOVAL; ROTATION; SIMULATION; SOILS; STREAMS; TENNESSEE; TRANSPORT; WASTES; WATERSHEDS The behavior of {sup 90}Sr at forest sites in the White Oak Creek watershed, near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was simulated with a simple, site-specific, multicompartment model that linked biomass and element cycling dynamics. The model was used to predict the role of forest cover in mitigating hydrologic losses of {sup 90}Sr from contaminated soils (i.e. phytostabilization) under conditions where contaminant transport is governed mainly by shallow subsurface flow. The model was also used to predict the removal of {sup 90}Sr from soil (i.e. phytoextraction) through the growth and harvest of short rotation woody crops over a period of 30 years. Simulations with the model indicated that (1) forest preservation on the watershed is a form of phytostabilization because forest cover helps to minimize hydrologic losses of {sup 90}Sr and (2) an attempt to significantly reduce amounts of {sup 90}Sr in soil through phytoextraction would be unsuccessful. Over a period of 30 years, and under various management strategies, the model predicted that <15% of the {sup 90}Sr initially present in soil at a contaminated site was lost through hydrologic transport and <53% was lost by radioactive decay. Phytostabilization may be important in the management of radioactive land when issues like waste minimization and pollution prevention affect the selection of technologies to be used in environmental restoration. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 1999-05-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/S0265-931X(98)00061-7 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989646
Large-scale production, harvest and logistics of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) - current technology and envisioning a mature technology Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Mani, Sudhagar; Kumar, Amit; Bransby, David; Lynd, L; Laser, Mark 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOFUELS; BIOMASS; BULK DENSITY; CAPACITY; CHEMICAL INDUSTRY; CROPS; GENETICS; HARVESTING; HEATING; MANAGEMENT; PRODUCTION; PRODUCTIVITY; STORAGE; SWITCHGRASS; TRANSPORT Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a promising cellulosic biomass feedstock for biorefineries and biofuel production. This paper reviews current and future potential technologies for production, harvest, storage, and transportation of switchgrass. Our analysis indicates that for a yield of 10 Mg ha 1, the current cost of producing switchgrass (after establishment) is about $41.50 Mg 1. The costs may be reduced to about half this if the yield is increased to 30 Mg ha 1 through genetic improvement, intensive crop management, and/or optimized inputs. At a yield of 10 Mg ha 1, we estimate that harvesting costs range from $23.72 Mg 1 for current baling technology to less than $16 Mg 1 when using a loafing collection system. At yields of 20 and 30 Mg ha 1 with an improved loafing system, harvesting costs are even lower at $12.75 Mg 1 and $9.59 Mg 1, respectively. Transport costs vary depending upon yield and fraction of land under switchgrass, bulk density of biomass, and total annual demand of a biorefinery. For a 2000 Mg d 1 plant and an annual yield of 10 Mg ha 1, the transport cost is an estimated $15.42 Mg 1, assuming 25% of the land is under switchgrass production. Total delivered cost of switchgrass using current baling technology is $80.64 Mg 1, requiring an energy input of 8.5% of the feedstock higher heating value (HHV). With mature technology, for example, a large, loaf collection system, the total delivered cost is reduced to about $71.16 Mg 1 with 7.8% of the feedstock HHV required as input. Further cost reduction can be achieved by combining mature technology with increased crop productivity. Delivered cost and energy input do not vary significantly as biorefinery capacity increases from 2000 Mg d 1 to 5000 Mg d 1 because the cost of increased distance to access a larger volume feedstock offsets the gains in increased biorefinery capacity. This paper outlines possible scenarios for the expansion of switchgrass handling to 30 Tg (million Mg) in 2015 and 100 Tg in 2030 based on predicted growth of the biorefinery industry in the USA. The value of switchgrass collection operations is estimated at more than $0.6 billion in 2015 and more than $2.1 billion in 2030. The estimated value of post harvest operations is $0.6 $2.0 billion in 2015, and $2.0 $6.5 billion in 2030, depending on the degree of preprocessing. The need for power equipment (tractors) will increase from 100 MW in 2015 to 666 MW in 2030, with corresponding annual values of $150 and $520 million, respectively. 2009 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/bbb.129 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015055
Direct mechanical energy measures of hammer mill comminution of switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover and analysis of their particle size distributions Bitra, V S P; Womac, A R; Chevanan, Nehru; Miu, P I; Smith, D R; Igathinathane, C; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ACCURACY; AGRICULTURAL WASTES; ASYMMETRY; BIOMASS; COMMINUTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS; DISTRIBUTION; DUSTS; GRINDING; MAIZE; MILLING; PARTICLE SIZE; SCREENS; STATISTICS; STORAGE; STRAW; SWITCHGRASS; VELOCITY; WHEAT Biomass particle size impacts handling, storage, conversion, and dust control systems. Size reduction mechanical energy was directly measured for switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), wheat straw (Triticum aestivum L.), and corn stover (Zea mays L.) in an instrumented hammer mill. Direct energy inputs were determined for hammer mill operating speeds from 2000 to 3600 rpm for 3.2 mm integral classifying screen and mass input rate of 2.5 kg/min with 90 - and 30 -hammers. Overall accuracy of specific energy measurement was calculated as 0.072 MJ/Mg. Particle size distributions created by hammer mill were determined for mill operating factors using ISO sieve sizes from 4.75 to 0.02 mm in conjunction with Ro-Tap sieve analyzer. A wide range of analytical descriptors were examined to mathematically represent the range of particle sizes in the distributions. Total specific energy (MJ/Mg) was defined as size reduction energy to operate the hammer mill plus that imparted to biomass. Effective specific energy was defined as energy imparted to biomass. Total specific energy for switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover grinding increased by 37, 30, and 45% from 114.4, 125.1, and 103.7 MJ/Mg, respectively, with an increase in hammer mill speed from 2000 to 3600 rpm for 90 -hammers. Corresponding total specific energy per unit size reduction was 14.9, 19.7, and 13.5 MJ/Mg mm, respectively. Effective specific energy of 90 -hammers decreased marginally for switchgrass and considerably for wheat straw and it increased for corn stover with an increase in speed from 2000 to 3600 rpm. However, effective specific energy increased with speed to a certain extent and then decreased for 30 -hammers. Rosin Rammler equation fitted the size distribution data with R2 > 0.995. Mass relative span was greater than 1, which indicated a wide distribution of particle sizes. Hammer milling of switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover with 3.2 mm screen resulted in well-graded fine-skewed mesokurtic particles. Uniformity coefficient was < 4.0 for wheat straw, which indicated uniform mix of particles, and it was about 4.0 for switchgrass and corn stover, which indicated a moderate assortment of particles. Size-related parameters, namely, geometric mean diameter, Rosin Rammler size parameter, median diameter, and effective size had strong correlation among themselves and good negative correlation with speed. Distribution-related parameters, namely, Rosin Rammler distribution parameter, mass relative span, inclusive graphic skewness, graphic kurtosis, uniformity index, uniformity coefficient, coefficient of gradation and distribution geometric standard deviation had strong correlation among themselves and a weak correlation with mill speed. Results of this extensive analysis of specific energy and particle sizes can be applied to selection of hammer mill operating factors to produce a particular size of switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover grind, and will serve as a guide for relations among the energy and various analytic descriptors of biomass particle distributions. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 2009-07-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.powtec.2009.02.010 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015101
Spallation Neutron Source Second Target Station Construction Project: Biological Assessment McCracken, Kitty; Carter, Evin T. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 153 et seq.), as amended (ESA or Act) in section 7(a)(1) directs Federal agencies to conserve and recover listed species and use their authorities in the furtherance of the purposes of the Act by carrying out programs for the conservation of endangered and threatened species so that listing is no longer necessary (50 CFR §402). Furthermore, the Act in section 7(a)(2) directs Federal agencies to consult (referred to as section 7 consultation) with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) when their activities âmay affectâ a listed species or designated critical habitat. This biological assessment (BA) analyzes the potential effects of the proposed Spallation Neutron Source Second Target Station STS construction project on the U. S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) on Federal listed threatened, endangered, proposed, and under consideration for Federal listing bat species, pursuant to section 7(a)(2) of the ESA. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE United States 2024-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/2371070 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2371070
Foliar retention of 15N tracers: implications for net canopy exchange in low- and high-elevation forest ecosystems Garten, Jr, Charles T; Schwab, Alison; Shirshac, Terri 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONIFERS; DEPOSITION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; NITRATES; NITROGEN 15; RETENTION; SEASONS; WASHOUT Nitrogen-15 ({sup 15}N) labelled ammonium and nitrate were applied to understory saplings in a low-elevation deciduous forest and a high-elevation coniferous forest during the 1993 growing season to estimate the minimum retention of inorganic N from wet deposition. Tissue samples were collected at both sites before and after the tracer applications to determine the initial and the final {sup 15}N content. The fraction of the tracer application retained by deciduous leaves or by current-year leaves and stems on conifers was calculated from measurements of {sup 15}N and total N content. At both study sites, tracer applications significantly increased the {sup 15}N content of sapling tissues, although there was no significant difference between the fractional retention of ammonium and nitrate. The results support earlier studies indicating that the foliar retention of {sup 15}N applied in simulated wet deposition is small. Our estimates of annual N uptake from wet deposition by the forest canopy at the low- and high-elevation study sites were only 14 and 7%, respectively. This study, along with prior studies of the different chemical forms of N deposition, indicates that canopy uptake of dry N deposition is a major contributor to the net canopy exchange of N in both forests. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 1998-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/S0378-1127(97)00185-0 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989689
The importance of recognizing Buffer Zones to lands being developed, restored, or remediated: on planning for protection of ecological resources Burger, Joanna (ORCID:0000000288772966); Gochfeld, Michael; Brown, Kevin; Ng, Kelly; Cortes, Monica; Kosson, David Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; Toxicology Not provided. Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, TN (United States) USDOE United States 2023-11-24T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1080/15287394.2023.2285511 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2578676
Dispersal of radioactivity by wildlife from contaminated sites in a forested landscape Garten, Jr, Charles T 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ANIMALS; DEER; FROGS; HOME RANGE; HYMENOPTERA; INVERTEBRATES; MAMMALS; ORNL; PONDS; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIOISOTOPES; SEDIMENTS; TENNESSEE; TRACE AMOUNTS; TRANSPORT; TURTLES; VECTORS; WASPS; WASTES Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is located within the Valley and Ridge Physiographic Province of eastern Tennessee (USA). Wildlife populations have access to some radioactively contaminated sites at ORNL. Contaminated animals or animal nests within the Laboratory's boundaries have been found to contain {sup 90}Sr or {sup 137}Cs on the order of 10{sup -2}-10{sup 4} Bqg{sup -1} and trace amounts of other radionuclides (including transuranic elements). Animals that are capable of flight and animals with behavior patterns or developmental life stages involving contact with sediments in radioactive ponds, like benthic invertebrates, present the greatest potential for dispersal of radioactivity. The emigration of frogs and turtles from waste ponds also presents a potential for dispersal of radioactivity but over distances < 5 km. Mud-dauber wasps (Hymenoptera) and swallows (Hirundinidae) may transport radioactive mud for nest building, but also over relatively short distances (0.2-1 km). Movement by small mammals is limited by several factors, including physical barriers and smaller home ranges. Larger animals, like white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), are potential vectors of radioactivity due to their greater body size, longer life expectancy, and larger home range. Larger animals contain greater amounts of total radioactivity than smaller animals, but tissue concentrations of {sup 137}Cs generally decline with body size. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 1995-12-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/0265-931X(94)00068-8 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989656
Forest soil carbon inventories and dynamics along an elevation gradient in the southern Appalachian Mountains Garten, Jr, Charles T; Post, Wilfred M; Hanson, Paul J; Cooper, Lee W 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS; CARBON; CLIMATES; ECOSYSTEMS; FLOTATION; FORESTS; HYDROLOGY; INVENTORIES; NUTRITION; ORGANIC MATTER; SOILS Soil organic carbon (SOC) was partitioned between unprotected and protected pools in six forests along an elevation gradient in the southern Appalachian Mountains using two physical methods: flotation in aqueous CaCl{sub 2} (1.4 g/mL) and wet sieving through a 0.053 mm sieve. Both methods produced results that were qualitatively and quantitatively similar. Along the elevation gradient, 28 to 53% of the SOC was associated with an unprotected pool that included forest floor O-layers and other labile soil organic matter (SOM) in various stages of decomposition. Most (71 to 83%) of the C in the mineral soil at the six forest sites was identified as protected because of its association with a heavy soil fraction (> 1.4 g/mL) or a silt-clay soil fraction. Total inventories of SOC in the forests (to a depth of 30 cm) ranged from 384 to 1244 mg C/cm{sup 2}. The turnover time of the unprotected SOC was negatively correlated (r = -0.95, p < 0.05) with mean annual air temperature (MAT) across the elevation gradient. Measured SOC inventories, annual C returns to the forest floor, and estimates of C turnover associated with the protected soil pool were used to parameterize a simple model of SOC dynamics. Steady-state predictions with the model indicated that, with no change in C inputs, the low- (235-335 m), mid- (940-1000 m), and high- (1650-1670 m) elevation forests under study might surrender {approx} 40 to 45% of their current SOC inventory following a 4 C increase in MAT. Substantial losses of unprotected SOM as a result of a warmer climate could have long-term impacts on hydrology, soil quality, and plant nutrition in forest ecosystems throughout the southern Appalachian Mountains. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 1999-05-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1023/A:1006121511680 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989645
Disturbance of hibernating bats due to researchers entering caves to conduct hibernacula surveys Whiting, Jericho C.; Doering, Bill; Aho, Ken; Bybee, Bryan F. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Acoustic sampling; Animal behaviour; Conservation biology; Corynorhinus townsendii; Ecological modelling; Hibernacula; Hibernacula surveys; Myotis ciliolabrum; Science & Technology - Other Topics Estimating population changes of bats is important for their conservation. Population estimates of hibernating bats are often calculated by researchers entering hibernacula to count bats; however, the disturbance caused by these surveys can cause bats to arouse unnaturally, fly, and lose body mass. We conducted 17 hibernacula surveys in 9 caves from 2013 to 2018 and used acoustic detectors to document cave-exiting bats the night following our surveys. We predicted that cave-exiting flights (i.e., bats flying out and then back into caves) of Townsendâs big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii) and western small-footed myotis (Myotis ciliolabrum) would be higher the night following hibernacula surveys than on nights following no surveys. Those two species, however, did not fly out of caves more than predicted the night following 82% of surveys. Nonetheless, the activity of bats flying out of caves following surveys was related to a disturbance factor (i.e., number of researchers à total time in a cave). We produced a parsimonious model for predicting the probability of Townsendâs big-eared bats flying out of caves as a function of disturbance factor and ambient temperature. That model can be used to help biologists plan for the number of researchers, and the length of time those individuals are in a cave to minimize disturbing bats. Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Piketon, OH (United States) USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) United States 2024-06-12T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/s41598-024-64172-8 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2469850
Uptake of tritium by plants from atmosphere and soil Amano, H; Garten, Jr, Charles T 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; DECIDUOUS TREES; DIFFUSION; FORECASTING; SOILS; TRANSPIRATION; TREES; TRITIUM; TRITIUM OXIDES; WATER Uptake of tritiated water (HTO) by plants was examined under field conditions when tritium was available to leaves from only the atmosphere and when tritium was available from both the soil (root uptake) and the atmosphere. Maple, oak, and elm trees, planted in clean soil, were transported to a tritium-contaminated forest, where the atmospheric tritium concentration was elevated, to examine HTO uptake by tree leaves when the source was only in the atmosphere. The results partially agreed with a diffusion model of tritium uptake by plants. Discrepancies found between predicted and measured leaf HTO/air HTO ratios should be attributed to the existence of some isolated water, which is isolated from the transpiration stream in the leaves, that was not available for rapid turnover. The uptake of tritium by trees, when the source was both in the soil and atmosphere, was also examined using deciduous trees (maple and elm) resident to the tritium-contaminated forest. The results were in agreement with a prediction model. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 1991-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/0160-4120(91)90334-M https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978730
Ecological connectivity and in-kind mitigation in a regulatory decision framework: A case study with an amphibian habitat specialist Carter, Evin T.; Wade, Bryce S.; Jett, R. Trent; Mathews, Teresa J.; Hayter, Lindsey E.; Darling, Sarah E.; Herold, Jamie M.; Byrd, Greg; DeRolph, Christopher R.; McCracken, M. Kitty; Peterson, Mark J. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Decision analysis; Environmental cleanup; Hemidactylium; Platanthera; Translocation; Wetlands Ecological connectivity is critical to the survival and long-term viability of populations but is often overlooked in regulatory frameworks. We integrated landscape-level processes into a mitigation strategy for impacts to aquatic resources on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in eastern Tennessee. Wetlands on the ORR, which contain significant breeding populations of the imperiled four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) and tubercled rein orchid (Platanthera flava var. herbiola), will be impacted by construction of an environmental waste disposal facility under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). Here, we used a modified Kepner-Tregoe decision analysis to select general mitigation options that balanced regulatory requirements and interest group perspectives. We emphasized habitat connectivity through models that prioritized an area's importance to natural area connectivity (centrality) and maintenance of population structure for an affected habitat specialist (four-toed salamanders). We also emphasized in-kind mitigation through the preservation and enhancement of ecologically similar resources and the translocation and establishment of a new subpopulation of four-toed salamanders elsewhere on the ORR. We ultimately released over 500 juvenile salamanders that originated from the impacted site into the chosen mitigation wetlands. By doing so under the constraints of a time-sensitive CERCLA remediation effort and exceeding its substantive requirements, this work underscores feasibility. Ecological connectivity and the conservation of species that are not afforded explicit regulatory processes can be effectively and efficiently integrated into environmental decision-making and land use planning. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE; Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) United States 2025-02-21T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124546 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2538399
CONSERVATION AMID THE RCRA/CERCLA REMEDIAL PROCESS BLAS, SUSAN A. SRS DOE; EM United States 2023-02-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1969068
Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1990 to the DOE Office of Energy Research Park, J. F.; Kreml, S. A.; Wildung, R. E.; Hefty, M. G.; Perez, D. A.; Chase, K. K.; Elderkin, C. E.; Owczarski, E. L.; Toburen, L. H.; Parnell, K. A.; Faust, L. G.; Moraski, R. V.; Selby, J. M.; Hilliard, D. K.; Tenforde, T. S. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); 540310 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); 550500 -- Metabolism; 550700 -- Microbiology; 58 GEOSCIENCES; 580000 -- Geosciences; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; BIOTECHNOLOGY; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; GEOLOGY; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROLOGY; MASS TRANSFER; MICROORGANISMS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PLANTS; PROGRESS REPORT; REMOTE SENSING; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SOILS; SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENTS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WATER This report summarizes progress in the environmental sciences research conducted by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the Office of Health and Environment Research in FY 1990. Research is directed toward developing the knowledge needed to guide government policy and technology development for two important environmental problems: environmental restoration and global change. The report is organized by major research areas contributing to resolution of these problems. Additional sections summarize exploratory research, educational institutional interactions, technology transfer, and publications. The PNL research program continues make contributions toward defining and quantifying processes that effect the environment at the local, regional, and global levels. Each research project forms a component in an integrated laboratory, intermediate-scale, and field approach designed to examine multiple phenomena at increasing levels of complexity. This approach is providing system-level insights into critical environmental processes. University liaisons continue to be expanded to strengthen the research and to use PNL resources to train the scientists needed to address long-term environmental problems. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA) United States 1991-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5765261 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5765261
Influence of habitat and baiting strategy on oral rabies vaccine bait uptake by raccoons in the southeastern United States Hill, Jacob; Miller, Madison; Chipman, Richard; Gilbert, Amy; Beasley, James; Dharmarajan, Guha; Rhodes, Olin Agriculture; Behavioral Sciences; Veterinary Sciences Not provided. Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2024-08-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106320 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2576382
A physical map of the highly heterozygous Populus genome: integration with the genome sequence and genetic map and analysis of haplotype variation Kelleher, Colin; Chiu, Readman; Shin, Heesun; Bosdet, Ian; Krywinski, Martin; Fjell, Chris; Wilkin, Jennifer; Yin, Tongming; DiFazio, Stephen P; Ali, Johar; Asano, Jennifer; Chan, Susanna; Cloutier, Alison; Girn, Noreen; Leach, Stephen; Lee, Darlene; Mathewson, Carrie; Olson, Teika; O'Connor, Katie; Prabhu, Anna-Liisa; Smailus, Duane; Stott, Jeffery; Tsai, Miranda; Wye, Natasaja; Yang, George; Zhuang, Jun; Holt, Robert A.; Putnam, Nicholas; Vrebalov, Julia; Giovannoni, James; Grimwood, Jane; Schmutz, Jeremy; Rokhsar, Daniel; Jones, Steven; Marra, Marco; Tuskan, Gerald A; Bohlmann, J.; Ellis, Brian; Ritland, Kermit; Douglas, Carl; Schein, Jacqueline 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; CHROMOSOMES; CONTIGS; GENETICS; POPLARS As part of a larger project to sequence the Populus genome and generate genomic resources for this emerging model tree, we constructed a physical map of the Populus genome, representing one of the first maps of an undomesticated, highly heterozygous plant species. The physical map, consisting of 2,802 contigs, was constructed from fingerprinted bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones. The map represents approximately 9.4-fold coverage of the 485+10 Mb Populus genome, as estimated from the genome sequence assembly. BAC ends were sequenced to aid in long-range assembly of whole genome shotgun sequence scaffolds and to anchor the physical map to the genome sequence. Simple sequence repeat (SSR)-based markers were derived from the end sequences and used to initiate integration of the BAC and genetic maps. 2,411 physical map contigs, representing 97% of all clones assigned to contigs, were aligned to the sequence assembly (JGI Populus trichocarpa v1.0). These alignments represent a total coverage of 384 Mb (79%) of the entire poplar sequence assembly and 295 Mb (96%) of linkage group sequence assemblies. A striking result of the physical map contig alignments to the sequence assembly was the co-localization of multiple contigs across numerous regions of the 19 linkage groups. Targeted sequencing of BAC clones and genetic analysis in a small number of representative regions showed that these co-aligning contigs represent distinct haplotypes in the heterozygous individual sequenced, and revealed the nature of these haplotype sequence differences. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2007.03112.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931850
Sources of sulphur in forest canopy throughfall Lindberg, Steven Eric; Garten, Jr, Charles T 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ACIDIFICATION; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; DEPOSITION; FORESTS; LEACHING; LEAVES; RAIN; SOILS; THROUGHFALL; TREES; WATER Atmospheric deposition of sulphate is the primary link between the atmosphere and acidification of soils and aquatic ecosystems. The flux of sulphate to forest soils can be measured in the water that drips from trees following the interception of rain to form stemflow and throughfall (the sum of which is designated here as TF). Enrichment of sulphur in TF over that found in rain is widely reported; sulphur sources include the wash-off of previously dry-deposited sulphate particles and SO{sub 2} and the leaching of internal plant sulphur from foliage (termed foliar leaching). To quantify foliar leaching, we labelled mature trees in the field with radiosulphur and measured atmospheric sulphur concentrations and fluxes. Here we report that dry deposition provides >85% of the enrichment of sulphate in the TF flux to soils below three different tree species at low-elevation sites in the southeastern United States. This supports evidence from several forests that total atmospheric deposition of sulphate is strongly reflected in the measured flux in TF. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 1988-11-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/336148a0 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978736
Stable nitrogen isotope ratios in wet and dry nitrate deposition collected with an artificial tree Garten, Jr, Charles T 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; COAL; COMBUSTION; DEPOSITION; FORESTS; ISOTOPE RATIO; NITRATES; NITROGEN ISOTOPES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PRECIPITATION; SAMPLING; TENNESSEE; THROUGHFALL; TREES Amounts of dry NO{sub 3}-N deposition and N isotope ratios in wet and dry NO{sub 3}-N deposition have been simultaneously determined by examining differences between precipitation collected by open funnels and throughfall collected beneath an artificial Christmas tree. Samples were collected in a forest clearing on Walker Branch Watershed, near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. From mid-summer to early autumn, NO{sub 3}-N fluxes beneath the artificial tree were always greater than those measured in precipitation indicating the tree's effectiveness as a passive collector of dry NO{sub 3}-N deposition. Dry NO{sub 3}-N deposition averaged 60 {+-} 9% of total (wet and dry) deposition. The mean ({+-} SD) calculated {delta}{sup 15}N value for NO{sub 3}-N in dry deposition was + 5.6 {+-} 2.1{per_thousand} (n = 6 sampling periods ranging from 4 to 15 days). On average, this was {approx} 6{per_thousand} heavier than measured {delta}{sup 15}N values for NO{sub 3}-N in precipitation. The calculated {delta}{sup 15}N value for NO{sub 3}-N in dry deposition was consistent with that expected if NO{sub x} precursors to HNO{sub 3} vapor (the major constituent of dry deposition at this site) originated principally from coal combustion. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 1996-02-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1034/j.1600-0889.1996.00006.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989691
Deer Vigilance and Movement Behavior Are Affected by Edge Density and Connectivity Bartel, Savannah L.; Hakkila, Leotie; Orrock, John L. ABSTRACT Animal behavior is an important component of individual, population, and community responses to anthropogenic habitat alteration. For example, antipredator behavior (e.g., vigilance) and animal movement behavior may both be important behavioral responses to the increased density of habitat edges and changes in patch connectivity that characterize highly modified habitats. Importantly, edge density and connectivity might interact, and this interaction is likely to mediate animal behavior: linear, edgeârich landscape features often provide structural connectivity between patches, but the functional connectedness of patches for animal use could depend upon how edge density modifies animal vigilance and movement. Using remote cameras in largeâscale experimental landscapes that manipulate edge density (highâ vs. lowâdensity edges) and patch connectivity (isolated or connected patches), we examined the effects of edge density and connectivity on the antipredator behavior and movement behavior of whiteâtailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ). Deer vigilance was 1.38 times greater near highâdensity edges compared to lowâdensity edges, regardless of whether patches were connected or isolated. Deer were also more likely to move parallel to connected highâdensity edges than all other edge types, suggesting that connectivity promotes movement along highâdensity edges. These results suggest that increases in edge density that accompany human fragmentation of existing habitats may give rise to largeâscale changes in the antipredator behavior of deer. These results also suggest that conservation strategies that simultaneously manipulate edge density and connectivity (i.e., habitat corridors) may have multiple effects on different aspects of deer behavior: linear habitat corridors were areas of high vigilance, but also areas where deer movement behavior implied increased movement along the habitat edge.
USDOE Country unknown/Code not available 2025-05-19T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/eth.13574 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2567077
Topographic variation of soil nitrogen dynamics at Walker Branch Watershed, Tennessee Garten, Jr, Charles T; Huston, Michael A; Thoms, C A 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; APPROXIMATIONS; CALIBRATION; DRAINAGE; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS; MINERALIZATION; NITRIFICATION; NITROGEN; PRODUCTIVITY; SAMPLING; SIMULATION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SOILS; TENNESSEE; TRANSFORMATIONS; UREASE; WATERSHEDS Understanding the spatial and temporal variability of soil nitrogen (N) transformations is central to quantifying the N dynamics and productivity of ecosystems. The objectives of this work were to examine spatial and temporal variation of soil N dynamics and to identify factors correlated with topographic variation in soil N dynamics in a forest watershed. Net N mineralization and net nitrification potential were measured by aerobic laboratory incubations of surface (0-7 cm) mineral soils. Principal components analysis was used to describe sampling sites across the watershed based on 13 site characterization variables. A topographic index used in hydrologic modeling, In ({alpha}/tan {beta}), was calculated for each site as the natural logarithm of the ratio of the upslope drainage area per unit contour length ({alpha}) to the local slope angle (tan {beta}). Soils from valley floors had greater total N concentrations, lower carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratios, greater potential net nitrification, and greater microbial activity (as indicated by short-term urease assays) than soils from ridges. Mean net nitrification potential was 0.59 {micro}g N g{sup -1} d{sup -1} in surface soils from valley floors and was < 0.01 on ridges and slopes. The first principal component was related to the N and C properties of soils, leaf litter, and leaf fall at a site. The second principal component was related to forest stand composition. The topographic index was significantly correlated with important variables related to soil N dynamics. Once calibration data are derived, this index may be useful as a first approximation to total soil N concentrations and soil C:N ratios in forest watersheds because In ({alpha}/tan {beta}) can be calculated from geographic information systems that contain topographic data. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 1994-08-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989635
Nitrogen isotope composition of ammonium and nitrate in bulk precipitation and forest throughfall Garten, Jr, Charles T 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AEROSOLS; CLOUDS; FORESTS; FRACTIONATION; ION EXCHANGE; MOUNTAINS; NITRATES; NITROGEN 15; NITROGEN COMPOUNDS; NITROGEN ISOTOPES; PRECIPITATION; PROCESSING; RAIN; THROUGHFALL; WASHOUT; WATER; WATERSHEDS The stable nitrogen isotope composition of ammonium (NH{sub 4}{sup +}) and nitrate (NO{sub 3}{sup -}) ions in bulk precipitation and forest throughfall was determined at Walker Branch watershed, a low elevation site (340 m) in northeastern Tennessee, and in cloud water from Whitetop Mountain, a high elevation site (1680 m) in southwestern Virginia. Tests of the method used indicated that sample processing did not introduce significant isotopic fractionation in measurements of nitrogen isotope composition. Mean {delta}{sup 15}N values for NH{sub 4}{sup +} and NO{sub 3}{sup -} in solutions of artificial rain were within 0.3{per_thousand} of the mean {delta}{sup 15}N values of nitrogen compounds used to make the solutions. Over a one-year period on Walker Branch watershed, the measured mean ({+-} SD) {delta}{sup 15}N value for NH{sub 4}{sup +} in bulk precipitation and throughfall (-3.4 {+-} 2.1{per_thousand}) was significantly less than that for NO{sub 3}{sup -}(+ 2.3 {+-} 2.4{per_thousand}). The same relative pattern was observed in cloud water from Whitetop Mountain: mean ({+-} SD) {delta}{sup 15}N in cloud water NH{sub 4}{sup +} was -5.5 {+-} 3.2{per_thousand}; i.e., isotopically lighter than NO{sub 3}{sup -}(+ 1.4 {+-} 4.8{per_thousand}). The isotopic composition of NH{sub 4}{sup +} in bulk precipitation and throughfall on Walker Branch watershed and in cloud water at Whitetop Mountain was consistent with origination through the washout of atmospheric NH{sub 3}. However, the origins of NO{sub 3}{sup -} (gaseous versus aerosol precursors) could not be clearly established from {delta}{sup 15}N measurements. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 1992-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1080/03067319208027017 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989694
Variation in foliar 15N abundance and the availability of soil nitrogen on Walker Branch Watershed Garten, Jr, Charles T 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; AVAILABILITY; DEPOSITION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; MINERALIZATION; NITRIFICATION; NITROGEN; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SOILS; TENNESSEE; TOPOGRAPHY; WATERSHEDS Spatial patterns in natural {sup 15}N abundance ({sup o}{sup 15}N) in soil, soil solutions, and non-N{sub 2}-fixing plants were studied in the deciduous forest on Walker Branch Watershed near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that foliar {sup o}{sup 15}N values are related to the availability of inorganic nitrogen in mineral soil. Soils collected in or near valley bottoms on the watershed had higher levels of net nitrogen mineralization and net nitrification potential than those sampled from ridges and slopes. More positive foliar {sup o}{sup 15}N values occurred in valley bottoms, which, relative to other positions on the watershed, were characterized by greater availability of soil nitrogen and lower C-to-N ratios in the O{sub i}-horizon, in the surface mineral soil, and in autumn leaf fall. Although leaf nitrogen concentrations changed significantly over the course of the growing season, there was little seasonal variation in foliar {sup o}{sup 15}N values. A hypothesis about the relative importance of different sources of nitrogen to the forest and how nitrogen cycling varies with topography in this nitrogen-deficient ecosystem was derived, in part, from spatial patterns in natural {sup 15}N abundance. There appear to be two processes affecting the topographic patterns in foliar {sup 15}N abundance on this watershed: (1) greater uptake from isotopically heavy pools of inorganic soil nitrogen by plants in valley bottoms, and (2) uptake of isotopically light ammonium-N in atmospheric deposition by plants on ridges and slopes (where the availability of inorganic soil nitrogen to plant roots is more limited). Results from this study indicate that foliar {sup o}{sup 15}N values are positively correlated with net nitrification potential in surface soil. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 1993-10-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.2307/1940855 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989634
DOE-ID-INL-21-126 R1 Jorgensen, Kailey L 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; Monitoring & Natural Resource Activities at INL; Off-Site Monitoring DOE-ID-INL-21-126 R1 for INL-21-126 R1. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Nuclear Energy United States 2022-10-17T04:00:00Z Program Document https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1908688
Watersheds and stream networks viewed longitudinally: Example insights from novel spatial portrayals of watershed characteristics Raulerson, Scott; Sytsma, Caleb; Webster, Jackson R.; Jackson, C. Rhett Abstract Longitudinal depictions of watershed structure and characteristics, including topography, stream networks, wetlands, ground water levels, and land use, can provide watershed knowledge and understanding unavailable from standard plan view maps. Three case studies provide examples of knowledge gained by applying longitudinal views of stream networks, watershed hydrologic behavior, and land use distributions. Longitudinal views of mountain stream networks show extreme variability in the slopeâarea relationships of low Strahler order streams, large discontinuities in drainage area (large parts of drainage area space are absent in networks), and large variations in network curvature. Longitudinal views of a groundwaterâdominated headwater watershed increase the inference available from limited groundwater observations and clearly reveal how groundwater connections affect the permanence of surface water features and the distribution of vadose zone storage in the landscape. Plotting land uses longitudinally illuminates and allows a quantitative analysis of how land uses are distributed relative to topographic position. Viewing watersheds and stream networks longitudinally can provide new insights into watershed forms and processes and motivate new questions and research.
USDOE United Kingdom 2023-01-20T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/rra.4107 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1914324
Advancing wildlife connectivity in land use planning: a case study with four-toed salamanders Wade, Bryce S.; Carter, Evin T.; Derolph, Christopher R.; Byrd, Greg; Darling, Sarah E.; Hayter, Lindsey E.; Jett, R. Trent; Herold, Jamie M.; Giffen, Neil R. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Hemidactylium; LiDAR; Plethodontidae; barriers; circuit theory; cooperative planning; open-bottom culvert; research-implementation gap; roads and infrastructure Stable habitat connections that wildlife can safely traverse are essential to biodiversity conservation and healthy ecosystems. We developed high-resolution landscape connectivity models to predict resistance to movement by a threatened wetland-obligate amphibian, the four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum), and identified priority management areas on the 13,000-ha Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) from 2019 to 2022. We developed a resistance surface based on aerial light detection and ranging data (LiDAR), >30 years of field-based mapping of forest, hydrologic, and geologic features, and contemporary population surveys, alongside derived predictors at <1-m resolution. We then modeled predicted movement corridors using a circuit theory-based modeling approach. We worked closely with land management and natural resources personnel to integrate ecological modeling with broader land use priorities, monetary costs, and feasibility. We identified important terrestrial and aquatic areas on ORR and simulated management scenarios to promote stable connections for four-toed salamanders. This approach allowed us to narrow down a list of 438 potential habitat manipulation sites to 10 sites where open-bottomed culverts and buffers could be implemented. This smaller-scale restoration approach produced a similar increase in landscape connectivity while costing <20% of a larger-scale approach based on barrier removal. We successfully identified feasible, cost-effective management strategies that integrated knowledge from a variety of sources. In conclusion, we offer a strategy that permitted integration of wildlife management goals into infrastructure upgrades wherein wildlife was not an initial consideration. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC), Office of Workforce Development for Teachers & Scientists (WDTS) United States 2023-06-20T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/jwmg.22456 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1999092
Pillars of Innovation Across Southeast Idaho & the Interstate-15 Corridor Smith, Angela J; Fishler, Hillary K.; Sandi-Tapia, Giselle; Braase, Lori A 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; innovation hub Since 1949, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has been home to developing civilian and defense nuclear reactor technologies and managing spent nuclear fuel. Today, INL is the nationâs nuclear energy research laboratory, sustaining the safe and efficient operation of existing reactors, powering science in space, and breaking ground on the future fleet of advanced nuclear reactors. INL is only one of many rising technology resources in the region, however. Along the Interstate 15 (I-15) corridor, technology and cybersecurity industries and intellectual assets are rapidly expanding. Creating an innovation hub in this region would unite capabilities to solve current and future challenges in nuclear reactor sustainment and expanded deployment, integrated fuel cycle solutions, integrated energy systems, advanced materials and manufacturing for extreme environments, and secure and resilient cyber-physical systems. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC) United States 2023-03-27T04:00:00Z Program Document https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1970369
Replacement of Clerestory Windows at TA-03-0039 Technical Shops Building Schultz, Elliot Merle; Townsend, Cameron Dee 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; Cultural resources The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Field Office (Field Office) proposes an undertaking to replace 86 clerestory windows in Building 39 in Technical Area 3 (Technical Shops Building; TA-03-0039) at Los Alamos National Laboratory. TA-03-0039 was evaluated and determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in a report titled ESA Divisionâs Five-Year Plan: Consolidation and Revitalization at Technical Areas 3, 8, 11, and 16. This determination was concurred on by the State Historic Preservation Office on June 22, 2003 (McGehee et al. 2003). Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) United States 2025-01-16T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/2506973 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2506973
Efficacy and Costs of Restoring Wetland Breeding Habitat for Imperiled Amphibians in the Southeastern U.S. Stonecypher, E. Tucker; Lee, Linda S.; Weir, Scott M.; King, Elizabeth G.; Davis, Charles E.; Lance, Stacey L. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Cost-benefit; Duff; Fire ecology; Herbaceous; Isolated wetland; Rana capito Herbaceous isolated wetlands in the North American Southeastern Coastal Plain are important breeding sites for many imperiled amphibians. However, most are degraded from alterations to historic fire disturbance and hydrologic regimes. Without fire, encroaching woody vegetation can transition wetlands to more terrestrial conditions and negatively impact amphibian breeding habitat, yet few studies have experimentally tested the efficacy, cost, or temporal requirement of current methods to restore herbaceous wetland vegetation. Here, we tested the interaction of manipulating wetland canopy and leaf litter/duff to promote herbaceous vegetation within one year (i.e., one breeding season) in degraded herbaceous wetlands in South Carolina. We assessed plant response via herbaceous cover, composition, and species similarity to the wetland seed bank and then related treatment performance to treatment cost. Removing trees combined with burning, disturbing, or removing duff significantly increased herbaceous cover and proportions of wetland plants and graminoids. Removing trees alone did not improve herbaceous cover compared to closed-canopy controls, and manipulating duff alone had limited positive effects on plant cover and composition. The most expensive yet effective treatment was Tree Removal-Duff Removal, while Tree Removal-Duff Disturbance was the most cost-effective. At a minimum, we recommend removing trees and burning to kickstart herbaceous recovery. Promisingly, comparisons of our data with previous seed bank studies from these same wetlands indicate there was limited seed bank attrition during 30 years of woody encroachment. Results from this study should aid practitioners in choosing wetland restoration techniques to better conserve at-risk species in the Southeastern Coastal Plain. Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2024-05-29T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s13157-024-01821-8 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2386962
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Annual Sustainability Report 2023 Goins, Mark; Sluder, Scott; Albaugh Miller, Amy; Stephenson, Seaira P.; Touton, Laura 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES ORNL, managed under contract by UT-Battelle LLC, is DOEâs largest science and energy laboratory and, as such, executes the widest range of mission capabilities. Diverse expertise spans a broad range of scientific and engineering disciplines, enabling research and science achievements to accelerate the delivery of solutions to the marketplace. ORNL supports DOEâs national missions of scientific discovery, clean energy, and security. To execute these activities, ORNL has grown significantly over 80 years of continuous operations, consisting of facilities with commissioning dates ranging from the 1940s to the presentâan extraordinary set of distinctive scientific facilities and equipment. The complexities of such a variety of facilities require teamwork among divisions, a wide variety of conservation projects, and creative strategies to achieve the desired energy and water savings. Such a diverse and unique set of major facilities, totaling over 5.5 million square feet, with 6,000 employees, requires an innovative plan to accomplish advancements in operational efficiencies. ORNL is tasked with the management of an extraordinary set of distinctive scientific facilities and equipment for DOE. ORNL is mission-driven, and its mission has grown substantially over the decades. ORNLâs core research capabilities provide broad science and technology support for DOE in the areas of energy, environment, and national security. Currently, ORNL is a world leader in materials, neutron, and nuclear science and engineering, and in high-performance computing and data analytics. ORNLâs vast portfolio of research facilities must be maintained and carefully upgraded to protect the nationâs investment in scientific analysis. The goal of sustainable and resilient operations is to enable more effective execution of ORNLâs science and technology mission. Sustainable operational practices and enhanced resilience strive for excellent results while remaining diligent in energy conservation, environmental stewardship, asset management, and community engagement. The Sustainable ORNL Program (Sustainable ORNL) Continuous improvements in operational and business processes must be integrated into the fabric of the ORNL culture to maximize the return from the investment made in modernizing facilities and equipment. The Sustainable ORNL program promotes the legacy of system-wide best practices, management commitment, and employee engagement that will lead ORNL into a future of efficient, resilient, and sustainable operations. ORNL leadership and Sustainable ORNL champions receive regular status reports on the progress of each project and focus area (i.e., roadmap) and periodic summary reports. More information can be found at the programâs website. The Sustainable ORNL roadmap structure endorses 15 vital roadmaps. The figure below summarizes the current project assignments and demonstrates that each project contributes to the wellbeing of the whole. Continuous employee engagement and regular status reports confirm the ideals of the program. The roadmap structure is not static; as the science mission advances and the needs of the organization evolve, the Sustainable ORNL roadmap structure elements are modified to align with developing priorities. In 2022, Sustainable ORNL made roadmap changes to better align ORNL to support new federal requirements that have been issued. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE United States 2023-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/2000351 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2000351
Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2023: Summary Report Redding, Theodore J. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; NNSS, Environment, Environmental, ASER, NNSA, NFO This Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report (NNSSER) summarizes actions taken in 2023 to protect the environment and the public while achieving the NNSA/NFO mission goals. It is prepared for the public and our stakeholders in hopes that it is readily understandable and usable. It is a key component in our efforts to keep the public informed of environmental conditions at the NNSS and its support facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada. The accompanying Attachment A expands on the general description of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) presented in the Introduction to the Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2023. Included are subsections that summarize the siteâs geological, hydrological, climatological, and ecological settings and the cultural resources of the NNSS. The supplemental Summary report provides an abbreviated version of the full report. Nevada National Security Sites/Mission Support and Test Services LLC, Las Vegas, NV (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Environmental Protection and ES&H Reporting United States 2024-10-01T04:00:00Z Program Document https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2447964
Root traits of perennialn n Cn 4n n grasses contribute to cultivar variations in soil chemistry and species patterns in particulate and mineralâassociated carbon pool formation KellyâSlatten, Megan J.; Stewart, Catherine E.; Tfaily, Malak M.; Jastrow, Julie D.; Sasso, Abigail; de Graaff, MarieâAnne Abstract Recent studies have indicated that the C 4 perennial bioenergy crops switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum ) and big bluestem ( Andropogon gerardii ) accumulate significant amounts of soil carbon (C) owing to their extensive root systems. Soil C accumulation is likely driven by interâ and intraspecific variability in plant traits, but the mechanisms that underpin this variability remain unresolved. In this study we evaluated how interâ and intraspecific variation in root traits of cultivars from switchgrass (CaveâinâRock, Kanlow, Southlow) and big bluestem (Bonanza, Southlow, Suther) affected the associations of soil C accumulation across soil fractions using stable isotope techniques. Our experimental field site was established in June 2008 at Fermilab in Batavia, IL. In 2018, soil cores were collected (30 cm depth) from all cultivars. We measured root biomass, root diameter, specific root length, bulk soil C, C associated with coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) and fine particulate organic matter plus siltâ and clayâsized fractions, and characterized organic matter chemical class composition in soil using highâresolution Fourierâtransform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. C 4 species were established on soils that supported C 3 grassland for 36 years before planting, which allowed us to use differences in the natural abundance of stable C isotopes to quantify C 4 plantâderived C. We found that big bluestem had 36.9% higher C 4 plantâderived C compared to switchgrass in the CPOM fraction in the 0â10 cm depth, while switchgrass had 60.7% higher C 4 plantâderived C compared to big bluestem in the clay fraction in the 10â20 cm depth. Our findings suggest that the large root system in big bluestem helps increase POMâC formation quickly, while switchgrass root structure and chemistry build a mineralâbound clay C pool through time. Thus, both species and cultivar selection can help improve bioenergy management to maximize soil carbon gains and lower CO 2 emissions.
USDOE United Kingdom 2023-02-26T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/gcbb.13041 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1958633
Contribution of foliar leaching and dry deposition to sulfate in net throughfall below deciduous trees Garten, Jr, Charles T; Bondietti, E A; Lomax, Ronny D 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; DECIDUOUS TREES; DEPOSITION; ISOTOPE DILUTION; LEACHING; MAPLES; POPLARS; PRECIPITATION; SULFATES; THROUGHFALL; TREES Experiments were conducted at Walker Branch Watershed, TN, in 1986 with radioactive {sup 35}S (87 day half-life) to quantify the contribution of foliar leaching and dry deposition to sulfate (SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}) in net throughfall (NTF). Two red maple (Acer rubrum) and two yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) trees (12-15 m tall) were radiolabeled by stem well injection. Total S and {sup 35}S were measured in leaves; {sup 35}S and SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} were measured in throughfall (THF). The contribution of foliar leaching to SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} in NTF, THF minus incident precipitation, was estimated by isotope dilution of {sup 35}S in NTF arising from nonradioactive S in dry deposition. The per cent contribution of foliar leaching to SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} in NTF was greatest during the week following isotope labeling and during the period of autumn leaf fall. During the growing season, foliar leaching accounted for < 20% and dry deposition accounted for > 80% of the SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} in NTF beneath the study trees. Dry deposition of S to these tree species can be reasonably approximated during summer from the measurement of SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} flux in NTF. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 1988-07-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/0004-6981(88)90167-9 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978735
Raccoon densities across four land cover types in the southeastern United States Hill, Jacob E.; Helton, James L.; Bernasconi, David A.; Dixon, Wesley C.; Hamilton, Matt T.; Chipman, Richard B.; Gilbert, Amy T.; Beasley, James C.; Dharmarajan, Guha; Rhodes, Jr., Olin E. Abstract Raccoons ( Procyon lotor ) are the primary reservoir for rabies virus in eastern North America. Management of rabies in raccoons is achieved primarily with the use of oral rabies vaccination (ORV) and effective ORV bait densities are determined in part by the densities of raccoons. Decisions regarding ORV bait densities, however, are limited by an incomplete understanding of raccoon densities across the spectrum of landscapes they occupy. We carried out a markârecapture study of raccoons on the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, USA, from 2017â2019, to develop sexâ and landscapeâspecific raccoon density estimates across 4 rural land cover types in the southeastern United States: bottomland hardwood, riparian forest, isolated wetland, and upland pine ( Pinus spp.). We captured 404 unique raccoons 773 times over the 3âyear trapping period. Estimated densities were 5.44 ± 0.37 (SE) animals/km 2 in bottomland hardwood forest, 2.62 ± 0.32 animals/km 2 in riparian forest, 2.19 ± 0.29 animals/km 2 in isolated wetlands, and 2.14 ± 0.23 animals/km 2 in upland pine. Densities were significantly higher in bottomland hardwood than all other land cover types, whereas densities among the remaining cover types were similar. These patterns are likely the result of landscape fragmentation and configuration, with riparian forests typically embedded in a matrix of less suitable cover types, leading to low densities despite presumably high resource availability. There were higher densities of males than females in every cover type except upland pine, where the sex ratio was balanced. Densities on our site were low compared to other rural areas, which likely results from the lack of human influence in terms of agriculture or development. The financial cost of baiting for ORV distribution may be reduced by considering the comparatively low densities of raccoons in these rural landscapes in the southeastern United States.
USDOE United States 2023-08-17T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/jwmg.22480 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1996066
Foliar leaching, translocation, and biogenic emission of 35S in radiolabeled loblolly pines Garten, Jr, Charles T 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; DEPOSITION; FORESTS; LEACHING; MASS BALANCE; PINES; PRECIPITATION; SULFUR; THROUGHFALL; TRANSLOCATION; TREES Foliar leaching, basipetal (downard) translocation, and biogenic emission of sulfur (S), as traced by {sup 35}S, were examined in a field study of loblolly pines. Four trees were radiolabeled by injection with amounts of {sup 35}S in the MBq range, and concentrations in needle fall, stemflow, throughfall, and aboveground biomass were measured over a period of 15-20 wk after injection. The contribution of dry deposition to sulfate-sulfur (SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}-S) concentrations in net throughfall (throughfall SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}-S concentration minus that in incident precipitation) beneath all four trees was >90%. Calculations indicated that about half of the summertime SO{sub 2}2 dry deposition flux to the loblolly pines was fixes in the canopy and not subsequently leached by rainfall. Based on mass balance calculations, {sup 35}S losses through biogenic emissions from girdled trees were inferred to be 25-28% of the amount injected. Estimates based on chamber methods and mass balance calculations indicated a range in daily biogenic S emission of 0.1-10 {micro}g/g dry needles. Translocation of {sup 35}S to roots in nongirdled trees was estimated to be between 14 and 25% of the injection. It is hypothesized that biogenic emission and basipetal translocation of S (and not foliar leaching) are important mechanisms by which forest trees physiologically adapt to excess S in the environment. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 1990-02-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.2307/1940263 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978731
Approaches to natural resource inventory and analysis on the Oak Ridge Environmental Research Park Kitchings, J. T.; Mann, L. K.; Joslin, D. J.; Bunnell, R. C. 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BIOMASS; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENERGY SOURCES; FORECASTING; FORESTS; HABITAT; NORTH AMERICA; OAK RIDGE; PLANTS; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TENNESSEE; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TOPOGRAPHY; USA; WILD ANIMALS The principal effort of the Department of Energy's Environmental Research Park program on the Oak Ridge Reservation is directed at identification and preservation of a diverse assortment of natural communities representative of the Appalachian region of East Tennessee. Designation of natural areas provides a degree of protection for unique plant and animal species. Concommitantly, establishment of research reference areas provides sites which will be used to evaluate changes brought about in similar natural communities as a result of activities related to energy-producing technologies. Agglomerative cluster analysis of 184 continuous forest inventory (CFI) plots on the Reservation initially was used to objectively define forest types. Thus, types identified by cluster analysis formed a basis for determining what forest elements were present and which were representative of the Appalachian region. Subsequently, cluster analysis similarly was used within these research areas to define the overstory, understory, and shrub structure of the particular forest community. Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn. (USA) USDOE United States 1977-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5188312
Home range and resource selection of Virginia opossums in the rural southeastern United States Hill, Jacob E.; Bernasconi, David A.; Chipman, Richard B.; Gilbert, Amy T.; Beasley, James C.; Rhodes, Jr., Olin E.; Dharmarajan, Guha 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Home range; Marsupial; Mesomammal; Spatial ecology; Telemetry The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) has a rapidly expanding distribution in North America, but many aspects of its ecology remain relatively understudied, particularly in rural areas of its core range. We collected GPS telemetry data from 93 opossums in a rural, non-agricultural landscape in South Carolina, USA (2018â2019) to examine factors influencing space use and resource selection. Estimated male home ranges (99% utilization distributions) were on average 50% larger than those of females (mean home range 115.9 ± 103.7 ha vs 76.7 ± 75.0 ha). The home range size decreased on average by 20% with each 20% increase in deciduous land cover but was not affected by season or other landscape factors. Core area sizes (65% utilization distributions) were not influenced by sex (mean core area size 29.1 ± 23.7 ha and 22.4 ha ± 13.8 for males and females, respectively) or season, but the core area size decreased by 14% with each 400 m increase in distance from a permanent water source. Resource selection by opossums primarily occurred at the landscape level. Both males and females generally selected for wetlands while avoiding pine forests and developed/open areas, likely the result of differences in resource availability and predation risk between habitats. Opossums also tended to select for linear features such as unpaved roads and edge habitat, which may facilitate movement across the landscape. Finally, the home ranges we documented are among the largest recorded for opossums in the USA, likely the result of the relatively low resource abundance throughout our study area due to comparatively minimal anthropogenic influence. Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) USDOE; USDA United States 2023-12-20T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s13364-023-00733-y https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2350676
A compartment model of plutonium dynamics in a deciduous forest ecosystem Garten, Jr, Charles T; Gardner, R H; Dahlman, R C 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ACCURACY; COMPARTMENTS; DISTRIBUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLUTONIUM; SOILS; TENNESSEE; TRANSPORT; TREES A linear compartment donor-controlled model was designed to describe and simulate the behavior of plutonium (239,240Pu) in a contaminated deciduous forest ecosystem at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. At steady states predicted by the model, less than 0.25% of the Pu in the ecosystem resides in forest biota. Soil is the major repository of Pu in the forest, and reciprocal exchanges of Pu between soil and litter or soil and tree roots were dominant transfers affecting the ecosystem distribution of Pu. Variation in predicted steady state amounts of Pu in the forest, given variability in the model parameters, indicates that our ability to develop reliable models of Pu transport in ecosystems will improve with greater precision in data from natural environments and a better understanding of sources of variation in Pu data. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 1978-06-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1097/00004032-197806000-00009 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989663
Bioaccumulation of contaminants in Scarabaeidae and Silphidae beetles at sites polluted by coal combustion residuals and radiocesium Silva, Ansley E.; Speakman, Robert J.; Barnes, Brittany F.; Coyle, David R.; Leaphart, James C.; Abernethy, Erin F.; Turner, Kelsey L.; Rhodes, Jr., Olin E.; Beasley, James C.; Gandhi, Kamal J. K. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy; Radiocesium; Radioecology; Savannah River Site; Scavenger beetles; Trace elements Anthropogenic contamination from coal-fired power plants and nuclear reactors is a pervasive issue impacting ecosystems across the globe. As a result, it is critical that studies continue to assess the accumulation and effects of trace elements and radionuclides in a diversity of biota. In particular, bioindicator species are a powerful tool for risk assessment of chemically contaminated habitats. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and auto-gamma counting, we analyzed trace element and radiocesium contaminant concentrations in Scarabaeidae and Silphidae beetles (Order: Coleoptera), important taxa in decomposition and nutrient cycling, at contaminated and reference sites on the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, U.S. Our results revealed variability in trace element concentrations between Scarabaeidae and Silphidae beetles at uncontaminated and contaminated sites. Compared to Scarabaeidae, Silphidae had higher levels of chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn). Unexpectedly, concentrations of Cr, Cu, and Ni were higher in both taxa at the uncontaminated sites. Scarabaeidae and Silphidae beetles at the coal combustion waste site consistently had high concentrations of arsenic (As), and Scarabaeidae had high concentrations of selenium (Se). Of the 50 beetles analyzed for radiocesium levels, two had elevated radioactivity concentrations, both of which were from a site contaminated with radionuclides. Furthermore, our results suggest carrion beetles may be particularly sensitive to bioaccumulation of contaminants due to their trophic position and role in decomposition, and thus are useful sentinels of trace element and radionuclide contamination. Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2023-09-09T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166821 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2203425
Assessment of habitatâspecific competition for oral rabies vaccine baits between raccoons and opossums Helton, James L.; Hill, Jacob E.; Bernasconi, David A.; Dixon, Wesley C.; Chipman, Richard B.; Gilbert, Amy T.; Beasley, James C.; Dharmarajan, Guha; Rhodes, Jr., Olin E. Abstract Throughout the eastern United States, the National Rabies Management Program (NRMP) distributes oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits to manage rabies virus circulation in raccoon ( Procyon lotor ) populations. The consumption of vaccine baits by nonâtarget species including Virginia opossums ( Didelphis virginiana ) may reduce the effectiveness of ORV programs, but competition for baits remains poorly quantified in many areas of the southeastern United States. We distributed placebo ORV baits injected with a biomarker across 4 land cover types (bottomland hardwood, upland pine, riparian, isolated wetland) on the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, USA, 2017â2019. We then trapped and collected whiskers from 247 raccoons and 78 opossums to assess biomarker presence using fluorescent microscopy. Our data revealed greater bait uptake probability by raccoons (estimated xÌ
= 0.30, 95% CI = 0.19â0.44) compared to opossums (estimated xÌ
= 0.11, 95% CI = 0.05â0.23) across all cover types surveyed. Probability of bait consumption was not affected by cover type or the abundance of raccoons or opossums. Among raccoons, males were more likely to consume baits than females (estimated xÌ
= 0.28, 95% CI = 0.17â0.44 for males and 0.14, 95% CI = 0.05â0.31 for females) and probability of consumption increased by 0.08 with each additional day trapped during the 10âday trapping session. Uptake rates for raccoons were relatively low compared to other studies and not influenced by competition with opossums. These low consumption rates indicate that additional research addressing the roles of baiting season, bait density, and resource selection will be important to maximize ORV bait uptake by target species in these southeastern landscapes.
USDOE United States 2023-04-03T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/jwmg.22398 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1968340
Productivity and Cost of Post-Tornado Salvage Logging in Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina, USA Conrad, Joseph IV 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; bioenergy; chipping; forest restoration; timber harvesting Salvage harvesting is common in the US South following natural disasters such as tornadoes and hurricanes; nevertheless, few studies have evaluated the productivity and costs of these harvests because of their geographic dispersion and the short interval between natural disasters and salvage harvesting. An Enhanced Fujita Scale 3 (EF3) tornado with winds in excess of 250 km per hour struck Aiken County, South Carolina in April of 2020, uprooting trees and severing other stems above breast height. The goal of this study was to estimate the productivity and cost of salvage harvesting in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) stands following severe tornado damage. Salvage harvests were conducted with a rubber-tired drive-to-tree feller-buncher, grapple skidder, tracked loader, and chipper. All stems were chipped and used to produce energy; no roundwood was produced from the harvests. Elemental time-and-motion studies were conducted in three pulpwood-sized stands (<30 cm large-end diameter) and three sawtimber-sized stands (â¥30 cm large-end diameter). Hourly harvesting costs were estimated using the machine rate method and per-ton costs were estimated using a modified version of the Auburn Harvesting Analyzer. Skidding productivity was low in each harvest unit, but especially so in the three pulpwood-sized stands because of stem breakage and low weight per stem. Harvesting costs averaged $$$29.78 and $$$19.97 (USD) per tonne (onboard truck) in the pulpwood- and sawtimber-sized stands, respectively. High salvage harvesting costs mean that landowners can expect significantly reduced stumpage prices from these harvests; nonetheless, landowners do benefit from reduced reforestation costs. Harvesting promptly after a tornado can reduce harvesting costs and increase timber value recovery. University of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU); US Department of Agriculture (USDA) United States 2023-05-24T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.5552/crojfe.2023.2245 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1985892
Idaho National Laboratory Site Natural Resources: Wildland Fire Recovery Framework Forman, Amy D.; Kramer, Colby J.; Shive, Jeremy P.; Williams, Samuel Richard; Kaser, Kristin N.; Bybee, Bryan F. 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; ecological impacts; erosion control; fire recovery; invasive and noxious weeds; plant communities; soil stabilization; soils affected by wildland fire; special status plants; vegetation recovery; wildlife population recovery As pressures from invasive species, climate change, and anthropogenic impacts increase across the landscape in the western U.S., managing wildland fire recovery to promote healthy sagebrush steppe becomes an increasingly important stewardship responsibility. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has developed and implemented wildland fire recovery plans to hasten desirable vegetation re-establishment on several individual fires, but lacks an overarching wildland fire recovery strategy, or framework. The intent of this document is to develop the technical approach and scientific basis for wildland fire recovery at the INL Site and to evaluate the tools available to support it in a comprehensive and broadly applicable format. This wildland fire recovery framework will outline the process of assessing the potential impacts of wildland fire on natural resources, present a range of post-fire recovery options, outline an approach for post-fire monitoring, and provide a template for post-fire recovery plans designed to addresses the specific conditions of each wildland fire. There are numerous benefits to developing a wildland fire recovery framework for the INL Site. The first is streamlining the development of post-fire recovery plans for individual fires. A second benefit is more closely aligning INLâs post-fire planning processes with those of other federal agencies. The development of an INL Site fire recovery framework will also allow resource professionals to consider a broader set of recovery tools than they have before because all proposed tools included in the framework were vetted through the process of scoping and stakeholder review. Finally, this framework is a publicly available document that can be used as a basis for communicating and discussing post-fire natural resource recovery objectives with agency collaborators, conservation partners, and other stakeholders. Through the proactive land stewardship principles outlined in this framework, current INL sustainability initiatives can be enhanced, and future INL mission flexibility will be maintained. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE United States 2024-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/2375013 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2375013
Ecological information and approaches needed for risk communication dialogs for acute or chronic environmental crises Burger, Joanna 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING; Mathematical Methods In Social Sciences; Mathematics; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; eco-cultural; eco-receptors; environmental justice; risk communication Scientists, social scientists, risk communicators, and many others are often thrust into a crisis situation where they need to interact with a range of stakeholders, including governmental personnel (tribal, U.S. federal, state, local), local residents, and other publics, as well as other scientists and other risk communicators in situations where information is incomplete and evolving. This paper provides: (1) an overall framework for thinking about communication during crises, from acute to chronic, and local to widespread, (2) a template for the types of ecological information needed to address public and environmental concerns, and (3) examples to illustrate how this information will aid risk communicators. The main goal is providing an approach to the knowledge needed by communicators to address the challenges of protecting ecological resources during an environmental crisis, or for an on-going, chronic environmental issue. To understand the risk to these ecological resources, it is important to identify the type of event, whether it is acute or chronic (or some combination of these), what receptors are at risk, and what stressors are involved (natural, biological, chemical, radiological). For ecological resources, the key information a communicator needs for a crisis is whether any of the following are present: threatened or endangered species, species of special concern, species groups of concern (e.g., neotropical bird migrants, breeding frogs in vernal ponds, rare plant assemblages), unique or rare habitats, species of commercial and recreational interest, and species/habitats of especial interest for medicinal, cultural, or religious activities. Communication among stakeholders is complicated with respect to risk to ecological receptors because of differences in trust, credibility, empathy, perceptions, world view valuation of the resources, and in many cases, a history of misinformation, disinformation, or no information. Exposure of salmon spawning in the Columbia River to hexavalent chromium from the Hanford Site is used as an example of communication challenges with different stakeholders, including Native Americans with Tribal Treaty rights to the land. Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, TN (United States) USDOE; National Institutes of Health (NIH) United States 2022-05-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/risa.13940 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2418445
Fate and distribution of sulfur-35 in yellow poplar and red maple trees Garten, Jr, Charles T 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CAPACITY; DECIDUOUS TREES; DISTRIBUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; INVENTORIES; LEACHING; MAPLES; POPLARS; STORAGE; SULFUR; SULFUR 35; TENNESSEE; THROUGHFALL; TRANSLOCATION; TREES; WATERSHEDS Two deciduous tree species (yellow poplar and red maple) on Walker Branch Watershed (WBW), near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, were radiolabeled with {sup 35}S (87 day halflife) to study internal cycling, storage, and biogenic emission of sulfur (S). One tree of each species was girdled before radiolabeling to prevent phloem translocation to the roots, and the aboveground biomass was harvested prior to autumn leaf fall. Aboveground biomass, leaf fall, throughfall, and stemflow were sampled over a 13 to 24 week period. Sulfur-35 concentrations in tree leaves reached nearly asymptotic levels within 1 to 2 weeks after radiolabeling. Foliar leaching of {sup 35}S and leaf fall represented relatively unimportant return pathways to the forest soil. The final distribution of {sup 35}S in the nongirdled trees indicated little aboveground storage of S in biomass and appreciable (>60%) capacity to cycle S either to the belowground system by means of translocation or to the atmosphere by means of biogenic S emissions. Losses of volatile {sup 35}S were estimated from the amount of isotope missing ({approx}33%) in final inventories of the girdled trees. Estimated {sup 35}S emission rates from the girdled trees were {approx}10{sup -6} to {approx}10{sup -7} {micro}Ci cm{sup -2} leaf d{sup -1}, and corresponded to an estimated gaseous S emission of approximately 0.1 to 1 {micro}g S cm{sup -2} leaf d{sup -1}. Translocation to roots was a significant sink for {sup 35}S in the red maple tree (40% of the injected amount). Research on forest biogeochemical S cycles should further explore biogenic S emissions from trees as a potential process of S flux from forest ecosystems. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 1988-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/BF00379598 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978734
Foliar d13C within a temperate deciduous forest: spatial, temporal, and species sources of variation Garten, Jr, Charles T; TaylorJr, G E 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; DROUGHTS; FORESTS; HABITAT; HUMIDITY; OAKS; PRECIPITATION; SEASONS; TENNESSEE; TOPOGRAPHY; TRANSPIRATION; TREES; WATERSHEDS Foliar {sup 13}C-abundance ({delta}{sup 13}C) was analyzed in the dominant trees of a temperate deciduous forest in east Tennessee (Walker Branch Watershed) to investigate the variation in foliar {delta}{sup 13}C as a function of time (within-year and between years), space (canopy height, watershed topography and habitat) and species (deciduous and coniferous taxa). Various hypotheses were tested by analyzing (i) samples collected from the field during the growing season and (ii) foliar tissues maintained in an archived collection. The {delta}{sup 13}C-value for leaves from the tops of trees was 2 to 3%. more positive than for leaves sampled at lower heights in the canopy. Quercus prinus leaves sampled just prior to autumn leaf fall had significantly more negative {delta}{sup 13}C-values than those sampled during midsummer. On the more xeric ridges, needles of Pinus spp. had more positive {delta}{sup 13}C-values than leaves from deciduous species. Foliar {delta}{sup 13}C-values differed significantly as a function of topography. Deciduous leaves from xeric sites (ridges and slopes) had more positive {delta}{sup 13}C-values than those from mesic (riparian and cove) environments. On the more xeric sites, foliar {delta}{sup 13}C was significantly more positive in 1988 (a dry year) relative to that in 1989 (a year with above-normal precipitation). In contrast, leaf {delta}{sup 13}C in trees from mesic valley bottoms did not differ significantly among years with disparate precipitation. Patterns in foliar {delta}{sup 13}C indicated a higher ratio of net CO{sub 2} assimilation to transpiration (A/E) for trees in more xeric versus mesic habitats, and for trees in xeric habitats during years of drought versus years of normal precipitation. However, A/E (units of mmol CO{sub 2} fixed/mol H{sub 2}O transpired) calculated on the basis of {delta}{sup 13}C-values for leaves from the more xeric sites was higher in a wet year (6.6 {+-} 1.2) versus a dry year (3.4 {+-} 0.4). This difference was attributed to higher transpiration (and therefore lower A/E) in the year with lower relative humidity and higher average daily temperature. The calculated A/E values for the forest in 1988-89, based on {delta}{sup 13}C, were within {+-}55% of estimates made over a 17 day period at this site in 1984 using micrometeorological methods. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 1992-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/BF00317801 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989664
Savannah River Plant Low-Level Waste Heat Utilization Project preliminary analysis. Volume III. Preferred utilization options 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 220700* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Plutonium & Isotope Production Reactors; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; 320304 -- Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Waste Heat Recovery & Utilization; ECONOMICS; ENERGY; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FEASIBILITY STUDIES; HEAT; INDUSTRIAL PLANTS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES; THERMODYNAMICS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE HEAT; WASTE HEAT UTILIZATION; WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION; WASTES The technical, economic, environmental, and institutional considerations that must be resolved before implementing options to recover energy from the heated SRP effluent are examined. Detailed hypothetical siting options and expected economic returns are examined for power generation, prawn production, and one industrial park scenario. The likely indirect effects on regional population, income, taxes, and infrastructure requirements if the industrial park scenario is implemented are also projected. Recommendations for follow-on studies to make possible an informed go/no-go decision for implementing attractive waste heat options using reject SRP effluent are included. South Carolina Energy Research Inst., Columbia (United States) USDOE United States 1978-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5812016 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5812016
Assessing springtime vertebrate prey of sympatric mesopredators in the southeastern United States using metabarcoding analysis Youngmann, Jordan L.; Lance, Stacey L.; Kilgo, John C.; Ruth, Charles; Cantrell, Jay; DâAngelo, Gino J. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; coyotes; deer; foxes; predation; timber; trophic interactions; turkeys; vertebrates Coyotes (Canis latrans) colonized the eastern United States over the last century and formed a 3-species predator guild with bobcats (Lynx rufus) and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) across much of the southeastern United States. Diets among the three species vary along with respective impacts on game species such as white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). To determine predation impacts on vertebrate prey and dietary overlap in consumption of prey items, we assessed diets of coyote, bobcat, and gray fox during spring, coinciding with white-tailed deer fawning and wild turkey nesting and brood rearing. We sampled across three sites along the Savannah River in South Carolina from mid-May through mid-June of 2020â2021. We collected 180 scat samples along 295.9 kilometers (71.1â122.4 km/site) of unpaved secondary roads and used DNA metabarcoding to determine vertebrate diet items. We identified predator species of scat using DNA metabarcoding and species-specific mtDNA fragment analysis (153 were coyote, 20 bobcat, and seven gray fox). Overall, we found evidence that two species, coyote and bobcat, consumed deer while all three consumed turkeys. Frequency of deer in the diet varied across sites for coyotes from 62â86% and wild turkey was present with a frequency of occurrence of 9% for coyotes, 5% for bobcats, and 14% for gray fox. Vertebrate diet specialization was evident across predator species with high frequency of deer in coyote diets, rabbits and small mammals in bobcat diets, and herpetofauna in gray fox diets. During deer fawning and wild turkey nesting and brood rearing, dietary overlap appears to be mediated by disparate selection of prey items, which reduced competition among coyotes, bobcats, and gray foxes. Use of DNA metabarcoding may augment our understanding of dietary preferences within this predator guild by providing increased resolution of diet composition among important game species. Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE United States 2023-10-25T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1371/journal.pone.0293270 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2471785
White-tailed deer responses to acoustic predator cues are contingent upon past land use and contemporary fire regime Bartel, Savannah L.; Kilgo, John C.; Orrock, John L. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; acoustic predator cues.; white-tailed deer Prey can assess the immediate risk of predation by detecting cues of predator presence, and it is expected that prey should invest in costly antipredator behaviors when a cue of predator presence is detected. Features of the habitat in which the cue is detected, such as vegetative concealment, serve as indirect cues of risk and can mediate how prey respond to direct cues of predator presence. Past agricultural land use and contemporary fire regimes are common disturbances that may modify prey perceptions of risk and could, therefore, alter prey responses to direct cues of predator presence. Here we examined whether the overlap of these two disturbances affected white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) responses to cues of predator presence by measuring deer vigilance and foraging bout duration in response to coyote (Canis latrans) vocalizations across 20 woodlands that varied in past land use and contemporary fire regime. Frequent fire regimes consistently increased deer visibility to predators across both land-use history contexts. Deer exhibited no behavioral response to the predator cue in habitats containing infrequent fire regimes or agricultural legacies. Deer responded to the cue in frequently burned woodlands without agricultural legacies through increased vigilance and time spent at a foraging location. These findings reveal that land-use legacies and contemporary fire regimes can mediate how prey respond to direct cues of risk. They also suggest that prey may balance the uncertainty associated with cues of predation risk with the urgency of responding to a potential attack by being vigilant and remaining in place. Washington State University, Pullman, WA (United States); University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU); Albert R. and Alma Shadle Fellowship; Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program United States 2023-09-14T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1093/beheco/arad071 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2205151
Thermally unstable roosts influence winter torpor patterns in a threatened bat species Newman, Blaise (ORCID:0000000288541818); Loeb, Susan (ORCID:0000000292643614); Jachowski, David; Cramp, Rebecca Biodiversity & Conservation; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Physiology Abstract Many hibernating bats in thermally stable, subterranean roosts have experienced precipitous declines from white-nose syndrome (WNS). However, some WNS-affected species also use thermally unstable roosts during winter that may impact their torpor patterns and WNS susceptibility. From November to March 2017â19, we used temperature-sensitive transmitters to document winter torpor patterns of tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) using thermally unstable roosts in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Daily mean roost temperature was 12.9 ± 4.9°C SD in bridges and 11.0 ± 4.6°C in accessible cavities with daily fluctuations of 4.8 ± 2°C in bridges and 4.0 ± 1.9°C in accessible cavities and maximum fluctuations of 13.8 and 10.5°C, respectively. Mean torpor bout duration was 2.7 ± 2.8 days and was negatively related to ambient temperature and positively related to precipitation. Bats maintained non-random arousal patterns focused near dusk and were active on 33.6% of tracked days. Fifty-one percent of arousals contained passive rewarming. Normothermic bout duration, general activity and activity away from the roost were positively related to ambient temperature, and activity away from the roost was negatively related to barometric pressure. Our results suggest ambient weather conditions influence winter torpor patterns of tricolored bats using thermally unstable roosts. Short torpor bout durations and potential nighttime foraging during winter by tricolored bats in thermally unstable roosts contrasts with behaviors of tricolored bats in thermally stable roosts. Therefore, tricolored bat using thermally unstable roosts may be less susceptible to WNS. More broadly, these results highlight the importance of understanding the effect of roost thermal stability on winter torpor patterns and the physiological flexibility of broadly distributed hibernating species.
USDA Forest Service, Clemson, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2024-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1093/conphys/coae014 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2582315
Plutonium in biota from an east Tennessee floodplain forest Garten, Jr, Charles T; Dahlman, R C 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONCENTRATION RATIO; FOREST LITTER; FORESTS; INVERTEBRATES; MAMMALS; NEW MEXICO; OAK RIDGE; ORTHOPTERA; PLANTS; PLUTONIUM 239; PLUTONIUM 240; UPTAKE Plutonium 239, 240 concentrations were measured in biota from a 30-yr-old contaminated floodplain forest in Tennessee. Concentration ratios relative to soil, for plutonium in litter, invertebrate cryptozoans, herbaceous ground vegetation, orthoptera and small mammals were approximately 10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-3, and 10-4, respectively. Concentration ratios (CR) for plutonium in biota from the floodplain forest are less than CR values from other contaminated ecosystems in the USA. Presumably, this is due to humid conditions and greater rainfall which minimize resuspension as a physical transport mechanism to biota. Plutonium and radiocesium concentrations are correlated in biota from the forest at Oak Ridge and also from Mortandad Canyon in New Mexico. The cause of the covariance between concentrations of these elements is unknown. Nevertheless, the existence of these relationships suggests that it is possible to predict plutonium in biota from radiocesium concentrations when both nuclides have a common origin and occur together in a contaminated terrestrial environment. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 1978-06-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1097/00004032-197806000-00021 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989659
Getting allometry right at the Oak Ridge freeâair COn 2n enrichment experiment: Old problems and new opportunities for global change experiments Norby, Richard J.; Warren, Jeffrey M.; Iversen, Colleen M.; Walker, Anthony P.; Childs, Joanne Societal Impact Statement Freeâair CO 2 enrichment (FACE) experiments provide essential data on forest responses to increasing atmospheric CO 2 for evaluations of climate change impacts on humanity. Understanding and reducing the uncertainty in the experimental results is critical to ensure scientific and public confidence in the models and policy initiatives that derive therefrom. One source of uncertainty is the estimation of tree biomass using mathematical relationships between biomass and easily obtained and nonâdestructive measurements (allometry). We evaluated the robustness of the allometric relationships established at the beginning of a FACE experiment and discuss the challenges and opportunities for the new generation of FACE experiments.
Summary
Longâterm field experiments to elucidate forest responses to rising atmospheric CO 2 concentration require allometric equations to estimate tree biomass from nonâdestructive measurements of tree size. We analyzed whether the allometric equations established at the beginning of a freeâair CO 2 enrichment (FACE) experiment in a Liquidambar styraciflua plantation were still valid at the end of the 12 year experiment.
Aboveground woody biomass was initially predicted by an equation that included bole diameter, taper, and height, assuming that including taper and height as predictors would accommodate changes in tree structure that might occur over time and in response to elevated CO 2 . At the conclusion of the FACE experiment, we harvested 23 trees, measured dimensions and dry mass of boles and branches, and extracted and measured the woody root mass of 10 trees.
Although 10 of the harvested trees were larger than the trees used to establish the allometric relationship, measured aboveground woody biomass was well predicted by the original allometry. The initial linear equation between bole basal area and woody root biomass underestimated final root biomass by 28%, but root biomass was just 21% of total wood mass, and errors in aboveground and belowground estimates were offsetting.
The allometry established at the beginning of the experiment provided valid predictions of tree biomass throughout the experiment. New allometric approaches using terrestrial laser scanning should reduce an important source of uncertainty in decadeâlong forest experiments and in assessments of centuriesâlong forest biomass accretion used in evaluating carbon offsets and climate mitigation.
USDOE United States 2024-08-20T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/ppp3.10565 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2473558
Ants disperse seeds farther in habitat patches with corridors Burt, Melissa A.; Resasco, Julian; Haddad, Nick M.; Whitehead, Susan R. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ants; connectivity; corridors; edge effects; fragmentation; myrmecochory; seed dispersal Habitat fragmentation impacts ecosystems worldwide through habitat loss, reduced connectivity, and edge effects. Yet, these landscape factors are often confounded, leaving much to be investigated about their relative effects, especially on species interactions. In a landscape experiment, we investigated the consequences of connectivity and edge effects for seed dispersal by ants. We found that ants dispersed seeds farther in habitat patches connected by corridors, but only in patch centers. We did not see an effect on the total number of seeds moved or the rate ants detected seeds. Furthermore, we did not see any differences in ant community composition across patch types, suggesting that shifts in ant behavior or other factors increased ant seed dispersal in patches connected by corridors. Long-distance seed dispersal by ants that requires an accumulation of short-distance dispersal events over generations may be an underappreciated mechanism through which corridors increase plant diversity. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU); National Science Foundation (USF) United States 2022-12-14T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/ecs2.4324 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1967360
Interspecific oral rabies vaccine bait competition in the Southeast United States Dixon, Wesley C.; Hill, Jacob E.; Chipman, Richard B.; Davis, Amy J.; Gilbert, Amy T.; Beasley, James C.; Rhodes Jr., Olin E.; Dharmarajan, Guha 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Agriculture; Bait competition; Behavioral Sciences; Camera trapping; Oral rabies vaccination; Procyon lotor; Rabies; Raccoon; Veterinary Sciences Here, the United States Department of Agricultureâs National Rabies Management Program (NRMP) has coordinated the use of oral rabies vaccination (ORV) to control the spread of raccoon rabies virus variant west of the Appalachian Mountains since 1997. Working with state and local partners, the NRMP deploys ORV baits containing a rabies vaccine, primarily targeting raccoon populations (Procyon lotor). Bait competition between raccoons and non-target species may limit the effectiveness of ORV programs, but the extent of bait competition remains poorly quantified, particularly in the southeastern United States. We placed placebo ORV baits in bottomland hardwood (n = 637 baits) and upland pine (n = 681 baits) habitats in South Carolina, USA during August-December 2019 and used remote cameras to examine bait competition between raccoons and non-target species. The estimated proportion of bait consumed by raccoons was 18.8 ± 2.1% in bottomland hardwood and 11.6 ± 2.1% in upland pine habitats. Vertebrate competition appeared to have a minimal effect on raccoon uptake as estimated consumption did not exceed 5% for any species or 8% of bait uptake events cumulatively. We estimated that raccoons were the primary consumer of baits in bottomland hardwood, whereas invertebrates were the primary consumer in upland pine (26.7 ± 1.3% of baits). Our results indicate a need to closely consider the effects of invertebrates on bait consumption to minimize their potential impact on ORV bait uptake by target species. Uptake probabilities by raccoons were relatively low but not primarily driven by competition with vertebrates. As such, strategies to increase the specificity of raccoon uptake may be needed to enhance the effectiveness of ORV baiting programs. Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM); US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) United States 2023-03-14T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105897 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2417825
Technetium-99 cycling in deciduous forests: review and ecosystem model development Garten, Jr, Charles T 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; COMPARTMENTS; DISTRIBUTION; DRAINAGE; ECOSYSTEMS; EXPORTS; FORESTS; ORGANIC MATTER; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; SOILS; STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS; TECHNETIUM 99 This paper presents a model to summarize information on the fate of technetium-99 ({sup 99}Tc) in a woodland site amidst an old radioactive waste disposal area in the eastern United States. Rate constants for {sup 99}Tc transfer between the biological and physical components of the forest have been derived based on field measurements and associated laboratory studies. The fate of {sup 99}Tc in the woodland occupying the drainage are immediately adjacent to the disposal site was simulated with the derived rate constants and some assumptions about relative inputs to and outputs from the surface soil available pool in the model forest. A steady state in the distribution of {sup 99}Tc among soil compartments and forest compartments was reached in simulations after 30 years of continuous input to the soil available pool. If the rate of {sup 99}Tc export from the soil available pool exceeded inputs to the pool by ten times, then the model forest had little impact on the cumulative loss of {sup 99}Tc from the system. Under steady state conditions (input to the soil available pool equalled export), 42% of the total {sup 99}Tc input to the system during a 34-year period was retained by the forest, mostly in the unavailable mineral soil pool. This model, along with a review of recent work by other researchers, explains the probable fate of {sup 99}Tc that might enter element cycles in humid deciduous forests typical of the eastern United States. Experience with the model points to a need for further work on reduction and reoxidation rates of {sup 99}Tc in soil, particularly studies of reoxidation rate in soils where {sup 99}Tc has been recycled from aboveground or belowground organic matter. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park United States 1987-12-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/0160-4120(87)90186-3 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978737
Land-use history, fire regime, and large-mammal herbivory affect deer-preferred plant diversity in longleaf pine woodlands Bartel, Savannah L.; Orrock, John L. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Forestry; Herbivory; Land-use history; Longleaf forests; Plant diversity; Prescribed fire Since ecological systems often experience multiple disturbances, understanding changes in important ecological interactions, such as plant-herbivore interactions, may require studies capable of disentangling the unique and interactive effects of multiple forms of disturbance. For example, understanding how mammalian herbivores affect plant communities may require understanding how widespread past disturbances, such as agricultural land use, interact with contemporary disturbances, such as prescribed fire. Here, we tested if past agricultural land use and contemporary fire regime modified the effects of mammalian herbivory on focal plant communities by measuring the richness of plant species preferred by deer at 26 longleaf pine woodlands containing paired open and large-mammal exclusion plots. Land-use history significantly affected the community composition of deer-preferred species, and focal species were 8.19 times more likely to be present in post-agricultural sites than non-agricultural sites. Large-mammal herbivory only affected plant species richness in woodlands with low fire frequencies wherein focal species were on average 2.23 times more likely to be present in exclusion plots than open plots. These results suggest that past and present disturbances can mediate contemporary plant-animal interactions and may explain spatial patterns in the intensity of large-mammal herbivory. Our findings also suggest that common management practices, such as use of prescribed burns, may indirectly promote plant species richness by reducing deer herbivory. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE United States 2023-05-09T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.foreco.2023.121023 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2417645
Sensitive Resources Assessment and Forest Analysis for The SSP-2A Parcel and Proposed Oak Ridge Enhanced Technology and Training Center (ORETTC), Oak Ridge, Tennessee Carter, Evin T.; Byrd, Greg; McCracken, M. Kitty; Hayter, Lindsey E.; Darling, Sara E.; Jett, R. Trent; Wade, Bryce; Giffen, Neil 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES This report summarizes current knowledge of natural and cultural resources associated with potential land use changes within an 81-acre (32.8-hectare) parcel, termed SSP-2A, on the US Department of Energyâs (DOEâs) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (Figure 1). A primary goal for the work presented here was to evaluate potential impacts to sensitive resources within the SSP-2A parcel that might result from land disturbance and construction of the Oak Ridge Enhanced Technology and Training Center (ORETTC). In addition to on-the-ground surveys of the ORETTC footprint and SSP-2A parcel during summer 2020 (Figure 1), this report leverages historical (pre-1995) and contemporary (1995âpresent) data from additional sources such as the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). The individuals who obtained and compiled the data that are presented here are familiar with and routinely assess, manage, and research sensitive resources on the ORR. This report should facilitate more environmentally sound decisions during planning and development of the ORETTC, provide a foundation for further assessment of sensitive and cultural resources associated with the broader SSP-2A parcel (should additional actions take place), and help project managers address regulatory guidance and DOE policy on sustainable development. Those who reference this report must consider that the timing of surveys does not permit complete delineation of resources. Data deficiencies are indicated where possible. Additional surveys may be required to account for seasonal patterns of various threatened and endangered species (e.g., bats), and additional assessment will be required if activities extend beyond the ORETTC site (Figure 2). Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE United States 2020-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1805027 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1805027
Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2022 - Summary Redding, Theodore J. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; NNSS, Environment, Environmental, ASER, NNSA, NFO This Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report (NNSSER) - Summary summary report provides an abbreviated version of the full report, which discusses actions taken in 2022 to protect the environment and the public while achieving the NNSA/NFO mission goals. It is prepared for the public and our stakeholders in hopes that it is readily understandable and usable. It is a key component in our efforts to keep the public informed of environmental conditions at the NNSS and its support facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nevada National Security Sites/Mission Support and Test Services LLC, Las Vegas, NV (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU) United States 2024-01-01T04:00:00Z Program Document https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2318458
Raccoon density estimation from camera traps for raccoon rabies management Davis, Amy J.; Dixon, Wesley C.; Chipman, Richard B.; Gilbert, Amy T.; Hill, Jacob E.; Beasley, James C.; Rhodes, Jr., Olin E.; Dharmarajan, Guha Abstract Density estimation for unmarked animals is particularly challenging, yet density estimates are often necessary for effective wildlife management. Raccoons ( Procyon lotor ) are the primary terrestrial wildlife reservoir for Lyssavirus rabies within the United States. The raccoon rabies variant (RRVV) is actively managed at landscape scales using oral rabies vaccination (ORV) within the eastern United States. To effectively manage RRVV, it is important to know the density of raccoons to appropriately scale the density of ORV baits distributed on the landscape. We compared methods to estimate raccoon densities from cameraâtrap data versus more intensive captureâmarkârecapture (CMR) estimates across 2 land cover types (upland pine and bottomland hardwood) in the southeastern United States during 2019 and 2020. We evaluated the effect of alternative camera configurations and durations of camera trapping on density estimates and used an Nâmixture model to estimate raccoon densities, including covariates on abundance and detection. We further compared different methods of scaling cameraâbased counts, with the maximum number of raccoons seen on any given image within a day best explaining density. Cameraâtrap density estimates were moderately correlated with CMR estimates ( r = 0.56). However, densities from cameraâtrap data were more reliable when classifying category of density as an index used to inform management (83% correct when compared to CMR estimates), although the densities in our study fell into the 2 lowest density classes only. Using more cameras reduced bias and uncertainty around density estimates; however, if â¤6 camera traps were used at a site, a line transect approach proved less biased than a grid design. Camera trapping should be conducted for at least 3 weeks for more accurate estimates of raccoon population density in our study area (<5% bias). We show that cameraâtrap data can be used to assign raccoon densities to managementârelevant density index bins, but more studies are needed to ensure reliability across a greater range of environmental conditions and raccoon densities.
USDOE United States 2024-11-26T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/jwmg.22701 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2478898
Little vertical and circumferential variations in stem xylem water Î2H and Î18O in three tree species Younger, Seth E.; Monda, L. G.; Jackson, C. R.; Blake, J.; Aubrey, D. P. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Ecohydrology; Isotope fractionation; Isotope hydrology; Within tree isotope variability; Xylem anatomy Vertical and circumferential patterns of xylem water isotope signatures in large trees are rarely characterized but may influence interpretation of water source investigations and soil/xylem water isotope offsets. Furthermore, to examine vertical and circumferential variation in xylem water δ2H and δ18O, we collected xylem tissue at 5 heights (0, 1, 4, 7 and 10 m) from three replicate trees of three species with contrasting xylem anatomy, two angiosperms (Liquidambar styraciflua and Quercus nigra) and one gymnosperm (Pinus taeda). Concurrently, we also determined δ2H and δ18O of groundwater, soil water, and recent precipitation. On a different day, we collected circumferential samples at 1 m from the same trees to test for sectorality effects. Water from stem and soil samples were cryogenically extracted and analyzed for δ2H and δ18O. Mean xylem water δ2H and δ18O were significantly different between species, both vertically and circumferentially. We did not find significant (p = 0.05) systematic variation in δ2H or δ18O with height. We found no significant evidence for sectorality effects on δ2H, δ18O. Variances of vertical synoptic xylem water δ2H or δ18O were similar between species, 7.2â10.4â° for δ2H and 0.58â0.81â° for δ18O. Circumferential variances were also similar between species, 4.0â6.0 for δ2H and 0.37â0.44 for δ18O. A mixing model showed that sweetgum, water oak and loblolly pine, were drawing most of their water from deep soil from 45 to 190 cm (84.7, 68.4 and 53.2%, respectively) however, soil water-excess values indicate δ2H fractionation effects on these estimates. Dual isotope mixing model evaluation with single and multiple sample configurations showed that source water estimates were not affected by within tree variability of xylem water signatures. Xylem water δ2H and δ18O variability with height or circumference, was 3.2 and 2.7 times less than between tree variation because of transient temporal and spatial processes and is, therefore, not likely to affect interpretations of water sourcing in these three species. Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE; USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative United States 2023-07-16T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s00468-023-02431-3 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2228455
Winning the Cold War: Los Alamos 1970-1992 [Slides] Carr, Alan Brady 96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION A presentation by Lab Historian Alan Carr discussing the role of Los Alamos in the later cold war. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) United States 2020-11-16T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1726119 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1726119
Bioaccumulation of Mercury and Radiocesium in Waterfowl Introduced to a Site with Legacy Contamination Leaphart, James C.; Abercrombie, Sarah A.; Borchert, Ernest J.; Bryan Jr., Albert L.; Beasley, James C. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; Bioaccumulation; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Mallard; Mercury; Radiocesium; Toxicology; Waterfowl; Wildlife toxicology Despite the propensity of waterfowl species to readily accumulate anthropogenic contaminants within polluted environments, few studies have examined bioaccumulation rates over time when entering such a contaminated site. We examined mercury (Hg) and radiocesium (137Cs) bioaccumulation over time in two waterfowl species released into a wetland system containing legacy contamination on the US Department of Energy's Savannah River Site in South Carolina. Released birds were collected at select time intervals over an exposure period of 94 days. We quantified total Hg concentrations in blood, muscle, and liver tissues, and 137Cs activity in whole-body and muscle tissues. The relationship between the contaminant burdens of different body tissue types was examined over time. Likely a result of microhabitat selection, mallards in our study readily accumulated both Hg and 137Cs at consistent rates over time within our study system, while ring-neck ducks did not. The findings demonstrated that whole blood can be used as a robust, nondestructive sampling alternative to estimate Hg burdens within muscle and liver, and whole-body 137Cs activity is a good predictor of muscle burdens. Understanding such bioaccumulation information in waterfowl is useful for the assessment of the potential health risk in wildlife, as well as being important for human risk assessment toward the consumption of popular game species. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2479â2487. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM); National Science Foundation (NSF) United States 2022-07-22T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/etc.5444 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2417827
Technetium-99 cycling in maple trees: characterization of changes in chemical form Garten, Jr, Charles T; Lomax, Ronny D 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; CELL WALL; CHROMATOGRAPHY; DECIDUOUS TREES; GEL PERMEATION CHROMATOGRAPHY; IN VITRO; INORGANIC ACIDS; LEAVES; MAPLES; MOLECULAR WEIGHT; PLANT TISSUES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; SILICA GEL; TECHNETIUM; TECHNETIUM 99; THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY; TREES; WOOD Prior field studies near an old radioactive waste disposal site at Oak Ridge, TN, indicated that following root uptake, metabolism by deciduous trees rendered 99Tc less biogeochemically mobile than expected, based on chemistry of the pertechnetate (TcO4-) anion. Subsequently, the form of technetium (Tc) in maple tree (Acer sp.) sap, leaves, wood and forest leaf litter was characterized using one or more of the following methods: dialysis, physical fractionation, chemical extraction, gel permeation chromatography, enzymatic extraction, or thin layer chromatography (TLC) on silica gel. Chromatography (Sephadex G-25) of TcO4- incubated in vitro with tree sap showed it to behave similar to TcO4- anion. When labeled wood and leaf tissues were processed using a tissue homogenizer, 15% and 40%, respectively, of the Tc was solubilized into phosphate buffer. Most (65% to 80%) of the solubilized Tc passing a 0.45-micron filter also passed through an ultrafiltration membrane with a nominal molecular weight cutoff of 10,000 atomic mass units (amu). A majority (72% to 80%) of the Tc in wood could be chemically removed by successive extractions with ethanol, water and weak mineral acid. These same extractants removed only 23% to 31% of the Tc from maple leaves or forest floor leaf litter. Most of the Tc in leaves and leaf litter was removed only by strongly alkaline reagents typically used to release structural polysaccharides (hemicelluloses) from plant tissues. Chromatography (Sephadex G-25) of the ethanol-water extract from wood and the alkaline extract from leaves demonstrated that Tc in these extracts was not principally TcO4- but was complexed with molecules > 1000 amu. Incubations of leaf and wood homogenates with protease approximately doubled the amount of Tc released from contaminated tissues. Ultrafiltration of protease-solubilized Tc from leaves and wood showed that 40% and 93%, respectively, of the Tc was >10,000 amu. TLC of the <10,000 amu fraction indicated the presence of TcO4- in wood but not in leaves. In the leaf, TcO4- is converted to less soluble forms apparently associated with structural components of leaf cell walls. This conversion explains why 99Tc is not easily leached by rainfall from tree foliage and why 99Tc appears to accumulate in forest floor leaf litter layers at the Oak Ridge study site. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 1989-08-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1097/00004032-198908000-00008 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989660
Societal impacts of particle physics projects Zens, Rochelle; Headley, Michael; Wolf, Debra; Markovitz, Alison; Dukes, Faith; Tang, Jennifer; Bloom, K. (ORCID:0000000242728900); Boisvert, V. (ORCID:0000000277360173) Large particle physics projects funded by the U.S. Government require an evaluation and mitigation of each projectâs potential impacts on the local communities. However, beyond meeting governmental requirements, particle physics projects stand to play an essential role in local decision-making, building relationships, and framing discussions about key projects by becoming meaningfully engaged in their local communities. In this white paper for the U.S. Particle Physics Community Planning Exercise (âSnowmass"), we examine several local community engagement efforts made by three facilities: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), and the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF). Although each facility focuses on a different endeavor in varying types of communities, each study highlights the importance and benefits of employing consistent outreach techniques, promoting diversity, establishing lasting relationships, and creating environments for open and honest communication. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) United States 2022-03-15T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1855276
Rapid denitrification of nitrate-contaminated groundwater in a low-gradient blackwater stream valley Raulerson, Scott; Jeffers, Johnson B.; Griffiths, Natalie A.; Rau, Benjamin M.; Matteson, Cody; Jackson, C. Rhett 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Southeastern US; denitrification; nitrate; nitrogen removal; riparian buffer; streamside management zone Leaching of excess nitrogen (N) to groundwater in fertilized landscapes can overwhelm natural biogeochemical processes and cause long-term eutrophication of aquatic systems. We investigated N fate and transport from an intensively managed short-rotation woody crop (Pinus taeda) plantation through the riparian zone of an intermittent, low-gradient blackwater stream. Fertilization of the P. taeda plantation on the uplands resulted in contamination of groundwater with nitrate concentrations between 0.9 and 1.9 mg N L-1. No corresponding increase in nitrate was observed in stream water or shallow groundwater in the riparian zone. Groundwater travel-time modeling predicted that N from near-stream, upland plantation areas should have reached streams during the monitoring period. Two years of measuring N species in well water in contrasting landscape positions (within the plantation, swale, riparian edge, forested hillslope, and valley), indicated rapid nitrate transformation and denitrification within the forested wetland valleys. Denitrification in the shallow groundwater system within the toeslopes and the riparian zone was estimated to have removed > 90% of nitrate. Finally, these results highlight the importance of riparian zones as pathways for the removal of N and for controlling downstream N loads. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation. Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) United States 2023-08-26T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s10533-023-01077-0 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1999010
Co-occurrence of native white-tailed deer and invasive wild pigs: Evidence for competition? Garabedian, James E.; Cox, Kyle J.; Vukovich, Mark; Kilgo, John C. resource partitioning; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; behavior; control; density; interspecific competition; invasive species; non-native competitor; space use; spatiotemporal interactions; suid; ungulate Understanding whether invasive and native species compete for shared resources where they co-occur is essential for mitigating the negative impacts of invasive species on native ecosystems. Here, we examined how the presence and density of an invasive species, wild pigs (Sus scrofa), affect native white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; hereafter, deer) on the Savannah River Site, SC, USA. We examined potential changes in deer areas of use, temporal overlap, and occupancy to evaluate the effects of wild pig occurrence and density on deer space use, diel activity, and co-occurrence with wild pigs across 9 months during 2018 and 2019. Wild pig density had the strongest effect on deer space use in high- and moderate-use areas. Declines in deer space use in response to wild pig density were most pronounced in March and October 2018 and April 2019 for females, while male space use declined in response to wild pig density in October and December 2018. Both species were largely nocturnal with high overlap in diel activity across months. Deer occupancy responses to wild pig density varied across months, with negative responses in May and October 2018 and positive responses in July 2018 and April 2019. Deer and wild pigs co-occurred at 30%â59% of camera stations across months, with broadscale co-occurrence patterns being unaffected by changes in shared cover or wild pig occurrence. Overall, our results suggest that deer make fine-scale behavioral adjustments to avoid wild pigs, providing evidence that competition is likely occurring even where wild pig density is relatively low. Such fine-scale behavioral plasticity in deer appears to mitigate the costs of competition with wild pigs and may be a mechanism enabling long-term co-existence of deer and wild pigs. Our study provides novel insight on the complexities of spatiotemporal relationships between invasive wild pigs and native deer and suggests that the negative effects of interactions between deer and wild pigs may be more pronounced when deer life history needs are particularly demanding. In areas where eradication of invasive wild pigs may be impossible, maintaining low wild pig densities may help mitigate, but may not eliminate, the negative effects of wild pigs on deer. USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU) United States 2023-03-13T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/ecs2.4435 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1959913
Whole-tree dormant season nitrogen pools for different species receiving combinations of fertilization and irrigation after one short rotation Ferreira, Gabriel W. D.; Coleman, Mark D.; Coyle, David R.; Aubrey, Doug P. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Liquidambar styraciflua L.; Pinus taeda L.; Platanus occidentalis L.; Populus deltoides Bartr.; Resource availability; Short-rotation woody crop (SRWC) Our understanding of the accretion and distribution of tree tissue nitrogen (N) pools across a variety of species and genotypes suitable for short-rotation woody crop (SRWC) production in response to water and N availability remains limited. We measured dormant-season, rotation-length, whole-tree N pools for five tree genotypes from four species (two eastern cottonwood, Populus deltoides Bartr., genotypes; American sycamore, Platanus occidentalis L.; American sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua L.; and loblolly pine, Pinus taeda L.) receiving irrigation (I), fertilization (F), their combination (IF), or no resources manipulation (C). Our results demonstrate that foliar nitrogen concentration [N] responded to fertilization but was constrained within genotype-specific ranges and varied temporally. Tree genotypes differed in their composite and component tissue N content (NC), and these differences mostly reflected tissue mass (i.e., larger components and trees resulted in higher NC). Resource amendments (I, F, IF) resulted in up to 3.8-fold increases in NC compared with C, which were most pronounced for sycamore and sweetgum with F and IF treatments, respectively. By the end of the rotation, forest stands accumulated 73 to 452 kg N haâ1 in tree tissues with 40 â 78 % distributed aboveground and 22 â 60 % distributed belowground. A critical difference between genotypes was that all hardwoods exhibited larger belowground N distributions than the evergreen conifer. Our results stress the importance of belowground N pools and highlight differences among genotypes. Furthermore, our study underscores valuable information about N pools across genotypes suitable for SRWC production, which can be leveraged to inform fertilization plans and devise sustainable nutrient management as production expands across marginal lands. Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE; USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative United States 2022-12-23T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120730 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2228453
Environmental monitoring at major U. S. Energy Research and Development Administration contractor sites: calendar year 1976. Volume 1 500200* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 500300 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510200 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMES LABORATORY; ANL; ATOMICS INTERNATIONAL CANOGA PARK PLANT; BATTELLE COLUMBUS LABORATORY; BETTIS; BNL; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; FEED MATERIALS PLANTS; FEED MATERIALS PRODUCTION CENTER; GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS; HAPO; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; INDUSTRIAL PLANTS; ISOTOPE SEPARATION PLANTS; KAPL; LASL; LAWRENCE BERKELEY LABORATORY; LAWRENCE LIVERMORE LABORATORY; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MONITORING; MOUND LABORATORY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NEVADA TEST SITE; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ORGDP; PADUCAH PLANT; PANTEX PLANT; PINELLAS PLANT; PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT; POWER REACTORS; PWR TYPE REACTORS; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; REACTORS; ROCKY FLATS PLANT; SANDIA LABORATORIES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SHIPPINGPORT REACTOR; STANFORD LINEAR ACCELERATOR CENTER; THERMAL REACTORS; US AEC; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER COOLED REACTORS; WATER MODERATED REACTORS The purpose of this compilation is to present, in a central reference document, all of the individual annual reports summarizing the results of the environmental monitoring programs conducted at each of the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) sites having a potential for environmental impact or which release a significant quantity of radioactivity or nonradioactive pollutants. Data on the levels of radioactivity and nonradioactive pollutants in effluents and the environs at each site are given, and effluent and environmental measurements and sampling results are evaluated in relation to the appropriate standards for environmental protection, including estimates of potential radiation exposures offsite. It is noteworthy that, in most cases, the potential offsite exposures are so low they cannot be determined by direct measurement methods but must be estimated by calculational techniques. All potential offsite exposures to members of the public from routine effluent releases in 1976 were less than 5 mrem/yr (i.e., less than one percent of the established radiation protection guidelines for exposure of the public). Additionally, the estimated collective man-rem dose potential to all members of the public within an 80 Km radius at all ERDA sites is less than .02 percent of the estimated man-rem dose due to natural and background environmental radiation. Energy Research and Development Administration, Washington, D.C. (USA). Div. of Operational and Environmental Safety United States 1977-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5208834 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5208834
Root litter decomposition rates and impacts of drought are regulated by ecosystem legacy Glass, Nicholas; de Oliveira, Eduardo Dias; Molano-Flores, Brenda; Matamala, Roser; Whelan, Christopher J.; Gonzalez-Meler, Miquel A. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; decomposition; drought; legacy; memory; moisture; soil; tallgrass In grassland ecosystems, about two-thirds of productivity is in roots, and therefore roots constitute a major soil organic matter input. However, influences on the rate of root litter decomposition remain unresolved, especially in the context of land-use conversion and climate change. Ecosystem legacy can affect root decomposition rates via impacts on substrate chemistry and soil environments, and this may manifest in responses of decomposition to changing temperature and moisture. Here we investigate the impacts of anthropogenic legacy effects and moderate drought on root litter decomposition rates in five "Land Use History Types": crop fields, cow pastures, remnant tallgrass prairie, and prairie restored from crop fields and pastures. We measured root losses of mass, carbon, and nitrogen over 11 months. Further, soil bulk density was unimportant for decomposition, but soil moisture content and temperature were relevant for decomposition rates while time since disturbance predicted decomposition initiation times. Furthermore, soil moisture and temperature dynamics alone could not explain the responses of decomposition rates to drought, which were positively correlated to time since disturbance. Our findings suggest that anthropogenic legacy impacts decomposition rates in grasslands, especially when soil moisture and temperature dynamics are substantially altered, and mediates soil community responses to drought. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) United States 2023-04-07T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.apsoil.2023.104903 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2427328
Comprehensive Land Use and Environmental Stewardship Lee, Randy D; Kachur, Kristina 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; Comprehensive; Environmental Stewardship; Land Use Comprehensive Land Use and Environmental Stewardship (CLUES) Report serves as a summary document of the land use and environmental stewardship activities occurring on the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site (Desert) and the Research and Education Campus (REC) within Idaho Falls. Land and facility use planning and decisions at the INL Site are guided by a comprehensive planning process in accordance with the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) Order 430.1C, âReal Property Asset Management,â which states "Establish a data-driven, risk-informed, performance-based approach to the life-cycle management of real property assets that aligns the real property portfolio with DOE mission needs; acquire, manage, positively account for, and dispose of real property assets in a safe, secure, cost-effective, and sustainable manner; and ensure the real property portfolio is appropriately sized, aligned, and in the proper condition to support efficient mission execution." Land use planning, like Campus Master Planning and 5-Year Facility Planning, provides a means for better, more sustainable use of the INL Site in a coordinated effort to ensure current and future mission needs are met, including acquisition, recapitalization, maintenance, disposition, real property utilization and long-term stewardship. This document and all functions of INL are guided by the DOE Vision for INL and the INL Mission and builds on the baseline established in the FY 2015 CLUES Report. However, it delivers a revised structure with focus on new resource management zones, which provide organization of key management considerations and access restrictions to optimize land use and environmental stewardship. A new set of thematic Guiding Principles presented in this report provide the intent and sustainable management direction to protect the INL Site natural environment. They demonstrate that the mission and vision of DOE and INL can be realized with inclusion of first of a kind technology, private sector development, and globally recognized testing and demonstration. This CLUES Report encourages comprehensive management decision-making with additional resource discussions for sustainability, the built environment, and the ecological landscape at the INL Site. Enhanced resource considerations and trends emphasize the importance of air, land use, environmental, subsurface, and cultural resources. The INL Site supports exceptional and interdependent resources. A diversity of bat species are accommodated by culturally significant caves distributed around the Site. Big game species like elk, deer, and moose seek vegetation communities which are protected by long-term stewardship and monitoring programs. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) United States 2020-03-30T04:00:00Z Program Document https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1608252
Environmental monitoring at major U. S. Energy Research and Development Administration contractor sites: calendar year 1976. Volume 2 500200* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 500300 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510200 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMES LABORATORY; ANL; ATOMICS INTERNATIONAL CANOGA PARK PLANT; BATTELLE COLUMBUS LABORATORY; BETTIS; BNL; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; FEED MATERIALS PLANTS; FEED MATERIALS PRODUCTION CENTER; GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS; HAPO; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; INDUSTRIAL PLANTS; ISOTOPE SEPARATION PLANTS; KAPL; LASL; LAWRENCE BERKELEY LABORATORY; LAWRENCE LIVERMORE LABORATORY; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MONITORING; MOUND LABORATORY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NEVADA TEST SITE; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ORGDP; PADUCAH PLANT; PANTEX PLANT; PINELLAS PLANT; PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT; POWER REACTORS; PWR TYPE REACTORS; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; REACTORS; ROCKY FLATS PLANT; SANDIA LABORATORIES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SHIPPINGPORT REACTOR; STANFORD LINEAR ACCELERATOR CENTER; THERMAL REACTORS; US AEC; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER COOLED REACTORS; WATER MODERATED REACTORS The purpose of this compilation is to present, in a central reference document, all of the individual annual reports summarizing the results of the environmental monitoring programs conducted at each of the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) sites having a potential for environmental impact or which release a significant quantity of radioactivity or nonradioactive pollutants. Data on the levels of radioactivity and nonradioactive pollutants in effluents and the environs at each site are given, and effluent and environmental measurements and sampling results are evaluated in relation to the appropriate standards for environmental protection, including estimates of potential radiation exposures offsite. It is noteworthy that, in most cases, the potential offsite exposures are so low they cannot be determined by direct measurement methods but must be estimated by calculational techniques. All potential offsite exposures to members of the public from routine effluent releases in 1976 were less than 5 mrem/yr (i.e., less than one percent of the established radiation protection guidelines for exposure of the public). Additionally, the estimated collective man-rem dose potential to all members of the public within an 80 Km radius at all ERDA sites is less than .02 percent of the estimated man-rem dose due to natural and background environmental radiation. Energy Research and Development Administration, Washington, D.C. (USA). Div. of Operational and Environmental Safety United States 1977-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5196078 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5196078
The impact of habitat fragmentation on domatia-dwelling mites and a mite-plant-fungus tritrophic interaction Graham, Carolyn D. K. (ORCID:0000000172211913); Warneke, Christopher R.; Weber, Marjorie; Brudvig, Lars A. Abstract Context Habitat fragmentation is a leading threat to biodiversity, yet the impacts of fragmentation on most taxa, let alone interactions among those taxa, remain largely unknown.
Objectives We studied how three consequences of fragmentationâreduced patch connectivity, altered patch shape, and edge proximityâimpact plant-dwelling mite communities and mite-plant-fungus interactions within a large-scale habitat fragmentation experiment.
Methods We sampled mite communities from the leaves of Quercus nigra (a plant species that has foliar domatia which harbor fungivorous and predacious mites) near and far from edge within fragments of varying edge-to-area ratio (shape) and connectivity via corridors. We also performed a mite-exclusion experiment across these fragmentation treatments to test the effects of mite presence and fungal hyphal abundance on leaf surfaces.
Results Habitat edges influenced the abundance and richness of leaf-dwelling mites; plants closer to the edge had higher mite abundance and species richness. Likewise, hyphal counts were higher on leaves near patch edges. Despite both mite and fungal abundance being higher at patch edges, leaf hyphal counts were not impacted by mite abundance on those leaves. Neither patch shape nor connectivity influenced mite abundance, mite species richness, or the influence of mites on leaf surface fungal abundance.
Conclusion Our results suggest that mites and foliar fungi may be independently affected by edge-structured environmental gradients, like temperature, rather than trophic effects. We demonstrate that large-scale habitat fragmentation and particularly edge effects can have impacts on multiple levels of microscopic communities, even in the absence of cascading trophic effects.
USDOE Netherlands 2022-10-13T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s10980-022-01529-2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1892116
Acute toxicity of copper to the larval stage of three species of ambystomatid salamanders Weir, Scott M.; Yu, Shuangying; Scott, David E.; Lance, Stacey L. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; LC50; amphibians; caudata; metals; mortality; sublethal effect Copper (Cu) appears to be consistently more toxic to anuran species relative to other vertebrate taxa. There are limited Cu toxicity data for salamanders; of the few studies conducted on salamanders, most examined Cu effects on the embryonic, but not the larval, stage. We performed acute toxicity experiments, to quantify LC50s, on Harrison stage 46 larvae (free swimming hatchlings with egg yolk completely absorbed) of three ambystomatid salamander species. Each LC50 experiment used exposure concentrations of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 µg/L with 10 replicates per concentration each containing one larva. We found very high toxicity for all species compared to previously published research on the embryo stage. Specifically, the 4-d LC50s for Ambystoma tigrinum and A. opacum were 35.3 and 18.73 µg/L, respectively. The same Cu concentrations caused similar toxicity to A. talpoideum (LC50 = 47.88 µg/L), but exposures required up to 48 d to elicit the same level of mortality. A time-to-event analysis indicated that time to mortality was significantly affected by Cu concentration. Additionally, for A. talpoideum, we observed that elevated levels of Cu decreased growth rate. Finally, comparisons with previously reported Cu toxicity for embryos suggest that, as with fish, Cu may be more toxic to larval salamander stages than for embryos. Further, our data suggest that Cu is an important environmental contaminant that deserves increased scrutiny on the potential for population-level effects where contamination has occurred in wetlands and streams inhabited by salamanders. Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Lab. (SREL) USDOE United States 2019-09-05T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s10646-019-02102-5 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1833530
Wildlife Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation Carter, Evin; Giffen, Neil R.; McCracken, Kitty; Darling, Sara E.; Deck, Aubrey; Byrd, Greg 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES This document outlines a plan for management of the wildlife resources on the US Department of Energyâs (DOEâs) Oak Ridge Reservation. Management includes wildlife population control through restoration of wildlife species; preservation, management, and enhancement of wildlife habitats; coordination of wildlife studies and characterization of areas, hunting, trapping, removal, and habitat manipulation; wildlife damage control; and law enforcement. Wildlife resources are divided into several categories, each with a specific set of objectives and procedures to attain the goals. These objectives are management of (1) wildlife habitats to ensure that all resident wildlife species exist on the Reservation in viable numbers; (2) focal species to promote healthy populations on designated land units; (3) game species for research, education, recreation, and public safety; (4) the Three Bend Scenic and Wildlife Management Refuge Area; (5) nuisance wildlife, including nonnative species, to achieve adequate population control for the maintenance of health and safety on the Reservation; (6) sensitive species (i.e., state or federally listed as Endangered, Threatened, Of Special Concern, or In Need of Management) through preservation and protection of both the species and habitats critical to the survival of those species; and (7) wildlife disease. Achievement of the objectives is a joint effort between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) through agreements between DOE and the University of Tennessee (UT)-Battelle LLC, between TWRA and DOE, and between Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and DOE. Implementation of objectives is to be informed by leading-edge research and a strong collaborative approach between UT-Battelle and TWRA. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE United States 2019-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1632096 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1632096
Radiocesium uptake by a population of cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) inhabiting the banks of a radioactive liquid waste pond Garten, Jr, Charles T 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; BODY BURDEN; CONTAMINATION; DISTRIBUTION; GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS; INGESTION; LIQUID WASTES; PONDS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RATS; SEDIMENTS; TENNESSEE A mean population of 20 cotton rats inhabited the banks of a small radioactive liquid waste pond (=0.39 ha) in Tennessee during the summer of 1977. Radiocesium concentrations in common shoreline plants (Eleocharis, Juncus, Typha, and Polygonum) ranged from 80 pCi/dry g in Juncus to 35,800 pCi/dry g in Eleocharis. The mean (+/-S.E.) 137Cs concentration in cotton rat GI tracts was 2283 (+/-591) pCi/dry g (N = 14). The mean (+/-S.E.) whole-body burden of 137Cs in 14 rats sampled from June to September was 44467 (+/-13,142) pCi. Mean 137Cs body burdens in cotton rats increased from 32 pCi/g live weight in May to 208 pCi/g live weight in August and declined to 3 pCi/g live weight in December. The mean (+/-S.D.I) percent distribution of the whole-body contents among pelt, GI tract, and carcass was 12 (+/-3), 28 (+/-12), and 60 (+/-9), respectively. The calculated mean (+/-S.E.) ingestion rate of 137Cs, assuming rats recaptured on the pond's banks for longer than 42 days were at equilibrium, was 1792 (+/-504) pCi/day. The concentration of 137Cs in shoreline plants, rat GI tracts, and rat bodies indicated that cotton rats, which are herbivores, accumulated their body burdens by foraging along the contamination zone bordering the pond shoreline. A maximum mean estimate of the amount of 137Cs annually exported by cotton rats from the pond is 8719 nCi or =10-6% of the total amount estimated to be present in the pond's sediments. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park USDOE United States 1979-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1097/00004032-197901000-00008 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989662
Local adaptation of switchgrass drives trait relations to yield and differential responses to climate and soil environments Ricketts, Michael P.; Heckman, Robert W.; Fay, Philip A.; Matamala, Roser; Jastrow, Julie D.; Fritschi, Felix B.; Bonnette, Jason; Juenger, Thomas E. Abstract Switchgrass, a potential biofuel crop, is a genetically diverse species with phenotypic plasticity enabling it to grow in a range of environments. Two primary divergent ecotypes, uplands and lowlands, exhibit trait combinations representative of acquisitive and conservative growth allocation strategies, respectively. Whether these ecotypes respond differently to various types of environmental drivers remains unclear but is crucial to understanding how switchgrass varieties will respond to climate change. We grew two upland, two lowland, and two intermediate/hybrid cultivars of switchgrass at three sites along a latitudinal gradient in the central United States. Over a 4âyear period, we measured plant functional traits and biomass yields and evaluated genotypeâbyâenvironment (G à E) interaction effects by analyzing switchgrass responses to soil and climate variables. We found substantial evidence of G à E interactions on biomass yield, primarily due to deviations in the response of the southern lowland cultivar Alamo, which produced more biomass in hotter and drier environments relative to other cultivars. While lowland cultivars had the highest potential for yield, their yields were more variable yearâtoâyear compared to other cultivars, suggesting greater sensitivity to environmental perturbations. Models comparing soil and climate principal components as explanatory variables revealed soil properties, especially nutrients, to be most effective at predicting switchgrass biomass yield. Also, positive correlations between biomass yield and conservative plant traits, such as high stem mass and tiller height, became stronger at lower latitudes where the climate is hotter and drier, regardless of ecotype. Lowland cultivars, however, showed a greater predisposition to exhibit these conservative traits. These results suggest switchgrass trait allocation tradeâoffs that prioritize aboveground biomass production are more tightly associated in hot, dry environments and that lowland cultivars may exhibit a more specialized strategy relative to other cultivars. Altogether, this research provides essential knowledge for improving the viability of switchgrass as a biofuel crop.
USDOE United Kingdom 2023-03-16T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/gcbb.13046 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1961864
Role of uncertainties in protecting ecological resources during remediation and restoration Burger, Joanna; Gochfeld, Michael; Bunn, Amoret; Looney, Brian; Jeitner, Christian 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; Department of Energy; Hanford Site; Savannah River Site; ecological effects; ecosystem; remediation; uncertainty Cleanup of contaminated waste sites is a National priority to protect human health and the environment, while restoring land to productive uses. While there are uncertainties with under standing risk to individuals from exposure, the aim of this study was to focus on uncertainties and complexities for ecological systems, complicated by hundreds of species occupying any remediation site which participate in multiple-interacting food webs. The ability to better predict the effectiveness of remediation in fostering future ecosystems might facilitate remedy selection and improve strategic environmental management. This investigation examined (1) uncertainties in ecosystem processes, (2) uncertainties in exposure from contamination before remediation, and (3) uncertainties during remediation. Two Department of Energy sites Hanford Site and Savannah River Site were used as case studies to illustrate how the uncertainties affect eco-receptors. Several types of ecological, physical, and human dimension uncertainties are defined. Ecological uncertainties include temporal, spatial, individual, developmental, and exogenous types. Physical uncertainties are weather-related, watershed variations, slope/aspect, soil/sediment structure and form, unforeseen events, and temporal patterns. Human dimension uncertainties include current land use, future land use, extractive and non-extractive recreation. The effects of remedial strategies varied between the two sites because Hanford is a primarily arid shrub-steppe ecotype, while Savannah River is a wet forest ecotype. Defining the associated ecological sensitivities and uncertainties and providing examples might help policy-makers, managers, planners, and contractors to be aware of issues to consider throughout planning, remediation, and restoration. Adding ecological uncertainty analysis to risk evaluations and remediation planning is analogous to using safety factors in human health risk assessment. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States) USDOE United States 2021-02-25T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1080/15287394.2021.1887783 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1783241
Habitat fragmentation alters the distance of abiotic seed dispersal through edge effects and direction of dispersal Warneke, Christopher R.; Caughlin, T. Trevor; Damschen, Ellen I.; Haddad, Nick M.; Levey, Douglas J.; Brudvig, Lars A. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; edge effect; habitat fragmentation; landscape corridor; seed dispersal Habitat loss and fragmentation are leading causes of species declines, driven in part by reduced dispersal. Isolating the effects of fragmentation on dispersal, however, is daunting because the consequences of fragmentation are typically intertwined, such as reduced connectivity and increased prevalence of edge effects. We used a large-scale landscape experiment to separate consequences of fragmentation on seed dispersal, considering both distance and direction of local dispersal. We evaluated seed dispersal for five wind- or gravity-dispersed, herbaceous plant species that were planted at different distances from habitat edges, within fragments that varied in their connectivity and shape (edge-to-area ratio). Dispersal distance was affected by proximity and direction relative to the nearest edge. For four of five species, dispersal distances were greater further from habitat edges and when seeds dispersed in the direction of the nearest edge. Connectivity and patch edge-to-area ratio had minimal effects on local dispersal. Here our findings illustrate how some, but not all, landscape changes associated with fragmentation can affect the key population process of seed dispersal. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF) United States 2021-11-12T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/ecy.3586 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1976327
Testing effects of invasive fire ants and disturbance on ant communities of the longleaf pine ecosystem Roeder, Karl A.; Useche, Viviana Penuela; Levey, Douglas J.; Resasco, Julian 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Amdro; Solenopsis invicta; disturbance; invasive species; social insect; stable isotope Invasive species and habitat disturbance are among the most important drivers of biodiversity loss and ecological change. Their individual effects, however, are difficult to disentangle because invasion and disturbance are often intimately linked. Here we test alternative hypotheses to determine if the invasive red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, is a âdriverâ or simply a âpassengerâ of ecological change in a longleaf pine ecosystem. We randomly assigned treatments of (1) unmanipulated, (2) soil disturbance, (3) fire ant removal and (4) soil disturbance + fire ant removal to experimental blocks and measured how ant communities changed over 2 years in thirty-six 15-m2 plots. Additionally, fire ant abundance in removal plots averaged 42% lower in pitfall traps and 95% lower on baits compared to unmanipulated, control plots. Species richness of co-occurring ants also decreased 42% in removal plots, with significant changes in community composition. Soil disturbance alone did not affect ant communities. Fire ant diet breadthâmeasured using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopesâincreased up to 4.7-fold in soil disturbance + removal plots (i.e. 0.84â°2 to 3.94â°2). While non-target impacts of the fire ant removal treatment complicate interpretation, our results suggest fire ants follow an alternative âinteracting driversâ model in which partial recovery of some species occurs when populations of an invasive species are reduced. Further recovery of native ants may be limited by persisting, landscape-level effects of fire ants suppressing co-occurring ants below historical levels. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU) United States 2021-03-23T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/een.13033 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1884968
Connectivity and edge effects increase bee colonization in an experimentally fragmented landscape Griffin, Sean R.; Haddad, Nick M. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; biodiversity & conservation; environmental sciences & ecology; habitat loss; habitat patch; isolation; landscape corridors; landscape conservation Though landscape corridors increase dispersal of many animals and plants, it remains unknown whether these positive effects extend to the process of colonization and establishment of new populations in fragments. Working in experimentally fragmented landscapes, we tested how two aspects of habitat fragments altered by corridors â connectivity and edge-to-area ratio â determine patterns of colonization by a solitary, cavity-nesting bee Megachile rotundata. We found that though connectivity initially affected rates of nest-site occupation, edge-to-area ratio ultimately determined the final patterns of patch occupation and nest building, likely due to habitat selection by our focal species. Bee colonization was also higher in patches with higher abundances of their preferred food resources, flowers from the Fabaceae family. Our results show the importance of considering the effects of both connectivity and edge on population dynamics in habitat-based conservation. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2021-02-23T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/ecog.05299 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1848955
Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2021 - Summary Redding, Theodore J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ASER; Environment; Environmental; NFO; NNSA; NNSS This summary report provides an abbreviated and more readable version of the full report, which discusses actions taken in 2021 to protect the environment and the public while achieving the NNSA/NFO mission goals. It is prepared for the public and our stakeholders in hopes that it is readily understandable and usable. It is a key component in our efforts to keep the public informed of environmental conditions at the NNSS and its support facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nevada National Security Site/Mission Support and Test Services LLC, Las Vegas, NV (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2022-10-01T04:00:00Z Program Document https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1895374
Large ecosystem-scale effects of restoration fail to mitigate impacts of land-use legacies in longleaf pine savannas Brudvig, Lars A.; Turley, Nash E.; Bartel, Savannah L.; Bell-Dereske, Lukas; Breland, Sabrie; Damschen, Ellen I.; Evans, Sarah E.; Gibbs, Jason; Hahn, Philip G.; Isaacs, Rufus; Ledvina, Joe A.; Orrock, John L.; Sorenson, Quinn M.; Stuhler, John D. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ecological restoration; land-use legacy; longleaf pine; restoration ecology Ecological restoration is a global priority, with potential to reverse biodiversity declines and promote ecosystem functioning. Yet, successful restoration is challenged by lingering legacies of past land-use activities, which are pervasive on lands available for restoration. Although legacies can persist for centuries following cessation of human land uses such as agriculture, we currently lack understanding of how land-use legacies affect entire ecosystems, how they influence restoration outcomes, or whether restoration can mitigate legacy effects. Using a large-scale experiment, we evaluated how restoration by tree thinning and land-use legacies from prior cultivation and subsequent conversion to pine plantations affect fire-suppressed longleaf pine savannas. In this work, we evaluated 45 ecological properties across four categories: 1) abiotic attributes, 2) organism abundances, 3) species diversity, and 4) species interactions. The effects of restoration and land-use legacies were pervasive, shaping all categories of properties, with restoration effects roughly twice the magnitude of legacy effects. Restoration effects were of comparable magnitude in savannas with and without a history of intensive human land use; however, restoration did not mitigate numerous legacy effects present prior to restoration. As a result, savannas with a history of intensive human land use supported altered properties, especially related to soils, even after restoration. The signature of past human land-use activities can be remarkably persistent in the face of intensive restoration, influencing the outcome of restoration across diverse ecological properties. Understanding and mitigating land-use legacies will maximize the potential to restore degraded ecosystems. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER), Infrastructure Security and Energy Restoration (ISER); Foundation for Food and Agriculture, Pollinator Health Fund; Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program United States 2021-04-19T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1073/pnas.2020935118 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1805172
Long-term patterns of cave-exiting activity of hibernating bats in western North America Whiting, Jericho C.; Doering, Bill; Aho, Ken; Rich, Jason 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; behavioural ecology; ecology Understanding frequency and variation of cave-exiting activity after arousal from torpor of hibernating bats is important for bat ecology and conservation, especially considering white-nose syndrome. In winter from 2011 to 2018, we acoustically monitored, and counted in hibernacula, two species of conservation concernâwestern small-footed myotis (Myotis ciliolabrum) and Townsendâs big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii)âin 9 caves located in important habitat for these species in western North America. We investigated if cave-exiting activity differed by species, cave, number of hibernating bats, moon phase, and weather variables. Both species exited hibernacula during all winter months, but most activity occurred in March followed by November. Although we counted almost 15 times more Townsendâs big-eared bats during hibernacula surveys, we documented western small-footed myotis exiting caves 3 times more than Townsendâs big-eared bats. Cave-exiting activity increased with increasing number of hibernating bats, but more so for western small-footed myotis. Both species of bats were active during warm weather and low wind speeds. Western small-footed myotis were more active during colder temperatures, higher wind speeds, and greater change in barometric pressure than Townsendâs big-eared bats. Our results provide a long-term dataset of cave-exiting activity after arousal from torpor during hibernation for these species before the arrival of white-nose syndrome. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC) United States 2021-04-14T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/s41598-021-87605-0 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1816732
Development ofn DNAn methylationâbased epigenetic age predictors in loblolly pine (n Pinus taedan ) Gardner, Steven T.; Bertucci, Emily M.; Sutton, Randall; Horcher, Andy; Aubrey, Doug; Parrott, Benjamin B. Abstract Biological ageing is connected to life history variation across ecological scales and informs a basic understanding of ageârelated declines in organismal function. Altered DNA methylation dynamics are a conserved aspect of biological ageing and have recently been modelled to predict chronological age among vertebrate species. In addition to their utility in estimating individual age, differences between chronological and predicted ages arise due to acceleration or deceleration of epigenetic ageing, and these discrepancies are linked to disease risk and multiple life history traits. Although evidence suggests that patterns of DNA methylation can describe ageing in plants, predictions with epigenetic clocks have yet to be performed. Here, we resolve the DNA methylome across CpG, CHG, and CHHâmethylation contexts in the loblolly pine tree ( Pinus taeda ) and construct epigenetic clocks capable of predicting ages in this species within 6% of its maximum lifespan. Although patterns of CHHâmethylation showed little association with age, both CpG and CHGâmethylation contexts were strongly associated with ageing, largely becoming hypomethylated with age. Among ageâassociated loci were those in close proximity to malate dehydrogenase, NADH dehydrogenase, and 18S and 26S ribosomal RNA genes. This study reports one of the first epigenetic clocks in plants and demonstrates the universality of ageâassociated DNA methylation dynamics which can inform conservation and management practices, as well as our ecological and evolutionary understanding of biological ageing in plants.
USDOE United Kingdom 2022-08-24T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/1755-0998.13698 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1883252
Seismically Detecting Nuclear Reactor Operations Using a Power Spectral Density (PSD) Misfit Detector Guenaga, David L.; Chai, Chengping; Maceira, Monica; Marcillo, Omar E.; Velasco, Aaron A. 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS To explore the ability to indirectly detect and attribute various operations conducted at a nuclear reactor using waveform data, we investigated the seismic signals recorded near the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Specifically, we processed seismic data collected from a single seismoacoustic station, WACO, near the HFIR facility, and employed a power spectral density misfit detector to identify signals of interest and associate the detections with operational events. Initial results suggest that this method provides a promising means of regularly detecting at least 19 unique operations. Furthermore, with additional station deployment and more comprehensive data logs, we anticipate that future analysis will offer an additional means to seismically monitor nuclear reactors (such as HFIR) health and performance more accurately. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF) United States 2021-05-11T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1785/0120200267 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1798624
Forest stand and canopy development unaltered by 12Â years of CO2 enrichment* Norby, Richard J. (ORCID:0000000202389828); Warren, Jeffrey M.; Iversen, Colleen M.; Childs, Joanne; Jawdy, Sara S.; Walker, Anthony P.; Tissue, ed., David Abstract Canopy structureâthe size and distribution of tree crowns and the spatial and temporal distribution of leaves within themâexerts dominant control over primary productivity, transpiration and energy exchange. Stand structureâthe spatial arrangement of trees in the forest (height, basal area and spacing)âhas a strong influence on forest growth, allocation and resource use. Forest response to elevated atmospheric CO2 is likely to be dependent on the canopy and stand structure. Here, we investigated elevated CO2 effects on the forest structure of a Liquidambar styraciflua L. stand in a free-air CO2 enrichment experiment, considering leaves, tree crowns, forest canopy and stand structure. During the 12-year experiment, the trees increased in height by 5Â m and basal area increased by 37%. Basal area distribution among trees shifted from a relatively narrow distribution to a much broader one, but there was little evidence of a CO2 effect on height growth or basal area distribution. The differentiation into crown classes over time led to an increase in the number of unproductive intermediate and suppressed trees and to a greater concentration of stand basal area in the largest trees. A whole-tree harvest at the end of the experiment permitted detailed analysis of canopy structure. There was little effect of CO2 enrichment on the relative leaf area distribution within tree crowns and there was little change from 1998 to 2009. Leaf characteristics (leaf mass per unit area and nitrogen content) varied with crown depth; any effects of elevated CO2 were much smaller than the variation within the crown and were consistent throughout the crown. In this young, even-aged, monoculture plantation forest, there was little evidence that elevated CO2 accelerated tree and stand development, and there were remarkably small changes in canopy structure. Questions remain as to whether a more diverse, mixed species forest would respond similarly.
USDOE United Kingdom 2021-08-13T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1093/treephys/tpab107 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1854638
Calibration approach and range of observed sap flow influences transpiration estimates from thermal dissipation sensors Dix, Mackenzie J.; Aubrey, Doug P. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Ecohydrology; Granier sensors; Gravimetric; Potometric; Power function; Sap flux; Segmented regression; Water use Calibrating thermal dissipation (TD) sap flow sensors has become increasingly important to accurately estimate whole-tree transpiration, but it is unclear how the calibration approach itself influences the resulting coefficients and estimates. Here, we compare the two most common calibration approaches, gravimetric and potometric, using TD sensors inserted into Eucalyptus benthamii tree stems. The gravimetric approach uses an excised stem segment devoid of branches and leaves and pushes water through the stem using gravity, a positive force. The potometric approach uses a severed stem containing an intact canopy placed upright in a reservoir where water is pulled through the stem via transpiration, a negative force. We hypothesized that the positive pressure associated with gravimetric calibration would overestimate conductive sapwood area relative to that estimated from potometric calibration and that coefficients from these different approaches would result in different estimates of transpiration when applied to intact trees. We also predicted that calibrations could improve transpiration estimates by targeting the range of observed sap flow rates (i.e., K values) in intact trees. Conductive sapwood area was higher under gravimetric calibrations and resulting estimates of transpiration were lower compared to potometric calibrations. Segmented calibration curves, which fit two separate curves for the relationship between sap flux density (Fd) and sap flux index (K) based on the range of sap flow rates observed in intact trees, increased transpiration estimates from both gravimetric and potometric coefficients and diminished the magnitude of difference in transpiration estimates between approaches. Researchers should be aware that calibration approach and range of observed sap flow profoundly influences transpiration estimates from TD sensors and this likely applies to calibrations of other heat-based sap flow sensors. University of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States); USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2021-07-21T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.agrformet.2021.108534 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1848983
Mercury Concentrations in the Two-Toed Amphiuma (Amphiuma means) and the Lesser Siren (Siren intermedia): Validating Non-lethal Sampling Methods in Southeastern Aquatic Salamanders Haskins, David L.; Korotasz, Alexis M.; Bryan, Albert L. 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT. The global decline of amphibians is a major conservation issue. Many stressors are recognized for this decline including exposure to environmental contaminants. Mercury (Hg) is an environmental contaminant that bioaccumulates in wildlife and can cause a variety of negative impacts across taxa, including amphibians. Amphiuma and Siren spp. can comprise a large portion of biomass within their respective ecosystems, and thus, likely serve as important predators or prey in wetland communities. However, due to their cryptic nature, little is known about their ecology, diet, and accumulation potential. Here, we sought to validate a non-lethal sampling method to quantify total mercury (THg) in two enigmatic species of aquatic salamanders: the two-toed amphiuma (Amphiuma means) and the lesser siren (Siren intermedia). We examined relationships between THg content in lethal (whole-body) and non-lethal (tail clip) samples. Tail clips were significant predictors of whole body THg (all p < 0.001), explaining 84-89% of variation in whole body THg. Average whole-body THg (mg/kg did not significantly differ between the two species (p = 0.97), and overall, they had similar whole body THg content (LESI = 0.330 ± 0.04, n = 18; AMME = 0.333 ± 0.07, n = 11). To our knowledge, these data represent the first reported Hg burdens in A. means and S. intermedia. Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Lab. (SREL) USDOE United States 2019-07-26T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s00244-019-00657-2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1842288
INL Environmental Monitoring Plan (DOE/ID-11088 Rev. 5) Devasirvatham, Rajkumar S. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Idaho National Laboratory; environmental monitoring plan This plan provides a high-level summary of environmental monitoring performed by various organizations within and around the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site as required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 435.1, Radioactive Waste Management, and DOE Order 458.1, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment, Guide DOE/EH-0173T, Environmental Regulatory Guide for Radiological Effluent Monitoring and Environmental Surveillance, and in accordance with 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 61, National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants. The purpose of these orders is to 1) implement sound stewardship practices that protect the air, water, land, and other natural and cultural resources that may be impacted by DOE operations, and 2) to establish standards and requirements for the operations of DOE and DOE contractors with respect to protection of the environment and members of the public against undue risk from radiation. This plan describes the organizations responsible for conducting environmental monitoring across the INL Site, the rationale for monitoring, the types of media being monitored, where the monitoring is conducted, and where monitoring results can be obtained. Detailed monitoring procedures, program plans, or other governing documents used by contractors or agencies to implement requirements are referenced in this plan. This plan covers all planned monitoring and environmental surveillance. Non-routine activities such as special research studies and characterization of individual sites for environmental restoration are outside the scope of this plan. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU) United States 2021-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1873101 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1873101
Past agricultural land use affects multiple facets of ungulate antipredator behavior Bartel, Savannah L.; Orrock, John L. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Agricultural legacy; Odocoileus virginianus; antipredator behavior; diel activity patterns; disturbance; fire; longleaf pine; vigilance Antipredator behavior affects prey fitness, prey demography, and the strength of ecological interactions. Although predator-prey interactions increasingly occur in habitats that experience multiple forms of human-generated disturbance, it is unclear how different forms of disturbance might affect antipredator behavior. Fire is a contemporary disturbance that has dramatic effects on terrestrial habitats. Such habitats may have also experienced past disturbances, like agricultural land use, that leave lasting legacies on habitat structure (e.g., overstory and understory composition). It is unclear how these past and present disturbances affect the use of different antipredator behaviors, like temporal avoidance and vigilance. We examined whether variation in disturbance regimes generates differences in ungulate antipredator behavior by using cameras to measure white-tailed deer vigilance and activity time across 24 longleaf pine woodlands that vary in past land use and contemporary fire regime. Regardless of land-use history, woodlands with high fire frequencies had 4 times less vegetation cover than low-fire woodlands, generating riskier habitats for deer; however, deer responded to fire with different antipredator strategies depending on land-use history. In nonagricultural woodlands, fire affected deer activity time such that activity was nocturnal in low-fire woodlands and crepuscular in high-fire woodlands. In post-agricultural woodlands, fire affected vigilance and not activity time such that deer were more vigilant in high-fire woodlands than in low-fire woodlands. Furthermore, these results suggest that ungulate antipredator behavior may vary spatially depending on past land use and contemporary fire regime, and such disturbances may generate âlandscapes of fearâ that persist for decades after agricultural use. Forest Service, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2021-07-05T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1093/beheco/arab064 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1810290
Accounting for connectivity alters the apparent roles of spatial and environmental processes on metacommunity assembly Resasco, Julian; Fletcher, Jr., Robert J. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Beta diversity; Community assembly; Community ecology; Formicidae; Generalized dissimilarity modeling; Matrix Understanding the relative contributions of spatial and environmental processes on community assembly is a central question in ecology. Despite this long-standing interest, our understanding of how landscape structure may drive spatial processes of community assembly remains poorly understood in part because of the challenge of tracking community assembly across landscapes and quantifying key aspects of landscapes that may impact assembly processes. Here, we examined the roles of spatial and environmental processes on structuring assemblies of ants in 72 cleared patches embedded within a forested landscape. USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU) United States 2021-02-03T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s10980-021-01203-z https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1884967
Mercury and Radiocesium Accumulation and Associations With Sublethal Endpoints in the Florida Green Watersnake (Nerodia floridana) Brown, Marty Kyle; Haskins, David Lee; Russell, Amelia L.; Lambert, Michaela L.; Quick, Caleigh E.; Pilgrim, Melissa A.; Tuberville, Tracey D. 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; Hepatozoon; heavy metal; pollution; radionuclide; reptile; standard metabolic rate Mercury (Hg) and radiocesium (137Cs) are well-known environmental contaminants with the potential to impact the health of humans and wildlife. Snakes have several characteristics conducive to studying environmental contamination but have rarely been included in the monitoring of polluted sites. We investigated the bioaccumulation of Hg and 137Cs and associations with sublethal effects (standard metabolic rate [SMR] and hemoparasite infections) in Florida green watersnakes (Nerodia floridana). We captured 78 snakes from three former nuclear cooling reservoirs on the US Department of Energy's Savannah River Site in South Carolina (USA). For captured snakes, we (1) determined whole-body 137Cs, (2) quantified total Hg (THg) using snake tail clips, (3) conducted hemoparasite counts, and (4) measured the SMR. We used multiple regression models to determine associations among snake body size, capture location, sex, tail THg, whole-body 137Cs, Hepatozoon spp. prevalence and parasitemia, and SMR. Average whole-body 137Cs (0.23 ± 0.08 Becquerels [Bq]/g; range: 0.00â1.02 Bq/g) was correlated with snake body size and differed significantly by capture site (Pond B: 0.67 ± 0.05 Bq/g; Par Pond: 0.10 ± 0.02 Bq/g; Pond 2: 0.03 ± 0.02 Bq/g). Tail THg (0.33 ± 0.03 mg/kg dry wt; range: 0.16â2.10 mg/kg) was significantly correlated with snake body size but did not differ by capture site. We found no clear relationship between SMR and contaminant burdens. However, models indicated that the prevalence of Hepatozoon spp. in snakes was inversely related to increasing whole-body 137Cs burdens. Our results indicate the bioaccumulation of Hg and 137Cs in N. floridana and further demonstrate the utility of aquatic snakes as bioindicators. Furthermore, our results also suggest a decrease in Hepatozoon spp. prevalence related to increased burdens of 137Cs. Although the results are intriguing, further research is needed to understand the dynamics between 137Cs and Hepatozoon spp. infections in semiaquatic snakes. Savannah River National Lab (SRNL), Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE United States 2022-02-03T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/etc.5281 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1898631
Rodent population and community responses to experimental, large scale, long-term coarse woody debris manipulations Larsen-Gray, Angela L.; Loeb, Susan C.; Kalcounis-Rueppell, Matina C. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; CWD; South Carolina; coarse woody debris; cotton mouse; rodent; southern flying squirrel Coarse woody debris (CWD) is a structural feature in forests throughout the United States that provides unique cover, runways, and microclimate for various wildlife species. While use and selection of CWD for rodent foraging, travel, and nesting, which can impact an individualâs fitness, has been demonstrated across numerous studies, the role of CWD presence and abundance in rodent population and community dynamics varies across studies. To better understand rodent and CWD relationships, we studied rodent populations across two periods of CWD manipulation in randomly assigned experimental treatments in South Carolina (Period I: March 1996âNovember 2000; removal of all snags and fallen logs, removal of fallen logs only, and Control, and Period II: January 2002âSeptember 2006; downed woody debris addition, snag addition, and Control). Overall, we found minimal effects of experimental treatments on the rodent community composition and structure, and community level variation was mainly explained by cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus) and southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) captures. There were no experimental treatment effects on captures of cotton mice and southern flying squirrels, but we observed variation across seasons and years. Here our study shows that over the long-term, rodent population and community dynamics are not affected by experimental manipulations of CWD in our study area. University of North Carolina, Greensboro, NC (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU) United States 2021-06-22T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119427 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1884507
Group size mediates effects of intraspecific competition and forest structure on productivity in a recovering social woodpecker population Garabedian, James E.; Moorman, C. E.; Peterson, M. N.; Kilgo, J. C. prescribed fire; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; cooperative breeder; endangered species; indirect effects; population density; structural equation model; woodpecker Conservation of endangered social wildlife in disturbance-prone forests is challenging because direct and indirect effects of management strategies developed at the time of speciesâ listing when population density is low may change under high-density conditions in locally recovered populations. Here, we used piecewise structural equation modeling to evaluate direct and indirect drivers of productivity in the federally endangered cooperatively breeding red-cockaded woodpecker Dryobates borealis (RCW) on Savannah River Site, South Carolina, USA. We estimated direct and indirect relationships among group size, neighboring group sizes, fledgling production, density of cavity tree clusters occupied by RCWs, area satisfying threshold criteria of â¥22 stems haâ1 of pines â¥35.6 cm diameter at breast height (dbh), <1.4 m2 haâ1 basal area (BA) of hardwoods 7.6â22.9 cm dbh, and <6% hardwood canopy cover, and area treated with prescribed fire, and tested whether group size mediated indirect effects of area satisfying threshold criteria on fledgling production. Increases in area with â¥22 stems haâ1 of pines â¥35.6 cm dbh and <1.4 m2 haâ1 BA of hardwoods 7.6â22.9 cm dbh, and area treated with prescribed fire, but not area with <6% hardwood canopy cover, had direct positive effects on group size. Group size and area treated with prescribed fire, but not area satisfying threshold criteria, had direct positive effects on fledgling production. The direct effect of neighboring group sizes on fledgling production was negative and smaller relative to the direct positive effect of group size on fledgling production. Overall, our results indicate positive direct effects of group size on fledgling production outweighed negative direct effects of neighboring group sizes, and that group size mediated positive indirect effects of area satisfying structural threshold criteria on fledgling production. These findings indicate that ongoing forest management aimed to increase area with â¥22 pines haâ1 â¥35.6 cm dbh and <1.4 m2 haâ1 BA of hardwoods 7.6â22.9 cm dbh will promote large group sizes, which in turn improve fledgling production and offset costs of heightened competition with neighboring groups under high-density conditions. Additionally, positive effects of area treated with prescribed fire on RCW group size and fledgling production indicate prescribed fire has unique contributions to woodpecker productivity, likely via direct effects on forest structure and potentially indirect effects on arthropod prey available to foraging RCWs. Furthermore, by simultaneously accounting for multiple drivers of productivity in social wildlife, our study contributes to the understanding of how increases in social wildlife population sizes can alter previously documented habitat-fitness relationships. USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU) United States 2021-11-20T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/acv.12757 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1846588
Seasonal and Interspecific Variation in Frugivory by a Mixed Resident-Migrant Overwintering Songbird Community Carter, Wales A.; Pearson, Scott F.; Smith, Adam D.; McWilliams, Scott R.; Levey, Douglas J. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Biodiversity & Conservation; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; diet overlap; diet shifts; frugivory; granivory; isotopic niche; mixing model; overwintering; songbirds; stable isotopes Many temperate passerine bird species switch from diets of mostly invertebrates in the spring and summer to diets that include fruit and seeds in the fall and winter. However, relatively few studies have quantified diet composition or the extent of seasonal shifts during the non-breeding period, particularly among species and across communities with both residents and migrants. We measured carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values in food items (fruits, C3 and C4 seeds, and insects from various trophic levels and plant communities) and in multiple tissues (feathers and plasma/whole blood) from 11 species of songbirds wintering in the southeastern U.S. We combined these diet and tissue values with empirically derived discrimination factors and used concentration-dependent mixing models to quantify seasonal diet shifts. We also validated mixing model results with data from fecal samples. Diets in this bird community, as delineated N and C isotopic space, diverged in the fall and winter relative to the summer as consumption of fruits and seeds increased. Across this songbird community, estimated contributions of fruit to plasma/whole blood increased from 16.2 ± 7.5% in the fall (mean ± SD; range: 4â26%) to 21.7 ± 10.3% (range: 9â37%) in the winter, while contributions of seeds increased from 29.4 ± 2.6% (range: 28â32%) in the fall to 36.6 ± 4.8% (range: 32â42%) in the winter. Fecal data showed qualitatively similar trends to mixing models, but consistently estimated higher contributions of fruit. Our work indicates that fruits and seeds constitute substantial sources of sustenance for non-breeding songbirds, there is considerable separation of resource use among species in the fall and winter, and fecal estimates of contributions to songbird tissues should be interpreted cautiously. US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA), Washington, DC (United States) USDOE United States 2021-07-09T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.3390/d13070314 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1848172
Species- and element-specific patterns of metal flux from contaminated wetlands versus metals shed with exuviae in emerging dragonflies Fletcher, Dean E.; Lindell, Angela H.; Stankus, Paul T.; Fulghum, Christina M.; Spivey, Erin A. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; aquatic insect; aquatic-terrestrial linkages; contamination; dragonfly; insect emergence; metal Dragonfly adults and their aquatic immature stages are important parts of food webs and provide a link between aquatic and terrestrial components. During emergence, contaminants can be exported into terrestrial food webs as immature adults fly away or be shed with their exuviae and remain in the wetland. Our previous work established metals accumulating in dragonfly nymphs throughout a contaminated constructed wetland designed to regulate pH and sequester trace metals from an industrial effluent line. In this paper we evaluated the concentration and mass of metals leaving the wetland in flying emergents versus remaining in the wetland with the shed exuviae in 10 species of dragonflies belonging to 8 genera. Nine elements (Cu, Zn, Cd, Mn, V, Mg, Fe, Al, Pb) were evaluated that include essential and nonessential elements as well as trace and major metals. Metal concentrations in the emergent body and exuviae can differ by orders of magnitude. Aluminum, Fe, Mn, and Pb were largely shed in the exuviae. Vanadium and Cd were more variable among species but also tended to be shed with the exuviae. In contrast, Cu, Zn, and Mg showed a higher tendency to leave the wetland with an emerging dragonfly. Metals shed in dragonfly exuviae can moderate the transport of metals from contaminated wetlands. Taxonomic- and metal-specific variability in daily metal flux from the wetland depended upon concentration accumulated, individual body mass, and number of individuals emerging, with each factor's relative importance often differing among species. This illustrates the importance of evaluating the mass of metals in an individual and not only concentrations. Furthermore, differences in numbers of each species emerging will magnify differences in individual metal flux when calculating community metal flux. A better understanding of the variability of metal accumulation in nymphs/larvae and metal shedding during metamorphosis among both metals and species is needed. University of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) United States 2022-02-09T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.118976 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1977101
An omnivorous mesopredator modifies predation of omnivore-dispersed seeds Bartel, Savannah; Orrock, John 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Canis latrans; Prunus serotina; Rubus allegheniensis; endozoochory; mesopredator; predator cue; scat; seed predation Post-dispersal seed predation is an important determinant of plant recruitment. Although many plant species are dispersed following consumption by omnivorous vertebrates, the potential for these dispersal agents to indirectly affect seed fate by modifying seed predator behavior is poorly understood. We evaluated the hypothesis that the scat of an omnivorous vertebrate (coyote, Canis latrans), which is also a rodent predator, would reduce seed predation by rodent granivores. We also hypothesized that scat would lead to increased removal by arthropod seed predators by providing a resource that attracts ants and other arthropods. We examined the role of omnivore deposition on seed predation of two animal-dispersed species that differed in size: Larger Prunus serotina seeds are attacked only by rodents, whereas smaller Rubus allegheniensis seeds are attacked by arthropods and rodents. Using an experiment that manipulated the presence of coyote scat and access by different granivore guilds, we found that scat reduced the total number of seeds removed from full-access depots by 12%, but it increased the total number of seeds removed from arthropod-only depots by 43%. Rodent removal of P. serotina seeds was 21% lower in the presence of scat. Scat composition was also important in affecting rodent seed predation, with seed predation 50% lower in the presence of meat-rich scat compared with mixed or fruit-rich scat. Arthropod removal of R. allegheniensis seeds was 43% higher in the presence of scat. Prunus serotina seeds were generally removed at greater rates than R. allegheniensis seeds in full-access trays; however, scat reduced this difference in removal rates from 37% more P. serotina seeds removed to 18% more P. serotina seeds removed. These findings illuminate a new pathway through which omnivores may influence plant populations by modifying post-dispersal seed predation by arthropods and rodents. Moreover, our results indicate that the ultimate effect of vertebrate omnivores on seed survival in a given region may depend upon omnivore diet, dominant seed predator guilds, and differences in granivore seed preference. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE; Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program United States 2021-02-09T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/ecs2.3369 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1805180
Eucalyptus Are Unlikely to Escape Plantations and Invade Surrounding Forests Managed with Prescribed Fire in Southeastern US Toledo, Fábio Henrique; McIntosh, Tyler; Knothe, Candice; Aubrey, Douglas P. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Eucalyptus benthamii; alien plant; forestry; germination; invasive species; light availability; litter depth; planted forest Woody biomass production can increase through establishment of non-native tree species exhibiting greater growth potential than traditional native species. Interest in growing Eucalyptus in the southeastern US has raised concern over its potential spread and invasion, which could impact ecosystem properties and functions. Within the matrix of land use where Eucalyptus establishment is being considered in the southeastern US, surrounding pine forests managed with fire represent a likely pathway for invasion. We used greenhouse and field experiments to evaluate the potential invasion risk of Eucalyptus benthamii. We were specifically interested in determining if seeds could successfully germinate in fire-maintained pine forests and if fire-return intervals influenced germination through impacts on litter accumulation and light availability. The greenhouse experiment investigated the influence of light availability on germination success, whereas the field study investigated the influence of time since fire, and thus litter accumulation and light availability, on germination success. Percent germination was similar under non-shaded controls and moderate shade, but complete shade resulted in low germination rates. Germination was lower in the field compared to the greenhouse and was influenced by litter and light availability, which varied according to fire-return intervals. Litter increased, and light availability decreased, with time since burn. Germination was negatively related to litter depth and positively related to light availability, thereby decreasing with time since fire. Germination increased with litter removal but remained positively related to light availability after litter removal. Higher germination with litter removal suggests germination is influenced by litter, but higher germination with increased light availability, regardless of raking, suggests germination is also influenced by light availability. Despite these relationships, no seedlings persisted through the growing season. The low germination rates under a variety of field conditions coupled with the lack of persistence suggests establishment may be unlikely, regardless of the surrounding land matrix. Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States); USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2020-06-20T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.3390/f11060694 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1799592
Overcoming small minirhizotron datasets using transfer learning Xu, Weihuang; Yu, Guohao; Zare, Alina; Zurweller, Brendan; Rowland, Diane L.; Reyes-Cabrera, Joel; Fritschi, Felix B.; Matamala, Roser; Juenger, Thomas E. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Deep learning; Minirhizotron; Plant root phenotyping; Root and soil segmentation; Roots minirhizotron machine learning; Transfer learning Minirhizotron technology is widely used to study root growth and development. Yet, standard approaches for tracing roots in minirhiztron imagery is extremely tedious and time consuming. Machine learning approaches can help to automate this task. However, lack of enough annotated training data is a major limitation for the application of machine learning methods. Transfer learning is a useful technique to help with training when available datasets are limited. In this paper, we investigated the effect of pre-trained features from the massives-cale, irrelevant ImageNet dataset and a relatively moderate-scale, but relevant peanut root dataset on switchgrass root imagery segmentation applications. We compiled two minirhizotron image datasets to accomplish this study: one with 17,550 peanut root images and another with 28 switchgrass root images. Both datasets were paired with manually labeled ground truth masks. Deep neural networks based on the U-net architecture were used with different pre-trained features as initialization for automated, precise pixel-wise root segmentation in minirhizotron imagery. We observed that features pre-trained on a closely related but relatively moderate size dataset like our peanut dataset were more effective than features pre-trained on the large but unrelated ImageNet dataset. Here, we achieved high quality segmentation on peanut root dataset with 99.04% accuracy at the pixel-level and overcame errors in human-labeled ground truth masks. By applying transfer learning technique on limited switchgrass dataset with features pre-trained on peanut dataset, we obtained 99% segmentation accuracy in switchgrass imagery using only 21 images for training (fine tuning). Furthermore, the peanut pre-trained features can help the model converge faster and have much more stable performance. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States) USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) United States 2020-06-19T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.compag.2020.105466 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1773850
Effects of fertilization, plant species, and intra-specific diversity on soil carbon and nitrogen in biofuel cropping systems after five growing seasons Adkins, Jaron; Jastrow, Julie D.; Morris, Geoffrey P.; de Graaff, Marie-Anne 09 BIOMASS FUELS; Big bluestem; Bioenergy crops; Diversity; Fertilization; Soil carbon; Switchgrass Land-use change for bioenergy production can release greenhouse gases (GHG) through disturbance of soil carbon (C) pools, but use of native species with extensive root systems as bioenergy crops may help mitigate GHG emissions by enhancing soil C sequestration. Here, we investigated how (1) fertilization, (2) plant species and cultivars, and (3) inter- and intra-specific diversity affect soil C and N accumulation five growing seasons after conversion of an old-field dominated by C3 grasses to a grassland dominated by C4 perennial grasses managed for biofuel production. We manipulated diversity at both the species- and cultivar level, and applied nitrogen (N) at two levels (0 and 67 kg haâ1). Establishment of C4 grass treatments on soils that supported C3 pasture grasses for 36 years enabled us to use the natural abundance C isotope ratio technique to estimate the contribution of new C4 plant-derived C to soil organic matter pools. Our study yielded three main results: 1) annual fertilization did not significantly affect soil C and N concentrations after five growing seasons; 2) increasing inter- and intra-specific diversity did not significantly increase soil C and N concentrations; 3) cultivar- and species identity influenced C4-derived C and total soil C concentrations: big bluestem dominated stands exhibited greater soil C accrual relative to stands dominated by switchgrass and mixed-species treatments. Here, future research is needed to further assess how big bluestem can aid in the sustainable provisioning of second generation biofuel feedstocks. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23); U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) United States 2019-10-17T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.biombioe.2019.105393 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1573246
Diet of Nestling Red-Headed Woodpeckers in South Carolina Vukovich, Mark; Kilgo, John C. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Diet; Red-headed woodpeckers Melanerpes erythrocephalus (Red-headed Woodpecker) has experienced sharp declines in portions of its range. Knowledge of how birds use their nesting habitats, particularly what foods they exploit, may be important in determining causes of population declines, but no modern quantitative study exists on diets of nestling Red-headed Woodpeckers. Our objectives were to identify diets of nestling Red-headed Woodpeckers and quantify variability in food types over time and between roles of males and females in provisioning their young. We conducted observations of nests on the Savannah River Site, SC, from June to September, 2006â2007. We recorded 791 food items fed to nestlings, representing 7 taxa of plants and 18 taxa of animals (16 invertebrate, 2 vertebrate). We assigned food items as either animal matter or soft mast and compared proportions using a binomial mixed model approach. Of the 12 models we tested, 3 received 67% of the cumulative AIC model weight and all included either year or month, indicating annual and monthly variation in foods fed to nestlings. Animal matter composed the majority of Red-headed Woodpecker nestling foods (71.5%), but notably, soft mast was an important component (28.5%). As a result, we suggest that future research on Red-headed Woodpeckers consider how the availability of soft mast may or may not limit productivity of this species. USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Acquisition and Project Management (EM-50) United States 2019-05-31T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1656/058.018.0211 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1524607
The Effect of Rapid Development on Soil CO2 Efflux in a Cellulosic Biofuel Stand Wright-Osment, Nicholas; Starr, Gregory (ORCID:000000027918242X); Aubrey, Doug P. (ORCID:0000000229196399); Rau, Benjamin M.; Staudhammer, Christina L. (ORCID:000000031887418X) As awareness of climate change increases, the need for carbon neutral fuel sources is growing. Lignocellulosic biofuel derived from pine trees has been suggested as one potential energy source; however, it requires more research before its efficacy for climate change mitigation can be determined. Due to the large share of forest carbon held in soils and the extensive area of pine plantations in the southeast U.S., a better understanding of plantation soil carbon dynamics is critical for biofuel carbon accounting. This study evaluated the effects of canopy development and productivity on soil CO2 efflux, a proxy for soil respiration (Rs), in an intensively managed loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stand over a period from May 2015 to December 2019. We found that leaf area index (LAI) and gross ecosystem production (GEP), as well as meteorological variables, had significant effects on Rs, but that both overall Rs and soil carbon pools did not increase over the course of the study. We thus hypothesize that GEP and LAI had intra-annual effects on Rs, and that the lack of change in Rs is the result of an increase in autotrophic respiration (Ra) that offset a decrease in decomposition of the previous standâs organic matter.
USDOE Switzerland 2023-01-30T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.3390/f14020258 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2500968
Water use in a youngn Pinus taedan bioenergy plantation: Effect of intensive management on stand evapotranspiration Ruzol, Roel; Staudhammer, Christina L.; Younger, Seth; Aubrey, Doug P.; Loescher, Henry W.; Jackson, C. Rhett; Starr, Gregory Abstract The increasing demand for plantâderived bioenergy is projected to expand tree plantations with intensive silviculture and improved tree genetics. These silvicultural practices result in faster stand development and canopy closure, which may also influence the systems' water dynamics. Here, we studied the evapotranspiration (ET) of a young (5 years old) intensively managed loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda ) stand and investigated the components of ET to determine its contribution to overall water use. We also compared ET with plantations that received less intensive management to determine whether our stand used more water. We used the eddy covariance method to estimate ecosystemâlevel total ET (ET EC ), while plotâlevel estimates of ET (ET P ) were obtained via soil lysimeters, sap flow sensors, and throughfall collectors, enabling measurement of the components of ET. Soil evaporation (Es) was the largest component of ET P (36%) over the course of the study, while transpiration and canopy interception accounted for 27% and 22%, respectively. Es decreased with stand development, while transpiration and canopy interception increased. Leaf area index (LAI) and precipitation were the most significant factors controlling ET and its components. Compared to previous studies in different sites that have similar age but lower LAI, our stand had higher water use. This high water use in the early stages of stand development was primarily due to high Es before the canopy was fully developed. While there are potential sources of uncertainty when comparing ET EC and the component fluxes in ET P , results from the two methods were not significantly different. This study had the advantage of using multiple methods to understand and verify the component processes that contribute to ET. Therefore, we recommend that multiple measurement techniques be used in the longâterm observation of ET, and in particular for the evaluation of the impact that intensively managed forests have on water resources in the southeastern United States.
USDOE United States 2022-06-06T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/ecs2.4100 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1871359
Influence of lure choice and survey duration on scent stations for carnivore surveys Webster, Sarah C.; Beasley, James C. Abstract Noninvasive, cameraâbased, scent station surveys have become a common approach to estimate population parameters for mammalian carnivores. Many carnivores are particularly sensitive to olfactory cues; and, as such, the quality and quantity of odor attractant used during surveys can significantly affect the accuracy and precision of the survey. Additionally, survey length is also an important consideration because many mammalian predators are highly mobile and elusive in nature. Using scent station surveys in autumn 2013 and 2014 on the Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina, USA, we tested the effects of 5 lures: fatty acid, fish oil, synthetic fermented egg, beaver castor, and skunk essence on visitation rates, visitation probability, and latency to visitation of multiple predator species. We also estimated occupancy probability for 2 carnivore species using different survey lengths to determine the effect of survey period on the precision of occupancy estimates. We found that skunk essence had greater visitation probability and visits than other lures evaluated. Speciesâspecific baitâpreference models revealed that raccoons ( Procyon lotor ) were more likely to visit skunk essence, and coyotes ( Canis latrans ) were less likely to visit fish oil as compared with fatty acid. Latency to visitation ranged from 104.7 to 112.1 hours and did not vary among scents. Longer survey durations resulted in more precise estimates of occupancy and detection probability. Our results suggest a wide range of scents commonly used for carnivore capture may perform as well as, or better than, fatty acid for noninvasive carnivore surveys. Further, study designs should carefully consider the duration of scentâstation surveys depending on the level of precision desired in estimates of occupancy and detection probability. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.
USDOE United States 2019-09-10T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/wsb.1011 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1560887
Survey of Aquatic Turtles on the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, USA, for Prevalence of Ranavirus Winzeler, Megan E.; Haskins, David L.; Lance, Stacey L.; Tuberville, Tracey D. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Chelonian; Ranavirus; South Carolina Ranaviruses have the ability to infect amphibians, fish, and reptiles, and have caused multiple amphibian die-off events in the United States (U. S.) and Europe. Furthermore, their prevalence in amphibian populations is much more commonly studied than in chelonian populations. We examined blood samples (N=286) from eight aquatic turtle species collected during 2008-2014 on the Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina as part of long-term mark-recapture efforts. Previous studies in the southeastern US found high prevalence of ranavirus in amphibians, but we did not detect ranavirus in any of the turtles sampled, suggesting low presence, prevalence, or both in aquatic turtles across the SRS during the years tested. Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Lab. (SREL) USDOE United States 2018-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.7589/2016-08-182 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1819088
Patterns of Trace Element Accumulation in Waterfowl Restricted to Impoundments Holding Coal Combustion Waste Leaphart, James C.; Oldenkamp, Ricki E.; Bryan, Albert L.; Kennamer, Robert A.; Beasley, James C. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Toxicology Waterfowl are often exposed to and readily accumulate anthropogenic contaminants when foraging in polluted environments. Settling impoundments containing coal combustion waste (CCW) enriched in trace elements such as arsenic (As), selenium (Se), and mercury (Hg) are often used by free-ranging migratory and resident waterfowl and represent potential sources for contaminant uptake. To assess accumulation of CCW contaminants, we experimentally restricted waterfowl to a CCW-contaminated impoundment and quantified trace element burdens in blood, muscle, and liver tissues over known periods of exposure (between 3 and 92 d). From these data we developed models 1) to predict elemental bioaccumulation with increased exposure time, and 2) to predict muscle/liver burdens based on concentrations in blood as a nondestructive sampling method. Although Hg and As did not bioaccumulate in our waterfowl, we observed an increase in Se concentrations in muscle, liver, and blood tissues over the duration of our experiment. Furthermore, we found that blood may be used as an effective nondestructive sampling alternative to predict muscle and liver tissue concentrations in birds contaminated with Se and As through dietary exposure. These data provide unique insights into accumulation rates of contaminants for waterfowl utilizing habitats contaminated with CCW and demonstrate the efficacy of nonlethal sampling of waterfowl to quantify contaminant exposure. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1052â1059. University of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2020-02-24T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/etc.4697 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1799566
Temporal nitrogen dynamics in intensively managed loblolly pine early stand development Ferreira, Gabriel W.D.; Rau, Benjamin M.; Aubrey, Doug P. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Nitrogen budget; Nitrogen use efficiency; Pinus taeda; Short-rotation woody crops (SRWC); Silviculture; Sustainability of production forestry Forest production is strongly dependent on nutrient uptake; however, sustainable management of intensively managed plantations requires an improved understanding of this relationship when fertilization occurs frequently across short rotations. Here, we studied temporal nitrogen (N) concentration ([N]) and content (Nc) dynamics under different silvicultural practices (herbicide, fertilization, and planting density) throughout early loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stand development (5 years). We describe relationships of [N] and Nc of different stand components (foliage, branches, stem, roots, and competing vegetation) with carbon and biomass. Our results demonstrate that [N] of perennial loblolly tissues do not respond to silvicultural practices and progressively decrease through development. While foliar [N] was most responsive to resource availability, it was not consistent across time. Controlling competing vegetation was crucial to promote the use of site resources by the crop tree and increased loblolly Nc by >500%. However, increased N uptake and expedited growth is dependent upon fertilization early in stand development. At age 5, herbicide plus reduced and full fertilization rates exhibited similar aboveground Nc, which was 32% higher than with herbicide only. Increasing planting density resulted in increased above- and belowground loblolly Nc; however, increases in Nc were not proportional with increases in planting density. Net primary productivity and N uptake were linearly related, but age/development strongly controlled N use efficiency. Our study helps to understand complex relationships between N, biomass, and silvicultural practices during early stand development and demonstrates that temporal evaluation of nutrient dynamics is crucial to better understand loblolly pine growth, carbon sequestration potential, and to inform sustainable silvicultural practices across short rotations. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU) United States 2021-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118890 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1838275
Effects of social structure and management on risk of disease establishment in wild pigs Yang, Anni; Schlichting, Peter; Wight, Bethany; Anderson, Wesley M.; Chinn, Sarah M.; Wilber, Mark Q.; Miller, Ryan S.; Beasley, James C.; Boughton, Raoul K.; VerCauteren, Kurt C.; Wittemyer, George; Pepin, Kim M. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; African swine fever; contact structure; management; network modeling; wild pig Contact heterogeneity among hosts determines invasion and spreading dynamics of infectious disease, thus its characterization is essential for identifying effective disease control strategies. Yet, little is known about the factors shaping contact networks in many 28 wildlife species and how wildlife management actions might affect contact networks. Wild pigs in North America are an invasive, socially-structured species that pose a health concern for domestic swine given their ability to transmit numerous devastating diseases 2 such as African swine fever (ASF). Using proximity loggers and GPS data from 48 wild pigs in Florida and South Carolina, USA, we employed a probabilistic framework to estimate weighted contact networks. We determined the effects of sex, social group, and spatial distribution (monthly home range overlap and distance) on wild pig contact. We also estimated the impacts of management-induced perturbations on contact and inferred their effects on ASF establishment in wild pigs with simulation. Social group membership was the primary factor influencing contacts. Between-group contacts depended primarily on space use characteristics, with fewer contacts among groups separated by >2 km and no contacts among groups >4 km apart within a month. Modeling ASF dynamics on the contact network demonstrated that indirect contacts resulting from baiting (a typical method of attracting wild pigs or game species to a site to enhance recreational hunting) increased the risk of disease establishment by ~33% relative to direct contact. Low-intensity population reduction (<5.9% of the population) had no detectable impact on contact structure but reduced predicted ASF establishment risk relative to no population reduction. Here, we demonstrate an approach for understanding the relative role of spatial, social, and individual-level characteristics in shaping contact networks and predicting their effects on disease establishment risk, thus providing insight for optimizing disease control in spatially- and socially-structured wildlife species. Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) USDOE United States 2020-12-19T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/1365-2656.13412 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1894925
Can acoustic recordings of cave-exiting bats in winter estimate bat abundance in hibernacula? Whiting, Jericho C. (ORCID:0000000183787766); Doering, Bill; Aho, Ken Not Available USDOE Netherlands 2022-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.108755 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1854407
Brown watersnakes (Nerodia taxispilota) as bioindicators of mercury contamination in a riverine system Haskins, David L.; Brown, M. Kyle; Bringolf, Robert B.; Tuberville, Tracey D. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Biomagnification factor; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Natricinae; Piscivore; Pollution; Reptile; Snake Herein, mercury (Hg) is a contaminant that enters the environment through natural or anthropogenic means. Ecological risk assessments have examined Hg bioaccumulation and effects in many taxa, but little is known about Hg dynamics in reptiles, or their potential use as bioindicator species for monitoring Hg in aquatic systems. Numerous snake species, like North American watersnakes (Nerodia spp.), are piscivorous and are exposed to Hg through their diet. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with Hg accumulation in a common watersnake species and compare Hg concentrations of the snakes to those in fish occupying the same habitats. To this end, we sampled brown watersnakes (Nerodia taxispilota) from the Savannah River, a major river system in the southeastern U.S., and compared N. taxispilota Hg accumulation trends to those of bass (Micropterus salmoides), catfish (Ictalurus and Ameiurus spp.), and panfish (Lepomis and Pomoxis spp.) collected from the same reach. Total Hg (THg) in N. taxispilota tail tips ranged from 0.020 to 0.431 mg/kg (wet weight; mean: 0.104 ± 0.008). Snake tail THg was significantly correlated with blood THg, which ranged from 0.003 to 1.140 mg/kg (0.154 ± 0.019). Snake size and site of capture were significantly associated with tail THg. Snake tail THg increased at sites along and downstream of the area of historic Hg pollution, consistent with fish THg. Snake muscle THg was predicted based on tail THg and ranged from 0.095 to 1.160 (0.352 ± 0.022). To gauge Hg biomagnification in N. taxispilota, we compared predicted snake muscle THg concentrations to THg in fish of consumable size. Average biomagnification factors for THg in N. taxispilota were 3.1 (panfish) and 5.4 (catfish), demonstrating N. taxispilota likely biomagnify Hg through their diet. These results reveal N. taxispilota to be an effective bioindicator species for monitoring Hg in aquatic environments. Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2020-09-28T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142545 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1848965
Sediment and biota trace element distribution in streams disturbed by upland industrial activity Fletcher, Dean E.; Lindell, Angela H.; Seaman, John C.; Stankus, Paul T.; Fletcher, Nathaniel D.; Barton, Christopher D.; Biemiller, Richard A.; McArthur, J. Vaun 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; aquatic invertebrates; bioaccumulation; sediment assessment; stormwater runoff; stream; trace elements Extensive industrial areas in headwater stream watersheds can severely impact the physical condition of streams and introduce contaminants. We compared 3 streams that received stormwater runoff and industrial effluents from industrial complexes to two reference streams. Reference streams provide a benchmark of comparison of geomorphic form and stability in coastal plain, sandy-bottomed streams as well as concentrations of trace elements in sediment and biota in the absence of industrial disturbance. We used crayfish (Cambarus latimanus, Procambarus raneyi, P. acutus) and crane fly larvae (Tipula) as biomonitors of 15 trace elements entering aquatic food webs. Streams with industrial areas were more scoured, deeply incised, and less stable. Sediment organic matter content broadly correlated to trace element accumulation, but fine sediments and organic matter were scoured from stream bottoms of disturbed streams. Trace element concentrations were higher in depositional zones than runs within all streams. Despite contaminant sources in the headwaters, trace element concentrations were generally not elevated in sediments of the eroded streams. However, element concentrations were frequently elevated in biota from these streams with taxonomic differences in accumulation amplified. In eroded, sand-bottomed coastal plain streams with unstable sediments, single snapshots of sediment trace element concentrations did not characterize well bioavailable trace elements. Biota that integrated exposures over time and space within their home ranges better detected bioavailable contaminants than sediment. Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Lab. (SREL) USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) United States 2018-10-04T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/etc.4287 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1842286
Effects of industrial disturbances on biodiversity of carrion-associated beetles Silva, Ansley E.; Barnes, Brittany F.; Coyle, David R.; Abernethy, Erin F.; Turner, Kelsey L.; Rhodes, Olin E.; Beasley, James C.; Gandhi, Kamal J.K. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Savannah River Site; assemblage; biodiversity; carrion-associated beetles; coal combustion waste; radionuclide Energy production systems such as nuclear reactors and coal-burning power plants produce a multitude of waste contaminants including radionuclides, trace elements, and heavy metals. Among invertebrates, much of the effort to understand the impact of these contaminants has focused in aquatic environments, while relatively less attention has been on terrestrial communities. In this work, we investigated the effects of trace element and radionuclide contamination on assemblages of beetles that are drawn to vertebrate carrion. Samples were collected from riparian sites at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina to compare trap catches (i.e., measure of relative abundance) of beetles and species diversity along a habitat gradient (0â300 m) away from an aquatic habitat and between uncontaminated and contaminated sites. We collected 17,800 carrion-associated beetles representing 112 species in nine families, which were classified as either scavenger or predatory beetles. Beetle catches and species diversity were generally higher at contaminated than uncontaminated sites. These trends were likely driven by scavenger species, which showed similar patterns between sites, whereas patterns of catches and species diversity were variable between sites for predatory beetles. Species compositions of contaminated and uncontaminated sites were generally distinct, however habitat edges appeared to substantially affect beetle assemblages. Overall, our study suggests carrion beetle assemblages are sensitive to edge effects and may exhibit variable responses to the presence of anthropogenic contaminants or disturbances associated with energy production systems. Such results reflect the inherent variability among individual beetle species, populations, and communities to local environmental conditions, and underscores the need for multi-taxa approach in environmental impact assessments. University of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States); Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2019-11-13T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135158 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1799582
Oak Ridge Response to Versatile Test Reactor Environmental Impact Statement Data Request Powers, Jeffrey; Doty Iv, Thomas 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES The Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) is a fast-spectrum test reactor being developed in the United States under the direction of the US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE). The VTR mission is to enable accelerated testing of advanced reactor fuels and materials required for advanced reactor technologies. The conceptual design of the 300 MWth sodium-cooled metallic-fueled pool-type fast reactor has been led by the US National Laboratories in collaboration with General ElectricâHitachi and Bechtel National, Inc. In support of the VTR project, DOE issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register on August 5, 2019, announcing the intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its implementing regulations. The EIS will evaluate alternatives for a versatile reactorâbased fast-neutron source facility and associated facilities for the preparation, irradiation, and post-irradiation examination (PIE) of test/experimental fuels and materials. Specifically, the NOI identified two siting alternatives for the VTR reactor facility: Idaho National Laboratory (INL) or Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). In addition, the NOI also specified two siting alternatives for VTR fuel fabrication: INL and the Savannah River Site (SRS). This report provides information in response to data requests made to ORNL to fill in site-specific knowledge gaps to develop a high-quality EIS. The responses provided are not required to provide full details in every aspect; instead, they adequately bound possible environmental impacts or provide sufficient information to adequately assess likely environmental impacts. This work is being performed under a subcontract from INL to ORNL using DOE-NE funds and is directed by DOE-NE and DOE-ID. Leidos has been contracted by DOE-NE to write the VTR EIS, so most data requests have come from Leidos but were often routed through INL or DOE-ID. DOE-ID is overseeing the NEPA and EIS processes for the VTR project. Leidos will use the information provided in this report to inform the VTR EIS and will also cite this document to establish a clear, publicly available source of the information. Section 2 of this report briefly describes the proposed ORNL VTR Alternative and illustrates the location of the proposed site for the ORNL VTR Alternative. Sections 3 through 7 provide direct responses to data requests received by ORNL. These sections use a tabular format in which data requests are divided into separate items to be addressed; the items are numbered, the data requests are restated with more topical information included, and then the responses are provided. Initial data requests and follow-on requests for additional information (RAIs) are combined under the original data request fields. Finally, Section 8 presents summarized conclusions and describes future work. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) United States 2020-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1671405 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1671405
Assessing plant community composition fails to capture impacts of white-tailed deer on native and invasive plant species Nuzzo, Victoria; Davalos, Andrea; Blossey, Bernd 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; deer herbivory; deer management; earthworms; forest understory; invasive species; multiple stressors; plant community Excessive herbivory can have transformative effects on forest understory vegetation, converting diverse communities into depauperate ones, often with increased abundance of non-native plants. White-tailed deer are a problematic herbivore throughout much of eastern North America and alter forest understory community structure. Reducing (by culling) or eliminating (by fencing) deer herbivory is expected to return understory vegetation to a previously diverse condition. We examined this assumption from 1992 to 2006 at Fermilab (Batavia, IL) where a cull reduced white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) abundance in 1998/1999 by 90 % from 24.6 to 2.5/km2, and at West Point, NY, where we assessed interactive effects of deer, earthworms, and invasive plants using 30 Ã 30 m paired fenced and open plots in 12 different forests from 2009 to 2012. We recorded not only plant community responses (species presence and cover) within 1 m2 quadrats, but also responses of select individual species (growth, reproduction). At Fermilab, introduced Alliaria petiolata abundance initially increased as deer density increased, but then declined after deer reduction. The understory community responded to the deer cull by increased cover, species richness and height, and community composition changed but was dominated by early successional native forbs. At West Point plant community composition was affected by introduced earthworm density but not deer exclusion. Native plant cover increased and non-native plant cover decreased in fenced plots, thus keeping overall plant cover similar. At both sites native forb cover increased in response to deer reduction, but the anticipated response of understory vegetation failed to materialize at the community level. Deer-favoured forbs (Eurybia divaricata, Maianthemum racemosum, Polygonatum pubescens and Trillium recurvatum) grew taller and flowering probability increased in the absence of deer. Plant community monitoring fails to capture initial and subtle effects of reduced or even cessation of deer browse on browse sensitive species. As a result, measuring responses of individual plants (growth, flowering and reproductive success) provides a more sensitive and powerful assessment of forest understory responses to deer management. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) United States 2017-06-08T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1093/aobpla/plx026 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1398385
Past and present disturbances generate spatial variation in seed predation Bartel, Savannah L.; Orrock, John L. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Quercus nigra; Sigmodon hispidus; canopy harvesting; disturbance; granivory; land-use history; longleaf pine; rodent; seed limitation; seed predation Seed survival is a key process for plant populations; variation in the activity and abundance of animals that consume seeds can lead to dramatic shifts in seed fate. Because granivores may respond to contemporary disturbance as well as to enduring changes in habitats caused by past disturbances, understanding seed fate requires studies capable of evaluating how past and present disturbances modify granivore communities, foraging activity, and ultimately, seed predation. Historic agricultural land use and contemporary canopy harvesting are widespread disturbances that could generate large-scale patterns of seed fate by modifying environmental characteristics that determine granivore identity and behavior. Here, to evaluate whether land-use history and canopy harvesting affect seedâanimal interactions, we conducted an experiment distributed across 80,000 ha of longleaf pine woodlands that coupled large-scale canopy harvesting at seven 4-ha sites containing both post-agricultural land use and nonagricultural land use in South Carolina, United States. We deployed a total of 28,000 nail-tagged seeds and recovered the tags to quantify seed fate. Past agricultural land use and contemporary canopy harvesting interacted to affect the rate of seed predation. Seed predation rates in harvested sites depended on land-use history: Seed predation was 30% lower in post-agricultural plots than in nonagricultural plots. This interaction was driven by the differential effect of land-use history and canopy harvesting on rodent activity. Camera traps revealed that Sigmodon hispidus only foraged in harvested plots and was most active in nonagricultural plots. In harvested plots, seed removal increased with S. hispidus activity. In unharvested plots, seed removal increased with Sciurus niger activity, but S. niger was not affected by land-use history. In finding that land-use history and canopy harvesting determine the outcomes of seedâanimal interactions, we show that understanding patterns of seed predation is contingent upon the interplay of disturbances in both the distant past and recent past. These results suggest that patterns of past land use and present land use may help reconcile the considerable variation in seed fate observed in ecological communities. USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Environmental Protection and ES&H Reporting United States 2020-05-14T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/ecs2.3116 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1693427
Divergent Responses of Forest Soil Microbial Communities under Elevated CO2 in Different Depths of Upper Soil Layers Yu, Hao; He, Zhili; Wang, Aijie; Xie, Jianping; Wu, Liyou; Van Nostrand, Joy D.; Jin, Decai; Shao, Zhimin; Schadt, Christopher W.; Zhou, Jizhong; Deng, Ye 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; elevated carbon dioxide; forest ecosystem; free-air CO2 enrichment; functional genes; microbial responses; soil microbial community Numerous studies have shown that the continuous increase of atmosphere CO2 concentrations may have profound effects on the forest ecosystem and its functions. However, little is known about the response of belowground soil microbial communities under elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2) at different soil depth profiles in forest ecosystems. In this paper, we examined soil microbial communities at two soil depths (0 to 5 cm and 5 to 15 cm) after a 10-year eCO2 exposure using a high-throughput functional gene microarray (GeoChip). The results showed that eCO2 significantly shifted the compositions, including phylogenetic and functional gene structures, of soil microbial communities at both soil depths. Key functional genes, including those involved in carbon degradation and fixation, methane metabolism, denitrification, ammonification, and nitrogen fixation, were stimulated under eCO2 at both soil depths, although the stimulation effect of eCO2 on these functional markers was greater at the soil depth of 0 to 5 cm than of 5 to 15 cm. Moreover, a canonical correspondence analysis suggested that NO3-N, total nitrogen (TN), total carbon (TC), and leaf litter were significantly correlated with the composition of the whole microbial community. This study revealed a positive feedback of eCO2 in forest soil microbial communities, which may provide new insight for a further understanding of forest ecosystem responses to global CO2 increases. The concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has continuously been increasing since the industrial revolution. Understanding the response of soil microbial communities to elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2) is important for predicting the contribution of the forest ecosystem to global atmospheric change. This study analyzed the effect of eCO2 on microbial communities at two soil depths (0 to 5 cm and 5 to 15 cm) in a forest ecosystem. Our findings suggest that the compositional and functional structures of microbial communities shifted under eCO2 at both soil depths. Finally, more functional genes involved in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling were stimulated under eCO2 at the soil depth of 0 to 5 cm than at the depth of 5 to 15 cm. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China); Liaoning Technical Univ., Fuxin (China); Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (United States) USDOE; Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); National Key Research and Development Program (China); China Postdoctoral Science Foundation; Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province of China United States 2017-10-27T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1128/AEM.01694-17 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1423015
Wetness index based on landscape position and topography ($\mathrm{WILT}$): Modifying TWI to reflect landscape position Meles, Menberu Bitew; Younger, Seth E.; Jackson, C. Rhett; Du, Enhao; Drover, Damion 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; WILT; depth to groundwater; hydric soil; relative landscape position; topographic wetness index Water and land resource management planning benefits greatly from accurate prediction and understanding of the spatial distribution of wetness. The topographic wetness index (TWI) was conceived to predict relative surface wetness, and thus hydrologic responsiveness, across a watershed based on the assumption that shallow slope-parallel flow is a major driver of the movement and distribution of soil water. The index has been extensively used in modeling of landscape characteristics responsive to wetness, and some studies have shown the TWI performs well in landscapes where interflow is a dominant process. However, groundwater flow dominates the hydrology of low-slope landscapes with high subsurface conductivities, and the TWI assumptions are not likely to perform well in such environments. For groundwater dominated systems, we propose a hybrid wetness index (Wetness Index based on Landscape position and Topography, WILT) that inversely weights the upslope contributing area by the distance to the nearest surface water feature and the depth to groundwater. When explicit depth to groundwater data are not available, height above and separation from surface water features can act as surrogates for proximity to groundwater. Here, the resulting WILT map provides a more realistic spatial distribution of relative wetness across a low-slope Coastal Plain landscape as demonstrated by improved prediction of hydric soils, depth to groundwater, nitrogen and carbon concentrations in the A horizon of the soil profile, and sensitivity to DEM scale. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States) USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office United States 2019-11-29T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109863 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1693428
Integrated Forest Management Charter Hansen, Leslie A. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Biological resources; Environmental Protection; Forest Management The purpose of this charter is to establish, maintain, and implement programs for the protection, preservation, and enhancement of the land and water resources of Los Alamos National Laboratory in a changing climate. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) USDOE United States 2015-08-24T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1212637 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1212637
Idaho National Laboratory Comprehensive Land Use and Environmental Stewardship Report 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; INL Land Use Land and facility use planning and decisions at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site are guided by a comprehensive site planning process in accordance with Department of Energy Policy 430.1, âLand and Facility Use Policy,â that integrates mission, economic, ecologic, social, and cultural factors. The INL Ten-Year Site Plan, prepared in accordance with Department of Energy Order 430.1B, âReal Property Asset Management,â outlines the vision and strategy to transform INL to deliver world-leading capabilities that will enable the Department of Energy to accomplish its mission. Land use planning is the overarching function within real property asset management that integrates the other functions of acquisition, recapitalization, maintenance, disposition, real property utilization, and long-term stewardship into a coordinated effort to ensure current and future mission needs are met. All land and facility use projects planned at the INL Site are considered through a formal planning process that supports the Ten-Year Site Plan. This Comprehensive Land Use and Environmental Stewardship Report describes that process. The land use planning process identifies the current condition of existing land and facility assets and the scope of constraints across INL and in the surrounding region. Current land use conditions are included in the Comprehensive Land Use and Environmental Stewardship Report and facility assets and scope of constraints are discussed in the Ten-Year Site Plan. This report also presents the past, present, and future uses of land at the INL Site that are considered during the planning process, as well as outlining the future of the INL Site for the 10, 30, and 100-year timeframes. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) United States 2015-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1504912 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1504912
Invasive Plant Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation Giffen, Neil R.; McCracken, Kitty 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES Invasive non-native plant species have become one of the greatest ecological threats across the country and around the world. Actively managing incursions of invasive plants is crucial to maintaining ecosystems, protecting natural resources, and ensuring proper function of facilities and their support infrastructures, power lines and other utility rights-of-way (ROWs), communications structures, roadways, and waterways. Invasive plants can threaten cultural resources, public and private properties, forests, wetlands, and other natural areas through increased risks of fire and storm damage, as well as decrease native plant diversity, particularly disrupting vital habitats of threatened and endangered species, both plant and animal. In 2000, the Federal Plant Protection Act came into effect. Under this Act, federal agencies are required to develop and coordinate an undesirable plants management program for control of invasive plants on federal lands under each agencyâs respective jurisdiction. The agency must adequately fund the undesirable plants management program using an Integrated Pest Management Plan. Additionally, each agency is required to implement cooperative agreements with local and state agencies, as well as other federal agencies, to manage undesirable plants on federal lands under the agencyâs jurisdiction. The US Department of Energy (DOE) takes its responsibility for addressing invasive and undesirable plant issues very seriously. Many DOE sites have programs to control invasive pest plant species. DOE has taken a proactive stance toward invasive plant control, and the Invasive Plant Management Planâ created to meet regulatory requirements of federal laws, executive orders, presidential memos, contracts, and agreements on DOEâs Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR)âhas been in effect since 2004. This document represents the second revision of this plan. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE United States 2017-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1408049 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1408049
Eligibility Assessment of Items in the TA-60 Rack Assembly and Alignment Complex Legacy Storage Yard Gregory, Carrie Jeannette; Townsend, Cameron Dee 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; cultural resources The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Field Office (NA-LA), documented and evaluated seven structures in the Technical Area 60 (TA-60) Rack Assembly and Alignment Complex (RAAC) legacy storage yard at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL or Laboratory) for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (National Register). This documentation and evaluation was conducted in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended; the Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR 800); the Programmatic Agreement among the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Field Office, the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Concerning Management of the Historic Properties at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos New Mexico (PA)1; and A Plan for the Management of the Cultural Heritage at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico (LANLâs Cultural Resources Management Plan (2017). NA-LA makes the following National Register eligibility determinations: la cuna; the rack transporter (jeep, rack trailer, and steering dolly); the Mexia diagnostic rack; the Mexia device canister; the Mexia device mounting stand; and the Mexia target stand are eligible for listing in the National Register, and the second steering dolly is not eligible for listing in the National Register. This National Register evaluation was completed because LANL proposes to develop a consolidated waste facility in TA-60 next to the former RAAC. Across 3.56 acres, LANL proposes to construct an 8,000-square-foot, pre-engineered waste storage building; a 1,500-square-foot office/warehouse building; and 28,500 square feet of covered storage. The development will also include access control features and fencing, parking spaces, and utilities. Additionally, the Laboratory will continue to use the southern part of TA-60-0017 and reuse TA-60-0086 and TA-60-0324 in the development. The consolidated waste facility will operate as a central accumulation areaâstoring universal waste, mixed low-level (radioactive) waste, hazardous chemicals, and New Mexico special wasteâuntil the waste can be shipped off site. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) United States 2024-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/2350586 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2350586
Neighboring group density is more important than forest stand age to a threatened social woodpecker population Garabedian, James E.; Moorman, Christopher E.; Peterson, M. Nils; Kilgo, John C. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; cooperative breeder; demography; density dependence; population dynamics; red-cockaded woodpecker Effective conservation of group-living forest wildlife requires information on how forest age moderates population parameters. Relationships between forest age and demographics can guide long-term management for wildlife populations that are expanding in relatively young second-growth forests in response to ongoing habitat management. We examined how forest age moderates effects of group density on long-term trends in group size and fledgling production in the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker Dryobates borealis (RCW) on the Savannah River Site, SC (SRS). We used 32 years of RCW monitoring data and generalized additive models to: 1) model long-term changes in average RCW group size and fledgling production; and 2) model effects of neighboring group density and neighboring group sizes across a gradient of forest age within 800 m of a groupâs cavity tree cluster. Average fledgling production oscillated over 2â3 year periods, but longer term evaluation indicated oscillations dampened and average fledgling production slightly decreased over time. Average group size fluctuated abruptly over 2â3 year periods from 1985 to 1994, but longer term evaluation indicated a general increase in group sizes from 1985 to 1994, followed by declines from 1995 to 2007, and a steady increase after 2010. Average fledgling production increased in response to neighboring group density but decreased as neighboring group sizes increased. In contrast, average group sizes increased in response to greater neighboring group density and neighboring group sizes. Stand age did not affect these relationships. Collectively, these results suggest forest age does not directly moderate effects of neighboring group density or group sizes on long-term average group size and fledgling production in the SRS RCW population. Although forest structure has been linked to increased RCW group sizes and productivity, our results suggest that with ongoing habitat management, long-term changes in group size and fledgling production will be driven primarily by group density conditions rather than changing forest age. USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE United States 2019-12-05T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.2981/wlb.00574 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1578175
Grassland Ecosystem Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation Herold, Jamie; McCracken, Kitty 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Land managers at the Department of Energyâs (DOEâs) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in East Tennessee are restoring native warm-season grasses and wildflowers to various sites across the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). Some of the numerous benefits to planting native grasses and forbs include improved habitat quality for wildlife, improved aesthetic values, and lower long-term maintenance costs. Native grassland restorations also help meet the goals of two recent presidential memorandums: âIncorporating Ecosystem Services into Federal Decision Makingâ and âCreating a Federal Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators.â Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE United States 2018-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1476430 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1476430
Supplementary Feeding, Plumage Documentation and Early Season Prey of Peregrine Falcons at the New Mexico Alpha Eyrie Ponton, David A. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Biological Science; DDE; DDT; organochlorine; peregrine falcon; pesticides; plumage documentation; prey A review of what is known about avian physiology and the biological effects of DDE suggests that some benefit to peregrine falcon egg condition could be attained by artificially feeding DDE free prey to the female from the time of her arrival on the nesting grounds until completion of egg laying; the magnitude of potential benefit is unknown. Sporadic efforts in the past demonstrated the need for precision methods of prey delivery. Two methods were developed and tried; providing dead prey items by dropping them in a day perch, and delivery of live prey by remotely controlled release from compartments positioned at the top of the cliff occupied by the falcons. Maintaining quail in the day perch for 21 days resulted in at least one and probably two meals for the female peregrine. Of 16 live birds released (mostly pigeons) 13 were pursued and three caught. Blinding the pigeons with tape proved to be necessary to enable capture. Also, some reluctance of the male peregrine to attack pigeons was observed, and problems with equipment, visibility, and the proximity of the falcons to the release box were encountered. Manpower was the most significant resource requirement. Baiting of great-horned owls, possibly leading to owl attack on the falcons, is judged to be the largest detrimental effect of supplemental feeding. It is recommended that supplemental feeding be reserved for falcons or eyries where complete reproductive failure is expected. Plumage documentation photography was successfully conducted by a remotely controlled camera as an aid to identification of individual falcons. American robin, red-winged blackbird, starling, white-throated swift, bluebird, and mourning dove were among natural prey consumed by the peregrines before completion of egg laying. All activities in close proximity to the cliff were conducted at night to preclude direct disturbance of the falcons. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Game Protection Fund United States 2015-03-20T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1209320 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1209320
The costs of delaying remediation on human, ecological, and eco-cultural resources: Considerations for the Department of Energy: A methodological framework Burger, Joanna (ORCID:0000000288772966); Gochfeld, Michael; Kosson, David S.; Brown, Kevin G.; Bliss, Lisa S.; Bunn, Amoret; Clarke, James H.; Mayer, Henry J.; Salisbury, Jennifer A. Not Available USDOE Netherlands 2019-02-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.232 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1691997
Long-term effects of thinning and woody control on longleaf pine plantation development, understory abundance, and tree damage from an ice storm Harrington, Timothy B. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Pinus palustris; ecosystem restoration; height: dbh ratio; understory plant diversity Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) plantations have been established across the southeastern United States as the first step in restoring the declining savanna ecosystem, yet their long-term stability and development to open canopied woodlands may depend on early density and vegetation management treatments. Commercial thinning (CT) was applied in 2012 (year 18) to a long-term study of longleaf pine community restoration at the Savannah River Site near Aiken, SC to increase abundance of herb species. Although precommercial thinning (PCT) and woody vegetation control increased herb species cover during the first five years of the study, measurements from years 17 to 22 indicated a continuing decline in their cover since year 9 despite application of CT in year 18. Herb species richness, however, increased from 21 to 43 species per 100 m2 area during the last six years of the study, likely a result of disturbances associated with CT and an ice storm in year 20. Application of PCT in 1994, when the plantations were 8â11 years old, reduced their susceptibility to stem bending and breakage from the ice storm, which occurred 20 years later in 2014. Measured 5 months before the storm, pine height: dbh ratio (HD) averaged 78 and 90 for trees growing with and without PCT, respectively, and stem breakage (% of trees) from the ice storm increased linearly (r2 = 0.53) with HD. Pine mortality from the combined effects of glaze ice and wind differed with (28%) versus without (45%) PCT, indicating that long-term stability of longleaf pine plantations depends on early density management. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Security United States 2020-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.foreco.2019.117846 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1581308
Long-term bat abundance in sagebrush steppe Whiting, Jericho C.; Doering, Bill; Wright, Gary; Englestead, Devin K.; Frye, Justin A.; Stefanic, Todd; Sewall, Brent J. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; behavioural ecology; conservation biology; population dynamics Bats of western North America face many threats, but little is known about current population changes in these mammals. We compiled 283 surveys from 49 hibernacula over 32 years to investigate population changes of Townsendâs big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii townsendii) and western small-footed myotis (Myotis ciliolabrum) in Idaho, USA. This area comprises some of the best bat habitat in the western USA, but is threatened by land-use change. Bats in this area also face invasion by the pathogen causing white-nose syndrome. Little is known about long-term trends of abundance of these two species. In our study, estimated population changes for Townsendâs big-eared bats varied by management area, with relative abundance increasing by 186% and 326% in two management areas, but decreasing 55% in another. For western small-footed myotis, analysis of estimated population trend was complicated by an increase in detection of 141% over winter. After accounting for differences in detection, this species declined region-wide by 63% to winter of 1998â1999. The population fully recovered by 2013â2014, likely because 12 of 23 of its hibernacula were closed to public access from 1994 to 1998. Our data clarify long-term population patterns of two bat species of conservation concern, and provide important baseline understanding of western small-footed myotis prior to the arrival of white-nose syndrome in this area. Wastren Advantage Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Temple Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States) USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE); United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) United States 2018-08-16T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/s41598-018-30402-z https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1624414
Risk to ecological resources following remediation can be due mainly to increased resource value of successful restoration: A case study from the Department of Energy's Hanford Site Burger, Joanna; Gochfeld, Michael; Kosson, David S.; Brown, Kevin G.; Salisbury, Jennifer A.; Jeitner, Christian 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Department of energy; Ecological resources; Ecological risk; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Hanford site; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; Remediation; Restoration Several nations are faced with the need to remediate large contaminated sites following World War II, the Cold War, and abandoned industrial sites, and to return them to productive land uses. In the United States, the Department of Energy (DOE) has the largest cleanup challenge, and its Hanford Site in the state of Washington has the most extensive and most expensive cleanup task. Ideally, the risk to ecological resources on remediation sites is evaluated before, during, and after remediation, and the risk from, or damage to, ecological resources from contaminants should be lower following remediation. In this paper, we report the risk to ecological resources before, during, and as a consequence of remediation on contaminated units requiring cleanup, and then examine the causes for changes in risk by evaluating 56 cleanup evaluation units (EUs) at the Hanford Site. In this case, remediation includes a restoration phase. In general, the risk to ecological and eco-cultural resources is currently not discernible or low at most contaminated units, increases during remediation, and decreases thereafter. Remediation often causes physical disruption to ecosystems as it reduces the risk from exposure to contaminants. Most new remediation projects at the Hanford Site include ecological restoration. Ecological restoration results in the potential for the presence of higher quality resources after remediation than currently exists on these contaminated lands and facilities. Although counter-intuitive, our evaluation of the risk to ecological resources following remediation indicated that a significant percentage of units (61%) will be at increased risk in the post-remediation period. This increased risk is due to DOE's successful remediation and restoration that results in a higher percent of native vegetation and higher ecological value on the sites in the post-remediation period than before. These newly-created resources can then be at risk from post-remediation activities. Risks to these new higher quality resources include the potential for spread of invasive species and of noxious grasses used in previous cleanup actions, disruption of ecosystems (including those with state or federally listed species and unique ecosystems), compaction of soil, use of pesticides to control invasive species, and the eventual need for continued monitoring activities. Thus, by greatly improving the existing habitat and health of eco-receptors, and maintaining habitat corridors between high quality habitats, the ecological resources in the post-remediated units are at risk unless care is taken to protect them. Many of the negative effects of both remediation and future monitoring (or other future land uses) can be avoided by planning and management early in the remediation process. We suggest DOE and other agencies convene a panel of managers, remediation scientists, regulators, environmental and ecological scientists, Native Americans, economists, and the public to develop a generic list of performance metrics for the restoration phase of remediation, including evaluation of success, which could be applied across the DOE complex. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC) United States 2020-04-15T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109536 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1799598
Basins, beaver ponds, and the storage and redistribution of trace elements in an industrially impacted coastal plain stream on the Savannah River Site, SC, USA Fletcher, Dean E.; Lindell, Brooke E.; Lindell, Angela H.; Stankus, Paul T.; Fletcher, Nathaniel D.; McArthur, J. Vaun; Seaman, John C. Not Available USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) United States 2019-12-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105174 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1570510
Effective dose and persistence of Rhodamine-B in wild pig Vibrissae Webster, Sarah C.; Cunningham, Fred L.; Kilgo, John C.; Vukovich, Mark; Rhodes, Olin E.; Beasley, James C. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Baiting; Rhodamine-B; Wild Pigs Due to substantial ecological and economic damage attributed to wild pigs (Sus scrofa), there is international interest in using pharmaceutical baits to control populations. To assess the efficacy and specificity of baiting programs, one may use chemical biomarkers to evaluate uptake of pharmaceutical baits. In particular, Rhodamine B (RB) is known to be an effective biomarker in wild pigs. However, significant data gaps exist regarding the minimum effective dosage and the persistence of RB in wild pigs. To investigate this we used a controlled double-blind study, administering a one-time dose of RB at three treatment levels (5, 15, or 30 mg/kg) to 15 pigs, with five pigs per treatment group. Facial vibrissae were collected pre-RB ingestion as a control and every 2 weeks post-RB ingestion for 12 weeks. We examined samples for RB presence and used a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) to determine the influence of treatment dose on persistence of RB. Additionally, we measured distance moved by the RB mark away from the vibrissae root and used a GLMM to assess movement rates of RB bands along growing vibrissae. Here, we found consistently greater persistence of RB in the 15 and 30 mg/kg treatments across the sampling period (p = 0.005 and p = <0.0001, respectively). A significant, positive movement trend in RB bands was observed within the 15 and 30mg/kg groups. Based on our results, a 15 mg/kg dosage can be considered a minimum effective dose for wild pigs and will reliably produce a detectable RB mark up to and likely beyond 12 weeks post-ingestion. Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE; USDA United States 2017-12-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/wsb.834 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1814616
Understanding variation in salamander ionomes: A nutrient balance approach Prater, Clay; Scott, David E.; Lance, Stacey L.; Nunziata, Schyler O.; Sherman, Ryan; Tomczyk, Nathan; Capps, Krista A.; Jeyasingh, Punidan D. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ambystoma; amphibians; ecological stoichiometry; ionomics; ontogeny 1. Ecological stoichiometry uses information on a few key biological elements (C, N and P) to explain complex ecological patterns. Although factors driving variation in these elements are well established, expanding stoichiometric principles to explore dynamics of the many other essential elements comprising biological tissues (i.e. the ionome) is needed to determine their metabolic relationships and better understand biological control of elemental flows through ecosystems. 2. Here in this paper, we report observations of ionomic variation in two species of salamander (Ambystoma opacum and A. talpoideum) across ontogenic stages using specimens from biological collections of two wetlands sampled over a 30-year period. This unique data set allowed us to explore the extent of ionomic variation between species, among ontogenic stages, between sites and through time. 3. We found species- and, to a lesser extent, site-specific differences in C, N and P along with 13 other elements forming salamander ionomes but saw no evidence of temporal changes. Salamander ionomic composition was most strongly related to ontogeny with relatively higher concentrations of many elements in adult males (i.e. Ca, P, S, Mg, Zn and Cu) compared to metamorphic juveniles, which had greater amounts of C, Fe and Mn. 4. In addition to patterns of individual elements, covariance among elements was used to construct multi-elemental nutrient balances, which revealed differences in salamander elemental composition between species and sites and changes in elemental proportions across ontogenic development. These multi-elemental balances distinguished among species-site-ontogenic stage groups better than using only C, N and P. 5. Overall, this study highlights the responsiveness of consumer ionomes to life-history and environmental variation while reflecting underlying relationships among elements tied to biological function. As such, ionomic studies can provide important insights into factors shaping consumer elemental composition and for predicting how these changes might affect higher-order ecological processes. Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Lab. (SREL) USDOE United States 2018-12-10T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/fwb.13216 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1833533
Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship at the Sandia Wetlands at Los Alamos National Laboratory (2014-2019) Stanek, Jenna Elizabeth; Abeyta, Elisa Janelle; Rodriguez, Jadzia Mira; Hathcock, Charles Dean 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES Biologists at Los Alamos National Laboratory completed six years (2014â2019) of demographic monitoring of passerines (songbirds) during the breeding season in Los Alamos, New Mexico. We captured songbirds at a mist netting station located in the Sandia Wetlands in Sandia Canyon (Technical Areas 60 and 61). We identified, measured, and then banded captured birds with federal migratory bird bands. Banding operations took place between May and August of each year, with 10 mist netting sessions annually. We conducted this project as part of the implementation of the Biological Resources Management Plan. The project complies with the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding between the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the United States Department of Energy regarding the implementation of Executive Order 13186. The overall number of birds and species captured was variable, and we saw no decreases over the course of six years in bird species diversity, abundance, or the percentage of breeding birds. Our results indicate that the Sandia Wetlands support numerous species of breeding birds, including species of conservation concern. We did not see a declining trend for the top 10 most-captured species or for any of the species of conservation concern over time; however, we need more years of data to make robust conclusions about population trends through time. Our results indicated that adult recapture rates at the Sandia Wetlands are at least twice as low when compared with estimated adult survival in migratory passerines from peer-reviewed literature. We also did not recapture any birds that were banded as juveniles in subsequent years throughout the entire six-year period. Low recapture rates for adults and the non-existent recapture rates for juveniles should be explored further. To accurately assess individual species survival rates for adults and juveniles using mark-recapture models, we need a longer dataset, which would allow for a more robust analysis. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) United States 2020-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1617346 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1617346
Herbicide, fertilization, and planting density effects on intensively managed loblolly pine early stand development Ferreira, Gabriel W. D.; Rau, Benjamin M.; Aubrey, Doug P. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; pinus taeda; production forestry; short-rotation woody crops (SRWC); silvicultural practices Production forestry in the southeast US has been partially transitioned to intensively managed short rotations (~10 years), in which multiple silvicultural interventions are performed during forest development. Understanding the responses to silvicultural practices and continued refinement of site-specific recommendations is critical to sustainably maximize forest production. We evaluated the effects of silvicultural practices (herbicide, fertilization, and planting density) on growth, stand homogeneity, and above- and belowground biomass accumulation and partitioning of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) throughout early stand development (age 5 years) in the southeastern US. Five treatments with eight replications each were tested: no herbicide and no fertilization (C); herbicide only (H); herbicide and half-reduced fertilization rate (R); herbicide and full fertilization (F); and increased stand density (60+ %; 1346 vs. 2152 trees per hectare) with herbicide and full fertilization rate (D). Allometric equations generated from destructive harvests were applied to annual diameter measurements to estimate plot-level biomass and allocation. Herbicide was crucial to promote stand uniformity and increase yield (~600+ % stem biomass compared with C at age 5). Aboveground biomass was similar in R and F treatments, which was ~25% higher than in H at age 5. Increasing planting density along with multiple herbicide and fertilizer applications yielded higher biomass without compromising individual tree size (diameter and height). There was little effect of silviculture practices on allocation patterns. Our results parallel what was found for fertilization with herbicide from a number of loblolly stands under similar conditions and indicate a ~28% volume gain with fertilization during early stand development. Similarly, our results were consistent with other studies implementing similar differences in planting density and suggest a ~26% volume gain through early stand development with an initial 60% increase in planting density. Furthermore, our study helps to understand complex relationships between production and silvicultural practices during early stand development and demonstrates that silvicultural prescriptions can be optimized to increase sustainability of production forestry Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States); Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office; USDA; US Forest Service United States 2020-05-24T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118206 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1693417
Metal accumulation in dragonfly nymphs and crayfish as indicators of constructed wetland effectiveness Fletcher, Dean E.; Lindell, Angela H.; Stankus, Paul T.; Fletcher, Nathaniel D.; Lindell, Brooke E.; McArthur, J. Vaun 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; aquatic invertebrates; bioaccumulation; biomonitor; constructed wetland; metal Constructed wetland effectiveness is often assessed by measuring reductions of contaminant concentrations in influent versus departing effluent, but this can be complicated by fluctuations in contaminant content/chemistry and hydrology. We assessed effectiveness of a constructed wetland at protecting downstream biota from accumulating elevated metal concentrationsâparticularly copper and zinc in effluents from a nuclear materials processing facility. Contaminants distributed throughout a constructed wetland system and two reference wetlands were assessed using six dragonfly nymph genera (Anax, Erythemis, Libellula, Pachydiplax, Tramea, and Plathemis) as biomonitors. Additionally, the crayfish, Cambarus latimanus, were analyzed from the receiving and two reference streams. Concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, Mn, Cr, Cd, and Al were evaluated in 597 dragonfly nymph and 149 crayfish whole-body composite samples. Dragonfly genera varied substantially in metal accumulation and the ability to identify elevated metal levels throughout components of the constructed wetland. Genera more closely associated with bottom sediments tended to accumulate higher levels of metals with Libellula, Pachydiplax, and Erythemis often accumulating highest concentrations and differing most among sites. This, combined with their abundance and broad distributions make the latter two species suitable candidates as biomonitors for constructed wetlands. As expected, dragonfly nymphs accumulated higher metal concentrations in the constructed wetland than reference sites. However, dragonfly nymphs often accumulated as high of metal concentrations downstream as upstream of the water treatment cells. Moreover, crayfish from the receiving stream near the constructed wetland accumulated substantially higher Cu concentrations than from downstream locations or reference streams. Despite reducing metal concentrations at base flow and maintaining regulatory compliance, metal fluxes from the wetland were sufficient to increase accumulation in downstream biota. Future work should evaluate the causes of downstream accumulation as the next step necessary to develop plans to improve the metal sequestering efficiency of the wetland under variable flow regimes. Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2019-10-22T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113387 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1799580
Cooperative Support of Fermilabâs Science Education Programs Contractor, Fermilab The purpose of this CRADA is to sustain and expand Fermilabâs highly successful science education programs through continued cooperation between Fermilab and Fermilab Friends for Science Education (FFSE). FFSE is a not-for-profit institution that provides support for Fermilabâs science education programming, including public events, instructional resources and program development, scholarships and educational equipment. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) US Department of Energy United States 2014-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1826571 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1826571
Are camera surveys useful for assessing recruitment in white-tailed deer? Chitwood, M. Colter; Lashley, Marcus A.; Kilgo, John C.; Cherry, Michael J.; Conner, L. Mike; Vukovich, Mark; Ray, H. Scott; Ruth, Charles; Warren, Robert J.; DePerno, Christopher S.; Moorman, Christopher E. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES Camera surveys commonly are used by managers and hunters to estimate white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus density and demographic rates. Though studies have documented biases and inaccuracies in the camera survey methodology, camera traps remain popular due to ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and ability to survey large areas. Because recruitment is a key parameter in ungulate population dynamics, there is a growing need to test the effectiveness of camera surveys for assessing fawn recruitment. At Savannah River Site, South Carolina, we used six years of camera-based recruitment estimates (i.e. fawn:doe ratio) to predict concurrently collected annual radiotag-based survival estimates. The coefficient of determination (R) was 0.445, indicating some support for the viability of cameras to reflect recruitment. Here, we added two years of data from Fort Bragg Military Installation, North Carolina, which improved R to 0.621 without accounting for site-specific variability. Also, we evaluated the correlation between year-to-year changes in recruitment and survival using the Savannah River Site data; R was 0.758, suggesting that camera-based recruitment could be useful as an indicator of the trend in survival. Because so few researchers concurrently estimate survival and camera-based recruitment, examining this relationship at larger spatial scales while controlling for numerous confounding variables remains difficult. We believe that future research should test the validity of our results from other areas with varying deer and camera densities, as site (e.g. presence of feral pigs Sus scrofa) and demographic (e.g. fawn age at time of camera survey) parameters may have a large influence on detectability. Until such biases are fully quantified, we urge researchers and managers to use caution when advocating the use of camera-based recruitment estimates. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States) USDOE United States 2016-12-27T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.2981/wlb.00178 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1393448
Endogeic earthworm densities increase in response to higher fine-root production in a forest exposed to elevated CO2 Sanchez-de Leon, Yaniria; Wise, David H.; Lugo-Perez, Javier; Norby, Richard J.; James, Samuel W.; Gonzalez-Meler, Miquel A. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Diplocardia; Earthworm; Endogeic; Free-air CO2 enrichment Net primary productivity (NPP) influences soil food webs and ultimately the amount of carbon (C) inputs in ecosystems. Earthworms can physically protect organic matter from rapid mineralization through the formation of soil aggregates. Previous studies at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiment showed that elevated [CO2] (e[CO2]) increased fine-root production and increased soil C through soil aggregation compared to ambient [CO2] (a[CO2]) conditions. Our first objective was to study the response of earthworms to increased leaf and root-litter inputs caused by increased atmospheric [CO2] exposure. Here, we also took advantage of the CO2 shutdown at the ORNL FACE site to track the shift of the δ13C signal in leaf-litter, fine roots, earthworms, earthworm casts, and bulk soil. Densities of the most abundant endogeic earthworm, Diplocardia spp., were positively correlated with the previous-year production of leaf litter (r=0.66, P=0.02) and fine roots (r=0.62, P=0.03); and with the leaf-litter production (r=0.63, P=0.03) and fine-root production (r=0.59, P=0.05) two years before earthworms were sampled. Within two years after the CO2 fumigation ceased, the 13C/12C ratio increased in leaf litter (P=0.01) and in fine roots (P=0.05), showing an ecosystem legacy effect on soil C inputs. However, the C isotopic composition of soil, endogeic earthworms and casts had not changed the two years after the CO2 fumigation ended. The positive response of earthworms to increased root NPP, caused by elevated [CO2], is consistent with the increased soil aggregate formation and increased soil C at the ORNL FACE in the e[CO2] treatment. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23); National Science Foundation (NSF) United States 2018-04-09T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.03.027 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1435254
Delayed effects and complex life cycles: How the larval aquatic environment influences terrestrial performance and survival Rumrill, Caitlin T.; Scott, David E.; Lance, Stacey L. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Amphibians; Carryover; Copper; Ecotoxicology; Latent Species with complex life cycles are susceptible to environmental stressors across life stages, but the carryover and latent effects between stages remain understudied. For species with biphasic life histories, such as pond-breeding amphibians, delayed effects of aquatic conditions can influence terrestrial juveniles and adults directly or indirectly, usually mediated through fitness correlates such as body size. In this work, we collected adult southern toads (Anaxyrus terrestris) from two source populations â a natural reference wetland and a metal-contaminated industrial wetland â and exposed their offspring to two aquatic stressors â a metal contaminant, copper (Cu), and a dragonfly predator cue â in outdoor mesocosms (n = 24). We then reared metamorphs in terrestrial mesocosms for five months to examine delayed effects of early life stage environmental conditions on juvenile performance, growth, and survival. Larval exposure to Cu, as well as having parents from a contaminated wetland, resulted in smaller size at metamorphosis â a response later negated by compensatory growth. Although Cu level and parental source did not affect larval survival, we observed latent effects of these stressors on juvenile survival, with elevated Cu conditions and metal-contaminated parents reducing post-metamorphic survival. Parental source and larval Cu exposure indirectly affected performance at metamorphosis through their effects on body size but, one month later, parental source and larval predator exposure directly affected performance. The carryover and latent effects of parental source population and aquatic Cu level on post-metamorphic survival and juvenile performance highlight the importance of conducting studies across life stages and generations. Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) United States 2018-07-09T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/etc.4228 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1819197
Fermilab and the Environment Fermilab Since its founding in 1967, Fermilab has remained committed to responsible stewardship of the environment. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) United States 2013-03-01T04:00:00Z Program Document https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1439052
Giving Back: Collaborations with Others in Ecological Studies on the Nevada National Security Site Wade, Scott A; Knapp, Kathryn S; Wills, Cathy A 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Formerly named the Nevada Test Site, the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) was the historical site for nuclear weapons testing from the 1950s to the early 1990s. The site was renamed in 2010 to reflect the diversity of nuclear, energy, and homeland security activities now conducted at the site. Biological and ecological programs and research have been conducted on the site for decades to address the impacts of radiation and to take advantage of the relatively undisturbed and isolated lands for gathering basic information on the occurrence and distribution of native plants and animals. Currently, the Office of the Assistant Manager for Environmental Management of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) oversees the radiological biota monitoring and ecological compliance programs on the NNSS. The top priority of these programs are compliance with federal and state regulations. They focus on performing radiological dose assessments for the public who reside near the NNSS and for populations of plants and animals on the NNSS and in protecting important species and habitat from direct impacts of mission activities. The NNSS serves as an invaluable outdoor laboratory. The geographic and ecological diversity of the site offers researchers many opportunities to study human influences on ecosystems. NNSA/NSO has pursued collaborations with outside agencies and organizations to be able to conduct programs and studies that enhance radiological biota monitoring and ecosystem preservation when budgets are restrictive, as well as to provide valuable scientific information to the human health and natural resource communities at large. NNSA/NSO is using one current collaborative study to better assess the potential dose to the off-site public from the ingestion of game animals, the most realistic pathway for off-site public exposure at this time from radionuclide contamination on the NNSS. A second collaborative study is furthering desert tortoise conservation measures onsite. It is the goal of NNSA/NSO to continue to develop such collaborations in the sharing of resources, such as personnel, equipment, expertise, and NNSS land access, with outside entities to meet mutually beneficial goals cost effectively. Nevada Test Site (NTS), Mercury, NV (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2013-02-24T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1070102
Does elevated atmospheric CO2 affect soil carbon burial and soil weathering in a forest ecosystem? Gonzalez-Meler, Miquel A.; Poghosyan, Armen; Sanchez-de Leon, Yaniria; Dias de Olivera, Eduardo; Norby, Richard J.; Sturchio, Neil C. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Bioturbation; Elevated CO2; Isotope; Soil C; Temperate forest; cesium-137; lead-210 Most experimental studies measuring the effects of climate change on terrestrial C cycling have focused on processes that occur at relatively short time scales (up to a few years). However, climate-soil C interactions are influenced over much longer time scales by bioturbation and soil weathering affecting soil fertility, ecosystem productivity, and C storage. Elevated CO2 can increase belowground C inputs and stimulate soil biota, potentially affecting bioturbation, and can decrease soil pH which could accelerate soil weathering rates. To determine whether we could resolve any changes in bioturbation or C storage, we investigated soil profiles collected from ambient and elevated-CO2 plots at the Free-Air Carbon-Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) forest site at Oak Ridge National Laboratory after 11 years of 13C-depleted CO2 release. Profiles of organic carbon concentration,δ13C values, and activities of 137Cs,210Pb, and 226Ra were measured to ~30 cm depth in replicated soil cores to evaluate the effects of elevated CO2on these parameters. Bioturbation models based on fitting advection-diffusion equations to137Cs and 210Pb profiles showed that ambient and elevated-CO2plots had indistinguishable ranges of apparent biodiffusion constants, advection rates, and soil mixing times, although apparent biodiffusion constants and advection rates were larger for137Cs than for210Pb as is generally observed in soils. Temporal changes in profiles of δ13C values of soil organic carbon (SOC) suggest that addition of new SOC at depth was occurring at a faster rate than that implied by the net advection term of the bioturbation model. Ratios of (210Pb/226Ra) may indicate apparent soil mixing cells that are consistent with biological mechanisms, possibly earthworms and root proliferation, driving C addition and the mixing of soil between ~4 cm and ~18 cm depth. Lastly, burial of SOC by soil mixing processes could substantially increase the net long-term storage of soil C and should be incorporated in soil-atmosphere interaction models. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23); National Science Foundation (NSF) United States 2018-07-27T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.7717/peerj.5356 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1461935
Restoration increases bee abundance and richness but not pollination in remnant and post-agricultural woodlands Breland, Sabrie; Turley, Nash E.; Gibbs, Jason; Isaacs, Rufus; Brudvig, Lars A. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; agricultural history; community ecology; ecological restoration; ecosystem services; land-use legacy; longleaf pine savanna Human land use, including agriculture, is a leading contributor to declining biodiversity worldwide and can leave long-lasting legacies on ecosystems after cessation. Ecological restoration is an approach to mitigate these impacts. However, little is known about how animal communities and plantâanimal interactions respond to the combined effects of land-use legacies and restoration. We investigated how restoration and agricultural history affect bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) communities and pollination function. In 27 paired remnant (no history of agriculture) and post-agricultural longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) woodlands, we established 4â10 1-ha plots (126 total) and experimentally restored half of them, while the other half were left as unrestored controls. Restoration was accomplished through canopy thinning which reinstates open savanna-like conditions. We collected bees in each plot using a combination of bowl trapping and standardized netting transects. Thinning increased bee abundance by 169% and bee richness by 110%, but agricultural land use had no effect on these variables. Bee community composition was affected by restoration and was marginally affected by agricultural history. To measure pollination function, we conducted a sentinel plant experiment in which potted black mustard (Brassica nigra L.) plants were placed out in a subset of these sites (n = 10) and either bagged to exclude pollinators or left open for pollinator access. Then, we measured fruit and seed set of sentinel plants to compare pollination function among the restoration and land-use history treatments. Seed set and fruit set of sentinel plants were higher in open than bagged plants, indicating that this model system effectively measured pollination, but we found no differences in pollination based on restoration or agricultural history. These results indicate that although pollinator communities may show clear responses to restoration that are largely independent of prior land-use impacts, this does not necessarily translate into differences in pollination function after restoration. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM); United States Forest Service (USFS) United States 2018-09-19T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/ecs2.2435 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1471549
An Examination of Diameter Density Prediction with k-NN and Airborne Lidar Strunk, Jacob L.; Gould, Peter J.; Packalen, Petteri; Poudel, Krishna P.; Andersen, Hans -Erik; Temesgen, Hailemariam 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; dbh; diameter distribution; forest inventory; performance criteria While lidar-based forest inventory methods have been widely demonstrated, performances of methods to predict tree diameters with airborne lidar (lidar) are not well understood. One cause for this is that the performance metrics typically used in studies for prediction of diameters can be difficult to interpret, and may not support comparative inferences between sampling designs and study areas. To help with this problem we propose two indices and use them to evaluate a variety of lidar and k nearest neighbor (k-NN) strategies for prediction of tree diameter distributions. The indices are based on the coefficient of determination (R2), and root mean square deviation (RMSD). Both of the indices are highly interpretable, and the RMSD-based index facilitates comparisons with alternative (non-lidar) inventory strategies, and with projects in other regions. K-NN diameter distribution prediction strategies were examined using auxiliary lidar for 190 training plots distribute across the 800 km2 Savannah River Site in South Carolina, USA. In conclusion, we evaluate the performance of k-NN with respect to distance metrics, number of neighbors, predictor sets, and response sets. K-NN and lidar explained 80% of variability in diameters, and Mahalanobis distance with k = 3 neighbors performed best according to a number of criteria. USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Acquisition and Project Management (EM-50) United States 2017-11-16T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.3390/f8110444 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1415439
Los Alamos National Laboratory Fall Avian Migration Monitoring Report 2010-2018 Stanek, Jenna; Hathcock, Charles Dean 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES During the fall of 2018, biologists at Los Alamos National Laboratory completed the ninth year of monitoring fall migration passerines (songbirds). Songbirds were captured at a mist-netting station located in a wetland/riparian complex in Technical Area 36 on the north side of Pajarito Road in Los Alamos County. Captured birds were identified, measured, and banded with a United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) migratory bird band. Banding operations took place between August and October, with the completion of a total of 10 mist-netting sessions annually. This project was conducted as part of the implementation of the Biological Resources Management Plan and is in compliance with the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding between the USFWS and the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration and Executive Order 13186. Between 2010 and 2018 the overall number of birds and species captured was variable. We saw significant differences in the bird community composition when we compared earlier years to later years. Although environmental variables including a drought severity index, were not shown to influence the community composition, insectivorous birds and the percentage of hatch year birds were influenced by drought severity. Additionally, Audubonâs Warbler and Virginiaâs Warbler numbers decreased from 2010 and showed declining trends in their abundances. The variability in bird populations is likely driven by regional climatic factors, but more data are needed for robust assessments. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) USDOE United States 2019-04-25T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1511200 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1511200
Decadal biomass increment in early secondary succession woody ecosystems is increased by CO2 enrichment Walker, Anthony P.; De Kauwe, Martin G.; Medlyn, Belinda E.; Zaehle, Sönke; Iversen, Colleen M.; Asao, Shinichi; Guenet, Bertrand; Harper, Anna; Hickler, Thomas; Hungate, Bruce A.; Jain, Atul K.; Luo, Yiqi; Lu, Xingjie; Lu, Meng; Luus, Kristina; Megonigal, J. Patrick; Oren, Ram; Ryan, Edmund; Shu, Shijie; Talhelm, Alan; Wang, Ying -Ping; Warren, Jeffrey M.; Werner, Christian; Xia, Jianyang; Yang, Bai; Zak, Donald R.; Norby, Richard J. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Increasing atmospheric CO2 stimulates photosynthesis which can increase net primary production (NPP), but at longer timescales may not necessarily increase plant biomass. Here we analyse the four decade-long CO2-enrichment experiments in woody ecosystems that measured total NPP and biomass. CO2 enrichment increased biomass increment by 1.05 ± 0.26 kg C mâ2 over a full decade, a 29.1 ± 11.7% stimulation of biomass gain in these early-secondary-succession temperate ecosystems. This response is predictable by combining the CO2 response of NPP (0.16 ± 0.03 kg C mâ2 yâ1) and the CO2-independent, linear slope between biomass increment and cumulative NPP (0.55 ± 0.17). Furthermore an ensemble of terrestrial ecosystem models fail to predict both terms correctly. Allocation to wood was a driver of across-site, and across-model, response variability and together with CO2-independence of biomass retention highlights the value of understanding drivers of wood allocation under ambient conditions to correctly interpret and predict CO2 responses. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE United States 2019-02-14T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1038/s41467-019-08348-1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1502613
Chariot, Alaska Site Fact Sheet 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 58 GEOSCIENCES; 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY The Chariot site is located in the Ogotoruk Valley in the Cape Thompson region of northwest Alaska. This region is about 125 miles north of (inside) the Arctic Circle and is bounded on the southwest by the Chukchi Sea. The closest populated areas are the Inupiat villages of Point Hope, 32 miles northwest of the site, and Kivalina,41 miles to the southeast. The site is accessible from Point Hope by ATV in the summer and by snowmobile in the winter. Project Chariot was part of the Plowshare Program, created in 1957 by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), a predecessor agency of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), to study peaceful uses for atomic energy. Project Chariot began in 1958 when a scientific field team chose Cape Thompson as a potential site to excavate a harbor using a series of nuclear explosions. AEC, with assistance from other agencies, conducted more than40 pretest bioenvironmental studies of the Cape Thompson area between 1959 and 1962; however, the Plowshare Program work at the Project Chariot site was cancelled because of strong public opposition. No nuclear explosions were conducted at the site. USDOE Office of Legacy Management (United States) USDOE Office of Legacy Management (LM) United States 2013-01-16T04:00:00Z Program Document https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1114510
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Annual Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2023 Thompson, Shannon W.; Snyder, Sandra F.; Duberstein, Corey A.; Norris, Emily S.; Barnett, John M.; Blake, Jennifer L.; Pitman, Andrew T.; Counts, Cary A.; Haigh, Janice L.; Mendez, Keith M.; Hand, Kristine D.; Su-Coker, Jennifer; Del Mar, Ronald A.; Bisping, Lynn E.; Moon, Thomas W.; Raney, Elizabeth A.; Duchsherer, Cheryl J.; Wiegman, Rebecca S.; Horn, Sarah; Dinh, Liem; Stephens, John A.; Ramos, Carli A. 40 CFR 61 Subpart H; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ASER; Cultural and Biological Resources; EMS; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; annual report; environmental compliance; radiation dose assessment Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), one of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Scienceâs 10 national laboratories, provides innovative science and technology development in the areas of energy and the environment, fundamental and computational science, and national security. There are three DOE offices within the Richland area. Two are responsible for the Hanford Site, whereas the Pacific Northwest Site Office oversees PNNL. PNNL prepares an Annual Site Environmental Report to meet the requirements of DOE Order 231.1B, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting, and DOE Order 458.1, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment, thus assuring that the public is informed of any PNNL-Richland campus or PNNL-Sequim campus event that could adversely affect the health and safety of the public, site staff, or the environment. The report provides a synopsis of ongoing environmental management performance and compliance activities for operations that occur at the PNNL-Richland campus in Richland, Washington, and at the PNNL-Sequim campus near Sequim, Washington. It describes the location of and background for each facility; addresses compliance with applicable DOE, federal, state, and local regulations, and site-specific permits; documents environmental monitoring efforts and their status; presents potential radiation doses to staff and the public in the surrounding areas; and describes DOE-required data quality assurance methods used for data verification. The ASER report describes Compliance with Federal, State, and Local Laws and Regulations in 2023, Environmental Sustainability, Environmental monitoring and dose assessment, Natural and Cultural Resource Management, and Quality Assurance activities that took place during Calendar Year 2023. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC) United States 2024-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/2476873 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2476873
On the Front Lines of the Cold War Los Alamos 1970-1992 [Slides] Carr, Alan B. 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS Abstract not provided. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) United States 2013-06-03T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1082233 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1082233
Landscape heterogeneity reduces coyote predation on white-tailed deer fawns Gulsby, William D.; Kilgo, John C.; Vukovich, Mark; Martin, James A. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Canis latrans; Odocoileus virginianus; coyote; fawn; habitat; predation; survival; white-tailed deer Coyote (Canis latrans) predation on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns in southeastern North America has led to deer population declines in some areas. Research or management efforts initiated in response to coyote predation on fawns have primarily focused on implementation of reduced antlerless deer harvest or coyote control to mitigate population declines. Vegetation characteristics may influence coyote hunting efficiency, but the potential influence of land cover at large scales in the southeastern United States is underexplored. We investigated whether mortality risk was affected by landscape characteristics within fawn home ranges for a sample of 165 fawns on the United States Department of Energyâs Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina, 2007â2012. We monitored fawns every 8 hours to ⥠4 weeks of age and 1â3 times daily to 12 weeks of age. We included only surviving or coyote-predated fawns in the dataset. The most supported model describing hazard ratios included the length of edge (i.e., area where 2 land cover types joined) in fawn home ranges. Probability of coyote predation increased 1.26 times for each 968-m decrease in edge within a fawnâs simulated home range (29.1-ha circular buffer) under this model. Further, fawns with the least edge in their home ranges were >2 times more likely to be depredated by a coyote than fawns with the greatest edge availability. Support for other models was relatively low, but informative variables (e.g., mean patch fractal dimension, Shannonâs diversity index, mean forest patch size) supported a general trend that as fawn home ranges became more homogeneous and contained larger patches with less edge and fewer cover types, predation risk increased. These findings are consistent with similar work in the midwestern United States, despite landscape differences between regions. The combined weight of evidence suggests maintenance of a heterogeneous landscape consisting of relatively small dispersed patches may reduce fawn losses to coyotes. In conclusion, this information may also be used to identify areas susceptible to greater fawn predation rates across large spatial scales. However, the relatively long forestry rotation lengths and large scale of consistent forest management on the SRS are uncommon in the southeastern United States and the mechanism for the pattern we observed is unclear. Therefore, our results may not be applicable to sites with different forest management practices. Savannah River Site (SRS), New Ellenton, SC (United States). USDA Forest Service USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Office of Science and Technology (EM-50); United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) United States 2017-03-07T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/jwmg.21240 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1352537
Plant Diversity and Fertilizer Management Shape the Belowground Microbiome of Native Grass Bioenergy Feedstocks Revillini, Daniel; Wilson, Gail W. T.; Miller, R. Michael; Lancione, Ryan; Johnson, Nancy Collins 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Plant sciences; arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; plantâmicrobial interaction; resource availability; rhizobacteria; soil microbiome; switchgrass Plants may actively cultivate microorganisms in their roots and rhizosphere that enhance their nutrition. To develop cropping strategies that substitute mineral fertilizers for beneficial root symbioses, we must first understand how microbial communities associated with plant roots differ among plant taxa and how they respond to fertilization. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and rhizobacteria are of particular interest because they enhance nutrient availability to plants and perform a suite of nutrient cycling functions. The purpose of this experiment is to examine the root and soil microbiome in a longterm switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) biofuel feedstock experiment and determine how AM fungi and rhizobacteria respond to plant diversity and soil fertility. We hypothesize that intra- and interspecific plant diversity, nitrogen fertilization (+N), and their interaction will influence the biomass and community composition of AM fungi and rhizobacteria. We further hypothesize that +N will reduce the abundance of nitrogenase-encoding nifH genes on the rhizoplane. Roots and soils were sampled from three switchgrass cultivars (Cave-in-Rock, Kanlow, Southlow) grown in monoculture, intraspecific mixture, and interspecific planting mixtures with either Andropogon gerardii or diverse native tallgrass prairie species. Molecular sequencing was performed on root and soil samples, fatty acid extractions were assessed to determine microbial biomass, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed on nifH genes from the rhizoplane. Sequence data determined core AM fungal and bacterial microbiomes and indicator taxa for plant diversity and +N treatments. We found that plant diversity and +N influenced AM fungal biomass and community structure. Across all plant diversity treatments, +N reduced the biomass of AM fungi and nifH gene abundance by more than 40%. The AM fungal genus Scutellospora was an indicator for +N, with relative abundance significantly greater under +N and in monoculture treatments. Community composition of rhizobacteria was influenced by plant diversity but not by +N. Verrucomicrobia and Proteobacteria were the dominant bacterial phyla in both roots and soils. Our findings provide evidence that soil fertility and plant diversity structure the root and soil microbiome. Optimization of soil communities for switchgrass production must take into account differences among cultivars and their unique responses to shifts in soil fertility. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Northern Arizona Univ., Flagstaff, AZ (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC); USDA: National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) United States 2019-08-14T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.3389/fpls.2019.01018 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1628295
Modeling forest site productivity using mapped geospatial attributes within a South Carolina Landscape, USA Parresol, B. R.; Scott, D. A.; Zarnoch, S. J.; Edwards, L. A.; Blake, J. I. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Regression attenuation; Site index; Spatial analysis; Structural equation modeling Spatially explicit mapping of forest productivity is important to assess many forest management alternatives. We assessed the relationship between mapped variables and site index of forests ranging from southern pine plantations to natural hardwoods on a 74,000-ha landscape in South Carolina, USA. Mapped features used in the analysis were soil association, land use condition in 1951, depth to groundwater, slope and aspect. Basal area, species composition, age and height were the tree variables measured. Linear modelling identified that plot basal area, depth to groundwater, soils association and the interactions between depth to groundwater and forest group, and between land use in 1951 and forest group were related to site index (SI) (R2 =0.37), but this model had regression attenuation. We then used structural equation modeling to incorporate error-in-measurement corrections for basal area and groundwater to remove bias in the model. We validated this model using 89 independent observations and found the 95% confidence intervals for the slope and intercept of an observed vs. predicted site index error-corrected regression included zero and one, respectively, indicating a good fit. With error in measurement incorporated, only basal area, soil association, and the interaction between forest groups and land use were important predictors (R2 =0.57). Thus, we were able to develop an unbiased model of SI that could be applied to create a spatially explicit map based primarily on soils as modified by past (land use and forest type) and recent forest management (basal area). USDA Forest Service-Savannah River Site, New Ellerton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Environmental Protection, Sustainability Support and Analysis (AU-20) United States 2017-12-15T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.foreco.2017.10.006 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1400143
Idaho National Laboratory Comprehensive Land Use and Environmental Stewardship Report listed on publication, No name 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; ENERGY POLICY; INEEL; INL Land Use; LAND USE; MAINTENANCE; MANAGEMENT; PLANNING Land and facility use planning and decisions at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site are guided by a comprehensive site planning process in accordance with Department of Energy Policy 430.1, 'Land and Facility Use Policy,' that integrates mission, economic, ecologic, social, and cultural factors. The INL Ten-Year Site Plan, prepared in accordance with Department of Energy Order 430.1B, 'Real Property Asset Management,' outlines the vision and strategy to transform INL to deliver world-leading capabilities that will enable the Department of Energy to accomplish its mission. Land use planning is the overarching function within real property asset management that integrates the other functions of acquisition, recapitalization, maintenance, disposition, real property utilization, and long-term stewardship into a coordinated effort to ensure current and future mission needs are met. All land and facility use projects planned at the INL Site are considered through a formal planning process that supports the Ten-Year Site Plan. This Comprehensive Land Use and Environmental Stewardship Report describes that process. The land use planning process identifies the current condition of existing land and facility assets and the scope of constraints across INL and in the surrounding region. Current land use conditions are included in the Comprehensive Land Use and Environmental Stewardship Report and facility assets and scope of constraints are discussed in the Ten-Year Site Plan. This report also presents the past, present, and future uses of land at the INL Site that are considered during the planning process, as well as outlining the future of the INL Site for the 10, 30, and 100-year timeframes. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) DOE - NE United States 2011-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1031672 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1031672
The paradox of federal energy and defense installations in the West Pava, Daniel S 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMMUNITIES; CONTAMINATION; ECOSYSTEMS; HABITAT; PRESERVATION; US DOI Most planners working west of the 100th meridian are aware that federal lands make up a large portion of the lands in the western states. In fact, federal lands comprise nearly 49% of the area of the fourteen states that make up the WPR family. These lands are usually under the Department of Agriculture (USFS) and the Department of Interior (BLM and NPS), but the Departments of Defense (DOD) and Energy (DOE) are also federal stewards of western lands. These federal military and energy installations play an important role in local and regional western communities and economies. They also play an important role in regional ecologies. It is a paradox that some of these sites have their share of legacy contamination from earlier missions, but they also include some of the most pristine remaining western ecosystems. In some cases, the sites are located near or surrounded by encroaching urbanization, making them particularly valuable lands both for recreation and habitat preservation. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) DOE United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/964952
Evaluation of ecological resources at operating facilities at contaminated sites: The Department of Energy's Hanford Site as a case study Burger, Joanna; Gochfeld, Michael; Kosson, David S.; Brown, Kevin G.; Salisbury, Jennifer A.; Jeitner, Christian Not Available USDOE United States 2019-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.envres.2018.12.052 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1547926
Genomic data detect corresponding signatures of population size change on an ecological time scale in two salamander species Nunziata, Schyler O.; Lance, Stacey L.; Scott, David E.; Lemmon, Emily Moriarty; Weisrock, David W. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Ambystoma opacum; Ambystoma talpoideum; amphibian decline; coalescent; demographic inference; genetic monitoring; nonmodel organisms; temporal samples Understanding the demography of species over recent history (e.g., < 100 years) is critical in studies of ecology and evolution, but records of population history are rarely available. Surveying genetic variation is a potential alternative to census-based estimates of population size, and can yield insight into the demography of a population on an ecological time scale. However, to assess the performance of genetic methods it is important to compare their estimates of population history to known demography. Here, we leveraged the exceptional resources and knowledge from a wetland with 37 years of amphibian mark-recapture data to study the utility of genetically-based demographic inference on salamander species with documented population declines (Ambystoma talpoideum) and expansions (A. opacum); patterns that have been shown to be correlated with changes in wetland hydroperiod associated with climate change. We generated ddRAD data from two temporally sampled populations of A. opacum (1993, 2013) and A. talpoideum (1984, 2011) and used coalescent-based demographic inference to compare alternate evolutionary models. For both species, demographic model inference supported population size changes that conformed to mark-recapture data. Parameter estimation in A. talpoideum was robust to our variations in analytical approach, while estimates for A. opacum were highly inconsistent, tempering our confidence in detecting a demographic trend in this species. Altogether, our robust results in A. talpoideum suggest that genome-based demographic inference has utility on an ecological scale, but researchers should also be cognizant that these methods may not work in all systems and evolutionary scenarios. Given the rapid responses of population abundance to climate change, demographic inference may be an important tool for population monitoring and conservation management planning. Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Lab. (SREL) USDOE United States 2016-12-27T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/mec.13988 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1819060
Raccoons (Procyon lotor) as Sentinels of Trace Element Contamination and Physiological Effects of Exposure to Coal Fly Ash Hernández, Felipe; Oldenkamp, Ricki E.; Webster, Sarah; Beasley, James C.; Farina, Lisa L.; Wisely, Samantha M. (ORCID:0000000317484518) Not Available USDOE Germany 2016-12-08T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1007/s00244-016-0340-2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1334824
The Lederman Science Center: Past, Present, Future Bardeen, Marjorie G 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; EDUCATION; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; EDUCATIONAL TOOLS; FERMILAB; Other; PHYSICS For 30 years, Fermilab has offered K-12 education programs, building bridges between the Lab and the community. The Lederman Science Center is our home. We host field trips and tours, visit schools, offer classes and professional development workshops, host special events, support internships and have a strong web presence. We develop programs based on identified needs, offer programs with peer-leaders and improve programs from participant feedback. For some we create interest; for others we build understanding and develop relationships, engaging participants in scientific exploration. We explain how we created the Center, its programs, and what the future holds. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL DOE Office of Science United States 2011-11-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034825
Growth of longleaf and loblolly pine planted on South Carolina Sandhill sites. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; INOCULATION; PERFORMANCE; PINES; PRODUCTIVITY; Pinus palustris; Pinus taeda; Pisolithus tinctorius; REGRESSION ANALYSIS; SAND; SEEDLINGS; SOILS; SOUTH CAROLINA; containerized seedlings; mycorrhizae; volume Performance of longleaf (Pinus palustris Mill.) and loblolly pine (P. taeda L.) were compared 15â19 years after outplanting on 10 different sites in the sandhillsof South Carolina. The study was established from 1988 to 1992 with bareroot seedlings artificially inoculated with Pisolithus tinctorius (Pt) or naturally inoculated with mycorrhizae in the nursery. A containerized longleaf pine treatment with and without Pt inoculation was added to two sites in 1992. Effects of the Pt nursery treatment were mixed, with a decrease in survival of bareroot longleaf pine on two sites and an increase in survival on another site. The containerized longleaf pine treatment substantially increased survival, which led to greater volume compared with bareroot longleaf pine. Loblolly pine yielded more volume than longleaf pine on all sites but one, where survival was negatively affected by fire. Depth of sandy surface horizon affected mean annual height growth of both loblolly and longleaf pine. Height growth per year decreased with an increase in sand depth for both species. Multiple regression analysis of volume growth(ft3/ac per year) for both species indicated a strong relationship to depth of sandy soil and survival. After 15â19 years, loblolly pine has been more productive than longleaf pine, although longleaf pine productivity may be equal to or greater than that of loblolly pine on the soils with the deepest sandy surface layers over longer rotations. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2010-07-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/979899
Adaptive response to land-use history and roost selection by Rafinesqueâs big-eared bats Loeb, Susan C. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Corynorhinus rafinesquii; Rafinesqueâs big-eared bats; adaptive response; detection probability; land-use history; occupancy; roost selection Although habitat loss and degradation are major contributors to species declines, some species are able to adapt to changes in land use by selecting different habitats or structures in disturbed areas than they do in more pristine habitats. Bats are particularly vulnerable to changes in land use due to their dependence on specific habitat types and structures. The objective of this study was to determine how selection and use of roost trees, and niche breadth of Rafinesqueâs big-eared bats (Corynorhinus rafinesquii) varied with land-use history. I examined use and selection of roosts at 3 bottomland hardwood sites that varied in amount and time since timber harvest. Fortynine transects were established as a means of searching for bats in trees with basal cavity openings and were surveyed 2â9 times. Bats at the most-disturbed sites exhibited the broadest niches, using a greater number of tree species and habitat types, although bats at the least-disturbed site used a broader range of cavity volumes. Cavity characteristics were the primary factors governing roost selection by Rafinesqueâs big-eared bats, but selection varied among sites. Probability of use increased with increasing cavity volume for bats at all sites, but bats at the most-disturbed site primarily used trees in the smallest cavity volume class, whereas bats at the least-disturbed site primarily used trees in the largest cavity volume class. Lastly, results of this study suggest that Rafinesqueâs bigeared bats can adapt to a range of habitat conditions if trees with large cavities are available. However, future studies need to determine the long-term viability of this species in disturbed habitats. Savannah River Site (SRS), New Ellenton, SC (United States). USDA Forest Service USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Acquisition and Project Management (EM-50) United States 2017-01-30T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1093/jmammal/gyw202 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1352538
Restoring a Disappearing Ecosystem: the Longleaf Pine Savanna Harrington, Timothy B.; Miller, Karl V.; Park, Noreen 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Disappearing ecosystem; Forest restoration; Longleaf Pine Savanna Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) savannas of the southeastern United States contain some of the worlds most diverse plant communities, along with a unique complement of wildlife. Their traditionally open canopy structure and rich understory of grasses and herbs were critical to their vigor. However, a long history of land-use practices such as logging, farming, and fire exclusion have reduced this once-widespread ecosystem to only 3 percent of its original range. At six longleaf pine plantations in South Carolina, Tim Harrington with the Pacific Northwest Research Station and collaborators with the Southern Research Station used various treatments (including prescribed burns, tree thinning, and herbicide applications) to alter the forest structure and tracked how successful each one was in advancing savanna restoration over a 14-year period. They found that typical planting densities for wood production in plantations create dense understory shade that excludes many native herbaceous species important to savannas and associated wildlife. The scientists found that although tree thinning alone did not result in sustained gains, a combination of controlled burning, thinning, and herbicide treatments to reduce woody plants was an effective strategy for recovering the savanna ecosystem. The scientists also found that these efforts must be repeated periodically for enduring benefits. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2013-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1081558 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1081558
Hanford Site Anuran Monitoring Report for Calendar Year 2013 Wilde, Justin W.; Johnson, Scott J.; Lindsey, Cole T. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES The U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) conducts ecological monitoring on the Hanford Site to collect and track data needed to ensure compliance with an array of environmental laws, regulations, and policies governing DOE activities. Ecological monitoring data provide baseline information about the plants, animals, and habitat under DOE-RL stewardship at Hanford required for decision-making under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The Hanford Site Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP, DOE/EIS-0222-F) which is the Environmental Impact Statement for Hanford Site activities, helps ensure that DOE-RL, its contractors, and other entities conducting activities on the Hanford Site are in compliance with NEPA. Hanford Site (HNF), Richland, WA (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2014-02-13T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1123693 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1123693
Performance Assessment for the E-Area Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility at the Savannah River Site: Chapter 2 Mayer, John J.; Hamm, Luther L.; Aleman, Sebastian E.; Dyer, James A.; Wohlwend, Jennifer L.; Danielson, Thomas L.; Jolin, William C.; Whiteside, Tad 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES his chapter presents the site and facility characteristics that potentially influence ELLWF performance, the development of the PA waste inventory, including uncertainty quantification, and the screening approaches used to reduce the number of radionuclides included in the PA model simulations. Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States); Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2023-01-13T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1908979 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1908979
Use of LiDAR to define habitat thresholds for forest bird conservation Garabedian, James E.; Moorman, Christopher E.; Nils Peterson, M.; Kilgo, John C. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Forest structure; Habitat thresholds; LiDAR; Pine; Red-cockaded woodpecker; Resource selection Quantifying species-habitat relationships provides guidance for establishment of recovery standards for endangered species, but research on forest bird habitat has been limited by availability of fine-grained forest structure data across broad extents. New tools for collection of data on forest bird response to fine-grained forest structure provide opportunities to evaluate habitat thresholds for forest birds. We used LiDAR-derived estimates of habitat attributes and resource selection to evaluate foraging habitat thresholds for recovery of the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker (Leuconotopicus borealis; RCW) on the Savannah River Site, South Carolina. USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Security (AU-50) United States 2017-09-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.foreco.2017.05.024 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1358005
Modelling and mitigating dose to firefighters from inhalation of radionuclides in wildland fire smoke Viner, Brian J.; Jannik, Tim; Stone, Daniel; Hepworth, Allan; Naeher, Luke; Adetona, Olorunfemi; Blake, John; Eddy, Teresa 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; atmospheric dispersion; radioactive dose; radioecology Firefighters responding to wildland fires where surface litter and vegetation contain radiological contamination will receive a radiological dose by inhaling resuspended radioactive material in the smoke. This may increase their lifetime risk of contracting certain types of cancer. Using published data, we modelled hypothetical radionuclide emissions, dispersion and dose for 70th and 97th percentile environmental conditions and for average and high fuel loads at the Savannah River Site. We predicted downwind concentration and potential dose to firefighters for radionuclides of interest (137Cs, 238Pu, 90Sr and 210Po). Predicted concentrations exceeded dose guidelines in the base case scenario emissions of 1.0 Ã 107 Bq haâ1 for 238Pu at 70th percentile environmental conditions and average fuel load levels for both 4- and 14-h shifts. Under 97th percentile environmental conditions and high fuel loads, dose guidelines were exceeded for several reported cases for 90Sr, 238Pu and 210Po. Potential for exceeding dose guidelines was mitigated by including plume rise (>2 m sâ1) or moving a small distance from the fire owing to large concentration gradients near the edge of the fire. As a result, our approach can quickly estimate potential dose from airborne radionuclides in wildland fire and assist decision-making to reduce firefighter exposure. Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE United States 2015-06-12T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1071/WF14181 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1215497
Ecological half-life of radiocesium in white-tailed deer on the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site: What can a half century of field monitoring tell us? Gaines, Karen F. (ORCID:000000026954444X); Novak, Peter M.; Novak, James M. Not Available USDOE United Kingdom 2021-09-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2021.106654 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1784467
Vegetation classification in southern pine mixed hardwood forests using airborne scanning laser point data. McGaughey, Robert J.; Reutebuch, Stephen E. airborne scanning laser point data; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Vegetation classification; southern pine mixed hardwood forests Forests of the southeastern United States are dominated by a relatively small number of conifer species. However, many of these forests also have a hardwood component composed of a wide variety of species that are found in all canopy positions. The presence or absence of hardwood species and their position in the canopy often dictates management activities such as thinning or prescribed burning. In addition, the characteristics of the under- and mid-story layers, often dominated by hardwood species, are key factors when assessing suitable habitat for threatened and endangered species such as the Red Cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) (RCW), making information describing the hardwood component important to forest managers. General classification of cover types using LIDAR data has been reported (Song et al. 2002, Brennan and Webster 2006) but most efforts focusing on the identification of individual species or species groups rely on some type of imagery to provide more complete spectral information for the study area. Brandtberg (2007) found that use of intensity data significantly improved LIDAR detection and classification of three leaf-off deciduous eastern species: oaks (Quercus spp.), red maple (Acer rubrum L.), and yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.). Our primary objective was to determine the proportion of hardwood species present in the canopy using only the LIDAR point data and derived products. However, the presence of several hardwood species that retain their foliage through the winter months complicated our analyses. We present two classification approaches. The first identifies areas containing hardwood and softwood (conifer) species (H/S) and the second identifies vegetation with foliage absent or present (FA/FP) at the time of the LIDAR data acquisition. The classification results were used to develop predictor variables for forest inventory models. The ability to incorporate the proportion of hardwood and softwood was important to the inventory as well as habitat assessments for the RCW. USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE; USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Project Management (EM-50) United States 2012-10-15T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1144005
Los Alamos National Laboratory Dogliani, Harold O 98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; HYDRODYNAMICS; LANL; PATHOGENS; PROLIFERATION; RELIABILITY; SIMULATION; TESTING; VACCINES; WEAPONS The purpose of the briefing is to describe general laboratory technical capabilities to be used for various groups such as military cadets or university faculty/students and post docs to recruit into a variety of Los Alamos programs. Discussed are: (1) development and application of high leverage science to enable effeictive, predictable and reliability outcomes; (2) deter, detect, characterize, reverse and prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their use by adversaries and terrorists; (3) modeling and simulation to define complex processes, predict outcomes, and develop effective prevention, response, and remediation strategies; (4) energetic materials and hydrodynamic testing to develop materials for precise delivery of focused energy; (5) materials cience focused on fundamental understanding of materials behaviors, their quantum-molecular properties, and their dynamic responses, and (6) bio-science to rapidly detect and characterize pathogens, to develop vaccines and prophylactic remedies, and to develop attribution forensics. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) DOE United States 2011-01-19T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1047156
Chemical and anatomical changes in Liquidambar styraciflua L. xylem after long term exposure to elevated CO2 Kim, Keonhee; Labbé, Nicole; Warren, Jeffrey M.; Elder, Thomas; Rials, Timothy G. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Chemical composition; Free air COâ enrichment; Hydraulic conductivity; PCA; Sweetgum The anatomical and chemical characteristics of sweetgum were studied after 11 years of elevated CO2 (544 ppm, ambient at 391 ppm) exposure. Anatomically, branch xylem cells were larger for elevated CO2 trees, and the cell wall thickness was thinner. Chemically, elevated CO2 exposure did not impact the structural components of the stem wood, but non-structural components were significantly affected. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to detect differences between the CO2 treatments by considering numerous structural and chemical variables, as well as tree size, and data from previously published sources (for example, root biomass, production and turnover). The PCA results indicated a clear separation between trees exposed to ambient and elevated CO2 conditions. Lastly, correlation loadings plots of the PCA revealed that stem structural components, ash, Ca, Mg, total phenolics, root biomass, production and turnover were the major responses that contribute to the separation between the elevated and ambient CO2 treated trees. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23) United States 2015-01-17T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.01.006 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1261416
Where does streamwater come from in low-relief forested watersheds? A dual-isotope approach Klaus, J.; McDonnell, J. J.; Jackson, C. R.; Du, E.; Griffiths, N. A. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; dual isotope; hydrology; low relief forested watershed The time and geographic sources of streamwater in low-relief watersheds are poorly understood. This is partly due to the difficult combination of low runoff coefficients and often damped streamwater isotopic signals precluding traditional hydrograph separation and convolution integral approaches. Here we present a dual-isotope approach involving 18O and 2H of water in a low-angle forested watershed to determine streamwater source components and then build a conceptual model of streamflow generation. We focus on three headwater lowland sub-catchments draining the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, USA. Our results for a 3-year sampling period show that the slopes of the meteoric water lines/evaporation water lines (MWLs/EWLs) of the catchment water sources can be used to extract information on runoff sources in ways not considered before. Our dual-isotope approach was able to identify unique hillslope, riparian and deep groundwater, and streamflow compositions. Thus, the streams showed strong evaporative enrichment compared to the local meteoric water line (δ2H = 7.15 · δ18O +9.28‰) with slopes of 2.52, 2.84, and 2.86. Based on the unique and unambiguous slopes of the EWLs of the different water cycle components and the isotopic time series of the individual components, we were able to show how the riparian zone controls baseflow in this system and how the riparian zone "resets" the stable isotope composition of the observed streams in our low-angle, forested watersheds. Although this approach is limited in terms of quantifying mixing percentages between different end-members, our dual-isotope approach enabled the extraction of hydrologically useful information in a region with little change in individual isotope time series.
USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Acquisition and Project Management (EM-50) United States 2015-01-08T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.5194/hess-19-125-2015 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1167353
Interflow dynamics on a low relief forested hillslope: Lots of fill, little spill Du, Enhao; Rhett Jackson, C.; Klaus, Julian; McDonnell, Jeffrey J.; Griffiths, Natalie A.; Williamson, Margaret F.; Greco, James L.; Bitew, Menberu 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Argillic layer; Fill-and-spill; Interflow; Low relief In this paper, we evaluated the occurrence of perching and interflow over and within a sandy clay loam argillic horizon within first-order, low-relief, forested catchments at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. We measured soil hydraulic properties, depths to the argillic layer, soil moisture, shallow groundwater behavior, interflow interception trench flows, and streamflow over a 4-year period to explore the nature and variability of soil hydraulic characteristics, the argillic âtopographyâ, and their influence on interflow generation. Perching occurred frequently within and above the restricting argillic horizons during our monitoring period, but interflow was infrequent due to microtopographic relief and associated depression storage on the argillic layer surface. High percolation rates through the argillic horizon, particularly through soil anomalies, also reduced the importance of interflow. Interflow generation was highly variable across eleven segments of a 121 m interception trench. Hillslopes were largely disconnected from stream behavior during storms. Hillslope processes were consistent with the fill-and-spill hypothesis and featured a sequence of distinct thresholds: vertical wetting front propagation to the argillic layer; saturation of the argillic followed by local perching; filling of argillic layer depressions; and finally connectivity of depressions leading to interflow generation. Lastly, analysis of trench flow data indicated a cumulative rainfall threshold of 60 mm to generate interflow, a value at the high end of the range of thresholds reported elsewhere. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) EE USDOE - Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE) United States 2016-01-27T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.01.039 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1247925
Using Historical and Experimental Data to Reveal Warming Effects on Ant Assemblages Resasco, Julian; Pelini, Shannon L.; Stuble, Katharine L.; Sanders, Nathan J.; Dunn, Robert R.; Diamond, Sarah E.; Ellison, Aaron M.; Gotelli, Nicholas J.; Levey, Douglas J. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ants; climate change; community structure; foraging; forest ecology; forests; species diversity; summer Historical records of species are compared with current records to elucidate effects of recent climate change. However, confounding variables such as succession, land-use change, and species invasions make it difficult to demonstrate a causal link between changes in biota and changes in climate. Experiments that manipulate temperature can overcome this issue of attribution, but long-term impacts of warming are difficult to test directly. Here we combine historical and experimental data to explore effects of warming on ant assemblages in southeastern US. Observational data span a 35-year period (1976â2011), during which mean annual temperatures had an increasing trend. Mean summer temperatures in 2010â2011 were ~2.7°C warmer than in 1976. Experimental data come from an ongoing study in the same region, for which temperatures have been increased ~1.5â5.5°C above ambient from 2010 to 2012. Ant species richness and evenness decreased with warming under natural but not experimental warming. These discrepancies could have resulted from differences in timescales of warming, abiotic or biotic factors, or initial species pools. Species turnover tended to increase with temperature in observational and experimental datasets. At the species level, the observational and experimental datasets had four species in common, two of which exhibited consistent patterns between datasets. With natural and experimental warming, collections of the numerically dominant, thermophilic species, Crematogaster lineolata, increased roughly two-fold. Myrmecina americana, a relatively heat intolerant species, decreased with temperature in natural and experimental warming. In contrast, species in the Solenopsis molesta group did not show consistent responses to warming, and Temenothorax pergandei was rare across temperatures. Our results highlight the difficulty of interpreting community responses to warming based on historical records or experiments alone. Because some species showed consistent responses to warming based on thermal tolerances, understanding functional traits may prove useful in explaining responses of species to warming. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF) United States 2014-02-04T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1371/journal.pone.0088029 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1904616
Strategy for the Identification of an INL Comprehensive Utility Corridor Reisenauer, John 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; FLEXIBILITY; IMPLEMENTATION; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; RIGHTS-OF-WAY; utility corridor This report documents the strategy developed to identify a comprehensive utility corridor (CUC) on the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site. The strategy established the process for which the Campus Development Office will evaluate land management issues. It is a process that uses geographical information system geospatial technology to layer critical INL mission information in a way that thorough evaluations can be conducted and strategies developed. The objective of the CUC Project was to develop a process that could be implemented to identify potential utility corridor options for consideration. The process had to take into account all the missions occurring on the INL and other land-related issues. The process for developing a CUC strategy consists of the following four basic elements using geographical information system capabilities: 1. Development of an INL base layer map; this base layer map geospatially references all stationary geographical features on INL and sitewide information. 2. Development of current and future mission land-use need maps; this involved working with each directorate to identify current mission land use needs and future land use needs that project 30 years into the future. 3. Development of restricted and potential constraint maps; this included geospatially mapping areas such as wells, contaminated areas, firing ranges, cultural areas, ecological areas, hunting areas, easement, and grazing areas. 4. Development of state highway and power line rights of way map; this included geospatially mapping rights-of-way along existing state highways and power lines running through the INL that support INL operations. It was determined after completing and evaluating the geospatial information that the area with the least impact to INL missions was around the perimeter of the INL Site. Option 1, in this document, identifies this perimeter; however, it does not mean the entire perimeter is viable. Many places along the perimeter corridor cannot be used or are not economically viable. Specific detailed studies will need to be conducted on a case-by-case basis to clearly identify which sections along the perimeter can and cannot be used. Option 2, in this document, identifies areas along existing highways that could be a viable option. However, discussions would have to take place with the State of Idaho to use their easement as part of the corridor and mission impact would need to be evaluated if a specific request was made to the Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office. Option 3, in this document, is a combination of Options 1 and 2. This option provides the most flexibility to minimize impacts to INL missions. As with the other two options, discussions and agreements with the State of Idaho would be needed and any specific route would need to be thoroughly evaluated for impact, implementation, and operability beyond just a strategy. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) DOE - NE United States 2011-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1017883 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017883
Stand development and other intrinsic factors largely control fine-root dynamics with only subtle modifications from resource availability Coleman, Mark D.; Aubrey, Doug P. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES Forest productivity depends on resource acquisition by ephemeral roots and leaves. A combination of intrinsic and environmental factors influences ephemeral organs; however, difficulties in studying belowground organs impede mechanistic understanding of fine-root production and turnover. To quantify factors controlling fine-root dynamics, we grew a deciduous hardwood (Populus deltoides Bartr.) and an evergreen conifer (Pinus taeda L.) with distinct soil moisture and nutrient availability treatments. We monitored fine-root dynamics with minirhizotrons for 6 years during early stand development and expressed results on a root length, biomass and mortality-risk basis. Stand development and other intrinsic factors consistently influenced both species in the same direction and by similar magnitude. Live-root length increased to a peak during establishment and slowly declined after roots of neighboring trees overlapped. Root longevity was highest during establishment and decreased thereafter. Root longevity consistently increased with depth of appearance and initial root diameter. Season of appearance affected root longevity in the following order: spring > summer > fall > winter. The influence of soil resource availability on fine-root dynamics was inconsistent between species, and ranked below that of rooting depth, initial diameter, stand development and phenology. Fine-root biomass either increased or was unaffected by greater resource availability. Fine-root production and live root length decreased with irrigation for both species, and increased with fertilization only for poplar. Fine-root mortality risk both increased and decreased depending on species and amendment treatment. Differing responses to soil moisture and nutrient availability between species suggests we should carefully evaluate generalizations about the response of fine-root dynamics to resource availability. Finally, while attempting to describe and explain carbon allocation to fine-root production and turnover, modelers and physiologists should first consider consistent patterns of allocation caused by different depth, diameter, stand development, phenology and species before considering allocation due to soil resource availability. Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Lab. (SREL); Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) USDOE; USDA United States 2018-04-05T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1093/treephys/tpy033 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1829086
ORR Annual Site Environmental Report Summary, 2009 Hughes, Joan F; Thompson, Sharon D No abstract prepared. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) ORNL other overhead United States 2011-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1015025 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015025
Oak Ridge Reservation. Physical Characteristics and National Resources Parr, Patricia Dreyer; Joan, F. Hughes 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Oak Ridge Reservation; biological significance ranking The topology, geology, hydrology, vegetation, and wildlife of the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) provide a complex and intricate array of resources that directly impact land stewardship and use decisions. The purpose of this document is to consolidate general information regarding the natural resources and physical characteristics of the ORR. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE United States 2006-10-09T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/895827 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/895827
Microcrustaceans (Branchiopoda and Copepoda) of Wetland Ponds and Impoundments on the Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina DeBiase, Adrienne E; Taylor, Barbara E 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ANIMALS; CRUSTACEANS; FARMS; FOOD; INSECTS; PONDS; SALAMANDERS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; Savannah River Site; WATER; WETLANDS; impoundments; invertebrates; microcrustaceans; wetlands The United States Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken, Allendale, and Barnwell Counties, South Carolina, contains an abundance of freshwater wetlands and impoundments. Four large impoundments, as well as several small, abandoned farm and mill ponds, and about 400 Carolina bays and other small, isolated depression wetland ponds are located within the 893 km2 area of the SRS. Crustaceans of the orders Branchiopoda and Copepoda are nearly ubiquitous in these water bodies. Although small in size, these organisms are often very abundant. They consequently play an important trophic role in freshwater food webs supporting fish, larval salamanders, larval insects, and numerous other animals, aquatic and terrestrial. This report provides an introduction to the free-living microcrustaceans of lentic water bodies on the SRS and a comprehensive list of species known to occur there. Occurrence patterns are summarized from three extensive survey studies, supplemented with other published and unpublished records. In lieu of a key, we provide a guide to taxonomic resources and notes on undescribed species. Taxa covered include the orders Cladocera, Anostraca, Laevicaudata, and Spinicaudata of the Subclass Branchiopoda and the Superorders Calanoida and Cyclopoida of Subclass Copepoda. Microcrustaceans of the Superorder Harpacticoida of the Subclass Copepoda and Subclass Ostracoda are also often present in lentic water bodies. They are excluded from this report because they have not received much study at the species level on the SRS. Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2005-09-21T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/891071 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/891071
Microcrustaceans (Branchipoda and Copepoda) of Wetland Impoundments on the Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina DeBiase, Adrienne E; Taylor, Barbara E 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ANIMALS; CRUSTACEANS; FARMS; FOOD; INSECTS; PONDS; SALAMANDERS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; WATER; WETLANDS; microcrustaceans, wetlands, impoundments, invertebrates, Savannah River Site The United States Department of Energyâs Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken, Allendale, and Barnwell Counties, South Carolina, contains an abundance of freshwater wetlands and impoundments. Four large impoundments, as well as several small, abandoned farm and mill ponds, and about 400 Carolina bays and other small, isolated depression wetland ponds are located within the 893 km2 area of the SRS. Crustaceans of the orders Branchiopoda and Copepoda are nearly ubiquitous in these water bodies. Although small in size, these organisms are often very abundant. They consequently play an important trophic role in freshwater food webs supporting fish, larval salamanders, larval insects, and numerous other animals, aquatic and terrestrial. This report provides an introduction to the free-living microcrustaceans of lentic water bodies on the SRS and a comprehensive list of species known to occur there. Occurrence patterns are summarized from three extensive survey studies, supplemented with other published and unpublished records. In lieu of a key, we provide a guide to taxonomic resources and notes on undescribed species. Taxa covered include the orders Cladocera, Anostraca, Laevicaudata, and Spinicaudata of the Subclass Branchiopoda and the Superorders Calanoida and Cyclopoida of Subclass Copepoda. Microcrustaceans of the Superorder Harpacticoida of the Subclass Copepoda and Subclass Ostracoda are also often present in lentic water bodies. They are excluded from this report because they have not received much study at the species level on the SRS. Savannah River Ecology Laboratory USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2005-09-21T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/890131 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/890131
Litter-dwelling arthropod abundance peaks near coarse woody debris in Loblolly Pine Forests of the South-Eastern United States. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ARTHROPODS; FORESTS; Loblolly Pine; PINES; arthropod abundance; coarse woody debris Brief scientific notes on the relationship between coarse woody debris and arthropod abundance. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2009-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1653/024.092.0128 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/974687
Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Resilience Planning for Idaho National Laboratory Ischay, Christopher P.; Nate, Caitlin Leslie 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Climate Change; Climate Vulnerability; Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Resilience Planning; Critical Asset; Mission Critical Asset; Resilience Planning; VARP; Vulnerability; Vulnerability Assessment Idaho National Laboratoryâs (INLâs) mission is to discover, demonstrate, and secure innovative nuclear energy solutions, other clean energy options, and critical infrastructure. This INLâs Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Resilience Plan (VARP) was developed to enable and sustain that mission while ensuring the viability of operations considering expected climate change impacts. The VARP was developed according to the narrative requirements from the âVulnerability Assessment and Resilience Planning Guidance, Version 1.2â document issued in February 2022. A prescribed process was used to identify mission-critical systems and components, determine historical and expected climate impacts, and develop resilient solutions. Experts from across INL, including operations staff, researchers, and climate scientists supplied input to the process. Analyses of climate modeling sources revealed that under scenarios of higher and lower greenhouse gas emissions (Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP 8.5), INL anticipates an increase in climate hazards, including drought, heat waves, wildfire, and precipitation. Increased frequency and duration of climatic hazards forecasts high impacts on certain mission-critical asset and infrastructure types. Utilizing the VARP Risk Assessment Tool, projected high climate hazard impacts across multiple asset and infrastructure types at the INL include energy generation and distribution systems, Site buildings, specialized or mission-critical equipment, and transportation and fleet infrastructure. Some of these mission-critical asset and infrastructure types maintain high adaptive capacity to climatic changes; however, others may need additional adaptive capacity to withstand increased frequency and duration of climate hazards. INL identified close to 300 resilient solutions that were consolidated into 11 solution categories to be tracked in the Department of Energy Sustainability Dashboard. The identified solutions are a starting point for future project development and analysis. These data are intended to inform decision makers on climate issues and potential solutions across INL and associated communities. The VARP is not intended to be a budget tool or project decision document on its own, but rather one of many tools used by decision makers to establish resilient priorities. This initial document provides the framework and foundation to resilient solutions. In the coming years, each solution needs to be fully developed, costed, and prioritized based on mission-critical risk and funding priorities. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) United States 2022-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1957785 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1957785
Species characterization and responses of subcortical insects to trap-logs and ethanol in a hardwood biomass plantation: Subcortical insects in hardwood plantations Coyle, David R.; Brissey, Courtney L.; Gandhi, Kamal J. K. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Buprestidae; Cerambycidae; Curculionidae; Scolytinae; Siricidae; non-natives 1. We characterized subcortical insect assemblages in economically important eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides Bartr.), sycamore (Platanus occidentalis L.) and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) plantations in the southeastern U.S.A. Furthermore, we compared insect responses between freshly-cut plant material by placing traps directly over cut hardwood logs (trap-logs), traps baited with ethanol lures and unbaited (control) traps. 2. We captured a total of 15 506 insects representing 127 species in four families in 2011 and 2013. Approximately 9% and 62% of total species and individuals, respectively, and 23% and 79% of total Scolytinae species and individuals, respectively, were non-native to North America. 3. We captured more Scolytinae using cottonwood trap-logs compared with control traps in both years, although this was the case with sycamore and sweetgum only in 2013. More woodborers were captured using cottonwood and sweetgum trap-logs compared with control traps in both years, although only with sycamore in 2013. 4. Ethanol was an effective lure for capturing non-native Scolytinae; however, not all non-native species were captured using ethanol lures. Ambrosiophilus atratus (Eichhoff) and Hypothenemus crudiae (Panzer) were captured with both trap-logs and control traps, whereas Coccotrypes distinctus (Motschulsky) and Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff were only captured on trap-logs. 5. Indicator species analysis revealed that certain scolytines [e.g. Cnestus mutilates (Blandford) and Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky)] showed significant associations with trap-logs or ethanol baits in poplar or sweetgum trap-logs. In general, the species composition of subcortical insects, especially woodboring insects, was distinct among the three tree species and between those associated with trap-logs and control traps. USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Security (AU-50) United States 2015-01-02T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/afe.12101 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1191218
Results from Four Decades of Successional Prairie Restoration and an Update on Ecological Land Management at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois Campbell, Ryan E.; Hooymans, Jacques L. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) is a 2,573-ha (6,800-acre) Department of Energy site located in Batavia, Illinois, USA. Tucked among the particle accelerators are nearly 1,619 ha (4,000 ac) of natural areas including remnant and restored grasslands, woodlands, and wetlands. Dr. Robert F. Betz began his large-scale prairie restoration project on the Fermilab site in 1975. During the course of that work, he defined 4 successional stages of prairie restoration and listed species occurring in each of the stages. We present results after 40 y of successional prairie restoration and summarize current ecological land management efforts at Fermilab. Ninety-five percent of the 110 species making up his 4 stages of successional restoration established in at least 1 of the 25 Fermilab prairie plantings. Three-fourths of species in Stage 1 were observed in 80% of the plantings and 54% of Stage 2 species were found in at least half of the plantings. Many Stage 3 and almost all Stage 4 species did not frequently establish in the plantings, but this may be an artifact of seed availability. Species richness and floristic quality index (FQI) increased over time in most plantings as seeded and spontaneous species established. As of 2015, 268 native plant species were recorded in the 25 prairie plantings combined. Current ecological land management includes continuing to enrich all 25 prairie plantings by targeted overseeding. Fermilab staff are attempting to create spatial and structural heterogeneity in plantings dominated by big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) by experimenting with 2 hemiparasitic plants (wood betony [Pedicularis canadensis] and false toadflax [Comandra umbellata]) known to parasitize A. gerardii and thought to reduce its competitiveness. Fermilab staff have vastly improved invasive species control efforts and collection and spreading of native seeds in the prairie plantings thanks in part to the use of geographic information system technology. Volunteers help in the prairies as well as perform stewardship duties in remnant woodlands and oak savannas on site. Public outreach and partnership remains important aspects of the Fermilab prairie project. Wildlife monitoring and ecological research continue to provide information guiding adaptive land management at Fermilab. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) United States 2016-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1469003
Land-use legacies and present fire regimes interact to mediate herbivory by altering the neighboring plant community Hahn, Philip G.; Orrock, John L. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Land Use; fire regimes; herbivory; plant communities Past and present human activities, such as historic agriculture and fire suppression, are widespread and can create depauperate plant communities. Although many studies show that herbivory on focal plants depends on the density of herbivores or the composition of the surrounding plant community, it is unclear whether anthropogenic changes to plant communities alter herbivory. We tested the hypothesis that human activities that alter the plant community lead to subsequent changes in herbivory. At 20 sites distributed across 80 300 hectares, we conducted a field experiment that manipulated insect herbivore access (full exclosures and pseudo-exclosures) to four focal plant species in longleaf pine woodlands with diff erent land-use histories (post-agricultural sites or non-agricultural sites) and degrees of fi re frequency (frequent and infrequent). Plant cover, particularly herbaceous cover, was lower in post-agricultural and fi re suppressed woodlands. Density of the dominant insect herbivore at our site (grasshoppers) was positively related to plant cover. Herbivore access reduced biomass of the palatable forb Solidago odora in frequently burned post-agricultural sites and in infrequently burned non-agricultural woodlands and increased mortality of another forb (Pityopsis graminifolia ), but did not aff ect two other less palatable species ( Schizachyrium scoparium and Tephrosia virginiana ). Herbivory on S. odora exhibited a hump-shaped response to plant cover, with low herbivory at low and high levels of plant cover. Herbivore density had a weak negative effect on herbivory. These findings suggest that changes in plant cover related to past and present human activities can modify damage rates on focal S. odora plants by altering grasshopper foraging behavior rather than by altering local grasshopper density. The resulting changes in herbivory may have the potential to limit natural recovery or restoration eff orts by reducing the establishment or performance of palatable plant species. USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Security (AU-50) United States 2014-10-03T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/oik.01445 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1177492
Relationship of coarse woody debris to arthropod Availability for Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers and other bark-foraging birds on loblolly pine boles. Horn, Scott 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ADULTS; ANTS; APHIDS; ARTHROPODS; AVAILABILITY; Arthropods; BEETLES; BIOMASS; BIRDS; COCKROACHES; COLEOPTERA; FORESTS; HYMENOPTERA; INSECTS; LEPIDOPTERA; PINES; TREES; WOOD; bark-foraging birds; bark-gleaning guild; corticulous arthropods; saproxylic Abstract This study determined if short-term removal of coarse woody debris would reduce prey available to red-cockaded woodpeckers (Picoides borealis Vieillot) and other bark-foraging birds at the Savannah River Site in Aiken and Barnwell counties, SC. All coarse woody debris was removed from four 9-ha plots of mature loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) in 1997 and again in 1998. We sampled arthropods in coarse woody debris removal and control stands using crawl traps that captured arthropods crawling up tree boles, burlap bands wrapped around trees, and cardboard panels placed on the ground. We captured 27 orders and 172 families of arthropods in crawl traps whereas 20 arthropod orders were observed under burlap bands and cardboard panels. The most abundant insects collected from crawl traps were aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae) and ants (Hymenoptera: Forrnicidae). The greatest biomass was in the wood cockroaches (Blattaria: Blattellidae), caterpillars (Lepidoptera) in the Family Noctuidae, and adult weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The most common group observed underneath cardboard panels was lsoptera (termites), and the most common taxon under burlap bands was wood cockroaches. Overall, arthropod abundance and biomass captured in crawl traps was similar in control and removal plots. In contrast, we observed more arthropods under burlap bands (mean & SE; 3,021.5 k 348.6, P= 0.03) and cardboard panels (3,537.25 k 432.4, P= 0.04) in plots with coarse woody debris compared with burlap bands (2325 + 171.3) and cardboard panels (2439.75 + 288.9) in plots where coarse woody debris was removed. Regression analyses showed that abundance beneath cardboard panels was positively correlated with abundance beneath burlap bands demonstrating the link between abundance on the ground with that on trees. Our results demonstrate that short-term removal of coarse woody debris from pine forests reduced overall arthropod availability to bark-foraging birds. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2008-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/935038
Spatial arrangement of canopy structure and land-use history alter the effect that herbivores have on plant growth Hahn, Philip G.; Orrock, John L. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; context-dependent; edge effects; grasshoppers; herbivory; land-use history; landscape experiment; plantinsect interaction; species interactions The spatial arrangement of past and present human activities could affect the strength of species interactions through changes to environmental conditions. To better understand how land-use history might mediate the effect of insect herbivory on the growth of four herbaceous plant species at the edges between woodlands and open savannas, we coupled large-scale manipulations of canopy structure by thinning overstory trees to create savanna habitat in non-agricultural and post-agricultural longleaf pine woodlands with local-scale herbivore exclosures at two distances from habitat edges. Light availability, grasshopper abundance, and herbaceous plant cover all increased in patches that received overstory tree thinning. Land-use history altered the effect that edges created by the overstory thinning treatments had on grasshopper herbivory for one plant species (Carphephorus bellidifolius). The edge between land-use histories also altered herbivore effects on three plant species in thinned patches. These edge effects were driven in part by changes in availability of alternative resources for grasshoppers, shady edges, or grasshopper abundance. Canopy manipulation also had important effects on herbivory that were independent of the habitat edge: grasshopper herbivory reduced plant growth of the smallest species (C. bellidifolius) regardless of canopy manipulation, whereas herbivory on two larger species (Solidago nemoralis and So. odora) reduced plant growth mainly in patches with an intact overstory canopy. Collectively, this work suggests that the species-specific effects of grasshopper herbivory on plant growth were driven by both plant traits (e.g., size or growth rates) and landscape-mediated changes to grasshopper abundance, light availability, or availability of alternative resources for grasshoppers created by land-use history and canopy structure. Furthermore, because the heterogeneity in herbivory revealed by our large-scale experiment is likely linked to plant traits, our results provide a means for understanding the profound, but often idiosyncratic, effects of land-use legacies and edges on plant populations and communities. USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2015-10-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1890/es15-00036.1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1233698
Long-term monitoring of fleshy fruit and hard mast production and seasonal bird distribution at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina. Levey, Douglas J 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ADULTS; BIRDS; DISTRIBUTION; HABITAT; Hard mast; INSECTS; MONITORING; PRODUCTION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SEEDS; diet of overwintering birds; soft mast A final report of Fruit and hard mast production in five habitat types at SRS with a comparison of fruit consumption by fledgling versus adult birds at SRS and Relative importance of fruit, seeds, and insects in the diets of overwintering birds at SRS. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2009-06-15T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/957011 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/957011
INL Site Conditions and Properties Griffith, George Winslow; Hoiland, Shauna Annette 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; build-out energy systems; site conditions This report provides a high-level review of potential technical, commercial, and natural components likely to influence the planning, preparing, and positioning for the future by investing in the build-out of energy systems at Idaho National Laboratory. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) United States 2015-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1244631 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1244631
Land-use history alters contemporary insect herbivore community composition and decouples plant-herbivore relationships Hahn, Philip G.; Orrock, John L. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Abandoned agriculture; community composition; grasshoppers; insect diversity; longleaf pine; old field; plant-insect interactions. 1. Past land use can create altered soil conditions and plant communities that persist for decades, although the effects of these altered conditions on consumers are rarely investigated. 2. Using a large-scale field study at 36 sites in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) woodlands, we examined whether historic agricultural land use leads to differences in the abundance and community composition of insect herbivores (grasshoppers, families Acrididae and Tettigoniidae). 3. We measured the cover of six plant functional groups and several environmental variables to determine whether historic agricultural land use affects the relationships between plant cover or environmental conditions and grasshopper assemblages. 4. Land-use history had taxa-specific effects and interacted with herbaceous plant cover to alter grasshopper abundances, leading to significant changes in community composition. Abundance of most grasshopper taxa increased with herbaceous cover in woodlands with no history of agriculture, but there was no relationship in post-agricultural woodlands. We also found that grasshopper abundance was negatively correlated with leaf litter cover. Soil hardness was greater in post-agricultural sites (i.e. more compacted) and was associated with grasshopper community composition. Both herbaceous cover and leaf litter cover are influenced by fire frequency, suggesting a potential indirect role of fire on grasshopper assemblages. 5. Our results demonstrate that historic land use may create persistent differences in the composition of grasshopper assemblages, while contemporary disturbances (e.g. prescribed fire) may be important for determining the abundance of grasshoppers, largely through the effect of fire on plants and leaf litter. Therefore, our results suggest that changes in the contemporary management regimes (e.g. increasing prescribed fire) may not be sufficient to shift the structure of grasshopper communities in post-agricultural sites towards communities in nonagricultural habitats. Rather, repairing degraded soil conditions and restoring plant communities are likely necessary for restoring grasshopper assemblages in post-agricultural woodlands. USDA Forest Service-Savannah River USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Security (AU-50) United States 2014-11-23T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/1365-2656.12311 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1178419
Dual nitrate isotopes clarify the role of biological processing and hydrologic flow paths on nitrogen cycling in subtropical low-gradient watersheds Griffiths, Natalie A.; Jackson, C. Rhett; McDonnell, Jeffrey J.; Klaus, Julian; Du, Enhao; Bitew, Menberu M. 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; dual stable isotopes of nitrate; groundwater; low-relief watersheds; streams; subtropics Nitrogen (N) is an important nutrient as it often limits productivity but in excess can impair water quality. Most studies on watershed N cycling have occurred in upland forested catchments where snowmelt dominates N export; fewer studies have focused on low-relief watersheds that lack snow. We examined watershed N cycling in three adjacent, low-relief watersheds in the Upper Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States to better understand the role of hydrological flow paths and biological transformations of N at the watershed scale. Groundwater was the dominant source of nitrified N to stream water in two of the three watersheds, while atmospheric deposition comprised 28% of stream water nitrate in one watershed. The greater atmospheric contribution may have been due to the larger stream channel area relative to total watershed area or the dominance of shallow subsurface flow paths contributing to stream flow in this watershed. There was a positive relationship between temperature and stream water ammonium concentrations and a negative relationship between temperature and stream water nitrate concentrations in each watershed suggesting that N cycling processes (i.e., nitrification and denitrification) varied seasonally. However, there were no clear patterns in the importance of denitrification in different water pools possibly because a variety of factors (i.e., assimilatory uptake, dissimilatory uptake, and mixing) affected nitrate concentrations. In conclusion, together, these results highlight the hydrological and biological controls on N cycling in low-gradient watersheds and variability in N delivery flow paths among adjacent watersheds with similar physical characteristics. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) EE USDOE - Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE) United States 2016-02-08T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/2015JG003189 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1247930
Influence of soil physicochemical properties on hydrology and restoration response in Carolina Bay wetlands. Barton, C D; Andrews, D M; Kolka, R K 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; CLAYS; Carolina bays; HYDROLOGY; MANAGEMENT; METERS; MONITORING; MORPHOLOGY; PH VALUE; REGRESSION ANALYSIS; SOILS; WETLANDS; wetland hydrology; wetland restoration.; wetland soils Carolina Bays are shallow depression wetlands found in the southeast US that have been severely altered by human activity. The need to restore these complex and diverse systems is well established, but our understanding of basic wetland hydrological processes is limited, hence our ability to predict the need for and/or assess the effectiveness of bay restorations is hindered. Differing physicochemical properties of soils within bay interiors may control bay hydrology. However, previous efforts to establish relationships between soil characteristics and bay hydrology have been inconclusive and the question still remains as to why some bays are ponded throughout the year while others, within a similar landscape unit, are predominantly dry. An assessment of soil and hydrologic characteristics was initiated in restored and unrestored control bays to determine if a relationship exists. Soil morphology was described and permanent monitoring wells were installed at each site. Soil samples were collected by horizon to a depth of 2 meters at the topographic center of each site, and then analyzed. After three years, multiple regression analysis (stepwise backward and forward) was used to establish relationships between the soil physicochemical characteristics and bay hydroperiod in the undisturbed sites. Results from surface soils indicated that exchangeable acidity (EA) was the best single predictor of hydrology. The best double predictor was EA and total N and EA, total N and total C as the best triple predictor. A significant relationship (r2 = 0.96) between hydroperiod and clay content in the argillic horizon (Bt) was also observed. Subsequently, this relationship was utilized to predict hydrologic response using pre-restoration hydroperiod data. The model accurately identified sites that did not need hydrologic restoration (too wet), and effectively showed sites that responded well to restoration activities. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (EM) United States 2006-04-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/939267
Genotypic diversity effects on biomass production in native perennial bioenergy cropping systems Morris, Geoffrey P.; Hu, Zhenbin; Grabowski, Paul P.; Borevitz, Justin O.; de Graaff, MarieâAnne; Miller, R. Michael; Jastrow, Julie D. Abstract The perennial grass species that are being developed as biomass feedstock crops harbor extensive genotypic diversity, but the effects of this diversity on biomass production are not well understood. We investigated the effects of genotypic diversity in switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum ) and big bluestem ( Andropogon gerardii ) on perennial biomass cropping systems in two experiments conducted over 2008â2014 at a 5.4âha fertile field site in northeastern Illinois, USA . We varied levels of switchgrass and big bluestem genotypic diversity using various local and nonlocal cultivars â under low or high species diversity, with or without nitrogen inputs â and quantified establishment, biomass yield, and biomass composition. In one experiment (âagronomic trialâ), we compared three switchgrass cultivars in monoculture to a switchgrass cultivar mixture and three different species mixtures, with or without N fertilization. In another experiment (âdiversity gradientâ), we varied diversity levels in switchgrass and big bluestem (1, 2, 4, or 6 cultivars per plot), with one or two species per plot. In both experiments, cultivar mixtures produced yields equivalent to or greater than the best cultivars. In the agronomic trial, the three switchgrass mixture showed the highest production overall, though not significantly different than best cultivar monoculture. In the diversity gradient, genotypic mixtures had oneâthird higher biomass production than the average monoculture, and none of the monocultures were significantly higher yielding than the average mixture. Yearâtoâyear variation in yields was lowest in the threeâcultivar switchgrass mixtures and CaveâInâRock (the southern Illinois cultivar) and also reduced in the mixture of switchgrass and big bluestem relative to the species monocultures. The effects of genotypic diversity on biomass composition were modest relative to the differences among species and genotypes. Our findings suggest that local genotypes can be included in biomass cropping systems without compromising yields and that genotypic mixtures could help provide high, stable yields of highâquality biomass feedstocks.
USDOE United Kingdom 2016-01-10T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/gcbb.12309 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1234274
From Farms to Forests: Landscape Carbon Balance after 50 Years of Afforestation, Harvesting, and Prescribed Fire Aubrey, Doug P.; Blake, John I.; Zarnoch, Stan J. Establishing reliable carbon baselines for landowners desiring to sustain carbon sequestration and identify opportunities to mitigate land management impacts on carbon balance is important; however, national and regional assessments are not designed to support individual landowners. Such baselines become increasingly valuable when landowners convert land use, change management, or when disturbance occurs. We used forest inventories to quantify carbon stocks, estimate annual carbon fluxes, and determine net biome production (NBP) over a 50-year period coinciding with a massive afforestation effort across ~80,000 ha of land in the South Carolina Coastal Plain. Forested land increased from 48,714 ha to 73,824 ha between 1951 and 2001. Total forest biomass increased from 1.73â3.03 Gg to 17.8â18.3 Gg, corresponding to biomass density increases from 35.6â62.2 Mg haâ1 to 231.4â240.0 Mg haâ1. Harvesting removed 1340.3 Gg C between 1955 and 2001, but annual removals were variable. Fire consumed 527.1 Gg C between 1952 and 2001. Carbon exported by streams was <0.5% of total export. Carbon from roots and other harvested material that remained in-use or in landfills comprised 49.3% of total harvested carbon. Mineral soil carbon accounted for 41.6 to 50% of 2001 carbon stocks when considering depths of 1.0 or 1.5 m, respectively, and was disproportionately concentrated in wetlands. Moreover, we identified a soil carbon deficit of 19â20 Mg C haâ1, suggesting opportunities for future soil carbon sequestration in post-agricultural soils. Our results provide a robust baseline for this site that can be used to understand how land conversion, forest management, and disturbance impacts carbon balance of this landscape and highlight the value of these baseline data for other sites. Our work also identifies the need to manage forests for multiple purposes, especially promotion of soil carbon accumulation in low-density pine savannas that are managed for red-cockaded woodpeckers and therefore demand low aboveground carbon stocks.
USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) Switzerland 2019-09-03T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.3390/f10090760 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1560285
Notes on breeding sharp-shinned hawks and Cooperâs hawks in Barnwell County, South Carolina. Vukovich, Mark 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Accipiter; BIRDS; BREEDING; Cooperâs Hawks; FORESTS; Red-headed Woodpeckers; SOUTH CAROLINA; Sharp-skinned Hawks; TELEMETRY Abstract - Breeding records of Accipiter striatus (Sharp-shinned Hawks) in the southeastern US are scattered and isolated. We documented a Sharp-shinned Hawk and Accipiter cooperii (Cooperâs Hawk) nest while conducting a telemetry study on Melanerpes erythrocephalus (Red-headed Woodpeckers) in Barnwell County, SC in 2006 and 2007. We report the first known nest of a Sharp-shinned Hawk in Barnwell County, SC and the first report of Sharp-shinned Hawks preying upon Red-headed Woodpeckers. Thirteen of 93 (13.9 %) woodpeckers were killed by accipiters in the summers of 2006 and 2007. Large, contiguous forests managed for Picoides borealis (Red-cockaded Woodpeckers) may be used by breeding Sharp-shinned Hawks. The bright plumage, loud calls, and behavior of Red-headed Woodpeckers, particularly during the nestling stage, may make them conspicuous prey for accipiters. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2009-07-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1656/058.008.0315 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989493
Bat response to carolina bays and wetland restoration in the southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain. Menzel, Jennifer M; Menzel, Michael A; Kilgo, John C; Ford, W Mark; Edwards, John W 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BATS; Carolina bay; HABITAT; MITIGATION; PINES; PLANTS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SAVANNAS; Savannah River Site; WETLANDS; bat activity; mixed pine-hardwood; pine savanna; timber harvest; wetland restoration Abstract: Bat activity in the southeastern United States is concentrated over riparian areas and wetland habitats. The restoration and creation of wetlands for mitigation purposes is becoming common in the Southeast. Understanding the effects of these restoration efforts on wetland flora and fauna is thus becoming increasingly important. Because bats (Order: Chiroptera) consist of many species that are of conservation concern and are commonly associated with wetland and riparian habitats in the Southeast (making them a good general indicator for the condition of wetland habitats), we monitored bat activity over restored and reference Carolina bays surrounded by pine savanna (Pinus spp.) or mixed pine-hardwood habitat types at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. In order to determine how wetland restoration efforts affected the bat community, we monitored bat activity above drained Carolina bays pre- and post-restoration. Our results indicate that bat activity was greater over reference (i.e., undrained) than drained bays prior to the restorative efforts. One year following combined hydrologic and vegetation treatment, however, bat activity was generally greater over restored than reference bays. Bat activity was also greater over both reference and restored bays than in random, forested interior locations. We found significantly more bat activity after restoration than prior to restoration for all but one species in the treatment bays, suggesting that Carolina bay restoration can have almost immediate positive impacts on bat activity. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2005-09-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1672/0277-5212(2005)025[0542:BRTCBA]2.0.CO;2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/859175
Water quality effects of short-rotation pine management for bioenergy feedstocks in the southeastern United States Griffiths, Natalie A.; Jackson, C. Rhett; Bitew, Menberu M.; Fortner, Allison M.; Fouts, Kevin L.; McCracken, Kitty; Phillips, Jana R. 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Interflow; concentrated flow tracks; intensive silviculture; nitrogen; short-rotation woody crops; surface water There is growing interest in renewable and domestically produced energy which motivates the evaluation of woody bioenergy feedstock production. In the southeastern U.S., woody feedstock plantations, primarily of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), would be intensively managed over short rotations (10â12 years) to achieve high yields. The primary differences in managing woody feedstocks for bioenergy production vs for pulp/sawtimber production include a higher frequency of pesticide and fertilizer applications, whole-tree removal, and greater ground disturbance (i.e., more bare ground during stand establishment and more frequent disturbance). And while the effects of pulp/sawtimber production on water quality are well-studied, the effects of growing short-rotation loblolly pine on water quality and the efficacy of current forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) have not been evaluated for this emerging management system. We used a watershed-scale experiment in a before-after, control-impact design to evaluate the effects of growing loblolly pine for bioenergy on water quality in the Upper Coastal Plain of the southeastern U.S. Intensive management for bioenergy production and implementation of current forestry BMPs occurred on ~50% of two treatment watersheds, with one reference watershed in a minimally managed pine forest. Water quality metrics (nutrient and pesticide concentrations) were measured in stream water, groundwater, and interflow (i.e., shallow subsurface flow) for a two-year pre-treatment period, and for 3.5 years post-treatment. After 3.5 years, there was little change to stream water quality. Here, we report on observations where there were a few occurrences of saturated overland flow, but there were sediments and water dissipated within the streamside management zones in over 75% of these instances. Stream nutrient concentrations were low and temporal changes mainly reflected seasonal patterns in nitrogen cycling. Nitrate concentrations increased in groundwater post-treatment to < 2 mg N L-1, and these concentrations were below the U.S. drinking water standard (10 mg N L-1). Applied pesticides were almost always below detection in streams and groundwater. Overall, these findings highlight that current forestry BMPs can protect stream water quality from intensive pine management for bioenergy in the first 3.5 years. However, groundwater quality and transit times need to be considered in these low-gradient watersheds of the southeastern U.S. that are likely to become an important location for woody bioenergy feedstock production. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Bioenergy Technologies Office United States 2017-06-12T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.foreco.2017.06.011 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1362217
Carbon dioxide stimulation of photosynthesis in Liquidambar styraciflua is not sustained during a 12-year field experiment Warren, Jeffrey M.; Jensen, Anna M.; Medlyn, Belinda E.; Norby, Richard J.; Tissue, David T. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Acclimation; down-regulation; free-air CO2 enrichment; nitrogen limitation; sweetgum. Elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2) often increases photosynthetic CO2 assimilation (A) in field studies of temperate tree species, although there is evidence that the increases may decline through time due to biochemical and morphological acclimation, and environmental constraints. Indeed, at the free air CO2 enrichment (FACE) study in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, A was increased in 12-year-old sweetgum trees following two years of ~40% enhancement of CO2. A was re-assessed a decade later to determine if initial enhancement of eCO2 was sustained through time. Measurements were conducted at prevailing CO2 and temperature on detached, re-hydrated branches using a portable gas exchange system. Photosynthetic CO2 response curves (A versus the CO2 concentration in the intercellular air space (Ci); or A-Ci curves) were contrasted with earlier measurements using consistent leaf photosynthesis model equations. We accessed relationships between light-saturated photosynthesis (Asat), maximum electron transport rate (Jmax), maximum Rubisco activity (Vcmax) chlorophyll content and foliar nitrogen (N) and chlorophyll content. In 1999, light-saturated photosynthesis (Asat) for eCO2 treatments was 15.4 ± 0.8 μmol m-2 s-1, 22% higher than aCO2 treatments (P<0.01). By 2009, Asat declined to <50% of 1999 values, and there was no longer a significant effect of eCO2 (Asat = 6.9 or 5.7 ± 0.7 μmol m-2 s-1 for eCO2 or aCO2, respectively). In 1999, there was no treatment effect on area-based foliar N; however, by 2008, N content in eCO2 foliage was 17% less than in aCO2 foliage. Photosynthetic N use efficiency (Asat:N) was greater in eCO2 in 1999 resulting in greater Asat despite similar N content, but the enhanced efficiency in eCO2 trees was lost as foliar N declined to sub-optimal levels. There was no treatment difference in the declining linear relationships between Jmax or Vcmax with declining N, or in the ratio of Jmax:Vcmax through time. Results suggest that initial enhancement of photosynthesis to elevated CO2 will not be sustained through time if nitrogen becomes limited. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23) United States 2014-11-17T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1093/aobpla/plu074 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1185630
Land-Use History and Contemporary Management Inform an Ecological Reference Model for Longleaf Pine Woodland Understory Plant Communities. Brudvig, Lars A.; Orrock, John L.; Damschen, Ellen I.; et al, et al Ecological Reference Models; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Land-Use History; Longleaf Pine Woodland Understory Plant Communities Ecological restoration is frequently guided by reference conditions describing a successfully restored ecosystem; however, the causes and magnitude of ecosystem degradation vary, making simple knowledge of reference conditions insufficient for prioritizing and guiding restoration. Ecological reference models provide further guidance by quantifying reference conditions, as well as conditions at degraded states that deviate from reference conditions. Many reference models remain qualitative, however, limiting their utility. We quantified and evaluated a reference model for southeastern U.S. longleaf pine woodland understory plant communities. We used regression trees to classify 232 longleaf pine woodland sites at three locations along the Atlantic coastal plain based on relationships between understory plant community composition, soils lol(which broadly structure these communities), and factors associated with understory degradation, including fire frequency, agricultural history, and tree basal area. To understand the spatial generality of this model, we classified all sites together. and for each of three study locations separately. Both the regional and location-specific models produced quantifiable degradation gradientsâi.e., progressive deviation from conditions at 38 reference sites, based on understory species composition, diversity and total cover, litter depth, and other attributes. Regionally, fire suppression was the most important degrading factor, followed by agricultural history, but at individual locations, agricultural history or tree basal area was most important. At one location, the influence of a degrading factor depended on soil attributes. We suggest that our regional model can help prioritize longleaf pine woodland restoration across our study region; however, due to substantial landscape-to-landscape variation, local management decisions should take into account additional factors (e.g., soil attributes). Our study demonstrates the utility of quantifying degraded states and provides a series of hypotheses for future experimental restoration work. More broadly, our work provides a framework for developing and evaluating reference models that incorporate multiple, interactive anthropogenic drivers of ecosystem degradation. USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE; USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Project Management (EM-50) United States 2014-01-23T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1371/journal.pone.0086604 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1126904
The effect of using a soft" release on translocation success of red-cockaded woodpeckers.""" 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Aviary; BIRDS; FRAGMENTATION; Savannah River Site; South Carolina; TRANSLOCATION; translocation Franzreb, Kathleen, E. 2004 The effect of using a "soft" release on translocation success of red-cockaded woodpeckers. In: Red-cockaded woodpecker; Road to Recovery. Proceedings of the 4th Red-cockaded woodpecker Symposium. Ralph Costa and Susan J. Daniels, eds. Savannah, Georgia. January, 2003. Chapter 6. Translocation. Pp 301-306. Abstract: Translocations of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker have been conducted since 1986 to enhance critically small subpopulations, to minimize the likelihood of local extirpations, and to reduce the adverse effects of fragmentation and isolation among existing populations. Such attempts have had mixed success. This article compares "hard" releases with a "soft" release technique where the birds are temporarily interned in a large aviary at the release point for a period of 9 to 14 days. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2004-12-31T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/841625
Local and latitudinal variation in abundance: the mechanisms shaping the distribution of an ecosystem engineer Crutsinger, Gregory M.; Gonzalez, Angélica L.; Crawford, Kerri M.; Sanders, Nathan J. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Solidago altissima; biogeography; community ecology; ecosystem engineer; genetic variation; latitudinal gradient; plant-insect interactions; soil nutrients Ecological processes that determine the abundance of species within ecological communities vary across space and time. These scale-dependent processes are especially important when they affect key members of a community, such as ecosystem engineers that create shelter and food resources for other species. Yet, few studies have examined the suite of processes that shape the abundance of ecosystem engineers. Here, we evaluated the relative influence of temporal variation, local processes, and latitude on the abundance of an engineering insectâa rosette-galling midge, Rhopalomyia solidaginis (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Over a period of 3â5 years, we studied the density and size of galls across a suite of local experiments that manipulated genetic variation, soil nutrient availability, and the removal of other insects from the host plant, Solidago altissima (tall goldenrod). We also surveyed gall density within a single growing season across a 2,300 km latitudinal transect of goldenrod populations in the eastern United States. At the local scale, we found that host-plant genotypic variation was the best predictor of rosette gall density and size within a single year. We found that the removal of other insect herbivores resulted in an increase in gall density and size. The amendment of soil nutrients for four years had no effect on gall density, but galls were smaller in carbon-added plots compared to control and nitrogen additions. Finally, we observed that gall density varied several fold across years. At the biogeographic scale, we observed that the density of rosette gallers peaked at mid-latitudes. Using meta-analytic approaches, we found that the effect size of time, followed by host-plant genetic variation and latitude were the best predictors of gall density. Taken together, our study provides a unique comparison of multiple factors across different spatial and temporal scales that govern engineering insect herbivore density. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States); University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Washington University, St. Louis, MO (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC); Miller Institute for Basic Research; University of Tennessee; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC); National Science Foundation (NSF); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) United States 2013-07-09T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.7717/peerj.100 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1904618
Woody Debris as a Resource for Aquatic Macroinvertebrates in Stream and River Habitats of the Southeastern United States: A Review Pitt, Daniel; Batzer, Darold 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Aquatic Macroinvertebrates; Stream and River Habitats of the Southeastern United States; Woody Debris Woody debris is a valuable resource to most stream and river ecosystems, especially for the resident aquatic macroinvertebrate fauna (see review by Wallace et al. 1996). In terms of food, macroinvertebrates can directly consume wood (xylophagy; Anderson et al. 1978, Hoffman and Hering 2000) or feed on the biofilms (bacteria, fungi, algae) that develop on wood surfaces (Hax and Golladay 1993, Drury and Kelso 2000, Johnson et al. 2003, Spanoff et al. 2006, Eggert and Wallace 2007). Macroinvertebrates also use wood as habitat, finding refuge inside the wood itself, under residual bark, or in crevasses on the surface (OâConnor 1991). For those taxa that require hard substrates for attachment (e.g., black fly larvae), wood is often used as substrate (Cudney and Wallace 1980, Minore and Weatherly 1994), especially in the absence of stable rocky material. Some insects use wood that extends above the water surface as sites to emerge into adults, and adult females may use that same wood as locations to deposit new eggs into the habitat (Wallace et al. 1993). Large pieces of wood can also affect flow dynamics and retention of organic matter (leaf litter, other wood) in streams (Benke and Wallace 1990). These functions in total would suggest that the presence or absence of woody debris, or variation in wood volume, should have a profound impact on macroinvertebrate diversity, abundance, biomass, and production among streams and rivers of the Southeastern United States. In this review, we assess the literature on woody debris-aquatic macroinvertebrate interactions, specifically in Southeastern U.S. habitats, and focus on variation among three different ecoregions: Coastal Plain, Appalachian Mountains, and Piedmont; updating a similar effort by Wallace et al. (1996). USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Acquisition and Project Management; USDOE Savannah River Operations Office (SRO); US Forest Service Southern Research Station United States 2010-02-07T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1126898 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1126898
Wildlife Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation Giffen, Neil R; Evans, James W.; Parr, Patricia Dreyer 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; HABITAT; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; WILD ANIMALS This document outlines a plan for management of the wildlife resources on the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Oak Ridge Reservation. Management includes wildlife population control through hunting, trapping, removal, and habitat manipulation; wildlife damage control; restoration of wildlife species; preservation, management, and enhancement of wildlife habitats; coordination of wildlife studies and characterization of areas; and law enforcement. Wildlife resources are divided into several categories, each with a specific set of objectives and procedures for attaining them. These objectives are management of (1) wildlife habitats to ensure that all resident wildlife species exist on the Reservation in viable numbers; (2) featured species to produce selected species in desired numbers on designated land units; (3) game species for research, education, recreation, and public safety; (4) the Three Bend Scenic and Wildlife Management Refuge Area; (5) nuisance wildlife, including nonnative species, to achieve adequate population control for the maintenance of health and safety on the Reservation; (6) sensitive species (i.e., state or federally listed as endangered, threatened, of special concern, or in need of management) through preservation and protection of both the species and habitats critical to the survival of those species; and (7) wildlife disease. Achievement of the objectives is a joint effort between the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory through agreements between TWRA and DOE and between DOE and UT-Battelle, LLC. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) ORNL other overhead United States 2007-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/932112 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/932112
Mycorrhizal phenotypes and then Ln aw of then Mn inimum Johnson, Nancy Collins; Wilson, Gail W. T.; Wilson, Jacqueline A.; Miller, R. Michael; Bowker, Matthew A. Summary
Mycorrhizal phenotypes arise from interactions among plant and fungal genotypes and the environment. Differences in the stoichiometry and uptake capacity of fungi and plants make arbuscular mycorrhizal ( AM ) fungi inherently more nitrogen (N) limited and less phosphorus (P) limited than their host plants. Mutualistic phenotypes are most likely in Pâlimited systems and commensal or parasitic phenotypes in Nâlimited systems. Carbon (C) limitation is expected to cause phenotypes to shift from mutualism to commensalism and even parasitism.
Two experiments compared the influence of fertilizer and shade on mycorrhizas in A ndropogon gerardii across three naturally Nâlimited or Pâlimited grasslands. A third experiment examined the interactive effects of N and P enrichment and shade on A . gerardii mycorrhizas.
Our experiments generated the full spectrum of mycorrhizal phenotypes. These findings support the hypothesis that mutualism is likely in Pâlimited systems and commensalism or parasitism is likely in Nâlimited systems. Furthermore, shade decreased Câassimilation and generated less mutualistic mycorrhizal phenotypes with reduced plant and fungal biomass.
Soil fertility is a key controller of mycorrhizal costs and benefits and the L aw of the M inimum is a useful predictor of mycorrhizal phenotype. In our experimental grasslands arbuscular mycorrhizas can ameliorate Pâlimitation but not Nâlimitation.
USDOE United Kingdom 2014-11-21T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/nph.13172 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1787140
Idaho National Laboratory Site Environmental Monitoring Plan Nordstrom, Jenifer 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Environmental Monitoring Plan; Idaho National Laboratory This plan provides a high-level summary of environmental monitoring performed by various organizations within and around the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site as required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 435.1, Radioactive Waste Management, and DOE Order 458.1, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment, Guide DOE/EH-0173T, Environmental Regulatory Guide for Radiological Effluent Monitoring and Environmental Surveillance, and in accordance with 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 61, National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants. The purpose of these orders is to 1) implement sound stewardship practices that protect the air, water, land, and other natural and cultural resources that may be impacted by DOE operations, and 2) to establish standards and requirements for the operations of DOE and DOE contractors with respect to protection of the environment and members of the public against undue risk from radiation. This plan describes the organizations responsible for conducting environmental monitoring across the INL Site, the rationale for monitoring, the types of media being monitored, where the monitoring is conducted, and where monitoring results can be obtained. Detailed monitoring procedures, program plans, or other governing documents used by contractors or agencies to implement requirements are referenced in this plan. This plan covers all planned monitoring and environmental surveillance. Non-routine activities such as special research studies and characterization of individual sites for environmental restoration are outside the scope of this plan. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) United States 2014-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1123851 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1123851
Abundance of Green Tree Frogs and Insects in Artificial Canopy Gaps in a Bottomland Hardwood Forest. Horn, Scott; Ulyshen, Michael D 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Artificial Canopy Gaps; Bottomland Hardwood Forest; Green Tree Frogs ABSTRACT - We found more green tree frogs ( Hyla cinerea) n canopv gaps than in closed canopy forest. Of the 331 green tree frogs observed, 88% were in canopv gaps. Likewise, higher numbers and biomasses of insects were captured in the open gap habitat Flies were the most commonlv collected insect group accounting for 54% of the total capture. These data suggest that one reason green tree frogs were more abundant in canopy gaps was the increased availability of prey and that small canopy gaps provide early successional habitats that are beneficial to green tree frog populations. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2005-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1674/0003-0031(2005)153[0321:AOGTFA]2.0.CO;2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/881973
Snag characteristics and dynamics following natural and artificially induced mortality in a managed loblolly pine forest Zarnoch, Stanley J.; Vukovich, Mark A.; Kilgo, John C.; Blake, John I. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Forest Snags; Loblolly pine; induced mortality A 14-year study of snag characteristics was established in 41- to 44-year old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) stands in southeastern USA. During the initial 5.5 years, no stand manipulation or unusually high-mortality events occurred. Afterwards, three treatments were applied consisting of trees thinned and removed, trees felled and not removed, and artificial creation of snags produced by girdling and herbicide injection. The thinned treatments were designed to maintain the same live canopy density as the snag-created treatment, disregarding snags that remained standing.We monitored snag height, diameter, density, volume, and bark percentage; the number of cavities was monitored in natural snags only. During the first 5.5 years, recruitment and loss rates were stable, resulting in a stable snag population. Large snags (â¥25 cm diameter) were common, but subcanopy small snags (10 to <25 cm diameter) dominated numerically. Large natural snags survived (90% quantile) significantly longer (6.0â9.4 years) than smaller snags (4.4â6.9 years). Large artificial snags persisted the longest (11.8 years). Cavities in natural snags developed within 3 years following tree death. The mean number of cavities per snag was five times greater in large versus small snags and large snags were more likely to have multiple cavities, emphasizing the importance of mature pine stands for cavity-dependent wildlife species. USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE EM Office of Program and Site Support (EM-50) United States 2013-09-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1139/cjfr-2012-0453 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1091012
A survey of cavity-nesting bees and wasps in loblolly pine stands of the Savannah River Site, Aiken County, South Carolina. Horn, S 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; BEES; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; FRAGMENTATION; HABITAT; LAND USE; Megachilidae; PESTICIDES; PINES; POPULATION DYNAMICS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; Sphecidae; TREES; Trap nests; Vespidae; WASPS; cavity-nesting bees; cavity-nesting wasps Horn, Scott, and James L. Hanula. 2004. A survey of cavity-nesting bees and wasps in loblolly pine stands of the Savannah River Site, Aiken County, South Carolina. 39(3): 464-469. Abstract: In recent years concern over widespread losses in biodiversity has grown to include a possible decline of many native pollinators, primarily bees. Factors such as habitat fragmentation, agricultural practices, use of pesticides, the introduction of invasive species, or changes in land use may negatively impact these vital organisims. Most reported studies show that human impacts on pollinators are overwhelmingly negative. Reductions in pollinator populations may profoundly impact plant population dynamics and ecosystem function. Little baseline data exists on the diversity and relative abundance of bees and wasps in southern forests. The objective of this study was to develop a simple, effective method of surveying cavity-nesting bees and wasps and to determine species diversity in mature forests of loblolly pine, the most widely planted tree species in the southern United States. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2004-03-10T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835560
Idaho National Laboratory Site Environmental Monitoring Plan Knight, Joanne L 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Environmental Monitoring Plan; Idaho National Laboratory This plan describes environmental monitoring as required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 450.1, âEnvironmental Protection Program,â and additional environmental monitoring currently performed by other organizations in and around the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The objective of DOE Order 450.1 is to implement sound stewardship practices that protect the air, water, land, and other natural and cultural resources that may be impacted by DOE operations. This plan describes the organizations responsible for conducting environmental monitoring across the INL, the rationale for monitoring, the types of media being monitored, where the monitoring is conducted, and where monitoring results can be obtained. This plan presents a summary of the overall environmental monitoring performed in and around the INL without duplicating detailed information in the various monitoring procedures and program plans currently used to conduct monitoring. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) DOE - EM United States 2010-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1057208 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1057208
Abundance of green tree frogs and insects in artificial canopy gaps in a bottomland hardwood forest. Horn, Scott; Hanula, James L; Ulyshen, Michael D; Kilgo, John C 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; AVAILABILITY; Artificial canopy gaps; FLIES; FROGS; Green tree frogs; HABITAT; Hyla cinerea; INSECTS; TREES; bottomland hardwood forest Horn, Scott, James L. Hanula, Michael D. Ulyshen, and John C. Kilgo. 2005. Abundance of green tree frogs and insects in artificial canopy gaps in a bottomland hardwood forest. Am. Midl. Nat. 153:321-326. Abstract: We found more green tree frogs (Hyla cinerea) in canopy gaps than in closed canopy forest. Of the 331 green tree frogs observed, 88% were in canopy gaps. Likewise, higher numbers and biomasses of insects were captured in the open gap habitat. Flies were the most commonly collected insect group accounting for 54% of the total capture. These data suggest that one reason green tree frogs were more abundant in canopy gaps was the increased availability of prey and that small canopy gaps provide early successional habitats that are beneficial to green tree frog populations. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2005-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1674/0003-0031(2005)153[0321:AOGTFA]2.0.CO;2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/841638
Monitoring interactions between red-cockaded woodpeckers and southern flying squirrels. Risch, Thomas S; Loeb, Susan C 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; CAVITIES; COMMUNITIES; Cavity nesters; Glaucomys volans; MONITORING; Picoides borealis; SQUIRRELS; TREES; red-cockaded woodpecker; southern flying squirrel; species interactions Risch, Thomas S., and Susan C. Loeb. 2004. Monitoring interactions between red-cockaded woodpeckers and southern flying squirrels. In: Red-cockaded woodpecker; Road to Recovery. Proceedings of the 4th Red-cockaded woodpecker Symposium. Ralph Costa and Susan J. Daniels, eds. Savannah, Georgia. January, 2003. Chapter 8. Cavities, Cavity Trees, and Cavity Communities. Pp 504-505. Abstract: Although several studies have suggested that southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) may have a significant negative impact on red-cockades woodpeckers (Picoides borealsi) (Loeb and Hooper 1997, Laves and Loeb 1999), the nature of the interactions between the species remains unclear. Particularly lacking are data that address if southern flying squirrels directly usurp red-cockaded woodpecker s from cavities, or simply occupy cavities previously abandoned by red-cockaded woodpeckers. Ridley et al. (1997) observed the displacement of a red-cockaded woodpecker by a southern flying squirrel that was released after being captured. Observations of nocturnal displacements of red-cockaded woodpeckers by flying squirrels, however, are lacking. Due to the difficulty of observing interspecific interactions, determining the mechanisims by which flying squirrels impact red-cockaded woodpeckers is problematic. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2004-12-31T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/841633
Effects of radio transmitters on the behavior of Red-headed Woodpeckers. Vukovich, Mark 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BIRDS; Behavior; CAVITIES; FEEDING; Melanerpes erythrocephalus; RADIO EQUIPMENT; cavity; effects; radio-transmitters; roosting ABSTRACT. Previous studies have revealed that radio-transmitters may affect bird behaviors, including feeding rates, foraging behavior, vigilance, and preening behavior. In addition, depending on the method of attachment, transmitters can potentially affect the ability of cavity-nesting birds to use cavities. Our objective was to evaluate effects of transmitters on the behavior of and use of cavities byRed-headedWoodpeckers (Melanerpes erythrocephalus). Using backpack harnesses, we attached 2.1-g transmitter packages that averaged 3.1% of body weight (range = 2.5â3.6%) to Red-headed Woodpeckers. We observed both radio-tagged (N = 23) and nonradio-tagged (N = 28) woodpeckers and determined the percentage of time spent engaged in each of five behaviors: flight, foraging, perching, preening, and territorial behavior. We found no difference between the two groups in the percentage of time engaged in each behavior. In addition, we found that transmitters had no apparent effect on use of cavities for roosting by radio-tagged woodpeckers (N = 25).We conclude that backpack transmitters weighing less than 3.6% of body weight had no impact on either their behavior or their ability to use cavities. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2009-05-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1557-9263.2009.00235.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/969932
Seasonal and multiannual roost use by Rafinesque's Big-eared Bats in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BATS; Big-eared bats; Corynorhinus; MANAGEMENT; OPENINGS; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SEASONS; SOUTH CAROLINA; bottomland hardwood forest; caves; conservation; endangered species Little is known about factors affecting year-round use of roosts by Rafinesque's big-eared bats (Corynorhinus rafinesquii) or the long-term fidelity of this species to anthropogenic or natural roosts. The objectives of this study were to test whether seasonal use of roosts by Rafinesque's big-eared bats varied with roost type and environmental conditions within and among seasons and to document multiannual use of natural and anthropogenic structures by this species. We inspected 4 bridges, 1 building, and 59 tree roosts possessing basal cavity openings; roosts were inspected at least once per week from May through October in every year from 2005 through 2008 and once a month from November through April in every year from 2005 through 2009. We found that use of anthropogenic roosts was significantly greater than the use of tree roosts in summer but that the use of structure types did not differ in other seasons. There was significant seasonal variation in use of anthropogenic and tree roosts. Anthropogenic roost use was higher in summer than in all other seasons. There was no significant difference in tree use among spring, summer, and fall, but use in winter was significantly lower in 2 years of the study. Overall use of anthropogenic and tree roosts was positively related to minimum temperature, but the relationship between use of roosts and minimum temperature varied among seasons. Bats showed multiannual fidelity ({ge} 4 years) to all anthropogenic roosts and to some tree roosts, but fidelity of bats to anthropogenic roosts was greater and more consistent than to tree roosts. Our data indicate that Rafinesque's big-eared bats responded differently to environmental conditions among seasons; thus, a variety of structure types and characteristics are necessary for conservation of these bats. We suggest long-term protection of roost structures of all types is necessary for conservation of Rafinesque's big-eared bats in the southeast Coastal Plain. USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE; USDOE EM Office of Program and Site Support (EM-50) United States 2011-12-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034096
Quantitative and qualitative measures of decomposition: Is there a link? 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; CLASSIFICATION; DECAY; Decay class; HERBICIDES; MORTALITY; PINES; TREES; WOOD; coarse woody debris; loblolly pine Decomposition rates of loblolly pine coarse woody debris (CWD) were determined by mass loss and wood density changes for trees that differed in source of mortality (natural, girdle-poison, and felling). Specifically, three treatments were examined: (1) control (CON): natural mortality; (2) CD: 5-fold increase in CWD compared with the CON; and (3) CS: 12-fold increase in snags compared with the CON. The additional CWD in the CD treatment plots and the additional snags in the CS plots were achieved by felling (for the CD plots) or girdling followed by herbicide injection (for the CS plots) select trees in these plots. Consequently,mortality on the CD plots is due to natural causes and felling. Likewise, mortality on the CS plots is due to natural causes and girdle-poison. In each treatment plot, mortality due to natural causes was inventoried since 1997, whereas mortality due to girdle-poison and felling were inventoried since 2001. No significant difference was detected between the rates of decomposition for the CWD on these treatment plots, indicating that source of the tree mortality did not influence rates of decomposition once the tree fell. These experimental measures of decomposition were compared with two decay classification systems (three- and five-unit classifications) to determine linkages. Changes in wood density did not correlate to any decay classification, whereas mass loss had a weak correlation with decay class. However, the large degree of variation limits the utility of decay classification systems in estimating mass loss. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2009-03-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/973600
Environmental levels of Zn do not protect embryos from Cu toxicity in three species of amphibians Weir, Scott M.; Flynn, R. Wesley; Scott, David E.; Yu, Shuangying; Lance, Stacey L. (ORCID:0000000326861733) Not Available USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) United Kingdom 2016-07-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.04.005 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1341458
The Role of Dead Wood in Maintaining Arthropod Diversity on the Forest Floor Hanula, James L.; Horn, Scott; Wade, Dale D. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ARTHROPODS; CWD; Coarse Woody Debris; FEEDING; FOOD; FORESTS; INSECTS; PINES; REMOVAL; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TREES; WOOD; arthropods; diversity Dead wood is a major component of forests and contributes to overall diversity, primarily by supporting insects that feed directly on or in it. Further, a variety of organisms benefit by feeding on those insects. What is not well known is how or whether dead wood influences the composition of the arthropod community that is not solely dependent on it as a food resource, or whether woody debris influences prey available to generalist predators. One group likely to be affected by dead wood is ground-dwelling arthropods. We studied the effect of adding large dead wood to unburned and frequently burned pine stands to determine if dead wood was used more when the litter and understory plant community are removed. We also studied the effect of annual removal of dead wood from large (10-ha) plots over a 5-year period on ground-dwelling arthropods. In related studies, we examined the relationships among an endangered woodpecker that forages for prey on live trees, its prey, and dead wood in the forest. Finally, the results of these and other studies show that dead wood can influence the abundance and diversity of the ground-dwelling arthropod community and of prey available to generalist predators not foraging directly on dead trees. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service, Athens, GA (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM); The Nature Conservancy (United States). A.W. Mellon Foundation Ecosystem Research Program United States 2006-08-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/896222
Burlap bands as a sampling technique for green anoles (Anolis carolinensis) and other reptiles commonly found on tree boles. Horn, Scott; Hanula, James L 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Anole; Anolis carolinensis; Burlap bands; REPTILES; SAMPLING; TREES; sampling techniques This paper examines the use and successfulness of using burlap bands on tree boles as a sampling technique for green anoles. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2006-07-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/896221
Annual Sustainability Report 2010-2011 Nichols, Teresa A; Lapsa, Melissa Voss; Overbey, Randall M Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) ORNL other overhead United States 2012-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1055024 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1055024
Presence and absence of bats across habitat scales in the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Ford, W Mark; Menzel, Jennifer M; Kilgo, John C 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BATS; Carolina bay; FORESTS; HABITAT; INSECTS; MANAGEMENT; METRICS; PINES; REGRESSION ANALYSIS; SAMPLING; SOUTH CAROLINA; WEATHER; WETLANDS; acoustical sampling; bat foraging; echolocation; habitat model; pine savanna. Abstract During 2001, we used active acoustical sampling (Anabat II) to survey foraging habitat relationships of bats on the Savannah River Site (SRS) in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Using an a priori information-theoretic approach, we conducted logistic regression analysis to examine presence of individual bat species relative to a suite of microhabitat, stand, and landscape-level features such as forest structural metrics, forest type, proximity to riparian zones and Carolina bay wetlands, insect abundance, and weather. There was considerable empirical support to suggest that the majority of the activity of bats across most of the 6 species occurred at smaller, stand-level habitat scales that combine measures of habitat clutter (e.g., declining forest canopy cover and basal area), proximity to riparian zones, and insect abundance. Accordingly, we hypothesized that most foraging habitat relationships were more local than landscape across this relatively large area for generalist species of bats. The southeastern myotis (Myotis austroriparius) was the partial exception, as its presence was linked to proximity of Carolina bays (best approximating model) and bottomland hardwood communities (other models with empirical support). Efforts at SRS to promote open longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) and loblolly pine (P. taeda) savanna conditions and to actively restore degraded Carolina bay wetlands will be beneficial to bats. Accordingly, our results should provide managers better insight for crafting guidelines for bat habitat conservation that could be linked to widely accepted land management and environmental restoration practices for the region. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2006-10-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.2193/0022-541X(2006)70[1200:PAAOBA]2.0.CO;2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/903441
Influence of coarse woody debris on the soricid community in southeastern Coastal Plain pine stands. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; Blarina; COMMUNITIES; Cryptotis; DESIGN; PINES; REMOVAL; SEASONS; SHREWS; Sorex; TRAPPING; coarse woody debris; decay state; shrew; topographic variables; upland pine Shrew abundance has been linked to the presence of coarse woody debris (CWD), especially downed logs, in many regions in the United States. We investigated the importance of CWD to shrew communities in managed upland pine stands in the southeastern United States Coastal Plain. Using a randomized complete block design, 1 of the following treatments was assigned to twelve 9.3-ha plots: removal (n 5 3; all downed CWD _10 cm in diameter and _60 cm long removed), downed (n 5 3; 5-fold increase in volume of downed CWD), snag (n 5 3; 10-fold increase in volume of standing dead CWD), and control (n 5 3; unmanipulated). Shrews (Blarina carolinensis, Sorex longirostris, and Cryptotis parva) were captured over 7 seasons from January 2007 to August 2008 using drift-fence pitfall trapping arrays within treatment plots. Topographic variables were measured and included as treatment covariates. More captures of B. carolinensis were made in the downed treatment compared to removal, and captures of S. longirostris were greater in downed and snag compared to removal. Captures of C. parva did not differ among treatments. Captures of S. longirostris were positively correlated with slope. Our results suggest that abundance of 2 of the 3 common shrew species of the southeastern Coastal Plain examined in our study is influenced by the presence of CWD. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2010-07-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1644/09-MAMM-A-170.1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989492
Savannah River Site Environmental Report Summary For 2012 Griffith, M.; Meyer, Amy 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES This report's purpose is to: Present summary environmental data that characterize Site environmental management performance, Describe compliance status with respect to environmental standards and requirements, and Highlight significant programs and efforts. Environmental monitoring is conducted extensively with a 2,000-square-mile network extending 25 miles from SRS, with some monitoring performed as far as 100 miles from the Site. The area includes neighboring cities, towns, and counties in Georgia (GA) and South Carolina (SC). Thousands of samples of air, rainwater, surface water, drinking water, groundwater, food products, wildlife, soil, sediment, and vegetation are collected by SRS and analyzed for the presence of radioactive and nonradioactive contaminants. During 2012, SRS accomplished several significant milestones while maintaining its record of environmental excellence, as its operations continued to result in minimal impact to the public and the environment. The Site's radioactive and chemical discharges to air and water were well below regulatory standards for environmental and public health protection; its air and water quality met applicable requirements; and the potential radiation dose to the public was well below the DOE public dose limit. SRS; Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE United States 2013-09-12T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1097605 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1097605
Integrating Long-Term Avian Studies with Planning and Adaptive Management: Department of Energy Lands as a Case Study. Burger, J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AVIAN STUDIES; BIO-MONITORING; BIRDS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING; MONITORING; PLANNING; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; STEWARDSHIP; US DOE Long-term bio-monitoring of avian communities have been initiated, but they often lack a management component. Integration of the managers needs at an early stage is suggested as a means to increase the use of the data. Variation in community structure is important in understanding impacts. In addition, reference site must be carefully selected. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (US) (US) United States 2000-10-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807738
Interactions among hydraulic conductivity distributions, subsurface topography, and transport thresholds revealed by a multitracer hillslope irrigation experiment Jackson, C. Rhett; Du, Enhao; Klaus, Julian; Griffiths, Natalie A.; Bitew, Menberu; McDonnell, Jeffrey J. 75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY Interactions among hydraulic conductivity distributions, subsurface topography, and lateral flow are poorly understood. We applied 407 mm of water and a suite of tracers over 51 h to a 12 by 16.5 m forested hillslope segment to determine interflow thresholds, preferential pathway pore velocities, large-scale conductivities, the time series of event water fractions, and the fate of dissolved nutrients. The 12% hillslope featured loamy sand A and E horizons overlying a sandy clay loam Bt at 1.25 m average depth. Interflow measured from two drains within an interception trench commenced after 131 and 208 mm of irrigation. Cumulative interflow equaled 49% of applied water. Conservative tracer differences between the collection drains indicated differences in flow paths and storages within the plot. Event water fractions rose steadily throughout irrigation, peaking at 50% sixteen h after irrigation ceased. Data implied that tightly held water exchanged with event water throughout the experiment and a substantial portion of preevent water was released from the argillic layer. Surface-applied dye tracers bypassed the matrix, with peak concentrations measured shortly after flow commencement, indicating preferential network conductivities of 864â2240 mm/h, yet no macropore flow was observed. Near steady-state flow conditions indicated average conductivities of 460 mm/h and 2.5 mm/h for topsoils and the Bt horizon, respectively. Low ammonium and phosphorus concentrations in the interflow suggested rapid uptake or sorption, while higher nitrate concentrations suggested more conservative transport. Lastly, these results reveal how hydraulic conductivity variation and subsurface topographic complexity explain otherwise paradoxical solute and flow behaviors. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) United States 2016-08-12T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/2015WR018364 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1328323
COMPARISON OF THE POPULATIONS OF COMMON WOOD-NYMPH BUTTERFLIES IN BURNED PRAIRIE, UNBURNED PRAIRIE AND OLD FIELD GRASSES Hahn, M; Walton, R Common wood-nymph butterfl ies are found throughout the United States and Canada. However, not much is known about how they overwinter or their preferences for particular grasses and habitats. In this study, the impact of prairie management plans on the abundance of the wood-nymph population was assessed, as well as the preference of these butterfl ies for areas with native or non-native grasses. The abundance of common wood-nymph butterfl ies was determined using Pollard walks; more common wood-nymph butterfl ies were found in the European grasses than were found in the burned and unburned prairie sites. The majority of the vegetation at each of the three sites was identifi ed and documented. Using a 1 X 3 ANOVA analysis, it was determined there were signifi cantly more butterfl ies in the European grasses than in the burned and unburned prairie sites (p < 0.0005). There was no signifi cant difference between the burned and unburned treatments of the prairie on the common wood-nymph population. A multiple variable linear regression model described the effect of temperature and wind speed on the number of observed common wood-nymph butterfl ies per hour (p = 0.026). These preliminary results need to be supplemented with future studies. Quadrat analysis of the vegetation from all three sites should be done to search for a correlation between common wood-nymph butterfl y abundance per hour and the specifi c types or quantity of vegetation at each site. The effect of vegetation height and density on the observerâs visual fi eld should also be assessed. DOESC (USDOE Office of Science (SC) (United States)) USDOE Office of Science (SC) United States 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1051818
Comprehensive integrated planning: A process for the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; LAND USE; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SURPLUS NUCLEAR FACILITIES The Oak Ridge Comprehensive Integrated Plan is intended to assist the US Department of Energy (DOE) and contractor personnel in implementing a comprehensive integrated planning process consistent with DOE Order 430.1, Life Cycle Asset Management and Oak Ridge Operations Order 430. DOE contractors are charged with developing and producing the Comprehensive Integrated Plan, which serves as a summary document, providing information from other planning efforts regarding vision statements, missions, contextual conditions, resources and facilities, decision processes, and stakeholder involvement. The Comprehensive Integrated Plan is a planning reference that identifies primary issues regarding major changes in land and facility use and serves all programs and functions on-site as well as the Oak Ridge Operations Office and DOE Headquarters. The Oak Ridge Reservation is a valuable national resource and is managed on the basis of the principles of ecosystem management and sustainable development and how mission, economic, ecological, social, and cultural factors are used to guide land- and facility-use decisions. The long-term goals of the comprehensive integrated planning process, in priority order, are to support DOE critical missions and to stimulate the economy while maintaining a quality environment. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/296614 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/296614
Availability and abundance of prey for the red-cockaded woodpecker. Horn, Scott 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ARTHROPODS; AVAILABILITY; BIRDS; Blattellidae; CAMERAS; CAVITIES; DIET; DISTRIBUTION; FOOD; FORESTS; HABITAT; IMAGES; MANAGEMENT; PINES; Parcoblatta spp.; TREES; arthropods; cockroaches; foraging habitat; forest management; prey; site quality; stand age Red-cockaded woodpecker; Road to Recovery. Proceedings of the 4th Red-cockaded woodpecker Symposium. Ralph Costa and Susan J. Daniels, eds. Savannah, Georgia. January, 2003. Chapter 11. Prey, Fire, and Community Ecology. Pp 633-645. Abstract: Over a 10-year period we investigated red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) prey use, sources of prey, prey distribution within trees and stands, and how forest management decisions affect prey abundance in South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Cameras were operated at 31 nest cavities to record nest visits with prey in 4 locations that ranged in foraging habitat from pine stands established in old fields to an old-growth stand in South Georgia. Examination of nearly 12,000 photographs recorded over 5 years revealed that, although red-cockaded woodpeckers used over 40 arthropods for food, the majority of the nestling diet is comprised of a relatively small number of common arthropods. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2004-12-31T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/841623
Cultural Resource Investigation for the Materials and Fuels Complex Wastewater System Upgrade at the Idaho National Laboratory Pace, Brenda R; raun Williams, Julie B; Gilbert, Hollie; Lowrey, Dino; Brizzee, Julie 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES; CONSTRUCTION; CULTURAL RESOURCES; IDAHO; MANAGEMENT; RECOMMENDATIONS; cultural resources The Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) located in Bingham County at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in southeastern Idaho is considering several alternatives to upgrade wastewater systems to meet future needs at the facility. In April and May of 2010, the INL Cultural Resource Management Office conducted archival searches, archaeological field surveys, and coordination with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes to identify cultural resources that may be adversely affected by the proposed construction and to provide recommendations to protect any resources listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. These investigations showed that one National Register-eligible archaeological site is located on the boundary of the area of potential effects for the wastewater upgrade. This report outlines protective measures to help ensure that this resource is not adversely affected by construction. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) DOE - NE United States 2010-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/983358 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/983358
Analysis of the Habitat of Henslow's Sparrows and Grasshopper Sparrows Compared to Random Grassland Areas Maier, K; Walton, R; Kasper, P ABSTRAC T Henslowâs Sparrows are endangered prairie birds, and Grasshopper Sparrows are considered rare prairie birds. Both of these birds were abundant in Illinois, but their populations have been declining due to loss of the grasslands. This begins an ongoing study of the birdsâ habitat so Fermilab can develop a land management plan for the Henslowâs and Grasshoppers. The Henslowâs were found at ten sites and Grasshoppers at eight sites. Once the birds were located, the vegetation at their sites was studied. Measurements of the maximum plant height, average plant height, and duff height were taken and estimates of the percent of grass, forbs, duff, and bare ground were recorded for each square meter studied. The same measurements were taken at ten random grassland sites on Fermilab property. Several t-tests were performed on the data, and it was found that both Henslowâs Sparrows and Grasshopper Sparrows preferred areas with a larger percentage of grass than random areas. Henslowâs also preferred areas with less bare ground than random areas, while Grasshoppers preferred areas with more bare ground than random areas. In addition, Grasshopper Sparrows preferred a lower percentage of forbs than was found in random areas and a shorter average plant height than the random locations. Two-sample variance tests suggested significantly less variance for both Henslowâs Sparrows and Grasshopper Sparrows for maximum plant height in comparison to the random sites. DOESC (USDOE Office of Science (SC) (United States)) USDOE Office of Science (SC) United States 2006-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1051795
Hyperspectral remote sensing analysis of short rotation woody crops grown with controlled nutrient and irrigation treatments Im, Jungho; Jensen, John R.; Coleman, Mark; Nelson, Eric machine-learning regression trees; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BIOMASS; CALIBRATION; CROPS; FERTILIZATION; FORESTS; IRRIGATION; NDVI; NUTRIENTS; PERFORMANCE; PLANTS; REMOTE SENSING; ROTATION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TREES; biomass; hyperspectral analysis; leaf area index; leaf nutrients; partial least squares regression; remote sensing Abstract - Hyperspectral remote sensing research was conducted to document the biophysical and biochemical characteristics of controlled forest plots subjected to various nutrient and irrigation treatments. The experimental plots were located on the Savannah River Site near Aiken, SC. AISA hyperspectral imagery were analysed using three approaches, including: (1) normalized difference vegetation index based simple linear regression (NSLR), (2) partial least squares regression (PLSR) and (3) machine-learning regression trees (MLRT) to predict the biophysical and biochemical characteristics of the crops (leaf area index, stem biomass and five leaf nutrients concentrations). The calibration and cross-validation results were compared between the three techniques. The PLSR approach generally resulted in good predictive performance. The MLRT approach appeared to be a useful method to predict characteristics in a complex environment (i.e. many tree species and numerous fertilization and/or irrigation treatments) due to its powerful adaptability. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2009-08-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1080/10106040802556207 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/953637
Responses of Mammalian Insectivores, Amphibians, and Reptiles to Broad-Scale Manipulation of Coarse Woody Debris McCay, T S; Forschler, B T; Komoroski, M J; Ford, W M 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; AMBYSTOMA TRIGRINUM; AMPHIBIANS; ANEIDES FERREUS; BLARINA; CLOUDED SALAMANDERS; COARSE WOODY DEBRIS; CRYPTOTIS PARVA; ENSATINA; FOREST LITTER; FORESTS; JUVENILES; LAND MANAGEMENT REGIME; LARVAE; LIPIDS; LOBLOLLY PINE; MANAGED FORESTS; METAMORPHOSIS; METAMORPHS; NATAL WETLANDS; PINES; POPULATION DENSITY; POPULATION DYNAMICS; REMOVAL; REPRODUCTION; REPTILES; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SALAMANDERS; SHREWS; SOREX; WETLANDS Sampled shrews at 9.3 ha plots from logs manually removed and control plots in loblolly pine forests of the Southeastern Coastal Plain. Capture rates of Cryptotis parva were lower at plots from which deadwood was removed whereas capture rates of Blarina cavolinensis and Sorex longirostris did not differ between control and removal plots. Cryptotis may have been most sensitive to removal plots due to low population density, hence poor ability to move into areas of low reproduction. (Second Abstract, p. 37)Presentation of evidence that juvenile amphibians including Ambystomatid salamanders may disperse hundreds of meter from their natal wetlands within the weeks to months following metamorphosis. Data indicates Ambystoma trigrinum metamorphs can take at least six months to disperse and en route use non-polar lipid reserves garnished as larvae. Report suggests a land management regime that allows for both juvenile amphibian dispersal and also the consumptive use of the surrounding landscape. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (US) (US) United States 2002-03-10T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/807842 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807842
A checklist of plant and animal species at Los Alamos National Laboratory and surrounding areas Hinojosa, H 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS; COMPILED DATA; LANL; NUMERICAL DATA; PLANTS; POLLUTION; SAFETY; SPECIES DIVERSITY; WILD ANIMALS Past and current members of the Biology Team (BT) of the Ecology Group have completed biological assessments (BAs) for all of the land that comprises Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Within these assessments are lists of plant and animal species with the potential to exist on LANL lands and the surrounding areas. To compile these lists, BT members examined earlier published and unpublished reports, surveys, and data bases that pertained to the biota of this area or to areas that are similar. The species lists that are contained herein are compilations of the lists from these BAs, other lists that were a part of the initial research for the performance of these BAs, and more recent surveys. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) USDOE Assistant Secretary for Management and Administration, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/642696 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/642696
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, annual technical progress report of ecological research for the year ending June 30, 1998 Wein, G; Rosier, B 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, APPLIED STUDIES; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; ECOLOGY; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIATION DOSES; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; REMEDIAL ACTION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RISK ASSESSMENT; SPECTROSCOPY; WASTE MANAGEMENT This report provides an overview of the research programs and program components carried out by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Research focused on the following: advanced analytical and spectroscopic techniques for developing novel waste isolation and stabilization technologies as well as cost-effective remediation strategies; ecologically sound management of damaged and remediation of ecological systems; ecotoxicology, remediation, and risk assessment; radioecology, including dose assessments for plants and animals exposed to environmental radiation; and other research support programs. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-12-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/325740 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/325740
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Annual Technical Progress Report of Ecological Research, June 30, 2003 Bertsch, Paul M 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; ECOLOGY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT No abstract prepared. Savannah River Ecology Laboraotry (SREL) USDOE United States 2003-06-30T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/816456 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/816456
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Annual Technical Progress Report of Ecological Research, June 30, 2002 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; ADDITIVES; BIOSPHERE; CESIUM; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ILLITE; OXIDATION; PH VALUE; PROGRESS REPORT; PYRITE; R REACTOR; RADIOACTIVITY; SOLID WASTES; STABLE ISOTOPES; US CORPS OF ENGINEERS The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) is a research unit of The University of Georgia (UGA) and has been conducting ecological research on the Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, South Carolina for 50 years. The overall mission of the Laboratory is to acquire and communicate knowledge of ecological processes and principles. SREL conducts fundamental and applied ecological research, as well as education and outreach programs, under a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The Laboratory's research mission during the 2002 fiscal year was fulfilled with the publication of 76 journal articles and book chapters by faculty, technical staff, students, and visiting scientists. An additional 50 journal articles have been submitted or are in press. Other noteworthy events took place as faculty members, staff, and graduate students received awards. These are described in the section titled Special Accomplishments of Faculty, Staff, Students, and Administration on page 51. Notable scientific accomplishments include work conducted on contaminant transport, stable isotopes, sandhills ecology, and phytoremediation: (1) A collaborative study between Dr. Tom Hinton at SREL and scientists at SRTC demonstrated the feasibility of using illite clay to sequester 137Cs in sediments along the P and R reactor cooling canal system, where approximately 3,000 acres of land are contaminated. Overall, the study showed significant decreases in cesium concentrations and bioavailability following the addition of illite with no sign of harm to the ecosystem. While the cesium remains sequestered from the biosphere, its radioactivity decays and the process progresses from contaminant immobilization to remediation. (2) SREL's stable isotope laboratory is now fully functional. Stable isotope distributions in nature can provide important insights into many historical and current environmental processes. Dr. Christopher Romanek is leading SREL's research in this area, which focuses on identifying the sources and fate of environmental contaminants and on identifying historical patterns of environmental change. (3) Dr. Beverly Collins is a coauthor of a report published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a workshop that was held at SREL in March 2001 on sandhills ecology and ecosystem management. The workshop, sponsored by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP), brought together scientists and land managers from throughout the Southeast. SREL currently has two SERDP-funded projects, including one that was awarded in 2002. (4) A cooperative, multidisciplinary study was initiated with the U.S. Forest Service and Environmental Restoration in the 488-D ash basin on the SRS. This work involves the use of a vegetative cover and common soil additives to mitigate the high acidity and salinity resulting from the oxidation of pyrite in the coal refuse piles. Coal combustion residues from electrical power facilities constitute a major source of solid waste at many DOE and commercial sites. Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) USDOE United States 2002-06-30T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/816454 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/816454
Impact of seed predators on the herb Baptista lanceolata (Fabales: Fabacae). Horn, Scott; Hanula, James L 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ANIMALS; BEETLES; Baptista; COLEOPTERA; FEMALES; HABITAT; HERBS; INDIGO; INSECTS; LARVAE; NUTRITION; SEEDS; Seed predators; entomology Leguminous seeds are a concentrated source of nutrition (Brashier 2000). In a nutrient-poor habitat, these seeds are important resources for many of the animal species residing there. Several insect predators are known to feed on Baptisia seeds. One such insect is Apion rostrum Say (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a weevil that feeds on seeds of several wild indigo species. Females lay eggs in developing seed pods where the larvae eat the seeds. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2004-09-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1653/0015-4040(2004)087[0398:IOSPOT]2.0.CO;2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/859306
Trace element accumulation in lotic dragonfly nymphs: Genus matters Fletcher, Dean E.; Lindell, Angela H.; Stillings, Garrett K.; Blas, Susan A.; McArthur, J. Vaun; Khim, ed., Jong Seong Not Available USDOE United States 2017-02-16T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1371/journal.pone.0172016 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1344027
U.S. Radioecology Research Programs of the Atomic Energy Commission in the 1950s Reichle, D E 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; MONITORING; NUCLEAR ENERGY; ORNL; PRODUCTION; RADIOECOLOGY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SYSTEMS ANALYSIS This report contains two companion papers about radiological and environmental research that developed out of efforts of the Atomic Energy Commission in the late 1940s and the 1950s. Both papers were written for the Joint U.S.-Russian International Symposium entitled ''History of Atomic Energy Projects in the 1950s--Sociopolitical, Environmental, and Engineering Lessons Learned,'' which was hosted by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Laxemberg, Austria, in October 1999. Because the proceedings of this symposium were not published, these valuable historic reviews and their references are being documented as a single ORNL report. The first paper, ''U.S. Radioecology Research Programs Initiated in the 1950s,'' written by David Reichle and Stanley Auerbach, deals with the formation of the early radioecological research programs at the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission's nuclear production facilities at the Clinton Engineering Works in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; at the Hanford Plant in Richland, Washington; and at the Savannah River Plant in Georgia. These early radioecology programs were outgrowths of the environmental monitoring programs at each site and eventually developed into the world renowned National Laboratory environmental program sponsored by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research of the U.S. Department of Energy. The original version of the first paper was presented by David Reichle at the symposium. The second paper, ''U.S. Atomic Energy Commission's Environmental Research Programs Established in the 1950s,'' summarizes all the environmental research programs supported by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission in the 1950s and discusses their present-day legacies. This paper is a modified, expanded version of a paper that was published in September 1997 in a volume commemorating the 50th anniversary symposium of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research (DOE/BER). Contributors to the original work--Murray Schulman, DOE Headquarters, retired; Jerry Elwood, DOE/BER; David Reichle, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; and Ward Wicker, Colorado State University--provided further insight into environmental research in the decade of the 1950s and expanded the environmental part of the original document. The original version of the second paper was presented by David Reichle in poster session at the symposium. ORNL USDOE United States 2004-01-12T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/885597 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/885597
Analysis of the habitat of Henslow's sparrows and Grasshopper sparrows compared to random grassland areas Maier, Kristen; Walton, Rod; Kasper, Peter 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; BIRDS; FERMILAB; GRAMINEAE; GRASSHOPPERS; HABITAT; MANAGEMENT; Other; PLANTS; RANGELANDS Henslow's Sparrows are endangered prairie birds, and Grasshopper Sparrows are considered rare prairie birds. Both of these birds were abundant in Illinois, but their populations have been declining due to loss of the grasslands. This begins an ongoing study of the birds habitat so Fermilab can develop a land management plan for the Henslow's and Grasshoppers. The Henslow's were found at ten sites and Grasshoppers at eight sites. Once the birds were located, the vegetation at their sites was studied. Measurements of the maximum plant height, average plant height, and duff height were taken and estimates of the percent of grass, forbs, duff, and bare ground were recorded for each square meter studied. The same measurements were taken at ten random grassland sites on Fermilab property. Several t-tests were performed on the data, and it was found that both Henslow's Sparrows and Grasshopper Sparrows preferred areas with a larger percentage of grass than random areas. Henslow's also preferred areas with less bare ground than random areas, while Grasshoppers preferred areas with more bare ground than random areas. In addition, Grasshopper Sparrows preferred a lower percentage of forbs than was found in random areas and a shorter average plant height than the random locations. Two-sample variance tests suggested significantly less variance for both Henslow's Sparrows and Grasshopper Sparrows for maximum plant height in comparison to the random sites. For both birds, the test suggested a significant difference in the variance of the percentage of bare ground compared to random sites, but only the Grasshopper Sparrow showed significance in the variation in the percentage of forbs. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL USDOE United States 2005-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/902192
Impact of Forest Seral Stage on use of Ant Communities for Rapid Assessment of Terrestrial Ecosystem Health Wike, Lynn D.; Martin, F. Douglas; Paller, Michael H.; Nelson, Eric A. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ant functional groups; entomology; pine plantation; rapid bioassessment; silviculture; southeastern USA Bioassessment evaluates ecosystem health by using the responses of a community of organisms that integrate all aspects of the ecosystem. A variety of bioassessment methods have been applied to aquatic ecosystems; however, terrestrial methods are less advanced. The objective of this study was to examine baseline differences in ant communities at different seral stages from clear cut to mature pine plantation as a precursor to developing a broader terrestrial bioassessment protocol. Comparative sampling was conducted at nine sites having four seral stages: clearcut, 5 year recovery, 15 year recovery, and mature stands. Soil and vegetation data were also collected at each site. Ants were identified to genus. Analysis of the ant data indicated that ants respond strongly to habitat changes that accompany ecological succession in managed pine forests, and both individual genera and ant community structure can be used as indicators of successional change. Ants exhibited relatively high diversity in both early and mature seral stages. High ant diversity in mature seral stages was likely related to conditions on the forest floor favoring litter dwelling and cold climate specialists. While ants may be very useful in identifying environmental stress in managed pine forests, adjustments must be made for seral stage when comparing impacted and unimpacted forests. Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER). Earth and Environmental Systems Science Division United States 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1673/031.010.7701 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1627965
Idaho National Laboratory Site Environmental Monitoring Plan Knight, Joanne L 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Environmental Monitoring Plan; Idaho National Laboratory This plan describes environmental monitoring as required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 450.1, âEnvironmental Protection Program,â and additional environmental monitoring currently performed by other organizations in and around the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The objective of DOE Order 450.1 is to implement sound stewardship practices that protect the air, water, land, and other natural and cultural resources that may be impacted by DOE operations. This plan describes the organizations responsible for conducting environmental monitoring across the INL, the rationale for monitoring, the types of media being monitored, where the monitoring is conducted, and where monitoring results can be obtained. This plan presents a summary of the overall environmental monitoring performed in and around the INL without duplicating detailed information in the various monitoring procedures and program plans currently used to conduct monitoring. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) DOE - EM United States 2012-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1057212 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1057212
An experimental study of the impact of location on the effectiveness of recruitment clusters for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers at the Savannah River Site. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BREEDING; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; MANAGEMENT; OCCUPATIONS; RECRUITMENT CLUSTERS; RED-COCKADED WOODPECKERS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SAVANNAH RIVER SITE; SEASONS; SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION An experimental study of the impact of location on the effectiveness of recruitment clusters for Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers at the Savannah River Site. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2008-05-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/935035 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/935035
Life history and habitat associations of the broad wood cockroach, Parcoblatta lata (Blattaria: Blattellidae) and other native cockroaches in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Horn, Scott 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; COCKROACHES; Coarse woody debris; ENDANGERED SPECIES; FORAGE; FORESTS; HABITAT; PINES; POPULATION DENSITY; Parcoblatta lata; Picoides borealis; SOUTH CAROLINA; TREES; WOOD; red-cockaded woodpecker; snags; wood cockroaches Wood cockroaches are an important prey of the red-cockaded woodpecker, Picoides borealis, an endangered species inhabiting pine forests in the southern United States. These woodpeckers forage on the boles of live pine trees, but their prey consists of a high proportion of wood cockroaches, Parcoblatta spp., that are more commonly associated with dead plant material. Cockroach population density samples were conducted on live pine trees, dead snags and coarse woody debris on the ground. The studies showed that snags and logs are also important habitats of wood cockroaches in pine forests. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2002-06-18T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1603/0013-8746(2002)095[0665:LHAHAO]2.0.CO;2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835049
Transplanting native dominant plants to facilitate community development in restored coastal plain wetlands. De Steven, Diane; Sharitz, Rebecca R 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; DRAINAGE; DROUGHTS; FORESTS; GRAMINEAE; Leersia hexandra; PLANTS; PLUGGING; Panicum hemitomon; REMOVAL; SEEDS; SOUTH CAROLINA; WETLANDS; depressional wetlands; revegetation; wetland restoration Abstract: Drained depressional wetlands are typically restored by plugging ditches or breaking drainage tiles to allow recovery of natural ponding regimes, while relying on passive recolonization from seed banks and dispersal to establish emergent vegetation. However, in restored depressions of the southeastern United States Coastal Plain, certain characteristic rhizomatous graminoid species may not recolonize because they are dispersal-limited and uncommon or absent in the seed banks of disturbed sites. We tested whether selectively planting such wetland dominants could facilitate restoration by accelerating vegetative cover development and suppressing non-wetland species. In an operational-scale project in a South Carolina forested landscape, drained depressional wetlands were restored in early 2001 by completely removing woody vegetation and plugging surface ditches. After forest removal, tillers of two rhizomatous wetland grasses (Panicum hemitomon, Leersia hexandra) were transplanted into singlespecies blocks in 12 restored depressions that otherwise were revegetating passively. Presence and cover of all plant species appearing in planted plots and unplanted control plots were recorded annually. We analyzed vegetation composition after two and four years, during a severe drought (2002) and after hydrologic recovery (2004). Most grass plantings established successfully, attaining 15%â85% cover in two years. Planted plots had fewer total species and fewer wetland species compared to control plots, but differences were small. Planted plots achieved greater total vegetative cover during the drought and greater combined cover of wetland species in both years. By 2004, planted grasses appeared to reduce cover of non-wetland species in some cases, but wetter hydrologic conditions contributed more strongly to suppression of non-wetland species. Because these two grasses typically form a dominant cover matrix in herbaceous depressions, our results indicated that planting selected species could supplement passive restoration by promoting a vegetative structure closer to that of natural wetlands. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2007-12-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1672/0277-5212(2007)27[972:TNDPTF]2.0.CO;2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/921085
Idaho National Laboratory Environmental Monitoring Plan Knight, Joanne L 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Environmental Monitoring Plan; Idaho National Laboratory This plan describes environmental monitoring as required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 450.1, âEnvironmental Protection Program,â and additional environmental monitoring currently performed by other organizations in and around the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The objective of DOE Order 450.1 is to implement sound stewardship practices that protect the air, water, land, and other natural and cultural resources that may be impacted by DOE operations. This plan describes the organizations responsible for conducting environmental monitoring across the INL, the rationale for monitoring, the types of media being monitored, where the monitoring is conducted, and where monitoring results can be obtained. This plan presents a summary of the overall environmental monitoring performed in and around the INL without duplicating detailed information in the various monitoring procedures and program plans currently used to conduct monitoring. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) DOE - EM United States 2008-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1057211 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1057211
The initial phase of a Longleaf Pine-Wiregrass Savanna restoration: species establishment and community responses. Restoration; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Aristida beyrichiana; ECOSYSTEMS; GRAMINEAE; PINES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SAVANNAS; SEEDLINGS; SOUTH CAROLINA; SPECIES DIVERSITY; Savannah River Site; longleaf pine savanna; wiregrass AbstractAbstract The significant loss of the longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem in the southeastern United States has serious implications for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In response to this loss, we have initiated a long-term and landscape-scale restoration experiment at the 80,125 ha (310 mi2) Department of Energy Savannah River Site (SRS) located near Aiken, South Carolina. Aristida beyrichiana (wiregrass), an important and dominant grass (i.e., a âmatrixâ species) of the longleaf pine savanna understory, and 31 other herbaceous ânon-matrixâ species were planted at six locations throughout SRS in 2002 and 2003. Of the 36,056 transplanted seedlings, 75% were still alive in June 2004, while mean 1â2 year survival across all planted species was 48%. Lespedeza hirta (hairy lespedeza) exhibited the greatest overall survival per 3 Ã3 m cell at 95%, whereas Schizachyrium spp. (little bluestem) exhibited the greatest mean cover among individual species at 5.9%. Wiregrass survival and cover were significantly reduced when planted with non-matrix species. Aggregate cover of all planted species in restored cells averaged 25.9% in 2006. High rates of survival and growth of the planted species resulted in greater species richness (SR), diversity, and vegetative cover in restored cells. Results suggest that the loss of the longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem may be ameliorated through restoration efforts and illustrate the positive impact of restoration plantings on biodiversity and vegetative cover. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2010-09-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1526-100X.2009.00541.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1000074
The movement ecology and dynamics of plant communities in fragmented landscapes Damschen, Ellen I.; Brudvig, Lars A.; Haddad, Nick M.; Levey, Douglas J.; Orrock, John L.; Tewksbury, Joshua J. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; CAPACITY; COMMUNITIES; Corridors; ECOLOGY; HABITAT; NAVIGATION; VECTORS; dispersal; diversity; life-history traits; species richness A conceptual model of movement ecology has recently been advanced to explain all movement by considering the interaction of four elements: internal state, motion capacity, navigation capacities,and external factors. We modified this framework togenerate predictions for species richness dynamics of fragmented plant communities and tested them in experimental landscapes across a 7-year time series. We found that two external factors, dispersal vectors and habitat features, affected species colonization and recolonization in habitat fragments and their effects varied and depended on motion capacity. Bird-dispersed species richness showed connectivity effects that reached an asymptote over time, but no edge effects, whereas wind-dispersed species richness showed steadily accumulating edge and connectivity effects, with no indication of an asymptote. Unassisted species also showed increasing differences caused by connectivity over time,whereas edges had no effect. Our limited use of proxies for movement ecology (e.g., dispersal mode as a proxy for motion capacity) resulted in moderate predictive power for communities and, in some cases, highlighted the importance of a more complete understanding of movement ecology for predicting how landscape conservation actions affect plant community dynamics. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2008-12-05T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1073/pnas.0802037105 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/953634
Changes in the Carbon and Energy Balance of the Sagebrush Steppe Ecosystem of the Pacific Northwest - White Paper Chambers, Minnie Lala Stansbury; Clawson, K L; Inouye, R S 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; CARBON; CLIMATE MODELS; CLIMATES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY BALANCE; EVALUATION; LAND USE; balance; carbon; ecosystem; energy We propose a multi-agency study to understand the impacts of land-use change on the carbon and energy balance of the Pacific Northwest. By integrating data for the carbon and energy fluxes across different scales within each land-use type, we will develop more accurate input parameters for the regional climate models. The product of this study will address two priorities recommended by the National Academy of Sciences; 1) reduce uncertainties in climate change projections and 2) provide a more definitive evaluation of long-term changes. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) USDOE United States 2002-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/910950 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/910950
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Annual Technical Progress Report of Ecological Research, June 30, 2001 Bertsch, Paul M; Janecek, Laura; Rosier, Brenda 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMPHIBIANS; BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; CLIMATIC CHANGE; DOSE RATES; ECOLOGY; HABITAT; IRRADIATION; POLLUTION; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIATION DOSES; RADIOECOLOGY; REPTILES; TRACE AMOUNTS The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) is a research unit of the University of Georgia (UGA) and has been conducting ecological research on the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina for 50 years. The overall mission of the Laboratory is to acquire and communicate knowledge of ecological processes and principles. SREL conducts fundamental and applied ecological research, as well as education and outreach programs, under a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) SRS near Aiken, South Carolina. The Laboratory's research mission during the 2001 fiscal year was fulfilled with the publication of one book and 83 journal articles and book chapters by faculty, technical staff, students, and visiting scientists. An additional 77 journal articles have been submitted or are in press. Other noteworthy events took place as faculty members and graduate students received awards. These are described in the section Special Accomplishments of Faculty, Staff, Students, and Administration on page 54. Notable scientific accomplishments include work conducted on contaminant transport, global reptile decline, phytoremediation, and radioecology. Dr. Domy Adriano authored the second edition of his book ''Trace Elements in Terrestrial Environments: Biogeochemistry, Bioavailability, and Risks of Metals'', which was recently published by Springer-Verlag. The book provides a comprehensive treatment of many important aspects of trace elements in the environment. The first edition of the book, published in 1986, has become a widely acclaimed and cited reference. International attention was focused on the problem of reptile species decline with the publication of an article on this topic in the journal ''Bioscience'' in August, 2000. The article's authors included Dr. Whit Gibbons and a number of other SREL herpetologists who researched the growing worldwide problem of decline of reptile species. Factors related to these declines include habitat loss and degradation, introduction of invasive species, environmental pollution, disease, global climate change, and unsustainable commercial use. The conclusion reached by the article is that the disappearance of reptiles from the natural world is genuine and should be a matter of concern; current evidence suggests that these declines constitute a worldwide crisis. SREL's research in the area of phytoremediation was enhanced with the addition of Dr. Lee Newman as a faculty member in January 2001. Dr. Newman, an internationally recognized authority in the field, holds a joint appointment with the University of South Carolina and SREL. She is developing a collaborative program in phytoremediation on the SRS and offsite. Work is nearing completion on SREU s outdoor mesocosm irradiation facility, which is designed for studying the effects of low-level radiation doses on organisms. The 1-acre facility at Par Pond consists of 48 fiberglass tanks that can maintain small organisms such as fish and amphibians. Thirty of the tanks have sealed {sup 137}Cs sources suspended above them containing either 0.02,0.2, or 2.0 Ci. These sources can deliver average dose rates of 4, 40 and 400 mGy per day, respectively, to organisms under replicated conditions. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2001-06-30T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/808995 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/808995
Food abundance does not determine bird use of early-successional habitat. Champlin, Tracey B; Kilgo, John C; Moorman, Christopher E 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ARTHROPODS; AVAILABILITY; BIRDS; BREEDING; FOOD; FORESTS; HABITAT; INSECTICIDES; OPENINGS; South Carolina, USA.; arthropods; canopy gaps; early-successional habitat; food availability; food reduction; foraging; forest birds; habitat use Abstract. Few attempts have been made to experimentally address the extent to which temporal or spatial variation in food availability influences avian habitat use. We used an experimental approach to investigate whether bird use differed between treated (arthropods reduced through insecticide application) and control (untreated) forest canopy gaps within a bottomland hardwood forest in the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina, USA. Gaps were two- to three-year-old group selection timber harvest openings of three sizes (0.13, 0.26, and 0.50 ha). Our study was conducted during four bird use periods (spring migration, breeding, post-breeding, and fall migration) in 2002 and 2003. Arthropods were reduced in treated gaps by 68% in 2002 and 73% in 2003. We used mist-netting captures and foraging attack rates to assess the influence of arthropod abundance on avian habitat use. Evidence that birds responded to arthropod abundance was limited and inconsistent. In 2002, we generally captured more birds in treated gaps of the smallest size (0.13 ha) and fewer birds in treated gaps of the larger sizes. In 2003, we recorded few differences in the number of captures in treated and control gaps. Foraging attack rates generally were lower in treated than in control gaps, indicating that birds were able to adapt to the reduced food availability and remain in treated gaps. We conclude that arthropod abundance was not a proximate factor controlling whether forest birds used our gaps. The abundance of food resources may not be as important in determining avian habitat selection as previous research has indicated, at least for passerines in temperate subtropical regions. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2009-06-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1890/08-1190.1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/958044
Effect of Woody Debris abundance on daytime refuge use by cotton mice. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; COTTON; Cotton mice; DISTRIBUTION; FORESTS; HABITAT; MICE; PINES; PLANTS; Peromyscus gossypinus; RODENTS; woody debris Abstract - Daytime refuges are important to nocturnal rodents for protection from predators and environmental extremes. Because refuges of forest-dwelling rodents are often associated with woody debris, we examined refuge use by 37 radio-collared Peromyscus gossypinus (cotton mice) in experimental plots with different levels of woody debris. Treatment plots had six times (â 60 m3/ha) the volume of woody debris as control plots (â 10 m3/ha). Of 247 refuges, 159 were in rotting stumps (64%), 32 were in root boles (13%), 19 were in brush piles (8%), and 16 were in logs (6%); 10 refuges could not be identified. Stumps were the most common refuge type in both treatments, but the distribution of refuge types was significantly different between treatment and control plots. Root boles and brush piles were used more on treatment plots than on control plots, and logs were used more on control plots than on treatment plots. Refuge type and vegetation cover were the best predictors of refuge use by cotton mice; root bole refuges and refuges with less vegetation cover received greater-than-expected use by mice. Abundant refuges, particularly root boles, may improve habitat quality for cotton mice in southeastern pine forests. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2007-07-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1656/1528-7092(2007)6[393:EOWDAO]2.0.CO;2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/917773
Cultural Resource Investigations for the Resumption of Transient Testing of Nuclear Fuels and Material at the Idaho National Laboratory Pace, Brenda R.; Williams, Julie B. 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; archaeology; cultural resources; historic properties; national historic preservation act compliance The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) has a need to test nuclear fuels under conditions that subject them to short bursts of intense, high-power radiation called âtransient testingâ in order to gain important information necessary for licensing new nuclear fuels for use in U.S. nuclear power plants, for developing information to help improve current nuclear power plant performance and sustainability, for improving the affordability of new generation reactors, for developing recyclable nuclear fuels, and for developing fuels that inhibit any repurposing into nuclear weapons. To meet this mission need, DOE is considering alternatives for re-use and modification of existing nuclear reactor facilities to support a renewed transient testing program. One alternative under consideration involves restarting the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) reactor located at the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) on the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) site in southeastern Idaho. This report summarizes cultural resource investigations conducted by the INL Cultural Resource Management Office in 2013 to support environmental review of activities associated with restarting the TREAT reactor at the INL. These investigations were completed in order to identify and assess the significance of cultural resources within areas of potential effect associated with the proposed action and determine if the TREAT alternative would affect significant cultural resources or historic properties that are eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. No archaeological resources were identified in the direct area of potential effects for the project, but four of the buildings proposed for modifications are evaluated as historic properties, potentially eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. This includes the TREAT reactor (building #), control building (building #), guardhouse (building #), and warehouse (building #). The proposed re-use of these historic properties is consistent with original missions related to nuclear reactor testing and is expected to result in no adverse effects to their historic significance. Cultural resource investigations also involved communication with representatives from the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes to characterize cultural resources of potential tribal concern. This report provides a summary of the cultural resources inventoried and assessed within the defined areas of potential effect for the resumption of transient testing at the INL. Based on these analyses, proposed activities would have no adverse effects on historic properties within the APEs that have been defined. Other archaeological resources and cultural resources of potential concern to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and others that are located near the APEs are also discussed with regard to potential indirect impacts. The report concludes with general recommendations for measures to reduce impacts to all identified resources. Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) United States 2013-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1120803 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1120803
A QUICK KEY TO THE SUBFAMILIES AND GENERA OF ANTS OF THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE, AIKEN, SC Martin, D 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANTS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TAXONOMY This taxonomic key was devised to support development of a Rapid Bioassessment Protocol using ants at the Savannah River Site. The emphasis is on ''rapid'' and, because the available keys contained a large number of genera not known to occur at the Savannah River Site, we found that the available keys were unwieldy. Because these keys contained more genera than we would likely encounter and because this larger number of genera required both more couplets in the key and often required examination of characters that are difficult to assess without higher magnifications (60X or higher) more time was required to process samples. In developing this set of keys I recognize that the character sets used may lead to some errors but I believe that the error rate will be small and, for the purpose of rapid bioassessment, this error rate will be acceptable provided that overall sample sizes are adequate. Oliver and Beattie (1996a, 1996b) found that for rapid assessment of biodiversity the same results were found when identifications were done to morphospecies by people with minimal expertise as when the same data sets were identified by subject matter experts. Basset et al. (2004) concluded that it was not as important to correctly identify all species as it was to be sure that the study included as many functional groups as possible. If your study requires high levels of accuracy, it is highly recommended that when you key out a specimen and have any doubts concerning the identification, you should refer to keys in Bolton (1994) or to the other keys used to develop this area specific taxonomic key. SRS DOE United States 2006-10-04T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/893100 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/893100
Infrastructure Practices of Select World-Class Research Organizations - A Benchmark of Campus Design, Development, and Implementation Strategies Kevin M Kostelnik, PhD; Phillips, Ann Marie 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; BENCHMARKS; Benchmark; DESIGN; IMPLEMENTATION; Infrastructure; Research Facilities; World-Class This report presents case studies and benchmarking conclusion for seven world-class research facilities in the areas of academia, industry, government, and non-profit institutions. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) INEEL United States 2005-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/911241 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/911241
A QUICK KEY TO THE SUBFAMILIES AND GENERA OF ANTS OF THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE Martin, D 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANTS; POPULATION DYNAMICS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TAXONOMY This taxonomic key was devised to support development of a Rapid Bioassessment Protocol using ants at the Savannah River Site. The emphasis is on 'rapid' and, because the available keys contained a very large number of genera not known to occur at the Savannah River Site, we found that the available keys were unwieldy. Because these keys contained many more genera than we would ever encounter and because this larger number of genera required more couplets in the key and often required examination of characters that are difficult to assess without higher magnifications (60X or higher), more time was required to process samples. In developing this set of keys I emphasized character states that are easier for nonspecialists to recognize. I recognize that the character sets used may lead to some errors but I believe that the error rate will be small and, for the purpose of rapid bioassessment, this error rate will be acceptable provided that overall sample sizes are adequate. Oliver and Beattie (1996a, 1996b) found that for rapid assessment of biodiversity the same results were found when identifications were done to morphospecies by people with minimal expertise as when the same data sets were identified by subject matter experts. Basset et al. (2004) concluded that it was not as important to correctly identify all species as it was to be sure that the study included as many functional groups as possible. If your study requires high levels of accuracy, it is highly recommended that, when you key out a specimen and have any doubts concerning the identification, you should refer to keys in Bolton (1994) or to the other keys used to develop this area specific taxonomic key. SRS DOE United States 2007-09-04T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/917510 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/917510
Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2023, with Attachment A Site Description and Summary Report Redding, Theodore J. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; NNSS, Environment, Environmental, ASER, NNSA, NFO This Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report (NNSSER) summarizes actions taken in 2023 to protect the environment and the public while achieving the NNSA/NFO mission goals. It is prepared for the public and our stakeholders in hopes that it is readily understandable and usable. It is a key component in our efforts to keep the public informed of environmental conditions at the NNSS and its support facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada. The accompanying Attachment A expands on the general description of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) presented in the Introduction to the Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2023. Included are subsections that summarize the siteâs geological, hydrological, climatological, and ecological settings and the cultural resources of the NNSS. The supplemental Summary report provides an abbreviated version of the full report. Nevada National Security Sites/Mission Support and Test Services LLC, Las Vegas, NV (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Environmental Protection and ES&H Reporting United States 2024-10-01T04:00:00Z Program Document https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2447746
Cultural Resource Investigations for the Remote Handled Low Level Waste Facility at the Idaho National Laboratory Pace, Brenda R; Gilbert, Hollie; Williams, Julie Braun; Marler, Clayton; Lowrey, Dino; Brizzee, Cameron 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; CONSTRUCTION; CULTURAL RESOURCES; IDAHO; MANAGEMENT; RECOMMENDATIONS; TEST REACTORS; WASTES; cultural resources The U. S. Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office is considering options for construction of a facility for disposal of Idaho National Laboratory (INL) generated remote-handled low-level waste. Initial screening has resulted in the identification of two recommended alternative locations for this new facility: one near the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) Complex and one near the Idaho Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Disposal Facility (ICDF). In April and May of 2010, the INL Cultural Resource Management Office conducted archival searches, intensive archaeological field surveys, and initial coordination with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes to identify cultural resources that may be adversely affected by new construction within either one of these candidate locations. This investigation showed that construction within the location near the ATR Complex may impact one historic homestead and several historic canals and ditches that are potentially eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. No resources judged to be of National Register significance were identified in the candidate location near the ICDF. Generalized tribal concerns regarding protection of natural resources were also documented in both locations. This report outlines recommendations for protective measures to help ensure that the impacts of construction on the identified resources are not adverse. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) DOE - NE United States 2010-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/983352 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/983352
Measuring Transpiration to Regulate Winter Irrigation Rates Samuelson, Lisa; Stokes, Tom; Farris, Marianne 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Measuring Transpiration; Regulation of Winter Irrigation Rates Periodic transpiration (monthly sums) in a young loblolly pine plantation between ages 3 and 6 was measured using thermal dissipation probes. Fertilization and fertilization with irrigation were better than irrigation alone in increasing transpiration of young loblolly pines during winter months, apparently because of increased leaf area in fertilized trees. Irrigation alone did not significantly increase transpiration compared with the non-fertilized and non-irrigated control plots. USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Acquisition and Project Management; USDOE Savannah River Operations Office (SRO) United States 2006-11-08T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1126897 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1126897
Oak Ridge Reservation annual site environmental report summary 1998 Hamilton, L V 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; MONITORING; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; REPORTING REQUIREMENTS This report summarizes the information found in the Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental for 1998 (DOE/ORO/2091). Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US) USDOE Office of Science (US) United States 1999-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/750975 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/750975
Oak Ridge Reservation annual site environmental report 1998 Hamilton, L V; Thompson, S D; McMahon, L W; Coffey, M O; Aaron, M R; Braunstein, H M; Joseph, T W 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; MONITORING; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION This document is prepared annually to summarize environmental activities, primarily environmental monitoring activities, on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) and within the ORR surroundings. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US); East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, TN (US); Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, TN (US) USDOE Office of Science (US) United States 1999-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/750974 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/750974
Effects of controlled dog hunting on movements of female white-tailed deer. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; DEER; Dog hunting; FEMALES; Odocoileus virginiana; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; South Carolina; home range; movements D'Angelo, Gino, J., John C. Kilgo, Christopher E. Comer, Cory D. Drennan, David A. Osborn, and Karl V. Miller. 2003. Effects of controlled dog hunting on movements of female white-tailed deer. In: Proceedings of the Annu. Conf. Southeast. Assoc. Fish and Wildl. Agencies. 57:317-325. This article explores the relationship between controlled dog hunting and the movements of female white tailed deer at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina. The data suggests that short term, controlled dog hunting has little long-term effect on adult, female white-tailed deer movement on the Savannah River Site. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2003-12-31T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/841621
Biological assessment for the transfer of the DP land tract Keller, D C 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BATS; BIRDS; CONSTRUCTION; ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HABITAT; LAND USE; LANL; MAPS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; WETLANDS; WILD ANIMALS The Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to transfer to the County of Los Alamos up to 10-ha (25-ac) of federal land located in Technical Area-21 to be developed for commercial uses. Previous studies for the proposed land transfer area indicate that potential habitat for four threatened, endangered, and sensitive species occurs in or adjacent to the proposed land transfer area. These include the northern goshawk (federal species of concern), Mexican spotted owl (federal threatened), the spotted bat (federal species of concern, state threatened), die peregrine falcon (federal endangered, state endangered), and the. In order to determine the possible influences of the land transfer on these organisms, information from species-specific surveys was collected. These surveys were used to confirm the presence of these species or to infer their absence in or near the project area. It was concluded that none of die above mentioned species occur in the project area. Stretches of the stream channel within Los Alamos Canyon have been identified as palustrine and riverine, temporarily flooded wetlands. The proposed land transfer should not affect these wetlands. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) USDOE Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1996-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/434451 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/434451
Idaho National Laboratory Cultural Resource Management Office FY 2011 Activity Report Williams, Julie Braun; Pace, Brenda R; Gilbert, Hollie K; Olson, Christina L 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; archaeology; cultural resouces The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site is home to vast numbers and a wide variety of important cultural resources representing at least a 13,500 year span of human land use in the region. As a federal agency, the Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) has legal responsibility for the management and protection of the resources and has contracted these responsibilities to Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA). The BEA professional staff is committed to maintaining a cultural resource management program that accepts the challenge of preserving INL cultural resources in a manner reflecting their importance in local, regional, and national history. This report is intended as a stand-alone document that summarizes activities performed by the INL Cultural Resource Management Office (CRMO) staff during fiscal year 2011. This work is diverse, far-reaching and though generally confined to INL cultural resource compliance, also includes a myriad of professional and voluntary community activities. This document is intended to be informative to both internal and external stakeholders, serve as a planning tool for future INL cultural resource management work, and meet an agreed upon legal requirement. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) DOE - NE United States 2012-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1057685 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1057685
Relationship of Course Woody Debris to Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Prey Diversity and Abundance Horn, G S 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ABUNDANCE; ARTHROPODS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HARVESTING; MORTALITY; REMOVAL; WOOD; arthropods; endangered species; forest management; loblolly pine The abundance of diversity of prey commonly used by the red-cockaded woodpecker were monitored in experimental plots in which course woody debris was manipulated. In one treatment, all the woody debris over four inches was removed. In the second treatment, the natural amount of mortality remained intact. The overall diversity of prey was unaffected; however, wood roaches were significantly reduced by removal of woody debris. The latter suggests that intensive utilizations or harvesting practices may reduce foraging. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE United States 1999-09-03T04:00:00Z Other https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807733
Daily movements of female white-tailed deer relative to parturition and breeding. D'Angelo, Gino J; Comer, Christopher E; Kilgo, John C; Drennan, Cory D; Osborn, David A; Miller, Karl V 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BREEDING; DEER; FEMALES; MONITORING; Odocoileus virginianus; PARTURITION; POPULATION DENSITY; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SEX RATIO; SOUTH CAROLINA; White-tailed deer; breeding; movements; parturition; rut Abstract: To assess how white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herd demographics influence reproductive behaviors, we examined 24-h diel movements of female whitetailed deer relative to parturition and breeding in a low-density population with a near even sex ratio at the Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina. We conducted a series of intensive, 24-h radio-tracking periods of 13 females during spring and fall 2002. We compared daily range (ha), rate of travel (m/h), and distance between extreme daily locations (m), among the periods of pre-parturition and post-parturition and pre-, peak-, and post-rut. From pre-parturition to post-parturition, we observed decreases in diel range size (ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ38.2%), distance between extreme diel locations (ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ17.0%), and diel rate of travel (ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ18.2%). Diel range size, distance between extreme diel locations, and diel rate of travel during the pre-rut and rut exceeded those observed during post-rut. We further identified substantial increases in mobility during 12 24-h diel periods for eight females during our fall monitoring. Our data suggest that female white-tailed deer reduce mobility post-fawning following exaggerated movements during pre-parturition. Furthermore, despite a near equal sex ratio, estrous does may be required to actively seek potential mates due to low population density. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2005-10-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/859307
Red-cockaded woodpecker male/female foraging differences in young forest stands. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BIRDS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; FEMALES; FORAGE; FORESTS; HABITAT; MALES; MONITORING; PINES; Picoides borealis; Red-cockaded Woodpecker; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SEASONS; SOUTH CAROLINA; SUBSTRATES; TRANSLOCATION; TREES; endangered species; foraging behavior; male/female foraging differences; pine forests; southeastern United States ABSTRACT The Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) is an endangered species endemic to pine (Pinus spp.) forests of the southeastern United States. I examined Red-cockaded Woodpecker foraging behavior to learn if there were male/female differences at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina. The study was conducted in largely young forest stands (,50 years of age) in contrast to earlier foraging behavior studies that focused on more mature forest. The Redcockaded Woodpecker at the Savannah River site is intensively managed including monitoring, translocation, and installation of artificial cavity inserts for roosting and nesting. Over a 3-year period, 6,407 foraging observations covering seven woodpecker family groups were recorded during all seasons of the year and all times of day. The most striking differences occurred in foraging method (males usually scaled [45% of observations] and females mostly probed [47%]),substrate used (females had a stronger preference [93%] for the trunk than males [79%]), and foraging height from the ground (mean 6 SE foraging height was higher for males [11.1 6 0.5 m] than females [9.8 6 0.5 m]). Niche overlap between males and females was lowest for substrate (85.6%) and foraging height (87.8%), and highest for tree species (99.0%), tree condition (98.3%), and tree height (96.4%). Both males and females preferred to forage in older, large pine trees. The habitat available at the Savannah River Site was considerably younger than at most other locations, but the pattern of male/female habitat partitioning observed was similar to that documented elsewhere within the range attesting to the speciesâ ability to adjust behaviorally. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2010-07-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1676/09-053.1 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/983701
Modeling Storm Water Runoff and Soil Interflow in a Managed Forest, Upper Coastal Plain of the Southeast US. Callahan, T J; Cook, J D; Coleman, Mark D; Amatya, Devendra M; Trettin, Carl C 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; CROPS; DRAINAGE; FORESTS; Green and Ampt equation; MOISTURE; MONITORING; PERMEABILITY; PLANTS; POROSITY; PRODUCTIVITY; RIVERS; ROTATION; RUNOFF; SOILS; STORMS; TOPOGRAPHY; WATER QUALITY; WATERSHEDS; hillslope hydrology; infiltration; interflow; silviculture The Forest Service-Savannah River is conducting a hectare-scale monitoring and modeling study on forest productivity in a Short Rotation Woody Crop plantation at the Savannah River Site, which is on Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Detailed surveys, i.e., topography, soils, vegetation, and dainage network, of small (2-5 ha) plots have been completed in a 2 square-km watershed draining to Fourmile Creek, a tributary of the Savannah River. We wish to experimentally determine the relative importance of interflow on water yield and water quality at this site. Interflow (shallow subsurface lateral flow) can short-circuit rainfall infiltration, preventing deep seepage and resulting in water and chemical residence times in the watershed much shorter than that if deep seepage were the sole component of infiltration. The soil series at the site (Wagram, Dothan, Fuquay, Ogeechee, and Vaucluse) each have a clay-rich B horizon of decimeter-scale thickness at depths of 1-2 m below surface. As interflow is affected by rainfall intensity and duration and soil properties such as porosity, permeability, and antecedent soil moisture, our calculations made using the Green and Ampt equation show that the intensity and duration of a storm event must be greater than about 3 cm per hour and 2 hours, respectively, in order to initiate interflow for the least permeable soils series (Vaucluse). Tabulated values of soil properties were used in these preliminary calculations. Simulations of the largest rainfall events from 1972-2002 data using the Green and Ampt equation provide an interflow: rainfall ratio of 0 for the permeable Wagram soil series (no interflow) compared to 0.46 for the less permeable Vaucluse soil series. These initial predictions will be compared to storm water hydrographs of interflow collected at the outflow point of each plot and refined using more detailed soil property measurements. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2004-08-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/889475
Using qualitative methods to support recovery of endangered species: The case of red-cockaded woodpecker foraging habitat Garabedian, James E.; Peterson, M. Nils (ORCID:0000000242461206); Moorman, Christopher E.; Kilgo, John C. Not Available USDOE Netherlands 2019-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00553 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1531030
Historic American Landscapes Survey: Arco Naval Proving Ground (Idaho National Laboratory) Olson, Christina; Holmer, Marie; Gilbert, Hollie 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; Arco; Army Air Corps; CFA; Naval Ordnance Plant; Naval Proving Grond; Navy; Pocatello; World War II; ordnance testing Based on historical evaluations in 1993 and 1997, historians determined that the then-remaining Arco NPG structures were significant to the nationâs history through their association with World War II . Through ensuing discussions with the SHPO, it was further determined that the infrastructure and associated landscape were also significant. According to provisions of INLâs Cultural Resource Management Plan (CRMP) as legitimized through a 2004 Programmatic Agreement between DOE-ID, the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) historians identified the World War II structures as DOE âSignature Propertiesâ. As defined by DOE-HQ, Signature Properties âdenote its [DOEâs] most historically important properties across the complexâ¦and/or those properties that are viewed as having tourism potential.â The INL is a secure site and the INL land and structures are not accessible to the public and, therefore have no âtourism potentialâ. Although DOE-ID actively sought other uses for the vacant, unused buildings, none were identified and the buildings present safety and health concerns. A condition assessment found lead based paint, asbestos, rodent infestation/droppings, small animal carcasses, mold, and, in CF-633, areas of radiological contamination. In early 2013, DOE-ID notified the Idaho SHPO, ACHP, and, as required by the INL CRMP and PA, DOE-Headquarters Federal Preservation Officer, of their intent to demolish the vacant buildings (CF-606, CF-607, CF-613, CF-632, and CF-633). The proposed âend-stateâ of the buildings will be either grass and/or gravel pads. Through the NHPA Section 106 consultation process, measures to mitigate the adverse impacts of demolition were determined and agreed to through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between DOE-ID, SHPO, and ACHP. The measures include the development and installation of interpretive signs to be placed at a publicly accessible location, retention of original components of CF-633, and completion of this HALS standard format report. Buildings, infrastructure, and features that are not scheduled for removal are documented here as well as properties that are scheduled for removal and the overall Arco NPG landscape. The Arco NPG, located in the remote high-desert of eastern Idaho aided in the defense and eventual ally victory in the Pacific Theater of World War II, in addition to revising national standards for the safe storage and transport of conventional ordnance. Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) United States 2015-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1347617 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1347617
Effect of coarse woody debris manipulation on soricid and herpetofaunal communities in upland pine stands of the southeastern coastal plain. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; AMPHIBIANS; APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS; Amphibians; BIOFUELS; COMMUNITIES; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; HABITAT; MARKET; PETROLEUM; PINES; REPTILES; SHREWS; VERTEBRATES; WOOD; coarse woody debris; herpetofauna; reptiles; shrews; southeastern Coastal Plain; upland pine Abstract -The majority of studies investigating the importance of coarse woody debris (CWD) to forest- floor vertebrates have taken place in the Pacific Northwest and southern Appalachian Mountains, while comparative studies in the southeastern Coastal Plain are lacking. My study was a continuation of a long-term project investigating the importance of CWD as a habitat component for shrew and herpetofaunal communities within managed pine stands in the southeastern Coastal Plain. Results suggest that addition of CWD can increase abundance of southeastern and southern short-tailed shrews. However, downed wood does not appear to be a critical habitat component for amphibians and reptiles. Rising petroleum costs and advances in wood utilization technology have resulted in an emerging biofuels market with potential to decrease CWD volumes left in forests following timber harvests. Therefore, forest managers must understand the value of CWD as an ecosystem component to maintain economically productive forests while conserving biological diversity. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z Other https://www.osti.gov/biblio/953638
Partnership Opportunities with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Payne, T L; Coxon, G D 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; CALCULATION METHODS; CONSTRUCTION; DATA ANALYSIS; DESIGN; JOINT VENTURES; MEASURING METHODS; ORNL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TEST FACILITIES The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is ``bringing science to life'' through the creation of knowledge; the invention of new tools and techniques; the scientific analysis of complex situations; and the design, construction and operation of research facilities used by scientists and engineers from throughout the world. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US) USDOE Office of Science (US) United States 2000-02-20T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/755668
Ecology, environment, and 'big science' : an annotated bibliography ofsources on environmental research at Argonne National Laboratory, 1955 - 1985. Schloegel, J J; Rader, K A 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANL; BIBLIOGRAPHIES; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS No abstract prepared. ANL USDOE Office of Science (SC) United States 2005-12-08T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/885500 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/885500
A framework for increasing sustainability and reducing risk to ecological resources through integration of remediation planning and implementation Burger, Joanna Not Available USDOE United States 2019-05-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.envres.2019.02.036 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1507168
Modeling topographic influences on solar radiation: A manual for the SOLARFLUX Model Rich, P M; Hetrick, W A; Saving, S C 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 58 GEOSCIENCES; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; DOCUMENTATION; GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATIONS; INSOLATION; MANUALS; S CODES; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SOLAR RADIATION; TOPOGRAPHY SOLARFLUX is a geographical information system (GIS) based computer program (running under ARC/INFO and GRID) that models incoming solar radiation based on surface orientation (slope and aspect), solar angle (azimuth and zenith) as it shifts over time, shadows caused by topographic features, and atmospheric conditions. A convenient user interface allows specification of program parameters including latitude, time interval for simulation, file name of a topographic surface, atmospheric conditions (transmittivity), and file names for output. The user specifies a topographic surface as an array of elevation values (GRID). SOLARFLUX generates five basic types of output: 1) total direct radiation, 2) duration of direct sunlight, 3) total diffuse radiation, 4) skyview factor, and 5) hemispherical viewsheds of sky obstruction for specified surface locations. This manual serves as the comprehensive guide to SOLARFLUX. Included are discussions on modeling insolation on complex surfaces, our theoretical approach, program setup and operation, and a set of applications illustrating characteristics of topographic insolation modeling. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC (United States); National Science Foundation, Washington, DC (United States); Stanford Univ., CA (United States); Kansas Univ., Lawrence, KS (United States) United States 1995-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/200698 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/200698
The response of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) to selection cutting in a South Carolina bottomland hardwood forest. Hanula, James L; Horn, Scott 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; BEETLES; COLEOPTERA; COMMUNITIES; Canopy gaps; Carabidae; Disturbance; Edge effect; FORESTS; Ground beetles; Group selection harvesting; TRAPPING We compared the response of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) to the creation of canopy gaps of different size (0.13, 0.26, and 0.50 ha) and age (1 and 7 years) in a bottomland hardwood forest (South Carolina, USA). Samples were collected four times in 2001 by malaise and pitfall traps placed at the center and edge of each gap, and 50 m into the surrounding forest. Species richness was higher at the center of young gaps than in old gaps or in the forest, but there was no statistical difference in species richness between old gaps and the forests surrounding them. Carabid abundance followed the same trend, but only with the exclusion of Semiardistomis viridis (Say), a very abundant species that differed in its response to gap age compared to most other species. The carabid assemblage at the gap edge was very similar to that of the forest, and there appeared to be no distinct edge community. Species known to occur in open or disturbed habitats were more abundant at the center of young gaps than at any other location. Generalist species were relatively unaffected by the disturbance, but one species (Dicaelus dilatatus Say) was significantly less abundant at the centers of young gaps. Forest inhabiting species were less abundant at the centers of old gaps than in the forest, but not in the centers of young gaps. Comparison of community similarity at various trapping locations showed that communities at the centers of old and young gaps had the lowest similarity (46.5%). The community similarity between young gap centers and nearby forest (49.1%) and old gap centers and nearby forest (50.0%) was similarly low. These results show that while the abundance and richness of carabids in old gaps was similar to that of the surrounding forest, the species composition between the two sites differed greatly. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2005-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/881972
Ambrosia Beetle (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) Species, Flight, and Attack on Living Eastern Cottonwood Trees. Coyle, D R 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BEETLES; COLEOPTERA; COTTONWOODS; ECOLOGY; Ethanol; FERTILIZATION; IRRIGATION; MONITORING; Populus deltoids; TREES; Xyleborini; fertilization; invasive species ABSTRACT In spring 2002, ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) infested an intensively managed 22-ha tree plantation on the upper coastal plain of South Carolina. Nearly 3,500 scolytids representing 28 species were captured in ethanol-baited traps from 18 June 2002 to 18 April 2004. More than 88% of total captures were exotic species. Five species [Dryoxylon onoharaensum (Murayama), Euwallacea validus (Eichhoff), Pseudopityophthorus minutissimus (Zimmermann), Xyleborus atratus Eichhoff, and Xyleborus impressus Eichhoff]) were collected in South Carolina for the first time. Of four tree species in the plantation, eastern cottonwood, Populus deltoides Bartram, was the only one attacked, with nearly 40% of the trees sustaining ambrosia beetle damage. Clone ST66 sustained more damage than clone S7C15. ST66 trees receiving fertilization were attacked more frequently than trees receiving irrigation, irrigation_fertilization, or controls, although the number of S7C15 trees attacked did not differ among treatments. The study location is near major shipping ports; our results demonstrate the necessity for intensive monitoring programs to determine the arrival, spread, ecology, and impact of exotic scolytids. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2005-12-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1093/jee/98.6.2049 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/861330
A Survey of LTR Program Industry Partner Satisfaction at Oak Ridge National Lab Coxon, G; Payne, T L 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; BUSINESS; COMMERCIALIZATION; CONSTRUCTION; CRADA; DESIGN; ENGINEERS; INVENTIONS; LICENSE; ORNL; PERSONNEL; RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPSL; SBIR; STTR; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is ''bringing science to life'' through the creation of knowledge; the invention of new tools and techniques; the scientific analysis of complex situations; and the design, construction and operation of research facilities used by scientists and engineers from throughout the world. ORNL creates and uses partnerships as a means for conducting collaborative research and development (R and D), facilitating access to its capabilities, improving the utilization of its unique science and technological facilities, and assisting in commercialization of technology. This paper will concentrate on seven of the mechanisms used to access ORNL facilities and expertise namely, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, License Agreements, Personnel Exchanges, Small Business Innovative Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Partnerships, Technical Assistance Program, User Facility Agreements, and Work For Others Agreements. Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, also known as CRADAs, create formal teams of researchers from ORNL and private industry for the purpose of collaborating on an R and D area of interest to both partners. License Agreements give commercial entities authorization to use ORNL-developed technologies for specified purposes. A Personnel Exchange either locates ORNL employees at the site of the partner organization, or, brings the employee(s) of the outside organization to ORNL to enhance their technical capabilities. The Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program provide government-funded partnership opportunities for qualified small private companies. The ORNL Technical Assistance Program can provide a rapid response to a technical question from a business entity. User Facility Agreements provide qualified users from universities, industry, or other institution access to ORNL's 14 designated user facilities where both proprietary and nonproprietary research can be conducted. Work for Others is a mechanism that gives government entities and commercial companies the ability to pay for predetermined scopes of work to be performed for their benefit. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US) USDOE Office of Science (US) United States 1999-11-14T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/14621
Irrigation and fertilization effects on Nantucket Pine Tip Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) Damage levels and pupal weight in an intensively-managed pine plantation. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; FERTILIZATION; FLUCTUATIONS; FORESTS; Growth impacts; IRRIGATION; LEPIDOPTERA; MANAGEMENT; MOTHS; PINES; POPULATION DENSITY; Pinus taeda; ROTATION; Rhyacionia frustrana; SEASONS; SOUTH CAROLINA; TREES; WEEDS; intensive forestry; pine regeneration insects; silviculture The widespread application of intensive forest management practices throughout the southeastern U.S. has increased loblolly pine, Pinus taeda L., yields and shortened conventional rotation lengths. Fluctuations in Nantucket pine tip moth, Rhyacionia frustrana (Comstock), population density and subsequent damage levels have been linked to variations in management intensity. We examined the effects of two practices, irrigation and fertilization, on R. frustrana damage levels and pupal weights in an intensively-managed P. taeda plantation in South Carolina. Trees received intensive weed control and one of the following treatments; irrigation only. fertilization only, irrigation + fertilization, or control. Mean whole-tree tip moth damage levels ranged from <1 to 48% during this study. Damage levels differed significantly among treatments in two tip moth generations in 2001, but not 2000. Pupal weight was significantly heavier in fertilization compared to the irrigation treatment in 2000, but no significant differences were observed in 2001. Tree diameter. height. and aboveground volume were significantly greater in the irrigation + fertilization than in the irrigation treatment after two growing seasons. Our data suggest that intensive management practices that include irrigation and fertilization do not consistently increase R. frustrana damage levels and pupal weights as is commonly believed. However, tip moth suppression efforts in areas adjacent to our study may have partially reduced the potential impacts of R. frustrana on this experiment. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2003-10-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835195
Composite analysis E-area vaults and saltstone disposal facilities Cook, J R 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMPUTER CODES; DATA; GROUND WATER; HYDROLOGY; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOISOTOPES; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT This report documents the Composite Analysis (CA) performed on the two active Savannah River Site (SRS) low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal facilities. The facilities are the Z-Area Saltstone Disposal Facility and the E-Area Vaults (EAV) Disposal Facility. The analysis calculated potential releases to the environment from all sources of residual radioactive material expected to remain in the General Separations Area (GSA). The GSA is the central part of SRS and contains all of the waste disposal facilities, chemical separations facilities and associated high-level waste storage facilities as well as numerous other sources of radioactive material. The analysis considered 114 potential sources of radioactive material containing 115 radionuclides. The results of the CA clearly indicate that continued disposal of low-level waste in the saltstone and EAV facilities, consistent with their respective radiological performance assessments, will have no adverse impact on future members of the public. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/652939 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/652939
AN OVERVIEW COMPARISON OF TANK CLOSURE ACTIVITIES AT CERTAIN DOE SITES Sams, T L; Luke, J J; McClure, L W 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ACCELERATION; CLOSURES; COMMUNICATIONS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PERSONNEL; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SCHEDULES; TANKS; WASTE MANAGEMENT This paper presents a summary-level comparison of the similarities and differences of tank closure programs at the four primary radioactive waste tank sites in the US Department of Energy (DOE) complex. The sites are Hanford, Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), and the Savannah River Site (SRS). The depth of our understanding of the closure programs varies with the amount of detailed information each of the four sites has provided to date. This paper was prepared using the best available information, including direct communications with key tank closure personnel at each of the sites. Many of the current schedules are under review for possible acceleration. CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc., P.O. Box 1500, Richland, WA 99352; Jacobs, 601 Williams Blvd., Suite 4A, Richland, WA 99352 (US) WM Symposia, Inc. (US) United States 2003-02-27T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/825760
Modelling long-distance seed dispersal in heterogeneous landscapes. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BIRDS; CONFIGURATION; DEPOSITION; DISTRIBUTION; HABITAT; KERNELS; POPULATION DYNAMICS; PROBABILITY; SEEDS; SHAPE; SYNTHESIS; TESTING; dispersal kernels; edge; habitat corridor; landscape ecology; long-distance seed dispersal; patch shape; seed dispersal; seed rain; spatially explicit model 1. Long-distance seed dispersal is difficult to measure, yet key to understanding plant population dynamics and community composition. 2. We used a spatially explicit model to predict the distribution of seeds dispersed long distances by birds into habitat patches of different shapes. All patches were the same type of habitat and size, but varied in shape. They occurred in eight experimental landscapes, each with five patches of four different shapes, 150 m apart in a matrix of mature forest. The model was parameterized with smallscale movement data collected from field observations of birds. In a previous study we validated the model by testing its predictions against observed patterns of seed dispersal in real landscapes with the same types and spatial configuration of patches as in the model. 3. Here we apply the model more broadly, examining how patch shape influences the probability of seed deposition by birds into patches, how dispersal kernels (distributions of dispersal distances) vary with patch shape and starting location, and how movement of seeds between patches is affected by patch shape. 4. The model predicts that patches with corridors or other narrow extensions receive higher numbers of seeds than patches without corridors or extensions. This pattern is explained by edgefollowing behaviour of birds. Dispersal distances are generally shorter in heterogeneous landscapes (containing patchy habitat) than in homogeneous landscapes, suggesting that patches divert the movement of seed dispersers, âholdingâ them long enough to increase the probability of seed defecation in the patches. Dispersal kernels for seeds in homogeneous landscapes were smooth, whereas those in heterogenous landscapes were irregular. In both cases, long-distance (> 150 m) dispersal was surprisingly common, usually comprising approximately 50% of all dispersal events. 5. Synthesis . Landscape heterogeneity has a large influence on patterns of long-distance seed dispersal. Our results suggest that long-distance dispersal events can be predicted using spatially explicit modelling to scale-up local movements, placing them in a landscape context. Similar techniques are commonly used by landscape ecologists to model other types of movement; they offer much promise to the study of seed dispersal. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/j.1365-2745.2008.01401.x https://www.osti.gov/biblio/953633
Harvest-related edge effects on prey availability and foraging of hooded warblers in a bottomland hardwood forest. Kilgo, John timber harvest; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ARTHROPODS; AVAILABILITY; Arthropod; BIRDS; ECOLOGY; FORESTS; Hooded Warbler; MALES; MAPLES; Wilsonia citrina; bottomland hardwoods; canopy gap; foraging The effects of harvest-created canopy gaps in bottomland hardwood forests on arthropod abundance and, hence, the foraging ecology of birds are poorly understood. I predicted that arthropod abundance would be high near edges of group-selection harvest gaps and lower in the surrounding forest, and that male Hooded Warblers (Wilsonia citrina) foraging near gaps would find more prey per unit time than those foraging in the surrounding forest. In fact, arthropod abundance was greater >100 m from a gap edge than at 0-30 m or 30-100 m from an edge, due to their abundance on switchcane (Arundinaria gigantea); arthropods did not differ in abundance among distances from gaps on oaks (Quercus spp.) or red maple (Acer rubrum). Similarly, Hooded Warbler foraging attack rates were not higher near gap edges: when foraging for fledglings, attack rate did not differ among distances from gaps, but when foraging for themselves, attack rates actually were lower 0-30 m from gap edges than 30-100 m or >100 m from a gap edge. Foraging attack rate was positively associated with arthropod abundance. Hooded Warblers apparently encountered fewer prey and presumably foraged less efficiently where arthropods were least abundant, i.e., near gaps. That attack rates among birds foraging for fledglings were not affected by distance from gap (and hence arthropod abundance) suggests that prey availability may not be limiting at any location across the forest, despite the depressing effects of gaps on arthropod abundance. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2005-04-20T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1650/0010-5422(2005)107[0627:HEEOPA]2.0.CO;2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/859202
Secure Storage: Historical Documentation of TA-08-0032, TA-11-0036, TA-22-0016, TA-22-0023, TA-22-0025, TA-22-0035, TA-37-0006, TA-37-0009, and TA-37-0020 Gregory, Carrie Jeannette; Townsend, Cameron Dee; Garcia, Kari L. M 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; Cultural resources The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Field Office (NA-LA), is pursuing the decommissioning and demolition (D&D) of facilities contaminated with high-explosives residues at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (Laboratory or LANL). This effort affects nine facilities associated with high-explosives and detonator research, development, and storage: Technical Area (TA) 8 Facility 32 (TA-08-0032), TA-11-0036, TA-22-0016, TA-22-0023, TA-22-0025, TA-22-0035, TA-37-0006, TA-37-0009, and TA-37-0020. All nine facilities proposed for D&D have been evaluated for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and determined eligible. NA-LA previously requested the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) to concur with the NRHP-eligibility determinations of these nine properties presented in four reports: (1) TA-08-0032 was determined eligible for listing in the NRHP in the report, From Ranching to Radiography: An Assessment of Historic Buildings at Anchor West Site (TA-8), Vol. 1 (McGehee et al. 2008a). The SHPO concurred with this eligibility determination on November 26, 2008. (2) TA-11-0036 was determined eligible for listing in the NRHP in the report, ESA Divisionâs Five-Year Plan: Consolidation and Revitalization at Technical Areas 3, 8, 11, and 16, Vol. 1) (McGehee et al. 2003). The SHPO concurred with this eligibility assessment on June 22, 2003. (3) TA-22-0016, TA-22-0023, TA-22-0025, and TA-22-0035 were determined eligible for listing in the NRHP in the report, DX Divisionâs Facility Strategic Plan: Consolidation and Revitalization at Technical Areas 6, 8, 9, 14, 15, 22, 36, 39, 40, 60, and 69, Vol. 1 (McGehee et al. 2005a). The SHPO concurred with these eligibility determinations on April 18, 2006. (4) TA-37-0006, TA-37-0009, and TA-37-0020 were determined eligible for listing in the NRHP in the report, High Explosives and the Nuclear Stockpile: An Assessment of Historic Buildings at Magazine Area C (TA-37), Vol. 1 (McGehee et al. 2008b). The SHPO concurred with these eligibility determinations on April 17, 2008. In a letter dated January 24, 2020, NA-LA acknowledged that the D&D of these nine NRHP-eligible facilities was an adverse effect that requires resolution through mitigation. NA-LA proposed the use of standard mitigation practices as defined in the Programmatic Agreement (PA) among the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Field Office, the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Concerning Management of the Historic Properties at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico. The PA states that adverse effects to NRHP-eligible buildings and structures will be resolved according to the standard practices defined in Part II, Section 10, of the Laboratoryâs Cultural Resources Management Plan, A Plan for the Management of the Cultural Heritage at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico (Purtzer et al. 2019), and Section 2.B of Appendix D of the PA itself. The standard practice documentation package includes the following components: (1) Interior and exterior photography and production of archival-quality digital photographs; (2) Documentation and curation of historically significant equipment and artifacts; (3) A list of all known drawings for the property; (4) Reduced-scale reproductions of selected drawings for the property; (5) A location map that shows the location of the property relative to the entire Laboratory property; (6) Reproduction of historical TA maps; (7) A TA map that depicts the footprint of each eligible and non-eligible facility; and (8) An expanded historic context that uses oral-history interviews, if available. On March 3, 2020, the SHPO concurred with the adverse effect determination and the mitigation plan. The documentation package, as previously described, is provided in Volumes 1 and 2 of this report. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) United States 2023-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1988543 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1988543
Predicting stream water quality using artificial neural networks (ANN) Bowers, J A 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ALGORITHMS; FORECASTING; NEURAL NETWORKS; POLLUTION SOURCES; RUNOFF; STREAMS; WATER POLLUTION Predicting point and nonpoint source runoff of dissolved and suspended materials into their receiving streams is important to protecting water quality and traditionally has been modeled using deterministic or statistical methods. The purpose of this study was to predict water quality in small streams using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The selected input variables were local precipitation, stream flow rates and turbidity for the initial prediction of suspended solids in the stream. A single hidden-layer feedforward neural network using backpropagation learning algorithms was developed with a detailed analysis of model design of those factors affecting successful implementation of the model. All features of a feedforward neural model were investigated including training set creation, number and layers of neurons, neural activation functions, and backpropagation algorithms. Least-squares regression was used to compare model predictions with test data sets. Most of the model configurations offered excellent predictive capabilities. Using either the logistic or the hyperbolic tangent neural activation function did not significantly affect predicted results. This was also true for the two learning algorithms tested, the Levenberg-Marquardt and Polak-Ribiere conjugate-gradient descent methods. The most important step during model development and training was the representative selection of data records for training of the model. Savannah River Site (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2000-05-17T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/755373
Diet of southern toads (Bufo terrestris) in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stands subject to coarse woody debris manipulations. Moseley, Kurtis R; Castleberry, Steven B; Hanula, James L; Mark, Ford Silphidae; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; AMPHIBIANS; Coleoptera; DECAY; DIET; INVERTEBRATES; PINES; REMOVAL; SAMPLING; STOMACH; SUBSTRATES; TOADS; canopy gaps; carabidae; coarse woody debris; flooding; herbivores; logging; swamps ABSTRACT In the southeastern United States, coarse woody debris (CWD) typically harbors high densities of invertebrates. However, its importance as a foraging substrate for southeastern amphibians is relatively unknown. We examined effects of CWD manipulations on diet composition of southern toads (Bufo terrestris) in upland loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stands in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Twelve 9.3-ha plots were assigned one of the following treatments: removal- all CWD _10 cm in diameter and _60 cm long removed; downed- five-fold increase in volume of down CWD; and unmanipulated control stands. We collected southern toads _4 cm snout-vent length (SVL) during 14 d sampling periods in June and October 2002, June 2003 and during a 28 d sampling period in April 2003. We collected 80, 36 and 35 southern toads in control, downed and removal treatments, respectively. We found no difference in relative abundance or frequency of invertebrate groups consumed among treatments (P.0.05). Average body weight (g), SVL (cm) and stomach content weight (g wet) of individuals also were similar among treatments (P . 0.05). The role of CWD as a foraging substrate for southern toads in loblolly pine stands of the southeastern Coastal Plain may be negligible, at least in the early stages of decay. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2005-04-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1674/0003-0031(2005)153[0327:DOSTBT]2.0.CO;2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/859199
Historical wetlands mapping and GIS processing for the Savannah River Site Database Christel, L M 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; HEALTH AND SAFETY EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) United States 1994-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10195731 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10195731
Idaho DOE EPSCoR traineeship final report House, E. W.; Jacobsen, R. T. 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; EDUCATION; ENERGY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; PROGRESS REPORT; REMEDIAL ACTION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TRAINING The DOE EPSCoR Program provides excellent opportunities for eligible graduate students to carry out energy-related research. The program provides funding for tuition and salary. Trainees complete their academic programs and research projects with close collaboration with investigators at Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The effects of these relationships were significant. Better research design and new ideas for quality research were outcomes of these experiences. Univ. of Idaho, Moscow (United States) USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-05-06T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/639703 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/639703
Dose Assessment of LANL-Derived Residual Radionuclides in soils within Tract A-14 (Rendija Canyon) for Land Transfer Decisions Whicker, Jeffrey J. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY Rendija Canyon is located immediately north of the Los Alamos town site. The watershed has a drainage area of 9.5 mi2. The canyon head is on the flanks of the Sierra de los Valles just west of the town site at an elevation of 9826 ft. The canyon contains an ephemeral stream channel that extends approximately 9 mi east to the confluence with Guaje Canyon. The minimum elevation of the watershed is approximately 6300 ft (LANL 1997). Rendija Canyon primarily crosses US Forest Service (USFS) land except for approximately 1.6 mi of the middle portion of the canyon that crosses General Services Administration (GSA) land. Parcels of private land and Los Alamos County land, such as the Guaje Pines Cemetery, are located in Rendija Canyon along the north side of Los Alamos. One named tributary, Cabra Canyon, enters the Rendija Canyon channel from the north in the central portion of the watershed. Cabra Canyon trends northwest to southeast, is approximately 2 mi long, and has a watershed area of 1.2 mi2 on USFS and GSA land. Three unnamed tributaries to Rendija Canyon are located west of Cabra Canyon and drain south-southeast into the main Rendija Canyon channel. These tributaries are approximately 1.5, 2.0, and 1.2 mi long (LANL 2001). Tributaries of Rendija Canyon and contain ephemeral streams. There are no effluent discharges (outfalls) in the Canyon. The watershed drains portions of Los Alamos town site, GSA land, and USFS land. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) United States 2013-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1072261 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1072261
Establishment of a Viable Population of Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers at the Savannah River Site Johnston, P A 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BANDING; BIRDS; BREEDING PAIRS; HABITAT; MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES; PICOIDES BOREALIS; RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; RESTORATION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SAVANNAH RIVER SITE; SOUTHERN FLYING SQUIRREL; SQUIRREL EXCLUDER DEVICES; TRANSLOCATION; VIABLE POPULATION Report on program's objective to restore viable population of Red-cockaded woodpecker at SRS. Several management strategies were used to promote population expansion of Red-cockaded woodpecker and reduction of interspecific competition with Red-Cockaded woodpecker. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (US) (US) United States 2002-01-14T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/807839 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807839
Bald eagle habitat suitability on Melton Hill Reservoir and the Clinch River Buehler, D A 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; BIRDS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HABITAT; LAND USE; MAPS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES The area around Melton Hill Reservoir and sections of the Clinch River along the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) provide suitable habitat for bald eagles for both breeding and wintering activities. Primary limitations on habitat suitability appear to be human activity in aquatic habitats and along shoreline areas, and human development along shoreline areas. ORR provides the majority of the suitable habitat because shoreline development is very limited. Four eagle management strategies discussed for ORR include planning development away from high-quality habitats, allowing forest stands near water to mature, conducting timber stand improvement to foster growth and development in pines and hardwoods, and using introductions to foster the development of a breeding population. The primary objective of this project was to make a qualitative assessment of bald eagle habitat suitability along Melton Hill Reservoir and the Clinch River and in adjacent areas on the ORR, including the proposed Advanced Neutron Source site. This survey`s aim was to provide ORR managers with an indication of whether suitable habitat exists and, if so, where it occurs on ORR. This information should provide the basis for incorporating eagle management into the overall ORR land management plan. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10192069 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10192069
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Institutional Plan for FY 1999 Through FY 2003 Trivelpiece, A W 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; IMPLEMENTATION; ORNL; PERFORMANCE; PLANNING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT In January 1996, when the management and operation (M and O) contract for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was awarded to Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation, they were presented with the opportunity to develop and implement a management structure tailored to the Laboratory's needs and functions. In response, they launched a Laboratory-wide reengineering effort and undertook other work with the goal of fostering excellence, relevance, and stewardship in all aspects of the Laboratory's operations. This effort is paying off in improvements in their ability to meet the expectations established for ORNL as a Department of Energy laboratory overseen by the Office of Science: delivering advances in science and technology, securing new capabilities, improving the ability to operate safely and efficiently at reasonable cost, and being a good neighbor. The development of critical outcomes and objectives, now under way in partnership with the Department's Oak Ridge Operations Office, is aimed at providing a performance-based means of determining how ORNL measures up to these expectations. ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 1998-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/814558 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/814558
Idaho National Laboratory Cultural Resource Management Office FY 2010 Activity Report Gilbert, Hollie K.; Marler, Clayton F.; Olson, Christina L.; Pace, Brenda R.; Williams, Julie Braun 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Anthropology; Archaeology; Cultural Resource Management The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site is home to vast numbers and a wide variety of important cultural resources representing at least a 13,500 year span of human land use in the region. As a federal agency, the Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) has legal responsibility for the management and protection of the resources and has contracted these responsibilities to Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA). The BEA professional staff is committed to maintaining a cultural resource management program that accepts the challenge of preserving INL cultural resources in a manner reflecting their importance in local, regional, and national history. This report summarizes activities performed by the INL Cultural Resource Management Office (CRMO) staff during fiscal year 2010. This work is diverse, far-reaching and though generally confined to INL cultural resource compliance, also includes a myriad of professional and voluntary community activities. This document is intended to be informative to both internal and external stakeholders and to serve as a planning tool for future INL cultural resource management work. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) United States 2011-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1044207 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1044207
Field performance of the Walker Branch throughfall displacement experiment Hanson, P J; Todd, D E; Edwards, N T; Huston, M A 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; THROUGHFALL; WATERSHEDS The authors are conducting a large-scale manipulative field experiments in an upland oak forest on the Walker Branch Watershed in eastern Tennessee USA to identify important ecosystem responses that might result from future precipitation changes. The manipulation of soil moisture is being implemented by a gravity-driven transfer of throughfall precipitation from one treatment plot to another. Throughfall is intercepted in {approx} 2,000 subcanopy troughs (0.3 x 5 m) suspended above the forest floor of the dry plots ({approx} 33% of the ground area is covered) and transferred by gravity flow across an ambient plot for subsequent distribution onto the wet treatment plot. Percent soil water is being monitored with time domain reflectometers at 310 sampling locations across the site. The experimental system is able to produce statistically significant differences in soil water content in years having both extremely dry and extremely wet conditions. Furthermore, comparisons of pre- and post-installation soil temperature measurements have documented the ability of the experimental design to produce these changes without changing the microclimate of the forest understory. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-10-06T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/41269 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/41269
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory 2005 Annual Technical Progress Report Bertsch, Paul M 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECOLOGY; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; Savannah River Site; ecology; environmental research 2005 annual report of research conducted by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, a research unit of The University of Georgia operating on the Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2005-07-19T04:00:00Z S&T Accomplishment Report 10.2172/891076 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/891076
Environmental Science and Research Foundation. Annual technical report, April 11, 1994--December 31, 1994 Reynolds, T D; Morris, R C; Markham, O D 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECOLOGY; EDUCATION; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; PROGRESS REPORT; PUBLIC RELATIONS; RADIOECOLOGY This Annual Technical Report describes work conducted for the Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office, by the Environmental Science and Research Foundation (Foundation) for work under contract DE-AC07-94ID13268. The Foundation began, on April 11, 1994, to conduct environmental surveillance near to and distant from the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, provide environmental public relations and education related to INEL natural resource issues, and conduct ecological and radioecological research benefiting major DOE-ID programs including Waste Management, Environmental Restoration, Spent Nuclear Fuels, and Infrastructure. Environmental Science and Research Foundation, Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/100111 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/100111
Survey of protected terrestrial vertebrates on the Oak Ridge Reservation. Final report Mitchell, J M; Vail, E R; Webb, J W; Evans, J W 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMPHIBIANS; BIRDS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HABITAT; LAND USE; MAMMALS; MAPS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; REPTILES; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS This document is the final report on surveys of protected terrestrial vertebrates on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) conducted from October 1994 through May 1996. The surveys were undertaken to gain information that could help prevent or minimize the potential impacts of projects on the ORR to species listed by the state or federal government as endangered, threatened, or in need of management; federal species of concern were also included. The results of the survey will assist in the effective management of the natural resources of the ORR. Currently, there are 69 species of federal or state listed terrestrial vertebrates (20 reptiles and amphibians, 20 mammals, and 29 birds) that may occur in Tennessee. Listed animal species that might be present on the ORR were targeted for survey using a prioritization system based on historical and recent sightings, known species distributions, presence of suitable habitat, literature reviews, and personal communications. Survey methods included trapping, seining, monitoring of artificial covers, active searching, and avian surveys. Surveys were conducted during the time of year when each targeted species was most likely to be encountered. The surveys confirmed the presence of 20 threatened and endangered species on the ORR. This report also includes some ancillary information. Records are provided for nonlisted species (44 species of reptiles and amphibians, 155 species of birds, and 28 species of mammals). Categorization of survey sites into 1 or more of 19 habitat types, which are briefly described, is presented. Notes are summarized on the occurrence of threatened and endangered species on the ORR. Finally, this report also lists threatened and endangered species not found that might be located by additional surveys, recommends three survey areas for natural-area status due to wildlife value, and suggests several avenues for future work. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1996-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/258158 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/258158
Spatial and temporal patterns of beetles associated with coarse woody debris in managed bottomland hardwood forests. Horn, S 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; BEETLES; Bark beetles; Buprestidae; Cerambycidae; Cleridae; Coarse woody debris; FORESTS; MANAGEMENT; REMOVAL; Saproxylic; Woodborers For. Ecol. and Mgt. 199:259-272. Malaise traps were used to sample beetles in artificial canopy gaps of different size (0.13 ha, 0.26 ha, and0.50 ha) and age in a South Carolina bottomland hardwood forest. Traps were placed at the center, edge, and in the surrounding forest of each gap. Young gaps (ý 1 year) had large amounts of coarse woody debris compared to the surrounding forest, while older gaps (ý 6 years) had virtually none. The total abundance and diversity of wood-dwelling beetles (Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Brentidae, Bostrichidae, and Curculionidae (Scolytinae and Platypodinae)) was higher in the center of young gaps than in the center of old gaps. The abundance was higher in the center of young gaps than in the surrounding forest, while the forest surrounding old gaps and the edge of old gaps had a higher abundance and diversity of wood-dwelling beetles than did the center of old gaps. There was no difference in wood-dwelling beetle abundance between gaps of different size, but diversity was lower in 0.13 ha old gaps than in 0.26 ha or 0.50 ha old gaps. We suspect that gap size has more of an effect on woodborer abundance than indicated here because malaise traps sample a limited area. The predaceous beetle family Cleridae showed a very similar trend to that of the woodborers. Coarse woody debris is an important resource for many organisms, and our results lend further support to forest management practices that preserve coarse woody debris created during timber removal. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2004-05-13T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.foreco.2004.05.046 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835558
Distribution and diversity of fungal species in and adjacent to the Los Alamos National Laboratory Balice, R G; Jarmie, N; Rogers, F J 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONIFERS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FUNGAL DISEASES; FUNGI; HABITAT; LAND USE; LANL; NUMERICAL DATA; POPULATION DYNAMICS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS Fungi have demonstrated their ability to diversify and specialize to take advantage of new environments (Murphy 1996). These species are essential to the normal functioning of ecosystems and the impacts of human activities may be harmful to fungi. There is a need to inventory fungi throughout the range of their environments. Previously archived information representing 43 sample locations was used to perform a preliminary evaluation of the distributions and diversity of fungal species at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and in adjacent environments. Presence-absence data for 71 species of fungi in five habitats, pinon-juniper, canyon-bottom ponderosa pine, ponderosa pine, canyon-bottom mixed conifer, and mixed conifer were analyzed. The results indicate that even though fungi occur in each of the habitats, fungal species are not distributed evenly among these habitats. The richness of fungal species is greater in the canyon-bottom mixed conifer and mixed conifer habitats than in the pinon-juniper, canyon-bottom ponderosa pine or ponderosa pine habitats. All but three of the fungal species were recorded in either the canyon-bottom mixed conifer or the mixed conifer habitats, and all but seven of the fungal species were found in the mixed conifer habitat. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) USDOE Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/564129 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/564129
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, annual technical progress report of ecological research for the year ending June 30, 1997 Wein, G; Rosier, B 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, APPLIED STUDIES; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; ECOLOGY; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIATION DOSES; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; REMEDIAL ACTION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RISK ASSESSMENT; SPECTROSCOPY; WASTE MANAGEMENT This report provides an overview of the research programs and program components carried out by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Research focused on the following: advanced analytical and spectroscopic techniques for developing novel waste isolation and stabilization technologies as well as cost-effective remediation strategies; ecologically sound management of damaged and remediation of ecological systems; ecotoxicology, remediation, and risk assessment; radioecology, including dose assessments for plants and animals exposed to environmental radiation; and other research support programs. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-12-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/325741 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/325741
An Overview Comparison of Tank Closure Activities at Certain DOE Site LUKE, J J 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ACCELERATION; CLOSURES; COMMUNICATIONS; IDAHO; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PERSONNEL; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SCHEDULES; TANKS This paper presents a summary-level comparison of the similarities and differences of tank closure programs at the four primary radioactive waste tank sites in the US Department of Energy (DOE) complex. The sites are Hanford, Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), and the Savannah River Site (SRS). The depth of our understanding of the closure programs varies with the amount of detailed information each of the four sites has provided to date. This paper was prepared using the best available information, including direct communications with key tank closure personnel at each of the sites. Many of the current schedules are under review for possible acceleration. CH2M (US) ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (US) United States 2003-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/810114
Mercury in Fish from a Sulfate-Amended Wetland Mesocosm Harmon, S M 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONSTRUCTION; MERCURY; METHYLATION; SEDIMENTS; SOILS; SULFATES; WETLANDS This study used an experimental model of a constructed wetland to evaluate the risk of mercury methylation when the soil is amended with sulfate. The model was planted with Schoenoplectus californicus, and the sediments were varied during construction to provide a control and two levels of sulfate treatment. Savannah River Site (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2003-05-29T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/812072
BEAN MODEL AND AC LOSSES IN Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}Ca{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 10}/Ag TAPES SUENAGA, M; CHIBA, T; WIESMANN, H J; HALDAR, P 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; AC LOSSES; BISMUTH OXIDES; CALCIUM OXIDES; COPPER OXIDES; CRITICAL CURRENT; CURRENT DENSITY; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; SILVER; STRONTIUM OXIDES; SUPERCONDUCTIVITY The Bean model is almost solely used to interpret ac losses in the powder-in-tube processed composite conductor, Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}Ca{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 10}/Ag. In order to examine the limits of the applicability of the model, a detailed comparison was made between the values of critical current density J{sub c} for Bi(2223)/Ag tapes which were determined by standard four-probe-dc measurement, and which were deduced from the field dependence of the ac losses utilizing the model. A significant inconsistency between these values of J{sub c} were found, particularly at high fields. Possible sources of the discrepancies are discussed. Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (US) USDOE Office of Energy Research (ER) (US) United States 1997-10-27T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/757094
Facility Siting as a Decision Process at the Savannah River Site Wike, L D 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; DECISION MAKING; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE SELECTION; STANDARDIZED TERMINOLOGY This document is based upon previous site selection exercises conducted for a variety of proposed facilities. It develops the logic and basis for the methods employed, and standardizes the process and terminology for future site selection efforts. Savannah River Site (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2001-07-24T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/783810 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/783810
Survey of ecological resources at selected US Department of Energy sites McAllister, C; Beckert, H; Abrams, C 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BASELINE ECOLOGY; CLIMATES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; GEOLOGY; HABITAT; HYDROLOGY; PLANTS; RESOURCE ASSESSMENT; US DOE; WILD ANIMALS The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) owns and manages a wide range of ecological resources. During the next 30 years, DOE Headquarters and Field Offices will make land-use planning decisions and conduct environmental remediation and restoration activities in response to federal and state statutes. This document fulfills, in part, DOE`s need to know what types of ecological resources it currently owns and manages by synthesizing information on the types and locations of ecological resources at 10 DOE sites: Hanford Site, Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, Rocky Flats Plant, Los Alamos National Laboratory, savannah River Site, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and Fernald Environmental Management Project. This report summarizes information on ecosystems, habitats, and federally listed threatened, endangered, and candidate species that could be stressed by contaminants or physical activity during the restoration process, or by the natural or anthropogenic transport of contaminants from presently contaminated areas into presently uncontaminated areas. This report also provides summary information on the ecosystems, habitats, and threatened and endangered species that exist on each of the 10 sites. Each site chapter contains a general description of the site, including information on size, location, history, geology, hydrology, and climate. Descriptions of the major vegetation and animal communities and of aquatic resources are also provided, with discussions of the treatened or endangered plant or animal species present. Site-specific ecological issues are also discussed in each site chapter. 106 refs., 11 figs., 1 tab. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States) USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1996-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/525012 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/525012
Applied environmental technology development at the Savannah River Site: A retrospective on the last half of the 20th century Looney, B B 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; BASELINE ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; POLLUTION CONTROL; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT Fifty years ago, the Savannah River Site (SRS) was built to produce nuclear materials. These operations impacted air, soil, groundwater, ecology and the local environment. Throughout its history, SRS has addressed these contamination issues directly and has maintained a strong commitment to environmental stewardship. The site boasts many environmental firsts. Notably, SRS was the first major DOE facility to perform a baseline ecological assessment. This pioneering effort, by Ruth Patrick and the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences, was performed during SRS planning and construction in the early 1950's. This unique early example sets the stage for subsequent efforts. Since that time, the scientists and engineers at SRS have proactively identified environmental problems as they occurred and have skillfully developed elegant and efficient solutions. Savannah River Site (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2000-03-13T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/752502
[Composite analysis E-area vaults and saltstone disposal facilities]. PORFLOW and FACT input files Cook, J. R. 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMPUTER CODES; DATA; GROUND WATER; HYDROLOGY; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOISOTOPES; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT This diskette contains the PORFLOW and FACT input files described in Appendix B of the accompanying report `Composite Analysis E-Area Vaults and Saltstone Disposal Facilities`. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/664404 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/664404
FY 2013 Site Sustainability Plan Witt, Monica R. Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization(32); Environmental Protection Abstract Not Provided Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) DOE/LANL United States 2012-12-03T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1056515 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1056515
Contrasting food web linkages for the grazing pathway in 3 temperate forested streams using {sup 15}N as a tracer Tank, J L; Mulholland, P J; Meyer, J L; Bowden, W B; Webster, J R; Peterson, B J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FOOD CHAINS; INVERTEBRATES; NITROGEN 15; NITROGEN CYCLE; NUTRIENTS; STREAMS; TRACER TECHNIQUES Nitrogen is a critical element controlling the productivity and dynamics of stream ecosystems and many streams are limited by the supply of biologically available nitrogen. The authors are learning more about the fate of inorganic nitrogen entering streams through {sup 15}N tracer additions. The Lotic Intersite Nitrogen Experiment (LINX) is studying the uptake, cycling, and fate of {sup 15}N-NH{sub 4} in the stream food web of 10 streams draining different biomes. Using the {sup 15}N tracer method and data from 3 sites in the study, the authors can differentiate patterns in the cycling of nitrogen through the grazing pathway (N from the epilithon to grazing macroinvertebrates) for 3 temperate forested streams. Here, they quantify the relationship between the dominant grazer and its proposed food resource, the epilithon, by comparing {sup 15}N levels of grazers with those of the epilithon, as well as the biomass, nitrogen content, and chlorophyll a standing stocks of the epilithon in 3 streams. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States); National Science Foundation, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/290968 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/290968
Fuels Inventories in the Los Alamos National Laboratory Region: 1997 Balice, R G; Oswald, B P; Martin, C 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONIFERS; FIRE HAZARDS; FOREST LITTER; INVENTORIES; LANL; NATURAL DISASTERS; PINES; PLANTS; REGIONAL ANALYSIS; WOOD FUELS Fifty-four sites were surveyed for fuel levels, vegetational structures, and topographic characteristics. Most of the surveyed sites were on Los Alamos National Laboratory property, however, some surveys were also conducted on U.S. Forest Service property. The overall vegetation of these sites ranged from pinon-juniper woodlands to ponderosa pine forests to mixed conifer forests, and the topographic positions included canyons, mesas, and mountains. The results of these surveys indicate that the understory fuels are the greatest in mixed conifer forests and that overstory fuels are greatest in both mixed conifer forests and ponderosa pine forests on mesas. The geographic distribution of these fuels would suggest a most credible wildfire scenario for the Los Alamos region. Three major fires have occurred since 1954 and these fires behaved in a manner that is consistent with this scenario. The most credible wildfire scenario was also supported by the results of BEHAVE modeling that used the fuels inventory data as inputs. Output from the BEHAVE model suggested that catastrophic wildfires would continue to occur during any season with sufficiently dry, windy weather. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (US) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US) United States 1999-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/7385 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7385
Comparison of Red-Cockaded Woodpecker (Piciodes borealis) Nestling Diet in Old-Growth and Old-Field Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) Hanula, J L; Engstrom, R T 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ADULTS; ARTHROPODS; BIOMASS; CAMERAS; DIET; ENDANGERED SPECIES; FOREST MANAGEMENT; HABITAT; PINES; SAVANNA Automatic cameras were used to record adult woodpecker diets in old-growth and old-field longleaf pine in the South. Roaches were the number one prey for the woodpeckers based on either biomass or numbers. The latter ranged from 37% to 57% of the prey numbers and 55%-73% of the biomass. Morisita's index of similarity between old-field and old growth varied from 0.89 to 0.95. The authors conclude that the prey base is similar in both conditions and that old-growth provides similar foraging habitat. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (US) (US) United States 1999-10-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807732
Long-Term Stewardship Baseline Report and Transition Guidance Kristofferson, Keith 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; INEEL; LAND USE; Long-term stewardship; MANAGEMENT; PLANNING Long-term stewardship consists of those actions necessary to maintain and demonstrate continued protection of human health and the environment after facility cleanup is complete. As the Department of Energyâs (DOE) lead laboratory for environmental management programs, the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) administers DOEâs long-term stewardship science and technology efforts. The INEEL provides DOE with technical, and scientific expertise needed to oversee its long-term environmental management obligations complexwide. Long-term stewardship is administered and overseen by the Environmental Management Office of Science and Technology. The INEEL Long-Term Stewardship Program is currently developing the management structures and plans to complete INEEL-specific, long-term stewardship obligations. This guidance document (1) assists in ensuring that the program leads transition planning for the INEEL with respect to facility and site areas and (2) describes the classes and types of criteria and data required to initiate transition for areas and sites where the facility mission has ended and cleanup is complete. Additionally, this document summarizes current information on INEEL facilities, structures, and release sites likely to enter long-term stewardship at the completion of DOEâs cleanup mission. This document is not intended to function as a discrete checklist or local procedure to determine readiness to transition. It is an overarching document meant as guidance in implementing specific transition procedures. Several documents formed the foundation upon which this guidance was developed. Principal among these documents was the Long-Term Stewardship Draft Technical Baseline; A Report to Congress on Long-Term Stewardship, Volumes I and II; Infrastructure Long-Range Plan; Comprehensive Facility Land Use Plan; INEEL End-State Plan; and INEEL Institutional Plan. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) USDOE United States 2001-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/910970 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/910970
Finding of no significant impact for the tritium facility modernization and consolidation project at the Savannah River Site 07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; MODIFICATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; REGULATIONS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TRITIUM The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) (DOE/EA-1222) for the proposed modernization and consolidation of the existing tritium facilities at the Savannah River Site (SRS), located near Aiken, South Carolina. Based on the analyses in the EA, DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required, and DOE is issueing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). USDOE Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/585065 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/585065
Seasonal dynamics of benthic macroinvertebrates of Pond B, Savannah River Plant Aiken, South Carolina Whicker, A D 560200* -- Thermal Effects; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BIOLOGY; ECOLOGY; INVERTEBRATES; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PLANKTON; PRODUCTIVITY; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SEDIMENTS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TAXONOMY; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VARIATIONS This study was designed to evaluate the spatial and seasonal distributions, compositions, and abundances of benthic macroinvertebrates in Pond B after 20 years of postthermal recovery. There are both basic and applied uses for the data gathered during the study. The examination of species composition and abundances as a function of season and water depth adds to the base of general knowledge on the benthic invertebrates of lentic systems. The current species composition also provides an indication of a portion of the postthermal community succession. An estimate of the biomass of the benthic community permits a calculation of the radionuclide inventory in this ecosystem compartment, if average concentrations are concurrently determined. Such data may then be used to predict food chain transfers to higher consumers and potential export from the ecosystem. Specific hypotheses tested were: (1) densities of certain benthic invertebrate communities vary with season, (2) densities of benthic invertebrates vary with water depth, and (3) the effect of season on invertebrate density depends on water depth (i.e. there is an interaction between depth and season). Other community parameters considered were species composition, diversity, and relative biomass by taxa. 30 refs., 5 figs., 9 tabs. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (USA) DOE/DP United States 1988-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5043977 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5043977
Local and Regional Economic Benefits from Forest Products Production Activities at the Savannah River Site: 1955-Present Teeter, L; Blake, J I 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA; ECONOMIC IMPACT; FORESTS; HARDWOODS; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; PINE STRAW; PINES; PRODUCTION; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SALES; SAVANNAH; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SAVANNAH RIVER SITE; SILVICULTURE; STRAW; TREES; WETLANDS; WOOD PRODUCTS INDUSTRY SRS was established in 1951 as a nuclear materials production facility; however, decline in the defense mission budget at SRS has created a major economic impact on the community in the Central Savannah River Area. SRS has been offsetting these effects by producing revenue (80 million dollars to date) from the sale of forest products since 1955 primarily trees, but also pine straw. Revenue has been re-invested into the infrastructure development, restoration and management of natural resources. Total asset value of the forest-land has increased from 21 million to over 500 million dollars in the same period. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (US) (US) United States 2002-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/807841 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807841
Preliminary site selection report for the new sanitary landfill at the Savannah River Site 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; ECOLOGY; ENGINEERING; EROSION; FLUID FLOW; GEOLOGY; GROUND DISPOSAL; GROUND WATER; HYDROLOGY; PLANNING; REGULATIONS; SANITARY LANDFILLS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SOLID WASTES; WATER TABLES The Savannah River Site (SRS) has proposed a new sanitary landfill (NSL) for solid waste. A site selection team, comprised of representatives from Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) evaluated potential landfill sites. The site selection team conducted an initial screening of SRS to eliminate unsuitable areas. The screening was based on criteria that were principally environmental factors; however, the criteria also included avoiding areas with unacceptable features for construction or operation of the facility. This initial screening identified seven candidate sites for further evaluation. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10163617 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10163617
Preliminary site characterization - final report Clark, D; Smith, L B 052002; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; BASELINE ECOLOGY; FEASIBILITY STUDIES; HABITAT; REMEDIAL ACTION; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE; WILD ANIMALS This report summarizes the ecological unit reconnaissance conducted at the F-Area Burning/Rubble Pit(s) RCRA/CERCLA Unit (F-Area BRP) on August 30 and 31, 1993 as part of the RFI/RI baseline risk assessment for the waste unit The baseline risk assessment will assess the potential endangerment to human health and the environment associated with the unit and will be used to evaluate remediation criteria, if needed. The information presented in this report will be used in subsequent stages of the ecological risk assessment to refine the conceptual site model, assist in the selection of contaminants of concern, identify potential ecological receptors, and evaluate trophic relationships and other exposure pathways. The unit reconnaissance survey was conducted in accordance with Specification No. E-18272, Rev. 1 dated August 5, 1993, and the Draft {open_quotes}Ecological Risk Assessment Program Plan for Evaluation of Waste Sites on the Savannah River Site{close_quotes}. The objectives of the site reconnaissance were to: Assess the general characteristics of on-unit biological communities including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and any aquatic communities present. Determine the location, extent, and characteristics of on-unit ecological resources, such as forested areas and wetlands, that could serve as important wildlife habitat or provide other ecological functions. Identify any overt effects of contamination on biological communities. The field investigations included mapping and describing all wetland and terrestrial habitats; recording wildlife observations of birds, mammals, and reptiles; and investigating ecological resources in nearby downgradient and downstream areas which could be affected by mobile contaminants or future remedial actions. In preparation for the field investigation, existing unit information including aerial photographs and reports were reviewed to help identify and describe ecological resources at the waste unit. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10193828 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10193828
USING ANT COMMUNITIES FOR RAPID ASSESSMENT OF TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM HEALTH Wike, L; Doug Martin, D; Michael Paller, M; Eric Nelson, E 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANTS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; CLIMATES; ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION; ECOSYSTEMS; ETHANOL; HABITAT; PINES; PLANTS; PRECURSOR; SAMPLING; SOILS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS Ecosystem health with its near infinite number of variables is difficult to measure, and there are many opinions as to which variables are most important, most easily measured, and most robust, Bioassessment avoids the controversy of choosing which physical and chemical parameters to measure because it uses responses of a community of organisms that integrate all aspects of the system in question. A variety of bioassessment methods have been successfully applied to aquatic ecosystems using fish and macroinvertebrate communities. Terrestrial biotic index methods are less developed than those for aquatic systems and we are seeking to address this problem here. This study had as its objective to examine the baseline differences in ant communities at different seral stages from clear cut back to mature pine plantation as a precursor to developing a bioassessment protocol. Comparative sampling was conducted at four seral stages; clearcut, 5 year, 15 year and mature pine plantation stands. Soil and vegetation data were collected at each site. All ants collected were preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol and identified to genus. Analysis of the ant data indicates that ants respond strongly to the habitat changes that accompany ecological succession in managed pine forests and that individual genera as well as ant community structure can be used as an indicator of successional change. Ants exhibited relatively high diversity in both early and mature seral stages. High ant diversity in the mature seral stages was likely related to conditions on the forest floor which favored litter dwelling and cool climate specialists. SRS DOE United States 2007-01-12T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/896849
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact: Pond B Dam Repair Project at the Savannah River Site 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; AIKEN; EA; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; FLOODPLAIN; FONSI; POND B DAM; PONDS; REPAIR; SAVANNAH RIVER SITE; SC; US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) (DOE/EA-1285) for the proposed repair of the Pond B dam at the Savannah River Site (SRS), located near Aiken, South Carolina. Based on the analyses in the EA, DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required, and DOE is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Floodplain Statement of Findings. U.S. Department of Energy, Savannah River Operations Office (US) USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US) United States 1999-09-27T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/768505 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/768505
Replacement Power Facility site selection report Wike, L D; Toole, G L; Specht, W L 20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS; 200100* -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Power Plants & Power Generation; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 294000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Fossil Fuels; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540120 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540220 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); AIR QUALITY; ANIMALS; CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS; COAL; DESIGN; ECOLOGY; ENERGY SOURCES; ENGINEERING; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; FORESTRY; FOSSIL FUELS; FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS; FUELS; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; POWER PLANTS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; STORAGE; SURFACE WATERS; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; THERMAL POWER PLANTS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WILD ANIMALS The Department of Energy (DOE) has proposed the construction and operation of a Replacement Power Facility (RPF) for supplementing and replacing existing sources of steam and possibly electricity at the Savannah River Site (SRS). DOE is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for this project As part of the impact analysis of the proposed action, the EIS will include a detailed description of the environment where the RPF will be constructed. This description must be specific to the recommended site at SRS, which contains more than 300 square miles of land including streams, lakes, impoundments, wetlands, and upland areas. A formal site-selection process was designed and implemented to identify the preferred RPF site. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6674421 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6674421
Replacement Power Facility site selection report Wike, L D; Toole, G L; Specht, W L 20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS; 200100; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 294000; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540120; 540220; AIR QUALITY; CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; COAL; DESIGN; ECOLOGY; ENGINEERING; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FORESTRY; FOSSIL FUELS; FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS; POWER PLANTS AND POWER GENERATION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; STORAGE; SURFACE WATERS; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; WILD ANIMALS The Department of Energy (DOE) has proposed the construction and operation of a Replacement Power Facility (RPF) for supplementing and replacing existing sources of steam and possibly electricity at the Savannah River Site (SRS). DOE is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for this project As part of the impact analysis of the proposed action, the EIS will include a detailed description of the environment where the RPF will be constructed. This description must be specific to the recommended site at SRS, which contains more than 300 square miles of land including streams, lakes, impoundments, wetlands, and upland areas. A formal site-selection process was designed and implemented to identify the preferred RPF site. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10131958 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10131958
Lease of Parcel ED-1 of the Oak Ridge Reservation by the East Tennessee Economic Council 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMPLIANCE; ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; LAND LEASING; LAND USE; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT The US Department of Energy (DOE) has completed an environmental assessment (DOE/EA-1113) for the proposed lease of 957.16 acres of the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) to the East Tennessee Economic Council (ETEC), a non-profit community organization, for a period of 10 years, with an option for renewal. ETEC proposes to develop an industrial park on the leased site to provide employment opportunities for DOE and contractor employees affected by decreased federal funding. Based on the results of the analysis reported in the EA and implementation of mitigation measures defined in this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action that would significantly affect the quality of the human environment within the context of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Therefore, preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not necessary, and DOE is issuing this mitigated FONSI. DOE will implement a Mitigation Action Plan for this project and provide annual reports on mitigation and monitoring. USDOE Oak Ridge Operations Office, TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1996-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/383600 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/383600
Workshop proceedings: Developing the scientific basis for long-term land management of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Sperber, T D; Reynolds, T D; Breckenridge, R P 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; INFORMATION NEEDS; LAND RESOURCES; LAND USE; RECOMMENDATIONS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Responses to a survey on the INEEL Comprehensive Facility and Land Use Plan (US DOE 1996a) indicated the need for additional discussion on environmental resources, disturbance, and land use issues on the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). As a result, in September 1997, a workshop evaluated the existing scientific basis and determined future data needs for long-term land management on the INEEL. This INEEL Long-Term Land Management Workshop examined existing data on biotic, abiotic, and heritage resources and how these resources have been impacted by disturbance activities of the INEEL. Information gained from this workshop will help guide land and facility use decisions, identify data gaps, and focus future research efforts. This report summarizes background information on the INEEL and its long-term land use planning efforts, presentations and discussions at the workshop, and the existing data available at the INEEL. In this document, recommendations for future INEEL land use planning, research efforts, and future workshops are presented. The authors emphasize these are not policy statements, but comments and suggestions made by scientists and others participating in the workshop. Several appendices covering land use disturbance, legal drivers, land use assumptions and workshop participant comments, workshop participants and contributors, and the workshop agenda are also included. Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Co., Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-03-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/676972
Resource Management plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 28, Wetlands on the Oak Ridge Reservation Cunningham, M.; Pounds, Larry 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ECOSYSTEMS; INVENTORIES; MANAGEMENT; MAPS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANTS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SURVEYS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WETLANDS A survey of wetlands on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) was conducted in 1990. Wetlands occurring on ORR were identified using National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) maps and field surveys. More than 120 sites were visited and 90 wetlands were identified. Wetland types on ORR included emergent communities in shallow embayments on reservoirs, emergent and aquatic communities in ponds, forested wetland on low ground along major creeks, and wet meadows and marshes associated with streams and seeps. Vascular plant species occurring on sites visited were inventoried, and 57 species were added to the checklist of vascular plants on ORR. Three species listed as rare in Tennessee were discovered on ORR during the wetlands survey. The survey provided an intensive ground truth of the wetlands identified by NWI and offered an indication of wetlands that the NWI remote sensing techniques did not detect. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1991-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5911920 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5911920
Dispersal and disturbance as factors limiting the distribution of rare plant species at the Savannah River Site and the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge. Primack, Richard; Walker, Joan 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BIOLOGY; Carolina Sandhills; DISTRIBUTION; DISTURBANCES; ECOLOGY; FORESTS; GERMINATION; HABITAT; PINES; Pinus palustris; Rare plant establishment; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SCREENS; SEEDLINGS; SEEDS; SOUTH CAROLINA; TARGETS; TRANSPLANTS; Upland longleaf pine An experiment was conducted to identify effective methods of creating new populations of herbaceous species in managed upland longleaf pine forest at two locations in the Fall-line Sandhills of South Carolina. We included thirteen species and a variety of site treatments. All sites were burned and lightly raked prior to planting. Sowing seeds on untreated or fertilized treatments resulted in the lowest establishment of all treatments. Digging the planting area to remove belowground plant structures and using hardware cloth cages to exclude potential mammalian seed predators and herbivores led to increased establishment of target species. Establishment was higher using seedling transplants compared to seeds. Success rate was highly variable among sites so population establishment efforts should try to incorporate many sites initially to find the sites that give the greatest chance of success, or increase efforts to carefully identify species, habitat requirements and screen potential sites accordingly. Some species showed very low rates of success despite the variety of methods used; for such species additional work is required on their basic ecology, in particular germination biology and site requirements, as part of a restoration project. The overall low rate of establishment success emphasizes the need to protect and manage existing populations of uncommon Sandhills species, and to recognize that establishing large, long-term, reproducing populations of such species will be difficult. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2003-12-10T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/835193 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835193
Enhancing the soil organic matter pool through biomass incorporation. Sanchez, Felipe G; Carter, Emily A; Klepac, John F 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BIOMASS; Biomass; ORGANIC MATTER; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; SOILS; SOUTH CAROLINA; bulk density; carbon; cone index; machine costs; machine production; nitrogen A study was installed in the upper Coastal Plains of South Carolina, USA that sought to examine the impact of incorporating downed slash materials into subsoil layers on soil chemical and physical properties as compared with the effect of slash materials left on the soil surface. Two sites were examined which differed in soil textural composition: sandy vs. clay. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2003-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/S0961-9534(02)00167-8 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/881967
Cultural Resource Investigations for a Multipurpose Haul Road on the Idaho National Laboratory Pace, Brenda R; Brizzee, Cameron; Gilbert, Hollie; Marler, Clayton; Williams, Julie Braun 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONSTRUCTION; CULTURAL RESOURCES; RECOMMENDATIONS; TRANSPORT; WASTES; archaeology; cultural resources The U. S. Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office is considering options for construction of a multipurpose haul road to transport materials and wastes between the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) and other Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site facilities. The proposed road will be closed to the public and designed for limited year-round use. Two primary options are under consideration: a new route south of the existing T-25 power line road and an upgrade to road T-24. In the Spring of 2010, archaeological field surveys and initial coordination and field reconnaissance with representatives from the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes were completed to identify any resources that may be adversely affected by the proposed road construction and to develop recommendations to protect any listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The investigations showed that 24 archaeological resources and one historic marker are located in the area of potential effects for road construction and operation south of the T-25 powerline road and 27archaeological resources are located in the area of potential effects for road construction and operation along road T-24. Generalized tribal concerns regarding protection of natural resources were also documented in both road corridors. This report outlines recommendations for additional investigations and protective measures that can be implemented to minimize adverse impacts to the identified resources. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) DOE - EM United States 2010-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/991891 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/991891
The Scientific, Technological and Economic Impact of Fermilab III Carrigan, Richard A. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) United States 1990-01-01T04:00:00Z Program Document https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1333167
Ammonium and nitrate uptake lengths in a small forested stream determined by {sup 15}N tracer and short-term nutrient enrichment experiments Mulholland, P J; Tank, J L; Sanzone, D M; Webster, J R; Wollheim, W; Peterson, B J; Meyer, J L 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; NITRATES; NITROGEN 15; NITROGEN CYCLE; NUTRIENTS; STREAMS; TRACER TECHNIQUES; UPTAKE; WATER POLLUTION Nutrient cycling is an important characteristic of all ecosystems, including streams. Nutrients often limit the growth rates of stream algae and heterotrophic microbes and the decomposition rate of allochthonous organic matter. Nutrient uptake (S{sub W}), defined as the mean distance traveled by a nutrient atom dissolved in stream water before uptake by biota is often used as an index of nutrient cycling in streams. It is often overlooked, however, that S{sub W} is not a measure of nutrient uptake rate per se, but rather a measure of the efficiency with which a stream utilizes the available nutrient supply. The ideal method for measuring S{sub W} involves short-term addition of a nutrient tracer. Regulatory constraints often preclude use of nutrient radiotracers in field studies and methodological difficulties and high analytical costs have previously hindered the use of stable isotope nutrient tracers (e.g., {sup 15}N). Short-term nutrient enrichments are an alternative to nutrient tracer additions for measuring S{sub W}. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/290966 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/290966
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission's Environmental Research Programs Established in the 1950s Reichle, D E 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENGINEERS; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; NUCLEAR ENERGY; RADIATIONS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS In 1946 the United States (U.S.) Congress passed the Atomic Energy Act and with it created the Atomic Energy Commission. For the ensuing half-century the AEC and its successors have pursued biological and environmental research with an unwavering mandate to exploit the use of fissionable and radioactive material for medical purposes and, at the same time, to ensure the health of it's workers, the public, and the environment during energy technology development and use (AEC. 1961; DOE 1983; DOE, 1997). The following pages are testimony to the success of this undeviating vision (Figure 1). From the early days of the AEC, cooperation has also linked researchers from the national laboratories, the academic community, and the private sector. The AEC-sponsored research both at national laboratories and universities, and also supported graduate students to develop a cadre of health physicists, radiation biologists, and nuclear engineers. Coordinating these diverse performers has been crucial to the unique teaming that has made many of the successes possible. The success of the biological and environmental research program has often been shared with other federal agencies. The future will demand even stronger and more substantive intraagency, interagency, and international collaborations. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US) USDOE Office of Science (US) United States 1999-09-22T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/11007
Amphibians and Reptiles of Los Alamos County Foxx, Teralene S; Haarmann, Timothy K; Keller, David C 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; AMPHIBIANS; ANIMALS; LANL; LOS ALAMOS; NEW MEXICO; REPTILES Recent studies have shown that amphibians and reptiles are good indicators of environmental health. They live in terrestrial and aquatic environments and are often the first animals to be affected by environmental change. This publication provides baseline information about amphibians and reptiles that are present on the Pajarito Plateau. Ten years of data collection and observations by researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the University of New Mexico, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, and hobbyists are represented. Los Alamos National Lab., Los Alamos, NM (US) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US) United States 1999-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/15211 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/15211
Cultural Resource Assessment of the Test Area North Demolition Landfill at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Pace, Brenda R 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; CONSTRUCTION; CULTURAL RESOURCES; DECONTAMINATION; DEMOLITION; INEEL; MANAGEMENT; RECOMMENDATIONS The proposed new demolition landfill at Test Area North on the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) will support ongoing demolition and decontamination within the facilities on the north end of the INEEL. In June of 2003, the INEEL Cultural Resource Management Office conducted archival searches, field surveys, and coordination with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes to identify all cultural resources that might be adversely affected by the project and to provide recommendations to protect those listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. These investigations showed that landfill construction and operation would affect two significant cultural resources. This report outlines protective measures to ensure that these effects are not adverse. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) DOE - EM United States 2003-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/910613 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/910613
Fine-scale genetic structure and social organization in female white-tailed deer. Comer, Christopher E; Kilgo, John C; D'Angelo, Gino J; Glenn, Travis C; Miller, Karl V 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; DEER; DNA; FEMALES; GENETICS; Genetics; MANAGEMENT; Odocoileus virginianus; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOUTH CAROLINA; Savannah River Site; South Carolina; home range; microsatellites; radiotelemetry; relatedness; rose-petal Hypothesis; white-tailed deer Abstract: Social behavior of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) can have important management implications. The formation of matrilineal social groups among female deer has been documented and management strategies have been proposed based on this well-developed social structure. Using radiocollared (n = 17) and hunter or vehicle-killed (n = 21) does, we examined spatial and genetic structure in white-tailed deer on a 7,000-ha portion of the Savannah River Site in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina, USA. We used 14 microsatellite DNA loci to calculate pairwise relatedness among individual deer and to assign doe pairs to putative relationship categories. Linear distance and genetic relatedness were weakly correlated (r = â0.08, P = 0.058). Relationship categories differed in mean spatial distance, but only 60% of first-degree-related doe pairs (full sibling or motherâoffspring pairs) and 38% of second-degree-related doe pairs (half sibling, grandmotherâgranddaughter pairs) were members of the same social group based on spatial association. Heavy hunting pressure in this population has created a young age structure among does, where the average age is <2.5 years, and 4.5 years old. Thisâcombined with potentially elevated dispersal among young doesâcould limit the formation of persistent, cohesive social groups. Our results question the universal applicability of recently proposed models of spatial and genetic structuring in white-tailed deer, particularly in areas with differing harvest histories. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2005-07-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.2193/0022-541X(2005)0692.0.CO;2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/992618
Reconciling Change in Oi-Horizon 14C With Mass Loss for an Oak Forest Hanson, P J; Swanston, C W; Todd, D E; Trumbore, S E 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COMMINUTION; DILUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; FRAGMENTATION; OAKS; RECYCLING; SOILS; TRANSPORT First-year litter decomposition was estimated for an upland-oak forest ecosystem using enrichment or dilution of the {sup 14}C-signature of the Oi-horizon. These isotopically-based mass-loss estimates were contrasted with measured mass-loss rates from past litterbag studies. Mass-loss derived from changes in the {sup 14}C-signature of the Oi-horizon suggested mean mass loss over 9 months of 45% which was higher than the corresponding 9-month rate extrapolated from litterbag studies ({approx}35%). Greater mass loss was expected from the isotopic approach because litterbags are known to limit mass loss processes driven by soil macrofauna (e.g., fragmentation and comminution). Although the {sup 14}C-isotope approach offers the advantage of being a non-invasive method, it exhibited high variability that undermined its utility as an alternative to routine litterbag mass loss methods. However, the {sup 14}C approach measures the residence time of C in the leaf litter, rather than the time it takes for leaves to disappear; hence radiocarbon measures are subject to C immobilization and recycling in the microbial pool, and do not necessarily reflect results from litterbag mass loss. The commonly applied two-compartment isotopic mixing model was appropriate for estimating decomposition from isotopic enrichment of near-background soils, but it produced divergent results for isotopic dilution of a multi-layered system with litter cohorts having independent {sup 14}C-signatures. This discrepancy suggests that cohort-based models are needed to adequately capture the complex processes involved in carbon transport associated with litter mass-loss. Such models will be crucial for predicting intra- and interannual differences in organic horizon decomposition driven by scenarios of climatic change. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA USDOE United States 2005-06-27T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/881059
Initial characterization of processes of soil carbon stabilization using forest stand-level radiocarbon enrichment Swanston, C W; Torn, M S; Hanson, P J; Southon, J R; Garten, C T; Hanlon, E M; Ganio, L 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 58 GEOSCIENCES; CARBON; FORESTS; FRACTIONATION; ORGANIC MATTER; PARTICULATES; SEDIMENTS; SOILS; STABILIZATION Although the rates and mechanisms of soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization are difficult to observe directly, radiocarbon has proven an effective tracer of soil C dynamics, particularly when coupled with practical fractionation schemes. To explore the rates of C cycling in temperate forest soils, we took advantage of a unique opportunity in the form of an inadvertent stand-level {sup 14}C-labeling originating from a local industrial release. A simple density fractionation scheme separated SOM into inter-aggregate particulate organic matter (free light fraction, free LF), particulate organic matter occluded within aggregates (occluded LF), and organic matter that is complexed with minerals to form a dense fraction (dense fraction, DF). Minimal agitation and density separation was used to isolate the free LF. The remaining dense sediment was subjected to physical disruption and sonication followed by density separation to separate it into occluded LF and DF. The occluded LF had higher C concentrations and C:N ratios than the free LF, and the C concentration in both light fractions was ten times that of the DF. As a result, the light fractions together accounted for less than 4% of the soil by weight, but contained 40% of the soil C in the 0-15 cm soil increment. Likewise, the light fractions were less than 1% weight of the 15-30 cm increment, but contained more than 35% of the soil C. The degree of SOM protection in the fractions, as indicated by {Delta}{sup 14}C, was different. In all cases the free LF had the shortest mean residence times. A significant depth by fraction interaction for {sup 14}C indicates that the relative importance of aggregation versus organo-mineral interactions for overall C stabilization changes with depth. The rapid incorporation of {sup 14}C label into the otherwise depleted DF shows that this organo-mineral fraction comprises highly stable material as well as more recent inputs. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA USDOE United States 2004-01-15T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/15016762
The Carolina Bay Restoration Project - Status Report II 2000-2004. Barton, Christopher 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Carolina bays; GRAMINEAE; HARVESTING; HERBICIDES; METERS; MITIGATION; MONITORING; PINES; PLANTS; SAVANNAS; SEEDLINGS; SHREDDERS; Savannah River Site; TREES; WETLANDS; Wetlands; mitigation; restoration A Wetlands Mitigation Bank was established at SRS in 1997 as a compensatory alternative for unavoidable wetland losses. Prior to restoration activities, 16 sites included in the project were surveyed for the SRS Site Use system to serve as a protective covenant. Pre-restoration monitoring ended in Fall 2000, and post restoration monitoring began in the Winter/Spring of 2001. The total interior harvest in the 16 bays after harvesting the trees was 19.6 ha. The margins in the opencanopy, pine savanna margin treatments were thinned. Margins containing areas with immature forested stands (bay 5184 and portions of bay 5011) were thinned using a mechanical shredder in November 2001. Over 126 hectares were included in the study areas (interior + margin). Planting of two tree species and the transplanting of wetland grass species was successful. From field surveys, it was estimated that approximately 2700 Nyssa sylvatica and 1900 Taxodium distichum seedlings were planted in the eight forested bays resulting in an average planting density of â 490 stems ha-1. One hundred seedlings of each species per bay (where available) were marked to evaluate survivability and growth. Wetland grass species were transplanted from donor sites on SRS to plots that ranged in size from 100 â 300 m2, depending on wetland size. On 0.75 and 0.6 meter centers, respectively, 2198 plugs of Panicum hemitomon and 3021 plugs Leersia hexandra were transplanted. New shoots originating from the stumps were treated with a foliar herbicide (Garlon® 4) during the summer of 2001 using backpack sprayers. Preliminary information from 2000-2004 regarding the hydrologic, vegetation and faunal response to restoration is presented in this status report. Post restoration monitoring will continue through 2005. A final report to the Mitigation Bank Review Team will be submitted in mid-2006. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2006-07-13T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/886951 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/886951
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for Idaho National Laboratory Buotte, Polly C.; Hicke, Jeffrey A.; Peterson, Alexander; Ischay, Christopher P.; Fossum, Ernest L. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Climate Change; Climate Change Adaptation; Climate Change Resilience; Resilience; Sustainability The University of Idaho (UI) was asked to participate in the development of a climate change vulnerability assessment for Idaho National Laboratory (INL). This report describes the outcome of that assessment. The climate change happening now, due in large part to human activities, is expected to continue in the future. UI and INL used a common framework for assessing vulnerability that considers exposure (future climate change), sensitivity (system or component responses to climate), impact (exposure combined with sensitivity), and adaptive capacity (capability of INL to modify operations to minimize climate change impacts) to assess vulnerability. Analyses of climate change (exposure) revealed that warming that is ongoing at INL will continue in the coming decades, with increased warming in later decades and under scenarios of greater greenhouse gas emissions. Projections of precipitation are more uncertain, with multi model means exhibiting somewhat wetter conditions and more wet days per year. Additional impacts relevant to INL include estimates of more burned area and increased evaporation and transpiration, leading to reduced soil moisture and plant growth. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) United States 2014-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1166046 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1166046
Kudzu (Pueraria montana) community responses to herbicides, burning, and high-density loblolly pine Harrington, T B; Rader-Dixon, L T; Taylor, Jr, J W 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BIOMASS; COMMUNITIES; DESIGN; FORESTS; HERBICIDES; Integrated weed control; PINES; PLANTS; SEEDLINGS; SOILS; WEEDS; biomass; crown cover; interference; invasive weeds; light intensity; soil water Kudzu is an aggressive, nonnative vine that currently dominates an estimated 810,000 ha of mesic forest communities in the eastern United States. To test an integrated method of weed control, abundances of kudzu and other plant species were compared during 4 yr after six herbicide treatments (clopyralid, triclopyr, metsulfuron, picloram 1 2,4-D, tebuthiuron, and a nonsprayed check), in which loblolly pines were planted at three densities (0, 1, and 4 seedlings m22) to induce competition and potentially delay kudzu recovery. This split-plot design was replicated on each of the four kudzu-dominated sites near Aiken, SC. Relative light intensity (RLI) and soil water content (SWC) were measured periodically to identify mechanisms of interference among plant species. Two years after treatment (1999), crown coverage of kudzu averaged , 2% in herbicide plots compared with 93% in the nonsprayed check, and these differences were maintained through 2001, except in clopyralid plots where kudzu cover increased to 15%. In 2001, pine interference was associated with 33, 56, and 67% reductions in biomass of kudzu, blackberry, and herbaceous vegetation, respectively. RLI in kudzu-dominated plots (4 to 15% of full sun) generally was less than half that of herbicide-treated plots. SWC was greatest in tebuthiuron plots, where total vegetation cover averaged 26% compared with 77 to 111% in other plots. None of the treatments eradicated kudzu, but combinations of herbicides and induced pine competition delayed its recovery. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2003-11-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1614/02-142 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835181
Ecological survey for the siting of the Mixed and Low-Level Waste Treatment Facility and the Idaho Waste Processing Facility Hoskinson, R L 053001; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; CONSTRUCTION; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; PLANTS; POPULATION DYNAMICS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SITING; WILD ANIMALS This report summarizes the results of field ecological surveys conducted by the Center for Integrated Environmental Technologies (CIET) on the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) at four candidate locations for the siting of the Mixed and Low-Level Waste Treatment Facility (MLLWTF) and the Idaho Waste Processing Facility (IWPF). The purpose of these surveys was to comply with all Federal laws and Executive Orders to identify and evaluate any potential environmental impacts because of the project. The boundaries of the candidate location were marked with blaze-orange lath survey marker stakes by the project management. Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements of the marker stakes were made, and input to the Arc/Info{reg_sign} geographic information system (GIS). Field surveys were conducted to assess any potential impact to any important species, important habitats, and to any environmental study areas. The GIS location data was overlayed onto the INEL vegetation map and an analysis of vegetation classes on the locations was done. Results of the field surveys indicate use of Candidate Location {number_sign}1 by pygmy rabbits (Sylvilagus idahoensis) and expected use by them of Candidate Locations {number_sign}3 and {number_sign}9. Pygmy rabbits are categorized as a C2 species by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Two other C2 species, the ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis) and the loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) would also be expected to frequent the candidate locations. Candidate Location {number_sign}5 at the north end of the INEL is in the winter range of a large number of pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana). EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10167647 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10167647
Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1990 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; 010900 -- Coal, Lignite, & Peat-- Environmental Aspects; 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 090900 -- Biomass Fuels-- Processing-- (1990-); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540120* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540130 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540220 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540230 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540320 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540330 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); ABSTRACTS; ACID RAIN; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; BIOMASS; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON OXIDES; CHALCOGENIDES; CHEMICAL FEEDSTOCKS; CLIMATES; DEPOSITION; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; LEADING ABSTRACT; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RAIN; REMEDIAL ACTION; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT The Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) conducts research on the environmental aspects of existing and emerging energy systems and applies this information to ensure that technology development and energy use are consistent with national environmental health and safety goals. Offering an interdisciplinary resource of staff and facilities to address complex environmental problems, the division is currently providing technical leadership for major environmental issues of national concern: (1) acidic deposition and related environmental effects, (2) effects of increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO{sub 2} and the resulting climatic changes to ecosystems and natural and physical resources, (3) hazardous chemical and radioactive waste disposal and remediation research and development, and (4) development of commercial biomass energy production systems. This progress report outlines ESD's accomplishments in these and other areas in FY 1990. Individual reports are processed separately for the data bases in the following areas: ecosystem studies; environmental analyses; environmental toxicology; geosciences; technical and administrative support; biofuels feedstock development program; carbon dioxide information analysis and research program; and environmental waste program. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA) United States 1991-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5951739 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5951739
Diet of Nesting Red-Cockaded Woodpecker at Three Locations Hanula, J L; Lipcomb, D; Franzreb, K E; Loeb, S C 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIRDS; BLUEBERRIES; BREEDING; CAMERAS; DIET; ENDANGERED SPECIES; FEMALES; FORAGING; FOREST MANAGEMENT; GEORGIA; LARVAE; MALES; SAVANNAH RIVER SITE; SNAILS; SOUTH CAROLINA; WOOD The authors studied diets of nestling red-cockaded woodpeckers for two years on three sites in South Carolina and Georgia. Cameras recorded 33 different types of prey. Wood roaches were the most common, amounting to 50% of the prey. In addition, blueberries and saw fly larvae were collected by birds. Snail shells were also collected. Morista's index of diet overlap ranged from 0.94 to 0.99 for breeding males and females. We conclude that nestling diets are similar across the region. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (US) (US) United States 1998-12-03T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807685
Environmental Assessment for Use of DOE-Owned High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium Stored at Idaho National Laboratory Irving, John S. 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; Environmental Assessment; HALEU The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to make available about 10 Metric Tons (MT) of High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU ) feedstock produced through the electrometallurgical treatment (EMT) process, and other small quantities of HALEU stored at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for research development & demonstration in support of the commercial nuclear industry and government agencies, including use in advanced reactors. HALEU is a term applied to uranium that is enriched in the uranium-235 (U-235) isotope to a value that is 5% to 20% of the total uranium. Private sector advanced nuclear reactor designs and advanced nuclear fuel designs call for use of HALEU, but currently no commercial facility manufactures HALEU. DOE proposes to expand the fuel fabrication capability at INL to produce HALEU fuel at INL from 10 MT of HALEU feedstock to meet near-term needs. The production requires expansion of the fuel fabrication capability, including the purchase of new equipment and use of facilities at INLâs Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) and the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC). DOE has made no decision on the specific use of the fuel. The fuel could be used in advanced reactor design or for the purpose of research and development. DOE would work with other Federal agencies and commercial vendors to determine use of HALEU fuel. Use of this HALEU, including its potential use in a future nuclear reactor, will be analyzed in future National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents by the appropriate agency. The EMT process in operation at the INL converts sodium-bonded spent nuclear fuel into waste forms suitable for disposal as high-level waste and a HALEU product that is unsuitable for diversion to nuclear weapons but could be either reused in fuel or disposed of as waste. The Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Treatment and Management of Sodium-Bonded Spent Nuclear Fuel, DOE/EIS-0306, DOE 2000) discussed the EMT process, but did not make a decision on the disposition or use of the HALEU product from the EMT process. This Environmental Assessment (EA) addresses the HALEU product as HALEU feedstock in production of HALEU fuel. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Nuclear Energy United States 2019-01-17T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1498074 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1498074
Resource management plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation Parr, P D; Evans, J W 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990000 -- General & Miscellaneous; ANIMALS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HABITAT; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; REGULATIONS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; RESOURCES; SAFETY; SPECIES DIVERSITY; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS A plan for management of the wildlife resources on the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation is outlined in this document. Management includes wildlife population control (hunts, trapping, and removal), handling specific problems with wildlife, restoration of species, coordination with researchers on wildlife studies, preservation and management of habitats, and law enforcement. Wildlife resources are divided into five categories, each with a specific set of objectives and procedures for obtaining these objectives. These categories are (1) species-richness management to ensure that all resident wildlife species exist on the Reservation in viable numbers; (2) featured species management to produce selected species in desired numbers on designated land units; (3) management of game species for research, education, recreation, and public safety, (4) endangered species management designed to preserve and protect both the species and habitats critical to the survival of those species; and (5) pest management. Achievement of the objectives is a joint effort between the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Environmental Sciences Division. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/7067075 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7067075
Resource management plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 27, Wildlife Management Plan Parr, P D; Evans, J W 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990000; ANIMALS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; HABITAT; NATURE RESERVES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; REGULATIONS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SAFETY; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SPECIES DIVERSITY A plan for management of the wildlife resources on the US Department of Energy`s Oak Ridge Reservation is outlined in this document. Management includes wildlife population control (hunts, trapping, and removal), handling specific problems with wildlife, restoration of species, coordination with researchers on wildlife studies, preservation and management of habitats, and law enforcement. Wildlife resources are divided into five categories, each with a specific set of objectives and procedures for obtaining these objectives. These categories are (1) species-richness management to ensure that all resident wildlife species exist on the Reservation in viable numbers; (2) featured species management to produce selected species in desired numbers on designated land units; (3) management of game species for research, education, recreation, and public safety, (4) endangered species management designed to preserve and protect both the species and habitats critical to the survival of those species; and (5) pest management. Achievement of the objectives is a joint effort between the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory`s Environmental Sciences Division. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10158465 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10158465
Old-field plant succession on the Pajarito Plateau Foxx, T; Mullen, M; Salisbury, M; Tierney, G 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABANDONED SITES; BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS; DATA; LAND RECLAMATION; NEW MEXICO; PLANNING; PLANTS; REVEGETATION; SANITARY LANDFILLS; SPECIES DIVERSITY Eight fallow historic fields of the ponderosa pine and pinon-juniper cover types were surveyed to determine species composition and distribution. The purpose of the study was to understand plant succession on old fields as related to mechanically manipulated sites such as material disposal areas (MDAs). Additionally, the authors wanted a listing of species on disturbed lands of the Pajarito Plateau to aide in the reclamation planning of MDAs using native species. They also wanted to determine if any species could be used as an indicator of disturbance. The eight historic fields were all within Los Alamos County, New Mexico, and had been abandoned in 1943. Two sites were within the boundaries of Los Alamos National Laboratory and were studied both in 1982 and 1993. The study provides a description of each of the field sites, historic information about the homesteads from patent applications, a photographic record of some of the sites, and a listing of species found within each field. The study showed that there were 78 different plant species found on disturbed sites. Of these 78 species, 23 were found to be dominant on one or more of the MDAs or old fields. Although, the disturbance history of each site is imperfectly known, the study does provide an indication of successional processes within disturbed sites of the Pajarito Plateau. Additionally, it provides a listing of species that will invade disturbed sites, species that may be used in site reclamation. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/563193 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/563193
Determination of locational error associated with global positioning system (GPS) radio collars in relation to vegetation and topography in north-central New Mexico Bennett, K; Biggs, J; Fresquez, P R 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ACCURACY; COORDINATES; DATA; DATA COVARIANCES; HABITAT; HOME RANGE; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; NEW MEXICO; PLANTS; RADIO EQUIPMENT; RUMINANTS; SATELLITES; TELEMETRY; TOPOGRAPHY In 1996, a study was initiated to assess seasonal habitat use and movement patterns of Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) using global positioning system (GPS) radio collars. As part of this study, the authors attempted to assess the accuracies of GPS (non-differentially corrected) positions under various vegetation canopies and terrain conditions with the use of a GPS ``test`` collar. The test collar was activated every twenty minutes to obtain a position location and continuously uplinked to Argos satellites to transfer position data files. They used a Telonics, Inc. uplink receiver to intercept the transmission and view the results of the collar in real time. They placed the collar on a stand equivalent to the neck height of an adult elk and then placed the stand within three different treatment categories: (1) topographical influence (canyon and mesa tops), (2) canopy influence (open and closed canopy), and (3) vegetation type influence (ponderosa pine and pinion pine-juniper). The collar was kept at each location for one hour (usually obtaining three fixes). In addition, the authors used a hand-held GPS to obtain a position of the test collar at the same time and location. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) USDOE Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/468550 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/468550
Physiological ecology of SRS Carolina bay phytoplankton communities: Effects of nutrient changes and CO{sub 2} sources Williams, J B 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, APPLIED STUDIES; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; NUTRIENTS; PHYTOPLANKTON; POPULATION DYNAMICS; VARIATIONS; WETLANDS Impacts of land-use activities on wetland ecosystems are important issues for environmental planners, conservation groups, and government agencies. The progress report of this project at DOE`s Savannah River Site focused on two specific objectives: determination of the effects of nutrient enrichment (fertilizing during wetlands restoration) on phytoplankton communities and comparison of phytoplankton community dynamics during the current extended hydroperiod for Carolina Bays with patterns in previous drier years. South Carolina State Univ., Orangeburg, SC (United States). Dept. of Natural Sciences USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/64138 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/64138
Removal Site Evaluation Report to the C-Reactor Seepage Basins (904-066, -067 and -068G) Palmer, E R 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; C REACTOR; PLANTS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; WASTE WATER Removal Site Evaluation Reports are prepared in accordance with Section 300.410 of the National Contingency Plan (NCP) and Section X of the Federal Facility Agreement (FFA). The C-Reactor Seepage Basins (904-066G,-067G,-068G) are listed in Appendix C, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)/Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Units List, of the FFA. The purpose of this investigation is to report information concerning conditions at this unit sufficient to assess the threat (if any) posed to human health and the environment and to determine the need for additional CERCLA action. The scope of the investigation included a review of past survey and investigation data, the files, and a visit to the unit.Through this investigation unacceptable conditions of radioactive contaminant uptake in on-site vegetation were identified. This may have resulted in probable contaminant migration and become introduced into the local ecological food chain. As a result, the SRS will initiate a time critical removal action in accordance with Section 300.415 of the NCP and FFA Section XIV to remove, treat (if required), and dispose of contaminated vegetation from the C-Reactor Seepage Basins. Erosion in the affected areas will be managed by an approved erosion control plan. further remediation of this unit will be conducted in accordance with the FFA. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/565162 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/565162
Characterization of vegetation properties: Canopy modeling of pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine woodlands; Final report. Modeling topographic influences on solar radiation: A manual for the SOLARFLUX model Rich, P M; Hetrick, W A; Saving, S C 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; CANOPIES; CEDARS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; HYDROLOGY; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; PINES; PROGRESS REPORT; REMOTE SENSING; S CODES; SOLAR RADIATION; TOPOGRAPHY This report is comprised of two studies. The first study focuses on plant canopies in pinyon-juniper woodland, ponderosa pine woodland, and waste sites at Los Alamos National Laboratory which involved five basic areas of research: (1) application of hemispherical photography and other gap fraction techniques to study solar radiation regimes and canopy architecture, coupled with application of time-domain reflectometry to study soil moisture; (2) detailed characterization of canopy architecture using stand mapping and allometry; (3) development of an integrated geographical information system (GIS) database for relating canopy architecture with ecological, hydrological, and system modeling approaches; (4) development of geometric models that simulate complex sky obstruction, incoming solar radiation for complex topographic surfaces, and the coupling of incoming solar radiation with energy and water balance, with simulations of incoming solar radiation for selected native vegetation and experimental waste cover design sites; and (5) evaluation of the strengths and limitations of the various field sampling techniques. The second study describes an approach to develop software that takes advantage of new generation computers to model insolation on complex topographic surfaces. SOLARFLUX is a GIS-based (ARC/INFO, GRID) computer program that models incoming solar radiation based on surface orientation (slope and aspect), solar angle (azimuth and zenith) as it shifts over time, shadows caused by topographic features, and atmospheric conditions. This manual serves as the comprehensive guide to SOLARFLUX. Included are discussions on modelling insolation on complex surfaces, the theoretical approach, program setup and operation, and a set of applications illustrating characteristics of topographic insolation modelling. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Kansas Univ., Lawrence, KS (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-12-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/90166 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/90166
Finding of no significant impact: Changes in the sanitary sludge land application program on the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CAPACITY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GROUND DISPOSAL; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; SANITARY LANDFILLS; SEWAGE SLUDGE The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has completed an environmental assessment (DOE/EA-1042) that evaluates potential impacts of proposed changes in the sanitary sludge land application program on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Changes in lifetime sludge land application limits and radionuclide loading are proposed, and two new sources of sewage sludge from DOE facilities would be transported to the City of Oak Ridge Publicly Owned Treatment Works (COR POTW). Lifetime sludge land application limits would increase from 22 tons/acre to 50 tons/acre, which is the limit approved and permitted by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). With the approval of TDEC, the permissible radiological dose from sludge land application would change from the current limit of 2x background radionuclide concentrations in receiving soils to a risk-based dose limit of 4 millirem (mrem) per year for the maximally exposed individual. Sludge land application sites would not change from those that are currently part of the program. Based on the results of the analysis reported in the EA, DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major federal action that would significantly affect the quality of the human environment within the context of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Therefore, preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not necessary, and DOE is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). 70 refs., 2 figs., 17 tabs. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1996-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/475653 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/475653
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory annual technical progress report of ecological research for the year ending July 31, 1995 Smith, M H 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOLOGICAL RECOVERY; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; CONTAMINATION; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; FISHES; PROGRESS REPORT; RANGELANDS; REMEDIAL ACTION; WETLANDS; WILD ANIMALS The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) is a research unit of the University of Georgia (UGA). The overall mission of the Laboratory is to acquire and communicate knowledge of ecological processes and principles. SREL conducts basic and applied ecological research, as well as education and outreach programs, under a contract with the US Department of Energy (DOE) at the Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina. Significant accomplishments were made during the past year in the areas of research, education and service. Major additions to SREL Facilities were completed that will enhance the Laboratory`s work in the future. Following several years of planning, opening ceremonies were held for the 5000 ft{sup 2} multi-purpose conference center that was funded by the University of Georgia Research Foundation (UGARF). The center is located on 68 acres of land that was provided by the US Department of Energy. This joint effort between DOE and UGARF supports DOE`s new initiative to develop partnerships with the private sector and universities. The facility is being used for scientific meetings and environmental education programs for students, teachers and the general public. A 6000 ft{sup 2} office and library addition to S@s main building officially opened this year, and construction plans are underway on a new animal care facility, laboratory addition, and receiving building. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/198890 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/198890
Responses of upland herpetofauna to the restoration of Carolina Bays and thinning of forested Bay Margins. Ledvina, Joseph A 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; AMPHIBIANS; Carolina Bays; FORESTS; Forest thinning; HYDROLOGY; Herpetofauna; MANAGEMENT; REMOVAL; REPTILES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; WETLANDS Research on the effects of wetland restoration on reptiles and amphibians is becoming more common, but almost all of these studies have observed the colonization of recently disturbed habitats that were completely dry at the time of restoration. In a similar manner, investigations herpetofaunal responses to forest management have focused on clearcuts, and less intensive stand manipulations are not as well studied. To evaluate community and population responses of reptiles and amphibians to hydrology restoration and canopy removal in the interior of previously degraded Carolina bays, I monitored herpetofauna in the uplands adjacent to six historically degraded Carolina bays at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina for four years after restoration. To evaluate the effects of forest thinning on upland herpetofauna, forests were thinned in the margins of three of these bays. I used repeated measures ANOVA to compare species richness and diversity and the abundance of selected species and guilds between these bays and with those at three reference bays that were not historically drained and three control bays that remained degraded. I also used Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) to look for community-level patterns based treatments. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2008-05-01T04:00:00Z Other https://www.osti.gov/biblio/953635
Education programs catalog 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990000; CATALOGS; EDUCATION; GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; US DOE Since its formation in 1977, US DOE has been authorized to support education programs that help ensure an adequate supply of scientists, engineers, and technicians for energy-related research, production activities, and technology transfer. A national conference in 1989 produced a clear vision of the important role that DOE, its facilities, and its 169,000 Federal and contract employees can play in the educational life of their communities and the Nation. Many of the programs listed in this catalog are the result of this new vision; others have existed for many years. Purpose of this catalog is to make all DOE education efforts more widely known so that more teachers, students, and others can benefit. Supporting the hundreds of education programs (precollege, undergraduate, graduate, public) is the network of DOE national laboratories, technology centers, and other research facilities. Brief descriptions of each facility, its programs, and contact information for its education personnel are included. USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10149515 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10149515
Landowner and permit-holder perceptions of wildlife damage around the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. A survey of INEEL neighbors about elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, and depredation Roush, Jr, D E; Beaver, D E 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AGRICULTURE; DAMAGE; ECONOMIC IMPACT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HABITAT; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LAND USE; NUMERICAL DATA; WILD ANIMALS Property-owners (N = 220) around the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) in southeastern Idaho were surveyed about depredation, control methods and economic issues related to use of the area by elk (Cervus elaphus), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana). Depredation was defined as damage to privately-owned crops, forage, and fences and irrigation equipment by these animals. The focus on the three ungulate species was prompted by concerns that elk, which had recolonized the INEEL since 1984, were responsible for an inordinate amount of unprecedented damage to agricultural operations. As the INEEL is a US Department of Energy (DOE) reserve with little public hunting access, there have been calls for removal of elk from this land. This study`s objective was to quantify the wildlife damage occurring on agricultural operations adjacent to the INEEL and to characterize the damage attributed to each big game species. Responses from 70.2% of the target population indicate an evenness of opinion, by which the authors mean that various opinions were represented equitably, toward these animals and wildlife damage Total estimated wildlife damage in 1996 was between $140,000 and $180,000 It was attributed foremost to elk, although pronghorn antelope were viewed nearly as damaging. Respondents placed high values in big game animals and wished to see them continue to inhabit these lands. For managing depredation, adjusting hunting seasons was preferred. Environmental Science and Research Foundation Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/658289 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/658289
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory 2004 Annual Technical Progress Report Bertsch, Paul M 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECOLOGY; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; Savannah River Site; ecology; environmental research 2004 annual report of research conducted by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, a research unit of The University of Georgia operating on the Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) United States 2004-07-29T04:00:00Z S&T Accomplishment Report 10.2172/891172 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/891172
Radionuclide Concentrations in Deer and Elk from Los Alamos National Laboratory: 1991-1998 Kraig, D H; Ferenbaugh, J K; Biggs, J R; Bennett, K D; Mullen, M A; Fresquez, P R 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, BASIC STUDIES; Americium 241; Bone Tissues; Deer; LANL; Muscles; Plutonium 240; Radioactivity; Ruminants; Strontium 90; Tritium; Uranium Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus) forage in many areas at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) that may contain radioactivity above natural and/or worldwide fallout levels. This paper summarizes radionuclide concentrations 3H, 90Sr, 137Cs, 238Pu, 239,240Pu, 241Am, and total uranium in muscle and bone tissue of deer and elk collected from LANL lands from 1991 through 1998. Also, the committed effective dose equivalent (CEDE) and the risk of excess cancer fatalities (RECF) to people who ingest muscle and bone from deer and elk collected from LANL lands were estimated. Most radionuclide concentrations in muscle and bone from individual deer and elk collected from LANL lands were either at less than detectable quantities (where the analytical result was smaller than two counting uncertainties) and/or within upper (95%) level background (BG) concentrations. As a group, most radionuclides in muscle and bone of deer and elk from LANL lands were not significantly higher (p<0.10) than in similar tissues from deer and elk collected from BG locations. Also, elk that had been radio collared and tracked for two years and spent an average time of 50% on LANL lands were not significantly different in most radionuclides from road kill elk that have been collected as part of the environmental surveillance program. Overall, the upper (95%) level net CEDES (the CEDE plus two sigma for each radioisotope minus background) at the most conservative ingestion rate (51 lbs of muscle and 13 lbs of bone) were as follows: deer muscle = 0.220, deer bone = 3.762, elk muscle = 0.117, and elk bone = 1.67 mrendy. AU CEDES were far below the International Commission on Radiological Protection guideline of 100 mrem/y, and the highest muscle plus bone CEDE (4.0 mrendy) corresponded to a RECF of 2E-06 which is far below the Environmental Protection Agency upper level guideline of 1E04. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM USDOE Office of Management and Administration United States 1998-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/2632 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2632
Carolina bays of the Savannah River Plant Schalles, J. F.; Sharitz, R. R.; Gibbons, J. W.; Leversee, G. J.; Knox, J. N. 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); 540350 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); ANIMALS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; BAYS; CHEMISTRY; COASTAL REGIONS; COMPILED DATA; DATA; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; FEDERAL REGION IV; GEOLOGY; HYDROLOGY; INFORMATION; INVENTORIES; INVERTEBRATES; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; NUMERICAL DATA; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; PLANTS; RECOMMENDATIONS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE SURVEYS; SOILS; SOUTH CAROLINA; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; VERTEBRATES; WATER CHEMISTRY; WETLANDS Much of the research to date on the Carolina bays of the Savannah River Plant and elsewhere has focused on certain species or on environmental features. Different levels of detail exist for different groups of organisms and reflect the diverse interests of previous investigators. This report summarizes aspects of research to date and presents data from numerous studies. 70 refs., 14 figs., 12 tabs. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (USA) DOE/DP United States 1989-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5133713 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5133713
Ecological surveys of the proposed high explosives wastewater treatment facility region Haarmann, T 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BASELINE ECOLOGY; C CODES; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; CHEMICAL EXPLOSIVES; ECOSYSTEMS; LANL; LIQUID WASTES; SPECIES DIVERSITY; WASTE PROCESSING; WASTE WATER; WATER QUALITY; WATER TREATMENT; WATER TREATMENT PLANTS Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) proposes to improve its treatment of wastewater from high explosives (HE) research and development activities. The proposed project would focus on a concerted waste minimization effort to greatly reduce the amount of wastewater needing treatment. The result would be a 99% decrease in the HE wastewater volume, from the current level of 6,760,000 L/mo (1,786,000 gal./mo) to 41,200 L/mo (11,000 gal./mo). This reduction would entail closure of HE wastewater outfalls, affecting some wetland areas that depend on HE wastewater effluents. The outfalls also provide drinking water for many wildlife species. Terminating the flow of effluents at outfalls would represent an improvement in water quality in the LANL region but locally could have a negative effect on some wetlands and wildlife species. None of the affected species are protected by any state or federal endangered species laws. The purpose of this report is to briefly discuss the different biological studies that have been done in the region of the project area. This report is written to give biological information and baseline data and the biota of the project area. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/88592 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/88592
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory FY2006 Annual Technical Progress Report Bertsch, Paul M 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECOLOGY; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; GEORGIA; REMEDIAL ACTION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAVANNAH RIVER; ecology, Savannah River Site, remediation, restoration, risk assessment, environmental characterization FY2006 annual report of research conducted by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, a research unit of the University of Georgia operating on the Savannah River Site in Aiken, County, SC. Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2006-10-23T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/894035 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/894035
Oak Ridge reservation, annual site environmental report summary for 1993 053000; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; HEALTH AND SAFETY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; RADIATION MONITORING The U.S. Department of Energy requires annual site environmental reports from facilities that operate under its auspices. To fulfill that requirement, such an annual report is published for the Oak Ridge Reservation, which comprises three major sites, each of which has unique monitoring requirements in addition to many shared obligations. As a result, the report is complex and highly detailed. Annual site environmental reports are public documents that are read by government regulators, scientists, engineers, business people, special interest groups, and members of the public at large. For that reason, the reports need to be accessible to a variety of audiences in addition to being accurate and complete. This pamphlet summarizes environmental activities on the reservation, which for some readers may be adequate; for those who seek more detail, it will lend coherence to their approach to the report itself. The content of this summary was taken from Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report for 1993. Results of the many environmental monitoring and surveillance activities are detailed in this report. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10119464 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10119464
Biomass, Leaf Area, and Resource Availability of Kudzu Dominated Plant Communities Following Herbicide Treatment Rader, L T 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AVAILABILITY; BIOMASS; COMMUNITIES; COMPETITION; EXOTIC PLANTS; FARMS; FORESTS; HERBICIDES; LOBLOLLY PINE; PINES; PLANTS; SEEDLINGS; SITE PREPARATION; TOXICITY Kudzu is an exotic vine that threatens the forests of the southern U.S. Five herbicides were tested with regard to their efficacy in controlling kudzu, community recover was monitored, and interactions with planted pines were studied. The sites selected were old farm sites dominated by kudzu.These were burned following herbicide treatment. The herbicides included triclopyr, clopyralid, metsulfuron, tebuthiuron, and picloram plus 2,4-D. Pine seedlings were planted the following year. Regression equations were developed for predicting biomass and leaf area. Four distinct plant communities resulted from the treatments. The untreated check continued to be kudzu dominated. Blackberry dominated the clopyradid treatment. Metsulfron, trychlopyr and picloram treated sites resulted in herbaceous dominated communities. The tebuthiuron treatment maintained all vegetation low. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (US) (US) United States 2001-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/807682 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807682
Environmental Survey Report for the ETTP: Environmental Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF) Haul Road Corridor, Oak Ridge, Tennessee Peterson, M J 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONSTRUCTION; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HABITAT; MANAGEMENT; MONITORING; NATIONAL SECURITY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORNL; PLANTS; TENNESSEE; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WETLANDS This report summarizes the results of environmental surveys conducted within the corridor of a temporary haul road (''Haul Road'') to be constructed from East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) to the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF) located just west of the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12). Environmental surveys were conducted by natural resource experts at Oak Ridge National Laboratory who routinely assess the significance of various project activities on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). ORNL assistance to the Haul Road Project included environmental assessments necessary to determine the best route for minimizing impacts to sensitive resources such as wetlands or rare plants. Once the final route was chosen, environmental surveys were conducted within the corridor to evaluate the impacts to sensitive resources that could not be avoided. The final Haul Road route follows established roads and a power-line corridor to the extent possible (Fig. 1). Detailed explanation regarding the purpose of the Haul Road and the regulatory context associated with its construction is provided in at least two major documents and consequently is not presented here: (1) Explanation of Significant Differences for the Record of Decision for the Disposal of Oak Ridge Reservation Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 Waste, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (January 2005, DOE/OR/01-2194&D2), and (2) Environmental Monitoring Plan for The ETTP to EMWMF Haul Road for the Disposal of Oak Ridge Reservation Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 Waste, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (April 2005, BJC/OR-2152). The focus of this report is a description of the sensitive resources to be impacted by Haul Road construction. Following a short description of the methods used for the environmental surveys, results and observations are presented in the following subsections: (1) General description of the affected environment; (2) Rare plants and vegetation assemblages; (3) Rare wildlife and their habitat; (4) Rare aquatic species; and (5) Wetlands/Floodplains. A summary of project actions taken or planned in order to avoid, minimize, or mitigate the environmental impacts associated with this project are summarized in the conclusion section of this report. ORNL USDOE United States 2005-12-20T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/885977 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/885977
Report on audit of the US Department of Energy`s identification and disposal of nonessential land 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; AUDITS; BNL; HANFORD RESERVATION; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LAND OWNERSHIP; LAND USE; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PROPERTY MANAGEMENT; US DOE This document presents the results of an audit of four US DOE facilities to determine whether any land holdings are excess to current and anticipated future needs. Facilities audited were the Hanford Site, the Oak Ridge Reservation, the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, and the Brookhaven Laboratory. Audit findings were that 309,000 acres at the Hanford, Oak Ridge, and Idaho sites were not essential to carrying out current and foreseeable mission requirements. It is recommended that the DOE dispose of the nonessential land holdings, reevaluate requirements for remaining land holdings and dispose of any additional nonessential land, and reevaluate the policy of defining ecosystem management as a valid basis for retaining Department real property. 2 tabs. USDOE Office of Inspector General, Washington, DC (United States) USDOE Office of Inspector General, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/503444 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/503444
Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report for 2010 Thompson, Sharon D. The Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report is prepared annually and presents summary environmental data to (1) characterize environmental performance, (2) summarize environmental occurrences reported during the year, (3) confirm compliance with environmental standards and requirements, and (4) highlight significant program activities. The report fulfills the requirement contained in DOE Order 231.1A, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting (DOE 2004) that an integrated annual site environmental report be prepared. The results summarized in this report are based on data collected prior to and through 2010. This report is not intended to nor does it present the results of all environmental monitoring associated with the ORR. Data collected for other site and regulatory purposes, such as environmental restoration/remedial investigation reports, waste management characterization sampling data, and environmental permit compliance data, are presented in other documents that have been prepared in accordance with applicable DOE guidance and/or laws and are referenced herein as appropriate. Appendix A to this report identifies corrections to the 2009 report. Appendix B contains a glossary of technical terms that may be useful for understanding the terminology used in this document. Environmental monitoring on the ORR consists primarily of two major activities: effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. Effluent monitoring involves the collection and analysis of samples or measurements of liquid and gaseous effluents at the points of release to the environment; these measurements allow the quantification and official reporting of contaminant levels, assessment of radiation and chemical exposures to the public, and demonstration of compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements. Environmental surveillance consists of direct measurements and collection and analysis of samples taken from the site and its environs exclusive of effluents; these activities provide information on contaminant concentrations in air, water, groundwater, soil, foods, biota, and other media. Environmental surveillance data support determinations regarding environmental compliance and, when combined with data from effluent monitoring, support chemical and radiation dose and exposure assessments of the potential effects of ORR operations, if any, on the local environment. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant (Y-12), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC) United States 2011-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1042835 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1042835
A vital legacy: Biological and environmental research in the atomic age Vaughan, D 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, BASIC STUDIES; 56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, APPLIED STUDIES; ANIMALS; BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; GENETIC RADIATION EFFECTS; HUMAN POPULATIONS; NUCLEAR ENERGY; NUCLEAR MEDICINE; PUBLIC HEALTH; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIOLOGY; SEAS; WATER CURRENTS; WEATHER This booklet presents a summary of the five decades of biological and environmental research in the atomic age. It commemorates the contributions to science and society during these decades and concludes with a view to the years ahead. The Contents includes `Safety First: in the Shadow of a New Technology; A Healthy Citizenry: Gifts of the New Era; and Environmental Concerns: From Meteorology to Ecology`. The conclusion is titled `An Enduring Mandate: Looking to the Future`. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States) USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/305940 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/305940
A Preliminary Survey of Terrestrial Plant Communities in the Sierra de los Valles Balice, Randy G 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Ecology; Ecosystems; LANL; New Mexico; Plants To more fully understand the species compositions and environmental relationships of high-elevation terrestrial plant communities in the Los Alamos region, 30 plots in randomly selected, upland locations were sampled for vegetation, topographic, and soils characteristics. The locations of these plots were constrained to be above 2,134 m (7,000 ft) above mean sea level. The field results were summarized, analyzed, and incorporated into a previously developed classification of vegetation and land cover types. The revised and updated discussions of the environmental relationships at these sites and their associated species compositions are included in this report. A key to the major land cover types in the Los Alamos region was also revised in accordance with the new information and included herein its entirety. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM USDOE Office of Defense Programs (DP) United States 1998-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1040 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1040
Savannah River Site environmental report for 1993 summary pamphlet Karapatakis, L 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540120; 540130; 540220; 540230; 540320; 540330; CESIUM 137; CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; MONITORING; QUALITY ASSURANCE; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; REMEDIAL ACTION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TRITIUM This pamphlet summarizes the impact of 1993 Savannah River Site operations on the environment and the off-site public. It includes an overview of site operations; the basis for radiological and nonradiological monitoring; 1993 radiological releases and the resulting dose to the off-site population; and results of the 1993 nonradiological program. The Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1993 describes the findings of the environmental monitoring program for 1993. The report contains detailed information about site operations,the environmental monitoring and surveillance programs, monitoring and surveillance results, environmental compliance activities, and special programs. The report is distributed to government officials, members of the US Congress, universities, government facilities, environmental and civic groups, the news media, and interested individuals. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10150594 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10150594
Stewards of a national resource 052000; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220600; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500; 662000; 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; 700000; 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; MISSION ANALYSIS; PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; PUBLIC INFORMATION; RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND COMMERCIALIZATION; RESEARCH, TEST, TRAINING, PRODUCTION, IRRADIATION, MATERIALS TESTING REACTORS; US DOE; WASTE MANAGEMENT Events of the past several years have had a profound impact on the mission of the Department of Energy. Most notably, the end of the Cold War has made it possible for us to reorient our mission from primarily the design, production, and testing of nuclear weapons toward: increasing efficiency and the choice of energy sources, supporting basic and applied research in science and technology, addressing environmental quality issues, improving industrial competitiveness, and a continued contribution to a secure national defense. These changes in direction will have a lasting effect on all of us. In all our efforts we have emphasized the need to earn trust and build partnerships. This booklet tells the story of a part of this change: new uses for our 50 major sites encompassing 2.4 million acres of land and billions of dollars worth of facilities. These new uses will reach beyond beating swords into plowshares and cleaning up our production facilities. They will include ecosystem protection, economic development, and industrial competitiveness. This is our future. None of this will be successful without the meaningful participation of our stakeholders: businesses and entrepreneurs, citizen groups, neighbors of our sites, government officials, and the American public as a whole. This booklet is to provide some insights into the new direction for our land and facilities. USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10116461 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10116461
Improving Rangeland Monitoring and Assessment: Integrating Remote Sensing, GIS, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems Breckenridge, Robert Paul 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ACCURACY; CEDARS; CLASSIFICATION; DISTRIBUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; EVALUATION; GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS; GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM; HELICOPTERS; IMAGE PROCESSING; LAND USE; LAVA; MONITORING; NAVIGATION; PLANNING; PLANTS; RANGELANDS; REMOTE SENSING; SAMPLING; SHRUBS; monitoring+remote sensing+Unmanner aerial vehicle Creeping environmental changes are impacting some of the largest remaining intact parcels of sagebrush steppe ecosystems in the western United States, creating major problems for land managers. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL), located in southeastern Idaho, is part of the sagebrush steppe ecosystem, one of the largest ecosystems on the continent. Scientists at the INL and the University of Idaho have integrated existing field and remotely sensed data with geographic information systems technology to analyze how recent fires on the INL have influenced the current distribution of terrestrial vegetation. Three vegetation mapping and classification systems were used to evaluate the changes in vegetation caused by fires between 1994 and 2003. Approximately 24% of the sagebrush steppe community on the INL was altered by fire, mostly over a 5-year period. There were notable differences between methods, especially for juniper woodland and grasslands. The Anderson system (Anderson et al. 1996) was superior for representing the landscape because it includes playa/bare ground/disturbed area and sagebrush steppe on lava as vegetation categories. This study found that assessing existing data sets is useful for quantifying fire impacts and should be helpful in future fire and land use planning. The evaluation identified that data from remote sensing technologies is not currently of sufficient quality to assess the percentage of cover. To fill this need, an approach was designed using both helicopter and fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and image processing software to evaluate six cover types on field plots located on the INL. The helicopter UAV provided the best system compared against field sampling, but is more dangerous and has spatial coverage limitations. It was reasonably accurate for dead shrubs and was very good in assessing percentage of bare ground, litter and grasses; accuracy for litter and shrubs is questionable. The fixed wing system proved to be feasible and can collect imagery for very large areas in a short period of time. It was accurate for bare ground and grasses. Both UAV systems have limitations, but these will be reduced as the technology advances. In both cases, the UAV systems collected data at a much faster rate than possible on the ground. The study concluded that improvements in automating the image processing efforts would greatly improve use of the technology. In the near future, UAV technology may revolutionize rangeland monitoring in the same way Global Positioning Systems have affected navigation while conducting field activities. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) USDOE United States 2007-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/978362 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978362
Environmental assessment for the reuse of TNX as a multi-purpose pilot plant campus at the Savannah River Site 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; BUILDINGS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; LAND USE; RECYCLING; SAFETY; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT The Department of Energy (DOE) prepared this environmental assessment (EA) to analyze the potential environmental and safety impacts of DOE planning to allow asset reuse of the TNX Area at the Savannah River Site (SRS) located near Aiken, South Carolina. The proposed action would include providing for a location for the Centers of Excellence at or adjacent to SRS and entering into a cooperative agreement with a non-profit management and operations (management firm) contractor to operate and market the TNX facilities and equipment. The area (formerly TNX) would be called a Multi-Purpose Pilot Plant Campus (MPPC) and would be used: (1) as location for technology research, development, demonstration, and commercial operations; (2) to establish partnerships with industry to develop applied technologies for commercialization; and (3) serve as administrative headquarters for Centers of Excellence in the program areas of soil remediation, radioecology, groundwater contamination, and municipal solid waste minimization. Dept. of Energy, Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/656463 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/656463
Pacific Northwest Laboratory: Annual report for 1986 to the DOE Office of Energy Research: Part 2, Environmental sciences 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 510200* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSTRACTS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ARID LANDS; BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COASTAL WATERS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; GEOCHEMISTRY; LEADING ABSTRACT; MASS TRANSFER; REMOTE SENSING; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SURFACE WATERS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TRANSPIRATION This report summarizes progress in environmental sciences research conducted by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the Office of Health and Environmental Research in FY 1986. The program is focused on terrestrial, subsurface, and coastal marine systems, and this research forms the basis, in conjunction with remote sensing, for definition and quantification of processes leading to impacts at the global level. This report is organized into sections devoted to Detection and Management of Change in Terrestrial Systems, Biogeochemical Phenomena, Subsurface Microbiology and Transport, Marine Sciences, and Theoretical (Quantitative) Ecology. Separate abstracts have been prepared for individual projects. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) United States 1987-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5908544 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5908544
Nevada Test Site Resource Management Plan 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; DECISION MAKING; LAND RESOURCES; LAND USE; MAPS; NEVADA TEST SITE; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS The Nevada Test Site (NTS) Resource Management Plan (RMP) describes the NTS Stewardship Mission and how its accomplishment will preserve the resources of the ecoregion while accomplishing the objectives of the mission. The NTS Stewardship Mission is to manage the land and facilities at the NTS as a unique and valuable national resource. The RMP has defined goals for twelve resource areas based on the principles of ecosystem management. These goals were established using an interdisciplinary team of DOE/NV resource specialists with input from surrounding land managers, private parties, and representatives of Native American governments. The overall goal of the RMP is to facilitate improved NTS land use management decisions within the Great Basin and Mojave Desert ecoregions. Dept. of Energy, Nevada Operations Office, Las Vegas, NV (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/353340 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/353340
Description and field performance of the Walker Branch throughfall displacement experiment: 1993--1996 Hanson, P J; Todd, D E; Huston, M A; Joslin, J D; Croker, J L; Auge, R M 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FORESTS; NUMERICAL DATA; SOILS; TENNESSEE; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; THROUGHFALL; WATER The authors are conducting a large-scale manipulative field experiment in an upland oak forest on the Walker Branch Watershed in eastern Tennessee to identify important ecosystem responses that might result from future precipitation changes. The manipulation of soil water content is being implemented by a gravity-driven transfer of throughfall from one 6400-m{sup 2} treatment plot to another. Throughfall is intercepted in {approx}1850 subcanopy troughs suspended above the forest floor of the dry plot and transferred by gravity flow across an ambient plot for subsequent distribution onto the wet treatment plot. Soil water content is being monitored at two depths with time domain reflectometers at 310 sampling locations across the site. The experimental system is able to produce statistically significant differences in soil water content in years having both dry and wet conditions. Maximum soil water content differentials between wet and dry plots in the 0- to 0.35-m horizon were 8 to 10% during summers with abundant precipitation and 3 to 5% during drought periods. Treatment impacts on soil water potential were restricted to the surface soil layer. Comparisons of pre- and post-installation soil and litter temperature measurements showed the ability of the experimental design to produce changes in soil water content and water potential without creating large artifacts in the forest understory environment. Oak Ridge National Lab., Environmental Sciences Div., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/296852 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/296852
BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PLAN. NAIDU, J R 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BNL; NATURE RESERVES; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; WILD ANIMALS The purpose of the Wildlife Management Plan (WMP) is to promote stewardship of the natural resources found at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), and to integrate their protection with pursuit of the Laboratory's mission. Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (US) USDOE Office of Energy Research (ER) (US) United States 2002-10-22T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/803348 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/803348
Rooting Characteristics of Vegetation Near Areas 3 and 5 Radioactive Waste Management Sites at the Nevada Test Site--Part 1 Hansen, D J 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; BOREHOLES; CONFINEMENT; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; NEVADA TEST SITE; PERFORMANCE; PLANTS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOISOTOPES; RECOMMENDATIONS; SOILS; TRANSPORT; WASTES; YUCCA MOUNTAIN The U.S. Department of Energy emplaced high-specific-activity low-level radioactive wastes and limited quantities of classified transuranic wastes in Greater Confinement Disposal (GCD) boreholes from 1984 to 1989. The boreholes are located at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) on the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in southern Nevada. The boreholes were backfilled with native alluvium soil. The surface of these boreholes and trenches is expected to be colonized by native vegetation in the future. Considering the long-term performance of the disposal facilities, bioturbation (the disruption of buried wastes by biota) is considered a primary release mechanism for radionuclides disposed in GCD boreholes as well as trenches at both Areas 3 and 5 RWMSs. This report provides information about rooting characteristics of vegetation near Areas 3 and 5 RWMSs. Data from this report are being used to resolve uncertainties involving parameterization of performance assessment models used to characterize the biotic mixing of soils and radionuclide transport processes by biota. The objectives of this study were to: (1) survey the prior ecological literature on the NTS and identify pertinent information about the vegetation, (2) conduct limited field studies to describe the current vegetation in the vicinity of Areas 3 and 5 RWMSs so as to correlate findings with more extensive vegetation data collected at Yucca Mountain and the NTS, ( 3 ) review prior performance assessment documents and evaluate model assumptions based on current ecological information, and (4) identify data deficiencies and make recommendations for correcting such deficiencies. Bechtel Nevada Corporation (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2003-09-30T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/816103 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/816103
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Core Competencies Roberto, J B; Anderson, T D; Berven, B A; Hildebrand, S G; Hartman, F C; Honea, R B; Jones, Jr, J E; Moon, Jr, R M; Saltmarsh, M J; Shelton, R B 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500; ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES; BIOLOGY; ENERGY; ENVIRONMENT; HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION; MISSION ANALYSIS; ORNL; PHYSICS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND COMMERCIALIZATION; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; VERTICAL INTEGRATION A core competency is a distinguishing integration of capabilities which enables an organization to deliver mission results. Core competencies represent the collective learning of an organization and provide the capacity to perform present and future missions. Core competencies are distinguishing characteristics which offer comparative advantage and are difficult to reproduce. They exhibit customer focus, mission relevance, and vertical integration from research through applications. They are demonstrable by metrics such as level of investment, uniqueness of facilities and expertise, and national impact. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has identified four core competencies which satisfy the above criteria. Each core competency represents an annual investment of at least $100M and is characterized by an integration of Laboratory technical foundations in physical, chemical, and materials sciences; biological, environmental, and social sciences; engineering sciences; and computational sciences and informatics. The ability to integrate broad technical foundations to develop and sustain core competencies in support of national R&D goals is a distinguishing strength of the national laboratories. The ORNL core competencies are: 9 Energy Production and End-Use Technologies o Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technology o Advanced Materials Synthesis, Processing, and Characterization & Neutron-Based Science and Technology. The distinguishing characteristics of each ORNL core competency are described. In addition, written material is provided for two emerging competencies: Manufacturing Technologies and Computational Science and Advanced Computing. Distinguishing institutional competencies in the Development and Operation of National Research Facilities, R&D Integration and Partnerships, Technology Transfer, and Science Education are also described. Finally, financial data for the ORNL core competencies are summarized in the appendices. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10108157 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10108157
Technology applications bulletins: Summer 1988 Koncinski, W. Jr.; McKeehan, K. 052000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Management; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 140501 -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; 320100* -- Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization-- Buildings; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 360100 -- Metals & Alloys; 360200 -- Ceramics, Cermets, & Refractories; ALLOYS; BUILDINGS; CERAMICS; CHEMICAL WASTES; COAL LIQUEFACTION; DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS; ENERGY CONSERVATION; EQUIPMENT; FLUIDS; GASES; GROUND WATER; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; ION IMPLANTATION; LICENSING; LIQUEFACTION; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS; PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS; SOLAR CELLS; SOLAR EQUIPMENT; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION; THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTES; WATER Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Energy Systems), operates five facilities for the US Department of Energy (DOE). Much of the research carried out at these facilities is of interest to industry and to state or local governments. To make information about this research available, the Energy Systems Office of Technology Applications publishes brief descriptions of selected technologies and reports. These technology applications bulletins describe the new technology and inform the reader about how to obtain further information, gain access to technical resources, and initiate direct contact with Energy Systems researchers. The general topics covered in this report are: information science; licensing information; measurements and controls; energy conservation; environmental technology; chemical and waste management; energy production; and advanced materials. Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (USA) United States 1988-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6372880 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6372880
Annual report of ecological research for the period ending July 31, 1989 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); 540350 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); ANIMALS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BIOLOGY; COMBUSTION PRODUCTS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; FISHES; FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS; GENETICS; MASS TRANSFER; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; POWER PLANTS; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; REVEGETATION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; STREAMS; SURFACE WATERS; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; THERMAL POWER PLANTS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; WASTES; WATER QUALITY; WETLANDS Opportunities to study and understand the importance of both man- induced and natural environmental stresses are available to researchers on the Savannah River Site (SRS). Energy technologies have an impact on natural habitats and the associated plant and animal communities in a variety of ways. The transport, fate, and ecological effects of a variety of chemicals such as radionuclides, organic contaminants, and trace metals must be understood. In addition, construction, forestry programs, thermal releases, and other activities that affect terrestrial and aquatic environments are recognized nationally as having major impacts. These concerns have led to a variety of questions about the consequences of SRS activities on environmental systems and form a basis for research by scientists at Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL). Research at SREL can involve a variety of approaches, including field research, research in controlled environments such as greenhouses, and laboratory studies that require the use of sophisticated instrumentation. Highlights of research activities during FY89 at SREL over the past year are presented. Complete abstracts of specific projects are appended. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (USA) DOE/DP United States 1990-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6910618 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6910618
The contribution of theory and experiments to conservation in fragmented landscapes Resasco, Julian; Bruna, Emilio M.; Haddad, Nick M.; BanksâLeite, Cristina; Margules, Christopher R. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; conservation; fragmented landscapes The clearing and fragmentation of terrestrial ecosystems is commonly acknowledged as a major cause of the decline of biodiversity. These and other predicted responses to habitat fragmentation are derived from theory, which ecologists have tested with empirical approaches ranging from observations to experimental manipulations. These empirical approaches have also identified areas of theory in need of additional development. For example, experimental studies of fragmentation have provided insights such as the key role played by the matrix surrounding fragments, the importance of edge effects, and the impacts of corridors linking fragments with one another. Much less clear, however, is the extent to which these theoretical and empirical studies â while advancing our conceptual understanding of ecological responses to landscape change â help guide management and conservation practice. We review lessons learned from landscape-scale fragmentation experiments and observational studies, present the results of a survey of fragmentation and conservation experts which probed for links and mismatches between fragmentation studies and conservation practice, and discuss how future studies can contribute to conservation practice. Our survey showed that respondents consider fragmentation theory and empirical studies and their findings important for guiding conservation and management practices. The survey also identified that there are disconnects between what is typically studied by fragmentation ecologists and factors that are central to the practice of biodiversity conservation, notably, community-based human dimensions (e.g. economic, social, health issues), policy and governance, ecosystem services, eco-evolutionary responses of species, and interaction of multiple threats to biodiversity and ecosystem processes. We discuss how these disconnects can present opportunities for experiments to continue to provide valuable recommendations for conservation practice in fragmented landscapes. University of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU); National Science Foundation (NSF) United States 2016-11-03T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1111/ecog.02546 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1884965
Idaho National Laboratory Cultural Resource Management Annual Report FY 2007 Braun, Julie; Gilbert, Hollie; Lowrey, Dino; Marler, Clayton; Pace, Brenda 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMPLIANCE; CULTURAL RESOURCES; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; PLANNING; archaeology; cultural resources; history The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site is home to vast numbers and a wide variety of important cultural resources representing at least a 13,500-year span of human land use in the region. As a federal agency, the Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office has legal responsibility for the management and protection of those resources and has delegated these responsibilities to its primary contractor, Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA). The BEA professional staff is committed to maintaining a cultural resource management program that accepts these challenges in a manner reflecting the resourcesâ importance in local, regional, and national history. This annual report summarizes activities performed by the INL Cultural Resource Management Office (CRMO) staff during fiscal year 2007. This work is diverse, far-reaching and though generally confined to INL cultural resource compliance, also includes a myriad of professional and voluntary community activities. This document is intended to be both informative to internal and external stakeholders, and to serve as a planning tool for future cultural resource management work to be conducted on the INL. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) DOE - EH United States 2008-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/927629 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/927629
Production of Short-Rotation Woody Crops Grown with a Range of Nutrient and Water Availability: Establishment Report and First-Year Responses Coyle, D R; Blake, J; Britton, K; M; Buford; Campbell, R G; Cox, J; Cregg, B; Daniels, D; Jacobson, M; Johnsen, K; McDonald, T; McLeod, K; E; Nelson; Robison, D; Rummer, R; Sanchez, F; J; Stanturf; Stokes, B; Trettin, C; Tuskan, J; Wright, L; Wullschleger, S 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; AGRICULTURAL WASTES; AVAILABILITY; Allocation; CARBON SEQUESTRATION; CROPS; FORESTRY; FORESTS; NUTRIENTS; PRODUCTION; WATER; WATER RESOURCES; fertigation; fine-root growth; intensive Management; interspecific comparisons; leaf area. Coleman, M.D., et. al. 2003. Production of Short-Rotation Woody Crops Grown with a Range of Nutrient and Water Availability: Establishment Report and First-Year Responses. Report. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, Aiken, SC. 26 pp. Abstract: Many researchers have studied the productivity potential of intensively managed forest plantations. However, we need to learn more about the effects of fundamental growth processes on forest productivity; especially the influence of aboveground and belowground resource acquisition and allocation. This report presents installation, establishment, and first-year results of four tree species (two cottonwood clones, sycamore, sweetgum, and loblolly pine) grown with fertilizer and irrigation treatments. At this early stage of development, irrigation and fertilization were additive only in cottonwood clone ST66 and sweetgum. Leaf area development was directly related to stem growth, but root production was not always consistent with shoot responses, suggesting that allocation of resources varies among treatments. We will evaluate the consequences of these early responses on resource availability in subsequent growing seasons. This information will be used to: (1) optimize fiber and bioenergy production; (2) understand carbon sequestration; and (3) develop innovative applications such as phytoremediation; municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastes management; and protection of soil, air, and water resources. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2003-12-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/835208 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835208
Monitoring fish, wildlife, radionuclides and chemicals at Hanford, Washington Gray, R. H. 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ANADROMOUS FISHES; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BIRDS; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; COYOTES; DEER; FIELD TESTS; FISHES; HANFORD RESERVATION; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; MAMMALS; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RADIATION MONITORING; RUMINANTS; SALMON; TESTING; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; WILD ANIMALS Concern about the effects of potential releases from nuclear and non-nuclear activities on the US Department of Energy's Hanford Site in southeastern Washington has evolved over four decades into a comprehensive environmental monitoring and surveillance program. The program includes field sampling, and chemical and physical analyses of air, surface and ground water, fish, wildlife, soil, foodstuffs, and natural vegetation. In addition to monitoring radioactivity in fish and wildlife, population numbers of key species are determined, usually during the breeding season. Data from monitoring efforts are used to assess the environmental impacts of Hanford operations and calculate the overall radiological dose to humans onsite, at the Site perimeter, or residing in nearby communities. Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) spawning in the Columbia River at Hanford has increased in recent years with a concomitant increase in winter nesting activity of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). An elk (Cervus elaphus) herd, established by immigration in 1972, is also increasing. Nesting Canada goose (Branta canadensis) and great blue heron (Ardea herodias), and various other animals, e.g., mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) are common. Measured exposure to penetrating radiation and calculated radiation doses to the public are well below applicable regulatory limits. 35 refs., 4 figs. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) United States 1989-02-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6377625
A survey of ecological risk assessment at DOE facilities Barnthouse, L W; Bascietto, J; Joseph, T; Bilyard, G 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540000; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; HEALTH AND SAFETY; HEALTH HAZARDS; INFORMATION NEEDS; REMEDIAL ACTION; RISK ASSESSMENT; US DOE The US Department of Energy (DOE) Risk-Based Standards Working Group is studying standard-setting and remedial action based on realistic estimates of human health and ecological risks. Federal and state regulations require DOE to assess ecological risks due to present and past operation of DOE facilities and ecological damage caused by remedial actions. Unfortunately, little technical guidance has been provided by regulatory agencies about how these assessments should be performed or what constitutes an adequate assessment. Active ecological research, environmental characterization, and ecological risk assessment programs are already underway at many locations. Some of these programs were established more than 30 years ago. Because of the strength of its existing programs and the depth of expertise available within the DOE complex, the agency is in a position to lead in developing ecological risk assessment procedures that are fully consistent with the general principles defined by EPA and that will ensure environmentally sound and cost-effective restoration of its sites. As a prelude to guidance development, the working group conducted a survey of ecological risk assessment activities at a subset of major DOE facilities. The survey was intended to (1) identify approaches now being used in ecological risk assessments performed by DOE staff and contractors at each site, (2) record successes and failures of these approaches, (3) identify new technical developments with potential for general application to many DOE facilities, and (4) identify major data needs, data resources, and methodological deficiencies. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-10-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10102291
Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Wildland Fire Management Environmental Assessment - April 2003 Irving, J S 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECOSYSTEM; ECOSYSTEMS; FIRE PREVENTION; FIRE PROTECTION; FIRES; IDAHO; MANAGEMENT; PERSONNEL; WEEDS; WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT DOE prepared an environmental assessment (EA)for wildland fire management activities on the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) (DOE/EA-1372). The EA was developed to evaluate wildland fire management options for pre-fire, fire suppression, and post fire activities. Those activities have an important role in minimizing the conversion of the native sagebrush steppe ecosystem found on the INEEL to non-native weeds. Four alternative management approaches were analyzed: Alternative 1 - maximum fire protection; Alternative 2 - balanced fire protection; Alternative 2 - balanced fire protection; Alternative 3 - protect infrastructure and personnel; and Alternative 4 - no action/traditional fire protection. Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2003-04-30T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/810961 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/810961
Review of Tank Lay-Up Status at US Department of Energy Radioactive Waste Tank Sites Elmore, Monte R; Henderson, Colin 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; CLOSURES; HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; STORAGE; TANKS; VALLEYS; WASTES During fiscal year (FY) 2001 as part of a Tanks Focus Area strategic intiative, tank lay-up options were developed and evaluated for the two high-level waste (HLW) storage tanks at the West Valley Demonstration Project. As follow-on task, a list of key waste tank contacts throughout the US Department of Energy complex was developed. Visits were then made to the primary DOE sites with radioactive waste storage tanks to discuss the concept and applicablility of tank lay-up. This report documents the results of individual discussions with tank closure staff at the four DOE Sites concerning tank closure status and plans as well as lay-up options and activities. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US) USDOE United States 2002-06-21T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/15010049 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/15010049
Above- and belowground competition from longleaf pine plantations limits performance of reintroduced herbaceous species. Harrington, T B; Dagley, C M; Edwards, M B 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; CLOSURES; NITROGEN; OPENINGS; PERFORMANCE; PINES; PLANTS; Pinus palustris; SEEDLINGS; SOILS; TREES; WATER; biomass; cover; needlefall; resource availability; trenching Although overstory trees limit the abundance and species richness of herbaceous vegetation in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) plantations, the responsible mechanisms are poorly understood because of confounding among limiting factors. In fall 1998, research was initiated to determine the separate effects of above- and belowground competition and needlefall from overstory pines on understory plant performance. Three 13- to 15-yr-old plantations near Aiken, SC, were thinned to 0, 25, 50, or 100% of nonthinned basal area (19.5 m2 ha-1). Combinations of trenching (to eliminate root competition) and needlefall were applied to areas within each plot, and containerized seedlings of 14 perennial herbaceous species and longleaf pine were planted within each. Overstory crown closure ranged from 0 to 81%, and soil water and available nitrogen varied consistently with pine stocking, trenching, or their combination. Cover of planted species decreased an average of 16.5 and 14.1% as a result of above- and below-ground competition, respectively. Depending on species, needlefall effects were positive, negative, or negligible. Results indicate that understory restoration will be most successful when herbaceous species are established within canopy openings (0.1-0.2 ha) managed to minimize negative effects from above- and belowground competition and needlefall. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2003-10-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835183
Flora of the Savannah River Plant Batson, W. T.; Jones, J. T.; Angerman, J. S. 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); BASELINE ECOLOGY; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; FEDERAL REGION IV; HABITAT; INVENTORIES; LAND USE; MAGNOLIOPHYTA; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURAL OCCURRENCE; NORTH AMERICA; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; PINOPHYTA; PLANTS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SOUTH CAROLINA; SPECIES DIVERSITY; SURVEYS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; VARIATIONS The Savannah River Plant (SRP) occupies an area of approximately 300 square miles in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Since the early 1950's it has been the subject of numerous ecological and botanical studies, many of which are focused on environmental effects of industrial activities. Early surveys of the flora have been succeeded by ecological studies of various habitats and species. Reported here are results of a survey of the vascular plants of the SRP, and a compilation of species reported on the site in previous studies. This project was undertaken to provide a list of the naturally-occurring vascular plants found on the SRP for the use of on-site researchers and visiting investigators, and to prepare a local herbarium as a reference collection of SRP plants. 60 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (USA) DOE/ER United States 1985-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5105908 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5105908
Survey of protected terrestrial vertebrates on the Oak Ridge Reservation. Final report Mitchell, J M; Vail, E R; Webb, J W; King, A L; Hamlett, P A 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORGDP; ORNL; POPULATION DYNAMICS; PROGRESS REPORT; VERTEBRATES; Y-12 PLANT Surveys of protected terrestrial vertebrates on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) were conducted from October 1994 through May 1996. The surveys were undertaken to help avoid or minimize the potential impacts of projects on the ORR to species listed by the state or federal government as endangered, threatened, or in need-of-management; federal species of concern were included. Results of the survey will also assist in effectively managing the ORR. Currently, there are 69 species of federal- or state-listed terrestrial vertebrates (20 reptiles and amphibians, 20 mammals, and 29 birds) that may occur in Tennessee. Listed animal species that might be present on the ORR were targeted for survey using a prioritization system based on historical and recent sightings, known species distributions, presence of suitable habitat, literature reviews, and personal communications. Survey methods included trapping, seining, monitoring artificial covers, active searching, and avian surveys. Surveys were conducted during the time of year when each targeted species was most likely to be encountered. The report also includes ancillary information. Records are provided for nonlisted species (44 species of reptiles and amphibians, 155 species of birds, and 28 species of mammals). Categorization of survey sites into 1 or more of 19 habitat types, which are briefly described, is presented. Notes are summarized on the occurrence of threatened and endangered species on the ORR. The report also lists threatened and endangered species not found that might be located by additional surveys, recommends three survey areas for natural-area status due to wildlife value, and suggests several avenues for future work. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1996-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/257381 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/257381
Establishment of a National Ecological Research Program and Institute Van Hook, R I 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540200; COORDINATED RESEARCH PROGRAMS; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, TERRESTRIAL; GRANTS; LAND RECLAMATION; NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION; RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND COMMERCIALIZATION; US EPA; WATER RECLAMATION Establishment of a national ecological research program and institute is discussed. The author says we need to establish a long-term ecological research program to develop a fuller understanding of basic ecosystem process so that scientists can evaluate the health of ecological systems and can predict quantitative and qualitative changes in these systems under foreseeable natural and man-made stress. This area is beginning to be addressed by the CEES, for example, but again with insufficient funding in comparison with other aspects of the US Global Change Program. The major elements of a long-term ecological research program should focus on providing support to develop the theories and hypotheses that dictate the required ecological measurements. EMAP is an excellent example of a large program that could benefit from new funding resources for the development of ecological theory and the study of ecological processes. These understandings are particularly important, and lacking, in system interfaces such as land/water interactions and atmosphere/canopy interactions. Funding stability for long-term ecological research can only be attained through a national commitment to the need. The commitment should be directed in a way that is sensitive to, but not controlled by, policy. Policy issues are particularly important as we attempt to deal with major environmental concerns, but long-term ecological research needs to be sufficiently independent of this process in order to maintain continuity and stability. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1990-12-31T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10133301
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540000* -- Environment-- (1990-); 550600 -- Medicine; 62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE; COST; DATA PROCESSING; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; MEDICINE; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; PLANNING; PROCESSING; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TASK SCHEDULING; TRAINING; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS This overview provides programmatic and other information about the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Biomedical and Environmental Sciences (BES) Program. Our mission is to conduct for our sponsors quality research and development (R D) using our local resources and collaborative groups in Oak Ridge and elsewhere. Our goals are excellence in both basic and applied research, appropriate educational training activities, and technology transfer. A primary mission of the BES Program is to identify and to understand important environmental and health effects associated with the energy technologies including (1) basic and applied biological research on genetic and somatic effects of radiation and chemical exposures; (2) relationships of primary energy-related effluents to global environmental issues; (3) development of human health and environmental assessments and risk analyses in these areas; and (4) development of advanced instrumentation, measurement techniques, and methodologies for applying nuclear technologies to medical diagnosis and treatment. A secondary mission is to contribute to relevant educational activities and the revitalization of American industry through a variety of associations and activities including cooperation with industrial consortia. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) DOE/ER United States 1990-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/7267618 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7267618
Long-term land use future scenarios for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONTAMINATION; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; IDAHO; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LAND POLLUTION CONTROL; LAND RECLAMATION; LAND USE; PLANNING; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; US DOE In order to facilitate decision regarding environmental restoration activities at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), the United States Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) conducted analyses to project reasonable future land use scenarios at the INEL for the next 100 years. The methodology for generating these scenarios included: review of existing DOE plans, policy statements, and mission statements pertaining to the INEL; review of surrounding land use characteristics and county developments policies; solicitation of input from local, county, state and federal planners, policy specialists, environmental professionals, and elected officials; and review of environmental and development constraints at the INEL site that could influence future land use. Ecology and Environment, Inc., Lancaster, NY (United States). Buffalo Corporate Center USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/416909 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/416909
Remote Sensing and Special Surveys Program annual report, January--December 1993. Environmental Restoration Program Conder, S R; Doll, W E; Gabrielsen, C A; King, A D; Durfee, R C; Parr, P D 052000; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; AERIAL SURVEYING; DATA ANALYSIS; FLUORESCENCE; GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS; HEALTH AND SAFETY; INFRARED SPECTRA; LASERS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PHOTOGRAPHY; PROGRESS REPORT; REMEDIAL ACTION; REMOTE SENSING; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SURVEYS; WASTE MANAGEMENT The Remote Sensing and Special Surveys Program has been established to provide environmental characterization data, change data, and trend data to various Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (ERWM) programs. The data are acquired through several different types of survey platforms. During the calendar year of 1993, a variety of surveys were conducted through the Remote Sensing and Special Surveys Program. The aerial surveys included geophysical, radiological, false color infrared (IR) photography, and natural color photography. Ground surveys were conducted to correlate data collected from the airborne platforms to data measured at ground level. Ground surveys were also conducted to determine the existence or absence of threatened and endangered plant species on the Oak Ridge Reservation. Some of the special surveys included laser induced fluorescence imaging, solar reflectance, and various remote sensing and ground control activities for the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) initiative. Data analysis, management, and storage are also conducted by the Remote Sensing and Special Surveys Program to achieve the highest level of data useability possible. The data acquired through these surveys have provided and will continue to provide much needed information to ERWM programs. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10139807 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10139807
Free-ranging dogs and cats on the Oak Ridge Reservation: Situation and solution Greenberg, C. H. 570000* -- Health & Safety; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; ANIMALS; BUILDINGS; CAPTURE; CATS; COYOTES; DEER; DISEASES; DOGS; HAZARDS; INFECTIOUS DISEASES; MAMMALS; MAN; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PRIMATES; RABBITS; RABIES; ROADS; RODENTS; RUMINANTS; SAFETY; TRAPPING; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; VIRAL DISEASES The free-ranging cat and dog population on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) was evaluated because of concern about the possibility of attacks on humans, the transmittal of disease, the impact on native ORR wildlife, and nuisance problems. Intensive trapping, scent-line transects, surveys of employee opinion at Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., and reports of free-ranging dog and cat sightings revealed that (1) the greatest population concentration is near major roads and buildings; (2) no incidents involving attacks or disease transmission to humans were reported (although harassment of humans by dogs was reported); (3) most Energy Systems employees regard the free-ranging dog and cat population as a nuisance problem, and only 8.1% regard the situation as severe. Recommendations to reduce this problem include: make attractive sites (sanitary landfills) inaccessible; repair exclosures along the ORR boundary; inform pet owners of and enforce laws regarding free-ranging pets; and create a system for reporting sightings and incidents and designate a person(s) to be responsible for responding to such reports. 31 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1989-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6201004 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6201004
Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Wildland Fire Management Environmental Assessment Irving, John S 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECOSYSTEMS; INEEL; MANAGEMENT; PERSONNEL; WEEDS; ecosystem; fire protection; wildland fire management DOE prepared an environmental assessment (EA)for wildland fire management activities on the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) (DOE/EA-1372). The EA was developed to evaluate wildland fire management options for pre-fire, fire suppression, and post fire activities. Those activities have an important role in minimizing the conversion of the native sagebrush steppe ecosystem found on the INEEL to non-native weeds. Four alternative management approaches were analyzed: Alternative 1 - maximum fire protection; Alternative 2 - balanced fire protection; Alternative 2 - balanced fire protection; Alternative 3 - protect infrastructure and personnel; and Alternative 4 - no action/traditional fire protection. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) DOE - EM United States 2003-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/911508 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/911508
Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report for 2006 McMahon, Wayne; Hughes, Joan; Coffey, Mike; Thompson, Sharon 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; ASER,ORR; COMPLIANCE; GASEOUS WASTES; MONITORING; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PERFORMANCE; RADIATIONS; SAFETY; SAMPLING; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WATER This document is prepared annually to summarize environmental activities, primarily environmental-monitoring activities, on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) and within the ORR surroundings. The document fulfills the requirement of Department of Energy (DOE) Order 23l.IA, 'Environment, Safety and Health Reporting,' for an annual summary of environmental data to characterize environmental performance. The environmental-monitoring criteria are described in DOE Order 450.1, 'Environmental Protection Program.' The results summarized in this report are based on data collected prior to and through 2006. This report is not intended to provide the results of all sampling on the ORR. Additional data collected for other site and regulatory purposes, such as environmental restoration remedial investigation reports, waste management characterization sampling data, and environmental permit compliance data, are presented in other documents that have been prepared in accordance with applicable DOE guidance and/or laws and are referenced herein as appropriate. Corrections to the report for the previous year are found in Appendix A. Environmental monitoring on the ORR consists primarily of two major activities: effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. Effluent monitoring involves the collection and analysis of samples or measurements of liquid and gaseous effluents at the point of release to the environment; these measurements allow the quantification and official reporting of contaminants, assessment of radiation and chemical exposures to the public, and demonstration of compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements. Environmental surveillance consists of the collection and analysis of environmental samples from the site and its environs; these activities provide direct measurement of contaminant concentrations in air, water, groundwater, soil, foods, biota, and other media. Environmental surveillance data provide information regarding conformity with applicable DOE orders and, combined with data from effluent monitoring, allow the determination of chemical and radiation dose/exposure assess ments of ORR operations and effects, if any, on the local environment. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Oak Ridge Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (EM) United States 2007-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/972796 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/972796
Oak Ridge National Laboratory institutional plan, FY 1990--FY 1995 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; COOPERATION; ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; FISSION; FUEL MANAGEMENT; HEALTH SERVICES; INTERAGENCY COOPERATION; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR REACTIONS; ORNL; PLANNING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; REACTOR TECHNOLOGY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SOCIAL SERVICES; SUPERCONDUCTORS; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS The Oak Ridge National Laboratory is one of DOE's major multiprogram energy laboratories. ORNL's program missions are (1) to conduct applied research and engineering development in support of DOE's programs in fusion, fission, fossil, renewables (biomass), and other energy technologies, and in the more efficient conversion and use of energy (conservation) and (2) to perform basic scientific research in selected areas of the physical and life sciences. These missions are to be carried out in compliance with environmental, safety, and health regulations. Transfer of science and technology is an integral component of our missions. A complementary mission is to apply the Laboratory's resources to other nationally important tasks when such work is synergistic with the program missions. Some of the issues addressed include education, international competitiveness, hazardous waste research and development, and selected defense technologies. In addition to the R D missions, ORNL performs important service roles for DOE; these roles include designing, building, and operating user facilities for the benefit of university and industrial researchers and supplying radioactive and stable isotopes that are not available from private industry. Scientific and technical efforts in support of the Laboratory's missions cover a spectrum of activities. In fusion, the emphasis is on advanced studies of toroidal confinement, plasma heating, fueling systems, superconducting magnets, first-wall and blanket materials, and applied plasma physics. 69 figs., 49 tabs. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) DOE/ER United States 1989-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5260358 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5260358
Edaphic controls on soil organic carbon stocks in restored grasslands O'Brien, Sarah L.; Jastrow, Julie D.; Grimley, David A.; Gonzalez-Meler, Miquel A. Not Available USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) Netherlands 2015-08-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.03.023 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1367924
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact: Interim Measures for the Mixed Waste Management Facility Groundwater at the Burial Ground Complex at the Savannah River Site 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; BURIAL GROUND COMPLEX; COMPLIANCE; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GROUNDWATER; IMPLEMENTATION; INTERIM MEASURES; IRRIGATION; MIXED WASTE MANAGEMENT; MODIFICATIONS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; PLUMES; REGULATIONS; RESOURCE CONSERVATION; SRS; TRITIUM; US CEQ; US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WATER The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) prepared this environmental assessment (EA) to analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed interim measures for the Mixed Waste Management Facility (MW) groundwater at the Burial Ground Complex (BGC) at the Savannah River Site (SRS), located near Aiken, South Carolina. DOE proposes to install a small metal sheet pile dam to impound water around and over the BGC groundwater seepline. In addition, a drip irrigation system would be installed. Interim measures will also address the reduction of volatile organic compounds (VOCS) from ''hot-spot'' regions associated with the Southwest Plume Area (SWPA). This action is taken as an interim measure for the MWMF in cooperation with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) to reduce the amount of tritium seeping from the BGC southwest groundwater plume. The proposed action of this EA is being planned and would be implemented concurrent with a groundwater corrective action program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). On September 30, 1999, SCDHEC issued a modification to the SRS RCRA Part B permit that adds corrective action requirements for four plumes that are currently emanating from the BGC. One of those plumes is the southwest plume. The RCRA permit requires SRS to submit a corrective action plan (CAP) for the southwest plume by March 2000. The permit requires that the initial phase of the CAP prescribe a remedy that achieves a 70-percent reduction in the annual amount of tritium being released from the southwest plume area to Fourmile Branch, a nearby stream. Approval and actual implementation of the corrective measure in that CAP may take several years. As an interim measure, the actions described in this EA would manage the release of tritium from the southwest plume area until the final actions under the CAP can be implemented. This proposed action is expected to reduce the release of tritium from the southwest plume area to Fourmile Branch between 25 to 35 percent. If this proposed action is undertaken and its effectiveness is demonstrated, it may become a component of the final action in the CAP. This document was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended; the requirements of the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508); and the DOE Regulations for Implementing NEPA (10 CFR 1021). NEPA requires the assessment of environmental consequences of Federal actions that may affect the quality of the human environment. Based on the potential for impacts described herein, DOE will either publish a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) or prepare an environmental impact statement (EM). Savannah River Site, Aiken, SC (US) USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US) United States 1999-12-08T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/768269 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/768269
Results of 2001 Groundwater Sampling in Support of Conditional No Longer Contained-In Determination for the Snake River Plain Aquifer in the Vicinity of the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center Meachum, T R 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUIFERS; GROUNDWATER; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; MONITORING; NEOPLASMS; QUALITY ASSURANCE; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAMPLING; SNAKE RIVER PLAIN; WATER WELLS; WELLS This report summarizes the results of sampling five groundwater monitoring wells in the vicinity of the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory in 2001. Information on general sampling practices, quality assurance practices, parameter concentrations, representativeness of sampling results, and cumulative cancer risk are presented. The information is provided to support a conditional No Longer Contained-In Determination for the Snake River Plain Aquifer in the vicinity of the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center. Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID (US) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US) United States 2002-04-26T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/795181 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/795181
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Annual technical progress report of ecological research Smith, M H 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECOLOGY; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; GEORGIA; PROGRESS REPORT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) is a research unit of the University of Georgia (UGA). The overall mission of the Laboratory is to acquire and communicate knowledge of ecological processes and principles. SREL conducts basic and applied ecological research, as well as education and outreach programs, under a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, South Carolina. Significant accomplishments were made during the past year in the areas of research, education and service. The Laboratory`s research mission was fulfilled with the publication of two books and 143 journal articles and book chapters by faculty, technical and students, and visiting scientists. An additional three books and about 80 journal articles currently are in press. Faculty, technician and students presented 193 lectures, scientific presentations, and posters to colleges and universities, including minority institutions. Dr. J Vaun McArthur organized and conducted the Third Annual SREL Symposium on the Environment: New Concepts in Strewn Ecology: An Integrative Approach. Dr. Michael Newman conducted a 5-day course titled Quantitative Methods in Ecotoxicology, and Dr. Brian Teppen of The Advanced Analytical Center for Environmental Sciences (AACES) taught a 3-day short course titled Introduction to Molecular Modeling of Environmental Systems. Dr. I. Lehr Brisbin co-hosted a meeting of the Crocodile Special Interest Group. Dr. Rebecca Sharitz attended four symposia in Japan during May and June 1996 and conducted meetings of the Executive Committee and Board of the International Association for Ecology (ENTECOL). Georgia Univ., Athens, GA (United States). Research Foundation USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1996-07-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/437686 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/437686
Results of 2001 Groundwater Sampling in Support of Conditional No Longer Contained-In Determination for the Snake River Plain Aquifer in the Vicinity of the INTEC at the INEEL Meachum, Teresa Ray 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUIFERS; INEEL; MONITORING; NEOPLASMS; QUALITY ASSURANCE; SAMPLING; SNAKE RIVER PLAIN; groundwater; quality assurance; sampling; wells This report summarizes the results of sampling five groundwater monitoring wells in the vicinity of the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory in 2001. Information on general sampling practices, quality assurance practices, parameter concentrations, representativeness of sampling results, and cumulative cancer risk are presented. The information is provided to support a conditional No Longer Contained-In Determination for the Snake River Plain Aquifer in the vicinity of the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) USDOE United States 2002-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/911409 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/911409
Resource Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation: Volume 22, Resource information and site analysis for planning on the Oak Ridge Reservation Chance, W. W. 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290400 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources; 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; RECOMMENDATIONS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS The Department of Energy's (DOE's) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) consists of approximately 15,000 ha (37,000 acres) of federally owned lands; it contains three major facilities (Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant) operated by a single contractor and a number of other facilities operated either by DOE or under contract to others. This report documents the various land use elements, land use constraints (physical, programmatic, and geopolitical), and site potential capabilities and provides current documentation of related data for making land use and site development decisions. The ORR has physical, programmatic, and geopolitical constraints that have been identified, measured, and mapped. The constraints and opportunities map was used to identify developable land areas. Many of these sites have only remote potential for meeting any planned needs for expansion of existing facilities. However, stand-alone research functions or other facilities are possible on these sites. These studied and measured findings lead to the conclusion that extreme care must be taken in the evaluation of future use or disposition of available land. Furthermore, it is time to consider and evaluate the feasibility for renewal. The potential for recycling lands formerly used by programs and functions that have been completed or terminated is very real, considering the age, condition, and obsolescence of these facilities. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1986-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/7000286 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7000286
Effects of switchgrass cultivars and intraspecific differences in root structure on soil carbon inputs and accumulation Adkins, Jaron; Jastrow, Julie D.; Morris, Geoffrey P.; Six, Johan; de Graaff, Marie-Anne Not Available USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) Netherlands 2016-01-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.08.019 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1398139
Overview of environmental research at the Savannah River Laboratory Harvey, R. S. 500200* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 500300 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 520400 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Thermal Effluents Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520500 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOLOGY; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; EARTH ATMOSPHERE; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; HYDROLOGY; MASS TRANSFER; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OCEANOGRAPHY; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; US AEC; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTES Research in the environmental sciences by the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) has the general objective of improving our understanding of transport through ecosystems and functional processes within ecosystems. With increased understanding, the basis for environmental assessments can be improved for releases from the Savannah River Plant or from the power industry of the southeastern United States. Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Savannah River Lab. United States 1977-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7087095
Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Requirements (ARARs) for Remedial Action at the Oak Ridge Reservation: A compendium of major environmental laws. Environmental Restoration Program Etnier, E L; McDonald, E P; Houlberg, L M 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540230; 540250; COMPLIANCE; CONTAMINATION; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; HEALTH AND SAFETY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; REMEDIAL ACTION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; US DOE; US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; US OSHA; US SUPERFUND Section 121 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 specifies that remedial actions for cleanup of hazardous substances must comply with applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARARS) or standards under federal and state environmental laws. The US Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) was placed on the National Priorities List by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on November 21, 1989, effective December 21, 1989. As a result of this listing, DOE, EPA, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation have signed a Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) for the environmental restoration of the ORR. Section XXI(F) of the FFA calls for the preparation of a draft listing of all ARARs as mandated by CERCLA {section}121. This report supplies a preliminary list of available federal and state ARARs that might be considered for remedial response at the ORR. A description of the terms ``applicable`` and ``relevant and appropriate`` is provided, as well as definitions of chemical-, location-, and action-specific ARARS. ARARs promulgated by the federal government and by the state of Tennessee are listed in tables. In addition, the major provisions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air and other acts, as they apply to hazardous waste cleanup, are discussed. In the absence of ARARS, CERCLA {section}121 provides for the use of nonpromulgated federal criteria, guidelines, and advisories in evaluating the human risk associated with remedial action alternatives. Such nonpromulgated standards are classified as ``to-be-considered`` (TBC) guidance. A ion of available guidance is given; summary tables fist the available federal standards and guidance information. In addition, the substantive contents of the DOE orders as they apply to remediation of radioactively contaminated sites are discussed as TBC guidance. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10176653 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10176653
Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report for 2009 Thompson, Sharon D; Loffman, Regis S The Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report is prepared annually and presents summary environmental data to (1) characterize environmental performance, (2) summarize environmental occurrences reported during the year, (3) confirm compliance with environmental standards and requirements, and (4) highlight significant program activities. The report fulfills the requirement contained in DOE Order 231.1A, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting (DOE 2004) that an integrated annual site environmental report be prepared. The results summarized in this report are based on data collected prior to and through 2009. This report is not intended to nor does it present the results of all environmental monitoring associated with the ORR. Data collected for other site and regulatory purposes, such as environmental restoration/remedial investigation reports, waste management characterization sampling data, and environmental permit compliance data, are presented in other documents that have been prepared in accordance with applicable DOE guidance and/or laws and are referenced herein as appropriate. Appendix A to this report identifies corrections for the 2008 report. Appendix B contains a glossary of technical terms that may be useful for understanding the terminology used in this document. Environmental monitoring on the ORR consists primarily of two major activities: effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. Effluent monitoring involves the collection and analysis of samples or measurements of liquid and gaseous effluents at the points of release to the environment; these measurements allow the quantification and official reporting of contaminant levels, assessment of radiation and chemical exposures to the public, and demonstration of compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements. Environmental surveillance consists of direct measurements and collection and analysis of samples taken from the site and its environs exclusive of effluents; these activities provide information on contaminant concentrations in air, water, groundwater, soil, foods, biota, and other media. Environmental surveillance data support determinations regarding environmental compliance and, when combined with data from effluent monitoring, support chemical and radiation dose and exposure assessments regarding the potential effects of ORR operations, if any, on the local environment. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) ORNL other overhead United States 2010-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1001293 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1001293
Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site environmental report summary for 1994 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, APPLIED STUDIES; AIR; ANIMALS; CONTAMINATION; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANTS; PUBLIC HEALTH; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; SOILS; WATER This document presents a summary of the information collected for the Oak Ridge Reservation 1994 site environmental report. Topics discussed include: Oak Ridge Reservation mission; ecology; environmental laws; community participation; environmental restoration; waste management; radiation effects; chemical effects; risk to public; environmental monitoring; and radionuclide migration. Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Oak Ridge K-25 Site, TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/150689 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/150689
Performance of Planted Herbaceous Species in Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) Plantations: Overstory Effects of Competition and Needlefall Dagley, C M Understory vegetation; containerized reproduction; restoration ecology Research to determine the separate effects of above-ground and below-ground competition and needlefall of over-story pines on under-story plant performance. Periodic monitoring of over-story crown closure, soil water content, temperature, and nutrients were conducted. Results indicate competition for light had a more determental effect on performance of herbaceous species in longleaf pine plantations than that resulting from competition for below-ground resources. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC United States 2001-07-03T04:00:00Z Other https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807621
The Pauropoda (Myriapoda) of the Savannah River Plant, Aiken, South Carolina Scheller, U 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); ANIMALS; ARACHNIDS; ARTHROPODS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; BIOLOGY; CLASSIFICATION; ECOLOGY; INVERTEBRATES; LIFE CYCLE; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TAXONOMY; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS Though the pauropods of the US have been treated by many authors for more than a hundred years their occurrence not only on the Savannah River Plant (SRP) but in South Carolina as a whole has not been studied. Up to now not a single species has been recorded from these areas. The faunas of the surrounding states give little clue as to what might be expected in the SRP area because they too are almost uninvestigated (eleven species known from Tennessee, twelve from North Carolina, one from Alabama and one from Georgia). In fact, eighteen species in all have been listed from the states mentioned and six of them can now be put on the SRP list together with eight others. Several species not accounted for in this report may appear in future sampling. Among the species found, a high proportion was new to science. This necessarily moved the main emphasis of the study to taxonomic description because new taxa have to be named and described. They must also be included in a review such as this, as there are currently no other means to give a picture of the present state of knowledge. The fourteen species reported here for the SRP are certainly only a fraction of the total fauna. 25 refs., 26 figs. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (USA) DOE/DP United States 1988-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5034022 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5034022
Laboratory cross-borehole imaging of unconsolidated sediments Johnson, P A; Larkin, T H; Phillips, W S; Eischied, G 58 GEOSCIENCES; 580203* -- Geophysics-- Geophysical Survey Methods-- (1980-1989); BOREHOLES; CAVITIES; COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY; DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES; GROUND WATER; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROLOGY; IMAGE PROCESSING; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PROCESSING; SEDIMENTS; TOMOGRAPHY; WATER Cross-borehole elastic wave tomography offers great potential for subsurface imaging of sediments and associated fluids. Using this method we created a high resolution tomographic image of velocity structure obtained from laboratory generated compressional wave traveltimes in unconsolidated sediments. The image shows three layers and a water filled container located in the center of the middle layer. An image obtained from computer simulated traveltimes shows good agreement with the image from laboratory data. Source frequency was 135 kHz, velocities ranged from 1.4 to 1.8 km/s, and thus wavelengths were 1.0 to 1.4 cm. Distance between boreholes was 30 cm with about 60 cm of vertical coverage. Over 900 raypaths were used in the image. The seismic quality factor Q ranged from 11 to 25 in the two saturated sediments. Our immediate application of this method is to ecological problems. However, such a method could be applied to small scale hydrological problems and other areas of interest where fluid content is of interest. 2 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) DOE/ER United States 1989-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference 10.1190/1.1889813 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5644420
Environmental assessment for the expansion and operation of the Central Shops Borrow Pit at the Savannah River Site 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; BACKFILLING; BUILDING MATERIALS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; EXCAVATION; REMEDIAL ACTION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOILS The Department of Energy (DOE) prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) to assess the potential environmental impacts of the proposed expansion and operation of an existing borrow pit at the Savannah River Site (SRS), located near Aiken, South Carolina. A borrow pit is defined as an excavated area where material has been dug for use as fill at another location. The proposed action would entail the areal enlargement, continued operation, and eventual close-out of the established facility known as the Central Shops Borrow Pit. Operations at SRS supporting waste site closure and the construction and maintenance of site facilities and infrastructure require readily available suitable soil for use as fill material. With the recent depletion of the other existing on-site sources for such material, DOE proposes to expand the existing facility. The National Environmental Policy Act requires the assessment of environmental consequences of Federal actions that may affect the quality of the human environment. Based on the potential for impacts described herein, DOE will either publish a Finding of No Significant Impact or prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Department of Energy, Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/671962 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/671962
Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1985 to the DOE Office of Energy Research. Part 2. Environmental sciences Wildung, R E 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 510200 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520100 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSTRACTS; ARID LANDS; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COASTAL WATERS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; GEOCHEMISTRY; LEADING ABSTRACT; MASS TRANSFER; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PACIFIC OCEAN; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SEAS; SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENTS; SURFACE WATERS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WILD ANIMALS This 1985 annual report describes research in environment, health, and safety conducted during fiscal year 1985. Individual abstracts have been prepared for the program areas. (ACR) Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) United States 1986-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5744261 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5744261
Argonne National Laboratory annual report of Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program Activities FY 2009. 43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS; ADVANCED PHOTON SOURCE; ANL; AWARDS; BIOFUELS; ENERGY STORAGE; MANAGEMENT; POSITIONING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; RECOMMENDATIONS; REPORTING REQUIREMENTS; TRANSFORMATIONS I am pleased to submit Argonne National Laboratory's Annual Report on its Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) activities for fiscal year 2009. Fiscal year 2009 saw a heightened focus by DOE and the nation on the need to develop new sources of energy. Argonne scientists are investigating many different sources of energy, including nuclear, solar, and biofuels, as well as ways to store, use, and transmit energy more safely, cleanly, and efficiently. DOE selected Argonne as the site for two new Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) - the Institute for Atom-Efficient Chemical Transformations and the Center for Electrical Energy Storage - and funded two other EFRCs to which Argonne is a major partner. The award of at least two of the EFRCs can be directly linked to early LDRD-funded efforts. LDRD has historically seeded important programs and facilities at the lab. Two of these facilities, the Advanced Photon Source and the Center for Nanoscale Materials, are now vital contributors to today's LDRD Program. New and enhanced capabilities, many of which relied on LDRD in their early stages, now help the laboratory pursue its evolving strategic goals. LDRD has, since its inception, been an invaluable resource for positioning the Laboratory to anticipate, and thus be prepared to contribute to, the future science and technology needs of DOE and the nation. During times of change, LDRD becomes all the more vital for facilitating the necessary adjustments while maintaining and enhancing the capabilities of our staff and facilities. Although I am new to the role of Laboratory Director, my immediate prior service as Deputy Laboratory Director for Programs afforded me continuous involvement in the LDRD program and its management. Therefore, I can attest that Argonne's program adhered closely to the requirements of DOE Order 413.2b and associated guidelines governing LDRD. Our LDRD program management continually strives to be more efficient. In addition to meeting all reporting requirements during fiscal year 2009, our LDRD Office continues to enhance its electronic systems to streamline the LDRD management process. You will see from the following individual project reports that Argonne's researchers have once again done a superb job pursuing projects at the forefront of their respective fields and have contributed significantly to the advancement of Argonne's strategic thrusts. This work has not only attracted follow-on sponsorship in many cases, but is also proving to be a valuable basis upon which to continue realignment of our strategic portfolio to better match the Laboratory's Strategic Plan. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC) United States 2010-04-09T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/977186 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977186
User's guide to DOE facilities 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100* -- Management; COST; EQUIPMENT; LABORATORIES; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PERSONNEL; PLANNING; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS The Department of Energy's research laboratories represent valuable, often unique, resources for university and industrial scientists. It is DOE policy to make these laboratories and facilities available to qualified scientists. The answers to such questions as who are eligible, what and where are the facilities, what is the cost, when can they be used, are given. Data sheets are presented for each facility to provide information such as location, user contact, description of research, etc. A subject index refers to areas of research and equipment available. Department of Energy, Washington, DC (USA). Office of Field Operations Management United States 1984-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5229614 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5229614
Variation in runoff and erosion rates from different trench cap cover systems Lopez, E A; Barnes, F J; Kincaid, M L; Antonio, E J 052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; DISSOLUTION; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EROSION; EVALUATION; GROUND COVER; GROUND DISPOSAL; GROUND WATER; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; LASL; LEACHING; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PLANTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RECHARGE; RUNOFF; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SEPARATION PROCESSES; SOILS; STABILIZATION; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VARIATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER A field-scale demonstration study was established at Los Alamos National Laboratory to evaluate the interactive effects of soil surface mulches and type of vegetative cover on site water balance and erosion under natural precipitation conditions. The study was established on an inactive, low-level radioactive waste site, and consists of clusters of plots on 3 different soil profiles. Each cluster consists of two pairs of plots. Each pair of plots has either shrub or grass vegetative cover, and one plot of each pair received a gravel surface mulch at the time of insulation. Soil moisture was measured biweekly, and plant and soil surface cover were measured seasonally. Total runoff and sediment transport from each plot was measured after each precipitation event or each snowmelt event. Data from 1987 and 1988 show increased stabilization of the soil surface with time. Runoff and sediment transport is five to ten times greater on unmulched plots in comparison to plots with a gravel mulch. Higher precipitation than usual in 1988 resulted in erosion rates that exceeded tolerance limits on several unmulched plots. Runoff from snowmelt was greater on mulched plots, and generally had low sediment concentrations. Continued monitoring of the site through 1989 will result in a unique data base of the effects of natural precipitation and different cover designs on site performance. 10 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) United States 1989-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6383130
AQUATIC MACROINVERTEBRATE SURVEYS IN UPPER THREE RUNS CREEK AND PEN BRANCH (TASK ORDER 181) Paller, M 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; HABITAT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; STREAMS No abstract prepared. SRS DOE United States 1999-02-16T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/895968 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/895968
Isotope studies to determine dry deposition of sulfate to deciduous and coniferous trees: Final draft Garten, Jr, C T 500200* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; AIR POLLUTION; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS; BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS; CANOPIES; CONIFERS; DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; DEPOSITION; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; FOLIAR UPTAKE; FUNCTIONS; ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS; ISOTOPE DILUTION; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; MAPLES; NAPAP; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURAL OCCURRENCE; NUCLEI; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PINES; PLANTS; POLLUTION; POPLARS; RADIOISOTOPES; SULFATES; SULFUR 35; SULFUR COMPOUNDS; SULFUR CYCLE; SULFUR ISOTOPES; THROUGHFALL; TRACER TECHNIQUES; TREES; UPTAKE; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS Experiments have been conducted at two locations near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, with radioactive /sup 35/S (87 day half-life) to examine the cycling behavior of sulfur in yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), red maple (Acer rubrum), and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) trees. Some findings pertain to methods development for estimating dry deposition of sulfur to forest canopies and the magnitude of sulfur emissions from natural sources (Task II). We will determine through field studies, the internal cycling, storage, and biogenic emission of sulfur, as traced by /sup 35/SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/, in environments impacted by atmospheric sulfate deposition; and will determine through isotope dilution studies, the contribution of foliar leaching and dry deposition to net throughfall (NTF) sulfate concentrations beneath deciduous and coniferous trees in such environments. 3 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1988-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5447347
Floristic composition and plant succession on near-surface radioactive-waste-disposal facilities in the Los Alamos National Laboratory Tierney, G D; Foxx, T S 052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 510500 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 553000 -- Agriculture & Food Technology; 560131 -- Radiation Effects on Microorganisms-- Basic Studies-- (-1987); 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; DATA; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; GRASS; INFORMATION; LAND RECLAMATION; LASL; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUMERICAL DATA; PLANTS; PREFERRED SPECIES; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; REVEGETATION; SHRUBS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TREES; UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES Since 1946, low-level radioactive waste has been buried in shallow landfills within the confines of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Five of these sites were studied for plant composition and successional patterns by reconnaissance and vegetation mapping. The data show a slow rate of recovery for all sites, regardless of age, in both the pinon-juniper and ponderosa pine communities. The sites are not comparable in succession or composition because of location and previous land use. The two oldest sites have the highest species diversity and the only mature trees. All sites allowed to revegetate naturally tend to be colonized by the same species that originally surrounded the sites. Sites on historic fields are colonized by the old field flora, whereas those in areas disturbed only by grazing are revegetated by the local native flora. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) United States 1982-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5111929 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5111929
Environmental resource document for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Volume 2 Irving, J S 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540120; 540130; 540150; 540220; 540230; 540250; 540320; 540330; 540350; AESTHETICS; AIR QUALITY; CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; ENVIRONMENT; GEOGRAPHY; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LAND RESOURCES; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS; WATER RESOURCES This document contains information related to the environmental characterization of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The INEL is a major US Department of Energy facility in southeastern Idaho dedicated to nuclear research, waste management, environmental restoration, and other activities related to the development of technology. Environmental information covered in this document includes land, air, water, and ecological resources; socioeconomic characteristics and land use; and cultural, aesthetic, and scenic resources. EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10134813 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10134813
Savannah River Site (SRS) environmental overview O'Rear, M G; Steele, J L; Kitchen, B G 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; 293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy, Legislation, & Regulation; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540120 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540130 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540220 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540230 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540320 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540330 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES; AIR QUALITY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; IMPLEMENTATION; LAWS; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; PERMIT APPLICATIONS; PUBLIC RELATIONS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER QUALITY The environmental surveillance activities at and in the vicinity of the Savannah River Site (SRS) (formerly the Savannah River Plant (SRP)) comprise one of the most comprehensive and extensive environmental monitoring programs in the United States. This overview contains monitoring data from routine and nonroutine radiological and nonradiological environmental surveillance activities, summaries of environmental protection programs in progress, a summary of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) activities, and a listing of environmental permits (Appendix A) issued by regulatory agencies. This overview provides information about the impact of SRS operations on the public and the environment. The SRS occupies a large area of approximately 300 square miles along the Savannah River, principally in Aiken and Barnwell counties of South Carolina. SRS's primary function is the production of tritium, plutonium, and other special nuclear materials for national defense, for other governmental uses, and for some civilian purposes. From August 1950 to March 31, 1989, SRS was operated for the Department of Energy (DOE) by E. I. du Pont de Nemours Co. On April 1, 1989 the Westinghouse Savannah River Company assumed responsibility as the prime contractor for the Savannah River Site. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (USA) DOE/DP United States 1990-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6267589 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6267589
Communicating with Public and Scientific Audiences: Are They Really Any Different? Gray, R. H.; Brown, T. L. 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; 290600* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Nuclear Energy; COMMUNICATIONS; DECISION MAKING; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HANFORD RESERVATION; INFORMATION; MEETINGS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PUBLIC INFORMATION; PUBLIC RELATIONS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS Efforts to communicate the results of environmental studies and involve the public in environmental decisions have increased nationwide. Frequently, the assumption is made that communicating with the public is somehow different than communicating with scientific audiences. Our experience shows that this is often not the case. Today's multi-disciplinary environmental issues pose communications problems that are the same in public as they are in scientific forums. Outreach efforts on the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Nuclear Site have drawn on a broad spectrum of communications media including techni cal articles (open literature and symposium publications, annual and topical reports); information brochures; video productions; interactive exhibits; presentations at scientific, technical, civic and other public meetings; and, more recently, proactive interactions with the news media and local, state, and federal agencies. In addition, plans are being made for representatives of local communities to operate offsite sampling stations in Hanford's environmental monitoring network. All major environmental programs, such as the current five-year effort to reconstruct past radiological doses to offsite human populations, are conducted with open public participation. This presentation describes Hanford's public outreach efforts, our successes and failures, and the lessons learned. For example, developing brochures and videos is of little value without also developing and implementing a detailed distribution plan. Follow-up activities are often neglected during initial planning stages but must be considered in outreach efforts. Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), Richland, WA (United States) USDOE United States 1991-04-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5893378
Future land use plan 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BNL; DEMOGRAPHY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; LAND USE; MAPS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; REMEDIAL ACTION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; WASTE MANAGEMENT The US Department of Energy`s (DOE) changing mission, coupled with the need to apply appropriate cleanup standards for current and future environmental restoration, prompted the need for a process to determine preferred Future Land Uses for DOE-owned sites. DOE began the ``Future Land Use`` initiative in 1994 to ensure that its cleanup efforts reflect the surrounding communities` interests in future land use. This plan presents the results of a study of stakeholder-preferred future land uses for the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), located in central Long Island, New York. The plan gives the Laboratory`s view of its future development over the next 20 years, as well as land uses preferred by the community were BNL ever to cease operations as a national laboratory (the post-BNL scenario). The plan provides an overview of the physical features of the site including its history, topography, geology/hydrogeology, biological inventory, floodplains, wetlands, climate, and atmosphere. Utility systems and current environmental operations are described including waste management, waste water treatment, hazardous waste management, refuse disposal and ground water management. To complement the physical descriptions of the site, demographics are discussed, including overviews of the surrounding areas, laboratory population, and economic and non-economic impacts. Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-08-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/106537 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/106537
Seasonal food habits of the coyote in the South Carolina coastal plain. Schrecengost, J. D.; Kilgo, J. C.; Mallard, D.; Ray, H. Scott; Miller, K. V. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Canis latrans; coyote; deer predation; seasonal food habits Abstract - Spatial and temporal plasticity in Canis latrans (coyote) diets require regional studies to understand the ecological role of this omnivorous canid. Because coyotes have recently become established in South Carolina, we investigated their food habits by collecting 415 coyote scats on the Savannah River Site in western South Carolina from May 2005-July 2006. Seasonally available soft mast was the most common food item in 12 of the 15 months we sampled. Odocoileus virginianus (white-tailed deer) was the most common food item during December (40%) and March (37%). During May-June, fruits of Prunus spp. and Rubus spp. were the most commonly occurring food items. Fawns were the most common mammalian food item during May and June of both years despite low deer density. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2008-07-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1656/1528-7092(2008)7[135:SFHOTC]2.0.CO;2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1012271
Seasonal food habits of the coyote in the South Carolina coastal plain. Schrecengost, J. D.; Kilgo, J. C.; Mallard, D.; Ray, H. Scott; Miller, K. V. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Canis latrans; coyote; deer predation; seasonal food habits Abstract - Spatial and temporal plasticity in Canis latrans (coyote) diets require regional studies to understand the ecological role of this omnivorous canid. Because coyotes have recently become established in South Carolina, we investigated their food habits by collecting 415 coyote scats on the Savannah River Site in western South Carolina from May 2005-July 2006. Seasonally available soft mast was the most common food item in 12 of the 15 months we sampled. Odocoileus virginianus (white-tailed deer) was the most common food item during December (40%) and March (37%). During May-June, fruits of Prunus spp. and Rubus spp. were the most commonly occurring food items. Fawns were the most common mammalian food item during May and June of both years despite low deer density. USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, New Ellenton, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 2008-07-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1656/1528-7092(2008)7[135:SFHOTC]2.0.CO;2 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1012270
Fermilab Report - Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Monthly Report, July/September 1991 Fermilab Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) United States 1991-01-01T04:00:00Z Program Document https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1402491
Relationships between physiological and fish population responses in a contaminated stream Adams, S. Marshall; Crumby, W. Dennis; Greeley, Jr., Mark S.; Ryon, Michael G.; Schilling, Elizabeth M. Abstract Relationships between toxicant exposure, physiological effects, and population-level responses were investigated in redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus) from a stream receiving chronic inputs of mixed contaminants. Elevated levels of detoxification enzymes, which provided evidence of direct toxicant exposure, were associated with low lipid levels, histopathological damage, and reduced growth for fish at the upper three sites in the contaminated stream. Decreased fecundity, exhibited by fish at the upper site, might have been due to the reduced capacity of the liver to manufacture yolk proteins. Reduction in lipid pools due to metabolic drains might have decreased the amount of physiological useful energy needed for growth resulting in smaller age-specific sizes of fish at the upper three sites. This approach for investigating relationships between contaminant exposure, physiological effects, and population-level responses such as growth and size distributions could serve as a model for designing biomonitoring studies and for stimulating further research to improve our ability to evaluate the ecological significance of chronic contaminant stressors on aquatic ecosystems.
USDOE United States 1992-11-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1002/etc.5620111105 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2496840
Oak Ridge Reservation annual site environmental report summary for 1995 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; MONITORING; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; REGULATIONS The US Department of Energy (DOE) requires an annual site environmental report from each of the sites operating under its authority. The reports present the results from the various environmental monitoring and surveillance programs carried out during the year. In addition to meeting the DOE requirement, the reports also document compliance with various state and federal laws and regulations. This report was published to fulfill those requirements for the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) for calendar year 1995. The report is based on thousands of environmental samples collected on and around the ORR and analyzed during the year. The data on which the report is based are published in Environmental Monitoring and Surveillance on the Oak Ridge Reservation: 1995 Data (ES/ESH-71). Both documents are highly detailed. This summary report is meant for readers who are interested in the monitoring results but who do not need to review the details. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US); Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (US); Oak Ridge K-25 Site, TN (US) USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (US) United States 1996-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/661505 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/661505
Historical agriculture and contemporary fire frequency alter soil properties in longleaf pine woodlands Bizzari, Lauren E.; Collins, Cathy D.; Brudvig, Lars A.; Damschen, Ellen I. Not Available USDOE Netherlands 2015-08-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.foreco.2015.04.006 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1251958
Wetland Survey of the X-10 Bethel Valley and Melton Valley Groundwater Operable Units at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee Rosensteel, B 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BREAKDOWN; CLASSIFICATION; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORNL; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; TENNESSEE; WETLANDS This wetland survey report regarding wetlands within Melton Valley and Bethel Valley areas of the Oak Ridge Reservation was prepared in accordance with requirements under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act for reporting the results of a site characterization for public review. This work was done under Work Breakdown Structure number 1.4.12.6.1.15.41. This document provides the Environmental Restoration program with information on the results of the wetland survey conducted during fiscal year 1995. it includes information on the physical characteristics, location, approximate size, and classification of wetland areas identified during the field survey. ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 1993-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/814429 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/814429
Environmental assessment for radioisotope heat source fuel processing and fabrication 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ACCIDENTS; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; FUEL FABRICATION PLANTS; FUELS; GEOLOGY; HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; HEAVY NUCLEI; ISOTOPES; LAND USE; LANL; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; METEOROLOGY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; NUCLEAR FUELS; NUCLEI; PLUTONIUM 238; PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES; RADIOISOTOPES; REACTOR MATERIALS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SEISMOLOGY; SILICON 32 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES; TRANSPORT; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOT DOE has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) for radioisotope heat source fuel processing and fabrication involving existing facilities at the Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, South Carolina and the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) near Los Alamos, New Mexico. The proposed action is needed to provide Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG) to support the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) CRAF and Cassini Missions. Based on the analysis in the EA, DOE has determined that the proposed action does not constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement is not required. 30 refs., 5 figs. USDOE Assistant Secretary for Space and Defense Energy Systems, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Special Applications DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1991-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5654071 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5654071
Resource management plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 20. Soil conservation plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation Lietzke, D. A.; Lee, S. Y.; Tamura, T. 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; SOILS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS This document is organized by soil groups with common properties and geologic parentage. Soil management for conservation and continued land use is accomplished at several levels depending on site specificity. Soil conservation and mangement planning at the ORR level starts with a broad overview of the entire area. When a specific tract of land is to be intensively used, soil maps made at a scale of 1:24,000 to 1:12,000 should be consulted. Soils information currently available on maps made at these scales is organized at the level of individual soil series and phases of soil series and with mostly agriculutral uses in mind. The soils base map for this document was developed from the correlated field sheets of the Anderson County soil survey and the enlarged Roane County soil survey planimetric map that were overlain on an enlarged topographic base map (drawing scale 1:15,840). All interpretations in this report are based on the Anderson County soil survey and additional data from the National Cooperative Soil Survey Program. Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (USA) United States 1986-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5152167 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5152167
Identification and characterization of wetlands in the Bear Creek watershed Rosensteel, B A; Trettin, C C 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; CLASSIFICATION; HYDROLOGY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANTS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SPECIES DIVERSITY; WETLANDS The primary objective of this study was to identify, characterize, and map the wetlands in the Bear Creek watershed. A preliminary wetland categorization system based on the Cowardin classification system (Cowardin et al. 1979) with additional site-specific topographic, vegetation, and disturbance characteristic modifiers was developed to characterize the type of wetlands that exist in the Bear Creek watershed. An additional objective was to detect possible relationships among site soils, hydrology, and the occurrence of wetlands in the watershed through a comparison of existing data with the field survey. Research needs are discussed in the context of wetland functions and values and regulatory requirements for wetland impact assessment and compensatory mitigation. Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10193241 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10193241
The Carolina Bay Restoration Project - Final Report 2000-2006. Barton, Christopher 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Carolina bays; GRAMINEAE; HARVESTING; HERBICIDES; MITIGATION; MONITORING; PINES; PLANTS; SAVANNAS; SEEDLINGS; SHREDDERS; Savannah River Site; TREES; WETLANDS; Wetlands; mitigation; restoration A Wetlands Mitigation Bank was established at SRS in 1997 as a compensatory alternative for unavoidable wetland losses. Prior to restoration activities, 16 sites included in the project were surveyed for the SRS Site Use system to serve as a protective covenant. Pre-restoration monitoring ended in Fall 2000, and post restoration monitoring began in the Winter/Spring of 2001. The total interior harvest in the 16 bays after harvesting the trees was 19.6 ha. The margins in the opencanopy, pine savanna margin treatments were thinned. Margins containing areas with immature forested stands (bay 5184 and portions of bay 5011) were thinned using a mechanical shredder in November 2001. Over 126 hectares were included in the study areas (interior + margin). Planting of two tree species and the transplanting of wetland grass species was successful. From field surveys, it was estimated that approximately 2700 Nyssa sylvatica and 1900 Taxodium distichum seedlings were planted in the eight forested bays resulting in an average planting density of â 490 stems ha-1. One hundred seedlings of each species per bay (where available) were marked to evaluate survivability and growth. Wetland grass species were transplanted from donor sites on SRS to plots that ranged in size from 100 â 300 m2, depending on wetland size. On 0.75 and 0.6 meter centers, respectively, 2198 plugs of Panicum hemitomon and 3021 plugs Leersia hexandra were transplanted. New shoots originating from the stumps were treated with a foliar herbicide (Garlon® 4) during the summer of 2001 using backpack sprayers. Preliminary information from 2000-2004 regarding the hydrologic, vegetation and faunal response to restoration is presented in this status report. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2007-12-15T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/921084 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/921084
Site Selection for the Salt Disposition Facility at the Savannah River Site Gladden, J B; Rueter, K J; Morin, J P 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; HYDROLOGY; ION EXCHANGE; PRECIPITATION; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE SELECTION; SOLVENT EXTRACTION A site selection study was conducted to identify a suitable location for the construction and operation of a new Salt Disposition Facility (SDF) at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The facility to be sited is a single processing facility and support buildings that could house either of three technology alternatives being developed by the High Level Waste Systems Engineering Team: Small Tank Tetraphenylborate Precipitation, Crystalline Silicotitanate Non-Elutable Ion Exchange or Caustic Side Solvent Extraction. A fourth alternative, Direct Disposal in grout, is not part of the site selection study because a location has been identified that is unique to this technology (i.e., Z-Area). Facility site selection at SRS is a formal, documented process that seeks to optimize siting of new facilities with respect to facility-specific engineering requirements, sensitive environmental resources, and applicable regulatory requirements. In this manner, the prime objectives of cost minimization, environmental protection, and regulatory compliance are achieved. The results from this geotechnical characterization indicated that continued consideration be given to Site B for the proposed SDF. Suitable topography, the lack of surface hydrology and floodplain issues, no significant groundwater contamination, the presence of minor soft zones along the northeast portion of footprint, and no apparent geological structure in the Gordon Aquitard support this recommendation. Savannah River Site (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2000-11-15T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/768542 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/768542
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Institutional Plan, FY 1991--FY 1996 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 210300 -- Power Reactors, Nonbreeding, Graphite Moderated; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 360000 -- Materials; 645000 -- High Energy Physics; 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100 -- Management; ACCELERATORS; COOPERATION; EDUCATION; GAS COOLED REACTORS; GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS; HEAVY ION ACCELERATORS; HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS; HTGR TYPE REACTORS; INTERAGENCY COOPERATION; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NEUTRON SOURCES; ORNL; PARTICLE SOURCES; PHYSICS; PLANNING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; RADIATION SOURCES; REACTORS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT The Oak Ridge National Laboratory -- one of DOE's major multiprogram laboratories -- focuses its resources on energy research and development (R D). To be able to meet these R D challenges, the Laboratory must achieve excellence in its operations relative to environmental, safety, and health (ES H) protection and to restore its aging facility infrastructure. ORNL's missions are carried out in compliance with all applicable ES H regulations. The Laboratory conducts applied R D in energy technologies -- in conservation; fission; magnetic fusion; health and environmental protection; waste management; renewable resources; and fossil energy. Experimental and theoretical research is undertaken to investigate fundamental problems in physical, chemical, materials, computational, biomedical, earth, and environmental sciences; to advance scientific knowledge; and to support energy technology R D. ORNL designs, builds, and operates unique research facilities for the benefit of university, industrial, and national laboratory researchers. The Laboratory serves as a catalyst in bringing national and international research elements together for important scientific and technical collaborations. ORNL helps to prepare the scientific and technical work force of the future by offering innovative and varied learning and R D experiences at the Laboratory for students and faculty from preschool level through postdoctoral candidates. The transfer of science and technology to US industries and universities is an integral component of ORNL's R D missions. ORNL also undertakes research and development for non-DOE sponsors when such work is synergistic with DOE mission. 66 figs., 55 tabs. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA) United States 1991-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5970718 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5970718
Siting Study for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Disposal Project Harvego, Lisa; Connolly, Joan; Peterson, Lance; Orr, Brennon; Starr, Bob 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; CAPACITY; DESIGN; EVALUATION; PERFORMANCE; REGULATIONS; TEST REACTORS; US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTES; disposal facility; remote-handled low-level waste; siting study The U.S. Department of Energy has identified a mission need for continued disposal capacity for remote-handled low-level waste (LLW) generated at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). An alternatives analysis that was conducted to evaluate strategies to achieve this mission need identified two broad options for disposal of INL generated remote-handled LLW: (1) offsite disposal and (2) onsite disposal. The purpose of this study is to identify candidate sites or locations within INL boundaries for the alternative of an onsite remote handled LLW disposal facility and recommend the highest-ranked locations for consideration in the National Environmental Policy Act process. The study implements an evaluation based on consideration of five key elements: (1) regulations, (2) key assumptions, (3) conceptual design, (4) facility performance, and (5) previous INL siting study criteria, and uses a five-step process to identify, screen, evaluate, score, and rank 34 separate sites located across INL. The result of the evaluation is identification of two recommended alternative locations for siting an onsite remote-handled LLW disposal facility. The two alternative locations that best meet the evaluation criteria are (1) near the Advanced Test Reactor Complex and (2) west of the Idaho Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Disposal Facility. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) DOE - NE United States 2010-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1027881 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1027881
An electronic procedure system for WSRC fuel material facility Derr, S. M.; Sloan, C. W. 050700* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Fuels Production & Properties; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990200 -- Mathematics & Computers; COMPLIANCE; COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE; COMPUTER GRAPHICS; COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS; COMPUTERS; CONTROL SYSTEMS; DATA ACQUISITION; DATA BASE MANAGEMENT; DATA PROCESSING; DIGITAL COMPUTERS; FUEL ELEMENTS; IMPLEMENTATION; MANAGEMENT; MICROCOMPUTERS; MILITARY FACILITIES; NATIONAL DEFENSE; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NETWORK ANALYSIS; OPERATION; PERSONAL COMPUTERS; PROCESSING; REACTOR COMPONENTS; REGULATIONS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS The production of naval fuel, like many production processes within the Westinghouse complex, depends very heavily on strict procedure compliance. Thus operators need to have quick access to procedures and they need to have some assurance that they are using the most current revision. This is often both difficult and time consuming on a production floor. In order to resolve some of these problems two members of the Naval Fuel Product Team are currently developing an electronic procedure system. It is the intent of the system to have workstations on the production floor. These workstations will be networked to a centralized computer used exclusively as a file server for holding the current revision of each procedure. By simply clicking a mouse on the appropriate icon, a user will be able to access any procedure required in his portion of the process. In this user friendly environment the operator can either read the procedure on the workstation screen or print a copy of the procedure at a nearby printer. Since it is often the case that a graphic is used in one procedure is also used in other procedures, we plan to store individual graphics separately from a given procedure. In this way when a graphic changes, only one correction needs to be made in order for that graphic to be automatically updated in every procedure in which it is used. In the future we plan to expand the system so that the operator will be able to enter procedure data into the procedure. We have plans for this to be a platform for both the Distributive Control and Nuclear Accountability Systems. Farther down the road we envision operating in a real-time environment were the workstation would be able to read data directly from equipment in the process. 14 figs. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (USA) DOE/DP United States 1989-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5331606
Environmental resource document for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Volume 1 Irving, J S 053001; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540120; 540130; 540220; 540230; 540320; 540330; AIR QUALITY; CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; ENVIRONMENT; GEOLOGY; HYDROLOGY; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LAND USE; MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; SAMPLING; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITING; SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WATER QUALITY This document contains information related to the environmental characterization of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The INEL is a major US Department of Energy facility in southeastern Idaho dedicated to nuclear research, waste management, environmental restoration, and other activities related to the development of technology. Environmental information covered in this document includes land, air, water, and ecological resources; socioeconomic characteristics and land use; and cultural, aesthetic, and scenic resources. EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10134818 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10134818
Study of the potential health and environmental impacts from the development of liquid-dominated geothermal resources Williams, J M 15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY; 150600* -- Geothermal Energy-- Environmental Aspects; AIR POLLUTION; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; BRINES; CHALCOGENIDES; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY SYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FEDERAL REGION VI; GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS; Geothermal Legacy; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; HOT-WATER SYSTEMS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROGEN SULFIDES; HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEMS; JEMEZ MOUNTAINS; LAND POLLUTION; MOUNTAINS; NEW MEXICO; NORTH AMERICA; POLLUTION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; REVIEWS; SOILS; SULFIDES; SULFUR COMPOUNDS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; USA; WATER POLLUTION; WATER RESOURCES This document describes seven programs to provide scientific input, understanding, and forecasting capability for hydrothermal energy areas needing resolution. The three major areas addressed are (1) the impacts on living components of the aqueous and terrestrial ecosystems, (2) the impacts on the quality of the abiotic environment itself, and (3) the techniques needed to measure releases from hydrothermal activities. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) United States 1982-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6673088 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6673088
Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2022 w/Attachment A Site Description Redding, Theodore J. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; NNSS, Environment, Environmental, ASER, NNSA, NFO This Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report (NNSSER) summarizes actions taken in 2022 to protect the environment and the public while achieving the NNSA/NFO mission goals. It is prepared for the public and our stakeholders in hopes that it is readily understandable and usable. It is a key component in our efforts to keep the public informed of environmental conditions at the NNSS and its support facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada. The accompanying Attachment A expands on the general description of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) presented in the Introduction to the Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2022. Included are subsections that summarize the siteâs geological, hydrological, climatological, and ecological settings and the cultural resources of the NNSS. Nevada National Security Sites/Mission Support and Test Services LLC, Las Vegas, NV (United States) USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Environmental Protection and ES&H Reporting United States 2023-10-01T04:00:00Z Program Document https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2004659
Watersheds of the Oak Ridge Reservation in a geographic information system Tauxe, J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONTAMINATION; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; HYDROLOGY; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; LAND USE; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; SURFACE WATERS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WATERSHEDS This work develops a comprehensive set of watershed definitions for the entire Oak Ridge Reservation and surrounding area. A stream-ordering system is defined based upon the method proposed by Strahler (1952) and using 1:24,000 scale US Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps and the locally standard S-16A Map (USGS 1987) as sources for topographic contours and locations of streams as recommended by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS 1995). For each ordered stream, a contributing watershed or catchment area is delineated and digitized into a geographic information system (GIS), generating over 900 watershed polygons of various orders. This new dataset complements a growing database of georeferenced environmental and cultural data which exist for the Oak Ridge area and are routinely used for socioeconomic and environmental analyses. Because these watersheds are now available in a GIS format, they may be used in a variety of hydrologic analyses, including rainfall/runoff modeling, development of geomorphological parameters, and the modeling of contaminant transport in surface waters. An understanding of the relationships of watersheds to sources of contamination and to administrative and political boundaries is also essential in land use planning and the organization of environmental restoration and waste management activities. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US) USDOE, Washington, DC (US); USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (US) United States 1998-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/663484 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/663484
Office of Environment. Statement of programs: FY 1979 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; 530200* -- Environmental-Social Aspects of Energy Technologies-- Assessment of Energy Technologies-- (-1989); ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAFETY; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS Meeting our energy needs and protecting the quality of our environment are complementary parts of our national energy planning. The search for energy supplies and the development of new energy sources must go hand-in-hand with clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment. The Office of Environment (EV) has a major responsibility in the Department of Energy (DOE) for assuring that environmental concern are translated into environmental programs and commitments. EV studies the environmental, health and safety effects of all DOE energy programs, overviews the environmental aspects of these programs, and ensures their consistency with environmental and safety laws, regulations, and policies. EV programs support the Department's efforts to achieve the best balance between energy availability and environmental acceptability. This document briefly describes EV activities, summarizes programs for FY 1979, and identifies responsible divisions and offices. Included are funding levels and budgetary trends for EV programs and the energy technologies they support, as well as institutions responsible for performing the EV activities. Department of Energy, Washington, DC (USA). Office of Planning Coordination USDOE United States 1978-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6931149 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6931149
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1991 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 054000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Health & Safety; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540110; 540210 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); 540310 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); 550000 -- Biomedical Sciences, Basic Studies; 560100 -- Biomedical Sciences, Applied Studies-- Radiation Effects; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; BIOLOGY; ENVIRONMENT; GLOBAL ASPECTS; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; MANAGEMENT; MEDICINE; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR MEDICINE; ORNL; PERSONNEL; POLLUTION; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; RADIATION EFFECTS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAFETY; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS This overview provides programmatic and other information about the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Biomedical and Environmental Sciences (BES) Program. Our mission is to conduct for our sponsors quality research and development (R D) using our local resources and collaborative groups in Oak Ridge and elsewhere. A primary mission of the BES Program is to identify and to understand important environmental and health effects associated with the energy technologies including (1) basic and applied biological research on genetic and somatic effects of radiation and chemical exposures; (2) relationships of primary energy-related effluents to global environmental issues; (3) development of human health and environmental assessments and risk analyses in these areas; and (4) development of advanced instrumentation, measurement techniques, and methodologies for applying nuclear technologies to medical diagnosis and treatment. A secondary mission is to contribute to relevant educational activities and the revitalization of American industry through a variety of associations and activities. The BES Program is committed to the effective transfer of research and technological developments to the private sector, academia, and other research institutions including (where possible) establishing joint research, education, and training programs with universities. 8 refs., 9 figs., 14 tabs. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1991-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5711190 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5711190
Environmentally Sensitive Areas Surveys Program threatened and endangered species survey: Progress report. Environmental Restoration Program King, A L; Awl, D J; Gabrielsen, C A 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; COMPILED DATA; ENDANGERED SPECIES; LAND USE; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; PROGRESS REPORT; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SURVEYS The Endangered Species Act (originally passed in 1973) is a Federal statute that protects both animal and plant species. The Endangered Species Act identifies species which are, without careful management, in danger of becoming extinct and species that are considered threatened. Along with the designation of threatened or endangered, the Endangered Species Act provides for the identification of appropriate habitat for these species. Since 1993, the United States Department of Energy`s (DOE) Environmental Restoration (ER) Program has supported a program to survey the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) for threatened and endangered species. The Environmentally Sensitive Areas Surveys Program initiated vascular plant surveys during fiscal year 1993 and vertebrate animal surveys during fiscal year 1994 to determine the baseline condition of threatened and endangered species on the ORR at the present time. Data collected during these surveys are currently aiding Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Remedial Investigations on the ORR. They also provide data for ER and Waste Management decision documents, ensure that decisions have technical and legal defensibility, provide a baseline for ensuring compliance with principal legal requirements and will increase public confidence in DOE`s adherence to all related environmental resources rules, laws, regulations, and instructions. This report discusses the progress to date of the threatened and endangered species surveys of the ORR. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10189798 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10189798
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Institutional Plan, FY 1997--FY 2002 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; EXPERIMENT PLANNING; ORNL; PLANNING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS Three major initiatives are described, which are proposed to strengthen ORNL`s ability to support the missions of the Department: neutron science, functional genomics, and distributed computing at teraflop speeds. The laboratory missions, strategic plan, scientific and technical programs, enterprise activities, laboratory operations, and resource projections are also described. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1996-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/475290 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/475290
Technology transfer 1995 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290200; 290500; ECONOMICS AND SOCIOLOGY; HOSPITALS; INDUSTRY; RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND COMMERCIALIZATION; SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS; TECHNOLOGY IMPACTS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US DOE Technology Transfer 1995 is intended to inform the US industrial and academic sectors about the many opportunities they have to form partnerships with the US Department of Energy (DOE) for the mutual advantage of the individual institutions, DOE, and the nation as a whole. It also describes some of the growing number of remarkable achievements resulting from such partnerships. These partnership success stories offer ample evidence that Americans are learning how to work together to secure major benefits for the nation--by combining the technological, scientific, and human resources resident in national laboratories with those in industry and academia. The benefits include more and better jobs for Americans, improved productivity and global competitiveness for technology-based industries, and a more efficient government laboratory system. USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10115126 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10115126
Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Historic Building Inventory Survey Phase I -- Part 1 Braun, Julie B. 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS A Historic Building Inventory survey report for the Idaho National Laboratory. Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (United States) USDOE United States 1995-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1140276 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1140276
Remedial investigation/feasibility study of the Clinch River/Poplar Creek Operable Unit. Volume 4. Appendixes G, H, and I and information related to the feasibility study and ARARs 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLINCH RIVER; CONTAMINATION; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; GROUND DISPOSAL; HYDROLOGY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; RADIOISOTOPES; REMEDIAL ACTION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION This report presents the findings of an investigation into contamination of the Clinch River and Poplar Creek near the U.S. Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in eastern Tennessee. For more than 50 years, various hazardous and radioactive substances have been released to the environment as a result of operations and waste management activities at the ORR. In 1989, the ORR was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL), established and maintained under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). Under CERCLA, NPL sites must be investigated to determine the nature and extent of contamination at the site, assess the risk to human health and the environment posed by the site, and, if necessary, identify feasible remedial alternatives that could be used to clean the site and reduce risk. To facilitate the overall environmental restoration effort at the ORR, CERCLA activities are being implemented individually as distinct operable units (OUs). This document is Volume 4 of the combined Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Report for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek OU. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1996-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/285458 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/285458
Meet the best Award-winning technologies from Pacific Northwest Laboratory 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS The Battelle Memorial Institute has managed the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the US Department of Energy for 25 years. During this time, numerous new technologies have been discovered and developed at PNL as a result of our research programs. This document will introduce you to some of the more significant discoveries and newly commercialized technologies. Each of the technologies described has received an award from Research Development magazine or the Federal Laboratory Consortium--sometimes both Each technology is available to you through PNL's technology transfer program or one of our licensees. Similarly, our award-winning scientists and engineers are available to assist you as you search for innovative technologies to solve your technical problems. These researchers are familiar with current problems confronting industry, government agencies, and the academic community. They are happy to apply their skills and PNL's resources to your problems. PNL encourages its researchers to work with government agencies, universities, and US industries. PNL technology transfer programs address the nation's drive toward increased competitiveness by being flexible and aggressive, and are designed to tailor results to fit your needs and those of your clients. If you are in search of a new technology or increased competitiveness, consider collaborative efforts with our award-winning staff, whose accomplishments are synopsized in this booklet. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) DOE/NE United States 1990-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6118544 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6118544
Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1988 to the DOE Office of Energy Research: Part 2, Environmental Sciences 052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ANADROMOUS FISHES; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; CHEMISTRY; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; FISHES; GEOCHEMISTRY; MICROORGANISMS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SALMON; SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENTS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; WATER USE This report summarizes progress in environmental sciences research conducted by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the Office of Health and Environmental Research in FY 1988. Research is directed toward developing a fundamental understanding of processes controlling the long-term fate and biological effects of fugitive chemicals and other stressors resulting from energy development. The PNL research program continues to make important contributions to the resolution of important national environmental problems. The research, focused principally on subsurface contaminant transport and detection and management of human-induced changes in biological systems, forms the basis for defining and quantifying processes that affect humans and the environment at the regional and global levels. Each research project forms a component in an integrated laboratory- intermediated scale field approach designed to examine multiple phenomena at increasing levels of complexity. This approach is providing system-level insights into critical environmental processes. Strong university liaisons now in existence are being markedly expanded so that PNL resources and the specialized technical capabilities in the university community can be more efficiently integrated. Building on PNL technical strengths in geochemistry, environment microbiology, hydrodynamics, and statistical ecology, research in the environmental sciences is in an exciting phase, and new investments have been made in molecular sciences, chemistry, biotechnology, use of remote imagery, and theoretical ecology. The section on exploratory research provides unique insight into the value of these investments and into the future of PNL environmental sciences programs. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) United States 1989-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6225596 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6225596
Distribution of sup 137 Cs, sup 90 Sr, sup 238 Pu, sup 239 Pu, sup 241 Am and sup 244 Cm in Pond B, Savannah River Site Whicker, F. W.; Pinder, III, J. E.; Bowling, J. W.; Alberts, J. J.; Brisbin, Jr., I. L. 052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES; ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; AMERICIUM 241; AMERICIUM ISOTOPES; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BIRDS; CESIUM 137; CESIUM ISOTOPES; CHEMICAL PROPERTIES; CONCENTRATION RATIO; CONTAMINATION; CURIUM 244; CURIUM ISOTOPES; DECAY; DISTRIBUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; FISHES; FORECASTING; GROUND WATER; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; HEAVY NUCLEI; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; INVERTEBRATES; ISOTOPES; MASS TRANSFER; MATERIALS; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; PLUTONIUM 238; PLUTONIUM 239; PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES; POLLUTANTS; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RECREATIONAL AREAS; REPTILES; SAMPLING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SEDIMENTS; SILICON 32 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; STRONTIUM 90; STRONTIUM ISOTOPES; TURTLES; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; WASTES; WATER; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES The gradual senescence of present-day operating nuclear facilities, and resultant contamination of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, emphasize the importance of understanding the behavior of radionuclides in the environment. Observations and deductions concerning mechanisms of radionuclide transport can contribute significantly to knowledge of fundamental ecological processes. This study emphasized the ecosystem-level distribution of several long-lived radionuclides in an abandoned reactor cooling impoundment after a twenty year period of chemical and biological equilibration. 90 refs., 14 figs., 5 tabs. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (USA) DOE/DP United States 1989-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5135002 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5135002
Environmental Assessment for the construction and operation of the Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority regional waste management center at the Savannah River Site 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; COMPLIANCE; CONSTRUCTION; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; OPERATION; REGULATIONS; SANITARY LANDFILLS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOLID WASTES; US DOE; US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; WASTE DISPOSAL This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with the construction and operation of a landfill and technology center for regionally-generated municipal solid waste at the Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, South Carolina. The facility would serve the municipal solid waste disposal needs for SRS and at least nine of the surrounding counties who currently comprise the Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority (TRSWA). Additional counties could become included in the proposed action at some future date. Current Federal and state requirements do not afford individual counties and municipalities within the region encompassing SRS the ability to efficiently or economically operate modern waste management facilities. In addition, consolidation of regional municipal solid waste at one location would have the benefit of reducing the duplicity of environmental consequences associated with the construction and operation of county-level facilities. The option to seek a combined disposal and technology development facility based on a regionally-cooperative effort was selected as a viable alternative to the existing individual SRS or county disposal activities. This document was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the requirements of the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing NEPA (40 CFR Part 1021). NEPA requires the assessment of environmental consequences of Federal actions that may affect the quality of the human environment. Based on the potential for impacts described for impacts described herein, DOE will either publish a Finding of No Significant Impact or prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS). USDOE Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/206387 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/206387
Investigation of the pathway of contaminated soil transported to plant surfaces by raindrop splash Dreicer, M; Hakonson, T E; Whicker, F W; White, G C 510302* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; DATA; DROPLETS; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; INFORMATION; ISOTOPES; MASS TRANSFER; NUMERICAL DATA; PARTICLE RESUSPENSION; PARTICLE SIZE; PARTICLES; PLANTS; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RAIN; SIZE; SOILS The environmental transport pathway of soil-borne radioisotopes to vegetation surfaces via raindrop splash was studied. The data show that soil can significantly contribute to the contamination found on plants. Further detailed study is needed to calculate the rate constant for the raindrop splash and retention pathways. 8 references, 1 figure. (ACR) Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA); Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA); Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins (USA) United States 1983-10-21T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5099490
Environmental assessment for the construction, operation, and decommissioning of the Waste Segregation Facility at the Savannah River Site 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; CONSTRUCTION; DECOMMISSIONING; DECONTAMINATION; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; OPERATION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; WASTE PROCESSING PLANTS This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared by the Department of Energy (DOE) to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with the construction, operation and decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of the Waste Segregation Facility (WSF) for the sorting, shredding, and compaction of low-level radioactive waste (LLW) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) located near Aiken, South Carolina. The LLW to be processed consists of two waste streams: legacy waste which is currently stored in E-Area Vaults of SRS and new waste generated from continuing operations. The proposed action is to construct, operate, and D&D a facility to process low-activity job-control and equipment waste for volume reduction. The LLW would be processed to make more efficient use of low-level waste disposal capacity (E-Area Vaults) or to meet the waste acceptance criteria for treatment at the Consolidated Incineration Facility (CIF) at SRS. USDOE Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/576060 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/576060
Status of Birds at the Hanford Site in Southeastern Washington Landeen, D. S.; Johnson, A. R.; Mitchell, R. M. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; BIRDS; Birds; Columbia River; ECOLOGY; FEDERAL REGION X; HANFORD RESERVATION; Hanford; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; POPULATION DYNAMICS; REMEDIAL ACTION; US DOE; US EPA; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; VERTEBRATES; WASHINGTON; Washington The Department of Energy has recently entered into agreements with the Washington State Department of Ecology, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Hanford Site contractors to focus work activities on cleanup and stabilization of radioactive and hazardous waste sites located at the Hanford Site in southern Washington. A list of 235 known birds that have been observed at the Hanford Site is given along with a status rating for abundance and seasonal occurrence. Previously published bird lists from the Hanford Site are included as well as the author observations from 1977 to 1990. Of the 235 species listed, 35 are considered common and 38 are listed as accidentals. All but nine birds on the Hanford Site list have previously been documented by the Audubon Society to occur within a 25-mile radius of the Tri-Cities. The nine birds that are not on the Audubon list, however, have been documented in other parts of eastern Washington. A list of hypothetical birds that have been documented within 50 miles of the Hanford Site but not actually observed at the Site is also provided. This is the most complete list of birds published to date from the Hanford Site and substantially augments other previously published lists by almost 100 species. Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 1991-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5929224 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5929224
ORNL trends and balances, 1987-1992 052000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Management; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220000 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; 320000 -- Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization; 550000 -- Biomedical Sciences, Basic Studies; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 645000 -- High Energy Physics; 651000 -- Nuclear Physics; 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; 700000 -- Fusion Energy; 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; 73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; BIOLOGY; CONSOLIDATED FUEL REPROCESSING PROGRAM; COORDINATED RESEARCH PROGRAMS; ECOLOGY; ENERGY CONSERVATION; ENERGY SOURCES; HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR PHYSICS; ORNL; PHYSICS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; REACTORS; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT A brief overview is given that covers the roles, organization, R and D sponsors, and recent achievements of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Current R and D programs are described in the areas of nuclear and engineering technologies, advanced energy systems, biomedical and environmental sciences, and basic physical sciences. ORNL's future activities are discussed. (LEW) Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1987-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6951197 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6951197
Site management plan: Douglas Point Ecological Laboratory Jensen, B. L.; Miles, K. J.; Strass, P. K.; McDonald, B. 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; DATA; DATA COMPILATION; DATA FORMS; DOUGLAS POINT SITE; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; INFORMATION; LABORATORIES; MANAGEMENT; NUMERICAL DATA; PLANNING; PLANTS; TABLES; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS A portion of the Douglas Point Site has been set aside for use as an ecological monitoring facility (DPEL). Plans call for it to provide for long-term scientific study and analysis of specific terrestrial and aquatic ecological systems representative of the coastal plain region of the mid-Atlantic United States. Discussion of the program is presented under the following section headings: goals and objectives; management and organization of DPEL; laboratory director; site manager; monitoring manager; research manager; and, organizational chart. The seven appendixes are entitled: detailed site description; supplemental land use plan; contract between Potomac Electric Power Company and Charles County Community Collge (CCCC); research and monitoring projects initiated at the Douglas Point Power Plant site; advisory committees; facilities and equipment; and CCCC personnel resumes. (JGB) Charles County Community Coll., La Plata, MD (USA). Div. of Biological Sciences United States 1979-09-17T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5642673 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5642673
Environmental data and analyses for the proposed management of spent nuclear fuel on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation Socolof, M L; Curtis, A H; Blasing, T J 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BACKGROUND RADIATION; DRY STORAGE; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; SPENT FUEL ELEMENTS; SPENT FUEL STORAGE; WATER RESOURCES DOE needs to continue the safe and efficient management of SNF on ORR, based on the requirement for future SNF storage capacity and implementation of the ROD for the PEIS. DOE is proposing to implement the ROD through proper management of SNF on ORR, including the possible construction and operation of a dry cask storage facility. This report describes the potentially affected environment and analyzes impacts on various resources due to the proposed action. The information provided in this report is intended to support the Environmental Assessment being prepared for the proposed activities. Construction of the dry cask storage facility would result in minimal or no impacts on groundwater, surface water, and ecological resources. Contaminated soils excavated during construction would result in negligible risk to human health and to biota. Except for noise from trucks and equipment, operation of the dry cask storage facility would not be expected to have any impact on vegetation, wildlife, or rare plants or animals. Noise impacts would be minimal. Operation exposures to the average SNF storage facility worker would not exceed approximately 0.40 mSv/year (40 mrem/year). The off-site population dose within an 80-km (50-mile) radius of ORR from SNF operations would be less than 0.052 person-Sv/year (5.2 person-rem/year). Impacts from incident-free transportation on ORR would be less than 1.36 X 10{sup -4} occupational fatal cancers and 4.28 X 10{sup -6} public fatal cancers. Credible accident scenarios that would result in the greatest probable risks would cause less than one in a million cancer fatalities to workers and the public. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/130645 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/130645
Biological Information Document, Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility Biggs, J 052002; 053001; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; BASELINE ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HABITAT; LIQUID WASTES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; RISK ASSESSMENT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SITING; SPECIES DIVERSITY; WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE This document is intended to act as a baseline source material for risk assessments which can be used in Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements. The current Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF) does not meet current General Design Criteria for Non-reactor Nuclear Facilities and could be shut down affecting several DOE programs. This Biological Information Document summarizes various biological studies that have been conducted in the vicinity of new Proposed RLWTF site and an Alternative site. The Proposed site is located on Mesita del Buey, a mess top, and the Alternative site is located in Mortandad Canyon. The Proposed Site is devoid of overstory species due to previous disturbance and is dominated by a mixture of grasses, forbs, and scattered low-growing shrubs. Vegetation immediately adjacent to the site is a pinyon-juniper woodland. The Mortandad canyon bottom overstory is dominated by ponderosa pine, willow, and rush. The south-facing slope was dominated by ponderosa pine, mountain mahogany, oak, and muhly. The north-facing slope is dominated by Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and oak. Studies on wildlife species are limited in the vicinity of the proposed project and further studies will be necessary to accurately identify wildlife populations and to what extent they utilize the project area. Some information is provided on invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles, and small mammals. Additional species information from other nearby locations is discussed in detail. Habitat requirements exist in the project area for one federally threatened wildlife species, the peregrine falcon, and one federal candidate species, the spotted bat. However, based on surveys outside of the project area but in similar habitats, these species are not expected to occur in either the Proposed or Alternative RLWTF sites. Habitat Evaluation Procedures were used to evaluate ecological functioning in the project area. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-12-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10103622 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10103622
Savannah River Site radionuclide air emissions annual report for national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants Sullivan, I K 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; AIR POLLUTION MONITORING; AMERICIUM 241; AMERICIUM 243; COMPILED DATA; EMISSION; IODINE 129; PLUTONIUM 238; PLUTONIUM 239; POLLUTION SOURCES; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TRITIUM; URANIUM 235; URANIUM 238 The radiological air emission sources at the SRS have been divided into three categories, Point, Grouped and Non-Point, for this report. Point sources, analyzed individually, are listed with a listing of the control devices, and the control device efficiency. The sources listed have been grouped together either for security reasons or where individual samples are composited for analytical purposes. For grouped sources the listed control devices may not be on all sources within a group. Point sources that did not have continuous effluent monitoring/sampling in 1993 are noted. The emissions from these sources was determined from Health Protection smear data, facility radionuclide content or other calculational methods, including process knowledge, utilizing existing analytical data. This report also contain sections on facility descriptions, dose assessment, and supplemental information. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-12-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/206530 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/206530
A Water Balance Study of Four Landfill Cover Designs at Material Disposal Area B in Los Alamos, New Mexico Breshears, David D; Barnes, Fairley J; Nyhan, John W; Salazar, Johnny A 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Ground Cover; Ground Disposal; LANL; Landfills; Radioactive Waste Facilities The goal of disposing of low-level radioactive and hazardous waste in shallow landfills is to reduce risk to human health and the environment by isolating contaminants until they no longer pose an unacceptable hazard. In order to achieve this, the Department of Energy Environmental Restoration Program is comparing the performance of several different surface covers at Material Disposal Area (MDA) B in Los Alamos. Two conventional landfill were compared with an improved cover designed to minimize plant and animal intrusion and to minimize water infiltration into the underlying wastes. The conventional covers varied in depth and both conventional and improved designs had different combinations of vegetation (grass verses shrub) and gravel mulch (no mulch verses mulch). These treatments were applied to each of 12 plots and water balance parameters were measured from March1987 through June 1995. Adding a gravel mulch significantly influenced the plant covered field plots receiving no gravel mulch averaged 21.2% shrub cover, while plots with gravel had a 20% larger percent cover of shrubs. However, the influence of gravel mulch on the grass cover was even larger than the influence on shrub cover, average grass cover on the plots with no gravel was 16.3%, compared with a 42% increase in grass cover due to gravel mulch. These cover relationships are important to reduce runoff on the landfill cover, as shown by a regression model that predicts that as ground cover is increased from 30 to 90%,annual runoff is reduced from 8.8 to 0.98 cm-a nine-fold increase. We also found that decreasing the slope of the landfill cover from 6 to 2% reduced runoff from the landfill cover by 2.7-fold. To minimize the risk of hazardous waste from landfills to humans, runoff and seepage need to be minimized and evapotranspiration maximized on the landfill cover. This has to be accomplished for dry and wet years at MDA B. Seepage consisted of 1.9% and 6.2% of the precipitation in the average and once in ten year events, respectively, whereas corresponding values for runoff were 13% and 16%; these changes were accompanied by corresponding decreases in evapotranspiration, which accounted for 86% and only 78% of the precipitation occurring on the average and once in ten year even~ respectively. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM USDOE Office of Management and United States 1998-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1252 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1252
Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 1998 Saffle, T R; Mitchell, R G; Evans, R B; Martin, D B 137CS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR FILTERS; AIR SAMPLES; BACKGROUND; CONCENTRATIONS; DEPOSITION; DISCHARGED; DOSEMETERS; DOSES; FALLOUT; GAME ANIMALS; GROSS ALPHA; GROSS BETA; GUIDELINES; INGESTION; INHALATION; IONIZING RADIATION; IONIZING RADIATIONS; MEASUREMENTS; MONITORING; NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY; POPULATION; POPULATION DOSE; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIOISOTOPES; RECOMMENDATIONS; SCREENING; SHEEP; SUBMERSION The results of the various monitoring programs for 1998 indicated that radioactivity from the DOE's Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) operations could generally not be distinguished from worldwide fallout and natural radioactivity in the region surrounding the INEEL. Although some radioactive materials were discharged during INEEL operations, concentrations in the offsite environment and doses to the surrounding population were far less than state of Idaho and federal health protection guidelines. Gross alpha and gross beta measurements, used as a screening technique for air filters, were investigated by making statistical comparisons between onsite or boundary location concentrations and the distant community group concentrations. Gross alpha activities were generally higher at distant locations than at boundary and onsite locations. Air samples were also analyzed for specific radionuclides. Some human-made radionuclides were detected at offsite locations, but most were near the minimum detectable concentration and their presence was attributable to natural sources, worldwide fallout, and statistical variations in the analytical results rather than to INEEL operations. Low concentrations of 137Cs were found in muscle tissue and liver of some game animals and sheep. These levels were mostly consistent with background concentrations measured in animals sampled onsite and offsite in recent years. Ionizing radiation measured simultaneously at the INEEL boundary and distant locations using environmental dosimeters were similar and showed only background levels. The maximum potential population dose from submersion, ingestion, inhalation, and deposition to the approximately 121,500 people residing within an 80-km (50-mi) radius from the geographical center of the INEEL was estimated to be 0.08 person-rem (8 x 10-4 person-Sv) using the MDIFF air dispersion model. This population dose is less than 0.0002 percent of the estimated 43,7 00 person-rem (437 person-Sv) population dose from background radioactivity. Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (US); Environmental Science and Research Foundation, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2000-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/769338 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/769338
Biological and Environmental Research Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, FY 1992--1994 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540000 -- Environment-- (1990-); 550400* -- Genetics; 550600 -- Medicine; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE; BIOLOGY; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON OXIDES; CHALCOGENIDES; DOSIMETRY; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; GENETICS; MASS TRANSFER; MEDICINE; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR MEDICINE; ORNL; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS This report is the 1992--1994 Program Director's Overview Report for Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL's) Biological and Environmental Research (BER) Program, and as such it addresses KP-funded work at ORNL conducted during FY 1991 and in progress during FY 1992; it also serves as a planning document for the remainder of FY 1992 through FY 1994. Non-BER funded work at ORNL relevant to the mission of OHER is also discussed. The second section of the report describes ORNL facilities and resources used by the BER program. The third section addresses research management practices at ORNL. The fourth, fifth, and sixth sections address BER-funded research in progress, program accomplishments and research highlights, and program orientation for the remainder of FY 1992 through FY 1994, respectively. Work for non-BER sponsors is described in the seventh section, followed by a discussion of significant near and long-term issues facing BER work at ORNL in the eighth section. The last section provides a statistical summary of BER research at ORNL. Appendices supplement the above topics with additional detail. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5602123 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5602123
Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1988 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 140504 -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989); 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 500200* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510200 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ACID RAIN; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; BIOMASS; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON CYCLE; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON OXIDES; CHALCOGENIDES; CLIMATES; DOCUMENT TYPES; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RAIN; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES This progress report summarizes the research and development activities conducted in the Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory during the period October 1, 1987, through September 30, 1988. The report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the Division's major organizational units. Following the accounts of section activities and program activities is a section devoted to lists of information necessary to convey the scope of the work in the Division. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1989-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5988247 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5988247
Addendum to the composite analysis for the E-Area Vaults and Saltstone Disposal Facilities Cook, J R 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; EVALUATION; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT This report documents the composite analysis performed on the two active SRS low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities. The facilities are the Z-Area Saltstone Disposal Facility and the E-Area Vaults Disposal Facility. Savannah River Site (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2000-03-13T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/752507 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/752507
Site selection for the Salt Disposition Facility at the Savannah River Site Bowers, J A 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; SALTS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE SELECTION The purpose of this report is to identify, assess, and rank potential sites for the proposed Salt Disposition Facility (SDF) at the Savannah River Site. Savannah River Site (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2000-01-03T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/752188 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/752188
A history of the working group to address Los Alamos community health concerns - A case study of community involvement and risk communication Otway, Harry; Johnson, Jon 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ATTITUDES; EPIDEMIOLOGY; LANL; NEOPLASMS; PUBLIC HEALTH; RADIATION HAZARDS; SAFETY In May 1991, at a Department of Energy (DOE) public hearing at Los Alamos, New Mexico, a local artist claimed there had been a recent brain tumor cluster in a small Los Alamos neighborhood. He suggested the cause was radiation from past operations of Los Alamos National Laboratory. Data from the Laboratory's extensive environmental monitoring program gave no reason to believe this charge to be true but also could not prove it false. These allegations, reported in the local and regional media, alarmed the community and revealed an unsuspected lack of trust in the Laboratory. Having no immediate and definitive response, the Laboratory offered to collaborate with the community to address this concern. The Los Alamos community accepted this offer and a joint Community-Laboratory Working Group met for the first time 29 days later. The working group set as its primary goal the search for possible carcinogens in the local environment. Meanwhile, the DOE announced its intention to fund the New Mexico Department of Health to perform a separate and independent epidemiological study of all Los Alamos cancer rates. In early 1994, after commissioning 17 environmental studies and meeting 34 times, the working group decided that the public health concerns had been resolved to the satisfaction of the community and voted to disband. This paper tells the story of the artist and the working group, and how the media covered their story. It summarizes the environmental studies directed by the working group and briefly reviews the main findings of the epidemiology study. An epilogue records the present-day recollections of some of the key players in this environmental drama. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (US) USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) (US) United States 2000-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/751963 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/751963
Effects of vegetation and soil-surface cover treatments on the hydrologic behavior of low-level waste trench caps Lopez, E A; Barnes, F J; Antonio, E J 052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; COVERINGS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EVALUATION; GROUND DISPOSAL; GROUND WATER; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MATERIALS; MECHANICS; MITIGATION; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RUNOFF; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SOIL MECHANICS; SOILS; VARIATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER; WATER INFLUX Preliminary results are presented on a three-year field study at Los Alamos National Laboratory to evaluate the influence of different low-level radioactive waste trench cap designs on water balance under natural precipitation. Erosion plots having two different vegetative covers (shrubs and grasses) and with either gravel-mulched or unmulched soil surface treatments have been established on three different soil profiles on a decommissioned waste site. Total runoff and soil loss from each plot is measured after each precipitation event. Soil moisture is measured biweekly while plant canopy cover is measured seasonally. Preliminary results from the first year show that the application of a gravel mulch reduced runoff by 73 to 90%. Total soil loss was reduced by 83 to 93% by the mulch treatment. On unmulched plots, grass cover reduced both runoff and soil loss by about 50% compared to the shrub plots. Continued monitoring of the study site will provide data that will be used to analyze complex interactions between independent variables such rainfall amount and intensity, antecedent soil moisture, and soil and vegetation factors, as they influence water balance, and soil erosion. 18 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) United States 1988-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5324815
Technology transfer handbook for Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. , employees Jared, D W 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; COMMERCIALIZATION; CONTRACTORS; DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; INVENTIONS; LICENSING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., (Energy Systems) established the Office of Technology Applications (OTA) to promote the transfer of technology from the national facilities in Oak Ridge to industries in the private sector. This handbook provides specific information about OTA and establishes a coherent procedure for licensing technologies. This handbook also explains the benefits and constraints involved with technology transfer and identifies the resources available to entrepreneurs and researchers who are interested in collaborative R D. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) DOE/ER United States 1989-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5100313 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5100313
Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Volume 1, Appendix F, Nevada Test Site and Oak Ridge Reservation Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Programs 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; CULTURAL RESOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; LAND USE; NEVADA TEST SITE; NOISE; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PUBLIC HEALTH; SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS; SPENT FUEL STORAGE; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; WATER RESOURCES; Yucca Mountain Project This volume addresses the interim storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at two US Department of Energy sites, the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). These sites are being considered to provide a reasonable range of alternative settings at which future SNF management activities could be conducted. These locations are not currently involved in management of large quantities of SNF; NTS has none, and ORR has only small quantities. But NTS and ORR do offer experience and infrastructure for the handling, processing and storage of radioactive materials, and they do exemplify a broad spectrum of environmental parameters. This broad spectrum of environmental parameters will provide, a perspective on whether and how such location attributes may relate to potential environmental impacts. Consideration of these two sites will permit a programmatic decision to be based upon an assessment of the feasible options without bias, to the current storage sites. This volume is divided into four parts. Part One is the volume introduction. Part Two contains chapters one through five for the NTS, as well as references contained in chapter six. Part Three contains chapters one through five for the ORR, as well as references contained in chapter six. Part Four is summary information including the list of preparers, organizations contacted, acronyms, and abbreviations for both the NTS and the ORR. A Table of Contents, List of Figures, and List of Tables are included in parts Two, Three, and Four. This approach permitted the inclusion of both sites in one volume while maintaining consistent chapter numbering. USDOE Idaho Operations Office, Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/145222 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/145222
Pacific Northwest Laboratory Annual Report for 1978 to the DOE Assistant Secretary for Environment Part 2 Ecological Sciences Vaughan, B. E. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Project reports on ecological research authored by scientists from several PNL research departments and grouped primarily by the energy technologies to which they relate are compiled. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States) USDOE United States 1979-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1072026 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1072026
Research programs at the Department of Energy National Laboratories. Volume 2: Laboratory matrix 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; ANL; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; BNL; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LANL; LAWRENCE BERKELEY LABORATORY; LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY; NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY; ORNL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES For nearly fifty years, the US national laboratories, under the direction of the Department of Energy, have maintained a tradition of outstanding scientific research and innovative technological development. With the end of the Cold War, their roles have undergone profound changes. Although many of their original priorities remain--stewardship of the nation`s nuclear stockpile, for example--pressing budget constraints and new federal mandates have altered their focus. Promotion of energy efficiency, environmental restoration, human health, and technology partnerships with the goal of enhancing US economic and technological competitiveness are key new priorities. The multiprogram national laboratories offer unparalleled expertise in meeting the challenge of changing priorities. This volume aims to demonstrate each laboratory`s uniqueness in applying this expertise. It describes the laboratories` activities in eleven broad areas of research that most or all share in common. Each section of this volume is devoted to a single laboratory. Those included are: Argonne National Laboratory; Brookhaven National Laboratory; Idaho National Engineering Laboratory; Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; Los Alamos National Laboratory; National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Pacific Northwest Laboratory; and Sandia National Laboratories. The information in this volume was provided by the multiprogram national laboratories and compiled at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Argonne National Lab., IL (United States); Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States); EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States); Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States); Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States); Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (United States); Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/72941 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/72941
Terrestrial habitat mapping of the Oak Ridge Reservation: 1996 Summary Washington-Allen, R A; Ashwood, T L 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HABITAT; MAPPING; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS The US DOE is in the process of remediating historical contamination on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). Two key components are ecological risk assessment and monitoring. In 1994 a strategy was developed and a specific program was initiated to implement the strategy for the terrestrial biota of the entire ORR. This document details results of the first task: development of a habitat map and habitat models for key species of interest. During the last 50 years ORR has been a relatively protected island of plant and animal habitats in a region of rapidly expanding urbanization. A preliminary biodiversity assessment of the ORR by the Nature Conservancy in 1995 noted 272 occurrences of significant plant and animal species and communities. Field surveys of threatened and endangered species show that the ORR contains 20 rare plant species, 4 of which are on the state list of endangered species. The rest are either on the state list of threatened species or listed as being of special concern. The ORR provides habitat for some 60 reptilian and amphibian species; more than 120 species of terrestrial birds; 32 species of waterfowl, wading birds, and shorebirds; and about 40 mammalian species. The ORR is both a refuge for rare species and a reservoir of recruitment for surrounding environments and wildlife management areas. Cedar barrens, river bluffs, and wetlands have been identified as the habitat for most rare vascular plant species on the ORR. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1996-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/380352 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/380352
Remedial investigation/feasibility study of the Clinch River/Poplar Creek operable unit. Volume 4. Information related to the feasibility study and ARARs. Appendixes G, H, I 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ARSENIC; CESIUM 137; CLINCH RIVER; CONTAMINATION; COST ESTIMATION; FISHES; MERCURY; METALS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVITY; REMEDIAL ACTION; STREAMS; URANIUM; WATER QUALITY This report presents the findings of an investigation into contamination of the Clinch River and Poplar Creek near the U.S. Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in eastern Tennessee. For more than 50 years, various hazardous and radioactive substances have been released to the environment as a result of operations and waste management activities at the ORR. In 1989, the ORR was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL), established and maintained under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). Under CERCLA, NPL sites must be investigated to determine the nature and extent of contamination at the site, assess the risk to human health and the environment posed by the site, and, if necessary, identify feasible remedial alternatives that could be used to clean the site and reduce risk. To facilitate the overall environmental restoration effort at the ORR, CERCLA activities are being implemented individually as distinct operable units (OUs). This document is the combined Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Report for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek OU. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1996-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/273818 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/273818
Role of environment Auerbach, S I 054000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Health & Safety; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 500300 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510302* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 520302 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; DOSES; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; MAMMALS; MAN; MASS TRANSFER; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; PRIMATES; PUBLIC OPINION; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION HAZARDS; RADIOECOLOGY; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RISK ASSESSMENT; VARIATIONS; VERTEBRATES Radiological assessments rely heavily on the use of mathematical models to predict the dose to man resulting from the environmental transport and subsequent human uptake of radionuclides released from nuclear activities. The paper discusses some problems in the use of these models based on the requirement that uptake and transfer coefficients for specific radionuclides and organisms be systematically determined in situ. Due to the lack of availability of these coefficients, reliance on generic default values causes uncertainties related to the variability of the environmental and experimental methodologies. (ACR) Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1983-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6151740
Management of spent nuclear fuel on the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee: Environmental assessment 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FUEL MANAGEMENT; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORR REACTOR; SPENT FUEL STORAGE; SPENT FUELS; STORAGE FACILITIES On June 1, 1995, DOE issued a Record of Decision [60 Federal Register 28680] for the Department-wide management of spent nuclear fuel (SNF); regionalized storage of SNF by fuel type was selected as the preferred alternative. The proposed action evaluated in this environmental assessment is the management of SNF on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) to implement this preferred alternative of regional storage. SNF would be retrieved from storage, transferred to a hot cell if segregation by fuel type and/or repackaging is required, loaded into casks, and shipped to off-site storage. The proposed action would also include construction and operation of a dry cask SNF storage facility on ORR, in case of inadequate SNF storage. Action is needed to enable DOE to continue operation of the High Flux Isotope Reactor, which generates SNF. This report addresses environmental impacts. USDOE Oak Ridge Operations Office, TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1996-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/210936 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/210936
Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report for 2009 Jacobs, Bechtel 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMPLIANCE; GASEOUS WASTES; MONITORING; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PERFORMANCE; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATIONS; SAFETY; SAMPLING; Site Environmental Report,2009; WASTE MANAGEMENT The Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report is prepared animally and presents summary environmental data to (1) characterize environmental performance, (2) summarize environmental occurrences reported during the year, (3) confirm compliance with environmental standards and requirements, and (4) highlight significant program activities. The report fulfills the requirement contained in DOE Order 231.1 A, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting (DOE 2004) that an integrated annual site environmental report be prepared. The results summarized in this report are based on data collected prior to and through 2009. This report is not intended to nor does it present the results of all environmental monitoring associated with the ORR. Data collected for other site and regulatory purposes, such as environmental restoration/remedial investigation reports, waste management characterization sampling data, and environmental permit compliance data, are presented in other documents that have been prepared in accordance with applicable DOE guidance and/or laws and are referenced herein as appropriate. Appendix A to this report identifies corrections to the 2008 report. Appendix B contains a glossary of technical terms that may be useful for understanding the terminology used in this document. Environmental monitoring on the ORR consists primarily of two major activities: effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. Effluent monitoring involves the collection and analysis of samples or measurements of liquid and gaseous effluents at the points of release to the environment; these measurements allow the quantification and official reporting of contaminant levels, assessment of radiation and chemical exposures to the public, and demonstration of compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements. Environmental surveillance consists of direct measurements and collection and analysis of samples taken from the site and its environs exclusive of effluents; these activities provide information on contaminant concentrations in air, water, groundwater, soil, foods, biota, and other media. Environmental surveillance data support determinations regarding environmental compliance and, when combined with data from effluent monitoring, support chemical and radiation dose and exposure assessments regarding the potential effects of ORR operations, if any, on the local environment. East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (EM) United States 2010-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1016377 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1016377
1995 annual epidemiologic surveillance report for Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; EDUCATION; IDAHO; INJURIES; MONITORS; QUALITY CONTROL The US Department of Energy's (DOE) conduct of epidemiologic surveillance provides an early warning system for health problems among workers. This program monitors illnesses and health conditions that result in an absence of five or more consecutive workdays, occupational injuries and illnesses, and disabilities and deaths among current workers. This report summarizes epidemiologic surveillance data collected from the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) from January 1, 1995 through December 31, 1995. The data were collected by a coordinator at INEEL and submitted to the Epidemiologic Surveillance Data Center, located at Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, where quality control procedures and data analyses were carried out. Dept. of Energy, Office of Epidemiologic Studies, Germantown, MD (US) USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health, Washington, DC (US) United States 1995-12-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/325748 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/325748
MOX Lead Assembly Fabrication at the Savannah River Site Geddes, R L; Spiker, D L; Poon, A P 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; CERAMICS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FABRICATION; GLASS; OXIDES; PLUTONIUM; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on the disposition of the nations weapon-usable surplus plutonium.This EIS is tiered from the Storage and Disposition of Weapons-Usable Fissile Material Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement issued in December 1996,and the associated Record of Decision issued on January, 1997. The EIS will examine reasonable alternatives and potential environmental impacts for the proposed siting, construction, and operation of three types of facilities for plutonium disposition. The three types of facilities are: a pit disassembly and conversion facility, a facility to immobilize surplus plutonium in a glass or ceramic form for disposition, and a facility to fabricate plutonium oxide into mixed oxide (MOX) fuel.As an integral part of the surplus plutonium program, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was tasked by the DOE Office of Fissile Material Disposition(MD) as the technical lead to organize and evaluate existing facilities in the DOE complex which may meet MD`s need for a domestic MOX fuel fabrication demonstration facility. The Lead Assembly (LA) facility is to produce 1 MT of usable test fuel per year for three years. The Savannah River Site (SRS) as the only operating plutonium processing site in the DOE complex, proposes two options to carry out the fabrication of MOX fuel lead test assemblies: an all Category I facility option and a combined Category I and non-Category I facilities option. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/624812 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/624812
Vegetation survey of Pen Branch and Four Mile Creek wetlands 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210; 540250; BASIC STUDIES; COMPILED DATA; ENDANGERED SPECIES; PLANTS; SAMPLING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SURVEYS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; WETLANDS One hundred-fifty plots were recently sampled (vegetational sampling study) at the Savannah River Site (SRS). An extensive characterization of the vascular flora, in four predetermined strata (overstory, Understory, shrub layer, and ground cover), was undertaken to determine dominance, co-dominance, and the importance value (I.V.) of each species. These results will be used by the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) to evaluate the environmental status of Four Mile Creek, Pen Branch, and two upland pine stands. Objectives of this study were to: Describe in detail the plant communities previously mapped with reference to the topography and drainage, including species of plants present: Examine the successional trends within each sampling area and describe the extent to which current vegetation communities have resulted from specific earlier vegetation disturbances (e.g., logging and grazing); describe in detail the botanical field techniques used to sample the flora; describe the habitat and location of protected and/or rare species of plants; and collect and prepare plant species as herbarium quality specimens. Sampling was conducted at Four Mile Creek and Pen Branch, and in two upland pine plantations of different age growth. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States); Dames and Moore, Los Angeles, CA (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10182626 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10182626
Environmental Assessment for Electrical Power System Upgrades at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico - Final Document 24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; BLM; COMMUNICATIONS; CONSTRUCTION; EA; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; FIBER OPTICS; IMPORTS; LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY; MAINTENANCE; METERS; NM; POWER SYSTEMS; POWER TRANSMISSION LINES; REGULATIONS; RELIABILITY; TRANSMISSION LINES; US CEQ; USFS The ''National Environmental Policy Act of 1969'' (NEPA) requires Federal agency officials to consider the environmental consequences of their proposed actions before decisions are made. In complying with NEPA, the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) follows the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 1500-1508) and DOE's NEPA implementing procedures (10 CFR 1021). The purpose of an Environmental Assessment (EA) is to provide Federal decision makers with sufficient evidence and analysis to determine whether to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or issue a Finding of No Significant Impact. In this case, the DOE decision to be made is whether to construct and operate a 19.5-mile (mi) (31-kilometer [km]) electric transmission line (power line) reaching from the Norton Substation, west across the Rio Grande, to locations within the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Technical Areas (TAs) 3 and 5 at Los Alamos, New Mexico. The construction of one electric substation at LANL would be included in the project as would the construction of two line segments less than 1,200 feet (ft) (366 meters [m]) long that would allow for the uncrossing of a portion of two existing power lines. Additionally, a fiber optics communications line would be included and installed concurrently as part of the required overhead ground conductor for the power line. The new power line would improve the reliability of electric service in the LANL and Los Aktrnos County areas as would the uncrossing of the crossed segments of the existing lines. Additionally, installation of the new power line would enable the LANL and the Los Alamos County electric grid, which is a shared resource, to be adapted to accommodate the future import of increased power when additional power service becomes available in the northern New Mexico area. Similarly, the fiber optics line would allow DOE to take advantage of future opportunities in enhanced communications services. The objectives of this EA are to (1) describe the baseline environmental conditions at the proposed power line location, (2) analyze the potential effects to the existing environment from construction, operation, and maintenance of a new power line, and (3) compare the effects of the Proposed Action and the four action alternatives to the No Action Alternative. In addition, the EA provides DOE with environmental information that could be used in developing mitigative actions to minimize or avoid adverse effects to the integrity of the human environment and natural ecosystems should DOE decide to proceed with construction and operation of the new power line. Ultimately, the goal of NEPA and this EA is to aid DOE officials in making decisions based on understanding the environmental consequences of their decision. U.S. Department of Energy, Los Alamos Area Office, Los Alamos, NM (US) USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US) United States 2000-03-09T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/768506 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/768506
Growth responses of narrow or broad site adapted tree species to a range of resource availability treatments after a full harvest rotation Coyle, David R.; Aubrey, Doug P.; Coleman, Mark D. Not Available USDOE Netherlands 2016-02-01T04:00:00Z Journal Article 10.1016/j.foreco.2015.11.047 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1398141
Land Use Baseline Report Savannah River Site Noah, J C 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; GEOLOGY; HYDROLOGY; MAPS; PLANNING; PROGRESS REPORT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; TOPOGRAPHY This document is to serve as a resource for Savannah River Site managers, planners, and SRS stakeholders by providing a general description of the site and land-use factors important to future use decisions and plans. The intent of this document is to be comprehensive in its review of SRS and the surrounding area. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-06-29T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/108081 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/108081
A spatially-dynamic preliminary risk assessment of the American peregrine falcon at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (version 1) Gallegos, A F; Gonzales, G J; Bennett, K D 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, APPLIED STUDIES; BIRDS; DDT; E CODES; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; HAZARDS; LANL; RADIOISOTOPES; RISK ASSESSMENT; SPATIAL DOSE DISTRIBUTIONS The Endangered Species Act and the Record of Decision on the Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility at the Los Alamos National Laboratory require protection of the American peregrine falcon. A preliminary risk assessment of the peregrine was performed using a custom FORTRAN model and a geographical information system. Estimated doses to the falcon were compared against toxicity reference values to generate hazard indices. Hazard index results indicated no unacceptable risk to the falcon from the soil ingestion pathway, including a measure of cumulative effects from multiple contaminants that assumes a linear additive toxicity type. Scaling home ranges on the basis of maximizing falcon height for viewing prey decreased estimated risk by 69% in a canyons-based home range and increased estimated risk by 40% in a river-based home range. Improving model realism by weighting simulated falcon foraging based on distance from potential nest sites decreased risk by 93% in one exposure unit and by 82% in a second exposure unit. It was demonstrated that choice of toxicity reference values can have a substantial impact on risk estimates. Adding bioaccumulation factors for several organics increased partial hazard quotients by a factor of 110, but increased the mean hazard index by only 0.02 units. Adding a food consumption exposure pathway in the form of biomagnification factors for 15 contaminants of potential ecological concern increased the mean hazard index to 1.16 ({+-} 1.0), which is above the level of acceptability (1.0). Aroclor-1254, dichlorodiphenyltrichlorethane (DDT) and dichlorodiphenylethelyne (DDE) accounted for 81% of the estimated risk that includes soil ingestion and food consumption Contaminant pathways and a biomagnification component. Information on risk by specific geographical location was generated, which can be used to manage contaminated areas, falcon habitat, facility siting, and/or facility operations. 123 refs., 10 figs., 2 tabs. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) USDOE Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/485951 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/485951
A field survey of environmental tritium in areas adjacent to ORNL solid-waste storage areas Amano, H.; Garten, Jr., C. T.; Lomax, R. D. 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 510300* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; HYDROGEN ISOTOPES; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; ORNL; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; SOILS; SOLID WASTES; STORAGE; SURFACE WATERS; TRITIUM; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTE STORAGE; WASTES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES A survey of tritium concentrations in surface water, shallow well water, and atmospheric moisture was made throughout the White Oak Creek Watershed in 1986. Environmental tritium concentrations were elevated south of SWSA-4 and SWSA-5, which seem to be the major contributors of tritium to the watershed. Patterns of tritium in air moisture, surface water, and pine tree cores indicated that there is a major area of tritium migration from SWSA-5 near the middle drainage tributary. Studies at a location south of SWSA-5 showed that tritium concentrations in subsoil water (>10 cm deep) were relatively constant to a depth of 80 cm. Concentrations of tritium in surface soil water (0 to 10 cm) were two to three times less than in the subsoil. Tritium concentrations in air moisture at different heights aboveground were more uniform during summer than during winter. This difference is attributed to the presence of water vapor transpired by tree foliage and the drying of surface soil during the summer months. Tritium concentrations in tree cores from pines south of SWSA-5 indicated that tritium migration in the vicinity of the middle drainage tributary has perhaps increased during the last 10 years. At this time, it is not known to what extent the tree core data are representative of tritium discharges from SWSA-5 as a whole. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1987-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6479888 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6479888
Vegetation survey of Pen Branch and Four Mile Creek wetlands 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); 540250* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; COMPILED DATA; DATA; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; INFORMATION; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUMERICAL DATA; PLANTS; SAMPLING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SURVEYS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WETLANDS One hundred-fifty plots were recently sampled (vegetational sampling study) at the Savannah River Site (SRS). An extensive characterization of the vascular flora, in four predetermined strata (overstory, Understory, shrub layer, and ground cover), was undertaken to determine dominance, co-dominance, and the importance value (I.V.) of each species. These results will be used by the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) to evaluate the environmental status of Four Mile Creek, Pen Branch, and two upland pine stands. Objectives of this study were to: Describe in detail the plant communities previously mapped with reference to the topography and drainage, including species of plants present: Examine the successional trends within each sampling area and describe the extent to which current vegetation communities have resulted from specific earlier vegetation disturbances (e.g., logging and grazing); describe in detail the botanical field techniques used to sample the flora; describe the habitat and location of protected and/or rare species of plants; and collect and prepare plant species as herbarium quality specimens. Sampling was conducted at Four Mile Creek and Pen Branch, and in two upland pine plantations of different age growth. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States); Dames and Moore, Los Angeles, CA (United States) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6969615 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6969615
Energy Programs at Oak Ridge National Laboratory Sheffield, J 02 PETROLEUM; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; DEVELOPING COUNTRIES; ENERGY DEMAND; ENERGY POLICY; ENERGY SOURCES; ENERGY SYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FOSSIL FUELS; NUCLEAR POWER; PETROLEUM PRODUCTS; STANDARD OF LIVING; SUPPLY DISRUPTION; SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Energy availability in a country is of great importance to its economy and to raising and maintaining its standard of living. In 1994, the United States consumed more than 88 quadrillion Btu (quads) of energy and spent about $500 billion on fuels and electricity. Fortunately, the United States is well endowed with energy sources, notably fossil fuels, and possesses a considerable nuclear power industry. The United States also has significant renewable energy resources and already exploits much of its hydropower resources, which represent 10% of electricity production. Nevertheless, in 1994, the United States imported about 45% of the petroleum products it consumed, equivalent to about 17 quads of energy. This dependence on imported oil puts the country at risk of energy supply disruptions and oil price shocks. Previous oil shocks may have cost the country as much as $4 billion (in 1993 dollars) between 1973 and 1990. Moreover, the production and use of energy from fossil fuels are major sources of environmental damage. The corresponding situation in many parts of the world is more challenging. Developing countries are experiencing rapid growth in population, energy demand, and the environmental degradation that often results from industrial development. The near-term depletion of energy resources in response to this rapid growth runs counter to the concept of ''sustainable development''--development that meets the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Energy research and development (R&D) to improve efficiency and to develop and deploy energy alternatives may be viewed, therefore, as an insurance policy to combat the dangers of oil shocks and environmental pollution and as a means of supporting sustainable development. These considerations guide the energy policy of the United States and of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In its strategic plan, DOE identifies the fostering of ''a secure and reliable energy system that is environmentally and economically sustainable'' as the first component of its mission. The strategic goal established for energy resources, identified as one of DOE's four businesses, is for ''the Department of Energy and its partners [to] promote secure, competitive, and environmentally responsible energy systems that serve the needs of the public.'' DOE has also identified four strategic goals for its programs in energy resources: (1) strengthening the economy and raising living standards through improvements in the energy field; (2) protecting the environment by reducing the adverse environmental impacts associated with energy production, distribution, and use; (3) keeping America secure by reducing vulnerabilities to global energy market shocks; and (4) enhancing American competitiveness in a growing world energy market. ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) (US) United States 1999-05-11T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/814243 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/814243
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact: Implementation of the Wetland Mitigation Bank Program at the Savannah River Site 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; AIKEN; EA; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; FONSI; IMPLEMENTATION; MITIGATION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SAVANNAH RIVER SITE; SC; SOUTH CAROLINA; US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; WETLAND MITIGATION; WETLANDS The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) (DOE/EA-1205) for the proposed implementation of a wetland mitigation bank program at the Savannah River Site (SRS), located near Aiken, South Carolina. Based on the analyses in the EA, DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required, and DOE is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Floodplain Statement of Findings. Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (US) USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US) United States 1999-04-28T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/767453 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/767453
Summary of Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2000 Hanf, Robert W; Poston, Ted M; Oconnor, G A; Morasch, Launa F 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; GROUND WATER; HANFORD RESERVATION; RADIATION DOSES; RADIOISOTOPES Summary booklet of the annual environmental report for CY 2000. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US) USDOE United States 2001-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/965677 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/965677
Biomedical and Environmental Research Program of the LASL Life Sciences and Health Divisions. Progress report, January-December 1979. [Lead abstract] Petersen, D F 560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man; 560306 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987); 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ABSTRACTS; BIOCHEMISTRY; BIOPHYSICS; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; CHEMISTRY; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; EPIDEMIOLOGY; INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE; LEADING ABSTRACT; MATERIALS; MEDICINE; MUTAGENESIS; PATHOLOGY; QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TOXIC MATERIALS Nine separate abstracts were prepared for the research papers presented by the Life Sciences Division and by the Health Division. This report summarizes research and development activities of LASL's Biomedical and Environmental Research Program for the calendar year 1978. (KRM) Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA) United States 1980-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6681480 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6681480
Measure of Legionella pneumophila activity in situ Fliermans, C. B.; Soracco, R. J.; Pope, D. H. 550701* -- Microbiology-- Tracer Techniques; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ANTIBODIES; AZOLES; BACTERIA; CHLORIDES; CHLORINE COMPOUNDS; ELECTRON TRANSFER; HALIDES; HALOGEN COMPOUNDS; HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; MICROORGANISMS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS; TETRAZOLES; TETRAZOLIUM; UPTAKE Detection of Legionella pneumophila by serogroup-specific fluorescent antibodies was combined with a tetrazolium dye (INT) to measure electron transport activity. The biological uptake and reduction of the INT dye was studied in pure cultures and in natural water samples with respect to temperature. Uptake was complete within 60 minutes. Controls inhibited with formaldehyde demonstrated little activity. Both the in vitro and in situ determinations suggested that the electron transport system of Legionella was active over a temperature range of 25/sup 0/ to 60/sup 0/C. Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.; Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY (USA) United States 1981-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6682474
Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2021 with 2021 Environmental Report Attachment A: Site Description Redding, Theodore J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ASER; Environment; Environmental; NFO; NNSA; NNSS This Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report (NNSSER) summarizes actions taken in 2021 to protect the environment and the public while achieving the NNSA/NFO mission goals. It is prepared for the public and our stakeholders in hopes that it is readily understandable and usable. It is a key component in our efforts to keep the public informed of environmental conditions at the NNSS and its support facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada. The accompanying Attachment A expands on the general description of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) presented in the Introduction to the Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2021. Included are subsections that summarize the siteâs geological, hydrological, climatological, and ecological settings and the cultural resources of the NNSS. Nevada National Security Site/Mission Support and Test Services LLC, Las Vegas, NV (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2022-10-01T04:00:00Z Program Document https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1889386
Biosphere reserves in action: Case studies of the American experience 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ATTITUDES; BIOSPHERE; COMMUNICATIONS; COMMUNITIES; ECOSYSTEMS; EDUCATION; LEARNING; MONITORING; REGIONAL COOPERATION; SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT; TRAINING; UNESCO; UNITED NATIONS For nearly 20 years, biosphere reserves have offered a unique framework for building the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for conservation and sustainable use of ecosystems. The 12 case studies in this volume chronicle many of the cooperative efforts to implement the biosphere reserve concept in the United States. Considered together, these efforts involve more than 20 types of protected areas, and the participation of all levels of government, and many private organizations, academic institutions, citizens groups, and individuals. Biosphere reserves are multi-purpose areas that are nominated by the national committee of the Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB) and designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to serve as demonstration areas for cooperation in building harmonious relationships between human activities and the conservation of ecosystems and biological diversity. Each biosphere reserve exemplifies the characteristic ecosystems of one of the worlds biogeographical regions. It is a land or coas%arine area involving human communities as integral components and including resources managed for objectives ranging from complete protection to intensive, yet sustainable development. A biosphere reserve is envisioned as a regional ''landscape for learning'' in which monitoring, research, education, and training are encouraged to support sustainable conservation of natural and managed ecosystems. It is a framework for regional cooperation involving government decisionmakers, scientists, resource managers, private organizations and local people (i.e., the biosphere reserve ''stakeholders''). Finally, each biosphere reserve is part of a global network for sharing information and experience to help address complex problems of conservation and development. The 12 case studies presented in this report represent only a few of the possible evolutions of a biosphere reserve in its efforts to reach out to the local and regional community. As you have read, some have had great success, while others consider their successes almost negligible. All document tremendous effort from many people to improve the communication among landowners, land managers, scientists, and any others interested in the health and well-being of the natural and human environment of the biosphere reserve. United States Man and the Biosphere Program, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC (US) USDOE Office of Energy Research (ER) (US) United States 1995-06-26T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/771250 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/771250
Management of potential transuranium assimilation cases Johnson, N. D.; Ratchford, D. J. 560171* -- Radiation Effects-- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987); 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ACTINIDES; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; AMERICIUM; AMERICIUM 241; AMERICIUM ISOTOPES; BIOASSAY; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS; BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS; BIOLOGICAL WASTES; BODY; BODY FLUIDS; CALIFORNIUM; CLEANING; CURIUM; CURIUM 244; CURIUM ISOTOPES; DATA FORMS; DECONTAMINATION; ELEMENTS; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; FECES; HEAVY NUCLEI; INGESTION; INHALATION; INJECTION; INJURIES; INTAKE; ISOTOPES; METALS; NEPTUNIUM; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; ORGANS; PERSONNEL; PLUTONIUM; PLUTONIUM 238; PLUTONIUM 239; PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES; RADIATION EFFECTS; RADIATION INJURIES; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS; RESPIRATORY SYSTEM; SKIN; TABLES; TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS; TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS; URINE; WASTES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES This review deals primarily with the duties of Health Protection personnel assigned to Savannah River's operatig facilities - as opposed to the role of bioassay and dosimetry specialists - in handling potential transuranium assimilation cases. (PCS) Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Plant United States 1979-06-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5882417
Rooting patterns in the pinyon-juniper woodland Foxx, T S; Tierney, G D 052002 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 550800* -- Morphology; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ARID LANDS; FEDERAL REGION VI; GRASS; HERBS; MORPHOLOGY; NEW MEXICO; NORTH AMERICA; PLANTS; ROOTS; SHRUBS; TREES; USA An extensive bibliographical study documenting rooting patterns of native and introduced plants of the Western United States resulted in a computerized data base of over 1000 different rooting depth citations. From that data base, average rooting depths and frequencies were determined as related to species, habit, soil type, geographic region, root type, family, root depth to shoot height ratios, and root depth to root lateral ratios. Annual grasses were found to root within 1 m of the soil surface. Median rooting depth of other life forms was 2.0 m with a maximum rooting depth of 61 m. The various life forms had the following median and maximum rooting depths: annual forbs (median of 0.6 m, maximum of 3.0 m), biennial forms (0.8 m, 1.5 m), perennial grasses (1.1 m, 8.2 m), perennial forbs (1.1 m, 39.0 m), subshrubs and vines (1.2 m, 6.4 m), shrubs (2 m, 17.0 m), and trees (1.6 m, 61 m). In addition to the bibliographic study, 21 species common to the pinyon-juniper woodland were excavated from soils derived from volcanic tuff in Northern New Mexico. Rooting patterns and gross morphology were examined. Perennial forbs and grasses occurred within the first 30 cm of the soil surface. Roots of the overstory trees were traced to depths of 6 m and roots of shrubs to depths of 1.8 to 2.6 m. 29 refs., 2 figs., 6 tabs. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) United States 1985-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6387432
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Institutional Plan, FY 1995--FY 2000 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990000; GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; ORNL; PLANNING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US DOE This report discusses the institutional plan for Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the next five years (1995-2000). Included in this report are the: laboratory director`s statement; laboratory mission, vision, and core competencies; laboratory plan; major laboratory initiatives; scientific and technical programs; critical success factors; summaries of other plans; and resource projections. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10126873 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10126873
Research plan for elk in the eastern Jemez Mountains White, G C; Lissoway, J 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 560400 -- Other Environmental Pollutant Effects; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ANIMALS; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; HAZARDS; LASL; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NEW MEXICO; NORTH AMERICA; POPULATION DYNAMICS; SAFETY; SOUTHWEST REGION; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; WILD ANIMALS In June 1977, the holocaustic La Mesa Fire occurred in the eastern Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. The fire and the subsequent reseeding of the area have created a potential 15,000-acre winter range for elk. Winter range generally is considered the limiting factor in control of elk populations; this new abundance may allow a large increase in the eastern Jemez Mountains elk population. The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL), located in the area, is interested in elk overpopulation because of the effect on the vegetation, because increased numbers of elk on the roads would increase traffic hazards, and because of the possibility of elk becoming contaminated with effluents released by the Laboratory. The elk population is difficult to control here because LASL and Bandelier National Monument do not allow hunting on their lands. A 1-day workshop, held June 12, 1979, to discuss problems that might occur with elk population changes, resulted in the research plan outlined here. Participants, including experts on elk and regional land and wildlife managers, are listed in the Appendix. Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA) United States 1980-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5708015 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5708015
Record of decision remedial alternative selection for the F-area burning/rubble pits (231-F, 231-1F, and 231-2F) Palmer, E 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CHEMICAL WASTES; CONTAMINATION; GROUND WATER; LAND USE; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; REMEDIAL ACTION; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOILS; US SUPERFUND This decision document presents the selected remedial alternative for the FBRP located at the SRS in Aiken, South Carolina. The selected alternative was developed in accordance with CERCLA, as amended, and to the extent practicable, the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan. This decision is based on the Administrative Record File for this specific RCRA/CERCLA unit. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/568447 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/568447
Natural resource management activities at the Savannah River Site. Environmental Assessment 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210; 540250; BASIC STUDIES; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FORESTS; MAPS; RECREATIONAL AREAS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; STREAMS; WETLANDS; WILD ANIMALS This environmental assessment (EA) reviews the environmental consequences of ongoing natural resource management activities on the Savannah River Site (SRS). Appendix A contains the Natural Resources Management Plant (NRMP). While several SRS organizations have primary responsibilities for different elements of the plan, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Savannah River Forest Station (SRFS) is responsible for most elements. Of the river scenarios defined in 1985, the High-Intensity Management alternative established the upper bound of environmental consequences; it represents a more intense level of resource management than that being performed under current resource management activities. This alternative established compliance mechanisms for several natural resource-related requirements and maximum practical timber harvesting. Similarly, the Low-Intensity Management alternative established the lower bound of environmental consequences and represents a less intense level of resource management than that being performed under current resource management activities. This alternative also established compliance mechanisms, but defined a passively managed natural area. The Proposed Action of this EA describes the current level of multiple-natural resource management. This EA reviews the proposed action, and the high and low intensity alternative scenarios. USDOE Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10102320 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10102320
Summary of the Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 1999 Hanf, R W; O'Connor, G P; Poston, T M; Morasch, L F 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; HANFORD RESERVATION; MONITORING; SITE CHARACTERIZATION No abstract prepared. Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2000-10-24T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/765643 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/765643
Summary of the Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 1999 Hanf, Robert W; Morasch, Launa F; Poston, Ted M; O'Connor, Georganne P 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; GROUND WATER; HANFORD RESERVATION; MONITORING; PERFORMANCE; RADIOISOTOPES; RECOMMENDATIONS A brief summary of the 1999 Hanford Site Environmental Report. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US) USDOE United States 2000-10-24T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/15001071 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/15001071
ERDA facilities: a national resource for resolving energy problems 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; DECISION MAKING; EMPLOYMENT; ENERGY FACILITIES; ENERGY MANAGEMENT; INFORMATION; MANAGEMENT; MANPOWER; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; ORGANIZING; PERSONNEL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA The extensive facilities and human resources of the Energy Research and Development Administration will play a key role in pursuing the goals of a consolidated Department of Energy. ERDA's extensive scientific, engineering, production, and administration capabilities are distributed nationwide. They consist of twelve field and project offices, seven government-operated (in-house) laboratories, and thirty-eight contractor-operated laboratory, engineering and production facilities in 26 states. The total contractor and Federal employment approaches 100,000 of which 99 percent are contractor employees. The responsibility of this office has been the overall coordination of the diverse and dispersed field organization to ensure a field resource capability of supporting and carrying out the many missions of ERDA. This interim document has been prepared with the objective of providing current information in a quick reference, yet comprehensive, format. It is designed for internal use as a management tool to aid in reorganization decision making and as a source of general information for new DOE employees. The following text describes ERDA's management structure and the current program activities, staffing and funding levels, and unique capabilities of each of ERDA's facilities for responding to the nation's energy priorities. Energy Research and Development Administration, Washington, DC (USA) United States 1977-08-10T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/7301644 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7301644
Environmental Assessment for the Health Protection Instrument Calibration Facility at the Savannah River Site 053000; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; CALIBRATION; CONSTRUCTION; DOSEMETERS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GEOLOGY; HEALTH AND SAFETY; HYDROLOGY; METEOROLOGY; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; PERSONNEL; PLANTS; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIATION MONITORS; RADIATION PROTECTION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SEALED SOURCES; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES The purpose of this Environmental Assessment (EA) is to review the possible environmental consequences associated with the construction and operation of a Health Protection Instrument Calibration Facility on the Savannah River Site (SRS). The proposed replacement calibration facility would be located in B Area of SRS and would replace an inadequate existing facility currently located within A Area of SRS (Building 736-A). The new facility would provide laboratories, offices, test equipment and the support space necessary for the SRS Radiation Monitoring Instrument Calibration Program to comply with DOE Orders 5480.4 (Environmental Protection, Safety and Health Protection Standards) and 5480.11 (Radiation Protection for Occupational Workers). The proposed facility would serve as the central site source for the evaluation, selection, inspection, testing, calibration, and maintenance of all SRS radiation monitoring instrumentation. The proposed facility would be constructed on a currently undeveloped portion in B Area of SRS. The exact plot associated with the proposed action is a 1.2 hectare (3 acre) tract of land located on the west side of SRS Road No. 2. The proposed facility would lie approximately 4.4 km (2.75 mi) from the nearest SRS site boundary. The proposed facility would also lie within the confines of the existing B Area, and SRS safeguards and security systems. Archaeological, ecological, and land use reviews have been conducted in connection with the use of this proposed plot of land, and a detailed discussion of these reviews is contained herein. Socioeconomic, operational, and accident analyses were also examined in relation to the proposed project and the findings from these reviews are also contained in this EA. USDOE Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10105435 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10105435
Addendum to the remedial investigation report on Bear Creek Valley Operable Unit 2 (Rust Spoil Area, Spoil Area 1, and SY-200 Yard) at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Volume 1: Main text 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; AIR POLLUTION MONITORING; COMPLIANCE; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HABITAT; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; HEALTH HAZARDS; REMEDIAL ACTION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; US SUPERFUND; Y-12 PLANT This addendum to the Remedial Investigation (RI) Report on Bear Creek Valley Operable Unit (OU) 2 at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant was prepared in accordance with requirements under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) for reporting the results of a site characterization for public review. This addendum is a supplement to a document that was previously issued in January 1995 and that provided the Environmental Restoration Program with information about the results of the 1993 investigation performed at OU 2. The January 1995 D2 version of the RI Report on Bear Creek Valley OU 2 included information on risk assessments that have evaluated impacts to human health and the environment. Information provided in the document formed the basis for the development of the Feasibility Study Report. This addendum includes revisions to four chapters of information that were a part of the document issued in January 1995. Specifically, it includes revisions to Chaps. 2, 3, 4, and 9. Volume 1 of this document is not being reissued in its entirety as a D3 version because only the four chapters just mentioned have been affected by requested changes. Note also that Volume 2 of this RI Report on Bear Creek Valley OU 2 is not being reissued in conjunction with Volume 1 of this document because there have been no changes requested or made to the previously issued version of Volume 2 of this document. Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (United States); Science Applications International Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/171288 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/171288
Summary of Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2000 Hanf, Jr, Robert W; Poston, Ted M; Oconnor, G A; Morasch, Launa F 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; GROUND WATER; HANFORD RESERVATION; MONITORING; PERFORMANCE; POLLUTION CONTROL; POLLUTION REGULATIONS; RADIOISOTOPES; WASTE MANAGEMENT This booklet summarizes the Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2000. The Hanford Site environmental report is prepared annually to summarize environmental data and information, describe environmental management performance, demonstrate the status of compliance with environmental regulations, and highlight major environmental programs and efforts. The document is written to meet requirements and guidelines of the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the needs of the public. This summary booklet is designed to briefly (1) describe the Hanford Site and its mission; (2) describe environmental programs at the Hanford Site; (3) discuss estimated radionuclide exposures to the public from 2000 Hanford Site activities; (4) summarize the status of compliance with environmental regulations; and (5) present information on environmental monitoring and surveillance and groundwater protection and monitoring. Readers interested in more detailed information can consult the 2000 report or the technical documents cited and listed in that report. Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2001-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/789921 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/789921
Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1984 to the DOE Office of Energy Research. Part 2. Ecological sciences Novich, C M 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR-WATER INTERACTIONS; ANIMALS; ARID LANDS; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; COASTAL WATERS; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; MASS TRANSFER; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PLANTS; POLLUTION; POPULATION DYNAMICS; RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SOILS; SURFACE WATERS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WATER POLLUTION; WILD ANIMALS Research progress is reported in the following areas: (1) the terrestrial ecology of semi-arid sites; (2) marine sciences; (3) radionuclide fate and effects; (4) waste mobilization, fate and effects; and (5) theoretical research on environmental sampling. (ACR) Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA) United States 1985-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5829078 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5829078
Screening-Level Ecological Risk Assessment Methods, Revision 3 Mirenda, Richard J. 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Earth Sciences; Environmental Protection This document provides guidance for screening-level assessments of potential adverse impacts to ecological resources from release of environmental contaminants at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL or the Laboratory). The methods presented are based on two objectives, namely: to provide a basis for reaching consensus with regulators, managers, and other interested parties on how to conduct screening-level ecological risk investigations at the Laboratory; and to provide guidance for ecological risk assessors under the Environmental Programs (EP) Directorate. This guidance promotes consistency, rigor, and defensibility in ecological screening investigations and in reporting those investigation results. The purpose of the screening assessment is to provide information to the risk managers so informed riskmanagement decisions can be made. This document provides examples of recommendations and possible risk-management strategies. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) USDOE United States 2012-08-16T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1352432 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1352432
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory interests and capabilities for research on the ecological effects of global climatic and atmospheric change Amthor, J S; Houpis, J L; Kercher, J R; Ledebuhr, A; Miller, N L; Penner, J E; Robison, W L; Taylor, K E 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLIMATE MODELS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; FORECASTING; GLOBAL ASPECTS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has interests and capabilities in all three types of research that must be conducted in order to understand and predict effects of global atmospheric and climatic (i.e., environmental) changes on ecological systems and their functions (ecosystem function is perhaps most conveniently defined as mass and energy exchange and storage). These three types of research are: (1) manipulative experiments with plants and ecosystems; (2) monitoring of present ecosystem, landscape, and global exchanges and pools of energy, elements, and compounds that play important roles in ecosystem function or the physical climate system, and (3) mechanistic (i.e., hierarchic and explanatory) modeling of plant and ecosystem responses to global environmental change. Specific experimental programs, monitoring plans, and modeling activities related to evaluation of ecological effects of global environmental change that are of interest to, and that can be carried out by LLNL scientists are outlined. Several projects have the distinction of integrating modeling with empirical studies resulting in an Integrated Product (a model or set of models) that DOE or any federal policy maker could use to assess ecological effects. The authors note that any scheme for evaluating ecological effects of atmospheric and climatic change should take into account exceptional or sensitive species, in particular, rare, threatened, or endangered species. Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/231490 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/231490
Science, engineering and technical service capabilities of Nevada higher education organizations 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990000; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; ENVIRONMENT; GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; NEVADA; PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TRAINING The objective of this document is to increase the current dialogue between members of Nevada`s higher education system and the leadership of the federal scientific community in Nevada in order to start and expand collaborative relationships. This section provides introductory material on Nevada institutions of higher education and research together with background information on the need for increased federal collaboration with Nevada higher education institutions. Nevada Univ., Las Vegas, NV (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-09-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10103547
Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1980 to the DOE Assistant Secretary for Environment. Part 2. Ecological sciences. Vaughan, B E 510300* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSTRACTS; ALASKA; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; COAL LIQUEFACTION; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ELECTRIC FIELDS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENT; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; HANFORD RESERVATION; HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS; LEADING ABSTRACT; LIQUEFACTION; MATERIALS; MICROWAVE POWER TRANSMISSION; MILL TAILINGS; MINERAL OILS; MINES; MINING; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; NORTH AMERICA; NUCLEAR REACTIONS; NUCLEOSYNTHESIS; OILS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGION; POLLUTANTS; POWER PLANTS; POWER TRANSMISSION; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; REVEGETATION; SHALE OIL; SOLID WASTES; SRC-II PROCESS; SURFACE MINING; TAILINGS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES; THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS; URANIUM MINES; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; WASTES Separate abstracts were prepared for 33 topics discussed in this progress report. Section 11 which deals with the energy-related research for other agencies such as EPA, NOAA, NSF, and NRC is not represented by a separate abstract. (KRM) Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA) United States 1981-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6602558 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6602558
Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1991 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540000* -- Environment-- (1990-); 550700 -- Microbiology; 58 GEOSCIENCES; 580000 -- Geosciences; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100 -- Management; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BIOMASS; BIOTECHNOLOGY; DATA ANALYSIS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GEOLOGY; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; PROGRESS REPORT; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RISK ASSESSMENT; US AEC; US DOE; US DOE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS This progress report summarizes the research and development activities conducted in the Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory during the period October 1, 1990, through September 30, 1991. The report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the division's major organizational units. Following the sections describing the organizational units is a section devoted to lists of information necessary to convey the scope of the work in the division. The Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) conducts environmental research and analyses associated with both energy technology development and the interactions between people and the environment. The division engages in basic and applied research for a diverse list of sponsors. While the US Department of Energy (DOE) is the primary sponsor ESD staff also perform research for other federal agencies, state agencies, and private industry. The division works collaboratively with federal agencies, universities, and private organizations in achieving its research objectives and hosts a large number of visiting investigators from these organizations. Given the diverse interdisciplinary specialization of its staff, ESD provides technical expertise on complex environmental problems and renders technical leadership for major environmental issues of national and local concern. This progress report highlights many of ESD's accomplishment in these and other areas in FY 1991. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5231402 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5231402
Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1991 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540000; 550700; 58 GEOSCIENCES; 580000; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BIOMASS; BIOTECHNOLOGY; DATA ANALYSIS; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; GEOLOGY; GEOSCIENCES; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; MANAGEMENT; MICROBIOLOGY; ORNL; PROGRESS REPORT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RISK ASSESSMENT; US DOE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT This progress report summarizes the research and development activities conducted in the Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory during the period October 1, 1990, through September 30, 1991. The report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the division`s major organizational units. Following the sections describing the organizational units is a section devoted to lists of information necessary to convey the scope of the work in the division. The Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) conducts environmental research and analyses associated with both energy technology development and the interactions between people and the environment. The division engages in basic and applied research for a diverse list of sponsors. While the US Department of Energy (DOE) is the primary sponsor ESD staff also perform research for other federal agencies, state agencies, and private industry. The division works collaboratively with federal agencies, universities, and private organizations in achieving its research objectives and hosts a large number of visiting investigators from these organizations. Given the diverse interdisciplinary specialization of its staff, ESD provides technical expertise on complex environmental problems and renders technical leadership for major environmental issues of national and local concern. This progress report highlights many of ESD`s accomplishment in these and other areas in FY 1991. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10145045 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10145045
Quaternary volcanism, tectonics, and sedimentation in the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory area Hackett, W R; Smith, R P 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; 58 GEOSCIENCES; 580000; BASALT; GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS; GEOLOGY; GEOSCIENCES; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; SEDIMENTATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; TECTONICS; TUFF; VOLCANISM In this article, we discuss the regional context and describe localities for a two-day field excursion in the vicinity of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). We address several geologic themes: (1) Late Cenozoic, bimodal volcanism of the Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP), (2) the regional tectonics and structural geology of the Basin and Range province to the northwest of the ESRP, (3) fluvial, lacustrine, and aeolian sedimentation in the INEL area, and (4) the influence of Quaternary volcanism and tectonics on sedimentation near the INEL. EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-09-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10169190
Environmental assessment for the A-01 outfall constructed wetlands project at the Savannah River Site 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; COMPLIANCE; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; MONITORING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; WETLANDS The Department of Energy (DOE) prepared this environmental assessment (EA) to analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed A-01 outfall constructed wetlands project at the Savannah River site (SRS), located near aiken, South Carolina. The proposed action would include the construction and operation of an artificial wetland to treat effluent from the A-01 outfall located in A Area at SRS. The proposed action would reduce the outfall effluent concentrations in order to meet future outfall limits before these go into effect on October 1, 1999. This document was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended; the requirements of the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500--1508); and the DOE Regulations for Implementing NEPA (10 CFR Part 1021). Dept. of Energy, Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/319893 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/319893
Terrestrial Ecosystem Responses to Global Change: A Research Strategy 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; DESIGN; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; NUTRIENTS; PLANNING; PRODUCTIVITY; RESOLUTION; SENSITIVITY; SPECIES DIVERSITY; STORAGE; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TESTING; WATER Uncertainty about the magnitude of global change effects on terrestrial ecosystems and consequent feedbacks to the atmosphere impedes sound policy planning at regional, national, and global scales. A strategy to reduce these uncertainties must include a substantial increase in funding for large-scale ecosystem experiments and a careful prioritization of research efforts. Prioritization criteria should be based on the magnitude of potential changes in environmental properties of concern to society, including productivity; biodiversity; the storage and cycling of carbon, water, and nutrients; and sensitivity of specific ecosystems to environmental change. A research strategy is proposed that builds on existing knowledge of ecosystem responses to global change by (1) expanding the spatial and temporal scale of experimental ecosystem manipulations to include processes known to occur at large scales and over long time periods; (2) quantifying poorly understood linkages among processes through the use of experiments that manipulate multiple interacting environmental factors over a broader range of relevant conditions than did past experiments; and (3) prioritizing ecosystems for major experimental manipulations on the basis of potential positive and negative impacts on ecosystem properties and processes of intrinsic and/or utilitarian value to humans and on feedbacks of terrestrial ecosystems to the atmosphere. Models and experiments are equally important for developing process-level understanding into a predictive capability. To support both the development and testing of mechanistic ecosystem models, a two-tiered design of ecosystem experiments should be used. This design should include both (1) large-scale manipulative experiments for comprehensive testing of integrated ecosystem models and (2) multifactor, multilevel experiments for parameterization of process models across the critical range of interacting environmental factors (CO{sub 2}, temperature, water, nutrients). With limited resources, these complementary experiments should be focused in high-priority ecosystems, with experimental treatments designed to address the major uncertainties in each system. Critical ecosystems, both managed and unmanaged, have been identified using the above criteria and key uncertainties in current understanding of ecosystem processes used to identify critical issues and experiments. The sizes of both the whole-ecosystem experiments and the multifactor experimental treatment units must be based on the sizes of the dominant organisms, the scale of major processes in each system, and the spatial heterogeneity of each system. For example, large-scale ecosystem manipulations in temperate forests should evaluate at a minimum CO{sub 2} and temperature and could be conducted on small, gauged catchments. The multifactor process experiments should address all major environmental driving variables, and the treatment units should be large enough to include multiple individuals of the major tree species. This approach represents a fundamental shift in the scale and integration of experimental ecosystem research: from the current small-scale, single- or two-factor experiments in simple natural or artificial ecosystems to highly coordinated, large-scale, replicated experiments in complex ecosystems, with multiple interacting factors being evaluated at two (or more) complementary levels of spatial scale and process resolution. These experiments will require an unprecedented long-term funding commitment and concentration of large-scale experimental research at a few major sites, with significant new investment in infrastructure to support large interdisciplinary teams of scientists. ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 1998-09-23T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/814449 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/814449
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation - DOE Oversight Division. Status Report to the Public - December 1999 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; ENVIRONMENT; PUBLIC INFORMATION; RESOURCE CONSERVATION; TENNESSEE; US DOE No abstract prepared. State of Tennessee, Oak Ridge, TN (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 1999-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/765717 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/765717
Terrestrial ecosystem responses to global change: A research strategy 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON CYCLE; CLIMATIC CHANGE; DATA COVARIANCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS Uncertainty about the magnitude of global change effects on terrestrial ecosystems and consequent feedbacks to the atmosphere impedes sound policy planning at regional, national, and global scales. A strategy to reduce these uncertainties must include a substantial increase in funding for large-scale ecosystem experiments and a careful prioritization of research efforts. Prioritization criteria should be based on the magnitude of potential changes in environmental properties of concern to society, including productivity; biodiversity; the storage and cycling of carbon, water, and nutrients; and sensitivity of specific ecosystems to environmental change. A research strategy is proposed that builds on existing knowledge of ecosystem responses to global change by (1) expanding the spatial and temporal scale of experimental ecosystem manipulations to include processes known to occur at large scales and over long time periods; (2) quantifying poorly understood linkages among processes through the use of experiments that manipulate multiple interacting environmental factors over a broader range of relevant conditions than did past experiments; and (3) prioritizing ecosystems for major experimental manipulations on the basis of potential positive and negative impacts on ecosystem properties and processes of intrinsic and/or utilitarian value to humans and on feedbacks of terrestrial ecosystems to the atmosphere. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/666209 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/666209
Record of Decision Remedial Alternative Selection for the D-Area Burning/Rubble Pits (431-D and 431-1D) Palmer, E R; Mason, J T 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMBUSTION; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; GROUND WATER; REGULATIONS; REMEDIAL ACTION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOLID WASTES; WASTE DISPOSAL The D-Area Burning/Rubble Pits (DBRP) (431-D and 431-1D) Waste Unit is listed as a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) 3004(U) Solid Waste Management Unit/Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) unit in Appendix C of the Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) for the Savannah River Site (SRS). This decision document presents the selected remedial alternative for the DBRP located at the SRS in Aiken, South Carolina. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/626417 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/626417
Species status of Mill Creek Elliptio Davis, G M; Mulvey, M 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540350; DENSITY; DISTRIBUTION; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; GENETICS; MOLLUSCS; MONITORING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SPECIES DIVERSITY; STREAMS This report discusses environmental effects of the Savannah River Plant on aqautic populations in Mill Creek and surrounding tributaries. Of particular concern was the status of Elliptio. Genetics and phenotypic characteristics have shown that the current classification system is not adequate for these populations. The appendices characterize genetic variability at different loci, electrophoretic data, allele frequencies, sympatric species, and anatomical characters. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-12-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10143436 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10143436
Replacement by Caenis diminuta walker (ephemeroptera:caenidae) in the mayfly community structure of a thermally-stressed, southeastern stream Poff, N L; Matthews, R A 520400* -- Environment, Aquatic-- Thermal Effluents Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; ARTHROPODS; COMMUNITIES; DATA; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; EPHEMEROPTERA; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; INFORMATION; INSECTS; INVERTEBRATES; NUMERICAL DATA; POLLUTION; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TEMPERATURE EFFECTS; THERMAL POLLUTION Mayfly community structure on sycamore and sweetgum leaf packs in a thermally-stressed, post-thermal and an unstressed stream were compared. Leaves were colonized over an 11 wk (77 d) period from December 1982 to March 1983. Degree-days (> 0/sup 0/C) accumulated were 1014, 638 and 627 for the thermally-stressed, post-thermal and unstressed streams, respectively. Significant differences in mayfly community structure were found between the thermally-stressed vs. the post-thermal and unstressed streams with respect to both Stenonema spp. and Caenis diminuta Walker. No significant differences in community structure were found between the two leaf species. Stenonema spp. dominated the mayfly fauna over the sampling period for both the unstressed (68%) and post-thermal (98%) streams; however, C. diminuta replaced Stenonema spp. as the dominant mayfly (88%) within leaf packs from the stream receiving thermal effluent. Additional data suggest C. diminuta is tolerant of rapidly fluctuating thermal regimes (..delta.. T of up to 11/sup 0/C in 1 h) and high temperatures (up to 40/sup 0/C). 30 references, 3 figures, 3 tables. Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.; Indiana Univ., Bloomington (USA). School of Public and Environmental Affairs United States 1984-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5149100 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5149100
Quaternary volcanism, tectonics, and sedimentation in the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory area Hackett, W R; Smith, R P 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); 58 GEOSCIENCES; 580000 -- Geosciences; BASALT; GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS; GEOLOGY; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; IGNEOUS ROCKS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ROCKS; SEDIMENTATION; TECTONICS; TUFF; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VOLCANIC ROCKS; VOLCANISM In this article, we discuss the regional context and describe localities for a two-day field excursion in the vicinity of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). We address several geologic themes: (1) Late Cenozoic, bimodal volcanism of the Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP), (2) the regional tectonics and structural geology of the Basin and Range province to the northwest of the ESRP, (3) fluvial, lacustrine, and aeolian sedimentation in the INEL area, and (4) the influence of Quaternary volcanism and tectonics on sedimentation near the INEL. EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7045304
Environmental analysis of Lower Pueblo/Lower Los Alamos Canyon, Los Alamos, New Mexico Ferenbaugh, R W; Buhl, T E; Stoker, A K; Becker, N M; Rodgers, J C; Hansen, W R 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; ABANDONED SITES; COMPILED DATA; CONTAMINATION; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EVALUATION; HEALTH AND SAFETY; LANL; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; RADIOMETRIC SURVEYS; REMEDIAL ACTION; RIO GRANDE RIVER; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; VALLEYS The radiological survey of the former radioactive waste treatment plant site (TA-45), Acid Canyon, Pueblo Canyon, and Los Alamos Canyon found residual contamination at the site itself and in the channel and banks of Acid, Pueblo, and lower Los Alamos Canyons all the way to the Rio Grande. The largest reservoir of residual radioactivity is in lower Pueblo Canyon, which is on DOE property. However, residual radioactivity does not exceed proposed cleanup criteria in either lower Pueblo or lower Los Alamos Canyons. The three alternatives proposed are (1) to take no action, (2) to construct a sediment trap in lower Pueblo Canyon to prevent further transport of residual radioactivity onto San Ildefonso Indian Pueblo land, and (3) to clean the residual radioactivity from the canyon system. Alternative 2, to cleanup the canyon system, is rejected as a viable alternative. Thousands of truckloads of sediment would have to be removed and disposed of, and this effort is unwarranted by the low levels of contamination present. Residual radioactivity levels, under either present conditions or projected future conditions, will not result in significant radiation doses to persons exposed. Modeling efforts show that future transport activity will not result in any residual radioactivity concentrations higher than those already existing. Thus, although construction of a sediment trap in lower Pueblo Canyon is a viable alternative, this effort also is unwarranted, and the no-action alternative is the preferred alternative. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10114171 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10114171
Documentation of the Ecological Risk Assessment Computer Model ECORSK.5 Gallegos, Anthony F; Gonzales, Gilbert J 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMPUTERS; DOCUMENTATION; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; RISK ASSESSMENT; US EPA The FORTRAN77 ecological risk computer model--ECORSK.5--has been used to estimate the potential toxicity of surficial deposits of radioactive and non-radioactive contaminants to several threatened and endangered (T and E) species at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). These analyses to date include preliminary toxicity estimates for the Mexican spotted owl, the American peregrine falcon, the bald eagle, and the southwestern willow flycatcher. This work has been performed as required for the Record of Decision for the construction of the Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test (DARHT) Facility at LANL as part of the Environmental Impact Statement. The model is dependent on the use of the geographic information system and associated software--ARC/INFO--and has been used in conjunction with LANL's Facility for Information Management and Display (FIMAD) contaminant database. The integration of FIMAD data and ARC/INFO using ECORSK.5 allows the generation of spatial information from a gridded area of potential exposure called an Ecological Exposure Unit. ECORSK.5 was used to simulate exposures using a modified Environmental Protection Agency Quotient Method. The model can handle a large number of contaminants within the home range of T and E species. This integration results in the production of hazard indices which, when compared to risk evaluation criteria, estimate the potential for impact from consumption of contaminants in food and ingestion of soil. The assessment is considered a Tier-2 type of analysis. This report summarizes and documents the ECORSK.5 code, the mathematical models used in the development of ECORSK.5, and the input and other requirements for its operation. Other auxiliary FORTRAN 77 codes used for processing and graphing output from ECORSK.5 are also discussed. The reader may refer to reports cited in the introduction to obtain greater detail on past applications of ECORSK.5 and assumptions used in deriving model parameters. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (US) USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) (US) United States 1999-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/9415 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/9415
Developing a strategy and closure criteria for radioactive and mixed waste sites in the ORNL remedial action program: Regulatory interface Trabalka, J. R. 052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CHEMICAL WASTES; COMPLIANCE; DECOMMISSIONING; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; LAWS; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY ACTS; ORNL; PLANNING; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; REGULATIONS; REMEDIAL ACTION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES Some options for stabilization and treatment of contaminated sites can theoretically provide a once-and-for-all solution (e.g., removal or destruction of contaminants). Most realizable options, however, leave contaminants in place (in situ), potentially isolated by physical or chemical, but more typically, by hydrologic measures. As a result of the dynamic nature of the interactions between contaminants, remedial measures, and the environment, in situ stablization measures are likely to have limited life spans, and maintenance and monitoring of performance become an essential part of the scheme. The length of formal institutional control over the site and related questions about future uses of the land and waters are of paramount importance. Unique features of the ORNL site and environs appear to be key ingredients in achieving the very long term institutional control necessary for successful financing and implementation of in situ stabilization. Some formal regulatory interface is necessary to ensure that regulatory limitations and new guidance which can affect planning and implementation of the ORNL Remedial Action Program are communicated to ORNL staff and potential technical and financial limitations which can affect schedules or alternatives for achievement of long-term site stabilization and the capability to meet environmental regulations are provided to regulatory bodies as early as possible. Such an interface should allow decisions on closure criteria to be based primarily on technical merit and protection of human health and the environment. A plan for interfacing with federal and state regulatory authorities is described. 93 refs., 1 fig., 4 tabs. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1987-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6126203 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6126203
Performance Assessment for the Idaho National Laboratory Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility Schafer, Annette L.; Sondrup, A. Jeffrey; Rood, Arthur S. 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; RH-LLW; performance assessment; remote-handled low-level waste This performance assessment for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility at the Idaho National Laboratory documents the projected radiological dose impacts associated with the disposal of low-level radioactive waste at the facility. This assessment evaluates compliance with the applicable radiological criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for protection of the public and the environment. The calculations involve modeling transport of radionuclides from buried waste to surface soil and subsurface media, and eventually to members of the public via air, groundwater, and food chain pathways. Projections of doses are calculated for both offsite receptors and individuals who inadvertently intrude into the waste after site closure. The results of the calculations are used to evaluate the future performance of the low-level radioactive waste disposal facility and to provide input for establishment of waste acceptance criteria. In addition, one-factor-at-a-time, Monte Carlo, and rank correlation analyses are included for sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. The comparison of the performance assessment results to the applicable performance objectives provides reasonable expectation that the performance objectives will be met Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) United States 2012-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1044201 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1044201
History of the Plutonium Production Facilities at the Hanford Site Historic District - 1943 - 1990 - June 2002 CANNAN, S. D. 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; HANFORD RESERVATION; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; PLUTONIUM; PRODUCTION No abstract prepared. PNNL (US) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US) United States 2001-12-14T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/807939 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807939
Mammals of the Savannah River Site Cothran, E. G.; Smith, M. H.; Wolff, J. O.; Gentry, J. B. 053000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210; BASELINE ECOLOGY; BASIC STUDIES; ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS; HABITAT; MAMMALS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOUTH CAROLINA; WILD ANIMALS This book is designed to be used as a field guide, reference book, bibliography, and introduction to the basic biology and ecology of the 54 mammal species that currently or potentially exist on or near the Savannah River Site (SRS). For 50 of these species, we present basic descriptions, distinguishing morphological features, distribution and habitat preferences, food habits, reproductive biology, social behavior, ecological relationships with other species, and economic importance to man. For those species that have been studied on the SRS, we summarize the results of these studies. Keys and illustrations are provided for whole body and skull identification. A selected glossary defines technical terminology. Illustrations of tracks of the more common larger mammals will assist in field identifications. We also summarize the results of two major long-term SRS studies, ``The Forbearer Census`` and ``White-tailed Deer Studies``. A cross-indexed list of over 300 SRS publications on mammals classifies each publication by 23 categories such as habitat, reproduction, genetics, etc., and also for each mammal species. The 149 Master`s theses and Ph.D. dissertations that have been conducted at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory are provided as additional references. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1991-12-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10109487 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10109487
Oak Ridge National Laboratory institutional plan, FY 1996--FY 2001 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; ORNL; PLANNING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US DOE This report discusses the institutional plan for Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the next five years. Included in the report are: laboratory director`s statement; laboratory mission, vision, and core competencies; laboratory strategic plan; major laboratory initiatives; scientific and technical programs; critical success factors; summaries of other plans; resource projections; appendix which contains data for site and facilities, user facility, science and mathematic education and human resources; and laboratory organization chart. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/257301 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/257301
Los Alamos Life Sciences Division's biomedical and environmental research programs. Progress report, January-December 1980 Holland, L M; Stafford, C G; Bolen, S K 04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS; 040700 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Health & Safety; 041000 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Environmental Aspects; 510000 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- (-1989); 520000 -- Environment, Aquatic-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ABSTRACTS; BIOLOGY; BIOPHYSICS; BITUMINOUS MATERIALS; CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS; CHEMISTRY; DOCUMENT TYPES; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENT; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; GENETICS; LASL; LEADING ABSTRACT; MATERIALS; MINERAL OILS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OIL SHALES; OILS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; PATHOLOGY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SHALE OIL; TOXICITY; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS Highlights of research progress accomplished in the Life Sciences Division during the year ending December 1980 are summarized. Reports from the following groups are included: Toxicology, Biophysics, Genetics; Environmental Pathology, Organic Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences. Individual abstracts have been prepared for 46 items for inclusion in the Energy Data Base. (RJC) Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) United States 1981-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5575704 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5575704
Interactive effects of temperature and nutrients on periphyton assemblages from a low-pH South Carolina stream Brown, D. C. 20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS; 200201 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management-- Thermal Effluents; 560202* -- Thermal Effects-- Microorganisms-- (1987); 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BIOMASS; CARBON; DAILY VARIATIONS; DATA; ELEMENTS; ENERGY SOURCES; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; INFORMATION; NONMETALS; NUMERICAL DATA; NUTRIENTS; PH VALUE; PRODUCTIVITY; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; TEMPERATURE EFFECTS; UPTAKE; VARIATIONS Periphyton that accumulated on glass slides in a flow-through, artificial stream system at the Thermal Effects Laboratory, Savannah River Laboratory, were studied for their response to continuously elevated temperatues and to nutrient additions. Although the stream water used in these experiments was low in nutrients, addition of nutrients rarely increased periphyton biomass or carbon-uptake rates. The most consistent stimulation occurred in July at 12/sup 0/C above ambient temperature. Large day-to-day variations in chlorophyll a and rate of carbon-uptake of the assemblages were observed at ambient temperatures and at elevated temperatures. Temperature and available carbon varied on approximately the same time scale as the algal parameters. It is concluded that nutrient imitation, if it exists in this system, is masked by the effects of temperature and, in summer, possibly by limitation of carbon to the periphyton. Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab. United States 1981-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6500843 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6500843
Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Volume 1, Appendix C, Savannah River Site Spent Nuclear Fuel Mangement Program 050900; 052002; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300; AIR QUALITY; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; CULTURAL RESOURCES; DECISION MAKING; ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, AND SAFETY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; GEOLOGY; LAND USE; NOISE; PUBLIC HEALTH; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS; SPENT FUEL STORAGE; SPENT FUELS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TRANSPORT, HANDLING, AND STORAGE; US DOE; WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE; WATER QUALITY; WATER RESOURCES; WETLANDS The US Department of Energy (DOE) is engaged in two related decision making processes concerning: (1) the transportation, receipt, processing, and storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at the DOE Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) which will focus on the next 10 years; and (2) programmatic decisions on future spent nuclear fuel management which will emphasize the next 40 years. DOE is analyzing the environmental consequences of these spent nuclear fuel management actions in this two-volume Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Volume 1 supports broad programmatic decisions that will have applicability across the DOE complex and describes in detail the purpose and need for this DOE action. Volume 2 is specific to actions at the INEL. This document, which limits its discussion to the Savannah River Site (SRS) spent nuclear fuel management program, supports Volume 1 of the EIS. Following the introduction, Chapter 2 contains background information related to the SRS and the framework of environmental regulations pertinent to spent nuclear fuel management. Chapter 3 identifies spent nuclear fuel management alternatives that DOE could implement at the SRS, and summarizes their potential environmental consequences. Chapter 4 describes the existing environmental resources of the SRS that spent nuclear fuel activities could affect. Chapter 5 analyzes in detail the environmental consequences of each spent nuclear fuel management alternative and describes cumulative impacts. The chapter also contains information on unavoidable adverse impacts, commitment of resources, short-term use of the environment and mitigation measures. USDOE Idaho Operations Office, Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10161335 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10161335
INEL environmental characterization report. Volume I. Summary 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220501 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Environmental Aspects-- Siting; 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLIMATES; CULTURAL RESOURCES; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; GEOGRAPHY; GEOLOGY; HYDROLOGY; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; PRODUCTION REACTORS; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; REACTORS; REGULATIONS; RESOURCES; SEISMICITY; SITE SURVEYS; SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS This environmental characterization report contains general information on environmental aspects of the INEL, and specific information on two areas within the INEL which have been tentatively selected for NPR siting. The objective is to present environmental information but not assess environmental impacts. Impacts will be addressed specifically at a later date when an EIS is prepared. The information in this report will be used to evaluate the siting of various reactor types at each of the three reservation alternatives. The report covers geography, physiography, and demography of the INEL, ecology, climatology overview, geology and seismology, hydrology, cultural resources assessment, baseline socioeconomic data, description of INEL facilities and capabilities, effluent and environmental measurements and monitoring programs, exposure pathways, and environmental laws and regulations. EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls (USA) United States 1984-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6185273 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6185273
Historical records of radioactive contamination in biota at the 200 Areas of the Hanford Site Johnson, A R; Markes, B M; Schmidt, J W; Shah, A N; Weiss, S G; Wilson, K J 052000; 053000; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; CONTAMINATION; ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; HANFORD RESERVATION; HEALTH AND SAFETY; PLANTS; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WILD ANIMALS This document summarizes and reports a literature search of 85 environmental monitoring records of wildlife and vegetation (biota) at the 200 East Area and the 200 West Area of the Hanford Site since 1965. These records were published annually and provided the majority of the data in this report. Additional sources of data have included records of specific facilities, such as site characterization documents and preoperational environmental surveys. These documents have been released for public use. Records before 1965 were still being researched and therefore not included in this document. The intent of compiling these data into a single source was to identify past and current concentrations of radionuclides in biota at specific facilities and waste sites within each operable unit that may be used to help guide cleanup activities in the 200 Areas to be completed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response and Liability Act (CERCLA). The 200 East Area and 200 West Area were the locations of the Hanford Site separation and process facilities and waste management units. For the purposes of this document, a sample was of interest if a Geiger-Mueller counter equipped with a pancake probe-indicated beta/gamma emitting radioactivity above 200 counts per minute (cpm), or if laboratory radioanalyses indicated a radionuclide concentration equaled or exceeded 10 picocuries per gram (pCi/g). About 4,500 individual cases of monitoring for radionuclide uptake or transport in biota in the 200 Areas environs were included in the documents reviewed. About 1,900 (i.e., 42%) of these biota had radionuclide concentrations in excess of 10 pCi/g. These radionuclide transport or uptake cases were distributed among 45 species of wildlife (primarily small mammals and feces) and 30 species of vegetation. The wildlife species most commonly associated with radioactive contamination were the house mouse and the deer mouse and of vegetation species, the Russian thistle. Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10191138 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10191138
Health, Safety, and Environment Division annual report, 1988 Rosenthal, M. A. 500300* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 560151 -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; DOCUMENT TYPES; EPIDEMIOLOGY; FILTERS; LASL; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VENTILATION; WASTES The primary responsibility of the Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Division at the Los Alamos National Laboratory is to provide comprehensive occupational health and safety programs, waste processing, and environmental protection. These activities are designed to protect the worker, the public, and the environment. Many disciplines are required to meet the responsibilities, including radiation protection, industrial hygiene, safety, occupational medicine, environmental science, epidemiology, and waste management. New and challenging health and safety problems occasionally arise from the diverse research and development work of the Laboratory. Research programs in HSE Division often stem from these applied needs. These programs continue but are also extended, as needed, to study specific problems for the Department of Energy and to help develop better occupational health and safety practices. 52 refs. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) DOE/MA United States 1989-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5645230 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5645230
Wetland vegetation establishment in L-Lake Kroeger, S R 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540310* -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); 540350 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); AMOEBA; ANIMALS; BIRDS; COMPILED DATA; DATA; DATA ANALYSIS; ECOLOGY; FERTILIZERS; INFORMATION; INVERTEBRATES; MICROORGANISMS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUMERICAL DATA; PLANNING; PLANTS; PROTOZOA; SAMPLING; SARCODINA; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SURFACE WATERS; TOPOGRAPHY; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES Wetland vegetation was transplanted from PAR Pond to L-Lake between January and August, 1987. Approximately 100,000 individual plants representing over 40 species were transplanted along the southern shoreline. Three zones of vegetation were created: (1) submersed/floating-leaved, (2) emergent, (3) upper emergent/shrub. During the summers of 1987, 1988, 1989, the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory sampled the vegetation in 54 permanent transects located in planted (N=32) and unplanted areas (N=22). The 1989 vegetation data from L-Lake were compared to 1985 data from PAR Pond. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1990-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6529765 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6529765
Wetland vegetation establishment in L-Lake Kroeger, S R 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540310; 540350; AMOEBA; BASIC STUDIES; BIRDS; COMPILED DATA; DATA ANALYSIS; ECOLOGY; FERTILIZERS; PLANNING; PLANTS; SAMPLING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SURFACE WATERS; TOPOGRAPHY Wetland vegetation was transplanted from PAR Pond to L-Lake between January and August, 1987. Approximately 100,000 individual plants representing over 40 species were transplanted along the southern shoreline. Three zones of vegetation were created: (1) submersed/floating-leaved, (2) emergent, (3) upper emergent/shrub. During the summers of 1987, 1988, 1989, the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory sampled the vegetation in 54 permanent transects located in planted (N=32) and unplanted areas (N=22). The 1989 vegetation data from L-Lake were compared to 1985 data from PAR Pond. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1990-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10155841 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10155841
Savannah River Site environmental report for 1993 Arnett, M W; Karapatakis, L K; Mamatey, A R 052000; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540150; 540250; 540350; AIR; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; ENVIRONMENT; GROUND WATER; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; HEALTH AND SAFETY; LIQUID WASTES; PUBLIC HEALTH; QUALITY ASSURANCE; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; REMEDIAL ACTION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SOILS; SURFACE WATERS; SURVEILLANCE; WASTE MANAGEMENT Savannah River Site (SRS) conducts effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance to ensure the safety of the public and the well-being of the environment. DOE Order 5400,1, ``General Environmental Protection Program,`` requires the submission of an environmental report that documents the impact of facility operations on the environment and on public health. SRS has had an extensive environmental surveillance program in place since 1951 (before site startup). At that time, data generated by the on-site surveillance program were reported in site documents. Beginning in 1959, data from off-site environmental monitoring activities were presented in reports issued for public dissemination. Separate reporting of SRS`s on- and off-site environmental monitoring activities continued until 1985, when data from both surveillance programs were merged into a single public document. The Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1993 is an overview of effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance activities conducted on and in the vicinity of SRS from January 1 through December 31, 1993. For complete program descriptions, consult the ``SRS Environmental Monitoring Plan`` (WSRC-3Ql-2-1000). It documents the rationale and design criteria for the monitoring program, the frequency of monitoring and analysis, the specific analytical and sampling procedures, and the quality assurance requirements. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10173208 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10173208
Mammals of the Savannah River Site Cothran, E. G.; Smith, M. H.; Wolff, J. O.; Gentry, J. B. 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); ANIMALS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; DEVELOPED COUNTRIES; ECOLOGY; HABITAT; MAMMALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOUTH CAROLINA; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; VERTEBRATES; WILD ANIMALS This book is designed to be used as a field guide, reference book, bibliography, and introduction to the basic biology and ecology of the 54 mammal species that currently or potentially exist on or near the Savannah River Site (SRS). For 50 of these species, we present basic descriptions, distinguishing morphological features, distribution and habitat preferences, food habits, reproductive biology, social behavior, ecological relationships with other species, and economic importance to man. For those species that have been studied on the SRS, we summarize the results of these studies. Keys and illustrations are provided for whole body and skull identification. A selected glossary defines technical terminology. Illustrations of tracks of the more common larger mammals will assist in field identifications. We also summarize the results of two major long-term SRS studies, The Forbearer Census'' and White-tailed Deer Studies''. A cross-indexed list of over 300 SRS publications on mammals classifies each publication by 23 categories such as habitat, reproduction, genetics, etc., and also for each mammal species. The 149 Master's theses and Ph.D. dissertations that have been conducted at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory are provided as additional references. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1991-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6846414 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6846414
Biological Assessment of the Continued Operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory on Federally Listed Threatened and Endangered Species Hansen, Leslie A. 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological resources This biological assessment considers the effects of continuing to operate Los Alamos National Laboratory on Federally listed threatened or endangered species, based on current and future operations identified in the 2006 Site-wide Environmental Impact Statement for the Continued Operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory (SWEIS; DOE In Prep.). We reviewed 40 projects analyzed in the SWEIS as well as two aspects on ongoing operations to determine if these actions had the potential to affect Federally listed species. Eighteen projects that had not already received U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) consultation and concurrence, as well as the two aspects of ongoing operations, ecological risk from legacy contaminants and the Outfall Reduction Project, were determined to have the potential to affect threatened or endangered species. Cumulative impacts were also analyzed. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) United States 2006-09-19T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1291211 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1291211
From Protection and Prevention to Research and Discovery: Eligibility Assessment of the Health Research Laboratory (TA-43) and Historic Documentation for TA-43-0001 - Volume 1 Gregory, Carrie Jeannette; Schultz, Elliot Merle; Townsend, Cameron Dee; Garcia, Kari L. M; Brunette, Jeremy Christopher 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; cultural resources The U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Los Alamos Field Office (NA-LA) requests the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) to concur with the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)âeligibility determinations detailed in this report for the Health Research Laboratory (HRL) complex in Technical Area 43 (TA-43) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). As part of the LANL Footprint Reduction Programâs Decommissioning and Demolition (D&D) process, all facilities of the HRL complex are scheduled for characterization and future demolition. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) United States 2022-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1900430 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1900430
Close out report for archaeological investigations on the Savannah River Site, South Carolina 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290200* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Economics & Sociology; ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES; ARCHAEOLOGY; COMPLIANCE; CULTURAL RESOURCES; DOCUMENT TYPES; EXCAVATION; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PRESERVATION; PROGRESS REPORT; REGULATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE SURVEYS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WATERSHEDS The Savannah River Archaeological Research Program (SRARP), South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of South Carolina conducted archaeological investigations under contract AC09-81SR10749 entitled Archaeological Investigations at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Plant from July 1981 through September 1987. The major emphasis was upon the completion of a 40% stratified sample of the Savannah River Site (SRS) in order to identify and preserve archaeological resources. The investigations were conducted to bring the Savannah River Operations Office into compliance with specific laws and regulations pertaining to the identification and preservation of archaeological and historical resources on federally owned and controlled properties. 15 refs., 3 figs., 12 tabs. South Carolina Univ., Columbia, SC (USA). Inst. of Archaeology and Anthropology DOE/DP United States 1989-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6912887 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6912887
Environmental effects of a complex nuclear facility Bebbington, W. P. *ENVIRONMENT-- POLLUTION; *SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT-- WASTE MANAGEMENT; GASEOUS WASTES; LIQUID WASTES; N44200* --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Radioactive Effluents; N44600 --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Thermal Effluents; N77900 --Reactors--Reactor Safety & Environmental Aspects; NONRADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SOLID WASTES; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE HEAT BS>From AIChe sixty-sixth meeting; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA (11 Nov 1973). Fuel fabrication, nuclear reactors, and chemical reprocessing have all been in operation for nearly 20 years at the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission's Savannah River Plant. The Plant's experience and the present condition of its 300-square-mile site provide bases for judging the effects of complex nuclear operations on the environment. It is concluded that nuclear technology can be and has been controlled to provide useful services without harmful consequences. (auth) Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Savannah River Plant United States 1973-06-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4423985
Site characterization report for the proposed transuranic waste handling and packaging plant, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee Campbell, A. W.; Cada, G. F.; Ketelle, R. H.; Kroodsman, R. L.; Lee, R. R.; Pounds, L. R. 052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ALPHA-BEARING WASTES; BASELINE ECOLOGY; COMPLIANCE; DOCUMENTATION; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; LAWS; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ORNL; PROCESSING; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTE PROCESSING; WASTES This report is intended to assist the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Transuranic Waste Program in preparing environmental documentation to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The report presents a characterization of the environmental baseline conditions at a proposed site for a transuranic Waste Handling and Packaging Plant (WHPP) on the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation. The information contained in this report will be used in the future analysis of environmental impacts associated with the WHPP. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1989-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6225603 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6225603
Site Selection for Surplus Plutonium Disposition Facilities at the Savannah River Site Wike, L D 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; PLUTONIUM; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE SELECTION The purpose of this study is to identify, assess, and rank potential sites for the proposed Surplus Plutonium Disposition Facilities complex at the Savannah River Site. Savannah River Site (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2000-12-13T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/773102 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/773102
Wetland survey of the X-10 Bethel Valley and Melton Valley groundwater operable units at Oak Ridge National Labortory Oak Ridge, Tennessee Rosensteel, B A 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMPLIANCE; HYDROLOGY; MAPPING; ORNL; REGULATIONS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; WETLANDS Executive Order 11990, Protection of Wetlands, (May 24, 1977) requires that federal agencies avoid, to the extent possible, adverse impacts associated with the destruction and modification of wetlands and that they avoid direct and indirect support of wetlands development when there is a practicable alternative. In accordance with Department of Energy (DOE) Regulations for Compliance with Floodplains and Wetlands Environmental Review Requirements (Subpart B, 10 CFR 1022.11), surveys for wetland presence or absence were conducted in both the Melton Valley and the Bethel Valley Groundwater Operable Units (GWOU) on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) from October 1994 through September 1995. As required by the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act of 1992, wetlands were identified using the criteria and methods set forth in the Wetlands Delineation Manual (Army Corps of Engineers, 1987). Wetlands were identified during field surveys that examined and documented vegetation, soils, and hydrologic evidence. Most of the wetland boundary locations and wetland sizes are approximate. Boundaries of wetlands in Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 2 and on the former proposed site of the Advanced Neutron Source in the upper Melton Branch watershed were located by civil survey during previous wetland surveys; thus, the boundary locations and areal sizes in these areas are accurate. The wetlands were classified according to the system developed by Cowardin et al. (1979) for wetland and deepwater habitats of the United States. A total of 215 individual wetland areas ranging in size from 0.002 ha to 9.97 ha were identified in the Bethel Valley and Melton Valley GWOUs. The wetlands are classified as palustrine forested broad-leaved deciduous (PFO1), palustrine scrub-shrub broad-leaved deciduous (PSS1), and palustrine persistent emergent (PEM1). Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1996-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/224263 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/224263
Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory site environmental report for calendar year 1997 Evans, R B; Brooks, R W; Roush, D; Martin, D B; Lantz, B S 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; MONITORING; NUMERICAL DATA; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION To verify that exposures resulting from operations at Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear facilities remain very small, each site at which nuclear activities are conducted operates an environmental surveillance program to monitor the air, water and any other pathway whereby radionuclides from operations might conceivably reach workers and members of the public. Environmental surveillance and monitoring results are reported annually to the DOE-Headquarters. This report presents a compilation of data collected in 1997 for the routine environmental surveillance programs conducted on and around the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). The results of the various monitoring programs for 1997 indicated that radioactivity from the INEEL operations could generally not be distinguished from worldwide fallout and natural radioactivity in the region surrounding the INEEL. Although some radioactive materials were discharged during INEEL operations, concentrations in the offsite environment and doses to the surrounding population were far less than state of Idaho and federal health protection guidelines. Environmental Science and Research Foundation, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/334261 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/334261
Annual Report for 1981 to the DOE Office of the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Protection, Safety, and Emergency Preparedness. Part 2. Ecological Sciences. [Lead abstract] Vaughan, B E 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; 010900 -- Coal, Lignite, & Peat-- Environmental Aspects; 04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS; 041000 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Environmental Aspects; 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 060900 -- Fusion Fuels-- Environmental Aspects-- (1980-1987); 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 13 HYDRO ENERGY; 130600 -- Hydro Energy-- Environmental Aspects; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 530200 -- Environmental-Social Aspects of Energy Technologies-- Assessment of Energy Technologies-- (-1989); 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; ABSTRACTS; ALASKA; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; COAL LIQUEFACTION; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ELECTRIC FIELDS; ELECTRIC POWER; ENERGY SOURCES; ENERGY SYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; FEDERAL REGION X; FISSION; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; HYDROELECTRIC POWER; LAND USE; LAWS; LEADING ABSTRACT; LIQUEFACTION; MATERIALS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; MINERAL OILS; NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; NORTH AMERICA; NUCLEAR REACTIONS; NUCLEOSYNTHESIS; OILS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; POWER; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOECOLOGY; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT; RESOURCES; SHALE OIL; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES; THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; WASTES Separate abstracts were prepared for the 38 reports for this Pacific Northwest Laboratory Annual Report for 1981 to the DOE Office of Energy Research. This part dealt with research conducted in the ecological sciences. Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA) United States 1982-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5359991 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5359991
Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1982. Environmental Sciences Division Publication No. 2090. [Lead abstract] 052002 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 500200* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSTRACTS; ACID RAIN; AIR POLLUTION; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; BIOMASS; CARBON CYCLE; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; GLOBAL ASPECTS; LEADING ABSTRACT; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; POLLUTION; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RAIN; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SOLID WASTES; SYSTEMS ANALYSIS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TOXIC MATERIALS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES Separate abstracts were prepared for 12 of the 14 sections of the Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report. The other 2 sections deal with educational activities. The programs discussed deal with advanced fuel energy, toxic substances, environmental impacts of various energy technologies, biomass, low-level radioactive waste management, the global carbon cycle, and aquatic and terrestrial ecology. (KRM) Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1983-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6125799 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6125799
Environmental Assessment for Selection and Operation of the Proposed Field Research Centers for the Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research (NABIR) Program 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; BIOREMEDIATION; CLEANING; CONTAMINATION; DECONTAMINATION; EA; FIELD RESEARCH CENTERS; FONSI; MICROORGANISMS; MIXTURES; NABIR; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RESEARCH; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESIDUES; SEDIMENTS; SLUDGES; SOILS; WASTES; WATER; WEAPONS The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER), within the Office of Science (SC), proposes to add a Field Research Center (FRC) component to the existing Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research (NABIR) Program. The NABIR Program is a ten-year fundamental research program designed to increase the understanding of fundamental biogeochemical processes that would allow the use of bioremediation approaches for cleaning up DOE's contaminated legacy waste sites. An FRC would be integrated with the existing and future laboratory and field research and would provide a means of examining the fundamental biogeochemical processes that influence bioremediation under controlled small-scale field conditions. The NABIR Program would continue to perform fundamental research that might lead to promising bioremediation technologies that could be demonstrated by other means in the future. For over 50 years, DOE and its predecessor agencies have been responsible for the research, design, and production of nuclear weapons, as well as other energy-related research and development efforts. DOE's weapons production and research activities generated hazardous, mixed, and radioactive waste products. Past disposal practices have led to the contamination of soils, sediments, and groundwater with complex and exotic mixtures of compounds. This contamination and its associated costs and risks represents a major concern to DOE and the public. The high costs, long duration, and technical challenges associated with remediating the subsurface contamination at DOE sites present a significant need for fundamental research in the biological, chemical, and physical sciences that will contribute to new and cost-effective solutions. One possible low-cost approach for remediating the subsurface contamination of DOE sites is through the use of a technology known as bioremediation. Bioremediation has been defined as the use of microorganisms to biodegrade or biotransform hazardous organic contaminants to environmentally safe levels in soils, subsurface materials, water, sludges, and residues.. While bioremediation technology is promising, DOE managers and non-DOE scientists have recognized that the fundamental scientific information needed to develop effective bioremediation technologies for cleanup of the legacy waste sites is lacking in many cases. DOE believes that field-based research is needed to realize the full potential of bioremediation. The Department of Energy faces a unique set of challenges associated with cleaning up waste at its former weapons production and research sites. These sites contain complex mixtures of contaminants in the subsurface, including radioactive compounds. In many cases, the fundamental field-based scientific information needed to develop safe and effective remediation and cleanup technologies is lacking. DOE needs fundamental research on the use of microorganisms and their products to assist DOE in the decontamination and cleanup of its legacy waste sites. The existing NABIR program to-date has focused on fundamental scientific research in the laboratory. Because subsurface hydrologic and geologic conditions at contaminated DOE sites cannot easily be duplicated in a laboratory, however, the DOE needs a field component to permit existing and future laboratory research results to be field-tested on a small scale in a controlled outdoor setting. Such field-testing needs to be conducted under actual legacy waste field conditions representative of those that DOE is most in need of remediating. Ideally, these field conditions should be as representative as practicable of the types of subsurface contamination conditions that resulted from legacy wastes from the nuclear weapons program activities. They should also be representative of the types of hydrologic and geologic conditions that exist across the DOE complex. U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science (US) USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US) United States 2000-04-18T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/768668 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/768668
Distribution of Aeromonas hydrophila in a South Carolina cooling reservoir. [Aeromonas hydrophila] Fliermans, C. B.; Gorden, R. W.; Hazen, T. C.; Esch, G. W. 20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS; 200200 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management; 560203* -- Thermal Effects-- Plants-- (-1987); 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FISHES; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS; PLANKTON; POLLUTION; POPULATION DYNAMICS; POWER PLANTS; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; THERMAL POLLUTION; THERMAL POWER PLANTS; VERTEBRATES Par Pond is a thermally enriched monomictic southeastern lake which receives heated effluent from a production nuclear reactor. Fish populations in the lake have lesions of epizooty from which Aeromonas spp. are readily isolated. Distribution and population densities of Aeromonas in the water column were measured along an oxygen and temperature gradient. Greater population densities of Aeromonas occurred below the oxygen chemocline when the lake was stratified. Survival of A. hydrophila under in situ conditions in both epilimnetic and hypolimnetic waters was determined using polycarbonate membrane diffusion chambers, during two separate reactor operating conditions. Survival levels of pure cultures of A. hydrophila corresponded to the distribution patterns of the naturally occurring Aeromonas-like populations. The greater survival of A. hydrophila below the chemocline when the reactor was in full operation suggests that the fish populations may be exposed to Aeromonas for a longer period of time than when the reactor is not operating. Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Savannah River Lab.; Wake Forest Univ., Winston-Salem, N.C. (USA). Dept. of Biology United States 1977-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5352758
Oak Ridge National Laboratory institutional plan, FY 1992--FY 1997 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 360000 -- Materials; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540000 -- Environment-- (1990-); 550000 -- Biomedical Sciences, Basic Studies; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 660000 -- Physics-- (1992-); 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100 -- Management; ACCELERATORS; BIOLOGY; BUDGETS; BUILDINGS; CERAMICS; CHEMISTRY; COOPERATION; DOCUMENT TYPES; EDUCATION; ENGINEERING; GAS COOLED REACTORS; GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS; HEAVY ION ACCELERATORS; HTGR TYPE REACTORS; INTERAGENCY COOPERATION; LICENSING; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NEUTRON SOURCES; ORNL; PARTICLE SOURCES; PHYSICS; PLANNING; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIATION SOURCES; REACTORS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US AEC; US DOE; US DOE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT In operation for fifty years, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is managed by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., for the US Department of Energy (DOE). ORNL is one of DOE's major multiprogram national laboratories. Activities at the Laboratory are focused on basic and applied research, on technology development, and on other technological challenges that are important to DOE and to the nation. The Laboratory also performs research and development (R D) for non-DOE sponsors when such activities complement DOE missions and address important national or international issues. The Laboratory is committed to the pursuit of excellence in all its activities, including the commitment to carry out its missions in compliance with environmental, safety, and health laws and regulations. The principal elements of the Laboratory's missions in support of DOE include activities in each of the following areas: (1) Energy production and conservation technologies; (2) physical and life sciences; (3) scientific and technical user facilities; (4) environmental protection and waste management; (5) science technology transfer; and, (6) education. This institutional plan for ORNL activities is for the next five years: FY 1992--1997. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1991-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6120326 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6120326
Nuclear operations and the environment: Savannah River Plant Bebbington, W. P. *SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT-- ENVIRONMENT; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS; ECOSYSTEMS; HUMAN POPULATIONS; MONITORING; N44200* --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Radioactive Effluents; N44600 --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Thermal Effluents; N44700 --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Chemical Effluents; NONRADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; PERSONNEL; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; WASTE HEAT Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Atomic Energy Div. United States 1973-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/4485006 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4485006
Programs of the Office of Energy Research 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS; 430000 -- Particle Accelerators; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540000 -- Environment-- (1990-); 640000 -- Physics; 650000 -- Physics (1980-); 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; 700000 -- Fusion Energy; 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; 73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; ACCELERATORS; BIOLOGY; BNL; BUDGETS; CHEMISTRY; CYCLIC ACCELERATORS; ENGINEERING; ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING; FERMILAB ACCELERATOR; HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR PHYSICS; PHYSICS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; STANFORD LINEAR ACCELERATOR CENTER; STORAGE RINGS; SUPERCONDUCTING SUPER COLLIDER; SYNCHROTRONS; THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS The Office of Energy Research sponsors long-term research in certain fundamental areas and in technical areas associated with energy resources, production, use, and resulting health and environmental effects. This document describes these activities, including recent accomplishments, types of facilities, and gives some impacts on energy, science, and scientific manpower development. The document is intended to respond to the many requests from diverse communities --- such as government, education, and public and private research --- for a summary of the types of research sponsored by the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Research. This is important since the Office relies to a considerable extent on unsolicited proposals from capable university and industrial groups, self-motivated interested individuals, and organizations that may wish to use the Department's extensive facilities and resources. By describing our activities and facilities, we hope not only to inform, but to also encourage interest and participation. USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (USA) DOE/ER United States 1990-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/7022902 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7022902
Site hydrogeologic/geotechnical characterization report for Site B new municipal solid waste landfill Reynolds, R; Nowacki, P 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; DATA; GEOLOGIC SURVEYS; GROUND WATER; LAND USE; SANITARY LANDFILLS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SOILS; SOLID WASTES; SOUTH CAROLINA This Site Hydrogeologic/Geotechnical Characterization Report (SHCR) presents the results of a comprehensive study conducted on a proposed solid waste landfill site, identified herein as Site B, at the Savannah River Site (SRS). This report is intended to satisfy all requirements of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) with regard to landfill siting requirements and ground water and environmental protection. In addition, this report provides substantial geotechnical data pertinent to the landfill design process. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1991-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/565058 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/565058
Savannah River Site environmental report for 1989 Cummins, C L; Martin, D K; Todd, J L 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220500 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Environmental Aspects; 220700 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Plutonium & Isotope Production Reactors; AIR FILTERS; ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES; ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES; ALPHA DETECTION; ALPHA SPECTROMETERS; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; AUDITS; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA DETECTION; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS; CESIUM 137; CESIUM ISOTOPES; CHARGED PARTICLE DETECTION; COAL; CONTROL; DATA ANALYSIS; DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; DEER; DEPOSITION; DETECTION; DOSES; DRINKING WATER; ELEMENTS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EQUIPMENT; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; FILTERS; FISHES; FOOD; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; GAMMA DETECTION; GE SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS; GROUND WATER; HIGH-PURITY GE DETECTORS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROGEN ISOTOPES; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES; IODINE 129; IODINE ISOTOPES; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; MAMMALS; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MATERIALS; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; MERCURY; METALS; MONITORING; MONITORS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT; PONDS; PRODUCTION REACTORS; QUALITY ASSURANCE; QUALITY CONTROL; RADIATION DETECTION; RADIATION DETECTORS; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOISOTOPES; RAIN WATER; REACTORS; RETENTION; RIVERS; RUMINANTS; RUNOFF; SAMPLING; SANITARY LANDFILLS; SAVANNAH RIVER; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS; SETTLING PONDS; SEWAGE; SLUDGES; SOILS; SPECIAL PRODUCTION REACTORS; SPECTROMETERS; STREAMS; STRONTIUM 90; STRONTIUM ISOTOPES; SULFUR 35; SULFUR ISOTOPES; SURFACE WATERS; TRITIUM; UPTAKE; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; VITRIFICATION; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER; WATER POLLUTION MONITORS; WATER QUALITY; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES this volume of Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1989 (WSRC-IM-90-60) contains the figures and tables referenced in Volume I. The figures contain graphic illustrations of sample locations and/or data. The tables present summaries of the following types of data federal and state standards and guides applicable to SRS operations; concentrations of radioactivity in environmental media; the quantity of radioactivity released to the environment from SRS operations; offsite radiation committed dose from SRS operations; measurements of physical properties, chemicals, and metals concentrations in environmental media; and interlaboratory comparison of analytical results. The figures and tables in this report contain information about the routine environmental monitoring program at SRS unless otherwise indicated. No attempt has been made to include all data from environmental research programs. Variations in the report's content from year to year reflect changes in the routine environmental monitoring program or the inability to obtain certain samples from a specific location. 42 figs., 188 tabs. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (USA) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA) United States 1989-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6081033 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6081033
Technology transfer at Pacific Northwest Laboratory 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; BIOMASS; CHEMICAL REACTORS; CHEMISTRY; COMMERCIALIZATION; ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY; ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES; ELECTROCHEMISTRY; ENERGY SOURCES; LICENSING; MARKETING; MATERIALS; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; ROBOTS; SPECTROMETERS; SUPERCONDUCTIVITY; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS Scientific discoveries, engineering developments, and innovative applications of technology create new pathways of economic opportunity for new processes and products. The Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), other federal laboratories, and federally funded research and development efforts are at the forefront in such trail-blazing ventures. PNL's programs of research, engineering development, and creative problem solving enhance the nation's technology base and strengthen its economy. Putting technology to work has been a pivotal feature of the management and operation of PNL since Battelle Memorial Institute was awarded the management and operation of the Laboratory in 1965. Under a unique contractual agreement with the US Department of Energy, PNL performs research and development work for both the government and the private sector. This arrangement has resulted in an effective means for domestic transfer of federally funded technology. At PNL, the Technology Transfer program acts as a bridge,'' enabling products of the Laboratory to cross'' -- tailored to meet government and industry needs. The program is based on a strong Laboratory commitment to the rapid deployment of research results. This commitment is implemented through a network of collaborative interactions with agencies of national, state, and local government, with academic institutions, and with a variety of business and industrial interests. Highlights of PNL's recent technology transfer activities during 1988 are summarized in this report, which also contains an overview of program organization and methodology. Also, this document is PNL's invitation for inquiries by state, local, and municipal agencies, as well as for discussions of technology interests with representatives of US industry. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) DOE/ER United States 1989-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/7172153 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7172153
Effects of solutions to simulate acidic precipitation on fertilization of the Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) Evans, L S; Bozzone, D M 500200 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 560303* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Plants-- (-1987); 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ACID RAIN; AIR POLLUTION; AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BIOMASS; CHLORIDES; CHLORINE COMPOUNDS; DISPERSIONS; ENERGY SOURCES; FERNS; HALIDES; HALOGEN COMPOUNDS; MIXTURES; NITRATES; NITROGEN COMPOUNDS; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PLANTS; POLLUTION; PRECIPITATION SCAVENGING; RAIN; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; REPRODUCTION; SEPARATION PROCESSES; SIMULATION; SOLUTIONS; SULFATES; SULFUR COMPOUNDS Experiments were performed to determine the effects of chloride, nitrate, and sulfate in buffered solutions on sperm motility and fertilization in gametophytes of Pteridium aquilinum. Buffered solutions with various anions simulated exposures to acidic precipitation up to 3.5 hr. The presence of each anion decreased both sperm motility and fertilization. Manhattan Coll., New York (USA). Lab. for Plant Morphogenesis; Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, N.Y. (USA) United States 1977-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5143037
Oak Ridge National Laboratory institutional plan, FY 1987-FY 1992 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; BIOLOGY; ECOLOGY; ENERGY CONSERVATION; ENERGY SOURCES; FINANCING; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR PHYSICS; ORNL; PHYSICS; PLANNING; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; REACTORS; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT Oak Ridge National Laboratory's planned research, development, and demonstration activities associated with energy production and conservation, as well as basic research in the physical and life sciences are described through 1992. The views of the Laboratory's senior management about the future and about the role of ORNL are given. ORNL initiatives are briefly summarized. The range of ORNL's scientific and technical programs is described, including work for DOE and work for other sponsors. The site and facilities of the laboratory are described, and external interactions are discussed. Projected funding is tabulated. (LEW) Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1986-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/7037073 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7037073
Aeromonas distribution and survival in a thermally altered lake Fliermans, C. B.; Gordon, R. W.; Hazen, T. C.; Esch, G. W. 520302 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 520400* -- Environment, Aquatic-- Thermal Effluents Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BACTERIA; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; DISEASES; ECOSYSTEMS; FISHES; INFECTIOUS DISEASES; MICROORGANISMS; POPULATION DYNAMICS; SURFACE WATERS; SURVIVAL TIME; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; VERTEBRATES Par Pond is a thermally enriched monomictic southeastern lake which receives heated effluent from a production nuclear reactor. Fish populations in the lake have lesions of epizooty from which Aeromonas spp. are readily isolated. Distribution and population densities of Aeromonas in the water column were measured along an oxygen and temperature gradient. Greater population densities of Aeromonas occurred below the oxygen chemocline when the lake was stratified. Survival of A. hydrophila under in situ conditions in both epilimnetic and hypolimnetic waters was determined using polycarbonate membrane diffusion chambers, during two separate reactor operating conditions. Survival levels of pure cultures of A. hydrophila corresponded to the distribution patterns of the naturally occurring Aeromonas-like populations. The greater survival of A. hydrophila below the chemocline when the reactor was in full operation suggests that the fish populations may be exposed to Aeromonas for a longer period of time than when the reactor is not operating. (auth) Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Savannah River Lab.; University of Southern Colorado, Pueblo (USA). Dept. of Biology; Wake Forest Univ., Winston-Salem, N.C. (USA). Dept. of Biology United States 1976-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7267105
Prey Selectivity and Foraging Activity of Canis latrans and Vulpes vulpes in Response to Prey Fluctuations and Habitat in a Heterogeneous Landscape Randa, Lynda A. Predators may forage in a variety of ways, such as specializing on particular prey species, switching to alternative prey, or by varying spatial activity patterns. The latter two modes can occur in a heterogeneous landscape. The effects of fluctuating prey numbers on the activity patterns and diet selection of two terrestrial predators, the coyote (Canis /atrans) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes), were investigated. The study site was located in northern Illinois, at Fermi National accelerator Laboratory (F ermilab ), and included sampling in seven different habitats of a heterogeneous landscape. Availability of small mammalian prey was assessed by monthly markrecapture sampling conducted along three 200-m transects in each of the seven locations. Availability of squirrels (Sciurus spp.), eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus .floridanus), and Ring-necked Pheasants (Phasianus co/chicus) was assessed by monthly visual counts along the same transects. Spatial activity patterns of C. /atrans were determined from scent station lines parallel to the small mammal trapping transects. Scats collected along standardized routes were analyzed for number and occurrence of prey items. During 1994, there were significant differences in prey availability over time between the seven locations. Dietary analyses indicated that both red fox and coyote switched between alternative prey, albeit with a strong preference for Microtus. A concurrent study on small mammal population dynamics, conducted in one of the seven habitats, showed experimentally that the preferential selection of voles depressed prey populations. Except for Microtus, overall prey availability did not affect coyote activity patterns across Fermilab. This lack of correlation was due, in part, to habitat selection by coyotes, primarily, the avoidance of wooded areas. Coyotes did, however, respond to abundant patches of Peromyscus, through spatial and temporal alterations in activity patterns. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) United States 1996-01-01T04:00:00Z Thesis/Dissertation https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1985069
Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report, 2003 Hughes, JF 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMPLIANCE; GASEOUS WASTES; MONITORING; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PERFORMANCE; RADIATIONS; SAFETY; SAMPLING; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WATER This document is prepared annually to summarize environmental activities, primarily environmental-monitoring activities, on the ORR and within the ORR surroundings. The document fulfills the requirement of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 231.1, ''Environment, Safety and Health Reporting,'' for an annual summary of environmental data to characterize environmental performance. The environmental monitoring criteria are described in DOE Order 450.1, ''Environmental Protection Program''. The results summarized in this report are based on data collected prior to and through 2003. This report is not intended to provide the results of all sampling on the ORR. Additional data collected for other site and regulatory purposes, such as environmental restoration remedial investigation reports, waste management characterization sampling data, and environmental permit compliance data, are presented in other documents that have been prepared in accordance with applicable DOE guidance and/or laws. Corrections to the report for the previous year are found in Appendix A. Environmental monitoring on the ORR consists primarily of two major activities: effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. Effluent monitoring involves the collection and analysis of samples or measurements of liquid and gaseous effluents at the point of release to the environment; these measurements allow the quantification and official reporting of contaminants, assessment of radiation and chemical exposures to the public, and demonstration of compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements. Environmental surveillance consists of the collection and analysis of environmental samples from the site and its environs; these activities provide direct measurement of contaminants in air, water, groundwater, soil, foods, biota, and other media subsequent to effluent release into the environment. Environmental surveillance data provide information regarding conformity with applicable DOE orders and, combined with data from effluent monitoring, allow the determination of chemical and radiation dose/exposure assessments of ORR operations and effects, if any, on the local environment. ORNL USDOE United States 2004-08-24T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/885568 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/885568
Treatment of M-area mixed wastes at the Savannah River Site 052000; 053002; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; VITRIFICATION; WASTE MANAGEMENT The Department of Energy has prepared this environmental assessment, DOE/EA-0918, to assess the potential environmental impacts of the treatment of mixed wastes currently stored in the M-Area at the Savannah River Site, near Aiken, South Carolina. DOE is proposing to treat and stabilize approximately 700,000 gallons of mixed waste currently stored in the Interim Treatment/Storage Facility (IT/SF) and Mixed Waste Storage Shed (MWSS). This waste material is proposed to be stabilized using a vitrification process and temporarily stored until final disposal is available by the year 2005. This document has been prepared to assess the potential environmental impacts attributable to the treatment and stabilization of M-area mixed wastes, the closure of the interim storage area, and storage of the vitrified waste until disposal in onsite RCRA vaults. Based on the analyses in the environmental assessment, the Department of Energy has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement is not required, and the Department of Energy is issuing this finding of no significant impact. USDOE Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10191063 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10191063
SRS ECOLOGY ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION DOCUMENT -1997 UPDATE Halverson, N V; Wike, L D; Patterson, K K; Bowers, J A; Bryan, A L; Chen, K F; Cummins, C L; deCarmen, B R; Dixon, K L; Dunn, D L 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; ECOLOGY; ENDANGERED SPECIES; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FISHES; PLANTS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOILS; SOUTH CAROLINA; SURFACE WATERS; WETLANDS The purpose of the SRS Ecology: Environmental Information Document is to provide a source of information on the ecology of the Savannah River Site. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-12-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/626411 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/626411
Environmental assessment for the transfer of the DP Road tract to the County of Los Alamos. Final document 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; LAND RESOURCES; LAND USE; LANL; LOCAL GOVERNMENT; OWNERSHIP; PROBABILITY; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIATION ACCIDENTS; RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT The purpose of an Environmental Assessment (EA) is to provide the DOE with sufficient evidence and analysis to determine whether to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). Additional considerations (such as costs, timing, or non-environmental legal issues) that influence DOE decisions are not analyzed in this EA. As part of its initiative to fulfill its responsibilities to provide support for the County of Los Alamos (the County), in northern New Mexico, the US Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to transfer ownership of the undeveloped, so called, DP Road property to the County. Transfer of this tract would permanently reduce the size of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) by approximately 0.1%. Approximately 12 hectares (28 acres) would be changed from an undeveloped to a developed status. This would result in an equivalent loss of wildlife habitat. A hypothetical accident was analyzed that evaluated potential radiological dose to the public at the DP Road tract from LANL operations. The dose to the hypothetical worker population of 450 new employees could result in an increase of approximately three latent cancer fatalities in the population. The DOE finds that there would be no significant impact from proceeding with the transfer of the 28-acre tract for development and use as a business park or for light industrial purposes. USDOE Los Alamos Area Office, NM (United States) USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-01-23T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/441664 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/441664
Biotelemetry studies on elk White, G C 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; BEHAVIOR; COMMUNICATIONS; DATA TRANSMISSION; HABITAT; LOS ALAMOS; MAMMALS; MORTALITY; NEW MEXICO; NORTH AMERICA; RUMINANTS; SOUTHWEST REGION; TELEMETRY; USA; VERTEBRATES The movements of Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) in the eastern Jemez Mountains in north-central New Mexico were studied from 1978 to 1980. Thirty-six elk were trapped, marked, and released, and 30 of these animals were radio-collared. The June 1977 la Mesa fire created a wintering habit at that was used heavily by the radio-collared elk. The 10-year-old clear cuts on Cerro del Medio on the Baca Land and Cattle Company property were used for calving and nursing areas. In general, radio-collared elk used in an early successional state, and they did not use areas at the Los Alamos National Laboratory where there was human activity. Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA) United States 1981-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6622795 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6622795
Chemical Characterization of Soluble Phosphorus Forms along a Hydrologic Flowpath of a Forested Stream Ecosystem Segars, J E 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BROMINATION; CHROMATOGRAPHY; ECOSYSTEMS; EDTA; ENZYMES; FILTRATION; INOSITOL; PHOSPHATES; PHOSPHORUS; SODIUM; SOILS; ULTRAFILTRATION; WATERSHEDS; WHEAT The concentration and distribution of soluble phosphorus (P) forms were determined in compartments of a hydrologic pathway in a forested watershed (Walker Branch, Tennessee). Rainfall, throughfall, soil water, groundwater, stream water, and water from two sites in Melton Hill reservoir downstream of Walker Branch were examined for soluble reactive and total soluble phosphorus (SRP and TSP). Soluble unreactive P (SUP) was determined from their difference. An increase of TSP from rainfall to throughfall indicated leaching or wash off of P from the canopy. SRP and SUP decreased markedly as water percolated through the soil, suggesting biological uptake and/or geochemical adsorption of phosphate groups on soil particles. Changes in soluble P. concentrations within the stream channel supported previous evidence for biological control of P dynamics in Walker Branch. Overall, SUP (an estimate of soluble organic P) constituted a significant fraction of the total soluble P present in each compartment of the flowpath. An analytical technique using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to separate the inositol phosphates (IP's) was developed and used in characterizing organic P fractions of natural systems. Commercial orthophosphate, inositol monophosphate (IMP), and inositol hexaphosphate (IHP) were adequately separated from each other on Aminex A-27 resin using a sodium chloride/tetrasodium EDTA gradient elution. The technique was used to separate an enzyme hydrolysate mixture of IP's into five components. IHP was separated from PO{sub 4} and IMP in a wheat bran extract using the HPLC method. Alkaline bromination was used to extract IP's from a Walker Branch soil sample and HPLC was used to examine the extract; at least three IP peaks were recognized. Using the HPLC technique, an attempt was made to detect the presence of IP's in a Walker Branch groundwater sample concentration by ultrafiltration. The concentration process was unsuccessful possibly due to filtration membrane leakage, so no peaks were detected. The HPLC developmental work indicated the potential usefulness of this technique in characterizing soluble organic P compounds in natural waters, leading to the identification of the inositol phosphates. ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) OHER, DOE (US) United States 1999-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/814417 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/814417
Risk constraint measures developed for the outcome-based strategy for tank waste management Harper, B L; Gajewski, S J; Glantz, C L 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; HANFORD RESERVATION; MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RISK ASSESSMENT; TANKS; UNDERGROUND STORAGE This report is one of a series of supporting documents for the outcome-based characterization strategy developed by PNNL. This report presents a set of proposed risk measures with risk constraint (acceptance) levels for use in the Value of Information process used in the NCS. The characterization strategy has developed a risk-based Value of Information (VOI) approach for comparing the cost-effectiveness of characterizing versus mitigating particular waste tanks or tank clusters. The preference between characterizing or mitigating in order to prevent an accident depends on the cost of those activities relative to the cost of the consequences of the accident. The consequences are defined as adverse impacts measured across a broad set of risk categories such as worker dose, public cancers, ecological harm, and sociocultural impacts. Within each risk measure, various {open_quotes}constraint levels{close_quotes} have been identified that reflect regulatory standards or conventionally negotiated thresholds of harm to Hanford resources and values. The cost of consequences includes the {open_quotes}costs{close_quote} of exceeding those constraint levels as well as a strictly linear costing per unit of impact within each of the risk measures. In actual application, VOI based-decision making is an iterative process, with a preliminary low-precision screen of potential technical options against the major risk constraints, followed by VOI analysis to determine the cost-effectiveness of gathering additional information and to select a preferred technical option, and finally a posterior screen to determine whether the preferred option meets all relevant risk constraints and acceptability criteria. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1996-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/477712 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/477712
A manual for analysis of hemispherical canopy photography Rich, P. M. 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 090700 -- Biomass Fuels-- Resources-- (1990-); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990200 -- Mathematics & Computers; AGRICULTURE; C CODES; CANOPIES; COMPUTER CODES; COMPUTER OUTPUT DEVICES; COMPUTER-GRAPHICS DEVICES; COMPUTERS; DIGITAL COMPUTERS; DISPLAY DEVICES; DOCUMENT TYPES; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; FORESTS; GROUND COVER; IMAGE PROCESSING; INDUSTRY; LEAVES; MANUALS; MEASURING METHODS; MICROCOMPUTERS; MONITORING; PERSONAL COMPUTERS; PHOTOGRAPHY; PLANTS; PROCESSING; RADIATIONS; S CODES; SOLAR RADIATION; STELLAR RADIATION; TREES; WOOD PRODUCTS INDUSTRY Hemispherical canopy photography involves taking photographs through a hemispherical (fisheye) lens pointed upward from beneath a plant canopy. The resulting photographs can be analyzed to determine the geometry of canopy openings and to calculate potential light penetration. This manual serves as a comprehensive guide to the program CANOPY{copyright}, a public domain microcomputer program for image analysis of hemispherical canopy photography. Included are discussions of theory, research applications, field methodology, hardware setup and operation, and software setup and operation. CANOPY enables video digitization of negatives, real-time display of positive images, interactive determination of a threshold to distinguish foliage from canopy openings, editing of photographs with poor exposure, rapid calculation of various measures of canopy geometry and indices of potential light penetration, and convenient output of results. A series of utility programs allow user specification of theoretical or empirical distributions of direct sunlight and diffuse skylight for a given site. 78 refs., 11 figs., 8 tabs. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) DOE/MA United States 1989-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/7064866 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7064866
Capsule review of the DOE research and development and field facilities 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy, Legislation, & Regulation; CONTRACTS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ENERGY FACILITIES; FEDERAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; REVIEWS; TEST FACILITIES; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA A description is given of the roles of DOE's headquarters, field offices, major multiprogram laboratories, Energy Technology and Mining Technology Centers, and other government-owned, contractor-operated facilities, which are located in all regions of the US. Descriptions of DOE facilities are given for multiprogram laboratories (12); program-dedicated facilities (biomedical and environmental facilities-12, fossil energy facilities-7, fusion energy facility-1, nuclear development facilities-3, physical research facilities-4, safeguards facility-1, and solar facilities-2); and Production, Testing, and Fabrication Facilities (nuclear materials production facilities-5, weapon testing and fabrication complex-8). Three appendices list DOE field and project offices; DOE field facilities by state or territory, names, addresses, and telephone numbers; DOE R and D field facilities by type, contractor names, and names of directors. (MCW) Department of Energy, Washington, DC (USA) USDOE United States 1980-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6733198 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6733198
Oak Ridge Reservation Federal Facility Agreement. Quarterly report for the Environmental Restoration Program. Volume 4, July 1995--September 1995 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; REMEDIAL ACTION This quarterly progress report satisfies requirements for the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program that are specified in the Oak Ridge Reservation Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) established between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). The reporting period covered herein is July through September 1995 (fourth quarter of FY 1995). Sections 1.1 and 1.2 provide respectively the milestones scheduled for completion during the reporting period and a list of documents that have been proposed for transmittal during the following quarter but have not been approved as FY 1995 commitments. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/120851 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/120851
Biomedical and environmental sciences programs at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Preston, E. L.; Getsi, J. A. 550600 -- Medicine; 560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology; 570000 -- Health & Safety; 62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; BIOLOGY; DOCUMENT TYPES; ENVIRONMENT; MEDICINE; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR MEDICINE; ORNL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; REVIEWS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS A major objective of the biomedical and environmental sciences (BES) research at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is to provide information on environmental, health, and safety considerations that can be used in the formulation and implementation of energy technology decisions. Research is directed at securing information required for an understanding of both the short- and long-term consequences of the processes involved in new energy technologies. Investigation of the mechanisms responsible for biological and ecological damage caused by substances associated with energy production and of repair mechanisms is a necessary component of this research. The research is carried out by the staff of four divisions and one program: Biology Division, Environmental Sciences Division, Health and Safety Research Division, Information Division, and the Life Sciences Synthetic Fuels Program. Research programs underway in each of these divisions are discussed. Information on the following subjects is also included: interactions with universities; interactions with industry; technology transfer; recent accomplishments in the areas of program, publications, awards, and patents; and new initiatives. (JGB) Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1982-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5206714 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5206714
Archaeological resource management plan of the Savannah River Archaeological Research Program 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290200* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Economics & Sociology; ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES; ARCHAEOLOGY; COMPLIANCE; CULTURAL RESOURCES; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; REGULATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; RESOURCES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS This Archaeological Resource management Plan addresses the future cultural resource management needs of the United States Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS). The archaeological information contained herein is based on prehistoric and historic archaeological syntheses prepared by the Savannah River Archaeological Research Program (SRARP) for the SRS. The syntheses also address future research directions that will facilitate better management of the cultural resources. This document is a prelude to a Programmatic Memorandum of Agreement (PMOA) which, in conjunction with this Archaeological Resource Management Plan, will assure SRS continued compliance with all applicable federal laws and regulations in concert with any DOE plans, policies and directives. 225 refs., 21 figs., 8 tabs. South Carolina Univ., Columbia, SC (USA). Inst. of Archaeology and Anthropology DOE/DP United States 1989-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6967689 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6967689
Structure-activity relationships for the degradation of a mixture of organic chemicals in soil Anderson, T. A.; Walton, B. T. 510200* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONTAMINATION; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; MATERIALS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; MATTER; REMOVAL; SAMPLING; SOILS; STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS; VOLATILE MATTER The degradation rates of a mixture of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (N = 16) were determined by monitoring the removal of parent chemicals from two different soil types, a Captina silt loam (Typic Fragiudult) and a McLaurin sandy loam (Typic Paleudults), over a 7-day period. The compounds were applied to the soil in a mixture such that the concentration of each individual chemical was 100 ..mu..g/g soil (dry weight). Soil samples, along with sterile (autoclaved) controls, were incubated in the dark at 20/degree/C in 8 /times/ 5-cm glass jars equipped with teflon-lined stoppers and charcoal traps. Samples were disassembled, extracted with methanol, and analyzed on days 0, 2, 3, 6, and 7 of the experiment. Linear regression analysis was used to model the disappearance of the compounds from the soils. First-order degradation rate constants and half-lives were calculated. half-lives for the 16 organic compounds were relatively short (<23 days). Correlations between physicochemical parameters and half-lives were poor (r less than or equal to 0.63) for the entire data set (N = 16), however, a group of structurally related benzene derivatives (N = 7) gave good correlations in both soil types with log/sub 10/ octanol-water partition coefficient (r greater than or equal to 0.89), log/sub 10/ molecular weight (r greater than or equal to 0.84), log/sub 10/ water solubility (r greater than or equal to 0.77), and molecular connectivity (r greater than or equal to 0.83). 81 refs., 3 figs., 13 tabs. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1989-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5908573 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5908573
Guide to energy R and D programs for universities and other research groups 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100* -- Management; DOCUMENT TYPES; GRANTS; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; REVIEWS; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS The purpose of this guide to provide researchers in universities and other research institutions with summary-level information on the various research and development programs supported by the Department. Collectively, DOE programs support a wide range of research activities - from studies on the fundamental nature of matter and energy to exploratory and advanced research on the development of new technical approaches leading to new energy technologies. The guide summarizes, in one source, basic information on DOE's energy research and development and related programs, interests and needs. It supplies information on current Federal and DOE grant and contract policies and procedures and lists the names of DOE staff, by program area, from whom additional information may be obtained. USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC United States 1984-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6809307 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6809307
Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report for 2003 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES This document is prepared annually to summarize environmental activities, primarily environmental-monitoring activities, on the ORR and within the ORR surroundings. The document fulfills the requirement of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 231.1, âEnvironment, Safety and Health Reporting,â for an annual summary of environmental data to characterize environmental performance. The environmental monitoring criteria are described in DOE Order 450.1, âEnvironmental Protection Program.â The results summarized in this report are based on data collected prior to and through 2003. This report is not intended to provide the results of all sampling on the ORR. Additional data collected for other site and regulatory purposes, such as environmental restoration remedial investigation reports, waste management characterization sampling data, and environmental permit compliance data, are presented in other documents that have been prepared in accordance with applicable DOE guidance and/or laws. Corrections to the report for the previous year are found in Appendix A. Environmental monitoring on the ORR consists primarily of two major activities: effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. Effluent monitoring involves the collection and analysis of samples or measurements of liquid and gaseous effluents at the point of release to the environment; these measurements allow the quantification and official reporting of contaminants, assessment of radiation and chemical exposures to the public, and demonstration of compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements. Environmental surveillance consists of the collection and analysis of environmental samples from the site and its environs; these activities provide direct measurement of contaminants in air, water, groundwater, soil, foods, biota, and other media subsequent to effluent release into the environment. Environmental surveillance data provide information regarding conformity with applicable DOE orders and, combined with data from effluent monitoring, allow the determination of chemical and radiation dose/exposure assessments of ORR operations and effects, if any, on the local environment. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) United States 2004-09-30T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1183768 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1183768
Analysis of radionuclide concentrations and movement patterns of Hanford-site mule deer Eberhardt, L E; Hanson, E E; Cadwell, L L 510302* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES; ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES; ANIMALS; BEHAVIOR; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CESIUM 137; CESIUM ISOTOPES; DATA; DEER; DISTRIBUTION; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; HANFORD RESERVATION; INFORMATION; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; ISOTOPES; MAMMALS; MORTALITY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEI; NUMERICAL DATA; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; POPULATION DYNAMICS; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; RADIOISOTOPES; RUMINANTS; SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION; STRONTIUM 90; STRONTIUM ISOTOPES; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES From 1980 through 1982, the movements of 37 radio-collared mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) were monitored for periods of 3 to 17 months on the Handord Site in southcentral Washington. The objectives were to compare radionuclide concentrations in deer residing near the 200 Area waste management sites with concentrations in deer occupying areas remote from waste management sites and to document movement patterns of Hanford Site deer with particular emphasis on offsite movements. Cesium-137 in deer muscle and liver and /sup 90/Sr concentrations in deer bone were statistically higher in deer living near the 200 Area than in control animals. During this study, the highest concentrations of /sup 137/Cs and /sup 90/Sr in 200 Area deer were in those individuals residing in or immediately adjacent to radiation zones. Cesium-137 and /sup 90/Sr concentrations were more variable in deer residing near the 200 Area than in control animals, where only background (fallout) levels were observed. Movement patterns of Hanford site deer were analyzed to determine home range size and usage. The average home range was 0.39 +- 27 km/sup 2/. In addition, ten (27%) of the monitored deer made offsite movements during the study period. While most of these movements were made in the spring and summer, some fall and winter movements were noted. It was estimated that approximately 8% (95% confidence interval is from 0 to 21%) of the Hanford deer herd is harvested each year. As a result of the low harvest rate, the Hanford deer herd appears to have a disproportionate number of older animals, with 24% of the 17 examined deer older than 10.5 years. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) United States 1982-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6728863 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6728863
Locating critical natural features information for environmental planning Pardue, J. W.; Olson, R. J.; Burgess, R. L. 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; 500100* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 520100 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; BIOMASS; COMPUTERS; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; HABITAT; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; PLANNING; PLANTS; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESOURCES; US AEC; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS Information on critical natural features (such as rare species, wilderness areas, critical habitats, and endangered ecosystems) needs to be readily available to planners early in their activities to help identify and mitigate potential environmental impacts. Much of this information is dispersed among a confusing variety of agencies, organizations, groups, and individuals, and is not readily available. Needed facts about the natural features of an area are often discovered only after considerable effort has been expended on planning, design, and construction. ORNL is attempting to facilitate this information transfer by developing an interface between prime sources and those who legitimately need the information. With the planned interactive computer system, a user could request information concerning critical natural features of a region, county, or sub-county unit and receive a list of brief descriptions of these features coupled with a list of contacts for more detailed information. References will also be supplied from a growing bibliographic data file on nature conservation. Natural features information would be used to amplify natural resource information that has been compiled at the county level by the Geoecology Project at ORNL for use in integrated regional assessments of energy facilities. Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn. (USA) United States 1977-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5117266
Oak Ridge National Laboratory institutional plan, FY 1989--FY 1994 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 210300 -- Power Reactors, Nonbreeding, Graphite Moderated; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 360200 -- Ceramics, Cermets, & Refractories; 500200 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 550400 -- Genetics; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 645000 -- High Energy Physics; 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100 -- Management; ATOMIC PHYSICS; BUILDINGS; CERAMICS; DATA PROCESSING; DOCUMENT TYPES; EDUCATION; ENERGY SOURCES; FABRICATION; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; GAS COOLED REACTORS; GENETIC MAPPING; GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS; GREENHOUSE EFFECT; HTGR TYPE REACTORS; INCOME; LICENSING; MANAGEMENT; MAPPING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NEUTRON SOURCES; ORNL; PARTICLE SOURCES; PHYSICS; PROCESSING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; RADIATION SOURCES; REACTORS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; REVIEWS; ROYALTIES; SINTERING; SUPERCONDUCTORS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS This report contains a description of the programs now under way and those planned for in the future. The past decade has witnessed a growing awareness of the connection between advances in science and technology and economic growth. It has also witnessed the growing concern that the United States is falling behind in its ability to compete in certain arenas of technology development. As a result, there has been an examination of many activities in our nation to determine what might be done to improve our ability to compete on a global scale. Competitiveness has become a buzz word. We need to continue to identify and conduct outstanding frontier programs of basic and applied research and technology development. Competitiveness means periodic critical review of these programs to ensure that they are excellent and consistent with the national needs. In that regard, ORNL and the other Department of Energy Laboratories have a vital role to play in various arenas involving competitiveness. To enhance our competitive position in international commercial markets, better working relationships with industrial organizations will help to transfer knowledge about the Laboratory's scientific and technological developments. Our colleagues from industry can also help the Laboratory scientists to better understand industry problems that the Laboratory might help to solve. This type of synergistic relationship also exists between universities and the Laboratory. Jointly sponsored research and other interactions provide access to unique facilities and invigorating discussions. Also, to be competitive in the future, the DOE Laboratories and industries need sufficient technical staff. Closer ties with schools and universities can help this situation by stimulating our youth, including minorities and women to consider careers in science and engineering. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1989-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6374256 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6374256
Facility Environmental Vulnerability Assessment Van Hoesen, S D 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BNL; CONTAMINATION; EVALUATION; HFIR REACTOR; MANAGEMENT; ORNL; PLANNING; TRITIUM; VULNERABILITY From mid-April through the end of June 2001, a Facility Environmental Vulnerability Assessment (FEVA) was performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The primary goal of this FEVA was to establish an environmental vulnerability baseline at ORNL that could be used to support the Laboratory planning process and place environmental vulnerabilities in perspective. The information developed during the FEVA was intended to provide the basis for management to initiate immediate, near-term, and long-term actions to respond to the identified vulnerabilities. It was expected that further evaluation of the vulnerabilities identified during the FEVA could be carried out to support a more quantitative characterization of the sources, evaluation of contaminant pathways, and definition of risks. The FEVA was modeled after the Battelle-supported response to the problems identified at the High Flux Beam Reactor at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This FEVA report satisfies Corrective Action 3A1 contained in the Corrective Action Plan in Response to Independent Review of the High Flux Isotope Reactor Tritium Leak at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, submitted to the Department of Energy (DOE) ORNL Site Office Manager on April 16, 2001. This assessment successfully achieved its primary goal as defined by Laboratory management. The assessment team was able to develop information about sources and pathway analyses although the following factors impacted the team's ability to provide additional quantitative information: the complexity and scope of the facilities, infrastructure, and programs; the significantly degraded physical condition of the facilities and infrastructure; the large number of known environmental vulnerabilities; the scope of legacy contamination issues [not currently addressed in the Environmental Management (EM) Program]; the lack of facility process and environmental pathway analysis performed by the accountable line management or facility owner; and poor facility and infrastructure drawings. The assessment team believes that the information, experience, and insight gained through FEVA will help in the planning and prioritization of ongoing efforts to resolve environmental vulnerabilities at UT-Battelle--managed ORNL facilities. ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2001-07-09T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/814472 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/814472
Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1983 to the DOE Office of Energy Research. Part 2. Ecological sciences Vaughan, B E 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 510300* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520100 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSTRACTS; ALASKA; ANIMALS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; FEDERAL REGION X; LEADING ABSTRACT; MASS TRANSFER; NORTH AMERICA; PLANTS; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SURFACE WATERS; USA; WASTES The 1983 annual report highlights research in five areas funded by the Ecological Sciences Division of the Office of Energy Research. The five areas include: western semi-arid ecosystems; marine sciences; mobilization fate and effects of chemical wastes; radionuclide fate and effects; and statistical and quantitative research. The work was accomplished under 19 individual projects. Individual projects are indexed separately. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) United States 1984-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/7008872 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7008872
Savannah River Plant Low-Level Waste Heat Utilization Project preliminary analysis. Volume I. Executive summary 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 220700* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Plutonium & Isotope Production Reactors; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; 320304 -- Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Waste Heat Recovery & Utilization; ECONOMICS; ENERGY; ENERGY SOURCES; FEASIBILITY STUDIES; HEAT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES; THERMODYNAMICS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE HEAT; WASTE HEAT UTILIZATION; WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION; WASTES A preliminary feasibility study of capturing energy ejected in hot water at the Savannah River Plant (SRP) is presented. The cooling water, drawn from the river or a pond at the rate of 500,000 gallons per minute, is typically heated 80/sup 0/F to about 150/sup 0/F and is then allowed to cool in the atmosphere. The energy added to the water is equivalent to 20 million barrels of oil a year. This study reports that the reject heat can be used directly in an organic Rankine cycle system to evaporate fluids which drive electric generators. The output of one reactor can produce 45,000 kilowatts of electricity. Since the fuel is waste heat, an estimated 45% savings over conventional electric costs is possible over a thirty year period. South Carolina Energy Research Inst., Columbia (USA) United States 1978-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5593012 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5593012
Roundtable on Fermilab III, The Great Computer Debate and Technology for the Nineties Carrigan, Richard Jr.; Crego, C.; Grommes, S. 43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) United States 1990-01-01T04:00:00Z Program Document https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1336615
Resource Management Plan for the US Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 15, Appendix P: waste management Kelly, B A 052000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Management; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290400* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources; 500200 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 500300 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510200 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; GASEOUS WASTES; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; LIQUID WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SOLID WASTES; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES Since their inception, the DOE facilities on the Oak Ridge Reservation have been the source of a variety of airborne, liquid, and solid wastes which are characterized as nonhazardous, hazardous, and/or radioactive. The major airborne releases come from three primary sources: steam plant emissions, process discharge, and cooling towers. Liquid wastes are handled in various manners depending upon the particular waste, but in general, major corrosive waste streams are neutralized prior to discharge with the discharge routed to holding or settling ponds. The major solid wastes are derived from construction debris, sanitary operation, and radioactive processes, and the machining operations at Y-12. Nonradioactive hazardous wastes are disposed in solid waste storage areas, shipped to commercial disposal facilities, returned in sludge ponds, or sent to radioactive waste burial areas. The radioactive-hazardous wastes are treated in two manners: storage of the waste until acceptable disposal options are developed, or treatment of the waste to remove or destroy one of the components prior to disposal. 5 references, 4 figures, 13 tables. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1984-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6257342 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6257342
Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1998 Arnett, M 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; DATA; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; MONITORING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT The mission at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is focused primarily on support of the national defense, nonproliferation, and environmental cleanup. SRS-through its prime operating contractor, Westinghouse Savannah River Company-continues to maintain a comprehensive environmental monitoring program. Savannah River Site (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 1999-06-09T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/13861 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/13861
Approach and strategy for performing ecological risk assessments for the US Department of Energy`s Oak Ridge Reservation: 1995 revision Suter, II, G W; Sample, B E; Jones, D S; Ashwood, T L; Loar, J M 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMPHIBIANS; BIRDS; FISHES; MAMMALS; OAK RIDGE; ORNL; PLANNING; REMEDIAL ACTION; REPTILES; RISK ASSESSMENT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; WILD ANIMALS The purpose of this document is to provide guidance for planning and performing ecological risk assessments (ERAs) on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). It is the third such document prepared for this purpose. The first ecorisk strategy document described the ERA process and presented a tiered approach to ERAs appropriate to complex sites. The first revision was necessitated by the considerable progress that has been made by the parties to the Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA) for the ORR in resolving specific issues relating to ERA as a result of a series of data quality objectives (DQOs) meetings. The tiered approach to ERAs as recommended in the first document was implemented, generic conceptual models were developed, and a general approach for developing ecological assessment endpoints and measurement endpoints was agreed upon. This revision is necessitated by comments from the US Environmental Protection Agency`s Region IV and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) which clarified and modified the positions taken during the DQO process. In particular, support for the collection of data that would support ERAs for all OUs on the ORR have been withdrawn. Therefore, the work plan developed to fill the reservation-wide data needs identified in the DQO process has also been withdrawn, and portions that are still relevant have been incorporated into this document. The reader should be aware that this guidance is complex and lengthy because it attempts to cover all the reasonable contingencies that were considered to be potentially important to the FFA parties. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/206432 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/206432
Data package for the Low-Level Waste Disposal Development and Demonstration Program environmental impact statement: Volume 2, Appendices E-O Ketelle, R. H. 052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ANIMALS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; EVALUATION; FLOW RATE; HYDROLOGY; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MAMMALS; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SOILS; SOLID WASTES; STREAMS; SURFACE WATERS; UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL; VERTEBRATES; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WELL LOGGING; WILD ANIMALS This volume contains 11 appendices to the main document in Volume 1. Topics in Volume 2 include hydrologic data for a proposed solid waste storage area, soil characterizations, well logs, surface water discharge data, water quality data, atmospheric precipitation and stream flow, a small mammal survey, and general ecological information. (TEM) Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1988-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6898880 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6898880
Annual highlights, Environmental Programs of the Department of Energy and Environment 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; 010900 -- Coal, Lignite, & Peat-- Environmental Aspects; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; 500100 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 500200* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 58 GEOSCIENCES; 580500 -- Oceanography-- (1980-1989); ACID RAIN; AIR POLLUTION; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BNL; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; COASTAL REGIONS; COASTAL WATERS; DIFFUSION; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS; GASEOUS WASTES; LIQUID WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; METEOROLOGY; MICROORGANISMS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OCEANOGRAPHY; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PARASITES; PLUMES; POLLUTION; POWER PLANTS; RAIN; REGIONAL ANALYSIS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; STACK DISPOSAL; SULFATES; SULFUR COMPOUNDS; SURFACE WATERS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; THERMAL POWER PLANTS; US AEC; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VIRUSES; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER POLLUTION Brief summaries are presented of some 35 individual programs covering a wide range of activities in the atmospheric, oceanographic, and terrestrial ecology areas. In general, these programs are involved with the study of pollutants resulting from the production of energy and their effects or potential effects on the environment. Programs include meteorology and plume dispersion, with emphasis on tracing plumes from the tall stacks of fossil-fuel burning power plants, and implementation of MAP3S (the Multistate Atmospheric Power Production Pollution Study), including both field and modeling studies related to atmospheric pollutants in the Northeastern United States, the meteorology of the coastal land-sea interface, the development of long-distance tracer systems for following movements of air masses, the measurement of a series of pollutants at ambient levels in real time, and laboratory and field studies on the collection and behavior of aerosol particulates, including work on the speciation and quantification of sulfate particulates. The objective of programs in oceanographic sciences is to assess the potential impact of energy-related activities (reactor releases, oil spills, etc.) on the Northeast coastal zone and its biota. A capability for the study of environmental virology has been established. Another major program is the study of the effects of acid rain on forest ecosystems and on selected crops. Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA) United States 1977-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6701660 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6701660
Nevada`s energy research strategy. Progress report, September 30, 1991--September 29, 1992 McNelis, D N 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500; BIOLOGY; CHEMISTRY; ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; EDUCATION; ENERGY; ENERGY POLICY; ENVIRONMENT; GREENHOUSE EFFECT; HYDROLOGY; NEVADA; PLANNING; PROGRESS REPORT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND COMMERCIALIZATION This document was produced by the University and Community College System of Nevada (UCCSN) under a grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Research as part of the DOE-Experimental Program for the Simulation of Competitive Research (DOE-EPSCoR). The document develops Nevada`s strategies for the UCCSN to broaden and deepen energy-related research over the next five years in hydrology sciences, environmental biology and chemistry, chemical physics, and global change. A strategy was also developed to support energy-related research with education and human resources in science, math and engineering. A key concept of these strategies is continued success under the DOE-EPSCOR program. Participation in the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Basic Energy Science and Global Climate Change programs in collaboration with the Nevada Test Site and DOE multi-program laboratories is also part of Nevada`s strategy for success in energy-related research. Nevada Univ., Las Vegas, NV (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10176583 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10176583
Patterns of fish assemblage structure and dynamics in waters of the Savannah River Plant. Comprehensive Cooling Water Study final report Aho, J M; Anderson, C S; Floyd, K B; Negus, M T; Meador, M R 053003; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; BIOLOGICAL STRESS; CHEMICAL AND THERMAL EFFLUENTS; COMPILED DATA; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; FISHES; POPULATION DYNAMICS; PROGRESS REPORT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SPECIES DIVERSITY; THERMAL EFFLUENTS Research conducted as part of the Comprehensive Cooling Water Study (CCWS) has elucidated many factors that are important to fish population and community dynamics in a variety of habitats on the Savannah River Plant (SRP). Information gained from these studies is useful in predicting fish responses to SRP operations. The overall objective of the CCWS was (1) to determine the environmental effects of SRP cooling water withdrawals and discharges and (2) to determine the significance of the cooling water impacts on the environment. The purpose of this study was to: (1) examine the effects of thermal plumes on anadromous and resident fishes, including overwintering effects, in the SRP swamp and associated tributary streams; (2) assess fish spawning and locate nursery grounds on the SRP; (3) examine the level of use of the SRP by spawning fish from the Savannah River, this objective was shared with the Savannah River Laboratory, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company; and (4) determine impacts of cooling-water discharges on fish population and community attributes. Five studies were designed to address the above topics. The specific objectives and a summary of the findings of each study are presented. Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States). Stress and Wildlife Ecology Div. USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1986-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10118268 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10118268
Technology '89: R and D Laboratory technology transfer program 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; BUSINESS; INDUSTRY; LABORATORIES; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SMALL BUSINESSES; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS Technology transfer from DOE laboratories to industry is increasing. Technology transfer opportunities have many forms, including new materials, new and enhanced technologies, improved processes, technical know-how, unique experimental facilities, and computer software. The applied research programs --- Nuclear Energy, Conservation and Renewable Energy, and Fossil Energy --- include technology transfer activities that are referred to as program directed. When the technology is used for secondary applications or an application that differs from the original purpose for which the technology was developed, spin-off transfer occurs. The laboratories are the predominant implementors of spin-off transfer activities. Private-sector companies, universities, and consortia are also integral participants for program implementation. In this document, the technology transfer accomplishments of DOE's research programs and some of the best from its R D laboratories are described and illustrated. This document is intended to communicate a few of the many opportunities available for US industry and universities to work with DOE and its laboratories. USDOE, Washington, DC (USA) DOE/ER United States 1990-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6979964 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6979964
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Institutional Plan FY 1984-FY 1989 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100* -- Management; INDUSTRY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; PLANNING; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS In this plan, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) continues to be committed to scientific and technological research that is based on technical excellence and innovation and that provides a foundation for and a stimulus to broader and more sustained economic growth. DOE is being asked to assist in establishing a new program for Laboratory cooperation with industry, beginning with an initial focus on materials science. The current Institutional Plan thus projects growth in the materials science area as well as in other basic physical science areas and suggests a new initiative designed to extend the various technology transfer activities and to make them more effective by using ORNL as the trial Laboratory for some of these different approaches. This Institutional Plan projects a stable future for ORNL, with only modest amounts of growth in selected areas of research for the FY 1984-FY 1989 planning cycle. Summaries of the overall picture of the proposed budget and personnel levels for the current planning cycle are included. Scientific programs, laboratory resource development, and private sector interactions are discussed. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1983-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5424428 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5424428
HPCC technology awareness program: Improved economic competitiveness through technology awareness, transfer and application. Final report 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990200; COMPUTER CODES; MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTERS; PARALLEL PROCESSING; PROGRESS REPORT; RECOMMENDATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND COMMERCIALIZATION; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION; US DOE A need has been defined by Congress for the DOE National Laboratories to participate in various dual use and technology transfer programs. This requirement has spawned several technology transfer approaches at the DOE laboratories. These programs are designed to encourage large and small business to bring their problems and needs forward, and to allow the labs to transfer effective high performance computing technology to the commercial marketplace. This IG Technologies grant from the DOE was undertaken to address the issues and problems associated with technology transfer between the DOE National Laboratories and commercial industry. The key focus is to gain an understanding of how DOE and industry independently and collectively view the requirements and the missing elements that could allow DOE to facilitate HPCC technology transfer. At issue is HPCC Technology Transfer for the High Performance Computing industry and its relationship to the DOE National Laboratories. Several observations on this are addressed. The issue of a ``Technology Utilization Gap`` between the National Laboratories and Independent Software Vendors is discussed. This study addressed the HPCC Technology Transfer plans of all six DOE National Labs. Study team members briefed numerous industrial users of HPCC technology as to the feasibility of technology transfer for various applications. Significant findings of the effort are that the resistance to technology transfer is much higher than anticipated for both the National Labs and industry. Also, HPCC Technology Transfer is observed to be a large company`s dominion. Small businesses have a difficult time in addressing the requirements of technology transfer using Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA`s). Large businesses and the DOE National Labs however, often have requirements and objectives which are at cross purposes, making effective technology transfer difficult. IG Technologies, San Diego, CA (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10192371 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10192371
Environmental surveillance at Los Alamos during 1979 500200 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 500300* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510200 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510302 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520302 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; AIR POLLUTION; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; COMPLIANCE; DATA; DATA FORMS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FISHES; FLUIDS; FOOD; FRUITS; GASEOUS WASTES; GASES; GRAPHS; GROUND WATER; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; HONEY; HUMAN POPULATIONS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; INFORMATION; LASL; LAWS; LIQUID WASTES; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUMERICAL DATA; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; POLLUTION; POLLUTION REGULATIONS; POPULATIONS; RADIATION HAZARDS; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIATION PROTECTION LAWS; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOACTIVITY; REGULATIONS; RESOURCES; SEDIMENTS; SOILS; SURFACE AIR; SURFACE WATERS; TABLES; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VEGETABLES; VERTEBRATES; WASTES; WATER; WATER POLLUTION; WATER RESOURCES This report documents the environmental surveillance program conducted by the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) in 1979. Routine monitoring for radiation and radioactive or chemical substances was conducted on the Laboratory site and in the surrounding region to determine compliance with appropriate standards and permit early identification of possible undesirable trends. Results and interpretation of the data for 1979 on penetrating radiation, chemical and radiochemical quality of ambient air, surface and ground water, municipal water supply, soils and sediments, food, and airborne and liquid effluents are included. Comparisons with appropriate standards and regulations or with background levels from natural or other non-LASL sources provide a basis for concluding that environmental effects attributable to LASL operations are minor and cannot be considered likely to result in any hazard to the population of the area. Results of several special studies provide documentation of some unique environmental conditions in the LASL environs. Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA) United States 1980-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5476030 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5476030
Savannah River Site environmental report for 1995 Arnett, M W; Mamatey, A 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; AIR POLLUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; FOOD CHAINS; GROUND WATER; LIQUID WASTES; PLANTS; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; REMEDIAL ACTION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SURFACE WATERS; WILD ANIMALS The 1990s have brought dramatic change to the Savannah River Site (SRS) in its role as a key part of the U.S. Department of Energy`s (DOE) weapons complex. Shrinking federal budgets, sharp workforce reductions, the end of the Cold War, and a major shift in mission objectives have combined to severely test the mettle of SRS-South Carolina`s largest employer. But the sprawling 310-square-mile site`s employees have responded to the test in admirable fashion, effectively shifting their emphasis from weapons production to environmental restoration. This report describes the environmental report for the SRS for 1995. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-12-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/419117 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/419117
Historical Site Assessment: Select Hanford Reach National Monument Lands -- Fritz, Brad G; Dirkes, Roger L; Poston, Ted M; Hanf, Robert W 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; HANFORD RESERVATION; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; LAND OWNERSHIP; RADIATION MONITORING; US FWS Consistent with its current mission, the U.S. Department of Energy Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) plans to transfer ownership of large tracts of the Hanford Site in the next 3 to 5 years. Specifically, DOE-RL plans to transfer ownership of a large portion of the Hanford Reach National Monument to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Before DOE can transfer ownership of these tracts, a radiological clearance of the lands must be performed. Fluor Hanford, Inc., (FHI) is responsible for the radiological clearance for DOE-RL. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is supporting FHI on this effort through various work agreements. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US) USDOE United States 2003-07-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/15004207 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/15004207
Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1999 Arnett, M 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; COMPLIANCE; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; MANAGEMENT; MONITORING; PERFORMANCE; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT The purpose of this report is to present summary environmental data that characterize site environmental management performance, confirm compliance with environmental standards and requirements, highlight significant programs and efforts, and assess the impact of SRS operations on the public and the environment. Savannah River Site (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2000-06-30T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/765047 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/765047
The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Site environmental report for calendar year 1992 Hoff, D L; Mitchell, R G; Moore, R; Bingham, L 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540230; 540330; 560101; 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; COMPILED DATA; COMPLIANCE; DOSE EQUIVALENTS; DOSIMETRY AND MONITORING; DRINKING WATER; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; GROUND WATER; HUMAN POPULATIONS; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; REGULATIONS; US GS The results of the various monitoring programs for 1992 indicate that most radioactivity from the INEL operations could not be distinguished from worldwide fallout and natural radioactivity in the region surrounding the INEL Site. Although some radioactive materials were discharged during Site operations, concentrations and doses to the surrounding population were of no health consequence and were far less than State of Idaho and Federal health protection guidelines. The first section of the report summarizes INEL activities related to compliance with environmental regulations and laws for Calendar Year 1992 and January 1 through April 1, 1993. The major portion of the report summarizes results of the RESL environmental surveillance program, which includes the collection of foodstuffs at the INEL boundary and distant offsite locations, and the collection of air and water samples at onsite locations, offsite boundary, and distant locations. The report also compares and evaluates the sample results to appropriate Federal regulations and standards and discusses implications, if any. The USGS ground-water monitoring program is briefly summarized, and data from USGS reports are included in maps showing the spread of contaminants. Effluent monitoring and nonradiological drinking water monitoring performed by INEL contractors are discussed briefly, and data are summarized in tables. USDOE Idaho Operations Office, Idaho Falls, ID (United States). Radiological and Environmental Sciences Lab. USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10177231 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10177231
Energy systems programs funded by the Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health: FY 1993--FY 1994 Buttram, A W 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; HEALTH HAZARDS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAFETY STANDARDS This document presents an overview of work at Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., (Energy Systems) during FY 1993--FY 1994 that was funded by the Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health (ASEH). To illustrate the programmatic breadth of Energy Systems and to establish the context within which this work was accomplished, this document also includes representative descriptions of ASEH-related work at Energy Systems done for other sponsors. Activities for ASEH cover a wide variety of subjects that are geared towards the environmental, safety, and health aspects of DOE operations. Subjects include the following: environmental compliance, environmental guidance, environmental audits, NEPA oversight, epidemiology and health surveillance, transportation and packaging safety, safety and quality assurance; technical standards, performance indicators, occurrence reporting, health physics instrumentation, risk management, security evaluations, and medical programs. The technical support section describes work in progress for ASEH, including specific program accomplishments. The work for others section describes work for non-ASEH sponsors that reinforces and supplements the ASEH work. Appendix A includes a list of FY 1993--FY 1994 publications related to the ASEH work. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-12-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/34362 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/34362
Biomedical and Environmental Research Program of the LASL Health Division. Progress report, January-December 1978 Petersen, D F; Sullivan, E M 04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS; 041000 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Environmental Aspects; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 510000 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 550000 -- Biomedical Sciences, Basic Studies; 560100* -- Biomedical Sciences, Applied Studies-- Radiation Effects; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS; BIOLOGY; BIOPHYSICS; BITUMINOUS MATERIALS; CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS; CELL FLOW SYSTEMS; COORDINATED RESEARCH PROGRAMS; ECOLOGY; ENERGY SOURCES; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; ISOTOPES; LABELLED COMPOUNDS; LASL; MEDICINE; MOLECULAR BIOLOGY; MUTAGENESIS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OIL SHALES; RADIATION EFFECTS; RADIOISOTOPES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SYNTHESIS; TOXICITY; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS The research and development activities at LASL's Biomedical and Environmental Research Program is summarized. Reports relate the current status of the projects. The following groups are included: the mammalian biology group, the industrial hygiene group, the cellular and molecular biology group, the biophysics group, the organic and biochemical synthesis group, and the environmental sciences group. Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA) United States 1979-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5796022 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5796022
A spatially-dynamic preliminary risk assessment of the bald eagle at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Gonzales, G J; Gallegos, A F; Foxx, T S; Fresquez, P R; Mullen, M A; Pratt, L E; Gomez, P E 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; BIRDS; E CODES; ENDANGERED SPECIES; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; LANL; METALS; NUMERICAL DATA; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; RADIOISOTOPES; RISK ASSESSMENT The Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Record of Decision on the Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) require that the Department of Energy protect the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), a state and federally listed species, from stressors such as contaminants. A preliminary risk assessment of the bald eagle was performed using a custom FORTRAN code, ECORSK5, and the geographical information system. Estimated exposure doses to the eagle for radionuclide, inorganic metal, and organic contaminants were derived for varying ratios of aquatic vs. terrestrial simulated diet and compared against toxicity reference values to generate hazard indices (His). HI results indicate that no appreciable impact to the bald eagle is expected from contaminants at LANL from soil ingestion and food consumption pathways. This includes a measure of cumulative effects from multiple contaminants that assumes linear additive toxicity. Improving model realism by weighting simulated eagle foraging based on distance from potential roost sites increased the HI by 76%, but still to inconsequential levels. Information on risk by specific geographical location was generated, which can be used to manage contaminated areas, eagle habitat, facility siting, and/or facility operations in order to maintain risk from contaminants at low levels. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) USDOE Assistant Secretary for Management and Administration, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/658265 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/658265
Los Alamos National Laboratory annual report 1982 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100* -- Management; LASL; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS The history of the Los Alamos National Laboratory is reviewed. Summaries of research are provided in the areas of defense-related programs, energy-related programs, and basic research programs. (GHT) Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) United States 1983-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5828521 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5828521
Biomedical and environmental sciences programs at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Richmond, C R; Johnson, C A 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 140504 -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989); 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 500200* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510200 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR POLLUTION MONITORING; BIOLOGICAL STRESS; BIOLOGY; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON OXIDES; CARCINOGENESIS; CHALCOGENIDES; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; DOSIMETRY; ENVIRONMENT; GENETICS; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; MATERIALS; MEDICINE; MUTAGENESIS; NUCLEAR MEDICINE; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PATHOGENESIS; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RISK ASSESSMENT; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; WASTES This progress report summarizes the research and development activities conducted in the Biomedical and Environmental Sciences Programs of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the major organizational units. Following the accounts of research programs, is a list of publications and awards to its members. 6 figs., 14 tabs. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1988-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/7028078 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7028078
Walker Branch Throughfall Displacement Experiment Data Report: Site Characterization, System Performance, Weather, Species Composition, and Growth Hanson, P J 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON DIOXIDE; DOCUMENTATION; FORESTS; FORTRAN; INTERNET; PERFORMANCE; PRECIPITATION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SOILS; TENNESSEE; THROUGHFALL; TREES; WATER; WATERSHEDS; WEATHER This numeric data package provides data sets, and accompanying documentation, on site characterization, system performance, weather, species composition, and growth for the Throughfall Displacement Experiment, which was established in the Walker Branch Watershed of East Tennessee to provide data on the responses of forests to altered precipitation regimes. The specific data sets include soil water content and potential, coarse fraction of the soil profile, litter layer temperature, soil temperature, monthly weather, daily weather, hourly weather, species composition of trees and saplings, mature tree and sapling annual growth, and relative leaf area index. Fortran and SAS{trademark} access codes are provided to read the ASCII data files. The data files and this documentation are available without charge on a variety of media and via the Internet from the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC). ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2001-09-04T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/814151 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/814151
N Springs expedited response action proposal 053002; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; GROUND WATER; HANFORD RESERVATION; HEALTH AND SAFETY; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; REMEDIAL ACTION; STRONTIUM 90 Since signing the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) in 1989, the parties to the agreement have recognized the need to modify the approach to conducting investigations, studies, and cleanup actions at Hanford. To implement this approach, the parties have jointly developed the Hanford Past-Practice Strategy. The strategy defines a non-time-critical expedited response action (ERA) as a response action ``needed to abate a threat to human health or welfare or the environment where sufficient time exists for formal planning prior to initiation of response. In accordance with the past-practice strategy, DOE proposes to conduct an ERA at the N Springs, located in the Hanford 100 N Area, to substantially reduce the strontium-90 transport into the river through the groundwater pathway. The purpose of this ERA proposal is to provide sufficient information to select a preferred alternative at N Springs. The nature of an ERA requires that alternatives developed for the ERA be field ready; therefore, all the technologies proposed for the ERA should be capable of addressing the circumstances at N Springs. A comparison of these alternatives is made based on protectiveness, cost, technical feasibility, and institutional considerations to arrive at a preferred alternative. Following the selection of an alternative, a design phase will be conducted; the design phase will include a detailed look at design parameters, performance specifications, and costs of the selected alternative. Testing will be conducted as required to generate design data. USDOE Richland Operations Office, WA (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10125857 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10125857
Dose-to-Man Program progress report, FY 1973 Crawford, T V DIFFUSION-- ENVIRONMENT-- HUMAN POPULATIONS-- INGESTION-- INHALATION-- INTERNAL IRRADIATION-- MAN-- MATHEMATICAL MODELS-- POINT SOURCES-- RADIATION DOSES-- RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL-- RADIOISOTOPES-- RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION-- SURFACE AIR-- SURFACE WATERS-- UPTAKE; FOOD CHAINS AIR POLLUTION-- DIFFUSION-- FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS-- GASEOUS WASTES-- METEOROLOGY-- PLUMES-- SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT-- STACK DISPOSAL-- SULFUR OXIDES-- WASTE DISPOSAL; N44700 --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Chemical Effluents; N48610* --Life Sciences--Radionuclide Effects (Internal Source)--Man The Dose-to-Man Program at the Savannah River Plant (SRP) was conceived in FY-1972 and operations began in FY-1973. The major objectives of the program are to develop (or adapt), test, and apply comprehensive mathematical models to calculate the radiation dose-to-man from one or more point sources released to the atmosphere or surface waters. These models will be applied to SRP operations; however, the methods are expected to be generally applicable over a large portion of the southeastern United States. A discussion is included of a new meteorological data acquisition program now in operation using a 1200-ft TVtower located near the plant site and seven 200-ft towers to be located onsite in FY-1974. Previously collected meteorological data from the TV-tower were analyzed to show spatial and temporal variation in eddy diffusivity, mesoscale kinetic energy spectra, and dispersion climatology based upon wind-sequencing information. A discussion of a framework for calculation of doseto-man, and a comparison of the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and Pasquill methods for determining dispersion coefficients are also included. A currert sulfur dioxide survey is discussed which will help verify the calculation techniques for predicting dispersion from heated plumes. (auth) comp.; Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Savannah River Lab. United States 1974-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/4351400 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4351400
Elk and Deer Study, Material Disposal Area G, Technical Area 54: Source document Ferenbaugh, J K; Fresquez, P R; Ebinger, M H; Gonzales, G J; Jordan, P A 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FOOD CHAINS; LANL; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; PLANTS; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; SOILS As nuclear research has become more prevalent, environmental contamination from the disposal of radioactive waste has become a prominent issue. At Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in northern New Mexico, radioactive contamination from disposal operations has raised some very specific concerns. Material Disposal Area G (Area G) is the primary low-level radioactive waste disposal site at LANL and occupies an area adjacent to land belonging to the Native American community of the Pueblo of San Ildefonso. Analyses of soil and vegetation collected from the perimeter of Area G have shown concentrations of radionuclides greater than background concentrations established for northern New Mexico. As a result, Pueblo residents had become concerned that contaminants from Area G could enter tribal lands through various ecological pathways. The residents specifically questioned the safety of consuming meat from elk and deer that forage near Area G and then migrate onto tribal lands. Consequently, this study addresses the uptake of {sup 3}H, {sup 90}Sr, {sup tot}U, {sup 238}Pu, {sup 239}Pu, {sup 241}Am, and {sup 137}Cs by elk (Cervus elaphus) and deer (Odocoileus hemionus) that forage around the perimeter of Area G and the associated doses to the animals and to humans who consume these animals. Radionuclide uptake by and internal dose to animals was estimated using equations modified from National Council on Radiological Protection Report 76. The Residual Radiation computer code was used to estimate the external dose to animals and the dose to humans consuming meat. Soil and water concentrations from the perimeter of Area G and from background regions in northern New Mexico were averaged over 4 years (1993--1996) and used as input data for the models. Concentration estimates generated by the model correspond to the concentration range measured in actual tissue samples from elk and deer collected at LANL. The highest dose estimates for both animals (0.028 mrad/d) and humans (0.072 mrem/y) were well below guidelines established to protect the environment (100 mrad/d) and the public (100 mrem/y) from radiological health risks. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (US) USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) (US) United States 1999-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/751947 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/751947
Environmental Education and Development Program 052000; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290200; ECONOMICS AND SOCIOLOGY; EDUCATION; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; EDUCATIONAL TOOLS; PERSONNEL; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; REMEDIAL ACTION; TRAINING; WASTE MANAGEMENT The Environmental Education and Development Program is a component on the effort to accomplish the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management`s (EM) goal of environmental compliance and cleanup of the 1989 inventory of inactive DOE sites and facilities by the year 2019. Education and Development programs were designed specifically to stimulate the knowledge and workforce capability necessary to achieve EM goals while contributing to DOE`s overall goal of increasing scientific and technical literacy and competency. The primary implementation criterion for E&D activities involved a focus on programs and projects that had both immediate and long-range leveraging effects on infrastructure. This focus included programs that yielded short term results (one to five years), as well as long-term results, to ensure a steady supply of appropriately trained and educated human resources, including women and minorities, to meet EM`s demands. USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Technology Integration and Environmental Education and Development USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10137936 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10137936
Report to Congress on the Small Business Program 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 450200 -- Military Technology, Weaponry, & National Defense-- Nuclear Explosions & Explosives; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100 -- Management; BUSINESS; COMPETITION; CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRIES; CONTRACTORS; DOCUMENT TYPES; DOCUMENTATION; ENERGY CONSERVATION; ENERGY FACILITIES; ENERGY MANAGEMENT; ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; MANAGEMENT; MARKETING; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; OPERATION; PLANNING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; PROGRESS REPORT; PUBLIC HEALTH; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT; RISK ASSESSMENT; SMALL BUSINESSES; STATISTICAL MODELS; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WEAPONS The Department of Energy (DOE) provides the framework for a comprehensive and balanced national energy plan through the coordination and administration of the Federal Government's energy functions. The Department is responsible for long-term, high-risk research and development of energy technology; the marketing of Federal power; energy conservation; the nuclear weapons program; energy regulatory programs; and a central energy data collection and analysis program. The programmatic activities of DOE Headquarters are supported through an extensive network of field organizations including Operations Offices, support offices, National Laboratories and other facilities. Significant numbers of these Departmental programs are carried out in DOE-owned laboratories, plants and other facilities. Contractors which operate these facilities are referred to as Management and Operating (M O) contractors. The use of small firms by these M Os in subcontracting activities is an important element of the Department's Small Business Program. USDOE Assistant Secretary for Management and Administration, Washington, DC (USA). Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization DOE/S United States 1988-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/7125468 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7125468
Environmental surveillance at Los Alamos 500200 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 500300* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510200 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR POLLUTION; AIR QUALITY; DATA; DATA ANALYSIS; DATA FORMS; DOSES; ENVIRONMENT; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; GROUND WATER; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; HUMAN POPULATIONS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; INFORMATION; LASL; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUMERICAL DATA; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; POLLUTION; POPULATIONS; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION HAZARDS; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIATION PROTECTION; REGULATIONS; STANDARDS; SURFACE WATERS; TABLES; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WATER; WATER POLLUTION This report documents the environmental surveillance program conducted by the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) in 1978. Routine monitoring for radiation and radioactive or chemical substances is conducted on the Laboratory site and in the surrounding region to determine compliance with appropriate standards and permit early identification of possible undesirable trends. Results and interpretation of the data for 1978 on penetrating radiation, chemical and radiochemical quality of ambient air, surface and groundwater, municipal water supply, soils and sediments, food, and airborne and liquid effluents are included. Comparisons with appropriate standards and regulations or with background levels from natural or other non-LASL sources provide a basis for concluding that environmental effects attributable to LASL operations are minor and cannot be considered likely to result in any hazard to the population of the area. Results of several special studies provide documentation of some unique environmental conditions in the LASL environs. Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA) United States 1979-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6163485 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6163485
Guidelines for revegetation of disturbed sites at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Anderson, J. E.; Shumar, M. L. 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ARID LANDS; DESERTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; EROSION; FEDERAL REGION X; IDAHO; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; MITIGATION; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; PLANNING; REVEGETATION; SEEDS; SOILS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA The arid climate of the INEL presents a serious challenge for the reclamation of disturbed sites. Because of limited precipitation and a short growing season, disturbed areas ''heal'' slowly. Timely and effective revegetation of such sites is necessary to stabilize soil and prevent erosion, preclude colonization by undesirable weeds, and maintain an aesthetically-pleasing landscape. This guide was developed to aid in such revegetation efforts. Planning for reclamation prior to initiating construction or development activities can minimize the areal extent and severity of disturbances and reduce costs associated with reclamation. Suggestions for defining objectives for reclamation projects and examples of specific objectives for revegetation planning at the INEL are provided. Because meeting some objectives in the most expedient manner may preclude or delay meeting others, implications and tradeoffs of various revegetation strategies are discussed. The success of a revegetation project depends on selecting species that are adapted to the soils and climate of the INEL. Characteristics of plant species recommended for revegetation projects are presented. Specific recommendations of seeding mixtures for restoring natural communities, seeding waste management sites and roadsides, and establishing strips of fire-resistant vegetation are included. Techniques for preparing seedbeds, seeding, and transplanting are discussed. Timing of planting is critical at the INEL and specific recommendations are given. Finally, we provide guidelines for evaluating the success of revegetation projects. 65 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs. USDOE Radiological and Environmental Sciences Lab., Idaho Falls, ID United States 1989-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6267252 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6267252
Intensive archaeological survey of the proposed Central Sanitary Wastewater Treatment Facility, Savannah River Site, Aiken and Barnwell Counties, South Carolina Stephenson, D K; Sassaman, K E 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; WASTE PROCESSING; WASTE PROCESSING PLANTS; WASTE WATER The project area for the proposed Central Sanitary Wastewater Treatment Facility on the Savannah River Site includes a six-acre tract along Fourmile Branch and 18 mi of trunk line corridors. Archaeological investigations of the six-acre parcel resulted in the discovery of one small prehistoric site designated 38AK465. This cultural resource does not have the potential to add significantly to archaeological knowledge of human occupation in the region. The Savannah River Archaeological Research Program (SRARP) therefore recommends that 38AK465 is not eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and further recommends a determination of no effect. Archaeological survey along the trunk line corridors implicated previously recorded sites 38AK92, 38AK145, 38AK415, 38AK417, 38AK419, and 38AK436. Past disturbance from construction had severely disturbed 38AK92 and no archaeological evidence of 38AK145, 38AK419, and 38AK436 was recovered during survey. Lacking further evidence for the existence of these sites, the SRARP recommends that 38AK92, 38AK145, 38AK419, and 38AK436 are not eligible for nomination to the NRHP and thus warrant a determination of no effect. Two of these sites, 38Ak415 and 38AK417, required further investigation to evaluate their archaeological significance. Both of the sites have the potential to yield significant data on the prehistoric period occupation of the Aiken Plateau and the SRARP recommends that they are eligible for nomination to the NRHP. The Savannah River Archaeological Research Program recommends that adverse effects to sites 38AK415 and 38AK417 from proposed construction can be mitigated through avoidance. South Carolina Univ., Columbia, SC (United States). Savannah River Archaeological Research Program USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10175605 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10175605
Technical qualification requirements and training programs for radiation protection personnel at Oak Ridge National Laboratory Copenhaver, E. D.; Houser, B. S.; Butler, Jr., H. M.; Bogard, J. S.; Fair, M. F.; Haynes, C. E.; Parzyck, D. C. 560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; PERSONNEL; RADIATION PROTECTION; TRAINING; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS This document deals with the policies and practices of the Environmental and Occupational Safety Division (EOSD) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in regard to the selection, training, qualification, and requalification of radiation protection staff assigned to reactor and nonreactor nuclear facilities. Included are personnel at facilities that: (1) operate reactors or particle accelerators; (2) produce, process, or store radioactive liquid or solid waste; (3) conduct separations operations; (4) engage in research with radioactive materials and radiation sources; and (5) conduct irradiated materials inspection, fuel fabrication, deconamination, or recovery operations. The EOSD personnel also have environmental surveillance and operational and industrial safety responsibilities related to the total Laboratory. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA). Environmental and Occupational Safety Div. United States 1986-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5014695 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5014695
Monitoring plan for long-term environmental measurements at the proposed Douglas Point Ecological Laboratory, Nanjemoy, Maryland Jensen, B. L.; Miles, K. J.; Strass, P. K.; McDonald, B. S.; Nugent, A. 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220501 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Environmental Aspects-- Siting; 500500 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY; BASELINE ECOLOGY; CENTRAL REGION; CHEMISTRY; COST; DESIGN; DOUGLAS POINT SITE; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; LABORATORIES; MAINTENANCE; MARYLAND; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; METEOROLOGY; MONITORING; NORTH AMERICA; OPERATION; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PH VALUE; PLANNING; POWER PLANTS; QUALITY ASSURANCE; RAIN WATER; SPECIFICATIONS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; USA; WATER The Douglas Point Ecological Laboratory has been set up at the site of a proposed power plant, which is to be powered by either nuclear, coal, or an alternate form of fuel. A plan for long-range monitoring of terrestrial ecosystems and atmospheric chemistry is presented. A site characterization study will be made initially. Chemical and physical soil profiles will be established with continuous measurement of soil moisture and nutrient content, as well as other parameters. Data sets will be established, reflecting changes in rainfall pH and rate of deposition through precipitation and dryfall sedimentation of Ca/sup 2 +/, Mg/sup 2 +/, K/sup +/, Na/sup +/, SO/sub 4//sup 3 -/, Cl/sup -/, NH/sub 4//sup +/, and NO/sub 3//sup -/. Among other objectives are the development of new monitoring techniques that can be used to trace energy flow, nutrient transport, and radionuclide transport through all trophic levels to selected carnivores. The atmospheric monitoring plan is outlined as to system design and specifications; system installation, operation, and maintenance, data processing and reports; quality assurance program; and project organization. A discussion of administrative and operational monitoring costs is included. (JGB) Charles County Community Coll., La Plata, MD (USA). Div. of Biological Sciences; Dames and Moore, Washington, DC (USA). Meteorological Div. United States 1979-09-25T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5642672 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5642672
Environmental surveillance at Los Alamos during 1980 500200 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 500300* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; AIR POLLUTION; ANIMALS; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; DATA; DATA COMPILATION; DOSES; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; FLUIDS; FOOD; GASEOUS WASTES; GASES; GROUND WATER; HUMAN POPULATIONS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; INFORMATION; ISOTOPES; LASL; LIQUID WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUMERICAL DATA; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PLANTS; POLLUTION; POLLUTION REGULATIONS; POPULATIONS; QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS; RADIOISOTOPES; REGULATIONS; SEDIMENTS; SOILS; STACK DISPOSAL; SURFACE AIR; SURFACE WATERS; TOXIC MATERIALS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER; WATER POLLUTION; WATER QUALITY Documentation is presented for the environmental surveillance program during 1980. Routine monitoring for radiation and radioactive or chemical substances is conducted on the Laboratory site and in the surrounding region to determine compliance with appropriate standards and permit early identification of possible undesirable trends. Results and interpretation of the data for 1980 on penetrating radiation, chemical and radiochemical quality of ambient air, surface and ground water, municipal water supply, soils and sediments, food, and airborne and liquid effluents are included. Comparisons with appropriate standards and regulations or with background levels from natural or other non-Laboratory sources provide a basis for concluding that environmental effects attributable to Laboratory operations are minor and cannot be considered likely to result in any hazard to the population of the area. Results of several special studies describe some unique environmental conditions in the Laboratory environs. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) United States 1981-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6499974 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6499974
Environmental Assessment for the Closure of the High-Level Waste Tanks in F- & H-Areas at the Savannah River Site 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; CLOSURES; COMPLIANCE; CONTAMINATION; DEFENSE WASTE PROCESSING FACILITY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; EVAPORATORS; HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; PLANTS; RADIOACTIVE; REGULATIONS; REMOVAL; RESIDUAL; SAFETY; SALTSTONE; SHIELDING; SOILS; SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL; STORAGE FACILITIES; TANKS; TOXICITY; US SUPERFUND; WASTES This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared by the Department of Energy (DOE) to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with the closure of 51 high-level radioactive waste tanks and tank farm ancillary equipment (including transfer lines, evaporators, filters, pumps, etc) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) located near Aiken, South Carolina. The waste tanks are located in the F- and H-Areas of SRS and vary in capacity from 2,839,059 liters (750,000 gallons) to 4,921,035 liters (1,300,000 gallons). These in-ground tanks are surrounded by soil to provide shielding. The F- and H-Area High-Level Waste Tanks are operated under the authority of Industrial Wastewater Permits No.17,424-IW; No.14520, and No.14338 issued by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC). In accordance with the Permit requirements, DOE has prepared a Closure Plan (DOE, 1996) and submitted it to SCDHEC for approval. The Closure Plan identifies all applicable or relevant and appropriate regulations, statutes, and DOE Orders for closing systems operated under the Industrial Wastewater Permits. When approved by SCDHEC, the Closure Plan will present the regulatory process for closing all of the F- and H-Area High Level Waste Tanks. The Closure Plan establishes performance objectives or criteria to be met prior to closing any tank, group of tanks, or ancillary tank farm equipment. The proposed action is to remove the residual wastes from the tanks and to fill the tanks with a material to prevent future collapse and bind up residual waste, to lower human health risks, and to increase safety in and around the tanks. If required, an engineered cap consisting of clay, backfill (soil), and vegetation as the final layer to prevent erosion would be applied over the tanks. The selection of tank system closure method will be evaluated against the following Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) criteria described in 40 CFR 300.430(e)(9): ( 1) overall protection of human health and the environment; (2) compliance with applicable or relevant and appropriated requirement: (ARARs); (3) long-term effectiveness and permanence; (4) reduction of toxicity, mobility, or volume through treatment; (5) short-term effectiveness; (6) implementability; (7) cost; (8) state acceptable; and (9) community acceptance. Closure of each tank involves two separate operations after bulk waste removal has been accomplished: (1) cleaning of the tank (i.e., removing the residual contaminants), and (2) the actual closure or filling of the tank with an inert material, (e.g., grout). This process would continue until all the tanks and ancillary equipment and systems have been closed. This is expected to be about year 2028 for Type I, II, and IV tanks and associated systems. Subsequent to that, Type III tanks and systems will be closed. Savannah River Site, Aiken, SC (US) USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US) United States 1996-07-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/831173 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/831173
Survey of protected vascular plants on the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee Awl, D J; Pounds, L R; Rosensteel, B A; King, A L; Hamlett, P A 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BOTANY; ENDANGERED SPECIES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANTS; RESOURCE ASSESSMENT; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SPECIES DIVERSITY Vascular plant surveys were initiated during fiscal year 1992 by the environmentally sensitive areas program to determine the baseline condition of threatened and endangered (T&E) vascular plant species on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). T&E species receive protection under federal and state regulations. In addition, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires that federally-funded projects avoid or mitigate impacts to listed species. T&E plant species found on or near the U.S. Department of Energy`s (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) are identified. Twenty-eight species identified on the ORR are listed by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation as either endangered, threatened, or of special concern. Four of these have been under review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for possible listing (listed in the formerly-used C2 candidate category). Additional species listed by the state occur near and may be present on the ORR. A range of habitats support the rare taxa on the ORR: river bluffs, sinkholes, calcareous barrens, wetlands, utility corridors, and forests. The list of T&E plant species and their locations on the ORR should be considered provisional because the entire ORR has not been surveyed, and state and federal status of all species continues to be updated. The purpose of this document is to present information on the listed T&E plant species currently known to occur on the ORR as well as listed species potentially occurring on the ORR based on geographic range and habitat availability. For the purpose of this report, {open_quotes}T&E species{close_quotes} include all federal- and state-listed species, including candidates for listing, and species of special concern. Consideration of T&E plant habitats is an important component of resource management and land-use planning; protection of rare species in their natural habitat is the best method of ensuring their long-term survival. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1996-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/262979 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/262979
Savannah River Site Environmental Implentation Plan 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); ANIMALS; DATA BASE MANAGEMENT; EDUCATION; EMERGENCY PLANS; ENVIRONMENT; MAMMALS; MAN; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PERSONNEL; PLANNING; PRIMATES; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TRAINING; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES This report describes the organizational responsibilities for the Savannah River Site Environmental program. Operations, Engineering and projects, Environment, safety, and health, Quality assurance, and the Savannah River Laboratory are described. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1989-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6942556 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6942556
Savannah River Site Environmental Implentation Plan. Volume 3, Management and support programs 053000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; DATA BASE MANAGEMENT; EMERGENCY PLANS; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS; PERSONNEL; PLANNING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; TRAINING This report describes the organizational responsibilities for the Savannah River Site Environmental program. Operations, Engineering and projects, Environment, safety, and health, Quality assurance, and the Savannah River Laboratory are described. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1989-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10104028 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10104028
Approach and Strategy for Performing Ecological Risk Assessments for the Department of Energy Oak Ridge Field Office Environmental Restoration Program Suter, II, G W 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BREAKDOWN; COMPLIANCE; MANAGEMENT; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; RISK ASSESSMENT; US EPA; US SUPERFUND This technical memorandum provides guidance for planning and performing ecological risk assessments (ERAs) on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). This work was performed under Work Breakdown Structure 1.4.12.2.3.04.07.02 (Activity Data Sheet 8304) and meets an Environmental Restoration Program milestone for FY 95. The strategy discussed in this report is consistent with the overall strategy for site management and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) compliance developed for the ORR and relevant U.S. Environmental Protection Agency documents and guidance. The general approach and strategy presented herein was developed for the ORR, but it could be applicable to other complex CERCLA sites that possess significant ecological resources. ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION AND WASTE MANAGEMENT, DOE (US) United States 1992-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/814575 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/814575
Environmental analysis of the operation of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (X-10 site) Boyle, J W; Blumberg, R; Cotter, S J 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 500100 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510500 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 520100 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 530100* -- Environmental-Social Aspects of Energy Technologies-- Social & Economic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ACCIDENTS; AIR POLLUTION; BASELINE ECOLOGY; CLEANING; DECONTAMINATION; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGY; ECONOMIC IMPACT; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GEOLOGY; GROUND WATER; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROLOGY; INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS; LAND POLLUTION; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; METEOROLOGY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY; OPERATION; ORNL; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; POLLUTION; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVITY; REVIEWS; SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WATER; WATER POLLUTION An environmental analysis of the operation of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) facilities in Bethel Valley and Melton Valley was conducted to present to the public information concerning the extent to which recognizable effects, or potential effects, on the environment may occur. The analysis addresses current operations of the ORNL X-10 site and completed operations that may continue to have residual effects. Solid wastes from ORNL operations at the Y-12 site which are transported to the X-10 site for burial (e.g., Biology Division animal wastes) are included as part of X-10 site operation. Socioeconomic effects are associated primarily with the communities where employees live and with the Knoxville Bureau of Economic Analysis economic area as a whole. Therefore, ORNL employees at both Y-12 and X-10 sites are included in the ORNL socioeconomic impact analysis. An extensive base of environmental data was accumulated for this report. Over 80 reports related to ORNL facilities and/or operations are cited as well as many open-literature citations. Environmental effects of the operation of ORNL result from operational discharges from the onsite facilities; construction and/or modification of facilities, transportation to and from the site of persons, goods and services; socioeconomic impacts to the local, regional, and general population; and accidental discharges if they should occur. Operational discharges to the environnment are constrained by federal, state, and local regulations and by criteria established by the US Department of Energy to minimize adverse impacts. It is the purpose of this document to evaluate the operation of the ORNL insofar as impacts beyond the site boundary may occur or have the potential for occurrence. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1982-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6706652 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6706652
Independent review of inappropriate identification, storage and treatment methods of polychlorinated biphenyl waste streams 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; COMPLIANCE; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; HYDRAULIC FLUIDS; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MIXTURES; OIL SPILLS; POLLUTION REGULATIONS; POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; REMEDIAL ACTION; TANKS The purpose of the review was to evaluate incidents involving the inappropriate identification, storage, and treatment methods associated with polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) waste streams originating from the V-tank system at the Test Area North (TAN). The team was instructed to perform a comprehensive review of Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Company (LMITCO`s) compliance programs related to these incidents to assess the adequacy and effectiveness of the management program in all respects including: adequacy of the waste management program in meeting all LMITCO requirements and regulations; adequacy of policies, plans, and procedures in addressing and implementing all federal and state requirements and regulations; and compliance status of LMITCO, LMITCO contract team members, and LMITCO contract/team member subcontractor personnel with established PCB management policies, plans, and procedures. The V-Tanks are part of an intermediate waste disposal system and are located at the Technical Support Facility (TSF) at TAN at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). The IRT evaluated how a waste was characterized, managed, and information was documented; however, they did not take control of wastes or ensure followup was performed on all waste streams that may have been generated from the V-Tanks. The team has also subsequently learned that the Environmental Restoration (ER) program is revising the plans for the decontamination and decommissioning of the intermediate waste disposal system based on new information listed and PCB wastes. The team has not reviewed those in-process changes. The source of PCB in the V-Tank is suspected to be a spill of hydraulic fluid in 1968. Lockheed Idaho Technologies Co., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1997-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/578499 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/578499
Global change: Acronyms and abbreviations Woodard, C T; Stoss, F W 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; INFORMATION RETRIEVAL; STANDARDIZED TERMINOLOGY This list of acronyms and abbreviations is compiled to provide the user with a ready reference to dicipher the linguistic initialisms and abridgements for the study of global change. The terms included in this first edition were selected from a wide variety of sources: technical reports, policy documents, global change program announcements, newsletters, and other periodicals. The disciplinary interests covered by this document include agriculture, atmospheric science, ecology, environmental science, oceanography, policy science, and other fields. In addition to its availability in hard copy, the list of acronyms and abbreviations is available in DOS-formatted diskettes and through CDIAC`s anonymous File Transfer Protocol (FTP) area on the Internet. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/543641 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/543641
Capsule summaries of plants and laboratories, FY 1975 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100* -- Management; INDUSTRIAL PLANTS; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS This report briefly describes the extent and scope of ERDA's existing nationwide field organization. The field organization includes 16 production facilities, 39 laboratories and research centers, and 11 field operations offices that are located across the country. Of primary focus here are the 55 plants and laboratories. These are primarily government-owned contractor-operated facilities but also include government-owned and -operated laboratories and long-standing off-site university contractors. These plants and laboratories represent a cumulative investment of slightly over $12 billion. They employ nearly 93,000 persons, 99 percent of which are contractor employees; over 20,000 are working scientists and engineers. (RWR) Energy Research and Development Administration, Washington, D.C. (USA). Office of the Assistant Administrator for Field Operations United States 1976-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/7338557 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7338557
Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1981 Auerbach, S I; Reichle, D E 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; 010900 -- Coal, Lignite, & Peat-- Environmental Aspects; 02 PETROLEUM; 020900 -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects; 052000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Management; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 520100* -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520302 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ACID RAIN; ACTINIDES; AIR POLLUTION; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; BIOMASS; CARBON CYCLE; COOLING SYSTEMS; ECOSYSTEMS; ELEMENTS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENERGY SYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; ISOTOPES; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MATERIALS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; METALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; ORNL; POLLUTION; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RAIN; REGIONAL ANALYSIS; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; RISK ASSESSMENT; SOLID WASTES; SURFACE WATERS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TOXIC MATERIALS; TOXICITY; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER RESERVOIRS Research programs from the following sections and programs are summarized: aquatic ecology, environmental resources, earth sciences, terrestrial ecology, advanced fossil energy program, toxic substances program, environmental impacts program, biomass, low-level waste research and development program, US DOE low-level waste management program, and waste isolation program. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1982-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5179294 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5179294
A study of bat populations at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Bandelier National Monument, Jemez Mountains, New Mexico: FY95--97 report to Los Alamos National Laboratory and Bandelier National Monument Bogan, M A; O`Shea, T J; Cryan, P M; Ditto, A M; Schaedla, W H; Valdez, E W; Castle, K T; Ellison, L 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BATS; LANL; NATURE RESERVES; NEW MEXICO; NUMERICAL DATA; POPULATION DENSITY; POPULATION DYNAMICS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS In 1995, a three-year study was initiated to assess the current status of bat species of concern, elucidate distribution and relative abundance, and obtain information on roosting sites of bats. The authors captured and released 1532 bats of 15 species (Myotis californicus, M. ciliolabrum, M. evotis, M. thysanodes, M. volans, M. yumanensis, Lasiurus cinereus, Lasionycteris noctivagans, Pipistrellus hesperus, Eptesicus fuscus, Euderma maculatum, Corynorhinus townsendii, Antrozous pallidus, Tadarida brasiliensis, and Nyctinomops macrotis) and followed 32 bats of eight species (M. evotis, M. thysanodes, M. volans, E. fuscus, E. maculatum, C. townsendii, A. pallidus, and N. macrotis) to 51 active diurnal roosts. The most abundant species were L. noctivagans, E. fuscus, L. cinereus, M. evotis, M. volans, and M. ciliolabrum. Most of these species are typical inhabitants of ponderosa pine-mixed coniferous forests. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) USDOE Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-12-31T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/296873 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/296873
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Relocation of Technical Area 18 Capabilities and Materials at the Los Alamos National Laboratory 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONSTRUCTION; CRITICALITY; Construction; Criticality; DESIGN; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; EIS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; Education; Final Report; Los Alamos National Laboratory; NEVADA TEST SITE; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); PERSONNEL; PROLIFERATION; Proposal; RELIABILITY; Report; SAFEGUARDS; SAFETY; SECURITY; TA-18 Relocation; Technical Area 18 The National Nuclear Security Administration, a separately organized agency within DOE, is responsible for providing the Nation with nuclear weapons, ensuring the safety and reliability of those nuclear weapons, and supporting programs that reduce global nuclear proliferation. These missions are accomplished with a core team of highly trained nuclear experts. One of the major training facilities for these personnel is located at Technical Area 18 (TA-18), within the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, New Mexico. Principal TA-18 operational activities involve research in and the design, development, construction, and application of experiments on nuclear criticality. Though TA-18 is judged to be secure by DOE's independent inspection office, its buildings and infrastructure are from 30 to more than 50 years old and are increasingly expensive to maintain and operate. Additionally, the TA-18 operations are located in a relatively isolated area, resulting in increasingly high costs to maintain a security Category I infrastructure. NNSA wishes to maintain the important capabilities currently provided at TA-18 in a manner that reduces the long-term costs for safeguards and security. NNSA proposes to accomplish this by relocating the TA-18 security Category I/II capabilities and materials to new locations. The TA-18 Relocation EIS evaluates the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts associated with this proposed action at the following DOE sites: (1) a different site at LANL at Los Alamos, New Mexico; (2) the Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico at Albuquerque, New Mexico; (3) the Nevada Test Site near Las Vegas, Nevada (the Preferred Alternative); and (4) the Argonne National Laboratory-West near Idaho Falls, Idaho. The EIS also analyzes the alternatives of upgrading the existing TA-18 facilities and the No Action Alternative of maintaining the operations at the current TA-18 location. US Department of Energy (USDOE), Washington, DC (United States) USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP) United States 2002-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/823309 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/823309
Summary of Public Outreach by DOE for the Special Isotope Separation Project Cochran, Thomas 07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES; Isotope Separation; NPR Summary of Public Outreach by DOE for the Special Isotope Separation Project. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) United States 1987-02-26T04:00:00Z Program Document https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1822888
Framework for DOE mixed low-level waste disposal: Site fact sheets Gruebel, M M; Waters, R D; Hospelhorn, M B; Chu, M S.Y. 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; GEOGRAPHY; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE SELECTION; US DOE The Department of Energy (DOE) is required to prepare and submit Site Treatment Plans (STPS) pursuant to the Federal Facility Compliance Act (FFCAct). Although the FFCAct does not require that disposal be addressed in the STPS, the DOE and the States recognize that treatment of mixed low-level waste will result in residues that will require disposal in either low-level waste or mixed low-level waste disposal facilities. As a result, the DOE is working with the States to define and develop a process for evaluating disposal-site suitability in concert with the FFCAct and development of the STPS. Forty-nine potential disposal sites were screened; preliminary screening criteria reduced the number of sites for consideration to twenty-six. The DOE then prepared fact sheets for the remaining sites. These fact sheets provided additional site-specific information for understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the twenty-six sites as potential disposal sites. The information also provided the basis for discussion among affected States and the DOE in recommending sites for more detailed evaluation. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/65026 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/65026
Analysis of Removal Alternatives for the Heavy Water Components Test Reactor at the Savannah River Site Owen, M B 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; DECISION MAKING; DECONTAMINATION; EVALUATION; HWCTR REACTOR; RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE; REACTOR COMPONENTS; REACTOR DECOMMISSIONING; REACTOR DISMANTLING; REACTOR SAFETY; REMEDIAL ACTION; UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL This engineering study was developed to evaluate different options for decommissioning of the Heavy Water Components Test Reactor (HWCTR) at the Savannah River Site. This document will be placed in the DOE-SRS Area reading rooms for a period of 30 days in order to obtain public input to plans for the demolition of HWCTR. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States); U.S. Energy Corp., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1996-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/409936 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/409936
Ecological risks of DOE`s programmatic environmental restoration alternatives 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; COMPILED DATA; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; FEED MATERIALS PRODUCTION CENTER; HANFORD RESERVATION; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; HEALTH AND SAFETY; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT; REMEDIAL ACTION; RISK ASSESSMENT; ROCKY FLATS PLANT This report assesses the ecological risks of the Department of Energy`s (DOE) Environmental Restoration Program. The assessment is programmatic in that it is directed at evaluation of the broad programmatic alternatives outlined in the DOE Implementation Plan. It attempts to (1) characterize the ecological resources present on DOE facilities, (2) describe the occurrence and importance of ecologically significant contamination at major DOE facilities, (3) evaluate the adverse ecological impacts of habitat disturbance caused by remedial activities, and (4) determine whether one or another of the programmatic alternatives is clearly ecologically superior to the others. The assessment focuses on six representative facilities: the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL); the Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP); the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), including the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Y-12 plant, and K-25 plant; the Rocky Flats Plant; the Hanford Reservation; and the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10180077 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10180077
Site characterization plan for groundwater in Waste Area Grouping 1 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee Lee, R R; Curtis, A H; Houlberg, L M; Purucker, S T; Singer, M L; Tardiff, M F; Wolf, D A 052002; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540220; 540230; 540320; 540330; CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; DECOMMISSIONING; DECONTAMINATION; GEOCHEMISTRY; GROUND DISPOSAL; GROUND WATER; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; HEALTH AND SAFETY; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; ORNL; PIPES; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SOILS; SURFACE WATERS; WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE The Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 1 Groundwater Operable Unit (OU) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is undergoing a site characterization to identify environmental contamination that may be present. This document, Site Characterization Report for Groundwater in Waste Area Grouping I at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, identifies areas of concern with respect to WAG 1 groundwater and presents the rationale, justification, and objectives for conducting this continuing site characterization. This report summarizes the operations that have taken place at each of the areas of concern in WAG 1, summarizes previous characterization studies that have been performed, presents interpretations of previously collected data and information, identifies contaminants of concern, and presents an action plan for further site investigations and early actions that will lead to identification of contaminant sources, their major groundwater pathways, and reduced off-site migration of contaminated groundwater to surface water. Site characterization Activities performed to date at WAG I have indicated that groundwater contamination, principally radiological contamination, is widespread. An extensive network of underground pipelines and utilities have contributed to the dispersal of contaminants to an unknown extent. The general absence of radiological contamination in surface water at the perimeter of WAG 1 is attributed to the presence of pipelines and underground waste storage tank sumps and dry wells distributed throughout WAG 1 which remove more than about 40 million gal of contaminated groundwater per year. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10170380 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10170380
Environmental Development Plan: Defense Waste Management 052000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Management; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; 290600 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Nuclear Energy; ELEMENTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GASEOUS WASTES; HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS; LEGAL ASPECTS; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL DEFENSE; OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY; PLANNING; PROCESSING; PUBLIC HEALTH; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAFETY; SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS; TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTE PROCESSING; WASTES This Environmental Development Plan (EDP) encompasses the programmatic and environmental, health and safety considerations associated with the handling of DOE wastes generated primarily as a byproduct of the DOE national defense programs. The Defense Waste Management Program and the Commercial Waste Manageent (CWM) Program deal with similar technologies pertaining to waste processing, immobilization, packaging, burial, and disposal. However, commercial waste activities are addressed in a separate EDP and are considered in this EDP to the extent that such activities are common to the Defense Waste Management Program. This plan does not address mining and milling tails, transportation of wastes, decommissioning and decontamination (D and D) programs or safeguards, security, and profliferation aspects. Department of Energy, Washington, DC (USA) United States 1980-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6833998 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6833998
Oak Ridge Reservation site evaluation report for the Advanced Neutron Source Sigmon, B; Heitzman, Jr, A C; Morrissey, J 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220501 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Environmental Aspects-- Siting; 220600* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Research, Test & Experimental Reactors; AIR QUALITY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; HYDROLOGY; MAPS; METEOROLOGY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NEUTRON SOURCE FACILITIES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE SELECTION; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WATER QUALITY The Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) is a research reactor that is the US Department of Energy (DOE) plans to build for initial service late in this century. The primary purpose of the ANS is to provide a useable neutron flux for scattering experiments 5 to 10 times as a high as that generated by any existing research reactor, secondary purposes include production of a variety of transuranic and other isotopes and irradiation of materials. The ANS is proposed to be located on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This report documents the evaluation of alternative sites on the ORR and the selection of a site for the ANS. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Science Applications International Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (United States) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1990-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5759584 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5759584
Oak Ridge Reservation site evaluation report for the Advanced Neutron Source Sigmon, B; Heitzman, Jr, A C; Morrissey, J 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220501; 220600; AIR QUALITY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HYDROLOGY; MAPS; METEOROLOGY; NEUTRON SOURCE FACILITIES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; RESEARCH, TEST, TRAINING, PRODUCTION, IRRADIATION, MATERIALS TESTING REACTORS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE SELECTION; SITING; WATER QUALITY The Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) is a research reactor that is the US Department of Energy (DOE) plans to build for initial service late in this century. The primary purpose of the ANS is to provide a useable neutron flux for scattering experiments 5 to 10 times as a high as that generated by any existing research reactor, secondary purposes include production of a variety of transuranic and other isotopes and irradiation of materials. The ANS is proposed to be located on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This report documents the evaluation of alternative sites on the ORR and the selection of a site for the ANS. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Science Applications International Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1990-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10120216 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10120216
Historical Botany of the Romero Cabin: A Family Homestead on the Pajarito Plateau Foxx, Teralene S; Tierney, Gail D 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BOTANY; ECOLOGY; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; LANL No abstract prepared. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 1999-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/766951 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/766951
Oak Ridge Reservation, annual site environmental report for 1993 053000; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; COMPILED DATA; COMPLIANCE; ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; HEALTH AND SAFETY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; POLLUTION LAWS; RADIATION MONITORING; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES The US DOE currently oversees activities on the Oak Ridge Reservation, a government-owned, contractor-operated facility. Three sites compose the reservation; Y-12, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and K-25. This document contains a summary of environmental monitoring activities on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) and its surroundings. The results summarized in this report are based on the data collected during calendar year (CY) 1993 and compiled in; Environmental Monitoring in the Oak Ridge Reservation: CY 1993 Results. Annual environmental monitoring on the ORR consists of two major activities: effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. Effluent monitoring is the collection and analysis of samples or measurements of liquid, gaseous, or airborne effluents for the purpose of characterizing and quantifying contaminants and process stream characteristics, assessing radiation and chemical exposures to members of the public, and demonstrating compliance with applicable standards. Environmental surveillance is the collection and analysis of samples of air, water, soil, foodstuffs, biota, and other media from DOE sites and their environs and the measurement of external radiation for purposes of demonstrating compliance with applicable standards, assessing radiation and chemical exposures to members of the public, and assessing effects, if any, on the local environment. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10119310 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10119310
Environmental monitoring in the vicinity of the Savannah River Plant. Annual report for 1972 *SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT-- ENVIRONMENT; DIFFUSION; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; SAVANNAH RIVER; WATER POLLUTION Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Savannah River Plant United States 1973-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/4483243 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4483243
Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 1997 Evans, R B; Roush, D; Brooks, R W; Martin, D B 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; AIR; AIR SAMPLES; CONCENTRATIONS; DEPOSITION; DOSES; DRINKING WATER; FALLOUT; GAME ANIMALS; GROSS ALPHA; GROSS BETA; HEALTH PROTECTION; INGESTION; INHALATION; MILK; MONITORING; NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY; OFFSITE ENVIRONMENT; POPULATION DOSE; PRECIPITATION; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVITY; RECOMMENDATIONS; SUBMERSION; SURFACE WATER The results of the various monitoring programs for 1997 indicated that radioactivity from the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) operations could generally not be distinguished from worldwide fallout and natural radioactivity in the region surrounding the INEEL. Although some radioactive materials were discharged during INEEL operations, concentrations in the offsite environment and doses to the surrounding population were far less than state of Idaho and federal health protection guidelines. The maximum potential population dose from submersion, ingestion, inhalation, and deposition to the approximately 121,500 people residing within an 80-km (50-mi) radius from the geographical center of the INEEL was estimated to be 0.2 person-rem (2 x 10-3 person-Sv) using the MDIFF air dispersion model. This population dose is less than 0.0005% of the estimated 43,700 person-rem (437 person-Sv) population dose from background radioactivity. Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (US); Environmental Science and Research Foundation, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 1998-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/769254 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/769254
Annual report on in-house energy management, FY 1988 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 291000* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Conservation; 293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy, Legislation, & Regulation; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; 320100 -- Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization-- Buildings; 320200 -- Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization-- Transportation; BUILDINGS; EFFICIENCY; ENERGY ANALYSIS; ENERGY CONSERVATION; ENERGY CONSUMPTION; ENERGY EFFICIENCY; ENERGY FACILITIES; ENERGY POLICY; ENERGY SOURCES; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; LABORATORIES; MANAGEMENT; MARKETING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; ORGANIZATIONAL MODELS; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; REPORTING REQUIREMENTS; STANDARDS; SURVEYS; TRANSPORTATION SECTOR; US DOE; US DOE FIELD OFFICES; US ORGANIZATIONS; WEAPONS Each Federal Executive agency is required by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to submit an Annual Report on Energy Management. '' During Fiscal Year 1988, the Department of Energy (DOE) completed its third year of operation under its Ten-Year In-house Energy Management Plan for FY 1986--FY 1995. This Annual Report will address program activities during FY 1988, summarize total program achievements, as well as evaluate progress toward the achievement of DOE efficiency and energy reduction goals as outlined in the ten-year plan. 39 figs., 5 tabs. USDOE Assistant Secretary for Management and Administration, Washington, DC (USA). Office of Project and Facilities Management DOE/MA United States 1989-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5687153 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5687153
The nuclear weapons complex: Management for health, safety, and the environment 054000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Health & Safety; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 450200 -- Military Technology, Weaponry, & National Defense-- Nuclear Explosions & Explosives; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); ACTINIDES; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; COMMUNICATIONS; CONTAMINATION; CONTROL; ELEMENTS; ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS; ENGINEERING; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; FIRE HAZARDS; HAZARDS; LABORATORIES; MANAGEMENT; MEASURING METHODS; METALS; MODIFICATIONS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY; OPTIMIZATION; PLUTONIUM; PROCESS CONTROL; PRODUCTION; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; PUBLIC HEALTH; RECOMMENDATIONS; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAFETY; SEISMIC EFFECTS; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WEAPONS The Department of Energy (DOE) operates 17 major facilities to develop and produce nuclear weapons. The facilities, which together are termed the weapons complex,'' include laboratores that design and test the weapons and components; materials for use in weapons; and weapons production facilities that either produce various components or assemble them into completed weapons, or both. This report, which was requested of the National Research Council by DOE at the direction of Congress, sets out an assessment of various management, environmental, health, and safety issues melting to the operation of the complex. An examination of the weapons complex is an immense undertaking. The facilities are located throughout the United States, and each of the major facilities is a huge and sophisticated operation. The total budget of the complex for FY 1990 amounts to some $10 billion and involves a staff of some 80,000 people working for the Department and its contractors. The Department confronts a variety of problems in connection with its stewardship of the complex. Many of the facilities are old, and maintenance over the years has been inadequate. There is a legacy of environmental contamination that must be addressed. Moreover, DOE must be prepared to operate under close public scrutiny and in compliance with environmental and safety standards that have become increasingly stringent over time. 42 refs., 8 figs., 4 tabs. National Research Council, Washington, DC (USA). Committee to Provide Interim Oversight of the DOE Nuclear Weapons Complex DOE/DP United States 1989-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/7052216 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7052216
Final environmental impact statement for the construction and operation of an independent spent fuel storage installation to store the Three Mile Island Unit 2 spent fuel at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. Docket Number 72-20 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE; SPENT FUEL STORAGE; STORAGE FACILITIES; THREE MILE ISLAND-2 REACTOR; US DOE; US NRC This Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) contains an assessment of the potential environmental impacts of the construction and operation of an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) for the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) fuel debris at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental laboratory (INEEL). US Department of Energy-Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) is proposing to design, construct, and operate at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP). The TMI-2 fuel debris would be removed from wet storage, transported to the ISFSI, and placed in storage modules on a concrete basemat. As part of its overall spent nuclear fuel (SNF) management program, the US DOE has prepared a final programmatic environmental impact statement (EIS) that provides an overview of the spent fuel management proposed for INEEL, including the construction and operation of the TMI-2 ISFSI. In addition, DOE-ID has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) to describe the environmental impacts associated with the stabilization of the storage pool and the construction/operation of the ISFSI at the ICPP. As provided in NRC`s NEPA procedures, a FEIS of another Federal agency may be adopted in whole or in part in accordance with the procedures outlined in 40 CFR 1506.3 of the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). Under 40 CFR 1506.3(b), if the actions covered by the original EIS and the proposed action are substantially the same, the agency adopting another agency`s statement is not required to recirculate it except as a final statement. The NRC has determined that its proposed action is substantially the same as actions considered in DOE`s environmental documents referenced above and, therefore, has elected to adopt the DOE documents as the NRC FEIS. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/573193 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/573193
Technology applications bulletins: Number one Koncinski, W Jr 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; 320000 -- Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization; 42 ENGINEERING; 420200 -- Engineering-- Facilities, Equipment, & Techniques; 440300 -- Miscellaneous Instruments-- (-1989); 47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990210 -- Supercomputers-- (1987-1989); ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE; CONTROL SYSTEMS; ENERGY CONSERVATION; ENERGY SOURCES; MANUFACTURING; MEASURING METHODS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ON-LINE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS; ON-LINE SYSTEMS; ORNL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; ROBOTS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Energy Systems), operates five facilities for the US Department of Energy (DOE): the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), which is a large, multidisciplinary research and development (R and D) center whose primary mission is energy research; the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, which engages in defense research, development, and production; and the uranium-enrichment plants at Oak Ridge; Paducah, Kentucky; and Portsmouth, Ohio. Much of the research carried out at these facilities is of interest to industry and to state or local governments. To make information about this research available, the Energy Systems Office of Technology Applications publishes brief descriptions of selected technologies and reports. These technology applications bulletins describe the new technology and inform the reader about how to obtain further information, gain access to technical resources, and initiate direct contact with Energy Systems researchers. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1989-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5895975 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5895975
Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1982 to the DOE Office of Energy Research. Part 2. Environmental sciences Vaughan, B E 520200* -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSTRACTS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; COAL GASIFICATION; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; GASIFICATION; LEADING ABSTRACT; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MATHEMATICS; RADIATION EFFECTS; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; SOLID WASTES; STATISTICS; THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES The following research areas are highlighted: terrestrial and riverine ecology; marine sciences; radionuclide fate and effects; ecological effects of coal conversion; solid waste: mobilization fate and effects; and statistical and theoretical research. A listing of interagency services agreements provided at the end of this report. (PSB) Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) United States 1983-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6423850 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6423850
Guidance Manual for Conducting Screening Level Ecological Risk Assessments at the INEL VanHorn, R L; Hampton, N L; Morris, R C 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONCEPTUAL SITE MODEL; ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; MANUALS; PATHWAYS OF CONTAMINANT MIGRATION; RISK ASSESSMENT; RISK CHARACTERIZATION; SCREENING LEVEL ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; STRESSOR CHARACTERIZATION; US EPA; WASTE AREA GROUP (WAG); WASTES This document presents reference material for conducting screening level ecological risk assessments (SLERAs)for the waste area groups (WAGs) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Included in this document are discussions of the objectives of and processes for conducting SLERAs. The Environmental Protection Agency ecological risk assessment framework is closely followed. Guidance for site characterization, stressor characterization, ecological effects, pathways of contaminant migration, the conceptual site model, assessment endpoints, measurement endpoints, analysis guidance, and risk characterization are included. Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (US) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US) United States 1995-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/11009 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/11009
Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1994 Arnett, M W; Mamatey, A; Spitzer, D 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONTAMINATION; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; MONITORING; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; SAMPLING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SURVEILLANCE The mission at the Savannah River Site has changed from producing nuclear weapons materials for national defense to managing the waste it has generated, restoring the environment, and enhancing industrial development in and around the site. But no matter what the site`s mission is, it will continue to maintain its comprehensive environmental monitoring and surveillance program. In 1994, effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance were conducted within a 30,000-square-mile area in and around SRS that includes neighboring cities, towns, and counties in Georgia and South Carolina and extends up to 100 miles from the site. Thousands of samples of air, surface water, groundwater, foodstuffs, drinking water, wildlife, rainwater, soil, sediment, and vegetation were collected and analyzed for radioactive and nonradioactive contaminants. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-12-16T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/195620 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/195620
105-DR Large Sodium Fire Facility closure plan. Revision 1 052000; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; CLOSURES; FIRE FIGHTING; GROUND WATER; HANFORD RESERVATION; HEALTH AND SAFETY; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; MONITORING; PLANNING; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SAMPLING; SODIUM; WASTE MANAGEMENT The Hanford Site, located northwest of the city of Richland, Washington, houses reactors, chemical-separation systems, and related facilities used for the production of special nuclear materials, and activities associated with nuclear energy development. The 105-DR Large Sodium Fire Facility (LSFF), which was in operation from about 1972 to 1986, was a research laboratory that occupied the former ventilation supply room on the southwest side of the 105-DR Reactor facility. The LSFF was established to provide a means of investigating fire and safety aspects associated with large sodium or other metal alkali fires in the liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) facilities. The 105-DR Reactor facility was designed and built in the 1950`s and is located in the 100-D Area of the Hanford Site. The building housed the 105-DR defense reactor, which was shut down in 1964. The LSFF was initially used only for engineering-scale alkali metal reaction studies. In addition, the Fusion Safety Support Studies program sponsored intermediate-size safety reaction tests in the LSFF with lithium and lithium lead compounds. The facility has also been used to store and treat alkali metal waste, therefore the LSFF is subject to the regulatory requirements for the storage and treatment of dangerous waste. Closure will be conducted pursuant to the requirements of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-303-610. This closure plan presents a description of the facility, the history of waste managed, and the procedures that will be followed to close the LSFF as an Alkali Metal Treatment Facility. No future use of the LSFF is expected. USDOE Richland Field Office, WA (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10195136 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10195136
Trends and balances: 1985-1990 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100* -- Management; INFORMATION; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; PLANNING; PUBLIC INFORMATION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS This is the seventh edition of Trends and Balances to be presented to the staff of Oak Ridge National (ORNL) and other interested parties. Each year at the end of the planning cycle the Laboratory publishes its official planning document, the Institutional Plan. Trends and Balances is brought out as a condensation of that more formal document and is intended to provide a reference to the kinds of plans that have occupied senior laboratory management over the past year. An institution as large as ORNL changes slowly, so some of the information in this document overlaps that contained in the previous edition of Trends and Balances. Much, however, is different. A new section, for example, describes what senior Laboratory management feels are five new directions for science and technology at ORNL. This document is intended to provide new insights into the programs and structure of the Laboratory. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) United States 1985-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5990627 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5990627
Idaho National Engineering Laboratory site development plan 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, AND SAFETY; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; PLANNING; SITE APPROVALS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE PREPARATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES This plan briefly describes the 20-year outlook for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). Missions, workloads, worker populations, facilities, land, and other resources necessary to fulfill the 20-year site development vision for the INEL are addressed. In addition, the plan examines factors that could enhance or deter new or expanded missions at the INEL. And finally, the plan discusses specific site development issues facing the INEL, possible solutions, resources required to resolve these issues, and the anticipated impacts if these issues remain unresolved. Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10191030 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10191030
Measuring the environmental effects of thermal discharges Harvey, R. S.; Randall, D. *AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; *SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT-- THERMAL EFFLUENTS; *SURFACE WATERS-- THERMAL POLLUTION; *THERMAL EFFLUENTS-- BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; ANIMALS; FISHES; N44630* --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Thermal Effluents-- Water; PLANTS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Savannah River Lab. United States 1972-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/4296159 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4296159
Impacts Analyses Supporting the National Environmental Policy Act Environmental Assessment for the Resumption of Transient Testing Program Schafer, Annette L.; Brown, LLoyd C.; Carathers, David C.; Christensen, Boyd D.; Dahl, James J.; Miller, Mark L.; Farnum, Cathy Ottinger; Peterson, Steven; Sondrup, A. Jeffrey; Subaiya, Peter V.; Wachs, Daniel M.; Weiner, Ruth F. 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; NEPA; TREAT; environmental assessment; impacts analyses This document contains the analysis details and summary of analyses conducted to evaluate the environmental impacts for the Resumption of Transient Fuel and Materials Testing Program. It provides an assessment of the impacts for the two action alternatives being evaluated in the environmental assessment. These alternatives are (1) resumption of transient testing using the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and (2) conducting transient testing using the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR) at Sandia National Laboratory in New Mexico (SNL/NM). Analyses are provided for radiologic emissions, other air emissions, soil contamination, and groundwater contamination that could occur (1) during normal operations, (2) as a result of accidents in one of the facilities, and (3) during transport. It does not include an assessment of the biotic, cultural resources, waste generation, or other impacts that could result from the resumption of transient testing. Analyses were conducted by technical professionals at INL and SNL/NM as noted throughout this report. The analyses are based on bounding radionuclide inventories, with the same inventories used for test materials by both alternatives and different inventories for the TREAT Reactor and ACRR. An upper value on the number of tests was assumed, with a test frequency determined by the realistic turn-around times required between experiments. The estimates provided for impacts during normal operations are based on historical emission rates and projected usage rates; therefore, they are bounding. Estimated doses for members of the public, collocated workers, and facility workers that could be incurred as a result of an accident are very conservative. They do not credit safety systems or administrative procedures (such as evacuation plans or use of personal protective equipment) that could be used to limit worker doses. Doses estimated for transportation are conservative and are based on transport of the bounding radiologic inventory that will be contained in any given test. The transportation analysis assumes all transports will contain the bounding inventory. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) United States 2014-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1123849 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1123849
Environmental Assessment Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, low-level and mixed waste processing 052001; 052002; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; COMBUSTION; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LAND TRANSPORT; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE; WASTE PROCESSING The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA), DOE/EA-0843, for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) low-level and mixed waste processing. The original proposed action, as reviewed in this EA, was (1) to incinerate INEL`s mixed low-level waste (MLLW) at the Waste Experimental Reduction Facility (WERF); (2) reduce the volume of INEL generated low-level waste (LLW) through sizing, compaction, and stabilization at the WERF; and (3) to ship INEL LLW to a commercial incinerator for supplemental LLW volume reduction. USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-06-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10121211 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10121211
Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1991 to the DOE Office of Energy Research Perez, D A 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540220* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540230 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 550700 -- Microbiology; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; AQUIFERS; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; DESORPTION; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; MASS TRANSFER; MINERALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SORPTIVE PROPERTIES; SURFACE PROPERTIES; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS This report summarizes progress in environmental sciences research conducted by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Health and Environmental Research in FY 1991. Each project in the PNL research program is a component in an integrated laboratory, intermediate-scale, and field approach designed to examine multiple phenomena at increasing levels of complexity. Examples include definition of the role of fundamental geochemical and physical phenomena on the diversity and function of microorganisms in the deep subsurface, and determination of the controls on nutrient, water, and energy dynamics in arid ecosystems and their response to stress at the landscape scale. The Environmental Science Research Center has enable PNL to extend fundamental knowledge of subsurface science to develop emerging new concepts for use in natural systems and in environmental restoration of DOE sites. New PNL investments have been made in developing advanced concepts for addressing chemical desorption kinetics, enzyme transformations and redesign, the role of heterogeneity in contaminant transport, and modeling of fundamental ecological processes. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5244920 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5244920
Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1991 to the DOE Office of Energy Research. Part 2, Environmental sciences Perez, D A 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540220; 540230; 550700; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; AQUIFERS; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; DESORPTION; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; MICROBIOLOGY; MINERALS; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SORPTIVE PROPERTIES; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS This report summarizes progress in environmental sciences research conducted by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the US Department of Energy`s (DOE) Office of Health and Environmental Research in FY 1991. Each project in the PNL research program is a component in an integrated laboratory, intermediate-scale, and field approach designed to examine multiple phenomena at increasing levels of complexity. Examples include definition of the role of fundamental geochemical and physical phenomena on the diversity and function of microorganisms in the deep subsurface, and determination of the controls on nutrient, water, and energy dynamics in arid ecosystems and their response to stress at the landscape scale. The Environmental Science Research Center has enable PNL to extend fundamental knowledge of subsurface science to develop emerging new concepts for use in natural systems and in environmental restoration of DOE sites. New PNL investments have been made in developing advanced concepts for addressing chemical desorption kinetics, enzyme transformations and redesign, the role of heterogeneity in contaminant transport, and modeling of fundamental ecological processes. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1992-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10154344 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10154344
Technical books and monographs. 1979 compilation 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100 -- Management; BIBLIOGRAPHIES; BIOLOGY; CHEMISTRY; COMPUTERS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ENERGY; ENGINEERING; ENVIRONMENT; ISOTOPE SEPARATION; MATERIALS; MATHEMATICS; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; MEDICINE; METALLURGY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PHYSICS; REACTORS; SAFETY; SEPARATION PROCESSES; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS This booklet lists technical books and monographs published since the issuance of Technical Books and Monographs, 1978 Catalog, a bibliography of books and monographs sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE) or by one of the earlier organizations that were brought together to form DOE. In general, information for each published book, and for each book in press when known, includes title, author and author affiliation, publisher and publication date, page count, size of book, price, availability information if the book is not available from the publisher, Library of Congress card number, International Standard Book Number (ISBN), a brief descriptive statement concerning the book, and a list or a description of the contents. The books and monographs are grouped under twelve subject categories: general reference, biology and medicine, chemistry, computers and mathematics, energy, engineering and instrumentation, environment, health and safety, isotope separation, metallurgy and materials, physics, and reactors. (RWR) United States 1980-01-01T04:00:00Z Book https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6770828
Y-12 Plant Remedial Action technology logic diagram. Volume I: Technology evaluation 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY; AUTOMATION; GROUND WATER; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; MERCURY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORGANIC WASTES; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; REGULATIONS; REMEDIAL ACTION; ROBOTS; SOILS; SURFACE WATERS; URANIUM The Y-12 Plant Remedial Action Program addresses remediation of the contaminated groundwater, surface water and soil in the following areas located on the Oak Ridge Reservation: Chestnut Ridge, Bear Creek Valley, the Upper and Lower East Fork Popular Creek Watersheds, CAPCA 1, which includes several areas in which remediation has been completed, and CAPCA 2, which includes dense nonaqueous phase liquid wells and a storage facility. There are many facilities within these areas that are contaminated by uranium, mercury, organics, and other materials. This Technology Logic Diagram identifies possible remediation technologies that can be applied to the soil, water, and contaminants for characterization, treatment, and waste management technology options are supplemented by identification of possible robotics or automation technologies. These would facilitate the cleanup effort by improving safety, of remediation, improving the final remediation product, or decreasing the remediation cost. The Technology Logic Diagram was prepared by a diverse group of more than 35 scientists and engineers from across the Oak Ridge Reservation. Most are specialists in the areas of their contributions. 22 refs., 25 tabs. Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (United States) USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/531082 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/531082
2001 Wastewater Land Application Site Performance Reports for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Meachum, T R; Lewis, M G 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GROUND DISPOSAL; LAND; MONITORING; PERFORMANCE; PERMIT; WASTEWATER The 2001 Wastewater Land Application Site Performance Reports for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory describe site conditions for the facilities with State of Idaho Wastewater Land Application Permits. Permit-required monitoring data are summarized, and any permit exceedences or environmental impacts relating to the operation of any of the facilities during the 2001 permit year are discussed. Additionally, any special studies performed at the facilities, which related to the operation of the facility or application of the wastewater, are discussed. Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID (US) USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US) United States 2002-02-15T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/795688 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/795688
2001 Wastewater Land Application Site Performance Reports for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Meachum, Teresa Ray; Lewis, Michael George 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; land; monitoring; permit; wastewater The 2001 Wastewater Land Application Site Performance Reports for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory describe site conditions for the facilities with State of Idaho Wastewater Land Application Permits. Permit-required monitoring data are summarized, and any permit exceedences or environmental impacts relating to the operation of any of the facilities during the 2001 permit year are discussed. Additionally, any special studies performed at the facilities, which related to the operation of the facility or application of the wastewater, are discussed. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) USDOE United States 2002-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/911414 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/911414
Inventory of Federal energy-related environment and safety research for FY 1978. Volume II. Project listings and indexes 500100* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 520100 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENERGY; ENVIRONMENT; INVENTORIES; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAFETY; US ORGANIZATIONS This volume contains summaries of FY-1978 government-sponsored environment and safety research related to energy. Project summaries were collected by Aerospace Corporation under contract with the Department of Energy, Office of Program Coordination, under the Assistant Secretary for Environment. Summaries are arranged by log number, which groups the projects by reporting agency. The log number is a unique number assigned to each project from a block of numbers set aside for each agency. Information about the projects is included in the summary listings. This includes the project title, principal investigators, research organization, project number, contract number, supporting organization, funding level if known, related energy sources with numbers indicating percentages of effort devoted to each, and R and D categories. A brief description of each project is given, and this is followed by subject index terms that were assigned for computer searching and for generating the printed subject index in Volume IV. Department of Energy, Washington, DC (USA). Office of Program Coordinator USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) United States 1979-12-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/5540310 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5540310
Decommissioning and decontamination planning for Hanford nuclear facilities using multiattributed decision analysis Litchfield, J W; King, J C 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220200* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Components & Accessories; 220900 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety; 38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY; 400702 -- Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry-- Properties of Radioactive Materials; CLEANING; COMPUTER CALCULATIONS; DATA; DATA ANALYSIS; DATA COMPILATION; DECISION MAKING; DECOMMISSIONING; DECONTAMINATION; DELPHI METHOD; FORECASTING; HANFORD RESERVATION; INFORMATION; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; NUMERICAL DATA; PLANNING; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS The 570-square mile Hanford Project contains facilities with varying degrees of radioactive contamination as a result of plutonium production operations. With the evolution of production requirements and technology, many of these have been retired and will be decommissioned and decontaminated (D and D). Because of the large number of facilities and high cost of decontamination strategies, a multiattributed decision model was used to develop individual facility D and D priorities. Each facility was treated as an alternative and four prioritization criterion were developed. Because this approach required approximately 2400 performance estimates (approx. 600 facilities on each of four criteria), computerized models were developed to determine these performance estimates utilizing a computer-based information system as the data base. The relative importance of each criterion was determined by experts from the Energy Research and Development Administration and the major Hanford contractors using a modified Delphi technique. The importance rankings (or weights) were combined with utility functions, also determined by the experts, to give an importance function that responded to the level of each criteria as well as to its overall intrinsic importance. The importance functions and the performance estimates of each facility on each criterion were combined in a prioritization model that determined a priority index for each facility. This index is an integral part of the overall decommissioning and decontamination plan. Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA) USDOE United States 1977-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6413388 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6413388
Los Alamos Life Sciences Division's biomedical and environmental research programs. Progress report, January-December 1981. [Leading abstract] Holland, L M; Stafford, C G 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 550200 -- Biochemistry; 550400 -- Genetics; 550900 -- Pathology; 560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ABSTRACTS; ANIMALS; BIOLOGY; BIOPHYSICS; CELL FLOW SYSTEMS; DEER; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; GENETICS; LASL; LEADING ABSTRACT; MAMMALS; MINERAL OILS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OILS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; PATHOLOGY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RUMINANTS; SHALE OIL; SYNTHESIS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TOXICITY; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES This report summarizes research and development activities of the Los Alamos Life Sciences Division's Biomedical and Environmental Research program for the calendar year 1981. Individual reports describing the current status of projects have been entered individually into the data base. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) United States 1982-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6118008 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6118008
Remedial investigation/feasibility study for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek operable unit. Volume 5. Appendixes G, H, I, J 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CESIUM 137; CLINCH RIVER; CONTAMINATION; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; LIQUID WASTES; MERCURY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PESTICIDES; POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS; QUALITY ASSURANCE; QUALITY CONTROL; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; REMEDIAL ACTION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; WATER QUALITY The Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Program for Phase 2 of the Clinch River Remedial Investigation (CRRI) was designed to comply with both Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5700.6C and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) QAMS-005/80 (EPA 1980a) guidelines. QA requirements and the general QA objectives for Phase 2 data were defined in the Phase 2 Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP)-Quality Assurance Project Plan, and scope changes noted in the Phase 2 Sampling and Analysis Plan Addendum. The QA objectives for Phase 2 data were the following: (1) Scientific data generated will withstand scientific and legal scrutiny. (2) Data will be gathered using appropriate procedures for sample collection, sample handling and security, chain of custody (COC), laboratory analyses, and data reporting. (3) Data will be of known precision and accuracy. (4) Data will meet data quality objectives (DQOs) defined in the Phase 2 SAP. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/226395 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/226395
Remedial investigation work plan for the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek characterization area, Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON TETRACHLORIDE; CHLOROFORM; DATA; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; GROUND WATER; LAND POLLUTION; REMEDIAL ACTION; RESOURCE RECOVERY ACTS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; STREAMS; US SUPERFUND; WATER POLLUTION; Y-12 PLANT The Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, located within the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), is owned by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and managed by Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc. The entire ORR was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) of CERCLA sites in November 1989. Following CERCLA guidelines, sites under investigation require a remedial investigation (RI) to define the nature and extent of contamination, evaluate the risks to public health and the environment, and determine the goals for a feasibility study (FS) of potential remedial actions. The need to complete RIs in a timely manner resulted in the establishment of the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek (UEFPC) Characterization Area (CA) and the Bear Creek CA. The CA approach considers the entire watershed and examines all appropriate media within it. The UEFPC CA, which includes the main Y-12 Plant area, is an operationally and hydrogeologically complex area that contains numerous contaminants and containment sources, as well as ongoing industrial and defense-related activities. The UEFPC CA also is the suspected point of origin for off-site groundwater and surface-water contamination. The UEFPC CA RI also will address a carbon-tetrachloride/chloroform-dominated groundwater plume that extends east of the DOE property line into Union Valley, which appears to be connected with springs in the valley. In addition, surface water in UEFPC to the Lower East Fork Poplar Creek CA boundary will be addressed. Through investigation of the entire watershed as one ``site,`` data gaps and contaminated areas will be identified and prioritized more efficiently than through separate investigations of many discrete units. Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (United States); CDM Federal Programs Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/171289 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/171289
Energy policy and decision analysis: new concepts and mechanisms Kaufman, E L; Vogel, R W 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290100 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Analysis & Modeling; 293000* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy, Legislation, & Regulation; DECISION MAKING; ENERGY ANALYSIS; ENERGY POLICY; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; MANAGEMENT; NORTH AMERICA; PUBLIC POLICY; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; USA The US has entered an administrative era much more complex than that which existed earlier. The present technique used for policymaking and public problem solving was developed decades ago and is no longer appropriate. Today's energy dilemmas are symptomatic of an administrative management system that cannot function within the necessary time frames. Similar dilemmas can be expected in other categories that cut across government organizational structure. If questions of energy independence, or at what rate can imports be reduced, while maintaining a reasonable rate of growth, are important, the technique presented offers a means for answer. However, commitment to change is required. The change is not merely the exchange of bureaucracies for the sake of change, but a switch in the manner in which dependable decisions are made. This paper describes relevant portions of the energy-management problem and a technique wherein objective energy policy analysis can be performed in a short time frame. A precept for decision criteria is proposed and a set of fundamental concepts are described that allow quantitative assessment of policy and decision consequences for the total energy system. A decision conferencing is described wherein the technical assessment is combined with the political acumen of experienced decision makers to allow the best public-interest choice to be made. A rationale is also presented for the organizational placement of the analysis function, outside of government or industry. This placement will provide a much needed level of credibility, higher than that which presently exists, and will reduce bias and equitably balance the needs of the public, government, and industry. Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA) United States 1979-07-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6001155 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6001155
Steamlined Approach for Environmental Restoration (SAFER) Plan For Corrective Action Unit 394: Areas 12, 18, and 29, Spill/Release Sites, Nevada Test Site, Nevada (November 2001, Rev. 0) 394; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ASPHALTS; CAS; CAU; CONCEPTUAL SITE MODELS; CONCRETES; COPCS; CORRECTIVE ACTION UNIT; CSM; FFACO; HYDROCARBONS; LAND USE; NEVADA TEST SITE; OIL SPILLS; PLANNING; RADIOISOTOPES; REMEDIAL ACTION; SOILS; WASTE OILS This plan addresses the actions necessary for the characterization and closure of Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 394: Areas 12, 18, and 29, Spill/Release Sites, identified in the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO). The CAU, located on the Nevada Test Site, consists of six Corrective Action Sites (CASs): CAS 12-25-04, UST 12-16-2 Waste Oil Release; CAS 18-25-02, Oil Spills; CAS 18-25-02, Oil Spills; CAS 18-25-03, Oil Spill; CAS 18-25-04, Spill (Diesel Fuel); CAS 29-44-01, Fuel Spill (a & b). Process knowledge is the basis for the development of the conceptual site models (CSMs). The CSMs describe the most probable scenario for current conditions at each site, and define the assumptions that are the basis for the SAFER plan. The assumptions are formulated from historical information and process knowledge. Vertical migration of contaminant(s) of potential concern (COPCs) is expected to be predominant over lateral migration in the absence of any barrier (with asphalt /concrete being the exception at least two of the CASs). Soil is the impacted or potentially impacted media at all the sites, with asphalt and/or concrete potentially impacted at two of the CASs. Radionuclides are not expected at any CAS; hydrocarbons are the primary COPC at each CAS, and can be used to guide the investigation; future land-use scenarios limit use to various nonresidential uses; and exposure scenarios are limited by future land-use scenarios to site workers. There is sufficient information and process knowledge from historical documentation regarding the expected nature and extent of potential contaminants to recommend closure of CAU 394 using the SAFER process. On completion of the field activities, a Closure Report will be prepared and submitted to the NDEP for review and approval. IT Corporation, Las Vegas, NV (US) U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Operations Office (NNSA/NV) (US) United States 2001-09-24T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/792882 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/792882
2000 Savannah River Biological Surveys for Westinghouse Savannah River Company Arnett, M 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; POLLUTANTS; SAVANNAH RIVER; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; WATER QUALITY The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia has been conducting biological and water quality studies of the Savannah River since 1951. These studies are designed to assess potential effects of Savannah River Site (SRS) contaminants and warm-water discharges on the general health of the river and its tributaries. The study design includes multiple biological groups spanning a broad range of ecological roles, both because no single group is the best indicator of every component of water quality and because there is wide-spread agreement that protecting the entire system is important. Savannah River Site (US) US Department of Energy (US) United States 2002-02-08T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/799317 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/799317
Melton Valley Storage Tanks Capacity Increase Project, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR QUALITY; CONSTRUCTION; DRINKING WATER; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GROUND WATER; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; ORNL; STORAGE FACILITIES; TANKS; WASTE STORAGE The US Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to construct and maintain additional storage capacity at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for liquid low-level radioactive waste (LLLW). New capacity would be provided by a facility partitioned into six individual tank vaults containing one 100,000 gallon LLLW storage tank each. The storage tanks would be located within the existing Melton Valley Storage Tank (MVST) facility. This action would require the extension of a potable water line approximately one mile from the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) area to the proposed site to provide the necessary potable water for the facility including fire protection. Alternatives considered include no-action, cease generation, storage at other ORR storage facilities, source treatment, pretreatment, and storage at other DOE facilities. USDOE Oak Ridge Operations Office, TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1995-04-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/219098 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/219098
SRS ecology: Environmental information document Wike, L D; Shipley, R W; Bowers, J A 053002; 053003; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220502; 220503; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; 540350; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; CHEMICAL AND THERMAL EFFLUENTS; COMPILED DATA; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HABITAT; HYDROLOGY; MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; WATER QUALITY; WETLANDS; WILD ANIMALS The purpose of this Document is to provide a source of ecological information based on the exiting knowledge gained from research conducted at the Savannah River Site. This document provides a summary and synthesis of ecological research in the three main ecosystem types found at SRS and information on the threatened and endangered species residing there. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10116863 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10116863
Idaho National Laboratory Cultural Resource Management Plan Williams, Julie Braun 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; archaeology; cultural resources; history As a federal agency, the U.S. Department of Energy has been directed by Congress, the U.S. president, and the American public to provide leadership in the preservation of prehistoric, historic, and other cultural resources on the lands it administers. This mandate to preserve cultural resources in a spirit of stewardship for the future is outlined in various federal preservation laws, regulations, and guidelines such as the National Historic Preservation Act, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act. The purpose of this Cultural Resource Management Plan is to describe how the Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office will meet these responsibilities at Idaho National Laboratory in southeastern Idaho. The Idaho National Laboratory is home to a wide variety of important cultural resources representing at least 13,500 years of human occupation in the southeastern Idaho area. These resources are nonrenewable, bear valuable physical and intangible legacies, and yield important information about the past, present, and perhaps the future. There are special challenges associated with balancing the preservation of these sites with the management and ongoing operation of an active scientific laboratory. The Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office is committed to a cultural resource management program that accepts these challenges in a manner reflecting both the spirit and intent of the legislative mandates. This document is designed for multiple uses and is intended to be flexible and responsive to future changes in law or mission. Document flexibility and responsiveness will be assured through regular reviews and as-needed updates. Document content includes summaries of Laboratory cultural resource philosophy and overall Department of Energy policy; brief contextual overviews of Laboratory missions, environment, and cultural history; and an overview of cultural resource management practices. A series of appendices provides important details that support the main text. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) United States 2013-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1070113 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1070113
Environmental implementation plan Peterson, G L 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300; ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, AND SAFETY; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; IMPLEMENTATION; NATURE RESERVES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT In this document, the Savannah River site environmental programs and plans from DOE contractors and Westinghouse Savannah River Company divisions/departments are presented along with the environmental coordinator for each program. The objectives are to enhase communication of existing or planned programs to do the following: identify activities required for meeting environmental needs; identify needing resources and a schedule to accomplish those activities; promote share-savings and consistency in those activities. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1994-10-04T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10106252 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10106252
Environmental status of the Hanford site for CY 1978 Houston, J R; Blumer, P J 500300* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; AEROSOL MONITORING; AEROSOLS; AIR; ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES; ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES; ALPHA DETECTION; ANIMALS; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA DETECTION; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BODY; CERIUM 144; CERIUM ISOTOPES; CESIUM 137; CESIUM ISOTOPES; CHARGED PARTICLE DETECTION; COLLOIDS; COLUMBIA RIVER; DATA; DATA COMPILATION; DATA FORMS; DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; DEER; DETECTION; DISPERSIONS; DOSES; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; FLUIDS; GASES; GRAPHS; HYDROGEN ISOTOPES; INFORMATION; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; IODINE 131; IODINE ISOTOPES; ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; MAMMALS; MICE; MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NIOBIUM 95; NIOBIUM ISOTOPES; NUCLEI; NUMERICAL DATA; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; ODD-ODD NUCLEI; PLANTS; PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES; PRASEODYMIUM 144; PRASEODYMIUM ISOTOPES; RABBITS; RADIATION DETECTION; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; RADIOISOTOPES; RARE EARTH ISOTOPES; RARE EARTH NUCLEI; RIVERS; RODENTS; RUMINANTS; RUTHENIUM 106; RUTHENIUM ISOTOPES; SOILS; SOLS; STREAMS; STRONTIUM 90; STRONTIUM ISOTOPES; SURFACE WATERS; TABLES; TISSUES; TRITIUM; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; WILD ANIMALS; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; ZIRCONIUM 95; ZIRCONIUM ISOTOPES Continued compliance of Hanford operations with all applicable state and federal environmental regulations, with the exception of suspended particulates from several steam power plants, was demonstrated by the environmental and effluent data collected during 1978. Included in the environmental data collected were measurements of external radiation, and radionuclide analyses of air samples, Columbia River water, other surface waters, wildlife, soil, and vegetation. Periodically all roadways, railways, and active as well as retired waste disposal sites were surveyed to detect any abnormal levels of radioactivity. Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA) United States 1979-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6139724 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6139724
Subwog 12-D tritium technology meeting. Abstracts Parker, M J; Addis, R P 07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES; 070100; 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220600; 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 450000; CHEMICAL PROPERTIES; DECOMMISSIONING; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; GLOVEBOXES; ISOTOPIC EXCHANGE; MEETINGS; MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; MONITORING; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; PACKAGING; PHYSICAL ISOTOPE SEPARATION; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; PROCESS CONTROL; PRODUCTION; RADIOLYSIS; RECOVERY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESEARCH, TEST, TRAINING, PRODUCTION, IRRADIATION, MATERIALS TESTING REACTORS; SAFETY; SEPARATION EQUIPMENT; SEPARATION PROCESSES; TRANSPORT; TRITIUM; TRITIUM EXTRACTION PLANTS; TRITIUM TARGET The first Subwog 12-D Tritium Technology Meeting was held at the Westinghouse Savannah River Site during the week of May 21, 1990. Subwog 12-D was created as a subwog of JOWOG 12 to address the need to understand tritium applications throughout the entire weapons complex. This includes weapons related concerns, but is primarily intended to cover tritium production and handling, environmental, safety and health issues, compatibility with materials in general; and facility design, commissioning and decommissioning activities. Tritium technology issues discussed included the physical and chemical properties, kinetics, storage, reservoir loading techniques, isotope exchange, radiolysis/aging, process and handling technology, compatibility, purification and filtering, analysis, monitoring methods, function testing, packaging and shipping, environmental and operational safety, facility design and safety, glovebox atmosphere clean-up systems, glovebox/facility decommissioning, tritium production target materials, and tritium recovery. This document provides a collection of most of the unclassified extended abstracts and abstracts presented at Subwog 12-D. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1991-12-31T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10129455
Raptors of the Hanford Site and nearby areas of southcentral Washington Fitzner, R E; Rickard, W H; Cadwell, L L; Rogers, L E 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 510302 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES; ANIMALS; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS; BIOLOGICAL WASTES; BIRDS; CESIUM 137; CESIUM ISOTOPES; DATA; DATA COMPILATION; DIET; DISTRIBUTION; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; ECOLOGY; FECES; HABITAT; HANFORD RESERVATION; INFORMATION; ISOTOPES; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEI; NUMERICAL DATA; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; POPULATION DYNAMICS; PRODUCTIVITY; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; RADIOISOTOPES; REPRODUCTION; SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; WASTES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES This report is concerned with the birds of prey which use the Hanford Site not only during the nesting season but throughout the year. An ecological treatment of five nesting owls (great horned, long-eared, short-eared, barn and burrowing) and five nesting hawks (marsh hawk, red-tailed hawk, Swainson's hawk, prairie falcon and American kestrel) is provided and supportive information on non-nesting species is presented. Factors which control raptor densities and population dynamics throughout all seasons of the year are discussed. Information is also provided for raptors from other areas of southcentral Washington in order to yield a comprehensive picture of how the Hanford Site fits in with regional bird of prey populations. The following were the objectives of this study: (1) to determine the numbers of birds of prey nesting on the Hanford Site, (2) to document the reproductive chronology of each nesting raptor species, (3) to provide analyses of food habits of birds of prey on the Hanford Site coupled with prey abundance data, (4) to determine the productivity of the dominant large birds of prey on the Hanford Site, (5) to determine the distribution and land use patterns of all raptors on the Hanford Site, (6) to determine the kinds and relative abundance of non-nesting raptors on the Hanford Site and adjacent areas of southcentral Washington (7) to document present land use practices on the Hanford Site and their effects on raptors, (8) to document radionuclide levels in birds of prey on the Hanford Site, and (9) to determine the role of birds of prey in radioecological monitoring. Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA) United States 1981-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6451483 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6451483
2003 Wastewater Land Application Site Performance Reports for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Meachum, Teresa R 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GROUND DISPOSAL; IDAHO; INEEL; MONITORING; PERFORMANCE; environmental impacts; wastewater The 2003 Wastewater Land Application Site Performance Reports for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory describe the conditions for the facilities with State of Idaho Wastewater Land Application Permits. Permit-required monitoring data are summarized, and permit exceedences or environmental impacts relating to the operations of the facilities during the 2003 permit year are discussed. Idaho Completion Project (ICP) DOE - EM United States 2004-02-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/910631 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/910631
Final Long-Term Management and Storage of Elemental Mercury Environmental Impact Statement Volume1 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; BUILDINGS; CONTROL; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; EXPORTS; HUMAN POPULATIONS; KANSAS CITY PLANT; MANAGEMENT; MERCURY; METRICS; MISSOURI; POTENTIALS; REGULATIONS; RESOURCE CONSERVATION; SOLID WASTES; STORAGE; US CEQ; US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; USES; VOLUME; WASTES Pursuant to the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-414), DOE was directed to designate a facility or facilities for the long-term management and storage of elemental mercury generated within the United States. Therefore, DOE has analyzed the storage of up to 10,000 metric tons (11,000 tons) of elemental mercury in a facility(ies) constructed and operated in accordance with the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (74 FR 31723).DOE prepared this Final Mercury Storage EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) implementing regulations (40 CFR 1500â1508), and DOEâs NEPA implementing procedures (10 CFR 1021) to evaluate reasonable alternatives for a facility(ies) for the long-term management and storage of elemental mercury. This Final Mercury Storage EIS analyzes the potential environmental, human health, and socioeconomic impacts of elemental mercury storage at seven candidate locations:Grand Junction Disposal Site near Grand Junction, Colorado; Hanford Site near Richland, Washington; Hawthorne Army Depot near Hawthorne, Nevada; Idaho National Laboratory near Idaho Falls, Idaho;Kansas City Plant in Kansas City, Missouri; Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina; and Waste Control Specialists, LLC, site near Andrews, Texas. As required by CEQ NEPA regulations, the No Action Alternative was also analyzed as a basis for comparison. DOE intends to decide (1) where to locate the elemental mercury storage facility(ies) and (2) whether to use existing buildings, new buildings, or a combination of existing and new buildings. DOEâs Preferred Alternative for the long-term management and storage of mercury is the Waste Control Specialists, LLC, site near Andrews, Texas. Office of Environmental Management, Washington, DC USDOE United States 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/1004994 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1004994
Occupational radiation exposure history of Idaho Field Office Operations at the INEL Horan, J R; Braun, J B 56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, APPLIED STUDIES; DOSE LIMITS; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE DOSE; OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE; PERSONNEL; PERSONNEL DOSIMETRY; RADIATION ACCIDENTS; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIOACTIVITY; SL-1 REACTOR An extensive review has been made of the occupational radiation exposure records of workers at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) over the period of 1951 through 1990. The focus has been on workers employed by contractors and employees of the Idaho Field Operations Office (ID) of the United States Department of Energy (USDOE) and does not include the Naval Reactors Facility (NRF), the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), or other operations field offices at the INEL. The radiation protection guides have decreased from 15 rem/year to 5 rem/year in 1990 for whole body penetrating radiation exposure. During these 40 years of nuclear operations (in excess of 200,000 man-years of work), a total of twelve individuals involved in four accidents exceeded the annual guidelines for exposure; nine of these exposures were received during life saving efforts on January 3, 1961 following the SL-1 reactor accident which killed three military personnel. These exposures ranged from 8 to 27 rem. Only one individual has exceeded the annual whole body penetrating radiation protection guidelines in the last 29 years. Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-10-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/29381 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/29381
Residual-energy-applications program: support and integration report 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; 320304* -- Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Waste Heat Recovery & Utilization; ABSORPTION REFRIGERATION CYCLE; BOTTOMING CYCLES; CONSTRUCTION; COST; DESIGN; EAST FACILITY; ENERGY; ENERGY CONSERVATION; ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS; ENERGY RECOVERY; ENERGY SYSTEMS; HEAT; HEAT PUMPS; HEAT RECOVERY; INDUSTRIAL PLANTS; MACHINERY; MANAGEMENT; MARKETING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; OPERATION; PLANNING; POWER GENERATION; POWER SYSTEMS; PROCESS HEAT; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; RANKINE CYCLE POWER SYSTEMS; RECOVERY; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SPECIFICATIONS; SYSTEMS ANALYSIS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; TEST FACILITIES; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES; TURBINES; TURBOMACHINERY; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE HEAT; WASTE HEAT UTILIZATION; WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION; WASTES The proposed government-owned EAST Facility at the Savannah River Plant in Aiken, South Carolina, would provide capabilities for development and confidence testing of industrial heat pumps, high temperature bottoming cycles, low temperature Rankine cycle power generation systems, and absorption chillers. This work is one component of the Residual Energy Applications Program (REAP). Other documents provide initial considerations concerning the heat pump and power generation systems to be tested at EAST, policy, objectives and guidelines for operation of the facility, a preliminary conceptual design, and environmental data. This report describes support and integration activities that were performed during the contract year. The various elements that impact on the EAST Facility are discussed and an assessment of the EAST Facility mission is given. The report concludes with proposed milestones, schedules, and costs for design, construction, and operation of the facility. South Carolina Energy Research Inst., Columbia (USA) United States 1980-11-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/6292707 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6292707
Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1997 Arnett, M W; Mamatey, A R 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; ENVIRONMENT; GROUND WATER; MONITORING; RADIATION DOSES; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT The mission at the Savannah River Site has changed from the production of nuclear weapons materials for national defense to the management of waste, restoration of the environment, and the development of industry in and around the site. Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1998-08-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/292677 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/292677
FY 1991 environmental research programs for the Nevada Operations Office: Work plan and quarterly reports, first and second quarter reports 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES; CONTAINMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; GROUND WATER; HYDROLOGY; NEVADA TEST SITE; PLANNING; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RAILWAYS; REMEDIAL ACTION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SOIL CHEMISTRY; UNDERGROUND EXPLOSIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; YUCCA MOUNTAIN The work carried out on behalf of the DOE by the Desert Research Institute (DRI) includes a wide range of research and support activities associated with the Weapons Testing Program conducted at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Ongoing and new environmental research programs to be conducted by DRI over the period of this contract include archaeological studies, site mitigation plans, compliance activities, and historical research; offsite community radiation monitoring support; environmental compliance activities related to stat and federal regulations; hydrologic assessment of containment of underground nuclear detonations; hydrology/radionuclide investigations designed to better understand and predict the possible subsurface movement of radionuclides at the NTS; and support of various statistical and data management and design, laboratory, field, and administrative activities. In addition to these, archaeological site characterization, flood hazards for rail transportation, and paleofaunal investigations will be carried out in support of the Yucca Mountain Project. Other areas of the overall program which require DRI support are classified security activities, radiation safety and training, quality assurance and control, computer protection and historical data management, review and classification of DRI documents, and preparation of any special reports, e.g., quarterly reports, not included in the requirements of the individual projects. A new set of programs funded by the Office of Technology Development will be in place by the third quarter of FY 1991. These projects will address environmental restoration and waste management concerns, among other related topics. This document contains the Work Plan, including project descriptions, tasks, deliverables and quarterly progress reports on each project for FY 1991. Nevada Univ., Reno, NV (United States). Desert Research Inst. USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1991-05-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/564095 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/564095
Long-term ecological effects of exposure to uranium Hanson, W. C.; Miera, Jr., F. R. 510300* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 560152 -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Animals; 560163 -- Radionuclide Effects-Internal Source-- Plants-- (-1987); 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ACTINIDES; ANIMALS; BIOMASS; BODY; CONTAMINATION; DIGESTIVE SYSTEM; ECOSYSTEMS; ELEMENTS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; EXPLOSIONS; GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT; LASL; LUNGS; MAMMALS; METALS; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS; ORGANS; PLANTS; RADIATION MONITORING; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESPIRATORY SYSTEM; SAMPLING; SOILS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; URANIUM; US AEC; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES The consequences of releasing natural and depleted uranium to terrestrial ecosystems during development and testing of depleted uranium munitions were investigated. At Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, soil at various distances from armor plate target butts struck by depleted uranium penetrators was sampled. The upper 5 cm of soil at the target bases contained an average of 800 ppM of depleted uranium, about 30 times as much as soil at 5- to 10-cm depth, indicating some vertical movement of depleted uranium. Samples collected beyond about 20 m from the targets showed near-background natural uranium levels, about 1.3 +- 0.3 ..mu..g/g or ppM. Two explosives-testing areas at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) were selected because of their use history. E-F Site soil averaged 2400 ppM of uranium in the upper 5 cm and 1600 ppM at 5-10 cm. Lower Slobovia Site soil from two subplots averaged about 2.5 and 0.6 percent of the E-F Site concentrations. Important uranium concentration differences with depth and distance from detonation points were ascribed to the different explosive tests conducted in each area. E-F Site vegetation samples contained about 320 ppM of uranium in November 1974 and about 125 ppM in June 1975. Small mammals trapped in the study areas in November contained a maximum of 210 ppM of uranium in the gastrointestinal tract contents, 24 ppM in the pelt, and 4 ppM in the remaining carcass. In June, maximum concentrations were 110, 50, and 2 ppM in similar samples and 6 ppM in lungs. These data emphasized the importance of resuspension of respirable particles in the upper few millimeters of soil as a contamination mechanism for several components of the LASL ecosystem. Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N.Mex. (USA) United States 1976-03-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/7267114 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7267114
Remedial Investigation work plan for Bear Creek Valley Operable Unit 4 (shallow groundwater in Bear Creek Valley) at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 053002; 053003; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; CHEMICAL AND THERMAL EFFLUENTS; CONTAMINATION; FEASIBILITY STUDIES; GEOLOGY; GROUND WATER; HEALTH AND SAFETY; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; HYDROLOGY; PLANNING; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; REMEDIAL ACTION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SURFACE WATERS; Y-12 PLANT To effectively evaluate the cumulative impact of releases from multiple sources of contamination, a structured approach has been adopted for Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) based on studies of the groundwater and surface water separate from studies of the sources. Based on the realization of the complexity of the hydrogeologic regime of the ORR, together with the fact that there are numerous sources contributing to groundwater contamination within a geographical area, it was agreed that more timely investigations, at perhaps less cost, could be achieved by separating the sources of contamination from the groundwater and surface water for investigation and remediation. The result will be more immediate attention [Records of Decision (RODS) for interim measures or removal actions] for the source Operable Units (OUs) while longer-term remediation investigations continue for the hydrogeologic regime`s, which are labeled as integrator OUs. This Remedial Investigation work plan contains summaries of geographical, historical, operational, geological, and hydrological information specific to the unit. Taking advantage of the historical data base and ongoing monitoring activities and applying the observational approach to focus data gathering activities will allow the Feasibility Study to evaluate all probable or likely alternatives. Science Applications International Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (United States) USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1993-09-01T04:00:00Z Technical Report 10.2172/10191349 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10191349
Subwog 12-D tritium technology meeting Parker, M J; Addis, R P 07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES; 070100* -- Physical Isotope Separation; 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 220600 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Research, Test & Experimental Reactors; 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 450000 -- Military Technology, Weaponry, & National Defense; AGING; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CHEMICAL PROPERTIES; CHEMICAL RADIATION EFFECTS; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; CONTROL; DECOMMISSIONING; DECOMPOSITION; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; EQUIPMENT; GLOVEBOXES; HYDROGEN ISOTOPES; INDUSTRIAL PLANTS; ISOTOPE SEPARATION PLANTS; ISOTOPES; ISOTOPIC EXCHANGE; LABORATORY EQUIPMENT; LIGHT NUCLEI; MEETINGS; MONITORING; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; PACKAGING; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; PROCESS CONTROL; PRODUCTION; RADIATION EFFECTS; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIOLYSIS; RECOVERY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAFETY; SEPARATION EQUIPMENT; SEPARATION PROCESSES; TARGETS; TRANSPORT; TRITIUM; TRITIUM EXTRACTION PLANTS; TRITIUM TARGET; WEAPONS; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES The first Subwog 12-D Tritium Technology Meeting was held at the Westinghouse Savannah River Site during the week of May 21, 1990. Subwog 12-D was created as a subwog of JOWOG 12 to address the need to understand tritium applications throughout the entire weapons complex. This includes weapons related concerns, but is primarily intended to cover tritium production and handling, environmental, safety and health issues, compatibility with materials in general; and facility design, commissioning and decommissioning activities. Tritium technology issues discussed included the physical and chemical properties, kinetics, storage, reservoir loading techniques, isotope exchange, radiolysis/aging, process and handling technology, compatibility, purification and filtering, analysis, monitoring methods, function testing, packaging and shipping, environmental and operational safety, facility design and safety, glovebox atmosphere clean-up systems, glovebox/facility decommissioning, tritium production target materials, and tritium recovery. This document provides a collection of most of the unclassified extended abstracts and abstracts presented at Subwog 12-D. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) United States 1991-01-01T04:00:00Z Conference https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5732976
| TITLE | AUTHORS | SUBJECT | DESCRIPTION | RESEARCH ORGANIZATION | SPONSORING ORGANIZATION | PUBLICATION COUNTRY | PUBLICATION DATE | RESOURCE TYPE | DOI | CITATION URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Site Environmental Report: Idaho National Laboratory | Forman, Amy D.; Teckmeyer, Blane E.; Donovan, Brian Mitchell; Bybee, Bryan F.; Kramer, Colby J.; Cook, Elizabeth; Holmer, Nicholas A.; Daley, Jason; Sondrup, A. Jeffrey; Shive, Jeremy; Claver, Kevin T.; Overin, Kira Brianne; Kaser, Kristin N.; Scherbinske, Peggy; Devasirvatham, Rajkumar S.; Williams, Samuel Richard; Rackow, Tom; Campbell, Christopher; Millward, Danielle; Traub, Eric; Thomas, Jennifer; Alberico, Kristina; Thompson, Sarah; Vilord, Sue; Morgan, Vanessa; Holmes, Betsy; Ljungberg, Charles; Anderson, Jason; Laner, Jimmy; Hernandez, Nicole; Badrov, Nicole; Goodwin, Shelby; Wahnschaffe, Steve; Butler, Tauna; Hartzell, Chase; Backstrom, Guy; Larsen, Daphne; Balsmeier, Nick; Sanders, Ty; Thompson, Tommy; Herzog, Doug; Miller, Danielle; Pruitt, Doug; Harvey, Chris; Simmons, Chauntel; Neville, Trent; Rich, Jason; Twining, Brian; Treinen, Kerri; Trcka, Allison; Hendricks, Brande M | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; Dose to the Public and Biota; Environmental Compliance; Environmental Management Systems; Environmental Monitoring Programs â Agricultural Products, Wildlife, Soil, and Direct Radiation; Environmental Monitoring Programs â Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer; Environmental Monitoring Programs: Air; Environmental Monitoring Programs: Liquid Effluents Monitoring; Natural and Cultural Resources Conservation and Planning; Quality Assurance | The INL Siteâs operations, as well as the ongoing cleanup mission involve a commitment to environmental stewardship and full compliance with environmental protection laws. As part of this commitment, the INL Site Environmental Report is prepared annually to inform the public, regulators, stakeholders, and other interested parties of the INL Siteâs environmental performance during the year. This report is published for U.S. Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) in compliance with DOE O 231.1B, âEnvironment, Safety and Health Reporting.â The purpose of the report is to provide the following: (1) Present the INL Site, mission, and programs, (2) Report compliance status with applicable federal, state, and local regulations, (3) Describe the INL Site environmental programs and activities, (4) Summarize results of environmental monitoring, (5) Discuss potential radiation doses to the public residing in the vicinity of the INL Site, (6) Report on ecological monitoring and research conducted by contractors and affiliated agencies and by independent researchers through the Idaho National Environmental Research Park, (7) Describe quality assurance methods used to ensure confidence in monitoring data, and (8) Provide supplemental technical data and reports that support the INL Site Environmental Report (https://idahoeser.inl.gov/publications.html). | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2023-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/2278840 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2278840 |
| 2021 Idaho National Laboratory Site Environmental Report | Hendricks, Brande M. | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Surveillance | The INL Siteâs operations, as well as the ongoing cleanup, necessarily involve a commitment to environmental stewardship and full compliance with environmental protection laws. As part of this commitment, the INL Site Environmental Report is prepared annually to inform the public, regulators, stakeholders, and other interested parties of the INL Siteâs environmental performance during the year. This report is published for the DOE-ID in compliance with DOE O 231.1B, âEnvironment, Safety and Health Reporting.â Its purpose is to: ⢠Present the INL Site, mission, and programs ⢠Report compliance status with applicable federal, state, and local regulations ⢠Describe the INL Site environmental programs and activities ⢠Summarize results of environmental monitoring ⢠Discuss potential radiation doses to the public residing in the vicinity of the INL Site ⢠Report on ecological monitoring and research conducted by contractors and affiliated agencies and by independent researchers through the Idaho National Environmental Research Park ⢠Describe quality assurance methods used to ensure confidence in monitoring data ⢠Provide supplemental technical data and reports that support the INL Site Environmental Report (https://idahoeser.inl.gov/publications.html). | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Environmental Protection, Sustainability Support and Analysis (AU-20) | United States | 2022-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1894895 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1894895 |
| Environmental Survey Report for ORNL: Small Mammal Abundance and Distribution Survey Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park 2009 - 2010 | Giffen, Neil R; Reasor, R. Scott; Campbell, Claire L. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; DISTRIBUTION; ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION; HABITAT; MAMMALS; MANAGEMENT; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORNL; PLANTS; SAMPLING; SHREWS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; STREAMS; TRAPPING; VOLES | This report summarizes a 1-year small mammal biodiversity survey conducted on the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park (OR Research Park). The task was implemented through the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Natural Resources Management Program and included researchers from the ORNL Environmental Sciences Division, interns in the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Higher Education Research Experiences Program, and ORNL Environmental Protection Services staff. Eight sites were surveyed reservation wide. The survey was conducted in an effort to determine species abundance and diversity of small mammal populations throughout the reservation and to continue the historical inventory of small mammal presence for biodiversity records. This data collection effort was in support of the approved Wildlife Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation, a major goal of which is to maintain and enhance wildlife biodiversity on the Reservation. Three of the sites (Poplar Creek, McNew Hollow, and Deer Check Station Field) were previously surveyed during a major natural resources inventory conducted in 1996. Five new sites were included in this study: Bearden Creek, Rainy Knob (Natural Area 21), Gum Hollow, White Oak Creek and Melton Branch. The 2009-2010 small mammal surveys were conducted from June 2009 to July 2010 on the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park (OR Research Park). The survey had two main goals: (1) to determine species abundance and diversity and (2) to update historical records on the OR Research Park. The park is located on the Department of Energy-owned Oak Ridge Reservation, which encompasses 13,580 ha. The primary focus of the study was riparian zones. In addition to small mammal sampling, vegetation and coarse woody debris samples were taken at certain sites to determine any correlations between habitat and species presence. During the survey all specimens were captured and released using live trapping techniques including Sherman and pitfall traps. In total 227 small mammals representing nine species were captured during the course of the study. The most common species found in the study was the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus). The least common species found were the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius), woodland vole (Microtus pinetorum), and northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda). | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) | ORNL other overhead | United States | 2009-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1024705 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1024705 |
| Natural Resources Assessment for the SNS Second Target Station, Oak Ridge, Tennessee | Carter, Evin T.; Byrd, Greg; McCracken, Kitty; Darling, Sara E.; Herold, Jamie; Hayter, Lindsey; Giffen, Neil R. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES | The US Department of Energyâs Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a leading institution in advanced materials, supercomputing, neutrons, and nuclear science. As a research laboratory managed by UT-Battelle, LLC for DOE, ORNL has national priorities in energy, security, and scientific discovery that necessitate facility improvements and expansions. DOE is also committed to environmental stewardship. The laboratory is located on the ~32,000-acre Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), much of which is categorized as a National Environmental Research Park and a state Wildlife Management Area. DOE works with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), US Department of Agriculture, and other agencies to serve as an effective steward of the ORR. Accordingly, project managers must conform to environmental regulations, agreements, and policies at the federal, state, and institutional levels. Per 40 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) 1508.14, potential effects on research and science education on the National Environmental Research Park represent potential impacts of federal actions. Moreover, federal actions that affect the quantity and quality of hunting opportunities and deer reduction harvest on the Oak Ridge Wildlife Management Area must be considered whenever other aspects of the human environment (as defined by NEPA) are affected. The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) is a premiere facility at ORNL that provides advanced capabilities in neutron scattering to promote new discoveries and research opportunities in material sciences, physics, chemistry, biological sciences, and others. A conceptual design for a Second Target Station (STS) has been in consideration for several years. The STS is intended to complement and enhance existing ORNL capabilities, notably research and exploration of complex materials. The proposed STS will involve development of existing natural areas on the ORR, which might contain sensitive resources that require mitigation or avoidance in accordance with existing policies and regulation. This report summarizes current knowledge of natural and cultural resources within the STS project area. At the time of this report, the proposed STS project consisted of an operations area comprising 55.4 acres (22.4 ha) and a total review area for potential construction comprising ~224 acres (90.6 ha). The review area is located primarily within forested natural areas of the ORR with minor development in the form of power-line rights-of-way and secondary/graveled roads (Figure 1). The primary goal was to evaluate potential effects on sensitive resources that might result from development of the STS. In addition to onthe-ground surveys during summer 2009 and fall 2019 to summer 2020 by ORNL Natural Resources Management Program and Aquatic Ecology Group staff, this report makes use of historical (pre-1995) and contemporary (1995 to present) data from additional confirmed sources (e.g., TDEC). Likewise, forest conditions were compiled primarily from a 2013 forest inventory effort for Forest Management Compartment 17 and supplemented with limited ground observations in 2019. The individuals who obtained and compiled the data that are presented here are familiar with and routinely assess sensitive resources on the ORR. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2020-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1669759 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1669759 |
| National Environmental Research Parks | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540150; 540250; 540350; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; LAND USE; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; US DOE | The National Environmental Research Parks are outdoor laboratories that provide opportunities for environmental studies on protected lands that act as buffers around Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. The research parks are used to evaluate the environmental consequences of energy use and development as well as the strategies to mitigate these effects. They are also used to demonstrate possible environmental and land-use options. The seven parks are: Fermilab National Environmental Research Park; Hanford National Environmental Research Park; Idaho National Environmental Research Park; Los Alamos National Environmental Research Park; Nevada National Environmental Research Park; Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park; and Savannah River National Environmental Research Park. This document gives an overview of the events that led to the creation of the research parks. Its main purpose is to summarize key points about each park, including ecological research, geological characteristics, facilities, and available databases. | USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10161197 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10161197 | |
| Assessment of Nonnative Invasive Plants in the DOE Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | Drake, S J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ANIMALS; COMMUNITIES; DISTRIBUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; GEOLOGIC SURVEYS; MANAGEMENT; TENNESSEE; VALLEYS | The Department of Energy (DOE) National Environmental Research Park at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is composed of second-growth forest stands characteristic of much of the eastern deciduous forest of the Ridge and Valley Province of Tennessee. Human use of natural ecosystems in this region has facilitated the establishment of at least 167 nonnative, invasive plant species on the Research Park. Our objective was to assess the distribution, abundance, impact, and potential for control of the 18 most abundant invasive species on the Research Park. In 2000, field surveys were conducted of 16 management areas on the Research Park (14 Natural Areas, 1 Reference Area, and Walker Branch Watershed) and the Research Park as a whole to acquire qualitative and quantitative data on the distribution and abundance of these taxa. Data from the surveys were used to rank the relative importance of these species using the ''Alien Plant Ranking System, Version 5.1'' developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. Microstegium (Microstegium vimineum) was ranked highest, or most problematic, for the entire Research Park because of its potential impact on natural systems, its tendency to become a management problem, and how difficult it is to control. Microstegium was present in 12 of the 16 individual sites surveyed; when present, it consistently ranked as the most problematic invasive species, particularly in terms of its potential impact on natural systems. Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) and Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) were the second- and third-most problematic plant species on the Research Park; these two species were present in 12 and 9 of the 16 sites surveyed, respectively, and often ranked second- or third-most problematic. Other nonnative, invasive species, in decreasing rank order, included kudzu (Pueraria montma), multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), Chinese lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneara), and other species representing a variety of life forms and growth forms. Results of this research can be used to prioritize management and research activities related to these invasive taxa on the Research Park as a whole and for specific Natural or Reference Areas. Additional research on the autecology and synecology of each species surveyed is suggested. In particular, research should focus on assessing the impacts of these species on the invaded plant and animal communities and ecosystems. Finally, this ranking system could be used to similarly rank the many other nonnative, invasive species present on the Research Park not included in this study. | ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2002-11-05T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/814178 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/814178 |
| Sensitive Resources Assessment and Forest Analysis for the Proposed Versatile Test Reactor, Oak Ridge, Tennessee | Carter, Evin; Byrd, Greg; Herold, Jamie; Darling, Sara; McCracken, Kitty; Hayter, Lindsey; Wade, Bryce; Giffen, Neil | 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS | The US Department of Energyâs (DOEâs) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a leading institution in advanced materials, supercomputing, neutrons, and nuclear science. As a research laboratory managed by UT-Battelle, LLC for DOE, ORNL has national priorities in energy, security, and scientific discovery that necessitate facility improvements and expansions. DOE is also committed to environmental stewardship. The laboratory is located on the ~32,000-acre (~13,000-ha) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), much of which is categorized as a National Environmental Research Park (NERP) and a state Wildlife Management Area. DOE works with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), US Department of Agriculture, and other agencies to serve as an effective steward of the ORR. Accordingly, project managers must conform to environmental regulations, agreements, and policies at the federal, state, and institutional levels. Per 40 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) 1508.14, potential effects on research and science education also represent potential effects of federal actions on the NERP, and impacts on, e.g., deer harvest, must be considered on the Oak Ridge Wildlife Management Area when other aspects of the human environment are affected. The United States currently has no fast neutron testing capability to support advanced nuclear research and development. The proposed Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) will take advantage of current investments by the US government and private industry in nuclear reactors to expedite the design and construction process, using proven technology to create a world-class scientific infrastructure. The VTR will take advantage of fast neutrons provided by this proven technology, along with a capability to rapidly insert, conduct, and remove state-of-the-art experiments. An advantage of the VTR is that it can support future innovations in experimental capabilities without modifying the facility. The VTR will support progress in a variety of science and technology areas, including testing and qualification of advanced reactor fuels; testing and qualification of innovative structural materials; testing of innovative components and instruments; validation of advanced modeling and simulation tools; and versatility for future technical missions. Through proven technology, the VTR can take advantage of existing reactor designs and operating experience to reduce the risk, cost, and time for design and construction. The top available resources of DOE laboratories, industry, and universities will be used to expedite reactor design and construction toward developing the scientific infrastructure that affords a strong testing capability that can be sustained over many years. This report summarizes current knowledge of natural and cultural resources primarily within the VTR construction area. At the time of this report, the proposed VTR site design includes a construction area of ~150.4 acres (~69.9 ha), which contains an ~51.3-acre (~20.8-ha) operations area, located within forested natural areas of the ORR. The primary goal of the work presented here was to evaluate potential effects on sensitive resources that might result from development and construction activities associated with VTR. In addition to on-the-ground surveys during spring and summer 2020 by the ORNL Natural Resources Management Program and Aquatic Ecology Group staff, this report makes use of historical (pre-1995) and contemporary (1995 to present) data from additional confirmed sources (e.g., TDEC). Likewise, forest conditions were compiled from a 2011 forest inventory and supplemented with limited ground observations in 2020. The individuals who obtained and compiled the data presented here are familiar with and routinely assess sensitive resources on the ORR. Anyone who references this report must consider that the timing of surveys did not permit a complete delineation of the resources that will be affected. If the VTR project proceeds, additional surveys will be required to account for the seasonal patterns of various threatened and endangered species. Data deficiencies and potential resources that likely went undetected are indicated where possible. Accordingly, this report should facilitate more environmentally sound decisions during planning and 2 development of the VTR site, provide a foundation for further assessment of sensitive and cultural resources, and help project managers better address regulatory guidance and DOE policies on sustainable development in compliance with, for example, the US Endangered Species Act (ESA), Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), Tennessee Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act of 1985, Tennessee Nongame and Endangered or Threatened Wildlife Species Conservation Act of 1974, several federal and state regulations regarding aquatic resource protection, and site-specific policies as outlined in various ORR management plans developed by ORNL and TWRA for DOE. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2020-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1675045 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1675045 |
| Environmental Assessment for Lease of Land for the Development of a Research Park at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico - Final Document | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; ACCIDENTS; EA; ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; EMPLOYMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; EXPENDITURES; HABITAT; LAND; LANL; LEASE; LEASES; LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY; NUCLEAR ENERGY; PERSONNEL; RESEARCH PARK | As part of its initiative to fulfill its responsibilities to provide support for the incorporated County of Los Alamos (the County) as an Atomic Energy Community, while simultaneously fulfilling its obligations to enhance the self-sufficiency of the County under authority of the Atomic Energy Community Act of 1955 and the Defense Authorization Act, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to lease undeveloped land in Los Alamos, New Mexico, to the County for private sector use as a research park. The Proposed Action is intended to accelerate economic development activities within the County by creating regional employment opportunities through offering federal land for private sector lease and use. As a result of the proposed land lease, any government expenditures for providing infrastructure to the property would be somewhat supplemented by tenant purchase of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) expertise in research and development activities. The presence of a research park within LANL boundaries is expected to allow private sector tenants of the park to be able to quickly and efficiently call upon LANL scientific expertise and facility and equipment capabilities as part of their own research operations and LANL research personnel, in turn, would be challenged in areas complementary to their federally funded research. In this way a symbiotic relationship would be enjoyed by both parties while simultaneously promoting economic development for the County through new job opportunities at the Research Park and at LANL, new indirect support opportunities for the community at large, and through payment of the basic building space leases. A ''sliding-scale'' approach (DOE 1993) is the basis for the analysis of effects in this Environmental Assessment (EA). That is, certain aspects of the Proposed Action have a greater potential for creating adverse environmental effects than others; therefore, they are discussed in greater detail in this EA than those aspects of the action that have little potential for effect. The Proposed Action would result in an increase of as many as 1,500 new direct jobs and, as many as 2,565 indirect jobs could be created from the development of a research park. Lease of the tract would not reduce the size of LANL or change its site boundary. However, approximately 30 ac (12 ha) of a 60-ac (24-ha) tract would be changed from an undeveloped to a developed status. Under the No Action Alternative, no transfer or lease of Federal lands would occur. LANL would not have the benefit of its research personnel working on a variety of complementary research efforts beyond their federally funded responsibilities. No new jobs would be created from proposed development activities. Undeveloped lands would remain in their current condition. Two hypothetical accidents were analyzed that evaluated a potential chemical release and radiological doses to the public from hypothetical accidents at the proposed Research Park. Neither accident scenario resulted in potentially serious health effects for workers or the public at the proposed Research Park. The cumulative effects of the Proposed Action as well as reasonably foreseeable related actions could result in potential adverse health effects. Environmental effects would be limited to the loss of a small amount of wildlife habitat. Additional economic development would be expected to occur. | USDOE Los Alamos Area Office, Los Alamos, NM (US) | USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US) | United States | 1997-10-07T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/768512 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/768512 | |
| Vertebrate fauna of the Idaho National Environmental Research Park | Reynolds, T D; Connelly, J W; Halford, D K; Arthur, W J | 560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ABUNDANCE; AMPHIBIANS; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BIRDS; DATA; DISTRIBUTION; ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FISHES; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; INFORMATION; MAMMALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; NUMERICAL DATA; RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT; RESOURCES; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES | The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) is an energy research and development site administered by the US Department of Energy (DOE). The Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 ordered the US Energy Research and Development Administration (precursor to DOE) to engage in environmental research related to the development of energy sources to advance the goals of restoring, protecting, and enhancing environmental quality. The INEL was designated the nation's second National Environmental Research Park (NERP) in 1975 to satisfy this directive. The NERP provides a controlled, protected, outdoor laboratory for environmentally related research to help achieve national environmental goals as stated in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. The NERP charter presents broad objectives which, in part, require that each NERP serve as a bench mark for quantitatively assessing and predicting the environmental impact of man's activities. The compilation of baseline data, including species lists and identification of ecological communities, is fundamental to the NERP objectives. Much of the research on individual species of wildlife found on the Idaho NERP has been published in the scientific literature or presented in theses, dissertation, or reports (vide Markham 1973, 1978, 1983). This paper represents a consolidation of those findings which, combined with unpublished information provide baseline data on the abundance, distribution, habitat preference and seasonal occurrence of the vertebrate species recorded on the Idaho NERP. 79 references, 1 figure, 4 tables. | Dept. of Energy, Idaho Falls, ID | United States | 1986-07-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6956390 | ||
| Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park, Department of Energy Program Plan | Parr, P D | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; 290400 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources; 293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy, Legislation, & Regulation; 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 520500 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES; COMPLIANCE; EDUCATION; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; FEDERAL REGION IV; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; HANFORD RESERVATION; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LAWS; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; NORTH AMERICA; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TENNESSEE; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA | The Department of Energy's Office of Health and Environmental Research (DOE-OHER) is developing an overall research plan for the National Environmental Research Parks (NERPs) program, which it administers nationally. Each NERP will develop its own program plan, following an outline developed by NERP managers, DOE Operations Offices, and DOE-OHER. The Oak Ridge NERP program plan includes an introduction to the concept and mission of a NERP; the philosophy, program integration, and administration of the Oak Ridge NERP; specific goals and objectives; progress to date; and, future issues on a national and local level. 5 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1987-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5608715 | ||
| Resource management plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 30, Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park natural areas and reference areas--Oak Ridge Reservation environmentally sensitive sites containing special plants, animals, and communities | Pounds, L R; Parr, P D; Ryon, M G | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210; ANIMALS; BASIC STUDIES; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HABITAT; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANTS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | Areas on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) that contain rare plant or animal species or are special habitats are protected through National Environmental Research Park Natural Area (NA) or Reference Area (RA) designations. The US Department of Energy`s Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park program is responsible for identifying species of vascular plants that are endangered, threatened, or rare and, as much as possible, for conserving those areas in which such species grow. This report includes a listing of Research Park NAs and RAs with general habitat descriptions and a computer-generated map with the areas identified. These are the locations of rare plant or animal species or special habitats that are known at this time. As the Reservation continues to be surveyed, it is expected that additional sites will be designated as Research Park NAs or RAs. This document is a component of a larger effort to identify environmentally sensitive areas on ORR. This report identifies the currently known locations of rare plant species, rare animal species, and special biological communities. Floodplains, wetlands (except those in RAs or NAs), and cultural resources are not included in this report. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10179639 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10179639 |
| Oak Ridge Reservation Bird Records and Population Trends | Roy, W. Kelly; Giffen, Neil R.; Wade, Murray; Haines, Angelina; Evans, James W.; Jett, Robert Trent | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Bird Records; Oak Ridge Reservation; Population Trends | Bird data have been collected through surveys, environmental assessments, and other observations for decades in the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park, located on the US Department of Energy s Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in East Tennessee. Birds were recorded in a variety of habitats, including wetlands, interior forests, grasslands, ponds, corridors, forest edges, and more. Most of the information was gathered from waterfowl surveys conducted from 1990 to 2008, from Partners in Flight (PIF) breeding bird surveys conducted from 1995 to 2013, and from past publications and research on Reservation birds. We have also included our own observations and, in a few instances, credible observations of ORR birds of which we have been made aware through eBird or discussions with area ornithologists and bird watchers. For the period 1950 2014, we were able to document 228 species of birds on the ORR. Several of these species are known from historic records only, while others were not known to have ever occurred on the Reservation until recently. This report does not include PIF breeding bird data from the 2014 season or any records after July 2014. Twenty-two species approximately 10% of the total number of species observed have state-listed status in Tennessee as endangered, threatened, or in need of management. Of the 228 species we documented, 120 are believed to be breeding birds on the ORR. | Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2014-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1185458 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1185458 |
| Oak Ridge Reservation Bird Records and Population Trends | Roy, W. K.; Giffen, N. R.; Wade, M. C.; Haines, A. M.; Evans, J. W.; Jett, R. T. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Bird Records; Oak Ridge Reservation; Population Trends | Bird data have been collected through surveys, environmental assessments, and other observations for decades in the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park, located on the US Department of Energyâs Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in East Tennessee. Birds were recorded in a variety of habitats, including wetlands, interior forests, grasslands, ponds, corridors, forest edges, and more. Most of the information was gathered from waterfowl surveys conducted from 1990 to 2008, from Partners in Flight (PIF) breeding bird surveys conducted from 1995 to 2013, and from past publications and research on Reservation birds. We have also included our own observations and, in a few instances, credible observations of ORR birds of which we have been made aware through eBird or discussions with area ornithologists and bird watchers. For the period 1950-2014, we were able to document 228 species of birds on the ORR. Several of these species are known from historic records only, while others were not known to have ever occurred on the Reservation until recently. This report does not include PIF breeding bird data from the 2014 season or any records after July 2014. Twenty-two species--approximately 10% of the total number of species observed--have state-listed status in Tennessee as endangered, threatened, or in need of management. Of the 228 species we documented, 120 are believed to be breeding birds on the ORR. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE; Audubon and Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology (eBird); Bird Banding Laboratory, U.S. Geological Survey; CDM Smith; Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation; Tennessee Technological University; Tennessee Valley Authority; Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency; University of Tennessee; US Department of Agriculture-Wildlife Services; and US Fish and Wildlife Services | United States | 2014-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1163889 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1163889 |
| Status of the flora of the Los Alamos National Environmental Research Park | Foxx, T S; Tierney, G D | 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HABITAT; LASL; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; PLANTS; RESOURCES; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, it became necessary to locate critical habitats of plant species in danger of extinction on State and Federal lands. In 1976 the Los Alamos National Environmental Research park (LA/NERP) was established to provide a study area that would contribute to the understanding of how man can best live in balance with nature while enjoying the benefits of technology. Under this mandate, a study to provide information regarding the locations of possible endangered, threatened, protected, and rare species within the LA/NERP was initiated in August 1977. | Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1980-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5341682 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5341682 | |
| Status of the flora of the Los Alamos National Environmental Research Park: a historical perspective. Volume 2 | Foxx, T S; Tierney, G D | 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMMUNITIES; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HABITAT; LAND USE; LASL; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; PLANTS; RESOURCES; SPECIES DIVERSITY; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | Studies of the flora of the Los Alamos National Environmental Research Park (LA/NERP) are continued in Water and Pajarito Canyons and their extensions to natural boundaries outside the LA/NERP. Six plant communities and sixteen plant habitats are described for the plant communities and sixteen plant habitats are described for the study area. The status of endangered, threatened, and rare plant species in the study area is reviewed, and land-use history of the Pajarito Plateau is related to the levels of apparent anthropogenic disturbance in the study areas' six plant communities. 66 references, 20 figures. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1984-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6212102 | ||
| Resource Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation: Volume 23, Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park, Research Sites, and State Natural Areas | Parr, P D; Pounds, L R | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; FEDERAL REGION IV; MANAGEMENT; NATURE RESERVES; NORTH AMERICA; OAK RIDGE; PLANNING; RESOURCE ASSESSMENT; RESOURCES; TENNESSEE; USA | The Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park (NERP) program provides 5008 ha (12,374 acres) of land and water areas on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) that are protected for research and education in the environmental sciences. Through environmental research projects and other approved resource uses of the area, the NERP serves to demonstrate that energy technology and Department of Energy (DOE) facilities are compatible with a quality environment. Oak Ridge NERP activities include (1) research in the environmental sciences and coordination of all Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) research and monitoring sites on the NERP, (2) preservation of genetic diversity within the area and protection of sites for baseline information in research through NERP Natural Areas and NERP Reference Areas, (3) coordination with state and federal agencies regarding rare plant populations on the ORR and responsibility for the State Natural Areas registered on the ORR, (4) educational activities that allow precollege students to gain hands-on experience in environmental field activities, and (5) opportunities for college students and faculty to pursue research on the ORR. The original NERP Management Plan (1981), the DOE-NERP Charter, and its Program Directives are the basis for this volume. NERP activities and goals have been expanded and revised to reflect current directions. Also included are maps and descriptions of Research Sites, DOE-NERP Natural Areas and Reference Areas, and State natural Areas. | Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (USA) | United States | 1987-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6369455 | ||
| Proposal to establish a National Environmental Research Park at El Faro, Fajardo, Puerto Rico | Clements, R G; Bunnell, R C | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; AMBIENT TEMPERATURE; BASELINE ECOLOGY; CLIMATES; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; FEDERAL REGION II; GEOGRAPHY; GEOLOGY; GREATER ANTILLES; ISLANDS; NATURE RESERVES; NORTH AMERICA; PLANTS; PUERTO RICO; RESOURCES; SOILS; TOPOGRAPHY; USA; WEST INDIES | A characterization study was conducted to determine the potential of the site known as El Faro near Fajardo, Puerto Rico, as a National Environmental Research Park. The characterization included description of geology, soils, climatology and vegetation in the area proposed for the park. Elements of the fauna and the lagoon ecosystem were also discussed. The report outlines ongoing and proposed research for the site. 11 references, 20 figures. | Center for Energy and Environment Research, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico) | United States | 1978-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6202214 | ||
| National Environmental Research Park, Savannah River Plant, Aiken, South Carolina | 500500 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 520500 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ECOSYSTEMS; FOOD CHAINS; FORESTRY; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; METEOROLOGY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; POLLUTION; RADIATION HAZARDS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; RIVERS; SAVANNAH RIVER; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; STREAMS; SURFACE WATERS; SWAMPS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; THERMAL POLLUTION; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WETLANDS; WILD ANIMALS | The United States' first National Environmental Research Park consists of 200,000 acres of the Savannah River Plant. This pamphlet briefly describes the park and ten major research areas currently being pursued: food chain analysis, heated pond studies, thermal effects laboratory, swamp studies, dose-to-man program, river studies, research in natural areas, wildlife, meteorological data, and forestry research. (ACR) | Energy Research and Development Administration, Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Operations Office | United States | 1975-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6386535 | |||
| Proposal to Establish a National Environmental Research Park within the ERDA Oak Ridge Reservation | Hibbs, R F | The purpose of this proposal is to recorranend that areas within the ERDA Oak Ridge Reservation be designated as a National Environmental Research Park (NERP). The NERP concept is intended to provide research areas, representing different biological communities throughout the United States, to assess the impact of energy-producing technologies upon environmental quality. Oak Ridge is a particularly excellent site, in that it represents the Ridge and Valley Province of the South Appalachians and has an established reputation for excellence in environmental research. The NERP at Oak Ridge will be formed by selected land and water areas within the ERDA Oak Ridge Reservation which the Environmental Sciences Division, ORNL, has used for many years. Management of the Park by the Oak Ridge Operations will ensure compatibility with ERDA needs and long-range development plans. Current information about the NERP can be found at NERP.ornl.gov. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE | United States | 1977-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/3001732 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/3001732 | |
| Proceedings of the National Environmental Research Park symposium, Idaho Falls, Idaho, October 22, 1974 | *AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS-- RESEARCH PROGRAMS; *TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS-- RESEARCH PROGRAMS; *US ERDA-- RESEARCH PROGRAMS; 500100* --Environmental Sciences, Atmospheric--Basic Studies; ENVIRONMENT; N44000* --Environmental & Earth Sciences; PLANTS; WILD ANIMALS | ERDA programs for environmental research are reviewed briefly. Emphasis is placed on the advantages and disadvantages of the identification of a site at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (formerly National Reactor Testing Station (NRTS)) as a National Environmental Research Park for ecological research and wild life protection. Activities at the nation's first environmental research park at the Savannah River Plant near Aiken, South Carolina, are reviewed. The potential advantages are discussed of the identification of sites at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, New Mexico, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Washington, Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York, Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, California, and the Puerto Rico Nuclear Center, Puerto Rico, as national environmental research parks. (CH) | Idaho Coll., Caldwell (USA). Snake River Regional Studies Center | United States | 1974-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4038844 | |||
| The Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report: 2007 | Hughes, Joan; Thompson, Sharon; Page, David | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES | The Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) consists of three major government-owned, contractor-operated facilities: the Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and East Tennessee Technology Park. The ORR was established in the early 1940s as part of the Manhattan Project, a secret undertaking that produced materials for the first atomic bombs. The reservationâs role has evolved over the years, and it continues to adapt to meet the changing defense, energy, and research needs of the United States. Both the work carried out for the war effort and subsequent research, development, and production activities have involved, and continue to involve, the use of radiological and hazardous materials. The Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report and supporting data are available at Http://www.ornl.gov/sci/env_rpt or from the project director. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant (Y-12), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Bechtel Jacobs Co., Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2008-09-30T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1185230 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1185230 |
| Oak Ridge Reservation annual site environmental report for 2008 | The Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) consists of three major government-owned, contractor-operated facilities: the Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and East Tennessee Technology Park. The ORR was established in the early 1940s as part of the Manhattan Project, a secret undertaking that produced materials for the first atomic bombs. The reservationâs role has evolved over the years, and it continues to adapt to meet the changing defense, energy, and research needs of the United States. Both the work carried out for the war effort and subsequent research, development, and production activities have involved, and continue to involve, the use of radiological and hazardous materials. The Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report and supporting data are available at http://www.ornl.gov/sci/env_rpt or from the project director. This document is prepared annually to summarize environmental activities, primarily environmental monitoring activities, on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) and within the ORR surroundings. The document fulfills the requirement of Department of Energy (DOE) Order 231.1A, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting, for an annual summary of environmental data to characterize environmental performance. The environmental monitoring criteria are described in DOE Order 450.1A, Environmental Protection Program. The results summarized in this report are based on data collected prior to and through 2008. This report is not intended to provide the results of all sampling on the ORR. Additional data collected for other site and regulatory purposes, such as environmental restoration/remedial investigation reports, waste management characterization sampling data, and environmental permit compliance data, are presented in other documents that have been prepared in accordance with applicable DOE guidance and/or laws and are referenced herein as appropriate. Corrections to the report for the previous year are found in Appendix A. Appendix B contains a glossary of technical terms that may be useful for clarifying some of the language used in this document. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2009-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1224063 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1224063 | ||
| Current and Future Dynamics of the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Population Inhabiting the Savannah River National Environmental Research Park: Managing For Population Growth | Walters, J R; Taylor, T B; Daniels, S J; Crowder, L B; Pridd, J A | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIRDS; DISPERSAL RATES; HABITAT; LIMITING FACTORS; POPULATION DYNAMICS; POPULATION GROWTH; RECRUITMENT CLUSTERS; RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SAVANNAH RIVER SITE; SIMULATION MODELING; TREES | Research aimed to study the dynamics of the SRS population of Red-Cockaded woodpecker and compare to those of other populations to identify factors limiting population growth; recruitment clusters were evaluated to determine what properties of individual cavity trees, surrounding habitat and the surrounding landscape might limit occupancy through natural dispersal. A spatial simulation model was used to project expected dispersal rates and population growth under current conditions and compare those estimates to observed dispersal and population growth. Red cockaded woodpecker populations at SRS are stable considering size. Research reveals that closer placement of recruitment clusters to active territories would produce higher growth rates while decreasing management intensity. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton,SC (US) | (US) | United States | 2001-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/807835 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807835 |
| Hanford National Environmental Research Park (NERP): a descriptive summary of the site and site-related research programs, 1952--1977 | Vaughan, B E; Rickard, W H | 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520100 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; CLIMATES; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; GEOLOGY; HANFORD RESERVATION; HYDROLOGY; LAND USE; METEOROLOGY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RADIOECOLOGY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TOPOGRAPHY; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WATER RESOURCES | The Hanford National Environmental Research Park site is described in general terms and major plant communities and special habitats are discussed. Important bird, mammal, and fish populations are listed. Current research programs on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and radioecology are reviewed briefly. A list is included of some 100 publications that report results of research studies in detail. | Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, Wash. (USA) | United States | 1977-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/7208265 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7208265 | |
| A regional assessment of white-tailed deer effects on plant invasion | Averill, Kristine M.; Mortensen, David A.; Smithwick, Erica A. H.; Kalisz, Susan; McShea, William J.; Bourg, Norman A.; Parker, John D.; Royo, Alejandro A.; Abrams, Marc D.; Apsley, David K.; Blossey, Bernd; Boucher, Douglas H.; Caraher, Kai L.; DiTommaso, Antonio; Johnson, Sarah E.; Masson, Robert; Nuzzo, Victoria A. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Odocoileus virginianus; biological invasions; exotic plants; herbivory; introduced plants; palatability; plant invasion; regional pooled analysis | Herbivores can profoundly influence plant species assembly, including plant invasion, and resulting community composition. Population increases of native herbivores, e.g., white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), combined with burgeoning plant invasions raise concerns for native plant diversity and forest regeneration. While individual researchers typically test for the impact of deer on plant invasion at a few sites, the overarching influence of deer on plant invasion across regional scales is unclear. We tested the effects of deer on the abundance and diversity of introduced and native herbaceous and woody plants across 23 white-tailed deer research sites distributed across the east central and northeastern United States and representing a wide range of deer densities and invasive plant abundance and identity. Deer access/exclusion or deer population density did not affect introduced plant richness or community-level abundance. Native and total plant species richness, abundance (cover and stem density), and Shannon diversity were lower in deer-access vs. deer-exclusion plots. Among deer access plots, native species richness, native and total cover, and Shannon diversity (cover) declined as deer density increased. Deer access increased the proportion of introduced species cover (but not of species richness or stem density). As deer density increased, the proportion of introduced species richness, cover, and stem density all increased. Because absolute abundance of introduced plants was unaffected by deer, the increase in proportion of introduced plant abundance is likely an indirect effect of deer reducing native cover. Indicator species analysis revealed that deer access favored three introduced plant species, including Alliaria petiolata and Microstegium vimineum, as well as four native plant species. In contrast, deer exclusion favored three introduced plant species, including Lonicera japonica and Rosa multiflora, and fifteen native plant species. Altogether, native deer reduced community diversity, lowering native plant richness and abundance, and benefited certain invasive plants, suggesting pervasive impacts of this keystone herbivore on plant community composition and ecosystem services in native forests across broad swathes of the eastern US. | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) | United States | 2017-12-07T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1093/aobpla/plx047 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1406125 |
| Resource Management Plan for the US Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 13, Appendix M: Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | Preston, E L | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290400* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources; 510500 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | The Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park (NERP) is one of five NERPs established to date under the policy of the Department of Energy (DOE) for the purpose of providing protected land areas for research and education in the environmental sciences and demonstration of the environmental compatibility of energy technology developments. The Oak Ridge NERP consists of 5,5000 ha of the Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The NERP lies in the heart of an eastern deciduous forest area of streams and reservoirs, mesic hardwood forests, and extensive upland mixed forests. Continuing characterization of the Oak Ridge NERP lands, which is supported by DOE funds, includes the collection of meteorological, geological, and hydrological data and a cataloging of terrestrial and aquatic fauna and flora. 11 references, 2 figures, 1 table. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1984-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6257365 | ||
| Demographic responses of amphibians to wetland restoration in Carolina bays on the Savannah River Site. | Kinkead, Karen E | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; AMPHIBIANS; CAROLINA BAYS; DRAINAGE; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; WETLAND RESTORATION; WETLANDS | This project studied the effects of wetland restoration on amphibian populations. These wetlands were Carolina bays located on the Savannah River Site, located near Aiken, S.C. The Savannah River Site is a National Environmental Research Park owned and operated by the U.S. Department of Energy. The study sites included three reference bays (functionally intact), three control bays (with active drainage ditches), six treatment bays (restored during 2001), and four bays near two of the treatment bays (in effect creating two metapopulations). | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (US) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US) | United States | 2004-09-30T04:00:00Z | Other | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835218 | |
| Fermilab Joins a Network of DOE National Environmental Research Parks | Brown, Kevin A. | Abstract Not Provided | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL | USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) | United States | 1989-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1128166 | ||
| Nitrogen limitation in a sweetgum plantation: Implications for carbon storage at ORNL FACE | Iversen, Colleen M; Norby, Richard J | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AVAILABILITY; BIOMASS; CARBON; FERTILIZATION; FORESTS; NITROGEN; NUTRIENTS; ORNL; PRODUCTION; PRODUCTIVITY; SHAPE; SOILS; STORAGE; UREA | N availability may constrain long-term increases in forest productivity and subsequent increases in C storage in response to CO2-fertilization. Fumigation with elevated [CO2] resulted in increased fine-root production in the sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) Free-Air CO2-Enrichment (FACE) experiment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Fine roots turn over quickly at ORNL FACE and C storage in sweetgum biomass was limited. To examine the premise that increased root production at ORNL FACE was a physiological response to N-limitation, we fertilized a sweetgum plantation adjacent to ORNL FACE on the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park (NERP). Annual additions of 200 kg ha-1 of N as urea in 2004 and 2005 increased inorganic soil N availability, which in turn increased stand net primary production (NPP) by approximately 25%. Fertilization increased leaf N concentration and canopy leaf area production, which facilitated a greater than 30% increase in stem production and shifted C partitioning aboveground. We conclude that sweetgum production on the Oak Ridge NERP is limited by soil N availability, and we suggest that N-limitation may have caused increased belowground partitioning in ORNL FACE. Current soil nutrient status and changes in soil N availability mediated by changes in forest C partitioning will shape future forest responses to elevated [CO2]. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1139/X07-213 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/937127 |
| Survey for bats in the Los Alamos National Environmental Research Park, with special emphasis on the spotted bat, Euderma maculatum | Tyrell, K; Brack, V Jr | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); ANIMALS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; BATS; BEHAVIOR; ECOLOGY; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HABITAT; LANL; MAMMALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; POPULATIONS; SURVEYS; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES | To increase knowledge about the presence of endangered species and their habitat at the LANL, 3D/Environmental Services, Inc. conducted a mist net survey for bats on Laboratory lands. In addition to documenting the presence of threatened and endangered species, this survey was conducted to gain more knowledge about the diversity and distribution of the bat fauna existing on the Laboratory. There are 25 species of bats found in New Mexico, about 16 of which are likely to occur in the region of the Laboratory. Of particular interest was documentation of the presence of the spotted bat, Euderma maculatum. The spotted bat is listed as Endangered, Group 2 by the State of New Mexico, and is a Federal Candidate for listing as endangered. As such, conservation of this species and its habitat should be a management priority on the Laboratory. A total of 94 bats were captured in 16 net nights, between 30 June and 05 July 1992. Thirteen species of bats were caught during the study: Antrozous pallidus (pallid bat), 10.6 percent; Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat), 10.6 percent; Lasionycteris noctivigans (silver-haired bat), 16 percent; Lasiurus cinereus (hoary bat), 11.7 percent; Myotis californicus (California myotis), 4.3 percent; M. evotis (long-eared myotis), 7.4 percent; M. leibii (small-footed myotis), 5.3 percent; M. thysanodes (fringed myotis), 13.8 percent; M. volans (long-legged myotis), 7.4 percent of the catch; M. yumanensis,(Yuma myotis), 5.3 percent; Pipistrellus hesperus (western pipistrelle), 1.1 percent; Plecotus townsendii (Townsend's big-eared bat), 1.1 percent, and Tadarida brasiliensis (Brazilian free-tailed bat), 5.3 percent. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); 3D/Environmental Services, Inc., Cincinnati, OH (United States) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-10-29T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6593281 | |
| Survey for bats in the Los Alamos National Environmental Research Park, with special emphasis on the spotted bat, Euderma maculatum | Tyrell, K; Brack, V Jr | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210; BASELINE ECOLOGY; BASIC STUDIES; BATS; BEHAVIOR; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HABITAT; LANL; POPULATIONS; SURVEYS | To increase knowledge about the presence of endangered species and their habitat at the LANL, 3D/Environmental Services, Inc. conducted a mist net survey for bats on Laboratory lands. In addition to documenting the presence of threatened and endangered species, this survey was conducted to gain more knowledge about the diversity and distribution of the bat fauna existing on the Laboratory. There are 25 species of bats found in New Mexico, about 16 of which are likely to occur in the region of the Laboratory. Of particular interest was documentation of the presence of the spotted bat, Euderma maculatum. The spotted bat is listed as Endangered, Group 2 by the State of New Mexico, and is a Federal Candidate for listing as endangered. As such, conservation of this species and its habitat should be a management priority on the Laboratory. A total of 94 bats were captured in 16 net nights, between 30 June and 05 July 1992. Thirteen species of bats were caught during the study: Antrozous pallidus (pallid bat), 10.6 percent; Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat), 10.6 percent; Lasionycteris noctivigans (silver-haired bat), 16 percent; Lasiurus cinereus (hoary bat), 11.7 percent; Myotis californicus (California myotis), 4.3 percent; M. evotis (long-eared myotis), 7.4 percent; M. leibii (small-footed myotis), 5.3 percent; M. thysanodes (fringed myotis), 13.8 percent; M. volans (long-legged myotis), 7.4 percent of the catch; M. yumanensis,(Yuma myotis), 5.3 percent; Pipistrellus hesperus (western pipistrelle), 1.1 percent; Plecotus townsendii (Townsend`s big-eared bat), 1.1 percent, and Tadarida brasiliensis (Brazilian free-tailed bat), 5.3 percent. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); 3D/Environmental Services, Inc., Cincinnati, OH (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-10-29T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10146546 | |
| Environmental Science and Research Foundation, Inc. annual technical report: Calendar year 1997 | Reynolds, R D; Warren, R W | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; MONITORING; NUMERICAL DATA; PROGRESS REPORT; REMEDIAL ACTION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAFETY; WASTE MANAGEMENT | This Annual Technical Report describes work conducted for the Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID), by the Environmental Science and Research Foundation (Foundation). The Foundation`s mission to DOE-ID provides support in several key areas. The Foundation conducts an environmental monitoring and surveillance program over an area covering much of the upper Snake River Plain, and provides environmental education and support services related to Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) natural resource issues. Also, the Foundation, with its University Affiliates, conducts ecological and radioecological research on the Idaho National Environmental Research Park. This research benefits major DOE-ID programs including Waste Management, Environmental Restoration, Spent Nuclear Fuels, and Land Management Issues. Summaries are included of the individual research projects. | Environmental Science and Research Foundation, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/656455 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/656455 |
| Bald eagles of the Hanford National Environmental Research Park | Fitzner, R. E.; Watson, D. G.; Rickard, W. H. | 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; BIRDS; DATA; DATA COMPILATION; ECOLOGY; HANFORD RESERVATION; INFORMATION; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUMERICAL DATA; POPULATION DYNAMICS; PREDATOR-PREY INTERACTIONS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES | Since 1961, near-yearly aerial surveys of bald eagles along the Hanford reach of the Columbia River have been conducted. Prey resources available to the eagles have also been monitored and we have thus been able to examine predator-prey relationships in a statistical fashion. We report on a unique set of data which provides insight into one of the factors (prey availability) controlling bald eagle wintering populations. The winter distribution of the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) has been reported to closely follow the availability of prey (Servheen 1975, Southern 1963, Shea 1973, Spencer 1976). Fitzner and Hanson (1979) compared twelve years of eagle winter survey data on the Hanford DOE Site with waterfowl numbers and salmon redd densities over the same period and provided some statistical evidence that eagle wintering numbers varied somewhat dependently with changing salmon redd numbers but not with changing waterfowl numbers. This report re-examines Fitzner and Hanson's (1979) twelve year data set and supplies two additional years of data for the Hanford DOE Site in order to gain additional insight into predator-prey interactions. | Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA) | United States | 1980-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6580437 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6580437 | |
| Microbial Characteristics of Native Aquatic Species of Savannah River Wetlands | McKinsey, P C | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BACTERIA; BIOLOGY; POPULATION DYNAMICS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SPECIES DIVERSITY; WETLANDS | In 1974 the Savannah River Site (SRS) was established as a National Environmental Research Park (NERP) in the United States. NERP provided locations for long-term ecological research investigation. Many of the ecological studies that have been conducted in the past mainly focused on the macroscopic view. The Savannah River Site contains wetlands that are home to many diverse organisms. We conducted a preliminary survey of microbial habitats in order to explore the biodiversity of species-specific symbionts. Bacterial surveys included viable counts, direct counts, isolation, identification, and metabolic profiles. | Savannah River Site (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2000-12-12T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/773113 | |
| SRS ECOLOGY ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION DOCUMENT | Wike, L; Doug Martin, D; Eric Nelson, E; Nancy Halverson, N; John Mayer, J; Michael Paller, M; Rodney Riley, R; Michael Serrato, M | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; ANIMALS; COMMUNITIES; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; MONITORING; NUCLEAR ENERGY; SAND; SOILS; WETLANDS | The SRS Ecology Environmental Information Document (EEID) provides a source of information on the ecology of Savannah River Site (SRS). The SRS is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)--owned property on the upper Atlantic Coastal Plain of South Carolina, centered approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Augusta, Georgia. The entire site was designated a National Environmental Research Park in 1972 by the Atomic Energy Commission, the predecessor of DOE. This document summarizes and synthesizes ecological research and monitoring conducted on the three main types of ecosystems found at SRS: terrestrial, wetland and aquatic. It also summarizes the available information on the threatened and endangered species found on the Savannah River Site. SRS is located along the Savannah River and encompasses an area of 80,267 hectares (310 square miles) in three South Carolina counties. It contains diverse habitats, flora, and fauna. Habitats include upland terrestrial areas, wetlands, streams, reservoirs, and the adjacent Savannah River. These diverse habitats support a variety of plants and animals, including many commercially or recreationally valuable species and several rare, threatened, or endangered species. Soils are the basic terrestrial resource, influencing the development of terrestrial biological communities. Many different soils exist on the SRS, from hydric to well-drained, and from sand to clay. In general, SRS soils are predominantly well-drained loamy sands. | SRS | DOE | United States | 2006-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/891666 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/891666 |
| Fishes of the Savannah River Plant: National Environmental Research Park. [Contains glossary] | Bennett, D H; McFarlane, R W | 520500* -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BIOLOGY; DATA; DATA COMPILATION; DISTRIBUTION; ECOLOGY; FEDERAL REGION IV; FISHES; HABITAT; INFORMATION; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; NORTH AMERICA; NUMERICAL DATA; POPULATION DYNAMICS; RESOURCES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOUTH CAROLINA; SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION; TAXONOMY; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; VERTEBRATES | An update of the taxonomic, distributional and ecological information on fish inhabiting waters adjacent to the DOE Savannah River Plant (SRP) is provided. Information on the SRP, ground and surface water, habitat types, historical aspects, and relative abundance of fishes (in both lotic and lentic ecosystems) is provided. In addition, a glossary, an annotated bibliography and keys to fish families and species are included. 131 references, 22 figures, 4 tables. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (USA) | United States | 1983-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5213396 | ||
| Environmental Science and Research Foundation annual technical report: Calendar year 1996 | Morris, R C; Blew, R D | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; EDUCATION; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HABITAT; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; MONITORING; PROGRESS REPORT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RISK ASSESSMENT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION | This Annual Technical Report describes work conducted for the Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID), by the Environmental Science and Research Foundation (Foundation). The Foundation`s mission to DOE-ID provides support in several key areas. The authors conduct an environmental monitoring and surveillance program over an area covering much of the upper Snake River Plain, and provide environmental education and support services related to Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) natural resource issues. Also, the Foundation, with its University Affiliates, conducts ecological and radioecological research in the Idaho National Environmental Research Park. This research benefits major DOE-ID programs including Waste Management, Environmental Restoration, Spent Nuclear Fuels, and Land Management Issues. The major accomplishments of the Foundation and its University Affiliates during the calendar year 1996 are discussed. | Environmental Science and Research Foundation, Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/541829 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/541829 |
| Environmental Science and Research Foundation annual technical report to DOE-ID, January , 1995--December 31, 1995 | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENT; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; PROGRESS REPORT | The foundation conducts an environmental monitoring and surveillance program over an area covering much of the upper Snake River Plain and provide environmental education and support services related to INEL natural resource issues. Also, the foundation, with its university affiliates, conducts ecological and radioecological research on the Idaho National Environmental Research Park. This research benefits major DOE-ID programs including waste management, environmental restoration, spent nuclear fuels, and land management issues. Major accomplishments during CY1995 can be divided into five categories: environmental surveillance program, environmental education, environmental services and support, ecological risk assessment, and research benefitting the DOE-ID mission. | Environmental Science and Research Foundation, Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1996-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/369610 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/369610 | |
| Gray fox ecology in the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park: Food habits, home range, and habitat use | Greenberg, C H; Pelton, M R; Parr, P D | 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; DIET; ECOLOGY; FOXES; INVERTEBRATES; MAMMALS; PLANTS; PREDATOR-PREY INTERACTIONS; RABBITS; RODENTS; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; VARIATIONS; VERTEBRATES | Examination of 170 gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) scats collected between September 1986 and August 1987 on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), East Tennessee, revealed that plant foods were utilized most heavily, followed by invertebrate and animal prey. Proportions of the 3 categories utilized were not evenly distributed among months and were dictated by availability. Biological seasons were delineated by detection of statistically significant shifts in diet among the 3 food categories. Animal prey, predominantly rabbits and rodents, comprised 67.0% of winter (January-April) dry weight (100% occurrence); arthropods, predominantly 17-year locusts (Magicicada sp.), comprised 96.1% of spring (May) dry weight (275% occurrence); plant material, predominantly persimmon, cherry, blackberry and squaw-root, comprised 92.9% of summer-fall (June-December) dry weight (161.6% occurrence). This study indicated that gray foxes may switch dietary trophic level depending on seasonal food availability. 188 refs., 25 figs., 14 tabs. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1988-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7097297 | ||
| Creating a fuels baseline and establishing fire frequency relationships to develop a landscape management strategy at the Savannah River Site. | Parresol, Bernard R; Shea, Dan; Ottmar, Roger | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BULK DENSITY; FIRES; FORESTRY; FORESTS; Fire; MANAGEMENT; PINES; Savannah River Site; landscape management | USDA Forest Service Proceedings RMRS-P-41. pp 351-366. AbstractâThe Savannah River Site is a Department of Energy Nuclear Defense Facility and a National Environmental Research Park located in the upper coastal plain of South Carolina. Prescribed burning is conducted on 15,000 to 20,000 ac annually. We modifi ed standard forest inventory methods to incorporate a complete assessment of fuel components on 622 plots, assessing coarse woody debris, ladder fuels, and the litter and duff layers. Because of deficiencies in south-wide data on litter-duff bulk densities, which are the fuels most often consumed in prescribed fires, we developed new bulk density relationships. Total surface fuel loading across the landscape ranged from 0.8 to 48.7 tons/ac. The variables basal area, stand age, and site index were important in accounting for variability in ladder fuel, coarse woody debris, and litter-duff for pine types. For a given pine stand condition, litter-duff loading decreased in direct proportion to the number of burns in the preceding thirty years. Ladder fuels for loblolly and longleaf increased in direct proportion to the years since the last prescribed burn. The pattern of fuel loading on the SRS reflects stand dynamics, stand management and fire management. It is suggested that the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program can easily modify sampling protocols to incorporate collection of fuels data. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2006-03-15T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/896219 | |
| Oak Ridge Reservation Physical Characteristics and Natural Resources | Parr, P D; Hughes, J F | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; AGRICULTURE; BUFFERS; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; GASEOUS DIFFUSION; GEOLOGY; HYDROLOGY; ISOTOPE SEPARATION; NATIONAL SECURITY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORNL; PLANTS; SATELLITES; TOPOGRAPHY | The topography, geology, hydrology, vegetation, and wildlife of the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) provide a complex and intricate array of resources that directly impact land stewardship and use decisions (Fig. 1). The purpose of this document is to consolidate general information regarding the natural resources and physical characteristics of the ORR. The ORR, encompassing 33,114 acres (13,401 ha) of federally owned land and three Department of Energy (DOE) installations, is located in Roane and Anderson Counties in east Tennessee, mostly within the corporate limits of the city of Oak Ridge and southwest of the population center of Oak Ridge. The ORR is bordered on the north and east by the population center of the city of Oak Ridge and on the south and west by the Clinch River/Melton Hill Lake impoundment. All areas of the ORR are relatively pristine when compared with the surrounding region, especially in the Valley and Ridge Physiographic Province (Fig. 2). From the air, the ORR is clearly a large and nearly continuous island of forest within a landscape that is fragmented by urban development and agriculture. Satellite imagery from 2006 was used to develop a land-use/land-cover cover map of the ORR and surrounding lands (Fig. 3). Following the acquisition of the land comprising the ORR in the early 1940s, much of the Reservation served as a buffer for the three primary facilities: the X-10 nuclear research facility (now known as the Oak Ridge National Laboratory [ORNL]), the first uranium enrichment facility or Y-12 (now known as the Y-12 National Security Complex [Y-12 Complex]), and a gaseous diffusion enrichment facility (now known as the East Tennessee Technology Park [ETTP]). Over the past 60 years, this relatively undisturbed area has evolved into a rich and diverse eastern deciduous forest ecosystem of streams and reservoirs, hardwood forests, and extensive upland mixed forests. The combination of a large land area with complex physical characteristics and diverse natural resources has provided a critical foundation for supporting DOE's environmental research mission, as well as the area in which to build leading-edge facilities. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN | USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2006-09-19T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/921773 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/921773 |
| Status of the flora of the Los Alamos National Environmental Research Park. Checklist of vascular plants of the Pajarito Plateau and Jemez Mountains. Volume 3 | Foxx, T S; Tierney, G D | 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOLOGY; DATA; DATA COMPILATION; FEDERAL REGION VI; INFORMATION; LOS ALAMOS; NEW MEXICO; NORTH AMERICA; NUMERICAL DATA; PLANTS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TAXONOMY; USA | This report lists all taxonomic identifications recorded from the Pajarito Plateau Valles del los Sierros, Valles Caldera, and portions of the Jemez Plateau of the Jemez Mountains in north-central New Mexico. Approximately 900 plants representing more than 80 families are documented. 36 refs. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1985-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5271011 | ||
| Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. | Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke | Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest ServiceFSavannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/jes.2008.21 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977255 |
| Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. | Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke | Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest ServiceFSavannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/jes.2008.21 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977254 |
| Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: A pilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. | Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; CARBON MONOXIDE; FORESTS; MONITORING; OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE; PARTICULATES; RIVERS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; URINE; US FOREST SERVICE; WOOD; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke | Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest ServiceFSavannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribedburn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/jes.2008.21 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978333 |
| Selection criteria for adding management units to the SAMAB regional biosphere reserve | Mann, L K; Martin, G; Abrell, J; Meriwether, D | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS; BIOSPHERE; COOPERATION; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; MOUNTAINS; NATURE RESERVES; REGIONAL COOPERATION; RESOURCE CONSERVATION; RESOURCES | The SAMAB (Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere) regional biosphere reserve initially consisted of three land management units in the southern Appalachians (Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory's National Environmental Research Park). Traditional biosphere reserves in UNESCOs Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program have been defined by [open quote]core[close quote], [open quote]buffer[close quote], and [open quote]transition[close quote] zones. These concepts are difficult to apply to regional biosphere reserves. Therefore, selection criteria for incorporating additional land management units into SAMAB were developed which recognize 4 components of the regional reserve: biosphere reserve (core) units, varied and harmonious landscapes, modified landscapes, and the zone of cooperation. Selection criteria define ecological, political, logistic, and educational requirements for inclusion. The Tennessee River Gorge Trust is currently under evaluation for inclusion in SAMAB. | United States | 1994-06-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7269654 | |||
| Proposal to designate land areas of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory as a National Environmental Research Park | Hanson, W C | *LASL-- TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; *NEW MEXICO; *TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS-- RESEARCH PROGRAMS; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING; N44500* --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Site Surveys; PLANNING; USES | Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N.Mex. (USA) | United States | 1974-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4252534 | |||
| Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. | Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke | Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/jes.2008.21 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977262 |
| Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. | Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke | Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/jes.2008.21 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977260 |
| Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: A pilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. | Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke | Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/jes.2008.21 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977259 |
| Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. | Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke | Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/jes.2008.21 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977258 |
| Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. | Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke | Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/jes.2008.21 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977257 |
| Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. | Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke | Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/jes.2008.21 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977256 |
| Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. | Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke | Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/jes.2008.21 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977253 |
| Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Annual technical progress report of ecological research, period ending July 31, 1994 | 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; HEALTH AND SAFETY; PROGRESS REPORT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT | The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) is a research unit of the University of Georgia (UGA) that is managed in conjunction with the University`s Institute of Ecology. The laboratory`s overall mission is to acquire and communicate knowledge of ecological processes and principles. SREL conducts basic and applied ecological research, as well as education and outreach programs, under an M&O contract with the US Department of Energy at the Savannah River Site. Significant accomplishments were made during the year ending July 31, 1994 in the areas of research, education and service. Reviewed in this document are research projects in the following areas: Environmental Operations Support (impacted wetlands, streams, trace organics, radioecology, database synthesis, wild life studies, zooplankton, safety and quality assurance); wood stork foraging and breeding ecology; defence waste processing facility; environmental risk assessment (endangered species, fish, ash basin studies); ecosystem alteration by chemical pollutants; wetlands systems; biodiversity on the SRS; Environmental toxicology; environmental outreach and education; Par Pond drawdown studies in wildlife and fish and metals; theoretical ecology; DOE-SR National Environmental Research Park; wildlife studies. Summaries of educational programs and publications are also give. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-07-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10121848 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10121848 | |
| Protection of biota on nonpark public lands: Examples from the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation | Mann, L K; Parr, P D; Pounds, L R | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENDANGERED SPECIES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANTS; PUBLIC LANDS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; WILD ANIMALS | Security buffers of Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Energy (DOE) reservations provide long-term habitat protection for many rare and endangered species. The importance of these government-owned reservations as nationally valuable resources has been relatively unrecognized. During the last 50 years, the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) has been a relatively protected island in a region of rapidly expanding urbanization and land clearing. Consisting of the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park and associated lands surrounding DOE facilities at Oak Ridge Tennessee, the unique nature of the ORR in the surrounding landscape is clearly visible from the air and has been documented using remote sensing data. Although forests dominate much of other regions of eastern Tennessee, this 15,000-ha tract of mostly natural forest habitat is unique in the southern Ridge and Valley physiographic province, which is otherwise widely developed for pasture, marginal cropland, woodlot, and urban uses. Twenty state-listed and federal-candidate plant species are known to be present on the ORR. This richness of species, which are provided protection by state and federal taws, exceeds that of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a species area basis and is an index of the value of the ORR both regionally and nationally in conserving biodiversity. With the end of the Cold War, changing DoD and DOE missions combined with increasing development pressure contribute to uncertainty in the future management of security reservations. | USDOE | United States | 1996-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/BF01204005 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/244011 | |
| Insect community structure and function in Upper Three Runs, Savannah River Site, South Carolina | Morse, J C; English, W R; Looney, B B | 053003; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540310; 540350; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BASIC STUDIES; BIOLOGICAL VARIABILITY; CHEMICAL AND THERMAL EFFLUENTS; COMPILED DATA; DIAGRAMS; EPHEMEROPTERA; HABITAT; INSECTS; PLANT STEMS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; STREAMS; WATER QUALITY | A project to document the insect species in the upper reaches of Upper Three Runs at the Savannah River site was recently completed. This research was supported by the US Department of Energy under the National Environmental Research Park Program. The work was performed by the Department of Entomology at Clemson University in clemson, SC, by John C. Morse (principal investigator), William R. English and their colleagues. The major output from this study was the dissertation of Dr. William R. English entitled ``Ecosystem Dynamics of a South Carolina Sandhills Stream.`` He investigated selected environmental resources and determined their dynamics and the dynamics of the aquatic invertebrate community structure in response to them. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-07-08T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10117375 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10117375 |
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory`s (ORNL) ecological and physical science study center: A hands-on science program for K-12 students | Bradshaw, S P | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; CHILDREN; ECOLOGY; EDUCATION; EDUCATIONAL TOOLS; LEARNING; ORNL; RECOMMENDATIONS; SCIENTIFIC PERSONNEL; STANDARDS; TRAINING | In our tenth year of educational service and outreach, Oak Ridge National Laboratory`s Ecological and Physical Science Study Center (EPSSC) provides hands-on, inquiry-based science activities for area students and teachers. Established in 1984, the EPSSC now hosts over 20,000 student visits. Designed to foster a positive attitude towards science, each unit includes activities which reinforce the science concept being explored. Outdoor science units provide field experience at the Department of Energy`s Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park and outreach programs are offered on-site in area schools. Other programs are offered as extensions of the EPSSC core programs, including on-site student science camps, all-girl programs, outreach science camps, student competitions, teacher in-service presentations and teacher workshops. | Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC (United States) | United States | 1994-12-31T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/111158 | ||
| Future land use and concerns about the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory: A survey of urban dwellers | Burger, J; Roush, D; Wartenberg, D; Gochfeld, M | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ATTITUDES; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LAND USE; SAFETY; URBAN AREAS | The authors examined environmental concerns and future land-use preferences of 487 people attending the Boise River Festival in Boise, Idaho, USA, about the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (NEEL), owned by the US Department of Energy (DOE). They were particularly interested in the perceptions of urban dwellers living at some distance from the facility, since attitudes and perceptions are usually examined for people living near such facilities. More than 50% of the people were most worried about contamination and about waste storage and transport, another 23% were concerned about human health and accidents and spills, and the rest listed other concerns such as jobs and the economy of education. When given a list of possible concerns, accidents and spills, storage of current nuclear materials, and storage of additional nuclear materials were rated the highest. Thus both open-ended and structured questions identified nuclear storage and accidents and spills as the most important concerns, even for people living far from a DOE site. The highest rated future land used were National Environmental Research Park, recreation, and returning the land to the Shoshone-Bannock tribes; the lowest rated future land uses were homes and increased nuclear waste storage. These relative rankings are similar to those obtained for other Idahoans living closer to the site and for the people living near the Savannah River Site. The concern expressed about accidents and spills and waste storage translated into a desire not to see additional waste brought to INEEL and a low rating for using INEEL for building homes. | Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ (US) | US Department of Energy | United States | 1999-11-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s002679900253 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/20001031 |
| Research organization: Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory | Reichle, D E | 500200 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 500300 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510200* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOMASS; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON OXIDES; CHALCOGENIDES; CHEMISTRY; ECOLOGY; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENT; GEOCHEMISTRY; GROUND WATER; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROLOGY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SOILS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WATER | The Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a multidisciplinary research and development organization with a staff of over 200, plus nearly 180 visiting professional collaborators and students, occupying a complex of six major laboratory and office buildings. The Division's unique role is the development of fundamental scientific knowledge and the application of this knowledge to the solution of complex, long-term, and large-scale environmental problems of national importance. These problems are addressed by interdisciplinary teams of technical specialists from the fields of atmospheric chemistry, aquatic and terrestrial ecology, earth sciences, and geohydrology. A unique combination of basic and applied research, environmental assessment, and demonstration projects on the 550-ha Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park makes the Division one of the nation's largest and most respected environmental research organizations. The Division conducts research on the environmental aspects of existing and emerging energy systems and applies this information to ensure that technology development and energy use are consistent with national environmental goals. ESD performs basic and applied research, environmental assessments, environmental engineering and demonstration projects, technology and operational support functions, and program management for the US Department of Energy (DOE), other federal and state agencies, and industry, working collaboratively with a number of federal agencies, universities, and the private sector in accomplishing its objectives. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1989-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5605060 | ||
| Oak Ridge Reservation annual site environmental report for 1996 | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMPLIANCE; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; MONITORING; NUMERICAL DATA; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SITE CHARACTERIZATION | The US Department of Energy currently oversees activities on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), a government-owned, contractor-operated facility. Three sites compose the reservation: the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and East Tennessee Technology Park (formerly the K-25 Site). The ORR was established in the early 1940s as part of the Manhattan Project, a secret undertaking that produced the materials for the first atomic bombs. The reservation`s role has evolved over the years, and it continues to adapt to meet the changing defense, energy, and research needs of the US. Both the work carried out for the war effort and subsequent research, development, and production activities have produced (and continue to produce) radiological and hazardous wastes. This document contains a summary of environmental monitoring activities on the ORR and its surroundings. Environmental monitoring on the ORR consists of two major activities: effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. Effluent monitoring involves the collection and analysis of samples or measurements of liquid and gaseous effluents prior to release into the environment; these measurements allow the quantification and official reporting of contaminants, assessment of radiation exposures to the public, and demonstration of compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements. Environmental surveillance consists of the collection and analysis of environmental samples from the site and its environs; this provides direct measurement of contaminants in air, water, groundwater, soil, foods, biota, and other media subsequent to effluent release into the environment. Environmental surveillance data verify ORR`s compliance status and, combined with data from effluent monitoring, allow the determination of chemical and radiation dose/exposure assessment of ORR operations and effects, if any, on the local environment. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (United States); East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/654062 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/654062 | |
| Guidelines for field work and safety | McConathy, R K; Parr, P D | 560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES; FIRE PREVENTION; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; PERSONNEL; PERSONNEL MONITORING; QUALITY ASSURANCE; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIATION PROTECTION; SAFETY; TRAINING; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | The purpose of this document is to provide new employees or guests information on the safety program in the Environmental Sciences Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and to acquaint the reader with procedural and operational information related to work at the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park (NERP). Topics discussed include general and radiation safety, medical concerns, and the quality assurance program. Procedures for conducting research, waste disposal, and radio use are reviewed. Requirements for field research and access to the NERP are also presented. Appendices have additional information, including safety signs, an off-hours field work checklist, and a map of the Oak Ridge Reservation. 16 refs. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1988-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6687784 | ||
| Biological monitoring of smoke exposure among wildland firefighters: Apilot study comparing urinary methoxyphenols with personal exposures to carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and levoglucosan. | Neitzel, R; Paulsen, M; Dunn, R; Stock, A | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological monitoring; exposure assessment; wildland firefighters; wood smoke | Urinary methoxyphenols (MPs) have been proposed as biomarkers of woodsmoke exposure. However, few field studies have been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between woodsmoke exposure and urinary MP concentrations. We conducted a pilot study at the US Forest Service Savannah River Site, in which carbon monoxide (CO), levoglucosan (LG), and particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures were measured in wildland firefighters on prescribed burn days. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected from each subject, and cross-shift changes in creatinine-corrected urinary MP concentrations were calculated. Correlations between exposure measures and creatine-adjusted urinary MP concentrations were explored, and regression models were developed relating changes in urinary MP concentrations to measured exposure levels. Full-shift measurements were made on 13 firefighters over 20 work shifts in winter 2004 at the US Forest Service Savannah River site, a National Environmental Research Park. The average workshift length across the 20 measured shifts was 701±95 min. LG and CO exposures were significantly correlated for samples where the filter measurement captured at least 60% of the work shift (16 samples), as well as for the smaller set of full-shift exposure samples (n¼9). PM2.5 and CO exposures were not significantly correlated, and LG and PM2.5 exposures were only significantly correlated for samples representing at least 60% of the work shift. Creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations for 20 of the 22 MPs showed cross-shift increases, with 14 of these changes showing statistical significance. Individual and summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MPs were highly associated with CO (and, to a lesser degree, LG) exposure levels, and random-effects regression models including CO and LG exposure levels explained up to 80% of the variance in cross-shift changes in summed creatinine-adjusted guaiacol urinary MP concentrations. Although limited by the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates that urinary MP concentrations may be effective biomarkers of occupational exposure to wood smoke among wildland firefighters. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2008-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/jes.2008.21 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977261 |
| Facility siting as a decision process at the Savannah River Site | Wike, L D | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; DECISION MAKING; ECOLOGY; ECONOMIC IMPACT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GEOLOGY; HYDROLOGY; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; POLLUTION REGULATIONS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SECURITY; SITE SELECTION; STANDARDIZED TERMINOLOGY | Site selection for new facilities at Savannah River Site (SRS) historically has been a process dependent only upon specific requirements of the facility. While this approach is normally well suited to engineering and operational concerns, it can have serious deficiencies in the modern era of regulatory oversight and compliance requirements. There are many issues related to the site selection for a facility that are not directly related to engineering or operational requirements; such environmental concerns can cause large schedule delays and budget impact,s thereby slowing or stopping the progress of a project. Some of the many concerns in locating a facility include: waste site avoidance, National Environmental Policy Act requirements, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, wetlands conservation, US Army Corps of Engineers considerations, US Fish and Wildlife Service statutes including threatened and endangered species issues, and State of South Carolina regulations, especially those of the Department of Health and Environmental Control. In addition, there are SRS restrictions on research areas set aside for National Environmental Research Park (NERP), Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Savannah River Forest Station, University of South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, Southeastern Forest Experimental Station, and Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) programs. As with facility operational needs, all of these siting considerations do not have equal importance. The purpose of this document is to review recent site selection exercises conducted for a variety of proposed facilities, develop the logic and basis for the methods employed, and standardize the process and terminology for future site selection efforts. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-12-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/383597 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/383597 |
| National Environmental Research Areas: FOCI for integrated research in western energy resource regions. A feasibility study report | Jewell, S R | 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; 010900* -- Coal, Lignite, & Peat-- Environmental Aspects; 02 PETROLEUM; 020900 -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects; 03 NATURAL GAS; 030800 -- Natural Gas-- Environmental Aspects; 04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS; 041000 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Environmental Aspects; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 530200 -- Environmental-Social Aspects of Energy Technologies-- Assessment of Energy Technologies-- (-1989); COLORADO; ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FEASIBILITY STUDIES; FEDERAL REGION VII; FEDERAL REGION VIII; FEDERAL REGION X; IDAHO; MONTANA; NATURE RESERVES; NEBRASKA; NORTH AMERICA; NORTH DAKOTA; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; SOUTH DAKOTA; USA; UTAH; WYOMING | A feasibility study to determine the problems and benefits of establishing a National Environmental Research Park/Area in the Rocky Mountain Overthrust Belt of Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming, and/or the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana has been completed. The study was performed with the support of a group of universities interested in a consortium to develop, manage, and coordinate research in the Park/Area, provide a physical definition of the Park, prepare methods of funding both the research and the consortium, and present an exemplary research program. The results of the study have been positive, and have given additional insight into the formation of National Environmental Research Parks/Areas that was not foreseen at the inception of the study. Therefore, a recommendation is made to establish National Environmental Research Areas (NERA's) (in lieu of Research Parks) which will facilitate formation and reduce the time requirement. Two exemplary research programs have been selected. One involves environmental baseline information collection and interpretation related to oil and gas development in the Rocky Mountain Overthrust Belt of Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho. The second is a study of the hydrological impacts of in situ fossil fuel or uranium recovery of the Powder River Basin. | Wyoming Univ., Laramie (USA) | United States | 1978-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5932806 | ||
| Ecological studies on the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Site. 1978 progress report. [Lead abstract] | Markham, O D | 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 510302 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 520302 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 520500 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSTRACTS; ANIMALS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGY; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LEADING ABSTRACT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; PLANTS; RADIOECOLOGY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; RIVERS; STREAMS; SURFACE WATERS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | Separate abstracts were prepared for the 33 papers presented in this report. Two additional abstracts are included dealing with the seasonality of shrub litterfall and interpretation of Idaho National Environmental Research Park functions and activities. Publications and oral presentations originating with the personnel of the radioecological program and the National Environmental Research Park are listed. (ERB) | Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls (USA) | United States | 1978-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6139364 | ||
| The effects of precommercial thinning and midstory-control on the flora and fauna of young longleaf pine plantations. | Simmons, Robert | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; Accord®, Amphibian, Arsenal®; Avian; BIRDS; Breeding bird; COMMUNITIES; Garlon®; HERBICIDES; Herbicide; Herpetofauna; Longleaf pine; MAMMALS; PINES; PLANTS; Pinus palustris; Precommercial thinning; Prescribed fire; Reptile; Restoration; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SILVICULTURE; SOUTH CAROLINA; Savannah River Site; Small mammal; South Carolina; VERTEBRATES; Velpar® | I examined the effects of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) restoration using plantation silviculture on the avian, small mammal, and herpetofauna communities on the Savannah River Site, a National Environmental Research Park near Aiken, South Carolina. Vertebrate populations were surveyed from 1995 through 2003 on a series of plantations that had been precommercially thinned and/or received midstory-control via herbicides between 1994 and 1996. Understory and overstory vegetation was surveyed from 1994 through 2004. Thinning and midstory vegetation reduction treatments had greater herbaceous cover than the control through 2004 after a 1-2 year decline on midstory-control plots. Initially, thinned plots had the greatest herbaceous cover. However from 1998 through 2004, the combined treatment had the most herbaceous cover. Without midstory-control, thinning released midstory hardwoods. The effect of thinning or midstory-control alone on bird abundance was positive but short-lived. The positive effects were larger and persisted longer on combined treatment plots. My results indicate that precommercial thinning longleaf plantations, particularly when combined with midstory-control and prescribed fire, had a modest beneficial impact on avian communities by developing stand conditions more typical of natural longleaf stands maintained by periodic fire. All treatments resulted in short-term increases in small mammal abundance, but effects were minimal by 5-7 years after treatment. By 2001, pine basal area had returned to pre-treatment levels on thinned plots suggesting that frequent thinning may be required to maintain abundant and diverse small mammal communities in longleaf pine plantations. I did not detect any treatment related differences in herpetofauna abundance. These results suggest that restoring longleaf with a combination of precommercial thinning, midstory-control with herbicides, and prescribed fire can have a short-term positive effect on the avian and small mammal communities without affecting the herpetofauna community. However, periodic thinnings may be necessary to extend the positive effects. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC. | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2007-05-01T04:00:00Z | Other | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/909326 | |
| The role of coarse woody debris in southeastern pine forests; preliminary results from a large-scale experiment. | McCay Timothy, S; Wright-Miley Bret, D | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ANIMALS; Coarse Woody Debris; FOREST LITTER; FORESTRY; FORESTS; HABITAT; MONITORING; PINES; REMOVAL; Southeastern Pine Forests | McCay, Timothy S., James L. Hanula, Susan C. Loeb, Steven M. Lohr, James W. McMinn, and Bret D. Wright-Miley. 2002. The role of coarse woody debris in southeastern pine forests; preliminary results from a large-scale experiment. 135-144. In: Proceedings of the symposium on the ecology and management of dead wood in western forests. 1999 November 2-4; Reno, NV. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-181. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture 949 p. ABSTRACT: We initiated a long-term experiment involving manipulation of coarse woody debris (CWD) at the Savannah River National Environmental Research Park in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Each of four 9.3-ha plots in each of four blocks was subject to one of the following treatments: removal of all snags and fallen logs, removal of fallen logs only, felling and girdling to simulate a catastrophic pulse of CWD, and control. Removal treatments were applied in 1996, and the felling or snag-creation treatment will be applied in 2000-2001. Monitoring of invertebrate, herptile, avian, and mammalian assemblages and CWD dynamics began immediately after CWD removal and continues through the present. Removal treatments resulted in a fivefold to tenfold reduction in CWD abundance. To date, significant differences among treatments have only been detected for a few animal taxa. However, preliminary results underscore the benefits of large-scale experiments. This experiment allowed unambiguous tests of hypotheses regarding the effect of CWD abundance on fauna. Coupled with studies of habitat use and trophic interactions, the experimental approach may result in stronger inferences regarding the function of CWD than results obtained through natural history observation or uncontrolled correlative studies. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2002-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/835556 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835556 |
| Set-aside areas, National Environmental Research Park, Savannah River Plant, Aiken, South Carolina | Hillestad, H O; Bennett, Jr, S H | 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 520500 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ECOSYSTEMS; HABITAT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | This report has been prepared to give a detailed description of the ten existing Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) reserve sites at the Savannah River Plant (SRP). These areas were selected by SREL to represent the major vegetational communities of the SRP, and in 1967 were formally set aside by the Federal Manager of the SRP site to promote ecological research. The regional and local environmental settings as well as the physical descriptions of the sites and their major floral and faunal species are described; and the history, research accomplished, and current disposition of these areas reviewed. The purpose is to acquaint scientists with the potential for conducting future studies in these areas that provide protected habitats of a highly diverse nature and to provide a portion of the background information essential to the re-evaluation of the reserve system. | Georgia Univ., Athens (USA). Research Foundation; Southeastern Wildlife Services, Inc., Athens, GA (USA); South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Dept., Columbia (USA) | United States | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5303237 | |||
| Arid Lands Ecology Facility management plan | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); ANIMALS; ARID LANDS; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; HABITAT; HANFORD RESERVATION; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PLANTS; REGULATIONS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SOILS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WILD ANIMALS | The Arid Lands Ecology (ALE) facility is a 312-sq-km tract of land that lies on the western side of the Hanford Site in southcentral Washington. The US Atomic Energy Commission officially set aside this land area in 1967 to preserve shrub-steppe habitat and vegetation. The ALE facility is managed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the US Department of Energy (DOE) for ecological research and education purposes. In 1971, the ALE facility was designated the Rattlesnake Hills Research Natural Area (RNA) as a result of an interagency federal cooperative agreement, and remains the largest RNA in Washington. it is also one of the few remaining large tracts of shrub-steppe vegetation in the state retaining a predominant preeuropean settlement character. This management plan provides policy and implementation methods for management of the ALE facilities consistent with both US Department of Energy Headquarters and the Richland Field Office decision (US Congress 1977) to designate and manage ALE lands as an RNA and as a component of the DOE National Environmental Research Park System. | Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6469367 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6469367 | |
| Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, annual report | 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 510300* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 560205 -- Thermal Effects-- Vertebrates-- (-1987); 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ABSTRACTS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; BIBLIOGRAPHIES; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; LEADING ABSTRACT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | Each of the four main sections of the report were abstracted and indexed individually for EDB/ERA. Sections are also included on cooperative programs with the Department of Energy, National Environmental Research Park programs, a bibliography, and papers in press. (JGB) | Georgia Univ., Athens (USA). Inst. of Ecology | United States | 1981-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5548514 | |||
| Movements and dispersal of bobcats in East Tennessee | Kitchings, J T; Story, J D | 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; BIOLOGY; CATS; DISTRIBUTION; HABITAT; MAMMALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; POPULATION DYNAMICS; SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES | In spring 1978, a study was initiated to acquire data on home range, spatial distribution, behavior, and movement of bobcats on the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park (NERP). The objective of this paper is to describe the movements of 15 adult and juvenile animals from March 1978 through June 1981 with particular emphasis on dispersal of young bobcats. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN | United States | 1984-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.2307/3801447 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5306230 | |
| Environmental Sciences Division. Annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1980. [Lead abstract] | Auerbach, S I; Reichle, D E | 510302 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 520302* -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSTRACTS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; LEADING ABSTRACT; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR ENERGY; ORNL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT; REVIEWS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT | Research conducted in the Environmental Sciences Division for the Fiscal Year 1980 included studies carried out in the following Division programs and sections: (1) Advanced Fossil Energy Program, (2) Nuclear Program, (3) Environmental Impact Program, (4) Ecosystem Studies Program, (5) Low-Level Waste Research and Development Program, (6) National Low-Level Waste Program, (7) Aquatic Ecology Section, (8) Environmental Resources Section, (9) Earth Sciences Section, and (10) Terrestrial Ecology Section. In addition, Educational Activities and the dedication of the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park are reported. Separate abstracts were prepared for the 10 sections of this report. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1981-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6498667 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6498667 | |
| Third annual Walker Branch Watershed research symposium. Program and abstracts | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210; 58 GEOSCIENCES; 580000; BASIC STUDIES; CARBON DIOXIDE; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; ECOSYSTEMS; FLOW MODELS; GEOCHEMISTRY; GEOSCIENCES; GLOBAL ASPECTS; HYDROLOGY; LAND USE; LEADING ABSTRACT; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; MEETINGS; ORNL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY; WATERSHEDS | The methods and concepts of watershed research, originally applied in an experimental or monitoring mode to relatively small catchments, are increasingly being used at larger scales and for specific applied problems. Research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the US Forest Service, and other agencies and institutions participating in this symposium reflects research over a broad range of spatial scales that is being integrated through large-scale experiments along with computer modeling and graphical interfaces. These research projects address the basic atmospheric, geophysical, biogeochemical, and biological processes that regulate the responses of forested ecosystems to natural environmental variation and anthropogenic stresses. Regional and global issues addressed by presentations include emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other hydrocarbons; deposition of sulfate, nitrate, and mercury; land-use changes; biological diversity; droughts; and water quality. The reports presented in this symposium illustrate a wide range of methods and approaches and focus more on concepts and techniques than on a specific physical site. Sites and projects that have contributed research results to this symposium include Walker Branch Watershed (DOE), the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory and LTER site (USFS and NSF), Great Smoky Mountains National Park (research funded by NPS, TVA, and EPRI), Imnavait Creek, Alaska (DOE), the TVA-Norris Whole-tree Facility (TVA and EPRI), and DOE`s Biomass Program. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-03-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10134417 | ||
| Description of the terrestrial ecology of the Oak Ridge Environmental Research Park | Kitchings, T.; Mann, L. K. | 510302* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; BIOMASS; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY SOURCES; GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS; INDUSTRIAL PLANTS; ISOTOPE SEPARATION PLANTS; LAND USE; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ORGDP; ORNL; PLANTS; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SOUTHEAST REGION; TENNESSEE; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TREES; US AEC; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; WILD ANIMALS; Y-12 PLANT | The Environmental Sciences Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has begun to develop research and administrative foundations necessary to establish and operate an Environmental Research Park (ERP) on the Energy Research and Development Administration Reservation at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Important in developing a functional research area is a description and inventory of the species and ecosystems which comprise the Research Park. This report describes some of the floral and faunal components of the Oak Ridge Reservation. Emphasis is placed on the relationship of faunal communities to the vegetation type in which they occur. Unique vegetational areas and rare and endangered species are also discussed. | Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn. (USA) | United States | 1976-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/7251127 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7251127 | |
| Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1987 to the DOE office of energy research: Part 2, Environmental sciences | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 520100 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; GEOCHEMISTRY; MICROORGANISMS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; PROGRESS REPORT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; STRESSES; SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENTS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WILD ANIMALS | This report summarizes progress in environmental sciences research conducted by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the Office of Health and Environmental Research in FY 1987. Research is directed toward developing a fundamental understanding of processes controlling the long-term fate and biological effects of fugitive chemicals and other stressors resulting from energy development. The research, focused on terrestrial, subsurface, and coastal marine systems, forms the basis for defining and quantifying processes that affect humans and the environment at the regional and global levels. Research is multidisciplinary and multitiered, providing integrated system-level insights into critical environmental processes. Research initiatives in subsurface microbiology and transport, global change, radon, and molecular sciences are building on PNL technical strengths in biogeochemistry, hydrodynamics, molecular biology, and theoretical ecology. Unique PNL facilities are used to probe multiple phenomena complex relationships at increasing levels of complexity. Intermediate-scale experimental systems are used to examine arid land watershed dynamics, aerosol behavior and effects, and multidimensional subsurface transport. In addition, field laboratories (the National Environmental Research Park and Marine Research Laboratory) are used in conjunction with advanced measurement techniques to validate concepts and models, and to extrapolate the results to the system and global levels. Strong university liaisons now in existence are being markedly expanded so that PNL resources and the specialized technical capabilities in the university community can be more efficiently integrated. | Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) | United States | 1988-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6912850 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6912850 | ||
| Vertebrates of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory | Arthur, W J; Connelly, J W; Halford, D K; Reynolds, T D | 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 520100 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMPHIBIANS; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BIRDS; DATA; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FISHES; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; INFORMATION; INVENTORIES; MAMMALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUMERICAL DATA; REPTILES; SPECIES DIVERSITY; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES | Abundance, habitat use, and seasonal occurrence are reported for the 5 fish, 1 amphibian, 9 reptile, 159 bird and 37 mammal species recorded on the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory National Environmental Research Park in southeastern Idaho. An additional 45 species, for which site records are lacking, were listed as possibly occurring because portions of their documented range and habitat overlap the INEL. Species of special concern on the federal and state level are discussed. 41 references, 4 tables. | USDOE Radiological and Environmental Sciences Lab., Idaho Falls, ID | United States | 1984-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6312724 | ||
| Savannah River Plant environment | Dukes, E K | 510302 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 520500 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES; BACKGROUND RADIATION; CLIMATES; DATA; DATA COMPILATION; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENT; FORESTS; GEOLOGY; GROUND WATER; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROLOGY; INFORMATION; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; NUMERICAL DATA; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIATIONS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOILS; SURFACE WATERS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WATER; WILD ANIMALS | On June 20, 1972, the Atomic Energy Commission designated 192,323 acres of land near Aiken, SC, as the nation's first National Environmental Research Park. The designated land surrounds the Department of Energy's Savannah River Plant production complex. The site, which borders the Savannah River for 17 miles, includes swampland, pine forests, abandoned town sites, a large man-made lake for cooling water impoundment, fields, streams, and watersheds. This report is a description of the geological, hydrological, meteorological, and biological characteristics of the Savannah River Plant site and is intended as a source of information for those interested in environmental research at the site. 165 references, 68 figures, 52 tables. | Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab. | United States | 1984-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5016271 | ||
| Cedar barrens | Parr, P D; Pounds, L R | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 140504* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989); 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 553000 -- Agriculture & Food Technology; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ANIMALS; ARTHROPODS; BIOLOGICAL EXTINCTION; CEDARS; CONIFERS; DAMAGE; DATA BASE MANAGEMENT; ECOLOGY; HABITAT; INSECTS; INVERTEBRATES; MANAGEMENT; MONITORING; PINOPHYTA; PLANTS; POPULATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SEEDS; TREES | Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park staff are working with the Tennessee Department of Conservation and Boeing Tennessee, Inc. to preserve and monitor an area containing one of the best known remaining examples of the rare cedar barrens plant community. Several rare plant species occur on the site and research has been initiated on Agalinis auriculata which is under consideration for federal listing. Preliminary data collected in 1984 has demonstrated an increase in Agalinis with movement out of the sampling grid area. Of 132 plants sampled in 1986, the Agalinis was found most often in a moss substrate (43%), on bare ground (28%) and in grass litter (23%). preliminary germination studies indicate it is an early spring germinating summer annual. Research has been initiated to determine seed bank information, germination requirements, seedling survival, and insect predation. | Oak Ridge National Lab., Oak Ridge, TN (US); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (US) | United States | 1987-07-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6110921 | ||
| SideIO: A Side I/O Framework System for Eliminating Analysis Data Migration | Liu, Qing Gary | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2015-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1311224 | |||
| Proposal to designate the Hanford Reservation as an environmental research park | 510302 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ARID LANDS; DESERTS; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENT; HAPO; LAND USE; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PLANNING; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US AEC; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | The purpose of this proposal is to recommend designation of the Energy Research and Development Administration's Hanford Works Reservation as a National Environmental Research Park. The proposal has precedents in previous actions taken on Energy Research and Development Administration property in South Carolina and in Idaho. The National Environmental Research Park concept seeks to provide landscapes representing different biological environments to assess the impact of technology upon environmental quality. The Hanford Reservation is especially suitable for environmental research because of its large size, and its land-use history. Although the primary technological use of the Hanford Reservation for 30 years has been plutonium production, much of the land surrounding the reactors and chemical processing buildings has not been used and has benefited from protection from livestock grazing and agricultural uses that most likely would have been imposed upon the land in the absence of nuclear technology. | Energy Research and Development Administration, Richland, Wash. (USA). Richland Operations Office | United States | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7341222 | ||||
| Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1979 to the DOE Assistant Secretary for Environment. Part 2. Ecological sciences | Vaughan, B E | 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 520100 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 560100 -- Biomedical Sciences, Applied Studies-- Radiation Effects; 560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ALASKA; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; BITUMINOUS MATERIALS; CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS; ELEMENTS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENERGY STORAGE; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS; LAND RECLAMATION; MANAGEMENT; NORTH AMERICA; OIL SHALES; PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGION; POWER PLANTS; PRODUCTIVITY; PUMPED STORAGE; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; STORAGE; SYNTHETIC FUELS; UPTAKE; USA; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER CHEMISTRY | Research in Environment, Health, and Safety conducted during fiscal year 1979 is reported. This volume consists of project reports from the Ecological Sciences research department. The reports are grouped under the following subject areas: National Environmental Research Park and land use; Alaskan resource research; shale oil; synfuels; nuclear waste; fission; marine research programs; statistical development of field research; nuclear fusion; pumped storage and hydroelectric development; pathways modelling, assessment and Hanford project support; electric field and microwave research; and energy research for other agencies. (ACR) | Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA) | United States | 1980-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5617739 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5617739 | |
| Resource management plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 29, Rare plants on the Oak Ridge Reservation | Cunningham, M; Pounds, L; Oberholster, S; Parr, P; Mann, L; Edwards, L; Rosensteel, B | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210; 540250; BASIC STUDIES; ENDANGERED SPECIES; FORESTS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANTS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SURVEYS; TENNESSEE; US FWS; WETLANDS | Rare plant species listed by state or federal agencies and found on or near the Department of Energy`s Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) are identified. Seventeen species present on the ORR are listed by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation as either endangered, threatened, or of special concern. Four of these are under review by the US Fish and Wildlife Service for possible listing as threatened or endangered species. Ten species listed by the state occur near and may be present on the ORR; four are endangered in Tennessee, and one is a candidate for federal listing. A range of habitats supports the rare taxa on the ORR: River bluffs, calcareous barrens, wetlands, and deciduous forest. Sites for listed rare species on the ORR have been designated as Research Park Natural Areas. Consideration of rare plant habitats is an important component of resource management and land-use planning; protection of rare species in their natural habitat is the best method of ensuring their long-term survival. In addition, the National Environmental Policy Act requires that federally funded projects avoid or mitigate impacts to listed species. The list of rare plant species and their location on the ORR should be considered provisional because the entire ORR has not been surveyed, and state and federal status of all species continues to be updated. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10179973 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10179973 |
| Food habits of bobcats in eastern Tennessee | Story, J D; Galbraith, W J; Kitchings, J T | 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; CATS; DEER; FEDERAL REGION IV; FOOD; FOOD CHAINS; HABITAT; MAMMALS; NORTH AMERICA; PREDATOR-PREY INTERACTIONS; RABBITS; RODENTS; RUMINANTS; TENNESSEE; USA; VERTEBRATES; VOLES | Food habits of bobcats (Lynx rufus) in eastern Tennessee were determined from analyzing 176 cat samples collected on the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park. Remains of cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) were the most frequently occurring food item. White-tail deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and pine vole (Microtus pinetorum) remains also were found frequently in samples. Data obtained from this study indicated that food preferences for bobcats in eastern Tennessee are similar to those in other southeastern states where the habitat is similar to the Oak Ridge area and somewhat different from those with significantly different habitat. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN | United States | 1982-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7056709 | ||
| Vegetation of the Savannah River Site: Major community types | Workman, S W; McLeod, K W | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; COMMUNITIES; CONIFERS; ECOSYSTEMS; EVALUATION; FEDERAL REGION IV; FORESTS; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; PINES; PINOPHYTA; PLANTS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SOUTH CAROLINA; SWAMPS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TOPOGRAPHY; TREES; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; WETLANDS; WILD ANIMALS | The eight major plant community types of the Savannah River Site (SRS) are distributed along topographic and moisture gradients and strongly controlled by local management practices. Communities range from sandhill communities in the xeric uplands to bottomland or swamp forests in low-lying areas subject to periodic flooding. The variety of community types and extensive land area (78,000 ha) of the SRS provides habitat for a diversity of plant species. As a National Environmental Research Park, the SRS provides an area for study of man-altered systems in relation to natural systems. A site-wide Set-Aside Areas program designates specific parcels of land representing different community types on the SRS. These areas conserve habitat for plants and wildlife, including some endangered, threatened and rare species. This document provides descriptions, including community characteristics and species composition, for the eight major vegetation communities of the SRS (old field, sandhill, upland hardwood, pinelands, bottomland, swamp, Carolina bay and fresh water). Species lists of tree, shrub, vine, herbaceous, and lower plant species of the SRS, by community type, were compiled from existing literature, herbarium information, and solicited additions from researchers familiar with SRS vegetation; these are provided in appendices. 130 refs., 19 figs. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (USA) | DOE/DP | United States | 1990-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6877070 | |
| Resource data inventory for the Oak Ridge area | Mann, L K; Kitchings, J T | 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990200* -- Mathematics & Computers; CHEMISTRY; COMPUTER CODES; DATA BASE MANAGEMENT; FEDERAL REGION IV; GEOLOGY; I CODES; INFORMATION RETRIEVAL; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; OAK RIDGE; ORNL; RESOURCE ASSESSMENT; SOIL CHEMISTRY; SOILS; TENNESSEE; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA | A natural resources data base is described that is useful in natural resource management on the Department of Energy Reservation at Oak Ridge, in research site selection on the National Environmental Research Park (NERP) within the Reservation, in summarizing and analyzing resource data in areas selected for industrial development in and near the Reservation, and in regional analyses both on the Reservation and on adjacent land. Soils, surface geology, slope classes, slope aspect, land use, and roads have been digitized on a 0.5-ha cell size for the Oak Ridge area. Two examples of using the data base with IMGRID, a data storage, retrieval, and modeling system developed by the Tennessee Valley Authority are presented. The first example is a search for barren or glade type soils and the second is a summary of forest productivity classes. Summary information concerning soil series distribution, most common soils, and taxonomy of soils is also included. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1982-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5063325 | ||
| Competition and coexistence of small mammals in an East Tennessee pine plantation | Seagle, S W | 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; COMPETITION; CONIFERS; ECOLOGY; HABITAT; MAMMALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PINES; PLANTS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TREES; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES | Microhabitat use and niche characteristics of Peromyscus leucopus, Ochrotomys nuttalli and Blarina brevicauda were examined in a pine plantation on the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park. Although general microhabitat use was the same, niche parameters (such as niche breadth) for each species varied between two study grids, apparently in response to differing understory density. Microhabitat specialization is thus proposed to be a function of local microhabitat structure. Removal of the generalist species, P. leucopus, from one grid while maintaining the other grid as a control elicited a significant microhabitat shift and increase in niche breadth by O. nuttalli. Blarina brevicauda displayed a slight microhabitat shift and increased niche breadth. These results are inconsistent with the hypothesis that generalist species are poor competitors. Microhabitat heterogeneity created by plant succession and extrinsic disturbances such as tree blow-down are suggested to allow coexistence of these species by altering competitive abilities or microhabitat selection. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN | United States | 1985-10-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.2307/2425602 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6383445 | |
| ADIOS | Podhorszki, Norbert; Klasky, Scott A; Liu, Qing Gary; Tian, Yuan; Parashar, Manish; Schwan, Karsten; Wolf, Matthew; Lakshminarasimhan, Sriram | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2014-01-01T04:00:00Z | Book | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1311214 | |||
| Ground-dwelling Beetle Responses to Long-term Precipitation Alterations in a Hardwood Forest | Williams, RS; Marbert, BS; Fisk, MC; Hanson, Paul J | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2014-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1656/058.013.0114 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1122679 | ||
| Resource Management Plan for the US Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 2, Appendix A: aquatic habitats | Loar, J M | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290400* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources; 520500 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; RESOURCES; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | A diversity of aquatic habitats, ranging from undisturbed small streams to liquid waste disposal ponds, exist on the Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation. The most important of these habitats may support populations of threatened or endangered aquatic species or provide sites for experimental ecological research. A management plan is proposed that will ensure the long-term preservation of these habitats by controlling various land-use practices in the watershed. The impacts associated with timber harvest and management practices can be minimized by careful planning of access roads to the harvest sites and by providing a narrow buffer strip of uncut trees and shrubs along the stream margins. Reservation streams should be surveyed to determine the presence of any threatened or endangered aquatic vertebrate species. If such species are found, their habitat should be designated a natural area within the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park. Resolution of conflicts over competing land-use practices will require careful planning in the early stages of project development, close coordination with forest management plans, and recognition of the long-term benefits that accrue when some watersheds remain in a undisturbed state. 28 references, 1 figure, 1 table. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1984-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5997789 | ||
| DOE Research Set-Aside Areas of the Savannah River Site | Davis, C E; Janecek, L L | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BASELINE ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HABITAT; LAND USE; NUMERICAL DATA; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT | Designated as the first of seven National Environmental Research Parks (NERPs) by the Atomic Energy Commission (now the Department of Energy), the Savannah River Site (SRS) is an important ecological component of the Southeastern Mixed Forest Ecoregion located along the Savannah River south of Aiken, South Carolina. Integral to the Savannah River Site NERP are the DOE Research Set-Aside Areas. Scattered across the SRS, these thirty tracts of land have been set aside for ecological research and are protected from public access and most routine Site maintenance and forest management activities. Ranging in size from 8.5 acres (3.44 ha) to 7,364 acres (2,980 ha), the thirty Set-Aside Areas total 14,005 acres (5,668 ha) and comprise approximately 7% of the Site`s total area. This system of Set-Aside Areas originally was established to represent the major plant communities and habitat types indigenous to the SRS (old-fields, sandhills, upland hardwood, mixed pine/hardwood, bottomland forests, swamp forests, Carolina bays, and fresh water streams and impoundments), as well as to preserve habitats for endangered, threatened, or rare plant and animal populations. Many long-term ecological studies are conducted in the Set-Asides, which also serve as control areas in evaluations of the potential impacts of SRS operations on other regions of the Site. The purpose of this document is to give an historical account of the SRS Set-Aside Program and to provide a descriptive profile of each of the Set-Aside Areas. These descriptions include a narrative for each Area, information on the plant communities and soil types found there, lists of sensitive plants and animals documented from each Area, an account of the ecological research conducted in each Area, locator and resource composition maps, and a list of Site-Use permits and publications associated with each Set-Aside. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-08-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/595640 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/595640 |
| Resource Management Plan for the US Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 11, Appendix K: site development | Chance, W W; Baumgardner, D R | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290400* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources; 510500 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECONOMIC IMPACT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS; INDUSTRIAL PLANTS; ISOTOPE SEPARATION PLANTS; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORGDP; ORNL; PLANNING; SITE SURVEYS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; Y-12 PLANT | When it was formed, DOE brought together under one program a vast variety of physical facilities, making it the second largest holder of property and facilities in civilian sector of the federal government. It is DOE's goal to use these facilities in civilian sector of the federal government. It is DOE's goal to use these facilities effectively in order to accomplish its mission efficiently. To carry out this mission site planning and management have been determined to be critical. DOE's Oak Ridge Reservation contains three major facilities: the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP), for enriching uranium; the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), for energy research and development and defense; and the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant (OR Y-12 Plant), for weapons production. Despite the short amount of time taken for development of these facilities, they have continued to expand and develop over the past 40 years to represent a current investment of over $3.1 billion in plant equipment. It has only been in the past few years that serious effort has been devoted to site planning, reflecting a change in thinking toward long-range planning and utilization of these permanent facilities. Other facilities that impact the resources and thus the planning for the reservation include the following: (1) the Demonstration Reprocessing Plant, part of the Consolidated Fuel Reprocessing Program; (2) the ELMO Bumpy Torus Proof-of-Principle device; (3) the Fusion Engineering Device; (4) the Waste Heat Utilization System; (5) the National Environmental Research Park; (6) the Comparative Animal Research Laboratory; (7) the Centralized Waste Storage Facility; and (8) the Synthetic Fuels Plant. 18 references, 20 figures, 3 tables. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1984-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6191660 | ||
| Benefits of a Biological Monitoring Program for Assessing Remediation Performance and Long-Term Stewardship | Peterson, Mark J | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; BMAP; MONITORING; PERFORMANCE; WASTE MANAGEMENT | No abstract prepared. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL work for others | United States | 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1045847 | |
| Introduction to the Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program | Peterson, Mark J | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL work for others | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s00267-011-9627-2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1025819 | ||
| Sources of mercury to a contaminated stream - implications for time scale of effective remediation | Southworth, George R; Brooks, Scott C; Greeley, Jr, Mark Stephen; Ketelle, Richard H; Peterson, Mark J; Mathews, Teresa J | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL work for others; SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2013-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1072986 | |||
| Ecologic assessment of closure options for Savannah River Plant waste sites | 052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage; 054000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Health & Safety; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; COMPILED DATA; DATA; DECOMMISSIONING; EVALUATION; FEDERAL REGION IV; FLOW RATE; GROUND DISPOSAL; GROUND WATER; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; INFORMATION; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; NUMERICAL DATA; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PONDS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SAMPLING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SEDIMENTS; SETTLING PONDS; SOILS; SOUTH CAROLINA; SURFACE WATERS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER | The report contains ecologic analyses of closure options for each of 26 functional groups of waste sites at SRP. Some of these waste sites have historically received hazardous, radioactive, or mixed wastes. SRP has been a designated National Environmental Research Park since 1972. In addition, the effect of 30 years of restricted public access has been to make the SRP, in a sense, a wildlife refuge. Contemporaneously with restricted access and production of strategic nuclear materials, there have been increases in wildlife populations, extensive pine planting, and return of formerly agricultural land to natural succession. In preparing this report, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) utilized data for contaminants in groundwater, surface waters, basin sediments, and waste site soils collected by various contractors and provided by du Pont. In addition, the ecologic assessments are based upon PATHRAE ground water transport modeling performed by Rogers and Associates Engineering, and a stream dilution modeling methodology adopted by du Pont. SAIC did not perform field work in the course of the assessment, but did visit the major sites for cursory visual inspection and examined aerial photographs of waste sites and surrounding terrain. 111 refs., 22 figs., 163 tabs. | Science Applications International Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (USA) | United States | 1987-04-17T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6817318 | |||
| Monitoring Fish Contaminant Responses to Abatement Actions: Factors That Affect Recovery | Southworth, George R | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL work for others | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s00267-011-9637-0 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1068729 | ||
| Mercury Issues and Complexities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee: Redefining the Conceptual Model | Peterson, Mark J; Looney, Brian; Southworth, George R; Eddy-Dilek, Carol; Watson, David B; Ketelle, Richard | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; MERCURY; TENNESSEE; WASTE MANAGEMENT | No abstract prepared. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | EM USDOE - Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) | United States | 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1045848 | |
| Long-term Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Monitoring to Assess Pollution Abatement Effectiveness | Smith, John G; Christensen, Sigurd W; Brandt, Craig C | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL work for others | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s00267-010-9610-3 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1038777 | ||
| Forest soil carbon oxidation state and oxidative ratio responses to elevated CO2 | Hockaday, William C.; Gallagher, Morgan E.; Masiello, Caroline A.; Baldock, Jeffrey A.; Iversen, Colleen M.; Norby, Richard J. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; carbon cycle; carbon oxidation state; elevated carbon dioxide; oxidative ratio; respiratory quotient; soil organic matter | The oxidative ratio (OR) of the biosphere is the stoichiometric ratio (O2/CO2) of gas exchange by photosynthesis and respiration a key parameter in budgeting calculations of the land and ocean carbon sinks. Carbon cycle-climate feedbacks could alter the OR of the biosphere by affecting the quantity and quality of organic matter in plant biomass and soil carbon pools. Here, this study considers the effect of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations ([CO2]) on the OR of a hardwood forest after nine growing seasons of Free-Air CO2 Enrichment. We measured changes in the carbon oxidation state (Cox) of biomass and soil carbon pools as a proxy for the ecosystem OR. The OR of net primary production, 1.039, was not affected by elevated [CO2]. However, the Cox of the soil carbon pool was 40% higher at elevated [CO2], and the estimated OR values for soil respiration increased from 1.006 at ambient [CO2] to 1.054 at elevated [CO2]. A biochemical inventory of the soil organic matter ascribed the increases in Cox and OR to faster turnover of reduced substrates, lignin and lipids, at elevated [CO2]. This implicates the heterotrophic soil community response to elevated [CO2] as a driver of disequilibrium in the ecosystem OR. The oxidation of soil carbon pool constitutes an unexpected terrestrial O2 sink. Carbon budgets constructed under the assumption of OR equilibrium would equate such a terrestrial O2 sink to CO2 uptake by the ocean. We find that the potential for climate-driven disequilibriua in the cycling of O2 and CO2 warrants further investigation. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | NSF; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23) | United States | 2015-09-21T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/2015JG003010 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1328279 |
| A belowground perspective on the drought sensitivity of forests: Towards improved understanding and simulation | Phillips, Richard P.; Ibanez, Ines; DâOrangeville, Loic; Hanson, Paul J.; Ryan, Michael G.; McDowell, Nathan G. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Earth system models; drought resilience; ecosystem modeling; land surface models; rooting strategies; water stress | Predicted increases in the frequency and intensity of droughts across the temperate biome have highlighted the need to examine the extent to which forests may differ in their sensitivity to water stress. At present, a rich body of literature exists on how leaf- and stem-level physiology influence tree drought responses; however, less is known regarding the dynamic interactions that occur below ground between roots and soil physical and biological factors. Hence, there is a need to better understand how and why processes occurring below ground influence forest sensitivity to drought. Here, we review what is known about tree speciesâ below ground strategies for dealing with drought, and how physical and biological characteristics of soils interact with rooting strategies to influence forest sensitivity to drought. Then, we highlight how a below ground perspective of drought can be used in models to reduce uncertainty in predicting the ecosystem consequences of droughts in forests. Lastly, we describe the challenges and opportunities associated with managing forests under conditions of increasing drought frequency and intensity, and explain how a below ground perspective on drought may facilitate improved forest management. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2016-09-13T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.foreco.2016.08.043 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1329147 |
| Using Ecosystem Experiments to Improve Vegetation Models | Medlyn, Belinda; Zaehle, S; DeKauwe, Martin G.; Walker, Anthony P.; Dietze, Michael; Hanson, Paul J.; Hickler, Thomas; Jain, Atul; Luo, Yiqi; Parton, William; Prentice, I. Collin; Thornton, Peter E.; Wang, Shusen; Wang, Yingping; Weng, Ensheng; Iversen, Colleen M.; McCarthy, Heather R.; Warren, Jeffrey; Oren, Ram; Norby, Richard J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES | Ecosystem responses to rising CO2 concentrations are a major source of uncertainty in climate change projections. Data from ecosystem-scale Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiments provide a unique opportunity to reduce this uncertainty. The recent FACE ModelâData Synthesis project aimed to use the information gathered in two forest FACE experiments to assess and improve land ecosystem models. A new 'assumption-centred' model intercomparison approach was used, in which participating models were evaluated against experimental data based on the ways in which they represent key ecological processes. Identifying and evaluating the main assumptions caused differences among models, and the assumption-centered approach produced a clear roadmap for reducing model uncertainty. We explain this approach and summarize the resulting research agenda. We encourage the application of this approach in other model intercomparison projects to fundamentally improve predictive understanding of the Earth system. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2015-05-21T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/nclimate2621 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1209205 |
| Habitat availability and animal community characteristics | Seagle, S W; Shugart, H H; West, D C | 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ANIMALS; COMMUNITIES; COMPETITION; DATA; ECOLOGY; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FORESTS; HABITAT; INFORMATION; MAMMALS; MICE; NUMERICAL DATA; RODENTS; SHREWS; VERTEBRATES | The microhabitat utilization and niche characteristics of Peromyscus leucopus, Ochrotomys nuttalli, and Blarina brevicauda were examined within a pine plantation on the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park (NERP) in East Tennessee. Although general microhabitat utilization was the same, niche parameters (such as niche breadth) for each species varied between two study grids, apparently in response to differing understory density. Specialization is thus proposed to be a function of local microhabitat structure. Removal of the generalist species, P. leucopus, from one grid while maintaining the other as a control elicited a significant microhabitat shift and increase in niche breadth by O. nuttalli. B. brevicauda displayed a slight but nonsignificant microhabitat shift and increased niche breadth. These results are a counter example to the hypothesis that generalist species are poor competitors. Spatial microhabitat heterogeneity created by plant secondary succession and extrinsic disturbances such as tree blow-down is suggested to allow coexistence of these species by altering competitive abilities or microhabitat selection at a small spatial scale. Since interspecific competition affects small mammal niche characteristics, two hypotheses to explain the relative abundances of coexisting animal species are examined. Analysis of the small mammal fauna of the Oak Ridge NERP indicates that habitat availability, not niche breadth, is a good predictor of abundance. This result is discussed in the context of habitat dynamics and the evolutionary history of the species. 103 references, 10 figures, 10 tables. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1984-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6272235 | ||
| Power Cycle Testing of Power Switches: A Literature Survey | GopiReddy, Lakshmi Reddy; Tolbert, Leon M.; Ozpineci, Burak | 42 ENGINEERING; FAILURE; Failure mechanisms; HEALTH MANAGEMENT; IGBT MODULES; LIFETIME; PHYSICS; RELIABILITY; SYSTEM; TECHNOLOGIES; TRACTION; lifetime estimation; physics of failure; power cycling; precursor indicators; semiconductor reliability | Reliability of power converters and lifetime prediction has been a major topic of research in the last few decades, especially for traction applications. The main failures in high power semiconductors are caused by thermomechanical fatigue. Power cycling and temperature cycling are the two most common thermal acceleration tests used in assessing reliability. The objective of this paper is to study the various power cycling tests found in the literature and to develop generalized steps in planning application specific power cycling tests. A comparison of different tests based on the failures, duration, test circuits, and monitored electrical parameters is presented. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE; NSF | United States | 2014-09-18T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1109/TPEL.2014.2359015 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1325461 |
| Plant root distributions and nitrogen-uptake efficiency predicted by an hypothesis of optimal root foraging | McMurtrie, Ross; Iversen, Colleen M; Dewar, Roderick C; Medlyn, Belinda; Nasholm, Torgny; Norby, Richard J | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/ece3.266 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1081908 | ||
| Where does the carbon go? A model-data intercomparison of vegetation carbon allocation and turnover processes at two temperate forest free-air CO2 enrichment sites. | DeKauwe, Martin G; Medlyn, Belinda; Zaehle, S; Walker, Anthony P; Dietze, Michael; Wang, Yingping; Luo, Yiqi; Jain, Atul; El-Masri, Bassil; Hickler, Thomas; Warlind, David; Weng, Ensheng; Parton, William; Thornton, Peter E; Wang, Shusen; Prentice, I. Collin; Asao, Shinichi; Smith, Benjamin; McCarthy, Heather R; Iversen, Colleen M; Hanson, Paul J; Warren, Jeffrey; Oren, Ram; Norby, Richard J | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2014-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/nph.12847 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1136832 | ||
| Evaluation of eleven terrestrial carbon-nitrogen cycle models against observations from two temperate Free-Air CO2 Enrichment Studies | Zaehle, S; Medlyn, Belinda; DeKauwe, Martin G; Walker, Anthony P; Dietze, Michael; Hickler, Thomas; Luo, Yiqi; Wang, Yingping; El-Masri, Bassil; Thornton, Peter E; Jain, Atul; Wang, Shusen; Warlind, David; Weng, Ensheng; Parton, William; Iversen, Colleen M; Gallet-budynek, Anne; McCarthy, Heather R; Finzi, Adrien C; Hanson, Paul J; Prentice, I. Collin; Oren, Ram; Norby, Richard J | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2014-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/nph.12697 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1133548 | ||
| Can geoengineering be green? | Marland, Gregg | 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; ENERGY CONSERVATION; ENGINEERING; ORNL | No abstract prepared. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-09-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015073 | |
| Organic-matter decomposition along a temperature gradient in a forested headwater stream | Griffiths, Natalie A.; Tiegs, Scott D. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES | Here, we used a natural temperature gradient in Walker Branch, a spring-fed forested stream in eastern Tennessee, USA, to examine the influence of temperature on organic-matter decomposition. These upstream sites are warmer than downstream sites in winter and are cooler than downstream sites in summer. We used a cotton-strip assay to examine breakdown of a substrate of uniform quality (95% cellulose) along the temperature gradient monthly for 2 y and litter bags to examine the interactive effects of leaf-litter quality (labile red maple [Acer rubrum] and tulip poplar [Liriodendron tulipifera], and less labile white oak [Quercus alba]), invertebrates, and temperature on breakdown rates along the downstream temperature gradient for 90 d in winter. Cotton-strip tensile loss and leaf-litter breakdown rates were highly variable. Tensile-loss rates likely were driven by a combination of daily and diel temperature, discharge, streamwater nutrients that varied seasonally and spatially along the temperature gradient. Leaf litter breakdown rates tended to be faster in warmer upstream sites (red maple = 0.0452/d, tulip poplar = 0.0376/d, white oak = 0.0142/d) and slower in cooler downstream sites (red maple = 0.0312/d, tulip poplar = 0.0236/d, white oak = 0.0107/d), and breakdown rates were positively correlated with total invertebrate density. Furthermore, temperature sensitivity of decomposition was similar among the 3 litter types. These results highlight the high degree of spatial and temporal heterogeneity that can exist for ecosystem processes and their drivers. Quantifying this heterogeneity is important when scaling functional metrics to stream and watershed scales and for understanding how organic-matter processing will respond to the warmer streamwater temperatures expected as a result of global climate change. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2016-02-11T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1086/685657 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1325411 |
| Litterfall 15N Abundance Indicates Declining Soil Nitrogen Availability in a Free Air CO2 Enrichment Experiment | Garten, Jr, Charles T; Iversen, Colleen M; Norby, Richard J | doi:10.1890/10-0293.1 | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1890/10-0293.1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1081636 | |
| VARIATION IN FOLIAR NITROGEN AND ALBEDO IN RESPONSE TO NITROGEN FERTILIZATION AND ELEVATED CO2 | Wicklein, Haley F; Ollinger, S. V.; Martin, Mary M; Hollinger, D.; Lepine, Lucie C; Day, Michelle C; Bartlett, Megan K; Richardson, Andrew D.; Norby, Richard J | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL work for others | United States | 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s00442-012-2263-6 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1081799 | ||
| Spatiotemporal patterns of evapotranspiration in response to multiple environmental factors simulated by the Community Land Model | Shi, Xiaoying; Mao, Jiafu; Thornton, Peter E; Huang, Maoyi; Hoffman, Forrest | In this study, spatial and temporal patterns of evapotranspiration (ET) over the period of 1982-2008 are investigated and attributed to multiple environmental factors using the Community Land Model version 4 (CLM4). Our results show that CLM4 captures the spatial distribution and interannual variability of ET well when compared to observation-based estimates derived from the FLUXNET network of eddy covariance towers using the model tree ensembles (MTE) approach. We find that climate trends and variability dominate predicted variability in ET. Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration also plays an important role in modulating the trend of predicted ET over most land areas, and functions as the dominant factor controlling ET changes over North America, South America and Asia regions. Compared to the effect of climate change and CO2 concentration, the roles of other factors such as nitrogen deposition, land use change and aerosol deposition are less pronounced and regionally dependent. For example, the aerosol deposition contribution is the third-most important factor for trends of ET over Europe, while it has the smallest impact on ET trend over other regions. As ET is a dominant component of the terrestrial water cycle, our results suggest that environmental factors like elevated CO2, nitrogen and aerosol depositions, and land use and land cover change, in addition to climate, could have significant impact on future projections of water resources and water cycle dynamics at global and regional scales. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2013-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1088/1748-9326/8/2/024012 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1092248 | |
| Forest water use and water use efficiency at elevated CO2: a model-data intercomparison at two contrasting temperate forest FACE sites | DeKauwe, Martin G; Medlyn, Belinda; Zaehle, S; Walker, Anthony P; Dietze, Michael; Hickler, Thomas; Jain, Atul; Luo, Yiqi; Parton, William; Prentice, I. Collin; Smith, Benjamin; Thornton, Peter E; Wang, Shusen; Wang, Yingping; Warlind, David; Weng, Ensheng; Crous, Kristine; Ellsworth, David; Hanson, Paul J; Seok-Kim, Hyun; Warren, Jeffrey; Oren, Ram; Norby, Richard J | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2013-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/gcb.12164 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1088147 | ||
| ARM CLIMATE MODELING BEST ESTIMATE DATA A New Data Product for Climate Studies | Xie, Shaocheng; McCord, Raymond A; Palanisamy, Giri; Clothiaux, Eugene E; Long, Charles N; Mather, James H; McFarlane, Sally A; Shi, Yan; Golaz, Jean-Christophe; Lin, Yanluan; Wiscombe, Warren J; Jensen, Michael P; Johnson, Karen L; Turner, David D | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLIMATES; CLOUDS; SIMULATION | No abstract prepared. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1175/2009BAMS2891.1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015725 |
| Detection and analysis of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) in environmental samples by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy | Hatab, Nahla A; Gu, Baohua; Eres, Gyula; Hatzinger, Paul B | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; DETECTION; GOLD; RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY; RDX; SCATTERING; SECURITY; SENSITIVITY; SERS detection; SPECTROSCOPY; SUBSTRATES; explosives; gold nanoparticles; groundwater | Techniques for rapid and sensitive detection of energetics such as cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) are needed both for environmental and security screening applications. Here we report the use of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy to detect traces of RDX with good sensitivity and reproducibility. Using gold (Au) nanoparticles ( 90 100 nm in diameter) as SERS substrates, RDX was detectable at concentrations as low as 0.15 mg/l in a contaminated groundwater sample. This detection limit is about two orders of magnitude lower than those reported previously using SERS techniques. A surface enhancement factor of 6 104 was obtained. This research further demonstrates the potential for using SERS as a rapid, in situ field screening tool for energetics detection when coupled with a portable Raman spectrometer. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-10-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/jrs.2574 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015739 |
| Can we reconcile atmospheric estimates of the Northern terrestrial carbon sink with land-based accounting? | Ciais, Philippe; Luyssaert, Sebastiaan; Chevallier, Fredric; Poussi, Zegbeu; Peylin, Philippe; Breon, Francois-Marie; Canadell, J G; Shvidenko, Anatoly; Jonas, Matthias; King, Anthony Wayne; Schulze, E -D; Roedenbeck, Christian; Piao, Shilong; Peters, Wouter | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ACCURACY; CARBON SINKS; DISTRIBUTION; NORTHERN HEMISPHERE; SLOWING-DOWN; TEMPERATURE INVERSIONS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS | We estimatethenorthernhemisphere(NH)terrestrialcarbon sink bycomparingfourrecentatmosphericinversionswith land-based Caccountingdataforsixlargenorthernregions. The meanNHterrestrialCO2 sink fromtheinversionmodelsis 1.7 PgCyear1 over theperiod2000 2004. Theuncertaintyof this estimateisbasedonthetypicalindividual(1-sigma) precision ofoneinversion(0.9PgCyear1) andisconsistent with themin max rangeofthefourinversionmeanestimates (0.8 PgCyear1). Inversionsagreewithintheiruncertaintyfor the distributionoftheNHsinkofCO2 in longitude,withRussia being thelargestsink.Theland-basedaccountingestimateof NH carbonsinkis1.7PgCyear1 for thesumofthesixregions studied. The1-sigmauncertaintyoftheland-basedestimate (0.3 PgCyear1) issmallerthanthatofatmosphericinversions, but noindependentland-basedfluxestimateisavailableto derive a betweenaccountingmodel uncertainty. Encouragingly, thetop-downatmosphericandthebottom-up land-based methodsconvergetoconsistentmeanestimates within theirrespectiveerrors,increasingtheconfidenceinthe overall budget.Theseresultsalsoconfirmthecontinuedcritical role ofNHterrestrialecosystemsinslowingdownthe atmospheric accumulationofanthropogenicCO2 | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-10-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.cosust.2010.06.008 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015078 |
| Temporal variation in the importance of a dominant consumer to stream nutrient cycling | Griffiths, Natalie A.; Hill, Walter | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES | Animal excretion can be a significant nutrient flux within ecosystems, where it supports primary production and facilitates microbial decomposition of organic matter. The effects of excretory products on nutrient cycling have been documented for various species and ecosystems, but temporal variation in these processes is poorly understood. We examined variation in excretion rates of a dominant grazing snail, Elimia clavaeformis, and its contribution to nutrient cycling, over the course of 14 months in a well-studied, low-nutrient stream (Walker Branch, east Tennessee, USA). Biomass-specific excretion rates of ammonium varied over twofold during the study, coinciding with seasonal changes in food availability (measured as gross primary production) and water temperature (multiple linear regression, R2 = 0.57, P = 0.053). The contribution of ammonium excretion to nutrient cycling varied with seasonal changes in both biological (that is, nutrient uptake rate) and physical (that is, stream flow) variables. On average, ammonium excretion accounted for 58% of stream water ammonium concentrations, 26% of whole-stream nitrogen demand, and 66% of autotrophic nitrogen uptake. Phosphorus excretion by Elimia was contrastingly low throughout the year, supplying only 1% of total dissolved phosphorus concentrations. The high average N:P ratio (89:1) of snail excretion likely exacerbated phosphorus limitation in Walker Branch. To fully characterize animal excretion rates and effects on ecosystem processes, multiple measurements through time are necessary, especially in ecosystems that experience strong seasonality. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2014-06-19T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s10021-014-9785-1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1159990 |
| Thermal workshop revives interest in water temperatures | Coutant, Charles C | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; FISHERIES; TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT; TEMPERATURE MONITORING; WATER; WELL TEMPERATURE | No abstract prepared. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1014265 | |
| Vegetation types and surface soils of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory site | McBride, R; French, N R; Dahl, A H; Detmer, J E | 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOMASS; CLASSIFICATION; DATA COMPILATION; ENERGY SOURCES; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; MAPS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PHOTOGRAPHY; PLANTS; REACTOR SITES; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; SOILS; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | In 1956 the newly formed Ecology Branch of the Atomic Energy Commission's (AEC) National Reactor Testing Station (NRTS), now called the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), under the Department of Energy, initiated a project, using aerial photos taken in 1949, 1953, and 1954 to prepare a vegetation map of the site. This area was designated a National Environmental Research Park (NERP) in 1975. The first map prepared by N. R. French and Ray McBride was produced in 1958, and differentiated vegetation types on the basis of the two most prominent species of plants occurring in each type. This map gave adequate resolution between major vegetation types only in the complex mosaic of types at the northern end of the site, designating everything else as one homogeneous vegetation classification: Artemisia tridentata (big sagebrush) and Chrysothamnus viscidifluorus (green rabbitbrush). To improve the resolution of the vegetation map and thereby make it more useful in distinguishing habitats in all parts of the site, efforts were immediately begun to reclassify the vegetation types on the basis of the three (instead of two) most prominent species of plants representative of each type. This effort was continued on a low-priority basis for several years. In 1965 a vegetation map, according to the three species designation, was prepared by Ray McBride. The map was never documented in a formal report, but was reproduced in a thesis by Harniss (1968) and was referenced by Harniss and West (1973a) in their outline of the vegetation types of the NRTS. It is the purpose of this report to document the original vegetation type map prepared by the late Ray McBride and to provide general descriptions of the different vegetation types. The map has been revised and redrawn, and is appended to this report. Because vegetation is intimately related to soil development, a preliminary soil type map prepared and discussed by Adrian H. Dahl is included in this report. | Department of Energy, Idaho Falls, ID (USA). Idaho Operations Office | United States | 1978-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6655390 | ||
| Climate control of terrestrial carbon exchange across biomes and continents | Ricciuto, Daniel M; Gu, Lianhong | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBON CYCLE; CARBON DIOXIDE; CLIMATES; ECOSYSTEMS; SENSITIVITY; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS | Understanding the relationships between climate and carbon exchange by terrestrial ecosystems is critical to predict future levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide because of the potential accelerating effects of positive climate carbon cycle feedbacks. However, directly observed relationships between climate and terrestrial CO2 exchange with the atmosphere across biomes and continents are lacking. Here we present data describing the relationships between net ecosystem exchange of carbon (NEE) and climate factors as measured using the eddy covariance method at 125 unique sites in various ecosystems over six continents with a total of 559 site-years. We find that NEE observed at eddy covariance sites is (1) a strong function of mean annual temperature at mid- and high-latitudes, (2) a strong function of dryness at mid- and low-latitudes, and (3) a function of both temperature and dryness around the mid-latitudinal belt (45 N). The sensitivity of NEE to mean annual temperature breaks down at ~ 16 C (a threshold value of mean annual temperature), above which no further increase of CO2 uptake with temperature was observed and dryness influence overrules temperature influence. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-07-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015731 | |
| Effects of climate change, land-use change, and invasive species on the ecology of the Cumberland forests | Dale, Virginia H; Lannom, Karen O; Hodges, Donald G; Tharp, M Lynn; Fogel, Jonah | Effects of climate change, land-use change, and invasive species on the ecology of the Cumberland forests | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-02-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1139/X08-172 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015057 | |
| Elevated CO2 increases tree-level intrinsic water use efficiency: insights from carbon and oxygen isotope analyses in tree rings across three forest FACE sites | Battipaglia, Giovanna; Saurer, Matthias; Cherubini, Paulo; Califapietra, Carlo; McCarthy, Heather R; Norby, Richard J; Cotrufo, M. Francesca | Elevated CO2 increases intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi) of forests, but the magnitude of this effect and its interaction with climate is still poorly understood. We combined tree ring analysis with isotope measurements at three Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE, POP-EUROFACE, in Italy; Duke FACE in North Carolina and ORNL in Tennessee, USA) sites, to cover the entire life of the trees. We used 13C to assess carbon isotope discrimination ( 13C ci/ca) and changes in WUEi, while direct CO2 effects on stomatal conductance were explored using 18O as a proxy. Across all the sites, elevated CO2 increased 13C-derived WUEi on average by 73% for Liquidambar styraciflua, 77% for Pinus taeda and 75% for Populus sp., but through different ecophysiological mechanisms. Our findings provide a robust means of predicting WUEi responses from a variety of tree species exposed to variable environmental conditions over time, and species-specific relationships that can help modeling elevated CO2 and climate impacts on forest productivity, carbon and water balances. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2013-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/nph.12044 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1062607 | |
| Symmetry Properties of Single-Walled BC2N Nanotubes | Pan, Hui; Feng, Yuan Ping; Lin, Jainyi | 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; 77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; BC2N nanotubes - Symmetry - Group theory; BORON NITRIDES; CARBON; NANOTUBES; PHONONS; SYMMETRY; VECTORS | The symmetry properties of the single-walled BC2N nanotubes were investigated. All the BC2N nanotubes possess nonsymmorphic line groups. In contrast with the carbon and boron nitride nanotubes, armchair and zigzag BC2N nanotubes belong to different line groups, depending on the index n (even or odd) and the vector chosen. The number of Raman- active phonon modes is almost twice that of the infrared-active phonon modes for all kinds of BC2N nanotubes. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-06-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s11671-009-9272-3 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015098 |
| The development and application of the chemical mixture methodology in analysis of potential health impacts from airborne release in emergencies | Yu, Xiao-Ying; Glantz, Clifford S; Trott, Donna M; Bouslaugh, Philip; Petrocchi, Achille J; Craig, Douglas K; Bond, Jayne-Anne; TuccinardiJr, Thomas E; Ciolek, John; Lu, Po-Yung | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/jat.1558 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015079 | ||
| Update on CO2 emissions | Friedingstein, P; Houghton, R A; Marland, Gregg; Hackler, J; Boden, Thomas A; Conway, T J; Canadell, J G; Raupach, Mike; Ciais, Philippe; Le Quere, Corrine | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; DEFORESTATION; ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; ECONOMICS; FORESTS; FOSSIL FUELS; LAND USE | Emissions of CO2 are the main contributor to anthropogenic climate change. Here we present updated information on their present and near-future estimates. We calculate that global CO2 emissions from fossil fuel burning decreased by 1.3% in 2009 owing to the global financial and economic crisis that started in 2008; this is half the decrease anticipated a year ago1. If economic growth proceeds as expected2, emissions are projected to increase by more than 3% in 2010, approaching the high emissions growth rates that were observed from 2000 to 20081, 3, 4. We estimate that recent CO2 emissions from deforestation and other land-use changes (LUCs) have declined compared with the 1990s, primarily because of reduced rates of deforestation in the tropics5 and a smaller contribution owing to forest regrowth elsewhere. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-12-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/ngeo1022 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015075 |
| Technique for rapid establishment of American lotus in remediation efforts | Ryon, M. G.; Jett, R. T.; McCracken, M. K.; Morris, G. W.; Roy, W. K.; Fortner, A. M.; Goins, K. N.; Riazi, A. S. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Wetland; planting; pond; propagation; restoration | A technique for increasing the establishment rate of American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) and simplifying planting was developed as part of a pond remediation project. Lotus propagation techniques typically require scarification of the seed, germination in heated water, and planting in nursery containers. Then mature (~ 1 yr) nursery-grown stock is transferred to planting site or scarified seed are broadcast applied. Mature plants should grow more quickly, but can be sensitive to handling, require more time to plant, and cost more. Scarified seeds are easier to plant and inexpensive, but have a lag time in growth, can fail to germinate, and can be difficult to site precisely. We developed an intermediate technique using small burlap bags that makes planting easier, provides greater germination success, and avoids lag time in growth. Data on survival and growth from experiments using mature stock, scarified seeds, and bag lotus demonstrate that bag lotus grow rapidly in a variety of conditions, have a high survival rate, can be processed and planted easily and quickly, and are very suitable for a variety of remediation projects | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL work for others | United States | 2013-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.3368/npj.14.1.33 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1068073 |
| Application of a Rule-Based Model to Estimate Mercury Exchange for Three Background Biomes in the Continental United States | Hartman, Jelena S; Weisberg, Peter J; Pillai, Rekha; Ericksen, Joey A; Gustin, Mae S; Kuiken, Todd; Zhang, Hong; Lindberg, Steven Eric; Rytuba, J J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; DESERTS; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS; MERCURY; RANGELANDS; RECOMMENDATIONS; SAMPLING; SOILS; SURFACE AREA; WASHOUT | Ecosystems that have low mercury (Hg) concentrations (i.e., not enriched or impacted by geologic or anthropogenic processes) cover most of the terrestrial surface area of the earth yet their role as a net source or sink for atmospheric Hg is uncertain. Here we use empirical data to develop a rule-based model implemented within a geographic information system framework to estimate the spatial and temporal patterns of Hg flux for semiarid deserts, grasslands, and deciduous forests representing 45% of the continental United States. This exercise provides an indication of whether these ecosystems are a net source or sink for atmospheric Hg as well as a basis for recommendation of data to collect in future field sampling campaigns. Results indicated that soil alone was a small net source of atmospheric Hg and that emitted Hg could be accounted for based on Hg input by wet deposition. When foliar assimilation and wet deposition are added to the area estimate of soil Hg flux these biomes are a sink for atmospheric Hg. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-07-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1021/es900075q | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015093 |
| Belowground fate of 15N injected into sweetgum trees (Liquidambar styraciflua) at the ORNL FACE experiment | Garten, Jr, Charles T; Brice, Deanne Jane | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AVAILABILITY; BIOMASS; CARBON DIOXIDE; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; NITROGEN; NITROGEN 15; ORGANIC MATTER; ORNL; PARTICULATES; PRODUCTION; SOILS; SULFATES; TREES | doi:10.1002/rcm.4227 | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/rcm.4227 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/963389 |
| Role of N2-fixation in constructed old-field communities under different regimes of [CO2], temperature, and water availability | Garten, Jr, Charles T; Classen, Aimee T; Norby, Richard J; Brice, Deanne Jane; Weltzin, Jake | doi:10.1007/s10021-007-9112-1 | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2008-02-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s10021-007-9112-1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930899 | |
| Analyzing Impact of Intermodal Facilities on Design and Management of Biofuel Supply Chain | Eksioglu, Sandra D; Li, Song; Zhang, Shu; Petrolia, Daniel; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AVAILABILITY; BIOFUELS; BIOMASS; BUSINESS; CAPACITY; CARGO; DECISION MAKING; DESIGN; DISTRIBUTION; MANAGEMENT; PROCESSING; PRODUCTION; SCHEDULES; TESTING | The impact of an intermodal facility on location and transportation decisions for biofuel production plants is analyzed. Location decisions affect the management of the inbound and outbound logistics of a plant. This supply chain design and management problem is modeled as a mixed integer program. Input data for this model are location of intermodal facilities and available transportation modes, cost and cargo capacity for each transportation mode, geographical distribution of biomass feedstock and production yields, and biomass processing and inventory costs. Outputs from this model are the number, location, and capacity of biofuel production plants. For each plant, the transportation mode used, timing of shipments, shipment size, inventory size, and production schedule that minimize the delivery cost of biofuel are determined. The model proposed in this research can be used as a decision-making tool for investors in the biofuels industry since it estimates the real cost of the business. The state of Mississippi is considered as the testing grounds for the model. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-09-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.3141/2191-18 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015066 |
| Desert dust and anthropogenic aerosol interactions in the Community Climate System Model coupled-carbon-climate model | Mahowald, Natalie; Rothenberg, D; Lindsay, Keith; Doney, Scott C; Moore, Jefferson Keith; Randerson, James T; Thornton, Peter E; Jones, C D | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AEROSOLS; BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; CARBON CYCLE; CLIMATES; DEPOSITION; DESERTS; DUSTS; FEEDBACK; IRON; NITROGEN CYCLE; PRODUCTIVITY; SENSITIVITY; TRANSIENTS | Coupled-carbon-climate simulations are an essential tool for predicting the impact of human activity onto the climate and biogeochemistry. Here we incorporate prognostic desert dust and anthropogenic aerosols into the CCSM3.1 coupled carbon-climate model and explore the resulting interactions with climate and biogeochemical dynamics through a series of transient anthropogenic simulations (20th and 21st centuries) and sensitivity studies. The inclusion of prognostic aerosols into this model has a small net global cooling effect on climate but does not significantly impact the globally averaged carbon cycle; we argue that this is likely to be because the CCSM3.1 model has a small climate feedback onto the carbon cycle. We propose a mechanism for including desert dust and anthropogenic aerosols into a simple carbon-climate feedback analysis to explain the results of our and previous studies. Inclusion of aerosols has statistically significant impacts on regional climate and biogeochemistry, in particular through the effects on the ocean nitrogen cycle and primary productivity of altered iron inputs from desert dust deposition. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2011-02-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.5194/bg-8-387-2011 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015083 |
| A new species of antipatharian coral (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia: Schizopathidae) from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica | Opresko, D. M.; Breedy, Odalisca | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES | There is a new species of black coral, Aphanipathes colombiana (Cnidaria:Antipatharia) from the Caribbean coast of Colombia is described. Furthermore, the species forms small flabellate colonies with anisomorphic polypar spines. It is morphologically similar to the western Atlantic species A. thyoides (Pourtales) but its hypostomal polypar spines are not reduced in size. The new species also resembles the Indo-Pacific species A. reticulata van Pesch but it has smooth-surfaced polypar spines, whereas in A. reticulata these spines have small tubercles on their surface | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-09-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.2988/10-06.1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015741 |
| Forest biomass supply logistics for a power plant using the discrete-event simulation approach | Mobini, Mahdi; Sowlati, T; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine | Bioenergy; Biofuel; Forest biomass; IBSAL; Simulation; Supply chain | This study investigates the logistics of supplying forest biomass to a potential power plant. Due to the complexities in such a supply logistics system, a simulation model based on the framework of Integrated Biomass Supply Analysis and Logistics (IBSAL) is developed in this study to evaluate the cost of delivered forest biomass, the equilibrium moisture content, and carbon emissions from the logistics operations. The model is applied to a proposed case of 300 MW power plant in Quesnel, BC, Canada. The results show that the biomass demand of the power plant would not be met every year. The weighted average cost of delivered biomass to the gate of the power plant is about C$ 90 per dry tonne. Estimates of equilibrium moisture content of delivered biomass and CO2 emissions resulted from the processes are also provided. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2011-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.apenergy.2010.10.016 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015082 |
| Distributed Grooming in Multi-Domain IP/MPLS-DWDM Networks | Liu, Qing | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; COMPUTER NETWORKS; PERFORMANCE; ROUTING; SIMULATION | This paper studies distributed multi-domain, multilayer provisioning (grooming) in IP/MPLS-DWDM networks. Although many multi-domain studies have emerged over the years, these have primarily considered 'homogeneous' network layers. Meanwhile, most grooming studies have assumed idealized settings with 'global' link state across all layers. Hence there is a critical need to develop practical distributed grooming schemes for real-world networks consisting of multiple domains and technology layers. Along these lines, a detailed hierarchical framework is proposed to implement inter-layer routing, distributed grooming, and setup signaling. The performance of this solution is analyzed in detail using simulation studies and future work directions are also high-lighted. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-12-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017343 | |
| Season mediates herbivore effects on litter and soil microbial abundance and activity in a semi-arid woodland | Classen, Aimee T; Hart, Stephen C; Whitham, Thomas G | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s11104-007-9277-6 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931831 | ||
| Scientific Opportunities for Monitoring of Environmental Remediation Sites (SOMERS) | Bunn, Amoret L; Wellman, Dawn M.; Deeb, Rula A; Hawley, Elisabeth L; Truex, Michael J; Peterson, Mark J; Freshley, Mark D; Pierce, Eric M; Mccord, John; Young, Michael H; Gilmore, Tyler J; Miller, Rick; Miracle, Ann L; Kaback, Dawn; Eddy-Dilek, Carol; Rossabi, Joe; Lee, M Hope; Bush, Richard; Beam, Paul; Chamberlain, Grover; Gerdes, Kurt; Collazo, Yvette | The US Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for risk reduction and cleanup of its nuclear weapons complex. DOE maintains the largest cleanup program in the world, currently spanning over a million acres in 13 states. The inventory of contaminated materials includes 90 million gallons of radioactive waste, 6.4 trillion liters of groundwater, and 40 million cubic meters of soil and debris. It is not feasible to completely restore many sites to predisposal conditions. Any contamination left in place will require monitoring, engineering controls and/or land use restrictions to protect human health and environment. Research and development efforts to date have focused on improving characterization and remediation. Yet, monitoring will result in the largest life-cycle costs and will be critical to improving performance and protection. Through an inter-disciplinary effort, DOE is addressing a need to advance monitoring approaches from sole reliance on cost- and labor-intensive point-source monitoring to integrated systems-based approaches such as flux-based approaches and the use of early indicator parameters. Key objectives include identifying current scientific, technical and implementation opportunities and challenges, prioritizing science and technology strategies to meet current needs within the DOE complex for the most challenging environments, and developing an integrated and risk-informed monitoring framework. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | EM USDOE - Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) | United States | 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1081971 | ||
| Environmental Management Welcomes a New Face and Reinforces Its Focus on Science-Based Stewardship | Dale, Virginia H | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOLOGY; BOTANY; COMMUNICATIONS; DIMENSIONS; ECOLOGY; ECONOMICS; ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING; FISHERIES; FORESTS; GEOGRAPHY; HYPOTHESIS; MANAGEMENT; PLANETS; RISK ASSESSMENT; WATER QUALITY; ZOOLOGY | ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT is pleased to announce that Rebecca Efroymson will join Virginia Dale as Co-Editors-in-Chief of the journal. Dr. Efroymson brings extensive expertise in risk assessment and environmental toxicology. Her work has focused on land management, natural resources, water quality, and rare species, with recent work on benefits and risks of energy alternatives. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT has been publishing research on the management and conservation of natural resources and habitats since 1976. Articles discuss implications for an international audience and examine a scientific or management hypothesis. As a premier scientific journal in applied and cross-cutting areas, articles come from a variety of disciplines including biology, botany, climatology, earth sciences, ecology, ecological economics, environmental engineering, fisheries, forest sciences, geography, information science, law, management science, politics, public affairs, social sciences, and zoology, most often in combinations determined by the interdisciplinary topic of the study. The journal strives to improve cross-disciplinary communication by making ideas and results available to environmental practitioners from other backgrounds. The goal of ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT is to present a wide spectrum of viewpoints and approaches, and to this end the journal consists of four main sections. Forum contains addresses, editorials, comments, and opinions about environmental matters. Articles in the Profile section describe and evaluate particular case histories, events, policies, problems, or organizations and their work. Papers in the Research section present the methods and findings from empirical and model-based scientific studies. The section on Environmental Assessment is for articles that cover methods of appraisal, measurement, and comparison. Generally, the debates published in the journal's Forum help construct better environmental research or policies; Research and Assessment sections foster understanding of environmental problems and usually of their solutions; and Profile articles may contribute to either aim, or both. In the event that important differences of opinion cannot be resolved between authors and referees or readers, the Forum section may be used to present a Comment on an article that has recently been published in the journal, which may be followed by the author's Reply. The journal publishes innovative research that both identifies new problems and formulates novel solutions to well-known ones. Articles are accepted from all over the world, as the international dimension is considered especially important. Research reported in the journal ranges from environmental problems that are common to a wide variety of nations to issues that are either of global concern or not limited to national boundaries. The journal provides a way for scientists to share approaches, methods, and experiences among environmental practitioners in many countries, so that the problems and opportunities of our ever more-interdependent planet may be studied in a concerted manner. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-06-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s00267-010-9505-3 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015071 |
| How Uncertain Are Estimates of CO2 Emissions | Marland, Gregg; Hamal, Khrystyna; Jonas, Matthias | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; CARBON CYCLE; CARBON DIOXIDE; EMISSION; FOSSIL FUELS; POWER PLANTS | Can satellite or other remotely sensed data provide independent estimates - or even confirmation of existing estimates - for emissions from power plants, highways, projects, cities, countries, or groups of countries? The answer for now is no; estimates of emissions from fossil fuels are actually one of the best constrained pieces of data in analyzing the global carbon cycle. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-02-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2009.00108.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017342 |
| Impact of collection container material and holding times on sample integrity for mercury and methylmercury in water | Riscassi, Ami L; Miller, Carrie L; Brooks, Scott C | LDPE bags; holding time; mercury; methylmercury | Mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in streamwater can vary on short timescales (hourly or less) during storm flow and on a diel cycle; the frequency and timing of sampling required to accurately characterize these dynamics may be difficult to accomplish manually. Automated sampling can assist in sample collection; however use has been limited for Hg and MeHg analysis due to stability concerns of trace concentrations during extended storage times. We examined the viability of using automated samplers with disposable low-density polyethylene (LDPE) sample bags to collect industrially contaminated streamwater for unfiltered and filtered Hg and MeHg analysis. Specifically we investigated the effect of holding times ranging from hours to days on streamwater collected during baseflow and storm flow. Unfiltered and filtered Hg and MeHg concentrations decreased with increases in time prior to sample processing; holding times of 24 hours or less resulted in concentration changes (mean 11 7% different) similar to variability in duplicates collected manually during analogous field conditions (mean 7 10% different). Comparisons of samples collected with manual and automated techniques throughout a year for a wide range of stream conditions were also found to be similar to differences observed between duplicate grab samples. These results demonstrate automated sampling into LDPE bags with holding times of 24 hours or less can be effectively used to collect streamwater for Hg and MeHg analysis, and encourage the testing of these materials and methods for implementation in other aqueous systems where high-frequency sampling is warranted. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2014-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.4319/lom.2014.12.407 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1185389 |
| INFLUENCE OF COUPLED PROCESSES ON CONTAMINANT FATE AND TRANSPORT IN SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENTS | Jardine, Philip M | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; PRODUCTION; TRANSPORT; WASTE DISPOSAL; WEAPONS | The following chapter emphasizes subsurface environmental research investigations over the past 10 to 15 years that couple hydrological, geochemical, and biological processes as related to contaminant fate and transport. An attempt is made to focus on field-scale studies with possible reference to laboratory-scale endeavors. Much of the research discussed reflects investigations of the influence of coupled processes on the fate and transport of inorganic, radionuclide, and organic contaminants in subsurface environments as a result of natural processes or energy and weapons production endeavors that required waste disposal. The chapter provides on overview of the interaction between hydro-bio-geochemical processes in structured, heterogeneous subsurface environments and how these interactions control contaminant fate and transport, followed by experimental and numerical subsurface science research and case studies involving specific classes of inorganic and organic contaminants. Lastly, thought provoking insights are highlighted on why the study of subsurface coupled processes is paramount to understanding potential future contaminant fate and transport issues of global concern. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/S0065-2113(08)00401-X | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034666 |
| Switchgrass selection as a model" bioenergy crop: A history of the process""" | Wright, Lynn L; Turhollow, Jr, Anthony F | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOFUELS; CROPS; Crop yields; ECONOMICS; Environmental issues; FOCUSING; Herbaceous energy crops; Lignocellulosic; NUTRIENTS; PRODUCTIVITY; Panicum virgatum; REEDS; SOILS; SWITCHGRASS; Sorghum bicolor; WATER; Weather | A review of several publications of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Biofuels Feedstock Development Program and final reports from the herbaceous crop screening trials show that technology, environmental, and funding issues influenced the decision to focus on a single herbaceous model crop species. Screening trials funded by the U.S. Department of Energy in the late 1980s to early 1990s assessed thirty-four herbaceous species on a wide range of soil types at thirty-one different sites spread over seven states in crop producing regions of the U.S. Several species, including sorghums, reed canarygrass, wheatgrasses, and other crops, were identified as having merit for further development. Six of the seven institutions performing the screening included switchgrass among the species recommended for further development in their region and all recommended that perennial grasses be given high research priority. Reasons for the selection of switchgrass included demonstration of relatively high, reliable productivity across a wide geographical range, suitability for marginal quality land, low water and nutrient requirements, and other positive environmental attributes. Crop screening results, economic and environmental assessments by the Biofuels Feedstock Development Program staff, and Department of Energy funding limitations all contributed to the decision to further develop only switchgrass as a model or prototype species in 1991. The following ten year focus on development of switchgrass as a bioenergy crop proved the value of focusing on a single model herbaceous crop. The advancements and attention gained were sufficient to give government leaders, policymakers, farmers, and biofuel industry developers the confidence that lignocellulosic crops could support an economically viable and environmentally sustainable biofuel industry in the U.S. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-06-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.biombioe.2010.01.030 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015724 |
| Predicting long-term carbon sequestration in response to CO2 enrichment: How and why do current ecosystem models differ? | Walker, Anthony P.; Zaehle, Sönke; Medlyn, Belinda E.; De Kauwe, Martin G.; Asao, Shinichi; Hickler, Thomas; Parton, William; Ricciuto, Daniel M.; Wang, Ying -Ping; Wårlind, David; Norby, Richard J. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES | Large uncertainty exists in model projections of the land carbon (C) sink response to increasing atmospheric CO2. Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiments lasting a decade or more have investigated ecosystem responses to a step change in atmospheric CO2 concentration. To interpret FACE results in the context of gradual increases in atmospheric CO2 over decades to centuries, we used a suite of seven models to simulate the Duke and Oak Ridge FACE experiments extended for 300 years of CO2 enrichment. We also determine key modeling assumptions that drive divergent projections of terrestrial C uptake and evaluate whether these assumptions can be constrained by experimental evidence. All models simulated increased terrestrial C pools resulting from CO2 enrichment, though there was substantial variability in quasi-equilibrium C sequestration and rates of change. In two of two models that assume that plant nitrogen (N) uptake is solely a function of soil N supply, the net primary production response to elevated CO2 became progressively N limited. In four of five models that assume that N uptake is a function of both soil N supply and plant N demand, elevated CO2 led to reduced ecosystem N losses and thus progressively relaxed nitrogen limitation. Many allocation assumptions resulted in increased wood allocation relative to leaves and roots which reduced the vegetation turnover rate and increased C sequestration. Additionally, self-thinning assumptions had a substantial impact on C sequestration in two models. As a result, accurate representation of N process dynamics (in particular N uptake), allocation, and forest self-thinning is key to minimizing uncertainty in projections of future C sequestration in response to elevated atmospheric CO2. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park. Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) | USDOE Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2015-04-27T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/2014GB004995 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1209197 |
| Sensitivity of plants to changing atmospheric CO2 concentration: From the geological past to the next century | Franks, Peter J; Adams, Mark A; Amthor, Jeffrey S.; Barbour, Margaret M; Berry, Joseph A; Ellsworth, David; Farquhar, Graham D; Ghannoum, Oula; Lloyd, Jon; McDowell, Nathan; Norby, Richard J; Tissue, David Thomas; Von Caemmerer, Susanne | The rate of CO2 assimilation by plants is directly influenced by the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, ca. In response to a short-term change in ca, plants adjust stomatal conductance to CO2 and water vapour to maximise carbon gain in terms of the amount of water lost. This is one of several fundamental feedback processes between plants and their environment that govern the exchange of water for carbon. As an environmental variable, ca further has a unique global and historic significance. Although relatively stable and uniform in the short term, global ca has varied substantially on the timescale of thousands to millions of years, and currently is increasing at seemingly an unprecedented rate. This may exert profound impacts on both climate and plant function. Here we utilise extensive data sets and numerous models to develop an integrated, multi-scale assessment of the impact of changing ca on plant carbon dioxide uptake and water use. We find that, overall, the sensitivity of plants to rising or falling atmospheric CO2 concentration is qualitatively similar across all scales considered. It is characterised by an adaptive feedback response that moves towards maximising the rate of return, in the form of carbon, for the water and nitrogen resources invested in the process of carbon assimilation. This is achieved through predictable adjustments to stomatal anatomy and chloroplast biochemistry. Importantly, the long-term response to changing ca can be described by simple equations rooted in the formulation of more commonly studied short-term responses. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2013-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/nph.12104 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1062609 | |
| Comprehensive ecosystem model-experiment synthesis using multiple datasets at two temperate forest free-air CO2 enrichment experiments: model performance and compensating biases | Walker, Anthony P; Hanson, Paul J; DeKauwe, Martin G; Medlyn, Belinda; Zaehle, S; Asao, Shinichi; Dietze, Michael; Hickler, Thomas; Huntinford, Chris; Iversen, Colleen M; Jain, Atul; Lomas, Mark; Luo, Yiqi; McCarthy, Heather R; Parton, William; Prentice, I. Collin; Thornton, Peter E; Wang, Shusen; Wang, Yingping; Warlind, David; Weng, Ensheng; Warren, Jeffrey; Woodward, F. Ian; Oren, Ram; Norby, Richard J | Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiments provide a remarkable wealth of data to test the sensitivities of terrestrial ecosystem models (TEMs). In this study, a broad set of 11 TEMs were compared to 22 years of data from two contrasting FACE experiments in temperate forests of the south eastern US the evergreen Duke Forest and the deciduous Oak Ridge forest. We evaluated the models' ability to reproduce observed net primary productivity (NPP), transpiration and Leaf Area index (LAI) in ambient CO2 treatments. Encouragingly, many models simulated annual NPP and transpiration within observed uncertainty. Daily transpiration model errors were often related to errors in leaf area phenology and peak LAI. Our analysis demonstrates that the simulation of LAI often drives the simulation of transpiration and hence there is a need to adopt the most appropriate of hypothesis driven methods to simulate and predict LAI. Of the three competing hypotheses determining peak LAI (1) optimisation to maximise carbon export, (2) increasing SLA with canopy depth and (3) the pipe model the pipe model produced LAI closest to the observations. Modelled phenology was either prescribed or based on broader empirical calibrations to climate. In some cases, simulation accuracy was achieved through compensating biases in component variables. For example, NPP accuracy was sometimes achieved with counter-balancing biases in nitrogen use efficiency and nitrogen uptake. Combined analysis of parallel measurements aides the identification of offsetting biases; without which over-confidence in model abilities to predict ecosystem function may emerge, potentially leading to erroneous predictions of change under future climates. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2014-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1135838 | ||
| Long-term Biological Monitoring of an Impaired Stream: Synthesis and Environmental Management Implications | Peterson, Mark J; Efroymson, Rebecca Ann; Adams, Marshall | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AUFWUCHS; COMMUNITIES; DESIGN; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; INVERTEBRATES; MANAGEMENT; MONITORING; POLLUTION ABATEMENT; POPLARS; REMEDIAL ACTION; SAMPLING; STREAMS; SYNTHESIS; TENNESSEE; TESTING; TOXICITY; WATER CHEMISTRY | The long-term ecological recovery of an impaired stream in response to an industrial facility's pollution abatement actions and the implications of the biological monitoring effort to environmental management is the subject of this special issue of Environmental Management. This final article focuses on the synthesis of the biological monitoring program's components and methods, the efficacy of various biological monitoring techniques to environmental management, and the lessons learned from the program that might be applicable to the design and application of other programs. The focus of the 25-year program has been on East Fork Poplar Creek, an ecologically impaired stream in Oak Ridge, Tennessee with varied and complex stressors from a Department of Energy facility in its headwaters. Major components of the long-term program included testing and monitoring of invertebrate and fish toxicity, bioindicators of fish health, fish contaminant accumulation, and instream communities (including periphyton, benthic macroinvertebrate, and fish). Key parallel components of the program include water chemistry sampling and data management. Multiple lines of evidence suggested positive ecological responses during three major pollution abatement periods. Based on this case study and the related literature, effective environmental management of impaired streams starts with program design that is consistent across space and time, but also adaptable to changing conditions. The biological monitoring approaches used for the program provided a strong basis for assessments of recovery from remedial actions, and the likely causes of impairment. This case study provides a unique application of multidisciplinary and quantitative techniques to address multiple and complex regulatory and programmatic goals, environmental stressors, and remedial actions. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL work for others | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s00267-011-9665-9 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1025829 |
| The La Mesa Fire: Studies and Observations from 1975 through 2012 | Foxx, Teralene S.; Hansen, Leslie A.; Oertel, Rebecca; Haffey, Collin; Beeley, Kay | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Environmental Protection | In 1996, Swetnam and Baisan stated the following: âThe 1977 La Mesa burn was a wake-up call to perhaps the most pressing forest health problem in Southwestern forestsâhistorically anomalous, catastrophic wildfire in the ponderosa pineâcreated by many decades of fire exclusion.â However, the wake-up call was only momentary and was forgotten until the Dome Fire (1996), Oso Complex Fire (1998), and Cerro Grande Fire (2000) burned lands within the community of Los Alamos, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Bandelier National Monument (BNM), and Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF). After the Dome Fire, several initiatives were under way to understand the wildland-urban interface and the conditions that have brought the forests of the Pajarito Plateau dangerously close to multiple, large, and intense wildfires. After the Dome Fire, the Interagency Wildfire Management Team was formed, bringing together adjoining agencies to deal with the ever-increasing threat of conflagration that could result in loss of property and human life. This study is about the history before and after the La Mesa Fireâat the time, the first large wildfire on the Pajarito Plateau in over 80 years. It represents 37 years of research and observations that began when management of fire on the Pajarito Plateau was first being explored by BNM. It documents changes in vegetation composition since June 1977 and shows the progression of change in understanding fireâs essential place in the ecosystems of the Pajarito Plateau. The study began in 1975 and 1976, when Loren Potter and I examined previously burned areas to determine a fire frequency for the east Jemez Mountains. We had examined areas of 10 acres or more that had burned at various times, e.g., 1939, 1945, 1950, 1955, 1960, and 1976. A year and a half into the study, the La Mesa Fire ignited on Mesa del Rito, ultimately burning about 15,000 acres of BNM, SFNF, and LANL, including our established plots. After the fire, we set up 20- by 50-meter permanent plots along four ornithological transects established by ornithologist Roland Wauer. Wauerâs transects were mostly in ponderosa pine, with one in mixed conifer and one in the piñon-juniper woodland. Plots within the ponderosa pine were visited in 1977, 1978, 1985, 1992, 1998, 1999, 2010, 2011 and 2012. We mapped the standing trees, photographed each plot, and collected data on the understory components. Transects in the mixed conifer were visited in 1977, 1992, 1999, 2010 and 2012. Plots in the piñon-juniper were visited in 1977, 1999, and 2010 for taking photographs and data years after the fire. Additionally, plots were established in LANL Technical Area 49 as a control to post-fire seeding. We visited these plots in 1977, 1992, and 1998. Ironically, this study ends with another large fire burning over the plots we have followed all these years. In June 2011, the Las Conchas Fire became the largest fire in New Mexicoâs history to that time and burned most of the area of the La Mesa Fire and the plots studied over the years. In this report, we summarize information about the vegetation changes within the boundaries of the La Mesa Fire. Thirty-seven years of observations and studies have provided long-term data related to regeneration of trees, water relations of grasses and pines, the influence of seeding with non-native grasses, pyrodendrochronology, and plant succession as related to fire. | Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) | USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) | United States | 2013-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1084501 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1084501 |
| Ecological Lessons from Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) Experiments | Norby, Richard J; Zak, Donald R | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBON CYCLE; DESIGN; DISTRIBUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; NITROGEN CYCLE; ORGANIC MATTER; PRODUCTIVITY; SOILS; STORAGE; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS | Free-air CO{sub 2} enrichment (FACE) experiments have provided novel insights into the ecological mechanisms controlling the cycling and storage of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems and contribute to our ability to project how ecosystems respond to increasing CO{sub 2} in the Earth's atmosphere. Important lessons emerge by evaluating a set of hypotheses that initially guided the design and longevity of forested FACE experiments. Net primary productivity is increased by elevated CO{sub 2}, but the response can diminish over time. Carbon accumulation is driven by the distribution of carbon among plant and soil components with differing turnover rates and by interactions between the carbon and nitrogen cycles. Plant community structure may change, but elevated CO{sub 2} has only minor effects on microbial community structure. FACE results provide a strong foundation for next-generation experiments in unexplored ecosystems and inform coupled climate-biogeochemical models of the ecological mechanisms controlling ecosystem response to the rising atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentration. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-102209-144647 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1022639 |
| Fish Migration, Dams, and Loss of Ecosystem Services in the Mekong Basin | Dugan, Patrick J; Barlow, Chris; Agostinho, Angelo A; Baran, Eric; Cada, Glenn F; Chen, Daqing; Cowx, Ian G; Ferguson, John W; Jutagate, Tuantong; Mallen-Cooper, Martin; Marmulla, Gerd; Nestler, John; Petrere, Miquel; Winemiller, Kirk O | 13 HYDRO ENERGY; CONSTRUCTION; DAMS; ECOSYSTEMS; FISHERIES; FOOD; INCOME; MANAGEMENT | The past decade has seen increased international recognition of the importance of the services provided by natural ecosystems. It is unclear however whether such international awareness will lead to improved environmental management in many regions. We explore this issue by examining the specific case of fish migration and dams on the Mekong river. We determine that dams on the Mekong mainstem and major tributaries will have a major impact on the basin's fisheries and the people who depend upon them for food and income. We find no evidence that current moves towards dam construction will stop, and consider two scenarios for the future of the fisheries and other ecosystems of the basin. We conclude that major investment is required in innovative technology to reduce the loss of ecosystem services, and alternative livelihood strategies to cope with the losses that do occur | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-06-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s13280-010-0036-1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015070 |
| Stored carbon partly fuels fine-root respiration but is not used for production of new fine roots | Lynch, Douglas J; Matamala-Paradeda, Roser; Iversen, Colleen M; Norby, Richard J; Gonzalez-Meler, Miguel A | 13C; FACE; fine roots; post-carboxylation fractionation; root respiration; root turnover; stored C; sweetgum | The relative use of new photosynthate compared to stored C for the production and maintenance of fine roots, and the rate of C turnover in heterogeneous fine-root populations, are poorly understood. We followed the relaxation of a 13C tracer in fine roots in a Liquidambar styraciflua plantation at the conclusion of a free-air CO2 enrichment experiment. Goals included quantifying the relative fractions of new photosynthate versus stored C used in root growth and root respiration, as well as the turnover rate of fine-root C fixed during [CO2] fumigation. New fine-root growth was largely from recent photosynthate, while nearly one-quarter of respired C was from a storage pool. Changes in the isotopic composition of the fine-root population over two full growing seasons indicated heterogeneous C pools; less than 10% of root C had a residence time 2 years. Compared to a 1-pool model, a 2-pool model for C turnover in fine roots (with 5 and 0.37 yr-1 turnover times) doubles the fine-root contribution to forest NPP (9-13%) and supports the 50% root-to-soil transfer rate often used in models. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2013-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/nph.12290 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1089774 |
| Stochastic estimation of aquifer geometry using seismic refraction data with borehole depth constraints | Chen, Jinsong; Hubbard, Susan S; Korneev, V; Gaines, David; Baker, Gregory S; Watson, David | We develop a Bayesian model to invert surface seismic refraction data with depth constraints from boreholes for characterization of aquifer geometry and apply it to seismic and borehole data sets collected at the contaminated Oak Ridge National Laboratory site in Tennessee. Rather than the traditional approach of first inverting the seismic arrival times for seismic velocity and then using that information to aid in the spatial interpolation of wellbore data, we jointly invert seismic first arrival time data and wellbore based information, such as depths of key lithological boundaries. We use a staggered grid finite difference algorithm with second order accuracy in time and fourth order accuracy in space to model seismic full waveforms and use an automated method to pick the first arrival times. We use Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods to draw many samples from the joint posterior probability distribution, on which we can estimate the key interfaces and their associated uncertainty as a function of horizontal location and depth. We test the developed method on both synthetic and field case studies. The synthetic studies show that the developed method is effective at rigorous incorporation of multiscale data and the Bayesian inversion reduces uncertainty in estimates of aquifer zonation. Applications of the approach to field data, including two surface seismic profiles located 620 m apart from each other, reveal the presence of a low velocity subsurface zone that is laterally persistent. This geophysically defined feature is aligned with the plume axis, suggesting it may serve as an important regional preferential flow pathway. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-11-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1029/2009WR008715 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015067 | |
| Review and model-based analysis of factors influencing soil carbon sequestration beneath switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) | Garten, Jr, Charles T | Abstract. A simple, multi-compartment model was developed to predict soil carbon sequestration beneath switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) plantations in the southeastern United States. Soil carbon sequestration is an important component of sustainable switchgrass production for bioenergy because soil organic matter promotes water retention, nutrient supply, and soil properties that minimize erosion. A literature review was included for the purpose of model parameterization and five model-based experiments were conducted to predict how changes in environment (temperature) or crop management (cultivar, fertilization, and harvest efficiency) might affect soil carbon storage and nitrogen losses. Predictions of soil carbon sequestration were most sensitive to changes in annual biomass production, the ratio of belowground to aboveground biomass production, and temperature. Predictions of ecosystem nitrogen loss were most sensitive to changes in annual biomass production, the soil C/N ratio, and nitrogen remobilization efficiency (i.e., nitrogen cycling within the plant). Model-based experiments indicated that 1) soil carbon sequestration can be highly site specific depending on initial soil carbon stocks, temperature, and the amount of annual nitrogen fertilization, 2) response curves describing switchgrass yield as a function of annual nitrogen fertilization were important to model predictions, 3) plant improvements leading to greater belowground partitioning of biomass could increase soil carbon sequestration, 4) improvements in harvest efficiency have no indicated effects on soil carbon and nitrogen, but improve cumulative biomass yield, and 5) plant improvements that reduce organic matter decomposition rates could also increase soil carbon sequestration, even though the latter may not be consistent with desired improvements in plant tissue chemistry to maximize yields of cellulosic ethanol. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s12155-011-9154-2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1054993 | |
| Climate Change Alters Seedling Emergence and Establishment in an Old-Field Ecosystem | Classen, Aimee T; Norby, Richard J; Campany, Courtney E; Sides, Katherine E; Weltzin, Jake | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; MOISTURE; PHENOLOGY; SEEDLINGS; SEEDS; SHAPE; SOILS; TRAJECTORIES | In shaping how ecosystems respond to climatic change, ecosystem structure can dominate over physiological responses of individuals, especially under conditions of multiple, simultaneous changes in environmental factors. Ecological succession drives large-scale changes in ecosystem structure over time, but the mechanisms whereby climatic change alters succession remain unresolved. Here, we investigate effects of atmospheric and climatic change on seedling establishment, recognizing that small shifts in seedling establishment of different species may have long-term repercussions on the transition of fields to forests in the future. Our 4-year experiment in an old-field ecosystem revealed that response of seedling emergence to different combinations of atmospheric CO2 concentration, air temperature, and soil moisture depends on seed phenology, the timing of seed arrival into an ecosystem. We conclude that seed phenology is an important plant trait that can shape, and help predict, the trajectories of ecosystems under climatic change. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1371/journal.pone.0013476 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/992517 |
| Persistence of Hydrologic Variables and Reactive Stream Solute Concentrations in an East Tennessee Watershed | Koirala, Shesh R; Gentry, Randall W; Mulholland, Patrick J; Perfect, Edmund; Schwartz, John S; Sayler, Gary Steven | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CALCIUM; HYDROLOGY; Persistence; Reactive water chemistry; SOLUTES; SULFATES; Spectral analysis; Time series; WATER CHEMISTRY; WATERSHEDS; Wavelet analysis | Time and frequency domain analyses were conducted on weekly time series of water chemistry (nitrate, sulfate and calcium concentrations) collected from November 1995 to December 2005 at the West Fork of Walker Branch in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to evaluate the extent of their persistence and the relationship of this persistence to discharge and rainfall. In this study, spectral and wavelet analyses provided a theoretical basis for insights into long-term water chemistry behavior. All water chemistry parameters showed some level of persistence that was influenced by rainfall and/or discharge. Short-term persistence (less than a year) was related to the persistence of rainfall and discharge, whereas long-term persistence (more than a year) was related to the persistence of discharge. The Walker Branch conceptual hydrology model is augmented by these results that relate characteristic periodicities with flowpaths through different zones: the vadose zone ( 50 week period) with implications for reactive chemistries within the watershed. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.02.022 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1030613 |
| Cesium-137 in the Environment: Radioecology and Approaches to Assessment and Management (NCRP Report No. 154) | Whicker, F W; Garten, Jr, Charles T; Hamby, D M; Higley, K A; Hinton, T G; Kaplan, D I; Rowan, D J; Schreckhise, R G | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CESIUM 137; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; MANAGEMENT; MITIGATION; RADIOECOLOGY | The overall goals of this Report are to summarize the current state of knowledge on radiocesium in the environment and to iden- tify future management issues concerning 137Cs-contaminated eco- systems. Current knowledge and concepts are described concerning sources, levels in the general environment and at selected U.S. Department of Energy sites, environmental transport processes, parameters and models, and the management or mitigation of contaminated environments. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2007-03-01T04:00:00Z | Book | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931512 | |
| Connectivity from a different perspective: comparing seed dispersal kernels in connected vs. unfragmented landscapes | Herrmann, John D.; Carlo, Tomás A.; Brudvig, Lars A.; Damschen, Ellen I.; Haddad, Nick M.; Levey, Douglas J.; Orrock, John L.; Tewksbury, Joshua J. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Anemochory; connectivity; dispersal kernel; habitat fragmentation; isotope marker; landscape ecology; longleaf pine savanna; seed dispersal; zoochory. | Habitat fragmentation can create significant impediments to dispersal. A technique to increase dispersal between otherwise isolated fragments is the use of corridors. Although previous studies have compared dispersal between connected fragments to dispersal between unconnected fragments, it remains unknown how dispersal between fragments connected by a corridor compares to dispersal in unfragmented landscapes. To assess the extent to which corridors can restore dispersal in fragmented landscapes to levels observed in unfragmented landscapes, we employed a stableâisotope marking technique to track seeds within four unfragmented landscapes and eight experimental landscapes with fragments connected by corridors. We studied two windâ and two birdâdispersed plant species, because previous communityâbased research showed that dispersal mode explains how connectivity effects vary among species. We constructed dispersal kernels for these species in unfragmented landscapes and connected fragments by marking seeds in the center of each landscape with 15N and then recovering marked seeds in seed traps at distances up to 200 m. For the two windâdispersed plants, seed dispersal kernels were similar in unfragmented landscapes and connected fragments. In contrast, dispersal kernels of birdâdispersed seeds were both affected by fragmentation and differed in the direction of the impact: Morella cerifera experienced more and Rhus copallina experienced less longâdistance dispersal in unfragmented than in connected landscapes. These results show that corridors can facilitate dispersal probabilities comparable to those observed in unfragmented landscapes. Although dispersal mode may provide useful broad predictions, we acknowledge that similar species may respond uniquely due to factors such as seasonality and disperser behavior. Furthermore, our results further indicate that prior work has likely underestimated dispersal distances of windâdispersed plants and that factors altering longâdistance dispersal may have a greater impact on the spread of species than previously thought. | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Acquisition and Project Management; National Science Foundation (NSF) | United States | 2016-03-09T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1890/15-0734.1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1254826 |
| An integrative modeling framework to evaluate the productivity and sustainability of biofuel crop production systems | Zhang, X; Izaurralde, R C; Manowitz, D; West, T O; Thomson, A M; Post, Wilfred M; Bandaru, Vara Prasad; Nichols, Jeff; Williams, J | bioenergy; biomass feedstock; environmental sustainability; geographic information system; greenhouse gases; multiobjective optimization; soil erosion | The potential expansion of biofuel production raises food, energy, and environmental challenges that require careful assessment of the impact of biofuel production on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, soil erosion, nutrient loading, and water quality. In this study, we describe a spatially explicit integrative modeling framework (SEIMF) to understand and quantify the environmental impacts of different biomass cropping systems. This SEIMF consists of three major components: (1) a geographic information system (GIS)-based data analysis system to define spatial modeling units with resolution of 56 m to address spatial variability, (2) the biophysical and biogeochemical model Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) applied in a spatially-explicit way to predict biomass yield, GHG emissions, and other environmental impacts of different biofuel crops production systems, and (3) an evolutionary multiobjective optimization algorithm for exploring the trade-offs between biofuel energy production and unintended ecosystem-service responses. Simple examples illustrate the major functions of the SEIMF when applied to a nine-county Regional Intensive Modeling Area (RIMA) in SW Michigan to (1) simulate biofuel crop production, (2) compare impacts of management practices and local ecosystem settings, and (3) optimize the spatial configuration of different biofuel production systems by balancing energy production and other ecosystem-service variables. Potential applications of the SEIMF to support life cycle analysis and provide information on biodiversity evaluation and marginal-land identification are also discussed. The SEIMF developed in this study is expected to provide a useful tool for scientists and decision makers to understand sustainability issues associated with the production of biofuels at local, regional, and national scales. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-10-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1757-1707.2010.01046.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015734 |
| A Probabilistic Assessment of the Chemical and Radiological Risks of Chronic Exposure to Uranium in Freshwater Ecosystems | Mathews, Teresa J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BENCHMARKS; CHRONIC EXPOSURE; DECAY; DOSE RATES; ECOSYSTEMS; RADIOISOTOPES; RISK ASSESSMENT; SOURCE TERMS; TOXICITY; URANIUM; WATER QUALITY | Uranium (U) presents a unique challenge for ecological risk assessments (ERA) because it induces both chemical and radiological toxicity, and the relative importance of these two toxicities differs among the various U source terms (i.e., natural, enriched, depleted). We present a method for the conversion between chemical concentrations microg L(-1)) and radiological dose rates (microGy h(-1)) for a defined set of reference organisms, and apply this conversion method to previously derived chemical and radiological benchmarks to determine the extent to which these benchmarks ensure radiological and chemical protection, respectively, for U in freshwater ecosystems. Results show that the percentage of species radiologically protected by the chemical benchmark decreases with increasing degrees of U enrichment and with increasing periods of radioactive decay. In contrast, the freshwater ecosystem is almost never chemically protected by the radiological benchmark, regardless of the source term or decay period considered, confirming that the risks to the environment from uranium's chemical toxicity generally outweigh those of its radiological toxicity. These results are relevant to developing water quality criteria that protect freshwater ecosystems from the various risks associated with the nuclear applications of U exploitation, and highlight the need for (1) further research on the speciation, bioavailability, and toxicity of U-series radionuclides under different environmental conditions, and (2) the adoption of both chemical and radiological benchmarks for coherent ERAs to be conducted in U-contaminated freshwater ecosystems. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1021/es9005288 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015064 |
| Trends in the sources and sinks of carbon dioxide | Le Quere, Corrine; Raupach, Mike; Canadell, J G; Marland, Gregg; Bopp, Laurent; Ciais, Philippe; Friedlingstein, Pierre; Viovy, Nicolas; Conway, T J; Doney, Scott C; Feely, R A; Foster, Pru; House, Joanna I; Prentice, Colin I; Gurney, Kevin; Houghton, R A; Huntingford, Chris; Levy, Peter E; Lomas, M R; Woodward, F I; Majkut, Joseph; Sarmiento, Jorge L; Metzl, Nicolas; Ometto, Jean P; Randerson, James T; Peters, Glen P; Running, Steven; Sitch, Stephen; Takahashi, Taro; Van der Werf, Guido | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON SINKS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COAL; FOSSIL FUELS; LAND USE; REDUCTION; STABILIZATION | Efforts to control climate change require the stabilization of atmospheric CO2 concentrations. This can only be achieved through a drastic reduction of global CO2 emissions. Yet fossil fuel emissions increased by 29% between 2000 and 2008, in conjunction with increased contributions from emerging economies, from the production and international trade of goods and services, and from the use of coal as a fuel source. In contrast, emissions from land-use changes were nearly constant. Between 1959 and 2008, 43% of each year's CO2 emissions remained in the atmosphere on average; the rest was absorbed by carbon sinks on land and in the oceans. In the past 50 years, the fraction of CO2 emissions that remains in the atmosphere each year has likely increased, from about 40% to 45%, and models suggest that this trend was caused by a decrease in the uptake of CO2 by the carbon sinks in response to climate change and variability. Changes in the CO2 sinks are highly uncertain, but they could have a significant influence on future atmospheric CO2 levels. It is therefore crucial to reduce the uncertainties. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-12-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/ngeo689 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015099 |
| Evaluating possible cap and trade legislation on cellulosic feedstock availability | Hellwinckel, Chad; Perlack, Robert D; West, T O | biofuel; biomass; carbon sequestration; emissions offsets; energy; ethanol; greenhouse gas emissions | An integrated, socioeconomic biogeophysical model is used to analyze the interactions of cap-and-trade legislation and the Renewable Fuels Standard. Five alternative policy scenarios were considered with the purpose of identifying policies that act in a synergistic manner to reduce carbon emissions, increase economic returns to agriculture, and adequately meet ethanol mandates. We conclude that climate and energy policies can best be implemented together by offering carbon offset payments to conservation tillage, herbaceous grasses for biomass, and by constraining crop residue removal for ethanol feedstocks to carbon neutral level. When comparing this scenario to the Baseline scenario, the agricultural sector realizes an economic benefit of US$156 billion by 2030 and emissions are reduced by 135 Tg C-equivalent (Eq) yr 1. Results also indicate that geographic location of cellulosic feedstocks could shift significantly depending on the final policies implemented in cap and trade legislation. Placement of cellulosic ethanol facilities should consider these possible shifts when determining site location. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-11-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1757-1707.2010.01052.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015735 |
| Impact of the new nuclear decay data of ICRP publication 107 on inhalation dose coefficients for workers | Manabe, K; Endo, Akira; Eckerman, Keith F | 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; DECAY; INHALATION; ISOTOPES; NUCLEAR DECAY; RADIATIONS; RADIOISOTOPES | The impact a revision of nuclear decay data had on dose coefficients was studied using data newly published in ICRP Publication 107 (ICRP 107) and existing data from ICRP Publication 38 (ICRP 38). Committed effective dose coefficients for occupational inhalation of radionuclides were calculated using two sets of decay data with the dose and risk calculation software DCAL for 90 elements, 774 nuclides and 1572 cases. The dose coefficients based on ICRP 107 increased by over 10 % compared with those based on ICRP 38 in 98 cases, and decreased by over 10 % in 54 cases. It was found that the differences in dose coefficients mainly originated from changes in the radiation energy emitted per nuclear transformation. In addition, revisions of the half-lives, radiation types and decay modes also resulted in changes in the dose coefficients. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1093/rpd/ncp259 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015742 |
| Individual variation in life history characteristics can influence extinction risk (vol 144, pg 61, 2001) Correction | Jager, Yetta | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Acipenser transmontanus; Age at maturation; Extinction; FISHES; Genetic model; Individual variation; Individual-based model; Persistence; Population viability analysis; SIMULATION; VIABILITY | The white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) shows great individual variation in the age at maturation. This study examines the consequences of model assumptions about individual variation in the age at maturation on predicted population viability. I considered: (1) the effects of variation in age at maturation alone; (2) the effects of heritability; and (3) the influence of a stable and an altered selective regime. Two selective regimes represented conditions before and after the impoundment of a river, blocking access of anadromous white sturgeon populations to the ocean. In contrast to previous simulation studies, I found that increased individual variation in the age at maturity did not necessarily lead to a higher likelihood of persistence. Individual variation increased the simulated likelihood of persistence when the variation was heritable and the selective regime had changed such that the mean age at maturity was no longer optimal. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/S0304-3800(01)00362-3 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015715 |
| Atmospheric chemistry of cyclohexanone: UV spectrum and kinetics of reaction with chlorine atoms | Wallington, T J; Iwasaki, E; Matsumi, Y; Kaiser, E W; Calvert, Jack G | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSORPTION; ARGON; ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY; ATOMS; CHLORINE; CROSS SECTIONS; CYCLOHEXANONE; KINETICS | Absolute and relative rate techniques were used to study the reactivity of Cl atoms with cyclohexanone in 6 Torr of argon or 800 950 Torr of N2 at 295 2 K. The absolute rate experiments gave k(Cl + cyclohexanone) = (1.88 0.38) 10 10, whereas the relative rate experiments gave k(Cl + cyclohexanone) = (1.66 0.26) 10 10 cm3 molecule 1 s 1. Cyclohexanone has a broad UV absorption band with a maximum cross section of (4.0 0.3) 10 20 cm2 molecule 1 near 285 nm. The results are discussed with respect to the literature data. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-05-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017334 | |
| Natural 15N- and 13C-abundance as indicators of forest nitrogen status and soil carbon dynamics | Garten, Jr, Charles T; Hanson, Paul J; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Lu, Benwhea Bonnie; Brice, Deanne Jane | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; CARBON 13; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; NITROGEN 15; ORGANIC MATTER; POLLUTION; SOILS; STABLE ISOTOPES; WATER; WATERSHEDS | This book highlights new and emerging uses of stable isotope analysis in a variety of ecological disciplines. While the use of natural abundance isotopes in ecological research is now relatively standard, new techniques and ways of interpreting patterns are developing rapidly. The second edition of this book provides a thorough, up-to-date examination of these methods of research. As part of the Ecological Methods and Concepts series which provides the latest information on experimental techniques in ecology, this book looks at a wide range of techniques that use natural abundance isotopes to: {sm_bullet} follow whole ecosystem element cycling {sm_bullet} understand processes of soil organic matter formation {sm_bullet} follow the movement of water in whole watersheds {sm_bullet} understand the effects of pollution in both terrestrial and aquatic environments {sm_bullet} study extreme systems such as hydrothermal vents {sm_bullet}follow migrating organisms In each case, the book explains the background to the methodology, looks at the underlying principles and assumptions, and outlines the potential limitations and pitfalls. Stable Isotopes in Ecology and Environmental Science is an ideal resource for both ecologists who are new to isotopic analysis, and more experienced isotope ecologists interested in innovative techniques and pioneering new uses. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2007-09-01T04:00:00Z | Book | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931960 | |
| A model-data intercomparison of CO2 exchange across North America: Results from the North American Carbon Program site synthesis | Schwalm, Christopher R; Williams, Christopher A; Schaefer, Kevin; Anderson, Ryan; Arain, A; Baker, Ian; Lokupitiya, Erandathie; Barr, Alan; Black, T A; Gu, Lianhong; Riciutto, Dan M | 0793; 1615; 4805; 4912); Biogeosciences: Biogeochemical cycles; Biogeosciences: Carbon cycling (4806); Computational Geophysics: Model verification and validation; Geographic Locat; Global Change: Earth system modeling (1225); and modeling (0412; processes | Our current understanding of terrestrial carbon processes is represented in various models used to integrate and scale measurements of CO2 exchange from remote sensing and other spatiotemporal data. Yet assessments are rarely conducted to determine how well models simulate carbon processes across vegetation types and environmental conditions. Using standardized data from the North American Carbon Program we compare observed and simulated monthly CO2 exchange from 44 eddy covariance flux towers in North America and 22 terrestrial biosphere models. The analysis period spans 220 site-years, 10 biomes, and includes two large-scale drought events, providing a natural experiment to evaluate model skill as a function of drought and seasonality. We evaluate models' ability to simulate the seasonal cycle of CO2 exchange using multiple model skill metrics and analyze links between model characteristics, site history, and model skill. Overall model performance was poor; the difference between observations and simulations was 10 times observational uncertainty, with forested ecosystems better predicted than nonforested. Model-data agreement was highest in summer and in temperate evergreen forests. In contrast, model performance declined in spring and fall, especially in ecosystems with large deciduous components, and in dry periods during the growing season. Models used across multiple biomes and sites, the mean model ensemble, and a model using assimilated parameter values showed high consistency with observations. Models with the highest skill across all biomes all used prescribed canopy phenology, calculated NEE as the difference between GPP and ecosystem respiration, and did not use a daily time step. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-12-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015736 | |
| Nuisance Wildlife Education and Prevention Plan for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory | Giffen, Neil R | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIRDS; HABITAT; INSECTS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORNL; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SNAKES; WILD ANIMALS | This document outlines a plan for management of nuisance wildlife at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Nuisance wildlife management includes wildlife population control through hunting, trapping, removal, and habitat manipulation; wildlife damage control; and law enforcement. This plan covers the following subjects: (1) roles and responsibilities of individuals, groups, and agencies; (2) the general protocol for reducing nuisance wildlife problems; and (3) species-specific methodologies for resolving nuisance wildlife management issues for mammals, birds, snakes, and insects. Achievement of the objectives of this plan will be a joint effort between the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA); U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)-Wildlife Services (WS); and ORNL through agreements between TWRA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE); DOE and UT-Battelle, LLC; and UT-Battelle, LLC; and USDA, APHIS-WS. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL other overhead | United States | 2007-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/932616 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/932616 |
| Data-model integration is not magic | Classen, Aimee T; Langley, Dr. J. Adam | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; DATA ANALYSIS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; PLANTS | No abstract prepared. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2005-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2005.01414.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/937124 |
| Reflections on the impact of advances in the assessment of genetic risks of exposure to ionizing radiation on international radiation protection recommendations between the mid-1950s and the present | Sankaranarayanan, K; Wassom, John S | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; GENETIC EFFECTS; GENETICS; IONIZING RADIATIONS; LEARNING; MEDICINE; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIATIONS; RECOMMENDATIONS | Efforts at protecting people against the harmful effects of radiation had their beginnings in the early 1900s with the intent of protecting individuals in medicine and associated professions. Such efforts remain vital for all of us more than 100 years later as part of our 'learning to live with ionizing radiation.' The field of radiation protection has evolved slowly over time with advances in knowledge on hereditary (i.e., genetic) and carcinogenic effects of radiation continually improving our ability to make informed judgments about how best to balance risks against benefits of radiation exposure. This paper examines just one aspect of these efforts, namely, how advances in knowledge of genetic effects of radiation have impacted on the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The focus is on the period from the mid-1950s (when genetic risk estimates were first made) to 2007. This article offers a detailed historical analysis and personal perspective, and concludes with a synopsis of key developments in radiation protection. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.mrrev.2007.10.004 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015049 |
| Native Grass Community Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation | Ryon, Michael G; Parr, Patricia Dreyer; Cohen, Kari | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; GRAMINEAE; HABITAT; LAND RECLAMATION; LAND RESOURCES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | Land managers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory in East Tennessee are restoring native warm-season grasses and wildflowers to various sites across the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). Some of the numerous benefits to planting native grasses and forbs include improved habitat quality for wildlife, improved aesthetic values, lower long-term maintenance costs, and compliance with Executive Order 13112 (Clinton 1999). Challenges to restoring native plants on the ORR include the need to gain experience in establishing and maintaining these communities and the potentially greater up-front costs of getting native grasses established. The goals of the native grass program are generally outlined on a fiscal-year basis. An overview of some of the issues associated with the successful and cost-effective establishment and maintenance of native grass and wildflower stands on the ORR is presented in this report. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL other overhead | United States | 2007-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/930916 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930916 |
| Benefits of dealing with uncertainty in greenhouse gas inventories: introduction | Jonas, Matthias; Winiwarter, Wilfried; Marland, Gregg; White, Thomas; Nahorski, Zbigniew; Bun, Rostyslav | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COMPLIANCE; GREENHOUSE GASES; INVENTORIES; MONITORING | The assessment of greenhouse gases emitted to and removed from the atmosphere is high on the international political and scientific agendas. Growing international concern and cooperation regarding the climate change problem have increased the need for policy-oriented solutions to the issue of uncertainty in, and related to, inventories of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The approaches to addressing uncertainty discussed in this Special Issue reflect attempts to improve national inventories, not only for their own sake but also from a wider, systems analytical perspective-a perspective that seeks to strengthen the usefulness of national inventories under a compliance and/or global monitoring and reporting framework. These approaches demonstrate the benefits of including inventory uncertainty in policy analyses. The authors of the contributed papers show that considering uncertainty helps avoid situations that can, for example, create a false sense of certainty or lead to invalid views of subsystems. This may eventually prevent related errors from showing up in analyses. However, considering uncertainty does not come for free. Proper treatment of uncertainty is costly and demanding because it forces us to make the step from 'simple to complex' and only then to discuss potential simplifications. Finally, comprehensive treatment of uncertainty does not offer policymakers quick and easy solutions. The authors of the papers in this Special Issue do, however, agree that uncertainty analysis must be a key component of national GHG inventory analysis. Uncertainty analysis helps to provide a greater understanding and better science helps us to reduce and deal with uncertainty. By recognizing the importance of identifying and quantifying uncertainties, great strides can be made in ongoing discussions regarding GHG inventories and accounting for climate change. The 17 papers in this Special Issue deal with many aspects of analyzing and dealing with uncertainty in emissions estimates. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s10584-010-9922-6 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034672 |
| Woody energy crops in the southeastern United States: Two centuries of practitioner experience | Kline, Keith L; Coleman, Mark | Bioenergy feedstocks; Commercial production costs; Hardwood plantations; Productivity; Short-rotation woody crops; Southern pine plantations | Forest industry experts were consulted on the potential for hardwood tree species to serve as feedstock for bioenergy in the southeastern United States. Hardwoods are of interest for bioenergy because of desirable physical qualities, genetic research advances, and growth potential. Yet little data is available regarding potential productivity and costs. This paper describes required operations and provides a realistic estimate of the costs of producing bioenergy feedstock based on commercial experiences. Forestry practitioners reported that high productivity rates in southeastern hardwood plantations are confined to narrow site conditions or require costly inputs. Eastern cottonwood and American sycamore grow quickly on rich bottomlands, but are also prone to pests and disease. Sweetgum is frost hardy, has few pest or disease problems, and grows across a broad range of sites, yet growth rates are relatively low. Eucalypts require fewer inputs than do other species and offer high potential productivity but are limited by frost to the lower Coastal Plain and Florida. Further research is required to study naturally regenerated hardwood biomass resources. Loblolly pine has robust site requirements, growth rates rivaling hardwoods, and lower costs of production. More time and investment in silviculture, selection, and breeding will be needed to develop hardwoods as competitive biofuel feedstock species. Because of existing stands and fully developed operations, the forestry community considers loblolly pine to be a prime candidate for plantation bioenergy in the Southeast. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.biombioe.2010.05.005 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034670 |
| Selecting indicators of soil, microbial, and plant conditions to understand ecological changes in Georgia pine forests | Dale, Virginia H; Garten, Jr, Charles T; Wolfe, Amy K; Sobek, Edward A | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Discriminant analysis; Disturbance; FORESTS; GEORGIA; Indicators; MANAGEMENT; Microbes; Military land; PINES; PLANTS; SOIL CHEMISTRY; SOILS; Soil; TRAINING; Vegetation | Characterizing how resource use and management activities affect ecological conditions is necessary to document and understand anthropogenic changes in ecological systems. Resource managers on military installations have the delicate task of balancing the training needs of soldiers effectively with the need to maintain a high quality of ecological conditions. This study considers ways that ecological indicators can provide information on impacts that training has on environmental characteristics that occur at different scales and in different sectors of the environment. The characteristics examined include soil chemistry, soil microbes, and vegetation. A discriminant function analysis was conducted to determine whether ecological indicators could differentiate among different levels of military use. A combination of 10 indicators explained 90% of the variation among plots from five different military use levels. Results indicated that an appropriate suite of ecological indicators for military resource managers includes soil, microbial, and vegetation characteristics. Since many of these indicators are related, managers at this location potentially have freedom to choose indicators that are relatively easy to measure, without sacrificing information. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-11-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.ecolind.2007.08.001 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015033 |
| Agriculture - Sustainable biofuels Redux | Robertson, G Phillip; Dale, Virginia H; Doering, Otto C; Hamburg, Steven P; Melillo, Jerry M; Wander, Michele M; Parton, William | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AGRICULTURE; BIOFUELS; BIOMASS; CELLULOSIC ETHANOL; DESIGN; PRODUCTION; TARGETS; TRANSPORT | Last May's passage of the 2008 Farm Bill raises the stakes for biofuel sustainability: A substantial subsidy for the production of cellulosic ethanol starts the United States again down a path with uncertain environmental consequences. This time, however, the subsidy is for both the refiners ($1.01 per gallon) and the growers ($45 per ton of biomass), which will rapidly accelerate adoption and place hard-to-manage pressures on efforts to design and implement sustainable production practices - as will a 2007 legislative mandate for 16 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year by 2022. Similar directives elsewhere, e.g., the European Union's mandate that 10% of all transport fuel in Europe be from renewable sources by 2020, make this a global issue. The European Union's current reconsideration of this target places even more emphasis on cellulosic feedstocks (1). The need for knowledge- and science-based policy is urgent. Biofuel sustainability has environmental, economic, and social facets that all interconnect. Tradeoffs among them vary widely by types of fuels and where they are grown and, thus, need to be explicitly considered by using a framework that allows the outcomes of alternative systems to be consistently evaluated and compared. A cellulosic biofuels industry could have many positive social and environmental attributes, but it could also suffer from many of the sustainability issues that hobble grain-based biofuels, if not implemented the right way. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-10-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1126/science.1161525 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1014266 |
| Temporary storage of carbon in the biosphere does have value for climate change mitigation: a response to the paper by Miko Kirschbaum | Marland, Gregg; Dornburg, Veronika | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOSPHERE; CARBON; CARBON SINKS; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; Carbon sequestration Carbon sinks; MITIGATION; STORAGE | Kirschbaum (Mitig Adapt Strat Glob Change 11:1151 1164, 2006) explores the climatic impact over time of temporarily sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. He concludes that temporary storage of carbon in the terrestrial biosphere achieves effectively no climate-change mitigation . His strongly worded statement begs for a response. This paper argues that Kirschbaum s conclusion is an artifact of the specific perspective of his analysis and his choice of a definition for climate-change impact. Even temporary sinks put us on a lower path for climate change, a path that will not otherwise be accessible. For carbon sinks in the terrestrial biosphere, we argue that sooner is better and longer is better, but even known temporary sinks have value. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1014268 | |
| Elevated CO2 enhances leaf senescence during extreme heat and drought in a temperate forest | Warren, Jeffrey; Norby, Richard J; Wullschleger, Stan D | In 2007, an extreme drought and acute heat wave damaged ecosystems across the southeastern US, including a 19-year-old Liquidambar styraciflua L. (sweetgum) tree plantation exposed to long-term elevated CO2 treatments. Stem sap velocities in trees exposed to ambient (A) or elevated (E) CO2 were analyzed to assess potential interactions between CO2 and these weather extremes. Leaf temperature (Tleaf) and net carbon uptake (GPP) were modeled based on patterns of sap velocity to estimate indirect impacts of CO2-reduced transpiration on premature leaf senescence. Elevated CO2 reduced sap flow by 28% during early summer, and by up to 45% late in the drought during record-setting high air temperatures. Canopy transpiration and conductance declined more rapidly in ECO2 plots, resulting in ECO2 Tleaf up to 45 C, which was 1-2 C greater than ACO2 Tleaf. Pre-drought GPP was ~7% greater in ECO2 plots, then declined to 30% less than ACO2 GPP as the drought progressed. Leaf abscission peaked during this period, and was 30% greater for ECO2 trees. While ECO2 can reduce leaf-level water use under droughty conditions, acute drought or heat conditions may induce excessive stomatal closure that could offset benefits of ECO2 to temperate forest species during extreme weather events. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1093/treephys/tpr002 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1081615 | |
| Climate adaptation planning in practice: an evaluation of adaptation plans from three developed nations | Preston, Benjamin L; Westaway, Richard M; Yuen, Emma J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CAPACITY; CAPITAL; CLIMATES; EVALUATION; PLANNING; VULNERABILITY | Formal planning for climate change adaptation is emerging rapidly at a range of geo-political scales. This first generation of adaptation plans provides useful information regarding how institutions are framing the issue of adaptation and the range of processes that are recognized as being part of an adaptation response. To better understand adaptation planning among developed nations, a set of 57 adaptation plans from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States was evaluated against a suite of 19 planning processes identified from existing guidance instruments for adaptation planning. Total scores among evaluated plans ranged from 16% of the maximum possible score to 61%, with an average of 37%. These results suggest adaptation plans are largely under-developed. Critical weaknesses in adaptation planning are related to limited consideration for non-climatic factors as well as neglect for issues of adaptive capacity including entitlements to various forms of capital needed for effective adaptation. Such gaps in planning suggest there are opportunities for institutions to make better use of existing guidance for adaptation planning and the need to consider the broader governance context in which adaptation will occur. In addition, the adaptation options prescribed by adaptation plans reflect a preferential bias toward low-risk capacity-building (72% of identified options) over the delivery of specific actions to reduce vulnerability. To the extent these findings are representative of the state of developed nation adaptation planning, there appear to be significant deficiencies in climate change preparedness, even among those nations often assumed to have the greatest adaptive capacity. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2011-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s11027-010-9270-x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015712 |
| Estimating Effective Hydraulic Parameters of Unsaturated Layered Sediments Using a Cantor Set Composite Medium Model | Tang, Guoping; Perfect, Edmund; Van Den Berg, Engelmundus H; Mayes, Melanie; Parker, Jack C | 58 GEOSCIENCES; APPROXIMATIONS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; FRACTALS; GEOLOGIC MODELS; HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY; SEDIMENTS; WATER | Estimating effective hydraulic parameters of variably-saturated layered sediments has been extensively studied using deterministic, stochastic or combined approaches and experiments. However, heterogeneity and scale dependence remain as major obstacles for the prediction of water flow and contaminant transport at DOE sites. A physically-based fractal model is introduced in this work to characterize the heterogeneity of layered sediments at different scales and to estimate effective hydraulic parameters with a composite medium approximation approach. Fractal parameters for the Hanford formation are estimated by spectral analysis of a set of gamma ray log data. Numerical simulation results show that the Cantor set composite medium model may work well at small length scale, low gradients or dry conditions. Under unfavorable conditions, the influence of gradient, or pressure or hydraulic conductivity variance on the effective hydraulic conductivity may not be ignored. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.2136/vzj2007.0013 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/937519 |
| Inverse Method for Estimating the Spatial Variability of Soil Particle Size Distribution from Observed Soil Moisture | Pan, Feifei; Peters-lidard, Christa D; King, Anthony Wayne | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CAPACITY; DISTRIBUTION; DRAINAGE; EVAPORATION; HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY; HYDRAULICS; MOISTURE; PARTICLE SIZE; RUNOFF; SAND; SILT; SOILS; TENNESSEE; THROUGHFALL; WATER; WATERSHEDS | Soil particle size distribution (PSD) (i.e., clay, silt, sand, and rock contents) information is one of critical factors for understanding water cycle since it affects almost all of water cycle processes, e.g., drainage, runoff, soil moisture, evaporation, and evapotranspiration. With information about soil PSD, we can estimate almost all soil hydraulic properties (e.g., saturated soil moisture, field capacity, wilting point, residual soil moisture, saturated hydraulic conductivity, pore-size distribution index, and bubbling capillary pressure) based on published empirical relationships. Therefore, a regional or global soil PSD database is essential for studying water cycle regionally or globally. At the present stage, three soil geographic databases are commonly used, i.e., the Soil Survey Geographic database, the State Soil Geographic database, and the National Soil Geographic database. Those soil data are map unit based and associated with great uncertainty. Ground soil surveys are a way to reduce this uncertainty. However, ground surveys are time consuming and labor intensive. In this study, an inverse method for estimating mean and standard deviation of soil PSD from observed soil moisture is proposed and applied to Throughfall Displacement Experiment sites in Walker Branch Watershed in eastern Tennessee. This method is based on the relationship between spatial mean and standard deviation of soil moisture. The results indicate that the suggested method is feasible and has potential for retrieving soil PSD information globally from remotely sensed soil moisture data. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-11-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0000274 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015737 |
| Estimating Reaction Rate Coefficients Within a Travel-Time Modeling Framework | Gong, R; Lu, C; Luo, Jian; Wu, Wei-min; Cheng, H; Criddle, Craig; Kitanidis, Peter K; Gu, Baohua; Watson, David B; Jardine, Philip M; Brooks, Scott C | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUIFERS; BIOREMEDIATION; DISTRIBUTION; ETHANOL; MIXTURES; OPTIMIZATION; REACTION KINETICS; SIMULATION; TRANSPORT | A generalized, efficient, and practical approach based on the travel-time modeling framework is developed to estimate in situ reaction rate coefficients for groundwater remediation in heterogeneous aquifers. The required information for this approach can be obtained by conducting tracer tests with injection of a mixture of conservative and reactive tracers and measurements of both breakthrough curves (BTCs). The conservative BTC is used to infer the travel-time distribution from the injection point to the observation point. For advection-dominant reactive transport with well-mixed reactive species and a constant travel-time distribution, the reactive BTC is obtained by integrating the solutions to advective-reactive transport over the entire travel-time distribution, and then is used in optimization to determine the in situ reaction rate coefficients. By directly working on the conservative and reactive BTCs, this approach avoids costly aquifer characterization and improves the estimation for transport in heterogeneous aquifers which may not be sufficiently described by traditional mechanistic transport models with constant transport parameters. Simplified schemes are proposed for reactive transport with zero-, first-, nth-order, and Michaelis-Menten reactions. The proposed approach is validated by a reactive transport case in a two-dimensional synthetic heterogeneous aquifer and a field-scale bioremediation experiment conducted at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The field application indicates that ethanol degradation for U(VI)-bioremediation is better approximated by zero-order reaction kinetics than first-order reaction kinetics. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2011-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1745-6584.2010.00683.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015088 |
| Investigating Habitat Value in Support of Contaminant Remediation Decisions: Approach | Efroymson, Rebecca Ann; Peterson, Mark J; Welsh, Christopher John Edward; Druckenbrod, Daniel L; Ryon, Michael G; Smith, John G; Hargrove, William Walter; Giffen, Neil R; Roy, W Kelly; Quarles, III, Harry Dewitt | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMMUNITIES; DECISION MAKING; DIMENSIONS; HABITAT; IMPLEMENTATION; LAND USE; METRICS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PONDS; SURFACE WATERS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; USA | Habitat valuation methods are most often developed and used to prioritize candidate lands for conservation. In this study the intent of habitat valuation was to inform the decision-making process for remediation of chemical contaminants on specific lands or surface water bodies. Methods were developed to summarize dimensions of habitat value for six representative aquatic and terrestrial contaminated sites at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) on the US Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation in Oak Ridge, TN, USA. Several general valuation metrics were developed for three broad categories: site use by groups of organisms, site rarity, and use value added from spatial context. Examples of use value metrics are taxa richness, a direct measure of number of species that inhabit an area, complexity of habitat structure, an indirect measure of potential number of species that may use the area, and land use designation, a measure of the length of time that the area will be available for use. Measures of rarity included presence of rare species or communities. Examples of metrics for habitat use value added from spatial context included similarity or complementarity of neighboring habitat patches and presence of habitat corridors. More specific metrics were developed for groups of organisms in contaminated streams, ponds, and terrestrial ecosystems. For each of these metrics, cutoff values for high, medium, and low habitat value were suggested, based on available information on distributions of organisms and landscape features, as well as habitat use information. A companion paper describes the implementation of these habitat valuation metrics and scoring criteria in the remedial investigation for ETTP. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL work for others; ORNL other overhead | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.jenvman.2007.07.023 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/940322 |
| Trading permanent and temporary carbon emissions credits | Marland, Gregg; Marland, Eric | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOSPHERE; CARBON; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON SEQUESTRATION; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; DESIGN; FORESTS; KYOTO PROTOCOL; MITIGATION; POWER PLANTS; SOILS; TREES | In this issue of Climatic Change, Van Kooten (2009) addresses an issue that has bedeviled negotiators since the drafting stage of the Kyoto Protocol. If we accept that increasing withdrawals of carbon dioxide from the atmpshere has the same net impact on the climate system as reducing emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, how do we design a system that allows trading of one for the other? As van Kooten expresses the challenge: 'The problem is that emissions reduction and carbon sequestration, while opposite sides of the same coin in some sense, are not directly comparable, thereby inhibiting their trade in carbon markets.' He explains: 'The difficulty centers on the length of time that mitigation strategies without CO{sub 2} from entering the atmosphere - the duration problem.' While reducing emissions of CO{sub 2} represents an essentially permanent benefit for the atmosphere, capturing CO{sub 2} that has been produced (whether capture is from the atmosphere or directly from, for example, the exhaust from power plants) there is the challenge of storing the carbon adn the risk that it will yet escape to the atmosphere. Permanent benefit to the atmosphere is often not assured for carbon sequestration activities. This is especially true if the carbon is taken up and stored in the biosphere - e.g. in forest trees or agricultural soils. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-08-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s10584-009-9624-0 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017341 |
| Elevated air temperature alters an old-field insect community in a multi-factor climate change experiment | Villalpando, Sean; Williams, Ray; Norby, Richard J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; AIR; CLIMATIC CHANGE; FEEDING; INSECTS; INTERACTIONS; PLANTS; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; WATER | To address how multiple, interacting climate drivers may affect plant-insect community associations, we sampled the insect community from a constructed old-field plant community grown under simultaneous [CO2], temperature, and water manipulation. Insects were identified to morphospecies, assigned to feeding guilds and abundance, richness and evenness quantified. Warming significantly increased Order Thysanoptera abundance and reduced overall morphospecies richness and evenness. Non-metric multidimensional scaling clearly supported the effect of warming on insect community composition. Reductions in richness for herbivores and parasitoids suggest trophic-level effects within the insect community. Analysis of dominant insects demonstrated the effects of warming were limited to a relatively small number of morphospecies. Reported reductions in whole-community foliar N at elevated [CO2] unexpectedly did not result in any effects on herbivores. These results demonstrate climatic warming may alter certain insect communities via effects on insect species most responsive to higher temperature, contributing to a change in community structure. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01721.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/958838 |
| Significant Association between Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria and Uranium-Reducing Microbial Communities as Revealed by a Combined Massively Parallel Sequencing-Indicator Species Approach | Cardenas, Erick; Leigh, Mary Beth; Marsh, Terence; Tiedje, James M; Wu, Wei-min; Luo, Jian; Ginder-Vogel, Matthew; Kitanidis, Peter K; Criddle, Craig; Carley, Jack M; Carroll, Sue L; Gentry, Terry J; Watson, David B; Gu, Baohua; Jardine, Philip M; Zhou, Jizhong | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; BACTERIA; BINDING ENERGY; BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS; CONTAMINATION; DESULFOVIBRIO; ELECTRONS; ETHANOL; HEAVY METALS; INJECTION WELLS; NUCLEOTIDES; PLUMES; SEDIMENTS; SUBSTRATES; SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA; URANIUM IONS; VALENCE | Massively parallel sequencing has provided a more affordable and high-throughput method to study microbial communities, although it has mostly been used in an exploratory fashion. We combined pyrosequencing with a strict indicator species statistical analysis to test if bacteria specifically responded to ethanol injection that successfully promoted dissimilatory uranium(VI) reduction in the subsurface of a uranium contamination plume at the Oak Ridge Field Research Center in Tennessee. Remediation was achieved with a hydraulic flow control consisting of an inner loop, where ethanol was injected, and an outer loop for flow-field protection. This strategy reduced uranium concentrations in groundwater to levels below 0.126 M and created geochemical gradients in electron donors from the inner-loop injection well toward the outer loop and downgradient flow path. Our analysis with 15 sediment samples from the entire test area found significant indicator species that showed a high degree of adaptation to the three different hydrochemical-created conditions. Castellaniella and Rhodanobacter characterized areas with low pH, heavy metals, and low bioactivity, while sulfate-, Fe(III)-, and U(VI)-reducing bacteria (Desulfovibrio, Anaeromyxobacter, and Desulfosporosinus) were indicators of areas where U(VI) reduction occurred. The abundance of these bacteria, as well as the Fe(III) and U(VI) reducer Geobacter, correlated with the hydraulic connectivity to the substrate injection site, suggesting that the selected populations were a direct response to electron donor addition by the groundwater flow path. A false-discovery-rate approach was implemented to discard false-positive results by chance, given the large amount of data compared. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-10-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1128/AEM.01097-10 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015722 |
| Mercury emission from terrestrial background surfaces in the eastern USA. Part I: Air/surface exchange of mercury within a southeastern deciduous forest (Tennessee) over one year | Kuiken, Todd; Zhang, Hong; Gustin, Mae S; Lindberg, Steven Eric | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BACKGROUND RADIATION; DEPOSITION; FORESTS; MERCURY; SOILS; TENNESSEE | This study focused on the development of a seasonal data set of the Hg air/surface exchange over soils associated with low Hg containing surfaces in a deciduous forest in the southern USA. Data were collected every month for 11 months in 2004 within Standing Stone State Forest in Tennessee using the dynamic flux chamber method. Mercury air/surface exchange associated with the litter covered forest floor was very low with the annual mean daytime flux being 0.4 0.5 ng m-2 h-1 (n = 301). The daytime Hg air/surface exchange over the year oscillated between emission (81% of samples with positive flux) and deposition (19% of samples with negative flux). A seasonal trend of lower emission in the spring and summer (closed canopy) relative to the fall and winter (open canopy) was observed. Correlations were found between the air/surface exchange and certain environmental factors on specific days sampled but not collectively over the entire year. The very low magnitude of Hg air/surface exchange as observed in this study suggests that an improved methodology for determining and reporting emission fluxes is needed when the values of fluxes and chamber blanks are both very low and comparable. This study raises questions and points to a need for more research regarding how to scale the Hg air/surface exchange for surfaces with very low emissions. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2007.12.006 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015032 |
| Time and frequency domain analyses of high-frequency hydrologic and chloride data in an east Tennessee watershed | Koirala, Shesh R; Gentry, Randall W; Mulholland, Patrick J; Perfect, Edmund; Schwartz, John S | 58 GEOSCIENCES; CHLORIDES; STORAGE; TENNESSEE; WATER CHEMISTRY; WATERSHEDS | In the realm of sustainability science, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the basal condition of a natural system as well as its long-term behavior. Research is needed to better explain the temporal scaling of water chemistry in streams and watersheds and its relationship with the hydrologic factors that influence its behavior. Persistence of dissolved chemicals in streams has been demonstrated to be linked to certain hydrologic processes, such as interaction between hydrologic units and storage in surface or sub-surface systems. In this study, spectral and wavelet analyses provided a novel theoretical basis for insights into long-term chloride behavior in an east Tennessee watershed. Temporal scaling analyses were conducted on weekly time series data of chloride collected from November 1995 to December 2005 at the West Fork of Walker Branch in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The objectives of the study were to: evaluate chloride concentration (a conservative solute) to determine the presence of statistical persistence and the relationship of the persistence to hydrologic variables (discharge and rainfall) using time and frequency domain analyses of high-frequency hydrologic and chloride concentration data. Results demonstrated that chloride showed some level of statistical persistence that was influenced by rainfall and/or discharge. Short-term statistical persistence (less than a year) was related to the persistence of rainfall and discharge, whereas long-term statistical persistence (more than a year) was related to the persistence of discharge. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2010.04.014 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/984385 |
| Patterns of fish community composition along a river affected by agricultural and urban disturbance in south-central Chile | Orrego, Rodrigo; Barra, Ricardo; Chiang, Gustavo; Adams, Marshall; Gavilan, Juan F | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; CHILE; COMMUNITIES; DISTURBANCES; FEEDING; Fish - Assemblages - Sewage - Cause effect relationship; HABITAT; RIVERS; WATER QUALITY | Patterns of fish community composition in a south-central Chile river were investigated along the altitudinal-spatial and environmental gradient and as a function of anthropogenic factors. The spatial pattern of fish communities in different biocoenotic zones of the Chillan River is influenced by both natural factors such a hydrologic features, habitat, and feeding types, and also by water quality variables which can reduce the diversity and abundance of sensitive species. A principal component analysis incorporating both water quality parameters and biomarker responses of representative fish species was used to evaluate the status of fish communities along the spatial gradient of the stream. The abundance and diversity of the fish community changed from a low in the upper reaches where the low pollution-tolerant species such as salmonid dominated, to a reduced diversity in the lower reaches of the river where tolerant browser species such as cypriniformes dominated. Even though the spatial pattern of fish community structure is similar to that found for the Chilean Rivers, the structure of these communities is highly influenced by human disturbance, particularly along the lower reaches of the river. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015094 | |
| Potential negative consequences of adding phosphorus-based fertilizers to immobilize lead in soil | Kilgour, Douglas W; Moseley, Rebecca A; Savage, Kaye S; Jardine, Philip M | 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; ANTIMONY; ARSENIC; FERTILIZERS; HARDENING; IN VITRO; LEACHING; ORIGIN; PHOSPHATES; SOILS | A study of the potential negative consequences of adding phosphate (P)-based fertilizers as amendments to immobilize lead (Pb) in contaminated soils was conducted. Lead-contaminated firing range soils also contained elevated concentrations of antimony (Sb), a common Pb hardening agent, and some arsenic (As) of unknown (possibly background) origin. After amending the soils with triple superphosphate, a relatively soluble P source, column leaching experiments revealed elevated concentrations of Sb, As, and Pb in the leachate, reflecting an initial spike in soluble Pb and a particularly dramatic increase in Sb and As mobility. Minimal As, Sb, and Pb leaching was observed during column tests performed on non-amended control soils. In vitro extractions tests were performed to assess changes in Pb, As, and Sb bioaccessibility on P amendment. Lead bioaccessibility was systematically lowered with increasing P dosage, but there was much less of an effect on As and Sb bioaccessibility than on mobility. Our results indicate that although P amendments may aid in lowering the bioaccessibility of soil-bound Pb, it may also produce an initial increase in Pb mobility and a significant release of Sb and As from the soil, dramatically increasing their mobility and to a lesser extent their bioavailability. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-09-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.2134/jeq2007.0409 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017335 |
| You are not always what we think you eat. Selective assimilation across multiple whole-stream isotopic tracer studies | Dodds, W. K.; Collins, S. M.; Hamilton, S. K.; Tank, J. L.; Johnson, S.; Webster, J. R.; Simon, K. S.; Whiles, M. R.; Rantala, H. M.; McDowell, W. H.; Peterson, S. D.; Riis, T.; Crenshaw, C. L.; Thomas, S. A.; Kristensen, P. B.; Cheever, B. M.; Flecker, A. S.; Griffiths, N. A.; Crowl, T.; Rosi-Marshall, E. J.; El-Sabaawi, R.; MartÃ, E. | 07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES; consumer; food resources; food web; label mismatch; nitrogen cycling; stable isotope tracer addition; ¹âµN | Analyses of 21 15N stable isotope tracer experiments, designed to examine food web dynamics in streams around the world, indicated that the isotopic composition of food resources assimilated by primary consumers (mostly invertebrates) poorly reflected the presumed food sources. Modeling indicated that consumers assimilated only 33â50% of the N available in sampled food sources such as decomposing leaves, epilithon, and fine particulate detritus over feeding periods of weeks or more. Thus, common methods of sampling food sources consumed by animals in streams do not sufficiently reflect the pool of N they assimilate. Lastly, Isotope tracer studies, combined with modeling and food separation techniques, can improve estimation of N pools in food sources that are assimilated by consumers. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2014-10-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1890/13-2276.1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1162074 |
| A new method for the experimental heating of intact soil profiles for application to climate change experiments | Hanson, Paul J; Childs, Kenneth W; Wullschleger, Stan D; Riggs, Jeffery S; Thomas, Warren Kyle; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Warren, Jeffrey | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; ANIMALS; CARBON; CLIMATES; COMMUNITIES; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; HEATERS; HEATING; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SOILS; STIMULATION; climate change; heating; soil respiration; soil temperature; warming | Advanced facilities are needed to evaluate the response of complex ecosystems to projected unique climate conditions not observable in the context of current natural variation or through the use of climate gradients. A next-generation, experimental system for simulating future belowground temperature increases was conceived, simulated, constructed and tested in a temperate deciduous forest in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. The new system uses low-wattage, 3-m deep, circumferentially-installed heaters surrounding a defined soil volume to both add the necessary energy to support a set-point soil temperature differential within the treatment area and to add exterior energy inputs equal to that which might be lost from lateral heat conduction. This approach, which is designed to work in conjunction with aboveground heated chambers, requires only two control positions, (1) aboveground air temperatures at 1 m and (2) belowground temperatures at 0.8 m. The approach is capable of achieving in situ target temperature differentials in the tested range of +4.0 0.5 C for soils to a measured depth of -2 m located within the aboveground boundary for air heating. These differentials were sustained throughout 2009, and both diurnal and seasonal cycles at all soil depths were retained using this simple heating approach. Measured mean energy inputs required to sustain the target heating level of +4 C over the 7.1 m2 target area were substantial: 21.1 kW h d-1 m-2 for aboveground heating but 16 times lower for belowground heaters at 1.3 kW h d-1 m-2. Observations of soil CO2 efflux from the surface of the target soil volumes showed CO2 losses throughout 2009 that were elevated above the temperature response curve for control CO2 losses at levels greater than have been reported in previous soil warming studies. Stimulation of biological activity of previously undisturbed deep-soil carbon stocks is the expected source. Long-term research programs may be able to apply similar experimental systems to address uncertainties in process-level responses of microbial, plant, and animal communities in whole, intact ecosystems using this new heating method that capture expected future warming and temperature dynamics throughout the soil profile. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02221.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003742 |
| Distinguishing dynamics of dissolved organic matter components in a forested stream using kinetic enrichments | Lutz, Brian D; Bernhardt, Emily; Roberts, Brian; Mulholland, Patrick J; Cory, Rose M | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ALGAE; BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; CARBON; CHEMICAL COMPOSITION; FLUORESCENCE; KINETICS; NITROGEN; ORGANIC MATTER; PRODUCTION; SOLUTES; TENNESSEE | Traditional methods for investigating stream solute biogeochemistry measure longitudinal rates of uptake by increasing either the concentration or isotopic composition of solutes. These methods cannot be applied to dissolved organic matter (DOM) because we cannot replicate the heterogeneous native DOM pool. We explored an alternative approach, attempting to displace or enhance benthic uptake of native DOM by supplying an exogenous source of labile carbon or by enriching the stream with inorganic nitrogen. This approach allows us to measure uptake rates of enriched solutes, as well as changes in the concentration and composition of native DOM resulting from the experimental manipulations. We examined DOM composition using fluorescence characterization. We were able to elicit changes in the chemical composition of native DOM by differentially altering the dynamics of autotrophic production and heterotrophic uptake within the second-order reach of Walker Branch, a well-studied stream in eastern Tennessee. Supplying heterotrophs with labile carbon resulted in an increase in fluorescence associated with terrestrially derived DOM. Stimulating algae by adding inorganic nitrogen increased autochthonous production and indirectly displaced heterotrophic demand for terrestrial DOM due to increased in-stream production of bioavailable DOM. While we were able to alter the composition of the native DOM pool, we observed little change in DOM concentrations. The ability to differentiate between DOM subcomponents provides insight into processes controlling DOM production and consumption that cannot be gained by treating DOM as a single bulk pool. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.4319/lo.2012.57.1.0076 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1033521 |
| Soil Microbial Community Responses to Multiple Experimental Climate Change Drivers | Castro Gonzalez, Hector F; Classen, Aimee T; Austin, Emily E; Norby, Richard J; Schadt, Christopher Warren | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COMMUNITIES; DISTRIBUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; GENES; PRECIPITATION; SOILS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS | Researchers agree that climate change factors such as rising atmospheric [CO{sub 2}] and warming will likely interact to modify ecosystem properties and processes. However, the response of the microbial communities that regulate ecosystem processes is less predictable. We measured the direct and interactive effects of climatic change on soil fungal and bacterial communities (abundance and composition) in a multifactor climate change experiment that exposed a constructed old-field ecosystem to different atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentration (ambient, +300 ppm), temperature (ambient, +3 C), and precipitation (wet and dry) might interact to alter soil bacterial and fungal abundance and community structure in an old-field ecosystem. We found that (i) fungal abundance increased in warmed treatments; (ii) bacterial abundance increased in warmed plots with elevated atmospheric [CO{sub 2}] but decreased in warmed plots under ambient atmospheric [CO{sub 2}]; (iii) the phylogenetic distribution of bacterial and fungal clones and their relative abundance varied among treatments, as indicated by changes in 16S rRNA and 28S rRNA genes; (iv) changes in precipitation altered the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria, where Acidobacteria decreased with a concomitant increase in the Proteobacteria in wet relative to dry treatments; and (v) changes in precipitation altered fungal community composition, primarily through lineage specific changes within a recently discovered group known as soil clone group I. Taken together, our results indicate that climate change drivers and their interactions may cause changes in bacterial and fungal overall abundance; however, changes in precipitation tended to have a much greater effect on the community composition. These results illustrate the potential for complex community changes in terrestrial ecosystems under climate change scenarios that alter multiple factors simultaneously. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL LDRD Director's R&D | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1128/AEM.02874-09 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/973545 |
| Sectoral approaches to improve regional carbon budgets | Smith, Pete; Nabuurs, Gert-Jan; Marland, Gregg | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AVAILABILITY; CARBON; CARBON CYCLE; ECOLOGY; FOOD; FORESTRY; FORESTS; FOSSIL FUELS; GOODS AND SERVICES; GREENHOUSE GASES; MANAGEMENT; PERMAFROST; PERSONNEL; PRODUCTION; RANGELANDS; WETLANDS | Humans utilise about 40% of the earth s net primary production (NPP) but the products of this NPP are often managed by different sectors, with timber and forest products managed by the forestry sector and food and fibre products from croplands and grasslands managed by the agricultural sector. Other significant anthropogenic impacts on the global carbon cycle include human utilization of fossil fuels and impacts on less intensively managed systems such as peatlands, wetlands and permafrost. A great deal of knowledge, expertise and data is available within each sector. We describe the contribution of sectoral carbon budgets to our understanding of the global carbon cycle. Whilst many sectors exhibit similarities for carbon budgeting, some key differences arise due to differences in goods and services provided, ecology, management practices used, landmanagement personnel responsible, policies affecting land management, data types and availability, and the drivers of change. We review the methods and data sources available for assessing sectoral carbon budgets, and describe some of key data limitations and uncertainties for each sector in different regions of the world. We identify the main gaps in our knowledge/data, show that coverage is better for the developed world for most sectors, and suggest how sectoral carbon budgets could be improved in the future. Research priorities include the development of shared protocols through site networks, a move to full carbon accounting within sectors, and the assessment of full greenhouse gas budgets. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-06-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s10584-007-9378-5 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015038 |
| Forest phenology and a warmer climate - Growing season extension in relation to climatic provenance | Gunderson, Carla A; Edwards, Nelson T; Walker, Ashley V; O'Hara, Keiran H; Campion, Christina M; Hanson, Paul J | Betula alleghaniensis; Climate change; Liquidambar styraciflua; Populus grandidentata; Quercus rubra; aspen; autumn; birch; forest; oak; phenology; spring; sweetgum; trees; warming | Predicting forest responses to warming climates relies on assumptions about niche and temperature sensitivity that remain largely untested. Observational studies have related current and historical temperatures to phenological shifts, but experimental evidence is sparse, particularly for autumn responses. A five-year field experiment exposed four deciduous forest species from contrasting climates (Liquidambar styraciflua, Quercus rubra, Populus grandidentata, and Betula alleghaniensis) to air temperatures 2 and 4 C above ambient controls. Impacts of year-round warming on bud burst (BB), senescence and abscission were evaluated in relation to thermal provenance. Leaves emerged earlier in all species, by an average of 6-9 days at +2 and +4 C. Magnitude of advance varied with species and year, but was larger for the first 2 C increment than the second. The effect of warming increased with early BB, favoring Liquidambar, from the warmest climate, but even BB in northern species advanced, despite temperatures well beyond those of the realized niche. Treatment differences in BB were poorly explained by temperature sums, which increased with treatment. In autumn, chlorophyll was retained an average of 4 and 7 days longer in +2 and +4 C treatments, and abscission delayed by 8 and 13 days. Species differences in autumn responses were marginally significant. Growing seasons in the warmer atmospheres were 6 - 28 days longer, with the least impact in Quercus. Results are compared with a 16-year record of canopy onset and offset in a nearby upland deciduous forest, where BB showed similar responsiveness to spring temperatures (2 - 4 days C-1). Offset dates in the stand tracked August-September temperatures, except when late summer drought caused premature senescence. The common garden-like experimental approach provides evidence that warming alone extends the growing season, at both ends, even if stand-level impacts are complicated by other environmental factors. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02632.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1054994 |
| Soil carbon and nitrogen cycling and storage throughout the soil profile in a sweetgum plantation after 11 years of CO2-enrichment | Iversen, Colleen M; Keller, Dr. Jason K.; Garten, Jr, Charles T; Norby, Richard J | 13C; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AVAILABILITY; CARBON; FACE; FORESTS; Liquidambar styraciflua; MINERALIZATION; NITROGEN; ORGANIC MATTER; PARTICULATES; PRODUCTION; SOILS; STORAGE; carbon mineralization; elevated [CO2]; fine roots; mineral-associated organic matter; nitrogen mineralization; particulate organic matter; soil depth | Increased partitioning of carbon (C) to fine roots under elevated [CO2], especially deep in the soil profile, could alter soil C and nitrogen (N) cycling in forests. After more than 11 years of free-Air CO2 enrichment in a Liquidambar styraciflua L. (sweetgum) plantation in Oak Ridge, TN, USA, greater inputs of fine roots resulted in the incorporation of new C (i.e., C with a depleted 13C) into root-derived particulate organic matter (POM) pools to 90-cm depth. Even though production in the sweetgum stand was limited by soil N availability, soil C and N content increased over time, and were greater throughout the soil profile under elevated [CO2] at the conclusion of the experiment. However, greater C inputs under elevated [CO2] did not result in increased net N immobilization or C mineralization rates in long-term laboratory incubations, and did not appear to prime the decomposition of older SOM. The 13CO2 of the C mineralized from the incubated soil closely tracked the 13C of the labile POM pool in the elevated [CO2] treatment, especially in shallower soil, and did not indicate the decomposition of older (i.e., pre-experiment) SOM. While potential C mineralization rates were positively and linearly related to total soil organic matter (SOM) C content in the top 30 cm of soil, this relationship did not hold in deeper soil. Taken together with an increased mean residence time of C in deeper soil pools, these findings indicate that C inputs from relatively deep roots under elevated [CO2] may have increased potential for long-term storage. Expanded representation of biogeochemical cycling throughout the soil profile may improve model projections of future forest responses to rising atmospheric [CO2]. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2012.02643.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1042824 |
| Managing the cost of emissions for durable, carbon-containing products | Shirley, Kevin; Marland, Eric; Cantrell, Jenna; Marland, Gregg | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON DIOXIDE; Carbon sequestration CO2 emissions Carbon accounting Life insurance Carbon economics Wood products; DECAY; DISTRIBUTION; INSURANCE; OXIDATION; PROBABILITY; PRODUCTION | We recognize that carbon-containing products do not decay and release CO2 to the atmosphere instantaneously, but release that carbon over extended periods of time. For an initial production of a stock of carbon-containing product, we can treat the release as a probability distribution covering the time over which that release occurs. The probability distribution that models the carbon release predicts the amount of carbon that is released as a function of time. The use of a probability distribution in accounting for the release of carbon to the atmosphere realizes a fundamental shift from the idea that all carbon-containing products contribute to a single pool that decays in proportion to the size of the stock. Viewing the release of carbon as a continuous probabilistic process introduces some theoretical opportunities not available in the former paradigm by taking advantage of other fields where the use of probability distributions has been prevalent for many decades. In particular, theories developed in the life insurance industry can guide the development of pricing and payment structures for dealing with the costs associated with the oxidation and release of carbon. These costs can arise from a number of proposed policies (cap and trade, carbon tax, social cost of carbon, etc), but in the end they all result in there being a cost to releasing carbon to the atmosphere. If there is a cost to the emitter for CO2 emissions, payment for that cost will depend on both when the emissions actually occur and how payment is made. Here we outline some of the pricing and payment structures that are possible which result from analogous theories in the life insurance industry. This development not only provides useful constructs for valuing sequestered carbon, but highlights additional motivations for employing a probability distribution approach to unify accounting methodologies for stocks of carbon containing products. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2011-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s11027-010-9268-4 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015090 |
| A New Name for the Hawaiian Antipatharian Coral Formerly Known as Antipathes dichotoma (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia) | Opresko, Dennis M | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; CNIDARIA; CORALS; MORPHOLOGY | A Hawaiian species of antipatharian coral previously identified as Antipathes dichotoma Pallas, 1766, is described as Antipathes griggi Opresko, n. sp. The species forms tall, bushy colonies with elongate, upright terminal branches, often arranged uniserially. Spines are conical, mostly 0.20 to 0.26 mm tall, apically bifurcated, multilobed to jagged in appearance, and covered over most of their surface with small roundish to elongate papillae. Minute secondary spines may occur on some of the thicker branches. Polyps are 1 to 1.6 mm in transverse diameter. The species resembles A. fruticosa Gray in branching pattern, size of spines, and presence of secondary spines but differs in morphology and density of the spines (thicker, more crowded primary spines and fewer secondary spines in A. griggi). Other related species differ from A. griggi in having more widely spreading and irregularly arranged branches, no secondary spines, and either smaller spines with fewer apical lobes (A. curvata van Pesch, A. arborea Dana, and A. galapagensis Deichmann) or larger spines with the apical lobes arranged in a somewhat coronate pattern [A. spinulosa (Schultze) and A. lentipinna Brook]. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.2984/049.063.0209 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015100 |
| Comparing intra- and inter-specific effects on litter decomposition in an old-field ecosystem | Crutsinger, Greg; Sanders, Dr Nathan James; Classen, Aimee T | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ECOSYSTEMS; GENETICS; GENOTYPE; NITROGEN; NUTRIENTS; SPECIES DIVERSITY | Plant species can differ in the quantity and quality of leaf litter they produce, and many studies have examined whether plant species diversity affects leaf-litter decomposition and nutrient release. A growing number of studies have indicated that intra-specific variation within plant species can also affect key ecosystem processes. However, the relative importance of intra- versus inter-specific variation for the functioning of ecosystems remains poorly known. Here, we investigate the effects of intra-specific variation in a dominant old-field plant species, tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima), and inter-specific variation among goldenrod species on litter quality, decomposition, and nitrogen (N) release. We found that the nutrient concentration of leaf litter varied among genotypes, which translated into 50% difference in decomposition rates. Variation among other goldenrod species in decomposition rate was more than twice that of genetic variation within S. altissima. Furthermore, by manipulating litterbags to contain 1, 3, 6, or 9 genotypes, we found that S. altissima genotype identity had much stronger effects than did genotypic diversity on leaf-litter quality, decomposition, and N release. Taken together, these results suggest that the order of ecological importance for controlling leaf-litter decomposition and N release dynamics is plant species identitygenotype identity>genotypic diversity. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-09-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.baae.2008.10.011 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015054 |
| Simple and inexpensive method of wood pellets macro-porosity measurement | Igathinathane, C; Tumuluru, J S; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Bi, X T; Lim, C Jim; Melin, Staffan; Mohammad, E | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BULK DENSITY; Biomass; COMPRESSIBILITY; DENSITY; Density; GEOMETRY; PELLETS; Physical property; Porosity; WOOD FUELS; Wood pellet | A novel simplified stereometric measurement method for determining the macro-porosity of wood pellets through geometrical approach was successfully developed and tested. The irregular ends of pellets of circular cross-section were sanded flat so that their geometry becomes cylinder and their volumes evaluated using mensuration formula. Such formed cylindrical pellets were loose or tap filled to selected volumes to evaluate the macro-porosity and the constant specific weight. The method was extended to evaluate actual wood pellets properties. Overall macro-porosity of actual wood pellets was determined as 41.0 2.5% and 35.5 2.7%, mean bulk density as and, and classified as Class-3:Medium and Class-3&4:Medium to Low for loose and tapped fills, respectively. Hausner ratio and Carr s compressibility index classify wood pellets as freely flowing. The developed stereometric method can be used as a handy inexpensive laboratory procedure to estimate the macro-porosity of different types and makes of wood pellets and other similar packaged materials. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.biortech.2010.03.034 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034671 |
| Hydroelectric power provides a cheap source of electricity with few carbon emissions. Yet, reservoirs are not operated sustainably, which we define as meeting societal needs for water and power while protecting long-term health of the river ecosystem. Reservoirs that generate hydropower are typically operated with the goal of maximizing energy reve | Jager, Yetta; Smith, Brennan T | 13 HYDRO ENERGY; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; CARBON; DISSOLVED GASES; ECOSYSTEMS; ELECTRICITY; HYDROELECTRIC POWER; NUTRIENTS; OPTIMAL CONTROL; OPTIMIZATION; OXYGEN; RIVERS; WATER; WATER QUALITY; WATER REQUIREMENTS; ecological valuation; hydropower; natural flow regime; optimization; reservoir operation; riverine ecosystems; sustainability | Hydroelectric power provides a cheap source of electricity with few carbon emissions. Yet, reservoirs are not operated sustainably, which we define as meeting societal needs for water and power while protecting long-term health of the river ecosystem. Reservoirs that generate hydropower are typically operated with the goal of maximizing energy revenue, while meeting other legal water requirements. Reservoir optimization schemes used in practice do not seek flow regimes that maximize aquatic ecosystem health. Here, we review optimization studies that considered environmental goals in one of three approaches. The first approach seeks flow regimes that maximize hydropower generation, while satisfying legal requirements, including environmental (or minimum) flows. Solutions from this approach are often used in practice to operate hydropower projects. In the second approach, flow releases from a dam are timed to meet water quality constraints on dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature and nutrients. In the third approach, flow releases are timed to improve the health of fish populations. We conclude by suggesting three steps for bringing multi-objective reservoir operation closer to the goal of ecological sustainability: (1) conduct research to identify which features of flow variation are essential for river health and to quantify these relationships, (2) develop valuation methods to assess the total value of river health and (3) develop optimal control softwares that combine water balance modelling with models that predict ecosystem responses to flow. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-02-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/rra.1069 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1014249 |
| Life cycle assessment of base-load heat sources for district heating system options | Ghafghazi, Saeed; Sowlati, T; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Melin, Staffan | 03 NATURAL GAS; 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS; DEMOLITION; DISTRICT HEATING; ECOSYSTEMS; ELECTRICITY; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FOSSIL FUELS; GREENHOUSE EFFECT; HEAT PRODUCTION; HEAT PUMPS; HEAT SOURCES; LIFE CYCLE; LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT; NATURAL GAS; OZONE LAYER; PELLETS; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESOURCE DEPLETION; WOOD FUELS | Purpose There has been an increased interest in utilizing renewable energy sources in district heating systems. District heating systems are centralized systems that provide heat for residential and commercial buildings in a community. While various renewable and conventional energy sources can be used in such systems, many stakeholders are interested in choosing the feasible option with the least environmental impacts. This paper evaluates and compares environmental burdens of alternative energy source options for the base load of a district heating center in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC) using the life cycle assessment method. The considered energy sources include natural gas, wood pellet, sewer heat, and ground heat. Methods The life cycle stages considered in the LCA model cover all stages from fuel production, fuel transmission/transportation, construction, operation, and finally demolition of the district heating system. The impact categories were analyzed based on the IMPACT 2002+ method. Results and discussion On a life-cycle basis, the global warming effect of renewable energy options were at least 200 kgeqCO2 less than that of the natural gas option per MWh of heat produced by the base load system. It was concluded that less than 25% of the upstream global warming impact associated with the wood pellet energy source option was due to transportation activities and about 50% of that was resulted from wood pellet production processes. In comparison with other energy options, the wood pellets option has higher impacts on respiratory of inorganics, terrestrial ecotoxicity, acidification, and nutrification categories. Among renewable options, the global warming impact of heat pump options in the studied case in Vancouver, BC, were lower than the wood pellet option due to BC's low carbon electricity generation profile. Ozone layer depletion and mineral extraction were the highest for the heat pump options due to extensive construction required for these options. Conclusions Natural gas utilization as the primary heat source for district heat production implies environmental complications beyond just the global warming impacts. Diffusing renewable energy sources for generating the base load district heat would reduce human toxicity, ecosystem quality degradation, global warming, and resource depletion compared to the case of natural gas. Reducing fossil fuel dependency in various stages of wood pellet production can remarkably reduce the upstream global warming impact of using wood pellets for district heat generation. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2011-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s11367-011-0259-9 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015085 |
| Integrating semantic web technologies and geospatial catalog services for geospatial information discovery and processing in cyberinfrastructure | Yue, Peng; Gong, Jianya; Di, Liping; He, Lianlian; Wei, Yaxing | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; ADVERTISING; COMPUTERS; CSW ebRIM Semantic Cyberinfrastructure Service chain Geoprocessing workflow; INTERNET; PROCESSING; SPECIFICATIONS; WEBSITES | Abstract A geospatial catalogue service provides a network-based meta-information repository and interface for advertising and discovering shared geospatial data and services. Descriptive information (i.e., metadata) for geospatial data and services is structured and organized in catalogue services. The approaches currently available for searching and using that information are often inadequate. Semantic Web technologies show promise for better discovery methods by exploiting the underlying semantics. Such development needs special attention from the Cyberinfrastructure perspective, so that the traditional focus on discovery of and access to geospatial data can be expanded to support the increased demand for processing of geospatial information and discovery of knowledge. Semantic descriptions for geospatial data, services, and geoprocessing service chains are structured, organized, and registered through extending elements in the ebXML Registry Information Model (ebRIM) of a geospatial catalogue service, which follows the interface specifications of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Catalogue Services for the Web (CSW). The process models for geoprocessing service chains, as a type of geospatial knowledge, are captured, registered, and discoverable. Semantics-enhanced discovery for geospatial data, services/service chains, and process models is described. Semantic search middleware that can support virtual data product materialization is developed for the geospatial catalogue service. The creation of such a semantics-enhanced geospatial catalogue service is important in meeting the demands for geospatial information discovery and analysis in Cyberinfrastructure. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2011-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s10707-009-0096-1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015084 |
| Trade, transport, and sinks extend the carbon dioxide responsibility of countries: An editorial essay | Peters, Glen P; Marland, Gregg; Hertwich, Edgar G; Saikku, Laura | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON CYCLE; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON SEQUESTRATION; CARBON SINKS; CLIMATES; COMBUSTION; DESIGN; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; GLOBALIZATION; GREENHOUSE GASES; INVENTORIES; LAND USE; MITIGATION; POLLUTION; PRODUCTION; TRANSPORT | Globalization and the dynamics of ecosystem sinks need be considered in post-Kyoto climate negotiations as they increasingly affect the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. Currently, the allocation of responsibility for greenhouse gas mitigation is based on territorial emissions from fossil-fuel combustion, process emissions and some land-use emissions. However, at least three additional factors can significantly alter a country's impact on climate from carbon dioxide emissions. First, international trade causes a separation of consumption from production, reducing domestic pollution at the expense of foreign producers, or vice versa. Second, international transportation emissions are not allocated to countries for the purpose of mitigation. Third, forest growth absorbs carbon dioxide and can contribute to both carbon sequestration and climate change protection. Here we quantify how these three factors change the carbon dioxide emissions allocated to China, Japan, Russia, USA, and European Union member countries. We show that international trade can change the carbon dioxide currently allocated to countries by up to 60% and that forest expansion can turn some countries into net carbon sinks. These factors are expected to become more dominant as fossil-fuel combustion and process emissions are mitigated and as international trade and forest sinks continue to grow. Emission inventories currently in wide-spread use help to understand the global carbon cycle, but for long-term climate change mitigation a deeper understanding of the interaction between the carbon cycle and society is needed. Restructuring international trade and investment flows to meet environmental objectives, together with the inclusion of forest sinks, are crucial issues that need consideration in the design of future climate policies. And even these additional issues do not capture the full impact of changes in the carbon cycle on the global climate system. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s10584-009-9606-2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034667 |
| The Role of Periphyton in Mediating the Effects of Pollution in a Stream Ecosystem | Hill, Walter R; Ryon, Michael G; Smith, John G; Adams, Marshall; Boston, III, Harry L; Stewart, Arthur J | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ALGAE; AUFWUCHS; BIOMASS; CADMIUM; COMMUNITIES; COPPER; ECOSYSTEMS; FOOD; HEAVY METALS; INVERTEBRATES; MERCURY; MONITORING; NICKEL; NUTRIENTS; POLLUTANTS; POLLUTION; PRODUCTION; Periphyton - Eutrophication - Nutrients - Biomonitoring - Metals - Stream fish; STREAMS; TREES; ZINC | The effects of pollutants on primary producers ramify through ecosystems because primary producers provide food and structure for higher trophic levels and they mediate the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients and contaminants. Periphyton (attached algae) were studied as part of a long-term biological monitoring program designed to guide remediation efforts by the Department of Energy s Y-12 National Security Complex on East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. High concentrations of nutrients entering EFPC were responsible for elevated periphyton production and placed the stream in a state of eutrophy. High rates of primary production at upstream locations in EFPC were associated with alterations in both invertebrate and fish communities. Grazers represented >50% of the biomass of invertebrates and fish near the Y-12 Complex but <10% at downstream and reference sites. An index of epilithic periphyton production accounted for 95% of the site-to-site variation in biomass of grazing fish. Analyses of heavy metals in EFPC periphyton showed that concentrations of zinc, cadmium, copper and nickel in periphyton decreased exponentially with distance downstream from Y-12. Zinc uptake by periphyton was estimated to reduce the concentration of this metal in stream water ~60% over a 5-km reach of EFPC. Management options for mitigating eutrophy in EFPC include additional reductions in nutrient inputs and/or allowing streamside trees to grow and shade the stream. However, reducing periphyton growth may lead to greater downstream transport of contaminants while simultaneously causing higher concentrations of mercury and PCBs in fish at upstream sites. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015730 | |
| Increased mercury in forest soils under elevated carbon dioxide | Natali, Susan M.; Sa_udo-Wilhelmy, Sergio A.; Norby, Richard J; Finzi, Adrien C; Lerdau, Manuel T. | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; BIOSPHERE; CAPACITY; CARBON DIOXIDE; COMBUSTION; DEPOSITION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; FOSSIL FUELS; MERCURY; NUTRIENTS; ORGANIC MATTER; SOILS; STORAGE; THROUGHFALL | Fossil fuel combustion is the primary anthropogenic source of both CO2 and Hg to the atmosphere. On a global scale, most Hg that enters ecosystems is derived from atmospheric Hg that deposits onto the land surface. Increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2 may affect Hg deposition to terrestrial systems and storage in soils through CO2-mediated changes in plant and soil properties. We show, using free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiments, that soil Hg concentrations are almost 30% greater under elevated atmospheric CO2 in two temperate forests. There were no direct CO2 effects, however, on litterfall, throughfall or stemflow Hg inputs. Soil Hg was positively correlated with percent soil organic matter (SOM), suggesting that CO2-mediated changes in SOM have influenced soil Hg concentrations. Through its impacts on SOM, elevated atmospheric CO2 may increase the Hg storage capacity of soils and modulate the movement of Hg through the biosphere. Such effects of rising CO2, ones that transcend the typically studied effects on C and nutrient cycling, are an important next phase for research on global environmental change. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s00442-008-1135-6 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/942232 |
| Relationships among forest soil C isotopic composition, partitioning, and turnover times | Garten, Jr, Charles T | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ALTITUDE; APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS; AVAILABILITY; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; MINERALIZATION; SOILS | The purpose of this research was to test the hypothesis that vertical enrichment of soil {delta}{sup 13}C values is related to rates of soil C turnover in undisturbed, mature forest ecosystems. Soil C and N were measured at nine sites along an altitudinal gradient in the southern Appalachian Mountains (Tennessee and North Carolina, USA). Measurements indicated greater labile and total soil C stocks with increasing altitude. Laboratory incubations (3 days) of rewetted, air-dry soils indicated potential soil C mineralization ({micro}g CO{sub 2} produced {center_dot} g{sup -1} soil C) declined with elevation. A principal component analysis indicated N availability increased with altitude. At each site, there was a significant relationship between {delta}{sup 13}C and log-transformed C concentrations in the soil profile (30 cm deep). Enrichment factors ({var_epsilon}) from the Rayleigh equation were also equally useful for describing soil {delta}{sup 13}C profiles at each site. Soil C partitioning and turnover times along the gradient were correlated with {sup 13}C-enrichment factors. Greater rates of change in {delta}{sup 13}C through the soil profile were correlated with faster soil C turnover. Environmental factors, soil C partitioning, and the rate of vertical change in soil {sup 13}C abundance are interrelated such that {delta}{sup 13}C measurements are a potential indicator of C dynamics in undisturbed forest soils. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2006-09-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1139/X06-115 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978237 |
| Twenty-Plus Years of Environmental Change and Ecological Recovery of East Fork Poplar Creek: Background and Trends in Water Quality | Smith, John G; Stewart, Arthur J; Loar, James M | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COOLING TOWERS; ECOSYSTEMS; HEAVY METALS; IMPLEMENTATION; MANAGEMENT; MIXTURES; MONITORING; NITRATES; POLLUTANTS; POLLUTION; POLLUTION ABATEMENT; POLLUTION CONTROL; REMEDIAL ACTION; SAMPLING; STREAMS; WASTE WATER; WATER POLLUTION CONTROL; WATER QUALITY; Y-12 PLANT | In May 1985, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit was issued for the Department of Energy's Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12 Complex) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA, allowing discharge of effluents to East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC). The effluents ranged from large volumes of chlorinated once-through cooling water and cooling tower blow-down to smaller discharges of treated and untreated process wastewaters, which contained a mixture of heavy metals, organics, and nutrients, especially nitrates. As a condition of the permit, a Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) was developed to meet two major objectives: demonstrate that the established effluent limitations were protecting the classified uses of EFPC, and document the ecological effects resulting from implementing a Water Pollution Control Program at the Y-12 Complex. The second objective is the primary focus of the other papers in this special series. This paper provides a history of pollution and the remedial actions that were implemented; describes the geographic setting of the study area; and characterizes the physicochemical attributes of the sampling sites, including changes in stream flow and temperature that occurred during implementation of the BMAP. Most of the actions taken under the Water Pollution Control Program were completed between 1986 and 1998, with as many as four years elapsing between some of the most significant actions. The Water Pollution Control Program included constructing nine new wastewater treatment facilities and implementation of several other pollution-reducing measures, such as a best management practices plan; area-source pollution control management; and various spill-prevention projects. Many of the major actions had readily discernable effects on the chemical and physical conditions of EFPC. As controls on effluents entering the stream were implemented, pollutant concentrations generally declined and, at least initially, the volume of water discharged from the Y-12 Complex declined. This reduction in discharge was of ecological concern and led to implementation of a flow management program for EFPC. Implementing flow management, in turn, led to substantial changes in chemical and physical conditions of the stream: stream discharge nearly doubled and stream temperatures decreased, becoming more similar to those in reference streams. While water quality clearly improved, meeting water quality standards alone does not guarantee protection of a waterbody's biological integrity. Results from studies on the ecological changes stemming from pollution-reduction actions, such as those presented in this series, also are needed to understand how best to restore or protect biological integrity and enhance ecological recovery in stream ecosystems. With a better knowledge of the ecological consequences of their decisions, environmental managers can better evaluate alternative actions and more accurately predict their effects. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL work for others | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1038778 | |
| Evaluation of Effects of Sustained Decadal Precipitation Manipulations on Soil Carbon Stocks | Froeberg, Mats J; Hanson, Paul J; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Johnson, Dale W. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; EVALUATION; FORESTS; NUTRIENTS; PRECIPITATION; PRODUCTION; SOILS; STORAGE; THROUGHFALL | Throughout a 13 year period, the Throughfall Displacement Experiment sustained both increased (+33) and decreased (-33%) throughfall into an upland Oak forest in Tennessee. Organic (O) horizon carbon (C) stocks were measured at several occasions before, during and after the experiment and mineral soil C stocks before and after the experiment. In the O horizon, higher litter fall rates and slower decomposition lead to higher C stocks in the dry treatment compared to the ambient and wet. Dry plot accumulation of C in the O horizon was attributable to a combination of enhanced litter inputs and reduced decomposition. Implications of the immobilization of nutrient elements as long-term feedbacks are discussed. No treatment effect on C stocks was found in the mineral soil, but a significant long-term reduction in mineral soil C stocks was found between the start and the end at the experiment from 3.5 to 2.7% C in the 0-15 cm layer and from 0.6 to 0.5% in the 15-30 cm layer. Explanations for this significant trend in C storage were not readily apparent, but are fully discussed in the context of measurement bias, temperature, and primary production. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s10533-008-9205-8 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/935179 |
| ForCent Model Development and Testing using the Enriched Background Isotope Study (EBIS) Experiment | Parton, William; Hanson, Paul J; Swanston, Chris; Torn, Margaret S.; Trumbore, Susan E.; Riley, William J.; Kelly, Robin | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CARBON; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; HUMUS; ORGANIC MATTER; ORNL; PRODUCTION; RESPIRATION; SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS; SOILS; TESTING; VALIDATION | The ForCent forest ecosystem model was developed by making major revisions to the DayCent model including: (1) adding a humus organic pool, (2) incorporating a detailed root growth model, and (3) including plant phenological growth patterns. Observed plant production and soil respiration data from 1993 to 2000 were used to demonstrate that the ForCent model could accurately simulate ecosystem carbon dynamics for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory deciduous forest. A comparison of ForCent versus observed soil pool 14C signature (? 14C) data from the Enriched Background Isotope Study 14C experiment (1999-2006) shows that the model correctly simulates the temporal dynamics of the 14C label as it moved from the surface litter and roots into the mineral soil organic matter pools. ForCent model validation was performed by comparing the observed Enriched Background Isotope Study experimental data with simulated live and dead root biomass ? 14C data, and with soil respiration ? 14C (mineral soil, humus layer, leaf litter layer, and total soil respiration) data. Results show that the model correctly simulates the impact of the Enriched Background Isotope Study 14C experimental treatments on soil respiration ? 14C values for the different soil organic matter pools. Model results suggest that a two-pool root growth model correctly represents root carbon dynamics and inputs to the soil. The model fitting process and sensitivity analysis exposed uncertainty in our estimates of the fraction of mineral soil in the slow and passive pools, dissolved organic carbon flux out of the litter layer into the mineral soil, and mixing of the humus layer into the mineral soil layer. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1029/2009JG001193 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003737 |
| The role of plant-soil feedbacks and land-use legacies in restoration of a temperate steppe in northern China | Jiang, Lili; Han, Xingguo; Zhang, Guangming; Kardol, Paul | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; Abiotic and biotic soil properties - Biogeochemistry - Land-use history - Natural experiment approach - Old-field - Secondary succession - Soil chemistry; BIOMASS; CHINA; DISTURBANCES; ECOSYSTEMS; FEEDBACK; LAND USE; ORIGIN; PERFORMANCE; PLANTS; SOILS; TARGETS | Plant soil feedbacks affect plant performance and plant community dynamics; however, little is known about their role in ecological restoration. Here, we studied plant soil feedbacks in restoration of steppe vegetation after agricultural disturbance in northern China. First, we analyzed abiotic and biotic soil properties under mono-dominant plant patches in an old-field restoration site and in a target steppe site. Second, we tested plant soil feedbacks by growing plant species from these two sites on soils from con- and heterospecific origin. Soil properties generally did not differ between the old-field site and steppe site, but there were significant differences among mono-dominant plant patches within the sites. While soil species origin (i.e., the plant species beneath which the soil was collected) affected biomass of individual plant species in the feedback experiment, species-level plant soil feedbacks were neutral . Soil site origin (old-field, steppe) significantly affected biomass of old-field and steppe species. For example, old-field species had higher biomass in old-field soils than in steppe soils, indicating a positive land-use legacy. However, soil site origin effects depended on the plant species beneath which the soils were collected. The predictive value of abiotic and biotic soil properties in explaining plant biomass differed between and within groups of old-field and steppe species. We conclude that the occurrence of positive land-use legacies for old-field species may retard successional replacement of old-field species by steppe species. However, high levels of idiosyncrasy in responses of old-field and steppe plant species to con- and heterospecific soils indicate interspecific variation in the extent to which soil legacies and plant soil feedbacks control successional species replacements in Chinese steppe ecosystems. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-11-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s11284-010-0735-x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015727 |
| Numerical modeling of coupled fluid flow and thermal and reactive biogeochemical transport in porous and fractured media | Yeh, Gour-Tsyh; Fang, Yilin; Zhang, Fan; Sun, Jiangtao; Li, Yuan; Li, Ming-Hsu; Siegel, Malcolm D | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ALGORITHMS; Biogeochemical modeling - Reactive transport - HYDROGEOCHEM - Reaction network - Fluid flow - Thermal transport; CONTAMINATION; ENGINEERS; FLUID FLOW; INTERSTITIALS; PRODUCTION; RADIOISOTOPES; SIMULATION; SOILS; SOLUTES; TRANSFORMATIONS; TRANSPORT; VERIFICATION | Subsurface contamination problems of metals and radionuclides are ubiquitous. Metals and radionuclides may exist in the solute phase or may be bound to soil particles and interstitial portions of the geologic matrix. Accurate tools to reliably predict the migration and transformation of these metals and radionuclides in the subsurface environment enhance the ability of environmental scientists, engineers, and decision makers to analyze their impact and to evaluate the efficacy of alternative remediation techniques prior to incurring expense in the field. A mechanistic-based numerical model could provide such a tool. This paper communicates the development and verification of a mechanistically coupled fluid-flow thermal-reactive biogeochemical-transport model where both fast and slow reactions occur in porous and fractured media. Theoretical bases, numerical implementations, and numerical experiments using the model are described. A definition of the rates of fast/equilibrium reactions is presented to come up with a consistent set of governing equations. Two example problems are presented. The first one is a reactive transport problem which elucidates the non-isothermal effects on heterogeneous reactions. It also demonstrates that the rates of fast/equilibrium reactions are not necessarily greater than that of slow/kinetic reactions in the context of reactive transport. The second example focuses on a complicated but realistic advective dispersive reactive transport problem. This example exemplifies the need for innovative numerical algorithms to solve problems involving stiff geochemical reactions. It also demonstrates that rates of all fast/equilibrium reactions are finite and definite. Furthermore, it is noted that a species-versus-time curve cannot be used to characterize the rate of homogeneous fast/equilibrium reaction in a reactive transport system even if one and only one such reaction is responsible for the production of this species. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015726 | |
| Accounting for Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Bioenergy Systems | Marland, Gregg | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOFUELS; BIOMASS; CARBON; CARBON DIOXIDE; CLIMATES; COMBUSTION; ECONOMICS; FORESTRY; FORESTS; FOSSIL FUELS; GREENHOUSE GASES; INVENTORIES; KYOTO PROTOCOL; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; RECOMMENDATIONS; US EPA | Researchers have recently argued that there is a 'critical climate accounting error' and that we should say 'goodbye to carbon neutral' for bioenergy. Many other analysts have published opionions on the same topic, and the US Environmental Protection Agency posted a specific call for information. The currently burning questions for carbon accounting is how to deal with bioenergy. The questions arises because, unlike for fossil fuels, burning of biomass fuels represents part of a cycle in which combustion releases back to the atmosphere carbon that was earlier removed from the atmosphere by growing plants. In a sustainable system, plants will again remove the carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) from the atmosphere. Conceptually, it is clear that there are no net emissions of the greenhouse gas CO{sub 2} if biomass is harvested and combusted at the same rate that biomass grows and removes CO{sub 2} from the atmosphere. The problem lies in the fact that growth and combustion do not occur at the same time or in the same place, and our accounting system boundaries - spatial and temporal - frequently do not provide full and balanced accounting. When the first comprehensive guidelines for estimating national greenhouse gas emissions and sinks were put together by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, they noted that it has been argued that CO{sub 2} emissions resulting from bioenergy consumption should not be included in a country's official emission inventory because there are no net emissions if the biomass is produced sustainably, and if the biomass is not produced sustainably, the loss of carbon will be captured as part of the accounting for emissions from land-use change. In the same philosophical vein, the Kyoto Protocol provides that emissions or sinks of CO{sub 2} from land-use change and forestry activities be measured as the 'verifiable changes in carbon stocks'. From these has grown the convention that emissions from biomass fuels are generally not counted as part of emissions inventories, and biomass energy is sometimes referred to as being 'carbon neutral.' But what happens when a forest is harvested for fuel but takes 60 years to regrow or when biomass is harvested in a country that is not party to an international accord but is burned in a country that is party to an international accord? Biomass energy is only truly 'carbon neutral' if we get the system boundaries right. They need to make sure that the accounting methodology is compatible with our needs and realities in management and policy. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-12-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2010.00303.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015738 |
| Assessing net ecosystem carbon exchange of U S terrestrial ecosystems by integrating eddy covariance flux measurements and satellite observations | Zhuang, Qianlai; Law, Beverly E; Baldocchi, Dennis; Ma, Siyan; Chen, Jiquan; Richardson, Andrew; Melillo, Jerry; Davis, Ken J; Hollinger, D; Wharton, Sonia; Falk, Matthias; Paw, U Kyaw Tha; Oren, Ram; Katulk, Gabriel G; Noormets, Asko; Fischer, Marc; Verma, Shashi; Suyker, A E; Cook, David R; Sun, G; McNulty, Steven G; Wofsy, Steve; Bolstad, Paul V; Burns, Sean; Monson, Russell K; Curtis, Peter; Drake, Bert G; Foster, David R; Gu, Lianhong; Hadley, Julian L; Litvak, Marcy; Martin, Timothy A; Matamala, Roser; Meyers, Tilden; Oechel, Walter C; Schmid, H P; Scott, Russell L; Torn, Margaret S | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBON CYCLE; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON SINKS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; DISTRIBUTION; DISTURBANCES; DROUGHTS; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; HURRICANES; RESOLUTION; SATELLITES; SAVANNAS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS | More accurate projections of future carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere and associated climate change depend on improved scientific understanding of the terrestrial carbon cycle. Despite the consensus that U.S. terrestrial ecosystems provide a carbon sink, the size, distribution, and interannual variability of this sink remain uncertain. Here we report a terrestrial carbon sink in the conterminous U.S. at 0.63 pg C yr 1 with the majority of the sink in regions dominated by evergreen and deciduous forests and savannas. This estimate is based on our continuous estimates of net ecosystem carbon exchange (NEE) with high spatial (1 km) and temporal (8-day) resolutions derived from NEE measurements from eddy covariance flux towers and wall-to-wall satellite observations from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). We find that the U.S. terrestrial ecosystems could offset a maximum of 40% of the fossil-fuel carbon emissions. Our results show that the U.S. terrestrial carbon sink varied between 0.51 and 0.70 pg C yr 1 over the period 2001 2006. The dominant sources of interannual variation of the carbon sink included extreme climate events and disturbances. Droughts in 2002 and 2006 reduced the U.S. carbon sink by 20% relative to a normal year. Disturbances including wildfires and hurricanes reduced carbon uptake or resulted in carbon release at regional scales. Our results provide an alternative, independent, and novel constraint to the U.S. terrestrial carbon sink. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015080 | |
| Alteration of belowground carbon dynamics by nitrogen addition in southern California mixed conifer forests | Nowinski, Nicole S; Trumbore, Susan E; Jimenez, Gloria; Fenn, Mark E | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; CARBON; CELLULOSE; CONIFERS; DEPOSITION; ECOSYSTEMS; ENZYME ACTIVITY; FORESTS; LIGNIN; NITROGEN; NITROGEN ADDITIONS; ORGANIC MATTER; PINES; POLLUTION; RESPIRATION; SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS; SOILS; STORAGE; SUBSTRATES; TREES; UREA | Nitrogen deposition rates in southern California are the highest in North America and have had substantial effects on ecosystem functioning. We document changes in the belowground C cycle near ponderosa pine trees experiencing experimental nitrogen (N) addition (50 and 150 kg N ha 1 a 1 as slow release urea since 1997) at two end member sites along a pollution gradient in the San Bernardino Mountains, California. Despite considerable differences in N deposition between the two sites, we observed parallel changes in microbial substrate use and soil enzyme activity with N addition. 14C measurements indicate that the mean age of C respired by the Oa horizon declined 10 15 years with N addition at both sites. N addition caused an increase in cellulolytic enzyme activity at the polluted site and a decrease in ligninolytic enzyme activity at the unpolluted site. Given the likely differences in lignin and cellulose ages, this could explain the difference in the age of microbial respiration with N addition. Measurements of fractionated soil organic matter did not show the same magnitude of changes in response to N addition as were observed for respired C. This lesser response was likely because the soils are mostly composed of C having turnover times of decades to centuries, and 9 years of N amendment were not enough to affect this material. Consequently, 14C of respired CO2 provided a more sensitive indicator of the effects of N addition than other methods. Results suggest that enhanced N deposition alone may not result in increased soil C storage in xeric ecosystems. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1029/2008JG000801 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015095 |
| Elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide increases soil carbon | Norby, Richard J; Jastrow, Julie D; Miller, Michael R; Matamala, Roser; Boutton, Thomas W; Rice, Charles W; Owensby, Clenton E | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBON DIOXIDE; FORESTS; RANGELANDS; SOILS | In a study funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, researchers from Argonne and Oak Ridge National Laboratories and Kansas State and Texas A&M Universities evaluated the collective results of earlier studies by using a statistical procedure called meta-analysis. They found that on average elevated CO2 increased soil carbon by 5.6 percent over a two to nine year period. They also measured comparable increases in soil carbon for Tennessee deciduous forest and Kansas grassland after five to eight years of experimental exposure to elevated CO2. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2005-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003669 | |
| SAFETY FACTORS FOR XYLEM FAILURE BY IMPLOSION AND AIR-SEEDING WITHIN ROOTS, TRUNKS AND BRANCHES OF YOUNG AND OLD CONIFER TREES | Domec, Jean-Christophe; Warren, Jeffrey M; Meinzer, Rick; Lachenbruch, Barbara | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ANATOMY; CELL WALL; CONIFERS; Cell wall; EFFICIENCY; FUNCTIONALS; HYDRAULICS; HYDROGEN; IMPLOSIONS; JUVENILES; PINES; RUPTURES; SAFETY; TRANSPORT; TREES; VULNERABILITY; WATER; WOOD; embolism; juvenile wood; mature wood; tracheid | The cohesion-tension theory of water transport states that hydrogen bonds hold water molecules together and that they are pulled through the xylem under tension. This tension could cause transport failure in at least two ways: collapse of the conduit walls (implosion), or rupture of the water column through air-seeding. The objective of this research was to elucidate the functional significance of variations in tracheid anatomical features, earlywood to latewood ratios and wood densities with position in young and old Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine trees in terms of their consequences for the safety factors for tracheid implosion and air-seeding. For both species, wood density increased linearly with percent latewood for root, trunk and branch samples. However, the relationships between anatomy and hydraulic function in trunks differed from those in roots and branches. In roots and branches increased hydraulic efficiency was achieved at the cost of increased vulnerability to air-seeding. Mature wood of trunks had earlywood with wide tracheids that optimized water transport and had a high percentage of latewood that optimized structural support. Juvenile wood had higher resistance to air-seeding and cell wall implosion. The two safety factors followed similar axial trends from roots to terminal branches and were similar for both species studied and between juvenile and mature wood. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1163/22941932-90000207 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034669 |
| Soil moisture surpasses elevated CO2 and temperature as a control on soil carbon dynamics in a multi-factor climate change experiment | Garten, Jr, Charles T; Classen, Aimee T; Norby, Richard J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBON ISOTOPES; CLIMATES; DROUGHTS; MOISTURE; NITROGEN; ORGANIC MATTER; PARTICULATES; PRECIPITATION; SEASONS; SOILS | Some single-factor experiments suggest that elevated CO2 concentrations can increase soil carbon, but few experiments have examined the effects of interacting environmental factors on soil carbon dynamics. We undertook studies of soil carbon and nitrogen in a multi-factor (CO2 x temperature x soil moisture) climate change experiment on a constructed old-field ecosystem. After four growing seasons, elevated CO2 had no measurable effect on carbon and nitrogen concentrations in whole soil, particulate organic matter (POM), and mineral-associated organic matter (MOM). Analysis of stable carbon isotopes, under elevated CO2, indicated between 14 and 19% new soil carbon under two different watering treatments with as much as 48% new carbon in POM. Despite significant belowground inputs of new organic matter, soil carbon concentrations and stocks in POM declined over four years under soil moisture conditions that corresponded to prevailing precipitation inputs (1,300 mm yr-1). Changes over time in soil carbon and nitrogen under a drought treatment (approximately 20% lower soil water content) were not statistically significant. Reduced soil moisture lowered soil CO2 efflux and slowed soil carbon cycling in the POM pool. In this experiment, soil moisture (produced by different watering treatments) was more important than elevated CO2 and temperature as a control on soil carbon dynamics. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s11104-008-9851-6 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/958854 |
| Mysterious diel cycles of mercury emission from soils held in the dark at constant temperature | Zhang, Hong; Kuiken, Todd; Lindberg, Steven Eric | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY; Air/surface exchange; Atmospheric chemistry; DAILY VARIATIONS; Global biogeochemistry; Heavy metal; MERCURY; PROBES; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SOILS; SOLAR RADIATION; Solar radiation; WEATHER | It is well known that mercury (Hg) emission from soils is largely controlled by solar radiation and soil temperature, exhibiting diel cycles that closely follow diel variations of solar radiation. To study soil Hg emission processes, we conducted experiments by measuring soil Hg emission fluxes under controlled conditions in the laboratory with a dynamic flux chamber using outside ambient air as flushing air. Unexpectedly, we observed consistent, recurring diel cycles of Hg emissions from dry soils held at constant temperature in the dark in our laboratory. The peaks of the emissions also seemed subject to some seasonal variation and to respond to local weather conditions with lower flux peaks in wintertime and on cloudy or rainy days. Finally, much lower soil Hg emission fluxes were observed in the presence of Hg-free zero air than in the presence of outside ambient air. It is hypothesized that some unidentified air-borne substance(s) in the ambient air might be responsible for the observed diel cycles of soil Hg emission. Further elaborate mechanistic investigations are clearly needed to test the initial working hypotheses and uncover the cause for this interesting, mysterious phenomenon. The present work and recent finding of enhancement of Hg emissions from soil and mineral particles by O3 seem to point to a research need to probe the possible role of near-ground atmospheric chemistry in Hg air/soil exchange. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2008.02.037 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1038068 |
| Geochemical Modeling of Reactions and Partitioning of Trace Metals and Radionuclides during Titration of Contaminated Acidic Sediments | Zhang, Fan; Parker, Jack C.; Luo, Wensui; Spalding, Brian Patrick; Brooks, Scott C; Watson, David B; Jardine, Philip M; Gu, Baohua | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIONS; AQUIFERS; BUFFERS; CAPACITY; CATIONS; ION EXCHANGE; PRECIPITATION; RADIOISOTOPES; SEDIMENTS; SOILS; SORPTION; TITRATION; TRANSPORT | Many geochemical reactions that control aqueous metal concentrations are directly affected by solution pH. However, changes in solution pH are strongly buffered by various aqueous phase and solid phase precipitation/dissolution and adsorption/desorption reactions. The ability to predict acid-base behavior of the soil-solution system is thus critical to predict metal transport under variable pH conditions. This study was undertaken to develop a practical generic geochemical modeling approach to predict aqueous and solid phase concentrations of metals and anions during conditions of acid or base additions. The method of Spalding and Spalding was utilized to model soil buffer capacity and pH-dependent cation exchange capacity by treating aquifer solids as a polyprotic acid. To simulate the dynamic and pH-dependent anion exchange capacity, the aquifer solids were simultaneously treated as a polyprotic base controlled by mineral precipitation/dissolution reactions. An equilibrium reaction model that describes aqueous complexation, precipitation, sorption and soil buffering with pH-dependent ion exchange was developed using HydroGeoChem v5.0 (HGC5). Comparison of model results with experimental titration data of pH, Al, Ca, Mg, Sr, Mn, Ni, Co, and SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} for contaminated sediments indicated close agreement, suggesting that the model could potentially be used to predict the acid-base behavior of the sediment-solution system under variable pH conditions. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1021/es800311m | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/943538 |
| Effects of multiple climate change factors on the tall fescue-fungal endophyte symbiosis: infection frequency and tissue chemistry. | Brosi, Glade; McCulley, Rebecca L; Bush, L P; Nelson, Jim A; Classen, Aimee T; Norby, Richard J | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ALKALOIDS; CELLULOSE; CHEMISTRY; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COMMUNITIES; ECOSYSTEMS; HEMICELLULOSE; LIGNIN; NITROGEN; PRECIPITATION; SYMBIOSIS | Climate change (altered CO{sub 2}, warming, and precipitation) may affect plant-microbial interactions, such as the Lolium arundinaceum-Neotyphodium coenophialum symbiosis, to alter future ecosystem structure and function. To assess this possibility, tall fescue tillers were collected from an existing climate manipulation experiment in a constructed old-field community in Tennessee (USA). Endophyte infection frequency (EIF) was determined, and infected (E+) and uninfected (E-) tillers were analysed for tissue chemistry. The EIF of tall fescue was higher under elevated CO{sub 2} (91% infected) than with ambient CO{sub 2} (81%) but was not affected by warming or precipitation treatments. Within E+ tillers, elevated CO{sub 2} decreased alkaloid concentrations of both ergovaline and loline, by c. 30%; whereas warming increased loline concentrations 28% but had no effect on ergovaline. Independent of endophyte infection, elevated CO{sub 2} reduced concentrations of nitrogen, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. These results suggest that elevated CO{sub 2}, more than changes in temperature or precipitation, may promote this grass-fungal symbiosis, leading to higher EIF in tall fescue in old-field communities. However, as all three climate factors are likely to change in the future, predicting the symbiotic response and resulting ecological consequences may be difficult and dependent on the specific atmospheric and climatic conditions encountered. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2010.03532.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1001725 |
| Climate change effects on soil microarthropod abundance and community structure | Kardol, Paul; Reynolds, W. Nicholas; Norby, Richard J; Classen, Aimee T | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; AMBIENT TEMPERATURE; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COMMUNITIES; ECOSYSTEMS; MITES; MOISTURE; PRECIPITATION; SOILS | Long-term ecosystem responses to climate change strongly depend on how the soil subsystem and its inhabitants respond to these perturbations. Using open-top chambers, we studied the response of soil microarthropods to single and combined effects of ambient and elevated atmospheric [CO{sub 2}], ambient and elevated temperatures and changes in precipitation in constructed old-fields in Tennessee, USA. Microarthropods were assessed five years after treatments were initiated and samples were collected in both November and June. Across treatments, mites and collembola were the most dominant microarthropod groups collected. We did not detect any treatment effects on microarthropod abundance. In November, but not in June, microarthropod richness, however, was affected by the climate change treatments. In November, total microarthropod richness was lower in dry than in wet treatments, and in ambient temperature treatments, richness was higher under elevated [CO{sub 2}] than under ambient [CO{sub 2}]. Differential responses of individual taxa to the climate change treatments resulted in shifts in community composition. In general, the precipitation and warming treatments explained most of the variation in community composition. Across treatments, we found that collembola abundance and richness were positively related to soil moisture content, and that negative relationships between collembola abundance and richness and soil temperature could be explained by temperature-related shifts in soil moisture content. Our data demonstrate how simultaneously acting climate change factors can affect the structure of soil microarthropod communities in old-field ecosystems. Overall, changes in soil moisture content, either as direct effect of changes in precipitation or as indirect effect of warming or elevated [CO{sub 2}], had a larger impact on microarthropod communities than did the direct effects of the warming and elevated [CO{sub 2}] treatments. Moisture-induced shifts in soil microarthropod abundance and community composition may have important impacts on ecosystem functions, such as decomposition, under future climatic change. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.apsoil.2010.11.001 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1001303 |
| Modeling soil respiration and variations of source components using a multi-factor global climate change experiment | Chen, Xiongwen; Post, Wilfred M; Norby, Richard J; Classen, Aimee T | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; CARBON CYCLE; CARBON DIOXIDE; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; DRYING; FORECASTING; MOISTURE; RESPIRATION; SOILS; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; TIME DELAY; autotrophic respiration; global climate change; heterotrophic respiration; modeling; source components; total soil respiration | Soil respiration is an important component of the global carbon cycle and is highly responsive to changes in soil temperature and moisture. Accurate prediction of soil respiration and its changes under future climatic conditions requires a clear understanding of the processes involved. In spite of this, most current empirical soil respiration models incorporate just few of the underlying mechanisms that may influence its response. In this study, a new partial process-based component model built on source components of soil respiration was tested using data collected from a multi-factor climate change experiment that manipulates CO2 concentrations, temperature and precipitation. These results were then compared to results generated using several other established models. The component model we tested performed well across different treatments of global climate change. In contrast, some other models, which worked well predicting ambient environmental conditions, were unable to predict the changes under different climate change treatments. Based on the component model, the relative proportions of heterotrophic respiration (Rh) in the total soil respiration at different treatments varied from 0.33 to 0.85. There is a significant increase in the proportion of Rh under the elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration in comparison ambient conditions. The dry treatment resulted in higher proportion of Rh at elevated CO2 and ambient T than under elevated CO2 and elevated T. Also, the ratios between root growth and root maintenance respiration varied across different treatments. Neither increased temperature nor elevated atmospheric CO2 changed Q10 values significantly, while the average Q10 value at wet sites was significantly higher than it at dry sites. There was a higher possibility of increased soil respiration under drying relative to wetting conditions across all treatments based on monthly data, indicating that soil respiration may also be related to soil moisture at previous time periods. Our results reveal that the extent, time delay and contribution of different source components need to be included into mechanistic/processes-based soil respiration models at corresponding scale. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL LDRD Director's R&D; SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s10584-010-9942-2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1022623 |
| Estimating nocturnal ecosystem respiration from the vertical turbulent flux and change in storage of CO2 | Gu, Lianhong; Van Gorsel, Eva; Leuning, Ray; Delpierre, Nicolas; Black, Andy; Chen, Baozhang; Munger, J William; Wofsy, Steve; Aubinet, M | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ADVECTION; AIR FLOW; Advection; CANOPIES; CARBON; Chamber; DECOUPLING; DRAINAGE; ECOSYSTEMS; Ecosystem respiration; Eddy covariance; FORESTS; FRICTION; Micrometeorology; Process-based modelling; RESPIRATION; RESPONSE FUNCTIONS; SOILS; STORAGE; VELOCITY; u-star correction | Micrometeorological measurements of nighttime ecosystem respiration can be systematically biased when stable atmospheric conditions lead to drainage flows associated with decoupling of air flow above and within plant canopies. The associated horizontal and vertical advective fluxes cannot be measured using instrumentation on the single towers typically used at micrometeorological sites. A common approach to minimize bias is to use a threshold in friction velocity, u*, to exclude periods when advection is assumed to be important, but this is problematic in situations when in-canopy flows are decoupled from the flow above. Using data from 25 flux stations in a wide variety of forest ecosystems globally, we examine the generality of a novel approach to estimating nocturnal respiration developed by van Gorsel et al. (van Gorsel, E., Leuning, R., Cleugh, H.A., Keith, H., Suni, T., 2007. Nocturnal carbon efflux: reconciliation of eddy covariance and chamber measurements using an alternative to the u*-threshold filtering technique. Tellus 59B, 397 403, Tellus, 59B, 307-403). The approach is based on the assumption that advection is small relative to the vertical turbulent flux (FC) and change in storage (FS) of CO2 in the few hours after sundown. The sum of FC and FS reach a maximum during this period which is used to derive a temperature response function for ecosystem respiration. Measured hourly soil temperatures are then used with this function to estimate respiration RRmax. The new approach yielded excellent agreement with (1) independent measurements using respiration chambers, (2) with estimates using ecosystem light-response curves of Fc + Fs extrapolated to zero light, RLRC, and (3) with a detailed process-based forest ecosystem model, Rcast. At most sites respiration rates estimated using the u*-filter, Rust, were smaller than RRmax and RLRC. Agreement of our approach with independent measurements indicates that RRmax provides an excellent estimate of nighttime ecosystem respiration | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-11-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015050 | |
| DEVELOPMENT OF A POPULATION BALANCE MODEL TO SIMULATE FRACTIONATION OF GROUND SWITCHGRASS | Naimi, L J; Bi, X T; Lau, A K; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Womac, A R; Igathinathane, C; Sowlati, T; Melin, Staffan; Emami, M; Afzal, M | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; APERTURES; BIOMASS; Carbon sequestration CO2 emissions Carbon accounting Life insurance Carbon economics Wood products; DISTRIBUTION; FLOW RATE; FRACTIONATION; GRINDING; PARTICLE SIZE; SWITCHGRASS; TRANSIENTS | The population balance model represents a time-dependent formulation of mass conservation for a ground biomass that flows through a set of sieves. The model is suitable for predicting the change in size and distribution of ground biomass while taking into account the flow rate processes of particles through a grinder. This article describes the development and application of this model to a switchgrass grinding operation. The mass conservation formulation of the model contains two parameters: breakage rate and breakage ratio. A laboratory knife mill was modified to act as a batch or flow-through grinder. The ground switchgrass was analyzed over a set of six Tyler sieves with apertures ranging from 5.66 mm (top sieve) to 1 mm (bottom sieve). The breakage rate was estimated from the sieving tests. For estimating the breakage ratio, each of the six fractions was further ground and sieved to 11 fractions on a set of sieves with apertures ranging from 5.66 to 0.25 mm (and pan). These data formed a matrix of values for determining the breakage ratio. Using the two estimated parameters, the transient population balance model was solved numerically. Results indicated that the population balance model generally underpredicted the fractions remaining on sieves with 5.66, 4.00, and 2.83 mm apertures and overpredicted fractions remaining on sieves with 2.00, 1.41, and 1.00 mm apertures. These trends were similar for both the batch and flow-through grinder configurations. The root mean square of residuals (RSE), representing the difference between experimental and simulated mass of fractions, was 0.32 g for batch grinding and 0.1 g for flow-through grinding. The breakage rate exhibited a linear function of the logarithm of particle size, with a regression coefficient of 0.99. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015091 | |
| Spatial Scaling of Microbial Diversity across Various Functional and Phylogenetic Taxa | Schadt, Christopher Warren; Garten, Jr, Charles T; Kang, S.; Zhou, Jizhong | Microbial Communities; Spatial Scaling | Understanding the spatial patterns of organisms and the underlying mechanisms shaping biotic communities is a central goal in community ecology. One of the most well documented spatial patterns in plant and animal communities is the positive-power law relationship between species (or taxa) richness and area. Such a taxa-area relationships (TARs) are one of the principal generalizations in ecology, and are fundamental to our understanding of the distribution of global biodiversity. However, TARs remain elusive and controversial in microbial communities, especially in soil habitats, due to inadequate sampling methodologies. Here, we describe TARs, at a whole-community level, across various microbial functional and phylogenetic groups in a forest soil using a comprehensive functional gene array (FGA) with > 24,000 probes. Our analysis indicated that the forest soil microbial community exhibited a relatively flat taxa-area relationship (slope z = 0.0624), but the z values varied considerably across different functional and phylogenetic groups (z = 0.0475-0.0959), which are several times lower than those commonly observed in higher plants and animals. These results suggest that the turnover in space of microorganisms may be, in general, lower than that of plants and animals. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/944598 | |
| Thermal Plasticity of Photosynthesis: the Role of Acclimation in Forest Responses to a Warming Climate | Gunderson, Carla A; O'Hara, Keiran H; Campion, Christina M; Walker, Ashley V; Edwards, Nelson T | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; CARBON; CLIMATES; DECIDUOUS TREES; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; HOMEOSTASIS; OAKS; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; PLASTICITY; PRODUCTIVITY; SEASONS; SENSITIVITY; TREES; global change; trees; trees warming | The increasing air temperatures central to climate change predictions have the potential to alter forest ecosystem function and structure by exceeding temperatures optimal for carbon gain. Such changes are projected to threaten survival of sensitive species, leading to local extinctions, range migrations, and altered forest composition. This study investigated photosynthetic sensitivity to temperature and the potential for acclimation in relation to the climatic provenance of five species of deciduous trees, Liquidambar styraciflua, Quercus rubra, Quercus falcata, Betula alleghaniensis, and Populus grandidentata. Open-top chambers supplied three levels of warming (+0, +2, and +4 C above ambient) over 3 years, tracking natural temperature variability. Optimal temperature for CO2 assimilation was strongly correlated with daytime temperature in all treatments, but assimilation rates at those optima were comparable. Adjustment of thermal optima was confirmed in all species, whether temperatures varied with season or treatment, and regardless of climate in the species' range or provenance of the plant material. Temperature optima from 17 to 34 were observed. Across species, acclimation potentials varied from 0.55 C to 1.07 C per degree change in daytime temperature. Responses to the temperature manipulation were not different from the seasonal acclimation observed in mature indigenous trees, suggesting that photosynthetic responses should not be modeled using static temperature functions, but should incorporate an adjustment to account for acclimation. The high degree of homeostasis observed indicates that direct impacts of climatic warming on forest productivity, species survival, and range limits may be less than predicted by existing models. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02090.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/986766 |
| A disconnect between O horizon and mineral soil carbon - Implications for soil C sequestration | Garten, Jr, Charles T | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AVAILABILITY; CARBON; CARBON SEQUESTRATION; FORESTS; NITROGEN; ORGANIC MATTER; SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS; SOILS; STORAGE | Changing inputs of carbon to soil is one means of potentially increasing carbon sequestration in soils for the purpose of mitigating projected increases in atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentrations. The effect of manipulations of aboveground carbon input on soil carbon storage was tested in a temperate, deciduous forest in east Tennessee, USA. A 4.5-year experiment included exclusion of aboveground litterfall and supplemental litter additions (three times ambient) in an upland and a valley that differed in soil nitrogen availability. The estimated decomposition rate of the carbon stock in the O horizon was greater in the valley than in the upland due to higher litter quality (i.e., lower C/N ratios). Short-term litter exclusion or addition had no effect on carbon stock in the mineral soil, measured to a depth of 30 cm, or the partitioning of carbon in the mineral soil between particulate- and mineral-associated organic matter. A two-compartment model was used to interpret results from the field experiments. Field data and a sensitivity analysis of the model were consistent with little carbon transfer between the O horizon and the mineral soil. Increasing aboveground carbon input does not appear to be an effective means of promoting carbon sequestration in forest soil at the location of the present study because a disconnect exists in carbon dynamics between O horizon and mineral soil. Factors that directly increase inputs to belowground soil carbon, via roots, or reduce decomposition rates of organic matter are more likely to benefit efforts to increase carbon sequestration in forests where carbon dynamics in the O horizon are uncoupled from the mineral soil. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.actao.2008.10.004 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/948047 |
| Quantifying phosphorus and light effects in stream algae | Hill, Walter; Fanta, S E; Roberts, Brian J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ALGAE; CHLOROPHYLL; HYPOTHESIS; METABOLISM; NITROGEN; PHOSPHORUS; PHOTONS; SATURATION; SHADING; TURBIDITY | Simultaneous gradients of phosphorus and light were applied in experimental streams to develop quantitative relationships between these two important abiotic variables and the growth and composition of benthic microalgae. Algal biovolume and whole-stream metabolism responded hyperbolically to phosphorus enrichment, increasing approximately two-fold over the 5-300 g L-1 range of experimental phosphorus concentrations. The saturation threshold for phosphorus effects occurred at 25 g L-1 of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP). Light effects were much stronger than those of phosphorus, resulting in a nearly ten-fold increase in algal biovolume over the 10-400 mol photons m-2 s-1 range of experimental irradiances. Biovolume accrual was light-saturated at 100 mol photons m-2 s-1 (5 mol photons m-2 d-1). Light effects were diminished by low phosphorus concentrations, and phosphorus effects were diminished by low irradiances, but evidence of simultaneous limitation by both phosphorus and light at subsaturating irradiances was weak. Contrary to the light:nutrient hypothesis, algal phosphorus content was not significantly affected by light, even in the lowest SRP treatments. However, algal nitrogen content increased substantially at lower irradiances, and it was very highly correlated with algal chlorophyll a content. Phosphorus enrichment in streams is likely to have its largest effect at concentrations <25 g L-1 SRP, but the effect of enrichment is probably minimized when streambed irradiances are kept below 2 mol photons m-2 d-1 by riparian shading or turbidity | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.4319/lo.2009.54.1.0368 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015097 |
| Effect of moisture on leaf litter decomposition and its contribution to soil respiration in a temperate forest | Cisneros-Dozal, Luz Maria; Trumbore, Susan E.; Hanson, Paul J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CAPACITY; FORESTS; INCUBATION; MOISTURE; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; RESPIRATION; SENSITIVITY; SOILS; STIMULATION; SUBSTRATES; TRANSIENTS; WATER | The degree to which increased soil respiration rates following wetting is caused by plant (autotrophic) versus microbial (heterotrophic) processes, is still largely uninvestigated. Incubation studies suggest microbial processes play a role but it remains unclear whether there is a stimulation of the microbial population as a whole or an increase in the importance of specific substrates that become available with wetting of the soil. We took advantage of an ongoing manipulation of leaf litter 14C contents at the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to (1) determine the degree to which an increase in soil respiration rates that accompanied wetting of litter and soil, following a short period of drought, could be explained by heterotrophic contributions; and (2) investigate the potential causes of increased heterotrophic respiration in incubated litter and 0-5 cm mineral soil. The contribution of leaf litter decomposition increased from 6 3 mg C m 2 hr 1 during a transient drought, to 63 18 mg C m 2 hr 1 immediately after water addition, corresponding to an increase in the contribution to soil respiration from 5 2% to 37 8%. The increased relative contribution was sufficient to explain all of the observed increase in soil respiration for this one wetting event in the late growing season. Temperature (13 C versus 25 C) and moisture (dry versus field capacity) conditions did not change the relative contributions of different decomposition substrates in incubations, suggesting that more slowly cycling C has at least the same sensitivity to decomposition as faster cycling organic C at the temperature and moisture conditions studied. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1029/2006JG000197 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930816 |
| QUALITY OF WOOD PELLETS PRODUCED IN BRITISH COLUMBIA FOR EXPORT | Tumuluru, J S; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Lim, C Jim; Bi, X T; Lau, A K; Melin, Staffan; Oveisi, E; Sowlati, T | 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ASH CONTENT; BRITISH COLUMBIA; BULK DENSITY; CALORIFIC VALUE; CEN; DATA; EXPORTS; MARKET; MARKETERS; MOISTURE; PELLETS; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; POWER GENERATION; PRODUCTION; Pellet grades; Pellet properties; Pellet standards; SAMPLING; SPECIFICATIONS; STORAGE; Solid fuel; WOOD FUELS; Wood pellets | Wood pellet production and its use for heat and power production are increasing worldwide. The quality of export pellets has to consistently meet certain specifications as stipulated by the larger buyers, such as power utilities or as specified by the standards used for the non-industrial bag market. No specific data is available regarding the quality of export pellets to Europe. To develop a set of baseline data, wood pellets were sampled at an export terminal in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The sampling period was 18 months in 2007-2008 when pellets were transferred from storage bins to the ocean vessels. The sampling frequency was once every 1.5 to 2 months for a total of 9 loading/shipping events. The physical properties of the wood pellets measured were moisture content in the range of 3.5% to 6.5%, bulk density from 728 to 808 kg/m3, durability from 97% to 99%, fines content from 0.03% to 0.87%, calorific value as is from 17 to almost 18 MJ/kg, and ash content from 0.26% to 0.93%.The diameter and length were in the range of 6.4 to 6.5 mm and 14.0 to 19.0 mm, respectively. All of these values met the published non-industrial European grades (CEN) and the grades specified by the Pellet Fuel Institute for the United States for the bag market. The measured values for wood pellet properties were consistent except the ash content values decreased over the test period. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-11-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.13031/2013.35902 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015076 |
| Assessment of 10 years of CO2 fumigation on soil microbial communities and function in a sweetgum plantation | Austin, Emily E; Castro Gonzalez, Hector F; Sides, Katherine E; Schadt, Christopher Warren; Classen, Aimee T | 16S rRNA genes; Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE); bacterial community structure; climate change; elevated carbon dioxide; enzyme activity; potential nitrogen mineralization | Increased vegetative growth and soil carbon (C) storage under elevated carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) has been demonstrated in a number of experiments. However, the ability of ecosystems, either above- or belowground, to maintain increased carbon storage relies on the response of soil processes, such as nitrogen (N) availability, to climatic change. These soil processes are mediated by microbial communities whose activity and structure may also respond to increasing atmospheric [CO2]. We took advantage of a long-term (ca 10 year) CO2 enrichment experiment in a sweetgum plantation located in Tennessee to test the hypothesis that observed increases in root production in elevated relative to ambient CO2 plots would alter microbial community structure, increase microbial activity, and increase soil nutrient cycling. We found that elevated [CO2] had no detectable effect on microbial community structure using 16S rRNA gene cloning libraries, on microbial activity measured with extracellular enzyme activity, or on potential soil N mineralization and nitrification rates. These results are similar to those found at other sites and are consistent with continued C storage in forest ecosystems in the near future. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.soilbio.2008.12.010 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1118738 |
| Current production and metal oxide reduction by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 wild type and mutants (vol 73, pg 7003, 2007) | Bretschger, Orianna; Obraztsova, Anna Y; Sturm, Carter A; Chang, In Seop; Gorby, Yuri A; Reed, Samantha; Culley, David E; Reardon, Catherine L; Barua, Soumitra; Romine, Margaret F; Zhou, Jizhong; Beliaev, Alexander S; Bouhenni, Rachida; Saffarini, Daad; Mansfeld, Florian; Kim, Byung Hong; Fredrickson, James K; Nealson, Kenneth H | 30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION; BINDING ENERGY; CYTOCHROMES; ELECTRON TRANSFER; ELECTRONS; FUEL CELLS; MUTANTS; OXIDES; PRODUCTION; SUBSTRATES; VALENCE | Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 is a gram-negative facultative anaerobe capable of utilizing a broad range of electron acceptors, including several solid substrates. S. oneidensis MR-1 can reduce Mn(IV) and Fe(III) oxides and can produce current in microbial fuel cells. The mechanisms that are employed by S. oneidensis MR-1 to execute these processes have not yet been fully elucidated. Several different S. oneidensis MR-1 deletion mutants were generated and tested for current production and metal oxide reduction. The results showed that a few key cytochromes play a role in all of the processes but that their degrees of participation in each process are very different. Overall, these data suggest a very complex picture of electron transfer to solid and soluble substrates by S. oneidensis MR-1. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1128/AEM.02560-07 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1014260 |
| Determination of Protein by Fluorescence Enhancement of Curcumin in Lanthanum-Curcumin-Sodium Dodecyl Benzene Sulfonate-Protein System | Wang, Feng; Huang, Wei; Zhang, Yunfeng; Wang, Mingyin; Sun, Lina; Tang, Bo; Wang, Wei | 08 HYDROGEN; ALBUMINS; BENZENE; BLOOD SERUM; BONDING; CATTLE; CURCUMIN; ELECTROSTATICS; ENERGY TRANSFER; EXCITATION; FLUORESCENCE; HYDROGEN; LANTHANUM; PROTEINS; REACTION KINETICS; SENSITIVITY; SODIUM; VAN DER WAALS FORCES | We found that the fluorescence intensity of the lanthanum (La(3+))-curcumin (CU) complex can be highly enhanced by proteins in the presence of sodium dodecyl benzene sulphonate (SDBS). Based on this finding, a new fluorimetric method for the determination of protein was developed. Under optimized conditions, the enhanced intensities of fluorescence are quantitatively in proportion to the concentrations of proteins in the range 0.0080-20.0 g mL(-1) for bovine serum albumin (BSA) and 0.00080-20.0 g mL(-1) for human serum albumin (HSA) with excitation of 425 nm, and 0.00020-20.0 g mL(-1) for bovine serum albumin (BSA) and 0.00080-20.0 g mL(-1)for human serum albumin (HSA) with excitation of 280 nm, while corresponding qualitative detection limits (S/N 3) are as low as 5.368, 0.573, 0.049, 0.562 g mL(-1), respectively. Study on reaction mechanism reveals that proteins can bind with La(3+), CU and SDBS through self-assembling function with electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interaction and van der Waals forces, etc. The proteins form a supermolecular association with multilayer structure, in which La(3+)-CU is clamped between BSA and SDBS. The unique high fluorescence enhancement of CU is resulted through synergic effects of favorable hydrophobic microenvironment provided by BSA and SDBS, and efficient intermolecular energy transfer among BSA, SDBS and CU. In energy transfer process, La(3+) plays a crucial role because it not only shortens the distance between SDBS and CU, but also acts as a "bridge" for transferring the energy from BSA to CU. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s10895-010-0686-1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015087 |
| Predicting Agricultural Management Influence on Long-Term Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics: Implications for Biofuel Production | Gollany, H T; Rickman, R W; Albrecht, S L; Liang, Y; Kang, Shujiang; Machado, S | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOFUELS; CARBON; CLIMATES; CROPS; FERTILIZERS; MANAGEMENT; MANURES; ORGANIC MATTER; PRECIPITATION; PRODUCTION; REMOVAL; RESIDUES; ROTATION; SIMULATION; SOILS | Long-term field experiments (LTE) are ideal for predicting the influence of agricultural management on soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics and examining biofuel crop residue removal policy questions. Our objectives were (i) to simulate SOC dynamics in LTE soils under various climates, crop rotations, fertilizer or organic amendments, and crop residue managements using the CQESTR model and (ii) to predict the potential of no-tillage (NT) management to maintain SOC stocks while removing crop residue. Classical LTEs at Champaign, IL (1876), Columbia, MO (1888), Lethbridge, AB (1911), Breton, AB (1930), and Pendleton, OR (1931) were selected for their documented history of management practice and periodic soil organic matter (SOM) measurements. Management practices ranged from monoculture to 2- or 3-yr crop rotations, manure, no fertilizer or fertilizer additions, and crop residue returned, burned, or harvested. Measured and CQESTR predicted SOC stocks under diverse agronomic practices, mean annual temperature (2.1 19 C), precipitation (402 973 mm), and SOC (5.89 33.58 g SOC kg 1) at the LTE sites were significantly related (r 2 = 0.94, n = 186, P < 0.0001) with a slope not significantly different than 1. The simulation results indicated that the quantities of crop residue that can be sustainably harvested without jeopardizing SOC stocks were influenced by initial SOC stocks, crop rotation intensity, tillage practices, crop yield, and climate. Manure or a cover crop/intensified crop rotation under NT are options to mitigate loss of crop residue C, as using fertilizer alone is insufficient to overcome residue removal impact on SOC stocks | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.2134/agronj2010.0203s | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015081 |
| Global potential net primary production predicted from vegetation class, precipitation, and temperature | Del Grosso, Stephen; Parton, William; Stohlgren, Thomas; Zheng, Daolan; Bachelet, Dominique; Prince, Stephen; Hibbard, Kathy; Olson, Richard K | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON CYCLE; CLIMATES; DISTURBANCES; EFFICIENCY; GRAMINEAE; NUTRIENTS; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; PLANTS; PRECIPITATION; PRODUCTION; RESPIRATION; SYNTHESIS; WATER | Net primary production (NPP), the difference between CO2 fixed by photosynthesis and CO2 lost to autotrophic respiration, is one of the most important components of the carbon cycle. Our goal was to develop a simple regression model to estimate global NPP using climate and land cover data. Approximately 5600 global data points with observed mean annual NPP, land cover class, precipitation, and temperature were compiled. Precipitation was better correlated with NPP than temperature, and it explained much more of the variability in mean annual NPP for grass- or shrub-dominated systems (r2 = 0.68) than for tree-dominated systems (r2 = 0.39). For a given precipitation level, tree-dominated systems had significantly higher NPP (approximately 100-150 g C m(-2) yr(-1)) than non-tree-dominated systems. Consequently, previous empirical models developed to predict NPP based on precipitation and temperature (e.g., the Miami model) tended to overestimate NPP for non-tree-dominated systems. Our new model developed at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (the NCEAS model) predicts NPP for tree-dominated systems based on precipitation and temperature; but for non-tree-dominated systems NPP is solely a function of precipitation because including a temperature function increased model error for these systems. Lower NPP in non-tree-dominated systems is likely related to decreased water and nutrient use efficiency and higher nutrient loss rates from more frequent fire disturbances. Late 20th century aboveground and total NPP for global potential native vegetation using the NCEAS model are estimated to be approximately 28 Pg and approximately 46 Pg C/yr, respectively. The NCEAS model estimated an approximately 13% increase in global total NPP for potential vegetation from 1901 to 2000 based on changing precipitation and temperature patterns. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-08-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1890/07-0850.1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017332 |
| Corn stover availability for biomass conversion: situation analysis | Hess, J Richard; Kenney, Kevin L; Wright, Christopher; Perlack, Robert D | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; AGRICULTURAL WASTES; AVAILABILITY; BIOMASS; BULK DENSITY; CAPACITY; CAPITAL; DESIGN; EFFICIENCY; Feedstock logistics; HARVESTING; MAIZE; MINIMIZATION; MOISTURE; OPTIMIZATION; STABILITY; STORAGE; collection; corn stover; harvesting; processing; storage; transportation | As biorefining conversion technologies become commercial, feedstock availability, supply system logistics, and biomass material attributes are emerging as major barriers to the availability of corn stover for biorefining. While systems do exist to supply corn stover as feedstock to biorefining facilities, stover material attributes affecting physical deconstruction, such as densification and post-harvest material stability, challenge the cost-effectiveness of present-day feedstock logistics systems. In addition, the material characteristics of corn stover create barriers with any supply system design in terms of equipment capacity/efficiency, dry matter loss, and capital use efficiency. However, analysis of a conventional large square bale corn stover feedstock supply system concludes that (1) where other agronomic factors are not limiting, corn stover can be accessed and supplied to a biorefinery using existing bale-based technologies, (2) technologies and new supply system designs are necessary to overcome biomass bulk density and moisture material property challenges, and (3) major opportunities to improve conventional bale biomass feedstock supply systems include improvements in equipment efficiency and capacity and reducing biomass losses in harvesting, collection, and storage. Finally, the backbone of an effective stover supply system design is the optimization of intended and minimization of unintended material property changes as the corn stover passes through the individual supply system processes from the field to the biorefinery conversion processes. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-08-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s10570-009-9323-z | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015058 |
| Investigating Habitat Value in Support of Contaminant Remediation Decisions: Case Study | Efroymson, Rebecca Ann; Peterson, Mark J; Giffen, Neil R; Ryon, Michael G; Smith, John G; Hargrove, William Walter; Roy, W Kelly; Welsh, Christopher John Edward; Druckenbrod, Daniel L; Quarles, III, Harry Dewitt | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMPHIBIANS; DECISION MAKING; HABITAT; INVERTEBRATES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; REMEDIAL ACTION; VERTEBRATES; WETLANDS | Habitat valuation methods were implemented to support remedial decisions for aquatic and terrestrial contaminated sites at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) on the US Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation in Oak Ridge, TN, USA. The habitat valuation was undertaken for six contaminated sites: Contractor's Spoil Area, K-901-N Disposal Area, K-770 Scrapyard, K-1007-P1 pond, K-901 pond, and the Mitchell Branch stream. Four of these sites are within the industrial use area of ETTP and two are in the Black Oak Ridge Conservation Easement. These sites represent terrestrial and aquatic habitat for vertebrates, terrestrial habitat for plants, and aquatic habitat for benthic invertebrates. Current and potential future, no-action (no remediation) scenarios were evaluated primarily using existing information. Valuation metrics and scoring criteria were developed in a companion paper, this volume. The habitat valuation consists of extensive narratives, as well as scores for aspects of site use value, site rarity, and use value added from spatial context. Metrics for habitat value were expressed with respect to different spatial scales, depending on data availability. There was significant variation in habitat value among the six sites, among measures for different taxa at a single site, between measures of use and rarity at a single site, and among measures for particular taxa at a single site with respect to different spatial scales. Most sites had aspects of low, medium, and high habitat value. Few high scores for current use value were given. These include: wetland plant communities at all aquatic sites, Lepomid sunfish and waterbirds at 1007-P1 pond, and Lepomid sunfish and amphibians at K-901 pond. Aquatic sites create a high-value ecological corridor for waterbirds, and the Contractor's Spoil Area and possibly the K-901-N Disposal Site have areas that are part of a strong terrestrial ecological corridor. The only example of recent observations of rare species at these sites is the gray bat observed at the K-1007-P1 pond. Some aspects of habitat value are expected to improve under no-action scenarios at a few of the sites. Methods are applicable to other contaminated sites where sufficient ecological data are available for the site and region. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL work for others; ORNL other overhead | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.jenvman.2007.07.024 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/941024 |
| In-stream biotic control on nutrient biogeochemistry in a forested sheadwater tream, West Fork of Walker Branch | Roberts, Brian J; Mulholland, Patrick J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 58 GEOSCIENCES; BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; METABOLISM; NITRATES; NUTRIENTS; STREAMS; UPTAKE; VARIATIONS; dissolved inorganic nitrogen; ecosystem metabolism; ecosystem respiration; light; nutrient uptake; primary production; soluble reactive phosphorus; stream; temporal variability | A growing body of evidence demonstrates the importance of in-stream processing in regulating nutrient export, yet the influence of temporal variability in stream metabolism on net nutrient uptake has not been explicitly addressed. Streamwater DIN and SRP concentrations in Walker Branch, a first-order deciduous forest stream in eastern Tennessee, show a repeated pattern of annual maxima in summer and biannual minima in spring and autumn. Temporal variations in catchment hydrologic flowpaths result in lower winter and higher summer nutrient concentrations, but do not explain the spring and autumn nutrient minima. Ambient nutrient uptake rates were measured 2-3 times per week over an 18-mo period and compared to daily rates of gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) to examine the influence of in-stream biotic activity on nutrient export. GPP and ER rates explained 85% of the variation in net DIN retention with high net NO3- uptake (and lower net NH4+ release) rates occurring during spring and autumn and net DIN release in summer. Diel nutrient concentration patterns were examined several times throughout the year to determine the relative importance of autotrophic and heterotrophic activity on net nutrient uptake. High spring GPP corresponded to daily decreases in NO3- over the illuminated hours resulting in high diel NO3- amplitude which dampened as the canopy closed. GPP explained 91% of the variance in diel NO3- amplitude. In contrast, the autumn nutrient minima was largely explained by heterotrophic respiration since GPP remained low and little diel NO3- variation was observed during the autumn. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931994 | |
| Simulation of carbon cycling, including dissolved organic carbon transport, in forest soil locally enriched with 14C | Tipping, Ed; Chamberlain, Paul M.; Froberg, Mats J.; Hanson, Paul J; Jardine, Philip M | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ADSORPTION; CARBON; FORESTS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORGANIC MATTER; PERFORMANCE; SIMULATION; SOILS; TRANSFORMATIONS; TRANSPORT; WATER | The DyDOC model was used to simulate organic matter decomposition and dissolved organic matter (DOM) transport in deciduous forest soils at the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in Tennessee, USA. The model application relied on extensive data from the Enriched Background Isotope study (EBIS), which made use of a local atmospheric enrichment of radiocarbon to establish a large-scale manipulation experiment with different inputs of 14C from both above-ground and below-ground litter. The aim of the modelling was to test if the processes that constitute DyDOC can explain the available observations for C dynamics in the ORR. More specifically we used the model to investigate the origins of DOM, its dynamics within the soil profile, and how it contributes to the formation of stable carbon in the mineral soil. The model was first configured to account for water transport through the soil, then observed pools and fluxes of carbon and 14C data were used to fit the model parameters that describe the rates of the metabolic transformations. The soils were described by a thin O-horizon, a 15 cm thick A-horizon and a 45-cm thick B-horizon. Within the thin O-horizon, litter is either converted to CO2 or to a second organic matter pool, which is converted to CO2 at a different rate, both pools being able to produce DOM. The best model performance was obtained by assuming that adsorption of downwardly transported DOM in horizons A and B, followed by further conversion to stable forms, produces mineral-associated carbon pools, while root litter is the source of non-mineral associated carbon, with relatively short residence times. In the simulated steady-state, most carbon entering the O-horizon leaves quickly as CO2, but 17% (46 gC m-2 a-1) is lost as DOC in percolating water. The DOM comprises mainly hydrophobic material, 40% being derived from litter and 60% from older organic matter pools (residence time ~ 10 years). Most of the DOM is converted to CO2 in the mineral soil, over timescales of 1 to 15 years, but there is a conversion of 11 gC m-2 a-1 into stabilised forms that turnover on a timescale of 100-200 years. The small flux of DOC leaving the B-horizon (1.2 gC m-2 a-1) is mainly hydrophilic material, some of which can penetrate to depth quickly after formation. Considering the soil profile as single entity, the simulated soil carbon pools at ORR have mean residence times in the range 1-200 years, most of the carbon being in the slow pools, most of the turnover associated with the faster ones. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s10533-011-9575-1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1035519 |
| Maximum height in a conifer is associated with conflicting requirements for xylem design | Domec, Jean-Christophe; Lachenbruch, Barbara; McCulloh, Katherine A; Meinzer, Rick; Woodruff, David R; Warren, Jeffrey M | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; APERTURES; AVOIDANCE; CONIFERS; DESIGN; EFFICIENCY; HYDRAULICS; MODIFICATIONS; Pseudotsuga menziesii; SAFETY; TRANSPORT; TREES; WATER; air-seeding pressure; bordered pit; embolism; hydraulic architecture | Despite renewed interest in the nature of limitations on maximum tree height, the mechanisms governing ultimate and species-specific height limits are not yet understood, but they likely involve water transport dynamics. Tall trees experience increased risk of xylem embolism from air-seeding because tension in their water column increases with height because of path-length resistance and gravity. We used morphological measurements to estimate the hydraulic properties of the bordered pits between tracheids in Douglas-fir trees along a height gradient of 85 m. With increasing height, the xylem structural modifications that satisfied hydraulic requirements for avoidance of runaway embolism imposed increasing constraints on water transport efficiency. In the branches and trunks, the pit aperture diameter of tracheids decreases steadily with height, whereas torus diameter remains relatively constant. The resulting increase in the ratio of torus to pit aperture diameter allows the pits to withstand higher tensions before air-seeding but at the cost of reduced pit aperture conductance. Extrapolations of vertical trends for trunks and branches show that water transport across pits will approach zero at a heights of 109 m and 138 m, respectively, which is consistent with historic height records of 100 127 m for this species. Likewise, the twig water potential corresponding to the threshold for runaway embolism would be attained at a height of 107 m. Our results suggest that the maximum height of Douglas-fir trees may be limited in part by the conflicting requirements for water transport and water column safety | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-08-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1073/pnas.0710418105 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1014248 |
| Mercury emission from terrestrial background surfaces in the eastern USA. II: Air/surface exchange of mercury within forests from South Carolina to New England | Kuiken, Todd; Zhang, Hong; Gustin, Mae S; Lindberg, Steven Eric | Mercury air/surface exchange was measured over litter-covered soils with low Hg concentrations within various types of forests along the eastern seaboard of the USA. The fieldwork was conducted at six forested sites in state parks in South Carolina, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Maine from mid-May to early June 2005. The study showed that the Hg air/surface exchange was consistently very low and similar (overall daytime mean flux = 0.2 0.9 ng m 2 h 1, n = 310, for all six sites monitored) with the various forest types. These flux values are comparable with those found in a year-long study in Tennessee (yearly daytime mean = 0.4 0.5 ng m 2 h 1), but lower than many previous flux results reported for background soils. The Hg fluxes at all sites oscillated around zero, with many episodes of deposition (negative fluxes) occurring in both daytime and nighttime. While there were particular days showing significant correlations among the Hg air/surface exchange and certain environmental parameters, perhaps because of the low fluxes encountered, few significant correlations were found for any particular day of sampling between the Hg flux and environmental parameters such as solar radiation, soil temperature, air temperature (little variability seen), relative humidity, and ambient air Hg concentrations. Factors driving the Hg exchange as previously found for enriched soils may not hold for these background litter-covered forest soils. The results suggest that spatial variations of the Hg air/surface exchange were small among these different forest types for this particular time of year. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2007.12.007 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015031 | |
| Short-term recovery of NH4-15N applied to a temperate forest inceptisol and ultisol in east Tennessee USA | Garten, Jr, Charles T; Brice, Deanne Jane; Todd, Jr, Donald E | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; EBIS; FORESTS; NITROGEN 15; OAKS; RETENTION; SOILS; TENNESSEE | The short-term fate and retention of ammonium (NH4)-{sup 15}nitrogen (N) applied to two types of forest soils in east Tennessee was investigated. Four ridgetop forests, predominantly oak (Quercus spp.), were studied. Five applications of NH{sub 4}-{sup 15}N tracer were made to the forest floor at 2- to 4-week intervals over a 14-week period in 2004. Nitrogen-15 recovery in the forest floor, fine roots (<2 mm), and the mineral soil (0-20 cm) was calculated at 6, 21, and 42 weeks after the last application. Most of the {sup 15}N was retained in the forest floor and the mineral soil, with only small amounts ({approx}<2%) found in roots from both soil layers. Recovery of NH{sub 4}-{sup 15}N was greater in Inceptisols, which had a wider carbon (C)-to-N ratio than Ultisols. For both soil types, higher NH{sub 4}-{sup 15}N recoveries and long retention times (half-lives>100 weeks) indicated the forest floor is an effective filter for atmospheric N inputs. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2007-11-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1080/00103620701662919 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930867 |
| The MODIS (Collection V005) BRDF/albedo product: Assessment of spatial representativeness over forested landscapes | Roman, Miguel O; Schaaf, Crystal; Woodcock, Curtis E; Strahler, Alan; Yang, Xiaoyuan; Braswell, Rob H; Curtis, Peter; Davis, Kenneth J; Dragoni, Danilo; Goulden, Michael L; Gu, Lianhong; Hollinger, David Y; Meyers, Tilden P; Wilson, Tim B; Munger, J William; Wofsy, Steve; Privette, Jeffrey L; Richardson, Andrew D | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 6S; ALBEDO; ANISOTROPY; AmeriFlux; BRDF; DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS; ECOSYSTEMS; EOS Land Validation Core Sites; ETM+; FLUXNET; Geostatistics; MODIS; REMOTE SENSING; RESOLUTION; Remote sensing; SATELLITES; SIMULATION; Spatial analysis; Surface albedo; VALIDATION; Validation | A new methodology for establishing the spatial representativeness of tower albedo measurements that are routinely used in validation of satellite retrievals from global land surface albedo and reflectance anisotropy products is presented. This method brings together knowledge of the intrinsic biophysical properties of a measurement site, and the surrounding landscape to produce a number of geostatistical attributes that describe the overall variability, spatial extent, strength of the spatial correlation, and spatial structure of surface albedo patterns at separate seasonal periods throughout the year. Variogram functions extracted from Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) retrievals of surface albedo using multiple spatial and temporal thresholds were used to assess the degree to which a given point (tower) measurement is able to capture the intrinsic variability of the immediate landscape extending to a satellite pixel. A validation scheme was implemented over a wide range of forested landscapes, looking at both deciduous and coniferous sites, from tropical to boreal ecosystems. The experiment focused on comparisons between tower measurements of surface albedo acquired at local solar noon and matching retrievals from the MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) (Collection V005) Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF)/albedo algorithm. Assessments over a select group of field stations with comparable landscape features and daily retrieval scenarios further demonstrate the ability of this technique to identify measurement sites that contain the intrinsic spatial and seasonal features of surface albedo over sufficiently large enough footprints for use in modeling and remote sensing studies. This approach, therefore, improves our understanding of product uncertainty both in terms of the representativeness of the field data and its relationship to the larger satellite pixel. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-11-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.rse.2009.07.009 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015714 |
| Estimation of stream nutrient uptake from nutrient addition experiments | Payn, Robert | 58 GEOSCIENCES; DATA ANALYSIS; NUTRIENTS; PHOSPHORUS | Nutrient uptake in streams is often quantified by determining nutrient uptake length. However, current methods for measuring nutrient uptake length are often impractical, expensive, or demonstrably incorrect. We have developed a new method to estimate ambient nutrient uptake lengths using field experiments involving several levels of nutrient addition. Data analysis involves plotting nutrient addition uptake lengths versus added concentration and extrapolating to the negative ambient concentration. This method is relatively easy, inexpensive, and based on sound theoretical development. It is more accurate than the commonly used method involving a single nutrient addition. The utility of the method is supported by field studies directly comparing our new method with isotopic tracer methods for determining uptake lengths of phosphorus, ammonium, and nitrate. Our method also provides parameters for comparing potential nutrient limitation among streams. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2005-09-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.4319/lom.2005.3.174 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989632 |
| Distribution of organic carbon in physical fractions of soils as affected by agricultural management | Sindhu, Jagadamma; Lal, Dr Rattan | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CAPACITY; CARBON; CLAYS; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; CROPS; DISTRIBUTION; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; ORGANIC MATTER; RADAR; REFINING; ROTATION; SAND; SATURATION; SILT; SOILS; SOYBEANS; TEXTURE | Soil organic carbon (SOC) is distributed heterogeneously among different-sized primary particles and aggregates. Further, the SOC associated with different physical fractions respond differently to managements. Therefore, this study was conducted with the objective to quantify the SOC associated with all the three structural levels of SOC (particulate organic matter, soil separates and aggregate-size fractions) as influenced by long-term change in management. The study also aims at reevaluating the concept that the SOC sink capacity of individual size-fractions is limited. Long-term tillage and crop rotation effects on distribution of SOC among fractions were compared with soil from adjacent undisturbed area under native vegetation for the mixed, mesic, Typic Fragiudalf of Wooster, OH. Forty five years of no-till (NT) management resulted in more SOC accumulation in soil surface (0 7.5 cm) than in chisel tillage and plow tillage (PT) treatments. However, PT at this site resulted in a redistribution of SOC from surface to deeper soil layers. The soils under continuous corn accumulated significantly more SOC than those under corn soybean rotation at 7.5 45 cm depth. Although soil texture was dominated by the silt-sized particles, most of the SOC pool was associated with the clay fraction. Compared to PT, the NT treatment resulted in (i) significantly higher proportion of large macroaggregates (>2,000 m) and (ii) 1.5 2.8 times higher SOC concentrations in all aggregate-size classes. A comparative evaluation using radar graphs indicated that among the physical fractions, the SOC associated with sand and silt fractions quickly changed with a land use conversion from native vegetation to agricultural crops. A key finding of this study is the assessment of SOC sink capacity of individual fractions, which revealed that the clay fraction of agricultural soils continues to accumulate more SOC, albeit at a slower rate, with progressive increase in total SOC concentration. However, the clay fraction of soil under native woodlot showed an indication for SOC saturation. The data presented in this study from all the three structural levels of SOC would be helpful for refining the conceptual pool definitions of the current soil organic matter prediction models. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-08-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015723 | |
| Net mineralization of N at deeper soil depths as a potential mechanism for sustained forest production under elevated [CO2] | Iversen, Colleen M; Hooker, Toby; Classen, Aimee T; Norby, Richard J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AVAILABILITY; CARBON; DILUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; EXPLORATION; FORESTS; ION EXCHANGE; MINERALIZATION; MINING; MORTALITY; NITROGEN; NUTRIENTS; PRODUCTION; RESINS; SOILS; STORAGE; TREES; elevated [CO2]; fine roots; isotope pool dilution; potential gross N mineralization; soil depth; sweetgum | Elevated atmospheric [CO2] is projected to increase forest production, which could increase ecosystem carbon (C) storage. However, sustained forest production will depend on the nutrient balance of the forested ecosystem. Our aim was to examine the causes and consequences of increased fine-root production and mortality throughout the soil profile under elevated CO2 with respect to potential gross nitrogen (N) cycling rates. Our study was conducted in a CO2-enriched sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) plantation in Oak Ridge, TN, USA. We used isotope pool dilution methodology to measure potential gross N cycling rates in laboratory incubations of soil from four depth increments to 60 cm. Our objectives were two-fold: (1) determine whether N is available for root acquisition in deeper soil, and (2) determine whether increased inputs of labile C from greater fine-root mortality at depth under elevated [CO2] had altered N cycling rates. While gross N fluxes declined with soil depth, we found that N is potentially available for roots to access, especially below 15 cm depth where microbial consumption of mineral N was reduced. Overall, up to 60% of potential gross N mineralization, and 100% of potential net N mineralization, occurred below 15-cm depth at this site. This finding was supported by in situ measurements from ion-exchange resins, where total inorganic N availability at 55 cm depth was equal to or greater than N availability at 15 cm depth. While it is likely that trees grown under elevated [CO2] are accessing a larger pool of inorganic N by mining deeper soil, we found no effect of elevated [CO2] on potential gross or net N cycling rates. Thus, increased root exploration of the soil volume under elevated [CO2] may be more important than changes in potential gross N cycling rates in sustaining forest responses to rising atmospheric CO2. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02240.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1001718 |
| Techno-economic analysis of wood biomass boilers for the greenhouse industry | Chau, J; Sowlati, T; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Bi, X T; Preto, F; Melin, Staffan | Cost analysis; Economic evaluation; Greenhouses; Wood biomass boiler; Wood pellets; Wood residue | The objective of this study is to perform a techno-economic analysis on a typical wood pellet and wood residue boiler for generation of heat to an average-sized greenhouse in British Columbia. The variables analyzed included greenhouse size and structure, boiler efficiency, fuel types, and source of carbon dioxide (CO2) for crop fertilization. The net present value (NPV) show that installing a wood pellet or a wood residue boiler to provide 40% of the annual heat demand is more economical than using a natural gas boiler to provide all the heat at a discount rate of 10%. For an assumed lifespan of 25 years, a wood pellet boiler system could generate NPV of C$259,311 without electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and C$74,695 with ESP, respectively. While, installing a wood residue boiler with or without an ESP could provide NPV of C$919,922 or C$1,104,538, respectively. Using a wood biomass boiler could also eliminate over 3000 tonne CO2 equivalents of greenhouse gases annually. Wood biomass combustion generates more particulate matters than natural gas combustion. However, an advanced emission control system could significantly reduce particulate matters emission from wood biomass combustion which would bring the particulate emission to a relatively similar level as for natural gas. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.apenergy.2008.05.010 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015052 |
| Changes in Soil Carbon and Nitrogen in Forests of Walker Branch Watershed 1972-2004 | Todd, Jr, Donald E; Johnson, Dale W.; Trettin, Carl | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; LEACHING; NITROGEN; PLANTS; SAMPLING; SOILS; STORAGE; WATERSHEDS | Changes in soil C and N concentrations and contents in four samplings during a 32-yr period on Walker Branch watershed in Tennessee were determined and compared with previously measured C and N fluxes and with changes in ecosystem C and N pools during this period. Soils showed significant increases in C and N concentrations in surface horizons from 1972 to 2004, and most of this increase occurred between 1972 and 1982. A previously observed decline in soil C and N contents between 1982 and 1993 was reversed in 2004 such that the latter increased to near 1982 values. The changes in soil C content could be approximately accounted for by previously measured litterfall and soil CO{sub 2}-C fluxes. Changes in soil N could not be accounted for by leaching, increments in vegetation, or by laboratory bias, changes during sample storage, or reasonable estimates of field sampling errors. We conclude that, although vegetation C and N pools increased steadily during the sampling period in most cases, changes in soil C and N pools on Walker Branch watershed are highly variable in both space and time, and there has been no unidirectional trend during the time period of this study. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/944591 | |
| Size reduction of high- and low-moisture corn stalks by linear knife grid system | Womac, A R; Igathinathane, C; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Narayan, S | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AGRICULTURAL WASTES; BIOMASS; Biomass; Corn stalk; Cutting; DESIGN; Energy; FORAGE; Knife grid; MAIZE; MOISTURE; PERFORMANCE; SHEAR; STRESSES; Shear stress; Size reduction | High- and low-moisture corn stalks were tested using a linear knife grid size reduction device developed for first-stage size reduction. The device was used in conjunction with a universal test machine that quantified shearing stress and energy characteristics for forcing a bed of corn stalks through a grid of sharp knives. No published engineering performance data for corn stover with similar devices are available to optimize performance; however, commercial knife grid systems exist for forage size reduction. From the force displacement data, mean and maximum ultimate shear stresses, cumulative and peak mass-based cutting energies for corn stalks, and mean new surface area-based cutting energies were determined from 4 5 refill runs at two moisture contents (78.8% and 11.3% wet basis), three knife grid spacings (25.4, 50.8, and 101.6 mm), and three bed depths (50.8, 101.6, and 152.4 mm). In general, the results indicated that peak failure load, ultimate shear stress, and cutting energy values varied directly with bed depth and inversely with knife grid spacing. Mean separation analysis established that high- and low-moisture conditions and bed depths 101.6 mm did not differ significantly (P < 0.05) for ultimate stress and cutting energy values, but knife grid spacing were significantly different. Linear knife grid cutting energy requirements for both moisture conditions of corn stalks were much smaller than reported cutting energy requirements. Ultimate shear stress and cutting energy results of this research should aid the engineering design of commercial scale linear knife gird size reduction equipment for various biomass feedstocks. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015056 | |
| Light, nutrients, and herbivore growth in oligotrophic streams | Hill, Walter R; Smith, John G; Stewart, Arthur J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; AUFWUCHS; Elimia clavaeformis; FOOD; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; MORTALITY; NITRATES; NITROGEN; NUTRIENTS; PHENOLOGY; PHOSPHATES; PHOSPHORUS; PRODUCTION; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SNAILS; STREAMS; algae; competition; herbivore; light : nutrient hypothesis; nitrogen; phosphorus; snails; streams | The light : nutrient hypothesis posits that herbivore growth is increasingly constrained by low food quality as the ratio of light to nutrients increases in aquatic ecosystems. We tested predictions of this hypothesis by examining the effects of large seasonal cycles in light and nutrients on the mineral content of periphyton and the growth rate of a dominant herbivore (the snail Elimia clavaeformis) in two oligotrophic streams. Streambed irradiances in White Oak Creek and Walker Branch (eastern Tennessee, USA) varied dramatically on a seasonal basis due to leaf phenology in the surrounding deciduous forests and seasonal changes in sun angle. Concentrations of dissolved nutrients varied inversely with light, causing light : nitrate and light : phosphate to range almost 100-fold over the course of any individual year. Periphyton nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were much lower than the concentrations of these elements in snails, and they bottomed out in early spring when streambed irradiances were highest. Snail growth, however, peaked in early spring when light:nutrient ratios were highest and periphyton nutrient concentrations were lowest, Growth was linearly related to primary production (accounting for up to 85% of growth variance in individual years), which in turn was driven by seasonal variation in light. Conceptual models of herbivore growth indicate that growth should initially increase as increasing light levels stimulate primary production, but then level off, and then decrease as the negative effects of decreasing algal nutrient content override the positive effects of increased food production. Our results showed no evidence of an inflection point where increasing ratios of light to nutrients negatively affected growth. Snail growth in these intensively grazed streams is probably unaffected by periphyton nutrient content because exploitative competition for food reduces growth rates to levels where the demand for nitrogen and phosphorus is small enough to be satisfied by even low levels of these nutrients in periphyton. Competition for limited food resources in habitats where herbivore densities are uncontrolled by predation or other mortality factors should strongly influence the potential for herbivores to be limited by mineral deficits in their food | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-02-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1890/09-0703.1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015729 |
| THE RESILIENCE OF UPLAND-OAK FOREST CANOPY TREES TO CHRONIC AND ACUTE PRECIPITATION MANIPULATIONS | Hanson, Paul J; Tschaplinski, Timothy J; Wullschleger, Stan D; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Auge, Robert M. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; DEPTH; DROUGHTS; FORESTS; OAKS; PHENOLOGY; PLANT GROWTH; ROOTS | Implications of chronic ( 33 percent) and acute (-100 percent) precipitation change were evaluated for trees of upland-oak forests of the eastern United States. Chronic manipulations have been conducted since 1993, and acute manipulations of dominant canopy trees (Quercus prinus; Liriodendron tulipifera) were initiated in 2003. Through 12 years of chronic manipulations tree growth remained unaffected by natural or induced rainfall deficits even though severe drought conditions dramatically reduced canopy function in some years. The resilience of canopy trees to chronic-change was the result of a disconnect between tree growth phenology and late-season drought occurrence. Acute precipitation exclusion from the largest canopy trees also produced limited growth reductions from 2003 through 2005. Elimination of lateral root water sources for the acute treatment trees, via trenching midway through the 2004 growing-season, forced the conclusion that deep rooting was a key mechanism for large-tree resilience to severe drought. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930814 | |
| A distributed approach to accounting for carbon in wood products | Marland, Eric; Stellar, Kirk; Marland, Gregg | 02 PETROLEUM; 09 BIOMASS FUELS; CARBON; CARBON CYCLE; Carbon in wood products - Carbon sequestration - Carbon accounting - CO2 emissions; DECAY; ECONOMICS; GREENHOUSE GASES; IMPLEMENTATION; INVENTORIES; LIFETIME; PETROCHEMICALS; PRODUCTION; WOOD | With an evolving political environment of commitments to limit emissions of greenhouse gases, and of markets to trade in emissions permits, there is growing scientific, political, and economic need to accurately evaluate carbon (C) stocks and flows especially those related to human activities. One component of the global carbon cycle that has been contentious is the stock of carbon that is physically held in harvested wood products. The carbon stored in wood products has been sometimes overlooked, but the amount of carbon contained in wood products is not trivial, it is increasing with time, and it is significant to some Parties. This paper is concerned with accurate treatment of harvested wood products in inventories of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. The methodologies outlined demonstrate a flexible way to expand current methods beyond the assumption of a simple, first-order decay to include the use of more accurate and detailed data while retaining the simplicity of simple formulas. The paper demonstrates that a more accurate representation of decay time can have significant economic implications in a system where emissions are taxed or emissions permits are traded. The method can be easily applied using only data on annual production of wood products and two parameters to characterize their expected lifetime. These methods are not specific to wood products but can be applied to long-lived, carbon-containing products from sources other than wood, e.g. long-lived petrochemical products. A single unifying approach that is both simple and flexible has the potential to be both more accurate in its results, more efficient in its implementation, and economically important to some Parties. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s11027-009-9205-6 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015740 |
| Soil ecosystem functioning under climate change: plant species and community effects | Kardol, Paul; Cregger, Melissa; Campany, Courtney E; Classen, Aimee T | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; AVAILABILITY; CLIMATES; COMMUNITIES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENZYMES; NEMATODES; SHAPE; SOILS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; WATER | Feedbacks of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change depend on soil ecosystem dynamics. Soil ecosystems can directly and indirectly respond to climate change. For example, warming directly alters microbial communities by increasing their activity. Climate change may also alter plant community composition, thus indirectly altering the microbial communities that feed on their inputs. To better understand how climate change may directly and indirectly alter soil ecosystem functioning, we investigated old-field plant community and soil ecosystem responses to single and combined effects of elevated [CO2], warming, and water availability. Specifically, we collected soils at the plot level (plant community soils), and beneath dominant plant species (plant-specific soils). We used microbial enzyme activities and soil nematodes as indicators for soil ecosystem functioning. Our study resulted in two main findings: 1) Overall, while there were some interactions, water, relative to increases in [CO2] and warming, had the largest impact on plant community composition, soil enzyme activities, and soil nematodes. Multiple climate change factors can interact to shape ecosystems, but in this case, those interactions were largely driven by changes in water availability. 2) Indirect effects of climate change, via changes in plant communities, had a significant impact on soil ecosystem functioning and this impact was not obvious when looking at plant community soils. Climate change effects on enzyme activities and soil nematode abundance and community structure strongly differed between plant community soils and plant-specific soils, but also within plant-specific soils. In sum, these results indicate that accurate assessments of climate change impacts on soil ecosystem functioning require incorporating the concurrent changes in plant function and plant community composition. Climate change-induced shifts in plant community composition will likely modify or counteract the direct impact of climate change on soil ecosystem functioning, and hence, these indirect effects should be taken into account when predicting how climate change will alter ecosystem functioning. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC); ORNL other overhead | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1890/09-0135.1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/981773 |
| Responses of an old-field plant community to interacting factors of elevated [CO2], warming, and soil moisture | Engel, Elizabeth C.; Weltzin, Jake; Norby, Richard J; Classen, Aimee T | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COMMUNITIES; ECOSYSTEMS; FORECASTING; MOISTURE; RAIN; SHAPE; SHELTERS; SOILS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; USA | Aims The direct effects of atmospheric and climatic change factors atmospheric [CO2], air temperature, and changes in precipitation can shape plant community composition and alter ecosystem function, but it is essential to understand how these factors interact to make better predictions about how ecosystem may respond to change. We investigated the direct and interactive effects of [CO2], warming, and altered soil moisture in open-top chambers enclosing a constructed old-field community to test how the these factors shape plant communities. Materials and methods The experimental facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA made use of 4-m diameter open-top chambers and rain shelters to manipulate [CO2] (ambient, ambient + 300 ppm), air temperature (ambient, ambient + 3.5 C), and soil moisture (wet, dry). The plant communities within the chambers comprised seven common old-field species, including grasses, forbs, and legumes. We tracked foliar cover for each species and calculated community richness, evenness, and diversity from 2003-2005. Important findings This work resulted in three main results: 1) warming had species-specific effects on foliar cover that varied through time and were altered by soil moisture treatments; 2) [CO2] had little effect on individual species or the community; 3) diversity, evenness, and richness were influenced most by soil moisture, primarily reflecting the response of one dominant species. This experiment demonstrated that individualistic species responses to atmospheric and climatic change can alter community composition, and plant community response should be an important component of analyses of terrestrial ecosystem response. Prediction of plant community changes will remain difficult, however, given the occurrence of interactions between factors and the changes in response through time. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1093/jpe/rtn026 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/951083 |
| Flux of carbon from 14C-enriched leaf litter throughout a forest soil mesocosm | Froberg, Mats J.; Hanson, Paul J; Trumbore, Susan E.; Swanston, Christopher W.; Todd, Jr, Donald E | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; LEACHING; MINERALIZATION; RESPIRATION; RETENTION; SOILS; THROUGHFALL; TRANSPORT | The role of DOC for the build-up of soil organic carbon pools is still not well known, but it is thought to play a role in the transport of carbon to a greater depth where it becomes more stable. The aim of this study was to elucidate within-year dynamics of carbon transport from litter to the O (Oe and Oa) and A horizons. Mesocosms with constructed soil profiles were used to study dynamics of C transport from 14C-enriched (about 1000 ) leaf litter to the Oe/Oa and A horizons as well as the mineralization of leaf litter. The mesocosms were placed in the field for 17 months during which time fluxes and 14C content of DOC and CO2 were measured. Changes in 14C in leaf litter and bulk soil C pools were also recorded. Significant simultaneous release and immobilization of DOC occurring in both the O and A horizons was hypothesized. Contrary to our hypothesis, DOC released from the labeled Oi horizon was not retained within the Oe/Oa layer. DOC originating in the unlabeled Oe/Oa layer was also released for transport. Extensive retention of DOC occurred in the A horizon. DOC leaching from A horizon consisted of a mix of DOC from different sources, with a main fraction originating in the A horizon and a smaller fraction leached from the overlaying horizons. The C and 14C budget for the litter layer also indicated a surprisingly large amount of carbon with ambient Δ14C-signature to be respired from this layer. Data for this site also suggested significant contributions from throughfall to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) transport into and respiration from the litter layer. The results from this study showed that DOC retentionwas low in the O horizon and therefore not important for the O horizon carbon budget. In the A horizon DOC retention was extensive, but annual DOC input was small compared to C stocks and therefore not important for changes in soil C on an annual timescale. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.geoderma.2008.11.029 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/948849 |
| The European carbon balance. Part 1: fossil fuel emissions | Ciais, Philippe; Paris, J D; Peylin, Philippe; Piao, S L; River, L; Marland, Gregg; Levin, I; Pregger, T; Scholz, Y; Friedrich, R; Schulze, E -D | 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; ACCELERATION; CARBON; CARBON DIOXIDE; CEMENTS; ECONOMICS; EU-25; EUROPEAN UNION; FOSSIL FUELS; INVENTORIES; MANUFACTURING; MEMBER STATES; RESOLUTION; STABILITY; STATISTICS; TRANSPORT; TRANSPORTATION SECTOR; emission uncertainties; fossil-fuel | We analyzed the magnitude, the trends and the uncertainties of fossil-fuel CO2 emissions in the European Union 25 member states (hereafter EU-25), based on emission inventories from energy-use statistics. The stability of emissions during the past decade at EU-25 scale masks decreasing trends in some regions, offset by increasing trends elsewhere. In the recent 4 years, the new Eastern EU-25 member states have experienced an increase in emissions, reversing after a decade-long decreasing trend. Mediterranean and Nordic countries have also experienced a strong acceleration in emissions. In Germany, France and United Kingdom, the stability of emissions is due to the decrease in the industry sector, offset by an increase in the transportation sector. When four different inventories models are compared, we show that the between-models uncertainty is as large as 19% of the mean for EU-25, and even bigger for individual countries. Accurate accounting for fossil CO2 emissions depends on a clear understanding of system boundaries, i.e. emitting activities included in the accounting. We found that the largest source of errors between inventories is the use of distinct systems boundaries (e.g. counting or not bunker fuels, cement manufacturing, nonenergy products). Once these inconsistencies are corrected, the between-models uncertainty can be reduced down to 7% at EU-25 scale. The uncertainty of emissions at smaller spatial scales than the country scale was analyzed by comparing two emission maps based upon distinct economic and demographic activities. A number of spatial and temporal biases have been found among the two maps, indicating a significant increase in uncertainties when increasing the resolution at scales finer than 200 km. At 100km resolution, for example, the uncertainty of regional emissions is estimated to be 60 gCm2 yr1, up to 50% of the mean. The uncertainty on regional fossil-fuel CO2 fluxes to the atmosphere could be reduced by making accurate 14C measurements in atmospheric CO2, and by combining them with transport models. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-05-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015733 | |
| Two new species of Chrysopathes (Cnidaria : Anthozoa : Antipatharia) from the western Atlantic | Opresko, Dennis M; Loiola, L de Laia | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BRAZIL; Brazil; CNIDARIA; Chrysopathes micracantha; Chrysopathes oligocrada; Cladopathidae; MEXICO; Mexico; USA; United States; Yucatan | Two new species of Chrysopathes are described, C. oligocrada from Yucatan and Brazil, and C. micracantha from the southeastern coast of the U.S. and Brazil. Chrysopathes oligocrada is characterized by lateral pinnules mostly 7 8 mm long (to 2 cm); 18 21 primary pinnules per cm; anterior-most primary pinnules with no more than one secondary pinnule (absent on some); some posterior primaries with a single secondary pinnule; lateral primary pinnules usually simple, rarely with a single subpinnule; tertiary pinnules absent; pinnular spines to 0.07 mm. This species is similar to C. formosa Opresko 2003 from the Pacific; the latter species differing in density of pinnulation (15 18 per cm) and size of the spines (to 0.16 mm). Chrysopathes micracantha is characterized by lateral pinnules mostly 5 6 mm long (to 2 cm); 24 33 primary pinnules per cm; anterior and posterior primary pinnules with as many as two subopposite secondary pinnules; lateral primary pinnules usually simple but with subpinnules on the thicker branches and stem; tertiary pinnules rarely present; pinnular spines to 0.1 mm. Chrysopathes micracantha is similar to C. speciosa Opresko 2003 from the Pacific, the latter species differing in a greater number of secondary pinnules per primary (three or more) and in size of the spines (to 0.18 mm). | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-02-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1014251 | |
| The combined effects of thinning and prescribed fire on carbon and nutrient budgets in a Jeffrey pine forest | Johnson, Dale W; Murphy, James D; Walker, Roger F; Miller, Watkins W; Glass, D W; Todd, Jr, Donald E | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CAPITAL; CARBON; DEPOSITION; ECOSYSTEMS; EXPORTS; FORESTS; HARVESTING; LEAVES; MOUNTAINS; NUTRIENTS; PINES | Both burning and harvesting cause carbon and nutrient removals from forest ecosystems, but few studies have addressed the combination of these effects. For a Pinus jeffreyii forest in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, we posed the question: what are the relative impacts of thinning and subsequent burning on carbon and nutrient removals? The thinning methods included whole-tree thinning (WT, where all aboveground biomass was removed) cut to length (CTL, where branches and foliage were left on site in a slash mat on top of skid trails) and no harvest (CONT). Total C and nutrient exports with thinning and burning were greater in the WT and CTL than in the CONT treatments. Total C and N removals were approximately equal for the WT and CTL treatments, although harvesting dominated exports in the WT treatment and burning dominated exports in the CTL treatment. Total removals of P, K, Ca, Mg and S were greatest in the WT treatments, where harvesting dominated removals. Comparisons of nutrient removals with ecosystem capital and calculations of potential replenishment by atmospheric deposition suggested that N is the nutrient likely to be most depleted by harvesting and burning treatments. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-09-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1051/forest:2008041 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003772 |
| Defining linkages between the GSC and NSF's LTER program: How the Ecological Metadata Language (EML) relates to GCDML and other outcomes | Inigo, Gil San; Servilla, Mark; Brunt, James; Michener, William; Sheldon, Wade; Schmidt, Tom; Cole, James; Aguilar, Raul; Gries, Corinna; Gray, Tanya; Field, Dawn; Pan, Jerry Yun; Palanisamy, Giri; Henshaw, Donald; O'Brien, Margaret | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; BIOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; IMPLEMENTATION; NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION; SYNTHESIS; TRAINING | The Genomic Standards Consortium (GSC) invited a representative of the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) to its fifth workshop to present the Ecological Metadata Language (EML) metadata standard and its relationship to the Minimum Information about a Genome/Metagenome Sequence (MIGS/MIMS) and its implementation, the Genomic Contextual Data Markup Language (GCDML). The LTER is one of the top National Science Foundation (NSF) programs in biology since 1980, representing diverse ecosystems and creating long-term, interdisciplinary research, synthesis of information, and theory. The adoption of EML as the LTER network standard has been key to build network synthesis architectures based on high-quality standardized metadata. EML is the NSF-recognized metadata standard for LTER, and EML is a criteria used to review the LTER program progress. At the workshop, a potential crosswalk between the GCDML and EML was explored. Also, collaboration between the LTER and GSC developers was proposed to join efforts toward a common metadata cataloging designer's tool. The community adoption success of a metadata standard depends, among other factors, on the tools and trainings developed to use the standard. LTER's experience in embracing EML may help GSC to achieve similar success. A possible collaboration between LTER and GSC to provide training opportunities for GCDML and the associated tools is being explored. Finally, LTER is investigating EML enhancements to better accommodate genomics data, possibly integrating the GCDML schema into EML. All these action items have been accepted by the LTER contingent, and further collaboration between the GSC and LTER is expected. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-06-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015035 | |
| MIRD Pamphlet No. 21: A Generalized Schema for Radiopharmaceutical Dosimetry-Standardization of Nomenclature | Bolch, W E; Eckerman, Keith F; Sgouros, George; Thomas, Steven R | 62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE; COMMUNITIES; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; COMPARTMENTS; DOSIMETRY; ICRP schema; IONIZING RADIATIONS; MIRD schema; NUCLEAR MEDICINE; ORGANS; PATIENTS; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS; RECOMMENDATIONS; THERAPY; absorbed dose; effective dose; equivalent dose | The internal dosimetry schema of the Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) Committee of the Society of Nuclear Medicine has provided a broad framework for assessment of the absorbed dose to whole organs, tissue subregions, voxelized tissue structures, and individual cellular compartments for use in both diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine. The schema was originally published in 1968, revised in 1976, and republished in didactic form with comprehensive examples as the MIRD primer in 1988 and 1991. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is an organization that also supplies dosimetric models and technical data, for use in providing recommendations for limits on ionizing radiation exposure to workers and members of the general public. The ICRP has developed a dosimetry schema similar to that of the MIRD Committee but has used different terminology and symbols for fundamental quantities such as the absorbed fraction, specific absorbed fraction, and various dose coefficients. The MIRD Committee objectives for this pamphlet are 3-fold: to restate its schema for assessment of absorbed dose in a manner consistent with the needs of both the nuclear medicine and the radiation protection communities, with the goal of standardizing nomenclature; to formally adopt the dosimetry quantities equivalent dose and effective dose for use in comparative evaluations of potential risks of radiation-induced stochastic effects to patients after nuclear medicine procedures; and to discuss the need to identify dosimetry quantities based on absorbed dose that address deterministic effects relevant to targeted radionuclide therapy. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.2967/jnumed.108.056036 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015096 |
| A continuous measure of gross primary production for the conterminous United States derived from MODIS and AmeriFlux data | Xiao, Jingfeng; Zhuang, Qianlai; Law, Beverly E; Chen, Jiquan; Baldocchi, D D; Ma, Siyan; Cook, David R; Oren, Ram; Katul, G G; Gu, Lianhong | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOSPHERE; CARBON; CARBON DIOXIDE; CLIMATES; DISTURBANCES; ECOSYSTEMS; HURRICANES; PRODUCTION; PRODUCTIVITY; RESOLUTION; TREES; ameriflux; biomes; carbon fluxes; eddy covariance; gross primary productivity; interannual variability; modis; regression tree; satellite data; us | The quantification of carbon fluxes between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere is of scientific importance and also relevant to climate-policy making. Eddy covariance flux towers provide continuous measurements of ecosystem-level exchange of carbon dioxide spanning diurnal, synoptic, seasonal, and interannual time scales. However, these measurements only represent the fluxes at the scale of the tower footprint. Here we used remotely sensed data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to upscale gross primary productivity (GPP) data from eddy covariance flux towers to the continental scale. We first combined GPP and MODIS data for 42 AmeriFlux towers encompassing a wide range of ecosystem and climate types to develop a predictive GPP model using a regression tree approach. The predictive model was trained using observed GPP over the period 2000 2004, and was validated using observed GPP over the period 2005 2006 and leave-one-out cross-validation. Our model predicted GPP fairly well at the site level. We then used the model to estimate GPP for each 1 km 1 km cell across the U.S. for each 8-day interval over the period from February 2000 to December 2006 using MODIS data. Our GPP estimates provide a spatially and temporally continuous measure of gross primary production for the U.S. that is a highly constrained by eddy covariance flux data. Our study demonstrated that our empirical approach is effective for upscaling eddy flux GPP data to the continental scale and producing continuous GPP estimates across multiple biomes. With these estimates, we then examined the patterns, magnitude, and interannual variability of GPP. We estimated a gross carbon uptake between 6.91 and 7.33 Pg C yr 1 for the conterminous U.S. Drought, fires, and hurricanes reduced annual GPP at regional scales and could have a significant impact on the U.S. net ecosystem carbon exchange. The sources of the interannual variability of U.S. GPP were dominated by these extreme climate events and disturbances. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.rse.2009.10.013 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015743 |
| Long-Term Data Reveal Patterns and Controls on Stream Water Chemistry in a Forested Stream: Walker Branch, Tennessee | Lutz, Brian D; Mulholland, Patrick J; Bernhardt, Emily | We present 20 years of weekly stream water chemistry, hydrology, and climate data for the Walker Branch watershed in eastern Tennessee, USA. Since 1989, the watershed has experienced a similar to 1.08 degrees C increase in mean annual temperature, a similar to 20% decline in precipitation, and a similar to 30% increase in forest evapotranspiration rates. As a result, stream runoff has declined by similar to 34%. We evaluate long-term trends in stream water concentrations and fluxes for nine solutes and use wet deposition data to calculate approximate watershed input-output budgets. Dissolved constituents were classified as geochemical solutes (Ca2+, Mg2+, and SO42-) or nutrients (NH4+, NO3-, soluble reactive phosphorus [SRP], total soluble nitrogen [TSN], total soluble phosphorus [TSP], and dissolved organic carbon [DOC]). Geochemical solutes are predominantly controlled by discharge, and the long-term changes in catchment hydrology have led to significant trends in the concentrations and fluxes of these solutes. Further, the trends in geochemical solute concentrations indicate shifting soil flowpath contributions to streamflow generation through time, with deep groundwater having a greater proportional contribution in recent years. Despite dramatic changes in watershed runoff, there were no trends in inorganic nutrient concentrations (NH4+, NO3-, and SRP). While most nutrients entering the watershed are retained, stream fluxes of nutrient solutes have declined significantly as a result of decreasing runoff. Nutrient concentrations in the stream exhibit large seasonality controlled by in-stream biological uptake. Stream benthic communities are sensitive to hydrologic disturbance, and changes in the frequency or intensity of storm events through time can affect nutrient fluxes. Stream NO3- concentrations are also sensitive to drought, with concentrations decreasing (increasing) if conditions during the three years prior to the time of sampling were drier (wetter) than the long-term mean. Future changes in the incidence of storm events, as well as the number and duration of droughts, have the potential to significantly alter watershed nutrient losses. Our analysis indicates that changing climates can differentially affect watershed element cycles either through changes in biogeochemical process rates or through changes in catchment hydrology. Furthermore, climate change can include both long-term trending in mean climate variables, as well as changes in the frequency and intensity of storms and droughts, with each of these types of change having distinct effects on the biological and geochemical processes governing different solutes. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2012-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1890/11-1129.1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1054990 | |
| How do elevated [CO2], warming, and reduced precipitation interact to affect soil moisture and LAI in an old field ecosystem? | Dermody, Orla; Weltzin, Jake; Engel, Elizabeth C.; Allen, Phillip; Norby, Richard J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AVAILABILITY; CLIMATES; DRYING; ECOSYSTEMS; IRRIGATION; MOISTURE; ORNL; PRECIPITATION; SOILS; TENNESSEE | Soil moisture content and leaf area index (LAI) are properties that will be particularly important in mediating whole system responses to the combined effects of elevated atmospheric [CO2], warming and altered precipitation. Warming and drying will likely reduce soil moisture, and this effect may be exacerbated when these factors are combined. However, elevated [CO2] may increase soil moisture contents and when combined with warming and drying may partially compensate for their effects. The response of LAI to elevated [CO2] and warming will be closely tied to soil moisture status and may mitigate or exacerbate the effects of global change on soil moisture. Using open-top chambers (4-m diameter), the interactive effects of elevated [CO2], warming, and differential irrigation on soil moisture availability were examined in the OCCAM (Old-Field Community Climate and Atmospheric Manipulation) experiment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in eastern Tennessee. Warming consistently reduced soil moisture contents and this effect was exacerbated by reduced irrigation. However, elevated [CO2] partially compensated for the effects of warming and drying on soil moisture. Changes in LAI were closely linked to soil moisture status. LAI was determined using an AccuPAR ceptometer and both the leaf area duration (LAD) and canopy size were increased by irrigation and elevated [CO2]. The climate of the southeastern United States is predicted to be warmer and drier in the future. This research suggests that although elevated [CO2] will partially ameliorate the effects of warming and drying, losses of soil moisture will increase from old field ecosystems in the future. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s11104-007-9443-x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930948 |
| Long-Term Wet and Dry Deposition of Total and Methyl Mercury in the Remote Boreal Ecoregion of Canada | Graydon, Jennifer A; Louis, Vincent; Hintelmann, Holger; Lindberg, Steven Eric | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; CANADA; CANOPIES; DEPOSITION; FORESTS; LAKES; LEAVES; MAPLES; MERCURY; PINES; THROUGHFALL; WASHOUT; WATERSHEDS; WETLANDS | Although a positive relationship between atmospheric loadings of inorganic mercury (Hg(II)) to watersheds and concentrations of methyl mercury (MeHg) in fish has now been established, net wet and dry deposition of Hg(II) and MeHg to watersheds remains challenging to quantify. In this study, concentrations and loadings of total mercury (THg; all forms of Hg in a sample) and MeHg in open area wet deposition, throughfall, and litterfall were quantified at the remote Experimental Lakes Area in the boreal ecoregion, NW Ontario, Canada. Between 1992 and 2006, mean annual THg and MeHg loadings in the open were 36 17 and 0.5 0.2 mg ha 1, respectively. Throughfall THg and MeHg loadings were generally 2 4 times and 0.8 2 times higher, respectively, than loadings in the open. Loadings of both THg and MeHg were highest under an old growth spruce/fir canopy and lowest under a deciduous maple canopy, whereas loadings under young jack pine and wetland spruce/pine/alder canopies were intermediate. Litterfall generally represented the largest input of THg (86 105 mg ha 1) and MeHg (0.7 0.8 mg ha 1) to the landscape on an annual basis. Using the direct method of estimating dry deposition (thoughfall + litterfall open loadings), we calculated that annual dry deposition of THg and MeHg under forest canopies ranged from 105 to 201 mg ha 1, whereas dry deposition of MeHg ranged from 0.7 to 1.2 mg ha 1. Photoreduction and emission of wet-deposited Hg(II) from canopy foliage were accounted for, resulting in 3 5% (5 6 mg ha 1) higher annual estimates of dry deposition than via the direct method alone. Net THg and MeHg loadings to this remote landscape were lower than at any other previously studied forested site globally. This study shows that THg and MeHg loading can be extremely variable within a heterogeneous boreal landscape and that processes such as Hg photoreduction and emission from foliage should be considered when estimating dry deposition of Hg. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-11-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1021/es801056j | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017333 |
| Improvements of a dynamic global vegetation model and simulations of carbon and water at an upland-oak forest. | Mau, J.; Wang, B.; Dai, Yongjiu; Woodward, F. I.; Hanson, Paul J; Lomas, M. R. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; FORESTS; GROUND WATER; NITROGEN; OAKS; PLANTS; RESOLUTION; RESPIRATION; SOILS; TENNESSEE; TEXTURE; WATER; WATERSHEDS | The interest in the development and improvement of the dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs), which have the potential to simulate fluxes of carbon, water and nitrogen, and vegetation dynamics in an integrated system has been increasing. In this paper, some numerical schemes and a higher resolution soil texture dataset are employed to improve the Sheffield Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (SDGVM). Using the eddy covariance-based measurements, we then test the standard version of the SDGVM and the modified version of the SDGVM. Detailed observations of daily carbon and water fluxes made at the upland oak forest on the Walker Branch Watershed in Tennessee, USA offered a unique opportunity for these comparisons. The results revealed that, the modified version of the SDGVM did a reasonable job of simulating the carbon flux, water flux and the variation of soil water content. However, at the end of the growing season, it failed to simulate the dynamics of limitations on the soil respiration and as a result underestimated the soil respiration. It was also noted that the modified version overestimated the increase in soil water content following summer rainfall, which was attributed to an inadequate representation of the ground water and thermal cycle. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s00376-007-0311-7 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931286 |
| Climate change effects on plant biomass alter dominance patterns and community evenness in an experimental old-field ecosystem | Kardol, Paul; Campany, Courtney E; Souza, Lara; Norby, Richard J; Weltzin, Jake; Classen, Aimee T | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ADDITIVES; AIR; BIOMASS; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ECOSYSTEMS; PRECIPITATION; PRODUCTION; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS | Atmospheric and climatic change can alter plant biomass production and plant community composition. However, we know little about how climate change-induced alterations in biomass production affect plant community composition. To better understand how climate change will alter both individual plant species and community biomass we manipulated atmospheric [CO2], air temperature and precipitation in a constructed old-field ecosystem. Specifically, we compared the responses of dominant and subdominant species to our treatments, and explored how changes in plant dominance patterns alter community evenness over two years. Our study resulted in four major findings: 1) All treatments, elevated [CO2], warming and increased precipitation, increased plant biomass and the effects were additive rather than interactive, 2) Plant species differed in their response to the treatments, resulting in shifts in the proportional biomass of individual species, which altered the plant community composition; however, the plant community response was largely driven by the responses of the dominant species, 3) Precipitation explained most of the variation in plant community composition among treatments, and 4) Changes in precipitation caused a shift in the dominant species proportional biomass that resulted in higher community evenness in the dry relative to wet treatments. Interestingly, compositional and evenness responses of the subdominant community to the treatments did not always follow the responses of the whole plant community. Our data suggest that changes in plant dominance patterns and community evenness are an important part of community responses to climate change, and generally, that compositional shifts can have important consequences for the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02162.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/986777 |
| Long-term successional forest dynamics: species and community responses to climatic variability | Kardol, Paul; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Hanson, Paul J; Mulholland, Patrick J | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BEETLES; BIOMASS; CHESTNUTS; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; DROUGHTS; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; INSECTS; PINES; POPLARS; SEASONS; TREES; VULNERABILITY; WATERSHEDS | Question: Are tree dynamics sensitive to climatic variability, and do tree species differ in their responses to climatic variability? Hence, is vulnerability of forest communities to climatic variability depending on stand composition? Location: Mixed young forest at Walker Branch Watershed near Oak Ridge, East-Tennessee, USA. Methods: Using a long-term data set (1967-2006), we analyzed temporal forest dynamics at the tree and species level, and we analyzed community dynamics for forest stands that different in their initial species composition (i.e., Chestnut Oak, Oak-Hickory, Pine, and Yellow poplar stands). Using summer drought and growing season temperature as defined climate drivers, we evaluated relationships between forest dynamics and climate across levels of organization. Results: Over the 4-decade studied period, forest communities underwent successional change and substantially increased their biomass. Variation in summer drought and growing season temperature contributed to temporal biomass dynamics for some tree species, but not for others. Stand-level responses to climatic variability were shown to be related to responses of specific component species; however, not for Pine stands. Pinus echinata, the dominant species in stands initially identified as Pine stands, decreased over time due to periodical outbreaks of the pine bark beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis). The outbreaks on Walker Branch could not be directly related to climatic conditions. Conclusions: Our results imply that vulnerability of developing forests to predicted climate conditions is stand-type dependent, and hence, is a function of species composition. Autogenic successional processes (or insect outbreaks) were found to prevail over climatic variability in determining long-term forest dynamics for stands dominated by sensitive species, emphasizing the importance of studying interactions between forest succession and climate change. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1654-1103.2010.01171.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/984759 |
| Using morphometrics, in situ observations and genetic characters to distinguish among commercially valuable Hawaiian black coral species; a redescription of Antipathes grandis Verrill, 1928 (Antipatharia : Antipathidae) | Wagner, Daniel; Toonen, Robert J; Brugler, Mercer R; France, Scott C; Opresko, Dennis M; Montgomery, Anthony D | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; COI barcode; COLOR; CORALS; DNA; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; ELECTRONS; GENETIC VARIABILITY; GENETICS; IMAGES; SAMPLING; internal transcribed spacer; mitochondrial intergenic region; precious coral; scanning electron microscopy; taxonomy | The commercially valuable Hawaiian black coral Antipathes grandis Verrill, 1928 is redescribed based on reexamination of the holotype from the Bernice P. Bishop Museum and field collections of 34 specimens from depths of 27-127 m. The first scanning electron micrographs of A. grandis skeletal spines are provided, along with a series of in situ color photographs and morphometric measurements of spines and polyps. Three color morphotypes were collected in the field (red, pale red, and white), none of which could be differentiated based on morphological or genetic characters (two mitochondrial and two nuclear markers). In situ observations are used in conjunction with morphological and genetic characters to distinguish among the commercially valuable Hawaiian black coral species A. grandis and A. griggi Opresko, 2009. A. grandis is differentiated from A. griggi by its finer and more irregular branching, smaller and more closely-spaced polyps, and conical spines that are smaller and not characterized by bifurcations towards their apex. Morphologically, the species most closely resembling A. grandis is A. caribbeana Opresko, 1996 from the Caribbean. Among analyzed congenerics, DNA sequences of A. grandis were likewise most similar to those of A. caribbeana for three of the four molecular markers used in this study. A combination of low genetic variability, incomplete taxonomic sampling, and unexpected similarity between A. caribbeana and the unbranched whip coral Stichopathes cf. occidentalis (Gray, 1860), hindered our ability to determine the sister relationship of A. grandis. However, in no phylogenetic reconstruction did A. grandis group sister to its sympatric congener A. griggi. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1071/IS10004 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034676 |
| An update on the natural sources and sinks of atmospheric mercury | Gustin, Mae S; Weisberg, Peter J; Lindberg, Steven Eric | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; CONTAMINATION; DEPOSITION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; LEAVES; MASS BALANCE; MERCURY; MINERALIZATION; POINT SOURCES; RECYCLING; SOILS; SUBSTRATES | This paper summarizes recent advances in the understanding of the exchange of Hg between the atmosphere and natural terrestrial surfaces including substrates (soil, rocks, litter-covered surfaces and weathered lithological material) and foliage. Terrestrial landscapes may act as new sources of atmospheric Hg, and as repositories or temporary residences for anthropogenically and naturally derived atmospheric Hg. The role of terrestrial surfaces as sources and sinks of atmospheric Hg must be quantified in order to develop regional and global Hg mass balances, and to assess the efficacy of regulatory controls on anthropogenic point sources in reduction of human Hg exposure. Continued field research has allowed for refinement of emission estimates for geothermal and volcanic, and Hg mineralized areas in the western USA to 1.2 3.0, and 10 20 Mg/a, respectively. The emission estimate for areas of Hg mineralization in the western USA includes only identified Hg deposits and occurrences, and since other areas of geologic Hg enrichment such as Au and Ag deposits are not considered, the range in values is most likely an underestimate. Laboratory and field measurements have improved understanding of air surface Hg exchange associated with soils with low or natural background concentrations of Hg (<100 ppb), litter-covered forest floors, and foliar surfaces, all of which have large spatial coverage. Deposition of atmospheric Hg and re-emission are important processes occurring at these surfaces on diel and seasonal time scales. Foliage is a significant sink for atmospheric elemental Hg, however, the net flux associated with low Hg containing soils is uncertain. Mass balances developed for soil air exchange using measured fluxes and estimated deposition indicate that over a year background soils may exhibit no net flux. This suggests that the residence time for elemental Hg in the air is on the order of hours to weeks. Short term exchange would result in a homogenous air Hg concentration due to constant mixing and in an apparent calculated residence time that is most likely too long (one year). Recycling of atmospheric Hg between natural background soils and foliar surfaces also provides a mechanism for long-term atmospheric contamination and continued deposition in pristine ecosystems well after anthropogenic sources are controlled. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2007.12.010 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015030 |
| Use of Stored Carbon Reserves in Growth of Temperate Tree Roots and Leaf Buds: Analyses Using Radiocarbon Measurements and Modeling | Gaudinski, Julia B.; Torn, Margaret S.; Riley, W. J.; Swanston, Christopher W.; Trumbore, Susan E.; Majdi, H; Dawson, Todd E.; Hanson, Paul J | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; CARBON 14; FORESTS; ISOTOPIC EXCHANGE; LEAVES; OAKS; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; PLANT GROWTH; ROOTS | Characterizing the use of C reserves in trees is important for understanding stress responses, impacts of asynchrony between photosynthesis and growth demand, and isotopic exchanges in plant dynamic studies. Using an inadvertent, whole ecosystem radiocarbon (14C) exposure in a temperate deciduous oak forest and numerical modeling, we calculated that the mean age of stored C used to grow leaf buds and new fine root tissue is 0.5-1.0 y. The mean age of stored C used to grow new roots was about 0.7 y across a range of realistic values of 14C inputs to the system. The amount of stored C used on an annual basis to grow fine roots was between 15 and 55% of total root growth, with the range defined by the assumed 14C input profile. We estimate the annually-averaged mean age of C in new root tissues is 1-5 months. Therefore, accounting for storage C use in isotope root models may be unnecessary in all but the fastest cycling root populations (i.e., mean age <1 y). Consistent with the whole ecosystem labeling results, we found, using "bomb-14C," that the mean C age of new root tissues in three additional forest sites (one deciduous, two coniferous) was less than 2 years. We conclude that in many ecosystem types, growth from stored C is insufficient to impact bomb-14C based estimates of long root lifetimes. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01736.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/949992 |
| Comparison of Forest Soil Carbon Dynamics at Five Sites Along a Latitudinal Gradient | Garten, Jr, Charles T | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; FLOORS; FORESTS; ORGANIC MATTER; SAMPLING; SOILS; STABILIZATION; STORAGE; TEXTURE | Carbon stocks, and C:N ratios, were measured in the forest floor, mineral soil, and two mineral soil fractions (particulate and mineral-associated organic matter, POM and MOM, respectively) at five forest sites, ranging from 60 to 100 years old, along a latitudinal gradient in the eastern United States. Sampling at four sites was replicated over two consecutive years. For many measurements (like forest floor carbon stocks, cumulative soil organic carbon stocks to 20 cm, and the fraction of whole soil carbon in POM), there was no significant difference between years at each site despite the use of somewhat different sampling methods. With one exception, forest floor and mineral soil carbon stocks increased from warm, southern, sites (with fine-textured soils) to northern, cool, sites (with more coarse-textured soils). The exception was a northern site, with less than 10% silt-clay content, that had a soil organic carbon stock similar to those measured at southern sites. Soil carbon at each site was partitioned into two pools (labile and stable) on the basis of carbon measured in the forest floor and POM and MOM fractions from the mineral soil. A two-compartment steady-state model, with randomly varying parameter values, was used in probabilistic calculations to estimate the turnover time of labile soil organic carbon (MRTU) and the annual transfer of labile carbon to stable carbon (k2) at each site in two different years. Based on empirical data, the turnover time of stable soil carbon (MRTS) was determined by mean annual temperature and increased from 30 to 100 years from south to north. Moving from south to north, MRTU increased from approximately 5 to 14 years. Consistent with prior studies, 13C enrichment factors ( ) from the Rayleigh equation, that describe the rate of change in 13C through the soil profile, were an indicator of soil carbon turnover times along the latitudinal gradient. Consistent with its role in stabilization of soil organic carbon, silt-clay content along the gradient was positively correlated (r = 0.91; P 0.001) with parameter k2. Mean annual temperature was indicated as the environmental factor most strongly associated with south to north differences in the storage and turnover of labile soil carbon. However, soil texture appeared to override the influence of temperature when there was too little silt-clay content to stabilize labile soil carbon and thereby protect it from decomposition. Irrespective of latitudinal differences in measured soil carbon stocks, each study site had a relatively high proportion of labile soil carbon (approximately 50% of whole soil carbon to a depth of 20 cm). Depending on unknown temperature sensitivities, large labile pools of forest soil carbon are potentially at risk of depletion by decomposition in a warming climate, and losses could be disproportionately higher from coarse textured forest soils. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.08.007 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1033516 |
| Endogenous and exogenous control of ecosystem function: N cycling in headwater streams | Mulholland, Patrick J; Valett, H. Maurice; Thomas, Steve; Webster, Jackson; Dahm, Cliff; Fellows, Christine; Crenshaw, Chelsea; Peterson, Chris G. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECOSYSTEMS; METABOLISM; NITRATES; NITROGEN; OXYGEN; PRODUCTION; REMOVAL; RESPIRATION; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; STREAMS; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; UPTAKE | Allochthonous inputs act as resource subsidies to many ecosystems, where they exert strong influences on metabolism and material cycling. At the same time, metabolic theory proposes endogenous thermal control independent of resource supply. To address the relative importance of exogenous and endogenous influences, we quantified spatial and temporal variation in ecosystem metabolism and nitrogen (N) uptake using seasonal releases of {sup 15}N as nitrate in six streams differing in riparian-stream interaction and metabolic character. Nitrate removal was quantified using a nutrient spiraling approach based on measurements of downstream decline in {sup 15}N flux. Respiration (R) and gross primary production (GPP) were measured with whole-stream diel oxygen budgets. Uptake and metabolism metrics were addressed as z scores relative to site means to assess temporal variation. In open-canopied streams, areal uptake (U; {micro}g N {center_dot} m{sup -2} {center_dot} s{sup -1}) was closely related to GPP, metabolic rates increased with temperature, and R was accurately predicted by metabolic scaling relationships. In forested streams, N spiraling was not related to GPP; instead, uptake velocity (v{sub f}; mm/s) was closely related to R. In contrast to open-canopied streams, N uptake and metabolic activity were negatively correlated to temperature and poorly described by scaling laws. We contend that streams differ along a gradient of exogenous and endogenous control that relates to the relative influences of resource subsidies and in-stream energetics as determinants of seasonal patterns of metabolism and N cycling. Our research suggests that temporal variation in the propagation of ecological influence between adjacent systems generates phases when ecosystems are alternatively characterized as endogenously and exogenously controlled. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/944101 | |
| Bulk density of wet and dry wheat straw and switchgrass particles | Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Bi, X T; Naimi, L J; Hoque, M; Mani, Sudhagar; Narayan, S | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; BULK DENSITY; Bulk density; CONTAINERS; GEOMETRY; MOISTURE; PARTICLE SIZE; PYCNOMETERS; SHAPE; STRAW; SWITCHGRASS; TRANSPORT; VALIDATION; WHEAT; fibrous biomass; packing; straw; switchgrass | ABSTRACT. Bulk density is a major physical property in designing the logistic system for biomass handling. The size, shape, moisture content, individual particle density, and surface characteristics are few factors affecting the bulk density. This research investigates the effects of true particle lengths ranging from 6 to 50 mm and moisture contents ranging from 8% to 60% wet basis (wb) on the bulk density of wheat straw and switchgrass. Three types of particle densities of straw and switchgrass measured were: a hollow particle density assuming a hollow cylindrical geometry, a solid particle density assuming a solid cylindrical geometry, and a particle density measured using a gas pycnometer at a gas pressure of 40 kPa. The bulk density of both loose fill and packed fill biomass samples was examined. The calculated wet and dry bulk density ranged from 24 to 111 kg m 3 for straw and from 49 to 266 kg m 3 for switchgrass. The corresponding tapped bulk density ranged from 34 to 130 kg m 3 for straw and 68 to 323 kg m 3 for switchgrass. The increase in bulk density due to tapping the container was from 10% for short 6 mm particles to more than 50% for long 50 mm particles. An equation relating the bulk density of stems as a function of moisture content, dry bulk density, and particle size was developed. After the validation of this bulk density equation, the relationship would be highly useful in designing the logistics system for large scale transport of biomass to a biorefinery. The bulk density and particle density data of uniform particles would be important, if straw and switchgrass is used for pulping and paper making. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-05-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017330 | |
| Disparate effects of plant genotypic diversity on foliage and litter arthropod communities | Crutsinger, Greg; Reynolds, Nicholas; Classen, Aimee T; Sanders, Dr. Nathan James | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ARTHROPODS; COMMUNITIES; Community genetics; GENETICS; GENOTYPE; LEAVES; PLANT TISSUES; Solidago altissima; decomposition; genotypic diversity; herbivores; host plant; leaf litter; microarthropods | Intraspecific diversity within plant species is increasingly recognized as an important influence on the structure of associated arthropod communities, though whether there are congruent responses of above- and belowground communities to intraspecific diversity remains unclear. In this study, we compare the effects of host-plant genotype and genotypic diversity of the perennial plant, Solidago altissima, on the arthropod community associated with living plant tissue (foliage-based community) and microarthropods associated with leaf litter (litter-based community). We found that variation among host-plant genotypes had strong effects on the diversity and composition of foliage-based arthropods, but only weak influence on litter-based microarthropods. Furthermore, host-plant genotypic diversity was positively related to the abundance and diversity of foliage-based arthropods, including herbivore and predator trophic levels. In contrast, there were minimal effects of genotypic diversity in litter on microarthropods. Our study illustrates that incorporating both above- and belowground perspective into community genetics studies leads to very different conclusions about the importance of intraspecific diversity, than when considering aboveground responses in isolation. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL LDRD Director's R&D; SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s00442-008-1130-y | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/939643 |
| Aquatic Natural Areas Analysis and Evaluation: Oak Ridge Reservation | Baranski, Dr. Michael J. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLINCH RIVER; DISTURBANCES; EVALUATION; GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS; HABITAT; MANAGEMENT; NUMERICAL DATA; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; POPLARS; REGULATIONS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; STREAMS; SURFACE WATERS; TENNESSEE; WATER QUALITY; WATERSHEDS; aquatic natural areas; natural areas; oak ridge reservation | This report presents an assessment of the natural area value of eight Aquatic Natural Areas (ANAs) and seven Aquatic Reference Areas (ARAs) on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in Anderson and Roane Counties in east Tennessee. It follows a previous study in 2009 that analyzed and evaluated terrestrial natural areas on the Reservation. The purpose of both studies was to evaluate and rank those specially designated areas on the Reservation that contain sensitive species, special habitats, and natural area value. Natural areas receive special protections through established statutes, regulations, and policies. The ORR contains 33,542 acres (13,574 ha) administered by the Department of Energy. The surface waters of the Reservation range from 1st-order to 5th-order streams, but the majority of the streams recognized as ANAs and ARAs are 1st- and 2nd-order streams. East Fork Poplar Creek is a 4th-order stream and the largest watershed that drains Reservation lands. All the waters of the Reservation eventually reach the Clinch River on the southern and western boundaries of the ORR. All available information was collected, synthesized, and evaluated. Field observations were made to support and supplement the available information. Geographic information system mapping techniques were used to develop several quantitative attributes about the study areas. Narrative descriptions of each ANA and ARA and tables of numerical data were prepared. Criteria for assessment and evaluation were developed, and eight categories of factors were devised to produce a ranking system. The evaluation factors used in the ranking system were: (A) size of area, (B) percentage of watershed protected, (C) taxa present with protected status, (D) overall biotic diversity, (E) stream features, (F) water quality and use support ratings, (G) disturbance regime, and (H) other factors. Each factor was evaluated on a 5-point ranking scale (0-4), and each area received a composite score, where 32 was the maximum score possible. A highly ranked ANA or ARA is one that is large in size compared to other areas, includes a greater proportion of the watershed within Reservation boundaries, contains a number of status taxa at high densities, exhibits a high overall biodiversity, has very good or excellent habitat and water quality, is well protected and isolated from disturbances, and shows several other characteristics that contribute to natural area value. In this report, the term 'natural area' is loosely defined as a terrestrial or aquatic system that exhibits, or is thought to exhibit, high natural integrity and other significant natural values. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate and rank the currently recognized Aquatic Natural Areas (ANAs) and Aquatic Reference Areas (ARAs) on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) for their natural area value. A previous study (Baranski 2009) analyzed, evaluated, and ranked terrestrial areas (Natural Areas [NAs], Reference Areas [RAs], and Cooperative Management Areas [CMAs]) on the ORR for natural area value, and a precise methodology for natural area evaluation was developed. The present study is intended to be a complement and companion to the terrestrial area study and attempts to employ a similar methodology for aquatic areas so that aquatic and terrestrial areas can be compared on a similar scale. This study specifically develops criteria for assessing the ecological, biodiversity, and natural area importance and significance of aquatic systems on the Reservation in a relevant and consistent manner. The information can be integrated into the Tennessee Natural Heritage Program (http://tn.gov/environment/na/nhp.shtml) system and applied to potential new aquatic areas. Further, the information will be useful in planning, management, and protection efforts on the ORR. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL other overhead | United States | 2011-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1023838 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1023838 |
| Stream ecosystem responses to the 2007 spring freeze in the Southeastern United States: unexpected effects of climate change | Mulholland, Patrick J; Roberts, Brian J; Hill, Walter; Smith, John G | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; CLIMATES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; GREENHOUSE GASES; NITRATES; NUTRIENTS; PHENOLOGY; PLANTS; PRODUCTION; PRODUCTIVITY; SNAILS; TENNESSEE; WATER; WEATHER | Some expected changes in climate resulting from human greenhouse gas emissions are clear and well documented, but others may be harder to predict because they involve extreme weather events or heretofore unusual combinations of weather patterns. One recent example of unusual weather that may become more frequent with climate change occurred in early spring 2007 when a large Arctic air mass moved into the eastern United States following a very warm late winter. In this paper, we document effects of this freeze event on Walker Branch, a well-studied stream ecosystem in eastern Tennessee. The 2007 spring freeze killed newly grown leaf tissues in the forest canopy, dramatically increasing the amount of light reaching the stream. Light levels at the stream surface were sustained at levels considerably above those normal for the late spring and summer months due to the incomplete recovery of canopy leaf area. Increased light levels caused a cascade of ecological effects in the stream beginning with considerably higher (two-three times) rates of gross primary production (GPP) during the late spring and summer months when normally low light levels severely limit stream GPP. Higher rates of stream GPP in turn resulted in higher rates of nitrate (NO3-) uptake by the autotrophic community and lower NO3- concentrations in stream water. Higher rates of stream GPP in summer also resulted in higher growth rates of a dominant herbivore, the snail Elimia clavaeformis. Typically, during summer months net NO3- uptake and snail growth rates are zero to negative; however, in 2007 uptake and growth were maintained at moderate levels. These results show how changes in forest vegetation phenology can have dramatic effects on stream productivity at multiple trophic levels and on nutrient cycling as a result of tight coupling of forest and stream ecosystems. Thus, climate change-induced changes in canopy structure and phenology may lead to large effects on stream ecosystems in the future. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.01864.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/958892 |
| HYGROSCOPIC MOISTURE SORPTION KINETICS MODELING OF CORN STOVER AND ITS FRACTIONS | Igathinathane, C; Pordesimo, L O; Womac, A R; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AGRICULTURAL WASTES; BIOCONVERSION; BIOMASS; Biomass; Corn stover; DESORPTION; HUMIDITY; Hydration; KINETICS; Kinetics; MAIZE; MOISTURE; Models; Moisture; NOMOGRAMS; PERFORMANCE; PROCESSING; SIMULATION; SORPTION; STORAGE; STORAGE FACILITIES; Sorption; TRANSPORT | Corn stover, a major crop-based lignocellulosic biomass feedstock, is required to be at an optimum moisture content for efficient bioconversion processes. Environmental conditions surrounding corn stover, as in storage facilities, affect its moisture due to hygroscopic sorption or desorption. The measurement and modeling of sorption characteristics of corn stover and its leaf, husk, and stalk fractions are useful from utilization and storage standpoints, hence investigated in this article. A benchtop low-temperature humidity chamber provided the test environments of 20 C, 30 C, and 40 C at a constant 95% relative humidity. Measured sorption characteristics with three replications for each fraction were obtained from instantaneous sample masses and initial moisture contents. Observed sorption characteristics were fitted using exponential, Page, and Peleg models. Corn stover fractions displayed a rapid initial moisture uptake followed by a slower sorption rates and eventually becoming almost asymptotic after 25 h. Sorption characteristics of all corn stover fractions were significantly different (P 0.05) on these fractions. The initial 30 min of sorption was found to be critical due to peak rates of sorption from storage, handling, and processing standpoints. The Page and Peleg models had comparable performance fitting the sorption curves (R2 = 0.995), however the exponential model (R2 = 0.91) was not found suitable because of patterned residuals. The Arrhenius type relationship (P < 0.05; R2 = 0.80) explained the temperature variation of the fitted sorption model parameters. The Peleg model fitted constants, among the sorption models studied, had the best fit (R2 = 0.93) with the Arrhenius relationship. A developed method of mass proportion, involving individual corn stover fraction dry matter ratios, predicted the whole corn stover sorption characteristics from that of its individual fractions. Sorption characteristics models of individual corn stover fractions and predicted whole corn stover including a nomogram can be used for direct and quick estimation. Developed sorption characteristics find application in several fields of corn stover biomass processing, handling, and transport | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.13031/2013.25420 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015053 |
| Why is plant-growth response to elevated CO2 amplified when water is limiting but reduced when nitrogen is limiting? A growth-optimisation hypothesis. | McMurtrie, Ross E; Norby, Richard J; Ellsworth, David; Tissue, David Thomas | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; CARBON DIOXIDE; DECIDUOUS TREES; HYPOTHESIS; LIMITING VALUES; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; NITROGEN; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; PLANT GROWTH; WATER | Considerable experimental evidence indicates that stomatal conductance and leaf-nitrogen concentration ([N]) decline under CO2-enrichment, and that the percentage growth response of plants to elevated CO2 is amplified under water limitation but reduced under nitrogen limitation. In this paper we advance simple explanations for these responses based on an optimisation hypothesis. We explore this hypothesis using a simple model of the annual carbon - nitrogen - water economy of deciduous trees growing at a ten-year duration CO2-enrichment field experiment at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The model is shown to have an optimum for leaf [N], stomatal conductance and leaf-area index (LAI), where annual plant productivity is maximised. The model is used to evaluate the optimum in years with contrasting rainfall and N fertility. If annual rainfall is increased, the optimum shifts to increased stomatal conductance and LAI and reduced leaf [N], whereas if N supply is increased, the optimum shifts to increased leaf [N] and LAI and reduced stomatal conductance. When atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) is increased, the optimum shifts to reduced stomatal conductance and leaf [N] and enhanced LAI. The model is used to predict maximum net primary productivity (NPP) at current and elevated [CO2] in years with contrasting rainfall and plant N uptake. The predicted CO2 response of maximum NPP is greatest in a dry, high-N year and least in a wet, low-N year. The underlying physiological explanation for this contrast in the effects of water versus nitrogen limitation is that leaf photosynthesis is more sensitive to [CO2] at lower stomatal conductance whereas it is less sensitive to [CO2] at lower leaf [N]. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1071/FP08128 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/936284 |
| Effects of Throughfall Manipulation on Soil Nutrient Status: Results of 12 years Sustained Wet and Dry Treatments | Johnson, Dale W.; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Hanson, Paul J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AVAILABILITY; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; MEMBRANES; NUTRIENTS; PRECIPITATION; RESINS; SOILS; TENNESSEE; THROUGHFALL; WATERSHEDS | To investigate the potential effects of changing precipitation on forest ecosystems, the Throughfall Displacement Experiment (TDE) was established on Walker Branch Watershed, Tennessee in 1993. Three different throughfall amounts were tested: -33% (DRY), ambient (no change, AMB), and +33% (WET). Throughfall manipulations had no statistically significant effects on total C, N, exchangeable Ca2+, Mg2+, bicarbonate-extractable P, or extractable SO42- in soils after twelve years of sustained treatments. Increased K+ inputs in the WET treatment resulted in relative increases in exchangeable K+ compared to the AMB and DRY treatments. Soil C, N, and extractable P declined in all treatments over the 12-year study, and the declines in N were inexplicably large. Field observations contrasted with earlier simulations from the Nutrient Cycling Model (NuCM), which predicted greater decreases in exchangeable K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and extractable P on the order of WET > AMB > DRY and no change in C, N, and extractable SO42-. The failure of the NuCM model to accurately predict observed changes is attributed to the lack of mechanisms for deep rooting and the transfer of throughfall K+ from one plot to another in the model. Measurements of element availability using resin membranes during the final years showed higher values in wet and lower values in dry treatments compared to ambient in for mineral N, K, Mn, Zn, and Al but the opposite for B, Ca, and Mg. In the cases of Ca and Mg, the patterns in resin values were similar to those on the soil exchange sites (greatest in the dry treatment) and appeared to reflect pre-treatment differences. This study showed that while longer term changes in soil nutrients are likely to occur with changes in precipitation, potential changes over this twelve-year interval were buffered by ecosystem processes such as deep rooting. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01601.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/932629 |
| Forest fine-root production and nitrogen use under elevated CO2: Contrasting responses explained by a common principle | Franklin, Oscar; McMurtrie, Ross E; Iversen, Colleen M; Crous, Kristine; Finzi, Adrien C; Tissue, David Thomas; Ellsworth, David; Oren, Ram; Norby, Richard J | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AVAILABILITY; BIOMASS; CARBON; CARBON SEQUESTRATION; EXPLORATION; FEEDBACK; FERTILIZATION; FORESTS; NITROGEN; ORNL; PRODUCTION; PRODUCTIVITY; SOILS; TREES | Despite the importance of nitrogen (N) limitation of forest carbon (C) sequestration at rising atmospheric CO2 concentration, the mechanisms responsible are not well understood. To elucidate the interactive effects of elevated CO2 (eCO2) and soil N availability on forest productivity and C allocation, we hypothesized that 1) trees maximize fitness by allocating N and C to maximize their net growth, and 2) that N uptake is controlled by root exploration for N. We tested this model using data collected in FACE sites dominated by evergreen (Pinus taeda; Duke Forest) and deciduous (Liquidambar styraciflua; Oak Ridge National Laboratory ORNL) trees. The model explained 80-95% of variation in productivity and N-uptake data among eCO2, N fertilization and control treatments over six years. The model explains why fine-root production increased, and why N uptake increased despite reduced soil N availability under eCO2 at ORNL and Duke. In agreement with observations at other sites, soil N availability reduced below a critical level diminishes all eCO2 responses. At Duke, a negative feedback between reduced soil N availability and N uptake counteracted progressive reduction in soil N availability at eCO2. At ORNL, decreasing soil N availability was perpetuated as it generated no reduction in N uptake, due to strongly increased production of fast turnover fine-roots. This implies that species with fast root turnover could be more prone to progressive N limitation of carbon sequestration in woody biomass than species with slow root turnover, such as evergreens. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01710.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/946099 |
| Oak Ridge Reservation annual site environmental report for 1997: Color your tomorrow | Hamilton, L V | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; LAND USE; MONITORING; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORGDP; ORNL; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; Y-12 PLANT | The U.S. Department of Energy currently oversees activities on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), a government-owned, contractor-operated facility. The reservation contains three major operating sites: the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and East Tennessee Technology Park (formerly the K-25 Site). The ORR was established in the early 1940s as part of the Manhattan Project, a secret undertaking that produced the materials for the first atomic bombs. The reservation's role has evolved over the years, and it continues to adapt to meet the changing defense, energy, and research needs of the United States. Both the work carried out for the war effort and subsequent research, development, and production activities have involved (and continue to involve) radiological and hazardous materials. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US); Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (US); East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, TN (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 1998-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/771197 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/771197 |
| Resource synergy in stream periphyton communities | Hill, Walter; Fanta, S E; Roberts, Brian J; Francoeur, Steven N | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ABUNDANCE; AUFWUCHS; AUTOTROPHS; AVAILABILITY; Algae; BIOMASS; CAPACITY; CHLOROPHYLL; COMMUNITIES; DIATOMS; ECOSYSTEMS; METABOLISM; NUTRIENTS; PHOSPHORUS; PHOTONS; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; POPULATIONS; PRODUCTION; PRODUCTIVITY; SYNTHESIS; TRANSFORMATIONS; aquatic plant ecology; bacteria; community structure; light; phosphorus; primary production; resource synergy; streams | 1. Light and nutrients play pivotal roles in determining the growth of autotrophs, yet the potential for synergistic interactions between the two resources in algal communities is poorly understood, especially in stream ecosystems. In this study, light and phosphorus were manipulated in large experimental streams to examine resource colimitation and synergy in stream periphyton. 2. Whole-stream metabolism was simultaneously limited by light and phosphorus. Increasing the supply of either light or phosphorus resulted in significant increases in primary production and the transformation of the streams from heterotrophy to autotrophy. 3. Resource-driven changes in periphyton community structure occurred in concert with changes in production. Algal assemblages in highly shaded streams were composed primarily of small diatoms such as Achnanthidium minutissima, whereas larger diatoms such as Melosira varians predominated at higher irradiances. Phosphorus enrichment had relatively little effect on assemblage structure, but it did substantially diminish the abundance of Meridion circulare, a diatom whose mucilaginous colonies were conspicuously abundant in phosphorus-poor, high-light streams. Bacterial biomass declined relative to algal biomass with increases in primary productivity, regardless of whether the increases were caused by light or phosphorus. 4. Synergistic effects on primary production appeared to occur because the availability of one resource facilitated the utilization of the other. Light increased the abundance of large diatoms, which are known to convert high concentrations of nutrients into primary production more effectively than smaller taxa. Phosphorus enrichment led to the replacement of Meridion circulare by non-mucilaginous taxa in phosphorus-enriched streams, and we hypothesize that this change enabled more efficient use of light in photosynthesis. Higher ratios of chlorophyll a : biomass in phosphorus-enriched streams may have also led to more efficient photon capture and higher photosynthetic rates. 5.Synthesis. Our results underscore the potential for resource colimitation, even in habitats where a single resource is as strongly limiting as is light in shaded streams. The capacity of autotrophic communities to respond to more than one limiting resource suggests that prevailing single-resource models of ecosystem productivity are overly simplistic. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2011-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-2745.2010.01785.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015086 |
| Estimation of net ecosystem carbon exchange for the conterminous United States by combining MODIS and AmeriFlux data | Xiao, Jingfeng; Zhuang, Qianlai; Baldocchi, Dennis; Ma, Siyan; Law, Beverly E; Richardson, Andrew D; Chen, Jiquan; Oren, Ram | AmeriFlux; Eddy covariance; MODIS; NEE; Net ecosystem carbon exchange; Regression tree | Eddy covariance flux towers provide continuous measurements of net ecosystem carbon exchange (NEE) for a wide range of climate and biome types. However, these measurements only represent the carbon fluxes at the scale of the tower footprint. To quantify the net exchange of carbon dioxide between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere for regions or continents, flux tower measurements need to be extrapolated to these large areas. Here we used remotely sensed data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) instrument on board the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s (NASA) Terra satellite to scale up AmeriFlux NEE measurements to the continental scale.We first combined MODIS and AmeriFlux data for representative U.S. ecosystems to develop a predictive NEE model using a modified regression tree approach. The predictive model was trained and validated using eddy flux NEE data over the periods 2000 2004 and 2005 2006, respectively. We found that the model predicted NEE well (r = 0.73, p < 0.001). We then applied the model to the continental scale and estimated NEE for each 1 km 1 km cell across the conterminous U.S. for each 8-day interval in 2005 using spatially explicit MODIS data. The model generally captured the expected spatial and seasonal patterns of NEE as determined from measurements and the literature. Our study demonstrated that our empirical approach is effective for scaling up eddy flux NEE measurements to the continental scale and producing wall-to-wall NEE estimates across multiple biomes. Our estimates may provide an independent dataset from simulations with biogeochemical models and inverse modeling approaches for examining the spatiotemporal patterns of NEE and constraining terrestrial carbon budgets over large areas. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-10-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.agrformet.2008.06.015 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015036 |
| Modeled Interactive Effects of Precipitation, temperature, and [CO2] on Ecosystem Carbon and Water Dynamics in Different Climatic Zones | Luo, Yiqi; Gerten, Dieter; Le Maire, Guerric; Parton, William; Weng, Ensheng; Zhou, Xuhuui; Keough, Cindy; Beier, Claus; Ciais, Philippe; Cramer, Wolfgang; Dukes, Jeff; Emmett, Bridget; Hanson, Paul J; Knapp, Alan; Linder, Sune; Nepstad, Daniel; Rustad, Lindsey | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMBIENT TEMPERATURE; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; CARBON DIOXIDE; CLIMATE MODELS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; INTERACTIONS; WATER | Interactive effects of multiple global change factors on ecosystem processes are complex. It is relatively expensive to explore those interactions in manipulative experiments. We conducted a modeling analysis to identify potentially important interactions and to stimulate hypothesis formulation for experimental research. Four models were used to quantify interactive effects of climate warming (T), altered precipitation amounts [doubled (DP) and halved (HP)] and seasonality (SP, moving precipitation in July and August to January and February to create summer drought), and elevated [CO2] (C) on net primary production (NPP), heterotrophic respiration (Rh), net ecosystem production (NEP), transpiration, and runoff.We examined those responses in seven ecosystems, including forests, grasslands, and heathlands in different climate zones. The modeling analysis showed that none of the threeway interactions among T, C, and altered precipitation was substantial for either carbon or water processes, nor consistent among the seven ecosystems. However, two-way interactive effects on NPP, Rh, and NEP were generally positive (i.e. amplification of one factor s effect by the other factor) between T and C or between T and DP. A negative interaction (i.e. depression of one factor s effect by the other factor) occurred for simulated NPP between T and HP. The interactive effects on runoff were positive between T and HP. Four pairs of two-way interactive effects on plant transpiration were positive and two pairs negative. In addition, wet sites generally had smaller relative changes in NPP, Rh, runoff, and transpiration but larger absolute changes in NEP than dry sites in response to the treatments. The modeling results suggest new hypotheses to be tested in multifactor global change experiments. Likewise, more experimental evidence is needed for the further improvement of ecosystem models in order to adequately simulate complex interactive processes. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01629.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/936786 |
| Climate change effects on species composition mediates decomposition in an old-field ecosystem | Tyner, Marlene L; Classen, Aimee T | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AMBIENT TEMPERATURE; BIOMASS; CARBON; CLIMATES; COMMUNITIES; ECOSYSTEMS; NITROGEN | Decomposition of leaf litter collected from an old-field community grown under a combination of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations (+300 ppm) and elevated surface temperature (+ 3.2˚C) was examined in ambient conditions over 8 months in two separate experiments. In the first experiment, we examined the main effects and interactions of CO2 and warming on litter quality and subsequent mass loss rates. Multi-species litter bags were constructed with litter collected from chambers with ambient CO2 and ambient temperatures (ACAT), elevated CO2 and elevated temperature (ECET), ambient CO2 and elevated temperature (ACET), and elevated CO2 and ambient temperature (ECAT). Litter collected from 6 species in each chamber was represented in decomposition bags in equal proportions. There were no differences in initial litter percent carbon (C) or nitrogen (N) among treatments. After 8 months, litter collected from ACET chambers lost over 20% more mass than litter collected from ECET or ACAT chambers, although biological differences were small. In the second experiment, we examined the indirect effect climate change may have on plant community composition, litter inputs, and subsequent mass loss rates. Litter bags were made from the same chambers mentioned above, but the amount of litter in the bag from each species was proportional to peak standing biomass of that species within the treatment. Initial litter in ECAT bags had up to 4% less C and 29% less N than ECET and ACET bags. Mass loss from ACET bags was 48% higher than mass loss from ECAT bags and 37% higher than mass loss from ACAT bags after 8 months of decomposition. These differences may have been driven by the higher proportion of litter from Lespedeza, a N-fixer, in the natural ACET bags. Taken together, these data suggest that climate change will have a larger effect on decomposition by causing shifts in plant communities than it will by altering litter quality. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931990 | |
| Contact patterns in wild pigs (n Sus scrofan ) from GPS tracking reveal spatial and temporal dynamics of social behaviour | McIlraith, Jack R.; Webb, Stephen L. (ORCID:0000000160345164); Beasley, James C. (ORCID:0000000197073713); Schlichting, Peter E. (ORCID:0000000324917940); Chinn, Sarah (ORCID:0000000191555359); Boughton, Raoul (ORCID:0000000235015697); Long, Jed A. (ORCID:0000000339613085) | Wild pig ( Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758) social behaviour affects disease transmission and landscape-level population management. Recent research has incorporated analysis of social structure to better understand the risk of disease transmission in wild pigs, although the relationship between overall social structure of wild pigs remains unclear. Here, we seek to improve understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics of wild pig social structure and contact rates to better inform management strategies. Using GPS tracking data, we measured home range overlap, and estimated contact rates of wild pigs at four study sites in the southern USA to identify pairwise social associations (i.e., contacts) based on synchronous movement. Contact rate was strongly associated with home range overlap, but exhibited substantial variation, especially at moderate levels of home range overlap. We found that femaleâfemale dyads had higher contact rates and longer duration phases of social association compared to femaleâmale and maleâmale dyads. We found maleâmale dyads tended to experience social associations farther from their home range centers than femaleâfemale or femaleâmale dyads. Social associations between wild pig dyads are highly dynamic in their spatial and temporal structure. Further, dyads with strong social associations still experience substantial time apart. Our findings highlight the challenges of predicting spatial and social associations in wild pig social pairs due to their dynamic social structure over space and time. | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | Canada | 2025-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1139/cjz-2024-0099 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2562980 | ||
| Temperature-independent diel variation in soil respiration observed from a temperate deciduous forest | Post, Wilfred M; Liu, Qing; Edwards, Nelson T; Gu, Lianhong; Childs, Joanne; Lenhart, Suzanne M | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; DAILY VARIATIONS; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; RADIATIONS; RESPIRATION; SENSITIVITY; SOILS | The response of soil respiration (Rs) to temperature depends largely on the temporal and spatial scales of interest and how other environmental factors interact with this response. They are often represented by empirical exponential equations in many ecosystem analyses because of the difficulties in separating covarying environmental responses and in observing below ground processes. The objective of this study was to quantify a soil temperature-independent component in Rs by examining the diel variation of an Rs time series measured in a temperate deciduous forest located at Oak Ridge, TN, USA between March and December 2003. By fitting 2 hourly, continuous automatic chamber measurements of CO2 efflux at the soil surface to a Q10 function to obtain the temperature-dependent respiration (Rt) and plotting the diel cycles of Rt, Rs, and their difference (Ri), we found that an obvious temperature-independent component exists in Rs during the growing season. The diel cycle of this component has a distinct day/night pattern and agrees well with diel variations in photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and air temperature. Elevated canopy CO2 concentration resulted in similar patterns in the diel cycle of the temperature-independent component but with different daily average rates in different stages of growing season. We speculate that photosynthesis of the stand is one of the main contributors to this temperature-independent respiration component although more experiments are needed to draw a firm conclusion. We also found that despite its relatively small magnitude compared with the temperature-dependent component, the diel variation in the temperature-independent component can lead to significantly different estimates of the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration in the study forest. As a result, the common practice of using fitted temperature-dependent function from night-time measurements to extrapolate soil respiration during the daytime may underestimate daytime soil respiration. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | PI USDOE - Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Affairs | United States | 2006-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003689 | |
| Lederman Science Center at Fermilab | Akhobadze, Ketevan | 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS | Fermilab is America's particle physics and accelerator laboratory. We bring the world together to solve the mysteries of matter, energy, space and time, for the benefit of all. LSC was opened in 1992, with the mission to serve as a bridge between Fermilabâs leading-edge science and our community. It was named after Leon M. Lederman â Nobel Prize winning physicist, Fermilabâs second director, and a passionate advocate for science education. | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) | United States | 2023-10-05T04:00:00Z | Conference | 10.2172/2008075 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2008075 |
| Fine Root Mortality Rates in a Temperate Forest: Estimates using Radiocarbon Data and Numerical Modeling | Riley, William J.; Gaudinski, Julia B.; Torn, Margaret S.; Hanson, Paul J | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CARBON; FORESTS; MORTALITY; RESPIRATION; SIMULATION; SOILS | Carbon (C) fluxes through roots are the most uncertain of all C exchanges between the atmosphere, plants, and soil. Yet the three dominant methods to characterize root C fluxes (minirhizotron, sequential coring, and isotopes) yield significantly different estimates of temperate forest root mortality turnover times. We contend that these discrepancies result from limitations in interpreting these very distinct types of observations. In this study we used a whole-ecosystem 14C label to develop, parameterize, and test a model (Radix1.0) of fine-root mortality and decomposition. Radix simulates two live roots pools (one with structural and non-structural C components), two dead root pools, non-normally distributed root mortality turnover times, a stored C pool, seasonal growth and respiration patterns, a best-fit to measurements approach to estimate model parameters, and Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis. We applied Radix at a temperate forest in Oak Ridge Tennessee using 14C measurements from two root size classes (<0.5 mm and 0.5−2.0 mm) and three soil depth increments (O horizon, 0−15, and 30−60 cm). Predicted root lifetimes were 0.1-0.9 y and 11-14 y for fast and slow live root pools respectively, and 0.1-4 y and 11-14 y for fast and slow dead root pool decomposition turnover times, respectively. We estimated that C fluxes through fine roots <2 mm diameter are ~40, 220, and 90 g C m-2 y 1 in the O horizon, 0−15 cm, and 30−60 cm depth intervals, respectively. We conclude that accurate characterization of C flows through fine roots required a model with two live fine-root pools, two dead fine-root pools, and root respiration. Further, root turnover times on the order of a decade imply different response times in biomass and growth than are currently predicted by models with a single annual turnover pool. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.02980.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/966390 |
| Coupling nutrient uptake and energy flow in headwater streams | Mulholland, Patrick J; Fellows, Christine; Valett, H Maurice; Dahm, Cliff; Thomas, Steve | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AUTOTROPHS; AVAILABILITY; CANOPIES; CARBON; ECOSYSTEMS; METABOLISM; NUTRIENTS; ORGANIC MATTER; PRODUCTION; RESPIRATION; SEDIMENTS | Nutrient cycling and energy flow in ecosystems are tightly linked through the metabolic processes of organisms. Greater uptake of inorganic nutrients is expected to be associated with higher rates of metabolism [gross primary production (GPP) and respiration (R)], due to assimilatory demand of both autotrophs and heterotrophs. However, relationships between uptake and metabolism should vary with the relative contribution of autochthonous and allochthonous sources of organic matter. To investigate the relationship between metabolism and nutrient uptake, we used whole-stream and benthic chamber methods to measure rates of nitrate-nitrogen (NO{sub 3}-N) uptake and metabolism in four headwater streams chosen to span a range of light availability and therefore differing rates of GPP and contributions of autochthonous carbon. We coupled whole-stream metabolism with measures of NO{sub 3}-N uptake conducted repeatedly over the same stream reach during both day and night, as well as incubating benthic sediments under both light and dark conditions. NO{sub 3}-N uptake was generally greater in daylight compared to dark conditions, and although day-night differences in whole-stream uptake were not significant, light-dark differences in benthic chambers were significant at three of the four sites. Estimates of N demand indicated that assimilation by photoautotrophs could account for the majority of NO{sub 3}-N uptake at the two sites with relatively open canopies. Contrary to expectations, photoautotrophs contributed substantially to NO{sub 3}-N uptake even at the two closed-canopy sites, which had low values of GPP/R and relied heavily on allochthonous carbon to fuel R. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2006-08-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989677 | |
| Missing links in the root-soil organic matter continuum | O'Brien, Sarah L.; Iversen, Colleen M | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANNELIDS; BEETLES; BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; DETRITUS; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; HABITAT; INCUBATION; INVERTEBRATES; LARVAE; NUTRIENTS; ORGANIC MATTER; PELLETS; RANGELANDS; RESIDUES; SAMPLING; SCATTERING; SOILS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TRANSFORMATIONS; meeting report; rhizosphere; root-soil organic matter continuum; soil | The soil environment remains one of the most complex and poorly understood research frontiers in ecology. Soil organic matter (SOM), which spans a continuum from fresh detritus to highly processed, mineral-associated organic matter, is the foundation of sustainable terrestrial ecosystems. Heterogeneous SOM pools are fueled by inputs from living and dead plants, driven by the activity of micro- and mesofauna, and are shaped by a multitude of abiotic factors. The specialization required to measure unseen processes that occur on a wide range of spatial and temporal scales has led to the partitioning of soil ecology research across several disciplines. In the organized oral session 'Missing links in the root-soil organic matter continuum' at the annual Ecological Society of America meeting in Albuquerque, NM, USA, we joined the call for greater communication and collaboration among ecologists who work at the root-soil interface (e.g. Coleman, 2008). Our goal was to bridge the gap between scientific disciplines and to synthesize disconnected pieces of knowledge from root-centric and soil-centric studies into an integrated understanding of belowground ecosystem processes. We focused this report around three compelling themes that arose from the session: (1) the influence of the rhizosphere on SOM cycling, (2) the role of soil heterotrophs in driving the transformation of root detritus to SOM, and (3) the controlling influence of the soil environment on SOM dynamics. We conclude with a discussion of new approaches for gathering data to bridge gaps in the root-SOM continuum and to inform the next generation of ecosystem models. Although leaf litter has often been considered to be the main source of organic inputs to soil, Ann Russell synthesized a convincing body of work demonstrating that roots, rather than surface residues, control the accumulation of SOM in a variety of ecosystems. Living roots, which are chemically diverse and highly dynamic, also influence a wide range of soil processes, from the exudation of labile C compounds to the development of fungal associations. For example, Zoe Cardon demonstrated that the root-mediated redistribution of deep soil water to relatively dry shallower soil, increased soil CO{sub 2} efflux and nutrient cycling near the surface in an arid ecosystem. Andrew Kulmatiski also discussed the importance of rooting distribution throughout the soil profile for strategies of water uptake by different species in an African savanna. Later, Julie Jastrow demonstrated that living roots shape soil physical structure by promoting the formation of soil aggregates, which facilitated accrual of SOM in restored grasslands. Taken together, the evidence is compelling that living roots, and organic matter derived from root detritus, are important parts of the continuum of organic matter in the soil. Larger soil organisms (i.e. 50 {micro}m to many cm in body size) play an important role in the root-SOM continuum by grazing on roots and microbes, comminuting organic matter and aggregating soil in fecal pellets. However, litterbag and soil incubation studies necessarily exclude invertebrates, and research on faunal activity and trophic dynamics tends to be independent from research on the biogeochemistry of SOM cycling. Tim Filley used plant-derived biomarkers in invertebrate residues to bridge the gap between larger soil organisms, such as earthworms and beetle larvae, and SOM distribution. He found that larger soil organisms help to stabilize root-derived organic matter in soil aggregates. Similar coupling of biogeochemistry with food web studies could prove fruitful for describing mechanisms that underlie critical ecosystem processes. Despite considerable research efforts, the breadth of the microbial role in the root-SOM continuum remains unresolved. Using advanced pyrosequencing techniques, David Nelson demonstrated the importance of archea as nitrifiers in agricultural systems exposed to elevated [CO{sub 2}]. Rising atmospheric [CO{sub 2}] and other changing environmental factors add a layer of complexity to the quest to understand microbial process. For example, Claudia Boot demonstrated that microbially mediated C and N cycling in Mediterranean California grasslands is intricately linked with summer drought. Ongoing research across subdisciplines seeks to uncover the many complex links between soil organisms of all sizes and the root-SOM continuum. While the role that living organisms play in the transformation of root detritus to SOM is disproportionate to their body size, the nonliving soil environment also influences SOM cycling. However, destructive sampling can obscure feedbacks between abiotic and biotic processes, making it difficult to quantify the role of edaphic factors in the root-SOM continuum. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2009-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.03059.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015681 |
| Fine-root turnover patterns and their relationship to root diameter and soil depth in a 14C-labeled hardwood forest | Gaudinski, Julia B.; Torn, Margaret S.; Riley, W. J.; Hanson, Paul J | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CARBON; DISTRIBUTION; FORESTS; SOILS | Characterization of turnover times of fine roots is essential to understanding patterns of carbon allocation in plants and describing forest C cycling. We used the rate of decline in the ratio of 14C to 12C in a mature hardwood forest, enriched by an inadvertent 14C pulse, to investigate fine-root turnover and its relationship with fine-root diameter and soil depth. Biomass and ?14C values were determined for fine roots collected during three consecutive winters from four sites, by depth, diameter size classes (<0.5 or 0.5-2 mm), and live-or-dead status. Live-root pools retained significant 14C enrichment over 3 yr, demonstrating a mean turnover time on the order of years. However, elevated ?14C values in dead-root pools within 18 months of the pulse indicated an additional component of live roots with short turnover times (months). Our results challenge assumptions of a single live fine-root pool with a unimodal and normal age distribution. Live fine roots <0.5 mm and those near the surface, especially those in the O horizon, had more rapid turnover than 0.5-2 mm roots and deeper roots, respectively. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2006-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2006.01847.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930812 |
| CO2 enrichment accelerates successional development of an understory plant community | Souza, Lara; Belote, R. Travis Travis; Kardol, Paul; Weltzin, Jake; Norby, Richard J | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ABUNDANCE; BIOMASS; CARBON DIOXIDE; COMMUNITIES; FORESTS; FUNCTIONALS; HARVESTING; ORNL; PRODUCTION | Rising concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide ([CO{sub 2}]) may influence forest successional development and species composition of understory plant communities by altering biomass production of plant species of functional groups. Here, we describe how elevated [CO{sub 2}] (eCO{sub 2}) affects aboveground biomass within the understory community of a temperate deciduous forest at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) free-air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) facility in eastern Tennessee, USA. We asked if (i) CO{sub 2} enrichment affected total understory biomass and (ii) whether total biomass responses could be explained by changes in understory species composition or changes in relative abundance of functional groups through time. The FACE experiment started in 1998 with three rings receiving ambient [CO{sub 2}] (aCO{sub 2}) and two rings receiving eCO{sub 2}. From 2001 to 2003, we estimated species-specific, woody versus herbaceous and total aboveground biomass by harvesting four 1 x 0.5-m subplots within the established understory plant community in each FACE plot. In 2008, we estimated herbaceous biomass as previously but used allometric relationships to estimate woody biomass across two 5 x 5-m quadrats in each FACE plot. Across years, aboveground biomass of the understory community was on average 25% greater in eCO{sub 2} than in aCO{sub 2} plots. We could not detect differences in plant species composition between aCO{sub 2} and eCO{sub 2} treatments. However, we did observe shifts in the relative abundance of plant functional groups, which reflect important structural changes in the understory community. In 2001-03, little of the understory biomass was in woody species; herbaceous species made up 94% of the total understory biomass across [CO{sub 2}] treatments. Through time, woody species increased in importance, mostly in eCO{sub 2}, and in 2008, the contribution of herbaceous species to total understory biomass was 61% in aCO{sub 2} and only 33% in eCO{sub 2} treatments. Our results suggest that rising atmospheric [CO{sub 2}] could accelerate successional development and have longer term impact on forest dynamics. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1093/jpe/rtp032 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/973127 |
| Causes of interannual variability in ecosystem-atmosphere CO2 exchange in a northern Wisconsin forest using a Bayesian model calibration | Ricciuto, Daniel M; Butler, Martha; Davis, Kenneth; Cook, Bruce D | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ACCURACY; CALIBRATION; CAPACITY; CARBON DIOXIDE; ECOSYSTEMS; EFFICIENCY; FORESTS; PINES; PLANTS; PRODUCTION; RESPIRATION; SAMPLING; SEASONS; SHRUBS; WETLANDS | Carbon dioxide fluxes were examined over the growing seasons of 2002 and 2003 from 14 different sites in Upper Midwest (USA) to assess spatial variability of ecosystem-atmosphere CO2 exchange. These sites were exposed to similar temperature/precipitation regimes and spanned a range of vegetation types typical of the region (northern hardwood, mixed forest, red pine, jack pine, pine barrens and shrub wetland). The hardwood and red pine sites also spanned a range of stand ages (young, intermediate, mature). While seasonal changes in net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and photosynthetic parameters were coherent across the 2 years at most sites, changes in ecosystem respiration (ER) and gross ecosystem production (GEP) were not. Canopy height and vegetation type were important variables for explaining spatial variability of CO2 fluxes across the region. Light-use efficiency (LUE) was not as strongly correlated to GEP as maximum assimilation capacity (Amax). A bottom-up multi-tower land cover aggregated scaling of CO2 flux to a 2000 km(2) regional flux estimate found June to August 2003 NEE, ER and GEP to be -290 +/- 89, 408 +/- 48, and 698 +/- 73 gC m(-2), respectively. Aggregated NEE, ER and GEP were 280% larger, 32% smaller and 3% larger, respectively, than that observed from a regionally integrating 447 m tall flux tower. However, when the tall tower fluxes were decomposed using a footprint-weighted influence function and then re-aggregated to a regional estimate, the resulting NEE, ER and GEP were within 11% of the multi-tower aggregation. Excluding wetland and young stand age sites from the aggregation worsened the comparison to observed fluxes. These results provide insight on the range of spatial sampling, replication, measurement error and land cover accuracy needed for multi-tiered bottom-up scaling of CO2 fluxes in heterogeneous regions such as the Upper Midwest, USA. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.agrformet.2007.08.001 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003774 |
| C-13 dynamics in benthic algae: Effects of light, phosphorus, and biomass development | Hill, Walter; Fanta, S E; Roberts, Brian J | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ALGAE; BIOMASS; CARBON; CARBON SOURCES; FRACTIONATION; GROWTH FACTORS; INDOORS; NUTRIENTS; PHOSPHORUS | We performed three experiments in indoor streams and one experiment in a natural stream to investigate the effects of growth factors on {delta}{sup 13}C levels in benthic microalgae. In the indoor streams, algae grown under conditions of high light and high phosphorus had {delta}{sup 13}C values that were 16% higher than those in algae grown under conditions of low light and low phosphorus. Light effects were much stronger than phosphorus effects. The effects of both factors increased in strength as algal biomass accrued, and by the end of the experiments, algal {delta}{sup 13}C and biomass were highly correlated. In the natural stream, algae exposed to direct sunlight were enriched 15% over shaded algae, corroborating the strong effect of light in the indoor streams. Growth factors such as light and nutrients probably reduce discrimination against {delta}{sup 13}C (raising {delta}{sup 13}C values) in benthic microalgae by causing CO{sub 2} depletion both within individual cells and within the assemblage matrix. However, because the most marked fractionation occurred in older and thicker assemblages, CO{sub 2} depletion within the assemblage matrix appeared to be more important than depletion within individual cells. In the absence of carbon-concentrating mechanisms, elevated {delta}{sup 13}C suggests that inorganic carbon may limit the growth of benthic algae. The extensive range of d13C values (-14{per_thousand} to -36{per_thousand}) created by light and nutrient manipulations in this study easily encompassed the mean {delta}{sup 13}C values of both C{sub 3} and C{sub 4} terrestrial plants, indicating the challenge aquatic ecologists face in identifying carbon sources for higher trophic levels when light and nutrient conditions vary. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-07-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.4319/lo.2008.53.4.1217 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017336 |
| Recent (<4 year old) Leaf Litter is Not a Major Source of Microbial Carbon in a Temperate Forest Mineral Soil | Kramer, Christiane; Trumbore, Susan E.; Froberg, Mats J.; Cisneros dozal, Luz Maria; Zhang, Dachun; Xu, Xiamei; Santos, Guaciara; Hanson, Paul J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBOXYLIC ACIDS; COMMUNITIES; FORESTS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORGANIC MATTER; PHOSPHOLIPIDS; RESPIRATION; SOILS; SUBSTRATES | Microbial communities in soil A horizons derive their carbon from several potential sources: organic carbon (C) transported down from overlying litter and organic horizons, root-derived C, or soil organic matter. We took advantage of a multi-year experiment that manipulated the {sup 14}C isotope signature of surface leaf litter inputs in a temperate forest at the Oak Ridge Reservation, Tennessee, USA, to quantify the contribution of recent leaf litter C to microbial respiration and biomarkers in the underlying mineral soil. We observed no measurable difference (< {approx}40{per_thousand} given our current analytical methods) in the radiocarbon signatures of microbial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) isolated from the top 10 cm of mineral soil in plots that experienced 3 years of litterfall that differed in each year by {approx}750{per_thousand} between high-{sup 14}C and low-{sup 14}C treatments. Assuming any difference in {sup 14}C between the high- and low-{sup 14}C plots would reflect C derived from these manipulated litter additions, we estimate that <6% of the microbial C after 4 years was derived from the added 1-4-year-old surface litter. Large contributions of C from litter < 1 year (or >4 years) old (which fell after (or prior to) the manipulation and therefore did not differ between plots) are not supported because the {sup 14}C signatures of the PLFA compounds (averaging 200-220{per_thousand}) is much higher that of the 2004-5 leaf litter (115{per_thousand}) or pre-2000 litter. A mesocosm experiment further demonstrated that C leached from {sup 14}C-enriched surface litter or the O horizon was not a detectable C source in underlying mineral soil microbes during the first eight months after litter addition. Instead a decline in the {sup 14}C of PLFA over the mesocosm experiment likely reflected the loss of a pre-existing substrate not associated with added leaf litter. Measured PLFA {Delta}{sup 14}C signatures were higher than those measured in bulk mineral soil organic matter in our experiments, but fell within the range of {sup 14}C values measured in mineral soil roots. Together, our experiments suggest that root-derived C is the major (>60%) source of C for microbes in these temperate deciduous forest soils. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.soilbio.2010.02.021 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978816 |
| Potential net soil N mineralization and decomposition of glycine-13C in forest soils along an elevation gradient | Garten, Jr, Charles T | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS; AVAILABILITY; CHEMISTRY; FORESTS; GLYCINE; MICROORGANISMS; MINERALIZATION; NITROGEN; ORGANIC MATTER; SOILS; SUBSTRATES | The objective of this research was to better understand patterns of soil nitrogen (N) availability and soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition in forest soils across an elevation gradient (235-1670 m) in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Laboratory studies were used to determine the potential rate of net soil N mineralization and in situ studies of {sup 13}C-labelled glycine were used to infer differences in decomposition rates. Nitrogen stocks, surface soil (0-5 cm) N concentrations, and the pool of potentially mineralizable surface soil N tended to increase from low to high elevations. Rates of potential net soil N mineralization were not significantly correlated with elevation. Increasing soil N availability with elevation is primarily due to greater soil N stocks and lower substrate C-to-N ratios, rather than differences in potential net soil N mineralization rates. The loss rate of {sup 13}C from labelled soils (0-20 cm) was inversely related to study site elevation (r = -0.85; P < 0.05) and directly related to mean annual temperature (+0.86; P<0.05). The results indicated different patterns of potential net soil N mineralization and {sup 13}C loss along the elevation gradient. The different patterns can be explained within a framework of climate, substrate chemistry, and coupled soil C and N stocks. Although less SOM decomposition is indicated at cool, high-elevation sites, low substrate C-to-N ratios in these N-rich systems result in more N release (N mineralization) for each unit of C converted to CO{sub 2} by soil microorganisms. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 2004-09-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.soilbio.2004.04.019 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989636 | |
| Large-scale biomass for energy, with considerations and cautions: an editorial comment | Marland, Gregg; Obersteiner, Michael | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CARBON; CLIMATES; CROPS; ECONOMIC ANALYSIS; ECONOMICS; ENERGY SYSTEMS; FOOD; GREENHOUSE GASES; OPTIMIZATION; PRICES; PRODUCTION; TAXES | Greenhouse gas abatement policies will increase the demand for renewable sources of energy, including bioenergy. In combination with a global growing demand for food, this could lead to a food-fuel competition for bio-productive land. Proponents of bioenergy have suggested that energy crop plantations may be established on less productive land as a way of avoiding this potential food-fuel competition. However, many of these suggestions have been made without any underlying economic analysis. In this paper, we develop a long-term economic optimization model (LUCEA) of the U.S. agricultural and energy system to analyze this possible competition for land and to examine the link between carbon prices, the energy system dynamics and the effect of the land competition on food prices. Our results indicate that bioenergy plantations will be competitive on cropland already at carbon taxes about US $20/ton C. As the carbon tax increases, food prices more than double compared to the reference scenario in which there is no climate policy. Further, bioenergy plantations appropriate significant areas of both cropland and grazing land. In model runs where we have limited the amount of grazing land that can be used for bioenergy to what many analysts consider the upper limit, most of the bioenergy plantations are established on cropland. Under the assumption that more grazing land can be used, large areas of bioenergy plantations are established on grazing land, despite the fact that yields are assumed to be much lower (less than half) than on crop land. It should be noted that this allocation on grazing land takes place as a result of a competition between food and bioenergy production and not because of lack of it. The estimated increase in food prices is largely unaffected by how much grazing land can be used for bioenergy production. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2008-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s10584-007-9386-5 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1014264 |
| Low dissolved organic carbon input from fresh litter to deep mineral soils | Froeberg, Mats J; Jardine, Philip M; Hanson, Paul J; Swanston, Christopher; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Phillips, Jana Randolph; Garten, Jr, Charles T | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; CARBON; ECOSYSTEMS; FLOORS; FORESTS; LEACHING; LYSIMETERS; OAKS; ORGANIC MATTER; ORNL; SOILS; TRANSPORT; USA | Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leached from recent litter in the forest floor has been suggested to be an important source of C to the mineral soil of forest ecosystems. In order to determine the rate at which this flux of C occurs we have taken advantage of a local release of 14C at Oak Ridge National Laboratory Reservation, USA (latitude N 35 58'; longitude W 84 16'). Eight replicate 7x7 m plots were estab lished at four field sites on the reservation in an upland oak forest setting. Half of the plots were provided with 14C-enriched litter (∆14C ≈1000 ), and the other half with near-background litter (∆14C ≈220 ) over multiple years. Differences in the labeled leaf litter were used to quantify the movement of litter derived DOC through the soil profile. Soil solutions were collected over several years with tension lysimeters at 15 and 70 cm depth and measured for DOC concentration and 14C abundance. The net amount of DOC retained between 15 and 70 cm was 1.5-6 g m-2 y-1. There were significant effects of the litter additions on the 14C abundance in the DOC, but the net transport of 14C from the added litter was small. The difference in ∆14C between the treatments with enriched and near-background litter was only about 130 at both depths, which is small compared with the difference in Δ14C in the added litter. The primary source of DOC within the mineral soil must therefore have been either the Oe/Oa horizon or the organic matter in the mineral soil. Over a 2-year time frame, leaching of DOC from recent litter did not have a major impact on the C stock in the mineral soil below 15 cm in this ecosystem. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.2136/sssaj2006.0188 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931285 |
| Variability in Soil Properties at Different Spatial Scales (1 m to 1 km) in a Deciduous Forest Ecosystem | Garten, Jr, Charles T; Kang, S.; Brice, Deanne Jane; Schadt, Christopher Warren; Zhou, Jizhong | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLAYS; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; ORGANIC MATTER; PARTICULATES; SAMPLING; SILT; SOILS; TENNESSEE; TEXTURE | The purpose of this research was to test the hypothesis that variability in 11 soil properties, related to soil texture and soil C and N, would increase from small (1 m) to large (1 km) spatial scales in a temperate, mixed-hardwood forest ecosystem in east Tennessee, USA. The results were somewhat surprising and indicated that a fundamental assumption in geospatial analysis, namely that variability increases with increasing spatial scale, did not apply for at least five of the 11 soil properties measured over a 0.5-km2 area. Composite mineral soil samples (15 cm deep) were collected at 1, 5, 10, 50, 250, and 500 m distances from a center point along transects in a north, south, east, and westerly direction. A null hypothesis of equal variance at different spatial scales was rejected (P{le}0.05) for mineral soil C concentration, silt content, and the C-to-N ratios in particulate organic matter (POM), mineral-associated organic matter (MOM), and whole surface soil. Results from different tests of spatial variation, based on coefficients of variation or a Mantel test, led to similar conclusions about measurement variability and geographic distance for eight of the 11 variables examined. Measurements of mineral soil C and N concentrations, C concentrations in MOM, extractable soil NH{sub 4}-N, and clay contents were just as variable at smaller scales (1-10 m) as they were at larger scales (50-500 m). On the other hand, measurement variation in mineral soil C-to-N ratios, MOM C-to-N ratios, and the fraction of soil C in POM clearly increased from smaller to larger spatial scales. With the exception of extractable soil NH4-N, measured soil properties in the forest ecosystem could be estimated (with 95% confidence) to within 15% of their true mean with a relatively modest number of sampling points (n{le}25). For some variables, scaling up variation from smaller to larger spatial domains within the ecosystem could be relatively easy because small-scale variation may be indicative of variation at larger scales. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.soilbio.2007.04.033 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931706 |
| Decadal changes in potassium, calcium, and magnesium in a deciduous forest soil | Mulholland, Patrick J; Johnson, Dale W.; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Trettin, Carl | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CALCIUM; DETRITUS; FORESTS; LEACHING; MAGNESIUM; MORTALITY; OAKS; PLANTS; POTASSIUM; SAMPLING; SOILS; WATERSHEDS; WEATHERING | Decadal changes in soil exchangeable K{sup +}, Ca{sup 2+}, and Mg{sup 2+} concentrations and contents from 1972 to 2004 in eight intensively monitored plots on Walker Branch Watershed were compared with estimates of increments or decrements in vegetation and detritus. The results from these eight plots compared favorably with those from a more extensive set from 24 soil sampling plots sampled in 1972 and 2004. Increases in exchangeable K{sup +} were noted between 1972 and 1982, but few changes were noted between 1982 and 2004 despite significant increments in vegetation and detritus and significant potential losses by leaching. Total K contents of soils in the 0- to 60-cm sampling depth were very large and a slight amount of weathering could have replenished the K{sup +} lost from exchanges sites. With one notable exception, exchangeable Ca{sup 2+} and Mg{sup 2+} concentrations and contents decreased continuously during the sampling period. Decreases in exchangeable Ca{sup 2+} could be attributed mostly to increments in biomass and detritus, whereas decreases in exchangeable Mg{sup 2+} could not and were attributed to leaching. The major exception to these patterns was in the case of exchangeable Ca{sup 2+}, where significant increases were noted in one plot and attributed to Ca release from the decomposition of Ca-rich coarse woody debris from oak (Quercus spp.) mortality. With minor exceptions, soils and changes in soils among the eight intensively sampled core plots were similar to those in a more extensive set of plots distributed across the watershed. This study shows that averaging among plots can mask significant and important spatial patterns in soil change that must be taken into account in assessing long-term trends. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ME USDOE - Office of Management, Budget, and Evaluation; ORNL work for others | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/944109 | |
| Applying the light: nutrient hypothesis to stream periphyton | Fanta, S E; Hill, Walter; Smith, Timothy B; Roberts, Brian J | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ALGAE; AUFWUCHS; FOOD; HYPOTHESIS; NUTRIENTS; PHOSPHORUS; PHOTONS; WATER; benthic algae; light : nutrient hypothesis; periphyton; stoichiometry; stream | The light:nutrient hypothesis (LNH) states that algal nutrient content is determined by the balance of light and dissolved nutrients available to algae during growth. Light and phosphorus gradients in both laboratory and natural streams were used to examine the relevance of the LNH to stream periphyton. Controlled gradients of light (12-426 mol photons m{sup -2} s{sup -1}) and dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP, 3-344 {mu}g L{sup -1}) were applied experimentally to large flow-through laboratory streams, and natural variability in canopy cover and discharge from a wastewater treatment facility created gradients of light (0.4-35 mol photons m{sup -2} day{sup -1}) and DRP (10-1766 {mu}g L{sup -1}) in a natural stream. Periphyton phosphorus content was strongly influenced by the light and DRP gradients, ranging from 1.8 to 10.7 {mu}g mg AFDM{sup -1} in the laboratory streams and from 2.3 to 36.9 {mu}g mg AFDM{sup -1} in the natural stream. Phosphorus content decreased with increasing light and increased with increasing water column phosphorus. The simultaneous effects of light and phosphorus were consistent with the LNH that the balance between light and nutrients determines algal nutrient content. In experiments in the laboratory streams, periphyton phosphorus increased hyperbolically with increasing DRP. Uptake then began leveling off around 50 {mu}g L{sup -1}. The relationship between periphyton phosphorus and the light: phosphorus ratio was highly nonlinear in both the laboratory and natural streams, with phosphorus content declining sharply with initial increases in the light: phosphorus ratio, then leveling off at higher values of the ratio. Although light and DRP both affected periphyton phosphorus content, the effects of DRP were much stronger than those of light in both the laboratory and natural streams. DRP explained substantially more of the overall variability in periphyton phosphorus than did light, and light effects were evident only at lower phosphorus concentrations ({approx}< 25 {mu}g L{sup -1}) in the laboratory streams. These results suggest that light has a significant negative effect on the food quality of grazers in streams only under a limited set of conditions. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-2427.2009.02309.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034675 |
| Albedo estimates for land surface models and support for a new paradigm based on foliage nitrogen concentration | Hollinger, D; Ollinger, S V; Richardson, A D; Martin, M E; Meyers, T P; Dail, D B; Scott, N A; Arkebauer, T J; Baldocchi, D D; Clark, K L; Curtis, Peter; Davis, K J; Desai, Desai Ankur R; Dragoni, Danilo; Goulden, M L; Gu, Lianhong; Katul, G G; Pallardy, Stephen G; Pawu, K T; Schmid, H P; Stoy, P C; Suyker, A E; Verma, Shashi | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ALBEDO; CLIMATE MODELS; CLIMATES; CROPS; DATA COMPILATION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; LEAVES; MAIZE; NITROGEN; PLANTS; RANGELANDS; SEASONS; SIMULATION; SOYBEANS; TREES; albedo; nitrogen; vegetation | Vegetation albedo is a critical component of the Earth s climate system, yet efforts to evaluate and improve albedo parameterizations in climate models have lagged relative to other aspects of model development. Here, we calculated growing season albedos for deciduous and evergreen forests, crops, and grasslands based on over 40 site-years of data from the AmeriFlux network and compared them with estimates presently used in the land surface formulations of a variety of climate models. Generally, the albedo estimates used in land surface models agreed well with this data compilation. However, a variety of models using fixed seasonal estimates of albedo overestimated the growing season albedo of northerly evergreen trees. In contrast, climatemodels that rely on a common two-stream albedo submodel provided accurate predictions of boreal needle-leaf evergreen albedo but overestimated grassland albedos. Inverse analysis showed that parameters of the two-stream model were highly correlated. Consistent with recent observations based on remotely sensed albedo, the AmeriFlux dataset demonstrated a tight linear relationship between canopy albedo and foliage nitrogen concentration (for forest vegetation: albedo 50.0110.071%N, r250.91; forests, grassland, and maize: albedo50.0210.067%N, r250.80). However, this relationship saturated at the higher nitrogen concentrations displayed by soybean foliage. We developed similar relationships between a foliar parameter used in the two-stream albedo model and foliage nitrogen concentration. These nitrogen-based relationships can serve as the basis for a new approach to land surface albedo modeling that simplifies albedo estimation while providing a link to other important ecosystem processes. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-02-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015732 | |
| Natural Areas Analysis and Evaluation: Oak Ridge Reservation | Baranski, Micahel J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BUFFERS; CLASSIFICATION; COMMUNITIES; DISTURBANCES; EVALUATION; FORESTS; GEOLOGY; NERP; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PERSONNEL; RECOMMENDATIONS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; SYNTHESIS; natural areas criteria | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Oak Ridge Reservation, encompassing 33,639 acres in the Valley and Ridge Physiographic Province of East Tennessee, has long been known for its unfragmented forests and high biodiversity. Many areas on the Reservation have been recognized as important natural areas, but no comprehensive treatment has been performed to evaluate the relative significance and importance of these areas compared to each other. The present study was conducted to develop a set of guidelines for evaluating the natural value of specific areas, to evaluate all the terrestrial areas that are currently delineated, and to rank all areas according to their relative biodiversity importance. All available data, reports and site-specific information relevant to Reservation lands, including Tennessee Division of Natural Areas database information, were evaluated and field work was conducted. Methodologies and criteria for assessment and evaluation of areas were developed; categories of criteria were devised; and a ranking system for evaluation of natural areas was produced. There were 70 areas evaluated during the study. The system is flexible, dynamic and easily revised to reflect updated and new information and interpretations. Eight categories of evaluation factors were established and used to characterize each site. These were the following: size of area, number or status taxa present, number of Endangered and Threatened taxa present, rarity of the Endangered and Threatened taxa on the Reservation, community diversity, site integrity and quality, disturbance and threat levels, and other significant features and factors. Each category generally consisted of a 5-point ranking scale from 0-4, allowing for a possible composite score of 32, with higher ranked, more important, sites attaining higher scores. Highly ranked sites are representative of regional natural diversity; contain outstanding natural features, communities or geology and/or very rare taxa or other elements; are relatively large in size with mature or old-growth community composition; lack current disturbance factors or potential threats and disturbances; are in excellent condition with good buffers; are places where ecological and evolutionary processes can occur relatively unaffected by humans; and can be reasonably defended and maintained as natural areas in an undeveloped condition. Highly ranked sites are the most significant and should receive the greatest protections. Composite scores of the ranked areas ranged from 1-25.5, with a mean score of 12. The ranked areas were divided into three Priority Groups. Group I, the most highly ranked group, included 20 sites and covered 5189 acres or 15.4% of Reservation lands; Group II included 31 sites and covered 4108 acres; Group III included 19 sites covering 400 acres of Reservation lands. All sites together comprise 9697 acres or 28.8% of Reservation lands. Six sites emerged as clearly the most significant natural areas on the Reservation. The study developed a number of recommendations that should be implemented in order to enhance and refine the natural areas data for the Reservation. There is a clear need for better and standardized ecological community classification and identification. Several areas are proposed for merger into larger units, and some new areas are proposed for inclusion and recognition in a natural areas system. Various gaps and discrepancies in the existing data are described and should be corrected. Other recommendations are made, including the development of a corollary system that can accommodate aquatic natural areas. The study relied primarily on the synthesis of information from many sources and from limited reconnaissance and direct observation during field work to produce a methodology for assessing natural area importance and assigning priorities for protection. Many instances of incomplete, missing or conflicting information made it difficult to complete thorough analysis. Further review and discussion among natural resources personnel will likely reveal possibilities for refinement and some additional factors that should be included in the evaluation. Despite the limitations, this study, as conducted, illustrates the importance of the Oak Ridge Reservation for protecting the nation s increasingly threatened and declining biodiversity. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL other overhead | United States | 2009-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1023815 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1023815 |
| Radiocesium discharges and subsequent environmental transport at the major US weapons production facilities | Garten, Jr, Charles T; Hamby, D M; Schreckhise, R G | 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY FACILITIES; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; PRODUCTION; RADIOISOTOPES; TRANSPORT; WEAPONS | Radiocesium is one of the more prevalent radionuclides in the environment as a result of weapons production-related atomic projects in the USA and the former Soviet Union. Radiocesium discharges during the 1950s account for a large fraction of the historical releases from US weapons production facilities. Releases of radiocesium to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems during the early years of nuclear weapons production provided the opportunity to conduct multidisciplinary studies on the transport mechanisms of this potentially hazardous radionuclide. The major US Department of Energy facilities (Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee, Hanford Site near Richland, Washington, and Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina, USA) are located in regions of the country that have different geographical characteristics. The facility siting provided diverse backgrounds for the development of an understanding of environmental factors contributing to the fate and transport of radiocesium. In this paper, we summarize the significant environmental releases of radiocesium in the early years of weapons production and then discuss the historically significant transport mechanisms for {sup 137}Cs at the three facilities that were part of the US nuclear weapons complex. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 2000-06-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/S0048-9697(00)00449-6 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989641 | |
| Importance of changing CO2, temperature, precipitation, and ozone on carbon and water cycles of an upland-oak forest: incorporating experimental results into model simulations | Hanson, Paul J; Wullschleger, Stan D; Norby, Richard J; Tschaplinski, Timothy J; Gunderson, Carla A | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CARBON; ECOSYSTEMS; EVALUATION; FORESTS; OAKS; OZONE; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; PLANTS; PRECIPITATION; RESPIRATION; WATER; WOOD | Observed responses of upland-oak vegetation of the eastern deciduous hardwood forest to changing CO2, temperature, precipitation and tropospheric ozone (O3) were derived from field studies and interpreted with a stand-level model for an 11-year range of environmental variation upon which scenarios of future environmental change were imposed. Scenarios for the year 2100 included elevated [CO2] and [O3] (1385ppm and 120 ppb, respectively), warming (14 1C), and increased winter precipitation (120% November-March). Simulations were run with and without adjustments for experimentally observed physiological and biomass adjustments. Initial simplistic model runs for single-factor changes in CO2 and temperature predicted substantial increases (1191% or 508 gCm 2 yr 1) or decreases ( 206% or 549 gCm 2 yr 1), respectively, in mean annual net ecosystem carbon exchange (NEEa 266 23 gCm 2 yr 1 from 1993 to 2003). Conversely, single-factor changes in precipitation or O3 had comparatively small effects on NEEa (0% and 35%, respectively). The combined influence of all four environmental changes yielded a 29% reduction in mean annual NEEa. These results suggested that future CO2-induced enhancements of gross photosynthesis would be largely offset by temperature-induced increases in respiration, exacerbation of water deficits, and O3-induced reductions in photosynthesis. However, when experimentally observed physiological adjustments were included in the simulations (e.g. acclimation of leaf respiration to warming), the combined influence of the year 2100 scenario resulted in a 20% increase in NEEa not a decrease. Consistent with the annual model's predictions, simulations with a forest succession model run for gradually changing conditions from 2000 to 2100 indicated an 11% increase in stand wood biomass in the future compared with current conditions. These model-based analyses identify critical areas of uncertainty for multivariate predictions of future ecosystem response, and underscore the importance of long term field experiments for the evaluation of acclimation and growth under complex environmental scenarios. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2005-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2005.00991.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930810 |
| Multiple scales of temporal variability in ecosystem metabolism rates: results from two years of continuous monitoring in a forested headwater stream | Roberts, Brian J; Mulholland, Patrick J; Hill, Walter | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON SINKS; CARBON SOURCES; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; METABOLISM; MONITORING; ORGANIC MATTER; Oedogonium; PRODUCTION; RESPIRATION; STREAMS; VARIATIONS; bryophytes; disturbance; ecosystem respiration; inter-annual variability; leaf litter; light; macroalgae; periphyton; primary production; reaeration; seasonal patterns; storms | Headwater streams are key sites of nutrient and organic matter processing and retention, but little is known about temporal variability in gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) rates as a result of the short duration of most ecosystem metabolism measurements in lotic ecosystems. We examined temporal variability and controls on ecosystem metabolism by measuring daily rates continuously for two years in Walker Branch, a first-order deciduous forest stream. Four important scales of temporal variability in ecosystem metabolism rates were identified: (1) seasonal, (2) day-to-day, (3) episodic (storm-related), and (4) inter-annual. Seasonal patterns were largely controlled by the leaf phenology and productivity of the deciduous riparian forest. Walker Branch was strongly net heterotrophic throughout the year with the exception of the open-canopy spring when GPP and ER rates were similar. Day-to-day variability in weather conditions influenced light reaching the streambed, resulting in high day-to-day variability in GPP particularly during spring (daily light levels explained 84% of the variance in daily GPP in April). Episodic storms depressed GPP for several days in spring, but increased GPP in autumn by removing leaves shading the streambed. Storms depressed ER initially, but then stimulated ER to 2-3 times pre-storm levels for several days. Walker Branch was strongly net heterotrophic in both years of the study (NEP = -1156 and -773 g O2 m-2 y-1), with annual GPP being similar (488 and 519 g O2 m-2 y-1) but annual ER being higher in 2004 than 2005 (-1645 vs. -1292 g O2 m-2 y-1). Inter-annual variability in ecosystem metabolism (assessed by comparing 2004 and 2005 rates with previous measurements) was the result of the storm frequency and timing and the size of the spring macroalgal bloom. Changes in local climate can have substantial impacts on stream ecosystem metabolism rates and ultimately influence the carbon source and sink properties of these important ecosystems. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL work for others | United States | 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s10021-007-9059-2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931962 |
| Forest response to elevated CO2 is conserved across a broad range of productivity | Norby, Richard J; DeLucia, E H; Gielen, Birgit; Califapietra, Carlo; Giardina, Christian P; King, John S; Childs, Joanne; McCarthy, Heather R; Moore, D J; Ceulemans, Reinhart; DeAngelis, Paolo; Finzi, Adrien C; Karnosky, David; Kubiske, Mark E; Lukac, Martin; Pregitzer, Kurt; Scarascia-Mugnozza, Giuseppe E; Oren, Ram; Schlesinger, William H | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON CYCLE; CARBON DIOXIDE FIXATION; CLIMATE MODELS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; FORESTS; PRODUCTIVITY; RESPONSE FUNCTIONS | Climate change predictions derived from coupled carbon-climate models are highly dependent on assumptions about feedbacks between the biosphere and atmosphere. One critical feedback occurs if C uptake by the biosphere increases in response to the fossil-fuel driven increase in atmospheric [CO2] ('CO2 fertilization'), thereby slowing the rate of increase in atmospheric [CO2]. Carbon exchanges between the terrestrial biosphere and atmosphere are often first represented in models as net primary productivity (NPP). However, the contribution of CO2 fertilization to the future global C cycle has been uncertain, especially in forest ecosystems that dominate global NPP, and models that include a feedback between terrestrial biosphere metabolism and atmospheric [CO2] are poorly constrained by experimental evidence. We analyzed the response of NPP to elevated CO2 ({approx}550 ppm) in four free-air CO2 enrichment experiments in forest stands. We show that the response of forest NPP to elevated [CO2] is highly conserved across a broad range of productivity, with a stimulation at the median of 23 {+-} 2%. At low leaf area indices, a large portion of the response was attributable to increased light absorption, but as leaf area indices increased, the response to elevated [CO2] was wholly caused by increased light-use efficiency. The surprising consistency of response across diverse sites provides a benchmark to evaluate predictions of ecosystem and global models and allows us now to focus on unresolved questions about carbon partitioning and retention, and spatial variation in NPP response caused by availability of other growth limiting resources. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2005-12-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1073/pnas.0509478102 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/932149 |
| Forest response to elevated CO2 is conserved across a broad range of productivity | Norby, Richard J; DeLucia, E H; Gielen, Birgit; Califapietra, Carlo; Giardina, Christian P; King, John S; Childs, Joanne; McCarthy, Heather R; Moore, D J; Ceulemans, Reinhart; DeAngelis, Paolo; Finzi, Adrien C; Karnosky, David; Kubiske, Mark E; Lukac, Martin; Pregitzer, Kurt; Scarascia-Mugnozza, Giuseppe E; Schlesinger, William H; Oren, Ram | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSORPTION; AVAILABILITY; BENCHMARKS; BIOSPHERE; CARBON; CLIMATES; ECOSYSTEMS; EFFICIENCY; FEEDBACK; FERTILIZATION; FORESTS; METABOLISM; PRODUCTIVITY; RETENTION; STIMULATION | Climate change predictions derived from coupled carbon-climate models are highly dependent on assumptions about feedbacks between the biosphere and atmosphere. One critical feedback occurs if C uptake by the biosphere increases in response to the fossil-fuel driven increase in atmospheric [CO{sub 2}] ('CO{sub 2} fertilization'), thereby slowing the rate of increase in atmospheric [CO{sub 2}]. Carbon exchanges between the terrestrial biosphere and atmosphere are often first represented in models as net primary productivity (NPP). However, the contribution of CO{sub 2} fertilization to the future global C cycle has been uncertain, especially in forest ecosystems that dominate global NPP, and models that include a feedback between terrestrial biosphere metabolism and atmospheric [CO{sub 2}] are poorly constrained by experimental evidence. We analyzed the response of NPP to elevated CO{sub 2} ({approx}550 ppm) in four free-air CO{sub 2} enrichment experiments in forest stands. We show that the response of forest NPP to elevated [CO{sub 2}] is highly conserved across a broad range of productivity, with a stimulation at the median of 23 {+-} 2%. At low leaf area indices, a large portion of the response was attributable to increased light absorption, but as leaf area indices increased, the response to elevated [CO{sub 2}] was wholly caused by increased light-use efficiency. The surprising consistency of response across diverse sites provides a benchmark to evaluate predictions of ecosystem and global models and allows us now to focus on unresolved questions about carbon partitioning and retention, and spatial variation in NPP response caused by availability of other growth limiting resources. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2005-11-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1073/pnas.0509478102 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989626 |
| Reconciling Change in Oi-Horizon Carbon-14 with Mass Loss for an Oak Forest | Hanson, Paul J; Swanston, Christopher W.; Garten, Jr, Charles T; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Trumbore, Susan E. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBON 14; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COMMINUTION; DILUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; FRAGMENTATION; OAKS; RECYCLING; SOILS; TRANSPORT | First-year litter decomposition was estimated for an upland-oak forest ecosystem using enrichment or dilution of the 14C-signature of the Oi-horizon. These isotopically-based mass-loss estimates were contrasted with measured mass-loss rates from past litterbag studies. Mass-loss derived from changes in the 14C-signature of the Oi-horizon suggested mean mass loss over 9 months of 45% which was higher than the corresponding 9-month rate extrapolated from litterbag studies (~35%). Greater mass loss was expected from the isotopic approach because litterbags are known to limit mass loss processes driven by soil macrofauna (e.g., fragmentation and comminution). Although the 14C-isotope approach offers the advantage of being a non-invasive method, it exhibited high variability that undermined its utility as an alternative to routine litterbag mass loss methods. However, the 14C approach measures the residence time of C in the leaf litter, rather than the time it takes for leaves to disappear; hence radiocarbon measures reflect C immobilization and recycling in the microbial pool, and do not necessarily replicate results from litterbag mass loss. The commonly applied two-compartment isotopic mixing model was appropriate for estimating decomposition from isotopic enrichment of near-background soils, but it produced divergent results for isotopic dilution of a multi-layered system with litter cohorts having independent 14C-signatures. This discrepancy suggests that cohort-based models are needed to adequately capture the complex processes involved in carbon transport associated with litter mass-loss. Such models will be crucial for predicting intra- and interannual differences in organic horizon decomposition driven by scenarios of climatic change. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2005-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.2136/sssaj2004.0300 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003646 |
| Soil carbon storage beneath recently established tree plantations in Tennessee and South Carolina, USA | Garten, Jr, Charles T | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; FARMS; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; ORGANIC MATTER; PARTICULATES; PINES; SAND; SOILS; STORAGE; TREES | Rates of soil carbon (C) accumulation under 7 recently established tree plantations in Tennessee and South Carolina (USA) were estimated by comparing soil C stocks under the plantations to adjacent reference (nonplantation) sites. Estimated rates of C accumulation in surface (0-40 cm) mineral soil were 40-170 gCm{sup -2} yr{sup -1} during the first decade following plantation establishment. Most soil C at each site was found in mineral-associated organic matter (i.e., soil C associated with the silt-clay fraction). Soils with high sand content and low initial C stocks exhibited the greatest gains in particulate organic matter C (POM-C). Labile soil C stocks (consisting of forest floor and mineral soil POM-C) became an increasingly important component of soil C storage as loblolly pine stands aged. Rates of mineral soil C accumulation were highly variable in the first decade of plantation growth, depending on location, but the findings support a hypothesis that farm to tree plantation conversions can result in high initial rates of soil C accumulation in the southeastern United States. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 2002-02-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/S0961-9534(02)00033-8 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989639 | |
| Galling by Rhopalomyia solidaginis alters Solidago altissima architecture and litter nutrient dynamics in an old-field ecosystem | Crutsinger, Greg; Habenicht, Melissa N; Classen, Aimee T; Schweitzer, Jennifer A; Sanders, Dr. Nathan James | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ARCHITECTURE; BIOMASS; CHEMISTRY; ECOSYSTEMS; INSECTS; NITROGEN; NORTH AMERICA; NUTRIENTS; ORNL NERP; decompostion; insects | Plant-insect interactions can alter ecosystem processes, especially if the insects modify plant architecture, quality, or the quantity of leaf litter inputs. In this study, we investigated the interactions between the gall midge Rhopalomyia solidaginis and tall goldenrod, Solidago altissima, to quantify the degree to which the midge alters plant architecture and how the galls affect rates of litter decomposition and nutrient release in an old-field ecosystem. R. solidaginis commonly leads to the formation of a distinct apical rosette gall on S. altissima and approximately 15% of the ramets in a S. altissima patch were galled (range: 3-34%). Aboveground biomass of galled ramets was 60% higher and the leaf area density was four times greater on galled leaf tissue relative to the portions of the plant that were not affected by the gall. Overall decomposition rate constants did not differ between galled and ungalled leaf litter. However, leaf-litter mass loss was lower in galled litter relative to ungalled litter, which was likely driven by modest differences in initial litter chemistry; this effect diminished after 12 weeks of decomposition in the field. The proportion of N remaining was always higher in galled litter than in ungalled litter at each collection date indicating differential release of nitrogen in galled leaf litter. Several studies have shown that plant-insect interactions on woody species can alter ecosystem processes by affecting the quality or quantity of litter inputs. Our results illustrate how plant-insect interactions in an herbaceous species can affect ecosystem processes by altering the quality and quantity of litter inputs. Given that S. altissima dominates fields and roadsides and that R. solidaginis galls are highly abundant throughout eastern North America, these interactions are likely to be important for both the structure and function of old-field ecosystems. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | ORNL LDRD Director's R&D; SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s11104-007-9490-3 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931008 |
| Landscape level differences in soil carbon and nitrogen: implications for soil carbon sequestration | Garten, Jr, Charles T; Ashwood, Tom L | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBON SEQUESTRATION; CHEMISTRY; COMPLEX TERRAIN; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; NITROGEN; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORGANIC MATTER; PARTICULATES; PASTURES; PLANTS; SOILS; STORAGE; TENNESSEE; TOPOGRAPHY | The objective of this research was to understand how land cover and topography act, independently or together, as determinants of soil carbon and nitrogen storage over a complex terrain. Such information could help to direct land management for the purpose of carbon sequestration. Soils were sampled under different land covers and at different topographic positions on the mostly forested 14,000 ha Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee, USA. Most of the soil carbon stock, to a 40-cm soil depth, was found to reside in the surface 20 cm of mineral soil. Surface soil carbon and nitrogen stocks were partitioned into particulate ({ge}53 {micro}m) and mineral-associated organic matter (<53 {micro}m). Generally, soils under pasture had greater nitrogen availability, greater carbon and nitrogen stocks, and lower C:N ratios than soils under transitional vegetation and forests. The effects of topography were usually secondary to those of land cover. Because of greater soil carbon stocks, and greater allocation of soil carbon to mineral-associated organic matter (a long-term pool), we conclude that soil carbon sequestration, but not necessarily total ecosystem carbon storage, is greater under pastures than under forests. The implications of landscape-level variation in soil carbon and nitrogen for carbon sequestration are discussed at several different levels: (1) nitrogen limitations to soil carbon storage; (2) controls on soil carbon turnover as a result of litter chemistry and soil carbon partitioning; (3) residual effects of past land use history; and (4) statistical limitations to the quantification of soil carbon stocks. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 2002-12-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1029/2002GB001918 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989638 | |
| Contrasting responses of forest ecosystems to rising atmospheric CO2: Implications for the global C cycle | Norby, Richard J; DeLucia, E. H.; Moore, D J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSORPTION; AIR; ECOSYSTEMS; EFFICIENCY; FORESTS; GROWTH; LAND USE; PINES; PRODUCTION; RESPIRATION; STIMULATION; STORAGE | In two parallel but independent experiments, Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) technology was used to expose plots within contrasting evergreen loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and deciduous sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) forests to the level of CO2 anticipated in 2050. Net primary production (NPP) and net ecosystem production (NEP) increased in both forests. In the year 2000, after exposing pine and sweetgum to elevated CO2 for approximately 5 and 3 years, a complete budget calculation revealed increases in net ecosystem production (NEP) of 41% and 44% in the pine forest and sweetgum forest, respectively, representing the storage of an additional 174 gC m-2 and 128 gC m-2 in these forests. The stimulation of NPP without corresponding increases in leaf area index or light absorption in either forest resulted in 23-27% stimulation in radiation-use efficiency, defined as NPP per unit absorbed photosynthetically active radiation. Greater plant respiration contributed to lower NPP in the loblolly pine forest than in the sweetgum forest, and these forests responded differently to CO2 enrichment. Where the pine forest added C primarily to long-lived woody tissues, exposure to elevated CO2 caused a large increase in the production of labile fine roots in the sweetgum forest. Greater allocation to more labile tissues may cause more rapid cycling of C back to the atmosphere in the sweetgum forest compared to the pine forest. Imbalances in the N cycle may reduce the response of these forests to experimental exposure to elevated CO2 in the future, but even at the current stimulation observed for these forests, the effect of changes in land use on C sequestration are likely to be larger than the effect of CO2-induced growth stimulation. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2005-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003668 | |
| Initial characterization of processes of soil carbon stabilizaton using forest satnd-level radiocarbon enrichment | Swanston, Christopher W.; Torn, Margaret S.; Hanson, Paul J; Southon, John R.; Garten, Jr, Charles T; Hanlon, Erin M.; Ganio, L. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; FORESTS; FRACTIONATION; ORGANIC MATTER; PARTICULATES; SEDIMENTS; SOILS; STABILIZATION | Although the rates and mechanisms of soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization are difficult to observe directly, radiocarbon has proven an effective tracer of soil C dynamics, particularly when coupled with practical fractionation schemes. To explore the rates of C cycling in temperate forest soils, we took advantage of a unique opportunity in the form of an inadvertent standlevel 14C-labeling originating from a local industrial release. A simple density fractionation scheme separated SOM into interaggregate particulate organic matter (free light fraction, free LF), particulate organic matter occluded within aggregates (occluded LF), and organic matter that is complexed with minerals to form a dense fraction (dense fraction, DF). Minimal agitation and density separation was used to isolate the free LF. The remaining dense sediment was subjected to physical disruption and sonication followed by density separation to separate it into occluded LF and DF. The occluded LF had higher C concentrations and C:N ratios than the free LF, and the C concentration in both light fractions was ten times that of the DF. As a result, the light fractions together accounted for less than 4% of the soil by weight, but contained 40% of the soil C in the 0-15 cm soil increment. Likewise, the light fractions were less than 1% weight of the 15-30 cm increment, but contained more than 35% of the soil C. The degree of SOM protection in the fractions, as indicated by D14C, was different. In all cases the free LF had the shortest mean residence times. A significant depth by fraction interaction for 14C indicates that the relative importance of aggregation versus organo-mineral interactions for overall C stabilization changes with depth. The rapid incorporation of 14C label into the otherwise depleted DF shows that this organo-mineral fraction comprises highly stable material as well as more recent inputs. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2005-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.geoderma.2004.12.015 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930808 |
| Seasonal trends in environmental tritium concentrations in a small forest adjacent to a radioactive waste storage area | Amano, H; Garten, Jr, Charles T | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; FORESTS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE; TRITIUM | No abstract prepared. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 1992-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978728 | ||
| Partitioning sources of soil-respired CO2 and their seasonal variation using a unique radiocarbon tracer | Cisneros-Dozal, Luz Maria; Trumbore, Susan E.; Hanson, Paul J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBOHYDRATES; CARBON DIOXIDE; FORESTS; ORGANIC MATTER; RESPIRATION; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SEASONS; SOILS | Soil respiration is derived from heterotrophic (decomposition of soil organic matter) and autotrophic (root/rhizosphere respiration) sources, but there is considerable uncertainty about what factors control variations in their relative contributions in space and time. We took advantage of a unique whole-ecosystem radiocarbon label in a temperate forest to partition soil respiration into three sources: (1) recently photosynthesized carbon (C), which dominates root and rhizosphere respiration; (2) leaf litter decomposition and (3) decomposition of root litter and soil organic matter 41-2 years old. Heterotrophic sources and specifically leaf litter decomposition were large contributors to total soil respiration during the growing season. Relative contributions from leaf litter decomposition ranged from a low of 1 3% of total soil respiration (63 mgCm 2 h 1) when leaf litter was extremely dry, to a high of 42 16% (96 38mgCm 2 h 1). Total soil respiration fluxes varied with the strength of the leaf litter decomposition source, indicating that moisture-dependent changes in litter decomposition drive variability in total soil respiration fluxes. In the surface mineral soil layer, decomposition of C fixed in the original labeling event (3-5 years earlier) dominated the isotopic signature of heterotrophic respiration. Root/rhizosphere respiration accounted for 16 10% to 64 22% of total soil respiration, with highest relative contributions coinciding with low overall soil respiration fluxes. In contrast to leaf litter decomposition, root respiration fluxes did not exhibit marked temporal variation ranging from 34 14 to 40 16mgCm 2 h 1 at different times in the growing season with a single exception (88 35 mgCm 2 h 1). Radiocarbon signatures of root respired CO2 changed markedly between early and late spring (March vs. May), suggesting a switch from stored nonstructural carbohydrate sources to more recent photosynthetic products. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2006-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2005.001061.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930811 |
| Translocation of Long-Term Captive Eastern Box Turtles and the Efficacy of Soft-Release: Implications for Turtle Confiscations | Rimple, Ryan J.; Kohl, Michel T.; Buhlmann, Kurt A.; Tuberville, Tracey D. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES | Translocation, the human mediated movement of organisms, is an important tool to conserve wildlife populations, and turtles are commonly subject to this management action. One potential source stock for turtle translocations are animals confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade or otherwise held in captivity. There is limited information, however, on the post-release behavior and survival of these animals. We monitored 26 translocated long-term captive (i.e., former pet) Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) to assess their survivorship, space use, and the effects of soft-release (penning) on site fidelity. We found long-term captives displayed high first-year survivorship (88.5â92.3%) and similar space use to resident turtles, and that soft-release was effective at reducing post-release movements. Furthermore, our study indicates long-term captive turtles may be suitable for release and provides insights for how confiscated turtles may best contribute to conservation. | Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2024-07-23T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1656/045.031.s1221 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2428950 |
| Sieveless particle size distribution analysis of particulate materials through computer vision | Igathinathane, C; Pordesimo, L O; Columbus, Eugene P; Batchelor, William D; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ACCURACY; BIOMASS; Biomass sieve analysis; COMPUTERS; DIMENSIONS; DISTRIBUTION; Dimension; FORESTS; GRAMINEAE; IMAGE PROCESSING; Image processing; ImageJ plugin; JAVA; OAKS; PARTICLE SIZE; PARTICULATES; PINES; Particle size distribution; Physical property; RESIDUES; RICE; STRAW; SWITCHGRASS; THICKNESS; WHEAT; WOOD | This paper explores the inconsistency of length-based separation by mechanical sieving of particulate materials with standard sieves, which is the standard method of particle size distribution (PSD) analysis. We observed inconsistencies of length-based separation of particles using standard sieves with manual measurements, which showed deviations of 17 22 times. In addition, we have demonstrated the falling through effect of particles cannot be avoided irrespective of the wall thickness of the sieve. We proposed and utilized a computer vision with image processing as an alternative approach; wherein a user-coded Java ImageJ plugin was developed to evaluate PSD based on length of particles. A regular flatbed scanner acquired digital images of particulate material. The plugin determines particles lengths from Feret's diameter and width from pixel-march method, or minor axis, or the minimum dimension of bounding rectangle utilizing the digital images after assessing the particles area and shape (convex or nonconvex). The plugin also included the determination of several significant dimensions and PSD parameters. Test samples utilized were ground biomass obtained from the first thinning and mature stand of southern pine forest residues, oak hard wood, switchgrass, elephant grass, giant miscanthus, wheat straw, as well as Basmati rice. A sieveless PSD analysis method utilized the true separation of all particles into groups based on their distinct length (419 639 particles based on samples studied), with each group truly represented by their exact length. This approach ensured length-based separation without the inconsistencies observed with mechanical sieving. Image based sieve simulation (developed separately) indicated a significant effect (P < 0.05) on number of sieves used in PSD analysis, especially with non-uniform material such as ground biomass, and more than 50 equally spaced sieves were required to match the sieveless all distinct particles PSD analysis. Results substantiate that mechanical sieving, owing to handling limitations and inconsistent length-based separation of particles, is inadequate in determining the PSD of non-uniform particulate samples. The developed computer vision sieveless PSD analysis approach has the potential to replace the standard mechanical sieving. The plugin can be readily extended to model (e.g., Rosin Rammler) the PSD of materials, and mass-based analysis, while providing several advantages such as accuracy, speed, low cost, automated analysis, and reproducible results. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-05-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.compag.2009.01.005 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015063 |
| Effects of light on NO3 uptake in small forested streams: diurnal and day-to-day variations | Mulholland, Patrick J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AUTOTROPHS; DAILY VARIATIONS; FORESTS; NITRATES; NITROGEN CYCLE; NUTRIENTS; PLANTS; PRODUCTIVITY; SOLAR RADIATION; STREAMS; TENNESSEE; UPTAKE | We investigated the effects of autotrophy on short-term variations in nutrient dynamics by measuring diurnal and day-to-day variations in light level, primary productivity, and NO{sub 3}{sup -} uptake during early and late spring in 2 forested streams, the East and West Forks of Walker Branch in eastern Tennessee, USA. We predicted that diurnal and day-to-day variations in NO{sub 3}{sup -} uptake rate would be larger in the West Fork than in the East Fork in early spring because of higher rates of primary productivity resulting from a more stable substratum in the West Fork. We also predicted minimal diurnal variations in both streams in late spring after forest leaf emergence when light levels and primary productivity are uniformly low. Reach-scale rates of gross primary production (GPP) were determined using the diurnal dissolved O{sub 2} change technique, and reach-scale rates of NO{sub 3}{sup -} uptake were determined by tracer {sup 15}N-NO{sub 3}{sup -} additions. In the West Fork, significant diurnal and day-to-day variations in NO{sub 3}{sup -} uptake were related to variations in light level and primary productivity in early spring but not in late spring, consistent with our predictions. In early spring, West Fork NO{sub 3}{sup -} uptake rates were 2 to 3x higher at midday than during predawn hours and 50% higher on 2 clear days than on an overcast day several days earlier. In the East Fork, early spring rates of GPP were 4 to 5x lower than in the West Fork and diurnal and day-to-day variations in NO{sub 3}{sup -} uptake rates were <30%, considerably lower than in the West Fork. However, diurnal variations in NO{sub 3}{sup -} uptake rates were greater in late spring in the East Fork, possibly because of diurnal variation in water temperature. Our results indicate the important role of autotrophs in nutrient uptake in some forested streams, particularly during seasons when forest vegetation is dormant and light levels are relatively high. Our results also have important implications for longer-term assessments of N cycling in streams that rely on daytime measurements or measurements only under limited weather conditions (i.e., clear days). | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2006-08-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1899/0887-3593(2006)25[583:EOLONU]2.0.CO;2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989631 |
| OAK FOREST CARBON AND WATER SIMULATIONS: MODEL INTERCOMPARISONS AND EVALUATIONS AGAINST INDEPENDENT DATA | Hanson, Paul J; Amthor, Jeffrey S; Wullschleger, Stan D; Wilson, K.; Grant, Robert F.; Hartley, Anne; Hui, D.; Johnson, Dale W.; Kimball, John S.; King, Anthony Wayne; Luo, Yiqi; McNulty, Steven G.; Sun, G.; Thornton, Peter; Wang, S.; Williams, M.; Baldocchi, D. D.; Cushman, Robert Michael | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBON CYCLE; DROUGHTS; ECOSYSTEMS; EFFICIENCY; EVALUATION; FORESTS; OAKS; PERFORMANCE; PRODUCTION; RESPIRATION; SOILS; STATISTICS; TENNESSEE; TESTING; WATER | Models represent our primary method for integration of small-scale, processlevel phenomena into a comprehensive description of forest-stand or ecosystem function. They also represent a key method for testing hypotheses about the response of forest ecosystems to multiple changing environmental conditions. This paper describes the evaluation of 13 stand-level models varying in their spatial, mechanistic, and temporal complexity for their ability to capture intra- and interannual components of the water and carbon cycle for an upland, oak-dominated forest of eastern Tennessee. Comparisons between model simulations and observations were conducted for hourly, daily, and annual time steps. Data for the comparisons were obtained from a wide range of methods including: eddy covariance, sapflow, chamber-based soil respiration, biometric estimates of stand-level net primary production and growth, and soil water content by time or frequency domain reflectometry. Response surfaces of carbon and water flux as a function of environmental drivers, and a variety of goodness-of-fit statistics (bias, absolute bias, and model efficiency) were used to judge model performance. A single model did not consistently perform the best at all time steps or for all variables considered. Intermodel comparisons showed good agreement for water cycle fluxes, but considerable disagreement among models for predicted carbon fluxes. The mean of all model outputs, however, was nearly always the best fit to the observations. Not surprisingly, models missing key forest components or processes, such as roots or modeled soil water content, were unable to provide accurate predictions of ecosystem responses to short-term drought phenomenon. Nevertheless, an inability to correctly capture short-term physiological processes under drought was not necessarily an indicator of poor annual water and carbon budget simulations. This is possible because droughts in the subject ecosystem were of short duration and therefore had a small cumulative impact. Models using hourly time steps and detailed mechanistic processes, and having a realistic spatial representation of the forest ecosystem provided the best predictions of observed data. Predictive ability of all models deteriorated under drought conditions, suggesting that further work is needed to evaluate and improve ecosystem model performance under unusual conditions, such as drought, that are a common focus of environmental change discussions. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2004-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1890/03-4049 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003644 |
| Nitrogen uptake, distribution, turnover, and efficiency of use in a CO2-enriched sweetgum forest | Norby, Richard J; Iversen, Colleen M | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CARBON DIOXIDE; DISTRIBUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; EFFICIENCY; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; NITROGEN; PRODUCTION; PRODUCTIVITY; SOILS; STIMULATION; TREES | The Progressive Nitrogen Limitation (PNL) hypothesis suggests that ecosystems in a CO2-enriched atmosphere will sequester C and N in long-lived biomass and soil organic pools, thereby limiting available N and constraining the continued response of net primary productivity to elevated [CO2]. Here, we present a six-year record of N dynamics of a sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) stand exposed to elevated [CO2] in the free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiment at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. We also evaluate the concept of PNL for this ecosystem from the perspective of N uptake, content, distribution, and turnover, and N-use efficiency. Leaf N content was 11% lower on a leaf mass basis (NM) and 7% lower on a leaf area basis (N{sub A}) in CO2-enriched trees. However, there was no effect of [CO2] on total canopy N content. Resorption of N during senescence was not altered by [CO2], so NM of litter, but not total N content, was reduced. The NM of fine roots was not affected, but the total amount of N required for fine-root production increased significantly, reflecting the large stimulation of fine-root production in this stand. Hence, total N requirement of the trees was higher in elevated [CO2], and the increased requirement was met through an increase in N uptake rather than increased retranslocation of stored reserves. Increased N uptake was correlated with increased net primary productivity (NPP). N-use efficiency, however, did not change with CO2 enrichment because increased N productivity was offset by lower mean residence time of N in the trees. None of the measured responses of plant N dynamics in this ecosystem indicated the occurrence of PNL, and the stimulation of NPP by elevated [CO2] was sustained for the first six years of the experiment. Although there are some indications of developing changes in the N economy, the N supply in the soil at this site may be sufficient to meet an increasing demand for available N, especially as the roots of CO2-enriched trees explore deeper in the soil profile. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2006-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1890/04-1950 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/932148 |
| Nitrogen uptake, distribution, turnover, and efficiency of use in a CO2-enriched sweetgum forest | Norby, Richard J; Iversen, Colleen M | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AVAILABILITY; BIOMASS; DISTRIBUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; EFFICIENCY; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; NITROGEN; PRODUCTION; PRODUCTIVITY; SOILS; STIMULATION; TREES | The Progressive Nitrogen Limitation (PNL) hypothesis suggests that ecosystems in a CO2-enriched atmosphere will sequester C and N in long-lived biomass and soil organic pools, thereby limiting available N and constraining the continued response of net primary productivity to elevated [CO2]. Here, we present a six-year record of N dynamics of a sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) stand exposed to elevated [CO2] in the free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiment at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. We also evaluate the concept of PNL for this ecosystem from the perspective of N uptake, content, distribution, and turnover, and N-use efficiency. Leaf N content was 11 percent lower on a leaf mass basis (NM) and 7 percent lower on a leaf area basis (NA) in CO2-enriched trees. However, there was no effect of [CO2] on total canopy N content. Resorption of N during senescence was not altered by [CO2], so NM of litter, but not total N content, was reduced. The NM of fine roots was not affected, but the total amount of N required for fine-root production increased significantly, reflecting the large stimulation of fine-root production in this stand. Hence, total N requirement of the trees was higher in elevated [CO2], and the increased requirement was met through an increase in N uptake rather than increased retranslocation of stored reserves. Increased N uptake was correlated with increased net primary productivity (NPP). N-use efficiency, however, did not change with CO2 enrichment because increased N productivity was offset by lower mean residence time of N in the trees. None of the measured responses of plant N dynamics in this ecosystem indicated the occurrence of PNL, and the stimulation of NPP by elevated [CO2] was sustained for the first six years of the experiment. Although there are some indications of developing changes in the N economy, the N supply in the soil at this site may be sufficient to meet an increasing demand for available N, especially as the roots of CO2-enriched trees explore deeper in the soil profile. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2006-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1890/04-1950 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1003634 |
| A multiyear synthesis of soil respiration responses to elevated atmospheric CO2 from four forest FACE experiments | King, John S.; Hanson, Paul J; Bernhardt, Emily; DeAngelis, Paolo; Norby, Richard J; Pregitzer, Kurt | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CARBON CYCLE; CARBON DIOXIDE; FORESTS; RESPIRATION; SOILS; SYNTHESIS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS | The rapidly rising concentration of atmospheric CO2 has the potential to alter forest and global carbon cycles by altering important processes that occur in soil. Forest soils contain the largest and longest lived carbon pools in terrestrial ecosystems and are therefore extremely important to the land-atmosphere exchange of carbon and future climate. Soil respiration is a sensitive integrator of many soil processes that control carbon storage in soil, and is therefore a good metric of changes to soil carbon cycling. Here, we summarize soil respiration data from four forest free-air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) experiments in developing and established forests that have been exposed to elevated atmospheric [CO2] (168 lLL 1 average enrichment) for 2-6 years. The sites have similar experimental design and use similar methodology (closed-path infrared gas analyzers) to measure soil respiration, but differ in species composition of the respective forest communities. We found that elevated atmospheric [CO2] stimulated soil respiration at all sites, and this response persisted for up to 6 years. Young developing stands experienced greater stimulation than did more established stands, increasing 39% and 16%, respectively, averaged over all years and communities. Further, at sites that had more than one community, we found that species composition of the dominant trees was a major controller of the absolute soil CO2 efflux and the degree of stimulation from CO2 enrichment. Interestingly, we found that the temperature sensitivity of bulk soil respiration appeared to be unaffected by elevated atmospheric CO2. These findings suggest that stage of stand development and species composition should be explicitly accounted for when extrapolating results from elevated CO2 experiments or modeling forest and global carbon cycles. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2004-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1529-8817.2003.00789.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930798 |
| Changes in ecosystem carbon and nitrogen in a loblolly pine plantation over the first 18 years | Johnson, Dale W; Todd, Jr, Donald E; Tolbert, Virginia R | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CARBON; DEPOSITION; ECOSYSTEMS; FERTILIZATION; FERTILIZERS; FORESTS; MINERALIZATION; NITROGEN; PINES; SOILS; TREES | Eighteen years after the establishment of a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantation, ecosystem C content had approximately tripled (from 54 to 161 Mg C ha{sup -1}) primarily because of increases in tree biomass. Ninety-three percent of the net ecosystem C accumulated in biomass (100 Mg C ha{sup -1}) and 6% of net ecosystem C accumulated in the forest floor (13 Mg C ha{sup -1}). No statistically significant changes in soil C were found. Growth responses to fertilization noted in Year 4 were no longer statistically significant in Year 18. Nitrogen accumulation in aboveground biomass and forest floor were approximately equal (averaging approximately 270 kg N ha{sup -1} each) and could have come from a combination of atmospheric deposition, soil N mineralization, and, in the treated plots, fertilizer input. No statistically significant changes in soil N content were found. The results of this study are similar to those from a previous study in a loblolly pine plantation in South Carolina but contrast with those in nearby deciduous forests where substantial changes in soil C and N over similar time periods have been noted. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 2003-09-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.2136/sssaj2003.1594 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978227 | |
| Responses of soil respiration to elevated CO2, air warming, and changing soil water availability in an old-field grassland | Wan, Shiqiang; Norby, Richard J; Childs, Joanne; Weltzin, Jake | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; AVAILABILITY; Air warming; CLIMATIC CHANGE; MOISTURE; PLANT GROWTH; RESPIRATION; RESPONSE FUNCTIONS; SOILS; WATER; WATER TREATMENT; atmospheric CO2 concentration; old-field grassland; soil respiration; soil water availability; temperature sensitivity | Responses of soil respiration to atmospheric and climatic change will have profound impacts on ecosystem and global C cycling in the future. This study was conducted to examine effects on soil respiration of the concurrent driving factors of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration, rising temperature, and changing precipitation in a constructed old-field grassland in eastern Tennessee, USA. Model ecosystems of seven old-field species in 12 open-top chambers (4 m in diameter) were treated with two CO2 (ambient and ambient plus 300 ppm) and two temperature (ambient and ambient plus 3 C) levels. Two split plots with each chamber were assigned with high and low soil moisture levels. During the 19-month experimental period from June 2003 to December 2004, higher CO2 concentration and soil water availability significantly increased mean soil respiration by 35.8% and 15.7%, respectively. The effects of air warming on soil respiration varied seasonally from small reductions to significant increases to no response, and there was no significant main effect. In the wet side of elevated CO2 chambers, air warming consistently caused increases in soil respiration, whereas in other three combinations of CO2 and water treatments, warming tended to decrease soil respiration over the growing season but increase it over the winter. There were no interactive effects on soil respiration among any two or three treatment factors irrespective of testing time period. Temperature sensitivity of soil respiration was reduced by air warming, lower in the wet than the dry side, and not affected by CO2 treatment. Variations of soil respiration responses with soil temperature and soil moisture ranges could be primarily attributable to the seasonal dynamics of plant growth and its responses to the three treatments. Using a conceptual model to interpret the significant relationships of treatment-induced changes in soil respiration with changes in soil temperature and moisture observed in this study, we conclude that elevated CO2, air warming, and changing soil water availability had both direct and indirect effects on soil respiration via changes in the three controlling factors: soil temperature, soil moisture, and C substrate. Our results demonstrate that the response of soil respiration to climatic warming should not be represented in models as a simple temperature response function. A more mechanistic understanding of the direct and indirect impacts of concurrent global change drivers on soil respiration is needed to facilitate the interpretation and projection of ecosystem and global C cycling in response to atmospheric and climate change. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2007.01433.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931979 |
| Climate controls on forest soil C isotope ratios in the southern Appalachian Mountains | Garten, Jr, Charles T; Cooper, Lee W; Post, Wilfred M; Hanson, Paul J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS; CARBON; CLIMATES; ECOSYSTEMS; FOREST LITTER; FORESTS; FRACTIONATION; ISOTOPE RATIO; MOISTURE; ORGANIC MATTER; SOILS | A large portion of terrestrial carbon (C) resides in soil organic carbon (SOC). The dynamics of this large reservoir depend on many factors, including climate. Measurements of {sup 13}C:{sup 12}C ratios, C concentrations, and C:N ratios at six forest sites in the Southern Appalachian Mountains (USA) were used to explore several hypotheses concerning the relative importance of factors that control soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition and SOC turnover. Mean {delta}{sup 13}C values increased with soil depth and decreasing C concentrations along a continuum from fresh litter inputs to more decomposed soil constituents. Data from the six forest sites, in combination with data from a literature review, indicate that the extent of change in {delta}{sup 13}C values from forest litter inputs to mineral soil (20 cm deep) is significantly associated with mean annual temperature. The findings support a conceptual model of vertical changes in forest soil {delta}{sup 13}C values, C concentrations, and C:N ratios that are interrelated through climate controls on decomposition. We hypothesize that, if other environmental factors (like soil moisture) are not limiting, then temperature and litter quality indirectly control the extent of isotopic fractionation during SOM decomposition in temperate forest ecosystems. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 2000-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1890/0012-9658(2000)081[1108:CCOFSC]2.0.CO;2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989643 | |
| Relationships between soil nitrogen dynamics and natural 15N-abundance in plant foliage from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Garten, Jr, Charles T; Van Miegroet, H M | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; AVAILABILITY; FERNS; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; ISOTOPE RATIO; LEAVES; MAPLES; MINERALIZATION; MOUNTAINS; NITRIFICATION; NITROGEN; ORGANIC MATTER; SOILS; TRANSFORMATIONS | We tested the hypothesis that naturally occurring nitrogen (N) isotope ratios in foliage (from plants that do not symbiotically fix atmospheric N{sub 2}) are an indicator of soil N dynamics in forests. Replicate plots were established at eight locations ranging in elevation from 615 to 1670 m in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee, U.S.A. The locations selected ranged from N-poor (low-elevation) to N-rich (high-elevation) forest stands. Soils were sampled in June 1992; plants, forest floors, and upper mineral soils were sampled in August 1992. Net N mineralization and net nitrification potentials for surface mineral soils and organic matter layers at each site were determined by aerobic laboratory incubations. Soils and organic layers from high-elevation sites had greater net N mineralization and nitrification potentials than soils from low-elevation sites. There were significant (P {le} 0.05) differences between study sites in soil {sup 15}N abundance. Therefore, we examined correlations between measures of soil N availability and both mean foliar {delta}{sup 15}N values and mean enrichment factors ({var_epsilon}{sub p-s} = {delta}{sup 15}N{sub leaf} - {delta}{sup 15}N{sub soil}). In evergreens, maples, and ferns, mean foliar {delta}{sup 15}N values and mean enrichment factors were positively correlated with net N mineralization and net nitrification potentials in soil. The observed relationships between natural {sup 15}N abundance in plant leaves and soil N availability were explained by a simple model of soil N dynamics. The model predicts how the isotopic composition of plant N is affected by the following factors: (i) varying uptake of soil NH{sub 4}-N and NO{sub 3}-N, (ii) the isotopic composition of different soil N pools, and (iii) relative rates of soil N transformations. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 1994-08-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1139/x94-212 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978238 | |
| KNIFE MILL COMMINUTION ENERGY ANALYSIS OF SWITCHGRASS, WHEAT STRAW, AND CORN STOVER AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS | Bitra, V S.P.; Womac, A R; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Igathinathane, C | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AGRICULTURAL WASTES; BIOMASS; COMMINUTION; DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS; Direct energy measurement; ENERGY ANALYSIS; ETHANOL; Energy optimization; FORAGE; GRINDING; MAIZE; OPENINGS; PARTICLE SIZE; POLYNOMIALS; POWER INPUT; Particle size characterization; ROTORS; Rosin-Rammler distribution; SCREENS; SPECTRA; STRAW; SWITCHGRASS; Size reduction of biomass; Specific energy; WHEAT | Biomass preprocessing and pretreatment technologies such as size reduction and chemical preconditioning are aimed at reducing the cost of ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. Size reduction is an energy-intensive biomass preprocessing unit operation. In this study, switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover were chopped in an instrumented knife mill to evaluate size reduction energy and corresponding particle size distribution as determined with a standard forage sieve analyzer. Direct mechanical power inputs were determined using a dedicated data acquisition system for knife mill screen openings from 12.7 to 50.8 mm, rotor speeds between 250 and 500 rpm, and mass feed rates from 1 to 11 kg/min. A speed of 250 rpm gave optimum performance of the mill. Optimum feed rates for 25.4 mm screen and 250 rpm were 7.6, 5.8, and 4.5 kg/min for switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover, respectively. Total specific energy (MJ/Mg) was defined as the size reduction energy required to operate the knife mill plus that imparted to the biomass. Effective specific energy was defined as the energy imparted to the biomass. For these conditions, total specific energies were 27.3, 37.9, and 31.9 MJ/Mg and effective specific energies were 10.1, 15.5, and 3.2 MJ/Mg for switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover, respectively. These results demonstrated that biomass selection affects the size reduction energy, even for biomass with similar features. Second-order polynomial equations for the total specific energy requirement fitted well (R2 > 0.95) as a function of knife mill screen size, mass feed rate, and speed for biomass materials tested. The Rosin-Rammler equation fitted the cumulative undersize mass of switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover chop passed through ASABE sieves with high R2 (>0.983). Knife mill chopping of switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover resulted in particle size distributions classified as 'well-graded strongly fine-skewed mesokurtic', 'well-graded fine-skewed mesokurtic', and 'well-graded fine-skewed mesokurtic', respectively, for small knife mill screen sizes (12.7 to 25.4 mm) and distributions classified as 'well-graded fine-skewed mesokurtic', 'well-graded strongly fine-skewed mesokurtic', and 'well-graded fine-skewed mesokurtic', respectively, for the large screen size (50.8 mm). Total and effective specific energy values per unit size reduction of wheat straw were greater compared to those for switchgrass. Corn stover resulted in reduced total and effective specific energy per unit size reduction compared to wheat straw for the same operating conditions, but higher total specific energy per unit size reduction and lesser effective specific energy per unit size reduction compared to switchgrass. Data on minimized total specific energy with corresponding particle spectra will be useful for preparing feed material with a knife mill for subsequent grinding with finer size reduction devices. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015065 | |
| Modeling the potential role of a forest ecosystem in phytostabilization and phytoextraction of 90Sr at a contaminated watershed | Garten, Jr, Charles T | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; BIOMASS; CROPS; DECAY; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; MANAGEMENT; MINIMIZATION; POLLUTION; PRESERVATION; REMOVAL; ROTATION; SIMULATION; SOILS; STREAMS; TENNESSEE; TRANSPORT; WASTES; WATERSHEDS | The behavior of {sup 90}Sr at forest sites in the White Oak Creek watershed, near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was simulated with a simple, site-specific, multicompartment model that linked biomass and element cycling dynamics. The model was used to predict the role of forest cover in mitigating hydrologic losses of {sup 90}Sr from contaminated soils (i.e. phytostabilization) under conditions where contaminant transport is governed mainly by shallow subsurface flow. The model was also used to predict the removal of {sup 90}Sr from soil (i.e. phytoextraction) through the growth and harvest of short rotation woody crops over a period of 30 years. Simulations with the model indicated that (1) forest preservation on the watershed is a form of phytostabilization because forest cover helps to minimize hydrologic losses of {sup 90}Sr and (2) an attempt to significantly reduce amounts of {sup 90}Sr in soil through phytoextraction would be unsuccessful. Over a period of 30 years, and under various management strategies, the model predicted that <15% of the {sup 90}Sr initially present in soil at a contaminated site was lost through hydrologic transport and <53% was lost by radioactive decay. Phytostabilization may be important in the management of radioactive land when issues like waste minimization and pollution prevention affect the selection of technologies to be used in environmental restoration. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 1999-05-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/S0265-931X(98)00061-7 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989646 | |
| Large-scale production, harvest and logistics of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) - current technology and envisioning a mature technology | Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Mani, Sudhagar; Kumar, Amit; Bransby, David; Lynd, L; Laser, Mark | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOFUELS; BIOMASS; BULK DENSITY; CAPACITY; CHEMICAL INDUSTRY; CROPS; GENETICS; HARVESTING; HEATING; MANAGEMENT; PRODUCTION; PRODUCTIVITY; STORAGE; SWITCHGRASS; TRANSPORT | Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a promising cellulosic biomass feedstock for biorefineries and biofuel production. This paper reviews current and future potential technologies for production, harvest, storage, and transportation of switchgrass. Our analysis indicates that for a yield of 10 Mg ha 1, the current cost of producing switchgrass (after establishment) is about $41.50 Mg 1. The costs may be reduced to about half this if the yield is increased to 30 Mg ha 1 through genetic improvement, intensive crop management, and/or optimized inputs. At a yield of 10 Mg ha 1, we estimate that harvesting costs range from $23.72 Mg 1 for current baling technology to less than $16 Mg 1 when using a loafing collection system. At yields of 20 and 30 Mg ha 1 with an improved loafing system, harvesting costs are even lower at $12.75 Mg 1 and $9.59 Mg 1, respectively. Transport costs vary depending upon yield and fraction of land under switchgrass, bulk density of biomass, and total annual demand of a biorefinery. For a 2000 Mg d 1 plant and an annual yield of 10 Mg ha 1, the transport cost is an estimated $15.42 Mg 1, assuming 25% of the land is under switchgrass production. Total delivered cost of switchgrass using current baling technology is $80.64 Mg 1, requiring an energy input of 8.5% of the feedstock higher heating value (HHV). With mature technology, for example, a large, loaf collection system, the total delivered cost is reduced to about $71.16 Mg 1 with 7.8% of the feedstock HHV required as input. Further cost reduction can be achieved by combining mature technology with increased crop productivity. Delivered cost and energy input do not vary significantly as biorefinery capacity increases from 2000 Mg d 1 to 5000 Mg d 1 because the cost of increased distance to access a larger volume feedstock offsets the gains in increased biorefinery capacity. This paper outlines possible scenarios for the expansion of switchgrass handling to 30 Tg (million Mg) in 2015 and 100 Tg in 2030 based on predicted growth of the biorefinery industry in the USA. The value of switchgrass collection operations is estimated at more than $0.6 billion in 2015 and more than $2.1 billion in 2030. The estimated value of post harvest operations is $0.6 $2.0 billion in 2015, and $2.0 $6.5 billion in 2030, depending on the degree of preprocessing. The need for power equipment (tractors) will increase from 100 MW in 2015 to 666 MW in 2030, with corresponding annual values of $150 and $520 million, respectively. 2009 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/bbb.129 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015055 |
| Direct mechanical energy measures of hammer mill comminution of switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover and analysis of their particle size distributions | Bitra, V S P; Womac, A R; Chevanan, Nehru; Miu, P I; Smith, D R; Igathinathane, C; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ACCURACY; AGRICULTURAL WASTES; ASYMMETRY; BIOMASS; COMMINUTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS; DISTRIBUTION; DUSTS; GRINDING; MAIZE; MILLING; PARTICLE SIZE; SCREENS; STATISTICS; STORAGE; STRAW; SWITCHGRASS; VELOCITY; WHEAT | Biomass particle size impacts handling, storage, conversion, and dust control systems. Size reduction mechanical energy was directly measured for switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), wheat straw (Triticum aestivum L.), and corn stover (Zea mays L.) in an instrumented hammer mill. Direct energy inputs were determined for hammer mill operating speeds from 2000 to 3600 rpm for 3.2 mm integral classifying screen and mass input rate of 2.5 kg/min with 90 - and 30 -hammers. Overall accuracy of specific energy measurement was calculated as 0.072 MJ/Mg. Particle size distributions created by hammer mill were determined for mill operating factors using ISO sieve sizes from 4.75 to 0.02 mm in conjunction with Ro-Tap sieve analyzer. A wide range of analytical descriptors were examined to mathematically represent the range of particle sizes in the distributions. Total specific energy (MJ/Mg) was defined as size reduction energy to operate the hammer mill plus that imparted to biomass. Effective specific energy was defined as energy imparted to biomass. Total specific energy for switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover grinding increased by 37, 30, and 45% from 114.4, 125.1, and 103.7 MJ/Mg, respectively, with an increase in hammer mill speed from 2000 to 3600 rpm for 90 -hammers. Corresponding total specific energy per unit size reduction was 14.9, 19.7, and 13.5 MJ/Mg mm, respectively. Effective specific energy of 90 -hammers decreased marginally for switchgrass and considerably for wheat straw and it increased for corn stover with an increase in speed from 2000 to 3600 rpm. However, effective specific energy increased with speed to a certain extent and then decreased for 30 -hammers. Rosin Rammler equation fitted the size distribution data with R2 > 0.995. Mass relative span was greater than 1, which indicated a wide distribution of particle sizes. Hammer milling of switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover with 3.2 mm screen resulted in well-graded fine-skewed mesokurtic particles. Uniformity coefficient was < 4.0 for wheat straw, which indicated uniform mix of particles, and it was about 4.0 for switchgrass and corn stover, which indicated a moderate assortment of particles. Size-related parameters, namely, geometric mean diameter, Rosin Rammler size parameter, median diameter, and effective size had strong correlation among themselves and good negative correlation with speed. Distribution-related parameters, namely, Rosin Rammler distribution parameter, mass relative span, inclusive graphic skewness, graphic kurtosis, uniformity index, uniformity coefficient, coefficient of gradation and distribution geometric standard deviation had strong correlation among themselves and a weak correlation with mill speed. Results of this extensive analysis of specific energy and particle sizes can be applied to selection of hammer mill operating factors to produce a particular size of switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover grind, and will serve as a guide for relations among the energy and various analytic descriptors of biomass particle distributions. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 2009-07-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.powtec.2009.02.010 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015101 |
| Spallation Neutron Source Second Target Station Construction Project: Biological Assessment | McCracken, Kitty; Carter, Evin T. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES | The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 153 et seq.), as amended (ESA or Act) in section 7(a)(1) directs Federal agencies to conserve and recover listed species and use their authorities in the furtherance of the purposes of the Act by carrying out programs for the conservation of endangered and threatened species so that listing is no longer necessary (50 CFR §402). Furthermore, the Act in section 7(a)(2) directs Federal agencies to consult (referred to as section 7 consultation) with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) when their activities âmay affectâ a listed species or designated critical habitat. This biological assessment (BA) analyzes the potential effects of the proposed Spallation Neutron Source Second Target Station STS construction project on the U. S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) on Federal listed threatened, endangered, proposed, and under consideration for Federal listing bat species, pursuant to section 7(a)(2) of the ESA. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2024-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/2371070 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2371070 |
| Foliar retention of 15N tracers: implications for net canopy exchange in low- and high-elevation forest ecosystems | Garten, Jr, Charles T; Schwab, Alison; Shirshac, Terri | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONIFERS; DEPOSITION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; NITRATES; NITROGEN 15; RETENTION; SEASONS; WASHOUT | Nitrogen-15 ({sup 15}N) labelled ammonium and nitrate were applied to understory saplings in a low-elevation deciduous forest and a high-elevation coniferous forest during the 1993 growing season to estimate the minimum retention of inorganic N from wet deposition. Tissue samples were collected at both sites before and after the tracer applications to determine the initial and the final {sup 15}N content. The fraction of the tracer application retained by deciduous leaves or by current-year leaves and stems on conifers was calculated from measurements of {sup 15}N and total N content. At both study sites, tracer applications significantly increased the {sup 15}N content of sapling tissues, although there was no significant difference between the fractional retention of ammonium and nitrate. The results support earlier studies indicating that the foliar retention of {sup 15}N applied in simulated wet deposition is small. Our estimates of annual N uptake from wet deposition by the forest canopy at the low- and high-elevation study sites were only 14 and 7%, respectively. This study, along with prior studies of the different chemical forms of N deposition, indicates that canopy uptake of dry N deposition is a major contributor to the net canopy exchange of N in both forests. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 1998-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/S0378-1127(97)00185-0 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989689 | |
| The importance of recognizing Buffer Zones to lands being developed, restored, or remediated: on planning for protection of ecological resources | Burger, Joanna (ORCID:0000000288772966); Gochfeld, Michael; Brown, Kevin; Ng, Kelly; Cortes, Monica; Kosson, David | Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; Toxicology | Not provided. | Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, TN (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2023-11-24T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1080/15287394.2023.2285511 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2578676 |
| Dispersal of radioactivity by wildlife from contaminated sites in a forested landscape | Garten, Jr, Charles T | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ANIMALS; DEER; FROGS; HOME RANGE; HYMENOPTERA; INVERTEBRATES; MAMMALS; ORNL; PONDS; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIOISOTOPES; SEDIMENTS; TENNESSEE; TRACE AMOUNTS; TRANSPORT; TURTLES; VECTORS; WASPS; WASTES | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is located within the Valley and Ridge Physiographic Province of eastern Tennessee (USA). Wildlife populations have access to some radioactively contaminated sites at ORNL. Contaminated animals or animal nests within the Laboratory's boundaries have been found to contain {sup 90}Sr or {sup 137}Cs on the order of 10{sup -2}-10{sup 4} Bqg{sup -1} and trace amounts of other radionuclides (including transuranic elements). Animals that are capable of flight and animals with behavior patterns or developmental life stages involving contact with sediments in radioactive ponds, like benthic invertebrates, present the greatest potential for dispersal of radioactivity. The emigration of frogs and turtles from waste ponds also presents a potential for dispersal of radioactivity but over distances < 5 km. Mud-dauber wasps (Hymenoptera) and swallows (Hirundinidae) may transport radioactive mud for nest building, but also over relatively short distances (0.2-1 km). Movement by small mammals is limited by several factors, including physical barriers and smaller home ranges. Larger animals, like white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), are potential vectors of radioactivity due to their greater body size, longer life expectancy, and larger home range. Larger animals contain greater amounts of total radioactivity than smaller animals, but tissue concentrations of {sup 137}Cs generally decline with body size. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 1995-12-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/0265-931X(94)00068-8 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989656 | |
| Forest soil carbon inventories and dynamics along an elevation gradient in the southern Appalachian Mountains | Garten, Jr, Charles T; Post, Wilfred M; Hanson, Paul J; Cooper, Lee W | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS; CARBON; CLIMATES; ECOSYSTEMS; FLOTATION; FORESTS; HYDROLOGY; INVENTORIES; NUTRITION; ORGANIC MATTER; SOILS | Soil organic carbon (SOC) was partitioned between unprotected and protected pools in six forests along an elevation gradient in the southern Appalachian Mountains using two physical methods: flotation in aqueous CaCl{sub 2} (1.4 g/mL) and wet sieving through a 0.053 mm sieve. Both methods produced results that were qualitatively and quantitatively similar. Along the elevation gradient, 28 to 53% of the SOC was associated with an unprotected pool that included forest floor O-layers and other labile soil organic matter (SOM) in various stages of decomposition. Most (71 to 83%) of the C in the mineral soil at the six forest sites was identified as protected because of its association with a heavy soil fraction (> 1.4 g/mL) or a silt-clay soil fraction. Total inventories of SOC in the forests (to a depth of 30 cm) ranged from 384 to 1244 mg C/cm{sup 2}. The turnover time of the unprotected SOC was negatively correlated (r = -0.95, p < 0.05) with mean annual air temperature (MAT) across the elevation gradient. Measured SOC inventories, annual C returns to the forest floor, and estimates of C turnover associated with the protected soil pool were used to parameterize a simple model of SOC dynamics. Steady-state predictions with the model indicated that, with no change in C inputs, the low- (235-335 m), mid- (940-1000 m), and high- (1650-1670 m) elevation forests under study might surrender {approx} 40 to 45% of their current SOC inventory following a 4 C increase in MAT. Substantial losses of unprotected SOM as a result of a warmer climate could have long-term impacts on hydrology, soil quality, and plant nutrition in forest ecosystems throughout the southern Appalachian Mountains. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 1999-05-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1023/A:1006121511680 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989645 | |
| Disturbance of hibernating bats due to researchers entering caves to conduct hibernacula surveys | Whiting, Jericho C.; Doering, Bill; Aho, Ken; Bybee, Bryan F. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Acoustic sampling; Animal behaviour; Conservation biology; Corynorhinus townsendii; Ecological modelling; Hibernacula; Hibernacula surveys; Myotis ciliolabrum; Science & Technology - Other Topics | Estimating population changes of bats is important for their conservation. Population estimates of hibernating bats are often calculated by researchers entering hibernacula to count bats; however, the disturbance caused by these surveys can cause bats to arouse unnaturally, fly, and lose body mass. We conducted 17 hibernacula surveys in 9 caves from 2013 to 2018 and used acoustic detectors to document cave-exiting bats the night following our surveys. We predicted that cave-exiting flights (i.e., bats flying out and then back into caves) of Townsendâs big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii) and western small-footed myotis (Myotis ciliolabrum) would be higher the night following hibernacula surveys than on nights following no surveys. Those two species, however, did not fly out of caves more than predicted the night following 82% of surveys. Nonetheless, the activity of bats flying out of caves following surveys was related to a disturbance factor (i.e., number of researchers à total time in a cave). We produced a parsimonious model for predicting the probability of Townsendâs big-eared bats flying out of caves as a function of disturbance factor and ambient temperature. That model can be used to help biologists plan for the number of researchers, and the length of time those individuals are in a cave to minimize disturbing bats. | Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Piketon, OH (United States) | USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) | United States | 2024-06-12T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/s41598-024-64172-8 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2469850 |
| Uptake of tritium by plants from atmosphere and soil | Amano, H; Garten, Jr, Charles T | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; DECIDUOUS TREES; DIFFUSION; FORECASTING; SOILS; TRANSPIRATION; TREES; TRITIUM; TRITIUM OXIDES; WATER | Uptake of tritiated water (HTO) by plants was examined under field conditions when tritium was available to leaves from only the atmosphere and when tritium was available from both the soil (root uptake) and the atmosphere. Maple, oak, and elm trees, planted in clean soil, were transported to a tritium-contaminated forest, where the atmospheric tritium concentration was elevated, to examine HTO uptake by tree leaves when the source was only in the atmosphere. The results partially agreed with a diffusion model of tritium uptake by plants. Discrepancies found between predicted and measured leaf HTO/air HTO ratios should be attributed to the existence of some isolated water, which is isolated from the transpiration stream in the leaves, that was not available for rapid turnover. The uptake of tritium by trees, when the source was both in the soil and atmosphere, was also examined using deciduous trees (maple and elm) resident to the tritium-contaminated forest. The results were in agreement with a prediction model. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 1991-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/0160-4120(91)90334-M | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978730 | |
| Ecological connectivity and in-kind mitigation in a regulatory decision framework: A case study with an amphibian habitat specialist | Carter, Evin T.; Wade, Bryce S.; Jett, R. Trent; Mathews, Teresa J.; Hayter, Lindsey E.; Darling, Sarah E.; Herold, Jamie M.; Byrd, Greg; DeRolph, Christopher R.; McCracken, M. Kitty; Peterson, Mark J. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Decision analysis; Environmental cleanup; Hemidactylium; Platanthera; Translocation; Wetlands | Ecological connectivity is critical to the survival and long-term viability of populations but is often overlooked in regulatory frameworks. We integrated landscape-level processes into a mitigation strategy for impacts to aquatic resources on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in eastern Tennessee. Wetlands on the ORR, which contain significant breeding populations of the imperiled four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) and tubercled rein orchid (Platanthera flava var. herbiola), will be impacted by construction of an environmental waste disposal facility under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). Here, we used a modified Kepner-Tregoe decision analysis to select general mitigation options that balanced regulatory requirements and interest group perspectives. We emphasized habitat connectivity through models that prioritized an area's importance to natural area connectivity (centrality) and maintenance of population structure for an affected habitat specialist (four-toed salamanders). We also emphasized in-kind mitigation through the preservation and enhancement of ecologically similar resources and the translocation and establishment of a new subpopulation of four-toed salamanders elsewhere on the ORR. We ultimately released over 500 juvenile salamanders that originated from the impacted site into the chosen mitigation wetlands. By doing so under the constraints of a time-sensitive CERCLA remediation effort and exceeding its substantive requirements, this work underscores feasibility. Ecological connectivity and the conservation of species that are not afforded explicit regulatory processes can be effectively and efficiently integrated into environmental decision-making and land use planning. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE; Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) | United States | 2025-02-21T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124546 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2538399 |
| CONSERVATION AMID THE RCRA/CERCLA REMEDIAL PROCESS | BLAS, SUSAN A. | SRS | DOE; EM | United States | 2023-02-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1969068 | |||
| Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1990 to the DOE Office of Energy Research | Park, J. F.; Kreml, S. A.; Wildung, R. E.; Hefty, M. G.; Perez, D. A.; Chase, K. K.; Elderkin, C. E.; Owczarski, E. L.; Toburen, L. H.; Parnell, K. A.; Faust, L. G.; Moraski, R. V.; Selby, J. M.; Hilliard, D. K.; Tenforde, T. S. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); 540310 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); 550500 -- Metabolism; 550700 -- Microbiology; 58 GEOSCIENCES; 580000 -- Geosciences; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; BIOTECHNOLOGY; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; GEOLOGY; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROLOGY; MASS TRANSFER; MICROORGANISMS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PLANTS; PROGRESS REPORT; REMOTE SENSING; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SOILS; SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENTS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WATER | This report summarizes progress in the environmental sciences research conducted by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the Office of Health and Environment Research in FY 1990. Research is directed toward developing the knowledge needed to guide government policy and technology development for two important environmental problems: environmental restoration and global change. The report is organized by major research areas contributing to resolution of these problems. Additional sections summarize exploratory research, educational institutional interactions, technology transfer, and publications. The PNL research program continues make contributions toward defining and quantifying processes that effect the environment at the local, regional, and global levels. Each research project forms a component in an integrated laboratory, intermediate-scale, and field approach designed to examine multiple phenomena at increasing levels of complexity. This approach is providing system-level insights into critical environmental processes. University liaisons continue to be expanded to strengthen the research and to use PNL resources to train the scientists needed to address long-term environmental problems. | Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA) | United States | 1991-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5765261 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5765261 |
| Influence of habitat and baiting strategy on oral rabies vaccine bait uptake by raccoons in the southeastern United States | Hill, Jacob; Miller, Madison; Chipman, Richard; Gilbert, Amy; Beasley, James; Dharmarajan, Guha; Rhodes, Olin | Agriculture; Behavioral Sciences; Veterinary Sciences | Not provided. | Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2024-08-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106320 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2576382 |
| A physical map of the highly heterozygous Populus genome: integration with the genome sequence and genetic map and analysis of haplotype variation | Kelleher, Colin; Chiu, Readman; Shin, Heesun; Bosdet, Ian; Krywinski, Martin; Fjell, Chris; Wilkin, Jennifer; Yin, Tongming; DiFazio, Stephen P; Ali, Johar; Asano, Jennifer; Chan, Susanna; Cloutier, Alison; Girn, Noreen; Leach, Stephen; Lee, Darlene; Mathewson, Carrie; Olson, Teika; O'Connor, Katie; Prabhu, Anna-Liisa; Smailus, Duane; Stott, Jeffery; Tsai, Miranda; Wye, Natasaja; Yang, George; Zhuang, Jun; Holt, Robert A.; Putnam, Nicholas; Vrebalov, Julia; Giovannoni, James; Grimwood, Jane; Schmutz, Jeremy; Rokhsar, Daniel; Jones, Steven; Marra, Marco; Tuskan, Gerald A; Bohlmann, J.; Ellis, Brian; Ritland, Kermit; Douglas, Carl; Schein, Jacqueline | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; CHROMOSOMES; CONTIGS; GENETICS; POPLARS | As part of a larger project to sequence the Populus genome and generate genomic resources for this emerging model tree, we constructed a physical map of the Populus genome, representing one of the first maps of an undomesticated, highly heterozygous plant species. The physical map, consisting of 2,802 contigs, was constructed from fingerprinted bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones. The map represents approximately 9.4-fold coverage of the 485+10 Mb Populus genome, as estimated from the genome sequence assembly. BAC ends were sequenced to aid in long-range assembly of whole genome shotgun sequence scaffolds and to anchor the physical map to the genome sequence. Simple sequence repeat (SSR)-based markers were derived from the end sequences and used to initiate integration of the BAC and genetic maps. 2,411 physical map contigs, representing 97% of all clones assigned to contigs, were aligned to the sequence assembly (JGI Populus trichocarpa v1.0). These alignments represent a total coverage of 384 Mb (79%) of the entire poplar sequence assembly and 295 Mb (96%) of linkage group sequence assemblies. A striking result of the physical map contig alignments to the sequence assembly was the co-localization of multiple contigs across numerous regions of the 19 linkage groups. Targeted sequencing of BAC clones and genetic analysis in a small number of representative regions showed that these co-aligning contigs represent distinct haplotypes in the heterozygous individual sequenced, and revealed the nature of these haplotype sequence differences. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2007.03112.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/931850 |
| Sources of sulphur in forest canopy throughfall | Lindberg, Steven Eric; Garten, Jr, Charles T | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ACIDIFICATION; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; DEPOSITION; FORESTS; LEACHING; LEAVES; RAIN; SOILS; THROUGHFALL; TREES; WATER | Atmospheric deposition of sulphate is the primary link between the atmosphere and acidification of soils and aquatic ecosystems. The flux of sulphate to forest soils can be measured in the water that drips from trees following the interception of rain to form stemflow and throughfall (the sum of which is designated here as TF). Enrichment of sulphur in TF over that found in rain is widely reported; sulphur sources include the wash-off of previously dry-deposited sulphate particles and SO{sub 2} and the leaching of internal plant sulphur from foliage (termed foliar leaching). To quantify foliar leaching, we labelled mature trees in the field with radiosulphur and measured atmospheric sulphur concentrations and fluxes. Here we report that dry deposition provides >85% of the enrichment of sulphate in the TF flux to soils below three different tree species at low-elevation sites in the southeastern United States. This supports evidence from several forests that total atmospheric deposition of sulphate is strongly reflected in the measured flux in TF. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 1988-11-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/336148a0 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978736 | |
| Stable nitrogen isotope ratios in wet and dry nitrate deposition collected with an artificial tree | Garten, Jr, Charles T | 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; COAL; COMBUSTION; DEPOSITION; FORESTS; ISOTOPE RATIO; NITRATES; NITROGEN ISOTOPES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PRECIPITATION; SAMPLING; TENNESSEE; THROUGHFALL; TREES | Amounts of dry NO{sub 3}-N deposition and N isotope ratios in wet and dry NO{sub 3}-N deposition have been simultaneously determined by examining differences between precipitation collected by open funnels and throughfall collected beneath an artificial Christmas tree. Samples were collected in a forest clearing on Walker Branch Watershed, near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. From mid-summer to early autumn, NO{sub 3}-N fluxes beneath the artificial tree were always greater than those measured in precipitation indicating the tree's effectiveness as a passive collector of dry NO{sub 3}-N deposition. Dry NO{sub 3}-N deposition averaged 60 {+-} 9% of total (wet and dry) deposition. The mean ({+-} SD) calculated {delta}{sup 15}N value for NO{sub 3}-N in dry deposition was + 5.6 {+-} 2.1{per_thousand} (n = 6 sampling periods ranging from 4 to 15 days). On average, this was {approx} 6{per_thousand} heavier than measured {delta}{sup 15}N values for NO{sub 3}-N in precipitation. The calculated {delta}{sup 15}N value for NO{sub 3}-N in dry deposition was consistent with that expected if NO{sub x} precursors to HNO{sub 3} vapor (the major constituent of dry deposition at this site) originated principally from coal combustion. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 1996-02-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1034/j.1600-0889.1996.00006.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989691 | |
| Deer Vigilance and Movement Behavior Are Affected by Edge Density and Connectivity | Bartel, Savannah L.; Hakkila, Leotie; Orrock, John L. | Animal behavior is an important component of individual, population, and community responses to anthropogenic habitat alteration. For example, antipredator behavior (e.g., vigilance) and animal movement behavior may both be important behavioral responses to the increased density of habitat edges and changes in patch connectivity that characterize highly modified habitats. Importantly, edge density and connectivity might interact, and this interaction is likely to mediate animal behavior: linear, edgeârich landscape features often provide structural connectivity between patches, but the functional connectedness of patches for animal use could depend upon how edge density modifies animal vigilance and movement. Using remote cameras in largeâscale experimental landscapes that manipulate edge density (highâ vs. lowâdensity edges) and patch connectivity (isolated or connected patches), we examined the effects of edge density and connectivity on the antipredator behavior and movement behavior of whiteâtailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ). Deer vigilance was 1.38 times greater near highâdensity edges compared to lowâdensity edges, regardless of whether patches were connected or isolated. Deer were also more likely to move parallel to connected highâdensity edges than all other edge types, suggesting that connectivity promotes movement along highâdensity edges. These results suggest that increases in edge density that accompany human fragmentation of existing habitats may give rise to largeâscale changes in the antipredator behavior of deer. These results also suggest that conservation strategies that simultaneously manipulate edge density and connectivity (i.e., habitat corridors) may have multiple effects on different aspects of deer behavior: linear habitat corridors were areas of high vigilance, but also areas where deer movement behavior implied increased movement along the habitat edge. | USDOE | Country unknown/Code not available | 2025-05-19T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/eth.13574 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2567077 | ||
| Topographic variation of soil nitrogen dynamics at Walker Branch Watershed, Tennessee | Garten, Jr, Charles T; Huston, Michael A; Thoms, C A | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; APPROXIMATIONS; CALIBRATION; DRAINAGE; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS; MINERALIZATION; NITRIFICATION; NITROGEN; PRODUCTIVITY; SAMPLING; SIMULATION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SOILS; TENNESSEE; TRANSFORMATIONS; UREASE; WATERSHEDS | Understanding the spatial and temporal variability of soil nitrogen (N) transformations is central to quantifying the N dynamics and productivity of ecosystems. The objectives of this work were to examine spatial and temporal variation of soil N dynamics and to identify factors correlated with topographic variation in soil N dynamics in a forest watershed. Net N mineralization and net nitrification potential were measured by aerobic laboratory incubations of surface (0-7 cm) mineral soils. Principal components analysis was used to describe sampling sites across the watershed based on 13 site characterization variables. A topographic index used in hydrologic modeling, In ({alpha}/tan {beta}), was calculated for each site as the natural logarithm of the ratio of the upslope drainage area per unit contour length ({alpha}) to the local slope angle (tan {beta}). Soils from valley floors had greater total N concentrations, lower carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratios, greater potential net nitrification, and greater microbial activity (as indicated by short-term urease assays) than soils from ridges. Mean net nitrification potential was 0.59 {micro}g N g{sup -1} d{sup -1} in surface soils from valley floors and was < 0.01 on ridges and slopes. The first principal component was related to the N and C properties of soils, leaf litter, and leaf fall at a site. The second principal component was related to forest stand composition. The topographic index was significantly correlated with important variables related to soil N dynamics. Once calibration data are derived, this index may be useful as a first approximation to total soil N concentrations and soil C:N ratios in forest watersheds because In ({alpha}/tan {beta}) can be calculated from geographic information systems that contain topographic data. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 1994-08-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989635 | ||
| Nitrogen isotope composition of ammonium and nitrate in bulk precipitation and forest throughfall | Garten, Jr, Charles T | 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AEROSOLS; CLOUDS; FORESTS; FRACTIONATION; ION EXCHANGE; MOUNTAINS; NITRATES; NITROGEN 15; NITROGEN COMPOUNDS; NITROGEN ISOTOPES; PRECIPITATION; PROCESSING; RAIN; THROUGHFALL; WASHOUT; WATER; WATERSHEDS | The stable nitrogen isotope composition of ammonium (NH{sub 4}{sup +}) and nitrate (NO{sub 3}{sup -}) ions in bulk precipitation and forest throughfall was determined at Walker Branch watershed, a low elevation site (340 m) in northeastern Tennessee, and in cloud water from Whitetop Mountain, a high elevation site (1680 m) in southwestern Virginia. Tests of the method used indicated that sample processing did not introduce significant isotopic fractionation in measurements of nitrogen isotope composition. Mean {delta}{sup 15}N values for NH{sub 4}{sup +} and NO{sub 3}{sup -} in solutions of artificial rain were within 0.3{per_thousand} of the mean {delta}{sup 15}N values of nitrogen compounds used to make the solutions. Over a one-year period on Walker Branch watershed, the measured mean ({+-} SD) {delta}{sup 15}N value for NH{sub 4}{sup +} in bulk precipitation and throughfall (-3.4 {+-} 2.1{per_thousand}) was significantly less than that for NO{sub 3}{sup -}(+ 2.3 {+-} 2.4{per_thousand}). The same relative pattern was observed in cloud water from Whitetop Mountain: mean ({+-} SD) {delta}{sup 15}N in cloud water NH{sub 4}{sup +} was -5.5 {+-} 3.2{per_thousand}; i.e., isotopically lighter than NO{sub 3}{sup -}(+ 1.4 {+-} 4.8{per_thousand}). The isotopic composition of NH{sub 4}{sup +} in bulk precipitation and throughfall on Walker Branch watershed and in cloud water at Whitetop Mountain was consistent with origination through the washout of atmospheric NH{sub 3}. However, the origins of NO{sub 3}{sup -} (gaseous versus aerosol precursors) could not be clearly established from {delta}{sup 15}N measurements. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 1992-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1080/03067319208027017 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989694 | |
| Variation in foliar 15N abundance and the availability of soil nitrogen on Walker Branch Watershed | Garten, Jr, Charles T | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; AVAILABILITY; DEPOSITION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; MINERALIZATION; NITRIFICATION; NITROGEN; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SOILS; TENNESSEE; TOPOGRAPHY; WATERSHEDS | Spatial patterns in natural {sup 15}N abundance ({sup o}{sup 15}N) in soil, soil solutions, and non-N{sub 2}-fixing plants were studied in the deciduous forest on Walker Branch Watershed near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that foliar {sup o}{sup 15}N values are related to the availability of inorganic nitrogen in mineral soil. Soils collected in or near valley bottoms on the watershed had higher levels of net nitrogen mineralization and net nitrification potential than those sampled from ridges and slopes. More positive foliar {sup o}{sup 15}N values occurred in valley bottoms, which, relative to other positions on the watershed, were characterized by greater availability of soil nitrogen and lower C-to-N ratios in the O{sub i}-horizon, in the surface mineral soil, and in autumn leaf fall. Although leaf nitrogen concentrations changed significantly over the course of the growing season, there was little seasonal variation in foliar {sup o}{sup 15}N values. A hypothesis about the relative importance of different sources of nitrogen to the forest and how nitrogen cycling varies with topography in this nitrogen-deficient ecosystem was derived, in part, from spatial patterns in natural {sup 15}N abundance. There appear to be two processes affecting the topographic patterns in foliar {sup 15}N abundance on this watershed: (1) greater uptake from isotopically heavy pools of inorganic soil nitrogen by plants in valley bottoms, and (2) uptake of isotopically light ammonium-N in atmospheric deposition by plants on ridges and slopes (where the availability of inorganic soil nitrogen to plant roots is more limited). Results from this study indicate that foliar {sup o}{sup 15}N values are positively correlated with net nitrification potential in surface soil. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 1993-10-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.2307/1940855 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989634 | |
| DOE-ID-INL-21-126 R1 | Jorgensen, Kailey L | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; Monitoring & Natural Resource Activities at INL; Off-Site Monitoring | DOE-ID-INL-21-126 R1 for INL-21-126 R1. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Nuclear Energy | United States | 2022-10-17T04:00:00Z | Program Document | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1908688 | |
| Watersheds and stream networks viewed longitudinally: Example insights from novel spatial portrayals of watershed characteristics | Raulerson, Scott; Sytsma, Caleb; Webster, Jackson R.; Jackson, C. Rhett | Longitudinal depictions of watershed structure and characteristics, including topography, stream networks, wetlands, ground water levels, and land use, can provide watershed knowledge and understanding unavailable from standard plan view maps. Three case studies provide examples of knowledge gained by applying longitudinal views of stream networks, watershed hydrologic behavior, and land use distributions. Longitudinal views of mountain stream networks show extreme variability in the slopeâarea relationships of low Strahler order streams, large discontinuities in drainage area (large parts of drainage area space are absent in networks), and large variations in network curvature. Longitudinal views of a groundwaterâdominated headwater watershed increase the inference available from limited groundwater observations and clearly reveal how groundwater connections affect the permanence of surface water features and the distribution of vadose zone storage in the landscape. Plotting land uses longitudinally illuminates and allows a quantitative analysis of how land uses are distributed relative to topographic position. Viewing watersheds and stream networks longitudinally can provide new insights into watershed forms and processes and motivate new questions and research. | USDOE | United Kingdom | 2023-01-20T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/rra.4107 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1914324 | ||
| Advancing wildlife connectivity in land use planning: a case study with four-toed salamanders | Wade, Bryce S.; Carter, Evin T.; Derolph, Christopher R.; Byrd, Greg; Darling, Sarah E.; Hayter, Lindsey E.; Jett, R. Trent; Herold, Jamie M.; Giffen, Neil R. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Hemidactylium; LiDAR; Plethodontidae; barriers; circuit theory; cooperative planning; open-bottom culvert; research-implementation gap; roads and infrastructure | Stable habitat connections that wildlife can safely traverse are essential to biodiversity conservation and healthy ecosystems. We developed high-resolution landscape connectivity models to predict resistance to movement by a threatened wetland-obligate amphibian, the four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum), and identified priority management areas on the 13,000-ha Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) from 2019 to 2022. We developed a resistance surface based on aerial light detection and ranging data (LiDAR), >30 years of field-based mapping of forest, hydrologic, and geologic features, and contemporary population surveys, alongside derived predictors at <1-m resolution. We then modeled predicted movement corridors using a circuit theory-based modeling approach. We worked closely with land management and natural resources personnel to integrate ecological modeling with broader land use priorities, monetary costs, and feasibility. We identified important terrestrial and aquatic areas on ORR and simulated management scenarios to promote stable connections for four-toed salamanders. This approach allowed us to narrow down a list of 438 potential habitat manipulation sites to 10 sites where open-bottomed culverts and buffers could be implemented. This smaller-scale restoration approach produced a similar increase in landscape connectivity while costing <20% of a larger-scale approach based on barrier removal. We successfully identified feasible, cost-effective management strategies that integrated knowledge from a variety of sources. In conclusion, we offer a strategy that permitted integration of wildlife management goals into infrastructure upgrades wherein wildlife was not an initial consideration. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC), Office of Workforce Development for Teachers & Scientists (WDTS) | United States | 2023-06-20T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/jwmg.22456 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1999092 |
| Pillars of Innovation Across Southeast Idaho & the Interstate-15 Corridor | Smith, Angela J; Fishler, Hillary K.; Sandi-Tapia, Giselle; Braase, Lori A | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; innovation hub | Since 1949, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has been home to developing civilian and defense nuclear reactor technologies and managing spent nuclear fuel. Today, INL is the nationâs nuclear energy research laboratory, sustaining the safe and efficient operation of existing reactors, powering science in space, and breaking ground on the future fleet of advanced nuclear reactors. INL is only one of many rising technology resources in the region, however. Along the Interstate 15 (I-15) corridor, technology and cybersecurity industries and intellectual assets are rapidly expanding. Creating an innovation hub in this region would unite capabilities to solve current and future challenges in nuclear reactor sustainment and expanded deployment, integrated fuel cycle solutions, integrated energy systems, advanced materials and manufacturing for extreme environments, and secure and resilient cyber-physical systems. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2023-03-27T04:00:00Z | Program Document | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1970369 | |
| Replacement of Clerestory Windows at TA-03-0039 Technical Shops Building | Schultz, Elliot Merle; Townsend, Cameron Dee | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; Cultural resources | The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Field Office (Field Office) proposes an undertaking to replace 86 clerestory windows in Building 39 in Technical Area 3 (Technical Shops Building; TA-03-0039) at Los Alamos National Laboratory. TA-03-0039 was evaluated and determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in a report titled ESA Divisionâs Five-Year Plan: Consolidation and Revitalization at Technical Areas 3, 8, 11, and 16. This determination was concurred on by the State Historic Preservation Office on June 22, 2003 (McGehee et al. 2003). | Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) | USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) | United States | 2025-01-16T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/2506973 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2506973 |
| Efficacy and Costs of Restoring Wetland Breeding Habitat for Imperiled Amphibians in the Southeastern U.S. | Stonecypher, E. Tucker; Lee, Linda S.; Weir, Scott M.; King, Elizabeth G.; Davis, Charles E.; Lance, Stacey L. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Cost-benefit; Duff; Fire ecology; Herbaceous; Isolated wetland; Rana capito | Herbaceous isolated wetlands in the North American Southeastern Coastal Plain are important breeding sites for many imperiled amphibians. However, most are degraded from alterations to historic fire disturbance and hydrologic regimes. Without fire, encroaching woody vegetation can transition wetlands to more terrestrial conditions and negatively impact amphibian breeding habitat, yet few studies have experimentally tested the efficacy, cost, or temporal requirement of current methods to restore herbaceous wetland vegetation. Here, we tested the interaction of manipulating wetland canopy and leaf litter/duff to promote herbaceous vegetation within one year (i.e., one breeding season) in degraded herbaceous wetlands in South Carolina. We assessed plant response via herbaceous cover, composition, and species similarity to the wetland seed bank and then related treatment performance to treatment cost. Removing trees combined with burning, disturbing, or removing duff significantly increased herbaceous cover and proportions of wetland plants and graminoids. Removing trees alone did not improve herbaceous cover compared to closed-canopy controls, and manipulating duff alone had limited positive effects on plant cover and composition. The most expensive yet effective treatment was Tree Removal-Duff Removal, while Tree Removal-Duff Disturbance was the most cost-effective. At a minimum, we recommend removing trees and burning to kickstart herbaceous recovery. Promisingly, comparisons of our data with previous seed bank studies from these same wetlands indicate there was limited seed bank attrition during 30 years of woody encroachment. Results from this study should aid practitioners in choosing wetland restoration techniques to better conserve at-risk species in the Southeastern Coastal Plain. | Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2024-05-29T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s13157-024-01821-8 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2386962 |
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory Annual Sustainability Report 2023 | Goins, Mark; Sluder, Scott; Albaugh Miller, Amy; Stephenson, Seaira P.; Touton, Laura | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES | ORNL, managed under contract by UT-Battelle LLC, is DOEâs largest science and energy laboratory and, as such, executes the widest range of mission capabilities. Diverse expertise spans a broad range of scientific and engineering disciplines, enabling research and science achievements to accelerate the delivery of solutions to the marketplace. ORNL supports DOEâs national missions of scientific discovery, clean energy, and security. To execute these activities, ORNL has grown significantly over 80 years of continuous operations, consisting of facilities with commissioning dates ranging from the 1940s to the presentâan extraordinary set of distinctive scientific facilities and equipment. The complexities of such a variety of facilities require teamwork among divisions, a wide variety of conservation projects, and creative strategies to achieve the desired energy and water savings. Such a diverse and unique set of major facilities, totaling over 5.5 million square feet, with 6,000 employees, requires an innovative plan to accomplish advancements in operational efficiencies. ORNL is tasked with the management of an extraordinary set of distinctive scientific facilities and equipment for DOE. ORNL is mission-driven, and its mission has grown substantially over the decades. ORNLâs core research capabilities provide broad science and technology support for DOE in the areas of energy, environment, and national security. Currently, ORNL is a world leader in materials, neutron, and nuclear science and engineering, and in high-performance computing and data analytics. ORNLâs vast portfolio of research facilities must be maintained and carefully upgraded to protect the nationâs investment in scientific analysis. The goal of sustainable and resilient operations is to enable more effective execution of ORNLâs science and technology mission. Sustainable operational practices and enhanced resilience strive for excellent results while remaining diligent in energy conservation, environmental stewardship, asset management, and community engagement. The Sustainable ORNL Program (Sustainable ORNL) Continuous improvements in operational and business processes must be integrated into the fabric of the ORNL culture to maximize the return from the investment made in modernizing facilities and equipment. The Sustainable ORNL program promotes the legacy of system-wide best practices, management commitment, and employee engagement that will lead ORNL into a future of efficient, resilient, and sustainable operations. ORNL leadership and Sustainable ORNL champions receive regular status reports on the progress of each project and focus area (i.e., roadmap) and periodic summary reports. More information can be found at the programâs website. The Sustainable ORNL roadmap structure endorses 15 vital roadmaps. The figure below summarizes the current project assignments and demonstrates that each project contributes to the wellbeing of the whole. Continuous employee engagement and regular status reports confirm the ideals of the program. The roadmap structure is not static; as the science mission advances and the needs of the organization evolve, the Sustainable ORNL roadmap structure elements are modified to align with developing priorities. In 2022, Sustainable ORNL made roadmap changes to better align ORNL to support new federal requirements that have been issued. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2023-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/2000351 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2000351 |
| Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2023: Summary Report | Redding, Theodore J. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; NNSS, Environment, Environmental, ASER, NNSA, NFO | This Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report (NNSSER) summarizes actions taken in 2023 to protect the environment and the public while achieving the NNSA/NFO mission goals. It is prepared for the public and our stakeholders in hopes that it is readily understandable and usable. It is a key component in our efforts to keep the public informed of environmental conditions at the NNSS and its support facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada. The accompanying Attachment A expands on the general description of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) presented in the Introduction to the Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2023. Included are subsections that summarize the siteâs geological, hydrological, climatological, and ecological settings and the cultural resources of the NNSS. The supplemental Summary report provides an abbreviated version of the full report. | Nevada National Security Sites/Mission Support and Test Services LLC, Las Vegas, NV (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Environmental Protection and ES&H Reporting | United States | 2024-10-01T04:00:00Z | Program Document | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2447964 | |
| Root traits of perennialn n Cn 4n n grasses contribute to cultivar variations in soil chemistry and species patterns in particulate and mineralâassociated carbon pool formation | KellyâSlatten, Megan J.; Stewart, Catherine E.; Tfaily, Malak M.; Jastrow, Julie D.; Sasso, Abigail; de Graaff, MarieâAnne | Recent studies have indicated that the C 4 perennial bioenergy crops switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum ) and big bluestem ( Andropogon gerardii ) accumulate significant amounts of soil carbon (C) owing to their extensive root systems. Soil C accumulation is likely driven by interâ and intraspecific variability in plant traits, but the mechanisms that underpin this variability remain unresolved. In this study we evaluated how interâ and intraspecific variation in root traits of cultivars from switchgrass (CaveâinâRock, Kanlow, Southlow) and big bluestem (Bonanza, Southlow, Suther) affected the associations of soil C accumulation across soil fractions using stable isotope techniques. Our experimental field site was established in June 2008 at Fermilab in Batavia, IL. In 2018, soil cores were collected (30 cm depth) from all cultivars. We measured root biomass, root diameter, specific root length, bulk soil C, C associated with coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) and fine particulate organic matter plus siltâ and clayâsized fractions, and characterized organic matter chemical class composition in soil using highâresolution Fourierâtransform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. C 4 species were established on soils that supported C 3 grassland for 36 years before planting, which allowed us to use differences in the natural abundance of stable C isotopes to quantify C 4 plantâderived C. We found that big bluestem had 36.9% higher C 4 plantâderived C compared to switchgrass in the CPOM fraction in the 0â10 cm depth, while switchgrass had 60.7% higher C 4 plantâderived C compared to big bluestem in the clay fraction in the 10â20 cm depth. Our findings suggest that the large root system in big bluestem helps increase POMâC formation quickly, while switchgrass root structure and chemistry build a mineralâbound clay C pool through time. Thus, both species and cultivar selection can help improve bioenergy management to maximize soil carbon gains and lower CO 2 emissions. | USDOE | United Kingdom | 2023-02-26T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/gcbb.13041 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1958633 | ||
| Contribution of foliar leaching and dry deposition to sulfate in net throughfall below deciduous trees | Garten, Jr, Charles T; Bondietti, E A; Lomax, Ronny D | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; DECIDUOUS TREES; DEPOSITION; ISOTOPE DILUTION; LEACHING; MAPLES; POPLARS; PRECIPITATION; SULFATES; THROUGHFALL; TREES | Experiments were conducted at Walker Branch Watershed, TN, in 1986 with radioactive {sup 35}S (87 day half-life) to quantify the contribution of foliar leaching and dry deposition to sulfate (SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}) in net throughfall (NTF). Two red maple (Acer rubrum) and two yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) trees (12-15 m tall) were radiolabeled by stem well injection. Total S and {sup 35}S were measured in leaves; {sup 35}S and SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} were measured in throughfall (THF). The contribution of foliar leaching to SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} in NTF, THF minus incident precipitation, was estimated by isotope dilution of {sup 35}S in NTF arising from nonradioactive S in dry deposition. The per cent contribution of foliar leaching to SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} in NTF was greatest during the week following isotope labeling and during the period of autumn leaf fall. During the growing season, foliar leaching accounted for < 20% and dry deposition accounted for > 80% of the SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} in NTF beneath the study trees. Dry deposition of S to these tree species can be reasonably approximated during summer from the measurement of SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} flux in NTF. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 1988-07-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/0004-6981(88)90167-9 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978735 | |
| Raccoon densities across four land cover types in the southeastern United States | Hill, Jacob E.; Helton, James L.; Bernasconi, David A.; Dixon, Wesley C.; Hamilton, Matt T.; Chipman, Richard B.; Gilbert, Amy T.; Beasley, James C.; Dharmarajan, Guha; Rhodes, Jr., Olin E. | Raccoons ( Procyon lotor ) are the primary reservoir for rabies virus in eastern North America. Management of rabies in raccoons is achieved primarily with the use of oral rabies vaccination (ORV) and effective ORV bait densities are determined in part by the densities of raccoons. Decisions regarding ORV bait densities, however, are limited by an incomplete understanding of raccoon densities across the spectrum of landscapes they occupy. We carried out a markârecapture study of raccoons on the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, USA, from 2017â2019, to develop sexâ and landscapeâspecific raccoon density estimates across 4 rural land cover types in the southeastern United States: bottomland hardwood, riparian forest, isolated wetland, and upland pine ( Pinus spp.). We captured 404 unique raccoons 773 times over the 3âyear trapping period. Estimated densities were 5.44 ± 0.37 (SE) animals/km 2 in bottomland hardwood forest, 2.62 ± 0.32 animals/km 2 in riparian forest, 2.19 ± 0.29 animals/km 2 in isolated wetlands, and 2.14 ± 0.23 animals/km 2 in upland pine. Densities were significantly higher in bottomland hardwood than all other land cover types, whereas densities among the remaining cover types were similar. These patterns are likely the result of landscape fragmentation and configuration, with riparian forests typically embedded in a matrix of less suitable cover types, leading to low densities despite presumably high resource availability. There were higher densities of males than females in every cover type except upland pine, where the sex ratio was balanced. Densities on our site were low compared to other rural areas, which likely results from the lack of human influence in terms of agriculture or development. The financial cost of baiting for ORV distribution may be reduced by considering the comparatively low densities of raccoons in these rural landscapes in the southeastern United States. | USDOE | United States | 2023-08-17T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/jwmg.22480 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1996066 | ||
| Foliar leaching, translocation, and biogenic emission of 35S in radiolabeled loblolly pines | Garten, Jr, Charles T | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; DEPOSITION; FORESTS; LEACHING; MASS BALANCE; PINES; PRECIPITATION; SULFUR; THROUGHFALL; TRANSLOCATION; TREES | Foliar leaching, basipetal (downard) translocation, and biogenic emission of sulfur (S), as traced by {sup 35}S, were examined in a field study of loblolly pines. Four trees were radiolabeled by injection with amounts of {sup 35}S in the MBq range, and concentrations in needle fall, stemflow, throughfall, and aboveground biomass were measured over a period of 15-20 wk after injection. The contribution of dry deposition to sulfate-sulfur (SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}-S) concentrations in net throughfall (throughfall SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}-S concentration minus that in incident precipitation) beneath all four trees was >90%. Calculations indicated that about half of the summertime SO{sub 2}2 dry deposition flux to the loblolly pines was fixes in the canopy and not subsequently leached by rainfall. Based on mass balance calculations, {sup 35}S losses through biogenic emissions from girdled trees were inferred to be 25-28% of the amount injected. Estimates based on chamber methods and mass balance calculations indicated a range in daily biogenic S emission of 0.1-10 {micro}g/g dry needles. Translocation of {sup 35}S to roots in nongirdled trees was estimated to be between 14 and 25% of the injection. It is hypothesized that biogenic emission and basipetal translocation of S (and not foliar leaching) are important mechanisms by which forest trees physiologically adapt to excess S in the environment. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 1990-02-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.2307/1940263 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978731 | |
| Approaches to natural resource inventory and analysis on the Oak Ridge Environmental Research Park | Kitchings, J. T.; Mann, L. K.; Joslin, D. J.; Bunnell, R. C. | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BIOMASS; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENERGY SOURCES; FORECASTING; FORESTS; HABITAT; NORTH AMERICA; OAK RIDGE; PLANTS; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TENNESSEE; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TOPOGRAPHY; USA; WILD ANIMALS | The principal effort of the Department of Energy's Environmental Research Park program on the Oak Ridge Reservation is directed at identification and preservation of a diverse assortment of natural communities representative of the Appalachian region of East Tennessee. Designation of natural areas provides a degree of protection for unique plant and animal species. Concommitantly, establishment of research reference areas provides sites which will be used to evaluate changes brought about in similar natural communities as a result of activities related to energy-producing technologies. Agglomerative cluster analysis of 184 continuous forest inventory (CFI) plots on the Reservation initially was used to objectively define forest types. Thus, types identified by cluster analysis formed a basis for determining what forest elements were present and which were representative of the Appalachian region. Subsequently, cluster analysis similarly was used within these research areas to define the overstory, understory, and shrub structure of the particular forest community. | Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn. (USA) | USDOE | United States | 1977-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5188312 | |
| Home range and resource selection of Virginia opossums in the rural southeastern United States | Hill, Jacob E.; Bernasconi, David A.; Chipman, Richard B.; Gilbert, Amy T.; Beasley, James C.; Rhodes, Jr., Olin E.; Dharmarajan, Guha | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Home range; Marsupial; Mesomammal; Spatial ecology; Telemetry | The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) has a rapidly expanding distribution in North America, but many aspects of its ecology remain relatively understudied, particularly in rural areas of its core range. We collected GPS telemetry data from 93 opossums in a rural, non-agricultural landscape in South Carolina, USA (2018â2019) to examine factors influencing space use and resource selection. Estimated male home ranges (99% utilization distributions) were on average 50% larger than those of females (mean home range 115.9 ± 103.7 ha vs 76.7 ± 75.0 ha). The home range size decreased on average by 20% with each 20% increase in deciduous land cover but was not affected by season or other landscape factors. Core area sizes (65% utilization distributions) were not influenced by sex (mean core area size 29.1 ± 23.7 ha and 22.4 ha ± 13.8 for males and females, respectively) or season, but the core area size decreased by 14% with each 400 m increase in distance from a permanent water source. Resource selection by opossums primarily occurred at the landscape level. Both males and females generally selected for wetlands while avoiding pine forests and developed/open areas, likely the result of differences in resource availability and predation risk between habitats. Opossums also tended to select for linear features such as unpaved roads and edge habitat, which may facilitate movement across the landscape. Finally, the home ranges we documented are among the largest recorded for opossums in the USA, likely the result of the relatively low resource abundance throughout our study area due to comparatively minimal anthropogenic influence. | Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) | USDOE; USDA | United States | 2023-12-20T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s13364-023-00733-y | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2350676 |
| A compartment model of plutonium dynamics in a deciduous forest ecosystem | Garten, Jr, Charles T; Gardner, R H; Dahlman, R C | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ACCURACY; COMPARTMENTS; DISTRIBUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLUTONIUM; SOILS; TENNESSEE; TRANSPORT; TREES | A linear compartment donor-controlled model was designed to describe and simulate the behavior of plutonium (239,240Pu) in a contaminated deciduous forest ecosystem at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. At steady states predicted by the model, less than 0.25% of the Pu in the ecosystem resides in forest biota. Soil is the major repository of Pu in the forest, and reciprocal exchanges of Pu between soil and litter or soil and tree roots were dominant transfers affecting the ecosystem distribution of Pu. Variation in predicted steady state amounts of Pu in the forest, given variability in the model parameters, indicates that our ability to develop reliable models of Pu transport in ecosystems will improve with greater precision in data from natural environments and a better understanding of sources of variation in Pu data. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 1978-06-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1097/00004032-197806000-00009 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989663 |
| Bioaccumulation of contaminants in Scarabaeidae and Silphidae beetles at sites polluted by coal combustion residuals and radiocesium | Silva, Ansley E.; Speakman, Robert J.; Barnes, Brittany F.; Coyle, David R.; Leaphart, James C.; Abernethy, Erin F.; Turner, Kelsey L.; Rhodes, Jr., Olin E.; Beasley, James C.; Gandhi, Kamal J. K. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy; Radiocesium; Radioecology; Savannah River Site; Scavenger beetles; Trace elements | Anthropogenic contamination from coal-fired power plants and nuclear reactors is a pervasive issue impacting ecosystems across the globe. As a result, it is critical that studies continue to assess the accumulation and effects of trace elements and radionuclides in a diversity of biota. In particular, bioindicator species are a powerful tool for risk assessment of chemically contaminated habitats. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and auto-gamma counting, we analyzed trace element and radiocesium contaminant concentrations in Scarabaeidae and Silphidae beetles (Order: Coleoptera), important taxa in decomposition and nutrient cycling, at contaminated and reference sites on the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, U.S. Our results revealed variability in trace element concentrations between Scarabaeidae and Silphidae beetles at uncontaminated and contaminated sites. Compared to Scarabaeidae, Silphidae had higher levels of chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn). Unexpectedly, concentrations of Cr, Cu, and Ni were higher in both taxa at the uncontaminated sites. Scarabaeidae and Silphidae beetles at the coal combustion waste site consistently had high concentrations of arsenic (As), and Scarabaeidae had high concentrations of selenium (Se). Of the 50 beetles analyzed for radiocesium levels, two had elevated radioactivity concentrations, both of which were from a site contaminated with radionuclides. Furthermore, our results suggest carrion beetles may be particularly sensitive to bioaccumulation of contaminants due to their trophic position and role in decomposition, and thus are useful sentinels of trace element and radionuclide contamination. | Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2023-09-09T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166821 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2203425 |
| Assessment of habitatâspecific competition for oral rabies vaccine baits between raccoons and opossums | Helton, James L.; Hill, Jacob E.; Bernasconi, David A.; Dixon, Wesley C.; Chipman, Richard B.; Gilbert, Amy T.; Beasley, James C.; Dharmarajan, Guha; Rhodes, Jr., Olin E. | Throughout the eastern United States, the National Rabies Management Program (NRMP) distributes oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits to manage rabies virus circulation in raccoon ( Procyon lotor ) populations. The consumption of vaccine baits by nonâtarget species including Virginia opossums ( Didelphis virginiana ) may reduce the effectiveness of ORV programs, but competition for baits remains poorly quantified in many areas of the southeastern United States. We distributed placebo ORV baits injected with a biomarker across 4 land cover types (bottomland hardwood, upland pine, riparian, isolated wetland) on the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, USA, 2017â2019. We then trapped and collected whiskers from 247 raccoons and 78 opossums to assess biomarker presence using fluorescent microscopy. Our data revealed greater bait uptake probability by raccoons (estimated xÌ = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.19â0.44) compared to opossums (estimated xÌ = 0.11, 95% CI = 0.05â0.23) across all cover types surveyed. Probability of bait consumption was not affected by cover type or the abundance of raccoons or opossums. Among raccoons, males were more likely to consume baits than females (estimated xÌ = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.17â0.44 for males and 0.14, 95% CI = 0.05â0.31 for females) and probability of consumption increased by 0.08 with each additional day trapped during the 10âday trapping session. Uptake rates for raccoons were relatively low compared to other studies and not influenced by competition with opossums. These low consumption rates indicate that additional research addressing the roles of baiting season, bait density, and resource selection will be important to maximize ORV bait uptake by target species in these southeastern landscapes. | USDOE | United States | 2023-04-03T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/jwmg.22398 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1968340 | ||
| Productivity and Cost of Post-Tornado Salvage Logging in Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina, USA | Conrad, Joseph IV | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; bioenergy; chipping; forest restoration; timber harvesting | Salvage harvesting is common in the US South following natural disasters such as tornadoes and hurricanes; nevertheless, few studies have evaluated the productivity and costs of these harvests because of their geographic dispersion and the short interval between natural disasters and salvage harvesting. An Enhanced Fujita Scale 3 (EF3) tornado with winds in excess of 250 km per hour struck Aiken County, South Carolina in April of 2020, uprooting trees and severing other stems above breast height. The goal of this study was to estimate the productivity and cost of salvage harvesting in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) stands following severe tornado damage. Salvage harvests were conducted with a rubber-tired drive-to-tree feller-buncher, grapple skidder, tracked loader, and chipper. All stems were chipped and used to produce energy; no roundwood was produced from the harvests. Elemental time-and-motion studies were conducted in three pulpwood-sized stands (<30 cm large-end diameter) and three sawtimber-sized stands (â¥30 cm large-end diameter). Hourly harvesting costs were estimated using the machine rate method and per-ton costs were estimated using a modified version of the Auburn Harvesting Analyzer. Skidding productivity was low in each harvest unit, but especially so in the three pulpwood-sized stands because of stem breakage and low weight per stem. Harvesting costs averaged $$$29.78 and $$$19.97 (USD) per tonne (onboard truck) in the pulpwood- and sawtimber-sized stands, respectively. High salvage harvesting costs mean that landowners can expect significantly reduced stumpage prices from these harvests; nonetheless, landowners do benefit from reduced reforestation costs. Harvesting promptly after a tornado can reduce harvesting costs and increase timber value recovery. | University of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU); US Department of Agriculture (USDA) | United States | 2023-05-24T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.5552/crojfe.2023.2245 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1985892 |
| Idaho National Laboratory Site Natural Resources: Wildland Fire Recovery Framework | Forman, Amy D.; Kramer, Colby J.; Shive, Jeremy P.; Williams, Samuel Richard; Kaser, Kristin N.; Bybee, Bryan F. | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; ecological impacts; erosion control; fire recovery; invasive and noxious weeds; plant communities; soil stabilization; soils affected by wildland fire; special status plants; vegetation recovery; wildlife population recovery | As pressures from invasive species, climate change, and anthropogenic impacts increase across the landscape in the western U.S., managing wildland fire recovery to promote healthy sagebrush steppe becomes an increasingly important stewardship responsibility. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has developed and implemented wildland fire recovery plans to hasten desirable vegetation re-establishment on several individual fires, but lacks an overarching wildland fire recovery strategy, or framework. The intent of this document is to develop the technical approach and scientific basis for wildland fire recovery at the INL Site and to evaluate the tools available to support it in a comprehensive and broadly applicable format. This wildland fire recovery framework will outline the process of assessing the potential impacts of wildland fire on natural resources, present a range of post-fire recovery options, outline an approach for post-fire monitoring, and provide a template for post-fire recovery plans designed to addresses the specific conditions of each wildland fire. There are numerous benefits to developing a wildland fire recovery framework for the INL Site. The first is streamlining the development of post-fire recovery plans for individual fires. A second benefit is more closely aligning INLâs post-fire planning processes with those of other federal agencies. The development of an INL Site fire recovery framework will also allow resource professionals to consider a broader set of recovery tools than they have before because all proposed tools included in the framework were vetted through the process of scoping and stakeholder review. Finally, this framework is a publicly available document that can be used as a basis for communicating and discussing post-fire natural resource recovery objectives with agency collaborators, conservation partners, and other stakeholders. Through the proactive land stewardship principles outlined in this framework, current INL sustainability initiatives can be enhanced, and future INL mission flexibility will be maintained. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2024-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/2375013 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2375013 |
| Ecological information and approaches needed for risk communication dialogs for acute or chronic environmental crises | Burger, Joanna | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING; Mathematical Methods In Social Sciences; Mathematics; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; eco-cultural; eco-receptors; environmental justice; risk communication | Scientists, social scientists, risk communicators, and many others are often thrust into a crisis situation where they need to interact with a range of stakeholders, including governmental personnel (tribal, U.S. federal, state, local), local residents, and other publics, as well as other scientists and other risk communicators in situations where information is incomplete and evolving. This paper provides: (1) an overall framework for thinking about communication during crises, from acute to chronic, and local to widespread, (2) a template for the types of ecological information needed to address public and environmental concerns, and (3) examples to illustrate how this information will aid risk communicators. The main goal is providing an approach to the knowledge needed by communicators to address the challenges of protecting ecological resources during an environmental crisis, or for an on-going, chronic environmental issue. To understand the risk to these ecological resources, it is important to identify the type of event, whether it is acute or chronic (or some combination of these), what receptors are at risk, and what stressors are involved (natural, biological, chemical, radiological). For ecological resources, the key information a communicator needs for a crisis is whether any of the following are present: threatened or endangered species, species of special concern, species groups of concern (e.g., neotropical bird migrants, breeding frogs in vernal ponds, rare plant assemblages), unique or rare habitats, species of commercial and recreational interest, and species/habitats of especial interest for medicinal, cultural, or religious activities. Communication among stakeholders is complicated with respect to risk to ecological receptors because of differences in trust, credibility, empathy, perceptions, world view valuation of the resources, and in many cases, a history of misinformation, disinformation, or no information. Exposure of salmon spawning in the Columbia River to hexavalent chromium from the Hanford Site is used as an example of communication challenges with different stakeholders, including Native Americans with Tribal Treaty rights to the land. | Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, TN (United States) | USDOE; National Institutes of Health (NIH) | United States | 2022-05-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/risa.13940 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2418445 |
| Fate and distribution of sulfur-35 in yellow poplar and red maple trees | Garten, Jr, Charles T | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; CAPACITY; DECIDUOUS TREES; DISTRIBUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; INVENTORIES; LEACHING; MAPLES; POPLARS; STORAGE; SULFUR; SULFUR 35; TENNESSEE; THROUGHFALL; TRANSLOCATION; TREES; WATERSHEDS | Two deciduous tree species (yellow poplar and red maple) on Walker Branch Watershed (WBW), near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, were radiolabeled with {sup 35}S (87 day halflife) to study internal cycling, storage, and biogenic emission of sulfur (S). One tree of each species was girdled before radiolabeling to prevent phloem translocation to the roots, and the aboveground biomass was harvested prior to autumn leaf fall. Aboveground biomass, leaf fall, throughfall, and stemflow were sampled over a 13 to 24 week period. Sulfur-35 concentrations in tree leaves reached nearly asymptotic levels within 1 to 2 weeks after radiolabeling. Foliar leaching of {sup 35}S and leaf fall represented relatively unimportant return pathways to the forest soil. The final distribution of {sup 35}S in the nongirdled trees indicated little aboveground storage of S in biomass and appreciable (>60%) capacity to cycle S either to the belowground system by means of translocation or to the atmosphere by means of biogenic S emissions. Losses of volatile {sup 35}S were estimated from the amount of isotope missing ({approx}33%) in final inventories of the girdled trees. Estimated {sup 35}S emission rates from the girdled trees were {approx}10{sup -6} to {approx}10{sup -7} {micro}Ci cm{sup -2} leaf d{sup -1}, and corresponded to an estimated gaseous S emission of approximately 0.1 to 1 {micro}g S cm{sup -2} leaf d{sup -1}. Translocation to roots was a significant sink for {sup 35}S in the red maple tree (40% of the injected amount). Research on forest biogeochemical S cycles should further explore biogenic S emissions from trees as a potential process of S flux from forest ecosystems. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 1988-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/BF00379598 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978734 |
| Foliar d13C within a temperate deciduous forest: spatial, temporal, and species sources of variation | Garten, Jr, Charles T; TaylorJr, G E | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; DROUGHTS; FORESTS; HABITAT; HUMIDITY; OAKS; PRECIPITATION; SEASONS; TENNESSEE; TOPOGRAPHY; TRANSPIRATION; TREES; WATERSHEDS | Foliar {sup 13}C-abundance ({delta}{sup 13}C) was analyzed in the dominant trees of a temperate deciduous forest in east Tennessee (Walker Branch Watershed) to investigate the variation in foliar {delta}{sup 13}C as a function of time (within-year and between years), space (canopy height, watershed topography and habitat) and species (deciduous and coniferous taxa). Various hypotheses were tested by analyzing (i) samples collected from the field during the growing season and (ii) foliar tissues maintained in an archived collection. The {delta}{sup 13}C-value for leaves from the tops of trees was 2 to 3%. more positive than for leaves sampled at lower heights in the canopy. Quercus prinus leaves sampled just prior to autumn leaf fall had significantly more negative {delta}{sup 13}C-values than those sampled during midsummer. On the more xeric ridges, needles of Pinus spp. had more positive {delta}{sup 13}C-values than leaves from deciduous species. Foliar {delta}{sup 13}C-values differed significantly as a function of topography. Deciduous leaves from xeric sites (ridges and slopes) had more positive {delta}{sup 13}C-values than those from mesic (riparian and cove) environments. On the more xeric sites, foliar {delta}{sup 13}C was significantly more positive in 1988 (a dry year) relative to that in 1989 (a year with above-normal precipitation). In contrast, leaf {delta}{sup 13}C in trees from mesic valley bottoms did not differ significantly among years with disparate precipitation. Patterns in foliar {delta}{sup 13}C indicated a higher ratio of net CO{sub 2} assimilation to transpiration (A/E) for trees in more xeric versus mesic habitats, and for trees in xeric habitats during years of drought versus years of normal precipitation. However, A/E (units of mmol CO{sub 2} fixed/mol H{sub 2}O transpired) calculated on the basis of {delta}{sup 13}C-values for leaves from the more xeric sites was higher in a wet year (6.6 {+-} 1.2) versus a dry year (3.4 {+-} 0.4). This difference was attributed to higher transpiration (and therefore lower A/E) in the year with lower relative humidity and higher average daily temperature. The calculated A/E values for the forest in 1988-89, based on {delta}{sup 13}C, were within {+-}55% of estimates made over a 17 day period at this site in 1984 using micrometeorological methods. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 1992-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/BF00317801 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989664 | |
| Savannah River Plant Low-Level Waste Heat Utilization Project preliminary analysis. Volume III. Preferred utilization options | 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 220700* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Plutonium & Isotope Production Reactors; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; 320304 -- Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Waste Heat Recovery & Utilization; ECONOMICS; ENERGY; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FEASIBILITY STUDIES; HEAT; INDUSTRIAL PLANTS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES; THERMODYNAMICS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE HEAT; WASTE HEAT UTILIZATION; WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION; WASTES | The technical, economic, environmental, and institutional considerations that must be resolved before implementing options to recover energy from the heated SRP effluent are examined. Detailed hypothetical siting options and expected economic returns are examined for power generation, prawn production, and one industrial park scenario. The likely indirect effects on regional population, income, taxes, and infrastructure requirements if the industrial park scenario is implemented are also projected. Recommendations for follow-on studies to make possible an informed go/no-go decision for implementing attractive waste heat options using reject SRP effluent are included. | South Carolina Energy Research Inst., Columbia (United States) | USDOE | United States | 1978-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5812016 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5812016 | |
| Assessing springtime vertebrate prey of sympatric mesopredators in the southeastern United States using metabarcoding analysis | Youngmann, Jordan L.; Lance, Stacey L.; Kilgo, John C.; Ruth, Charles; Cantrell, Jay; DâAngelo, Gino J. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; coyotes; deer; foxes; predation; timber; trophic interactions; turkeys; vertebrates | Coyotes (Canis latrans) colonized the eastern United States over the last century and formed a 3-species predator guild with bobcats (Lynx rufus) and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) across much of the southeastern United States. Diets among the three species vary along with respective impacts on game species such as white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). To determine predation impacts on vertebrate prey and dietary overlap in consumption of prey items, we assessed diets of coyote, bobcat, and gray fox during spring, coinciding with white-tailed deer fawning and wild turkey nesting and brood rearing. We sampled across three sites along the Savannah River in South Carolina from mid-May through mid-June of 2020â2021. We collected 180 scat samples along 295.9 kilometers (71.1â122.4 km/site) of unpaved secondary roads and used DNA metabarcoding to determine vertebrate diet items. We identified predator species of scat using DNA metabarcoding and species-specific mtDNA fragment analysis (153 were coyote, 20 bobcat, and seven gray fox). Overall, we found evidence that two species, coyote and bobcat, consumed deer while all three consumed turkeys. Frequency of deer in the diet varied across sites for coyotes from 62â86% and wild turkey was present with a frequency of occurrence of 9% for coyotes, 5% for bobcats, and 14% for gray fox. Vertebrate diet specialization was evident across predator species with high frequency of deer in coyote diets, rabbits and small mammals in bobcat diets, and herpetofauna in gray fox diets. During deer fawning and wild turkey nesting and brood rearing, dietary overlap appears to be mediated by disparate selection of prey items, which reduced competition among coyotes, bobcats, and gray foxes. Use of DNA metabarcoding may augment our understanding of dietary preferences within this predator guild by providing increased resolution of diet composition among important game species. | Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2023-10-25T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1371/journal.pone.0293270 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2471785 |
| White-tailed deer responses to acoustic predator cues are contingent upon past land use and contemporary fire regime | Bartel, Savannah L.; Kilgo, John C.; Orrock, John L. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; acoustic predator cues.; white-tailed deer | Prey can assess the immediate risk of predation by detecting cues of predator presence, and it is expected that prey should invest in costly antipredator behaviors when a cue of predator presence is detected. Features of the habitat in which the cue is detected, such as vegetative concealment, serve as indirect cues of risk and can mediate how prey respond to direct cues of predator presence. Past agricultural land use and contemporary fire regimes are common disturbances that may modify prey perceptions of risk and could, therefore, alter prey responses to direct cues of predator presence. Here we examined whether the overlap of these two disturbances affected white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) responses to cues of predator presence by measuring deer vigilance and foraging bout duration in response to coyote (Canis latrans) vocalizations across 20 woodlands that varied in past land use and contemporary fire regime. Frequent fire regimes consistently increased deer visibility to predators across both land-use history contexts. Deer exhibited no behavioral response to the predator cue in habitats containing infrequent fire regimes or agricultural legacies. Deer responded to the cue in frequently burned woodlands without agricultural legacies through increased vigilance and time spent at a foraging location. These findings reveal that land-use legacies and contemporary fire regimes can mediate how prey respond to direct cues of risk. They also suggest that prey may balance the uncertainty associated with cues of predation risk with the urgency of responding to a potential attack by being vigilant and remaining in place. | Washington State University, Pullman, WA (United States); University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU); Albert R. and Alma Shadle Fellowship; Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program | United States | 2023-09-14T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1093/beheco/arad071 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2205151 |
| Thermally unstable roosts influence winter torpor patterns in a threatened bat species | Newman, Blaise (ORCID:0000000288541818); Loeb, Susan (ORCID:0000000292643614); Jachowski, David; Cramp, Rebecca | Biodiversity & Conservation; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Physiology | Abstract Many hibernating bats in thermally stable, subterranean roosts have experienced precipitous declines from white-nose syndrome (WNS). However, some WNS-affected species also use thermally unstable roosts during winter that may impact their torpor patterns and WNS susceptibility. From November to March 2017â19, we used temperature-sensitive transmitters to document winter torpor patterns of tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) using thermally unstable roosts in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Daily mean roost temperature was 12.9 ± 4.9°C SD in bridges and 11.0 ± 4.6°C in accessible cavities with daily fluctuations of 4.8 ± 2°C in bridges and 4.0 ± 1.9°C in accessible cavities and maximum fluctuations of 13.8 and 10.5°C, respectively. Mean torpor bout duration was 2.7 ± 2.8 days and was negatively related to ambient temperature and positively related to precipitation. Bats maintained non-random arousal patterns focused near dusk and were active on 33.6% of tracked days. Fifty-one percent of arousals contained passive rewarming. Normothermic bout duration, general activity and activity away from the roost were positively related to ambient temperature, and activity away from the roost was negatively related to barometric pressure. Our results suggest ambient weather conditions influence winter torpor patterns of tricolored bats using thermally unstable roosts. Short torpor bout durations and potential nighttime foraging during winter by tricolored bats in thermally unstable roosts contrasts with behaviors of tricolored bats in thermally stable roosts. Therefore, tricolored bat using thermally unstable roosts may be less susceptible to WNS. More broadly, these results highlight the importance of understanding the effect of roost thermal stability on winter torpor patterns and the physiological flexibility of broadly distributed hibernating species. | USDA Forest Service, Clemson, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2024-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1093/conphys/coae014 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2582315 |
| Plutonium in biota from an east Tennessee floodplain forest | Garten, Jr, Charles T; Dahlman, R C | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONCENTRATION RATIO; FOREST LITTER; FORESTS; INVERTEBRATES; MAMMALS; NEW MEXICO; OAK RIDGE; ORTHOPTERA; PLANTS; PLUTONIUM 239; PLUTONIUM 240; UPTAKE | Plutonium 239, 240 concentrations were measured in biota from a 30-yr-old contaminated floodplain forest in Tennessee. Concentration ratios relative to soil, for plutonium in litter, invertebrate cryptozoans, herbaceous ground vegetation, orthoptera and small mammals were approximately 10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-3, and 10-4, respectively. Concentration ratios (CR) for plutonium in biota from the floodplain forest are less than CR values from other contaminated ecosystems in the USA. Presumably, this is due to humid conditions and greater rainfall which minimize resuspension as a physical transport mechanism to biota. Plutonium and radiocesium concentrations are correlated in biota from the forest at Oak Ridge and also from Mortandad Canyon in New Mexico. The cause of the covariance between concentrations of these elements is unknown. Nevertheless, the existence of these relationships suggests that it is possible to predict plutonium in biota from radiocesium concentrations when both nuclides have a common origin and occur together in a contaminated terrestrial environment. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 1978-06-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1097/00004032-197806000-00021 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989659 |
| Getting allometry right at the Oak Ridge freeâair COn 2n enrichment experiment: Old problems and new opportunities for global change experiments | Norby, Richard J.; Warren, Jeffrey M.; Iversen, Colleen M.; Walker, Anthony P.; Childs, Joanne | Freeâair CO 2 enrichment (FACE) experiments provide essential data on forest responses to increasing atmospheric CO 2 for evaluations of climate change impacts on humanity. Understanding and reducing the uncertainty in the experimental results is critical to ensure scientific and public confidence in the models and policy initiatives that derive therefrom. One source of uncertainty is the estimation of tree biomass using mathematical relationships between biomass and easily obtained and nonâdestructive measurements (allometry). We evaluated the robustness of the allometric relationships established at the beginning of a FACE experiment and discuss the challenges and opportunities for the new generation of FACE experiments.
Longâterm field experiments to elucidate forest responses to rising atmospheric CO 2 concentration require allometric equations to estimate tree biomass from nonâdestructive measurements of tree size. We analyzed whether the allometric equations established at the beginning of a freeâair CO 2 enrichment (FACE) experiment in a Liquidambar styraciflua plantation were still valid at the end of the 12 year experiment. Aboveground woody biomass was initially predicted by an equation that included bole diameter, taper, and height, assuming that including taper and height as predictors would accommodate changes in tree structure that might occur over time and in response to elevated CO 2 . At the conclusion of the FACE experiment, we harvested 23 trees, measured dimensions and dry mass of boles and branches, and extracted and measured the woody root mass of 10 trees. Although 10 of the harvested trees were larger than the trees used to establish the allometric relationship, measured aboveground woody biomass was well predicted by the original allometry. The initial linear equation between bole basal area and woody root biomass underestimated final root biomass by 28%, but root biomass was just 21% of total wood mass, and errors in aboveground and belowground estimates were offsetting. The allometry established at the beginning of the experiment provided valid predictions of tree biomass throughout the experiment. New allometric approaches using terrestrial laser scanning should reduce an important source of uncertainty in decadeâlong forest experiments and in assessments of centuriesâlong forest biomass accretion used in evaluating carbon offsets and climate mitigation. | USDOE | United States | 2024-08-20T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/ppp3.10565 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2473558 | ||
| Ants disperse seeds farther in habitat patches with corridors | Burt, Melissa A.; Resasco, Julian; Haddad, Nick M.; Whitehead, Susan R. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ants; connectivity; corridors; edge effects; fragmentation; myrmecochory; seed dispersal | Habitat fragmentation impacts ecosystems worldwide through habitat loss, reduced connectivity, and edge effects. Yet, these landscape factors are often confounded, leaving much to be investigated about their relative effects, especially on species interactions. In a landscape experiment, we investigated the consequences of connectivity and edge effects for seed dispersal by ants. We found that ants dispersed seeds farther in habitat patches connected by corridors, but only in patch centers. We did not see an effect on the total number of seeds moved or the rate ants detected seeds. Furthermore, we did not see any differences in ant community composition across patch types, suggesting that shifts in ant behavior or other factors increased ant seed dispersal in patches connected by corridors. Long-distance seed dispersal by ants that requires an accumulation of short-distance dispersal events over generations may be an underappreciated mechanism through which corridors increase plant diversity. | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU); National Science Foundation (USF) | United States | 2022-12-14T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/ecs2.4324 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1967360 |
| Interspecific oral rabies vaccine bait competition in the Southeast United States | Dixon, Wesley C.; Hill, Jacob E.; Chipman, Richard B.; Davis, Amy J.; Gilbert, Amy T.; Beasley, James C.; Rhodes Jr., Olin E.; Dharmarajan, Guha | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Agriculture; Bait competition; Behavioral Sciences; Camera trapping; Oral rabies vaccination; Procyon lotor; Rabies; Raccoon; Veterinary Sciences | Here, the United States Department of Agricultureâs National Rabies Management Program (NRMP) has coordinated the use of oral rabies vaccination (ORV) to control the spread of raccoon rabies virus variant west of the Appalachian Mountains since 1997. Working with state and local partners, the NRMP deploys ORV baits containing a rabies vaccine, primarily targeting raccoon populations (Procyon lotor). Bait competition between raccoons and non-target species may limit the effectiveness of ORV programs, but the extent of bait competition remains poorly quantified, particularly in the southeastern United States. We placed placebo ORV baits in bottomland hardwood (n = 637 baits) and upland pine (n = 681 baits) habitats in South Carolina, USA during August-December 2019 and used remote cameras to examine bait competition between raccoons and non-target species. The estimated proportion of bait consumed by raccoons was 18.8 ± 2.1% in bottomland hardwood and 11.6 ± 2.1% in upland pine habitats. Vertebrate competition appeared to have a minimal effect on raccoon uptake as estimated consumption did not exceed 5% for any species or 8% of bait uptake events cumulatively. We estimated that raccoons were the primary consumer of baits in bottomland hardwood, whereas invertebrates were the primary consumer in upland pine (26.7 ± 1.3% of baits). Our results indicate a need to closely consider the effects of invertebrates on bait consumption to minimize their potential impact on ORV bait uptake by target species. Uptake probabilities by raccoons were relatively low but not primarily driven by competition with vertebrates. As such, strategies to increase the specificity of raccoon uptake may be needed to enhance the effectiveness of ORV baiting programs. | Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM); US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) | United States | 2023-03-14T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105897 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2417825 |
| Technetium-99 cycling in deciduous forests: review and ecosystem model development | Garten, Jr, Charles T | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; COMPARTMENTS; DISTRIBUTION; DRAINAGE; ECOSYSTEMS; EXPORTS; FORESTS; ORGANIC MATTER; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; SOILS; STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS; TECHNETIUM 99 | This paper presents a model to summarize information on the fate of technetium-99 ({sup 99}Tc) in a woodland site amidst an old radioactive waste disposal area in the eastern United States. Rate constants for {sup 99}Tc transfer between the biological and physical components of the forest have been derived based on field measurements and associated laboratory studies. The fate of {sup 99}Tc in the woodland occupying the drainage are immediately adjacent to the disposal site was simulated with the derived rate constants and some assumptions about relative inputs to and outputs from the surface soil available pool in the model forest. A steady state in the distribution of {sup 99}Tc among soil compartments and forest compartments was reached in simulations after 30 years of continuous input to the soil available pool. If the rate of {sup 99}Tc export from the soil available pool exceeded inputs to the pool by ten times, then the model forest had little impact on the cumulative loss of {sup 99}Tc from the system. Under steady state conditions (input to the soil available pool equalled export), 42% of the total {sup 99}Tc input to the system during a 34-year period was retained by the forest, mostly in the unavailable mineral soil pool. This model, along with a review of recent work by other researchers, explains the probable fate of {sup 99}Tc that might enter element cycles in humid deciduous forests typical of the eastern United States. Experience with the model points to a need for further work on reduction and reoxidation rates of {sup 99}Tc in soil, particularly studies of reoxidation rate in soils where {sup 99}Tc has been recycled from aboveground or belowground organic matter. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | United States | 1987-12-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/0160-4120(87)90186-3 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978737 | |
| Land-use history, fire regime, and large-mammal herbivory affect deer-preferred plant diversity in longleaf pine woodlands | Bartel, Savannah L.; Orrock, John L. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Forestry; Herbivory; Land-use history; Longleaf forests; Plant diversity; Prescribed fire | Since ecological systems often experience multiple disturbances, understanding changes in important ecological interactions, such as plant-herbivore interactions, may require studies capable of disentangling the unique and interactive effects of multiple forms of disturbance. For example, understanding how mammalian herbivores affect plant communities may require understanding how widespread past disturbances, such as agricultural land use, interact with contemporary disturbances, such as prescribed fire. Here, we tested if past agricultural land use and contemporary fire regime modified the effects of mammalian herbivory on focal plant communities by measuring the richness of plant species preferred by deer at 26 longleaf pine woodlands containing paired open and large-mammal exclusion plots. Land-use history significantly affected the community composition of deer-preferred species, and focal species were 8.19 times more likely to be present in post-agricultural sites than non-agricultural sites. Large-mammal herbivory only affected plant species richness in woodlands with low fire frequencies wherein focal species were on average 2.23 times more likely to be present in exclusion plots than open plots. These results suggest that past and present disturbances can mediate contemporary plant-animal interactions and may explain spatial patterns in the intensity of large-mammal herbivory. Our findings also suggest that common management practices, such as use of prescribed burns, may indirectly promote plant species richness by reducing deer herbivory. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2023-05-09T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.foreco.2023.121023 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2417645 |
| Sensitive Resources Assessment and Forest Analysis for The SSP-2A Parcel and Proposed Oak Ridge Enhanced Technology and Training Center (ORETTC), Oak Ridge, Tennessee | Carter, Evin T.; Byrd, Greg; McCracken, M. Kitty; Hayter, Lindsey E.; Darling, Sara E.; Jett, R. Trent; Wade, Bryce; Giffen, Neil | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES | This report summarizes current knowledge of natural and cultural resources associated with potential land use changes within an 81-acre (32.8-hectare) parcel, termed SSP-2A, on the US Department of Energyâs (DOEâs) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (Figure 1). A primary goal for the work presented here was to evaluate potential impacts to sensitive resources within the SSP-2A parcel that might result from land disturbance and construction of the Oak Ridge Enhanced Technology and Training Center (ORETTC). In addition to on-the-ground surveys of the ORETTC footprint and SSP-2A parcel during summer 2020 (Figure 1), this report leverages historical (pre-1995) and contemporary (1995âpresent) data from additional sources such as the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). The individuals who obtained and compiled the data that are presented here are familiar with and routinely assess, manage, and research sensitive resources on the ORR. This report should facilitate more environmentally sound decisions during planning and development of the ORETTC, provide a foundation for further assessment of sensitive and cultural resources associated with the broader SSP-2A parcel (should additional actions take place), and help project managers address regulatory guidance and DOE policy on sustainable development. Those who reference this report must consider that the timing of surveys does not permit complete delineation of resources. Data deficiencies are indicated where possible. Additional surveys may be required to account for seasonal patterns of various threatened and endangered species (e.g., bats), and additional assessment will be required if activities extend beyond the ORETTC site (Figure 2). | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2020-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1805027 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1805027 |
| Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2022 - Summary | Redding, Theodore J. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; NNSS, Environment, Environmental, ASER, NNSA, NFO | This Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report (NNSSER) - Summary summary report provides an abbreviated version of the full report, which discusses actions taken in 2022 to protect the environment and the public while achieving the NNSA/NFO mission goals. It is prepared for the public and our stakeholders in hopes that it is readily understandable and usable. It is a key component in our efforts to keep the public informed of environmental conditions at the NNSS and its support facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada. | Nevada National Security Sites/Mission Support and Test Services LLC, Las Vegas, NV (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU) | United States | 2024-01-01T04:00:00Z | Program Document | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2318458 | |
| Raccoon density estimation from camera traps for raccoon rabies management | Davis, Amy J.; Dixon, Wesley C.; Chipman, Richard B.; Gilbert, Amy T.; Hill, Jacob E.; Beasley, James C.; Rhodes, Jr., Olin E.; Dharmarajan, Guha | Density estimation for unmarked animals is particularly challenging, yet density estimates are often necessary for effective wildlife management. Raccoons ( Procyon lotor ) are the primary terrestrial wildlife reservoir for Lyssavirus rabies within the United States. The raccoon rabies variant (RRVV) is actively managed at landscape scales using oral rabies vaccination (ORV) within the eastern United States. To effectively manage RRVV, it is important to know the density of raccoons to appropriately scale the density of ORV baits distributed on the landscape. We compared methods to estimate raccoon densities from cameraâtrap data versus more intensive captureâmarkârecapture (CMR) estimates across 2 land cover types (upland pine and bottomland hardwood) in the southeastern United States during 2019 and 2020. We evaluated the effect of alternative camera configurations and durations of camera trapping on density estimates and used an Nâmixture model to estimate raccoon densities, including covariates on abundance and detection. We further compared different methods of scaling cameraâbased counts, with the maximum number of raccoons seen on any given image within a day best explaining density. Cameraâtrap density estimates were moderately correlated with CMR estimates ( r = 0.56). However, densities from cameraâtrap data were more reliable when classifying category of density as an index used to inform management (83% correct when compared to CMR estimates), although the densities in our study fell into the 2 lowest density classes only. Using more cameras reduced bias and uncertainty around density estimates; however, if â¤6 camera traps were used at a site, a line transect approach proved less biased than a grid design. Camera trapping should be conducted for at least 3 weeks for more accurate estimates of raccoon population density in our study area (<5% bias). We show that cameraâtrap data can be used to assign raccoon densities to managementârelevant density index bins, but more studies are needed to ensure reliability across a greater range of environmental conditions and raccoon densities. | USDOE | United States | 2024-11-26T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/jwmg.22701 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2478898 | ||
| Little vertical and circumferential variations in stem xylem water Î2H and Î18O in three tree species | Younger, Seth E.; Monda, L. G.; Jackson, C. R.; Blake, J.; Aubrey, D. P. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Ecohydrology; Isotope fractionation; Isotope hydrology; Within tree isotope variability; Xylem anatomy | Vertical and circumferential patterns of xylem water isotope signatures in large trees are rarely characterized but may influence interpretation of water source investigations and soil/xylem water isotope offsets. Furthermore, to examine vertical and circumferential variation in xylem water δ2H and δ18O, we collected xylem tissue at 5 heights (0, 1, 4, 7 and 10 m) from three replicate trees of three species with contrasting xylem anatomy, two angiosperms (Liquidambar styraciflua and Quercus nigra) and one gymnosperm (Pinus taeda). Concurrently, we also determined δ2H and δ18O of groundwater, soil water, and recent precipitation. On a different day, we collected circumferential samples at 1 m from the same trees to test for sectorality effects. Water from stem and soil samples were cryogenically extracted and analyzed for δ2H and δ18O. Mean xylem water δ2H and δ18O were significantly different between species, both vertically and circumferentially. We did not find significant (p = 0.05) systematic variation in δ2H or δ18O with height. We found no significant evidence for sectorality effects on δ2H, δ18O. Variances of vertical synoptic xylem water δ2H or δ18O were similar between species, 7.2â10.4â° for δ2H and 0.58â0.81â° for δ18O. Circumferential variances were also similar between species, 4.0â6.0 for δ2H and 0.37â0.44 for δ18O. A mixing model showed that sweetgum, water oak and loblolly pine, were drawing most of their water from deep soil from 45 to 190 cm (84.7, 68.4 and 53.2%, respectively) however, soil water-excess values indicate δ2H fractionation effects on these estimates. Dual isotope mixing model evaluation with single and multiple sample configurations showed that source water estimates were not affected by within tree variability of xylem water signatures. Xylem water δ2H and δ18O variability with height or circumference, was 3.2 and 2.7 times less than between tree variation because of transient temporal and spatial processes and is, therefore, not likely to affect interpretations of water sourcing in these three species. | Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE; USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative | United States | 2023-07-16T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s00468-023-02431-3 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2228455 |
| Winning the Cold War: Los Alamos 1970-1992 [Slides] | Carr, Alan Brady | 96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION | A presentation by Lab Historian Alan Carr discussing the role of Los Alamos in the later cold war. | Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) | USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) | United States | 2020-11-16T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1726119 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1726119 |
| Bioaccumulation of Mercury and Radiocesium in Waterfowl Introduced to a Site with Legacy Contamination | Leaphart, James C.; Abercrombie, Sarah A.; Borchert, Ernest J.; Bryan Jr., Albert L.; Beasley, James C. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; Bioaccumulation; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Mallard; Mercury; Radiocesium; Toxicology; Waterfowl; Wildlife toxicology | Despite the propensity of waterfowl species to readily accumulate anthropogenic contaminants within polluted environments, few studies have examined bioaccumulation rates over time when entering such a contaminated site. We examined mercury (Hg) and radiocesium (137Cs) bioaccumulation over time in two waterfowl species released into a wetland system containing legacy contamination on the US Department of Energy's Savannah River Site in South Carolina. Released birds were collected at select time intervals over an exposure period of 94 days. We quantified total Hg concentrations in blood, muscle, and liver tissues, and 137Cs activity in whole-body and muscle tissues. The relationship between the contaminant burdens of different body tissue types was examined over time. Likely a result of microhabitat selection, mallards in our study readily accumulated both Hg and 137Cs at consistent rates over time within our study system, while ring-neck ducks did not. The findings demonstrated that whole blood can be used as a robust, nondestructive sampling alternative to estimate Hg burdens within muscle and liver, and whole-body 137Cs activity is a good predictor of muscle burdens. Understanding such bioaccumulation information in waterfowl is useful for the assessment of the potential health risk in wildlife, as well as being important for human risk assessment toward the consumption of popular game species. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2479â2487. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. | Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM); National Science Foundation (NSF) | United States | 2022-07-22T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/etc.5444 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2417827 |
| Technetium-99 cycling in maple trees: characterization of changes in chemical form | Garten, Jr, Charles T; Lomax, Ronny D | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; CELL WALL; CHROMATOGRAPHY; DECIDUOUS TREES; GEL PERMEATION CHROMATOGRAPHY; IN VITRO; INORGANIC ACIDS; LEAVES; MAPLES; MOLECULAR WEIGHT; PLANT TISSUES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; SILICA GEL; TECHNETIUM; TECHNETIUM 99; THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY; TREES; WOOD | Prior field studies near an old radioactive waste disposal site at Oak Ridge, TN, indicated that following root uptake, metabolism by deciduous trees rendered 99Tc less biogeochemically mobile than expected, based on chemistry of the pertechnetate (TcO4-) anion. Subsequently, the form of technetium (Tc) in maple tree (Acer sp.) sap, leaves, wood and forest leaf litter was characterized using one or more of the following methods: dialysis, physical fractionation, chemical extraction, gel permeation chromatography, enzymatic extraction, or thin layer chromatography (TLC) on silica gel. Chromatography (Sephadex G-25) of TcO4- incubated in vitro with tree sap showed it to behave similar to TcO4- anion. When labeled wood and leaf tissues were processed using a tissue homogenizer, 15% and 40%, respectively, of the Tc was solubilized into phosphate buffer. Most (65% to 80%) of the solubilized Tc passing a 0.45-micron filter also passed through an ultrafiltration membrane with a nominal molecular weight cutoff of 10,000 atomic mass units (amu). A majority (72% to 80%) of the Tc in wood could be chemically removed by successive extractions with ethanol, water and weak mineral acid. These same extractants removed only 23% to 31% of the Tc from maple leaves or forest floor leaf litter. Most of the Tc in leaves and leaf litter was removed only by strongly alkaline reagents typically used to release structural polysaccharides (hemicelluloses) from plant tissues. Chromatography (Sephadex G-25) of the ethanol-water extract from wood and the alkaline extract from leaves demonstrated that Tc in these extracts was not principally TcO4- but was complexed with molecules > 1000 amu. Incubations of leaf and wood homogenates with protease approximately doubled the amount of Tc released from contaminated tissues. Ultrafiltration of protease-solubilized Tc from leaves and wood showed that 40% and 93%, respectively, of the Tc was >10,000 amu. TLC of the <10,000 amu fraction indicated the presence of TcO4- in wood but not in leaves. In the leaf, TcO4- is converted to less soluble forms apparently associated with structural components of leaf cell walls. This conversion explains why 99Tc is not easily leached by rainfall from tree foliage and why 99Tc appears to accumulate in forest floor leaf litter layers at the Oak Ridge study site. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 1989-08-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1097/00004032-198908000-00008 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989660 |
| Societal impacts of particle physics projects | Zens, Rochelle; Headley, Michael; Wolf, Debra; Markovitz, Alison; Dukes, Faith; Tang, Jennifer; Bloom, K. (ORCID:0000000242728900); Boisvert, V. (ORCID:0000000277360173) | Large particle physics projects funded by the U.S. Government require an evaluation and mitigation of each projectâs potential impacts on the local communities. However, beyond meeting governmental requirements, particle physics projects stand to play an essential role in local decision-making, building relationships, and framing discussions about key projects by becoming meaningfully engaged in their local communities. In this white paper for the U.S. Particle Physics Community Planning Exercise (âSnowmass"), we examine several local community engagement efforts made by three facilities: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), and the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF). Although each facility focuses on a different endeavor in varying types of communities, each study highlights the importance and benefits of employing consistent outreach techniques, promoting diversity, establishing lasting relationships, and creating environments for open and honest communication. | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) | United States | 2022-03-15T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1855276 | ||
| Rapid denitrification of nitrate-contaminated groundwater in a low-gradient blackwater stream valley | Raulerson, Scott; Jeffers, Johnson B.; Griffiths, Natalie A.; Rau, Benjamin M.; Matteson, Cody; Jackson, C. Rhett | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Southeastern US; denitrification; nitrate; nitrogen removal; riparian buffer; streamside management zone | Leaching of excess nitrogen (N) to groundwater in fertilized landscapes can overwhelm natural biogeochemical processes and cause long-term eutrophication of aquatic systems. We investigated N fate and transport from an intensively managed short-rotation woody crop (Pinus taeda) plantation through the riparian zone of an intermittent, low-gradient blackwater stream. Fertilization of the P. taeda plantation on the uplands resulted in contamination of groundwater with nitrate concentrations between 0.9 and 1.9 mg N L-1. No corresponding increase in nitrate was observed in stream water or shallow groundwater in the riparian zone. Groundwater travel-time modeling predicted that N from near-stream, upland plantation areas should have reached streams during the monitoring period. Two years of measuring N species in well water in contrasting landscape positions (within the plantation, swale, riparian edge, forested hillslope, and valley), indicated rapid nitrate transformation and denitrification within the forested wetland valleys. Denitrification in the shallow groundwater system within the toeslopes and the riparian zone was estimated to have removed > 90% of nitrate. Finally, these results highlight the importance of riparian zones as pathways for the removal of N and for controlling downstream N loads. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation. Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) | United States | 2023-08-26T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s10533-023-01077-0 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1999010 |
| Co-occurrence of native white-tailed deer and invasive wild pigs: Evidence for competition? | Garabedian, James E.; Cox, Kyle J.; Vukovich, Mark; Kilgo, John C. | resource partitioning; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; behavior; control; density; interspecific competition; invasive species; non-native competitor; space use; spatiotemporal interactions; suid; ungulate | Understanding whether invasive and native species compete for shared resources where they co-occur is essential for mitigating the negative impacts of invasive species on native ecosystems. Here, we examined how the presence and density of an invasive species, wild pigs (Sus scrofa), affect native white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; hereafter, deer) on the Savannah River Site, SC, USA. We examined potential changes in deer areas of use, temporal overlap, and occupancy to evaluate the effects of wild pig occurrence and density on deer space use, diel activity, and co-occurrence with wild pigs across 9 months during 2018 and 2019. Wild pig density had the strongest effect on deer space use in high- and moderate-use areas. Declines in deer space use in response to wild pig density were most pronounced in March and October 2018 and April 2019 for females, while male space use declined in response to wild pig density in October and December 2018. Both species were largely nocturnal with high overlap in diel activity across months. Deer occupancy responses to wild pig density varied across months, with negative responses in May and October 2018 and positive responses in July 2018 and April 2019. Deer and wild pigs co-occurred at 30%â59% of camera stations across months, with broadscale co-occurrence patterns being unaffected by changes in shared cover or wild pig occurrence. Overall, our results suggest that deer make fine-scale behavioral adjustments to avoid wild pigs, providing evidence that competition is likely occurring even where wild pig density is relatively low. Such fine-scale behavioral plasticity in deer appears to mitigate the costs of competition with wild pigs and may be a mechanism enabling long-term co-existence of deer and wild pigs. Our study provides novel insight on the complexities of spatiotemporal relationships between invasive wild pigs and native deer and suggests that the negative effects of interactions between deer and wild pigs may be more pronounced when deer life history needs are particularly demanding. In areas where eradication of invasive wild pigs may be impossible, maintaining low wild pig densities may help mitigate, but may not eliminate, the negative effects of wild pigs on deer. | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU) | United States | 2023-03-13T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/ecs2.4435 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1959913 |
| Whole-tree dormant season nitrogen pools for different species receiving combinations of fertilization and irrigation after one short rotation | Ferreira, Gabriel W. D.; Coleman, Mark D.; Coyle, David R.; Aubrey, Doug P. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Liquidambar styraciflua L.; Pinus taeda L.; Platanus occidentalis L.; Populus deltoides Bartr.; Resource availability; Short-rotation woody crop (SRWC) | Our understanding of the accretion and distribution of tree tissue nitrogen (N) pools across a variety of species and genotypes suitable for short-rotation woody crop (SRWC) production in response to water and N availability remains limited. We measured dormant-season, rotation-length, whole-tree N pools for five tree genotypes from four species (two eastern cottonwood, Populus deltoides Bartr., genotypes; American sycamore, Platanus occidentalis L.; American sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua L.; and loblolly pine, Pinus taeda L.) receiving irrigation (I), fertilization (F), their combination (IF), or no resources manipulation (C). Our results demonstrate that foliar nitrogen concentration [N] responded to fertilization but was constrained within genotype-specific ranges and varied temporally. Tree genotypes differed in their composite and component tissue N content (NC), and these differences mostly reflected tissue mass (i.e., larger components and trees resulted in higher NC). Resource amendments (I, F, IF) resulted in up to 3.8-fold increases in NC compared with C, which were most pronounced for sycamore and sweetgum with F and IF treatments, respectively. By the end of the rotation, forest stands accumulated 73 to 452 kg N haâ1 in tree tissues with 40 â 78 % distributed aboveground and 22 â 60 % distributed belowground. A critical difference between genotypes was that all hardwoods exhibited larger belowground N distributions than the evergreen conifer. Our results stress the importance of belowground N pools and highlight differences among genotypes. Furthermore, our study underscores valuable information about N pools across genotypes suitable for SRWC production, which can be leveraged to inform fertilization plans and devise sustainable nutrient management as production expands across marginal lands. | Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE; USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative | United States | 2022-12-23T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120730 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2228453 |
| Environmental monitoring at major U. S. Energy Research and Development Administration contractor sites: calendar year 1976. Volume 1 | 500200* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 500300 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510200 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMES LABORATORY; ANL; ATOMICS INTERNATIONAL CANOGA PARK PLANT; BATTELLE COLUMBUS LABORATORY; BETTIS; BNL; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; FEED MATERIALS PLANTS; FEED MATERIALS PRODUCTION CENTER; GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS; HAPO; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; INDUSTRIAL PLANTS; ISOTOPE SEPARATION PLANTS; KAPL; LASL; LAWRENCE BERKELEY LABORATORY; LAWRENCE LIVERMORE LABORATORY; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MONITORING; MOUND LABORATORY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NEVADA TEST SITE; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ORGDP; PADUCAH PLANT; PANTEX PLANT; PINELLAS PLANT; PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT; POWER REACTORS; PWR TYPE REACTORS; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; REACTORS; ROCKY FLATS PLANT; SANDIA LABORATORIES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SHIPPINGPORT REACTOR; STANFORD LINEAR ACCELERATOR CENTER; THERMAL REACTORS; US AEC; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER COOLED REACTORS; WATER MODERATED REACTORS | The purpose of this compilation is to present, in a central reference document, all of the individual annual reports summarizing the results of the environmental monitoring programs conducted at each of the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) sites having a potential for environmental impact or which release a significant quantity of radioactivity or nonradioactive pollutants. Data on the levels of radioactivity and nonradioactive pollutants in effluents and the environs at each site are given, and effluent and environmental measurements and sampling results are evaluated in relation to the appropriate standards for environmental protection, including estimates of potential radiation exposures offsite. It is noteworthy that, in most cases, the potential offsite exposures are so low they cannot be determined by direct measurement methods but must be estimated by calculational techniques. All potential offsite exposures to members of the public from routine effluent releases in 1976 were less than 5 mrem/yr (i.e., less than one percent of the established radiation protection guidelines for exposure of the public). Additionally, the estimated collective man-rem dose potential to all members of the public within an 80 Km radius at all ERDA sites is less than .02 percent of the estimated man-rem dose due to natural and background environmental radiation. | Energy Research and Development Administration, Washington, D.C. (USA). Div. of Operational and Environmental Safety | United States | 1977-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5208834 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5208834 | ||
| Root litter decomposition rates and impacts of drought are regulated by ecosystem legacy | Glass, Nicholas; de Oliveira, Eduardo Dias; Molano-Flores, Brenda; Matamala, Roser; Whelan, Christopher J.; Gonzalez-Meler, Miquel A. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; decomposition; drought; legacy; memory; moisture; soil; tallgrass | In grassland ecosystems, about two-thirds of productivity is in roots, and therefore roots constitute a major soil organic matter input. However, influences on the rate of root litter decomposition remain unresolved, especially in the context of land-use conversion and climate change. Ecosystem legacy can affect root decomposition rates via impacts on substrate chemistry and soil environments, and this may manifest in responses of decomposition to changing temperature and moisture. Here we investigate the impacts of anthropogenic legacy effects and moderate drought on root litter decomposition rates in five "Land Use History Types": crop fields, cow pastures, remnant tallgrass prairie, and prairie restored from crop fields and pastures. We measured root losses of mass, carbon, and nitrogen over 11 months. Further, soil bulk density was unimportant for decomposition, but soil moisture content and temperature were relevant for decomposition rates while time since disturbance predicted decomposition initiation times. Furthermore, soil moisture and temperature dynamics alone could not explain the responses of decomposition rates to drought, which were positively correlated to time since disturbance. Our findings suggest that anthropogenic legacy impacts decomposition rates in grasslands, especially when soil moisture and temperature dynamics are substantially altered, and mediates soil community responses to drought. | Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) | United States | 2023-04-07T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.apsoil.2023.104903 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2427328 |
| Comprehensive Land Use and Environmental Stewardship | Lee, Randy D; Kachur, Kristina | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; Comprehensive; Environmental Stewardship; Land Use | Comprehensive Land Use and Environmental Stewardship (CLUES) Report serves as a summary document of the land use and environmental stewardship activities occurring on the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site (Desert) and the Research and Education Campus (REC) within Idaho Falls. Land and facility use planning and decisions at the INL Site are guided by a comprehensive planning process in accordance with the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) Order 430.1C, âReal Property Asset Management,â which states "Establish a data-driven, risk-informed, performance-based approach to the life-cycle management of real property assets that aligns the real property portfolio with DOE mission needs; acquire, manage, positively account for, and dispose of real property assets in a safe, secure, cost-effective, and sustainable manner; and ensure the real property portfolio is appropriately sized, aligned, and in the proper condition to support efficient mission execution." Land use planning, like Campus Master Planning and 5-Year Facility Planning, provides a means for better, more sustainable use of the INL Site in a coordinated effort to ensure current and future mission needs are met, including acquisition, recapitalization, maintenance, disposition, real property utilization and long-term stewardship. This document and all functions of INL are guided by the DOE Vision for INL and the INL Mission and builds on the baseline established in the FY 2015 CLUES Report. However, it delivers a revised structure with focus on new resource management zones, which provide organization of key management considerations and access restrictions to optimize land use and environmental stewardship. A new set of thematic Guiding Principles presented in this report provide the intent and sustainable management direction to protect the INL Site natural environment. They demonstrate that the mission and vision of DOE and INL can be realized with inclusion of first of a kind technology, private sector development, and globally recognized testing and demonstration. This CLUES Report encourages comprehensive management decision-making with additional resource discussions for sustainability, the built environment, and the ecological landscape at the INL Site. Enhanced resource considerations and trends emphasize the importance of air, land use, environmental, subsurface, and cultural resources. The INL Site supports exceptional and interdependent resources. A diversity of bat species are accommodated by culturally significant caves distributed around the Site. Big game species like elk, deer, and moose seek vegetation communities which are protected by long-term stewardship and monitoring programs. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) | United States | 2020-03-30T04:00:00Z | Program Document | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1608252 | |
| Environmental monitoring at major U. S. Energy Research and Development Administration contractor sites: calendar year 1976. Volume 2 | 500200* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 500300 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510200 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMES LABORATORY; ANL; ATOMICS INTERNATIONAL CANOGA PARK PLANT; BATTELLE COLUMBUS LABORATORY; BETTIS; BNL; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; FEED MATERIALS PLANTS; FEED MATERIALS PRODUCTION CENTER; GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS; HAPO; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; INDUSTRIAL PLANTS; ISOTOPE SEPARATION PLANTS; KAPL; LASL; LAWRENCE BERKELEY LABORATORY; LAWRENCE LIVERMORE LABORATORY; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MONITORING; MOUND LABORATORY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NEVADA TEST SITE; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ORGDP; PADUCAH PLANT; PANTEX PLANT; PINELLAS PLANT; PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT; POWER REACTORS; PWR TYPE REACTORS; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; REACTORS; ROCKY FLATS PLANT; SANDIA LABORATORIES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SHIPPINGPORT REACTOR; STANFORD LINEAR ACCELERATOR CENTER; THERMAL REACTORS; US AEC; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER COOLED REACTORS; WATER MODERATED REACTORS | The purpose of this compilation is to present, in a central reference document, all of the individual annual reports summarizing the results of the environmental monitoring programs conducted at each of the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) sites having a potential for environmental impact or which release a significant quantity of radioactivity or nonradioactive pollutants. Data on the levels of radioactivity and nonradioactive pollutants in effluents and the environs at each site are given, and effluent and environmental measurements and sampling results are evaluated in relation to the appropriate standards for environmental protection, including estimates of potential radiation exposures offsite. It is noteworthy that, in most cases, the potential offsite exposures are so low they cannot be determined by direct measurement methods but must be estimated by calculational techniques. All potential offsite exposures to members of the public from routine effluent releases in 1976 were less than 5 mrem/yr (i.e., less than one percent of the established radiation protection guidelines for exposure of the public). Additionally, the estimated collective man-rem dose potential to all members of the public within an 80 Km radius at all ERDA sites is less than .02 percent of the estimated man-rem dose due to natural and background environmental radiation. | Energy Research and Development Administration, Washington, D.C. (USA). Div. of Operational and Environmental Safety | United States | 1977-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5196078 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5196078 | ||
| The impact of habitat fragmentation on domatia-dwelling mites and a mite-plant-fungus tritrophic interaction | Graham, Carolyn D. K. (ORCID:0000000172211913); Warneke, Christopher R.; Weber, Marjorie; Brudvig, Lars A. | Habitat fragmentation is a leading threat to biodiversity, yet the impacts of fragmentation on most taxa, let alone interactions among those taxa, remain largely unknown. We studied how three consequences of fragmentationâreduced patch connectivity, altered patch shape, and edge proximityâimpact plant-dwelling mite communities and mite-plant-fungus interactions within a large-scale habitat fragmentation experiment. We sampled mite communities from the leaves of Quercus nigra (a plant species that has foliar domatia which harbor fungivorous and predacious mites) near and far from edge within fragments of varying edge-to-area ratio (shape) and connectivity via corridors. We also performed a mite-exclusion experiment across these fragmentation treatments to test the effects of mite presence and fungal hyphal abundance on leaf surfaces. Habitat edges influenced the abundance and richness of leaf-dwelling mites; plants closer to the edge had higher mite abundance and species richness. Likewise, hyphal counts were higher on leaves near patch edges. Despite both mite and fungal abundance being higher at patch edges, leaf hyphal counts were not impacted by mite abundance on those leaves. Neither patch shape nor connectivity influenced mite abundance, mite species richness, or the influence of mites on leaf surface fungal abundance. Our results suggest that mites and foliar fungi may be independently affected by edge-structured environmental gradients, like temperature, rather than trophic effects. We demonstrate that large-scale habitat fragmentation and particularly edge effects can have impacts on multiple levels of microscopic communities, even in the absence of cascading trophic effects. | USDOE | Netherlands | 2022-10-13T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s10980-022-01529-2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1892116 | ||
| Acute toxicity of copper to the larval stage of three species of ambystomatid salamanders | Weir, Scott M.; Yu, Shuangying; Scott, David E.; Lance, Stacey L. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; LC50; amphibians; caudata; metals; mortality; sublethal effect | Copper (Cu) appears to be consistently more toxic to anuran species relative to other vertebrate taxa. There are limited Cu toxicity data for salamanders; of the few studies conducted on salamanders, most examined Cu effects on the embryonic, but not the larval, stage. We performed acute toxicity experiments, to quantify LC50s, on Harrison stage 46 larvae (free swimming hatchlings with egg yolk completely absorbed) of three ambystomatid salamander species. Each LC50 experiment used exposure concentrations of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 µg/L with 10 replicates per concentration each containing one larva. We found very high toxicity for all species compared to previously published research on the embryo stage. Specifically, the 4-d LC50s for Ambystoma tigrinum and A. opacum were 35.3 and 18.73 µg/L, respectively. The same Cu concentrations caused similar toxicity to A. talpoideum (LC50 = 47.88 µg/L), but exposures required up to 48 d to elicit the same level of mortality. A time-to-event analysis indicated that time to mortality was significantly affected by Cu concentration. Additionally, for A. talpoideum, we observed that elevated levels of Cu decreased growth rate. Finally, comparisons with previously reported Cu toxicity for embryos suggest that, as with fish, Cu may be more toxic to larval salamander stages than for embryos. Further, our data suggest that Cu is an important environmental contaminant that deserves increased scrutiny on the potential for population-level effects where contamination has occurred in wetlands and streams inhabited by salamanders. | Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Lab. (SREL) | USDOE | United States | 2019-09-05T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s10646-019-02102-5 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1833530 |
| Wildlife Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation | Carter, Evin; Giffen, Neil R.; McCracken, Kitty; Darling, Sara E.; Deck, Aubrey; Byrd, Greg | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES | This document outlines a plan for management of the wildlife resources on the US Department of Energyâs (DOEâs) Oak Ridge Reservation. Management includes wildlife population control through restoration of wildlife species; preservation, management, and enhancement of wildlife habitats; coordination of wildlife studies and characterization of areas, hunting, trapping, removal, and habitat manipulation; wildlife damage control; and law enforcement. Wildlife resources are divided into several categories, each with a specific set of objectives and procedures to attain the goals. These objectives are management of (1) wildlife habitats to ensure that all resident wildlife species exist on the Reservation in viable numbers; (2) focal species to promote healthy populations on designated land units; (3) game species for research, education, recreation, and public safety; (4) the Three Bend Scenic and Wildlife Management Refuge Area; (5) nuisance wildlife, including nonnative species, to achieve adequate population control for the maintenance of health and safety on the Reservation; (6) sensitive species (i.e., state or federally listed as Endangered, Threatened, Of Special Concern, or In Need of Management) through preservation and protection of both the species and habitats critical to the survival of those species; and (7) wildlife disease. Achievement of the objectives is a joint effort between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) through agreements between DOE and the University of Tennessee (UT)-Battelle LLC, between TWRA and DOE, and between Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and DOE. Implementation of objectives is to be informed by leading-edge research and a strong collaborative approach between UT-Battelle and TWRA. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2019-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1632096 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1632096 |
| Radiocesium uptake by a population of cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) inhabiting the banks of a radioactive liquid waste pond | Garten, Jr, Charles T | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; BODY BURDEN; CONTAMINATION; DISTRIBUTION; GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS; INGESTION; LIQUID WASTES; PONDS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RATS; SEDIMENTS; TENNESSEE | A mean population of 20 cotton rats inhabited the banks of a small radioactive liquid waste pond (=0.39 ha) in Tennessee during the summer of 1977. Radiocesium concentrations in common shoreline plants (Eleocharis, Juncus, Typha, and Polygonum) ranged from 80 pCi/dry g in Juncus to 35,800 pCi/dry g in Eleocharis. The mean (+/-S.E.) 137Cs concentration in cotton rat GI tracts was 2283 (+/-591) pCi/dry g (N = 14). The mean (+/-S.E.) whole-body burden of 137Cs in 14 rats sampled from June to September was 44467 (+/-13,142) pCi. Mean 137Cs body burdens in cotton rats increased from 32 pCi/g live weight in May to 208 pCi/g live weight in August and declined to 3 pCi/g live weight in December. The mean (+/-S.D.I) percent distribution of the whole-body contents among pelt, GI tract, and carcass was 12 (+/-3), 28 (+/-12), and 60 (+/-9), respectively. The calculated mean (+/-S.E.) ingestion rate of 137Cs, assuming rats recaptured on the pond's banks for longer than 42 days were at equilibrium, was 1792 (+/-504) pCi/day. The concentration of 137Cs in shoreline plants, rat GI tracts, and rat bodies indicated that cotton rats, which are herbivores, accumulated their body burdens by foraging along the contamination zone bordering the pond shoreline. A maximum mean estimate of the amount of 137Cs annually exported by cotton rats from the pond is 8719 nCi or =10-6% of the total amount estimated to be present in the pond's sediments. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park | USDOE | United States | 1979-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1097/00004032-197901000-00008 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989662 |
| Local adaptation of switchgrass drives trait relations to yield and differential responses to climate and soil environments | Ricketts, Michael P.; Heckman, Robert W.; Fay, Philip A.; Matamala, Roser; Jastrow, Julie D.; Fritschi, Felix B.; Bonnette, Jason; Juenger, Thomas E. | Switchgrass, a potential biofuel crop, is a genetically diverse species with phenotypic plasticity enabling it to grow in a range of environments. Two primary divergent ecotypes, uplands and lowlands, exhibit trait combinations representative of acquisitive and conservative growth allocation strategies, respectively. Whether these ecotypes respond differently to various types of environmental drivers remains unclear but is crucial to understanding how switchgrass varieties will respond to climate change. We grew two upland, two lowland, and two intermediate/hybrid cultivars of switchgrass at three sites along a latitudinal gradient in the central United States. Over a 4âyear period, we measured plant functional traits and biomass yields and evaluated genotypeâbyâenvironment (G à E) interaction effects by analyzing switchgrass responses to soil and climate variables. We found substantial evidence of G à E interactions on biomass yield, primarily due to deviations in the response of the southern lowland cultivar Alamo, which produced more biomass in hotter and drier environments relative to other cultivars. While lowland cultivars had the highest potential for yield, their yields were more variable yearâtoâyear compared to other cultivars, suggesting greater sensitivity to environmental perturbations. Models comparing soil and climate principal components as explanatory variables revealed soil properties, especially nutrients, to be most effective at predicting switchgrass biomass yield. Also, positive correlations between biomass yield and conservative plant traits, such as high stem mass and tiller height, became stronger at lower latitudes where the climate is hotter and drier, regardless of ecotype. Lowland cultivars, however, showed a greater predisposition to exhibit these conservative traits. These results suggest switchgrass trait allocation tradeâoffs that prioritize aboveground biomass production are more tightly associated in hot, dry environments and that lowland cultivars may exhibit a more specialized strategy relative to other cultivars. Altogether, this research provides essential knowledge for improving the viability of switchgrass as a biofuel crop. | USDOE | United Kingdom | 2023-03-16T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/gcbb.13046 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1961864 | ||
| Role of uncertainties in protecting ecological resources during remediation and restoration | Burger, Joanna; Gochfeld, Michael; Bunn, Amoret; Looney, Brian; Jeitner, Christian | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; Department of Energy; Hanford Site; Savannah River Site; ecological effects; ecosystem; remediation; uncertainty | Cleanup of contaminated waste sites is a National priority to protect human health and the environment, while restoring land to productive uses. While there are uncertainties with under standing risk to individuals from exposure, the aim of this study was to focus on uncertainties and complexities for ecological systems, complicated by hundreds of species occupying any remediation site which participate in multiple-interacting food webs. The ability to better predict the effectiveness of remediation in fostering future ecosystems might facilitate remedy selection and improve strategic environmental management. This investigation examined (1) uncertainties in ecosystem processes, (2) uncertainties in exposure from contamination before remediation, and (3) uncertainties during remediation. Two Department of Energy sites Hanford Site and Savannah River Site were used as case studies to illustrate how the uncertainties affect eco-receptors. Several types of ecological, physical, and human dimension uncertainties are defined. Ecological uncertainties include temporal, spatial, individual, developmental, and exogenous types. Physical uncertainties are weather-related, watershed variations, slope/aspect, soil/sediment structure and form, unforeseen events, and temporal patterns. Human dimension uncertainties include current land use, future land use, extractive and non-extractive recreation. The effects of remedial strategies varied between the two sites because Hanford is a primarily arid shrub-steppe ecotype, while Savannah River is a wet forest ecotype. Defining the associated ecological sensitivities and uncertainties and providing examples might help policy-makers, managers, planners, and contractors to be aware of issues to consider throughout planning, remediation, and restoration. Adding ecological uncertainty analysis to risk evaluations and remediation planning is analogous to using safety factors in human health risk assessment. | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2021-02-25T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1080/15287394.2021.1887783 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1783241 |
| Habitat fragmentation alters the distance of abiotic seed dispersal through edge effects and direction of dispersal | Warneke, Christopher R.; Caughlin, T. Trevor; Damschen, Ellen I.; Haddad, Nick M.; Levey, Douglas J.; Brudvig, Lars A. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; edge effect; habitat fragmentation; landscape corridor; seed dispersal | Habitat loss and fragmentation are leading causes of species declines, driven in part by reduced dispersal. Isolating the effects of fragmentation on dispersal, however, is daunting because the consequences of fragmentation are typically intertwined, such as reduced connectivity and increased prevalence of edge effects. We used a large-scale landscape experiment to separate consequences of fragmentation on seed dispersal, considering both distance and direction of local dispersal. We evaluated seed dispersal for five wind- or gravity-dispersed, herbaceous plant species that were planted at different distances from habitat edges, within fragments that varied in their connectivity and shape (edge-to-area ratio). Dispersal distance was affected by proximity and direction relative to the nearest edge. For four of five species, dispersal distances were greater further from habitat edges and when seeds dispersed in the direction of the nearest edge. Connectivity and patch edge-to-area ratio had minimal effects on local dispersal. Here our findings illustrate how some, but not all, landscape changes associated with fragmentation can affect the key population process of seed dispersal. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF) | United States | 2021-11-12T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/ecy.3586 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1976327 |
| Testing effects of invasive fire ants and disturbance on ant communities of the longleaf pine ecosystem | Roeder, Karl A.; Useche, Viviana Penuela; Levey, Douglas J.; Resasco, Julian | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Amdro; Solenopsis invicta; disturbance; invasive species; social insect; stable isotope | Invasive species and habitat disturbance are among the most important drivers of biodiversity loss and ecological change. Their individual effects, however, are difficult to disentangle because invasion and disturbance are often intimately linked. Here we test alternative hypotheses to determine if the invasive red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, is a âdriverâ or simply a âpassengerâ of ecological change in a longleaf pine ecosystem. We randomly assigned treatments of (1) unmanipulated, (2) soil disturbance, (3) fire ant removal and (4) soil disturbance + fire ant removal to experimental blocks and measured how ant communities changed over 2 years in thirty-six 15-m2 plots. Additionally, fire ant abundance in removal plots averaged 42% lower in pitfall traps and 95% lower on baits compared to unmanipulated, control plots. Species richness of co-occurring ants also decreased 42% in removal plots, with significant changes in community composition. Soil disturbance alone did not affect ant communities. Fire ant diet breadthâmeasured using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopesâincreased up to 4.7-fold in soil disturbance + removal plots (i.e. 0.84â°2 to 3.94â°2). While non-target impacts of the fire ant removal treatment complicate interpretation, our results suggest fire ants follow an alternative âinteracting driversâ model in which partial recovery of some species occurs when populations of an invasive species are reduced. Further recovery of native ants may be limited by persisting, landscape-level effects of fire ants suppressing co-occurring ants below historical levels. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU) | United States | 2021-03-23T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/een.13033 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1884968 |
| Connectivity and edge effects increase bee colonization in an experimentally fragmented landscape | Griffin, Sean R.; Haddad, Nick M. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; biodiversity & conservation; environmental sciences & ecology; habitat loss; habitat patch; isolation; landscape corridors; landscape conservation | Though landscape corridors increase dispersal of many animals and plants, it remains unknown whether these positive effects extend to the process of colonization and establishment of new populations in fragments. Working in experimentally fragmented landscapes, we tested how two aspects of habitat fragments altered by corridors â connectivity and edge-to-area ratio â determine patterns of colonization by a solitary, cavity-nesting bee Megachile rotundata. We found that though connectivity initially affected rates of nest-site occupation, edge-to-area ratio ultimately determined the final patterns of patch occupation and nest building, likely due to habitat selection by our focal species. Bee colonization was also higher in patches with higher abundances of their preferred food resources, flowers from the Fabaceae family. Our results show the importance of considering the effects of both connectivity and edge on population dynamics in habitat-based conservation. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2021-02-23T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/ecog.05299 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1848955 |
| Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2021 - Summary | Redding, Theodore J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ASER; Environment; Environmental; NFO; NNSA; NNSS | This summary report provides an abbreviated and more readable version of the full report, which discusses actions taken in 2021 to protect the environment and the public while achieving the NNSA/NFO mission goals. It is prepared for the public and our stakeholders in hopes that it is readily understandable and usable. It is a key component in our efforts to keep the public informed of environmental conditions at the NNSS and its support facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada. | Nevada National Security Site/Mission Support and Test Services LLC, Las Vegas, NV (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2022-10-01T04:00:00Z | Program Document | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1895374 | |
| Large ecosystem-scale effects of restoration fail to mitigate impacts of land-use legacies in longleaf pine savannas | Brudvig, Lars A.; Turley, Nash E.; Bartel, Savannah L.; Bell-Dereske, Lukas; Breland, Sabrie; Damschen, Ellen I.; Evans, Sarah E.; Gibbs, Jason; Hahn, Philip G.; Isaacs, Rufus; Ledvina, Joe A.; Orrock, John L.; Sorenson, Quinn M.; Stuhler, John D. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ecological restoration; land-use legacy; longleaf pine; restoration ecology | Ecological restoration is a global priority, with potential to reverse biodiversity declines and promote ecosystem functioning. Yet, successful restoration is challenged by lingering legacies of past land-use activities, which are pervasive on lands available for restoration. Although legacies can persist for centuries following cessation of human land uses such as agriculture, we currently lack understanding of how land-use legacies affect entire ecosystems, how they influence restoration outcomes, or whether restoration can mitigate legacy effects. Using a large-scale experiment, we evaluated how restoration by tree thinning and land-use legacies from prior cultivation and subsequent conversion to pine plantations affect fire-suppressed longleaf pine savannas. In this work, we evaluated 45 ecological properties across four categories: 1) abiotic attributes, 2) organism abundances, 3) species diversity, and 4) species interactions. The effects of restoration and land-use legacies were pervasive, shaping all categories of properties, with restoration effects roughly twice the magnitude of legacy effects. Restoration effects were of comparable magnitude in savannas with and without a history of intensive human land use; however, restoration did not mitigate numerous legacy effects present prior to restoration. As a result, savannas with a history of intensive human land use supported altered properties, especially related to soils, even after restoration. The signature of past human land-use activities can be remarkably persistent in the face of intensive restoration, influencing the outcome of restoration across diverse ecological properties. Understanding and mitigating land-use legacies will maximize the potential to restore degraded ecosystems. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER), Infrastructure Security and Energy Restoration (ISER); Foundation for Food and Agriculture, Pollinator Health Fund; Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program | United States | 2021-04-19T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1073/pnas.2020935118 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1805172 |
| Long-term patterns of cave-exiting activity of hibernating bats in western North America | Whiting, Jericho C.; Doering, Bill; Aho, Ken; Rich, Jason | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; behavioural ecology; ecology | Understanding frequency and variation of cave-exiting activity after arousal from torpor of hibernating bats is important for bat ecology and conservation, especially considering white-nose syndrome. In winter from 2011 to 2018, we acoustically monitored, and counted in hibernacula, two species of conservation concernâwestern small-footed myotis (Myotis ciliolabrum) and Townsendâs big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii)âin 9 caves located in important habitat for these species in western North America. We investigated if cave-exiting activity differed by species, cave, number of hibernating bats, moon phase, and weather variables. Both species exited hibernacula during all winter months, but most activity occurred in March followed by November. Although we counted almost 15 times more Townsendâs big-eared bats during hibernacula surveys, we documented western small-footed myotis exiting caves 3 times more than Townsendâs big-eared bats. Cave-exiting activity increased with increasing number of hibernating bats, but more so for western small-footed myotis. Both species of bats were active during warm weather and low wind speeds. Western small-footed myotis were more active during colder temperatures, higher wind speeds, and greater change in barometric pressure than Townsendâs big-eared bats. Our results provide a long-term dataset of cave-exiting activity after arousal from torpor during hibernation for these species before the arrival of white-nose syndrome. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2021-04-14T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/s41598-021-87605-0 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1816732 |
| Development ofn DNAn methylationâbased epigenetic age predictors in loblolly pine (n Pinus taedan ) | Gardner, Steven T.; Bertucci, Emily M.; Sutton, Randall; Horcher, Andy; Aubrey, Doug; Parrott, Benjamin B. | Biological ageing is connected to life history variation across ecological scales and informs a basic understanding of ageârelated declines in organismal function. Altered DNA methylation dynamics are a conserved aspect of biological ageing and have recently been modelled to predict chronological age among vertebrate species. In addition to their utility in estimating individual age, differences between chronological and predicted ages arise due to acceleration or deceleration of epigenetic ageing, and these discrepancies are linked to disease risk and multiple life history traits. Although evidence suggests that patterns of DNA methylation can describe ageing in plants, predictions with epigenetic clocks have yet to be performed. Here, we resolve the DNA methylome across CpG, CHG, and CHHâmethylation contexts in the loblolly pine tree ( Pinus taeda ) and construct epigenetic clocks capable of predicting ages in this species within 6% of its maximum lifespan. Although patterns of CHHâmethylation showed little association with age, both CpG and CHGâmethylation contexts were strongly associated with ageing, largely becoming hypomethylated with age. Among ageâassociated loci were those in close proximity to malate dehydrogenase, NADH dehydrogenase, and 18S and 26S ribosomal RNA genes. This study reports one of the first epigenetic clocks in plants and demonstrates the universality of ageâassociated DNA methylation dynamics which can inform conservation and management practices, as well as our ecological and evolutionary understanding of biological ageing in plants. | USDOE | United Kingdom | 2022-08-24T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/1755-0998.13698 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1883252 | ||
| Seismically Detecting Nuclear Reactor Operations Using a Power Spectral Density (PSD) Misfit Detector | Guenaga, David L.; Chai, Chengping; Maceira, Monica; Marcillo, Omar E.; Velasco, Aaron A. | 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS | To explore the ability to indirectly detect and attribute various operations conducted at a nuclear reactor using waveform data, we investigated the seismic signals recorded near the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Specifically, we processed seismic data collected from a single seismoacoustic station, WACO, near the HFIR facility, and employed a power spectral density misfit detector to identify signals of interest and associate the detections with operational events. Initial results suggest that this method provides a promising means of regularly detecting at least 19 unique operations. Furthermore, with additional station deployment and more comprehensive data logs, we anticipate that future analysis will offer an additional means to seismically monitor nuclear reactors (such as HFIR) health and performance more accurately. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF) | United States | 2021-05-11T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1785/0120200267 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1798624 |
| Forest stand and canopy development unaltered by 12Â years of CO2 enrichment* | Norby, Richard J. (ORCID:0000000202389828); Warren, Jeffrey M.; Iversen, Colleen M.; Childs, Joanne; Jawdy, Sara S.; Walker, Anthony P.; Tissue, ed., David | Canopy structureâthe size and distribution of tree crowns and the spatial and temporal distribution of leaves within themâexerts dominant control over primary productivity, transpiration and energy exchange. Stand structureâthe spatial arrangement of trees in the forest (height, basal area and spacing)âhas a strong influence on forest growth, allocation and resource use. Forest response to elevated atmospheric CO2 is likely to be dependent on the canopy and stand structure. Here, we investigated elevated CO2 effects on the forest structure of a Liquidambar styraciflua L. stand in a free-air CO2 enrichment experiment, considering leaves, tree crowns, forest canopy and stand structure. During the 12-year experiment, the trees increased in height by 5Â m and basal area increased by 37%. Basal area distribution among trees shifted from a relatively narrow distribution to a much broader one, but there was little evidence of a CO2 effect on height growth or basal area distribution. The differentiation into crown classes over time led to an increase in the number of unproductive intermediate and suppressed trees and to a greater concentration of stand basal area in the largest trees. A whole-tree harvest at the end of the experiment permitted detailed analysis of canopy structure. There was little effect of CO2 enrichment on the relative leaf area distribution within tree crowns and there was little change from 1998 to 2009. Leaf characteristics (leaf mass per unit area and nitrogen content) varied with crown depth; any effects of elevated CO2 were much smaller than the variation within the crown and were consistent throughout the crown. In this young, even-aged, monoculture plantation forest, there was little evidence that elevated CO2 accelerated tree and stand development, and there were remarkably small changes in canopy structure. Questions remain as to whether a more diverse, mixed species forest would respond similarly. | USDOE | United Kingdom | 2021-08-13T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1093/treephys/tpab107 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1854638 | ||
| Calibration approach and range of observed sap flow influences transpiration estimates from thermal dissipation sensors | Dix, Mackenzie J.; Aubrey, Doug P. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Ecohydrology; Granier sensors; Gravimetric; Potometric; Power function; Sap flux; Segmented regression; Water use | Calibrating thermal dissipation (TD) sap flow sensors has become increasingly important to accurately estimate whole-tree transpiration, but it is unclear how the calibration approach itself influences the resulting coefficients and estimates. Here, we compare the two most common calibration approaches, gravimetric and potometric, using TD sensors inserted into Eucalyptus benthamii tree stems. The gravimetric approach uses an excised stem segment devoid of branches and leaves and pushes water through the stem using gravity, a positive force. The potometric approach uses a severed stem containing an intact canopy placed upright in a reservoir where water is pulled through the stem via transpiration, a negative force. We hypothesized that the positive pressure associated with gravimetric calibration would overestimate conductive sapwood area relative to that estimated from potometric calibration and that coefficients from these different approaches would result in different estimates of transpiration when applied to intact trees. We also predicted that calibrations could improve transpiration estimates by targeting the range of observed sap flow rates (i.e., K values) in intact trees. Conductive sapwood area was higher under gravimetric calibrations and resulting estimates of transpiration were lower compared to potometric calibrations. Segmented calibration curves, which fit two separate curves for the relationship between sap flux density (Fd) and sap flux index (K) based on the range of sap flow rates observed in intact trees, increased transpiration estimates from both gravimetric and potometric coefficients and diminished the magnitude of difference in transpiration estimates between approaches. Researchers should be aware that calibration approach and range of observed sap flow profoundly influences transpiration estimates from TD sensors and this likely applies to calibrations of other heat-based sap flow sensors. | University of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States); USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2021-07-21T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.agrformet.2021.108534 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1848983 |
| Mercury Concentrations in the Two-Toed Amphiuma (Amphiuma means) and the Lesser Siren (Siren intermedia): Validating Non-lethal Sampling Methods in Southeastern Aquatic Salamanders | Haskins, David L.; Korotasz, Alexis M.; Bryan, Albert L. | 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT. | The global decline of amphibians is a major conservation issue. Many stressors are recognized for this decline including exposure to environmental contaminants. Mercury (Hg) is an environmental contaminant that bioaccumulates in wildlife and can cause a variety of negative impacts across taxa, including amphibians. Amphiuma and Siren spp. can comprise a large portion of biomass within their respective ecosystems, and thus, likely serve as important predators or prey in wetland communities. However, due to their cryptic nature, little is known about their ecology, diet, and accumulation potential. Here, we sought to validate a non-lethal sampling method to quantify total mercury (THg) in two enigmatic species of aquatic salamanders: the two-toed amphiuma (Amphiuma means) and the lesser siren (Siren intermedia). We examined relationships between THg content in lethal (whole-body) and non-lethal (tail clip) samples. Tail clips were significant predictors of whole body THg (all p < 0.001), explaining 84-89% of variation in whole body THg. Average whole-body THg (mg/kg did not significantly differ between the two species (p = 0.97), and overall, they had similar whole body THg content (LESI = 0.330 ± 0.04, n = 18; AMME = 0.333 ± 0.07, n = 11). To our knowledge, these data represent the first reported Hg burdens in A. means and S. intermedia. | Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Lab. (SREL) | USDOE | United States | 2019-07-26T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s00244-019-00657-2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1842288 |
| INL Environmental Monitoring Plan (DOE/ID-11088 Rev. 5) | Devasirvatham, Rajkumar S. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Idaho National Laboratory; environmental monitoring plan | This plan provides a high-level summary of environmental monitoring performed by various organizations within and around the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site as required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 435.1, Radioactive Waste Management, and DOE Order 458.1, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment, Guide DOE/EH-0173T, Environmental Regulatory Guide for Radiological Effluent Monitoring and Environmental Surveillance, and in accordance with 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 61, National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants. The purpose of these orders is to 1) implement sound stewardship practices that protect the air, water, land, and other natural and cultural resources that may be impacted by DOE operations, and 2) to establish standards and requirements for the operations of DOE and DOE contractors with respect to protection of the environment and members of the public against undue risk from radiation. This plan describes the organizations responsible for conducting environmental monitoring across the INL Site, the rationale for monitoring, the types of media being monitored, where the monitoring is conducted, and where monitoring results can be obtained. Detailed monitoring procedures, program plans, or other governing documents used by contractors or agencies to implement requirements are referenced in this plan. This plan covers all planned monitoring and environmental surveillance. Non-routine activities such as special research studies and characterization of individual sites for environmental restoration are outside the scope of this plan. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU) | United States | 2021-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1873101 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1873101 |
| Past agricultural land use affects multiple facets of ungulate antipredator behavior | Bartel, Savannah L.; Orrock, John L. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Agricultural legacy; Odocoileus virginianus; antipredator behavior; diel activity patterns; disturbance; fire; longleaf pine; vigilance | Antipredator behavior affects prey fitness, prey demography, and the strength of ecological interactions. Although predator-prey interactions increasingly occur in habitats that experience multiple forms of human-generated disturbance, it is unclear how different forms of disturbance might affect antipredator behavior. Fire is a contemporary disturbance that has dramatic effects on terrestrial habitats. Such habitats may have also experienced past disturbances, like agricultural land use, that leave lasting legacies on habitat structure (e.g., overstory and understory composition). It is unclear how these past and present disturbances affect the use of different antipredator behaviors, like temporal avoidance and vigilance. We examined whether variation in disturbance regimes generates differences in ungulate antipredator behavior by using cameras to measure white-tailed deer vigilance and activity time across 24 longleaf pine woodlands that vary in past land use and contemporary fire regime. Regardless of land-use history, woodlands with high fire frequencies had 4 times less vegetation cover than low-fire woodlands, generating riskier habitats for deer; however, deer responded to fire with different antipredator strategies depending on land-use history. In nonagricultural woodlands, fire affected deer activity time such that activity was nocturnal in low-fire woodlands and crepuscular in high-fire woodlands. In post-agricultural woodlands, fire affected vigilance and not activity time such that deer were more vigilant in high-fire woodlands than in low-fire woodlands. Furthermore, these results suggest that ungulate antipredator behavior may vary spatially depending on past land use and contemporary fire regime, and such disturbances may generate âlandscapes of fearâ that persist for decades after agricultural use. | Forest Service, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2021-07-05T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1093/beheco/arab064 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1810290 |
| Accounting for connectivity alters the apparent roles of spatial and environmental processes on metacommunity assembly | Resasco, Julian; Fletcher, Jr., Robert J. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Beta diversity; Community assembly; Community ecology; Formicidae; Generalized dissimilarity modeling; Matrix | Understanding the relative contributions of spatial and environmental processes on community assembly is a central question in ecology. Despite this long-standing interest, our understanding of how landscape structure may drive spatial processes of community assembly remains poorly understood in part because of the challenge of tracking community assembly across landscapes and quantifying key aspects of landscapes that may impact assembly processes. Here, we examined the roles of spatial and environmental processes on structuring assemblies of ants in 72 cleared patches embedded within a forested landscape. | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU) | United States | 2021-02-03T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s10980-021-01203-z | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1884967 |
| Mercury and Radiocesium Accumulation and Associations With Sublethal Endpoints in the Florida Green Watersnake (Nerodia floridana) | Brown, Marty Kyle; Haskins, David Lee; Russell, Amelia L.; Lambert, Michaela L.; Quick, Caleigh E.; Pilgrim, Melissa A.; Tuberville, Tracey D. | 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; Hepatozoon; heavy metal; pollution; radionuclide; reptile; standard metabolic rate | Mercury (Hg) and radiocesium (137Cs) are well-known environmental contaminants with the potential to impact the health of humans and wildlife. Snakes have several characteristics conducive to studying environmental contamination but have rarely been included in the monitoring of polluted sites. We investigated the bioaccumulation of Hg and 137Cs and associations with sublethal effects (standard metabolic rate [SMR] and hemoparasite infections) in Florida green watersnakes (Nerodia floridana). We captured 78 snakes from three former nuclear cooling reservoirs on the US Department of Energy's Savannah River Site in South Carolina (USA). For captured snakes, we (1) determined whole-body 137Cs, (2) quantified total Hg (THg) using snake tail clips, (3) conducted hemoparasite counts, and (4) measured the SMR. We used multiple regression models to determine associations among snake body size, capture location, sex, tail THg, whole-body 137Cs, Hepatozoon spp. prevalence and parasitemia, and SMR. Average whole-body 137Cs (0.23 ± 0.08 Becquerels [Bq]/g; range: 0.00â1.02 Bq/g) was correlated with snake body size and differed significantly by capture site (Pond B: 0.67 ± 0.05 Bq/g; Par Pond: 0.10 ± 0.02 Bq/g; Pond 2: 0.03 ± 0.02 Bq/g). Tail THg (0.33 ± 0.03 mg/kg dry wt; range: 0.16â2.10 mg/kg) was significantly correlated with snake body size but did not differ by capture site. We found no clear relationship between SMR and contaminant burdens. However, models indicated that the prevalence of Hepatozoon spp. in snakes was inversely related to increasing whole-body 137Cs burdens. Our results indicate the bioaccumulation of Hg and 137Cs in N. floridana and further demonstrate the utility of aquatic snakes as bioindicators. Furthermore, our results also suggest a decrease in Hepatozoon spp. prevalence related to increased burdens of 137Cs. Although the results are intriguing, further research is needed to understand the dynamics between 137Cs and Hepatozoon spp. infections in semiaquatic snakes. | Savannah River National Lab (SRNL), Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2022-02-03T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/etc.5281 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1898631 |
| Rodent population and community responses to experimental, large scale, long-term coarse woody debris manipulations | Larsen-Gray, Angela L.; Loeb, Susan C.; Kalcounis-Rueppell, Matina C. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; CWD; South Carolina; coarse woody debris; cotton mouse; rodent; southern flying squirrel | Coarse woody debris (CWD) is a structural feature in forests throughout the United States that provides unique cover, runways, and microclimate for various wildlife species. While use and selection of CWD for rodent foraging, travel, and nesting, which can impact an individualâs fitness, has been demonstrated across numerous studies, the role of CWD presence and abundance in rodent population and community dynamics varies across studies. To better understand rodent and CWD relationships, we studied rodent populations across two periods of CWD manipulation in randomly assigned experimental treatments in South Carolina (Period I: March 1996âNovember 2000; removal of all snags and fallen logs, removal of fallen logs only, and Control, and Period II: January 2002âSeptember 2006; downed woody debris addition, snag addition, and Control). Overall, we found minimal effects of experimental treatments on the rodent community composition and structure, and community level variation was mainly explained by cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus) and southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) captures. There were no experimental treatment effects on captures of cotton mice and southern flying squirrels, but we observed variation across seasons and years. Here our study shows that over the long-term, rodent population and community dynamics are not affected by experimental manipulations of CWD in our study area. | University of North Carolina, Greensboro, NC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU) | United States | 2021-06-22T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119427 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1884507 |
| Group size mediates effects of intraspecific competition and forest structure on productivity in a recovering social woodpecker population | Garabedian, James E.; Moorman, C. E.; Peterson, M. N.; Kilgo, J. C. | prescribed fire; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; cooperative breeder; endangered species; indirect effects; population density; structural equation model; woodpecker | Conservation of endangered social wildlife in disturbance-prone forests is challenging because direct and indirect effects of management strategies developed at the time of speciesâ listing when population density is low may change under high-density conditions in locally recovered populations. Here, we used piecewise structural equation modeling to evaluate direct and indirect drivers of productivity in the federally endangered cooperatively breeding red-cockaded woodpecker Dryobates borealis (RCW) on Savannah River Site, South Carolina, USA. We estimated direct and indirect relationships among group size, neighboring group sizes, fledgling production, density of cavity tree clusters occupied by RCWs, area satisfying threshold criteria of â¥22 stems haâ1 of pines â¥35.6 cm diameter at breast height (dbh), <1.4 m2 haâ1 basal area (BA) of hardwoods 7.6â22.9 cm dbh, and <6% hardwood canopy cover, and area treated with prescribed fire, and tested whether group size mediated indirect effects of area satisfying threshold criteria on fledgling production. Increases in area with â¥22 stems haâ1 of pines â¥35.6 cm dbh and <1.4 m2 haâ1 BA of hardwoods 7.6â22.9 cm dbh, and area treated with prescribed fire, but not area with <6% hardwood canopy cover, had direct positive effects on group size. Group size and area treated with prescribed fire, but not area satisfying threshold criteria, had direct positive effects on fledgling production. The direct effect of neighboring group sizes on fledgling production was negative and smaller relative to the direct positive effect of group size on fledgling production. Overall, our results indicate positive direct effects of group size on fledgling production outweighed negative direct effects of neighboring group sizes, and that group size mediated positive indirect effects of area satisfying structural threshold criteria on fledgling production. These findings indicate that ongoing forest management aimed to increase area with â¥22 pines haâ1 â¥35.6 cm dbh and <1.4 m2 haâ1 BA of hardwoods 7.6â22.9 cm dbh will promote large group sizes, which in turn improve fledgling production and offset costs of heightened competition with neighboring groups under high-density conditions. Additionally, positive effects of area treated with prescribed fire on RCW group size and fledgling production indicate prescribed fire has unique contributions to woodpecker productivity, likely via direct effects on forest structure and potentially indirect effects on arthropod prey available to foraging RCWs. Furthermore, by simultaneously accounting for multiple drivers of productivity in social wildlife, our study contributes to the understanding of how increases in social wildlife population sizes can alter previously documented habitat-fitness relationships. | USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU) | United States | 2021-11-20T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/acv.12757 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1846588 |
| Seasonal and Interspecific Variation in Frugivory by a Mixed Resident-Migrant Overwintering Songbird Community | Carter, Wales A.; Pearson, Scott F.; Smith, Adam D.; McWilliams, Scott R.; Levey, Douglas J. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Biodiversity & Conservation; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; diet overlap; diet shifts; frugivory; granivory; isotopic niche; mixing model; overwintering; songbirds; stable isotopes | Many temperate passerine bird species switch from diets of mostly invertebrates in the spring and summer to diets that include fruit and seeds in the fall and winter. However, relatively few studies have quantified diet composition or the extent of seasonal shifts during the non-breeding period, particularly among species and across communities with both residents and migrants. We measured carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values in food items (fruits, C3 and C4 seeds, and insects from various trophic levels and plant communities) and in multiple tissues (feathers and plasma/whole blood) from 11 species of songbirds wintering in the southeastern U.S. We combined these diet and tissue values with empirically derived discrimination factors and used concentration-dependent mixing models to quantify seasonal diet shifts. We also validated mixing model results with data from fecal samples. Diets in this bird community, as delineated N and C isotopic space, diverged in the fall and winter relative to the summer as consumption of fruits and seeds increased. Across this songbird community, estimated contributions of fruit to plasma/whole blood increased from 16.2 ± 7.5% in the fall (mean ± SD; range: 4â26%) to 21.7 ± 10.3% (range: 9â37%) in the winter, while contributions of seeds increased from 29.4 ± 2.6% (range: 28â32%) in the fall to 36.6 ± 4.8% (range: 32â42%) in the winter. Fecal data showed qualitatively similar trends to mixing models, but consistently estimated higher contributions of fruit. Our work indicates that fruits and seeds constitute substantial sources of sustenance for non-breeding songbirds, there is considerable separation of resource use among species in the fall and winter, and fecal estimates of contributions to songbird tissues should be interpreted cautiously. | US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA), Washington, DC (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2021-07-09T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.3390/d13070314 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1848172 |
| Species- and element-specific patterns of metal flux from contaminated wetlands versus metals shed with exuviae in emerging dragonflies | Fletcher, Dean E.; Lindell, Angela H.; Stankus, Paul T.; Fulghum, Christina M.; Spivey, Erin A. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; aquatic insect; aquatic-terrestrial linkages; contamination; dragonfly; insect emergence; metal | Dragonfly adults and their aquatic immature stages are important parts of food webs and provide a link between aquatic and terrestrial components. During emergence, contaminants can be exported into terrestrial food webs as immature adults fly away or be shed with their exuviae and remain in the wetland. Our previous work established metals accumulating in dragonfly nymphs throughout a contaminated constructed wetland designed to regulate pH and sequester trace metals from an industrial effluent line. In this paper we evaluated the concentration and mass of metals leaving the wetland in flying emergents versus remaining in the wetland with the shed exuviae in 10 species of dragonflies belonging to 8 genera. Nine elements (Cu, Zn, Cd, Mn, V, Mg, Fe, Al, Pb) were evaluated that include essential and nonessential elements as well as trace and major metals. Metal concentrations in the emergent body and exuviae can differ by orders of magnitude. Aluminum, Fe, Mn, and Pb were largely shed in the exuviae. Vanadium and Cd were more variable among species but also tended to be shed with the exuviae. In contrast, Cu, Zn, and Mg showed a higher tendency to leave the wetland with an emerging dragonfly. Metals shed in dragonfly exuviae can moderate the transport of metals from contaminated wetlands. Taxonomic- and metal-specific variability in daily metal flux from the wetland depended upon concentration accumulated, individual body mass, and number of individuals emerging, with each factor's relative importance often differing among species. This illustrates the importance of evaluating the mass of metals in an individual and not only concentrations. Furthermore, differences in numbers of each species emerging will magnify differences in individual metal flux when calculating community metal flux. A better understanding of the variability of metal accumulation in nymphs/larvae and metal shedding during metamorphosis among both metals and species is needed. | University of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) | United States | 2022-02-09T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.118976 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1977101 |
| An omnivorous mesopredator modifies predation of omnivore-dispersed seeds | Bartel, Savannah; Orrock, John | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Canis latrans; Prunus serotina; Rubus allegheniensis; endozoochory; mesopredator; predator cue; scat; seed predation | Post-dispersal seed predation is an important determinant of plant recruitment. Although many plant species are dispersed following consumption by omnivorous vertebrates, the potential for these dispersal agents to indirectly affect seed fate by modifying seed predator behavior is poorly understood. We evaluated the hypothesis that the scat of an omnivorous vertebrate (coyote, Canis latrans), which is also a rodent predator, would reduce seed predation by rodent granivores. We also hypothesized that scat would lead to increased removal by arthropod seed predators by providing a resource that attracts ants and other arthropods. We examined the role of omnivore deposition on seed predation of two animal-dispersed species that differed in size: Larger Prunus serotina seeds are attacked only by rodents, whereas smaller Rubus allegheniensis seeds are attacked by arthropods and rodents. Using an experiment that manipulated the presence of coyote scat and access by different granivore guilds, we found that scat reduced the total number of seeds removed from full-access depots by 12%, but it increased the total number of seeds removed from arthropod-only depots by 43%. Rodent removal of P. serotina seeds was 21% lower in the presence of scat. Scat composition was also important in affecting rodent seed predation, with seed predation 50% lower in the presence of meat-rich scat compared with mixed or fruit-rich scat. Arthropod removal of R. allegheniensis seeds was 43% higher in the presence of scat. Prunus serotina seeds were generally removed at greater rates than R. allegheniensis seeds in full-access trays; however, scat reduced this difference in removal rates from 37% more P. serotina seeds removed to 18% more P. serotina seeds removed. These findings illuminate a new pathway through which omnivores may influence plant populations by modifying post-dispersal seed predation by arthropods and rodents. Moreover, our results indicate that the ultimate effect of vertebrate omnivores on seed survival in a given region may depend upon omnivore diet, dominant seed predator guilds, and differences in granivore seed preference. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE; Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program | United States | 2021-02-09T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/ecs2.3369 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1805180 |
| Eucalyptus Are Unlikely to Escape Plantations and Invade Surrounding Forests Managed with Prescribed Fire in Southeastern US | Toledo, Fábio Henrique; McIntosh, Tyler; Knothe, Candice; Aubrey, Douglas P. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Eucalyptus benthamii; alien plant; forestry; germination; invasive species; light availability; litter depth; planted forest | Woody biomass production can increase through establishment of non-native tree species exhibiting greater growth potential than traditional native species. Interest in growing Eucalyptus in the southeastern US has raised concern over its potential spread and invasion, which could impact ecosystem properties and functions. Within the matrix of land use where Eucalyptus establishment is being considered in the southeastern US, surrounding pine forests managed with fire represent a likely pathway for invasion. We used greenhouse and field experiments to evaluate the potential invasion risk of Eucalyptus benthamii. We were specifically interested in determining if seeds could successfully germinate in fire-maintained pine forests and if fire-return intervals influenced germination through impacts on litter accumulation and light availability. The greenhouse experiment investigated the influence of light availability on germination success, whereas the field study investigated the influence of time since fire, and thus litter accumulation and light availability, on germination success. Percent germination was similar under non-shaded controls and moderate shade, but complete shade resulted in low germination rates. Germination was lower in the field compared to the greenhouse and was influenced by litter and light availability, which varied according to fire-return intervals. Litter increased, and light availability decreased, with time since burn. Germination was negatively related to litter depth and positively related to light availability, thereby decreasing with time since fire. Germination increased with litter removal but remained positively related to light availability after litter removal. Higher germination with litter removal suggests germination is influenced by litter, but higher germination with increased light availability, regardless of raking, suggests germination is also influenced by light availability. Despite these relationships, no seedlings persisted through the growing season. The low germination rates under a variety of field conditions coupled with the lack of persistence suggests establishment may be unlikely, regardless of the surrounding land matrix. | Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States); USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2020-06-20T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.3390/f11060694 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1799592 |
| Overcoming small minirhizotron datasets using transfer learning | Xu, Weihuang; Yu, Guohao; Zare, Alina; Zurweller, Brendan; Rowland, Diane L.; Reyes-Cabrera, Joel; Fritschi, Felix B.; Matamala, Roser; Juenger, Thomas E. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Deep learning; Minirhizotron; Plant root phenotyping; Root and soil segmentation; Roots minirhizotron machine learning; Transfer learning | Minirhizotron technology is widely used to study root growth and development. Yet, standard approaches for tracing roots in minirhiztron imagery is extremely tedious and time consuming. Machine learning approaches can help to automate this task. However, lack of enough annotated training data is a major limitation for the application of machine learning methods. Transfer learning is a useful technique to help with training when available datasets are limited. In this paper, we investigated the effect of pre-trained features from the massives-cale, irrelevant ImageNet dataset and a relatively moderate-scale, but relevant peanut root dataset on switchgrass root imagery segmentation applications. We compiled two minirhizotron image datasets to accomplish this study: one with 17,550 peanut root images and another with 28 switchgrass root images. Both datasets were paired with manually labeled ground truth masks. Deep neural networks based on the U-net architecture were used with different pre-trained features as initialization for automated, precise pixel-wise root segmentation in minirhizotron imagery. We observed that features pre-trained on a closely related but relatively moderate size dataset like our peanut dataset were more effective than features pre-trained on the large but unrelated ImageNet dataset. Here, we achieved high quality segmentation on peanut root dataset with 99.04% accuracy at the pixel-level and overcame errors in human-labeled ground truth masks. By applying transfer learning technique on limited switchgrass dataset with features pre-trained on peanut dataset, we obtained 99% segmentation accuracy in switchgrass imagery using only 21 images for training (fine tuning). Furthermore, the peanut pre-trained features can help the model converge faster and have much more stable performance. | Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States) | USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) | United States | 2020-06-19T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.compag.2020.105466 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1773850 |
| Effects of fertilization, plant species, and intra-specific diversity on soil carbon and nitrogen in biofuel cropping systems after five growing seasons | Adkins, Jaron; Jastrow, Julie D.; Morris, Geoffrey P.; de Graaff, Marie-Anne | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; Big bluestem; Bioenergy crops; Diversity; Fertilization; Soil carbon; Switchgrass | Land-use change for bioenergy production can release greenhouse gases (GHG) through disturbance of soil carbon (C) pools, but use of native species with extensive root systems as bioenergy crops may help mitigate GHG emissions by enhancing soil C sequestration. Here, we investigated how (1) fertilization, (2) plant species and cultivars, and (3) inter- and intra-specific diversity affect soil C and N accumulation five growing seasons after conversion of an old-field dominated by C3 grasses to a grassland dominated by C4 perennial grasses managed for biofuel production. We manipulated diversity at both the species- and cultivar level, and applied nitrogen (N) at two levels (0 and 67 kg haâ1). Establishment of C4 grass treatments on soils that supported C3 pasture grasses for 36 years enabled us to use the natural abundance C isotope ratio technique to estimate the contribution of new C4 plant-derived C to soil organic matter pools. Our study yielded three main results: 1) annual fertilization did not significantly affect soil C and N concentrations after five growing seasons; 2) increasing inter- and intra-specific diversity did not significantly increase soil C and N concentrations; 3) cultivar- and species identity influenced C4-derived C and total soil C concentrations: big bluestem dominated stands exhibited greater soil C accrual relative to stands dominated by switchgrass and mixed-species treatments. Here, future research is needed to further assess how big bluestem can aid in the sustainable provisioning of second generation biofuel feedstocks. | Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23); U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) | United States | 2019-10-17T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.biombioe.2019.105393 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1573246 |
| Diet of Nestling Red-Headed Woodpeckers in South Carolina | Vukovich, Mark; Kilgo, John C. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Diet; Red-headed woodpeckers | Melanerpes erythrocephalus (Red-headed Woodpecker) has experienced sharp declines in portions of its range. Knowledge of how birds use their nesting habitats, particularly what foods they exploit, may be important in determining causes of population declines, but no modern quantitative study exists on diets of nestling Red-headed Woodpeckers. Our objectives were to identify diets of nestling Red-headed Woodpeckers and quantify variability in food types over time and between roles of males and females in provisioning their young. We conducted observations of nests on the Savannah River Site, SC, from June to September, 2006â2007. We recorded 791 food items fed to nestlings, representing 7 taxa of plants and 18 taxa of animals (16 invertebrate, 2 vertebrate). We assigned food items as either animal matter or soft mast and compared proportions using a binomial mixed model approach. Of the 12 models we tested, 3 received 67% of the cumulative AIC model weight and all included either year or month, indicating annual and monthly variation in foods fed to nestlings. Animal matter composed the majority of Red-headed Woodpecker nestling foods (71.5%), but notably, soft mast was an important component (28.5%). As a result, we suggest that future research on Red-headed Woodpeckers consider how the availability of soft mast may or may not limit productivity of this species. | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Acquisition and Project Management (EM-50) | United States | 2019-05-31T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1656/058.018.0211 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1524607 |
| The Effect of Rapid Development on Soil CO2 Efflux in a Cellulosic Biofuel Stand | Wright-Osment, Nicholas; Starr, Gregory (ORCID:000000027918242X); Aubrey, Doug P. (ORCID:0000000229196399); Rau, Benjamin M.; Staudhammer, Christina L. (ORCID:000000031887418X) | As awareness of climate change increases, the need for carbon neutral fuel sources is growing. Lignocellulosic biofuel derived from pine trees has been suggested as one potential energy source; however, it requires more research before its efficacy for climate change mitigation can be determined. Due to the large share of forest carbon held in soils and the extensive area of pine plantations in the southeast U.S., a better understanding of plantation soil carbon dynamics is critical for biofuel carbon accounting. This study evaluated the effects of canopy development and productivity on soil CO2 efflux, a proxy for soil respiration (Rs), in an intensively managed loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stand over a period from May 2015 to December 2019. We found that leaf area index (LAI) and gross ecosystem production (GEP), as well as meteorological variables, had significant effects on Rs, but that both overall Rs and soil carbon pools did not increase over the course of the study. We thus hypothesize that GEP and LAI had intra-annual effects on Rs, and that the lack of change in Rs is the result of an increase in autotrophic respiration (Ra) that offset a decrease in decomposition of the previous standâs organic matter. | USDOE | Switzerland | 2023-01-30T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.3390/f14020258 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2500968 | ||
| Water use in a youngn Pinus taedan bioenergy plantation: Effect of intensive management on stand evapotranspiration | Ruzol, Roel; Staudhammer, Christina L.; Younger, Seth; Aubrey, Doug P.; Loescher, Henry W.; Jackson, C. Rhett; Starr, Gregory | The increasing demand for plantâderived bioenergy is projected to expand tree plantations with intensive silviculture and improved tree genetics. These silvicultural practices result in faster stand development and canopy closure, which may also influence the systems' water dynamics. Here, we studied the evapotranspiration (ET) of a young (5 years old) intensively managed loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda ) stand and investigated the components of ET to determine its contribution to overall water use. We also compared ET with plantations that received less intensive management to determine whether our stand used more water. We used the eddy covariance method to estimate ecosystemâlevel total ET (ET EC ), while plotâlevel estimates of ET (ET P ) were obtained via soil lysimeters, sap flow sensors, and throughfall collectors, enabling measurement of the components of ET. Soil evaporation (Es) was the largest component of ET P (36%) over the course of the study, while transpiration and canopy interception accounted for 27% and 22%, respectively. Es decreased with stand development, while transpiration and canopy interception increased. Leaf area index (LAI) and precipitation were the most significant factors controlling ET and its components. Compared to previous studies in different sites that have similar age but lower LAI, our stand had higher water use. This high water use in the early stages of stand development was primarily due to high Es before the canopy was fully developed. While there are potential sources of uncertainty when comparing ET EC and the component fluxes in ET P , results from the two methods were not significantly different. This study had the advantage of using multiple methods to understand and verify the component processes that contribute to ET. Therefore, we recommend that multiple measurement techniques be used in the longâterm observation of ET, and in particular for the evaluation of the impact that intensively managed forests have on water resources in the southeastern United States. | USDOE | United States | 2022-06-06T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/ecs2.4100 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1871359 | ||
| Influence of lure choice and survey duration on scent stations for carnivore surveys | Webster, Sarah C.; Beasley, James C. | Noninvasive, cameraâbased, scent station surveys have become a common approach to estimate population parameters for mammalian carnivores. Many carnivores are particularly sensitive to olfactory cues; and, as such, the quality and quantity of odor attractant used during surveys can significantly affect the accuracy and precision of the survey. Additionally, survey length is also an important consideration because many mammalian predators are highly mobile and elusive in nature. Using scent station surveys in autumn 2013 and 2014 on the Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina, USA, we tested the effects of 5 lures: fatty acid, fish oil, synthetic fermented egg, beaver castor, and skunk essence on visitation rates, visitation probability, and latency to visitation of multiple predator species. We also estimated occupancy probability for 2 carnivore species using different survey lengths to determine the effect of survey period on the precision of occupancy estimates. We found that skunk essence had greater visitation probability and visits than other lures evaluated. Speciesâspecific baitâpreference models revealed that raccoons ( Procyon lotor ) were more likely to visit skunk essence, and coyotes ( Canis latrans ) were less likely to visit fish oil as compared with fatty acid. Latency to visitation ranged from 104.7 to 112.1 hours and did not vary among scents. Longer survey durations resulted in more precise estimates of occupancy and detection probability. Our results suggest a wide range of scents commonly used for carnivore capture may perform as well as, or better than, fatty acid for noninvasive carnivore surveys. Further, study designs should carefully consider the duration of scentâstation surveys depending on the level of precision desired in estimates of occupancy and detection probability. © 2019 The Wildlife Society. | USDOE | United States | 2019-09-10T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/wsb.1011 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1560887 | ||
| Survey of Aquatic Turtles on the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, USA, for Prevalence of Ranavirus | Winzeler, Megan E.; Haskins, David L.; Lance, Stacey L.; Tuberville, Tracey D. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Chelonian; Ranavirus; South Carolina | Ranaviruses have the ability to infect amphibians, fish, and reptiles, and have caused multiple amphibian die-off events in the United States (U. S.) and Europe. Furthermore, their prevalence in amphibian populations is much more commonly studied than in chelonian populations. We examined blood samples (N=286) from eight aquatic turtle species collected during 2008-2014 on the Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina as part of long-term mark-recapture efforts. Previous studies in the southeastern US found high prevalence of ranavirus in amphibians, but we did not detect ranavirus in any of the turtles sampled, suggesting low presence, prevalence, or both in aquatic turtles across the SRS during the years tested. | Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Lab. (SREL) | USDOE | United States | 2018-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.7589/2016-08-182 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1819088 |
| Patterns of Trace Element Accumulation in Waterfowl Restricted to Impoundments Holding Coal Combustion Waste | Leaphart, James C.; Oldenkamp, Ricki E.; Bryan, Albert L.; Kennamer, Robert A.; Beasley, James C. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Toxicology | Waterfowl are often exposed to and readily accumulate anthropogenic contaminants when foraging in polluted environments. Settling impoundments containing coal combustion waste (CCW) enriched in trace elements such as arsenic (As), selenium (Se), and mercury (Hg) are often used by free-ranging migratory and resident waterfowl and represent potential sources for contaminant uptake. To assess accumulation of CCW contaminants, we experimentally restricted waterfowl to a CCW-contaminated impoundment and quantified trace element burdens in blood, muscle, and liver tissues over known periods of exposure (between 3 and 92 d). From these data we developed models 1) to predict elemental bioaccumulation with increased exposure time, and 2) to predict muscle/liver burdens based on concentrations in blood as a nondestructive sampling method. Although Hg and As did not bioaccumulate in our waterfowl, we observed an increase in Se concentrations in muscle, liver, and blood tissues over the duration of our experiment. Furthermore, we found that blood may be used as an effective nondestructive sampling alternative to predict muscle and liver tissue concentrations in birds contaminated with Se and As through dietary exposure. These data provide unique insights into accumulation rates of contaminants for waterfowl utilizing habitats contaminated with CCW and demonstrate the efficacy of nonlethal sampling of waterfowl to quantify contaminant exposure. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1052â1059. | University of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2020-02-24T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/etc.4697 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1799566 |
| Temporal nitrogen dynamics in intensively managed loblolly pine early stand development | Ferreira, Gabriel W.D.; Rau, Benjamin M.; Aubrey, Doug P. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Nitrogen budget; Nitrogen use efficiency; Pinus taeda; Short-rotation woody crops (SRWC); Silviculture; Sustainability of production forestry | Forest production is strongly dependent on nutrient uptake; however, sustainable management of intensively managed plantations requires an improved understanding of this relationship when fertilization occurs frequently across short rotations. Here, we studied temporal nitrogen (N) concentration ([N]) and content (Nc) dynamics under different silvicultural practices (herbicide, fertilization, and planting density) throughout early loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stand development (5 years). We describe relationships of [N] and Nc of different stand components (foliage, branches, stem, roots, and competing vegetation) with carbon and biomass. Our results demonstrate that [N] of perennial loblolly tissues do not respond to silvicultural practices and progressively decrease through development. While foliar [N] was most responsive to resource availability, it was not consistent across time. Controlling competing vegetation was crucial to promote the use of site resources by the crop tree and increased loblolly Nc by >500%. However, increased N uptake and expedited growth is dependent upon fertilization early in stand development. At age 5, herbicide plus reduced and full fertilization rates exhibited similar aboveground Nc, which was 32% higher than with herbicide only. Increasing planting density resulted in increased above- and belowground loblolly Nc; however, increases in Nc were not proportional with increases in planting density. Net primary productivity and N uptake were linearly related, but age/development strongly controlled N use efficiency. Our study helps to understand complex relationships between N, biomass, and silvicultural practices during early stand development and demonstrates that temporal evaluation of nutrient dynamics is crucial to better understand loblolly pine growth, carbon sequestration potential, and to inform sustainable silvicultural practices across short rotations. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU) | United States | 2021-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118890 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1838275 |
| Effects of social structure and management on risk of disease establishment in wild pigs | Yang, Anni; Schlichting, Peter; Wight, Bethany; Anderson, Wesley M.; Chinn, Sarah M.; Wilber, Mark Q.; Miller, Ryan S.; Beasley, James C.; Boughton, Raoul K.; VerCauteren, Kurt C.; Wittemyer, George; Pepin, Kim M. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; African swine fever; contact structure; management; network modeling; wild pig | Contact heterogeneity among hosts determines invasion and spreading dynamics of infectious disease, thus its characterization is essential for identifying effective disease control strategies. Yet, little is known about the factors shaping contact networks in many 28 wildlife species and how wildlife management actions might affect contact networks. Wild pigs in North America are an invasive, socially-structured species that pose a health concern for domestic swine given their ability to transmit numerous devastating diseases 2 such as African swine fever (ASF). Using proximity loggers and GPS data from 48 wild pigs in Florida and South Carolina, USA, we employed a probabilistic framework to estimate weighted contact networks. We determined the effects of sex, social group, and spatial distribution (monthly home range overlap and distance) on wild pig contact. We also estimated the impacts of management-induced perturbations on contact and inferred their effects on ASF establishment in wild pigs with simulation. Social group membership was the primary factor influencing contacts. Between-group contacts depended primarily on space use characteristics, with fewer contacts among groups separated by >2 km and no contacts among groups >4 km apart within a month. Modeling ASF dynamics on the contact network demonstrated that indirect contacts resulting from baiting (a typical method of attracting wild pigs or game species to a site to enhance recreational hunting) increased the risk of disease establishment by ~33% relative to direct contact. Low-intensity population reduction (<5.9% of the population) had no detectable impact on contact structure but reduced predicted ASF establishment risk relative to no population reduction. Here, we demonstrate an approach for understanding the relative role of spatial, social, and individual-level characteristics in shaping contact networks and predicting their effects on disease establishment risk, thus providing insight for optimizing disease control in spatially- and socially-structured wildlife species. | Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2020-12-19T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/1365-2656.13412 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1894925 |
| Can acoustic recordings of cave-exiting bats in winter estimate bat abundance in hibernacula? | Whiting, Jericho C. (ORCID:0000000183787766); Doering, Bill; Aho, Ken | Not Available | USDOE | Netherlands | 2022-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.108755 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1854407 | ||
| Brown watersnakes (Nerodia taxispilota) as bioindicators of mercury contamination in a riverine system | Haskins, David L.; Brown, M. Kyle; Bringolf, Robert B.; Tuberville, Tracey D. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Biomagnification factor; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Natricinae; Piscivore; Pollution; Reptile; Snake | Herein, mercury (Hg) is a contaminant that enters the environment through natural or anthropogenic means. Ecological risk assessments have examined Hg bioaccumulation and effects in many taxa, but little is known about Hg dynamics in reptiles, or their potential use as bioindicator species for monitoring Hg in aquatic systems. Numerous snake species, like North American watersnakes (Nerodia spp.), are piscivorous and are exposed to Hg through their diet. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with Hg accumulation in a common watersnake species and compare Hg concentrations of the snakes to those in fish occupying the same habitats. To this end, we sampled brown watersnakes (Nerodia taxispilota) from the Savannah River, a major river system in the southeastern U.S., and compared N. taxispilota Hg accumulation trends to those of bass (Micropterus salmoides), catfish (Ictalurus and Ameiurus spp.), and panfish (Lepomis and Pomoxis spp.) collected from the same reach. Total Hg (THg) in N. taxispilota tail tips ranged from 0.020 to 0.431 mg/kg (wet weight; mean: 0.104 ± 0.008). Snake tail THg was significantly correlated with blood THg, which ranged from 0.003 to 1.140 mg/kg (0.154 ± 0.019). Snake size and site of capture were significantly associated with tail THg. Snake tail THg increased at sites along and downstream of the area of historic Hg pollution, consistent with fish THg. Snake muscle THg was predicted based on tail THg and ranged from 0.095 to 1.160 (0.352 ± 0.022). To gauge Hg biomagnification in N. taxispilota, we compared predicted snake muscle THg concentrations to THg in fish of consumable size. Average biomagnification factors for THg in N. taxispilota were 3.1 (panfish) and 5.4 (catfish), demonstrating N. taxispilota likely biomagnify Hg through their diet. These results reveal N. taxispilota to be an effective bioindicator species for monitoring Hg in aquatic environments. | Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2020-09-28T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142545 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1848965 |
| Sediment and biota trace element distribution in streams disturbed by upland industrial activity | Fletcher, Dean E.; Lindell, Angela H.; Seaman, John C.; Stankus, Paul T.; Fletcher, Nathaniel D.; Barton, Christopher D.; Biemiller, Richard A.; McArthur, J. Vaun | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; aquatic invertebrates; bioaccumulation; sediment assessment; stormwater runoff; stream; trace elements | Extensive industrial areas in headwater stream watersheds can severely impact the physical condition of streams and introduce contaminants. We compared 3 streams that received stormwater runoff and industrial effluents from industrial complexes to two reference streams. Reference streams provide a benchmark of comparison of geomorphic form and stability in coastal plain, sandy-bottomed streams as well as concentrations of trace elements in sediment and biota in the absence of industrial disturbance. We used crayfish (Cambarus latimanus, Procambarus raneyi, P. acutus) and crane fly larvae (Tipula) as biomonitors of 15 trace elements entering aquatic food webs. Streams with industrial areas were more scoured, deeply incised, and less stable. Sediment organic matter content broadly correlated to trace element accumulation, but fine sediments and organic matter were scoured from stream bottoms of disturbed streams. Trace element concentrations were higher in depositional zones than runs within all streams. Despite contaminant sources in the headwaters, trace element concentrations were generally not elevated in sediments of the eroded streams. However, element concentrations were frequently elevated in biota from these streams with taxonomic differences in accumulation amplified. In eroded, sand-bottomed coastal plain streams with unstable sediments, single snapshots of sediment trace element concentrations did not characterize well bioavailable trace elements. Biota that integrated exposures over time and space within their home ranges better detected bioavailable contaminants than sediment. | Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Lab. (SREL) | USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) | United States | 2018-10-04T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/etc.4287 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1842286 |
| Effects of industrial disturbances on biodiversity of carrion-associated beetles | Silva, Ansley E.; Barnes, Brittany F.; Coyle, David R.; Abernethy, Erin F.; Turner, Kelsey L.; Rhodes, Olin E.; Beasley, James C.; Gandhi, Kamal J.K. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Savannah River Site; assemblage; biodiversity; carrion-associated beetles; coal combustion waste; radionuclide | Energy production systems such as nuclear reactors and coal-burning power plants produce a multitude of waste contaminants including radionuclides, trace elements, and heavy metals. Among invertebrates, much of the effort to understand the impact of these contaminants has focused in aquatic environments, while relatively less attention has been on terrestrial communities. In this work, we investigated the effects of trace element and radionuclide contamination on assemblages of beetles that are drawn to vertebrate carrion. Samples were collected from riparian sites at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina to compare trap catches (i.e., measure of relative abundance) of beetles and species diversity along a habitat gradient (0â300 m) away from an aquatic habitat and between uncontaminated and contaminated sites. We collected 17,800 carrion-associated beetles representing 112 species in nine families, which were classified as either scavenger or predatory beetles. Beetle catches and species diversity were generally higher at contaminated than uncontaminated sites. These trends were likely driven by scavenger species, which showed similar patterns between sites, whereas patterns of catches and species diversity were variable between sites for predatory beetles. Species compositions of contaminated and uncontaminated sites were generally distinct, however habitat edges appeared to substantially affect beetle assemblages. Overall, our study suggests carrion beetle assemblages are sensitive to edge effects and may exhibit variable responses to the presence of anthropogenic contaminants or disturbances associated with energy production systems. Such results reflect the inherent variability among individual beetle species, populations, and communities to local environmental conditions, and underscores the need for multi-taxa approach in environmental impact assessments. | University of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States); Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2019-11-13T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135158 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1799582 |
| Oak Ridge Response to Versatile Test Reactor Environmental Impact Statement Data Request | Powers, Jeffrey; Doty Iv, Thomas | 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES | The Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) is a fast-spectrum test reactor being developed in the United States under the direction of the US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE). The VTR mission is to enable accelerated testing of advanced reactor fuels and materials required for advanced reactor technologies. The conceptual design of the 300 MWth sodium-cooled metallic-fueled pool-type fast reactor has been led by the US National Laboratories in collaboration with General ElectricâHitachi and Bechtel National, Inc. In support of the VTR project, DOE issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register on August 5, 2019, announcing the intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its implementing regulations. The EIS will evaluate alternatives for a versatile reactorâbased fast-neutron source facility and associated facilities for the preparation, irradiation, and post-irradiation examination (PIE) of test/experimental fuels and materials. Specifically, the NOI identified two siting alternatives for the VTR reactor facility: Idaho National Laboratory (INL) or Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). In addition, the NOI also specified two siting alternatives for VTR fuel fabrication: INL and the Savannah River Site (SRS). This report provides information in response to data requests made to ORNL to fill in site-specific knowledge gaps to develop a high-quality EIS. The responses provided are not required to provide full details in every aspect; instead, they adequately bound possible environmental impacts or provide sufficient information to adequately assess likely environmental impacts. This work is being performed under a subcontract from INL to ORNL using DOE-NE funds and is directed by DOE-NE and DOE-ID. Leidos has been contracted by DOE-NE to write the VTR EIS, so most data requests have come from Leidos but were often routed through INL or DOE-ID. DOE-ID is overseeing the NEPA and EIS processes for the VTR project. Leidos will use the information provided in this report to inform the VTR EIS and will also cite this document to establish a clear, publicly available source of the information. Section 2 of this report briefly describes the proposed ORNL VTR Alternative and illustrates the location of the proposed site for the ORNL VTR Alternative. Sections 3 through 7 provide direct responses to data requests received by ORNL. These sections use a tabular format in which data requests are divided into separate items to be addressed; the items are numbered, the data requests are restated with more topical information included, and then the responses are provided. Initial data requests and follow-on requests for additional information (RAIs) are combined under the original data request fields. Finally, Section 8 presents summarized conclusions and describes future work. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) | United States | 2020-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1671405 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1671405 |
| Assessing plant community composition fails to capture impacts of white-tailed deer on native and invasive plant species | Nuzzo, Victoria; Davalos, Andrea; Blossey, Bernd | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; deer herbivory; deer management; earthworms; forest understory; invasive species; multiple stressors; plant community | Excessive herbivory can have transformative effects on forest understory vegetation, converting diverse communities into depauperate ones, often with increased abundance of non-native plants. White-tailed deer are a problematic herbivore throughout much of eastern North America and alter forest understory community structure. Reducing (by culling) or eliminating (by fencing) deer herbivory is expected to return understory vegetation to a previously diverse condition. We examined this assumption from 1992 to 2006 at Fermilab (Batavia, IL) where a cull reduced white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) abundance in 1998/1999 by 90 % from 24.6 to 2.5/km2, and at West Point, NY, where we assessed interactive effects of deer, earthworms, and invasive plants using 30 Ã 30 m paired fenced and open plots in 12 different forests from 2009 to 2012. We recorded not only plant community responses (species presence and cover) within 1 m2 quadrats, but also responses of select individual species (growth, reproduction). At Fermilab, introduced Alliaria petiolata abundance initially increased as deer density increased, but then declined after deer reduction. The understory community responded to the deer cull by increased cover, species richness and height, and community composition changed but was dominated by early successional native forbs. At West Point plant community composition was affected by introduced earthworm density but not deer exclusion. Native plant cover increased and non-native plant cover decreased in fenced plots, thus keeping overall plant cover similar. At both sites native forb cover increased in response to deer reduction, but the anticipated response of understory vegetation failed to materialize at the community level. Deer-favoured forbs (Eurybia divaricata, Maianthemum racemosum, Polygonatum pubescens and Trillium recurvatum) grew taller and flowering probability increased in the absence of deer. Plant community monitoring fails to capture initial and subtle effects of reduced or even cessation of deer browse on browse sensitive species. As a result, measuring responses of individual plants (growth, flowering and reproductive success) provides a more sensitive and powerful assessment of forest understory responses to deer management. | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) | United States | 2017-06-08T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1093/aobpla/plx026 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1398385 |
| Past and present disturbances generate spatial variation in seed predation | Bartel, Savannah L.; Orrock, John L. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Quercus nigra; Sigmodon hispidus; canopy harvesting; disturbance; granivory; land-use history; longleaf pine; rodent; seed limitation; seed predation | Seed survival is a key process for plant populations; variation in the activity and abundance of animals that consume seeds can lead to dramatic shifts in seed fate. Because granivores may respond to contemporary disturbance as well as to enduring changes in habitats caused by past disturbances, understanding seed fate requires studies capable of evaluating how past and present disturbances modify granivore communities, foraging activity, and ultimately, seed predation. Historic agricultural land use and contemporary canopy harvesting are widespread disturbances that could generate large-scale patterns of seed fate by modifying environmental characteristics that determine granivore identity and behavior. Here, to evaluate whether land-use history and canopy harvesting affect seedâanimal interactions, we conducted an experiment distributed across 80,000 ha of longleaf pine woodlands that coupled large-scale canopy harvesting at seven 4-ha sites containing both post-agricultural land use and nonagricultural land use in South Carolina, United States. We deployed a total of 28,000 nail-tagged seeds and recovered the tags to quantify seed fate. Past agricultural land use and contemporary canopy harvesting interacted to affect the rate of seed predation. Seed predation rates in harvested sites depended on land-use history: Seed predation was 30% lower in post-agricultural plots than in nonagricultural plots. This interaction was driven by the differential effect of land-use history and canopy harvesting on rodent activity. Camera traps revealed that Sigmodon hispidus only foraged in harvested plots and was most active in nonagricultural plots. In harvested plots, seed removal increased with S. hispidus activity. In unharvested plots, seed removal increased with Sciurus niger activity, but S. niger was not affected by land-use history. In finding that land-use history and canopy harvesting determine the outcomes of seedâanimal interactions, we show that understanding patterns of seed predation is contingent upon the interplay of disturbances in both the distant past and recent past. These results suggest that patterns of past land use and present land use may help reconcile the considerable variation in seed fate observed in ecological communities. | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Environmental Protection and ES&H Reporting | United States | 2020-05-14T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/ecs2.3116 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1693427 |
| Divergent Responses of Forest Soil Microbial Communities under Elevated CO2 in Different Depths of Upper Soil Layers | Yu, Hao; He, Zhili; Wang, Aijie; Xie, Jianping; Wu, Liyou; Van Nostrand, Joy D.; Jin, Decai; Shao, Zhimin; Schadt, Christopher W.; Zhou, Jizhong; Deng, Ye | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; elevated carbon dioxide; forest ecosystem; free-air CO2 enrichment; functional genes; microbial responses; soil microbial community | Numerous studies have shown that the continuous increase of atmosphere CO2 concentrations may have profound effects on the forest ecosystem and its functions. However, little is known about the response of belowground soil microbial communities under elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2) at different soil depth profiles in forest ecosystems. In this paper, we examined soil microbial communities at two soil depths (0 to 5 cm and 5 to 15 cm) after a 10-year eCO2 exposure using a high-throughput functional gene microarray (GeoChip). The results showed that eCO2 significantly shifted the compositions, including phylogenetic and functional gene structures, of soil microbial communities at both soil depths. Key functional genes, including those involved in carbon degradation and fixation, methane metabolism, denitrification, ammonification, and nitrogen fixation, were stimulated under eCO2 at both soil depths, although the stimulation effect of eCO2 on these functional markers was greater at the soil depth of 0 to 5 cm than of 5 to 15 cm. Moreover, a canonical correspondence analysis suggested that NO3-N, total nitrogen (TN), total carbon (TC), and leaf litter were significantly correlated with the composition of the whole microbial community. This study revealed a positive feedback of eCO2 in forest soil microbial communities, which may provide new insight for a further understanding of forest ecosystem responses to global CO2 increases. The concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has continuously been increasing since the industrial revolution. Understanding the response of soil microbial communities to elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2) is important for predicting the contribution of the forest ecosystem to global atmospheric change. This study analyzed the effect of eCO2 on microbial communities at two soil depths (0 to 5 cm and 5 to 15 cm) in a forest ecosystem. Our findings suggest that the compositional and functional structures of microbial communities shifted under eCO2 at both soil depths. Finally, more functional genes involved in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling were stimulated under eCO2 at the soil depth of 0 to 5 cm than at the depth of 5 to 15 cm. | Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China); Liaoning Technical Univ., Fuxin (China); Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (United States) | USDOE; Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); National Key Research and Development Program (China); China Postdoctoral Science Foundation; Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province of China | United States | 2017-10-27T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1128/AEM.01694-17 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1423015 |
| Wetness index based on landscape position and topography ($\mathrm{WILT}$): Modifying TWI to reflect landscape position | Meles, Menberu Bitew; Younger, Seth E.; Jackson, C. Rhett; Du, Enhao; Drover, Damion | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; WILT; depth to groundwater; hydric soil; relative landscape position; topographic wetness index | Water and land resource management planning benefits greatly from accurate prediction and understanding of the spatial distribution of wetness. The topographic wetness index (TWI) was conceived to predict relative surface wetness, and thus hydrologic responsiveness, across a watershed based on the assumption that shallow slope-parallel flow is a major driver of the movement and distribution of soil water. The index has been extensively used in modeling of landscape characteristics responsive to wetness, and some studies have shown the TWI performs well in landscapes where interflow is a dominant process. However, groundwater flow dominates the hydrology of low-slope landscapes with high subsurface conductivities, and the TWI assumptions are not likely to perform well in such environments. For groundwater dominated systems, we propose a hybrid wetness index (Wetness Index based on Landscape position and Topography, WILT) that inversely weights the upslope contributing area by the distance to the nearest surface water feature and the depth to groundwater. When explicit depth to groundwater data are not available, height above and separation from surface water features can act as surrogates for proximity to groundwater. Here, the resulting WILT map provides a more realistic spatial distribution of relative wetness across a low-slope Coastal Plain landscape as demonstrated by improved prediction of hydric soils, depth to groundwater, nitrogen and carbon concentrations in the A horizon of the soil profile, and sensitivity to DEM scale. | Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States) | USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office | United States | 2019-11-29T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109863 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1693428 |
| Integrated Forest Management Charter | Hansen, Leslie A. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Biological resources; Environmental Protection; Forest Management | The purpose of this charter is to establish, maintain, and implement programs for the protection, preservation, and enhancement of the land and water resources of Los Alamos National Laboratory in a changing climate. | Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2015-08-24T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1212637 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1212637 |
| Idaho National Laboratory Comprehensive Land Use and Environmental Stewardship Report | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; INL Land Use | Land and facility use planning and decisions at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site are guided by a comprehensive site planning process in accordance with Department of Energy Policy 430.1, âLand and Facility Use Policy,â that integrates mission, economic, ecologic, social, and cultural factors. The INL Ten-Year Site Plan, prepared in accordance with Department of Energy Order 430.1B, âReal Property Asset Management,â outlines the vision and strategy to transform INL to deliver world-leading capabilities that will enable the Department of Energy to accomplish its mission. Land use planning is the overarching function within real property asset management that integrates the other functions of acquisition, recapitalization, maintenance, disposition, real property utilization, and long-term stewardship into a coordinated effort to ensure current and future mission needs are met. All land and facility use projects planned at the INL Site are considered through a formal planning process that supports the Ten-Year Site Plan. This Comprehensive Land Use and Environmental Stewardship Report describes that process. The land use planning process identifies the current condition of existing land and facility assets and the scope of constraints across INL and in the surrounding region. Current land use conditions are included in the Comprehensive Land Use and Environmental Stewardship Report and facility assets and scope of constraints are discussed in the Ten-Year Site Plan. This report also presents the past, present, and future uses of land at the INL Site that are considered during the planning process, as well as outlining the future of the INL Site for the 10, 30, and 100-year timeframes. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) | United States | 2015-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1504912 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1504912 | |
| Invasive Plant Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation | Giffen, Neil R.; McCracken, Kitty | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES | Invasive non-native plant species have become one of the greatest ecological threats across the country and around the world. Actively managing incursions of invasive plants is crucial to maintaining ecosystems, protecting natural resources, and ensuring proper function of facilities and their support infrastructures, power lines and other utility rights-of-way (ROWs), communications structures, roadways, and waterways. Invasive plants can threaten cultural resources, public and private properties, forests, wetlands, and other natural areas through increased risks of fire and storm damage, as well as decrease native plant diversity, particularly disrupting vital habitats of threatened and endangered species, both plant and animal. In 2000, the Federal Plant Protection Act came into effect. Under this Act, federal agencies are required to develop and coordinate an undesirable plants management program for control of invasive plants on federal lands under each agencyâs respective jurisdiction. The agency must adequately fund the undesirable plants management program using an Integrated Pest Management Plan. Additionally, each agency is required to implement cooperative agreements with local and state agencies, as well as other federal agencies, to manage undesirable plants on federal lands under the agencyâs jurisdiction. The US Department of Energy (DOE) takes its responsibility for addressing invasive and undesirable plant issues very seriously. Many DOE sites have programs to control invasive pest plant species. DOE has taken a proactive stance toward invasive plant control, and the Invasive Plant Management Planâ created to meet regulatory requirements of federal laws, executive orders, presidential memos, contracts, and agreements on DOEâs Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR)âhas been in effect since 2004. This document represents the second revision of this plan. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2017-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1408049 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1408049 |
| Eligibility Assessment of Items in the TA-60 Rack Assembly and Alignment Complex Legacy Storage Yard | Gregory, Carrie Jeannette; Townsend, Cameron Dee | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; cultural resources | The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Field Office (NA-LA), documented and evaluated seven structures in the Technical Area 60 (TA-60) Rack Assembly and Alignment Complex (RAAC) legacy storage yard at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL or Laboratory) for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (National Register). This documentation and evaluation was conducted in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended; the Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR 800); the Programmatic Agreement among the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Field Office, the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Concerning Management of the Historic Properties at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos New Mexico (PA)1; and A Plan for the Management of the Cultural Heritage at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico (LANLâs Cultural Resources Management Plan (2017). NA-LA makes the following National Register eligibility determinations: la cuna; the rack transporter (jeep, rack trailer, and steering dolly); the Mexia diagnostic rack; the Mexia device canister; the Mexia device mounting stand; and the Mexia target stand are eligible for listing in the National Register, and the second steering dolly is not eligible for listing in the National Register. This National Register evaluation was completed because LANL proposes to develop a consolidated waste facility in TA-60 next to the former RAAC. Across 3.56 acres, LANL proposes to construct an 8,000-square-foot, pre-engineered waste storage building; a 1,500-square-foot office/warehouse building; and 28,500 square feet of covered storage. The development will also include access control features and fencing, parking spaces, and utilities. Additionally, the Laboratory will continue to use the southern part of TA-60-0017 and reuse TA-60-0086 and TA-60-0324 in the development. The consolidated waste facility will operate as a central accumulation areaâstoring universal waste, mixed low-level (radioactive) waste, hazardous chemicals, and New Mexico special wasteâuntil the waste can be shipped off site. | Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) | USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) | United States | 2024-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/2350586 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2350586 |
| Neighboring group density is more important than forest stand age to a threatened social woodpecker population | Garabedian, James E.; Moorman, Christopher E.; Peterson, M. Nils; Kilgo, John C. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; cooperative breeder; demography; density dependence; population dynamics; red-cockaded woodpecker | Effective conservation of group-living forest wildlife requires information on how forest age moderates population parameters. Relationships between forest age and demographics can guide long-term management for wildlife populations that are expanding in relatively young second-growth forests in response to ongoing habitat management. We examined how forest age moderates effects of group density on long-term trends in group size and fledgling production in the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker Dryobates borealis (RCW) on the Savannah River Site, SC (SRS). We used 32 years of RCW monitoring data and generalized additive models to: 1) model long-term changes in average RCW group size and fledgling production; and 2) model effects of neighboring group density and neighboring group sizes across a gradient of forest age within 800 m of a groupâs cavity tree cluster. Average fledgling production oscillated over 2â3 year periods, but longer term evaluation indicated oscillations dampened and average fledgling production slightly decreased over time. Average group size fluctuated abruptly over 2â3 year periods from 1985 to 1994, but longer term evaluation indicated a general increase in group sizes from 1985 to 1994, followed by declines from 1995 to 2007, and a steady increase after 2010. Average fledgling production increased in response to neighboring group density but decreased as neighboring group sizes increased. In contrast, average group sizes increased in response to greater neighboring group density and neighboring group sizes. Stand age did not affect these relationships. Collectively, these results suggest forest age does not directly moderate effects of neighboring group density or group sizes on long-term average group size and fledgling production in the SRS RCW population. Although forest structure has been linked to increased RCW group sizes and productivity, our results suggest that with ongoing habitat management, long-term changes in group size and fledgling production will be driven primarily by group density conditions rather than changing forest age. | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE | United States | 2019-12-05T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.2981/wlb.00574 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1578175 |
| Grassland Ecosystem Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation | Herold, Jamie; McCracken, Kitty | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES | Land managers at the Department of Energyâs (DOEâs) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in East Tennessee are restoring native warm-season grasses and wildflowers to various sites across the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). Some of the numerous benefits to planting native grasses and forbs include improved habitat quality for wildlife, improved aesthetic values, and lower long-term maintenance costs. Native grassland restorations also help meet the goals of two recent presidential memorandums: âIncorporating Ecosystem Services into Federal Decision Makingâ and âCreating a Federal Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators.â | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2018-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1476430 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1476430 |
| Supplementary Feeding, Plumage Documentation and Early Season Prey of Peregrine Falcons at the New Mexico Alpha Eyrie | Ponton, David A. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Biological Science; DDE; DDT; organochlorine; peregrine falcon; pesticides; plumage documentation; prey | A review of what is known about avian physiology and the biological effects of DDE suggests that some benefit to peregrine falcon egg condition could be attained by artificially feeding DDE free prey to the female from the time of her arrival on the nesting grounds until completion of egg laying; the magnitude of potential benefit is unknown. Sporadic efforts in the past demonstrated the need for precision methods of prey delivery. Two methods were developed and tried; providing dead prey items by dropping them in a day perch, and delivery of live prey by remotely controlled release from compartments positioned at the top of the cliff occupied by the falcons. Maintaining quail in the day perch for 21 days resulted in at least one and probably two meals for the female peregrine. Of 16 live birds released (mostly pigeons) 13 were pursued and three caught. Blinding the pigeons with tape proved to be necessary to enable capture. Also, some reluctance of the male peregrine to attack pigeons was observed, and problems with equipment, visibility, and the proximity of the falcons to the release box were encountered. Manpower was the most significant resource requirement. Baiting of great-horned owls, possibly leading to owl attack on the falcons, is judged to be the largest detrimental effect of supplemental feeding. It is recommended that supplemental feeding be reserved for falcons or eyries where complete reproductive failure is expected. Plumage documentation photography was successfully conducted by a remotely controlled camera as an aid to identification of individual falcons. American robin, red-winged blackbird, starling, white-throated swift, bluebird, and mourning dove were among natural prey consumed by the peregrines before completion of egg laying. All activities in close proximity to the cliff were conducted at night to preclude direct disturbance of the falcons. | Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) | USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Game Protection Fund | United States | 2015-03-20T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1209320 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1209320 |
| The costs of delaying remediation on human, ecological, and eco-cultural resources: Considerations for the Department of Energy: A methodological framework | Burger, Joanna (ORCID:0000000288772966); Gochfeld, Michael; Kosson, David S.; Brown, Kevin G.; Bliss, Lisa S.; Bunn, Amoret; Clarke, James H.; Mayer, Henry J.; Salisbury, Jennifer A. | Not Available | USDOE | Netherlands | 2019-02-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.232 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1691997 | ||
| Long-term effects of thinning and woody control on longleaf pine plantation development, understory abundance, and tree damage from an ice storm | Harrington, Timothy B. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Pinus palustris; ecosystem restoration; height: dbh ratio; understory plant diversity | Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) plantations have been established across the southeastern United States as the first step in restoring the declining savanna ecosystem, yet their long-term stability and development to open canopied woodlands may depend on early density and vegetation management treatments. Commercial thinning (CT) was applied in 2012 (year 18) to a long-term study of longleaf pine community restoration at the Savannah River Site near Aiken, SC to increase abundance of herb species. Although precommercial thinning (PCT) and woody vegetation control increased herb species cover during the first five years of the study, measurements from years 17 to 22 indicated a continuing decline in their cover since year 9 despite application of CT in year 18. Herb species richness, however, increased from 21 to 43 species per 100 m2 area during the last six years of the study, likely a result of disturbances associated with CT and an ice storm in year 20. Application of PCT in 1994, when the plantations were 8â11 years old, reduced their susceptibility to stem bending and breakage from the ice storm, which occurred 20 years later in 2014. Measured 5 months before the storm, pine height: dbh ratio (HD) averaged 78 and 90 for trees growing with and without PCT, respectively, and stem breakage (% of trees) from the ice storm increased linearly (r2 = 0.53) with HD. Pine mortality from the combined effects of glaze ice and wind differed with (28%) versus without (45%) PCT, indicating that long-term stability of longleaf pine plantations depends on early density management. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Security | United States | 2020-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.foreco.2019.117846 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1581308 |
| Long-term bat abundance in sagebrush steppe | Whiting, Jericho C.; Doering, Bill; Wright, Gary; Englestead, Devin K.; Frye, Justin A.; Stefanic, Todd; Sewall, Brent J. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; behavioural ecology; conservation biology; population dynamics | Bats of western North America face many threats, but little is known about current population changes in these mammals. We compiled 283 surveys from 49 hibernacula over 32 years to investigate population changes of Townsendâs big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii townsendii) and western small-footed myotis (Myotis ciliolabrum) in Idaho, USA. This area comprises some of the best bat habitat in the western USA, but is threatened by land-use change. Bats in this area also face invasion by the pathogen causing white-nose syndrome. Little is known about long-term trends of abundance of these two species. In our study, estimated population changes for Townsendâs big-eared bats varied by management area, with relative abundance increasing by 186% and 326% in two management areas, but decreasing 55% in another. For western small-footed myotis, analysis of estimated population trend was complicated by an increase in detection of 141% over winter. After accounting for differences in detection, this species declined region-wide by 63% to winter of 1998â1999. The population fully recovered by 2013â2014, likely because 12 of 23 of its hibernacula were closed to public access from 1994 to 1998. Our data clarify long-term population patterns of two bat species of conservation concern, and provide important baseline understanding of western small-footed myotis prior to the arrival of white-nose syndrome in this area. | Wastren Advantage Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Temple Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States) | USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE); United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) | United States | 2018-08-16T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/s41598-018-30402-z | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1624414 |
| Risk to ecological resources following remediation can be due mainly to increased resource value of successful restoration: A case study from the Department of Energy's Hanford Site | Burger, Joanna; Gochfeld, Michael; Kosson, David S.; Brown, Kevin G.; Salisbury, Jennifer A.; Jeitner, Christian | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Department of energy; Ecological resources; Ecological risk; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Hanford site; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; Remediation; Restoration | Several nations are faced with the need to remediate large contaminated sites following World War II, the Cold War, and abandoned industrial sites, and to return them to productive land uses. In the United States, the Department of Energy (DOE) has the largest cleanup challenge, and its Hanford Site in the state of Washington has the most extensive and most expensive cleanup task. Ideally, the risk to ecological resources on remediation sites is evaluated before, during, and after remediation, and the risk from, or damage to, ecological resources from contaminants should be lower following remediation. In this paper, we report the risk to ecological resources before, during, and as a consequence of remediation on contaminated units requiring cleanup, and then examine the causes for changes in risk by evaluating 56 cleanup evaluation units (EUs) at the Hanford Site. In this case, remediation includes a restoration phase. In general, the risk to ecological and eco-cultural resources is currently not discernible or low at most contaminated units, increases during remediation, and decreases thereafter. Remediation often causes physical disruption to ecosystems as it reduces the risk from exposure to contaminants. Most new remediation projects at the Hanford Site include ecological restoration. Ecological restoration results in the potential for the presence of higher quality resources after remediation than currently exists on these contaminated lands and facilities. Although counter-intuitive, our evaluation of the risk to ecological resources following remediation indicated that a significant percentage of units (61%) will be at increased risk in the post-remediation period. This increased risk is due to DOE's successful remediation and restoration that results in a higher percent of native vegetation and higher ecological value on the sites in the post-remediation period than before. These newly-created resources can then be at risk from post-remediation activities. Risks to these new higher quality resources include the potential for spread of invasive species and of noxious grasses used in previous cleanup actions, disruption of ecosystems (including those with state or federally listed species and unique ecosystems), compaction of soil, use of pesticides to control invasive species, and the eventual need for continued monitoring activities. Thus, by greatly improving the existing habitat and health of eco-receptors, and maintaining habitat corridors between high quality habitats, the ecological resources in the post-remediated units are at risk unless care is taken to protect them. Many of the negative effects of both remediation and future monitoring (or other future land uses) can be avoided by planning and management early in the remediation process. We suggest DOE and other agencies convene a panel of managers, remediation scientists, regulators, environmental and ecological scientists, Native Americans, economists, and the public to develop a generic list of performance metrics for the restoration phase of remediation, including evaluation of success, which could be applied across the DOE complex. | Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2020-04-15T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109536 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1799598 |
| Basins, beaver ponds, and the storage and redistribution of trace elements in an industrially impacted coastal plain stream on the Savannah River Site, SC, USA | Fletcher, Dean E.; Lindell, Brooke E.; Lindell, Angela H.; Stankus, Paul T.; Fletcher, Nathaniel D.; McArthur, J. Vaun; Seaman, John C. | Not Available | USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) | United States | 2019-12-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105174 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1570510 | ||
| Effective dose and persistence of Rhodamine-B in wild pig Vibrissae | Webster, Sarah C.; Cunningham, Fred L.; Kilgo, John C.; Vukovich, Mark; Rhodes, Olin E.; Beasley, James C. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Baiting; Rhodamine-B; Wild Pigs | Due to substantial ecological and economic damage attributed to wild pigs (Sus scrofa), there is international interest in using pharmaceutical baits to control populations. To assess the efficacy and specificity of baiting programs, one may use chemical biomarkers to evaluate uptake of pharmaceutical baits. In particular, Rhodamine B (RB) is known to be an effective biomarker in wild pigs. However, significant data gaps exist regarding the minimum effective dosage and the persistence of RB in wild pigs. To investigate this we used a controlled double-blind study, administering a one-time dose of RB at three treatment levels (5, 15, or 30 mg/kg) to 15 pigs, with five pigs per treatment group. Facial vibrissae were collected pre-RB ingestion as a control and every 2 weeks post-RB ingestion for 12 weeks. We examined samples for RB presence and used a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) to determine the influence of treatment dose on persistence of RB. Additionally, we measured distance moved by the RB mark away from the vibrissae root and used a GLMM to assess movement rates of RB bands along growing vibrissae. Here, we found consistently greater persistence of RB in the 15 and 30 mg/kg treatments across the sampling period (p = 0.005 and p = <0.0001, respectively). A significant, positive movement trend in RB bands was observed within the 15 and 30mg/kg groups. Based on our results, a 15 mg/kg dosage can be considered a minimum effective dose for wild pigs and will reliably produce a detectable RB mark up to and likely beyond 12 weeks post-ingestion. | Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE; USDA | United States | 2017-12-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/wsb.834 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1814616 |
| Understanding variation in salamander ionomes: A nutrient balance approach | Prater, Clay; Scott, David E.; Lance, Stacey L.; Nunziata, Schyler O.; Sherman, Ryan; Tomczyk, Nathan; Capps, Krista A.; Jeyasingh, Punidan D. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ambystoma; amphibians; ecological stoichiometry; ionomics; ontogeny | 1. Ecological stoichiometry uses information on a few key biological elements (C, N and P) to explain complex ecological patterns. Although factors driving variation in these elements are well established, expanding stoichiometric principles to explore dynamics of the many other essential elements comprising biological tissues (i.e. the ionome) is needed to determine their metabolic relationships and better understand biological control of elemental flows through ecosystems. 2. Here in this paper, we report observations of ionomic variation in two species of salamander (Ambystoma opacum and A. talpoideum) across ontogenic stages using specimens from biological collections of two wetlands sampled over a 30-year period. This unique data set allowed us to explore the extent of ionomic variation between species, among ontogenic stages, between sites and through time. 3. We found species- and, to a lesser extent, site-specific differences in C, N and P along with 13 other elements forming salamander ionomes but saw no evidence of temporal changes. Salamander ionomic composition was most strongly related to ontogeny with relatively higher concentrations of many elements in adult males (i.e. Ca, P, S, Mg, Zn and Cu) compared to metamorphic juveniles, which had greater amounts of C, Fe and Mn. 4. In addition to patterns of individual elements, covariance among elements was used to construct multi-elemental nutrient balances, which revealed differences in salamander elemental composition between species and sites and changes in elemental proportions across ontogenic development. These multi-elemental balances distinguished among species-site-ontogenic stage groups better than using only C, N and P. 5. Overall, this study highlights the responsiveness of consumer ionomes to life-history and environmental variation while reflecting underlying relationships among elements tied to biological function. As such, ionomic studies can provide important insights into factors shaping consumer elemental composition and for predicting how these changes might affect higher-order ecological processes. | Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Lab. (SREL) | USDOE | United States | 2018-12-10T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/fwb.13216 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1833533 |
| Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship at the Sandia Wetlands at Los Alamos National Laboratory (2014-2019) | Stanek, Jenna Elizabeth; Abeyta, Elisa Janelle; Rodriguez, Jadzia Mira; Hathcock, Charles Dean | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES | Biologists at Los Alamos National Laboratory completed six years (2014â2019) of demographic monitoring of passerines (songbirds) during the breeding season in Los Alamos, New Mexico. We captured songbirds at a mist netting station located in the Sandia Wetlands in Sandia Canyon (Technical Areas 60 and 61). We identified, measured, and then banded captured birds with federal migratory bird bands. Banding operations took place between May and August of each year, with 10 mist netting sessions annually. We conducted this project as part of the implementation of the Biological Resources Management Plan. The project complies with the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding between the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the United States Department of Energy regarding the implementation of Executive Order 13186. The overall number of birds and species captured was variable, and we saw no decreases over the course of six years in bird species diversity, abundance, or the percentage of breeding birds. Our results indicate that the Sandia Wetlands support numerous species of breeding birds, including species of conservation concern. We did not see a declining trend for the top 10 most-captured species or for any of the species of conservation concern over time; however, we need more years of data to make robust conclusions about population trends through time. Our results indicated that adult recapture rates at the Sandia Wetlands are at least twice as low when compared with estimated adult survival in migratory passerines from peer-reviewed literature. We also did not recapture any birds that were banded as juveniles in subsequent years throughout the entire six-year period. Low recapture rates for adults and the non-existent recapture rates for juveniles should be explored further. To accurately assess individual species survival rates for adults and juveniles using mark-recapture models, we need a longer dataset, which would allow for a more robust analysis. | Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) | USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) | United States | 2020-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1617346 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1617346 |
| Herbicide, fertilization, and planting density effects on intensively managed loblolly pine early stand development | Ferreira, Gabriel W. D.; Rau, Benjamin M.; Aubrey, Doug P. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; pinus taeda; production forestry; short-rotation woody crops (SRWC); silvicultural practices | Production forestry in the southeast US has been partially transitioned to intensively managed short rotations (~10 years), in which multiple silvicultural interventions are performed during forest development. Understanding the responses to silvicultural practices and continued refinement of site-specific recommendations is critical to sustainably maximize forest production. We evaluated the effects of silvicultural practices (herbicide, fertilization, and planting density) on growth, stand homogeneity, and above- and belowground biomass accumulation and partitioning of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) throughout early stand development (age 5 years) in the southeastern US. Five treatments with eight replications each were tested: no herbicide and no fertilization (C); herbicide only (H); herbicide and half-reduced fertilization rate (R); herbicide and full fertilization (F); and increased stand density (60+ %; 1346 vs. 2152 trees per hectare) with herbicide and full fertilization rate (D). Allometric equations generated from destructive harvests were applied to annual diameter measurements to estimate plot-level biomass and allocation. Herbicide was crucial to promote stand uniformity and increase yield (~600+ % stem biomass compared with C at age 5). Aboveground biomass was similar in R and F treatments, which was ~25% higher than in H at age 5. Increasing planting density along with multiple herbicide and fertilizer applications yielded higher biomass without compromising individual tree size (diameter and height). There was little effect of silviculture practices on allocation patterns. Our results parallel what was found for fertilization with herbicide from a number of loblolly stands under similar conditions and indicate a ~28% volume gain with fertilization during early stand development. Similarly, our results were consistent with other studies implementing similar differences in planting density and suggest a ~26% volume gain through early stand development with an initial 60% increase in planting density. Furthermore, our study helps to understand complex relationships between production and silvicultural practices during early stand development and demonstrates that silvicultural prescriptions can be optimized to increase sustainability of production forestry | Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States); Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office; USDA; US Forest Service | United States | 2020-05-24T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118206 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1693417 |
| Metal accumulation in dragonfly nymphs and crayfish as indicators of constructed wetland effectiveness | Fletcher, Dean E.; Lindell, Angela H.; Stankus, Paul T.; Fletcher, Nathaniel D.; Lindell, Brooke E.; McArthur, J. Vaun | 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; aquatic invertebrates; bioaccumulation; biomonitor; constructed wetland; metal | Constructed wetland effectiveness is often assessed by measuring reductions of contaminant concentrations in influent versus departing effluent, but this can be complicated by fluctuations in contaminant content/chemistry and hydrology. We assessed effectiveness of a constructed wetland at protecting downstream biota from accumulating elevated metal concentrationsâparticularly copper and zinc in effluents from a nuclear materials processing facility. Contaminants distributed throughout a constructed wetland system and two reference wetlands were assessed using six dragonfly nymph genera (Anax, Erythemis, Libellula, Pachydiplax, Tramea, and Plathemis) as biomonitors. Additionally, the crayfish, Cambarus latimanus, were analyzed from the receiving and two reference streams. Concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, Mn, Cr, Cd, and Al were evaluated in 597 dragonfly nymph and 149 crayfish whole-body composite samples. Dragonfly genera varied substantially in metal accumulation and the ability to identify elevated metal levels throughout components of the constructed wetland. Genera more closely associated with bottom sediments tended to accumulate higher levels of metals with Libellula, Pachydiplax, and Erythemis often accumulating highest concentrations and differing most among sites. This, combined with their abundance and broad distributions make the latter two species suitable candidates as biomonitors for constructed wetlands. As expected, dragonfly nymphs accumulated higher metal concentrations in the constructed wetland than reference sites. However, dragonfly nymphs often accumulated as high of metal concentrations downstream as upstream of the water treatment cells. Moreover, crayfish from the receiving stream near the constructed wetland accumulated substantially higher Cu concentrations than from downstream locations or reference streams. Despite reducing metal concentrations at base flow and maintaining regulatory compliance, metal fluxes from the wetland were sufficient to increase accumulation in downstream biota. Future work should evaluate the causes of downstream accumulation as the next step necessary to develop plans to improve the metal sequestering efficiency of the wetland under variable flow regimes. | Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2019-10-22T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113387 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1799580 |
| Cooperative Support of Fermilabâs Science Education Programs | Contractor, Fermilab | The purpose of this CRADA is to sustain and expand Fermilabâs highly successful science education programs through continued cooperation between Fermilab and Fermilab Friends for Science Education (FFSE). FFSE is a not-for-profit institution that provides support for Fermilabâs science education programming, including public events, instructional resources and program development, scholarships and educational equipment. | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) | US Department of Energy | United States | 2014-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1826571 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1826571 | |
| Are camera surveys useful for assessing recruitment in white-tailed deer? | Chitwood, M. Colter; Lashley, Marcus A.; Kilgo, John C.; Cherry, Michael J.; Conner, L. Mike; Vukovich, Mark; Ray, H. Scott; Ruth, Charles; Warren, Robert J.; DePerno, Christopher S.; Moorman, Christopher E. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES | Camera surveys commonly are used by managers and hunters to estimate white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus density and demographic rates. Though studies have documented biases and inaccuracies in the camera survey methodology, camera traps remain popular due to ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and ability to survey large areas. Because recruitment is a key parameter in ungulate population dynamics, there is a growing need to test the effectiveness of camera surveys for assessing fawn recruitment. At Savannah River Site, South Carolina, we used six years of camera-based recruitment estimates (i.e. fawn:doe ratio) to predict concurrently collected annual radiotag-based survival estimates. The coefficient of determination (R) was 0.445, indicating some support for the viability of cameras to reflect recruitment. Here, we added two years of data from Fort Bragg Military Installation, North Carolina, which improved R to 0.621 without accounting for site-specific variability. Also, we evaluated the correlation between year-to-year changes in recruitment and survival using the Savannah River Site data; R was 0.758, suggesting that camera-based recruitment could be useful as an indicator of the trend in survival. Because so few researchers concurrently estimate survival and camera-based recruitment, examining this relationship at larger spatial scales while controlling for numerous confounding variables remains difficult. We believe that future research should test the validity of our results from other areas with varying deer and camera densities, as site (e.g. presence of feral pigs Sus scrofa) and demographic (e.g. fawn age at time of camera survey) parameters may have a large influence on detectability. Until such biases are fully quantified, we urge researchers and managers to use caution when advocating the use of camera-based recruitment estimates. | North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2016-12-27T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.2981/wlb.00178 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1393448 |
| Endogeic earthworm densities increase in response to higher fine-root production in a forest exposed to elevated CO2 | Sanchez-de Leon, Yaniria; Wise, David H.; Lugo-Perez, Javier; Norby, Richard J.; James, Samuel W.; Gonzalez-Meler, Miquel A. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Diplocardia; Earthworm; Endogeic; Free-air CO2 enrichment | Net primary productivity (NPP) influences soil food webs and ultimately the amount of carbon (C) inputs in ecosystems. Earthworms can physically protect organic matter from rapid mineralization through the formation of soil aggregates. Previous studies at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiment showed that elevated [CO2] (e[CO2]) increased fine-root production and increased soil C through soil aggregation compared to ambient [CO2] (a[CO2]) conditions. Our first objective was to study the response of earthworms to increased leaf and root-litter inputs caused by increased atmospheric [CO2] exposure. Here, we also took advantage of the CO2 shutdown at the ORNL FACE site to track the shift of the δ13C signal in leaf-litter, fine roots, earthworms, earthworm casts, and bulk soil. Densities of the most abundant endogeic earthworm, Diplocardia spp., were positively correlated with the previous-year production of leaf litter (r=0.66, P=0.02) and fine roots (r=0.62, P=0.03); and with the leaf-litter production (r=0.63, P=0.03) and fine-root production (r=0.59, P=0.05) two years before earthworms were sampled. Within two years after the CO2 fumigation ceased, the 13C/12C ratio increased in leaf litter (P=0.01) and in fine roots (P=0.05), showing an ecosystem legacy effect on soil C inputs. However, the C isotopic composition of soil, endogeic earthworms and casts had not changed the two years after the CO2 fumigation ended. The positive response of earthworms to increased root NPP, caused by elevated [CO2], is consistent with the increased soil aggregate formation and increased soil C at the ORNL FACE in the e[CO2] treatment. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23); National Science Foundation (NSF) | United States | 2018-04-09T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.03.027 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1435254 |
| Delayed effects and complex life cycles: How the larval aquatic environment influences terrestrial performance and survival | Rumrill, Caitlin T.; Scott, David E.; Lance, Stacey L. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Amphibians; Carryover; Copper; Ecotoxicology; Latent | Species with complex life cycles are susceptible to environmental stressors across life stages, but the carryover and latent effects between stages remain understudied. For species with biphasic life histories, such as pond-breeding amphibians, delayed effects of aquatic conditions can influence terrestrial juveniles and adults directly or indirectly, usually mediated through fitness correlates such as body size. In this work, we collected adult southern toads (Anaxyrus terrestris) from two source populations â a natural reference wetland and a metal-contaminated industrial wetland â and exposed their offspring to two aquatic stressors â a metal contaminant, copper (Cu), and a dragonfly predator cue â in outdoor mesocosms (n = 24). We then reared metamorphs in terrestrial mesocosms for five months to examine delayed effects of early life stage environmental conditions on juvenile performance, growth, and survival. Larval exposure to Cu, as well as having parents from a contaminated wetland, resulted in smaller size at metamorphosis â a response later negated by compensatory growth. Although Cu level and parental source did not affect larval survival, we observed latent effects of these stressors on juvenile survival, with elevated Cu conditions and metal-contaminated parents reducing post-metamorphic survival. Parental source and larval Cu exposure indirectly affected performance at metamorphosis through their effects on body size but, one month later, parental source and larval predator exposure directly affected performance. The carryover and latent effects of parental source population and aquatic Cu level on post-metamorphic survival and juvenile performance highlight the importance of conducting studies across life stages and generations. | Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) | United States | 2018-07-09T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/etc.4228 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1819197 |
| Fermilab and the Environment | Fermilab | Since its founding in 1967, Fermilab has remained committed to responsible stewardship of the environment. | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) | United States | 2013-03-01T04:00:00Z | Program Document | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1439052 | ||
| Giving Back: Collaborations with Others in Ecological Studies on the Nevada National Security Site | Wade, Scott A; Knapp, Kathryn S; Wills, Cathy A | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES | Formerly named the Nevada Test Site, the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) was the historical site for nuclear weapons testing from the 1950s to the early 1990s. The site was renamed in 2010 to reflect the diversity of nuclear, energy, and homeland security activities now conducted at the site. Biological and ecological programs and research have been conducted on the site for decades to address the impacts of radiation and to take advantage of the relatively undisturbed and isolated lands for gathering basic information on the occurrence and distribution of native plants and animals. Currently, the Office of the Assistant Manager for Environmental Management of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) oversees the radiological biota monitoring and ecological compliance programs on the NNSS. The top priority of these programs are compliance with federal and state regulations. They focus on performing radiological dose assessments for the public who reside near the NNSS and for populations of plants and animals on the NNSS and in protecting important species and habitat from direct impacts of mission activities. The NNSS serves as an invaluable outdoor laboratory. The geographic and ecological diversity of the site offers researchers many opportunities to study human influences on ecosystems. NNSA/NSO has pursued collaborations with outside agencies and organizations to be able to conduct programs and studies that enhance radiological biota monitoring and ecosystem preservation when budgets are restrictive, as well as to provide valuable scientific information to the human health and natural resource communities at large. NNSA/NSO is using one current collaborative study to better assess the potential dose to the off-site public from the ingestion of game animals, the most realistic pathway for off-site public exposure at this time from radionuclide contamination on the NNSS. A second collaborative study is furthering desert tortoise conservation measures onsite. It is the goal of NNSA/NSO to continue to develop such collaborations in the sharing of resources, such as personnel, equipment, expertise, and NNSS land access, with outside entities to meet mutually beneficial goals cost effectively. | Nevada Test Site (NTS), Mercury, NV (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2013-02-24T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1070102 | |
| Does elevated atmospheric CO2 affect soil carbon burial and soil weathering in a forest ecosystem? | Gonzalez-Meler, Miquel A.; Poghosyan, Armen; Sanchez-de Leon, Yaniria; Dias de Olivera, Eduardo; Norby, Richard J.; Sturchio, Neil C. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Bioturbation; Elevated CO2; Isotope; Soil C; Temperate forest; cesium-137; lead-210 | Most experimental studies measuring the effects of climate change on terrestrial C cycling have focused on processes that occur at relatively short time scales (up to a few years). However, climate-soil C interactions are influenced over much longer time scales by bioturbation and soil weathering affecting soil fertility, ecosystem productivity, and C storage. Elevated CO2 can increase belowground C inputs and stimulate soil biota, potentially affecting bioturbation, and can decrease soil pH which could accelerate soil weathering rates. To determine whether we could resolve any changes in bioturbation or C storage, we investigated soil profiles collected from ambient and elevated-CO2 plots at the Free-Air Carbon-Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) forest site at Oak Ridge National Laboratory after 11 years of 13C-depleted CO2 release. Profiles of organic carbon concentration,δ13C values, and activities of 137Cs,210Pb, and 226Ra were measured to ~30 cm depth in replicated soil cores to evaluate the effects of elevated CO2on these parameters. Bioturbation models based on fitting advection-diffusion equations to137Cs and 210Pb profiles showed that ambient and elevated-CO2plots had indistinguishable ranges of apparent biodiffusion constants, advection rates, and soil mixing times, although apparent biodiffusion constants and advection rates were larger for137Cs than for210Pb as is generally observed in soils. Temporal changes in profiles of δ13C values of soil organic carbon (SOC) suggest that addition of new SOC at depth was occurring at a faster rate than that implied by the net advection term of the bioturbation model. Ratios of (210Pb/226Ra) may indicate apparent soil mixing cells that are consistent with biological mechanisms, possibly earthworms and root proliferation, driving C addition and the mixing of soil between ~4 cm and ~18 cm depth. Lastly, burial of SOC by soil mixing processes could substantially increase the net long-term storage of soil C and should be incorporated in soil-atmosphere interaction models. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23); National Science Foundation (NSF) | United States | 2018-07-27T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.7717/peerj.5356 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1461935 |
| Restoration increases bee abundance and richness but not pollination in remnant and post-agricultural woodlands | Breland, Sabrie; Turley, Nash E.; Gibbs, Jason; Isaacs, Rufus; Brudvig, Lars A. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; agricultural history; community ecology; ecological restoration; ecosystem services; land-use legacy; longleaf pine savanna | Human land use, including agriculture, is a leading contributor to declining biodiversity worldwide and can leave long-lasting legacies on ecosystems after cessation. Ecological restoration is an approach to mitigate these impacts. However, little is known about how animal communities and plantâanimal interactions respond to the combined effects of land-use legacies and restoration. We investigated how restoration and agricultural history affect bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) communities and pollination function. In 27 paired remnant (no history of agriculture) and post-agricultural longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) woodlands, we established 4â10 1-ha plots (126 total) and experimentally restored half of them, while the other half were left as unrestored controls. Restoration was accomplished through canopy thinning which reinstates open savanna-like conditions. We collected bees in each plot using a combination of bowl trapping and standardized netting transects. Thinning increased bee abundance by 169% and bee richness by 110%, but agricultural land use had no effect on these variables. Bee community composition was affected by restoration and was marginally affected by agricultural history. To measure pollination function, we conducted a sentinel plant experiment in which potted black mustard (Brassica nigra L.) plants were placed out in a subset of these sites (n = 10) and either bagged to exclude pollinators or left open for pollinator access. Then, we measured fruit and seed set of sentinel plants to compare pollination function among the restoration and land-use history treatments. Seed set and fruit set of sentinel plants were higher in open than bagged plants, indicating that this model system effectively measured pollination, but we found no differences in pollination based on restoration or agricultural history. These results indicate that although pollinator communities may show clear responses to restoration that are largely independent of prior land-use impacts, this does not necessarily translate into differences in pollination function after restoration. | Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM); United States Forest Service (USFS) | United States | 2018-09-19T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/ecs2.2435 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1471549 |
| An Examination of Diameter Density Prediction with k-NN and Airborne Lidar | Strunk, Jacob L.; Gould, Peter J.; Packalen, Petteri; Poudel, Krishna P.; Andersen, Hans -Erik; Temesgen, Hailemariam | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; dbh; diameter distribution; forest inventory; performance criteria | While lidar-based forest inventory methods have been widely demonstrated, performances of methods to predict tree diameters with airborne lidar (lidar) are not well understood. One cause for this is that the performance metrics typically used in studies for prediction of diameters can be difficult to interpret, and may not support comparative inferences between sampling designs and study areas. To help with this problem we propose two indices and use them to evaluate a variety of lidar and k nearest neighbor (k-NN) strategies for prediction of tree diameter distributions. The indices are based on the coefficient of determination (R2), and root mean square deviation (RMSD). Both of the indices are highly interpretable, and the RMSD-based index facilitates comparisons with alternative (non-lidar) inventory strategies, and with projects in other regions. K-NN diameter distribution prediction strategies were examined using auxiliary lidar for 190 training plots distribute across the 800 km2 Savannah River Site in South Carolina, USA. In conclusion, we evaluate the performance of k-NN with respect to distance metrics, number of neighbors, predictor sets, and response sets. K-NN and lidar explained 80% of variability in diameters, and Mahalanobis distance with k = 3 neighbors performed best according to a number of criteria. | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Acquisition and Project Management (EM-50) | United States | 2017-11-16T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.3390/f8110444 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1415439 |
| Los Alamos National Laboratory Fall Avian Migration Monitoring Report 2010-2018 | Stanek, Jenna; Hathcock, Charles Dean | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES | During the fall of 2018, biologists at Los Alamos National Laboratory completed the ninth year of monitoring fall migration passerines (songbirds). Songbirds were captured at a mist-netting station located in a wetland/riparian complex in Technical Area 36 on the north side of Pajarito Road in Los Alamos County. Captured birds were identified, measured, and banded with a United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) migratory bird band. Banding operations took place between August and October, with the completion of a total of 10 mist-netting sessions annually. This project was conducted as part of the implementation of the Biological Resources Management Plan and is in compliance with the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding between the USFWS and the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration and Executive Order 13186. Between 2010 and 2018 the overall number of birds and species captured was variable. We saw significant differences in the bird community composition when we compared earlier years to later years. Although environmental variables including a drought severity index, were not shown to influence the community composition, insectivorous birds and the percentage of hatch year birds were influenced by drought severity. Additionally, Audubonâs Warbler and Virginiaâs Warbler numbers decreased from 2010 and showed declining trends in their abundances. The variability in bird populations is likely driven by regional climatic factors, but more data are needed for robust assessments. | Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2019-04-25T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1511200 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1511200 |
| Decadal biomass increment in early secondary succession woody ecosystems is increased by CO2 enrichment | Walker, Anthony P.; De Kauwe, Martin G.; Medlyn, Belinda E.; Zaehle, Sönke; Iversen, Colleen M.; Asao, Shinichi; Guenet, Bertrand; Harper, Anna; Hickler, Thomas; Hungate, Bruce A.; Jain, Atul K.; Luo, Yiqi; Lu, Xingjie; Lu, Meng; Luus, Kristina; Megonigal, J. Patrick; Oren, Ram; Ryan, Edmund; Shu, Shijie; Talhelm, Alan; Wang, Ying -Ping; Warren, Jeffrey M.; Werner, Christian; Xia, Jianyang; Yang, Bai; Zak, Donald R.; Norby, Richard J. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES | Increasing atmospheric CO2 stimulates photosynthesis which can increase net primary production (NPP), but at longer timescales may not necessarily increase plant biomass. Here we analyse the four decade-long CO2-enrichment experiments in woody ecosystems that measured total NPP and biomass. CO2 enrichment increased biomass increment by 1.05 ± 0.26 kg C mâ2 over a full decade, a 29.1 ± 11.7% stimulation of biomass gain in these early-secondary-succession temperate ecosystems. This response is predictable by combining the CO2 response of NPP (0.16 ± 0.03 kg C mâ2 yâ1) and the CO2-independent, linear slope between biomass increment and cumulative NPP (0.55 ± 0.17). Furthermore an ensemble of terrestrial ecosystem models fail to predict both terms correctly. Allocation to wood was a driver of across-site, and across-model, response variability and together with CO2-independence of biomass retention highlights the value of understanding drivers of wood allocation under ambient conditions to correctly interpret and predict CO2 responses. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2019-02-14T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1038/s41467-019-08348-1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1502613 |
| Chariot, Alaska Site Fact Sheet | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 58 GEOSCIENCES; 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY | The Chariot site is located in the Ogotoruk Valley in the Cape Thompson region of northwest Alaska. This region is about 125 miles north of (inside) the Arctic Circle and is bounded on the southwest by the Chukchi Sea. The closest populated areas are the Inupiat villages of Point Hope, 32 miles northwest of the site, and Kivalina,41 miles to the southeast. The site is accessible from Point Hope by ATV in the summer and by snowmobile in the winter. Project Chariot was part of the Plowshare Program, created in 1957 by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), a predecessor agency of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), to study peaceful uses for atomic energy. Project Chariot began in 1958 when a scientific field team chose Cape Thompson as a potential site to excavate a harbor using a series of nuclear explosions. AEC, with assistance from other agencies, conducted more than40 pretest bioenvironmental studies of the Cape Thompson area between 1959 and 1962; however, the Plowshare Program work at the Project Chariot site was cancelled because of strong public opposition. No nuclear explosions were conducted at the site. | USDOE Office of Legacy Management (United States) | USDOE Office of Legacy Management (LM) | United States | 2013-01-16T04:00:00Z | Program Document | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1114510 | ||
| Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Annual Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2023 | Thompson, Shannon W.; Snyder, Sandra F.; Duberstein, Corey A.; Norris, Emily S.; Barnett, John M.; Blake, Jennifer L.; Pitman, Andrew T.; Counts, Cary A.; Haigh, Janice L.; Mendez, Keith M.; Hand, Kristine D.; Su-Coker, Jennifer; Del Mar, Ronald A.; Bisping, Lynn E.; Moon, Thomas W.; Raney, Elizabeth A.; Duchsherer, Cheryl J.; Wiegman, Rebecca S.; Horn, Sarah; Dinh, Liem; Stephens, John A.; Ramos, Carli A. | 40 CFR 61 Subpart H; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ASER; Cultural and Biological Resources; EMS; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; annual report; environmental compliance; radiation dose assessment | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), one of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Scienceâs 10 national laboratories, provides innovative science and technology development in the areas of energy and the environment, fundamental and computational science, and national security. There are three DOE offices within the Richland area. Two are responsible for the Hanford Site, whereas the Pacific Northwest Site Office oversees PNNL. PNNL prepares an Annual Site Environmental Report to meet the requirements of DOE Order 231.1B, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting, and DOE Order 458.1, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment, thus assuring that the public is informed of any PNNL-Richland campus or PNNL-Sequim campus event that could adversely affect the health and safety of the public, site staff, or the environment. The report provides a synopsis of ongoing environmental management performance and compliance activities for operations that occur at the PNNL-Richland campus in Richland, Washington, and at the PNNL-Sequim campus near Sequim, Washington. It describes the location of and background for each facility; addresses compliance with applicable DOE, federal, state, and local regulations, and site-specific permits; documents environmental monitoring efforts and their status; presents potential radiation doses to staff and the public in the surrounding areas; and describes DOE-required data quality assurance methods used for data verification. The ASER report describes Compliance with Federal, State, and Local Laws and Regulations in 2023, Environmental Sustainability, Environmental monitoring and dose assessment, Natural and Cultural Resource Management, and Quality Assurance activities that took place during Calendar Year 2023. | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2024-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/2476873 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2476873 |
| On the Front Lines of the Cold War Los Alamos 1970-1992 [Slides] | Carr, Alan B. | 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS | Abstract not provided. | Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) | USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) | United States | 2013-06-03T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1082233 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1082233 |
| Landscape heterogeneity reduces coyote predation on white-tailed deer fawns | Gulsby, William D.; Kilgo, John C.; Vukovich, Mark; Martin, James A. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Canis latrans; Odocoileus virginianus; coyote; fawn; habitat; predation; survival; white-tailed deer | Coyote (Canis latrans) predation on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns in southeastern North America has led to deer population declines in some areas. Research or management efforts initiated in response to coyote predation on fawns have primarily focused on implementation of reduced antlerless deer harvest or coyote control to mitigate population declines. Vegetation characteristics may influence coyote hunting efficiency, but the potential influence of land cover at large scales in the southeastern United States is underexplored. We investigated whether mortality risk was affected by landscape characteristics within fawn home ranges for a sample of 165 fawns on the United States Department of Energyâs Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina, 2007â2012. We monitored fawns every 8 hours to ⥠4 weeks of age and 1â3 times daily to 12 weeks of age. We included only surviving or coyote-predated fawns in the dataset. The most supported model describing hazard ratios included the length of edge (i.e., area where 2 land cover types joined) in fawn home ranges. Probability of coyote predation increased 1.26 times for each 968-m decrease in edge within a fawnâs simulated home range (29.1-ha circular buffer) under this model. Further, fawns with the least edge in their home ranges were >2 times more likely to be depredated by a coyote than fawns with the greatest edge availability. Support for other models was relatively low, but informative variables (e.g., mean patch fractal dimension, Shannonâs diversity index, mean forest patch size) supported a general trend that as fawn home ranges became more homogeneous and contained larger patches with less edge and fewer cover types, predation risk increased. These findings are consistent with similar work in the midwestern United States, despite landscape differences between regions. The combined weight of evidence suggests maintenance of a heterogeneous landscape consisting of relatively small dispersed patches may reduce fawn losses to coyotes. In conclusion, this information may also be used to identify areas susceptible to greater fawn predation rates across large spatial scales. However, the relatively long forestry rotation lengths and large scale of consistent forest management on the SRS are uncommon in the southeastern United States and the mechanism for the pattern we observed is unclear. Therefore, our results may not be applicable to sites with different forest management practices. | Savannah River Site (SRS), New Ellenton, SC (United States). USDA Forest Service | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Office of Science and Technology (EM-50); United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) | United States | 2017-03-07T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/jwmg.21240 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1352537 |
| Plant Diversity and Fertilizer Management Shape the Belowground Microbiome of Native Grass Bioenergy Feedstocks | Revillini, Daniel; Wilson, Gail W. T.; Miller, R. Michael; Lancione, Ryan; Johnson, Nancy Collins | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Plant sciences; arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; plantâmicrobial interaction; resource availability; rhizobacteria; soil microbiome; switchgrass | Plants may actively cultivate microorganisms in their roots and rhizosphere that enhance their nutrition. To develop cropping strategies that substitute mineral fertilizers for beneficial root symbioses, we must first understand how microbial communities associated with plant roots differ among plant taxa and how they respond to fertilization. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and rhizobacteria are of particular interest because they enhance nutrient availability to plants and perform a suite of nutrient cycling functions. The purpose of this experiment is to examine the root and soil microbiome in a longterm switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) biofuel feedstock experiment and determine how AM fungi and rhizobacteria respond to plant diversity and soil fertility. We hypothesize that intra- and interspecific plant diversity, nitrogen fertilization (+N), and their interaction will influence the biomass and community composition of AM fungi and rhizobacteria. We further hypothesize that +N will reduce the abundance of nitrogenase-encoding nifH genes on the rhizoplane. Roots and soils were sampled from three switchgrass cultivars (Cave-in-Rock, Kanlow, Southlow) grown in monoculture, intraspecific mixture, and interspecific planting mixtures with either Andropogon gerardii or diverse native tallgrass prairie species. Molecular sequencing was performed on root and soil samples, fatty acid extractions were assessed to determine microbial biomass, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed on nifH genes from the rhizoplane. Sequence data determined core AM fungal and bacterial microbiomes and indicator taxa for plant diversity and +N treatments. We found that plant diversity and +N influenced AM fungal biomass and community structure. Across all plant diversity treatments, +N reduced the biomass of AM fungi and nifH gene abundance by more than 40%. The AM fungal genus Scutellospora was an indicator for +N, with relative abundance significantly greater under +N and in monoculture treatments. Community composition of rhizobacteria was influenced by plant diversity but not by +N. Verrucomicrobia and Proteobacteria were the dominant bacterial phyla in both roots and soils. Our findings provide evidence that soil fertility and plant diversity structure the root and soil microbiome. Optimization of soil communities for switchgrass production must take into account differences among cultivars and their unique responses to shifts in soil fertility. | Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Northern Arizona Univ., Flagstaff, AZ (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC); USDA: National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) | United States | 2019-08-14T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.3389/fpls.2019.01018 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1628295 |
| Modeling forest site productivity using mapped geospatial attributes within a South Carolina Landscape, USA | Parresol, B. R.; Scott, D. A.; Zarnoch, S. J.; Edwards, L. A.; Blake, J. I. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Regression attenuation; Site index; Spatial analysis; Structural equation modeling | Spatially explicit mapping of forest productivity is important to assess many forest management alternatives. We assessed the relationship between mapped variables and site index of forests ranging from southern pine plantations to natural hardwoods on a 74,000-ha landscape in South Carolina, USA. Mapped features used in the analysis were soil association, land use condition in 1951, depth to groundwater, slope and aspect. Basal area, species composition, age and height were the tree variables measured. Linear modelling identified that plot basal area, depth to groundwater, soils association and the interactions between depth to groundwater and forest group, and between land use in 1951 and forest group were related to site index (SI) (R2 =0.37), but this model had regression attenuation. We then used structural equation modeling to incorporate error-in-measurement corrections for basal area and groundwater to remove bias in the model. We validated this model using 89 independent observations and found the 95% confidence intervals for the slope and intercept of an observed vs. predicted site index error-corrected regression included zero and one, respectively, indicating a good fit. With error in measurement incorporated, only basal area, soil association, and the interaction between forest groups and land use were important predictors (R2 =0.57). Thus, we were able to develop an unbiased model of SI that could be applied to create a spatially explicit map based primarily on soils as modified by past (land use and forest type) and recent forest management (basal area). | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River Site, New Ellerton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Environmental Protection, Sustainability Support and Analysis (AU-20) | United States | 2017-12-15T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.foreco.2017.10.006 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1400143 |
| Idaho National Laboratory Comprehensive Land Use and Environmental Stewardship Report | listed on publication, No name | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; ENERGY POLICY; INEEL; INL Land Use; LAND USE; MAINTENANCE; MANAGEMENT; PLANNING | Land and facility use planning and decisions at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site are guided by a comprehensive site planning process in accordance with Department of Energy Policy 430.1, 'Land and Facility Use Policy,' that integrates mission, economic, ecologic, social, and cultural factors. The INL Ten-Year Site Plan, prepared in accordance with Department of Energy Order 430.1B, 'Real Property Asset Management,' outlines the vision and strategy to transform INL to deliver world-leading capabilities that will enable the Department of Energy to accomplish its mission. Land use planning is the overarching function within real property asset management that integrates the other functions of acquisition, recapitalization, maintenance, disposition, real property utilization, and long-term stewardship into a coordinated effort to ensure current and future mission needs are met. All land and facility use projects planned at the INL Site are considered through a formal planning process that supports the Ten-Year Site Plan. This Comprehensive Land Use and Environmental Stewardship Report describes that process. The land use planning process identifies the current condition of existing land and facility assets and the scope of constraints across INL and in the surrounding region. Current land use conditions are included in the Comprehensive Land Use and Environmental Stewardship Report and facility assets and scope of constraints are discussed in the Ten-Year Site Plan. This report also presents the past, present, and future uses of land at the INL Site that are considered during the planning process, as well as outlining the future of the INL Site for the 10, 30, and 100-year timeframes. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | DOE - NE | United States | 2011-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1031672 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1031672 |
| The paradox of federal energy and defense installations in the West | Pava, Daniel S | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMMUNITIES; CONTAMINATION; ECOSYSTEMS; HABITAT; PRESERVATION; US DOI | Most planners working west of the 100th meridian are aware that federal lands make up a large portion of the lands in the western states. In fact, federal lands comprise nearly 49% of the area of the fourteen states that make up the WPR family. These lands are usually under the Department of Agriculture (USFS) and the Department of Interior (BLM and NPS), but the Departments of Defense (DOD) and Energy (DOE) are also federal stewards of western lands. These federal military and energy installations play an important role in local and regional western communities and economies. They also play an important role in regional ecologies. It is a paradox that some of these sites have their share of legacy contamination from earlier missions, but they also include some of the most pristine remaining western ecosystems. In some cases, the sites are located near or surrounded by encroaching urbanization, making them particularly valuable lands both for recreation and habitat preservation. | Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) | DOE | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/964952 | |
| Evaluation of ecological resources at operating facilities at contaminated sites: The Department of Energy's Hanford Site as a case study | Burger, Joanna; Gochfeld, Michael; Kosson, David S.; Brown, Kevin G.; Salisbury, Jennifer A.; Jeitner, Christian | Not Available | USDOE | United States | 2019-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.envres.2018.12.052 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1547926 | ||
| Genomic data detect corresponding signatures of population size change on an ecological time scale in two salamander species | Nunziata, Schyler O.; Lance, Stacey L.; Scott, David E.; Lemmon, Emily Moriarty; Weisrock, David W. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Ambystoma opacum; Ambystoma talpoideum; amphibian decline; coalescent; demographic inference; genetic monitoring; nonmodel organisms; temporal samples | Understanding the demography of species over recent history (e.g., < 100 years) is critical in studies of ecology and evolution, but records of population history are rarely available. Surveying genetic variation is a potential alternative to census-based estimates of population size, and can yield insight into the demography of a population on an ecological time scale. However, to assess the performance of genetic methods it is important to compare their estimates of population history to known demography. Here, we leveraged the exceptional resources and knowledge from a wetland with 37 years of amphibian mark-recapture data to study the utility of genetically-based demographic inference on salamander species with documented population declines (Ambystoma talpoideum) and expansions (A. opacum); patterns that have been shown to be correlated with changes in wetland hydroperiod associated with climate change. We generated ddRAD data from two temporally sampled populations of A. opacum (1993, 2013) and A. talpoideum (1984, 2011) and used coalescent-based demographic inference to compare alternate evolutionary models. For both species, demographic model inference supported population size changes that conformed to mark-recapture data. Parameter estimation in A. talpoideum was robust to our variations in analytical approach, while estimates for A. opacum were highly inconsistent, tempering our confidence in detecting a demographic trend in this species. Altogether, our robust results in A. talpoideum suggest that genome-based demographic inference has utility on an ecological scale, but researchers should also be cognizant that these methods may not work in all systems and evolutionary scenarios. Given the rapid responses of population abundance to climate change, demographic inference may be an important tool for population monitoring and conservation management planning. | Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Lab. (SREL) | USDOE | United States | 2016-12-27T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/mec.13988 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1819060 |
| Raccoons (Procyon lotor) as Sentinels of Trace Element Contamination and Physiological Effects of Exposure to Coal Fly Ash | Hernández, Felipe; Oldenkamp, Ricki E.; Webster, Sarah; Beasley, James C.; Farina, Lisa L.; Wisely, Samantha M. (ORCID:0000000317484518) | Not Available | USDOE | Germany | 2016-12-08T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1007/s00244-016-0340-2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1334824 | ||
| The Lederman Science Center: Past, Present, Future | Bardeen, Marjorie G | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; EDUCATION; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; EDUCATIONAL TOOLS; FERMILAB; Other; PHYSICS | For 30 years, Fermilab has offered K-12 education programs, building bridges between the Lab and the community. The Lederman Science Center is our home. We host field trips and tours, visit schools, offer classes and professional development workshops, host special events, support internships and have a strong web presence. We develop programs based on identified needs, offer programs with peer-leaders and improve programs from participant feedback. For some we create interest; for others we build understanding and develop relationships, engaging participants in scientific exploration. We explain how we created the Center, its programs, and what the future holds. | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL | DOE Office of Science | United States | 2011-11-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034825 | |
| Growth of longleaf and loblolly pine planted on South Carolina Sandhill sites. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; INOCULATION; PERFORMANCE; PINES; PRODUCTIVITY; Pinus palustris; Pinus taeda; Pisolithus tinctorius; REGRESSION ANALYSIS; SAND; SEEDLINGS; SOILS; SOUTH CAROLINA; containerized seedlings; mycorrhizae; volume | Performance of longleaf (Pinus palustris Mill.) and loblolly pine (P. taeda L.) were compared 15â19 years after outplanting on 10 different sites in the sandhillsof South Carolina. The study was established from 1988 to 1992 with bareroot seedlings artificially inoculated with Pisolithus tinctorius (Pt) or naturally inoculated with mycorrhizae in the nursery. A containerized longleaf pine treatment with and without Pt inoculation was added to two sites in 1992. Effects of the Pt nursery treatment were mixed, with a decrease in survival of bareroot longleaf pine on two sites and an increase in survival on another site. The containerized longleaf pine treatment substantially increased survival, which led to greater volume compared with bareroot longleaf pine. Loblolly pine yielded more volume than longleaf pine on all sites but one, where survival was negatively affected by fire. Depth of sandy surface horizon affected mean annual height growth of both loblolly and longleaf pine. Height growth per year decreased with an increase in sand depth for both species. Multiple regression analysis of volume growth(ft3/ac per year) for both species indicated a strong relationship to depth of sandy soil and survival. After 15â19 years, loblolly pine has been more productive than longleaf pine, although longleaf pine productivity may be equal to or greater than that of loblolly pine on the soils with the deepest sandy surface layers over longer rotations. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2010-07-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/979899 | ||
| Adaptive response to land-use history and roost selection by Rafinesqueâs big-eared bats | Loeb, Susan C. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Corynorhinus rafinesquii; Rafinesqueâs big-eared bats; adaptive response; detection probability; land-use history; occupancy; roost selection | Although habitat loss and degradation are major contributors to species declines, some species are able to adapt to changes in land use by selecting different habitats or structures in disturbed areas than they do in more pristine habitats. Bats are particularly vulnerable to changes in land use due to their dependence on specific habitat types and structures. The objective of this study was to determine how selection and use of roost trees, and niche breadth of Rafinesqueâs big-eared bats (Corynorhinus rafinesquii) varied with land-use history. I examined use and selection of roosts at 3 bottomland hardwood sites that varied in amount and time since timber harvest. Fortynine transects were established as a means of searching for bats in trees with basal cavity openings and were surveyed 2â9 times. Bats at the most-disturbed sites exhibited the broadest niches, using a greater number of tree species and habitat types, although bats at the least-disturbed site used a broader range of cavity volumes. Cavity characteristics were the primary factors governing roost selection by Rafinesqueâs big-eared bats, but selection varied among sites. Probability of use increased with increasing cavity volume for bats at all sites, but bats at the most-disturbed site primarily used trees in the smallest cavity volume class, whereas bats at the least-disturbed site primarily used trees in the largest cavity volume class. Lastly, results of this study suggest that Rafinesqueâs bigeared bats can adapt to a range of habitat conditions if trees with large cavities are available. However, future studies need to determine the long-term viability of this species in disturbed habitats. | Savannah River Site (SRS), New Ellenton, SC (United States). USDA Forest Service | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Acquisition and Project Management (EM-50) | United States | 2017-01-30T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1093/jmammal/gyw202 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1352538 |
| Restoring a Disappearing Ecosystem: the Longleaf Pine Savanna | Harrington, Timothy B.; Miller, Karl V.; Park, Noreen | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Disappearing ecosystem; Forest restoration; Longleaf Pine Savanna | Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) savannas of the southeastern United States contain some of the worlds most diverse plant communities, along with a unique complement of wildlife. Their traditionally open canopy structure and rich understory of grasses and herbs were critical to their vigor. However, a long history of land-use practices such as logging, farming, and fire exclusion have reduced this once-widespread ecosystem to only 3 percent of its original range. At six longleaf pine plantations in South Carolina, Tim Harrington with the Pacific Northwest Research Station and collaborators with the Southern Research Station used various treatments (including prescribed burns, tree thinning, and herbicide applications) to alter the forest structure and tracked how successful each one was in advancing savanna restoration over a 14-year period. They found that typical planting densities for wood production in plantations create dense understory shade that excludes many native herbaceous species important to savannas and associated wildlife. The scientists found that although tree thinning alone did not result in sustained gains, a combination of controlled burning, thinning, and herbicide treatments to reduce woody plants was an effective strategy for recovering the savanna ecosystem. The scientists also found that these efforts must be repeated periodically for enduring benefits. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2013-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1081558 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1081558 |
| Hanford Site Anuran Monitoring Report for Calendar Year 2013 | Wilde, Justin W.; Johnson, Scott J.; Lindsey, Cole T. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES | The U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) conducts ecological monitoring on the Hanford Site to collect and track data needed to ensure compliance with an array of environmental laws, regulations, and policies governing DOE activities. Ecological monitoring data provide baseline information about the plants, animals, and habitat under DOE-RL stewardship at Hanford required for decision-making under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The Hanford Site Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP, DOE/EIS-0222-F) which is the Environmental Impact Statement for Hanford Site activities, helps ensure that DOE-RL, its contractors, and other entities conducting activities on the Hanford Site are in compliance with NEPA. | Hanford Site (HNF), Richland, WA (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2014-02-13T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1123693 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1123693 |
| Performance Assessment for the E-Area Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility at the Savannah River Site: Chapter 2 | Mayer, John J.; Hamm, Luther L.; Aleman, Sebastian E.; Dyer, James A.; Wohlwend, Jennifer L.; Danielson, Thomas L.; Jolin, William C.; Whiteside, Tad | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES | his chapter presents the site and facility characteristics that potentially influence ELLWF performance, the development of the PA waste inventory, including uncertainty quantification, and the screening approaches used to reduce the number of radionuclides included in the PA model simulations. | Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States); Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2023-01-13T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1908979 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1908979 |
| Use of LiDAR to define habitat thresholds for forest bird conservation | Garabedian, James E.; Moorman, Christopher E.; Nils Peterson, M.; Kilgo, John C. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Forest structure; Habitat thresholds; LiDAR; Pine; Red-cockaded woodpecker; Resource selection | Quantifying species-habitat relationships provides guidance for establishment of recovery standards for endangered species, but research on forest bird habitat has been limited by availability of fine-grained forest structure data across broad extents. New tools for collection of data on forest bird response to fine-grained forest structure provide opportunities to evaluate habitat thresholds for forest birds. We used LiDAR-derived estimates of habitat attributes and resource selection to evaluate foraging habitat thresholds for recovery of the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker (Leuconotopicus borealis; RCW) on the Savannah River Site, South Carolina. | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Security (AU-50) | United States | 2017-09-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.foreco.2017.05.024 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1358005 |
| Modelling and mitigating dose to firefighters from inhalation of radionuclides in wildland fire smoke | Viner, Brian J.; Jannik, Tim; Stone, Daniel; Hepworth, Allan; Naeher, Luke; Adetona, Olorunfemi; Blake, John; Eddy, Teresa | 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; atmospheric dispersion; radioactive dose; radioecology | Firefighters responding to wildland fires where surface litter and vegetation contain radiological contamination will receive a radiological dose by inhaling resuspended radioactive material in the smoke. This may increase their lifetime risk of contracting certain types of cancer. Using published data, we modelled hypothetical radionuclide emissions, dispersion and dose for 70th and 97th percentile environmental conditions and for average and high fuel loads at the Savannah River Site. We predicted downwind concentration and potential dose to firefighters for radionuclides of interest (137Cs, 238Pu, 90Sr and 210Po). Predicted concentrations exceeded dose guidelines in the base case scenario emissions of 1.0 Ã 107 Bq haâ1 for 238Pu at 70th percentile environmental conditions and average fuel load levels for both 4- and 14-h shifts. Under 97th percentile environmental conditions and high fuel loads, dose guidelines were exceeded for several reported cases for 90Sr, 238Pu and 210Po. Potential for exceeding dose guidelines was mitigated by including plume rise (>2 m sâ1) or moving a small distance from the fire owing to large concentration gradients near the edge of the fire. As a result, our approach can quickly estimate potential dose from airborne radionuclides in wildland fire and assist decision-making to reduce firefighter exposure. | Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2015-06-12T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1071/WF14181 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1215497 |
| Ecological half-life of radiocesium in white-tailed deer on the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site: What can a half century of field monitoring tell us? | Gaines, Karen F. (ORCID:000000026954444X); Novak, Peter M.; Novak, James M. | Not Available | USDOE | United Kingdom | 2021-09-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2021.106654 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1784467 | ||
| Vegetation classification in southern pine mixed hardwood forests using airborne scanning laser point data. | McGaughey, Robert J.; Reutebuch, Stephen E. | airborne scanning laser point data; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Vegetation classification; southern pine mixed hardwood forests | Forests of the southeastern United States are dominated by a relatively small number of conifer species. However, many of these forests also have a hardwood component composed of a wide variety of species that are found in all canopy positions. The presence or absence of hardwood species and their position in the canopy often dictates management activities such as thinning or prescribed burning. In addition, the characteristics of the under- and mid-story layers, often dominated by hardwood species, are key factors when assessing suitable habitat for threatened and endangered species such as the Red Cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) (RCW), making information describing the hardwood component important to forest managers. General classification of cover types using LIDAR data has been reported (Song et al. 2002, Brennan and Webster 2006) but most efforts focusing on the identification of individual species or species groups rely on some type of imagery to provide more complete spectral information for the study area. Brandtberg (2007) found that use of intensity data significantly improved LIDAR detection and classification of three leaf-off deciduous eastern species: oaks (Quercus spp.), red maple (Acer rubrum L.), and yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.). Our primary objective was to determine the proportion of hardwood species present in the canopy using only the LIDAR point data and derived products. However, the presence of several hardwood species that retain their foliage through the winter months complicated our analyses. We present two classification approaches. The first identifies areas containing hardwood and softwood (conifer) species (H/S) and the second identifies vegetation with foliage absent or present (FA/FP) at the time of the LIDAR data acquisition. The classification results were used to develop predictor variables for forest inventory models. The ability to incorporate the proportion of hardwood and softwood was important to the inventory as well as habitat assessments for the RCW. | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE; USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Project Management (EM-50) | United States | 2012-10-15T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1144005 | |
| Los Alamos National Laboratory | Dogliani, Harold O | 98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; HYDRODYNAMICS; LANL; PATHOGENS; PROLIFERATION; RELIABILITY; SIMULATION; TESTING; VACCINES; WEAPONS | The purpose of the briefing is to describe general laboratory technical capabilities to be used for various groups such as military cadets or university faculty/students and post docs to recruit into a variety of Los Alamos programs. Discussed are: (1) development and application of high leverage science to enable effeictive, predictable and reliability outcomes; (2) deter, detect, characterize, reverse and prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their use by adversaries and terrorists; (3) modeling and simulation to define complex processes, predict outcomes, and develop effective prevention, response, and remediation strategies; (4) energetic materials and hydrodynamic testing to develop materials for precise delivery of focused energy; (5) materials cience focused on fundamental understanding of materials behaviors, their quantum-molecular properties, and their dynamic responses, and (6) bio-science to rapidly detect and characterize pathogens, to develop vaccines and prophylactic remedies, and to develop attribution forensics. | Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) | DOE | United States | 2011-01-19T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1047156 | |
| Chemical and anatomical changes in Liquidambar styraciflua L. xylem after long term exposure to elevated CO2 | Kim, Keonhee; Labbé, Nicole; Warren, Jeffrey M.; Elder, Thomas; Rials, Timothy G. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Chemical composition; Free air COâ enrichment; Hydraulic conductivity; PCA; Sweetgum | The anatomical and chemical characteristics of sweetgum were studied after 11 years of elevated CO2 (544 ppm, ambient at 391 ppm) exposure. Anatomically, branch xylem cells were larger for elevated CO2 trees, and the cell wall thickness was thinner. Chemically, elevated CO2 exposure did not impact the structural components of the stem wood, but non-structural components were significantly affected. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to detect differences between the CO2 treatments by considering numerous structural and chemical variables, as well as tree size, and data from previously published sources (for example, root biomass, production and turnover). The PCA results indicated a clear separation between trees exposed to ambient and elevated CO2 conditions. Lastly, correlation loadings plots of the PCA revealed that stem structural components, ash, Ca, Mg, total phenolics, root biomass, production and turnover were the major responses that contribute to the separation between the elevated and ambient CO2 treated trees. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23) | United States | 2015-01-17T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.01.006 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1261416 |
| Where does streamwater come from in low-relief forested watersheds? A dual-isotope approach | Klaus, J.; McDonnell, J. J.; Jackson, C. R.; Du, E.; Griffiths, N. A. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; dual isotope; hydrology; low relief forested watershed | The time and geographic sources of streamwater in low-relief watersheds are poorly understood. This is partly due to the difficult combination of low runoff coefficients and often damped streamwater isotopic signals precluding traditional hydrograph separation and convolution integral approaches. Here we present a dual-isotope approach involving 18O and 2H of water in a low-angle forested watershed to determine streamwater source components and then build a conceptual model of streamflow generation. We focus on three headwater lowland sub-catchments draining the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, USA. Our results for a 3-year sampling period show that the slopes of the meteoric water lines/evaporation water lines (MWLs/EWLs) of the catchment water sources can be used to extract information on runoff sources in ways not considered before. Our dual-isotope approach was able to identify unique hillslope, riparian and deep groundwater, and streamflow compositions. Thus, the streams showed strong evaporative enrichment compared to the local meteoric water line (δ2H = 7.15 · δ18O +9.28‰) with slopes of 2.52, 2.84, and 2.86. Based on the unique and unambiguous slopes of the EWLs of the different water cycle components and the isotopic time series of the individual components, we were able to show how the riparian zone controls baseflow in this system and how the riparian zone "resets" the stable isotope composition of the observed streams in our low-angle, forested watersheds. Although this approach is limited in terms of quantifying mixing percentages between different end-members, our dual-isotope approach enabled the extraction of hydrologically useful information in a region with little change in individual isotope time series. | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Acquisition and Project Management (EM-50) | United States | 2015-01-08T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.5194/hess-19-125-2015 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1167353 |
| Interflow dynamics on a low relief forested hillslope: Lots of fill, little spill | Du, Enhao; Rhett Jackson, C.; Klaus, Julian; McDonnell, Jeffrey J.; Griffiths, Natalie A.; Williamson, Margaret F.; Greco, James L.; Bitew, Menberu | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Argillic layer; Fill-and-spill; Interflow; Low relief | In this paper, we evaluated the occurrence of perching and interflow over and within a sandy clay loam argillic horizon within first-order, low-relief, forested catchments at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. We measured soil hydraulic properties, depths to the argillic layer, soil moisture, shallow groundwater behavior, interflow interception trench flows, and streamflow over a 4-year period to explore the nature and variability of soil hydraulic characteristics, the argillic âtopographyâ, and their influence on interflow generation. Perching occurred frequently within and above the restricting argillic horizons during our monitoring period, but interflow was infrequent due to microtopographic relief and associated depression storage on the argillic layer surface. High percolation rates through the argillic horizon, particularly through soil anomalies, also reduced the importance of interflow. Interflow generation was highly variable across eleven segments of a 121 m interception trench. Hillslopes were largely disconnected from stream behavior during storms. Hillslope processes were consistent with the fill-and-spill hypothesis and featured a sequence of distinct thresholds: vertical wetting front propagation to the argillic layer; saturation of the argillic followed by local perching; filling of argillic layer depressions; and finally connectivity of depressions leading to interflow generation. Lastly, analysis of trench flow data indicated a cumulative rainfall threshold of 60 mm to generate interflow, a value at the high end of the range of thresholds reported elsewhere. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | EE USDOE - Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE) | United States | 2016-01-27T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.01.039 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1247925 |
| Using Historical and Experimental Data to Reveal Warming Effects on Ant Assemblages | Resasco, Julian; Pelini, Shannon L.; Stuble, Katharine L.; Sanders, Nathan J.; Dunn, Robert R.; Diamond, Sarah E.; Ellison, Aaron M.; Gotelli, Nicholas J.; Levey, Douglas J. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ants; climate change; community structure; foraging; forest ecology; forests; species diversity; summer | Historical records of species are compared with current records to elucidate effects of recent climate change. However, confounding variables such as succession, land-use change, and species invasions make it difficult to demonstrate a causal link between changes in biota and changes in climate. Experiments that manipulate temperature can overcome this issue of attribution, but long-term impacts of warming are difficult to test directly. Here we combine historical and experimental data to explore effects of warming on ant assemblages in southeastern US. Observational data span a 35-year period (1976â2011), during which mean annual temperatures had an increasing trend. Mean summer temperatures in 2010â2011 were ~2.7°C warmer than in 1976. Experimental data come from an ongoing study in the same region, for which temperatures have been increased ~1.5â5.5°C above ambient from 2010 to 2012. Ant species richness and evenness decreased with warming under natural but not experimental warming. These discrepancies could have resulted from differences in timescales of warming, abiotic or biotic factors, or initial species pools. Species turnover tended to increase with temperature in observational and experimental datasets. At the species level, the observational and experimental datasets had four species in common, two of which exhibited consistent patterns between datasets. With natural and experimental warming, collections of the numerically dominant, thermophilic species, Crematogaster lineolata, increased roughly two-fold. Myrmecina americana, a relatively heat intolerant species, decreased with temperature in natural and experimental warming. In contrast, species in the Solenopsis molesta group did not show consistent responses to warming, and Temenothorax pergandei was rare across temperatures. Our results highlight the difficulty of interpreting community responses to warming based on historical records or experiments alone. Because some species showed consistent responses to warming based on thermal tolerances, understanding functional traits may prove useful in explaining responses of species to warming. | North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF) | United States | 2014-02-04T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1371/journal.pone.0088029 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1904616 |
| Strategy for the Identification of an INL Comprehensive Utility Corridor | Reisenauer, John | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; FLEXIBILITY; IMPLEMENTATION; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; RIGHTS-OF-WAY; utility corridor | This report documents the strategy developed to identify a comprehensive utility corridor (CUC) on the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site. The strategy established the process for which the Campus Development Office will evaluate land management issues. It is a process that uses geographical information system geospatial technology to layer critical INL mission information in a way that thorough evaluations can be conducted and strategies developed. The objective of the CUC Project was to develop a process that could be implemented to identify potential utility corridor options for consideration. The process had to take into account all the missions occurring on the INL and other land-related issues. The process for developing a CUC strategy consists of the following four basic elements using geographical information system capabilities: 1. Development of an INL base layer map; this base layer map geospatially references all stationary geographical features on INL and sitewide information. 2. Development of current and future mission land-use need maps; this involved working with each directorate to identify current mission land use needs and future land use needs that project 30 years into the future. 3. Development of restricted and potential constraint maps; this included geospatially mapping areas such as wells, contaminated areas, firing ranges, cultural areas, ecological areas, hunting areas, easement, and grazing areas. 4. Development of state highway and power line rights of way map; this included geospatially mapping rights-of-way along existing state highways and power lines running through the INL that support INL operations. It was determined after completing and evaluating the geospatial information that the area with the least impact to INL missions was around the perimeter of the INL Site. Option 1, in this document, identifies this perimeter; however, it does not mean the entire perimeter is viable. Many places along the perimeter corridor cannot be used or are not economically viable. Specific detailed studies will need to be conducted on a case-by-case basis to clearly identify which sections along the perimeter can and cannot be used. Option 2, in this document, identifies areas along existing highways that could be a viable option. However, discussions would have to take place with the State of Idaho to use their easement as part of the corridor and mission impact would need to be evaluated if a specific request was made to the Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office. Option 3, in this document, is a combination of Options 1 and 2. This option provides the most flexibility to minimize impacts to INL missions. As with the other two options, discussions and agreements with the State of Idaho would be needed and any specific route would need to be thoroughly evaluated for impact, implementation, and operability beyond just a strategy. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | DOE - NE | United States | 2011-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1017883 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1017883 |
| Stand development and other intrinsic factors largely control fine-root dynamics with only subtle modifications from resource availability | Coleman, Mark D.; Aubrey, Doug P. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES | Forest productivity depends on resource acquisition by ephemeral roots and leaves. A combination of intrinsic and environmental factors influences ephemeral organs; however, difficulties in studying belowground organs impede mechanistic understanding of fine-root production and turnover. To quantify factors controlling fine-root dynamics, we grew a deciduous hardwood (Populus deltoides Bartr.) and an evergreen conifer (Pinus taeda L.) with distinct soil moisture and nutrient availability treatments. We monitored fine-root dynamics with minirhizotrons for 6 years during early stand development and expressed results on a root length, biomass and mortality-risk basis. Stand development and other intrinsic factors consistently influenced both species in the same direction and by similar magnitude. Live-root length increased to a peak during establishment and slowly declined after roots of neighboring trees overlapped. Root longevity was highest during establishment and decreased thereafter. Root longevity consistently increased with depth of appearance and initial root diameter. Season of appearance affected root longevity in the following order: spring > summer > fall > winter. The influence of soil resource availability on fine-root dynamics was inconsistent between species, and ranked below that of rooting depth, initial diameter, stand development and phenology. Fine-root biomass either increased or was unaffected by greater resource availability. Fine-root production and live root length decreased with irrigation for both species, and increased with fertilization only for poplar. Fine-root mortality risk both increased and decreased depending on species and amendment treatment. Differing responses to soil moisture and nutrient availability between species suggests we should carefully evaluate generalizations about the response of fine-root dynamics to resource availability. Finally, while attempting to describe and explain carbon allocation to fine-root production and turnover, modelers and physiologists should first consider consistent patterns of allocation caused by different depth, diameter, stand development, phenology and species before considering allocation due to soil resource availability. | Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Lab. (SREL); Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States) | USDOE; USDA | United States | 2018-04-05T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1093/treephys/tpy033 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1829086 |
| ORR Annual Site Environmental Report Summary, 2009 | Hughes, Joan F; Thompson, Sharon D | No abstract prepared. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) | ORNL other overhead | United States | 2011-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1015025 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1015025 | |
| Oak Ridge Reservation. Physical Characteristics and National Resources | Parr, Patricia Dreyer; Joan, F. Hughes | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Oak Ridge Reservation; biological significance ranking | The topology, geology, hydrology, vegetation, and wildlife of the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) provide a complex and intricate array of resources that directly impact land stewardship and use decisions. The purpose of this document is to consolidate general information regarding the natural resources and physical characteristics of the ORR. | Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2006-10-09T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/895827 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/895827 |
| Microcrustaceans (Branchiopoda and Copepoda) of Wetland Ponds and Impoundments on the Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina | DeBiase, Adrienne E; Taylor, Barbara E | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ANIMALS; CRUSTACEANS; FARMS; FOOD; INSECTS; PONDS; SALAMANDERS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; Savannah River Site; WATER; WETLANDS; impoundments; invertebrates; microcrustaceans; wetlands | The United States Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken, Allendale, and Barnwell Counties, South Carolina, contains an abundance of freshwater wetlands and impoundments. Four large impoundments, as well as several small, abandoned farm and mill ponds, and about 400 Carolina bays and other small, isolated depression wetland ponds are located within the 893 km2 area of the SRS. Crustaceans of the orders Branchiopoda and Copepoda are nearly ubiquitous in these water bodies. Although small in size, these organisms are often very abundant. They consequently play an important trophic role in freshwater food webs supporting fish, larval salamanders, larval insects, and numerous other animals, aquatic and terrestrial. This report provides an introduction to the free-living microcrustaceans of lentic water bodies on the SRS and a comprehensive list of species known to occur there. Occurrence patterns are summarized from three extensive survey studies, supplemented with other published and unpublished records. In lieu of a key, we provide a guide to taxonomic resources and notes on undescribed species. Taxa covered include the orders Cladocera, Anostraca, Laevicaudata, and Spinicaudata of the Subclass Branchiopoda and the Superorders Calanoida and Cyclopoida of Subclass Copepoda. Microcrustaceans of the Superorder Harpacticoida of the Subclass Copepoda and Subclass Ostracoda are also often present in lentic water bodies. They are excluded from this report because they have not received much study at the species level on the SRS. | Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC | USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2005-09-21T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/891071 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/891071 |
| Microcrustaceans (Branchipoda and Copepoda) of Wetland Impoundments on the Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina | DeBiase, Adrienne E; Taylor, Barbara E | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ANIMALS; CRUSTACEANS; FARMS; FOOD; INSECTS; PONDS; SALAMANDERS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; WATER; WETLANDS; microcrustaceans, wetlands, impoundments, invertebrates, Savannah River Site | The United States Department of Energyâs Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken, Allendale, and Barnwell Counties, South Carolina, contains an abundance of freshwater wetlands and impoundments. Four large impoundments, as well as several small, abandoned farm and mill ponds, and about 400 Carolina bays and other small, isolated depression wetland ponds are located within the 893 km2 area of the SRS. Crustaceans of the orders Branchiopoda and Copepoda are nearly ubiquitous in these water bodies. Although small in size, these organisms are often very abundant. They consequently play an important trophic role in freshwater food webs supporting fish, larval salamanders, larval insects, and numerous other animals, aquatic and terrestrial. This report provides an introduction to the free-living microcrustaceans of lentic water bodies on the SRS and a comprehensive list of species known to occur there. Occurrence patterns are summarized from three extensive survey studies, supplemented with other published and unpublished records. In lieu of a key, we provide a guide to taxonomic resources and notes on undescribed species. Taxa covered include the orders Cladocera, Anostraca, Laevicaudata, and Spinicaudata of the Subclass Branchiopoda and the Superorders Calanoida and Cyclopoida of Subclass Copepoda. Microcrustaceans of the Superorder Harpacticoida of the Subclass Copepoda and Subclass Ostracoda are also often present in lentic water bodies. They are excluded from this report because they have not received much study at the species level on the SRS. | Savannah River Ecology Laboratory | USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2005-09-21T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/890131 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/890131 |
| Litter-dwelling arthropod abundance peaks near coarse woody debris in Loblolly Pine Forests of the South-Eastern United States. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ARTHROPODS; FORESTS; Loblolly Pine; PINES; arthropod abundance; coarse woody debris | Brief scientific notes on the relationship between coarse woody debris and arthropod abundance. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2009-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1653/024.092.0128 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/974687 | |
| Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Resilience Planning for Idaho National Laboratory | Ischay, Christopher P.; Nate, Caitlin Leslie | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Climate Change; Climate Vulnerability; Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Resilience Planning; Critical Asset; Mission Critical Asset; Resilience Planning; VARP; Vulnerability; Vulnerability Assessment | Idaho National Laboratoryâs (INLâs) mission is to discover, demonstrate, and secure innovative nuclear energy solutions, other clean energy options, and critical infrastructure. This INLâs Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Resilience Plan (VARP) was developed to enable and sustain that mission while ensuring the viability of operations considering expected climate change impacts. The VARP was developed according to the narrative requirements from the âVulnerability Assessment and Resilience Planning Guidance, Version 1.2â document issued in February 2022. A prescribed process was used to identify mission-critical systems and components, determine historical and expected climate impacts, and develop resilient solutions. Experts from across INL, including operations staff, researchers, and climate scientists supplied input to the process. Analyses of climate modeling sources revealed that under scenarios of higher and lower greenhouse gas emissions (Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP 8.5), INL anticipates an increase in climate hazards, including drought, heat waves, wildfire, and precipitation. Increased frequency and duration of climatic hazards forecasts high impacts on certain mission-critical asset and infrastructure types. Utilizing the VARP Risk Assessment Tool, projected high climate hazard impacts across multiple asset and infrastructure types at the INL include energy generation and distribution systems, Site buildings, specialized or mission-critical equipment, and transportation and fleet infrastructure. Some of these mission-critical asset and infrastructure types maintain high adaptive capacity to climatic changes; however, others may need additional adaptive capacity to withstand increased frequency and duration of climate hazards. INL identified close to 300 resilient solutions that were consolidated into 11 solution categories to be tracked in the Department of Energy Sustainability Dashboard. The identified solutions are a starting point for future project development and analysis. These data are intended to inform decision makers on climate issues and potential solutions across INL and associated communities. The VARP is not intended to be a budget tool or project decision document on its own, but rather one of many tools used by decision makers to establish resilient priorities. This initial document provides the framework and foundation to resilient solutions. In the coming years, each solution needs to be fully developed, costed, and prioritized based on mission-critical risk and funding priorities. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) | United States | 2022-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1957785 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1957785 |
| Species characterization and responses of subcortical insects to trap-logs and ethanol in a hardwood biomass plantation: Subcortical insects in hardwood plantations | Coyle, David R.; Brissey, Courtney L.; Gandhi, Kamal J. K. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Buprestidae; Cerambycidae; Curculionidae; Scolytinae; Siricidae; non-natives | 1. We characterized subcortical insect assemblages in economically important eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides Bartr.), sycamore (Platanus occidentalis L.) and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) plantations in the southeastern U.S.A. Furthermore, we compared insect responses between freshly-cut plant material by placing traps directly over cut hardwood logs (trap-logs), traps baited with ethanol lures and unbaited (control) traps. 2. We captured a total of 15 506 insects representing 127 species in four families in 2011 and 2013. Approximately 9% and 62% of total species and individuals, respectively, and 23% and 79% of total Scolytinae species and individuals, respectively, were non-native to North America. 3. We captured more Scolytinae using cottonwood trap-logs compared with control traps in both years, although this was the case with sycamore and sweetgum only in 2013. More woodborers were captured using cottonwood and sweetgum trap-logs compared with control traps in both years, although only with sycamore in 2013. 4. Ethanol was an effective lure for capturing non-native Scolytinae; however, not all non-native species were captured using ethanol lures. Ambrosiophilus atratus (Eichhoff) and Hypothenemus crudiae (Panzer) were captured with both trap-logs and control traps, whereas Coccotrypes distinctus (Motschulsky) and Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff were only captured on trap-logs. 5. Indicator species analysis revealed that certain scolytines [e.g. Cnestus mutilates (Blandford) and Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky)] showed significant associations with trap-logs or ethanol baits in poplar or sweetgum trap-logs. In general, the species composition of subcortical insects, especially woodboring insects, was distinct among the three tree species and between those associated with trap-logs and control traps. | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Security (AU-50) | United States | 2015-01-02T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/afe.12101 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1191218 |
| Results from Four Decades of Successional Prairie Restoration and an Update on Ecological Land Management at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois | Campbell, Ryan E.; Hooymans, Jacques L. | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) is a 2,573-ha (6,800-acre) Department of Energy site located in Batavia, Illinois, USA. Tucked among the particle accelerators are nearly 1,619 ha (4,000 ac) of natural areas including remnant and restored grasslands, woodlands, and wetlands. Dr. Robert F. Betz began his large-scale prairie restoration project on the Fermilab site in 1975. During the course of that work, he defined 4 successional stages of prairie restoration and listed species occurring in each of the stages. We present results after 40 y of successional prairie restoration and summarize current ecological land management efforts at Fermilab. Ninety-five percent of the 110 species making up his 4 stages of successional restoration established in at least 1 of the 25 Fermilab prairie plantings. Three-fourths of species in Stage 1 were observed in 80% of the plantings and 54% of Stage 2 species were found in at least half of the plantings. Many Stage 3 and almost all Stage 4 species did not frequently establish in the plantings, but this may be an artifact of seed availability. Species richness and floristic quality index (FQI) increased over time in most plantings as seeded and spontaneous species established. As of 2015, 268 native plant species were recorded in the 25 prairie plantings combined. Current ecological land management includes continuing to enrich all 25 prairie plantings by targeted overseeding. Fermilab staff are attempting to create spatial and structural heterogeneity in plantings dominated by big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) by experimenting with 2 hemiparasitic plants (wood betony [Pedicularis canadensis] and false toadflax [Comandra umbellata]) known to parasitize A. gerardii and thought to reduce its competitiveness. Fermilab staff have vastly improved invasive species control efforts and collection and spreading of native seeds in the prairie plantings thanks in part to the use of geographic information system technology. Volunteers help in the prairies as well as perform stewardship duties in remnant woodlands and oak savannas on site. Public outreach and partnership remains important aspects of the Fermilab prairie project. Wildlife monitoring and ecological research continue to provide information guiding adaptive land management at Fermilab. | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) | United States | 2016-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1469003 | ||
| Land-use legacies and present fire regimes interact to mediate herbivory by altering the neighboring plant community | Hahn, Philip G.; Orrock, John L. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Land Use; fire regimes; herbivory; plant communities | Past and present human activities, such as historic agriculture and fire suppression, are widespread and can create depauperate plant communities. Although many studies show that herbivory on focal plants depends on the density of herbivores or the composition of the surrounding plant community, it is unclear whether anthropogenic changes to plant communities alter herbivory. We tested the hypothesis that human activities that alter the plant community lead to subsequent changes in herbivory. At 20 sites distributed across 80 300 hectares, we conducted a field experiment that manipulated insect herbivore access (full exclosures and pseudo-exclosures) to four focal plant species in longleaf pine woodlands with diff erent land-use histories (post-agricultural sites or non-agricultural sites) and degrees of fi re frequency (frequent and infrequent). Plant cover, particularly herbaceous cover, was lower in post-agricultural and fi re suppressed woodlands. Density of the dominant insect herbivore at our site (grasshoppers) was positively related to plant cover. Herbivore access reduced biomass of the palatable forb Solidago odora in frequently burned post-agricultural sites and in infrequently burned non-agricultural woodlands and increased mortality of another forb (Pityopsis graminifolia ), but did not aff ect two other less palatable species ( Schizachyrium scoparium and Tephrosia virginiana ). Herbivory on S. odora exhibited a hump-shaped response to plant cover, with low herbivory at low and high levels of plant cover. Herbivore density had a weak negative effect on herbivory. These findings suggest that changes in plant cover related to past and present human activities can modify damage rates on focal S. odora plants by altering grasshopper foraging behavior rather than by altering local grasshopper density. The resulting changes in herbivory may have the potential to limit natural recovery or restoration eff orts by reducing the establishment or performance of palatable plant species. | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Security (AU-50) | United States | 2014-10-03T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/oik.01445 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1177492 |
| Relationship of coarse woody debris to arthropod Availability for Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers and other bark-foraging birds on loblolly pine boles. | Horn, Scott | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ADULTS; ANTS; APHIDS; ARTHROPODS; AVAILABILITY; Arthropods; BEETLES; BIOMASS; BIRDS; COCKROACHES; COLEOPTERA; FORESTS; HYMENOPTERA; INSECTS; LEPIDOPTERA; PINES; TREES; WOOD; bark-foraging birds; bark-gleaning guild; corticulous arthropods; saproxylic | Abstract This study determined if short-term removal of coarse woody debris would reduce prey available to red-cockaded woodpeckers (Picoides borealis Vieillot) and other bark-foraging birds at the Savannah River Site in Aiken and Barnwell counties, SC. All coarse woody debris was removed from four 9-ha plots of mature loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) in 1997 and again in 1998. We sampled arthropods in coarse woody debris removal and control stands using crawl traps that captured arthropods crawling up tree boles, burlap bands wrapped around trees, and cardboard panels placed on the ground. We captured 27 orders and 172 families of arthropods in crawl traps whereas 20 arthropod orders were observed under burlap bands and cardboard panels. The most abundant insects collected from crawl traps were aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae) and ants (Hymenoptera: Forrnicidae). The greatest biomass was in the wood cockroaches (Blattaria: Blattellidae), caterpillars (Lepidoptera) in the Family Noctuidae, and adult weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The most common group observed underneath cardboard panels was lsoptera (termites), and the most common taxon under burlap bands was wood cockroaches. Overall, arthropod abundance and biomass captured in crawl traps was similar in control and removal plots. In contrast, we observed more arthropods under burlap bands (mean & SE; 3,021.5 k 348.6, P= 0.03) and cardboard panels (3,537.25 k 432.4, P= 0.04) in plots with coarse woody debris compared with burlap bands (2325 + 171.3) and cardboard panels (2439.75 + 288.9) in plots where coarse woody debris was removed. Regression analyses showed that abundance beneath cardboard panels was positively correlated with abundance beneath burlap bands demonstrating the link between abundance on the ground with that on trees. Our results demonstrate that short-term removal of coarse woody debris from pine forests reduced overall arthropod availability to bark-foraging birds. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2008-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/935038 | |
| Spatial arrangement of canopy structure and land-use history alter the effect that herbivores have on plant growth | Hahn, Philip G.; Orrock, John L. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; context-dependent; edge effects; grasshoppers; herbivory; land-use history; landscape experiment; plantinsect interaction; species interactions | The spatial arrangement of past and present human activities could affect the strength of species interactions through changes to environmental conditions. To better understand how land-use history might mediate the effect of insect herbivory on the growth of four herbaceous plant species at the edges between woodlands and open savannas, we coupled large-scale manipulations of canopy structure by thinning overstory trees to create savanna habitat in non-agricultural and post-agricultural longleaf pine woodlands with local-scale herbivore exclosures at two distances from habitat edges. Light availability, grasshopper abundance, and herbaceous plant cover all increased in patches that received overstory tree thinning. Land-use history altered the effect that edges created by the overstory thinning treatments had on grasshopper herbivory for one plant species (Carphephorus bellidifolius). The edge between land-use histories also altered herbivore effects on three plant species in thinned patches. These edge effects were driven in part by changes in availability of alternative resources for grasshoppers, shady edges, or grasshopper abundance. Canopy manipulation also had important effects on herbivory that were independent of the habitat edge: grasshopper herbivory reduced plant growth of the smallest species (C. bellidifolius) regardless of canopy manipulation, whereas herbivory on two larger species (Solidago nemoralis and So. odora) reduced plant growth mainly in patches with an intact overstory canopy. Collectively, this work suggests that the species-specific effects of grasshopper herbivory on plant growth were driven by both plant traits (e.g., size or growth rates) and landscape-mediated changes to grasshopper abundance, light availability, or availability of alternative resources for grasshoppers created by land-use history and canopy structure. Furthermore, because the heterogeneity in herbivory revealed by our large-scale experiment is likely linked to plant traits, our results provide a means for understanding the profound, but often idiosyncratic, effects of land-use legacies and edges on plant populations and communities. | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2015-10-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1890/es15-00036.1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1233698 |
| Long-term monitoring of fleshy fruit and hard mast production and seasonal bird distribution at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina. | Levey, Douglas J | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ADULTS; BIRDS; DISTRIBUTION; HABITAT; Hard mast; INSECTS; MONITORING; PRODUCTION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SEEDS; diet of overwintering birds; soft mast | A final report of Fruit and hard mast production in five habitat types at SRS with a comparison of fruit consumption by fledgling versus adult birds at SRS and Relative importance of fruit, seeds, and insects in the diets of overwintering birds at SRS. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2009-06-15T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/957011 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/957011 |
| INL Site Conditions and Properties | Griffith, George Winslow; Hoiland, Shauna Annette | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; build-out energy systems; site conditions | This report provides a high-level review of potential technical, commercial, and natural components likely to influence the planning, preparing, and positioning for the future by investing in the build-out of energy systems at Idaho National Laboratory. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) | United States | 2015-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1244631 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1244631 |
| Land-use history alters contemporary insect herbivore community composition and decouples plant-herbivore relationships | Hahn, Philip G.; Orrock, John L. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Abandoned agriculture; community composition; grasshoppers; insect diversity; longleaf pine; old field; plant-insect interactions. | 1. Past land use can create altered soil conditions and plant communities that persist for decades, although the effects of these altered conditions on consumers are rarely investigated. 2. Using a large-scale field study at 36 sites in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) woodlands, we examined whether historic agricultural land use leads to differences in the abundance and community composition of insect herbivores (grasshoppers, families Acrididae and Tettigoniidae). 3. We measured the cover of six plant functional groups and several environmental variables to determine whether historic agricultural land use affects the relationships between plant cover or environmental conditions and grasshopper assemblages. 4. Land-use history had taxa-specific effects and interacted with herbaceous plant cover to alter grasshopper abundances, leading to significant changes in community composition. Abundance of most grasshopper taxa increased with herbaceous cover in woodlands with no history of agriculture, but there was no relationship in post-agricultural woodlands. We also found that grasshopper abundance was negatively correlated with leaf litter cover. Soil hardness was greater in post-agricultural sites (i.e. more compacted) and was associated with grasshopper community composition. Both herbaceous cover and leaf litter cover are influenced by fire frequency, suggesting a potential indirect role of fire on grasshopper assemblages. 5. Our results demonstrate that historic land use may create persistent differences in the composition of grasshopper assemblages, while contemporary disturbances (e.g. prescribed fire) may be important for determining the abundance of grasshoppers, largely through the effect of fire on plants and leaf litter. Therefore, our results suggest that changes in the contemporary management regimes (e.g. increasing prescribed fire) may not be sufficient to shift the structure of grasshopper communities in post-agricultural sites towards communities in nonagricultural habitats. Rather, repairing degraded soil conditions and restoring plant communities are likely necessary for restoring grasshopper assemblages in post-agricultural woodlands. | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Security (AU-50) | United States | 2014-11-23T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/1365-2656.12311 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1178419 |
| Dual nitrate isotopes clarify the role of biological processing and hydrologic flow paths on nitrogen cycling in subtropical low-gradient watersheds | Griffiths, Natalie A.; Jackson, C. Rhett; McDonnell, Jeffrey J.; Klaus, Julian; Du, Enhao; Bitew, Menberu M. | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; dual stable isotopes of nitrate; groundwater; low-relief watersheds; streams; subtropics | Nitrogen (N) is an important nutrient as it often limits productivity but in excess can impair water quality. Most studies on watershed N cycling have occurred in upland forested catchments where snowmelt dominates N export; fewer studies have focused on low-relief watersheds that lack snow. We examined watershed N cycling in three adjacent, low-relief watersheds in the Upper Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States to better understand the role of hydrological flow paths and biological transformations of N at the watershed scale. Groundwater was the dominant source of nitrified N to stream water in two of the three watersheds, while atmospheric deposition comprised 28% of stream water nitrate in one watershed. The greater atmospheric contribution may have been due to the larger stream channel area relative to total watershed area or the dominance of shallow subsurface flow paths contributing to stream flow in this watershed. There was a positive relationship between temperature and stream water ammonium concentrations and a negative relationship between temperature and stream water nitrate concentrations in each watershed suggesting that N cycling processes (i.e., nitrification and denitrification) varied seasonally. However, there were no clear patterns in the importance of denitrification in different water pools possibly because a variety of factors (i.e., assimilatory uptake, dissimilatory uptake, and mixing) affected nitrate concentrations. In conclusion, together, these results highlight the hydrological and biological controls on N cycling in low-gradient watersheds and variability in N delivery flow paths among adjacent watersheds with similar physical characteristics. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | EE USDOE - Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE) | United States | 2016-02-08T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/2015JG003189 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1247930 |
| Influence of soil physicochemical properties on hydrology and restoration response in Carolina Bay wetlands. | Barton, C D; Andrews, D M; Kolka, R K | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; CLAYS; Carolina bays; HYDROLOGY; MANAGEMENT; METERS; MONITORING; MORPHOLOGY; PH VALUE; REGRESSION ANALYSIS; SOILS; WETLANDS; wetland hydrology; wetland restoration.; wetland soils | Carolina Bays are shallow depression wetlands found in the southeast US that have been severely altered by human activity. The need to restore these complex and diverse systems is well established, but our understanding of basic wetland hydrological processes is limited, hence our ability to predict the need for and/or assess the effectiveness of bay restorations is hindered. Differing physicochemical properties of soils within bay interiors may control bay hydrology. However, previous efforts to establish relationships between soil characteristics and bay hydrology have been inconclusive and the question still remains as to why some bays are ponded throughout the year while others, within a similar landscape unit, are predominantly dry. An assessment of soil and hydrologic characteristics was initiated in restored and unrestored control bays to determine if a relationship exists. Soil morphology was described and permanent monitoring wells were installed at each site. Soil samples were collected by horizon to a depth of 2 meters at the topographic center of each site, and then analyzed. After three years, multiple regression analysis (stepwise backward and forward) was used to establish relationships between the soil physicochemical characteristics and bay hydroperiod in the undisturbed sites. Results from surface soils indicated that exchangeable acidity (EA) was the best single predictor of hydrology. The best double predictor was EA and total N and EA, total N and total C as the best triple predictor. A significant relationship (r2 = 0.96) between hydroperiod and clay content in the argillic horizon (Bt) was also observed. Subsequently, this relationship was utilized to predict hydrologic response using pre-restoration hydroperiod data. The model accurately identified sites that did not need hydrologic restoration (too wet), and effectively showed sites that responded well to restoration activities. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2006-04-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/939267 | |
| Genotypic diversity effects on biomass production in native perennial bioenergy cropping systems | Morris, Geoffrey P.; Hu, Zhenbin; Grabowski, Paul P.; Borevitz, Justin O.; de Graaff, MarieâAnne; Miller, R. Michael; Jastrow, Julie D. | The perennial grass species that are being developed as biomass feedstock crops harbor extensive genotypic diversity, but the effects of this diversity on biomass production are not well understood. We investigated the effects of genotypic diversity in switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum ) and big bluestem ( Andropogon gerardii ) on perennial biomass cropping systems in two experiments conducted over 2008â2014 at a 5.4âha fertile field site in northeastern Illinois, USA . We varied levels of switchgrass and big bluestem genotypic diversity using various local and nonlocal cultivars â under low or high species diversity, with or without nitrogen inputs â and quantified establishment, biomass yield, and biomass composition. In one experiment (âagronomic trialâ), we compared three switchgrass cultivars in monoculture to a switchgrass cultivar mixture and three different species mixtures, with or without N fertilization. In another experiment (âdiversity gradientâ), we varied diversity levels in switchgrass and big bluestem (1, 2, 4, or 6 cultivars per plot), with one or two species per plot. In both experiments, cultivar mixtures produced yields equivalent to or greater than the best cultivars. In the agronomic trial, the three switchgrass mixture showed the highest production overall, though not significantly different than best cultivar monoculture. In the diversity gradient, genotypic mixtures had oneâthird higher biomass production than the average monoculture, and none of the monocultures were significantly higher yielding than the average mixture. Yearâtoâyear variation in yields was lowest in the threeâcultivar switchgrass mixtures and CaveâInâRock (the southern Illinois cultivar) and also reduced in the mixture of switchgrass and big bluestem relative to the species monocultures. The effects of genotypic diversity on biomass composition were modest relative to the differences among species and genotypes. Our findings suggest that local genotypes can be included in biomass cropping systems without compromising yields and that genotypic mixtures could help provide high, stable yields of highâquality biomass feedstocks. | USDOE | United Kingdom | 2016-01-10T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/gcbb.12309 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1234274 | ||
| From Farms to Forests: Landscape Carbon Balance after 50 Years of Afforestation, Harvesting, and Prescribed Fire | Aubrey, Doug P.; Blake, John I.; Zarnoch, Stan J. | Establishing reliable carbon baselines for landowners desiring to sustain carbon sequestration and identify opportunities to mitigate land management impacts on carbon balance is important; however, national and regional assessments are not designed to support individual landowners. Such baselines become increasingly valuable when landowners convert land use, change management, or when disturbance occurs. We used forest inventories to quantify carbon stocks, estimate annual carbon fluxes, and determine net biome production (NBP) over a 50-year period coinciding with a massive afforestation effort across ~80,000 ha of land in the South Carolina Coastal Plain. Forested land increased from 48,714 ha to 73,824 ha between 1951 and 2001. Total forest biomass increased from 1.73â3.03 Gg to 17.8â18.3 Gg, corresponding to biomass density increases from 35.6â62.2 Mg haâ1 to 231.4â240.0 Mg haâ1. Harvesting removed 1340.3 Gg C between 1955 and 2001, but annual removals were variable. Fire consumed 527.1 Gg C between 1952 and 2001. Carbon exported by streams was <0.5% of total export. Carbon from roots and other harvested material that remained in-use or in landfills comprised 49.3% of total harvested carbon. Mineral soil carbon accounted for 41.6 to 50% of 2001 carbon stocks when considering depths of 1.0 or 1.5 m, respectively, and was disproportionately concentrated in wetlands. Moreover, we identified a soil carbon deficit of 19â20 Mg C haâ1, suggesting opportunities for future soil carbon sequestration in post-agricultural soils. Our results provide a robust baseline for this site that can be used to understand how land conversion, forest management, and disturbance impacts carbon balance of this landscape and highlight the value of these baseline data for other sites. Our work also identifies the need to manage forests for multiple purposes, especially promotion of soil carbon accumulation in low-density pine savannas that are managed for red-cockaded woodpeckers and therefore demand low aboveground carbon stocks. | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | Switzerland | 2019-09-03T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.3390/f10090760 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1560285 | ||
| Notes on breeding sharp-shinned hawks and Cooperâs hawks in Barnwell County, South Carolina. | Vukovich, Mark | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Accipiter; BIRDS; BREEDING; Cooperâs Hawks; FORESTS; Red-headed Woodpeckers; SOUTH CAROLINA; Sharp-skinned Hawks; TELEMETRY | Abstract - Breeding records of Accipiter striatus (Sharp-shinned Hawks) in the southeastern US are scattered and isolated. We documented a Sharp-shinned Hawk and Accipiter cooperii (Cooperâs Hawk) nest while conducting a telemetry study on Melanerpes erythrocephalus (Red-headed Woodpeckers) in Barnwell County, SC in 2006 and 2007. We report the first known nest of a Sharp-shinned Hawk in Barnwell County, SC and the first report of Sharp-shinned Hawks preying upon Red-headed Woodpeckers. Thirteen of 93 (13.9 %) woodpeckers were killed by accipiters in the summers of 2006 and 2007. Large, contiguous forests managed for Picoides borealis (Red-cockaded Woodpeckers) may be used by breeding Sharp-shinned Hawks. The bright plumage, loud calls, and behavior of Red-headed Woodpeckers, particularly during the nestling stage, may make them conspicuous prey for accipiters. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2009-07-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1656/058.008.0315 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989493 |
| Bat response to carolina bays and wetland restoration in the southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain. | Menzel, Jennifer M; Menzel, Michael A; Kilgo, John C; Ford, W Mark; Edwards, John W | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BATS; Carolina bay; HABITAT; MITIGATION; PINES; PLANTS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SAVANNAS; Savannah River Site; WETLANDS; bat activity; mixed pine-hardwood; pine savanna; timber harvest; wetland restoration | Abstract: Bat activity in the southeastern United States is concentrated over riparian areas and wetland habitats. The restoration and creation of wetlands for mitigation purposes is becoming common in the Southeast. Understanding the effects of these restoration efforts on wetland flora and fauna is thus becoming increasingly important. Because bats (Order: Chiroptera) consist of many species that are of conservation concern and are commonly associated with wetland and riparian habitats in the Southeast (making them a good general indicator for the condition of wetland habitats), we monitored bat activity over restored and reference Carolina bays surrounded by pine savanna (Pinus spp.) or mixed pine-hardwood habitat types at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. In order to determine how wetland restoration efforts affected the bat community, we monitored bat activity above drained Carolina bays pre- and post-restoration. Our results indicate that bat activity was greater over reference (i.e., undrained) than drained bays prior to the restorative efforts. One year following combined hydrologic and vegetation treatment, however, bat activity was generally greater over restored than reference bays. Bat activity was also greater over both reference and restored bays than in random, forested interior locations. We found significantly more bat activity after restoration than prior to restoration for all but one species in the treatment bays, suggesting that Carolina bay restoration can have almost immediate positive impacts on bat activity. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2005-09-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1672/0277-5212(2005)025[0542:BRTCBA]2.0.CO;2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/859175 |
| Water quality effects of short-rotation pine management for bioenergy feedstocks in the southeastern United States | Griffiths, Natalie A.; Jackson, C. Rhett; Bitew, Menberu M.; Fortner, Allison M.; Fouts, Kevin L.; McCracken, Kitty; Phillips, Jana R. | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Interflow; concentrated flow tracks; intensive silviculture; nitrogen; short-rotation woody crops; surface water | There is growing interest in renewable and domestically produced energy which motivates the evaluation of woody bioenergy feedstock production. In the southeastern U.S., woody feedstock plantations, primarily of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), would be intensively managed over short rotations (10â12 years) to achieve high yields. The primary differences in managing woody feedstocks for bioenergy production vs for pulp/sawtimber production include a higher frequency of pesticide and fertilizer applications, whole-tree removal, and greater ground disturbance (i.e., more bare ground during stand establishment and more frequent disturbance). And while the effects of pulp/sawtimber production on water quality are well-studied, the effects of growing short-rotation loblolly pine on water quality and the efficacy of current forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) have not been evaluated for this emerging management system. We used a watershed-scale experiment in a before-after, control-impact design to evaluate the effects of growing loblolly pine for bioenergy on water quality in the Upper Coastal Plain of the southeastern U.S. Intensive management for bioenergy production and implementation of current forestry BMPs occurred on ~50% of two treatment watersheds, with one reference watershed in a minimally managed pine forest. Water quality metrics (nutrient and pesticide concentrations) were measured in stream water, groundwater, and interflow (i.e., shallow subsurface flow) for a two-year pre-treatment period, and for 3.5 years post-treatment. After 3.5 years, there was little change to stream water quality. Here, we report on observations where there were a few occurrences of saturated overland flow, but there were sediments and water dissipated within the streamside management zones in over 75% of these instances. Stream nutrient concentrations were low and temporal changes mainly reflected seasonal patterns in nitrogen cycling. Nitrate concentrations increased in groundwater post-treatment to < 2 mg N L-1, and these concentrations were below the U.S. drinking water standard (10 mg N L-1). Applied pesticides were almost always below detection in streams and groundwater. Overall, these findings highlight that current forestry BMPs can protect stream water quality from intensive pine management for bioenergy in the first 3.5 years. However, groundwater quality and transit times need to be considered in these low-gradient watersheds of the southeastern U.S. that are likely to become an important location for woody bioenergy feedstock production. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Bioenergy Technologies Office | United States | 2017-06-12T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.foreco.2017.06.011 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1362217 |
| Carbon dioxide stimulation of photosynthesis in Liquidambar styraciflua is not sustained during a 12-year field experiment | Warren, Jeffrey M.; Jensen, Anna M.; Medlyn, Belinda E.; Norby, Richard J.; Tissue, David T. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Acclimation; down-regulation; free-air CO2 enrichment; nitrogen limitation; sweetgum. | Elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2) often increases photosynthetic CO2 assimilation (A) in field studies of temperate tree species, although there is evidence that the increases may decline through time due to biochemical and morphological acclimation, and environmental constraints. Indeed, at the free air CO2 enrichment (FACE) study in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, A was increased in 12-year-old sweetgum trees following two years of ~40% enhancement of CO2. A was re-assessed a decade later to determine if initial enhancement of eCO2 was sustained through time. Measurements were conducted at prevailing CO2 and temperature on detached, re-hydrated branches using a portable gas exchange system. Photosynthetic CO2 response curves (A versus the CO2 concentration in the intercellular air space (Ci); or A-Ci curves) were contrasted with earlier measurements using consistent leaf photosynthesis model equations. We accessed relationships between light-saturated photosynthesis (Asat), maximum electron transport rate (Jmax), maximum Rubisco activity (Vcmax) chlorophyll content and foliar nitrogen (N) and chlorophyll content. In 1999, light-saturated photosynthesis (Asat) for eCO2 treatments was 15.4 ± 0.8 μmol m-2 s-1, 22% higher than aCO2 treatments (P<0.01). By 2009, Asat declined to <50% of 1999 values, and there was no longer a significant effect of eCO2 (Asat = 6.9 or 5.7 ± 0.7 μmol m-2 s-1 for eCO2 or aCO2, respectively). In 1999, there was no treatment effect on area-based foliar N; however, by 2008, N content in eCO2 foliage was 17% less than in aCO2 foliage. Photosynthetic N use efficiency (Asat:N) was greater in eCO2 in 1999 resulting in greater Asat despite similar N content, but the enhanced efficiency in eCO2 trees was lost as foliar N declined to sub-optimal levels. There was no treatment difference in the declining linear relationships between Jmax or Vcmax with declining N, or in the ratio of Jmax:Vcmax through time. Results suggest that initial enhancement of photosynthesis to elevated CO2 will not be sustained through time if nitrogen becomes limited. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23) | United States | 2014-11-17T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1093/aobpla/plu074 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1185630 |
| Land-Use History and Contemporary Management Inform an Ecological Reference Model for Longleaf Pine Woodland Understory Plant Communities. | Brudvig, Lars A.; Orrock, John L.; Damschen, Ellen I.; et al, et al | Ecological Reference Models; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Land-Use History; Longleaf Pine Woodland Understory Plant Communities | Ecological restoration is frequently guided by reference conditions describing a successfully restored ecosystem; however, the causes and magnitude of ecosystem degradation vary, making simple knowledge of reference conditions insufficient for prioritizing and guiding restoration. Ecological reference models provide further guidance by quantifying reference conditions, as well as conditions at degraded states that deviate from reference conditions. Many reference models remain qualitative, however, limiting their utility. We quantified and evaluated a reference model for southeastern U.S. longleaf pine woodland understory plant communities. We used regression trees to classify 232 longleaf pine woodland sites at three locations along the Atlantic coastal plain based on relationships between understory plant community composition, soils lol(which broadly structure these communities), and factors associated with understory degradation, including fire frequency, agricultural history, and tree basal area. To understand the spatial generality of this model, we classified all sites together. and for each of three study locations separately. Both the regional and location-specific models produced quantifiable degradation gradientsâi.e., progressive deviation from conditions at 38 reference sites, based on understory species composition, diversity and total cover, litter depth, and other attributes. Regionally, fire suppression was the most important degrading factor, followed by agricultural history, but at individual locations, agricultural history or tree basal area was most important. At one location, the influence of a degrading factor depended on soil attributes. We suggest that our regional model can help prioritize longleaf pine woodland restoration across our study region; however, due to substantial landscape-to-landscape variation, local management decisions should take into account additional factors (e.g., soil attributes). Our study demonstrates the utility of quantifying degraded states and provides a series of hypotheses for future experimental restoration work. More broadly, our work provides a framework for developing and evaluating reference models that incorporate multiple, interactive anthropogenic drivers of ecosystem degradation. | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE; USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Project Management (EM-50) | United States | 2014-01-23T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1371/journal.pone.0086604 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1126904 |
| The effect of using a soft" release on translocation success of red-cockaded woodpeckers.""" | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Aviary; BIRDS; FRAGMENTATION; Savannah River Site; South Carolina; TRANSLOCATION; translocation | Franzreb, Kathleen, E. 2004 The effect of using a "soft" release on translocation success of red-cockaded woodpeckers. In: Red-cockaded woodpecker; Road to Recovery. Proceedings of the 4th Red-cockaded woodpecker Symposium. Ralph Costa and Susan J. Daniels, eds. Savannah, Georgia. January, 2003. Chapter 6. Translocation. Pp 301-306. Abstract: Translocations of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker have been conducted since 1986 to enhance critically small subpopulations, to minimize the likelihood of local extirpations, and to reduce the adverse effects of fragmentation and isolation among existing populations. Such attempts have had mixed success. This article compares "hard" releases with a "soft" release technique where the birds are temporarily interned in a large aviary at the release point for a period of 9 to 14 days. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2004-12-31T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/841625 | ||
| Local and latitudinal variation in abundance: the mechanisms shaping the distribution of an ecosystem engineer | Crutsinger, Gregory M.; Gonzalez, Angélica L.; Crawford, Kerri M.; Sanders, Nathan J. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Solidago altissima; biogeography; community ecology; ecosystem engineer; genetic variation; latitudinal gradient; plant-insect interactions; soil nutrients | Ecological processes that determine the abundance of species within ecological communities vary across space and time. These scale-dependent processes are especially important when they affect key members of a community, such as ecosystem engineers that create shelter and food resources for other species. Yet, few studies have examined the suite of processes that shape the abundance of ecosystem engineers. Here, we evaluated the relative influence of temporal variation, local processes, and latitude on the abundance of an engineering insectâa rosette-galling midge, Rhopalomyia solidaginis (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Over a period of 3â5 years, we studied the density and size of galls across a suite of local experiments that manipulated genetic variation, soil nutrient availability, and the removal of other insects from the host plant, Solidago altissima (tall goldenrod). We also surveyed gall density within a single growing season across a 2,300 km latitudinal transect of goldenrod populations in the eastern United States. At the local scale, we found that host-plant genotypic variation was the best predictor of rosette gall density and size within a single year. We found that the removal of other insect herbivores resulted in an increase in gall density and size. The amendment of soil nutrients for four years had no effect on gall density, but galls were smaller in carbon-added plots compared to control and nitrogen additions. Finally, we observed that gall density varied several fold across years. At the biogeographic scale, we observed that the density of rosette gallers peaked at mid-latitudes. Using meta-analytic approaches, we found that the effect size of time, followed by host-plant genetic variation and latitude were the best predictors of gall density. Taken together, our study provides a unique comparison of multiple factors across different spatial and temporal scales that govern engineering insect herbivore density. | North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States); University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Washington University, St. Louis, MO (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC); Miller Institute for Basic Research; University of Tennessee; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC); National Science Foundation (NSF); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) | United States | 2013-07-09T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.7717/peerj.100 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1904618 |
| Woody Debris as a Resource for Aquatic Macroinvertebrates in Stream and River Habitats of the Southeastern United States: A Review | Pitt, Daniel; Batzer, Darold | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Aquatic Macroinvertebrates; Stream and River Habitats of the Southeastern United States; Woody Debris | Woody debris is a valuable resource to most stream and river ecosystems, especially for the resident aquatic macroinvertebrate fauna (see review by Wallace et al. 1996). In terms of food, macroinvertebrates can directly consume wood (xylophagy; Anderson et al. 1978, Hoffman and Hering 2000) or feed on the biofilms (bacteria, fungi, algae) that develop on wood surfaces (Hax and Golladay 1993, Drury and Kelso 2000, Johnson et al. 2003, Spanoff et al. 2006, Eggert and Wallace 2007). Macroinvertebrates also use wood as habitat, finding refuge inside the wood itself, under residual bark, or in crevasses on the surface (OâConnor 1991). For those taxa that require hard substrates for attachment (e.g., black fly larvae), wood is often used as substrate (Cudney and Wallace 1980, Minore and Weatherly 1994), especially in the absence of stable rocky material. Some insects use wood that extends above the water surface as sites to emerge into adults, and adult females may use that same wood as locations to deposit new eggs into the habitat (Wallace et al. 1993). Large pieces of wood can also affect flow dynamics and retention of organic matter (leaf litter, other wood) in streams (Benke and Wallace 1990). These functions in total would suggest that the presence or absence of woody debris, or variation in wood volume, should have a profound impact on macroinvertebrate diversity, abundance, biomass, and production among streams and rivers of the Southeastern United States. In this review, we assess the literature on woody debris-aquatic macroinvertebrate interactions, specifically in Southeastern U.S. habitats, and focus on variation among three different ecoregions: Coastal Plain, Appalachian Mountains, and Piedmont; updating a similar effort by Wallace et al. (1996). | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Acquisition and Project Management; USDOE Savannah River Operations Office (SRO); US Forest Service Southern Research Station | United States | 2010-02-07T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1126898 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1126898 |
| Wildlife Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation | Giffen, Neil R; Evans, James W.; Parr, Patricia Dreyer | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; HABITAT; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; WILD ANIMALS | This document outlines a plan for management of the wildlife resources on the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Oak Ridge Reservation. Management includes wildlife population control through hunting, trapping, removal, and habitat manipulation; wildlife damage control; restoration of wildlife species; preservation, management, and enhancement of wildlife habitats; coordination of wildlife studies and characterization of areas; and law enforcement. Wildlife resources are divided into several categories, each with a specific set of objectives and procedures for attaining them. These objectives are management of (1) wildlife habitats to ensure that all resident wildlife species exist on the Reservation in viable numbers; (2) featured species to produce selected species in desired numbers on designated land units; (3) game species for research, education, recreation, and public safety; (4) the Three Bend Scenic and Wildlife Management Refuge Area; (5) nuisance wildlife, including nonnative species, to achieve adequate population control for the maintenance of health and safety on the Reservation; (6) sensitive species (i.e., state or federally listed as endangered, threatened, of special concern, or in need of management) through preservation and protection of both the species and habitats critical to the survival of those species; and (7) wildlife disease. Achievement of the objectives is a joint effort between the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory through agreements between TWRA and DOE and between DOE and UT-Battelle, LLC. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) | ORNL other overhead | United States | 2007-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/932112 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/932112 |
| Mycorrhizal phenotypes and then Ln aw of then Mn inimum | Johnson, Nancy Collins; Wilson, Gail W. T.; Wilson, Jacqueline A.; Miller, R. Michael; Bowker, Matthew A. |
Mycorrhizal phenotypes arise from interactions among plant and fungal genotypes and the environment. Differences in the stoichiometry and uptake capacity of fungi and plants make arbuscular mycorrhizal ( AM ) fungi inherently more nitrogen (N) limited and less phosphorus (P) limited than their host plants. Mutualistic phenotypes are most likely in Pâlimited systems and commensal or parasitic phenotypes in Nâlimited systems. Carbon (C) limitation is expected to cause phenotypes to shift from mutualism to commensalism and even parasitism. Two experiments compared the influence of fertilizer and shade on mycorrhizas in A ndropogon gerardii across three naturally Nâlimited or Pâlimited grasslands. A third experiment examined the interactive effects of N and P enrichment and shade on A . gerardii mycorrhizas. Our experiments generated the full spectrum of mycorrhizal phenotypes. These findings support the hypothesis that mutualism is likely in Pâlimited systems and commensalism or parasitism is likely in Nâlimited systems. Furthermore, shade decreased Câassimilation and generated less mutualistic mycorrhizal phenotypes with reduced plant and fungal biomass. Soil fertility is a key controller of mycorrhizal costs and benefits and the L aw of the M inimum is a useful predictor of mycorrhizal phenotype. In our experimental grasslands arbuscular mycorrhizas can ameliorate Pâlimitation but not Nâlimitation. | USDOE | United Kingdom | 2014-11-21T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/nph.13172 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1787140 | ||
| Idaho National Laboratory Site Environmental Monitoring Plan | Nordstrom, Jenifer | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Environmental Monitoring Plan; Idaho National Laboratory | This plan provides a high-level summary of environmental monitoring performed by various organizations within and around the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site as required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 435.1, Radioactive Waste Management, and DOE Order 458.1, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment, Guide DOE/EH-0173T, Environmental Regulatory Guide for Radiological Effluent Monitoring and Environmental Surveillance, and in accordance with 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 61, National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants. The purpose of these orders is to 1) implement sound stewardship practices that protect the air, water, land, and other natural and cultural resources that may be impacted by DOE operations, and 2) to establish standards and requirements for the operations of DOE and DOE contractors with respect to protection of the environment and members of the public against undue risk from radiation. This plan describes the organizations responsible for conducting environmental monitoring across the INL Site, the rationale for monitoring, the types of media being monitored, where the monitoring is conducted, and where monitoring results can be obtained. Detailed monitoring procedures, program plans, or other governing documents used by contractors or agencies to implement requirements are referenced in this plan. This plan covers all planned monitoring and environmental surveillance. Non-routine activities such as special research studies and characterization of individual sites for environmental restoration are outside the scope of this plan. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) | United States | 2014-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1123851 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1123851 |
| Abundance of Green Tree Frogs and Insects in Artificial Canopy Gaps in a Bottomland Hardwood Forest. | Horn, Scott; Ulyshen, Michael D | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Artificial Canopy Gaps; Bottomland Hardwood Forest; Green Tree Frogs | ABSTRACT - We found more green tree frogs ( Hyla cinerea) n canopv gaps than in closed canopy forest. Of the 331 green tree frogs observed, 88% were in canopv gaps. Likewise, higher numbers and biomasses of insects were captured in the open gap habitat Flies were the most commonlv collected insect group accounting for 54% of the total capture. These data suggest that one reason green tree frogs were more abundant in canopy gaps was the increased availability of prey and that small canopy gaps provide early successional habitats that are beneficial to green tree frog populations. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2005-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1674/0003-0031(2005)153[0321:AOGTFA]2.0.CO;2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/881973 |
| Snag characteristics and dynamics following natural and artificially induced mortality in a managed loblolly pine forest | Zarnoch, Stanley J.; Vukovich, Mark A.; Kilgo, John C.; Blake, John I. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Forest Snags; Loblolly pine; induced mortality | A 14-year study of snag characteristics was established in 41- to 44-year old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) stands in southeastern USA. During the initial 5.5 years, no stand manipulation or unusually high-mortality events occurred. Afterwards, three treatments were applied consisting of trees thinned and removed, trees felled and not removed, and artificial creation of snags produced by girdling and herbicide injection. The thinned treatments were designed to maintain the same live canopy density as the snag-created treatment, disregarding snags that remained standing.We monitored snag height, diameter, density, volume, and bark percentage; the number of cavities was monitored in natural snags only. During the first 5.5 years, recruitment and loss rates were stable, resulting in a stable snag population. Large snags (â¥25 cm diameter) were common, but subcanopy small snags (10 to <25 cm diameter) dominated numerically. Large natural snags survived (90% quantile) significantly longer (6.0â9.4 years) than smaller snags (4.4â6.9 years). Large artificial snags persisted the longest (11.8 years). Cavities in natural snags developed within 3 years following tree death. The mean number of cavities per snag was five times greater in large versus small snags and large snags were more likely to have multiple cavities, emphasizing the importance of mature pine stands for cavity-dependent wildlife species. | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE EM Office of Program and Site Support (EM-50) | United States | 2013-09-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1139/cjfr-2012-0453 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1091012 |
| A survey of cavity-nesting bees and wasps in loblolly pine stands of the Savannah River Site, Aiken County, South Carolina. | Horn, S | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; BEES; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; FRAGMENTATION; HABITAT; LAND USE; Megachilidae; PESTICIDES; PINES; POPULATION DYNAMICS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; Sphecidae; TREES; Trap nests; Vespidae; WASPS; cavity-nesting bees; cavity-nesting wasps | Horn, Scott, and James L. Hanula. 2004. A survey of cavity-nesting bees and wasps in loblolly pine stands of the Savannah River Site, Aiken County, South Carolina. 39(3): 464-469. Abstract: In recent years concern over widespread losses in biodiversity has grown to include a possible decline of many native pollinators, primarily bees. Factors such as habitat fragmentation, agricultural practices, use of pesticides, the introduction of invasive species, or changes in land use may negatively impact these vital organisims. Most reported studies show that human impacts on pollinators are overwhelmingly negative. Reductions in pollinator populations may profoundly impact plant population dynamics and ecosystem function. Little baseline data exists on the diversity and relative abundance of bees and wasps in southern forests. The objective of this study was to develop a simple, effective method of surveying cavity-nesting bees and wasps and to determine species diversity in mature forests of loblolly pine, the most widely planted tree species in the southern United States. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2004-03-10T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835560 | |
| Idaho National Laboratory Site Environmental Monitoring Plan | Knight, Joanne L | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Environmental Monitoring Plan; Idaho National Laboratory | This plan describes environmental monitoring as required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 450.1, âEnvironmental Protection Program,â and additional environmental monitoring currently performed by other organizations in and around the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The objective of DOE Order 450.1 is to implement sound stewardship practices that protect the air, water, land, and other natural and cultural resources that may be impacted by DOE operations. This plan describes the organizations responsible for conducting environmental monitoring across the INL, the rationale for monitoring, the types of media being monitored, where the monitoring is conducted, and where monitoring results can be obtained. This plan presents a summary of the overall environmental monitoring performed in and around the INL without duplicating detailed information in the various monitoring procedures and program plans currently used to conduct monitoring. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | DOE - EM | United States | 2010-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1057208 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1057208 |
| Abundance of green tree frogs and insects in artificial canopy gaps in a bottomland hardwood forest. | Horn, Scott; Hanula, James L; Ulyshen, Michael D; Kilgo, John C | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; AVAILABILITY; Artificial canopy gaps; FLIES; FROGS; Green tree frogs; HABITAT; Hyla cinerea; INSECTS; TREES; bottomland hardwood forest | Horn, Scott, James L. Hanula, Michael D. Ulyshen, and John C. Kilgo. 2005. Abundance of green tree frogs and insects in artificial canopy gaps in a bottomland hardwood forest. Am. Midl. Nat. 153:321-326. Abstract: We found more green tree frogs (Hyla cinerea) in canopy gaps than in closed canopy forest. Of the 331 green tree frogs observed, 88% were in canopy gaps. Likewise, higher numbers and biomasses of insects were captured in the open gap habitat. Flies were the most commonly collected insect group accounting for 54% of the total capture. These data suggest that one reason green tree frogs were more abundant in canopy gaps was the increased availability of prey and that small canopy gaps provide early successional habitats that are beneficial to green tree frog populations. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2005-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1674/0003-0031(2005)153[0321:AOGTFA]2.0.CO;2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/841638 |
| Monitoring interactions between red-cockaded woodpeckers and southern flying squirrels. | Risch, Thomas S; Loeb, Susan C | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; CAVITIES; COMMUNITIES; Cavity nesters; Glaucomys volans; MONITORING; Picoides borealis; SQUIRRELS; TREES; red-cockaded woodpecker; southern flying squirrel; species interactions | Risch, Thomas S., and Susan C. Loeb. 2004. Monitoring interactions between red-cockaded woodpeckers and southern flying squirrels. In: Red-cockaded woodpecker; Road to Recovery. Proceedings of the 4th Red-cockaded woodpecker Symposium. Ralph Costa and Susan J. Daniels, eds. Savannah, Georgia. January, 2003. Chapter 8. Cavities, Cavity Trees, and Cavity Communities. Pp 504-505. Abstract: Although several studies have suggested that southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) may have a significant negative impact on red-cockades woodpeckers (Picoides borealsi) (Loeb and Hooper 1997, Laves and Loeb 1999), the nature of the interactions between the species remains unclear. Particularly lacking are data that address if southern flying squirrels directly usurp red-cockaded woodpecker s from cavities, or simply occupy cavities previously abandoned by red-cockaded woodpeckers. Ridley et al. (1997) observed the displacement of a red-cockaded woodpecker by a southern flying squirrel that was released after being captured. Observations of nocturnal displacements of red-cockaded woodpeckers by flying squirrels, however, are lacking. Due to the difficulty of observing interspecific interactions, determining the mechanisims by which flying squirrels impact red-cockaded woodpeckers is problematic. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2004-12-31T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/841633 | |
| Effects of radio transmitters on the behavior of Red-headed Woodpeckers. | Vukovich, Mark | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BIRDS; Behavior; CAVITIES; FEEDING; Melanerpes erythrocephalus; RADIO EQUIPMENT; cavity; effects; radio-transmitters; roosting | ABSTRACT. Previous studies have revealed that radio-transmitters may affect bird behaviors, including feeding rates, foraging behavior, vigilance, and preening behavior. In addition, depending on the method of attachment, transmitters can potentially affect the ability of cavity-nesting birds to use cavities. Our objective was to evaluate effects of transmitters on the behavior of and use of cavities byRed-headedWoodpeckers (Melanerpes erythrocephalus). Using backpack harnesses, we attached 2.1-g transmitter packages that averaged 3.1% of body weight (range = 2.5â3.6%) to Red-headed Woodpeckers. We observed both radio-tagged (N = 23) and nonradio-tagged (N = 28) woodpeckers and determined the percentage of time spent engaged in each of five behaviors: flight, foraging, perching, preening, and territorial behavior. We found no difference between the two groups in the percentage of time engaged in each behavior. In addition, we found that transmitters had no apparent effect on use of cavities for roosting by radio-tagged woodpeckers (N = 25).We conclude that backpack transmitters weighing less than 3.6% of body weight had no impact on either their behavior or their ability to use cavities. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2009-05-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1557-9263.2009.00235.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/969932 |
| Seasonal and multiannual roost use by Rafinesque's Big-eared Bats in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BATS; Big-eared bats; Corynorhinus; MANAGEMENT; OPENINGS; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SEASONS; SOUTH CAROLINA; bottomland hardwood forest; caves; conservation; endangered species | Little is known about factors affecting year-round use of roosts by Rafinesque's big-eared bats (Corynorhinus rafinesquii) or the long-term fidelity of this species to anthropogenic or natural roosts. The objectives of this study were to test whether seasonal use of roosts by Rafinesque's big-eared bats varied with roost type and environmental conditions within and among seasons and to document multiannual use of natural and anthropogenic structures by this species. We inspected 4 bridges, 1 building, and 59 tree roosts possessing basal cavity openings; roosts were inspected at least once per week from May through October in every year from 2005 through 2008 and once a month from November through April in every year from 2005 through 2009. We found that use of anthropogenic roosts was significantly greater than the use of tree roosts in summer but that the use of structure types did not differ in other seasons. There was significant seasonal variation in use of anthropogenic and tree roosts. Anthropogenic roost use was higher in summer than in all other seasons. There was no significant difference in tree use among spring, summer, and fall, but use in winter was significantly lower in 2 years of the study. Overall use of anthropogenic and tree roosts was positively related to minimum temperature, but the relationship between use of roosts and minimum temperature varied among seasons. Bats showed multiannual fidelity ({ge} 4 years) to all anthropogenic roosts and to some tree roosts, but fidelity of bats to anthropogenic roosts was greater and more consistent than to tree roosts. Our data indicate that Rafinesque's big-eared bats responded differently to environmental conditions among seasons; thus, a variety of structure types and characteristics are necessary for conservation of these bats. We suggest long-term protection of roost structures of all types is necessary for conservation of Rafinesque's big-eared bats in the southeast Coastal Plain. | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE; USDOE EM Office of Program and Site Support (EM-50) | United States | 2011-12-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034096 | ||
| Quantitative and qualitative measures of decomposition: Is there a link? | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; CLASSIFICATION; DECAY; Decay class; HERBICIDES; MORTALITY; PINES; TREES; WOOD; coarse woody debris; loblolly pine | Decomposition rates of loblolly pine coarse woody debris (CWD) were determined by mass loss and wood density changes for trees that differed in source of mortality (natural, girdle-poison, and felling). Specifically, three treatments were examined: (1) control (CON): natural mortality; (2) CD: 5-fold increase in CWD compared with the CON; and (3) CS: 12-fold increase in snags compared with the CON. The additional CWD in the CD treatment plots and the additional snags in the CS plots were achieved by felling (for the CD plots) or girdling followed by herbicide injection (for the CS plots) select trees in these plots. Consequently,mortality on the CD plots is due to natural causes and felling. Likewise, mortality on the CS plots is due to natural causes and girdle-poison. In each treatment plot, mortality due to natural causes was inventoried since 1997, whereas mortality due to girdle-poison and felling were inventoried since 2001. No significant difference was detected between the rates of decomposition for the CWD on these treatment plots, indicating that source of the tree mortality did not influence rates of decomposition once the tree fell. These experimental measures of decomposition were compared with two decay classification systems (three- and five-unit classifications) to determine linkages. Changes in wood density did not correlate to any decay classification, whereas mass loss had a weak correlation with decay class. However, the large degree of variation limits the utility of decay classification systems in estimating mass loss. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2009-03-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/973600 | ||
| Environmental levels of Zn do not protect embryos from Cu toxicity in three species of amphibians | Weir, Scott M.; Flynn, R. Wesley; Scott, David E.; Yu, Shuangying; Lance, Stacey L. (ORCID:0000000326861733) | Not Available | USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) | United Kingdom | 2016-07-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.04.005 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1341458 | ||
| The Role of Dead Wood in Maintaining Arthropod Diversity on the Forest Floor | Hanula, James L.; Horn, Scott; Wade, Dale D. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ARTHROPODS; CWD; Coarse Woody Debris; FEEDING; FOOD; FORESTS; INSECTS; PINES; REMOVAL; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TREES; WOOD; arthropods; diversity | Dead wood is a major component of forests and contributes to overall diversity, primarily by supporting insects that feed directly on or in it. Further, a variety of organisms benefit by feeding on those insects. What is not well known is how or whether dead wood influences the composition of the arthropod community that is not solely dependent on it as a food resource, or whether woody debris influences prey available to generalist predators. One group likely to be affected by dead wood is ground-dwelling arthropods. We studied the effect of adding large dead wood to unburned and frequently burned pine stands to determine if dead wood was used more when the litter and understory plant community are removed. We also studied the effect of annual removal of dead wood from large (10-ha) plots over a 5-year period on ground-dwelling arthropods. In related studies, we examined the relationships among an endangered woodpecker that forages for prey on live trees, its prey, and dead wood in the forest. Finally, the results of these and other studies show that dead wood can influence the abundance and diversity of the ground-dwelling arthropod community and of prey available to generalist predators not foraging directly on dead trees. | Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service, Athens, GA (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM); The Nature Conservancy (United States). A.W. Mellon Foundation Ecosystem Research Program | United States | 2006-08-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/896222 | |
| Burlap bands as a sampling technique for green anoles (Anolis carolinensis) and other reptiles commonly found on tree boles. | Horn, Scott; Hanula, James L | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Anole; Anolis carolinensis; Burlap bands; REPTILES; SAMPLING; TREES; sampling techniques | This paper examines the use and successfulness of using burlap bands on tree boles as a sampling technique for green anoles. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2006-07-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/896221 | |
| Annual Sustainability Report 2010-2011 | Nichols, Teresa A; Lapsa, Melissa Voss; Overbey, Randall M | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) | ORNL other overhead | United States | 2012-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1055024 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1055024 | ||
| Presence and absence of bats across habitat scales in the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. | Ford, W Mark; Menzel, Jennifer M; Kilgo, John C | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BATS; Carolina bay; FORESTS; HABITAT; INSECTS; MANAGEMENT; METRICS; PINES; REGRESSION ANALYSIS; SAMPLING; SOUTH CAROLINA; WEATHER; WETLANDS; acoustical sampling; bat foraging; echolocation; habitat model; pine savanna. | Abstract During 2001, we used active acoustical sampling (Anabat II) to survey foraging habitat relationships of bats on the Savannah River Site (SRS) in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Using an a priori information-theoretic approach, we conducted logistic regression analysis to examine presence of individual bat species relative to a suite of microhabitat, stand, and landscape-level features such as forest structural metrics, forest type, proximity to riparian zones and Carolina bay wetlands, insect abundance, and weather. There was considerable empirical support to suggest that the majority of the activity of bats across most of the 6 species occurred at smaller, stand-level habitat scales that combine measures of habitat clutter (e.g., declining forest canopy cover and basal area), proximity to riparian zones, and insect abundance. Accordingly, we hypothesized that most foraging habitat relationships were more local than landscape across this relatively large area for generalist species of bats. The southeastern myotis (Myotis austroriparius) was the partial exception, as its presence was linked to proximity of Carolina bays (best approximating model) and bottomland hardwood communities (other models with empirical support). Efforts at SRS to promote open longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) and loblolly pine (P. taeda) savanna conditions and to actively restore degraded Carolina bay wetlands will be beneficial to bats. Accordingly, our results should provide managers better insight for crafting guidelines for bat habitat conservation that could be linked to widely accepted land management and environmental restoration practices for the region. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2006-10-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.2193/0022-541X(2006)70[1200:PAAOBA]2.0.CO;2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/903441 |
| Influence of coarse woody debris on the soricid community in southeastern Coastal Plain pine stands. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; Blarina; COMMUNITIES; Cryptotis; DESIGN; PINES; REMOVAL; SEASONS; SHREWS; Sorex; TRAPPING; coarse woody debris; decay state; shrew; topographic variables; upland pine | Shrew abundance has been linked to the presence of coarse woody debris (CWD), especially downed logs, in many regions in the United States. We investigated the importance of CWD to shrew communities in managed upland pine stands in the southeastern United States Coastal Plain. Using a randomized complete block design, 1 of the following treatments was assigned to twelve 9.3-ha plots: removal (n 5 3; all downed CWD _10 cm in diameter and _60 cm long removed), downed (n 5 3; 5-fold increase in volume of downed CWD), snag (n 5 3; 10-fold increase in volume of standing dead CWD), and control (n 5 3; unmanipulated). Shrews (Blarina carolinensis, Sorex longirostris, and Cryptotis parva) were captured over 7 seasons from January 2007 to August 2008 using drift-fence pitfall trapping arrays within treatment plots. Topographic variables were measured and included as treatment covariates. More captures of B. carolinensis were made in the downed treatment compared to removal, and captures of S. longirostris were greater in downed and snag compared to removal. Captures of C. parva did not differ among treatments. Captures of S. longirostris were positively correlated with slope. Our results suggest that abundance of 2 of the 3 common shrew species of the southeastern Coastal Plain examined in our study is influenced by the presence of CWD. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2010-07-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1644/09-MAMM-A-170.1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/989492 | |
| Savannah River Site Environmental Report Summary For 2012 | Griffith, M.; Meyer, Amy | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES | This report's purpose is to: Present summary environmental data that characterize Site environmental management performance, Describe compliance status with respect to environmental standards and requirements, and Highlight significant programs and efforts. Environmental monitoring is conducted extensively with a 2,000-square-mile network extending 25 miles from SRS, with some monitoring performed as far as 100 miles from the Site. The area includes neighboring cities, towns, and counties in Georgia (GA) and South Carolina (SC). Thousands of samples of air, rainwater, surface water, drinking water, groundwater, food products, wildlife, soil, sediment, and vegetation are collected by SRS and analyzed for the presence of radioactive and nonradioactive contaminants. During 2012, SRS accomplished several significant milestones while maintaining its record of environmental excellence, as its operations continued to result in minimal impact to the public and the environment. The Site's radioactive and chemical discharges to air and water were well below regulatory standards for environmental and public health protection; its air and water quality met applicable requirements; and the potential radiation dose to the public was well below the DOE public dose limit. | SRS; Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2013-09-12T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1097605 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1097605 |
| Integrating Long-Term Avian Studies with Planning and Adaptive Management: Department of Energy Lands as a Case Study. | Burger, J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AVIAN STUDIES; BIO-MONITORING; BIRDS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING; MONITORING; PLANNING; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; STEWARDSHIP; US DOE | Long-term bio-monitoring of avian communities have been initiated, but they often lack a management component. Integration of the managers needs at an early stage is suggested as a means to increase the use of the data. Variation in community structure is important in understanding impacts. In addition, reference site must be carefully selected. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (US) | (US) | United States | 2000-10-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807738 | |
| Interactions among hydraulic conductivity distributions, subsurface topography, and transport thresholds revealed by a multitracer hillslope irrigation experiment | Jackson, C. Rhett; Du, Enhao; Klaus, Julian; Griffiths, Natalie A.; Bitew, Menberu; McDonnell, Jeffrey J. | 75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY | Interactions among hydraulic conductivity distributions, subsurface topography, and lateral flow are poorly understood. We applied 407 mm of water and a suite of tracers over 51 h to a 12 by 16.5 m forested hillslope segment to determine interflow thresholds, preferential pathway pore velocities, large-scale conductivities, the time series of event water fractions, and the fate of dissolved nutrients. The 12% hillslope featured loamy sand A and E horizons overlying a sandy clay loam Bt at 1.25 m average depth. Interflow measured from two drains within an interception trench commenced after 131 and 208 mm of irrigation. Cumulative interflow equaled 49% of applied water. Conservative tracer differences between the collection drains indicated differences in flow paths and storages within the plot. Event water fractions rose steadily throughout irrigation, peaking at 50% sixteen h after irrigation ceased. Data implied that tightly held water exchanged with event water throughout the experiment and a substantial portion of preevent water was released from the argillic layer. Surface-applied dye tracers bypassed the matrix, with peak concentrations measured shortly after flow commencement, indicating preferential network conductivities of 864â2240 mm/h, yet no macropore flow was observed. Near steady-state flow conditions indicated average conductivities of 460 mm/h and 2.5 mm/h for topsoils and the Bt horizon, respectively. Low ammonium and phosphorus concentrations in the interflow suggested rapid uptake or sorption, while higher nitrate concentrations suggested more conservative transport. Lastly, these results reveal how hydraulic conductivity variation and subsurface topographic complexity explain otherwise paradoxical solute and flow behaviors. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) | United States | 2016-08-12T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/2015WR018364 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1328323 |
| COMPARISON OF THE POPULATIONS OF COMMON WOOD-NYMPH BUTTERFLIES IN BURNED PRAIRIE, UNBURNED PRAIRIE AND OLD FIELD GRASSES | Hahn, M; Walton, R | Common wood-nymph butterfl ies are found throughout the United States and Canada. However, not much is known about how they overwinter or their preferences for particular grasses and habitats. In this study, the impact of prairie management plans on the abundance of the wood-nymph population was assessed, as well as the preference of these butterfl ies for areas with native or non-native grasses. The abundance of common wood-nymph butterfl ies was determined using Pollard walks; more common wood-nymph butterfl ies were found in the European grasses than were found in the burned and unburned prairie sites. The majority of the vegetation at each of the three sites was identifi ed and documented. Using a 1 X 3 ANOVA analysis, it was determined there were signifi cantly more butterfl ies in the European grasses than in the burned and unburned prairie sites (p < 0.0005). There was no signifi cant difference between the burned and unburned treatments of the prairie on the common wood-nymph population. A multiple variable linear regression model described the effect of temperature and wind speed on the number of observed common wood-nymph butterfl ies per hour (p = 0.026). These preliminary results need to be supplemented with future studies. Quadrat analysis of the vegetation from all three sites should be done to search for a correlation between common wood-nymph butterfl y abundance per hour and the specifi c types or quantity of vegetation at each site. The effect of vegetation height and density on the observerâs visual fi eld should also be assessed. | DOESC (USDOE Office of Science (SC) (United States)) | USDOE Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2007-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1051818 | ||
| Comprehensive integrated planning: A process for the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; LAND USE; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SURPLUS NUCLEAR FACILITIES | The Oak Ridge Comprehensive Integrated Plan is intended to assist the US Department of Energy (DOE) and contractor personnel in implementing a comprehensive integrated planning process consistent with DOE Order 430.1, Life Cycle Asset Management and Oak Ridge Operations Order 430. DOE contractors are charged with developing and producing the Comprehensive Integrated Plan, which serves as a summary document, providing information from other planning efforts regarding vision statements, missions, contextual conditions, resources and facilities, decision processes, and stakeholder involvement. The Comprehensive Integrated Plan is a planning reference that identifies primary issues regarding major changes in land and facility use and serves all programs and functions on-site as well as the Oak Ridge Operations Office and DOE Headquarters. The Oak Ridge Reservation is a valuable national resource and is managed on the basis of the principles of ecosystem management and sustainable development and how mission, economic, ecological, social, and cultural factors are used to guide land- and facility-use decisions. The long-term goals of the comprehensive integrated planning process, in priority order, are to support DOE critical missions and to stimulate the economy while maintaining a quality environment. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/296614 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/296614 | |
| Availability and abundance of prey for the red-cockaded woodpecker. | Horn, Scott | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ARTHROPODS; AVAILABILITY; BIRDS; Blattellidae; CAMERAS; CAVITIES; DIET; DISTRIBUTION; FOOD; FORESTS; HABITAT; IMAGES; MANAGEMENT; PINES; Parcoblatta spp.; TREES; arthropods; cockroaches; foraging habitat; forest management; prey; site quality; stand age | Red-cockaded woodpecker; Road to Recovery. Proceedings of the 4th Red-cockaded woodpecker Symposium. Ralph Costa and Susan J. Daniels, eds. Savannah, Georgia. January, 2003. Chapter 11. Prey, Fire, and Community Ecology. Pp 633-645. Abstract: Over a 10-year period we investigated red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) prey use, sources of prey, prey distribution within trees and stands, and how forest management decisions affect prey abundance in South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Cameras were operated at 31 nest cavities to record nest visits with prey in 4 locations that ranged in foraging habitat from pine stands established in old fields to an old-growth stand in South Georgia. Examination of nearly 12,000 photographs recorded over 5 years revealed that, although red-cockaded woodpeckers used over 40 arthropods for food, the majority of the nestling diet is comprised of a relatively small number of common arthropods. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2004-12-31T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/841623 | |
| Cultural Resource Investigation for the Materials and Fuels Complex Wastewater System Upgrade at the Idaho National Laboratory | Pace, Brenda R; raun Williams, Julie B; Gilbert, Hollie; Lowrey, Dino; Brizzee, Julie | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES; CONSTRUCTION; CULTURAL RESOURCES; IDAHO; MANAGEMENT; RECOMMENDATIONS; cultural resources | The Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) located in Bingham County at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in southeastern Idaho is considering several alternatives to upgrade wastewater systems to meet future needs at the facility. In April and May of 2010, the INL Cultural Resource Management Office conducted archival searches, archaeological field surveys, and coordination with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes to identify cultural resources that may be adversely affected by the proposed construction and to provide recommendations to protect any resources listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. These investigations showed that one National Register-eligible archaeological site is located on the boundary of the area of potential effects for the wastewater upgrade. This report outlines protective measures to help ensure that this resource is not adversely affected by construction. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | DOE - NE | United States | 2010-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/983358 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/983358 |
| Analysis of the Habitat of Henslow's Sparrows and Grasshopper Sparrows Compared to Random Grassland Areas | Maier, K; Walton, R; Kasper, P | ABSTRAC T Henslowâs Sparrows are endangered prairie birds, and Grasshopper Sparrows are considered rare prairie birds. Both of these birds were abundant in Illinois, but their populations have been declining due to loss of the grasslands. This begins an ongoing study of the birdsâ habitat so Fermilab can develop a land management plan for the Henslowâs and Grasshoppers. The Henslowâs were found at ten sites and Grasshoppers at eight sites. Once the birds were located, the vegetation at their sites was studied. Measurements of the maximum plant height, average plant height, and duff height were taken and estimates of the percent of grass, forbs, duff, and bare ground were recorded for each square meter studied. The same measurements were taken at ten random grassland sites on Fermilab property. Several t-tests were performed on the data, and it was found that both Henslowâs Sparrows and Grasshopper Sparrows preferred areas with a larger percentage of grass than random areas. Henslowâs also preferred areas with less bare ground than random areas, while Grasshoppers preferred areas with more bare ground than random areas. In addition, Grasshopper Sparrows preferred a lower percentage of forbs than was found in random areas and a shorter average plant height than the random locations. Two-sample variance tests suggested significantly less variance for both Henslowâs Sparrows and Grasshopper Sparrows for maximum plant height in comparison to the random sites. | DOESC (USDOE Office of Science (SC) (United States)) | USDOE Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2006-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1051795 | ||
| Hyperspectral remote sensing analysis of short rotation woody crops grown with controlled nutrient and irrigation treatments | Im, Jungho; Jensen, John R.; Coleman, Mark; Nelson, Eric | machine-learning regression trees; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BIOMASS; CALIBRATION; CROPS; FERTILIZATION; FORESTS; IRRIGATION; NDVI; NUTRIENTS; PERFORMANCE; PLANTS; REMOTE SENSING; ROTATION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TREES; biomass; hyperspectral analysis; leaf area index; leaf nutrients; partial least squares regression; remote sensing | Abstract - Hyperspectral remote sensing research was conducted to document the biophysical and biochemical characteristics of controlled forest plots subjected to various nutrient and irrigation treatments. The experimental plots were located on the Savannah River Site near Aiken, SC. AISA hyperspectral imagery were analysed using three approaches, including: (1) normalized difference vegetation index based simple linear regression (NSLR), (2) partial least squares regression (PLSR) and (3) machine-learning regression trees (MLRT) to predict the biophysical and biochemical characteristics of the crops (leaf area index, stem biomass and five leaf nutrients concentrations). The calibration and cross-validation results were compared between the three techniques. The PLSR approach generally resulted in good predictive performance. The MLRT approach appeared to be a useful method to predict characteristics in a complex environment (i.e. many tree species and numerous fertilization and/or irrigation treatments) due to its powerful adaptability. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2009-08-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1080/10106040802556207 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/953637 |
| Responses of Mammalian Insectivores, Amphibians, and Reptiles to Broad-Scale Manipulation of Coarse Woody Debris | McCay, T S; Forschler, B T; Komoroski, M J; Ford, W M | 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; AMBYSTOMA TRIGRINUM; AMPHIBIANS; ANEIDES FERREUS; BLARINA; CLOUDED SALAMANDERS; COARSE WOODY DEBRIS; CRYPTOTIS PARVA; ENSATINA; FOREST LITTER; FORESTS; JUVENILES; LAND MANAGEMENT REGIME; LARVAE; LIPIDS; LOBLOLLY PINE; MANAGED FORESTS; METAMORPHOSIS; METAMORPHS; NATAL WETLANDS; PINES; POPULATION DENSITY; POPULATION DYNAMICS; REMOVAL; REPRODUCTION; REPTILES; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SALAMANDERS; SHREWS; SOREX; WETLANDS | Sampled shrews at 9.3 ha plots from logs manually removed and control plots in loblolly pine forests of the Southeastern Coastal Plain. Capture rates of Cryptotis parva were lower at plots from which deadwood was removed whereas capture rates of Blarina cavolinensis and Sorex longirostris did not differ between control and removal plots. Cryptotis may have been most sensitive to removal plots due to low population density, hence poor ability to move into areas of low reproduction. (Second Abstract, p. 37)Presentation of evidence that juvenile amphibians including Ambystomatid salamanders may disperse hundreds of meter from their natal wetlands within the weeks to months following metamorphosis. Data indicates Ambystoma trigrinum metamorphs can take at least six months to disperse and en route use non-polar lipid reserves garnished as larvae. Report suggests a land management regime that allows for both juvenile amphibian dispersal and also the consumptive use of the surrounding landscape. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (US) | (US) | United States | 2002-03-10T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/807842 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807842 |
| A checklist of plant and animal species at Los Alamos National Laboratory and surrounding areas | Hinojosa, H | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS; COMPILED DATA; LANL; NUMERICAL DATA; PLANTS; POLLUTION; SAFETY; SPECIES DIVERSITY; WILD ANIMALS | Past and current members of the Biology Team (BT) of the Ecology Group have completed biological assessments (BAs) for all of the land that comprises Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Within these assessments are lists of plant and animal species with the potential to exist on LANL lands and the surrounding areas. To compile these lists, BT members examined earlier published and unpublished reports, surveys, and data bases that pertained to the biota of this area or to areas that are similar. The species lists that are contained herein are compilations of the lists from these BAs, other lists that were a part of the initial research for the performance of these BAs, and more recent surveys. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Management and Administration, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/642696 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/642696 |
| Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, annual technical progress report of ecological research for the year ending June 30, 1998 | Wein, G; Rosier, B | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, APPLIED STUDIES; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; ECOLOGY; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIATION DOSES; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; REMEDIAL ACTION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RISK ASSESSMENT; SPECTROSCOPY; WASTE MANAGEMENT | This report provides an overview of the research programs and program components carried out by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Research focused on the following: advanced analytical and spectroscopic techniques for developing novel waste isolation and stabilization technologies as well as cost-effective remediation strategies; ecologically sound management of damaged and remediation of ecological systems; ecotoxicology, remediation, and risk assessment; radioecology, including dose assessments for plants and animals exposed to environmental radiation; and other research support programs. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-12-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/325740 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/325740 |
| Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Annual Technical Progress Report of Ecological Research, June 30, 2003 | Bertsch, Paul M | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; ECOLOGY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT | No abstract prepared. | Savannah River Ecology Laboraotry (SREL) | USDOE | United States | 2003-06-30T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/816456 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/816456 |
| Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Annual Technical Progress Report of Ecological Research, June 30, 2002 | 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; ADDITIVES; BIOSPHERE; CESIUM; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ILLITE; OXIDATION; PH VALUE; PROGRESS REPORT; PYRITE; R REACTOR; RADIOACTIVITY; SOLID WASTES; STABLE ISOTOPES; US CORPS OF ENGINEERS | The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) is a research unit of The University of Georgia (UGA) and has been conducting ecological research on the Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, South Carolina for 50 years. The overall mission of the Laboratory is to acquire and communicate knowledge of ecological processes and principles. SREL conducts fundamental and applied ecological research, as well as education and outreach programs, under a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The Laboratory's research mission during the 2002 fiscal year was fulfilled with the publication of 76 journal articles and book chapters by faculty, technical staff, students, and visiting scientists. An additional 50 journal articles have been submitted or are in press. Other noteworthy events took place as faculty members, staff, and graduate students received awards. These are described in the section titled Special Accomplishments of Faculty, Staff, Students, and Administration on page 51. Notable scientific accomplishments include work conducted on contaminant transport, stable isotopes, sandhills ecology, and phytoremediation: (1) A collaborative study between Dr. Tom Hinton at SREL and scientists at SRTC demonstrated the feasibility of using illite clay to sequester 137Cs in sediments along the P and R reactor cooling canal system, where approximately 3,000 acres of land are contaminated. Overall, the study showed significant decreases in cesium concentrations and bioavailability following the addition of illite with no sign of harm to the ecosystem. While the cesium remains sequestered from the biosphere, its radioactivity decays and the process progresses from contaminant immobilization to remediation. (2) SREL's stable isotope laboratory is now fully functional. Stable isotope distributions in nature can provide important insights into many historical and current environmental processes. Dr. Christopher Romanek is leading SREL's research in this area, which focuses on identifying the sources and fate of environmental contaminants and on identifying historical patterns of environmental change. (3) Dr. Beverly Collins is a coauthor of a report published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a workshop that was held at SREL in March 2001 on sandhills ecology and ecosystem management. The workshop, sponsored by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP), brought together scientists and land managers from throughout the Southeast. SREL currently has two SERDP-funded projects, including one that was awarded in 2002. (4) A cooperative, multidisciplinary study was initiated with the U.S. Forest Service and Environmental Restoration in the 488-D ash basin on the SRS. This work involves the use of a vegetative cover and common soil additives to mitigate the high acidity and salinity resulting from the oxidation of pyrite in the coal refuse piles. Coal combustion residues from electrical power facilities constitute a major source of solid waste at many DOE and commercial sites. | Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) | USDOE | United States | 2002-06-30T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/816454 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/816454 | |
| Impact of seed predators on the herb Baptista lanceolata (Fabales: Fabacae). | Horn, Scott; Hanula, James L | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ANIMALS; BEETLES; Baptista; COLEOPTERA; FEMALES; HABITAT; HERBS; INDIGO; INSECTS; LARVAE; NUTRITION; SEEDS; Seed predators; entomology | Leguminous seeds are a concentrated source of nutrition (Brashier 2000). In a nutrient-poor habitat, these seeds are important resources for many of the animal species residing there. Several insect predators are known to feed on Baptisia seeds. One such insect is Apion rostrum Say (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a weevil that feeds on seeds of several wild indigo species. Females lay eggs in developing seed pods where the larvae eat the seeds. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2004-09-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1653/0015-4040(2004)087[0398:IOSPOT]2.0.CO;2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/859306 |
| Trace element accumulation in lotic dragonfly nymphs: Genus matters | Fletcher, Dean E.; Lindell, Angela H.; Stillings, Garrett K.; Blas, Susan A.; McArthur, J. Vaun; Khim, ed., Jong Seong | Not Available | USDOE | United States | 2017-02-16T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1371/journal.pone.0172016 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1344027 | ||
| U.S. Radioecology Research Programs of the Atomic Energy Commission in the 1950s | Reichle, D E | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; MONITORING; NUCLEAR ENERGY; ORNL; PRODUCTION; RADIOECOLOGY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SYSTEMS ANALYSIS | This report contains two companion papers about radiological and environmental research that developed out of efforts of the Atomic Energy Commission in the late 1940s and the 1950s. Both papers were written for the Joint U.S.-Russian International Symposium entitled ''History of Atomic Energy Projects in the 1950s--Sociopolitical, Environmental, and Engineering Lessons Learned,'' which was hosted by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Laxemberg, Austria, in October 1999. Because the proceedings of this symposium were not published, these valuable historic reviews and their references are being documented as a single ORNL report. The first paper, ''U.S. Radioecology Research Programs Initiated in the 1950s,'' written by David Reichle and Stanley Auerbach, deals with the formation of the early radioecological research programs at the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission's nuclear production facilities at the Clinton Engineering Works in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; at the Hanford Plant in Richland, Washington; and at the Savannah River Plant in Georgia. These early radioecology programs were outgrowths of the environmental monitoring programs at each site and eventually developed into the world renowned National Laboratory environmental program sponsored by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research of the U.S. Department of Energy. The original version of the first paper was presented by David Reichle at the symposium. The second paper, ''U.S. Atomic Energy Commission's Environmental Research Programs Established in the 1950s,'' summarizes all the environmental research programs supported by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission in the 1950s and discusses their present-day legacies. This paper is a modified, expanded version of a paper that was published in September 1997 in a volume commemorating the 50th anniversary symposium of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research (DOE/BER). Contributors to the original work--Murray Schulman, DOE Headquarters, retired; Jerry Elwood, DOE/BER; David Reichle, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; and Ward Wicker, Colorado State University--provided further insight into environmental research in the decade of the 1950s and expanded the environmental part of the original document. The original version of the second paper was presented by David Reichle in poster session at the symposium. | ORNL | USDOE | United States | 2004-01-12T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/885597 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/885597 |
| Analysis of the habitat of Henslow's sparrows and Grasshopper sparrows compared to random grassland areas | Maier, Kristen; Walton, Rod; Kasper, Peter | 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; BIRDS; FERMILAB; GRAMINEAE; GRASSHOPPERS; HABITAT; MANAGEMENT; Other; PLANTS; RANGELANDS | Henslow's Sparrows are endangered prairie birds, and Grasshopper Sparrows are considered rare prairie birds. Both of these birds were abundant in Illinois, but their populations have been declining due to loss of the grasslands. This begins an ongoing study of the birds habitat so Fermilab can develop a land management plan for the Henslow's and Grasshoppers. The Henslow's were found at ten sites and Grasshoppers at eight sites. Once the birds were located, the vegetation at their sites was studied. Measurements of the maximum plant height, average plant height, and duff height were taken and estimates of the percent of grass, forbs, duff, and bare ground were recorded for each square meter studied. The same measurements were taken at ten random grassland sites on Fermilab property. Several t-tests were performed on the data, and it was found that both Henslow's Sparrows and Grasshopper Sparrows preferred areas with a larger percentage of grass than random areas. Henslow's also preferred areas with less bare ground than random areas, while Grasshoppers preferred areas with more bare ground than random areas. In addition, Grasshopper Sparrows preferred a lower percentage of forbs than was found in random areas and a shorter average plant height than the random locations. Two-sample variance tests suggested significantly less variance for both Henslow's Sparrows and Grasshopper Sparrows for maximum plant height in comparison to the random sites. For both birds, the test suggested a significant difference in the variance of the percentage of bare ground compared to random sites, but only the Grasshopper Sparrow showed significance in the variation in the percentage of forbs. | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL | USDOE | United States | 2005-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/902192 | |
| Impact of Forest Seral Stage on use of Ant Communities for Rapid Assessment of Terrestrial Ecosystem Health | Wike, Lynn D.; Martin, F. Douglas; Paller, Michael H.; Nelson, Eric A. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ant functional groups; entomology; pine plantation; rapid bioassessment; silviculture; southeastern USA | Bioassessment evaluates ecosystem health by using the responses of a community of organisms that integrate all aspects of the ecosystem. A variety of bioassessment methods have been applied to aquatic ecosystems; however, terrestrial methods are less advanced. The objective of this study was to examine baseline differences in ant communities at different seral stages from clear cut to mature pine plantation as a precursor to developing a broader terrestrial bioassessment protocol. Comparative sampling was conducted at nine sites having four seral stages: clearcut, 5 year recovery, 15 year recovery, and mature stands. Soil and vegetation data were also collected at each site. Ants were identified to genus. Analysis of the ant data indicated that ants respond strongly to habitat changes that accompany ecological succession in managed pine forests, and both individual genera and ant community structure can be used as indicators of successional change. Ants exhibited relatively high diversity in both early and mature seral stages. High ant diversity in mature seral stages was likely related to conditions on the forest floor favoring litter dwelling and cold climate specialists. While ants may be very useful in identifying environmental stress in managed pine forests, adjustments must be made for seral stage when comparing impacted and unimpacted forests. | Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER). Earth and Environmental Systems Science Division | United States | 2010-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1673/031.010.7701 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1627965 |
| Idaho National Laboratory Site Environmental Monitoring Plan | Knight, Joanne L | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Environmental Monitoring Plan; Idaho National Laboratory | This plan describes environmental monitoring as required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 450.1, âEnvironmental Protection Program,â and additional environmental monitoring currently performed by other organizations in and around the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The objective of DOE Order 450.1 is to implement sound stewardship practices that protect the air, water, land, and other natural and cultural resources that may be impacted by DOE operations. This plan describes the organizations responsible for conducting environmental monitoring across the INL, the rationale for monitoring, the types of media being monitored, where the monitoring is conducted, and where monitoring results can be obtained. This plan presents a summary of the overall environmental monitoring performed in and around the INL without duplicating detailed information in the various monitoring procedures and program plans currently used to conduct monitoring. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | DOE - EM | United States | 2012-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1057212 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1057212 |
| An experimental study of the impact of location on the effectiveness of recruitment clusters for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers at the Savannah River Site. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BREEDING; FORESTS; HYPOTHESIS; MANAGEMENT; OCCUPATIONS; RECRUITMENT CLUSTERS; RED-COCKADED WOODPECKERS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SAVANNAH RIVER SITE; SEASONS; SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION | An experimental study of the impact of location on the effectiveness of recruitment clusters for Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers at the Savannah River Site. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2008-05-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/935035 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/935035 | |
| Life history and habitat associations of the broad wood cockroach, Parcoblatta lata (Blattaria: Blattellidae) and other native cockroaches in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina. | Horn, Scott | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; COCKROACHES; Coarse woody debris; ENDANGERED SPECIES; FORAGE; FORESTS; HABITAT; PINES; POPULATION DENSITY; Parcoblatta lata; Picoides borealis; SOUTH CAROLINA; TREES; WOOD; red-cockaded woodpecker; snags; wood cockroaches | Wood cockroaches are an important prey of the red-cockaded woodpecker, Picoides borealis, an endangered species inhabiting pine forests in the southern United States. These woodpeckers forage on the boles of live pine trees, but their prey consists of a high proportion of wood cockroaches, Parcoblatta spp., that are more commonly associated with dead plant material. Cockroach population density samples were conducted on live pine trees, dead snags and coarse woody debris on the ground. The studies showed that snags and logs are also important habitats of wood cockroaches in pine forests. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2002-06-18T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1603/0013-8746(2002)095[0665:LHAHAO]2.0.CO;2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835049 |
| Transplanting native dominant plants to facilitate community development in restored coastal plain wetlands. | De Steven, Diane; Sharitz, Rebecca R | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; DRAINAGE; DROUGHTS; FORESTS; GRAMINEAE; Leersia hexandra; PLANTS; PLUGGING; Panicum hemitomon; REMOVAL; SEEDS; SOUTH CAROLINA; WETLANDS; depressional wetlands; revegetation; wetland restoration | Abstract: Drained depressional wetlands are typically restored by plugging ditches or breaking drainage tiles to allow recovery of natural ponding regimes, while relying on passive recolonization from seed banks and dispersal to establish emergent vegetation. However, in restored depressions of the southeastern United States Coastal Plain, certain characteristic rhizomatous graminoid species may not recolonize because they are dispersal-limited and uncommon or absent in the seed banks of disturbed sites. We tested whether selectively planting such wetland dominants could facilitate restoration by accelerating vegetative cover development and suppressing non-wetland species. In an operational-scale project in a South Carolina forested landscape, drained depressional wetlands were restored in early 2001 by completely removing woody vegetation and plugging surface ditches. After forest removal, tillers of two rhizomatous wetland grasses (Panicum hemitomon, Leersia hexandra) were transplanted into singlespecies blocks in 12 restored depressions that otherwise were revegetating passively. Presence and cover of all plant species appearing in planted plots and unplanted control plots were recorded annually. We analyzed vegetation composition after two and four years, during a severe drought (2002) and after hydrologic recovery (2004). Most grass plantings established successfully, attaining 15%â85% cover in two years. Planted plots had fewer total species and fewer wetland species compared to control plots, but differences were small. Planted plots achieved greater total vegetative cover during the drought and greater combined cover of wetland species in both years. By 2004, planted grasses appeared to reduce cover of non-wetland species in some cases, but wetter hydrologic conditions contributed more strongly to suppression of non-wetland species. Because these two grasses typically form a dominant cover matrix in herbaceous depressions, our results indicated that planting selected species could supplement passive restoration by promoting a vegetative structure closer to that of natural wetlands. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2007-12-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1672/0277-5212(2007)27[972:TNDPTF]2.0.CO;2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/921085 |
| Idaho National Laboratory Environmental Monitoring Plan | Knight, Joanne L | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Environmental Monitoring Plan; Idaho National Laboratory | This plan describes environmental monitoring as required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 450.1, âEnvironmental Protection Program,â and additional environmental monitoring currently performed by other organizations in and around the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The objective of DOE Order 450.1 is to implement sound stewardship practices that protect the air, water, land, and other natural and cultural resources that may be impacted by DOE operations. This plan describes the organizations responsible for conducting environmental monitoring across the INL, the rationale for monitoring, the types of media being monitored, where the monitoring is conducted, and where monitoring results can be obtained. This plan presents a summary of the overall environmental monitoring performed in and around the INL without duplicating detailed information in the various monitoring procedures and program plans currently used to conduct monitoring. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | DOE - EM | United States | 2008-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1057211 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1057211 |
| The initial phase of a Longleaf Pine-Wiregrass Savanna restoration: species establishment and community responses. | Restoration; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Aristida beyrichiana; ECOSYSTEMS; GRAMINEAE; PINES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SAVANNAS; SEEDLINGS; SOUTH CAROLINA; SPECIES DIVERSITY; Savannah River Site; longleaf pine savanna; wiregrass | AbstractAbstract The significant loss of the longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem in the southeastern United States has serious implications for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In response to this loss, we have initiated a long-term and landscape-scale restoration experiment at the 80,125 ha (310 mi2) Department of Energy Savannah River Site (SRS) located near Aiken, South Carolina. Aristida beyrichiana (wiregrass), an important and dominant grass (i.e., a âmatrixâ species) of the longleaf pine savanna understory, and 31 other herbaceous ânon-matrixâ species were planted at six locations throughout SRS in 2002 and 2003. Of the 36,056 transplanted seedlings, 75% were still alive in June 2004, while mean 1â2 year survival across all planted species was 48%. Lespedeza hirta (hairy lespedeza) exhibited the greatest overall survival per 3 Ã3 m cell at 95%, whereas Schizachyrium spp. (little bluestem) exhibited the greatest mean cover among individual species at 5.9%. Wiregrass survival and cover were significantly reduced when planted with non-matrix species. Aggregate cover of all planted species in restored cells averaged 25.9% in 2006. High rates of survival and growth of the planted species resulted in greater species richness (SR), diversity, and vegetative cover in restored cells. Results suggest that the loss of the longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem may be ameliorated through restoration efforts and illustrate the positive impact of restoration plantings on biodiversity and vegetative cover. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2010-09-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1526-100X.2009.00541.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1000074 | |
| The movement ecology and dynamics of plant communities in fragmented landscapes | Damschen, Ellen I.; Brudvig, Lars A.; Haddad, Nick M.; Levey, Douglas J.; Orrock, John L.; Tewksbury, Joshua J. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; CAPACITY; COMMUNITIES; Corridors; ECOLOGY; HABITAT; NAVIGATION; VECTORS; dispersal; diversity; life-history traits; species richness | A conceptual model of movement ecology has recently been advanced to explain all movement by considering the interaction of four elements: internal state, motion capacity, navigation capacities,and external factors. We modified this framework togenerate predictions for species richness dynamics of fragmented plant communities and tested them in experimental landscapes across a 7-year time series. We found that two external factors, dispersal vectors and habitat features, affected species colonization and recolonization in habitat fragments and their effects varied and depended on motion capacity. Bird-dispersed species richness showed connectivity effects that reached an asymptote over time, but no edge effects, whereas wind-dispersed species richness showed steadily accumulating edge and connectivity effects, with no indication of an asymptote. Unassisted species also showed increasing differences caused by connectivity over time,whereas edges had no effect. Our limited use of proxies for movement ecology (e.g., dispersal mode as a proxy for motion capacity) resulted in moderate predictive power for communities and, in some cases, highlighted the importance of a more complete understanding of movement ecology for predicting how landscape conservation actions affect plant community dynamics. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2008-12-05T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1073/pnas.0802037105 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/953634 |
| Changes in the Carbon and Energy Balance of the Sagebrush Steppe Ecosystem of the Pacific Northwest - White Paper | Chambers, Minnie Lala Stansbury; Clawson, K L; Inouye, R S | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; CARBON; CLIMATE MODELS; CLIMATES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY BALANCE; EVALUATION; LAND USE; balance; carbon; ecosystem; energy | We propose a multi-agency study to understand the impacts of land-use change on the carbon and energy balance of the Pacific Northwest. By integrating data for the carbon and energy fluxes across different scales within each land-use type, we will develop more accurate input parameters for the regional climate models. The product of this study will address two priorities recommended by the National Academy of Sciences; 1) reduce uncertainties in climate change projections and 2) provide a more definitive evaluation of long-term changes. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | USDOE | United States | 2002-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/910950 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/910950 |
| Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Annual Technical Progress Report of Ecological Research, June 30, 2001 | Bertsch, Paul M; Janecek, Laura; Rosier, Brenda | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMPHIBIANS; BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; CLIMATIC CHANGE; DOSE RATES; ECOLOGY; HABITAT; IRRADIATION; POLLUTION; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIATION DOSES; RADIOECOLOGY; REPTILES; TRACE AMOUNTS | The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) is a research unit of the University of Georgia (UGA) and has been conducting ecological research on the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina for 50 years. The overall mission of the Laboratory is to acquire and communicate knowledge of ecological processes and principles. SREL conducts fundamental and applied ecological research, as well as education and outreach programs, under a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) SRS near Aiken, South Carolina. The Laboratory's research mission during the 2001 fiscal year was fulfilled with the publication of one book and 83 journal articles and book chapters by faculty, technical staff, students, and visiting scientists. An additional 77 journal articles have been submitted or are in press. Other noteworthy events took place as faculty members and graduate students received awards. These are described in the section Special Accomplishments of Faculty, Staff, Students, and Administration on page 54. Notable scientific accomplishments include work conducted on contaminant transport, global reptile decline, phytoremediation, and radioecology. Dr. Domy Adriano authored the second edition of his book ''Trace Elements in Terrestrial Environments: Biogeochemistry, Bioavailability, and Risks of Metals'', which was recently published by Springer-Verlag. The book provides a comprehensive treatment of many important aspects of trace elements in the environment. The first edition of the book, published in 1986, has become a widely acclaimed and cited reference. International attention was focused on the problem of reptile species decline with the publication of an article on this topic in the journal ''Bioscience'' in August, 2000. The article's authors included Dr. Whit Gibbons and a number of other SREL herpetologists who researched the growing worldwide problem of decline of reptile species. Factors related to these declines include habitat loss and degradation, introduction of invasive species, environmental pollution, disease, global climate change, and unsustainable commercial use. The conclusion reached by the article is that the disappearance of reptiles from the natural world is genuine and should be a matter of concern; current evidence suggests that these declines constitute a worldwide crisis. SREL's research in the area of phytoremediation was enhanced with the addition of Dr. Lee Newman as a faculty member in January 2001. Dr. Newman, an internationally recognized authority in the field, holds a joint appointment with the University of South Carolina and SREL. She is developing a collaborative program in phytoremediation on the SRS and offsite. Work is nearing completion on SREU s outdoor mesocosm irradiation facility, which is designed for studying the effects of low-level radiation doses on organisms. The 1-acre facility at Par Pond consists of 48 fiberglass tanks that can maintain small organisms such as fish and amphibians. Thirty of the tanks have sealed {sup 137}Cs sources suspended above them containing either 0.02,0.2, or 2.0 Ci. These sources can deliver average dose rates of 4, 40 and 400 mGy per day, respectively, to organisms under replicated conditions. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2001-06-30T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/808995 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/808995 |
| Food abundance does not determine bird use of early-successional habitat. | Champlin, Tracey B; Kilgo, John C; Moorman, Christopher E | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ARTHROPODS; AVAILABILITY; BIRDS; BREEDING; FOOD; FORESTS; HABITAT; INSECTICIDES; OPENINGS; South Carolina, USA.; arthropods; canopy gaps; early-successional habitat; food availability; food reduction; foraging; forest birds; habitat use | Abstract. Few attempts have been made to experimentally address the extent to which temporal or spatial variation in food availability influences avian habitat use. We used an experimental approach to investigate whether bird use differed between treated (arthropods reduced through insecticide application) and control (untreated) forest canopy gaps within a bottomland hardwood forest in the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina, USA. Gaps were two- to three-year-old group selection timber harvest openings of three sizes (0.13, 0.26, and 0.50 ha). Our study was conducted during four bird use periods (spring migration, breeding, post-breeding, and fall migration) in 2002 and 2003. Arthropods were reduced in treated gaps by 68% in 2002 and 73% in 2003. We used mist-netting captures and foraging attack rates to assess the influence of arthropod abundance on avian habitat use. Evidence that birds responded to arthropod abundance was limited and inconsistent. In 2002, we generally captured more birds in treated gaps of the smallest size (0.13 ha) and fewer birds in treated gaps of the larger sizes. In 2003, we recorded few differences in the number of captures in treated and control gaps. Foraging attack rates generally were lower in treated than in control gaps, indicating that birds were able to adapt to the reduced food availability and remain in treated gaps. We conclude that arthropod abundance was not a proximate factor controlling whether forest birds used our gaps. The abundance of food resources may not be as important in determining avian habitat selection as previous research has indicated, at least for passerines in temperate subtropical regions. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2009-06-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1890/08-1190.1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/958044 |
| Effect of Woody Debris abundance on daytime refuge use by cotton mice. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; COTTON; Cotton mice; DISTRIBUTION; FORESTS; HABITAT; MICE; PINES; PLANTS; Peromyscus gossypinus; RODENTS; woody debris | Abstract - Daytime refuges are important to nocturnal rodents for protection from predators and environmental extremes. Because refuges of forest-dwelling rodents are often associated with woody debris, we examined refuge use by 37 radio-collared Peromyscus gossypinus (cotton mice) in experimental plots with different levels of woody debris. Treatment plots had six times (â 60 m3/ha) the volume of woody debris as control plots (â 10 m3/ha). Of 247 refuges, 159 were in rotting stumps (64%), 32 were in root boles (13%), 19 were in brush piles (8%), and 16 were in logs (6%); 10 refuges could not be identified. Stumps were the most common refuge type in both treatments, but the distribution of refuge types was significantly different between treatment and control plots. Root boles and brush piles were used more on treatment plots than on control plots, and logs were used more on control plots than on treatment plots. Refuge type and vegetation cover were the best predictors of refuge use by cotton mice; root bole refuges and refuges with less vegetation cover received greater-than-expected use by mice. Abundant refuges, particularly root boles, may improve habitat quality for cotton mice in southeastern pine forests. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2007-07-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1656/1528-7092(2007)6[393:EOWDAO]2.0.CO;2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/917773 | |
| Cultural Resource Investigations for the Resumption of Transient Testing of Nuclear Fuels and Material at the Idaho National Laboratory | Pace, Brenda R.; Williams, Julie B. | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; archaeology; cultural resources; historic properties; national historic preservation act compliance | The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) has a need to test nuclear fuels under conditions that subject them to short bursts of intense, high-power radiation called âtransient testingâ in order to gain important information necessary for licensing new nuclear fuels for use in U.S. nuclear power plants, for developing information to help improve current nuclear power plant performance and sustainability, for improving the affordability of new generation reactors, for developing recyclable nuclear fuels, and for developing fuels that inhibit any repurposing into nuclear weapons. To meet this mission need, DOE is considering alternatives for re-use and modification of existing nuclear reactor facilities to support a renewed transient testing program. One alternative under consideration involves restarting the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) reactor located at the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) on the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) site in southeastern Idaho. This report summarizes cultural resource investigations conducted by the INL Cultural Resource Management Office in 2013 to support environmental review of activities associated with restarting the TREAT reactor at the INL. These investigations were completed in order to identify and assess the significance of cultural resources within areas of potential effect associated with the proposed action and determine if the TREAT alternative would affect significant cultural resources or historic properties that are eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. No archaeological resources were identified in the direct area of potential effects for the project, but four of the buildings proposed for modifications are evaluated as historic properties, potentially eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. This includes the TREAT reactor (building #), control building (building #), guardhouse (building #), and warehouse (building #). The proposed re-use of these historic properties is consistent with original missions related to nuclear reactor testing and is expected to result in no adverse effects to their historic significance. Cultural resource investigations also involved communication with representatives from the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes to characterize cultural resources of potential tribal concern. This report provides a summary of the cultural resources inventoried and assessed within the defined areas of potential effect for the resumption of transient testing at the INL. Based on these analyses, proposed activities would have no adverse effects on historic properties within the APEs that have been defined. Other archaeological resources and cultural resources of potential concern to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and others that are located near the APEs are also discussed with regard to potential indirect impacts. The report concludes with general recommendations for measures to reduce impacts to all identified resources. | Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) | United States | 2013-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1120803 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1120803 |
| A QUICK KEY TO THE SUBFAMILIES AND GENERA OF ANTS OF THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE, AIKEN, SC | Martin, D | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANTS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TAXONOMY | This taxonomic key was devised to support development of a Rapid Bioassessment Protocol using ants at the Savannah River Site. The emphasis is on ''rapid'' and, because the available keys contained a large number of genera not known to occur at the Savannah River Site, we found that the available keys were unwieldy. Because these keys contained more genera than we would likely encounter and because this larger number of genera required both more couplets in the key and often required examination of characters that are difficult to assess without higher magnifications (60X or higher) more time was required to process samples. In developing this set of keys I recognize that the character sets used may lead to some errors but I believe that the error rate will be small and, for the purpose of rapid bioassessment, this error rate will be acceptable provided that overall sample sizes are adequate. Oliver and Beattie (1996a, 1996b) found that for rapid assessment of biodiversity the same results were found when identifications were done to morphospecies by people with minimal expertise as when the same data sets were identified by subject matter experts. Basset et al. (2004) concluded that it was not as important to correctly identify all species as it was to be sure that the study included as many functional groups as possible. If your study requires high levels of accuracy, it is highly recommended that when you key out a specimen and have any doubts concerning the identification, you should refer to keys in Bolton (1994) or to the other keys used to develop this area specific taxonomic key. | SRS | DOE | United States | 2006-10-04T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/893100 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/893100 |
| Infrastructure Practices of Select World-Class Research Organizations - A Benchmark of Campus Design, Development, and Implementation Strategies | Kevin M Kostelnik, PhD; Phillips, Ann Marie | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; BENCHMARKS; Benchmark; DESIGN; IMPLEMENTATION; Infrastructure; Research Facilities; World-Class | This report presents case studies and benchmarking conclusion for seven world-class research facilities in the areas of academia, industry, government, and non-profit institutions. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | INEEL | United States | 2005-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/911241 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/911241 |
| A QUICK KEY TO THE SUBFAMILIES AND GENERA OF ANTS OF THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE | Martin, D | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANTS; POPULATION DYNAMICS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TAXONOMY | This taxonomic key was devised to support development of a Rapid Bioassessment Protocol using ants at the Savannah River Site. The emphasis is on 'rapid' and, because the available keys contained a very large number of genera not known to occur at the Savannah River Site, we found that the available keys were unwieldy. Because these keys contained many more genera than we would ever encounter and because this larger number of genera required more couplets in the key and often required examination of characters that are difficult to assess without higher magnifications (60X or higher), more time was required to process samples. In developing this set of keys I emphasized character states that are easier for nonspecialists to recognize. I recognize that the character sets used may lead to some errors but I believe that the error rate will be small and, for the purpose of rapid bioassessment, this error rate will be acceptable provided that overall sample sizes are adequate. Oliver and Beattie (1996a, 1996b) found that for rapid assessment of biodiversity the same results were found when identifications were done to morphospecies by people with minimal expertise as when the same data sets were identified by subject matter experts. Basset et al. (2004) concluded that it was not as important to correctly identify all species as it was to be sure that the study included as many functional groups as possible. If your study requires high levels of accuracy, it is highly recommended that, when you key out a specimen and have any doubts concerning the identification, you should refer to keys in Bolton (1994) or to the other keys used to develop this area specific taxonomic key. | SRS | DOE | United States | 2007-09-04T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/917510 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/917510 |
| Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2023, with Attachment A Site Description and Summary Report | Redding, Theodore J. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; NNSS, Environment, Environmental, ASER, NNSA, NFO | This Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report (NNSSER) summarizes actions taken in 2023 to protect the environment and the public while achieving the NNSA/NFO mission goals. It is prepared for the public and our stakeholders in hopes that it is readily understandable and usable. It is a key component in our efforts to keep the public informed of environmental conditions at the NNSS and its support facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada. The accompanying Attachment A expands on the general description of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) presented in the Introduction to the Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2023. Included are subsections that summarize the siteâs geological, hydrological, climatological, and ecological settings and the cultural resources of the NNSS. The supplemental Summary report provides an abbreviated version of the full report. | Nevada National Security Sites/Mission Support and Test Services LLC, Las Vegas, NV (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Environmental Protection and ES&H Reporting | United States | 2024-10-01T04:00:00Z | Program Document | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2447746 | |
| Cultural Resource Investigations for the Remote Handled Low Level Waste Facility at the Idaho National Laboratory | Pace, Brenda R; Gilbert, Hollie; Williams, Julie Braun; Marler, Clayton; Lowrey, Dino; Brizzee, Cameron | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; CONSTRUCTION; CULTURAL RESOURCES; IDAHO; MANAGEMENT; RECOMMENDATIONS; TEST REACTORS; WASTES; cultural resources | The U. S. Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office is considering options for construction of a facility for disposal of Idaho National Laboratory (INL) generated remote-handled low-level waste. Initial screening has resulted in the identification of two recommended alternative locations for this new facility: one near the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) Complex and one near the Idaho Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Disposal Facility (ICDF). In April and May of 2010, the INL Cultural Resource Management Office conducted archival searches, intensive archaeological field surveys, and initial coordination with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes to identify cultural resources that may be adversely affected by new construction within either one of these candidate locations. This investigation showed that construction within the location near the ATR Complex may impact one historic homestead and several historic canals and ditches that are potentially eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. No resources judged to be of National Register significance were identified in the candidate location near the ICDF. Generalized tribal concerns regarding protection of natural resources were also documented in both locations. This report outlines recommendations for protective measures to help ensure that the impacts of construction on the identified resources are not adverse. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | DOE - NE | United States | 2010-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/983352 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/983352 |
| Measuring Transpiration to Regulate Winter Irrigation Rates | Samuelson, Lisa; Stokes, Tom; Farris, Marianne | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Measuring Transpiration; Regulation of Winter Irrigation Rates | Periodic transpiration (monthly sums) in a young loblolly pine plantation between ages 3 and 6 was measured using thermal dissipation probes. Fertilization and fertilization with irrigation were better than irrigation alone in increasing transpiration of young loblolly pines during winter months, apparently because of increased leaf area in fertilized trees. Irrigation alone did not significantly increase transpiration compared with the non-fertilized and non-irrigated control plots. | USDA Forest Service-Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Acquisition and Project Management; USDOE Savannah River Operations Office (SRO) | United States | 2006-11-08T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1126897 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1126897 |
| Oak Ridge Reservation annual site environmental report summary 1998 | Hamilton, L V | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; MONITORING; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; REPORTING REQUIREMENTS | This report summarizes the information found in the Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental for 1998 (DOE/ORO/2091). | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US) | USDOE Office of Science (US) | United States | 1999-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/750975 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/750975 |
| Oak Ridge Reservation annual site environmental report 1998 | Hamilton, L V; Thompson, S D; McMahon, L W; Coffey, M O; Aaron, M R; Braunstein, H M; Joseph, T W | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; MONITORING; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION | This document is prepared annually to summarize environmental activities, primarily environmental monitoring activities, on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) and within the ORR surroundings. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US); East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, TN (US); Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, TN (US) | USDOE Office of Science (US) | United States | 1999-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/750974 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/750974 |
| Effects of controlled dog hunting on movements of female white-tailed deer. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; DEER; Dog hunting; FEMALES; Odocoileus virginiana; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; South Carolina; home range; movements | D'Angelo, Gino, J., John C. Kilgo, Christopher E. Comer, Cory D. Drennan, David A. Osborn, and Karl V. Miller. 2003. Effects of controlled dog hunting on movements of female white-tailed deer. In: Proceedings of the Annu. Conf. Southeast. Assoc. Fish and Wildl. Agencies. 57:317-325. This article explores the relationship between controlled dog hunting and the movements of female white tailed deer at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina. The data suggests that short term, controlled dog hunting has little long-term effect on adult, female white-tailed deer movement on the Savannah River Site. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2003-12-31T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/841621 | ||
| Biological assessment for the transfer of the DP land tract | Keller, D C | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BATS; BIRDS; CONSTRUCTION; ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HABITAT; LAND USE; LANL; MAPS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; WETLANDS; WILD ANIMALS | The Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to transfer to the County of Los Alamos up to 10-ha (25-ac) of federal land located in Technical Area-21 to be developed for commercial uses. Previous studies for the proposed land transfer area indicate that potential habitat for four threatened, endangered, and sensitive species occurs in or adjacent to the proposed land transfer area. These include the northern goshawk (federal species of concern), Mexican spotted owl (federal threatened), the spotted bat (federal species of concern, state threatened), die peregrine falcon (federal endangered, state endangered), and the. In order to determine the possible influences of the land transfer on these organisms, information from species-specific surveys was collected. These surveys were used to confirm the presence of these species or to infer their absence in or near the project area. It was concluded that none of die above mentioned species occur in the project area. Stretches of the stream channel within Los Alamos Canyon have been identified as palustrine and riverine, temporarily flooded wetlands. The proposed land transfer should not affect these wetlands. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1996-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/434451 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/434451 |
| Idaho National Laboratory Cultural Resource Management Office FY 2011 Activity Report | Williams, Julie Braun; Pace, Brenda R; Gilbert, Hollie K; Olson, Christina L | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; archaeology; cultural resouces | The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site is home to vast numbers and a wide variety of important cultural resources representing at least a 13,500 year span of human land use in the region. As a federal agency, the Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) has legal responsibility for the management and protection of the resources and has contracted these responsibilities to Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA). The BEA professional staff is committed to maintaining a cultural resource management program that accepts the challenge of preserving INL cultural resources in a manner reflecting their importance in local, regional, and national history. This report is intended as a stand-alone document that summarizes activities performed by the INL Cultural Resource Management Office (CRMO) staff during fiscal year 2011. This work is diverse, far-reaching and though generally confined to INL cultural resource compliance, also includes a myriad of professional and voluntary community activities. This document is intended to be informative to both internal and external stakeholders, serve as a planning tool for future INL cultural resource management work, and meet an agreed upon legal requirement. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | DOE - NE | United States | 2012-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1057685 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1057685 |
| Relationship of Course Woody Debris to Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Prey Diversity and Abundance | Horn, G S | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ABUNDANCE; ARTHROPODS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HARVESTING; MORTALITY; REMOVAL; WOOD; arthropods; endangered species; forest management; loblolly pine | The abundance of diversity of prey commonly used by the red-cockaded woodpecker were monitored in experimental plots in which course woody debris was manipulated. In one treatment, all the woody debris over four inches was removed. In the second treatment, the natural amount of mortality remained intact. The overall diversity of prey was unaffected; however, wood roaches were significantly reduced by removal of woody debris. The latter suggests that intensive utilizations or harvesting practices may reduce foraging. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE | United States | 1999-09-03T04:00:00Z | Other | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807733 | |
| Daily movements of female white-tailed deer relative to parturition and breeding. | D'Angelo, Gino J; Comer, Christopher E; Kilgo, John C; Drennan, Cory D; Osborn, David A; Miller, Karl V | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BREEDING; DEER; FEMALES; MONITORING; Odocoileus virginianus; PARTURITION; POPULATION DENSITY; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SEX RATIO; SOUTH CAROLINA; White-tailed deer; breeding; movements; parturition; rut | Abstract: To assess how white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herd demographics influence reproductive behaviors, we examined 24-h diel movements of female whitetailed deer relative to parturition and breeding in a low-density population with a near even sex ratio at the Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina. We conducted a series of intensive, 24-h radio-tracking periods of 13 females during spring and fall 2002. We compared daily range (ha), rate of travel (m/h), and distance between extreme daily locations (m), among the periods of pre-parturition and post-parturition and pre-, peak-, and post-rut. From pre-parturition to post-parturition, we observed decreases in diel range size (ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ38.2%), distance between extreme diel locations (ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ17.0%), and diel rate of travel (ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ18.2%). Diel range size, distance between extreme diel locations, and diel rate of travel during the pre-rut and rut exceeded those observed during post-rut. We further identified substantial increases in mobility during 12 24-h diel periods for eight females during our fall monitoring. Our data suggest that female white-tailed deer reduce mobility post-fawning following exaggerated movements during pre-parturition. Furthermore, despite a near equal sex ratio, estrous does may be required to actively seek potential mates due to low population density. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2005-10-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/859307 | |
| Red-cockaded woodpecker male/female foraging differences in young forest stands. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BIRDS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; FEMALES; FORAGE; FORESTS; HABITAT; MALES; MONITORING; PINES; Picoides borealis; Red-cockaded Woodpecker; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SEASONS; SOUTH CAROLINA; SUBSTRATES; TRANSLOCATION; TREES; endangered species; foraging behavior; male/female foraging differences; pine forests; southeastern United States | ABSTRACT The Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) is an endangered species endemic to pine (Pinus spp.) forests of the southeastern United States. I examined Red-cockaded Woodpecker foraging behavior to learn if there were male/female differences at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina. The study was conducted in largely young forest stands (,50 years of age) in contrast to earlier foraging behavior studies that focused on more mature forest. The Redcockaded Woodpecker at the Savannah River site is intensively managed including monitoring, translocation, and installation of artificial cavity inserts for roosting and nesting. Over a 3-year period, 6,407 foraging observations covering seven woodpecker family groups were recorded during all seasons of the year and all times of day. The most striking differences occurred in foraging method (males usually scaled [45% of observations] and females mostly probed [47%]),substrate used (females had a stronger preference [93%] for the trunk than males [79%]), and foraging height from the ground (mean 6 SE foraging height was higher for males [11.1 6 0.5 m] than females [9.8 6 0.5 m]). Niche overlap between males and females was lowest for substrate (85.6%) and foraging height (87.8%), and highest for tree species (99.0%), tree condition (98.3%), and tree height (96.4%). Both males and females preferred to forage in older, large pine trees. The habitat available at the Savannah River Site was considerably younger than at most other locations, but the pattern of male/female habitat partitioning observed was similar to that documented elsewhere within the range attesting to the speciesâ ability to adjust behaviorally. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2010-07-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1676/09-053.1 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/983701 | |
| Modeling Storm Water Runoff and Soil Interflow in a Managed Forest, Upper Coastal Plain of the Southeast US. | Callahan, T J; Cook, J D; Coleman, Mark D; Amatya, Devendra M; Trettin, Carl C | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; CROPS; DRAINAGE; FORESTS; Green and Ampt equation; MOISTURE; MONITORING; PERMEABILITY; PLANTS; POROSITY; PRODUCTIVITY; RIVERS; ROTATION; RUNOFF; SOILS; STORMS; TOPOGRAPHY; WATER QUALITY; WATERSHEDS; hillslope hydrology; infiltration; interflow; silviculture | The Forest Service-Savannah River is conducting a hectare-scale monitoring and modeling study on forest productivity in a Short Rotation Woody Crop plantation at the Savannah River Site, which is on Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Detailed surveys, i.e., topography, soils, vegetation, and dainage network, of small (2-5 ha) plots have been completed in a 2 square-km watershed draining to Fourmile Creek, a tributary of the Savannah River. We wish to experimentally determine the relative importance of interflow on water yield and water quality at this site. Interflow (shallow subsurface lateral flow) can short-circuit rainfall infiltration, preventing deep seepage and resulting in water and chemical residence times in the watershed much shorter than that if deep seepage were the sole component of infiltration. The soil series at the site (Wagram, Dothan, Fuquay, Ogeechee, and Vaucluse) each have a clay-rich B horizon of decimeter-scale thickness at depths of 1-2 m below surface. As interflow is affected by rainfall intensity and duration and soil properties such as porosity, permeability, and antecedent soil moisture, our calculations made using the Green and Ampt equation show that the intensity and duration of a storm event must be greater than about 3 cm per hour and 2 hours, respectively, in order to initiate interflow for the least permeable soils series (Vaucluse). Tabulated values of soil properties were used in these preliminary calculations. Simulations of the largest rainfall events from 1972-2002 data using the Green and Ampt equation provide an interflow: rainfall ratio of 0 for the permeable Wagram soil series (no interflow) compared to 0.46 for the less permeable Vaucluse soil series. These initial predictions will be compared to storm water hydrographs of interflow collected at the outflow point of each plot and refined using more detailed soil property measurements. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2004-08-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/889475 | |
| Using qualitative methods to support recovery of endangered species: The case of red-cockaded woodpecker foraging habitat | Garabedian, James E.; Peterson, M. Nils (ORCID:0000000242461206); Moorman, Christopher E.; Kilgo, John C. | Not Available | USDOE | Netherlands | 2019-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00553 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1531030 | ||
| Historic American Landscapes Survey: Arco Naval Proving Ground (Idaho National Laboratory) | Olson, Christina; Holmer, Marie; Gilbert, Hollie | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; Arco; Army Air Corps; CFA; Naval Ordnance Plant; Naval Proving Grond; Navy; Pocatello; World War II; ordnance testing | Based on historical evaluations in 1993 and 1997, historians determined that the then-remaining Arco NPG structures were significant to the nationâs history through their association with World War II . Through ensuing discussions with the SHPO, it was further determined that the infrastructure and associated landscape were also significant. According to provisions of INLâs Cultural Resource Management Plan (CRMP) as legitimized through a 2004 Programmatic Agreement between DOE-ID, the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) historians identified the World War II structures as DOE âSignature Propertiesâ. As defined by DOE-HQ, Signature Properties âdenote its [DOEâs] most historically important properties across the complexâ¦and/or those properties that are viewed as having tourism potential.â The INL is a secure site and the INL land and structures are not accessible to the public and, therefore have no âtourism potentialâ. Although DOE-ID actively sought other uses for the vacant, unused buildings, none were identified and the buildings present safety and health concerns. A condition assessment found lead based paint, asbestos, rodent infestation/droppings, small animal carcasses, mold, and, in CF-633, areas of radiological contamination. In early 2013, DOE-ID notified the Idaho SHPO, ACHP, and, as required by the INL CRMP and PA, DOE-Headquarters Federal Preservation Officer, of their intent to demolish the vacant buildings (CF-606, CF-607, CF-613, CF-632, and CF-633). The proposed âend-stateâ of the buildings will be either grass and/or gravel pads. Through the NHPA Section 106 consultation process, measures to mitigate the adverse impacts of demolition were determined and agreed to through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between DOE-ID, SHPO, and ACHP. The measures include the development and installation of interpretive signs to be placed at a publicly accessible location, retention of original components of CF-633, and completion of this HALS standard format report. Buildings, infrastructure, and features that are not scheduled for removal are documented here as well as properties that are scheduled for removal and the overall Arco NPG landscape. The Arco NPG, located in the remote high-desert of eastern Idaho aided in the defense and eventual ally victory in the Pacific Theater of World War II, in addition to revising national standards for the safe storage and transport of conventional ordnance. | Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) | United States | 2015-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1347617 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1347617 |
| Effect of coarse woody debris manipulation on soricid and herpetofaunal communities in upland pine stands of the southeastern coastal plain. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; AMPHIBIANS; APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS; Amphibians; BIOFUELS; COMMUNITIES; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; HABITAT; MARKET; PETROLEUM; PINES; REPTILES; SHREWS; VERTEBRATES; WOOD; coarse woody debris; herpetofauna; reptiles; shrews; southeastern Coastal Plain; upland pine | Abstract -The majority of studies investigating the importance of coarse woody debris (CWD) to forest- floor vertebrates have taken place in the Pacific Northwest and southern Appalachian Mountains, while comparative studies in the southeastern Coastal Plain are lacking. My study was a continuation of a long-term project investigating the importance of CWD as a habitat component for shrew and herpetofaunal communities within managed pine stands in the southeastern Coastal Plain. Results suggest that addition of CWD can increase abundance of southeastern and southern short-tailed shrews. However, downed wood does not appear to be a critical habitat component for amphibians and reptiles. Rising petroleum costs and advances in wood utilization technology have resulted in an emerging biofuels market with potential to decrease CWD volumes left in forests following timber harvests. Therefore, forest managers must understand the value of CWD as an ecosystem component to maintain economically productive forests while conserving biological diversity. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2009-04-01T04:00:00Z | Other | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/953638 | ||
| Partnership Opportunities with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory | Payne, T L; Coxon, G D | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; CALCULATION METHODS; CONSTRUCTION; DATA ANALYSIS; DESIGN; JOINT VENTURES; MEASURING METHODS; ORNL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TEST FACILITIES | The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is ``bringing science to life'' through the creation of knowledge; the invention of new tools and techniques; the scientific analysis of complex situations; and the design, construction and operation of research facilities used by scientists and engineers from throughout the world. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US) | USDOE Office of Science (US) | United States | 2000-02-20T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/755668 | |
| Ecology, environment, and 'big science' : an annotated bibliography ofsources on environmental research at Argonne National Laboratory, 1955 - 1985. | Schloegel, J J; Rader, K A | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANL; BIBLIOGRAPHIES; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS | No abstract prepared. | ANL | USDOE Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2005-12-08T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/885500 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/885500 |
| A framework for increasing sustainability and reducing risk to ecological resources through integration of remediation planning and implementation | Burger, Joanna | Not Available | USDOE | United States | 2019-05-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.envres.2019.02.036 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1507168 | ||
| Modeling topographic influences on solar radiation: A manual for the SOLARFLUX Model | Rich, P M; Hetrick, W A; Saving, S C | 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 58 GEOSCIENCES; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; DOCUMENTATION; GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATIONS; INSOLATION; MANUALS; S CODES; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SOLAR RADIATION; TOPOGRAPHY | SOLARFLUX is a geographical information system (GIS) based computer program (running under ARC/INFO and GRID) that models incoming solar radiation based on surface orientation (slope and aspect), solar angle (azimuth and zenith) as it shifts over time, shadows caused by topographic features, and atmospheric conditions. A convenient user interface allows specification of program parameters including latitude, time interval for simulation, file name of a topographic surface, atmospheric conditions (transmittivity), and file names for output. The user specifies a topographic surface as an array of elevation values (GRID). SOLARFLUX generates five basic types of output: 1) total direct radiation, 2) duration of direct sunlight, 3) total diffuse radiation, 4) skyview factor, and 5) hemispherical viewsheds of sky obstruction for specified surface locations. This manual serves as the comprehensive guide to SOLARFLUX. Included are discussions on modeling insolation on complex surfaces, our theoretical approach, program setup and operation, and a set of applications illustrating characteristics of topographic insolation modeling. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC (United States); National Science Foundation, Washington, DC (United States); Stanford Univ., CA (United States); Kansas Univ., Lawrence, KS (United States) | United States | 1995-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/200698 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/200698 |
| The response of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) to selection cutting in a South Carolina bottomland hardwood forest. | Hanula, James L; Horn, Scott | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; BEETLES; COLEOPTERA; COMMUNITIES; Canopy gaps; Carabidae; Disturbance; Edge effect; FORESTS; Ground beetles; Group selection harvesting; TRAPPING | We compared the response of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) to the creation of canopy gaps of different size (0.13, 0.26, and 0.50 ha) and age (1 and 7 years) in a bottomland hardwood forest (South Carolina, USA). Samples were collected four times in 2001 by malaise and pitfall traps placed at the center and edge of each gap, and 50 m into the surrounding forest. Species richness was higher at the center of young gaps than in old gaps or in the forest, but there was no statistical difference in species richness between old gaps and the forests surrounding them. Carabid abundance followed the same trend, but only with the exclusion of Semiardistomis viridis (Say), a very abundant species that differed in its response to gap age compared to most other species. The carabid assemblage at the gap edge was very similar to that of the forest, and there appeared to be no distinct edge community. Species known to occur in open or disturbed habitats were more abundant at the center of young gaps than at any other location. Generalist species were relatively unaffected by the disturbance, but one species (Dicaelus dilatatus Say) was significantly less abundant at the centers of young gaps. Forest inhabiting species were less abundant at the centers of old gaps than in the forest, but not in the centers of young gaps. Comparison of community similarity at various trapping locations showed that communities at the centers of old and young gaps had the lowest similarity (46.5%). The community similarity between young gap centers and nearby forest (49.1%) and old gap centers and nearby forest (50.0%) was similarly low. These results show that while the abundance and richness of carabids in old gaps was similar to that of the surrounding forest, the species composition between the two sites differed greatly. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2005-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/881972 | |
| Ambrosia Beetle (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) Species, Flight, and Attack on Living Eastern Cottonwood Trees. | Coyle, D R | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BEETLES; COLEOPTERA; COTTONWOODS; ECOLOGY; Ethanol; FERTILIZATION; IRRIGATION; MONITORING; Populus deltoids; TREES; Xyleborini; fertilization; invasive species | ABSTRACT In spring 2002, ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) infested an intensively managed 22-ha tree plantation on the upper coastal plain of South Carolina. Nearly 3,500 scolytids representing 28 species were captured in ethanol-baited traps from 18 June 2002 to 18 April 2004. More than 88% of total captures were exotic species. Five species [Dryoxylon onoharaensum (Murayama), Euwallacea validus (Eichhoff), Pseudopityophthorus minutissimus (Zimmermann), Xyleborus atratus Eichhoff, and Xyleborus impressus Eichhoff]) were collected in South Carolina for the first time. Of four tree species in the plantation, eastern cottonwood, Populus deltoides Bartram, was the only one attacked, with nearly 40% of the trees sustaining ambrosia beetle damage. Clone ST66 sustained more damage than clone S7C15. ST66 trees receiving fertilization were attacked more frequently than trees receiving irrigation, irrigation_fertilization, or controls, although the number of S7C15 trees attacked did not differ among treatments. The study location is near major shipping ports; our results demonstrate the necessity for intensive monitoring programs to determine the arrival, spread, ecology, and impact of exotic scolytids. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2005-12-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1093/jee/98.6.2049 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/861330 |
| A Survey of LTR Program Industry Partner Satisfaction at Oak Ridge National Lab | Coxon, G; Payne, T L | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; BUSINESS; COMMERCIALIZATION; CONSTRUCTION; CRADA; DESIGN; ENGINEERS; INVENTIONS; LICENSE; ORNL; PERSONNEL; RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPSL; SBIR; STTR; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER | The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is ''bringing science to life'' through the creation of knowledge; the invention of new tools and techniques; the scientific analysis of complex situations; and the design, construction and operation of research facilities used by scientists and engineers from throughout the world. ORNL creates and uses partnerships as a means for conducting collaborative research and development (R and D), facilitating access to its capabilities, improving the utilization of its unique science and technological facilities, and assisting in commercialization of technology. This paper will concentrate on seven of the mechanisms used to access ORNL facilities and expertise namely, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, License Agreements, Personnel Exchanges, Small Business Innovative Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Partnerships, Technical Assistance Program, User Facility Agreements, and Work For Others Agreements. Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, also known as CRADAs, create formal teams of researchers from ORNL and private industry for the purpose of collaborating on an R and D area of interest to both partners. License Agreements give commercial entities authorization to use ORNL-developed technologies for specified purposes. A Personnel Exchange either locates ORNL employees at the site of the partner organization, or, brings the employee(s) of the outside organization to ORNL to enhance their technical capabilities. The Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program provide government-funded partnership opportunities for qualified small private companies. The ORNL Technical Assistance Program can provide a rapid response to a technical question from a business entity. User Facility Agreements provide qualified users from universities, industry, or other institution access to ORNL's 14 designated user facilities where both proprietary and nonproprietary research can be conducted. Work for Others is a mechanism that gives government entities and commercial companies the ability to pay for predetermined scopes of work to be performed for their benefit. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US) | USDOE Office of Science (US) | United States | 1999-11-14T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/14621 | |
| Irrigation and fertilization effects on Nantucket Pine Tip Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) Damage levels and pupal weight in an intensively-managed pine plantation. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; FERTILIZATION; FLUCTUATIONS; FORESTS; Growth impacts; IRRIGATION; LEPIDOPTERA; MANAGEMENT; MOTHS; PINES; POPULATION DENSITY; Pinus taeda; ROTATION; Rhyacionia frustrana; SEASONS; SOUTH CAROLINA; TREES; WEEDS; intensive forestry; pine regeneration insects; silviculture | The widespread application of intensive forest management practices throughout the southeastern U.S. has increased loblolly pine, Pinus taeda L., yields and shortened conventional rotation lengths. Fluctuations in Nantucket pine tip moth, Rhyacionia frustrana (Comstock), population density and subsequent damage levels have been linked to variations in management intensity. We examined the effects of two practices, irrigation and fertilization, on R. frustrana damage levels and pupal weights in an intensively-managed P. taeda plantation in South Carolina. Trees received intensive weed control and one of the following treatments; irrigation only. fertilization only, irrigation + fertilization, or control. Mean whole-tree tip moth damage levels ranged from <1 to 48% during this study. Damage levels differed significantly among treatments in two tip moth generations in 2001, but not 2000. Pupal weight was significantly heavier in fertilization compared to the irrigation treatment in 2000, but no significant differences were observed in 2001. Tree diameter. height. and aboveground volume were significantly greater in the irrigation + fertilization than in the irrigation treatment after two growing seasons. Our data suggest that intensive management practices that include irrigation and fertilization do not consistently increase R. frustrana damage levels and pupal weights as is commonly believed. However, tip moth suppression efforts in areas adjacent to our study may have partially reduced the potential impacts of R. frustrana on this experiment. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2003-10-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835195 | ||
| Composite analysis E-area vaults and saltstone disposal facilities | Cook, J R | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMPUTER CODES; DATA; GROUND WATER; HYDROLOGY; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOISOTOPES; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT | This report documents the Composite Analysis (CA) performed on the two active Savannah River Site (SRS) low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal facilities. The facilities are the Z-Area Saltstone Disposal Facility and the E-Area Vaults (EAV) Disposal Facility. The analysis calculated potential releases to the environment from all sources of residual radioactive material expected to remain in the General Separations Area (GSA). The GSA is the central part of SRS and contains all of the waste disposal facilities, chemical separations facilities and associated high-level waste storage facilities as well as numerous other sources of radioactive material. The analysis considered 114 potential sources of radioactive material containing 115 radionuclides. The results of the CA clearly indicate that continued disposal of low-level waste in the saltstone and EAV facilities, consistent with their respective radiological performance assessments, will have no adverse impact on future members of the public. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/652939 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/652939 |
| AN OVERVIEW COMPARISON OF TANK CLOSURE ACTIVITIES AT CERTAIN DOE SITES | Sams, T L; Luke, J J; McClure, L W | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ACCELERATION; CLOSURES; COMMUNICATIONS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PERSONNEL; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SCHEDULES; TANKS; WASTE MANAGEMENT | This paper presents a summary-level comparison of the similarities and differences of tank closure programs at the four primary radioactive waste tank sites in the US Department of Energy (DOE) complex. The sites are Hanford, Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), and the Savannah River Site (SRS). The depth of our understanding of the closure programs varies with the amount of detailed information each of the four sites has provided to date. This paper was prepared using the best available information, including direct communications with key tank closure personnel at each of the sites. Many of the current schedules are under review for possible acceleration. | CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc., P.O. Box 1500, Richland, WA 99352; Jacobs, 601 Williams Blvd., Suite 4A, Richland, WA 99352 (US) | WM Symposia, Inc. (US) | United States | 2003-02-27T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/825760 | |
| Modelling long-distance seed dispersal in heterogeneous landscapes. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BIRDS; CONFIGURATION; DEPOSITION; DISTRIBUTION; HABITAT; KERNELS; POPULATION DYNAMICS; PROBABILITY; SEEDS; SHAPE; SYNTHESIS; TESTING; dispersal kernels; edge; habitat corridor; landscape ecology; long-distance seed dispersal; patch shape; seed dispersal; seed rain; spatially explicit model | 1. Long-distance seed dispersal is difficult to measure, yet key to understanding plant population dynamics and community composition. 2. We used a spatially explicit model to predict the distribution of seeds dispersed long distances by birds into habitat patches of different shapes. All patches were the same type of habitat and size, but varied in shape. They occurred in eight experimental landscapes, each with five patches of four different shapes, 150 m apart in a matrix of mature forest. The model was parameterized with smallscale movement data collected from field observations of birds. In a previous study we validated the model by testing its predictions against observed patterns of seed dispersal in real landscapes with the same types and spatial configuration of patches as in the model. 3. Here we apply the model more broadly, examining how patch shape influences the probability of seed deposition by birds into patches, how dispersal kernels (distributions of dispersal distances) vary with patch shape and starting location, and how movement of seeds between patches is affected by patch shape. 4. The model predicts that patches with corridors or other narrow extensions receive higher numbers of seeds than patches without corridors or extensions. This pattern is explained by edgefollowing behaviour of birds. Dispersal distances are generally shorter in heterogeneous landscapes (containing patchy habitat) than in homogeneous landscapes, suggesting that patches divert the movement of seed dispersers, âholdingâ them long enough to increase the probability of seed defecation in the patches. Dispersal kernels for seeds in homogeneous landscapes were smooth, whereas those in heterogenous landscapes were irregular. In both cases, long-distance (> 150 m) dispersal was surprisingly common, usually comprising approximately 50% of all dispersal events. 5. Synthesis . Landscape heterogeneity has a large influence on patterns of long-distance seed dispersal. Our results suggest that long-distance dispersal events can be predicted using spatially explicit modelling to scale-up local movements, placing them in a landscape context. Similar techniques are commonly used by landscape ecologists to model other types of movement; they offer much promise to the study of seed dispersal. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2008-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/j.1365-2745.2008.01401.x | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/953633 | |
| Harvest-related edge effects on prey availability and foraging of hooded warblers in a bottomland hardwood forest. | Kilgo, John | timber harvest; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; ARTHROPODS; AVAILABILITY; Arthropod; BIRDS; ECOLOGY; FORESTS; Hooded Warbler; MALES; MAPLES; Wilsonia citrina; bottomland hardwoods; canopy gap; foraging | The effects of harvest-created canopy gaps in bottomland hardwood forests on arthropod abundance and, hence, the foraging ecology of birds are poorly understood. I predicted that arthropod abundance would be high near edges of group-selection harvest gaps and lower in the surrounding forest, and that male Hooded Warblers (Wilsonia citrina) foraging near gaps would find more prey per unit time than those foraging in the surrounding forest. In fact, arthropod abundance was greater >100 m from a gap edge than at 0-30 m or 30-100 m from an edge, due to their abundance on switchcane (Arundinaria gigantea); arthropods did not differ in abundance among distances from gaps on oaks (Quercus spp.) or red maple (Acer rubrum). Similarly, Hooded Warbler foraging attack rates were not higher near gap edges: when foraging for fledglings, attack rate did not differ among distances from gaps, but when foraging for themselves, attack rates actually were lower 0-30 m from gap edges than 30-100 m or >100 m from a gap edge. Foraging attack rate was positively associated with arthropod abundance. Hooded Warblers apparently encountered fewer prey and presumably foraged less efficiently where arthropods were least abundant, i.e., near gaps. That attack rates among birds foraging for fledglings were not affected by distance from gap (and hence arthropod abundance) suggests that prey availability may not be limiting at any location across the forest, despite the depressing effects of gaps on arthropod abundance. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2005-04-20T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1650/0010-5422(2005)107[0627:HEEOPA]2.0.CO;2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/859202 |
| Secure Storage: Historical Documentation of TA-08-0032, TA-11-0036, TA-22-0016, TA-22-0023, TA-22-0025, TA-22-0035, TA-37-0006, TA-37-0009, and TA-37-0020 | Gregory, Carrie Jeannette; Townsend, Cameron Dee; Garcia, Kari L. M | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; Cultural resources | The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Field Office (NA-LA), is pursuing the decommissioning and demolition (D&D) of facilities contaminated with high-explosives residues at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (Laboratory or LANL). This effort affects nine facilities associated with high-explosives and detonator research, development, and storage: Technical Area (TA) 8 Facility 32 (TA-08-0032), TA-11-0036, TA-22-0016, TA-22-0023, TA-22-0025, TA-22-0035, TA-37-0006, TA-37-0009, and TA-37-0020. All nine facilities proposed for D&D have been evaluated for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and determined eligible. NA-LA previously requested the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) to concur with the NRHP-eligibility determinations of these nine properties presented in four reports: (1) TA-08-0032 was determined eligible for listing in the NRHP in the report, From Ranching to Radiography: An Assessment of Historic Buildings at Anchor West Site (TA-8), Vol. 1 (McGehee et al. 2008a). The SHPO concurred with this eligibility determination on November 26, 2008. (2) TA-11-0036 was determined eligible for listing in the NRHP in the report, ESA Divisionâs Five-Year Plan: Consolidation and Revitalization at Technical Areas 3, 8, 11, and 16, Vol. 1) (McGehee et al. 2003). The SHPO concurred with this eligibility assessment on June 22, 2003. (3) TA-22-0016, TA-22-0023, TA-22-0025, and TA-22-0035 were determined eligible for listing in the NRHP in the report, DX Divisionâs Facility Strategic Plan: Consolidation and Revitalization at Technical Areas 6, 8, 9, 14, 15, 22, 36, 39, 40, 60, and 69, Vol. 1 (McGehee et al. 2005a). The SHPO concurred with these eligibility determinations on April 18, 2006. (4) TA-37-0006, TA-37-0009, and TA-37-0020 were determined eligible for listing in the NRHP in the report, High Explosives and the Nuclear Stockpile: An Assessment of Historic Buildings at Magazine Area C (TA-37), Vol. 1 (McGehee et al. 2008b). The SHPO concurred with these eligibility determinations on April 17, 2008. In a letter dated January 24, 2020, NA-LA acknowledged that the D&D of these nine NRHP-eligible facilities was an adverse effect that requires resolution through mitigation. NA-LA proposed the use of standard mitigation practices as defined in the Programmatic Agreement (PA) among the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Field Office, the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Concerning Management of the Historic Properties at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico. The PA states that adverse effects to NRHP-eligible buildings and structures will be resolved according to the standard practices defined in Part II, Section 10, of the Laboratoryâs Cultural Resources Management Plan, A Plan for the Management of the Cultural Heritage at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico (Purtzer et al. 2019), and Section 2.B of Appendix D of the PA itself. The standard practice documentation package includes the following components: (1) Interior and exterior photography and production of archival-quality digital photographs; (2) Documentation and curation of historically significant equipment and artifacts; (3) A list of all known drawings for the property; (4) Reduced-scale reproductions of selected drawings for the property; (5) A location map that shows the location of the property relative to the entire Laboratory property; (6) Reproduction of historical TA maps; (7) A TA map that depicts the footprint of each eligible and non-eligible facility; and (8) An expanded historic context that uses oral-history interviews, if available. On March 3, 2020, the SHPO concurred with the adverse effect determination and the mitigation plan. The documentation package, as previously described, is provided in Volumes 1 and 2 of this report. | Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) | USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) | United States | 2023-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1988543 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1988543 |
| Predicting stream water quality using artificial neural networks (ANN) | Bowers, J A | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ALGORITHMS; FORECASTING; NEURAL NETWORKS; POLLUTION SOURCES; RUNOFF; STREAMS; WATER POLLUTION | Predicting point and nonpoint source runoff of dissolved and suspended materials into their receiving streams is important to protecting water quality and traditionally has been modeled using deterministic or statistical methods. The purpose of this study was to predict water quality in small streams using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The selected input variables were local precipitation, stream flow rates and turbidity for the initial prediction of suspended solids in the stream. A single hidden-layer feedforward neural network using backpropagation learning algorithms was developed with a detailed analysis of model design of those factors affecting successful implementation of the model. All features of a feedforward neural model were investigated including training set creation, number and layers of neurons, neural activation functions, and backpropagation algorithms. Least-squares regression was used to compare model predictions with test data sets. Most of the model configurations offered excellent predictive capabilities. Using either the logistic or the hyperbolic tangent neural activation function did not significantly affect predicted results. This was also true for the two learning algorithms tested, the Levenberg-Marquardt and Polak-Ribiere conjugate-gradient descent methods. The most important step during model development and training was the representative selection of data records for training of the model. | Savannah River Site (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2000-05-17T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/755373 | |
| Diet of southern toads (Bufo terrestris) in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stands subject to coarse woody debris manipulations. | Moseley, Kurtis R; Castleberry, Steven B; Hanula, James L; Mark, Ford | Silphidae; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; AMPHIBIANS; Coleoptera; DECAY; DIET; INVERTEBRATES; PINES; REMOVAL; SAMPLING; STOMACH; SUBSTRATES; TOADS; canopy gaps; carabidae; coarse woody debris; flooding; herbivores; logging; swamps | ABSTRACT In the southeastern United States, coarse woody debris (CWD) typically harbors high densities of invertebrates. However, its importance as a foraging substrate for southeastern amphibians is relatively unknown. We examined effects of CWD manipulations on diet composition of southern toads (Bufo terrestris) in upland loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stands in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Twelve 9.3-ha plots were assigned one of the following treatments: removal- all CWD _10 cm in diameter and _60 cm long removed; downed- five-fold increase in volume of down CWD; and unmanipulated control stands. We collected southern toads _4 cm snout-vent length (SVL) during 14 d sampling periods in June and October 2002, June 2003 and during a 28 d sampling period in April 2003. We collected 80, 36 and 35 southern toads in control, downed and removal treatments, respectively. We found no difference in relative abundance or frequency of invertebrate groups consumed among treatments (P.0.05). Average body weight (g), SVL (cm) and stomach content weight (g wet) of individuals also were similar among treatments (P . 0.05). The role of CWD as a foraging substrate for southern toads in loblolly pine stands of the southeastern Coastal Plain may be negligible, at least in the early stages of decay. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2005-04-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1674/0003-0031(2005)153[0327:DOSTBT]2.0.CO;2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/859199 |
| Historical wetlands mapping and GIS processing for the Savannah River Site Database | Christel, L M | 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; HEALTH AND SAFETY | EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | United States | 1994-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10195731 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10195731 | ||
| Idaho DOE EPSCoR traineeship final report | House, E. W.; Jacobsen, R. T. | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; EDUCATION; ENERGY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; PROGRESS REPORT; REMEDIAL ACTION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TRAINING | The DOE EPSCoR Program provides excellent opportunities for eligible graduate students to carry out energy-related research. The program provides funding for tuition and salary. Trainees complete their academic programs and research projects with close collaboration with investigators at Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The effects of these relationships were significant. Better research design and new ideas for quality research were outcomes of these experiences. | Univ. of Idaho, Moscow (United States) | USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-05-06T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/639703 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/639703 |
| Dose Assessment of LANL-Derived Residual Radionuclides in soils within Tract A-14 (Rendija Canyon) for Land Transfer Decisions | Whicker, Jeffrey J. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY | Rendija Canyon is located immediately north of the Los Alamos town site. The watershed has a drainage area of 9.5 mi2. The canyon head is on the flanks of the Sierra de los Valles just west of the town site at an elevation of 9826 ft. The canyon contains an ephemeral stream channel that extends approximately 9 mi east to the confluence with Guaje Canyon. The minimum elevation of the watershed is approximately 6300 ft (LANL 1997). Rendija Canyon primarily crosses US Forest Service (USFS) land except for approximately 1.6 mi of the middle portion of the canyon that crosses General Services Administration (GSA) land. Parcels of private land and Los Alamos County land, such as the Guaje Pines Cemetery, are located in Rendija Canyon along the north side of Los Alamos. One named tributary, Cabra Canyon, enters the Rendija Canyon channel from the north in the central portion of the watershed. Cabra Canyon trends northwest to southeast, is approximately 2 mi long, and has a watershed area of 1.2 mi2 on USFS and GSA land. Three unnamed tributaries to Rendija Canyon are located west of Cabra Canyon and drain south-southeast into the main Rendija Canyon channel. These tributaries are approximately 1.5, 2.0, and 1.2 mi long (LANL 2001). Tributaries of Rendija Canyon and contain ephemeral streams. There are no effluent discharges (outfalls) in the Canyon. The watershed drains portions of Los Alamos town site, GSA land, and USFS land. | Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) | USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) | United States | 2013-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1072261 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1072261 |
| Establishment of a Viable Population of Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers at the Savannah River Site | Johnston, P A | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BANDING; BIRDS; BREEDING PAIRS; HABITAT; MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES; PICOIDES BOREALIS; RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; RESTORATION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SAVANNAH RIVER SITE; SOUTHERN FLYING SQUIRREL; SQUIRREL EXCLUDER DEVICES; TRANSLOCATION; VIABLE POPULATION | Report on program's objective to restore viable population of Red-cockaded woodpecker at SRS. Several management strategies were used to promote population expansion of Red-cockaded woodpecker and reduction of interspecific competition with Red-Cockaded woodpecker. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (US) | (US) | United States | 2002-01-14T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/807839 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807839 |
| Bald eagle habitat suitability on Melton Hill Reservoir and the Clinch River | Buehler, D A | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; BIRDS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HABITAT; LAND USE; MAPS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES | The area around Melton Hill Reservoir and sections of the Clinch River along the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) provide suitable habitat for bald eagles for both breeding and wintering activities. Primary limitations on habitat suitability appear to be human activity in aquatic habitats and along shoreline areas, and human development along shoreline areas. ORR provides the majority of the suitable habitat because shoreline development is very limited. Four eagle management strategies discussed for ORR include planning development away from high-quality habitats, allowing forest stands near water to mature, conducting timber stand improvement to foster growth and development in pines and hardwoods, and using introductions to foster the development of a breeding population. The primary objective of this project was to make a qualitative assessment of bald eagle habitat suitability along Melton Hill Reservoir and the Clinch River and in adjacent areas on the ORR, including the proposed Advanced Neutron Source site. This survey`s aim was to provide ORR managers with an indication of whether suitable habitat exists and, if so, where it occurs on ORR. This information should provide the basis for incorporating eagle management into the overall ORR land management plan. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10192069 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10192069 |
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory Institutional Plan for FY 1999 Through FY 2003 | Trivelpiece, A W | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; IMPLEMENTATION; ORNL; PERFORMANCE; PLANNING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT | In January 1996, when the management and operation (M and O) contract for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was awarded to Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation, they were presented with the opportunity to develop and implement a management structure tailored to the Laboratory's needs and functions. In response, they launched a Laboratory-wide reengineering effort and undertook other work with the goal of fostering excellence, relevance, and stewardship in all aspects of the Laboratory's operations. This effort is paying off in improvements in their ability to meet the expectations established for ORNL as a Department of Energy laboratory overseen by the Office of Science: delivering advances in science and technology, securing new capabilities, improving the ability to operate safely and efficiently at reasonable cost, and being a good neighbor. The development of critical outcomes and objectives, now under way in partnership with the Department's Oak Ridge Operations Office, is aimed at providing a performance-based means of determining how ORNL measures up to these expectations. | ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 1998-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/814558 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/814558 |
| Idaho National Laboratory Cultural Resource Management Office FY 2010 Activity Report | Gilbert, Hollie K.; Marler, Clayton F.; Olson, Christina L.; Pace, Brenda R.; Williams, Julie Braun | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Anthropology; Archaeology; Cultural Resource Management | The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site is home to vast numbers and a wide variety of important cultural resources representing at least a 13,500 year span of human land use in the region. As a federal agency, the Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) has legal responsibility for the management and protection of the resources and has contracted these responsibilities to Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA). The BEA professional staff is committed to maintaining a cultural resource management program that accepts the challenge of preserving INL cultural resources in a manner reflecting their importance in local, regional, and national history. This report summarizes activities performed by the INL Cultural Resource Management Office (CRMO) staff during fiscal year 2010. This work is diverse, far-reaching and though generally confined to INL cultural resource compliance, also includes a myriad of professional and voluntary community activities. This document is intended to be informative to both internal and external stakeholders and to serve as a planning tool for future INL cultural resource management work. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) | United States | 2011-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1044207 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1044207 |
| Field performance of the Walker Branch throughfall displacement experiment | Hanson, P J; Todd, D E; Edwards, N T; Huston, M A | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; THROUGHFALL; WATERSHEDS | The authors are conducting a large-scale manipulative field experiments in an upland oak forest on the Walker Branch Watershed in eastern Tennessee USA to identify important ecosystem responses that might result from future precipitation changes. The manipulation of soil moisture is being implemented by a gravity-driven transfer of throughfall precipitation from one treatment plot to another. Throughfall is intercepted in {approx} 2,000 subcanopy troughs (0.3 x 5 m) suspended above the forest floor of the dry plots ({approx} 33% of the ground area is covered) and transferred by gravity flow across an ambient plot for subsequent distribution onto the wet treatment plot. Percent soil water is being monitored with time domain reflectometers at 310 sampling locations across the site. The experimental system is able to produce statistically significant differences in soil water content in years having both extremely dry and extremely wet conditions. Furthermore, comparisons of pre- and post-installation soil temperature measurements have documented the ability of the experimental design to produce these changes without changing the microclimate of the forest understory. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-10-06T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/41269 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/41269 |
| Savannah River Ecology Laboratory 2005 Annual Technical Progress Report | Bertsch, Paul M | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECOLOGY; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; Savannah River Site; ecology; environmental research | 2005 annual report of research conducted by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, a research unit of The University of Georgia operating on the Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina | Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC | USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2005-07-19T04:00:00Z | S&T Accomplishment Report | 10.2172/891076 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/891076 |
| Environmental Science and Research Foundation. Annual technical report, April 11, 1994--December 31, 1994 | Reynolds, T D; Morris, R C; Markham, O D | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECOLOGY; EDUCATION; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; PROGRESS REPORT; PUBLIC RELATIONS; RADIOECOLOGY | This Annual Technical Report describes work conducted for the Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office, by the Environmental Science and Research Foundation (Foundation) for work under contract DE-AC07-94ID13268. The Foundation began, on April 11, 1994, to conduct environmental surveillance near to and distant from the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, provide environmental public relations and education related to INEL natural resource issues, and conduct ecological and radioecological research benefiting major DOE-ID programs including Waste Management, Environmental Restoration, Spent Nuclear Fuels, and Infrastructure. | Environmental Science and Research Foundation, Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/100111 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/100111 |
| Survey of protected terrestrial vertebrates on the Oak Ridge Reservation. Final report | Mitchell, J M; Vail, E R; Webb, J W; Evans, J W | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMPHIBIANS; BIRDS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HABITAT; LAND USE; MAMMALS; MAPS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; REPTILES; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS | This document is the final report on surveys of protected terrestrial vertebrates on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) conducted from October 1994 through May 1996. The surveys were undertaken to gain information that could help prevent or minimize the potential impacts of projects on the ORR to species listed by the state or federal government as endangered, threatened, or in need of management; federal species of concern were also included. The results of the survey will assist in the effective management of the natural resources of the ORR. Currently, there are 69 species of federal or state listed terrestrial vertebrates (20 reptiles and amphibians, 20 mammals, and 29 birds) that may occur in Tennessee. Listed animal species that might be present on the ORR were targeted for survey using a prioritization system based on historical and recent sightings, known species distributions, presence of suitable habitat, literature reviews, and personal communications. Survey methods included trapping, seining, monitoring of artificial covers, active searching, and avian surveys. Surveys were conducted during the time of year when each targeted species was most likely to be encountered. The surveys confirmed the presence of 20 threatened and endangered species on the ORR. This report also includes some ancillary information. Records are provided for nonlisted species (44 species of reptiles and amphibians, 155 species of birds, and 28 species of mammals). Categorization of survey sites into 1 or more of 19 habitat types, which are briefly described, is presented. Notes are summarized on the occurrence of threatened and endangered species on the ORR. Finally, this report also lists threatened and endangered species not found that might be located by additional surveys, recommends three survey areas for natural-area status due to wildlife value, and suggests several avenues for future work. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1996-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/258158 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/258158 |
| Spatial and temporal patterns of beetles associated with coarse woody debris in managed bottomland hardwood forests. | Horn, S | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; BEETLES; Bark beetles; Buprestidae; Cerambycidae; Cleridae; Coarse woody debris; FORESTS; MANAGEMENT; REMOVAL; Saproxylic; Woodborers | For. Ecol. and Mgt. 199:259-272. Malaise traps were used to sample beetles in artificial canopy gaps of different size (0.13 ha, 0.26 ha, and0.50 ha) and age in a South Carolina bottomland hardwood forest. Traps were placed at the center, edge, and in the surrounding forest of each gap. Young gaps (ý 1 year) had large amounts of coarse woody debris compared to the surrounding forest, while older gaps (ý 6 years) had virtually none. The total abundance and diversity of wood-dwelling beetles (Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Brentidae, Bostrichidae, and Curculionidae (Scolytinae and Platypodinae)) was higher in the center of young gaps than in the center of old gaps. The abundance was higher in the center of young gaps than in the surrounding forest, while the forest surrounding old gaps and the edge of old gaps had a higher abundance and diversity of wood-dwelling beetles than did the center of old gaps. There was no difference in wood-dwelling beetle abundance between gaps of different size, but diversity was lower in 0.13 ha old gaps than in 0.26 ha or 0.50 ha old gaps. We suspect that gap size has more of an effect on woodborer abundance than indicated here because malaise traps sample a limited area. The predaceous beetle family Cleridae showed a very similar trend to that of the woodborers. Coarse woody debris is an important resource for many organisms, and our results lend further support to forest management practices that preserve coarse woody debris created during timber removal. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2004-05-13T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.foreco.2004.05.046 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835558 |
| Distribution and diversity of fungal species in and adjacent to the Los Alamos National Laboratory | Balice, R G; Jarmie, N; Rogers, F J | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONIFERS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FUNGAL DISEASES; FUNGI; HABITAT; LAND USE; LANL; NUMERICAL DATA; POPULATION DYNAMICS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS | Fungi have demonstrated their ability to diversify and specialize to take advantage of new environments (Murphy 1996). These species are essential to the normal functioning of ecosystems and the impacts of human activities may be harmful to fungi. There is a need to inventory fungi throughout the range of their environments. Previously archived information representing 43 sample locations was used to perform a preliminary evaluation of the distributions and diversity of fungal species at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and in adjacent environments. Presence-absence data for 71 species of fungi in five habitats, pinon-juniper, canyon-bottom ponderosa pine, ponderosa pine, canyon-bottom mixed conifer, and mixed conifer were analyzed. The results indicate that even though fungi occur in each of the habitats, fungal species are not distributed evenly among these habitats. The richness of fungal species is greater in the canyon-bottom mixed conifer and mixed conifer habitats than in the pinon-juniper, canyon-bottom ponderosa pine or ponderosa pine habitats. All but three of the fungal species were recorded in either the canyon-bottom mixed conifer or the mixed conifer habitats, and all but seven of the fungal species were found in the mixed conifer habitat. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/564129 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/564129 |
| Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, annual technical progress report of ecological research for the year ending June 30, 1997 | Wein, G; Rosier, B | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, APPLIED STUDIES; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; ECOLOGY; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIATION DOSES; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; REMEDIAL ACTION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RISK ASSESSMENT; SPECTROSCOPY; WASTE MANAGEMENT | This report provides an overview of the research programs and program components carried out by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Research focused on the following: advanced analytical and spectroscopic techniques for developing novel waste isolation and stabilization technologies as well as cost-effective remediation strategies; ecologically sound management of damaged and remediation of ecological systems; ecotoxicology, remediation, and risk assessment; radioecology, including dose assessments for plants and animals exposed to environmental radiation; and other research support programs. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-12-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/325741 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/325741 |
| An Overview Comparison of Tank Closure Activities at Certain DOE Site | LUKE, J J | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ACCELERATION; CLOSURES; COMMUNICATIONS; IDAHO; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PERSONNEL; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SCHEDULES; TANKS | This paper presents a summary-level comparison of the similarities and differences of tank closure programs at the four primary radioactive waste tank sites in the US Department of Energy (DOE) complex. The sites are Hanford, Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), and the Savannah River Site (SRS). The depth of our understanding of the closure programs varies with the amount of detailed information each of the four sites has provided to date. This paper was prepared using the best available information, including direct communications with key tank closure personnel at each of the sites. Many of the current schedules are under review for possible acceleration. | CH2M (US) | ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (US) | United States | 2003-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/810114 | |
| Mercury in Fish from a Sulfate-Amended Wetland Mesocosm | Harmon, S M | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONSTRUCTION; MERCURY; METHYLATION; SEDIMENTS; SOILS; SULFATES; WETLANDS | This study used an experimental model of a constructed wetland to evaluate the risk of mercury methylation when the soil is amended with sulfate. The model was planted with Schoenoplectus californicus, and the sediments were varied during construction to provide a control and two levels of sulfate treatment. | Savannah River Site (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2003-05-29T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/812072 | |
| BEAN MODEL AND AC LOSSES IN Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}Ca{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 10}/Ag TAPES | SUENAGA, M; CHIBA, T; WIESMANN, H J; HALDAR, P | 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; AC LOSSES; BISMUTH OXIDES; CALCIUM OXIDES; COPPER OXIDES; CRITICAL CURRENT; CURRENT DENSITY; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; SILVER; STRONTIUM OXIDES; SUPERCONDUCTIVITY | The Bean model is almost solely used to interpret ac losses in the powder-in-tube processed composite conductor, Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}Ca{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 10}/Ag. In order to examine the limits of the applicability of the model, a detailed comparison was made between the values of critical current density J{sub c} for Bi(2223)/Ag tapes which were determined by standard four-probe-dc measurement, and which were deduced from the field dependence of the ac losses utilizing the model. A significant inconsistency between these values of J{sub c} were found, particularly at high fields. Possible sources of the discrepancies are discussed. | Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (US) | USDOE Office of Energy Research (ER) (US) | United States | 1997-10-27T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/757094 | |
| Facility Siting as a Decision Process at the Savannah River Site | Wike, L D | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; DECISION MAKING; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE SELECTION; STANDARDIZED TERMINOLOGY | This document is based upon previous site selection exercises conducted for a variety of proposed facilities. It develops the logic and basis for the methods employed, and standardizes the process and terminology for future site selection efforts. | Savannah River Site (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2001-07-24T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/783810 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/783810 |
| Survey of ecological resources at selected US Department of Energy sites | McAllister, C; Beckert, H; Abrams, C | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BASELINE ECOLOGY; CLIMATES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; GEOLOGY; HABITAT; HYDROLOGY; PLANTS; RESOURCE ASSESSMENT; US DOE; WILD ANIMALS | The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) owns and manages a wide range of ecological resources. During the next 30 years, DOE Headquarters and Field Offices will make land-use planning decisions and conduct environmental remediation and restoration activities in response to federal and state statutes. This document fulfills, in part, DOE`s need to know what types of ecological resources it currently owns and manages by synthesizing information on the types and locations of ecological resources at 10 DOE sites: Hanford Site, Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, Rocky Flats Plant, Los Alamos National Laboratory, savannah River Site, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and Fernald Environmental Management Project. This report summarizes information on ecosystems, habitats, and federally listed threatened, endangered, and candidate species that could be stressed by contaminants or physical activity during the restoration process, or by the natural or anthropogenic transport of contaminants from presently contaminated areas into presently uncontaminated areas. This report also provides summary information on the ecosystems, habitats, and threatened and endangered species that exist on each of the 10 sites. Each site chapter contains a general description of the site, including information on size, location, history, geology, hydrology, and climate. Descriptions of the major vegetation and animal communities and of aquatic resources are also provided, with discussions of the treatened or endangered plant or animal species present. Site-specific ecological issues are also discussed in each site chapter. 106 refs., 11 figs., 1 tab. | Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States) | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1996-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/525012 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/525012 |
| Applied environmental technology development at the Savannah River Site: A retrospective on the last half of the 20th century | Looney, B B | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; BASELINE ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; POLLUTION CONTROL; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT | Fifty years ago, the Savannah River Site (SRS) was built to produce nuclear materials. These operations impacted air, soil, groundwater, ecology and the local environment. Throughout its history, SRS has addressed these contamination issues directly and has maintained a strong commitment to environmental stewardship. The site boasts many environmental firsts. Notably, SRS was the first major DOE facility to perform a baseline ecological assessment. This pioneering effort, by Ruth Patrick and the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences, was performed during SRS planning and construction in the early 1950's. This unique early example sets the stage for subsequent efforts. Since that time, the scientists and engineers at SRS have proactively identified environmental problems as they occurred and have skillfully developed elegant and efficient solutions. | Savannah River Site (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2000-03-13T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/752502 | |
| [Composite analysis E-area vaults and saltstone disposal facilities]. PORFLOW and FACT input files | Cook, J. R. | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMPUTER CODES; DATA; GROUND WATER; HYDROLOGY; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOISOTOPES; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT | This diskette contains the PORFLOW and FACT input files described in Appendix B of the accompanying report `Composite Analysis E-Area Vaults and Saltstone Disposal Facilities`. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/664404 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/664404 |
| FY 2013 Site Sustainability Plan | Witt, Monica R. | Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization(32); Environmental Protection | Abstract Not Provided | Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) | DOE/LANL | United States | 2012-12-03T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1056515 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1056515 |
| Contrasting food web linkages for the grazing pathway in 3 temperate forested streams using {sup 15}N as a tracer | Tank, J L; Mulholland, P J; Meyer, J L; Bowden, W B; Webster, J R; Peterson, B J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FOOD CHAINS; INVERTEBRATES; NITROGEN 15; NITROGEN CYCLE; NUTRIENTS; STREAMS; TRACER TECHNIQUES | Nitrogen is a critical element controlling the productivity and dynamics of stream ecosystems and many streams are limited by the supply of biologically available nitrogen. The authors are learning more about the fate of inorganic nitrogen entering streams through {sup 15}N tracer additions. The Lotic Intersite Nitrogen Experiment (LINX) is studying the uptake, cycling, and fate of {sup 15}N-NH{sub 4} in the stream food web of 10 streams draining different biomes. Using the {sup 15}N tracer method and data from 3 sites in the study, the authors can differentiate patterns in the cycling of nitrogen through the grazing pathway (N from the epilithon to grazing macroinvertebrates) for 3 temperate forested streams. Here, they quantify the relationship between the dominant grazer and its proposed food resource, the epilithon, by comparing {sup 15}N levels of grazers with those of the epilithon, as well as the biomass, nitrogen content, and chlorophyll a standing stocks of the epilithon in 3 streams. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States); National Science Foundation, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/290968 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/290968 |
| Fuels Inventories in the Los Alamos National Laboratory Region: 1997 | Balice, R G; Oswald, B P; Martin, C | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONIFERS; FIRE HAZARDS; FOREST LITTER; INVENTORIES; LANL; NATURAL DISASTERS; PINES; PLANTS; REGIONAL ANALYSIS; WOOD FUELS | Fifty-four sites were surveyed for fuel levels, vegetational structures, and topographic characteristics. Most of the surveyed sites were on Los Alamos National Laboratory property, however, some surveys were also conducted on U.S. Forest Service property. The overall vegetation of these sites ranged from pinon-juniper woodlands to ponderosa pine forests to mixed conifer forests, and the topographic positions included canyons, mesas, and mountains. The results of these surveys indicate that the understory fuels are the greatest in mixed conifer forests and that overstory fuels are greatest in both mixed conifer forests and ponderosa pine forests on mesas. The geographic distribution of these fuels would suggest a most credible wildfire scenario for the Los Alamos region. Three major fires have occurred since 1954 and these fires behaved in a manner that is consistent with this scenario. The most credible wildfire scenario was also supported by the results of BEHAVE modeling that used the fuels inventory data as inputs. Output from the BEHAVE model suggested that catastrophic wildfires would continue to occur during any season with sufficiently dry, windy weather. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (US) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US) | United States | 1999-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/7385 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7385 |
| Comparison of Red-Cockaded Woodpecker (Piciodes borealis) Nestling Diet in Old-Growth and Old-Field Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) | Hanula, J L; Engstrom, R T | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; ADULTS; ARTHROPODS; BIOMASS; CAMERAS; DIET; ENDANGERED SPECIES; FOREST MANAGEMENT; HABITAT; PINES; SAVANNA | Automatic cameras were used to record adult woodpecker diets in old-growth and old-field longleaf pine in the South. Roaches were the number one prey for the woodpeckers based on either biomass or numbers. The latter ranged from 37% to 57% of the prey numbers and 55%-73% of the biomass. Morisita's index of similarity between old-field and old growth varied from 0.89 to 0.95. The authors conclude that the prey base is similar in both conditions and that old-growth provides similar foraging habitat. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (US) | (US) | United States | 1999-10-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807732 | |
| Long-Term Stewardship Baseline Report and Transition Guidance | Kristofferson, Keith | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; INEEL; LAND USE; Long-term stewardship; MANAGEMENT; PLANNING | Long-term stewardship consists of those actions necessary to maintain and demonstrate continued protection of human health and the environment after facility cleanup is complete. As the Department of Energyâs (DOE) lead laboratory for environmental management programs, the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) administers DOEâs long-term stewardship science and technology efforts. The INEEL provides DOE with technical, and scientific expertise needed to oversee its long-term environmental management obligations complexwide. Long-term stewardship is administered and overseen by the Environmental Management Office of Science and Technology. The INEEL Long-Term Stewardship Program is currently developing the management structures and plans to complete INEEL-specific, long-term stewardship obligations. This guidance document (1) assists in ensuring that the program leads transition planning for the INEEL with respect to facility and site areas and (2) describes the classes and types of criteria and data required to initiate transition for areas and sites where the facility mission has ended and cleanup is complete. Additionally, this document summarizes current information on INEEL facilities, structures, and release sites likely to enter long-term stewardship at the completion of DOEâs cleanup mission. This document is not intended to function as a discrete checklist or local procedure to determine readiness to transition. It is an overarching document meant as guidance in implementing specific transition procedures. Several documents formed the foundation upon which this guidance was developed. Principal among these documents was the Long-Term Stewardship Draft Technical Baseline; A Report to Congress on Long-Term Stewardship, Volumes I and II; Infrastructure Long-Range Plan; Comprehensive Facility Land Use Plan; INEEL End-State Plan; and INEEL Institutional Plan. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | USDOE | United States | 2001-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/910970 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/910970 |
| Finding of no significant impact for the tritium facility modernization and consolidation project at the Savannah River Site | 07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; MODIFICATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; REGULATIONS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TRITIUM | The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) (DOE/EA-1222) for the proposed modernization and consolidation of the existing tritium facilities at the Savannah River Site (SRS), located near Aiken, South Carolina. Based on the analyses in the EA, DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required, and DOE is issueing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). | USDOE Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/585065 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/585065 | |
| Seasonal dynamics of benthic macroinvertebrates of Pond B, Savannah River Plant Aiken, South Carolina | Whicker, A D | 560200* -- Thermal Effects; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BIOLOGY; ECOLOGY; INVERTEBRATES; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PLANKTON; PRODUCTIVITY; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SEDIMENTS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TAXONOMY; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VARIATIONS | This study was designed to evaluate the spatial and seasonal distributions, compositions, and abundances of benthic macroinvertebrates in Pond B after 20 years of postthermal recovery. There are both basic and applied uses for the data gathered during the study. The examination of species composition and abundances as a function of season and water depth adds to the base of general knowledge on the benthic invertebrates of lentic systems. The current species composition also provides an indication of a portion of the postthermal community succession. An estimate of the biomass of the benthic community permits a calculation of the radionuclide inventory in this ecosystem compartment, if average concentrations are concurrently determined. Such data may then be used to predict food chain transfers to higher consumers and potential export from the ecosystem. Specific hypotheses tested were: (1) densities of certain benthic invertebrate communities vary with season, (2) densities of benthic invertebrates vary with water depth, and (3) the effect of season on invertebrate density depends on water depth (i.e. there is an interaction between depth and season). Other community parameters considered were species composition, diversity, and relative biomass by taxa. 30 refs., 5 figs., 9 tabs. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (USA) | DOE/DP | United States | 1988-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5043977 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5043977 |
| Local and Regional Economic Benefits from Forest Products Production Activities at the Savannah River Site: 1955-Present | Teeter, L; Blake, J I | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA; ECONOMIC IMPACT; FORESTS; HARDWOODS; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; PINE STRAW; PINES; PRODUCTION; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SALES; SAVANNAH; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SAVANNAH RIVER SITE; SILVICULTURE; STRAW; TREES; WETLANDS; WOOD PRODUCTS INDUSTRY | SRS was established in 1951 as a nuclear materials production facility; however, decline in the defense mission budget at SRS has created a major economic impact on the community in the Central Savannah River Area. SRS has been offsetting these effects by producing revenue (80 million dollars to date) from the sale of forest products since 1955 primarily trees, but also pine straw. Revenue has been re-invested into the infrastructure development, restoration and management of natural resources. Total asset value of the forest-land has increased from 21 million to over 500 million dollars in the same period. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (US) | (US) | United States | 2002-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/807841 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807841 |
| Preliminary site selection report for the new sanitary landfill at the Savannah River Site | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; ECOLOGY; ENGINEERING; EROSION; FLUID FLOW; GEOLOGY; GROUND DISPOSAL; GROUND WATER; HYDROLOGY; PLANNING; REGULATIONS; SANITARY LANDFILLS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SOLID WASTES; WATER TABLES | The Savannah River Site (SRS) has proposed a new sanitary landfill (NSL) for solid waste. A site selection team, comprised of representatives from Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) evaluated potential landfill sites. The site selection team conducted an initial screening of SRS to eliminate unsuitable areas. The screening was based on criteria that were principally environmental factors; however, the criteria also included avoiding areas with unacceptable features for construction or operation of the facility. This initial screening identified seven candidate sites for further evaluation. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10163617 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10163617 | |
| Preliminary site characterization - final report | Clark, D; Smith, L B | 052002; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; BASELINE ECOLOGY; FEASIBILITY STUDIES; HABITAT; REMEDIAL ACTION; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE; WILD ANIMALS | This report summarizes the ecological unit reconnaissance conducted at the F-Area Burning/Rubble Pit(s) RCRA/CERCLA Unit (F-Area BRP) on August 30 and 31, 1993 as part of the RFI/RI baseline risk assessment for the waste unit The baseline risk assessment will assess the potential endangerment to human health and the environment associated with the unit and will be used to evaluate remediation criteria, if needed. The information presented in this report will be used in subsequent stages of the ecological risk assessment to refine the conceptual site model, assist in the selection of contaminants of concern, identify potential ecological receptors, and evaluate trophic relationships and other exposure pathways. The unit reconnaissance survey was conducted in accordance with Specification No. E-18272, Rev. 1 dated August 5, 1993, and the Draft {open_quotes}Ecological Risk Assessment Program Plan for Evaluation of Waste Sites on the Savannah River Site{close_quotes}. The objectives of the site reconnaissance were to: Assess the general characteristics of on-unit biological communities including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and any aquatic communities present. Determine the location, extent, and characteristics of on-unit ecological resources, such as forested areas and wetlands, that could serve as important wildlife habitat or provide other ecological functions. Identify any overt effects of contamination on biological communities. The field investigations included mapping and describing all wetland and terrestrial habitats; recording wildlife observations of birds, mammals, and reptiles; and investigating ecological resources in nearby downgradient and downstream areas which could be affected by mobile contaminants or future remedial actions. In preparation for the field investigation, existing unit information including aerial photographs and reports were reviewed to help identify and describe ecological resources at the waste unit. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10193828 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10193828 |
| USING ANT COMMUNITIES FOR RAPID ASSESSMENT OF TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM HEALTH | Wike, L; Doug Martin, D; Michael Paller, M; Eric Nelson, E | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANTS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; CLIMATES; ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION; ECOSYSTEMS; ETHANOL; HABITAT; PINES; PLANTS; PRECURSOR; SAMPLING; SOILS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS | Ecosystem health with its near infinite number of variables is difficult to measure, and there are many opinions as to which variables are most important, most easily measured, and most robust, Bioassessment avoids the controversy of choosing which physical and chemical parameters to measure because it uses responses of a community of organisms that integrate all aspects of the system in question. A variety of bioassessment methods have been successfully applied to aquatic ecosystems using fish and macroinvertebrate communities. Terrestrial biotic index methods are less developed than those for aquatic systems and we are seeking to address this problem here. This study had as its objective to examine the baseline differences in ant communities at different seral stages from clear cut back to mature pine plantation as a precursor to developing a bioassessment protocol. Comparative sampling was conducted at four seral stages; clearcut, 5 year, 15 year and mature pine plantation stands. Soil and vegetation data were collected at each site. All ants collected were preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol and identified to genus. Analysis of the ant data indicates that ants respond strongly to the habitat changes that accompany ecological succession in managed pine forests and that individual genera as well as ant community structure can be used as an indicator of successional change. Ants exhibited relatively high diversity in both early and mature seral stages. High ant diversity in the mature seral stages was likely related to conditions on the forest floor which favored litter dwelling and cool climate specialists. | SRS | DOE | United States | 2007-01-12T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/896849 | |
| Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact: Pond B Dam Repair Project at the Savannah River Site | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; AIKEN; EA; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; FLOODPLAIN; FONSI; POND B DAM; PONDS; REPAIR; SAVANNAH RIVER SITE; SC; US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT | The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) (DOE/EA-1285) for the proposed repair of the Pond B dam at the Savannah River Site (SRS), located near Aiken, South Carolina. Based on the analyses in the EA, DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required, and DOE is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Floodplain Statement of Findings. | U.S. Department of Energy, Savannah River Operations Office (US) | USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US) | United States | 1999-09-27T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/768505 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/768505 | |
| Replacement Power Facility site selection report | Wike, L D; Toole, G L; Specht, W L | 20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS; 200100* -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Power Plants & Power Generation; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 294000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Fossil Fuels; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540120 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540220 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); AIR QUALITY; ANIMALS; CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS; COAL; DESIGN; ECOLOGY; ENERGY SOURCES; ENGINEERING; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; FORESTRY; FOSSIL FUELS; FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS; FUELS; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; POWER PLANTS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; STORAGE; SURFACE WATERS; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; THERMAL POWER PLANTS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WILD ANIMALS | The Department of Energy (DOE) has proposed the construction and operation of a Replacement Power Facility (RPF) for supplementing and replacing existing sources of steam and possibly electricity at the Savannah River Site (SRS). DOE is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for this project As part of the impact analysis of the proposed action, the EIS will include a detailed description of the environment where the RPF will be constructed. This description must be specific to the recommended site at SRS, which contains more than 300 square miles of land including streams, lakes, impoundments, wetlands, and upland areas. A formal site-selection process was designed and implemented to identify the preferred RPF site. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6674421 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6674421 |
| Replacement Power Facility site selection report | Wike, L D; Toole, G L; Specht, W L | 20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS; 200100; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 294000; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540120; 540220; AIR QUALITY; CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; COAL; DESIGN; ECOLOGY; ENGINEERING; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FORESTRY; FOSSIL FUELS; FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS; POWER PLANTS AND POWER GENERATION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; STORAGE; SURFACE WATERS; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; WILD ANIMALS | The Department of Energy (DOE) has proposed the construction and operation of a Replacement Power Facility (RPF) for supplementing and replacing existing sources of steam and possibly electricity at the Savannah River Site (SRS). DOE is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for this project As part of the impact analysis of the proposed action, the EIS will include a detailed description of the environment where the RPF will be constructed. This description must be specific to the recommended site at SRS, which contains more than 300 square miles of land including streams, lakes, impoundments, wetlands, and upland areas. A formal site-selection process was designed and implemented to identify the preferred RPF site. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10131958 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10131958 |
| Lease of Parcel ED-1 of the Oak Ridge Reservation by the East Tennessee Economic Council | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMPLIANCE; ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; LAND LEASING; LAND USE; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT | The US Department of Energy (DOE) has completed an environmental assessment (DOE/EA-1113) for the proposed lease of 957.16 acres of the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) to the East Tennessee Economic Council (ETEC), a non-profit community organization, for a period of 10 years, with an option for renewal. ETEC proposes to develop an industrial park on the leased site to provide employment opportunities for DOE and contractor employees affected by decreased federal funding. Based on the results of the analysis reported in the EA and implementation of mitigation measures defined in this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action that would significantly affect the quality of the human environment within the context of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Therefore, preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not necessary, and DOE is issuing this mitigated FONSI. DOE will implement a Mitigation Action Plan for this project and provide annual reports on mitigation and monitoring. | USDOE Oak Ridge Operations Office, TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1996-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/383600 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/383600 | |
| Workshop proceedings: Developing the scientific basis for long-term land management of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory | Sperber, T D; Reynolds, T D; Breckenridge, R P | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; INFORMATION NEEDS; LAND RESOURCES; LAND USE; RECOMMENDATIONS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | Responses to a survey on the INEEL Comprehensive Facility and Land Use Plan (US DOE 1996a) indicated the need for additional discussion on environmental resources, disturbance, and land use issues on the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). As a result, in September 1997, a workshop evaluated the existing scientific basis and determined future data needs for long-term land management on the INEEL. This INEEL Long-Term Land Management Workshop examined existing data on biotic, abiotic, and heritage resources and how these resources have been impacted by disturbance activities of the INEEL. Information gained from this workshop will help guide land and facility use decisions, identify data gaps, and focus future research efforts. This report summarizes background information on the INEEL and its long-term land use planning efforts, presentations and discussions at the workshop, and the existing data available at the INEEL. In this document, recommendations for future INEEL land use planning, research efforts, and future workshops are presented. The authors emphasize these are not policy statements, but comments and suggestions made by scientists and others participating in the workshop. Several appendices covering land use disturbance, legal drivers, land use assumptions and workshop participant comments, workshop participants and contributors, and the workshop agenda are also included. | Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Co., Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-03-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/676972 | |
| Resource Management plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 28, Wetlands on the Oak Ridge Reservation | Cunningham, M.; Pounds, Larry | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ECOSYSTEMS; INVENTORIES; MANAGEMENT; MAPS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANTS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SURVEYS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WETLANDS | A survey of wetlands on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) was conducted in 1990. Wetlands occurring on ORR were identified using National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) maps and field surveys. More than 120 sites were visited and 90 wetlands were identified. Wetland types on ORR included emergent communities in shallow embayments on reservoirs, emergent and aquatic communities in ponds, forested wetland on low ground along major creeks, and wet meadows and marshes associated with streams and seeps. Vascular plant species occurring on sites visited were inventoried, and 57 species were added to the checklist of vascular plants on ORR. Three species listed as rare in Tennessee were discovered on ORR during the wetlands survey. The survey provided an intensive ground truth of the wetlands identified by NWI and offered an indication of wetlands that the NWI remote sensing techniques did not detect. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1991-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5911920 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5911920 |
| Dispersal and disturbance as factors limiting the distribution of rare plant species at the Savannah River Site and the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge. | Primack, Richard; Walker, Joan | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BIOLOGY; Carolina Sandhills; DISTRIBUTION; DISTURBANCES; ECOLOGY; FORESTS; GERMINATION; HABITAT; PINES; Pinus palustris; Rare plant establishment; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SCREENS; SEEDLINGS; SEEDS; SOUTH CAROLINA; TARGETS; TRANSPLANTS; Upland longleaf pine | An experiment was conducted to identify effective methods of creating new populations of herbaceous species in managed upland longleaf pine forest at two locations in the Fall-line Sandhills of South Carolina. We included thirteen species and a variety of site treatments. All sites were burned and lightly raked prior to planting. Sowing seeds on untreated or fertilized treatments resulted in the lowest establishment of all treatments. Digging the planting area to remove belowground plant structures and using hardware cloth cages to exclude potential mammalian seed predators and herbivores led to increased establishment of target species. Establishment was higher using seedling transplants compared to seeds. Success rate was highly variable among sites so population establishment efforts should try to incorporate many sites initially to find the sites that give the greatest chance of success, or increase efforts to carefully identify species, habitat requirements and screen potential sites accordingly. Some species showed very low rates of success despite the variety of methods used; for such species additional work is required on their basic ecology, in particular germination biology and site requirements, as part of a restoration project. The overall low rate of establishment success emphasizes the need to protect and manage existing populations of uncommon Sandhills species, and to recognize that establishing large, long-term, reproducing populations of such species will be difficult. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2003-12-10T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/835193 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835193 |
| Enhancing the soil organic matter pool through biomass incorporation. | Sanchez, Felipe G; Carter, Emily A; Klepac, John F | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BIOMASS; Biomass; ORGANIC MATTER; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; SOILS; SOUTH CAROLINA; bulk density; carbon; cone index; machine costs; machine production; nitrogen | A study was installed in the upper Coastal Plains of South Carolina, USA that sought to examine the impact of incorporating downed slash materials into subsoil layers on soil chemical and physical properties as compared with the effect of slash materials left on the soil surface. Two sites were examined which differed in soil textural composition: sandy vs. clay. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2003-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/S0961-9534(02)00167-8 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/881967 |
| Cultural Resource Investigations for a Multipurpose Haul Road on the Idaho National Laboratory | Pace, Brenda R; Brizzee, Cameron; Gilbert, Hollie; Marler, Clayton; Williams, Julie Braun | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONSTRUCTION; CULTURAL RESOURCES; RECOMMENDATIONS; TRANSPORT; WASTES; archaeology; cultural resources | The U. S. Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office is considering options for construction of a multipurpose haul road to transport materials and wastes between the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) and other Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site facilities. The proposed road will be closed to the public and designed for limited year-round use. Two primary options are under consideration: a new route south of the existing T-25 power line road and an upgrade to road T-24. In the Spring of 2010, archaeological field surveys and initial coordination and field reconnaissance with representatives from the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes were completed to identify any resources that may be adversely affected by the proposed road construction and to develop recommendations to protect any listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The investigations showed that 24 archaeological resources and one historic marker are located in the area of potential effects for road construction and operation south of the T-25 powerline road and 27archaeological resources are located in the area of potential effects for road construction and operation along road T-24. Generalized tribal concerns regarding protection of natural resources were also documented in both road corridors. This report outlines recommendations for additional investigations and protective measures that can be implemented to minimize adverse impacts to the identified resources. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | DOE - EM | United States | 2010-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/991891 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/991891 |
| The Scientific, Technological and Economic Impact of Fermilab III | Carrigan, Richard A. | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) | United States | 1990-01-01T04:00:00Z | Program Document | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1333167 | |||
| Ammonium and nitrate uptake lengths in a small forested stream determined by {sup 15}N tracer and short-term nutrient enrichment experiments | Mulholland, P J; Tank, J L; Sanzone, D M; Webster, J R; Wollheim, W; Peterson, B J; Meyer, J L | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; NITRATES; NITROGEN 15; NITROGEN CYCLE; NUTRIENTS; STREAMS; TRACER TECHNIQUES; UPTAKE; WATER POLLUTION | Nutrient cycling is an important characteristic of all ecosystems, including streams. Nutrients often limit the growth rates of stream algae and heterotrophic microbes and the decomposition rate of allochthonous organic matter. Nutrient uptake (S{sub W}), defined as the mean distance traveled by a nutrient atom dissolved in stream water before uptake by biota is often used as an index of nutrient cycling in streams. It is often overlooked, however, that S{sub W} is not a measure of nutrient uptake rate per se, but rather a measure of the efficiency with which a stream utilizes the available nutrient supply. The ideal method for measuring S{sub W} involves short-term addition of a nutrient tracer. Regulatory constraints often preclude use of nutrient radiotracers in field studies and methodological difficulties and high analytical costs have previously hindered the use of stable isotope nutrient tracers (e.g., {sup 15}N). Short-term nutrient enrichments are an alternative to nutrient tracer additions for measuring S{sub W}. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/290966 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/290966 |
| U.S. Atomic Energy Commission's Environmental Research Programs Established in the 1950s | Reichle, D E | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENGINEERS; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; NUCLEAR ENERGY; RADIATIONS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS | In 1946 the United States (U.S.) Congress passed the Atomic Energy Act and with it created the Atomic Energy Commission. For the ensuing half-century the AEC and its successors have pursued biological and environmental research with an unwavering mandate to exploit the use of fissionable and radioactive material for medical purposes and, at the same time, to ensure the health of it's workers, the public, and the environment during energy technology development and use (AEC. 1961; DOE 1983; DOE, 1997). The following pages are testimony to the success of this undeviating vision (Figure 1). From the early days of the AEC, cooperation has also linked researchers from the national laboratories, the academic community, and the private sector. The AEC-sponsored research both at national laboratories and universities, and also supported graduate students to develop a cadre of health physicists, radiation biologists, and nuclear engineers. Coordinating these diverse performers has been crucial to the unique teaming that has made many of the successes possible. The success of the biological and environmental research program has often been shared with other federal agencies. The future will demand even stronger and more substantive intraagency, interagency, and international collaborations. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US) | USDOE Office of Science (US) | United States | 1999-09-22T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/11007 | |
| Amphibians and Reptiles of Los Alamos County | Foxx, Teralene S; Haarmann, Timothy K; Keller, David C | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; AMPHIBIANS; ANIMALS; LANL; LOS ALAMOS; NEW MEXICO; REPTILES | Recent studies have shown that amphibians and reptiles are good indicators of environmental health. They live in terrestrial and aquatic environments and are often the first animals to be affected by environmental change. This publication provides baseline information about amphibians and reptiles that are present on the Pajarito Plateau. Ten years of data collection and observations by researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the University of New Mexico, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, and hobbyists are represented. | Los Alamos National Lab., Los Alamos, NM (US) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US) | United States | 1999-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/15211 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/15211 |
| Cultural Resource Assessment of the Test Area North Demolition Landfill at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory | Pace, Brenda R | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; CONSTRUCTION; CULTURAL RESOURCES; DECONTAMINATION; DEMOLITION; INEEL; MANAGEMENT; RECOMMENDATIONS | The proposed new demolition landfill at Test Area North on the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) will support ongoing demolition and decontamination within the facilities on the north end of the INEEL. In June of 2003, the INEEL Cultural Resource Management Office conducted archival searches, field surveys, and coordination with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes to identify all cultural resources that might be adversely affected by the project and to provide recommendations to protect those listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. These investigations showed that landfill construction and operation would affect two significant cultural resources. This report outlines protective measures to ensure that these effects are not adverse. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | DOE - EM | United States | 2003-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/910613 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/910613 |
| Fine-scale genetic structure and social organization in female white-tailed deer. | Comer, Christopher E; Kilgo, John C; D'Angelo, Gino J; Glenn, Travis C; Miller, Karl V | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; DEER; DNA; FEMALES; GENETICS; Genetics; MANAGEMENT; Odocoileus virginianus; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOUTH CAROLINA; Savannah River Site; South Carolina; home range; microsatellites; radiotelemetry; relatedness; rose-petal Hypothesis; white-tailed deer | Abstract: Social behavior of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) can have important management implications. The formation of matrilineal social groups among female deer has been documented and management strategies have been proposed based on this well-developed social structure. Using radiocollared (n = 17) and hunter or vehicle-killed (n = 21) does, we examined spatial and genetic structure in white-tailed deer on a 7,000-ha portion of the Savannah River Site in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina, USA. We used 14 microsatellite DNA loci to calculate pairwise relatedness among individual deer and to assign doe pairs to putative relationship categories. Linear distance and genetic relatedness were weakly correlated (r = â0.08, P = 0.058). Relationship categories differed in mean spatial distance, but only 60% of first-degree-related doe pairs (full sibling or motherâoffspring pairs) and 38% of second-degree-related doe pairs (half sibling, grandmotherâgranddaughter pairs) were members of the same social group based on spatial association. Heavy hunting pressure in this population has created a young age structure among does, where the average age is <2.5 years, and 4.5 years old. Thisâcombined with potentially elevated dispersal among young doesâcould limit the formation of persistent, cohesive social groups. Our results question the universal applicability of recently proposed models of spatial and genetic structuring in white-tailed deer, particularly in areas with differing harvest histories. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2005-07-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.2193/0022-541X(2005)0692.0.CO;2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/992618 |
| Reconciling Change in Oi-Horizon 14C With Mass Loss for an Oak Forest | Hanson, P J; Swanston, C W; Todd, D E; Trumbore, S E | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; CLIMATIC CHANGE; COMMINUTION; DILUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; FRAGMENTATION; OAKS; RECYCLING; SOILS; TRANSPORT | First-year litter decomposition was estimated for an upland-oak forest ecosystem using enrichment or dilution of the {sup 14}C-signature of the Oi-horizon. These isotopically-based mass-loss estimates were contrasted with measured mass-loss rates from past litterbag studies. Mass-loss derived from changes in the {sup 14}C-signature of the Oi-horizon suggested mean mass loss over 9 months of 45% which was higher than the corresponding 9-month rate extrapolated from litterbag studies ({approx}35%). Greater mass loss was expected from the isotopic approach because litterbags are known to limit mass loss processes driven by soil macrofauna (e.g., fragmentation and comminution). Although the {sup 14}C-isotope approach offers the advantage of being a non-invasive method, it exhibited high variability that undermined its utility as an alternative to routine litterbag mass loss methods. However, the {sup 14}C approach measures the residence time of C in the leaf litter, rather than the time it takes for leaves to disappear; hence radiocarbon measures are subject to C immobilization and recycling in the microbial pool, and do not necessarily reflect results from litterbag mass loss. The commonly applied two-compartment isotopic mixing model was appropriate for estimating decomposition from isotopic enrichment of near-background soils, but it produced divergent results for isotopic dilution of a multi-layered system with litter cohorts having independent {sup 14}C-signatures. This discrepancy suggests that cohort-based models are needed to adequately capture the complex processes involved in carbon transport associated with litter mass-loss. Such models will be crucial for predicting intra- and interannual differences in organic horizon decomposition driven by scenarios of climatic change. | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA | USDOE | United States | 2005-06-27T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/881059 | |
| Initial characterization of processes of soil carbon stabilization using forest stand-level radiocarbon enrichment | Swanston, C W; Torn, M S; Hanson, P J; Southon, J R; Garten, C T; Hanlon, E M; Ganio, L | 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 58 GEOSCIENCES; CARBON; FORESTS; FRACTIONATION; ORGANIC MATTER; PARTICULATES; SEDIMENTS; SOILS; STABILIZATION | Although the rates and mechanisms of soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization are difficult to observe directly, radiocarbon has proven an effective tracer of soil C dynamics, particularly when coupled with practical fractionation schemes. To explore the rates of C cycling in temperate forest soils, we took advantage of a unique opportunity in the form of an inadvertent stand-level {sup 14}C-labeling originating from a local industrial release. A simple density fractionation scheme separated SOM into inter-aggregate particulate organic matter (free light fraction, free LF), particulate organic matter occluded within aggregates (occluded LF), and organic matter that is complexed with minerals to form a dense fraction (dense fraction, DF). Minimal agitation and density separation was used to isolate the free LF. The remaining dense sediment was subjected to physical disruption and sonication followed by density separation to separate it into occluded LF and DF. The occluded LF had higher C concentrations and C:N ratios than the free LF, and the C concentration in both light fractions was ten times that of the DF. As a result, the light fractions together accounted for less than 4% of the soil by weight, but contained 40% of the soil C in the 0-15 cm soil increment. Likewise, the light fractions were less than 1% weight of the 15-30 cm increment, but contained more than 35% of the soil C. The degree of SOM protection in the fractions, as indicated by {Delta}{sup 14}C, was different. In all cases the free LF had the shortest mean residence times. A significant depth by fraction interaction for {sup 14}C indicates that the relative importance of aggregation versus organo-mineral interactions for overall C stabilization changes with depth. The rapid incorporation of {sup 14}C label into the otherwise depleted DF shows that this organo-mineral fraction comprises highly stable material as well as more recent inputs. | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA | USDOE | United States | 2004-01-15T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/15016762 | |
| The Carolina Bay Restoration Project - Status Report II 2000-2004. | Barton, Christopher | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Carolina bays; GRAMINEAE; HARVESTING; HERBICIDES; METERS; MITIGATION; MONITORING; PINES; PLANTS; SAVANNAS; SEEDLINGS; SHREDDERS; Savannah River Site; TREES; WETLANDS; Wetlands; mitigation; restoration | A Wetlands Mitigation Bank was established at SRS in 1997 as a compensatory alternative for unavoidable wetland losses. Prior to restoration activities, 16 sites included in the project were surveyed for the SRS Site Use system to serve as a protective covenant. Pre-restoration monitoring ended in Fall 2000, and post restoration monitoring began in the Winter/Spring of 2001. The total interior harvest in the 16 bays after harvesting the trees was 19.6 ha. The margins in the opencanopy, pine savanna margin treatments were thinned. Margins containing areas with immature forested stands (bay 5184 and portions of bay 5011) were thinned using a mechanical shredder in November 2001. Over 126 hectares were included in the study areas (interior + margin). Planting of two tree species and the transplanting of wetland grass species was successful. From field surveys, it was estimated that approximately 2700 Nyssa sylvatica and 1900 Taxodium distichum seedlings were planted in the eight forested bays resulting in an average planting density of â 490 stems ha-1. One hundred seedlings of each species per bay (where available) were marked to evaluate survivability and growth. Wetland grass species were transplanted from donor sites on SRS to plots that ranged in size from 100 â 300 m2, depending on wetland size. On 0.75 and 0.6 meter centers, respectively, 2198 plugs of Panicum hemitomon and 3021 plugs Leersia hexandra were transplanted. New shoots originating from the stumps were treated with a foliar herbicide (Garlon® 4) during the summer of 2001 using backpack sprayers. Preliminary information from 2000-2004 regarding the hydrologic, vegetation and faunal response to restoration is presented in this status report. Post restoration monitoring will continue through 2005. A final report to the Mitigation Bank Review Team will be submitted in mid-2006. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2006-07-13T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/886951 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/886951 |
| Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for Idaho National Laboratory | Buotte, Polly C.; Hicke, Jeffrey A.; Peterson, Alexander; Ischay, Christopher P.; Fossum, Ernest L. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Climate Change; Climate Change Adaptation; Climate Change Resilience; Resilience; Sustainability | The University of Idaho (UI) was asked to participate in the development of a climate change vulnerability assessment for Idaho National Laboratory (INL). This report describes the outcome of that assessment. The climate change happening now, due in large part to human activities, is expected to continue in the future. UI and INL used a common framework for assessing vulnerability that considers exposure (future climate change), sensitivity (system or component responses to climate), impact (exposure combined with sensitivity), and adaptive capacity (capability of INL to modify operations to minimize climate change impacts) to assess vulnerability. Analyses of climate change (exposure) revealed that warming that is ongoing at INL will continue in the coming decades, with increased warming in later decades and under scenarios of greater greenhouse gas emissions. Projections of precipitation are more uncertain, with multi model means exhibiting somewhat wetter conditions and more wet days per year. Additional impacts relevant to INL include estimates of more burned area and increased evaporation and transpiration, leading to reduced soil moisture and plant growth. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) | United States | 2014-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1166046 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1166046 |
| Kudzu (Pueraria montana) community responses to herbicides, burning, and high-density loblolly pine | Harrington, T B; Rader-Dixon, L T; Taylor, Jr, J W | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; BIOMASS; COMMUNITIES; DESIGN; FORESTS; HERBICIDES; Integrated weed control; PINES; PLANTS; SEEDLINGS; SOILS; WEEDS; biomass; crown cover; interference; invasive weeds; light intensity; soil water | Kudzu is an aggressive, nonnative vine that currently dominates an estimated 810,000 ha of mesic forest communities in the eastern United States. To test an integrated method of weed control, abundances of kudzu and other plant species were compared during 4 yr after six herbicide treatments (clopyralid, triclopyr, metsulfuron, picloram 1 2,4-D, tebuthiuron, and a nonsprayed check), in which loblolly pines were planted at three densities (0, 1, and 4 seedlings m22) to induce competition and potentially delay kudzu recovery. This split-plot design was replicated on each of the four kudzu-dominated sites near Aiken, SC. Relative light intensity (RLI) and soil water content (SWC) were measured periodically to identify mechanisms of interference among plant species. Two years after treatment (1999), crown coverage of kudzu averaged , 2% in herbicide plots compared with 93% in the nonsprayed check, and these differences were maintained through 2001, except in clopyralid plots where kudzu cover increased to 15%. In 2001, pine interference was associated with 33, 56, and 67% reductions in biomass of kudzu, blackberry, and herbaceous vegetation, respectively. RLI in kudzu-dominated plots (4 to 15% of full sun) generally was less than half that of herbicide-treated plots. SWC was greatest in tebuthiuron plots, where total vegetation cover averaged 26% compared with 77 to 111% in other plots. None of the treatments eradicated kudzu, but combinations of herbicides and induced pine competition delayed its recovery. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2003-11-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1614/02-142 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835181 |
| Ecological survey for the siting of the Mixed and Low-Level Waste Treatment Facility and the Idaho Waste Processing Facility | Hoskinson, R L | 053001; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; CONSTRUCTION; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; PLANTS; POPULATION DYNAMICS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SITING; WILD ANIMALS | This report summarizes the results of field ecological surveys conducted by the Center for Integrated Environmental Technologies (CIET) on the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) at four candidate locations for the siting of the Mixed and Low-Level Waste Treatment Facility (MLLWTF) and the Idaho Waste Processing Facility (IWPF). The purpose of these surveys was to comply with all Federal laws and Executive Orders to identify and evaluate any potential environmental impacts because of the project. The boundaries of the candidate location were marked with blaze-orange lath survey marker stakes by the project management. Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements of the marker stakes were made, and input to the Arc/Info{reg_sign} geographic information system (GIS). Field surveys were conducted to assess any potential impact to any important species, important habitats, and to any environmental study areas. The GIS location data was overlayed onto the INEL vegetation map and an analysis of vegetation classes on the locations was done. Results of the field surveys indicate use of Candidate Location {number_sign}1 by pygmy rabbits (Sylvilagus idahoensis) and expected use by them of Candidate Locations {number_sign}3 and {number_sign}9. Pygmy rabbits are categorized as a C2 species by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Two other C2 species, the ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis) and the loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) would also be expected to frequent the candidate locations. Candidate Location {number_sign}5 at the north end of the INEL is in the winter range of a large number of pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana). | EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10167647 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10167647 |
| Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1990 | 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; 010900 -- Coal, Lignite, & Peat-- Environmental Aspects; 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 090900 -- Biomass Fuels-- Processing-- (1990-); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540120* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540130 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540220 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540230 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540320 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540330 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); ABSTRACTS; ACID RAIN; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; BIOMASS; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON OXIDES; CHALCOGENIDES; CHEMICAL FEEDSTOCKS; CLIMATES; DEPOSITION; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; LEADING ABSTRACT; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RAIN; REMEDIAL ACTION; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT | The Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) conducts research on the environmental aspects of existing and emerging energy systems and applies this information to ensure that technology development and energy use are consistent with national environmental health and safety goals. Offering an interdisciplinary resource of staff and facilities to address complex environmental problems, the division is currently providing technical leadership for major environmental issues of national concern: (1) acidic deposition and related environmental effects, (2) effects of increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO{sub 2} and the resulting climatic changes to ecosystems and natural and physical resources, (3) hazardous chemical and radioactive waste disposal and remediation research and development, and (4) development of commercial biomass energy production systems. This progress report outlines ESD's accomplishments in these and other areas in FY 1990. Individual reports are processed separately for the data bases in the following areas: ecosystem studies; environmental analyses; environmental toxicology; geosciences; technical and administrative support; biofuels feedstock development program; carbon dioxide information analysis and research program; and environmental waste program. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA) | United States | 1991-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5951739 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5951739 | |
| Diet of Nesting Red-Cockaded Woodpecker at Three Locations | Hanula, J L; Lipcomb, D; Franzreb, K E; Loeb, S C | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIRDS; BLUEBERRIES; BREEDING; CAMERAS; DIET; ENDANGERED SPECIES; FEMALES; FORAGING; FOREST MANAGEMENT; GEORGIA; LARVAE; MALES; SAVANNAH RIVER SITE; SNAILS; SOUTH CAROLINA; WOOD | The authors studied diets of nestling red-cockaded woodpeckers for two years on three sites in South Carolina and Georgia. Cameras recorded 33 different types of prey. Wood roaches were the most common, amounting to 50% of the prey. In addition, blueberries and saw fly larvae were collected by birds. Snail shells were also collected. Morista's index of diet overlap ranged from 0.94 to 0.99 for breeding males and females. We conclude that nestling diets are similar across the region. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (US) | (US) | United States | 1998-12-03T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807685 | |
| Environmental Assessment for Use of DOE-Owned High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium Stored at Idaho National Laboratory | Irving, John S. | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; Environmental Assessment; HALEU | The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to make available about 10 Metric Tons (MT) of High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU ) feedstock produced through the electrometallurgical treatment (EMT) process, and other small quantities of HALEU stored at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for research development & demonstration in support of the commercial nuclear industry and government agencies, including use in advanced reactors. HALEU is a term applied to uranium that is enriched in the uranium-235 (U-235) isotope to a value that is 5% to 20% of the total uranium. Private sector advanced nuclear reactor designs and advanced nuclear fuel designs call for use of HALEU, but currently no commercial facility manufactures HALEU. DOE proposes to expand the fuel fabrication capability at INL to produce HALEU fuel at INL from 10 MT of HALEU feedstock to meet near-term needs. The production requires expansion of the fuel fabrication capability, including the purchase of new equipment and use of facilities at INLâs Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) and the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC). DOE has made no decision on the specific use of the fuel. The fuel could be used in advanced reactor design or for the purpose of research and development. DOE would work with other Federal agencies and commercial vendors to determine use of HALEU fuel. Use of this HALEU, including its potential use in a future nuclear reactor, will be analyzed in future National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents by the appropriate agency. The EMT process in operation at the INL converts sodium-bonded spent nuclear fuel into waste forms suitable for disposal as high-level waste and a HALEU product that is unsuitable for diversion to nuclear weapons but could be either reused in fuel or disposed of as waste. The Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Treatment and Management of Sodium-Bonded Spent Nuclear Fuel, DOE/EIS-0306, DOE 2000) discussed the EMT process, but did not make a decision on the disposition or use of the HALEU product from the EMT process. This Environmental Assessment (EA) addresses the HALEU product as HALEU feedstock in production of HALEU fuel. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Nuclear Energy | United States | 2019-01-17T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1498074 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1498074 |
| Resource management plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation | Parr, P D; Evans, J W | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990000 -- General & Miscellaneous; ANIMALS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HABITAT; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; REGULATIONS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; RESOURCES; SAFETY; SPECIES DIVERSITY; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | A plan for management of the wildlife resources on the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation is outlined in this document. Management includes wildlife population control (hunts, trapping, and removal), handling specific problems with wildlife, restoration of species, coordination with researchers on wildlife studies, preservation and management of habitats, and law enforcement. Wildlife resources are divided into five categories, each with a specific set of objectives and procedures for obtaining these objectives. These categories are (1) species-richness management to ensure that all resident wildlife species exist on the Reservation in viable numbers; (2) featured species management to produce selected species in desired numbers on designated land units; (3) management of game species for research, education, recreation, and public safety, (4) endangered species management designed to preserve and protect both the species and habitats critical to the survival of those species; and (5) pest management. Achievement of the objectives is a joint effort between the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Environmental Sciences Division. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/7067075 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7067075 |
| Resource management plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 27, Wildlife Management Plan | Parr, P D; Evans, J W | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990000; ANIMALS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; HABITAT; NATURE RESERVES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; REGULATIONS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SAFETY; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SPECIES DIVERSITY | A plan for management of the wildlife resources on the US Department of Energy`s Oak Ridge Reservation is outlined in this document. Management includes wildlife population control (hunts, trapping, and removal), handling specific problems with wildlife, restoration of species, coordination with researchers on wildlife studies, preservation and management of habitats, and law enforcement. Wildlife resources are divided into five categories, each with a specific set of objectives and procedures for obtaining these objectives. These categories are (1) species-richness management to ensure that all resident wildlife species exist on the Reservation in viable numbers; (2) featured species management to produce selected species in desired numbers on designated land units; (3) management of game species for research, education, recreation, and public safety, (4) endangered species management designed to preserve and protect both the species and habitats critical to the survival of those species; and (5) pest management. Achievement of the objectives is a joint effort between the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory`s Environmental Sciences Division. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10158465 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10158465 |
| Old-field plant succession on the Pajarito Plateau | Foxx, T; Mullen, M; Salisbury, M; Tierney, G | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABANDONED SITES; BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS; DATA; LAND RECLAMATION; NEW MEXICO; PLANNING; PLANTS; REVEGETATION; SANITARY LANDFILLS; SPECIES DIVERSITY | Eight fallow historic fields of the ponderosa pine and pinon-juniper cover types were surveyed to determine species composition and distribution. The purpose of the study was to understand plant succession on old fields as related to mechanically manipulated sites such as material disposal areas (MDAs). Additionally, the authors wanted a listing of species on disturbed lands of the Pajarito Plateau to aide in the reclamation planning of MDAs using native species. They also wanted to determine if any species could be used as an indicator of disturbance. The eight historic fields were all within Los Alamos County, New Mexico, and had been abandoned in 1943. Two sites were within the boundaries of Los Alamos National Laboratory and were studied both in 1982 and 1993. The study provides a description of each of the field sites, historic information about the homesteads from patent applications, a photographic record of some of the sites, and a listing of species found within each field. The study showed that there were 78 different plant species found on disturbed sites. Of these 78 species, 23 were found to be dominant on one or more of the MDAs or old fields. Although, the disturbance history of each site is imperfectly known, the study does provide an indication of successional processes within disturbed sites of the Pajarito Plateau. Additionally, it provides a listing of species that will invade disturbed sites, species that may be used in site reclamation. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/563193 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/563193 |
| Determination of locational error associated with global positioning system (GPS) radio collars in relation to vegetation and topography in north-central New Mexico | Bennett, K; Biggs, J; Fresquez, P R | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ACCURACY; COORDINATES; DATA; DATA COVARIANCES; HABITAT; HOME RANGE; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; NEW MEXICO; PLANTS; RADIO EQUIPMENT; RUMINANTS; SATELLITES; TELEMETRY; TOPOGRAPHY | In 1996, a study was initiated to assess seasonal habitat use and movement patterns of Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) using global positioning system (GPS) radio collars. As part of this study, the authors attempted to assess the accuracies of GPS (non-differentially corrected) positions under various vegetation canopies and terrain conditions with the use of a GPS ``test`` collar. The test collar was activated every twenty minutes to obtain a position location and continuously uplinked to Argos satellites to transfer position data files. They used a Telonics, Inc. uplink receiver to intercept the transmission and view the results of the collar in real time. They placed the collar on a stand equivalent to the neck height of an adult elk and then placed the stand within three different treatment categories: (1) topographical influence (canyon and mesa tops), (2) canopy influence (open and closed canopy), and (3) vegetation type influence (ponderosa pine and pinion pine-juniper). The collar was kept at each location for one hour (usually obtaining three fixes). In addition, the authors used a hand-held GPS to obtain a position of the test collar at the same time and location. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/468550 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/468550 |
| Physiological ecology of SRS Carolina bay phytoplankton communities: Effects of nutrient changes and CO{sub 2} sources | Williams, J B | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, APPLIED STUDIES; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; NUTRIENTS; PHYTOPLANKTON; POPULATION DYNAMICS; VARIATIONS; WETLANDS | Impacts of land-use activities on wetland ecosystems are important issues for environmental planners, conservation groups, and government agencies. The progress report of this project at DOE`s Savannah River Site focused on two specific objectives: determination of the effects of nutrient enrichment (fertilizing during wetlands restoration) on phytoplankton communities and comparison of phytoplankton community dynamics during the current extended hydroperiod for Carolina Bays with patterns in previous drier years. | South Carolina State Univ., Orangeburg, SC (United States). Dept. of Natural Sciences | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/64138 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/64138 |
| Removal Site Evaluation Report to the C-Reactor Seepage Basins (904-066, -067 and -068G) | Palmer, E R | 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; C REACTOR; PLANTS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; WASTE WATER | Removal Site Evaluation Reports are prepared in accordance with Section 300.410 of the National Contingency Plan (NCP) and Section X of the Federal Facility Agreement (FFA). The C-Reactor Seepage Basins (904-066G,-067G,-068G) are listed in Appendix C, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)/Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Units List, of the FFA. The purpose of this investigation is to report information concerning conditions at this unit sufficient to assess the threat (if any) posed to human health and the environment and to determine the need for additional CERCLA action. The scope of the investigation included a review of past survey and investigation data, the files, and a visit to the unit.Through this investigation unacceptable conditions of radioactive contaminant uptake in on-site vegetation were identified. This may have resulted in probable contaminant migration and become introduced into the local ecological food chain. As a result, the SRS will initiate a time critical removal action in accordance with Section 300.415 of the NCP and FFA Section XIV to remove, treat (if required), and dispose of contaminated vegetation from the C-Reactor Seepage Basins. Erosion in the affected areas will be managed by an approved erosion control plan. further remediation of this unit will be conducted in accordance with the FFA. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/565162 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/565162 |
| Characterization of vegetation properties: Canopy modeling of pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine woodlands; Final report. Modeling topographic influences on solar radiation: A manual for the SOLARFLUX model | Rich, P M; Hetrick, W A; Saving, S C | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; CANOPIES; CEDARS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; HYDROLOGY; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; PINES; PROGRESS REPORT; REMOTE SENSING; S CODES; SOLAR RADIATION; TOPOGRAPHY | This report is comprised of two studies. The first study focuses on plant canopies in pinyon-juniper woodland, ponderosa pine woodland, and waste sites at Los Alamos National Laboratory which involved five basic areas of research: (1) application of hemispherical photography and other gap fraction techniques to study solar radiation regimes and canopy architecture, coupled with application of time-domain reflectometry to study soil moisture; (2) detailed characterization of canopy architecture using stand mapping and allometry; (3) development of an integrated geographical information system (GIS) database for relating canopy architecture with ecological, hydrological, and system modeling approaches; (4) development of geometric models that simulate complex sky obstruction, incoming solar radiation for complex topographic surfaces, and the coupling of incoming solar radiation with energy and water balance, with simulations of incoming solar radiation for selected native vegetation and experimental waste cover design sites; and (5) evaluation of the strengths and limitations of the various field sampling techniques. The second study describes an approach to develop software that takes advantage of new generation computers to model insolation on complex topographic surfaces. SOLARFLUX is a GIS-based (ARC/INFO, GRID) computer program that models incoming solar radiation based on surface orientation (slope and aspect), solar angle (azimuth and zenith) as it shifts over time, shadows caused by topographic features, and atmospheric conditions. This manual serves as the comprehensive guide to SOLARFLUX. Included are discussions on modelling insolation on complex surfaces, the theoretical approach, program setup and operation, and a set of applications illustrating characteristics of topographic insolation modelling. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Kansas Univ., Lawrence, KS (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-12-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/90166 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/90166 |
| Finding of no significant impact: Changes in the sanitary sludge land application program on the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CAPACITY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GROUND DISPOSAL; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; SANITARY LANDFILLS; SEWAGE SLUDGE | The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has completed an environmental assessment (DOE/EA-1042) that evaluates potential impacts of proposed changes in the sanitary sludge land application program on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Changes in lifetime sludge land application limits and radionuclide loading are proposed, and two new sources of sewage sludge from DOE facilities would be transported to the City of Oak Ridge Publicly Owned Treatment Works (COR POTW). Lifetime sludge land application limits would increase from 22 tons/acre to 50 tons/acre, which is the limit approved and permitted by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). With the approval of TDEC, the permissible radiological dose from sludge land application would change from the current limit of 2x background radionuclide concentrations in receiving soils to a risk-based dose limit of 4 millirem (mrem) per year for the maximally exposed individual. Sludge land application sites would not change from those that are currently part of the program. Based on the results of the analysis reported in the EA, DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major federal action that would significantly affect the quality of the human environment within the context of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Therefore, preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not necessary, and DOE is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). 70 refs., 2 figs., 17 tabs. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1996-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/475653 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/475653 | |
| Savannah River Ecology Laboratory annual technical progress report of ecological research for the year ending July 31, 1995 | Smith, M H | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOLOGICAL RECOVERY; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; CONTAMINATION; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; FISHES; PROGRESS REPORT; RANGELANDS; REMEDIAL ACTION; WETLANDS; WILD ANIMALS | The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) is a research unit of the University of Georgia (UGA). The overall mission of the Laboratory is to acquire and communicate knowledge of ecological processes and principles. SREL conducts basic and applied ecological research, as well as education and outreach programs, under a contract with the US Department of Energy (DOE) at the Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina. Significant accomplishments were made during the past year in the areas of research, education and service. Major additions to SREL Facilities were completed that will enhance the Laboratory`s work in the future. Following several years of planning, opening ceremonies were held for the 5000 ft{sup 2} multi-purpose conference center that was funded by the University of Georgia Research Foundation (UGARF). The center is located on 68 acres of land that was provided by the US Department of Energy. This joint effort between DOE and UGARF supports DOE`s new initiative to develop partnerships with the private sector and universities. The facility is being used for scientific meetings and environmental education programs for students, teachers and the general public. A 6000 ft{sup 2} office and library addition to S@s main building officially opened this year, and construction plans are underway on a new animal care facility, laboratory addition, and receiving building. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/198890 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/198890 |
| Responses of upland herpetofauna to the restoration of Carolina Bays and thinning of forested Bay Margins. | Ledvina, Joseph A | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; AMPHIBIANS; Carolina Bays; FORESTS; Forest thinning; HYDROLOGY; Herpetofauna; MANAGEMENT; REMOVAL; REPTILES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; WETLANDS | Research on the effects of wetland restoration on reptiles and amphibians is becoming more common, but almost all of these studies have observed the colonization of recently disturbed habitats that were completely dry at the time of restoration. In a similar manner, investigations herpetofaunal responses to forest management have focused on clearcuts, and less intensive stand manipulations are not as well studied. To evaluate community and population responses of reptiles and amphibians to hydrology restoration and canopy removal in the interior of previously degraded Carolina bays, I monitored herpetofauna in the uplands adjacent to six historically degraded Carolina bays at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina for four years after restoration. To evaluate the effects of forest thinning on upland herpetofauna, forests were thinned in the margins of three of these bays. I used repeated measures ANOVA to compare species richness and diversity and the abundance of selected species and guilds between these bays and with those at three reference bays that were not historically drained and three control bays that remained degraded. I also used Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) to look for community-level patterns based treatments. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2008-05-01T04:00:00Z | Other | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/953635 | |
| Education programs catalog | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990000; CATALOGS; EDUCATION; GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; US DOE | Since its formation in 1977, US DOE has been authorized to support education programs that help ensure an adequate supply of scientists, engineers, and technicians for energy-related research, production activities, and technology transfer. A national conference in 1989 produced a clear vision of the important role that DOE, its facilities, and its 169,000 Federal and contract employees can play in the educational life of their communities and the Nation. Many of the programs listed in this catalog are the result of this new vision; others have existed for many years. Purpose of this catalog is to make all DOE education efforts more widely known so that more teachers, students, and others can benefit. Supporting the hundreds of education programs (precollege, undergraduate, graduate, public) is the network of DOE national laboratories, technology centers, and other research facilities. Brief descriptions of each facility, its programs, and contact information for its education personnel are included. | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10149515 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10149515 | |
| Landowner and permit-holder perceptions of wildlife damage around the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. A survey of INEEL neighbors about elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, and depredation | Roush, Jr, D E; Beaver, D E | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AGRICULTURE; DAMAGE; ECONOMIC IMPACT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HABITAT; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LAND USE; NUMERICAL DATA; WILD ANIMALS | Property-owners (N = 220) around the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) in southeastern Idaho were surveyed about depredation, control methods and economic issues related to use of the area by elk (Cervus elaphus), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana). Depredation was defined as damage to privately-owned crops, forage, and fences and irrigation equipment by these animals. The focus on the three ungulate species was prompted by concerns that elk, which had recolonized the INEEL since 1984, were responsible for an inordinate amount of unprecedented damage to agricultural operations. As the INEEL is a US Department of Energy (DOE) reserve with little public hunting access, there have been calls for removal of elk from this land. This study`s objective was to quantify the wildlife damage occurring on agricultural operations adjacent to the INEEL and to characterize the damage attributed to each big game species. Responses from 70.2% of the target population indicate an evenness of opinion, by which the authors mean that various opinions were represented equitably, toward these animals and wildlife damage Total estimated wildlife damage in 1996 was between $140,000 and $180,000 It was attributed foremost to elk, although pronghorn antelope were viewed nearly as damaging. Respondents placed high values in big game animals and wished to see them continue to inhabit these lands. For managing depredation, adjusting hunting seasons was preferred. | Environmental Science and Research Foundation Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/658289 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/658289 |
| Savannah River Ecology Laboratory 2004 Annual Technical Progress Report | Bertsch, Paul M | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECOLOGY; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; Savannah River Site; ecology; environmental research | 2004 annual report of research conducted by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, a research unit of The University of Georgia operating on the Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina | Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC | USDOE - Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2004-07-29T04:00:00Z | S&T Accomplishment Report | 10.2172/891172 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/891172 |
| Radionuclide Concentrations in Deer and Elk from Los Alamos National Laboratory: 1991-1998 | Kraig, D H; Ferenbaugh, J K; Biggs, J R; Bennett, K D; Mullen, M A; Fresquez, P R | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, BASIC STUDIES; Americium 241; Bone Tissues; Deer; LANL; Muscles; Plutonium 240; Radioactivity; Ruminants; Strontium 90; Tritium; Uranium | Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus) forage in many areas at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) that may contain radioactivity above natural and/or worldwide fallout levels. This paper summarizes radionuclide concentrations 3H, 90Sr, 137Cs, 238Pu, 239,240Pu, 241Am, and total uranium in muscle and bone tissue of deer and elk collected from LANL lands from 1991 through 1998. Also, the committed effective dose equivalent (CEDE) and the risk of excess cancer fatalities (RECF) to people who ingest muscle and bone from deer and elk collected from LANL lands were estimated. Most radionuclide concentrations in muscle and bone from individual deer and elk collected from LANL lands were either at less than detectable quantities (where the analytical result was smaller than two counting uncertainties) and/or within upper (95%) level background (BG) concentrations. As a group, most radionuclides in muscle and bone of deer and elk from LANL lands were not significantly higher (p<0.10) than in similar tissues from deer and elk collected from BG locations. Also, elk that had been radio collared and tracked for two years and spent an average time of 50% on LANL lands were not significantly different in most radionuclides from road kill elk that have been collected as part of the environmental surveillance program. Overall, the upper (95%) level net CEDES (the CEDE plus two sigma for each radioisotope minus background) at the most conservative ingestion rate (51 lbs of muscle and 13 lbs of bone) were as follows: deer muscle = 0.220, deer bone = 3.762, elk muscle = 0.117, and elk bone = 1.67 mrendy. AU CEDES were far below the International Commission on Radiological Protection guideline of 100 mrem/y, and the highest muscle plus bone CEDE (4.0 mrendy) corresponded to a RECF of 2E-06 which is far below the Environmental Protection Agency upper level guideline of 1E04. | Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM | USDOE Office of Management and Administration | United States | 1998-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/2632 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2632 |
| Carolina bays of the Savannah River Plant | Schalles, J. F.; Sharitz, R. R.; Gibbons, J. W.; Leversee, G. J.; Knox, J. N. | 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); 540350 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); ANIMALS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; BAYS; CHEMISTRY; COASTAL REGIONS; COMPILED DATA; DATA; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; FEDERAL REGION IV; GEOLOGY; HYDROLOGY; INFORMATION; INVENTORIES; INVERTEBRATES; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; NUMERICAL DATA; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; PLANTS; RECOMMENDATIONS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE SURVEYS; SOILS; SOUTH CAROLINA; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; VERTEBRATES; WATER CHEMISTRY; WETLANDS | Much of the research to date on the Carolina bays of the Savannah River Plant and elsewhere has focused on certain species or on environmental features. Different levels of detail exist for different groups of organisms and reflect the diverse interests of previous investigators. This report summarizes aspects of research to date and presents data from numerous studies. 70 refs., 14 figs., 12 tabs. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (USA) | DOE/DP | United States | 1989-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5133713 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5133713 |
| Ecological surveys of the proposed high explosives wastewater treatment facility region | Haarmann, T | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BASELINE ECOLOGY; C CODES; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; CHEMICAL EXPLOSIVES; ECOSYSTEMS; LANL; LIQUID WASTES; SPECIES DIVERSITY; WASTE PROCESSING; WASTE WATER; WATER QUALITY; WATER TREATMENT; WATER TREATMENT PLANTS | Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) proposes to improve its treatment of wastewater from high explosives (HE) research and development activities. The proposed project would focus on a concerted waste minimization effort to greatly reduce the amount of wastewater needing treatment. The result would be a 99% decrease in the HE wastewater volume, from the current level of 6,760,000 L/mo (1,786,000 gal./mo) to 41,200 L/mo (11,000 gal./mo). This reduction would entail closure of HE wastewater outfalls, affecting some wetland areas that depend on HE wastewater effluents. The outfalls also provide drinking water for many wildlife species. Terminating the flow of effluents at outfalls would represent an improvement in water quality in the LANL region but locally could have a negative effect on some wetlands and wildlife species. None of the affected species are protected by any state or federal endangered species laws. The purpose of this report is to briefly discuss the different biological studies that have been done in the region of the project area. This report is written to give biological information and baseline data and the biota of the project area. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/88592 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/88592 |
| Savannah River Ecology Laboratory FY2006 Annual Technical Progress Report | Bertsch, Paul M | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECOLOGY; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; GEORGIA; REMEDIAL ACTION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAVANNAH RIVER; ecology, Savannah River Site, remediation, restoration, risk assessment, environmental characterization | FY2006 annual report of research conducted by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, a research unit of the University of Georgia operating on the Savannah River Site in Aiken, County, SC. | Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2006-10-23T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/894035 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/894035 |
| Oak Ridge reservation, annual site environmental report summary for 1993 | 053000; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; HEALTH AND SAFETY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; RADIATION MONITORING | The U.S. Department of Energy requires annual site environmental reports from facilities that operate under its auspices. To fulfill that requirement, such an annual report is published for the Oak Ridge Reservation, which comprises three major sites, each of which has unique monitoring requirements in addition to many shared obligations. As a result, the report is complex and highly detailed. Annual site environmental reports are public documents that are read by government regulators, scientists, engineers, business people, special interest groups, and members of the public at large. For that reason, the reports need to be accessible to a variety of audiences in addition to being accurate and complete. This pamphlet summarizes environmental activities on the reservation, which for some readers may be adequate; for those who seek more detail, it will lend coherence to their approach to the report itself. The content of this summary was taken from Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report for 1993. Results of the many environmental monitoring and surveillance activities are detailed in this report. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10119464 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10119464 | |
| Biomass, Leaf Area, and Resource Availability of Kudzu Dominated Plant Communities Following Herbicide Treatment | Rader, L T | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; AVAILABILITY; BIOMASS; COMMUNITIES; COMPETITION; EXOTIC PLANTS; FARMS; FORESTS; HERBICIDES; LOBLOLLY PINE; PINES; PLANTS; SEEDLINGS; SITE PREPARATION; TOXICITY | Kudzu is an exotic vine that threatens the forests of the southern U.S. Five herbicides were tested with regard to their efficacy in controlling kudzu, community recover was monitored, and interactions with planted pines were studied. The sites selected were old farm sites dominated by kudzu.These were burned following herbicide treatment. The herbicides included triclopyr, clopyralid, metsulfuron, tebuthiuron, and picloram plus 2,4-D. Pine seedlings were planted the following year. Regression equations were developed for predicting biomass and leaf area. Four distinct plant communities resulted from the treatments. The untreated check continued to be kudzu dominated. Blackberry dominated the clopyradid treatment. Metsulfron, trychlopyr and picloram treated sites resulted in herbaceous dominated communities. The tebuthiuron treatment maintained all vegetation low. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (US) | (US) | United States | 2001-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/807682 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807682 |
| Environmental Survey Report for the ETTP: Environmental Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF) Haul Road Corridor, Oak Ridge, Tennessee | Peterson, M J | 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONSTRUCTION; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HABITAT; MANAGEMENT; MONITORING; NATIONAL SECURITY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORNL; PLANTS; TENNESSEE; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WETLANDS | This report summarizes the results of environmental surveys conducted within the corridor of a temporary haul road (''Haul Road'') to be constructed from East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) to the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF) located just west of the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12). Environmental surveys were conducted by natural resource experts at Oak Ridge National Laboratory who routinely assess the significance of various project activities on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). ORNL assistance to the Haul Road Project included environmental assessments necessary to determine the best route for minimizing impacts to sensitive resources such as wetlands or rare plants. Once the final route was chosen, environmental surveys were conducted within the corridor to evaluate the impacts to sensitive resources that could not be avoided. The final Haul Road route follows established roads and a power-line corridor to the extent possible (Fig. 1). Detailed explanation regarding the purpose of the Haul Road and the regulatory context associated with its construction is provided in at least two major documents and consequently is not presented here: (1) Explanation of Significant Differences for the Record of Decision for the Disposal of Oak Ridge Reservation Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 Waste, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (January 2005, DOE/OR/01-2194&D2), and (2) Environmental Monitoring Plan for The ETTP to EMWMF Haul Road for the Disposal of Oak Ridge Reservation Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 Waste, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (April 2005, BJC/OR-2152). The focus of this report is a description of the sensitive resources to be impacted by Haul Road construction. Following a short description of the methods used for the environmental surveys, results and observations are presented in the following subsections: (1) General description of the affected environment; (2) Rare plants and vegetation assemblages; (3) Rare wildlife and their habitat; (4) Rare aquatic species; and (5) Wetlands/Floodplains. A summary of project actions taken or planned in order to avoid, minimize, or mitigate the environmental impacts associated with this project are summarized in the conclusion section of this report. | ORNL | USDOE | United States | 2005-12-20T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/885977 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/885977 |
| Report on audit of the US Department of Energy`s identification and disposal of nonessential land | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; AUDITS; BNL; HANFORD RESERVATION; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LAND OWNERSHIP; LAND USE; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PROPERTY MANAGEMENT; US DOE | This document presents the results of an audit of four US DOE facilities to determine whether any land holdings are excess to current and anticipated future needs. Facilities audited were the Hanford Site, the Oak Ridge Reservation, the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, and the Brookhaven Laboratory. Audit findings were that 309,000 acres at the Hanford, Oak Ridge, and Idaho sites were not essential to carrying out current and foreseeable mission requirements. It is recommended that the DOE dispose of the nonessential land holdings, reevaluate requirements for remaining land holdings and dispose of any additional nonessential land, and reevaluate the policy of defining ecosystem management as a valid basis for retaining Department real property. 2 tabs. | USDOE Office of Inspector General, Washington, DC (United States) | USDOE Office of Inspector General, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/503444 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/503444 | |
| Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report for 2010 | Thompson, Sharon D. | The Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report is prepared annually and presents summary environmental data to (1) characterize environmental performance, (2) summarize environmental occurrences reported during the year, (3) confirm compliance with environmental standards and requirements, and (4) highlight significant program activities. The report fulfills the requirement contained in DOE Order 231.1A, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting (DOE 2004) that an integrated annual site environmental report be prepared. The results summarized in this report are based on data collected prior to and through 2010. This report is not intended to nor does it present the results of all environmental monitoring associated with the ORR. Data collected for other site and regulatory purposes, such as environmental restoration/remedial investigation reports, waste management characterization sampling data, and environmental permit compliance data, are presented in other documents that have been prepared in accordance with applicable DOE guidance and/or laws and are referenced herein as appropriate. Appendix A to this report identifies corrections to the 2009 report. Appendix B contains a glossary of technical terms that may be useful for understanding the terminology used in this document. Environmental monitoring on the ORR consists primarily of two major activities: effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. Effluent monitoring involves the collection and analysis of samples or measurements of liquid and gaseous effluents at the points of release to the environment; these measurements allow the quantification and official reporting of contaminant levels, assessment of radiation and chemical exposures to the public, and demonstration of compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements. Environmental surveillance consists of direct measurements and collection and analysis of samples taken from the site and its environs exclusive of effluents; these activities provide information on contaminant concentrations in air, water, groundwater, soil, foods, biota, and other media. Environmental surveillance data support determinations regarding environmental compliance and, when combined with data from effluent monitoring, support chemical and radiation dose and exposure assessments of the potential effects of ORR operations, if any, on the local environment. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant (Y-12), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2011-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1042835 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1042835 | |
| A vital legacy: Biological and environmental research in the atomic age | Vaughan, D | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, BASIC STUDIES; 56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, APPLIED STUDIES; ANIMALS; BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; GENETIC RADIATION EFFECTS; HUMAN POPULATIONS; NUCLEAR ENERGY; NUCLEAR MEDICINE; PUBLIC HEALTH; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIOLOGY; SEAS; WATER CURRENTS; WEATHER | This booklet presents a summary of the five decades of biological and environmental research in the atomic age. It commemorates the contributions to science and society during these decades and concludes with a view to the years ahead. The Contents includes `Safety First: in the Shadow of a New Technology; A Healthy Citizenry: Gifts of the New Era; and Environmental Concerns: From Meteorology to Ecology`. The conclusion is titled `An Enduring Mandate: Looking to the Future`. | Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States) | USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/305940 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/305940 |
| A Preliminary Survey of Terrestrial Plant Communities in the Sierra de los Valles | Balice, Randy G | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Ecology; Ecosystems; LANL; New Mexico; Plants | To more fully understand the species compositions and environmental relationships of high-elevation terrestrial plant communities in the Los Alamos region, 30 plots in randomly selected, upland locations were sampled for vegetation, topographic, and soils characteristics. The locations of these plots were constrained to be above 2,134 m (7,000 ft) above mean sea level. The field results were summarized, analyzed, and incorporated into a previously developed classification of vegetation and land cover types. The revised and updated discussions of the environmental relationships at these sites and their associated species compositions are included in this report. A key to the major land cover types in the Los Alamos region was also revised in accordance with the new information and included herein its entirety. | Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM | USDOE Office of Defense Programs (DP) | United States | 1998-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1040 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1040 |
| Savannah River Site environmental report for 1993 summary pamphlet | Karapatakis, L | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540120; 540130; 540220; 540230; 540320; 540330; CESIUM 137; CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; MONITORING; QUALITY ASSURANCE; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; REMEDIAL ACTION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TRITIUM | This pamphlet summarizes the impact of 1993 Savannah River Site operations on the environment and the off-site public. It includes an overview of site operations; the basis for radiological and nonradiological monitoring; 1993 radiological releases and the resulting dose to the off-site population; and results of the 1993 nonradiological program. The Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1993 describes the findings of the environmental monitoring program for 1993. The report contains detailed information about site operations,the environmental monitoring and surveillance programs, monitoring and surveillance results, environmental compliance activities, and special programs. The report is distributed to government officials, members of the US Congress, universities, government facilities, environmental and civic groups, the news media, and interested individuals. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10150594 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10150594 |
| Stewards of a national resource | 052000; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220600; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500; 662000; 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; 700000; 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; MISSION ANALYSIS; PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; PUBLIC INFORMATION; RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND COMMERCIALIZATION; RESEARCH, TEST, TRAINING, PRODUCTION, IRRADIATION, MATERIALS TESTING REACTORS; US DOE; WASTE MANAGEMENT | Events of the past several years have had a profound impact on the mission of the Department of Energy. Most notably, the end of the Cold War has made it possible for us to reorient our mission from primarily the design, production, and testing of nuclear weapons toward: increasing efficiency and the choice of energy sources, supporting basic and applied research in science and technology, addressing environmental quality issues, improving industrial competitiveness, and a continued contribution to a secure national defense. These changes in direction will have a lasting effect on all of us. In all our efforts we have emphasized the need to earn trust and build partnerships. This booklet tells the story of a part of this change: new uses for our 50 major sites encompassing 2.4 million acres of land and billions of dollars worth of facilities. These new uses will reach beyond beating swords into plowshares and cleaning up our production facilities. They will include ecosystem protection, economic development, and industrial competitiveness. This is our future. None of this will be successful without the meaningful participation of our stakeholders: businesses and entrepreneurs, citizen groups, neighbors of our sites, government officials, and the American public as a whole. This booklet is to provide some insights into the new direction for our land and facilities. | USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10116461 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10116461 | |
| Improving Rangeland Monitoring and Assessment: Integrating Remote Sensing, GIS, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems | Breckenridge, Robert Paul | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ACCURACY; CEDARS; CLASSIFICATION; DISTRIBUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; EVALUATION; GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS; GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM; HELICOPTERS; IMAGE PROCESSING; LAND USE; LAVA; MONITORING; NAVIGATION; PLANNING; PLANTS; RANGELANDS; REMOTE SENSING; SAMPLING; SHRUBS; monitoring+remote sensing+Unmanner aerial vehicle | Creeping environmental changes are impacting some of the largest remaining intact parcels of sagebrush steppe ecosystems in the western United States, creating major problems for land managers. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL), located in southeastern Idaho, is part of the sagebrush steppe ecosystem, one of the largest ecosystems on the continent. Scientists at the INL and the University of Idaho have integrated existing field and remotely sensed data with geographic information systems technology to analyze how recent fires on the INL have influenced the current distribution of terrestrial vegetation. Three vegetation mapping and classification systems were used to evaluate the changes in vegetation caused by fires between 1994 and 2003. Approximately 24% of the sagebrush steppe community on the INL was altered by fire, mostly over a 5-year period. There were notable differences between methods, especially for juniper woodland and grasslands. The Anderson system (Anderson et al. 1996) was superior for representing the landscape because it includes playa/bare ground/disturbed area and sagebrush steppe on lava as vegetation categories. This study found that assessing existing data sets is useful for quantifying fire impacts and should be helpful in future fire and land use planning. The evaluation identified that data from remote sensing technologies is not currently of sufficient quality to assess the percentage of cover. To fill this need, an approach was designed using both helicopter and fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and image processing software to evaluate six cover types on field plots located on the INL. The helicopter UAV provided the best system compared against field sampling, but is more dangerous and has spatial coverage limitations. It was reasonably accurate for dead shrubs and was very good in assessing percentage of bare ground, litter and grasses; accuracy for litter and shrubs is questionable. The fixed wing system proved to be feasible and can collect imagery for very large areas in a short period of time. It was accurate for bare ground and grasses. Both UAV systems have limitations, but these will be reduced as the technology advances. In both cases, the UAV systems collected data at a much faster rate than possible on the ground. The study concluded that improvements in automating the image processing efforts would greatly improve use of the technology. In the near future, UAV technology may revolutionize rangeland monitoring in the same way Global Positioning Systems have affected navigation while conducting field activities. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | USDOE | United States | 2007-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/978362 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978362 |
| Environmental assessment for the reuse of TNX as a multi-purpose pilot plant campus at the Savannah River Site | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; BUILDINGS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; LAND USE; RECYCLING; SAFETY; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT | The Department of Energy (DOE) prepared this environmental assessment (EA) to analyze the potential environmental and safety impacts of DOE planning to allow asset reuse of the TNX Area at the Savannah River Site (SRS) located near Aiken, South Carolina. The proposed action would include providing for a location for the Centers of Excellence at or adjacent to SRS and entering into a cooperative agreement with a non-profit management and operations (management firm) contractor to operate and market the TNX facilities and equipment. The area (formerly TNX) would be called a Multi-Purpose Pilot Plant Campus (MPPC) and would be used: (1) as location for technology research, development, demonstration, and commercial operations; (2) to establish partnerships with industry to develop applied technologies for commercialization; and (3) serve as administrative headquarters for Centers of Excellence in the program areas of soil remediation, radioecology, groundwater contamination, and municipal solid waste minimization. | Dept. of Energy, Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/656463 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/656463 | |
| Pacific Northwest Laboratory: Annual report for 1986 to the DOE Office of Energy Research: Part 2, Environmental sciences | 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 510200* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSTRACTS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ARID LANDS; BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COASTAL WATERS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; GEOCHEMISTRY; LEADING ABSTRACT; MASS TRANSFER; REMOTE SENSING; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SURFACE WATERS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TRANSPIRATION | This report summarizes progress in environmental sciences research conducted by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the Office of Health and Environmental Research in FY 1986. The program is focused on terrestrial, subsurface, and coastal marine systems, and this research forms the basis, in conjunction with remote sensing, for definition and quantification of processes leading to impacts at the global level. This report is organized into sections devoted to Detection and Management of Change in Terrestrial Systems, Biogeochemical Phenomena, Subsurface Microbiology and Transport, Marine Sciences, and Theoretical (Quantitative) Ecology. Separate abstracts have been prepared for individual projects. | Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) | United States | 1987-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5908544 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5908544 | ||
| Nevada Test Site Resource Management Plan | 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; DECISION MAKING; LAND RESOURCES; LAND USE; MAPS; NEVADA TEST SITE; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS | The Nevada Test Site (NTS) Resource Management Plan (RMP) describes the NTS Stewardship Mission and how its accomplishment will preserve the resources of the ecoregion while accomplishing the objectives of the mission. The NTS Stewardship Mission is to manage the land and facilities at the NTS as a unique and valuable national resource. The RMP has defined goals for twelve resource areas based on the principles of ecosystem management. These goals were established using an interdisciplinary team of DOE/NV resource specialists with input from surrounding land managers, private parties, and representatives of Native American governments. The overall goal of the RMP is to facilitate improved NTS land use management decisions within the Great Basin and Mojave Desert ecoregions. | Dept. of Energy, Nevada Operations Office, Las Vegas, NV (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/353340 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/353340 | |
| Description and field performance of the Walker Branch throughfall displacement experiment: 1993--1996 | Hanson, P J; Todd, D E; Huston, M A; Joslin, J D; Croker, J L; Auge, R M | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FORESTS; NUMERICAL DATA; SOILS; TENNESSEE; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; THROUGHFALL; WATER | The authors are conducting a large-scale manipulative field experiment in an upland oak forest on the Walker Branch Watershed in eastern Tennessee to identify important ecosystem responses that might result from future precipitation changes. The manipulation of soil water content is being implemented by a gravity-driven transfer of throughfall from one 6400-m{sup 2} treatment plot to another. Throughfall is intercepted in {approx}1850 subcanopy troughs suspended above the forest floor of the dry plot and transferred by gravity flow across an ambient plot for subsequent distribution onto the wet treatment plot. Soil water content is being monitored at two depths with time domain reflectometers at 310 sampling locations across the site. The experimental system is able to produce statistically significant differences in soil water content in years having both dry and wet conditions. Maximum soil water content differentials between wet and dry plots in the 0- to 0.35-m horizon were 8 to 10% during summers with abundant precipitation and 3 to 5% during drought periods. Treatment impacts on soil water potential were restricted to the surface soil layer. Comparisons of pre- and post-installation soil and litter temperature measurements showed the ability of the experimental design to produce changes in soil water content and water potential without creating large artifacts in the forest understory environment. | Oak Ridge National Lab., Environmental Sciences Div., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/296852 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/296852 |
| BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PLAN. | NAIDU, J R | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BNL; NATURE RESERVES; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; WILD ANIMALS | The purpose of the Wildlife Management Plan (WMP) is to promote stewardship of the natural resources found at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), and to integrate their protection with pursuit of the Laboratory's mission. | Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (US) | USDOE Office of Energy Research (ER) (US) | United States | 2002-10-22T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/803348 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/803348 |
| Rooting Characteristics of Vegetation Near Areas 3 and 5 Radioactive Waste Management Sites at the Nevada Test Site--Part 1 | Hansen, D J | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; BOREHOLES; CONFINEMENT; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; NEVADA TEST SITE; PERFORMANCE; PLANTS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOISOTOPES; RECOMMENDATIONS; SOILS; TRANSPORT; WASTES; YUCCA MOUNTAIN | The U.S. Department of Energy emplaced high-specific-activity low-level radioactive wastes and limited quantities of classified transuranic wastes in Greater Confinement Disposal (GCD) boreholes from 1984 to 1989. The boreholes are located at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) on the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in southern Nevada. The boreholes were backfilled with native alluvium soil. The surface of these boreholes and trenches is expected to be colonized by native vegetation in the future. Considering the long-term performance of the disposal facilities, bioturbation (the disruption of buried wastes by biota) is considered a primary release mechanism for radionuclides disposed in GCD boreholes as well as trenches at both Areas 3 and 5 RWMSs. This report provides information about rooting characteristics of vegetation near Areas 3 and 5 RWMSs. Data from this report are being used to resolve uncertainties involving parameterization of performance assessment models used to characterize the biotic mixing of soils and radionuclide transport processes by biota. The objectives of this study were to: (1) survey the prior ecological literature on the NTS and identify pertinent information about the vegetation, (2) conduct limited field studies to describe the current vegetation in the vicinity of Areas 3 and 5 RWMSs so as to correlate findings with more extensive vegetation data collected at Yucca Mountain and the NTS, ( 3 ) review prior performance assessment documents and evaluate model assumptions based on current ecological information, and (4) identify data deficiencies and make recommendations for correcting such deficiencies. | Bechtel Nevada Corporation (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2003-09-30T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/816103 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/816103 |
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory Core Competencies | Roberto, J B; Anderson, T D; Berven, B A; Hildebrand, S G; Hartman, F C; Honea, R B; Jones, Jr, J E; Moon, Jr, R M; Saltmarsh, M J; Shelton, R B | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500; ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES; BIOLOGY; ENERGY; ENVIRONMENT; HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION; MISSION ANALYSIS; ORNL; PHYSICS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND COMMERCIALIZATION; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; VERTICAL INTEGRATION | A core competency is a distinguishing integration of capabilities which enables an organization to deliver mission results. Core competencies represent the collective learning of an organization and provide the capacity to perform present and future missions. Core competencies are distinguishing characteristics which offer comparative advantage and are difficult to reproduce. They exhibit customer focus, mission relevance, and vertical integration from research through applications. They are demonstrable by metrics such as level of investment, uniqueness of facilities and expertise, and national impact. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has identified four core competencies which satisfy the above criteria. Each core competency represents an annual investment of at least $100M and is characterized by an integration of Laboratory technical foundations in physical, chemical, and materials sciences; biological, environmental, and social sciences; engineering sciences; and computational sciences and informatics. The ability to integrate broad technical foundations to develop and sustain core competencies in support of national R&D goals is a distinguishing strength of the national laboratories. The ORNL core competencies are: 9 Energy Production and End-Use Technologies o Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technology o Advanced Materials Synthesis, Processing, and Characterization & Neutron-Based Science and Technology. The distinguishing characteristics of each ORNL core competency are described. In addition, written material is provided for two emerging competencies: Manufacturing Technologies and Computational Science and Advanced Computing. Distinguishing institutional competencies in the Development and Operation of National Research Facilities, R&D Integration and Partnerships, Technology Transfer, and Science Education are also described. Finally, financial data for the ORNL core competencies are summarized in the appendices. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10108157 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10108157 |
| Technology applications bulletins: Summer 1988 | Koncinski, W. Jr.; McKeehan, K. | 052000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Management; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 140501 -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; 320100* -- Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization-- Buildings; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 360100 -- Metals & Alloys; 360200 -- Ceramics, Cermets, & Refractories; ALLOYS; BUILDINGS; CERAMICS; CHEMICAL WASTES; COAL LIQUEFACTION; DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS; ENERGY CONSERVATION; EQUIPMENT; FLUIDS; GASES; GROUND WATER; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; ION IMPLANTATION; LICENSING; LIQUEFACTION; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS; PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS; SOLAR CELLS; SOLAR EQUIPMENT; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION; THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTES; WATER | Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Energy Systems), operates five facilities for the US Department of Energy (DOE). Much of the research carried out at these facilities is of interest to industry and to state or local governments. To make information about this research available, the Energy Systems Office of Technology Applications publishes brief descriptions of selected technologies and reports. These technology applications bulletins describe the new technology and inform the reader about how to obtain further information, gain access to technical resources, and initiate direct contact with Energy Systems researchers. The general topics covered in this report are: information science; licensing information; measurements and controls; energy conservation; environmental technology; chemical and waste management; energy production; and advanced materials. | Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (USA) | United States | 1988-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6372880 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6372880 | |
| Annual report of ecological research for the period ending July 31, 1989 | 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); 540350 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); ANIMALS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BIOLOGY; COMBUSTION PRODUCTS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; FISHES; FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS; GENETICS; MASS TRANSFER; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; POWER PLANTS; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; REVEGETATION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; STREAMS; SURFACE WATERS; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; THERMAL POWER PLANTS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; WASTES; WATER QUALITY; WETLANDS | Opportunities to study and understand the importance of both man- induced and natural environmental stresses are available to researchers on the Savannah River Site (SRS). Energy technologies have an impact on natural habitats and the associated plant and animal communities in a variety of ways. The transport, fate, and ecological effects of a variety of chemicals such as radionuclides, organic contaminants, and trace metals must be understood. In addition, construction, forestry programs, thermal releases, and other activities that affect terrestrial and aquatic environments are recognized nationally as having major impacts. These concerns have led to a variety of questions about the consequences of SRS activities on environmental systems and form a basis for research by scientists at Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL). Research at SREL can involve a variety of approaches, including field research, research in controlled environments such as greenhouses, and laboratory studies that require the use of sophisticated instrumentation. Highlights of research activities during FY89 at SREL over the past year are presented. Complete abstracts of specific projects are appended. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (USA) | DOE/DP | United States | 1990-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6910618 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6910618 | |
| The contribution of theory and experiments to conservation in fragmented landscapes | Resasco, Julian; Bruna, Emilio M.; Haddad, Nick M.; BanksâLeite, Cristina; Margules, Christopher R. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; conservation; fragmented landscapes | The clearing and fragmentation of terrestrial ecosystems is commonly acknowledged as a major cause of the decline of biodiversity. These and other predicted responses to habitat fragmentation are derived from theory, which ecologists have tested with empirical approaches ranging from observations to experimental manipulations. These empirical approaches have also identified areas of theory in need of additional development. For example, experimental studies of fragmentation have provided insights such as the key role played by the matrix surrounding fragments, the importance of edge effects, and the impacts of corridors linking fragments with one another. Much less clear, however, is the extent to which these theoretical and empirical studies â while advancing our conceptual understanding of ecological responses to landscape change â help guide management and conservation practice. We review lessons learned from landscape-scale fragmentation experiments and observational studies, present the results of a survey of fragmentation and conservation experts which probed for links and mismatches between fragmentation studies and conservation practice, and discuss how future studies can contribute to conservation practice. Our survey showed that respondents consider fragmentation theory and empirical studies and their findings important for guiding conservation and management practices. The survey also identified that there are disconnects between what is typically studied by fragmentation ecologists and factors that are central to the practice of biodiversity conservation, notably, community-based human dimensions (e.g. economic, social, health issues), policy and governance, ecosystem services, eco-evolutionary responses of species, and interaction of multiple threats to biodiversity and ecosystem processes. We discuss how these disconnects can present opportunities for experiments to continue to provide valuable recommendations for conservation practice in fragmented landscapes. | University of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU); National Science Foundation (NSF) | United States | 2016-11-03T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1111/ecog.02546 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1884965 |
| Idaho National Laboratory Cultural Resource Management Annual Report FY 2007 | Braun, Julie; Gilbert, Hollie; Lowrey, Dino; Marler, Clayton; Pace, Brenda | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMPLIANCE; CULTURAL RESOURCES; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; PLANNING; archaeology; cultural resources; history | The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site is home to vast numbers and a wide variety of important cultural resources representing at least a 13,500-year span of human land use in the region. As a federal agency, the Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office has legal responsibility for the management and protection of those resources and has delegated these responsibilities to its primary contractor, Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA). The BEA professional staff is committed to maintaining a cultural resource management program that accepts these challenges in a manner reflecting the resourcesâ importance in local, regional, and national history. This annual report summarizes activities performed by the INL Cultural Resource Management Office (CRMO) staff during fiscal year 2007. This work is diverse, far-reaching and though generally confined to INL cultural resource compliance, also includes a myriad of professional and voluntary community activities. This document is intended to be both informative to internal and external stakeholders, and to serve as a planning tool for future cultural resource management work to be conducted on the INL. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | DOE - EH | United States | 2008-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/927629 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/927629 |
| Production of Short-Rotation Woody Crops Grown with a Range of Nutrient and Water Availability: Establishment Report and First-Year Responses | Coyle, D R; Blake, J; Britton, K; M; Buford; Campbell, R G; Cox, J; Cregg, B; Daniels, D; Jacobson, M; Johnsen, K; McDonald, T; McLeod, K; E; Nelson; Robison, D; Rummer, R; Sanchez, F; J; Stanturf; Stokes, B; Trettin, C; Tuskan, J; Wright, L; Wullschleger, S | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; AGRICULTURAL WASTES; AVAILABILITY; Allocation; CARBON SEQUESTRATION; CROPS; FORESTRY; FORESTS; NUTRIENTS; PRODUCTION; WATER; WATER RESOURCES; fertigation; fine-root growth; intensive Management; interspecific comparisons; leaf area. | Coleman, M.D., et. al. 2003. Production of Short-Rotation Woody Crops Grown with a Range of Nutrient and Water Availability: Establishment Report and First-Year Responses. Report. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, Aiken, SC. 26 pp. Abstract: Many researchers have studied the productivity potential of intensively managed forest plantations. However, we need to learn more about the effects of fundamental growth processes on forest productivity; especially the influence of aboveground and belowground resource acquisition and allocation. This report presents installation, establishment, and first-year results of four tree species (two cottonwood clones, sycamore, sweetgum, and loblolly pine) grown with fertilizer and irrigation treatments. At this early stage of development, irrigation and fertilization were additive only in cottonwood clone ST66 and sweetgum. Leaf area development was directly related to stem growth, but root production was not always consistent with shoot responses, suggesting that allocation of resources varies among treatments. We will evaluate the consequences of these early responses on resource availability in subsequent growing seasons. This information will be used to: (1) optimize fiber and bioenergy production; (2) understand carbon sequestration; and (3) develop innovative applications such as phytoremediation; municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastes management; and protection of soil, air, and water resources. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2003-12-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/835208 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835208 |
| Monitoring fish, wildlife, radionuclides and chemicals at Hanford, Washington | Gray, R. H. | 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ANADROMOUS FISHES; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BIRDS; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; COYOTES; DEER; FIELD TESTS; FISHES; HANFORD RESERVATION; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; MAMMALS; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RADIATION MONITORING; RUMINANTS; SALMON; TESTING; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; WILD ANIMALS | Concern about the effects of potential releases from nuclear and non-nuclear activities on the US Department of Energy's Hanford Site in southeastern Washington has evolved over four decades into a comprehensive environmental monitoring and surveillance program. The program includes field sampling, and chemical and physical analyses of air, surface and ground water, fish, wildlife, soil, foodstuffs, and natural vegetation. In addition to monitoring radioactivity in fish and wildlife, population numbers of key species are determined, usually during the breeding season. Data from monitoring efforts are used to assess the environmental impacts of Hanford operations and calculate the overall radiological dose to humans onsite, at the Site perimeter, or residing in nearby communities. Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) spawning in the Columbia River at Hanford has increased in recent years with a concomitant increase in winter nesting activity of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). An elk (Cervus elaphus) herd, established by immigration in 1972, is also increasing. Nesting Canada goose (Branta canadensis) and great blue heron (Ardea herodias), and various other animals, e.g., mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) are common. Measured exposure to penetrating radiation and calculated radiation doses to the public are well below applicable regulatory limits. 35 refs., 4 figs. | Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) | United States | 1989-02-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6377625 | ||
| A survey of ecological risk assessment at DOE facilities | Barnthouse, L W; Bascietto, J; Joseph, T; Bilyard, G | 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540000; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; HEALTH AND SAFETY; HEALTH HAZARDS; INFORMATION NEEDS; REMEDIAL ACTION; RISK ASSESSMENT; US DOE | The US Department of Energy (DOE) Risk-Based Standards Working Group is studying standard-setting and remedial action based on realistic estimates of human health and ecological risks. Federal and state regulations require DOE to assess ecological risks due to present and past operation of DOE facilities and ecological damage caused by remedial actions. Unfortunately, little technical guidance has been provided by regulatory agencies about how these assessments should be performed or what constitutes an adequate assessment. Active ecological research, environmental characterization, and ecological risk assessment programs are already underway at many locations. Some of these programs were established more than 30 years ago. Because of the strength of its existing programs and the depth of expertise available within the DOE complex, the agency is in a position to lead in developing ecological risk assessment procedures that are fully consistent with the general principles defined by EPA and that will ensure environmentally sound and cost-effective restoration of its sites. As a prelude to guidance development, the working group conducted a survey of ecological risk assessment activities at a subset of major DOE facilities. The survey was intended to (1) identify approaches now being used in ecological risk assessments performed by DOE staff and contractors at each site, (2) record successes and failures of these approaches, (3) identify new technical developments with potential for general application to many DOE facilities, and (4) identify major data needs, data resources, and methodological deficiencies. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-10-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10102291 | |
| Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Wildland Fire Management Environmental Assessment - April 2003 | Irving, J S | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECOSYSTEM; ECOSYSTEMS; FIRE PREVENTION; FIRE PROTECTION; FIRES; IDAHO; MANAGEMENT; PERSONNEL; WEEDS; WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT | DOE prepared an environmental assessment (EA)for wildland fire management activities on the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) (DOE/EA-1372). The EA was developed to evaluate wildland fire management options for pre-fire, fire suppression, and post fire activities. Those activities have an important role in minimizing the conversion of the native sagebrush steppe ecosystem found on the INEEL to non-native weeds. Four alternative management approaches were analyzed: Alternative 1 - maximum fire protection; Alternative 2 - balanced fire protection; Alternative 2 - balanced fire protection; Alternative 3 - protect infrastructure and personnel; and Alternative 4 - no action/traditional fire protection. | Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2003-04-30T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/810961 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/810961 |
| Review of Tank Lay-Up Status at US Department of Energy Radioactive Waste Tank Sites | Elmore, Monte R; Henderson, Colin | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; CLOSURES; HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; STORAGE; TANKS; VALLEYS; WASTES | During fiscal year (FY) 2001 as part of a Tanks Focus Area strategic intiative, tank lay-up options were developed and evaluated for the two high-level waste (HLW) storage tanks at the West Valley Demonstration Project. As follow-on task, a list of key waste tank contacts throughout the US Department of Energy complex was developed. Visits were then made to the primary DOE sites with radioactive waste storage tanks to discuss the concept and applicablility of tank lay-up. This report documents the results of individual discussions with tank closure staff at the four DOE Sites concerning tank closure status and plans as well as lay-up options and activities. | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US) | USDOE | United States | 2002-06-21T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/15010049 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/15010049 |
| Above- and belowground competition from longleaf pine plantations limits performance of reintroduced herbaceous species. | Harrington, T B; Dagley, C M; Edwards, M B | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ABUNDANCE; CLOSURES; NITROGEN; OPENINGS; PERFORMANCE; PINES; PLANTS; Pinus palustris; SEEDLINGS; SOILS; TREES; WATER; biomass; cover; needlefall; resource availability; trenching | Although overstory trees limit the abundance and species richness of herbaceous vegetation in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) plantations, the responsible mechanisms are poorly understood because of confounding among limiting factors. In fall 1998, research was initiated to determine the separate effects of above- and belowground competition and needlefall from overstory pines on understory plant performance. Three 13- to 15-yr-old plantations near Aiken, SC, were thinned to 0, 25, 50, or 100% of nonthinned basal area (19.5 m2 ha-1). Combinations of trenching (to eliminate root competition) and needlefall were applied to areas within each plot, and containerized seedlings of 14 perennial herbaceous species and longleaf pine were planted within each. Overstory crown closure ranged from 0 to 81%, and soil water and available nitrogen varied consistently with pine stocking, trenching, or their combination. Cover of planted species decreased an average of 16.5 and 14.1% as a result of above- and below-ground competition, respectively. Depending on species, needlefall effects were positive, negative, or negligible. Results indicate that understory restoration will be most successful when herbaceous species are established within canopy openings (0.1-0.2 ha) managed to minimize negative effects from above- and belowground competition and needlefall. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2003-10-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/835183 | |
| Flora of the Savannah River Plant | Batson, W. T.; Jones, J. T.; Angerman, J. S. | 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); BASELINE ECOLOGY; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; FEDERAL REGION IV; HABITAT; INVENTORIES; LAND USE; MAGNOLIOPHYTA; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURAL OCCURRENCE; NORTH AMERICA; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; PINOPHYTA; PLANTS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SOUTH CAROLINA; SPECIES DIVERSITY; SURVEYS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; VARIATIONS | The Savannah River Plant (SRP) occupies an area of approximately 300 square miles in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Since the early 1950's it has been the subject of numerous ecological and botanical studies, many of which are focused on environmental effects of industrial activities. Early surveys of the flora have been succeeded by ecological studies of various habitats and species. Reported here are results of a survey of the vascular plants of the SRP, and a compilation of species reported on the site in previous studies. This project was undertaken to provide a list of the naturally-occurring vascular plants found on the SRP for the use of on-site researchers and visiting investigators, and to prepare a local herbarium as a reference collection of SRP plants. 60 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (USA) | DOE/ER | United States | 1985-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5105908 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5105908 |
| Survey of protected terrestrial vertebrates on the Oak Ridge Reservation. Final report | Mitchell, J M; Vail, E R; Webb, J W; King, A L; Hamlett, P A | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORGDP; ORNL; POPULATION DYNAMICS; PROGRESS REPORT; VERTEBRATES; Y-12 PLANT | Surveys of protected terrestrial vertebrates on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) were conducted from October 1994 through May 1996. The surveys were undertaken to help avoid or minimize the potential impacts of projects on the ORR to species listed by the state or federal government as endangered, threatened, or in need-of-management; federal species of concern were included. Results of the survey will also assist in effectively managing the ORR. Currently, there are 69 species of federal- or state-listed terrestrial vertebrates (20 reptiles and amphibians, 20 mammals, and 29 birds) that may occur in Tennessee. Listed animal species that might be present on the ORR were targeted for survey using a prioritization system based on historical and recent sightings, known species distributions, presence of suitable habitat, literature reviews, and personal communications. Survey methods included trapping, seining, monitoring artificial covers, active searching, and avian surveys. Surveys were conducted during the time of year when each targeted species was most likely to be encountered. The report also includes ancillary information. Records are provided for nonlisted species (44 species of reptiles and amphibians, 155 species of birds, and 28 species of mammals). Categorization of survey sites into 1 or more of 19 habitat types, which are briefly described, is presented. Notes are summarized on the occurrence of threatened and endangered species on the ORR. The report also lists threatened and endangered species not found that might be located by additional surveys, recommends three survey areas for natural-area status due to wildlife value, and suggests several avenues for future work. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1996-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/257381 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/257381 |
| Establishment of a National Ecological Research Program and Institute | Van Hook, R I | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540200; COORDINATED RESEARCH PROGRAMS; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, TERRESTRIAL; GRANTS; LAND RECLAMATION; NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION; RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND COMMERCIALIZATION; US EPA; WATER RECLAMATION | Establishment of a national ecological research program and institute is discussed. The author says we need to establish a long-term ecological research program to develop a fuller understanding of basic ecosystem process so that scientists can evaluate the health of ecological systems and can predict quantitative and qualitative changes in these systems under foreseeable natural and man-made stress. This area is beginning to be addressed by the CEES, for example, but again with insufficient funding in comparison with other aspects of the US Global Change Program. The major elements of a long-term ecological research program should focus on providing support to develop the theories and hypotheses that dictate the required ecological measurements. EMAP is an excellent example of a large program that could benefit from new funding resources for the development of ecological theory and the study of ecological processes. These understandings are particularly important, and lacking, in system interfaces such as land/water interactions and atmosphere/canopy interactions. Funding stability for long-term ecological research can only be attained through a national commitment to the need. The commitment should be directed in a way that is sensitive to, but not controlled by, policy. Policy issues are particularly important as we attempt to deal with major environmental concerns, but long-term ecological research needs to be sufficiently independent of this process in order to maintain continuity and stability. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1990-12-31T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10133301 | |
| Biomedical and Environmental Sciences Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540000* -- Environment-- (1990-); 550600 -- Medicine; 62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE; COST; DATA PROCESSING; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; MEDICINE; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; PLANNING; PROCESSING; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TASK SCHEDULING; TRAINING; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | This overview provides programmatic and other information about the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Biomedical and Environmental Sciences (BES) Program. Our mission is to conduct for our sponsors quality research and development (R D) using our local resources and collaborative groups in Oak Ridge and elsewhere. Our goals are excellence in both basic and applied research, appropriate educational training activities, and technology transfer. A primary mission of the BES Program is to identify and to understand important environmental and health effects associated with the energy technologies including (1) basic and applied biological research on genetic and somatic effects of radiation and chemical exposures; (2) relationships of primary energy-related effluents to global environmental issues; (3) development of human health and environmental assessments and risk analyses in these areas; and (4) development of advanced instrumentation, measurement techniques, and methodologies for applying nuclear technologies to medical diagnosis and treatment. A secondary mission is to contribute to relevant educational activities and the revitalization of American industry through a variety of associations and activities including cooperation with industrial consortia. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | DOE/ER | United States | 1990-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/7267618 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7267618 | |
| Long-term land use future scenarios for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONTAMINATION; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; IDAHO; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LAND POLLUTION CONTROL; LAND RECLAMATION; LAND USE; PLANNING; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; US DOE | In order to facilitate decision regarding environmental restoration activities at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), the United States Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) conducted analyses to project reasonable future land use scenarios at the INEL for the next 100 years. The methodology for generating these scenarios included: review of existing DOE plans, policy statements, and mission statements pertaining to the INEL; review of surrounding land use characteristics and county developments policies; solicitation of input from local, county, state and federal planners, policy specialists, environmental professionals, and elected officials; and review of environmental and development constraints at the INEL site that could influence future land use. | Ecology and Environment, Inc., Lancaster, NY (United States). Buffalo Corporate Center | USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/416909 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/416909 | |
| Remote Sensing and Special Surveys Program annual report, January--December 1993. Environmental Restoration Program | Conder, S R; Doll, W E; Gabrielsen, C A; King, A D; Durfee, R C; Parr, P D | 052000; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; AERIAL SURVEYING; DATA ANALYSIS; FLUORESCENCE; GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS; HEALTH AND SAFETY; INFRARED SPECTRA; LASERS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PHOTOGRAPHY; PROGRESS REPORT; REMEDIAL ACTION; REMOTE SENSING; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SURVEYS; WASTE MANAGEMENT | The Remote Sensing and Special Surveys Program has been established to provide environmental characterization data, change data, and trend data to various Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (ERWM) programs. The data are acquired through several different types of survey platforms. During the calendar year of 1993, a variety of surveys were conducted through the Remote Sensing and Special Surveys Program. The aerial surveys included geophysical, radiological, false color infrared (IR) photography, and natural color photography. Ground surveys were conducted to correlate data collected from the airborne platforms to data measured at ground level. Ground surveys were also conducted to determine the existence or absence of threatened and endangered plant species on the Oak Ridge Reservation. Some of the special surveys included laser induced fluorescence imaging, solar reflectance, and various remote sensing and ground control activities for the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) initiative. Data analysis, management, and storage are also conducted by the Remote Sensing and Special Surveys Program to achieve the highest level of data useability possible. The data acquired through these surveys have provided and will continue to provide much needed information to ERWM programs. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10139807 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10139807 |
| Free-ranging dogs and cats on the Oak Ridge Reservation: Situation and solution | Greenberg, C. H. | 570000* -- Health & Safety; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; ANIMALS; BUILDINGS; CAPTURE; CATS; COYOTES; DEER; DISEASES; DOGS; HAZARDS; INFECTIOUS DISEASES; MAMMALS; MAN; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PRIMATES; RABBITS; RABIES; ROADS; RODENTS; RUMINANTS; SAFETY; TRAPPING; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; VIRAL DISEASES | The free-ranging cat and dog population on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) was evaluated because of concern about the possibility of attacks on humans, the transmittal of disease, the impact on native ORR wildlife, and nuisance problems. Intensive trapping, scent-line transects, surveys of employee opinion at Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., and reports of free-ranging dog and cat sightings revealed that (1) the greatest population concentration is near major roads and buildings; (2) no incidents involving attacks or disease transmission to humans were reported (although harassment of humans by dogs was reported); (3) most Energy Systems employees regard the free-ranging dog and cat population as a nuisance problem, and only 8.1% regard the situation as severe. Recommendations to reduce this problem include: make attractive sites (sanitary landfills) inaccessible; repair exclosures along the ORR boundary; inform pet owners of and enforce laws regarding free-ranging pets; and create a system for reporting sightings and incidents and designate a person(s) to be responsible for responding to such reports. 31 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1989-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6201004 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6201004 | |
| Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Wildland Fire Management Environmental Assessment | Irving, John S | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECOSYSTEMS; INEEL; MANAGEMENT; PERSONNEL; WEEDS; ecosystem; fire protection; wildland fire management | DOE prepared an environmental assessment (EA)for wildland fire management activities on the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) (DOE/EA-1372). The EA was developed to evaluate wildland fire management options for pre-fire, fire suppression, and post fire activities. Those activities have an important role in minimizing the conversion of the native sagebrush steppe ecosystem found on the INEEL to non-native weeds. Four alternative management approaches were analyzed: Alternative 1 - maximum fire protection; Alternative 2 - balanced fire protection; Alternative 2 - balanced fire protection; Alternative 3 - protect infrastructure and personnel; and Alternative 4 - no action/traditional fire protection. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | DOE - EM | United States | 2003-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/911508 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/911508 |
| Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report for 2006 | McMahon, Wayne; Hughes, Joan; Coffey, Mike; Thompson, Sharon | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; ASER,ORR; COMPLIANCE; GASEOUS WASTES; MONITORING; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PERFORMANCE; RADIATIONS; SAFETY; SAMPLING; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WATER | This document is prepared annually to summarize environmental activities, primarily environmental-monitoring activities, on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) and within the ORR surroundings. The document fulfills the requirement of Department of Energy (DOE) Order 23l.IA, 'Environment, Safety and Health Reporting,' for an annual summary of environmental data to characterize environmental performance. The environmental-monitoring criteria are described in DOE Order 450.1, 'Environmental Protection Program.' The results summarized in this report are based on data collected prior to and through 2006. This report is not intended to provide the results of all sampling on the ORR. Additional data collected for other site and regulatory purposes, such as environmental restoration remedial investigation reports, waste management characterization sampling data, and environmental permit compliance data, are presented in other documents that have been prepared in accordance with applicable DOE guidance and/or laws and are referenced herein as appropriate. Corrections to the report for the previous year are found in Appendix A. Environmental monitoring on the ORR consists primarily of two major activities: effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. Effluent monitoring involves the collection and analysis of samples or measurements of liquid and gaseous effluents at the point of release to the environment; these measurements allow the quantification and official reporting of contaminants, assessment of radiation and chemical exposures to the public, and demonstration of compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements. Environmental surveillance consists of the collection and analysis of environmental samples from the site and its environs; these activities provide direct measurement of contaminant concentrations in air, water, groundwater, soil, foods, biota, and other media. Environmental surveillance data provide information regarding conformity with applicable DOE orders and, combined with data from effluent monitoring, allow the determination of chemical and radiation dose/exposure assess ments of ORR operations and effects, if any, on the local environment. | Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Oak Ridge Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2007-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/972796 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/972796 |
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory institutional plan, FY 1990--FY 1995 | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; COOPERATION; ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; FISSION; FUEL MANAGEMENT; HEALTH SERVICES; INTERAGENCY COOPERATION; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR REACTIONS; ORNL; PLANNING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; REACTOR TECHNOLOGY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SOCIAL SERVICES; SUPERCONDUCTORS; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | The Oak Ridge National Laboratory is one of DOE's major multiprogram energy laboratories. ORNL's program missions are (1) to conduct applied research and engineering development in support of DOE's programs in fusion, fission, fossil, renewables (biomass), and other energy technologies, and in the more efficient conversion and use of energy (conservation) and (2) to perform basic scientific research in selected areas of the physical and life sciences. These missions are to be carried out in compliance with environmental, safety, and health regulations. Transfer of science and technology is an integral component of our missions. A complementary mission is to apply the Laboratory's resources to other nationally important tasks when such work is synergistic with the program missions. Some of the issues addressed include education, international competitiveness, hazardous waste research and development, and selected defense technologies. In addition to the R D missions, ORNL performs important service roles for DOE; these roles include designing, building, and operating user facilities for the benefit of university and industrial researchers and supplying radioactive and stable isotopes that are not available from private industry. Scientific and technical efforts in support of the Laboratory's missions cover a spectrum of activities. In fusion, the emphasis is on advanced studies of toroidal confinement, plasma heating, fueling systems, superconducting magnets, first-wall and blanket materials, and applied plasma physics. 69 figs., 49 tabs. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | DOE/ER | United States | 1989-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5260358 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5260358 | |
| Edaphic controls on soil organic carbon stocks in restored grasslands | O'Brien, Sarah L.; Jastrow, Julie D.; Grimley, David A.; Gonzalez-Meler, Miquel A. | Not Available | USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) | Netherlands | 2015-08-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.03.023 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1367924 | ||
| Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact: Interim Measures for the Mixed Waste Management Facility Groundwater at the Burial Ground Complex at the Savannah River Site | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; BURIAL GROUND COMPLEX; COMPLIANCE; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GROUNDWATER; IMPLEMENTATION; INTERIM MEASURES; IRRIGATION; MIXED WASTE MANAGEMENT; MODIFICATIONS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; PLUMES; REGULATIONS; RESOURCE CONSERVATION; SRS; TRITIUM; US CEQ; US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WATER | The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) prepared this environmental assessment (EA) to analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed interim measures for the Mixed Waste Management Facility (MW) groundwater at the Burial Ground Complex (BGC) at the Savannah River Site (SRS), located near Aiken, South Carolina. DOE proposes to install a small metal sheet pile dam to impound water around and over the BGC groundwater seepline. In addition, a drip irrigation system would be installed. Interim measures will also address the reduction of volatile organic compounds (VOCS) from ''hot-spot'' regions associated with the Southwest Plume Area (SWPA). This action is taken as an interim measure for the MWMF in cooperation with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) to reduce the amount of tritium seeping from the BGC southwest groundwater plume. The proposed action of this EA is being planned and would be implemented concurrent with a groundwater corrective action program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). On September 30, 1999, SCDHEC issued a modification to the SRS RCRA Part B permit that adds corrective action requirements for four plumes that are currently emanating from the BGC. One of those plumes is the southwest plume. The RCRA permit requires SRS to submit a corrective action plan (CAP) for the southwest plume by March 2000. The permit requires that the initial phase of the CAP prescribe a remedy that achieves a 70-percent reduction in the annual amount of tritium being released from the southwest plume area to Fourmile Branch, a nearby stream. Approval and actual implementation of the corrective measure in that CAP may take several years. As an interim measure, the actions described in this EA would manage the release of tritium from the southwest plume area until the final actions under the CAP can be implemented. This proposed action is expected to reduce the release of tritium from the southwest plume area to Fourmile Branch between 25 to 35 percent. If this proposed action is undertaken and its effectiveness is demonstrated, it may become a component of the final action in the CAP. This document was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended; the requirements of the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508); and the DOE Regulations for Implementing NEPA (10 CFR 1021). NEPA requires the assessment of environmental consequences of Federal actions that may affect the quality of the human environment. Based on the potential for impacts described herein, DOE will either publish a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) or prepare an environmental impact statement (EM). | Savannah River Site, Aiken, SC (US) | USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US) | United States | 1999-12-08T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/768269 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/768269 | |
| Results of 2001 Groundwater Sampling in Support of Conditional No Longer Contained-In Determination for the Snake River Plain Aquifer in the Vicinity of the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center | Meachum, T R | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUIFERS; GROUNDWATER; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; MONITORING; NEOPLASMS; QUALITY ASSURANCE; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAMPLING; SNAKE RIVER PLAIN; WATER WELLS; WELLS | This report summarizes the results of sampling five groundwater monitoring wells in the vicinity of the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory in 2001. Information on general sampling practices, quality assurance practices, parameter concentrations, representativeness of sampling results, and cumulative cancer risk are presented. The information is provided to support a conditional No Longer Contained-In Determination for the Snake River Plain Aquifer in the vicinity of the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center. | Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID (US) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US) | United States | 2002-04-26T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/795181 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/795181 |
| Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Annual technical progress report of ecological research | Smith, M H | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ECOLOGY; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; GEORGIA; PROGRESS REPORT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION | The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) is a research unit of the University of Georgia (UGA). The overall mission of the Laboratory is to acquire and communicate knowledge of ecological processes and principles. SREL conducts basic and applied ecological research, as well as education and outreach programs, under a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, South Carolina. Significant accomplishments were made during the past year in the areas of research, education and service. The Laboratory`s research mission was fulfilled with the publication of two books and 143 journal articles and book chapters by faculty, technical and students, and visiting scientists. An additional three books and about 80 journal articles currently are in press. Faculty, technician and students presented 193 lectures, scientific presentations, and posters to colleges and universities, including minority institutions. Dr. J Vaun McArthur organized and conducted the Third Annual SREL Symposium on the Environment: New Concepts in Strewn Ecology: An Integrative Approach. Dr. Michael Newman conducted a 5-day course titled Quantitative Methods in Ecotoxicology, and Dr. Brian Teppen of The Advanced Analytical Center for Environmental Sciences (AACES) taught a 3-day short course titled Introduction to Molecular Modeling of Environmental Systems. Dr. I. Lehr Brisbin co-hosted a meeting of the Crocodile Special Interest Group. Dr. Rebecca Sharitz attended four symposia in Japan during May and June 1996 and conducted meetings of the Executive Committee and Board of the International Association for Ecology (ENTECOL). | Georgia Univ., Athens, GA (United States). Research Foundation | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1996-07-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/437686 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/437686 |
| Results of 2001 Groundwater Sampling in Support of Conditional No Longer Contained-In Determination for the Snake River Plain Aquifer in the Vicinity of the INTEC at the INEEL | Meachum, Teresa Ray | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUIFERS; INEEL; MONITORING; NEOPLASMS; QUALITY ASSURANCE; SAMPLING; SNAKE RIVER PLAIN; groundwater; quality assurance; sampling; wells | This report summarizes the results of sampling five groundwater monitoring wells in the vicinity of the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory in 2001. Information on general sampling practices, quality assurance practices, parameter concentrations, representativeness of sampling results, and cumulative cancer risk are presented. The information is provided to support a conditional No Longer Contained-In Determination for the Snake River Plain Aquifer in the vicinity of the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | USDOE | United States | 2002-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/911409 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/911409 |
| Resource Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation: Volume 22, Resource information and site analysis for planning on the Oak Ridge Reservation | Chance, W. W. | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290400 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources; 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; RECOMMENDATIONS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | The Department of Energy's (DOE's) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) consists of approximately 15,000 ha (37,000 acres) of federally owned lands; it contains three major facilities (Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant) operated by a single contractor and a number of other facilities operated either by DOE or under contract to others. This report documents the various land use elements, land use constraints (physical, programmatic, and geopolitical), and site potential capabilities and provides current documentation of related data for making land use and site development decisions. The ORR has physical, programmatic, and geopolitical constraints that have been identified, measured, and mapped. The constraints and opportunities map was used to identify developable land areas. Many of these sites have only remote potential for meeting any planned needs for expansion of existing facilities. However, stand-alone research functions or other facilities are possible on these sites. These studied and measured findings lead to the conclusion that extreme care must be taken in the evaluation of future use or disposition of available land. Furthermore, it is time to consider and evaluate the feasibility for renewal. The potential for recycling lands formerly used by programs and functions that have been completed or terminated is very real, considering the age, condition, and obsolescence of these facilities. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1986-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/7000286 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7000286 | |
| Effects of switchgrass cultivars and intraspecific differences in root structure on soil carbon inputs and accumulation | Adkins, Jaron; Jastrow, Julie D.; Morris, Geoffrey P.; Six, Johan; de Graaff, Marie-Anne | Not Available | USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) | Netherlands | 2016-01-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.08.019 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1398139 | ||
| Overview of environmental research at the Savannah River Laboratory | Harvey, R. S. | 500200* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 500300 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 520400 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Thermal Effluents Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520500 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOLOGY; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; EARTH ATMOSPHERE; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; HYDROLOGY; MASS TRANSFER; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OCEANOGRAPHY; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; US AEC; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTES | Research in the environmental sciences by the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) has the general objective of improving our understanding of transport through ecosystems and functional processes within ecosystems. With increased understanding, the basis for environmental assessments can be improved for releases from the Savannah River Plant or from the power industry of the southeastern United States. | Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Savannah River Lab. | United States | 1977-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7087095 | ||
| Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Requirements (ARARs) for Remedial Action at the Oak Ridge Reservation: A compendium of major environmental laws. Environmental Restoration Program | Etnier, E L; McDonald, E P; Houlberg, L M | 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540230; 540250; COMPLIANCE; CONTAMINATION; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; HEALTH AND SAFETY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; REMEDIAL ACTION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; US DOE; US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; US OSHA; US SUPERFUND | Section 121 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 specifies that remedial actions for cleanup of hazardous substances must comply with applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARARS) or standards under federal and state environmental laws. The US Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) was placed on the National Priorities List by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on November 21, 1989, effective December 21, 1989. As a result of this listing, DOE, EPA, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation have signed a Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) for the environmental restoration of the ORR. Section XXI(F) of the FFA calls for the preparation of a draft listing of all ARARs as mandated by CERCLA {section}121. This report supplies a preliminary list of available federal and state ARARs that might be considered for remedial response at the ORR. A description of the terms ``applicable`` and ``relevant and appropriate`` is provided, as well as definitions of chemical-, location-, and action-specific ARARS. ARARs promulgated by the federal government and by the state of Tennessee are listed in tables. In addition, the major provisions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air and other acts, as they apply to hazardous waste cleanup, are discussed. In the absence of ARARS, CERCLA {section}121 provides for the use of nonpromulgated federal criteria, guidelines, and advisories in evaluating the human risk associated with remedial action alternatives. Such nonpromulgated standards are classified as ``to-be-considered`` (TBC) guidance. A ion of available guidance is given; summary tables fist the available federal standards and guidance information. In addition, the substantive contents of the DOE orders as they apply to remediation of radioactively contaminated sites are discussed as TBC guidance. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10176653 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10176653 |
| Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report for 2009 | Thompson, Sharon D; Loffman, Regis S | The Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report is prepared annually and presents summary environmental data to (1) characterize environmental performance, (2) summarize environmental occurrences reported during the year, (3) confirm compliance with environmental standards and requirements, and (4) highlight significant program activities. The report fulfills the requirement contained in DOE Order 231.1A, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting (DOE 2004) that an integrated annual site environmental report be prepared. The results summarized in this report are based on data collected prior to and through 2009. This report is not intended to nor does it present the results of all environmental monitoring associated with the ORR. Data collected for other site and regulatory purposes, such as environmental restoration/remedial investigation reports, waste management characterization sampling data, and environmental permit compliance data, are presented in other documents that have been prepared in accordance with applicable DOE guidance and/or laws and are referenced herein as appropriate. Appendix A to this report identifies corrections for the 2008 report. Appendix B contains a glossary of technical terms that may be useful for understanding the terminology used in this document. Environmental monitoring on the ORR consists primarily of two major activities: effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. Effluent monitoring involves the collection and analysis of samples or measurements of liquid and gaseous effluents at the points of release to the environment; these measurements allow the quantification and official reporting of contaminant levels, assessment of radiation and chemical exposures to the public, and demonstration of compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements. Environmental surveillance consists of direct measurements and collection and analysis of samples taken from the site and its environs exclusive of effluents; these activities provide information on contaminant concentrations in air, water, groundwater, soil, foods, biota, and other media. Environmental surveillance data support determinations regarding environmental compliance and, when combined with data from effluent monitoring, support chemical and radiation dose and exposure assessments regarding the potential effects of ORR operations, if any, on the local environment. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) | ORNL other overhead | United States | 2010-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1001293 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1001293 | |
| Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site environmental report summary for 1994 | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, APPLIED STUDIES; AIR; ANIMALS; CONTAMINATION; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANTS; PUBLIC HEALTH; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; SOILS; WATER | This document presents a summary of the information collected for the Oak Ridge Reservation 1994 site environmental report. Topics discussed include: Oak Ridge Reservation mission; ecology; environmental laws; community participation; environmental restoration; waste management; radiation effects; chemical effects; risk to public; environmental monitoring; and radionuclide migration. | Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Oak Ridge K-25 Site, TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/150689 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/150689 | |
| Performance of Planted Herbaceous Species in Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) Plantations: Overstory Effects of Competition and Needlefall | Dagley, C M | Understory vegetation; containerized reproduction; restoration ecology | Research to determine the separate effects of above-ground and below-ground competition and needlefall of over-story pines on under-story plant performance. Periodic monitoring of over-story crown closure, soil water content, temperature, and nutrients were conducted. Results indicate competition for light had a more determental effect on performance of herbaceous species in longleaf pine plantations than that resulting from competition for below-ground resources. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | United States | 2001-07-03T04:00:00Z | Other | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807621 | ||
| The Pauropoda (Myriapoda) of the Savannah River Plant, Aiken, South Carolina | Scheller, U | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); ANIMALS; ARACHNIDS; ARTHROPODS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; BIOLOGY; CLASSIFICATION; ECOLOGY; INVERTEBRATES; LIFE CYCLE; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TAXONOMY; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | Though the pauropods of the US have been treated by many authors for more than a hundred years their occurrence not only on the Savannah River Plant (SRP) but in South Carolina as a whole has not been studied. Up to now not a single species has been recorded from these areas. The faunas of the surrounding states give little clue as to what might be expected in the SRP area because they too are almost uninvestigated (eleven species known from Tennessee, twelve from North Carolina, one from Alabama and one from Georgia). In fact, eighteen species in all have been listed from the states mentioned and six of them can now be put on the SRP list together with eight others. Several species not accounted for in this report may appear in future sampling. Among the species found, a high proportion was new to science. This necessarily moved the main emphasis of the study to taxonomic description because new taxa have to be named and described. They must also be included in a review such as this, as there are currently no other means to give a picture of the present state of knowledge. The fourteen species reported here for the SRP are certainly only a fraction of the total fauna. 25 refs., 26 figs. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (USA) | DOE/DP | United States | 1988-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5034022 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5034022 |
| Laboratory cross-borehole imaging of unconsolidated sediments | Johnson, P A; Larkin, T H; Phillips, W S; Eischied, G | 58 GEOSCIENCES; 580203* -- Geophysics-- Geophysical Survey Methods-- (1980-1989); BOREHOLES; CAVITIES; COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY; DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES; GROUND WATER; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROLOGY; IMAGE PROCESSING; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PROCESSING; SEDIMENTS; TOMOGRAPHY; WATER | Cross-borehole elastic wave tomography offers great potential for subsurface imaging of sediments and associated fluids. Using this method we created a high resolution tomographic image of velocity structure obtained from laboratory generated compressional wave traveltimes in unconsolidated sediments. The image shows three layers and a water filled container located in the center of the middle layer. An image obtained from computer simulated traveltimes shows good agreement with the image from laboratory data. Source frequency was 135 kHz, velocities ranged from 1.4 to 1.8 km/s, and thus wavelengths were 1.0 to 1.4 cm. Distance between boreholes was 30 cm with about 60 cm of vertical coverage. Over 900 raypaths were used in the image. The seismic quality factor Q ranged from 11 to 25 in the two saturated sediments. Our immediate application of this method is to ecological problems. However, such a method could be applied to small scale hydrological problems and other areas of interest where fluid content is of interest. 2 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) | DOE/ER | United States | 1989-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | 10.1190/1.1889813 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5644420 |
| Environmental assessment for the expansion and operation of the Central Shops Borrow Pit at the Savannah River Site | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; BACKFILLING; BUILDING MATERIALS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; EXCAVATION; REMEDIAL ACTION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOILS | The Department of Energy (DOE) prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) to assess the potential environmental impacts of the proposed expansion and operation of an existing borrow pit at the Savannah River Site (SRS), located near Aiken, South Carolina. A borrow pit is defined as an excavated area where material has been dug for use as fill at another location. The proposed action would entail the areal enlargement, continued operation, and eventual close-out of the established facility known as the Central Shops Borrow Pit. Operations at SRS supporting waste site closure and the construction and maintenance of site facilities and infrastructure require readily available suitable soil for use as fill material. With the recent depletion of the other existing on-site sources for such material, DOE proposes to expand the existing facility. The National Environmental Policy Act requires the assessment of environmental consequences of Federal actions that may affect the quality of the human environment. Based on the potential for impacts described herein, DOE will either publish a Finding of No Significant Impact or prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). | Department of Energy, Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/671962 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/671962 | |
| Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1985 to the DOE Office of Energy Research. Part 2. Environmental sciences | Wildung, R E | 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 510200 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520100 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSTRACTS; ARID LANDS; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COASTAL WATERS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; GEOCHEMISTRY; LEADING ABSTRACT; MASS TRANSFER; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PACIFIC OCEAN; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SEAS; SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENTS; SURFACE WATERS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WILD ANIMALS | This 1985 annual report describes research in environment, health, and safety conducted during fiscal year 1985. Individual abstracts have been prepared for the program areas. (ACR) | Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) | United States | 1986-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5744261 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5744261 | |
| Argonne National Laboratory annual report of Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program Activities FY 2009. | 43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS; ADVANCED PHOTON SOURCE; ANL; AWARDS; BIOFUELS; ENERGY STORAGE; MANAGEMENT; POSITIONING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; RECOMMENDATIONS; REPORTING REQUIREMENTS; TRANSFORMATIONS | I am pleased to submit Argonne National Laboratory's Annual Report on its Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) activities for fiscal year 2009. Fiscal year 2009 saw a heightened focus by DOE and the nation on the need to develop new sources of energy. Argonne scientists are investigating many different sources of energy, including nuclear, solar, and biofuels, as well as ways to store, use, and transmit energy more safely, cleanly, and efficiently. DOE selected Argonne as the site for two new Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) - the Institute for Atom-Efficient Chemical Transformations and the Center for Electrical Energy Storage - and funded two other EFRCs to which Argonne is a major partner. The award of at least two of the EFRCs can be directly linked to early LDRD-funded efforts. LDRD has historically seeded important programs and facilities at the lab. Two of these facilities, the Advanced Photon Source and the Center for Nanoscale Materials, are now vital contributors to today's LDRD Program. New and enhanced capabilities, many of which relied on LDRD in their early stages, now help the laboratory pursue its evolving strategic goals. LDRD has, since its inception, been an invaluable resource for positioning the Laboratory to anticipate, and thus be prepared to contribute to, the future science and technology needs of DOE and the nation. During times of change, LDRD becomes all the more vital for facilitating the necessary adjustments while maintaining and enhancing the capabilities of our staff and facilities. Although I am new to the role of Laboratory Director, my immediate prior service as Deputy Laboratory Director for Programs afforded me continuous involvement in the LDRD program and its management. Therefore, I can attest that Argonne's program adhered closely to the requirements of DOE Order 413.2b and associated guidelines governing LDRD. Our LDRD program management continually strives to be more efficient. In addition to meeting all reporting requirements during fiscal year 2009, our LDRD Office continues to enhance its electronic systems to streamline the LDRD management process. You will see from the following individual project reports that Argonne's researchers have once again done a superb job pursuing projects at the forefront of their respective fields and have contributed significantly to the advancement of Argonne's strategic thrusts. This work has not only attracted follow-on sponsorship in many cases, but is also proving to be a valuable basis upon which to continue realignment of our strategic portfolio to better match the Laboratory's Strategic Plan. | Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC) | United States | 2010-04-09T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/977186 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/977186 | |
| User's guide to DOE facilities | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100* -- Management; COST; EQUIPMENT; LABORATORIES; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PERSONNEL; PLANNING; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS | The Department of Energy's research laboratories represent valuable, often unique, resources for university and industrial scientists. It is DOE policy to make these laboratories and facilities available to qualified scientists. The answers to such questions as who are eligible, what and where are the facilities, what is the cost, when can they be used, are given. Data sheets are presented for each facility to provide information such as location, user contact, description of research, etc. A subject index refers to areas of research and equipment available. | Department of Energy, Washington, DC (USA). Office of Field Operations Management | United States | 1984-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5229614 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5229614 | ||
| Variation in runoff and erosion rates from different trench cap cover systems | Lopez, E A; Barnes, F J; Kincaid, M L; Antonio, E J | 052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; DISSOLUTION; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EROSION; EVALUATION; GROUND COVER; GROUND DISPOSAL; GROUND WATER; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; LASL; LEACHING; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PLANTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RECHARGE; RUNOFF; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SEPARATION PROCESSES; SOILS; STABILIZATION; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VARIATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER | A field-scale demonstration study was established at Los Alamos National Laboratory to evaluate the interactive effects of soil surface mulches and type of vegetative cover on site water balance and erosion under natural precipitation conditions. The study was established on an inactive, low-level radioactive waste site, and consists of clusters of plots on 3 different soil profiles. Each cluster consists of two pairs of plots. Each pair of plots has either shrub or grass vegetative cover, and one plot of each pair received a gravel surface mulch at the time of insulation. Soil moisture was measured biweekly, and plant and soil surface cover were measured seasonally. Total runoff and sediment transport from each plot was measured after each precipitation event or each snowmelt event. Data from 1987 and 1988 show increased stabilization of the soil surface with time. Runoff and sediment transport is five to ten times greater on unmulched plots in comparison to plots with a gravel mulch. Higher precipitation than usual in 1988 resulted in erosion rates that exceeded tolerance limits on several unmulched plots. Runoff from snowmelt was greater on mulched plots, and generally had low sediment concentrations. Continued monitoring of the site through 1989 will result in a unique data base of the effects of natural precipitation and different cover designs on site performance. 10 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1989-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6383130 | ||
| AQUATIC MACROINVERTEBRATE SURVEYS IN UPPER THREE RUNS CREEK AND PEN BRANCH (TASK ORDER 181) | Paller, M | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; HABITAT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; STREAMS | No abstract prepared. | SRS | DOE | United States | 1999-02-16T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/895968 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/895968 |
| Isotope studies to determine dry deposition of sulfate to deciduous and coniferous trees: Final draft | Garten, Jr, C T | 500200* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; AIR POLLUTION; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS; BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS; CANOPIES; CONIFERS; DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; DEPOSITION; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; FOLIAR UPTAKE; FUNCTIONS; ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS; ISOTOPE DILUTION; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; MAPLES; NAPAP; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURAL OCCURRENCE; NUCLEI; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PINES; PLANTS; POLLUTION; POPLARS; RADIOISOTOPES; SULFATES; SULFUR 35; SULFUR COMPOUNDS; SULFUR CYCLE; SULFUR ISOTOPES; THROUGHFALL; TRACER TECHNIQUES; TREES; UPTAKE; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | Experiments have been conducted at two locations near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, with radioactive /sup 35/S (87 day half-life) to examine the cycling behavior of sulfur in yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), red maple (Acer rubrum), and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) trees. Some findings pertain to methods development for estimating dry deposition of sulfur to forest canopies and the magnitude of sulfur emissions from natural sources (Task II). We will determine through field studies, the internal cycling, storage, and biogenic emission of sulfur, as traced by /sup 35/SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/, in environments impacted by atmospheric sulfate deposition; and will determine through isotope dilution studies, the contribution of foliar leaching and dry deposition to net throughfall (NTF) sulfate concentrations beneath deciduous and coniferous trees in such environments. 3 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1988-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5447347 | ||
| Floristic composition and plant succession on near-surface radioactive-waste-disposal facilities in the Los Alamos National Laboratory | Tierney, G D; Foxx, T S | 052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 510500 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 553000 -- Agriculture & Food Technology; 560131 -- Radiation Effects on Microorganisms-- Basic Studies-- (-1987); 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; DATA; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; GRASS; INFORMATION; LAND RECLAMATION; LASL; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUMERICAL DATA; PLANTS; PREFERRED SPECIES; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; REVEGETATION; SHRUBS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TREES; UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES | Since 1946, low-level radioactive waste has been buried in shallow landfills within the confines of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Five of these sites were studied for plant composition and successional patterns by reconnaissance and vegetation mapping. The data show a slow rate of recovery for all sites, regardless of age, in both the pinon-juniper and ponderosa pine communities. The sites are not comparable in succession or composition because of location and previous land use. The two oldest sites have the highest species diversity and the only mature trees. All sites allowed to revegetate naturally tend to be colonized by the same species that originally surrounded the sites. Sites on historic fields are colonized by the old field flora, whereas those in areas disturbed only by grazing are revegetated by the local native flora. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1982-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5111929 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5111929 | |
| Environmental resource document for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Volume 2 | Irving, J S | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540120; 540130; 540150; 540220; 540230; 540250; 540320; 540330; 540350; AESTHETICS; AIR QUALITY; CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; ENVIRONMENT; GEOGRAPHY; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LAND RESOURCES; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS; WATER RESOURCES | This document contains information related to the environmental characterization of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The INEL is a major US Department of Energy facility in southeastern Idaho dedicated to nuclear research, waste management, environmental restoration, and other activities related to the development of technology. Environmental information covered in this document includes land, air, water, and ecological resources; socioeconomic characteristics and land use; and cultural, aesthetic, and scenic resources. | EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10134813 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10134813 |
| Savannah River Site (SRS) environmental overview | O'Rear, M G; Steele, J L; Kitchen, B G | 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; 293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy, Legislation, & Regulation; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540120 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540130 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540220 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540230 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540320 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540330 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES; AIR QUALITY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; IMPLEMENTATION; LAWS; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; PERMIT APPLICATIONS; PUBLIC RELATIONS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER QUALITY | The environmental surveillance activities at and in the vicinity of the Savannah River Site (SRS) (formerly the Savannah River Plant (SRP)) comprise one of the most comprehensive and extensive environmental monitoring programs in the United States. This overview contains monitoring data from routine and nonroutine radiological and nonradiological environmental surveillance activities, summaries of environmental protection programs in progress, a summary of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) activities, and a listing of environmental permits (Appendix A) issued by regulatory agencies. This overview provides information about the impact of SRS operations on the public and the environment. The SRS occupies a large area of approximately 300 square miles along the Savannah River, principally in Aiken and Barnwell counties of South Carolina. SRS's primary function is the production of tritium, plutonium, and other special nuclear materials for national defense, for other governmental uses, and for some civilian purposes. From August 1950 to March 31, 1989, SRS was operated for the Department of Energy (DOE) by E. I. du Pont de Nemours Co. On April 1, 1989 the Westinghouse Savannah River Company assumed responsibility as the prime contractor for the Savannah River Site. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (USA) | DOE/DP | United States | 1990-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6267589 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6267589 |
| Communicating with Public and Scientific Audiences: Are They Really Any Different? | Gray, R. H.; Brown, T. L. | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; 290600* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Nuclear Energy; COMMUNICATIONS; DECISION MAKING; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HANFORD RESERVATION; INFORMATION; MEETINGS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PUBLIC INFORMATION; PUBLIC RELATIONS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | Efforts to communicate the results of environmental studies and involve the public in environmental decisions have increased nationwide. Frequently, the assumption is made that communicating with the public is somehow different than communicating with scientific audiences. Our experience shows that this is often not the case. Today's multi-disciplinary environmental issues pose communications problems that are the same in public as they are in scientific forums. Outreach efforts on the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Nuclear Site have drawn on a broad spectrum of communications media including techni cal articles (open literature and symposium publications, annual and topical reports); information brochures; video productions; interactive exhibits; presentations at scientific, technical, civic and other public meetings; and, more recently, proactive interactions with the news media and local, state, and federal agencies. In addition, plans are being made for representatives of local communities to operate offsite sampling stations in Hanford's environmental monitoring network. All major environmental programs, such as the current five-year effort to reconstruct past radiological doses to offsite human populations, are conducted with open public participation. This presentation describes Hanford's public outreach efforts, our successes and failures, and the lessons learned. For example, developing brochures and videos is of little value without also developing and implementing a detailed distribution plan. Follow-up activities are often neglected during initial planning stages but must be considered in outreach efforts. | Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), Richland, WA (United States) | USDOE | United States | 1991-04-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5893378 | |
| Future land use plan | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BNL; DEMOGRAPHY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; LAND USE; MAPS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; REMEDIAL ACTION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; WASTE MANAGEMENT | The US Department of Energy`s (DOE) changing mission, coupled with the need to apply appropriate cleanup standards for current and future environmental restoration, prompted the need for a process to determine preferred Future Land Uses for DOE-owned sites. DOE began the ``Future Land Use`` initiative in 1994 to ensure that its cleanup efforts reflect the surrounding communities` interests in future land use. This plan presents the results of a study of stakeholder-preferred future land uses for the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), located in central Long Island, New York. The plan gives the Laboratory`s view of its future development over the next 20 years, as well as land uses preferred by the community were BNL ever to cease operations as a national laboratory (the post-BNL scenario). The plan provides an overview of the physical features of the site including its history, topography, geology/hydrogeology, biological inventory, floodplains, wetlands, climate, and atmosphere. Utility systems and current environmental operations are described including waste management, waste water treatment, hazardous waste management, refuse disposal and ground water management. To complement the physical descriptions of the site, demographics are discussed, including overviews of the surrounding areas, laboratory population, and economic and non-economic impacts. | Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-08-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/106537 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/106537 | |
| Seasonal food habits of the coyote in the South Carolina coastal plain. | Schrecengost, J. D.; Kilgo, J. C.; Mallard, D.; Ray, H. Scott; Miller, K. V. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Canis latrans; coyote; deer predation; seasonal food habits | Abstract - Spatial and temporal plasticity in Canis latrans (coyote) diets require regional studies to understand the ecological role of this omnivorous canid. Because coyotes have recently become established in South Carolina, we investigated their food habits by collecting 415 coyote scats on the Savannah River Site in western South Carolina from May 2005-July 2006. Seasonally available soft mast was the most common food item in 12 of the 15 months we sampled. Odocoileus virginianus (white-tailed deer) was the most common food item during December (40%) and March (37%). During May-June, fruits of Prunus spp. and Rubus spp. were the most commonly occurring food items. Fawns were the most common mammalian food item during May and June of both years despite low deer density. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2008-07-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1656/1528-7092(2008)7[135:SFHOTC]2.0.CO;2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1012271 |
| Seasonal food habits of the coyote in the South Carolina coastal plain. | Schrecengost, J. D.; Kilgo, J. C.; Mallard, D.; Ray, H. Scott; Miller, K. V. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Canis latrans; coyote; deer predation; seasonal food habits | Abstract - Spatial and temporal plasticity in Canis latrans (coyote) diets require regional studies to understand the ecological role of this omnivorous canid. Because coyotes have recently become established in South Carolina, we investigated their food habits by collecting 415 coyote scats on the Savannah River Site in western South Carolina from May 2005-July 2006. Seasonally available soft mast was the most common food item in 12 of the 15 months we sampled. Odocoileus virginianus (white-tailed deer) was the most common food item during December (40%) and March (37%). During May-June, fruits of Prunus spp. and Rubus spp. were the most commonly occurring food items. Fawns were the most common mammalian food item during May and June of both years despite low deer density. | USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, New Ellenton, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 2008-07-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1656/1528-7092(2008)7[135:SFHOTC]2.0.CO;2 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1012270 |
| Fermilab Report - Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Monthly Report, July/September 1991 | Fermilab | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) | United States | 1991-01-01T04:00:00Z | Program Document | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1402491 | |||
| Relationships between physiological and fish population responses in a contaminated stream | Adams, S. Marshall; Crumby, W. Dennis; Greeley, Jr., Mark S.; Ryon, Michael G.; Schilling, Elizabeth M. | Relationships between toxicant exposure, physiological effects, and population-level responses were investigated in redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus) from a stream receiving chronic inputs of mixed contaminants. Elevated levels of detoxification enzymes, which provided evidence of direct toxicant exposure, were associated with low lipid levels, histopathological damage, and reduced growth for fish at the upper three sites in the contaminated stream. Decreased fecundity, exhibited by fish at the upper site, might have been due to the reduced capacity of the liver to manufacture yolk proteins. Reduction in lipid pools due to metabolic drains might have decreased the amount of physiological useful energy needed for growth resulting in smaller age-specific sizes of fish at the upper three sites. This approach for investigating relationships between contaminant exposure, physiological effects, and population-level responses such as growth and size distributions could serve as a model for designing biomonitoring studies and for stimulating further research to improve our ability to evaluate the ecological significance of chronic contaminant stressors on aquatic ecosystems. | USDOE | United States | 1992-11-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1002/etc.5620111105 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2496840 | ||
| Oak Ridge Reservation annual site environmental report summary for 1995 | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; MONITORING; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; REGULATIONS | The US Department of Energy (DOE) requires an annual site environmental report from each of the sites operating under its authority. The reports present the results from the various environmental monitoring and surveillance programs carried out during the year. In addition to meeting the DOE requirement, the reports also document compliance with various state and federal laws and regulations. This report was published to fulfill those requirements for the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) for calendar year 1995. The report is based on thousands of environmental samples collected on and around the ORR and analyzed during the year. The data on which the report is based are published in Environmental Monitoring and Surveillance on the Oak Ridge Reservation: 1995 Data (ES/ESH-71). Both documents are highly detailed. This summary report is meant for readers who are interested in the monitoring results but who do not need to review the details. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US); Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (US); Oak Ridge K-25 Site, TN (US) | USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (US) | United States | 1996-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/661505 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/661505 | |
| Historical agriculture and contemporary fire frequency alter soil properties in longleaf pine woodlands | Bizzari, Lauren E.; Collins, Cathy D.; Brudvig, Lars A.; Damschen, Ellen I. | Not Available | USDOE | Netherlands | 2015-08-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.foreco.2015.04.006 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1251958 | ||
| Wetland Survey of the X-10 Bethel Valley and Melton Valley Groundwater Operable Units at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee | Rosensteel, B | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BREAKDOWN; CLASSIFICATION; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORNL; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; TENNESSEE; WETLANDS | This wetland survey report regarding wetlands within Melton Valley and Bethel Valley areas of the Oak Ridge Reservation was prepared in accordance with requirements under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act for reporting the results of a site characterization for public review. This work was done under Work Breakdown Structure number 1.4.12.6.1.15.41. This document provides the Environmental Restoration program with information on the results of the wetland survey conducted during fiscal year 1995. it includes information on the physical characteristics, location, approximate size, and classification of wetland areas identified during the field survey. | ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 1993-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/814429 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/814429 |
| Environmental assessment for radioisotope heat source fuel processing and fabrication | 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ACCIDENTS; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; FUEL FABRICATION PLANTS; FUELS; GEOLOGY; HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; HEAVY NUCLEI; ISOTOPES; LAND USE; LANL; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; METEOROLOGY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; NUCLEAR FUELS; NUCLEI; PLUTONIUM 238; PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES; RADIOISOTOPES; REACTOR MATERIALS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SEISMOLOGY; SILICON 32 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES; TRANSPORT; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOT | DOE has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) for radioisotope heat source fuel processing and fabrication involving existing facilities at the Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, South Carolina and the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) near Los Alamos, New Mexico. The proposed action is needed to provide Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG) to support the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) CRAF and Cassini Missions. Based on the analysis in the EA, DOE has determined that the proposed action does not constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement is not required. 30 refs., 5 figs. | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Space and Defense Energy Systems, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Special Applications | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1991-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5654071 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5654071 | |
| Resource management plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 20. Soil conservation plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation | Lietzke, D. A.; Lee, S. Y.; Tamura, T. | 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; SOILS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | This document is organized by soil groups with common properties and geologic parentage. Soil management for conservation and continued land use is accomplished at several levels depending on site specificity. Soil conservation and mangement planning at the ORR level starts with a broad overview of the entire area. When a specific tract of land is to be intensively used, soil maps made at a scale of 1:24,000 to 1:12,000 should be consulted. Soils information currently available on maps made at these scales is organized at the level of individual soil series and phases of soil series and with mostly agriculutral uses in mind. The soils base map for this document was developed from the correlated field sheets of the Anderson County soil survey and the enlarged Roane County soil survey planimetric map that were overlain on an enlarged topographic base map (drawing scale 1:15,840). All interpretations in this report are based on the Anderson County soil survey and additional data from the National Cooperative Soil Survey Program. | Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (USA) | United States | 1986-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5152167 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5152167 | |
| Identification and characterization of wetlands in the Bear Creek watershed | Rosensteel, B A; Trettin, C C | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; CLASSIFICATION; HYDROLOGY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANTS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SPECIES DIVERSITY; WETLANDS | The primary objective of this study was to identify, characterize, and map the wetlands in the Bear Creek watershed. A preliminary wetland categorization system based on the Cowardin classification system (Cowardin et al. 1979) with additional site-specific topographic, vegetation, and disturbance characteristic modifiers was developed to characterize the type of wetlands that exist in the Bear Creek watershed. An additional objective was to detect possible relationships among site soils, hydrology, and the occurrence of wetlands in the watershed through a comparison of existing data with the field survey. Research needs are discussed in the context of wetland functions and values and regulatory requirements for wetland impact assessment and compensatory mitigation. | Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10193241 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10193241 |
| The Carolina Bay Restoration Project - Final Report 2000-2006. | Barton, Christopher | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Carolina bays; GRAMINEAE; HARVESTING; HERBICIDES; MITIGATION; MONITORING; PINES; PLANTS; SAVANNAS; SEEDLINGS; SHREDDERS; Savannah River Site; TREES; WETLANDS; Wetlands; mitigation; restoration | A Wetlands Mitigation Bank was established at SRS in 1997 as a compensatory alternative for unavoidable wetland losses. Prior to restoration activities, 16 sites included in the project were surveyed for the SRS Site Use system to serve as a protective covenant. Pre-restoration monitoring ended in Fall 2000, and post restoration monitoring began in the Winter/Spring of 2001. The total interior harvest in the 16 bays after harvesting the trees was 19.6 ha. The margins in the opencanopy, pine savanna margin treatments were thinned. Margins containing areas with immature forested stands (bay 5184 and portions of bay 5011) were thinned using a mechanical shredder in November 2001. Over 126 hectares were included in the study areas (interior + margin). Planting of two tree species and the transplanting of wetland grass species was successful. From field surveys, it was estimated that approximately 2700 Nyssa sylvatica and 1900 Taxodium distichum seedlings were planted in the eight forested bays resulting in an average planting density of â 490 stems ha-1. One hundred seedlings of each species per bay (where available) were marked to evaluate survivability and growth. Wetland grass species were transplanted from donor sites on SRS to plots that ranged in size from 100 â 300 m2, depending on wetland size. On 0.75 and 0.6 meter centers, respectively, 2198 plugs of Panicum hemitomon and 3021 plugs Leersia hexandra were transplanted. New shoots originating from the stumps were treated with a foliar herbicide (Garlon® 4) during the summer of 2001 using backpack sprayers. Preliminary information from 2000-2004 regarding the hydrologic, vegetation and faunal response to restoration is presented in this status report. | USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC | USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2007-12-15T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/921084 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/921084 |
| Site Selection for the Salt Disposition Facility at the Savannah River Site | Gladden, J B; Rueter, K J; Morin, J P | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; HYDROLOGY; ION EXCHANGE; PRECIPITATION; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE SELECTION; SOLVENT EXTRACTION | A site selection study was conducted to identify a suitable location for the construction and operation of a new Salt Disposition Facility (SDF) at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The facility to be sited is a single processing facility and support buildings that could house either of three technology alternatives being developed by the High Level Waste Systems Engineering Team: Small Tank Tetraphenylborate Precipitation, Crystalline Silicotitanate Non-Elutable Ion Exchange or Caustic Side Solvent Extraction. A fourth alternative, Direct Disposal in grout, is not part of the site selection study because a location has been identified that is unique to this technology (i.e., Z-Area). Facility site selection at SRS is a formal, documented process that seeks to optimize siting of new facilities with respect to facility-specific engineering requirements, sensitive environmental resources, and applicable regulatory requirements. In this manner, the prime objectives of cost minimization, environmental protection, and regulatory compliance are achieved. The results from this geotechnical characterization indicated that continued consideration be given to Site B for the proposed SDF. Suitable topography, the lack of surface hydrology and floodplain issues, no significant groundwater contamination, the presence of minor soft zones along the northeast portion of footprint, and no apparent geological structure in the Gordon Aquitard support this recommendation. | Savannah River Site (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2000-11-15T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/768542 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/768542 |
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory Institutional Plan, FY 1991--FY 1996 | 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 210300 -- Power Reactors, Nonbreeding, Graphite Moderated; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 360000 -- Materials; 645000 -- High Energy Physics; 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100 -- Management; ACCELERATORS; COOPERATION; EDUCATION; GAS COOLED REACTORS; GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS; HEAVY ION ACCELERATORS; HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS; HTGR TYPE REACTORS; INTERAGENCY COOPERATION; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NEUTRON SOURCES; ORNL; PARTICLE SOURCES; PHYSICS; PLANNING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; RADIATION SOURCES; REACTORS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT | The Oak Ridge National Laboratory -- one of DOE's major multiprogram laboratories -- focuses its resources on energy research and development (R D). To be able to meet these R D challenges, the Laboratory must achieve excellence in its operations relative to environmental, safety, and health (ES H) protection and to restore its aging facility infrastructure. ORNL's missions are carried out in compliance with all applicable ES H regulations. The Laboratory conducts applied R D in energy technologies -- in conservation; fission; magnetic fusion; health and environmental protection; waste management; renewable resources; and fossil energy. Experimental and theoretical research is undertaken to investigate fundamental problems in physical, chemical, materials, computational, biomedical, earth, and environmental sciences; to advance scientific knowledge; and to support energy technology R D. ORNL designs, builds, and operates unique research facilities for the benefit of university, industrial, and national laboratory researchers. The Laboratory serves as a catalyst in bringing national and international research elements together for important scientific and technical collaborations. ORNL helps to prepare the scientific and technical work force of the future by offering innovative and varied learning and R D experiences at the Laboratory for students and faculty from preschool level through postdoctoral candidates. The transfer of science and technology to US industries and universities is an integral component of ORNL's R D missions. ORNL also undertakes research and development for non-DOE sponsors when such work is synergistic with DOE mission. 66 figs., 55 tabs. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA) | United States | 1991-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5970718 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5970718 | |
| Siting Study for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Disposal Project | Harvego, Lisa; Connolly, Joan; Peterson, Lance; Orr, Brennon; Starr, Bob | 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; CAPACITY; DESIGN; EVALUATION; PERFORMANCE; REGULATIONS; TEST REACTORS; US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTES; disposal facility; remote-handled low-level waste; siting study | The U.S. Department of Energy has identified a mission need for continued disposal capacity for remote-handled low-level waste (LLW) generated at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). An alternatives analysis that was conducted to evaluate strategies to achieve this mission need identified two broad options for disposal of INL generated remote-handled LLW: (1) offsite disposal and (2) onsite disposal. The purpose of this study is to identify candidate sites or locations within INL boundaries for the alternative of an onsite remote handled LLW disposal facility and recommend the highest-ranked locations for consideration in the National Environmental Policy Act process. The study implements an evaluation based on consideration of five key elements: (1) regulations, (2) key assumptions, (3) conceptual design, (4) facility performance, and (5) previous INL siting study criteria, and uses a five-step process to identify, screen, evaluate, score, and rank 34 separate sites located across INL. The result of the evaluation is identification of two recommended alternative locations for siting an onsite remote-handled LLW disposal facility. The two alternative locations that best meet the evaluation criteria are (1) near the Advanced Test Reactor Complex and (2) west of the Idaho Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Disposal Facility. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | DOE - NE | United States | 2010-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1027881 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1027881 |
| An electronic procedure system for WSRC fuel material facility | Derr, S. M.; Sloan, C. W. | 050700* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Fuels Production & Properties; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990200 -- Mathematics & Computers; COMPLIANCE; COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE; COMPUTER GRAPHICS; COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS; COMPUTERS; CONTROL SYSTEMS; DATA ACQUISITION; DATA BASE MANAGEMENT; DATA PROCESSING; DIGITAL COMPUTERS; FUEL ELEMENTS; IMPLEMENTATION; MANAGEMENT; MICROCOMPUTERS; MILITARY FACILITIES; NATIONAL DEFENSE; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NETWORK ANALYSIS; OPERATION; PERSONAL COMPUTERS; PROCESSING; REACTOR COMPONENTS; REGULATIONS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | The production of naval fuel, like many production processes within the Westinghouse complex, depends very heavily on strict procedure compliance. Thus operators need to have quick access to procedures and they need to have some assurance that they are using the most current revision. This is often both difficult and time consuming on a production floor. In order to resolve some of these problems two members of the Naval Fuel Product Team are currently developing an electronic procedure system. It is the intent of the system to have workstations on the production floor. These workstations will be networked to a centralized computer used exclusively as a file server for holding the current revision of each procedure. By simply clicking a mouse on the appropriate icon, a user will be able to access any procedure required in his portion of the process. In this user friendly environment the operator can either read the procedure on the workstation screen or print a copy of the procedure at a nearby printer. Since it is often the case that a graphic is used in one procedure is also used in other procedures, we plan to store individual graphics separately from a given procedure. In this way when a graphic changes, only one correction needs to be made in order for that graphic to be automatically updated in every procedure in which it is used. In the future we plan to expand the system so that the operator will be able to enter procedure data into the procedure. We have plans for this to be a platform for both the Distributive Control and Nuclear Accountability Systems. Farther down the road we envision operating in a real-time environment were the workstation would be able to read data directly from equipment in the process. 14 figs. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (USA) | DOE/DP | United States | 1989-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5331606 | |
| Environmental resource document for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Volume 1 | Irving, J S | 053001; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540120; 540130; 540220; 540230; 540320; 540330; AIR QUALITY; CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; ENVIRONMENT; GEOLOGY; HYDROLOGY; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LAND USE; MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; SAMPLING; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITING; SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WATER QUALITY | This document contains information related to the environmental characterization of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The INEL is a major US Department of Energy facility in southeastern Idaho dedicated to nuclear research, waste management, environmental restoration, and other activities related to the development of technology. Environmental information covered in this document includes land, air, water, and ecological resources; socioeconomic characteristics and land use; and cultural, aesthetic, and scenic resources. | EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10134818 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10134818 |
| Study of the potential health and environmental impacts from the development of liquid-dominated geothermal resources | Williams, J M | 15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY; 150600* -- Geothermal Energy-- Environmental Aspects; AIR POLLUTION; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; BRINES; CHALCOGENIDES; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY SYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FEDERAL REGION VI; GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS; Geothermal Legacy; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; HOT-WATER SYSTEMS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROGEN SULFIDES; HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEMS; JEMEZ MOUNTAINS; LAND POLLUTION; MOUNTAINS; NEW MEXICO; NORTH AMERICA; POLLUTION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; REVIEWS; SOILS; SULFIDES; SULFUR COMPOUNDS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; USA; WATER POLLUTION; WATER RESOURCES | This document describes seven programs to provide scientific input, understanding, and forecasting capability for hydrothermal energy areas needing resolution. The three major areas addressed are (1) the impacts on living components of the aqueous and terrestrial ecosystems, (2) the impacts on the quality of the abiotic environment itself, and (3) the techniques needed to measure releases from hydrothermal activities. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1982-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6673088 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6673088 | |
| Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2022 w/Attachment A Site Description | Redding, Theodore J. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; NNSS, Environment, Environmental, ASER, NNSA, NFO | This Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report (NNSSER) summarizes actions taken in 2022 to protect the environment and the public while achieving the NNSA/NFO mission goals. It is prepared for the public and our stakeholders in hopes that it is readily understandable and usable. It is a key component in our efforts to keep the public informed of environmental conditions at the NNSS and its support facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada. The accompanying Attachment A expands on the general description of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) presented in the Introduction to the Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2022. Included are subsections that summarize the siteâs geological, hydrological, climatological, and ecological settings and the cultural resources of the NNSS. | Nevada National Security Sites/Mission Support and Test Services LLC, Las Vegas, NV (United States) | USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU), Office of Environmental Protection and ES&H Reporting | United States | 2023-10-01T04:00:00Z | Program Document | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2004659 | |
| Watersheds of the Oak Ridge Reservation in a geographic information system | Tauxe, J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONTAMINATION; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; HYDROLOGY; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; LAND USE; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; SURFACE WATERS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WATERSHEDS | This work develops a comprehensive set of watershed definitions for the entire Oak Ridge Reservation and surrounding area. A stream-ordering system is defined based upon the method proposed by Strahler (1952) and using 1:24,000 scale US Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps and the locally standard S-16A Map (USGS 1987) as sources for topographic contours and locations of streams as recommended by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS 1995). For each ordered stream, a contributing watershed or catchment area is delineated and digitized into a geographic information system (GIS), generating over 900 watershed polygons of various orders. This new dataset complements a growing database of georeferenced environmental and cultural data which exist for the Oak Ridge area and are routinely used for socioeconomic and environmental analyses. Because these watersheds are now available in a GIS format, they may be used in a variety of hydrologic analyses, including rainfall/runoff modeling, development of geomorphological parameters, and the modeling of contaminant transport in surface waters. An understanding of the relationships of watersheds to sources of contamination and to administrative and political boundaries is also essential in land use planning and the organization of environmental restoration and waste management activities. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US) | USDOE, Washington, DC (US); USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (US) | United States | 1998-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/663484 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/663484 |
| Office of Environment. Statement of programs: FY 1979 | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; 530200* -- Environmental-Social Aspects of Energy Technologies-- Assessment of Energy Technologies-- (-1989); ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAFETY; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS | Meeting our energy needs and protecting the quality of our environment are complementary parts of our national energy planning. The search for energy supplies and the development of new energy sources must go hand-in-hand with clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment. The Office of Environment (EV) has a major responsibility in the Department of Energy (DOE) for assuring that environmental concern are translated into environmental programs and commitments. EV studies the environmental, health and safety effects of all DOE energy programs, overviews the environmental aspects of these programs, and ensures their consistency with environmental and safety laws, regulations, and policies. EV programs support the Department's efforts to achieve the best balance between energy availability and environmental acceptability. This document briefly describes EV activities, summarizes programs for FY 1979, and identifies responsible divisions and offices. Included are funding levels and budgetary trends for EV programs and the energy technologies they support, as well as institutions responsible for performing the EV activities. | Department of Energy, Washington, DC (USA). Office of Planning Coordination | USDOE | United States | 1978-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6931149 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6931149 | |
| Biomedical and Environmental Sciences Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1991 | 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 054000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Health & Safety; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540110; 540210 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); 540310 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); 550000 -- Biomedical Sciences, Basic Studies; 560100 -- Biomedical Sciences, Applied Studies-- Radiation Effects; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; BIOLOGY; ENVIRONMENT; GLOBAL ASPECTS; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; MANAGEMENT; MEDICINE; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR MEDICINE; ORNL; PERSONNEL; POLLUTION; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; RADIATION EFFECTS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAFETY; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | This overview provides programmatic and other information about the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Biomedical and Environmental Sciences (BES) Program. Our mission is to conduct for our sponsors quality research and development (R D) using our local resources and collaborative groups in Oak Ridge and elsewhere. A primary mission of the BES Program is to identify and to understand important environmental and health effects associated with the energy technologies including (1) basic and applied biological research on genetic and somatic effects of radiation and chemical exposures; (2) relationships of primary energy-related effluents to global environmental issues; (3) development of human health and environmental assessments and risk analyses in these areas; and (4) development of advanced instrumentation, measurement techniques, and methodologies for applying nuclear technologies to medical diagnosis and treatment. A secondary mission is to contribute to relevant educational activities and the revitalization of American industry through a variety of associations and activities. The BES Program is committed to the effective transfer of research and technological developments to the private sector, academia, and other research institutions including (where possible) establishing joint research, education, and training programs with universities. 8 refs., 9 figs., 14 tabs. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1991-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5711190 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5711190 | |
| Environmentally Sensitive Areas Surveys Program threatened and endangered species survey: Progress report. Environmental Restoration Program | King, A L; Awl, D J; Gabrielsen, C A | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; COMPILED DATA; ENDANGERED SPECIES; LAND USE; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; PROGRESS REPORT; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SURVEYS | The Endangered Species Act (originally passed in 1973) is a Federal statute that protects both animal and plant species. The Endangered Species Act identifies species which are, without careful management, in danger of becoming extinct and species that are considered threatened. Along with the designation of threatened or endangered, the Endangered Species Act provides for the identification of appropriate habitat for these species. Since 1993, the United States Department of Energy`s (DOE) Environmental Restoration (ER) Program has supported a program to survey the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) for threatened and endangered species. The Environmentally Sensitive Areas Surveys Program initiated vascular plant surveys during fiscal year 1993 and vertebrate animal surveys during fiscal year 1994 to determine the baseline condition of threatened and endangered species on the ORR at the present time. Data collected during these surveys are currently aiding Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Remedial Investigations on the ORR. They also provide data for ER and Waste Management decision documents, ensure that decisions have technical and legal defensibility, provide a baseline for ensuring compliance with principal legal requirements and will increase public confidence in DOE`s adherence to all related environmental resources rules, laws, regulations, and instructions. This report discusses the progress to date of the threatened and endangered species surveys of the ORR. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10189798 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10189798 |
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory Institutional Plan, FY 1997--FY 2002 | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; EXPERIMENT PLANNING; ORNL; PLANNING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS | Three major initiatives are described, which are proposed to strengthen ORNL`s ability to support the missions of the Department: neutron science, functional genomics, and distributed computing at teraflop speeds. The laboratory missions, strategic plan, scientific and technical programs, enterprise activities, laboratory operations, and resource projections are also described. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1996-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/475290 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/475290 | |
| Technology transfer 1995 | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290200; 290500; ECONOMICS AND SOCIOLOGY; HOSPITALS; INDUSTRY; RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND COMMERCIALIZATION; SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS; TECHNOLOGY IMPACTS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US DOE | Technology Transfer 1995 is intended to inform the US industrial and academic sectors about the many opportunities they have to form partnerships with the US Department of Energy (DOE) for the mutual advantage of the individual institutions, DOE, and the nation as a whole. It also describes some of the growing number of remarkable achievements resulting from such partnerships. These partnership success stories offer ample evidence that Americans are learning how to work together to secure major benefits for the nation--by combining the technological, scientific, and human resources resident in national laboratories with those in industry and academia. The benefits include more and better jobs for Americans, improved productivity and global competitiveness for technology-based industries, and a more efficient government laboratory system. | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10115126 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10115126 | |
| Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Historic Building Inventory Survey Phase I -- Part 1 | Braun, Julie B. | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS | A Historic Building Inventory survey report for the Idaho National Laboratory. | Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (United States) | USDOE | United States | 1995-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1140276 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1140276 |
| Remedial investigation/feasibility study of the Clinch River/Poplar Creek Operable Unit. Volume 4. Appendixes G, H, and I and information related to the feasibility study and ARARs | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLINCH RIVER; CONTAMINATION; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; GROUND DISPOSAL; HYDROLOGY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; RADIOISOTOPES; REMEDIAL ACTION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION | This report presents the findings of an investigation into contamination of the Clinch River and Poplar Creek near the U.S. Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in eastern Tennessee. For more than 50 years, various hazardous and radioactive substances have been released to the environment as a result of operations and waste management activities at the ORR. In 1989, the ORR was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL), established and maintained under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). Under CERCLA, NPL sites must be investigated to determine the nature and extent of contamination at the site, assess the risk to human health and the environment posed by the site, and, if necessary, identify feasible remedial alternatives that could be used to clean the site and reduce risk. To facilitate the overall environmental restoration effort at the ORR, CERCLA activities are being implemented individually as distinct operable units (OUs). This document is Volume 4 of the combined Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Report for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek OU. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1996-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/285458 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/285458 | |
| Meet the best Award-winning technologies from Pacific Northwest Laboratory | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | The Battelle Memorial Institute has managed the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the US Department of Energy for 25 years. During this time, numerous new technologies have been discovered and developed at PNL as a result of our research programs. This document will introduce you to some of the more significant discoveries and newly commercialized technologies. Each of the technologies described has received an award from Research Development magazine or the Federal Laboratory Consortium--sometimes both Each technology is available to you through PNL's technology transfer program or one of our licensees. Similarly, our award-winning scientists and engineers are available to assist you as you search for innovative technologies to solve your technical problems. These researchers are familiar with current problems confronting industry, government agencies, and the academic community. They are happy to apply their skills and PNL's resources to your problems. PNL encourages its researchers to work with government agencies, universities, and US industries. PNL technology transfer programs address the nation's drive toward increased competitiveness by being flexible and aggressive, and are designed to tailor results to fit your needs and those of your clients. If you are in search of a new technology or increased competitiveness, consider collaborative efforts with our award-winning staff, whose accomplishments are synopsized in this booklet. | Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) | DOE/NE | United States | 1990-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6118544 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6118544 | |
| Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1988 to the DOE Office of Energy Research: Part 2, Environmental Sciences | 052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ANADROMOUS FISHES; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; CHEMISTRY; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; FISHES; GEOCHEMISTRY; MICROORGANISMS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SALMON; SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENTS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; WATER USE | This report summarizes progress in environmental sciences research conducted by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the Office of Health and Environmental Research in FY 1988. Research is directed toward developing a fundamental understanding of processes controlling the long-term fate and biological effects of fugitive chemicals and other stressors resulting from energy development. The PNL research program continues to make important contributions to the resolution of important national environmental problems. The research, focused principally on subsurface contaminant transport and detection and management of human-induced changes in biological systems, forms the basis for defining and quantifying processes that affect humans and the environment at the regional and global levels. Each research project forms a component in an integrated laboratory- intermediated scale field approach designed to examine multiple phenomena at increasing levels of complexity. This approach is providing system-level insights into critical environmental processes. Strong university liaisons now in existence are being markedly expanded so that PNL resources and the specialized technical capabilities in the university community can be more efficiently integrated. Building on PNL technical strengths in geochemistry, environment microbiology, hydrodynamics, and statistical ecology, research in the environmental sciences is in an exciting phase, and new investments have been made in molecular sciences, chemistry, biotechnology, use of remote imagery, and theoretical ecology. The section on exploratory research provides unique insight into the value of these investments and into the future of PNL environmental sciences programs. | Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) | United States | 1989-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6225596 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6225596 | ||
| Distribution of sup 137 Cs, sup 90 Sr, sup 238 Pu, sup 239 Pu, sup 241 Am and sup 244 Cm in Pond B, Savannah River Site | Whicker, F. W.; Pinder, III, J. E.; Bowling, J. W.; Alberts, J. J.; Brisbin, Jr., I. L. | 052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES; ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; AMERICIUM 241; AMERICIUM ISOTOPES; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BIRDS; CESIUM 137; CESIUM ISOTOPES; CHEMICAL PROPERTIES; CONCENTRATION RATIO; CONTAMINATION; CURIUM 244; CURIUM ISOTOPES; DECAY; DISTRIBUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; FISHES; FORECASTING; GROUND WATER; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; HEAVY NUCLEI; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; INVERTEBRATES; ISOTOPES; MASS TRANSFER; MATERIALS; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; PLUTONIUM 238; PLUTONIUM 239; PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES; POLLUTANTS; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RECREATIONAL AREAS; REPTILES; SAMPLING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SEDIMENTS; SILICON 32 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; STRONTIUM 90; STRONTIUM ISOTOPES; TURTLES; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; WASTES; WATER; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES | The gradual senescence of present-day operating nuclear facilities, and resultant contamination of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, emphasize the importance of understanding the behavior of radionuclides in the environment. Observations and deductions concerning mechanisms of radionuclide transport can contribute significantly to knowledge of fundamental ecological processes. This study emphasized the ecosystem-level distribution of several long-lived radionuclides in an abandoned reactor cooling impoundment after a twenty year period of chemical and biological equilibration. 90 refs., 14 figs., 5 tabs. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (USA) | DOE/DP | United States | 1989-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5135002 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5135002 |
| Environmental Assessment for the construction and operation of the Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority regional waste management center at the Savannah River Site | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; COMPLIANCE; CONSTRUCTION; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; OPERATION; REGULATIONS; SANITARY LANDFILLS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOLID WASTES; US DOE; US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; WASTE DISPOSAL | This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with the construction and operation of a landfill and technology center for regionally-generated municipal solid waste at the Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, South Carolina. The facility would serve the municipal solid waste disposal needs for SRS and at least nine of the surrounding counties who currently comprise the Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority (TRSWA). Additional counties could become included in the proposed action at some future date. Current Federal and state requirements do not afford individual counties and municipalities within the region encompassing SRS the ability to efficiently or economically operate modern waste management facilities. In addition, consolidation of regional municipal solid waste at one location would have the benefit of reducing the duplicity of environmental consequences associated with the construction and operation of county-level facilities. The option to seek a combined disposal and technology development facility based on a regionally-cooperative effort was selected as a viable alternative to the existing individual SRS or county disposal activities. This document was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the requirements of the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing NEPA (40 CFR Part 1021). NEPA requires the assessment of environmental consequences of Federal actions that may affect the quality of the human environment. Based on the potential for impacts described for impacts described herein, DOE will either publish a Finding of No Significant Impact or prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS). | USDOE Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/206387 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/206387 | |
| Investigation of the pathway of contaminated soil transported to plant surfaces by raindrop splash | Dreicer, M; Hakonson, T E; Whicker, F W; White, G C | 510302* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; DATA; DROPLETS; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; INFORMATION; ISOTOPES; MASS TRANSFER; NUMERICAL DATA; PARTICLE RESUSPENSION; PARTICLE SIZE; PARTICLES; PLANTS; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RAIN; SIZE; SOILS | The environmental transport pathway of soil-borne radioisotopes to vegetation surfaces via raindrop splash was studied. The data show that soil can significantly contribute to the contamination found on plants. Further detailed study is needed to calculate the rate constant for the raindrop splash and retention pathways. 8 references, 1 figure. (ACR) | Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA); Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA); Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins (USA) | United States | 1983-10-21T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5099490 | ||
| Environmental assessment for the construction, operation, and decommissioning of the Waste Segregation Facility at the Savannah River Site | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; CONSTRUCTION; DECOMMISSIONING; DECONTAMINATION; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; OPERATION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; WASTE PROCESSING PLANTS | This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared by the Department of Energy (DOE) to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with the construction, operation and decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of the Waste Segregation Facility (WSF) for the sorting, shredding, and compaction of low-level radioactive waste (LLW) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) located near Aiken, South Carolina. The LLW to be processed consists of two waste streams: legacy waste which is currently stored in E-Area Vaults of SRS and new waste generated from continuing operations. The proposed action is to construct, operate, and D&D a facility to process low-activity job-control and equipment waste for volume reduction. The LLW would be processed to make more efficient use of low-level waste disposal capacity (E-Area Vaults) or to meet the waste acceptance criteria for treatment at the Consolidated Incineration Facility (CIF) at SRS. | USDOE Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/576060 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/576060 | |
| Status of Birds at the Hanford Site in Southeastern Washington | Landeen, D. S.; Johnson, A. R.; Mitchell, R. M. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; BIRDS; Birds; Columbia River; ECOLOGY; FEDERAL REGION X; HANFORD RESERVATION; Hanford; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; POPULATION DYNAMICS; REMEDIAL ACTION; US DOE; US EPA; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; VERTEBRATES; WASHINGTON; Washington | The Department of Energy has recently entered into agreements with the Washington State Department of Ecology, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Hanford Site contractors to focus work activities on cleanup and stabilization of radioactive and hazardous waste sites located at the Hanford Site in southern Washington. A list of 235 known birds that have been observed at the Hanford Site is given along with a status rating for abundance and seasonal occurrence. Previously published bird lists from the Hanford Site are included as well as the author observations from 1977 to 1990. Of the 235 species listed, 35 are considered common and 38 are listed as accidentals. All but nine birds on the Hanford Site list have previously been documented by the Audubon Society to occur within a 25-mile radius of the Tri-Cities. The nine birds that are not on the Audubon list, however, have been documented in other parts of eastern Washington. A list of hypothetical birds that have been documented within 50 miles of the Hanford Site but not actually observed at the Site is also provided. This is the most complete list of birds published to date from the Hanford Site and substantially augments other previously published lists by almost 100 species. | Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 1991-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5929224 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5929224 |
| ORNL trends and balances, 1987-1992 | 052000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Management; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220000 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; 320000 -- Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization; 550000 -- Biomedical Sciences, Basic Studies; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 645000 -- High Energy Physics; 651000 -- Nuclear Physics; 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; 700000 -- Fusion Energy; 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; 73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; BIOLOGY; CONSOLIDATED FUEL REPROCESSING PROGRAM; COORDINATED RESEARCH PROGRAMS; ECOLOGY; ENERGY CONSERVATION; ENERGY SOURCES; HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR PHYSICS; ORNL; PHYSICS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; REACTORS; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT | A brief overview is given that covers the roles, organization, R and D sponsors, and recent achievements of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Current R and D programs are described in the areas of nuclear and engineering technologies, advanced energy systems, biomedical and environmental sciences, and basic physical sciences. ORNL's future activities are discussed. (LEW) | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1987-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6951197 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6951197 | ||
| Site management plan: Douglas Point Ecological Laboratory | Jensen, B. L.; Miles, K. J.; Strass, P. K.; McDonald, B. | 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; DATA; DATA COMPILATION; DATA FORMS; DOUGLAS POINT SITE; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; INFORMATION; LABORATORIES; MANAGEMENT; NUMERICAL DATA; PLANNING; PLANTS; TABLES; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS | A portion of the Douglas Point Site has been set aside for use as an ecological monitoring facility (DPEL). Plans call for it to provide for long-term scientific study and analysis of specific terrestrial and aquatic ecological systems representative of the coastal plain region of the mid-Atlantic United States. Discussion of the program is presented under the following section headings: goals and objectives; management and organization of DPEL; laboratory director; site manager; monitoring manager; research manager; and, organizational chart. The seven appendixes are entitled: detailed site description; supplemental land use plan; contract between Potomac Electric Power Company and Charles County Community Collge (CCCC); research and monitoring projects initiated at the Douglas Point Power Plant site; advisory committees; facilities and equipment; and CCCC personnel resumes. (JGB) | Charles County Community Coll., La Plata, MD (USA). Div. of Biological Sciences | United States | 1979-09-17T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5642673 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5642673 | |
| Environmental data and analyses for the proposed management of spent nuclear fuel on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation | Socolof, M L; Curtis, A H; Blasing, T J | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BACKGROUND RADIATION; DRY STORAGE; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; SPENT FUEL ELEMENTS; SPENT FUEL STORAGE; WATER RESOURCES | DOE needs to continue the safe and efficient management of SNF on ORR, based on the requirement for future SNF storage capacity and implementation of the ROD for the PEIS. DOE is proposing to implement the ROD through proper management of SNF on ORR, including the possible construction and operation of a dry cask storage facility. This report describes the potentially affected environment and analyzes impacts on various resources due to the proposed action. The information provided in this report is intended to support the Environmental Assessment being prepared for the proposed activities. Construction of the dry cask storage facility would result in minimal or no impacts on groundwater, surface water, and ecological resources. Contaminated soils excavated during construction would result in negligible risk to human health and to biota. Except for noise from trucks and equipment, operation of the dry cask storage facility would not be expected to have any impact on vegetation, wildlife, or rare plants or animals. Noise impacts would be minimal. Operation exposures to the average SNF storage facility worker would not exceed approximately 0.40 mSv/year (40 mrem/year). The off-site population dose within an 80-km (50-mile) radius of ORR from SNF operations would be less than 0.052 person-Sv/year (5.2 person-rem/year). Impacts from incident-free transportation on ORR would be less than 1.36 X 10{sup -4} occupational fatal cancers and 4.28 X 10{sup -6} public fatal cancers. Credible accident scenarios that would result in the greatest probable risks would cause less than one in a million cancer fatalities to workers and the public. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/130645 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/130645 |
| Biological Information Document, Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility | Biggs, J | 052002; 053001; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; BASELINE ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HABITAT; LIQUID WASTES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; RISK ASSESSMENT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SITING; SPECIES DIVERSITY; WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE | This document is intended to act as a baseline source material for risk assessments which can be used in Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements. The current Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF) does not meet current General Design Criteria for Non-reactor Nuclear Facilities and could be shut down affecting several DOE programs. This Biological Information Document summarizes various biological studies that have been conducted in the vicinity of new Proposed RLWTF site and an Alternative site. The Proposed site is located on Mesita del Buey, a mess top, and the Alternative site is located in Mortandad Canyon. The Proposed Site is devoid of overstory species due to previous disturbance and is dominated by a mixture of grasses, forbs, and scattered low-growing shrubs. Vegetation immediately adjacent to the site is a pinyon-juniper woodland. The Mortandad canyon bottom overstory is dominated by ponderosa pine, willow, and rush. The south-facing slope was dominated by ponderosa pine, mountain mahogany, oak, and muhly. The north-facing slope is dominated by Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and oak. Studies on wildlife species are limited in the vicinity of the proposed project and further studies will be necessary to accurately identify wildlife populations and to what extent they utilize the project area. Some information is provided on invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles, and small mammals. Additional species information from other nearby locations is discussed in detail. Habitat requirements exist in the project area for one federally threatened wildlife species, the peregrine falcon, and one federal candidate species, the spotted bat. However, based on surveys outside of the project area but in similar habitats, these species are not expected to occur in either the Proposed or Alternative RLWTF sites. Habitat Evaluation Procedures were used to evaluate ecological functioning in the project area. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-12-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10103622 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10103622 |
| Savannah River Site radionuclide air emissions annual report for national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants | Sullivan, I K | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; AIR POLLUTION MONITORING; AMERICIUM 241; AMERICIUM 243; COMPILED DATA; EMISSION; IODINE 129; PLUTONIUM 238; PLUTONIUM 239; POLLUTION SOURCES; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TRITIUM; URANIUM 235; URANIUM 238 | The radiological air emission sources at the SRS have been divided into three categories, Point, Grouped and Non-Point, for this report. Point sources, analyzed individually, are listed with a listing of the control devices, and the control device efficiency. The sources listed have been grouped together either for security reasons or where individual samples are composited for analytical purposes. For grouped sources the listed control devices may not be on all sources within a group. Point sources that did not have continuous effluent monitoring/sampling in 1993 are noted. The emissions from these sources was determined from Health Protection smear data, facility radionuclide content or other calculational methods, including process knowledge, utilizing existing analytical data. This report also contain sections on facility descriptions, dose assessment, and supplemental information. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-12-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/206530 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/206530 |
| A Water Balance Study of Four Landfill Cover Designs at Material Disposal Area B in Los Alamos, New Mexico | Breshears, David D; Barnes, Fairley J; Nyhan, John W; Salazar, Johnny A | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Ground Cover; Ground Disposal; LANL; Landfills; Radioactive Waste Facilities | The goal of disposing of low-level radioactive and hazardous waste in shallow landfills is to reduce risk to human health and the environment by isolating contaminants until they no longer pose an unacceptable hazard. In order to achieve this, the Department of Energy Environmental Restoration Program is comparing the performance of several different surface covers at Material Disposal Area (MDA) B in Los Alamos. Two conventional landfill were compared with an improved cover designed to minimize plant and animal intrusion and to minimize water infiltration into the underlying wastes. The conventional covers varied in depth and both conventional and improved designs had different combinations of vegetation (grass verses shrub) and gravel mulch (no mulch verses mulch). These treatments were applied to each of 12 plots and water balance parameters were measured from March1987 through June 1995. Adding a gravel mulch significantly influenced the plant covered field plots receiving no gravel mulch averaged 21.2% shrub cover, while plots with gravel had a 20% larger percent cover of shrubs. However, the influence of gravel mulch on the grass cover was even larger than the influence on shrub cover, average grass cover on the plots with no gravel was 16.3%, compared with a 42% increase in grass cover due to gravel mulch. These cover relationships are important to reduce runoff on the landfill cover, as shown by a regression model that predicts that as ground cover is increased from 30 to 90%,annual runoff is reduced from 8.8 to 0.98 cm-a nine-fold increase. We also found that decreasing the slope of the landfill cover from 6 to 2% reduced runoff from the landfill cover by 2.7-fold. To minimize the risk of hazardous waste from landfills to humans, runoff and seepage need to be minimized and evapotranspiration maximized on the landfill cover. This has to be accomplished for dry and wet years at MDA B. Seepage consisted of 1.9% and 6.2% of the precipitation in the average and once in ten year events, respectively, whereas corresponding values for runoff were 13% and 16%; these changes were accompanied by corresponding decreases in evapotranspiration, which accounted for 86% and only 78% of the precipitation occurring on the average and once in ten year even~ respectively. | Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM | USDOE Office of Management and | United States | 1998-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1252 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1252 |
| Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 1998 | Saffle, T R; Mitchell, R G; Evans, R B; Martin, D B | 137CS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR FILTERS; AIR SAMPLES; BACKGROUND; CONCENTRATIONS; DEPOSITION; DISCHARGED; DOSEMETERS; DOSES; FALLOUT; GAME ANIMALS; GROSS ALPHA; GROSS BETA; GUIDELINES; INGESTION; INHALATION; IONIZING RADIATION; IONIZING RADIATIONS; MEASUREMENTS; MONITORING; NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY; POPULATION; POPULATION DOSE; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIOISOTOPES; RECOMMENDATIONS; SCREENING; SHEEP; SUBMERSION | The results of the various monitoring programs for 1998 indicated that radioactivity from the DOE's Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) operations could generally not be distinguished from worldwide fallout and natural radioactivity in the region surrounding the INEEL. Although some radioactive materials were discharged during INEEL operations, concentrations in the offsite environment and doses to the surrounding population were far less than state of Idaho and federal health protection guidelines. Gross alpha and gross beta measurements, used as a screening technique for air filters, were investigated by making statistical comparisons between onsite or boundary location concentrations and the distant community group concentrations. Gross alpha activities were generally higher at distant locations than at boundary and onsite locations. Air samples were also analyzed for specific radionuclides. Some human-made radionuclides were detected at offsite locations, but most were near the minimum detectable concentration and their presence was attributable to natural sources, worldwide fallout, and statistical variations in the analytical results rather than to INEEL operations. Low concentrations of 137Cs were found in muscle tissue and liver of some game animals and sheep. These levels were mostly consistent with background concentrations measured in animals sampled onsite and offsite in recent years. Ionizing radiation measured simultaneously at the INEEL boundary and distant locations using environmental dosimeters were similar and showed only background levels. The maximum potential population dose from submersion, ingestion, inhalation, and deposition to the approximately 121,500 people residing within an 80-km (50-mi) radius from the geographical center of the INEEL was estimated to be 0.08 person-rem (8 x 10-4 person-Sv) using the MDIFF air dispersion model. This population dose is less than 0.0002 percent of the estimated 43,7 00 person-rem (437 person-Sv) population dose from background radioactivity. | Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (US); Environmental Science and Research Foundation, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2000-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/769338 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/769338 |
| Biological and Environmental Research Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, FY 1992--1994 | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540000 -- Environment-- (1990-); 550400* -- Genetics; 550600 -- Medicine; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE; BIOLOGY; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON OXIDES; CHALCOGENIDES; DOSIMETRY; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; GENETICS; MASS TRANSFER; MEDICINE; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR MEDICINE; ORNL; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | This report is the 1992--1994 Program Director's Overview Report for Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL's) Biological and Environmental Research (BER) Program, and as such it addresses KP-funded work at ORNL conducted during FY 1991 and in progress during FY 1992; it also serves as a planning document for the remainder of FY 1992 through FY 1994. Non-BER funded work at ORNL relevant to the mission of OHER is also discussed. The second section of the report describes ORNL facilities and resources used by the BER program. The third section addresses research management practices at ORNL. The fourth, fifth, and sixth sections address BER-funded research in progress, program accomplishments and research highlights, and program orientation for the remainder of FY 1992 through FY 1994, respectively. Work for non-BER sponsors is described in the seventh section, followed by a discussion of significant near and long-term issues facing BER work at ORNL in the eighth section. The last section provides a statistical summary of BER research at ORNL. Appendices supplement the above topics with additional detail. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5602123 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5602123 | |
| Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1988 | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 140504 -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989); 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 500200* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510200 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ACID RAIN; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; BIOMASS; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON CYCLE; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON OXIDES; CHALCOGENIDES; CLIMATES; DOCUMENT TYPES; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RAIN; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES | This progress report summarizes the research and development activities conducted in the Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory during the period October 1, 1987, through September 30, 1988. The report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the Division's major organizational units. Following the accounts of section activities and program activities is a section devoted to lists of information necessary to convey the scope of the work in the Division. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1989-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5988247 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5988247 | ||
| Addendum to the composite analysis for the E-Area Vaults and Saltstone Disposal Facilities | Cook, J R | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; EVALUATION; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT | This report documents the composite analysis performed on the two active SRS low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities. The facilities are the Z-Area Saltstone Disposal Facility and the E-Area Vaults Disposal Facility. | Savannah River Site (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2000-03-13T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/752507 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/752507 |
| Site selection for the Salt Disposition Facility at the Savannah River Site | Bowers, J A | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; SALTS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE SELECTION | The purpose of this report is to identify, assess, and rank potential sites for the proposed Salt Disposition Facility (SDF) at the Savannah River Site. | Savannah River Site (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2000-01-03T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/752188 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/752188 |
| A history of the working group to address Los Alamos community health concerns - A case study of community involvement and risk communication | Otway, Harry; Johnson, Jon | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ATTITUDES; EPIDEMIOLOGY; LANL; NEOPLASMS; PUBLIC HEALTH; RADIATION HAZARDS; SAFETY | In May 1991, at a Department of Energy (DOE) public hearing at Los Alamos, New Mexico, a local artist claimed there had been a recent brain tumor cluster in a small Los Alamos neighborhood. He suggested the cause was radiation from past operations of Los Alamos National Laboratory. Data from the Laboratory's extensive environmental monitoring program gave no reason to believe this charge to be true but also could not prove it false. These allegations, reported in the local and regional media, alarmed the community and revealed an unsuspected lack of trust in the Laboratory. Having no immediate and definitive response, the Laboratory offered to collaborate with the community to address this concern. The Los Alamos community accepted this offer and a joint Community-Laboratory Working Group met for the first time 29 days later. The working group set as its primary goal the search for possible carcinogens in the local environment. Meanwhile, the DOE announced its intention to fund the New Mexico Department of Health to perform a separate and independent epidemiological study of all Los Alamos cancer rates. In early 1994, after commissioning 17 environmental studies and meeting 34 times, the working group decided that the public health concerns had been resolved to the satisfaction of the community and voted to disband. This paper tells the story of the artist and the working group, and how the media covered their story. It summarizes the environmental studies directed by the working group and briefly reviews the main findings of the epidemiology study. An epilogue records the present-day recollections of some of the key players in this environmental drama. | Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (US) | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) (US) | United States | 2000-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/751963 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/751963 |
| Effects of vegetation and soil-surface cover treatments on the hydrologic behavior of low-level waste trench caps | Lopez, E A; Barnes, F J; Antonio, E J | 052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; COVERINGS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EVALUATION; GROUND DISPOSAL; GROUND WATER; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MATERIALS; MECHANICS; MITIGATION; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RUNOFF; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; SOIL MECHANICS; SOILS; VARIATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER; WATER INFLUX | Preliminary results are presented on a three-year field study at Los Alamos National Laboratory to evaluate the influence of different low-level radioactive waste trench cap designs on water balance under natural precipitation. Erosion plots having two different vegetative covers (shrubs and grasses) and with either gravel-mulched or unmulched soil surface treatments have been established on three different soil profiles on a decommissioned waste site. Total runoff and soil loss from each plot is measured after each precipitation event. Soil moisture is measured biweekly while plant canopy cover is measured seasonally. Preliminary results from the first year show that the application of a gravel mulch reduced runoff by 73 to 90%. Total soil loss was reduced by 83 to 93% by the mulch treatment. On unmulched plots, grass cover reduced both runoff and soil loss by about 50% compared to the shrub plots. Continued monitoring of the study site will provide data that will be used to analyze complex interactions between independent variables such rainfall amount and intensity, antecedent soil moisture, and soil and vegetation factors, as they influence water balance, and soil erosion. 18 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1988-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5324815 | ||
| Technology transfer handbook for Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. , employees | Jared, D W | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; COMMERCIALIZATION; CONTRACTORS; DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; INVENTIONS; LICENSING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., (Energy Systems) established the Office of Technology Applications (OTA) to promote the transfer of technology from the national facilities in Oak Ridge to industries in the private sector. This handbook provides specific information about OTA and establishes a coherent procedure for licensing technologies. This handbook also explains the benefits and constraints involved with technology transfer and identifies the resources available to entrepreneurs and researchers who are interested in collaborative R D. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | DOE/ER | United States | 1989-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5100313 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5100313 |
| Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Volume 1, Appendix F, Nevada Test Site and Oak Ridge Reservation Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Programs | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; CULTURAL RESOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; LAND USE; NEVADA TEST SITE; NOISE; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PUBLIC HEALTH; SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS; SPENT FUEL STORAGE; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; WATER RESOURCES; Yucca Mountain Project | This volume addresses the interim storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at two US Department of Energy sites, the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). These sites are being considered to provide a reasonable range of alternative settings at which future SNF management activities could be conducted. These locations are not currently involved in management of large quantities of SNF; NTS has none, and ORR has only small quantities. But NTS and ORR do offer experience and infrastructure for the handling, processing and storage of radioactive materials, and they do exemplify a broad spectrum of environmental parameters. This broad spectrum of environmental parameters will provide, a perspective on whether and how such location attributes may relate to potential environmental impacts. Consideration of these two sites will permit a programmatic decision to be based upon an assessment of the feasible options without bias, to the current storage sites. This volume is divided into four parts. Part One is the volume introduction. Part Two contains chapters one through five for the NTS, as well as references contained in chapter six. Part Three contains chapters one through five for the ORR, as well as references contained in chapter six. Part Four is summary information including the list of preparers, organizations contacted, acronyms, and abbreviations for both the NTS and the ORR. A Table of Contents, List of Figures, and List of Tables are included in parts Two, Three, and Four. This approach permitted the inclusion of both sites in one volume while maintaining consistent chapter numbering. | USDOE Idaho Operations Office, Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/145222 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/145222 | |
| Pacific Northwest Laboratory Annual Report for 1978 to the DOE Assistant Secretary for Environment Part 2 Ecological Sciences | Vaughan, B. E. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES | Project reports on ecological research authored by scientists from several PNL research departments and grouped primarily by the energy technologies to which they relate are compiled. | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States) | USDOE | United States | 1979-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1072026 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1072026 |
| Research programs at the Department of Energy National Laboratories. Volume 2: Laboratory matrix | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; ANL; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; BNL; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LANL; LAWRENCE BERKELEY LABORATORY; LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY; NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY; ORNL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES | For nearly fifty years, the US national laboratories, under the direction of the Department of Energy, have maintained a tradition of outstanding scientific research and innovative technological development. With the end of the Cold War, their roles have undergone profound changes. Although many of their original priorities remain--stewardship of the nation`s nuclear stockpile, for example--pressing budget constraints and new federal mandates have altered their focus. Promotion of energy efficiency, environmental restoration, human health, and technology partnerships with the goal of enhancing US economic and technological competitiveness are key new priorities. The multiprogram national laboratories offer unparalleled expertise in meeting the challenge of changing priorities. This volume aims to demonstrate each laboratory`s uniqueness in applying this expertise. It describes the laboratories` activities in eleven broad areas of research that most or all share in common. Each section of this volume is devoted to a single laboratory. Those included are: Argonne National Laboratory; Brookhaven National Laboratory; Idaho National Engineering Laboratory; Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; Los Alamos National Laboratory; National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Pacific Northwest Laboratory; and Sandia National Laboratories. The information in this volume was provided by the multiprogram national laboratories and compiled at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. | Argonne National Lab., IL (United States); Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States); EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States); Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States); Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States); Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (United States); Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/72941 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/72941 | |
| Terrestrial habitat mapping of the Oak Ridge Reservation: 1996 Summary | Washington-Allen, R A; Ashwood, T L | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENDANGERED SPECIES; HABITAT; MAPPING; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS | The US DOE is in the process of remediating historical contamination on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). Two key components are ecological risk assessment and monitoring. In 1994 a strategy was developed and a specific program was initiated to implement the strategy for the terrestrial biota of the entire ORR. This document details results of the first task: development of a habitat map and habitat models for key species of interest. During the last 50 years ORR has been a relatively protected island of plant and animal habitats in a region of rapidly expanding urbanization. A preliminary biodiversity assessment of the ORR by the Nature Conservancy in 1995 noted 272 occurrences of significant plant and animal species and communities. Field surveys of threatened and endangered species show that the ORR contains 20 rare plant species, 4 of which are on the state list of endangered species. The rest are either on the state list of threatened species or listed as being of special concern. The ORR provides habitat for some 60 reptilian and amphibian species; more than 120 species of terrestrial birds; 32 species of waterfowl, wading birds, and shorebirds; and about 40 mammalian species. The ORR is both a refuge for rare species and a reservoir of recruitment for surrounding environments and wildlife management areas. Cedar barrens, river bluffs, and wetlands have been identified as the habitat for most rare vascular plant species on the ORR. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1996-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/380352 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/380352 |
| Remedial investigation/feasibility study of the Clinch River/Poplar Creek operable unit. Volume 4. Information related to the feasibility study and ARARs. Appendixes G, H, I | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ARSENIC; CESIUM 137; CLINCH RIVER; CONTAMINATION; COST ESTIMATION; FISHES; MERCURY; METALS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVITY; REMEDIAL ACTION; STREAMS; URANIUM; WATER QUALITY | This report presents the findings of an investigation into contamination of the Clinch River and Poplar Creek near the U.S. Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in eastern Tennessee. For more than 50 years, various hazardous and radioactive substances have been released to the environment as a result of operations and waste management activities at the ORR. In 1989, the ORR was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL), established and maintained under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). Under CERCLA, NPL sites must be investigated to determine the nature and extent of contamination at the site, assess the risk to human health and the environment posed by the site, and, if necessary, identify feasible remedial alternatives that could be used to clean the site and reduce risk. To facilitate the overall environmental restoration effort at the ORR, CERCLA activities are being implemented individually as distinct operable units (OUs). This document is the combined Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Report for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek OU. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1996-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/273818 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/273818 | |
| Role of environment | Auerbach, S I | 054000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Health & Safety; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 500300 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510302* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 520302 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; DOSES; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; MAMMALS; MAN; MASS TRANSFER; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; PRIMATES; PUBLIC OPINION; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION HAZARDS; RADIOECOLOGY; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RISK ASSESSMENT; VARIATIONS; VERTEBRATES | Radiological assessments rely heavily on the use of mathematical models to predict the dose to man resulting from the environmental transport and subsequent human uptake of radionuclides released from nuclear activities. The paper discusses some problems in the use of these models based on the requirement that uptake and transfer coefficients for specific radionuclides and organisms be systematically determined in situ. Due to the lack of availability of these coefficients, reliance on generic default values causes uncertainties related to the variability of the environmental and experimental methodologies. (ACR) | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1983-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6151740 | ||
| Management of spent nuclear fuel on the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee: Environmental assessment | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FUEL MANAGEMENT; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORR REACTOR; SPENT FUEL STORAGE; SPENT FUELS; STORAGE FACILITIES | On June 1, 1995, DOE issued a Record of Decision [60 Federal Register 28680] for the Department-wide management of spent nuclear fuel (SNF); regionalized storage of SNF by fuel type was selected as the preferred alternative. The proposed action evaluated in this environmental assessment is the management of SNF on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) to implement this preferred alternative of regional storage. SNF would be retrieved from storage, transferred to a hot cell if segregation by fuel type and/or repackaging is required, loaded into casks, and shipped to off-site storage. The proposed action would also include construction and operation of a dry cask SNF storage facility on ORR, in case of inadequate SNF storage. Action is needed to enable DOE to continue operation of the High Flux Isotope Reactor, which generates SNF. This report addresses environmental impacts. | USDOE Oak Ridge Operations Office, TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1996-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/210936 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/210936 | |
| Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report for 2009 | Jacobs, Bechtel | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMPLIANCE; GASEOUS WASTES; MONITORING; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PERFORMANCE; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATIONS; SAFETY; SAMPLING; Site Environmental Report,2009; WASTE MANAGEMENT | The Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report is prepared animally and presents summary environmental data to (1) characterize environmental performance, (2) summarize environmental occurrences reported during the year, (3) confirm compliance with environmental standards and requirements, and (4) highlight significant program activities. The report fulfills the requirement contained in DOE Order 231.1 A, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting (DOE 2004) that an integrated annual site environmental report be prepared. The results summarized in this report are based on data collected prior to and through 2009. This report is not intended to nor does it present the results of all environmental monitoring associated with the ORR. Data collected for other site and regulatory purposes, such as environmental restoration/remedial investigation reports, waste management characterization sampling data, and environmental permit compliance data, are presented in other documents that have been prepared in accordance with applicable DOE guidance and/or laws and are referenced herein as appropriate. Appendix A to this report identifies corrections to the 2008 report. Appendix B contains a glossary of technical terms that may be useful for understanding the terminology used in this document. Environmental monitoring on the ORR consists primarily of two major activities: effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. Effluent monitoring involves the collection and analysis of samples or measurements of liquid and gaseous effluents at the points of release to the environment; these measurements allow the quantification and official reporting of contaminant levels, assessment of radiation and chemical exposures to the public, and demonstration of compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements. Environmental surveillance consists of direct measurements and collection and analysis of samples taken from the site and its environs exclusive of effluents; these activities provide information on contaminant concentrations in air, water, groundwater, soil, foods, biota, and other media. Environmental surveillance data support determinations regarding environmental compliance and, when combined with data from effluent monitoring, support chemical and radiation dose and exposure assessments regarding the potential effects of ORR operations, if any, on the local environment. | East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2010-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1016377 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1016377 |
| 1995 annual epidemiologic surveillance report for Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; EDUCATION; IDAHO; INJURIES; MONITORS; QUALITY CONTROL | The US Department of Energy's (DOE) conduct of epidemiologic surveillance provides an early warning system for health problems among workers. This program monitors illnesses and health conditions that result in an absence of five or more consecutive workdays, occupational injuries and illnesses, and disabilities and deaths among current workers. This report summarizes epidemiologic surveillance data collected from the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) from January 1, 1995 through December 31, 1995. The data were collected by a coordinator at INEEL and submitted to the Epidemiologic Surveillance Data Center, located at Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, where quality control procedures and data analyses were carried out. | Dept. of Energy, Office of Epidemiologic Studies, Germantown, MD (US) | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health, Washington, DC (US) | United States | 1995-12-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/325748 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/325748 | |
| MOX Lead Assembly Fabrication at the Savannah River Site | Geddes, R L; Spiker, D L; Poon, A P | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; CERAMICS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FABRICATION; GLASS; OXIDES; PLUTONIUM; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT | The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on the disposition of the nations weapon-usable surplus plutonium.This EIS is tiered from the Storage and Disposition of Weapons-Usable Fissile Material Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement issued in December 1996,and the associated Record of Decision issued on January, 1997. The EIS will examine reasonable alternatives and potential environmental impacts for the proposed siting, construction, and operation of three types of facilities for plutonium disposition. The three types of facilities are: a pit disassembly and conversion facility, a facility to immobilize surplus plutonium in a glass or ceramic form for disposition, and a facility to fabricate plutonium oxide into mixed oxide (MOX) fuel.As an integral part of the surplus plutonium program, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was tasked by the DOE Office of Fissile Material Disposition(MD) as the technical lead to organize and evaluate existing facilities in the DOE complex which may meet MD`s need for a domestic MOX fuel fabrication demonstration facility. The Lead Assembly (LA) facility is to produce 1 MT of usable test fuel per year for three years. The Savannah River Site (SRS) as the only operating plutonium processing site in the DOE complex, proposes two options to carry out the fabrication of MOX fuel lead test assemblies: an all Category I facility option and a combined Category I and non-Category I facilities option. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/624812 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/624812 |
| Vegetation survey of Pen Branch and Four Mile Creek wetlands | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210; 540250; BASIC STUDIES; COMPILED DATA; ENDANGERED SPECIES; PLANTS; SAMPLING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SURVEYS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; WETLANDS | One hundred-fifty plots were recently sampled (vegetational sampling study) at the Savannah River Site (SRS). An extensive characterization of the vascular flora, in four predetermined strata (overstory, Understory, shrub layer, and ground cover), was undertaken to determine dominance, co-dominance, and the importance value (I.V.) of each species. These results will be used by the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) to evaluate the environmental status of Four Mile Creek, Pen Branch, and two upland pine stands. Objectives of this study were to: Describe in detail the plant communities previously mapped with reference to the topography and drainage, including species of plants present: Examine the successional trends within each sampling area and describe the extent to which current vegetation communities have resulted from specific earlier vegetation disturbances (e.g., logging and grazing); describe in detail the botanical field techniques used to sample the flora; describe the habitat and location of protected and/or rare species of plants; and collect and prepare plant species as herbarium quality specimens. Sampling was conducted at Four Mile Creek and Pen Branch, and in two upland pine plantations of different age growth. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States); Dames and Moore, Los Angeles, CA (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10182626 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10182626 | |
| Environmental Assessment for Electrical Power System Upgrades at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico - Final Document | 24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; BLM; COMMUNICATIONS; CONSTRUCTION; EA; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; FIBER OPTICS; IMPORTS; LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY; MAINTENANCE; METERS; NM; POWER SYSTEMS; POWER TRANSMISSION LINES; REGULATIONS; RELIABILITY; TRANSMISSION LINES; US CEQ; USFS | The ''National Environmental Policy Act of 1969'' (NEPA) requires Federal agency officials to consider the environmental consequences of their proposed actions before decisions are made. In complying with NEPA, the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) follows the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 1500-1508) and DOE's NEPA implementing procedures (10 CFR 1021). The purpose of an Environmental Assessment (EA) is to provide Federal decision makers with sufficient evidence and analysis to determine whether to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or issue a Finding of No Significant Impact. In this case, the DOE decision to be made is whether to construct and operate a 19.5-mile (mi) (31-kilometer [km]) electric transmission line (power line) reaching from the Norton Substation, west across the Rio Grande, to locations within the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Technical Areas (TAs) 3 and 5 at Los Alamos, New Mexico. The construction of one electric substation at LANL would be included in the project as would the construction of two line segments less than 1,200 feet (ft) (366 meters [m]) long that would allow for the uncrossing of a portion of two existing power lines. Additionally, a fiber optics communications line would be included and installed concurrently as part of the required overhead ground conductor for the power line. The new power line would improve the reliability of electric service in the LANL and Los Aktrnos County areas as would the uncrossing of the crossed segments of the existing lines. Additionally, installation of the new power line would enable the LANL and the Los Alamos County electric grid, which is a shared resource, to be adapted to accommodate the future import of increased power when additional power service becomes available in the northern New Mexico area. Similarly, the fiber optics line would allow DOE to take advantage of future opportunities in enhanced communications services. The objectives of this EA are to (1) describe the baseline environmental conditions at the proposed power line location, (2) analyze the potential effects to the existing environment from construction, operation, and maintenance of a new power line, and (3) compare the effects of the Proposed Action and the four action alternatives to the No Action Alternative. In addition, the EA provides DOE with environmental information that could be used in developing mitigative actions to minimize or avoid adverse effects to the integrity of the human environment and natural ecosystems should DOE decide to proceed with construction and operation of the new power line. Ultimately, the goal of NEPA and this EA is to aid DOE officials in making decisions based on understanding the environmental consequences of their decision. | U.S. Department of Energy, Los Alamos Area Office, Los Alamos, NM (US) | USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US) | United States | 2000-03-09T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/768506 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/768506 | |
| Growth responses of narrow or broad site adapted tree species to a range of resource availability treatments after a full harvest rotation | Coyle, David R.; Aubrey, Doug P.; Coleman, Mark D. | Not Available | USDOE | Netherlands | 2016-02-01T04:00:00Z | Journal Article | 10.1016/j.foreco.2015.11.047 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1398141 | ||
| Land Use Baseline Report Savannah River Site | Noah, J C | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; GEOLOGY; HYDROLOGY; MAPS; PLANNING; PROGRESS REPORT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; TOPOGRAPHY | This document is to serve as a resource for Savannah River Site managers, planners, and SRS stakeholders by providing a general description of the site and land-use factors important to future use decisions and plans. The intent of this document is to be comprehensive in its review of SRS and the surrounding area. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-06-29T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/108081 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/108081 |
| A spatially-dynamic preliminary risk assessment of the American peregrine falcon at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (version 1) | Gallegos, A F; Gonzales, G J; Bennett, K D | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, APPLIED STUDIES; BIRDS; DDT; E CODES; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; HAZARDS; LANL; RADIOISOTOPES; RISK ASSESSMENT; SPATIAL DOSE DISTRIBUTIONS | The Endangered Species Act and the Record of Decision on the Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility at the Los Alamos National Laboratory require protection of the American peregrine falcon. A preliminary risk assessment of the peregrine was performed using a custom FORTRAN model and a geographical information system. Estimated doses to the falcon were compared against toxicity reference values to generate hazard indices. Hazard index results indicated no unacceptable risk to the falcon from the soil ingestion pathway, including a measure of cumulative effects from multiple contaminants that assumes a linear additive toxicity type. Scaling home ranges on the basis of maximizing falcon height for viewing prey decreased estimated risk by 69% in a canyons-based home range and increased estimated risk by 40% in a river-based home range. Improving model realism by weighting simulated falcon foraging based on distance from potential nest sites decreased risk by 93% in one exposure unit and by 82% in a second exposure unit. It was demonstrated that choice of toxicity reference values can have a substantial impact on risk estimates. Adding bioaccumulation factors for several organics increased partial hazard quotients by a factor of 110, but increased the mean hazard index by only 0.02 units. Adding a food consumption exposure pathway in the form of biomagnification factors for 15 contaminants of potential ecological concern increased the mean hazard index to 1.16 ({+-} 1.0), which is above the level of acceptability (1.0). Aroclor-1254, dichlorodiphenyltrichlorethane (DDT) and dichlorodiphenylethelyne (DDE) accounted for 81% of the estimated risk that includes soil ingestion and food consumption Contaminant pathways and a biomagnification component. Information on risk by specific geographical location was generated, which can be used to manage contaminated areas, falcon habitat, facility siting, and/or facility operations. 123 refs., 10 figs., 2 tabs. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/485951 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/485951 |
| A field survey of environmental tritium in areas adjacent to ORNL solid-waste storage areas | Amano, H.; Garten, Jr., C. T.; Lomax, R. D. | 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 510300* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; HYDROGEN ISOTOPES; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; ORNL; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; SOILS; SOLID WASTES; STORAGE; SURFACE WATERS; TRITIUM; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTE STORAGE; WASTES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES | A survey of tritium concentrations in surface water, shallow well water, and atmospheric moisture was made throughout the White Oak Creek Watershed in 1986. Environmental tritium concentrations were elevated south of SWSA-4 and SWSA-5, which seem to be the major contributors of tritium to the watershed. Patterns of tritium in air moisture, surface water, and pine tree cores indicated that there is a major area of tritium migration from SWSA-5 near the middle drainage tributary. Studies at a location south of SWSA-5 showed that tritium concentrations in subsoil water (>10 cm deep) were relatively constant to a depth of 80 cm. Concentrations of tritium in surface soil water (0 to 10 cm) were two to three times less than in the subsoil. Tritium concentrations in air moisture at different heights aboveground were more uniform during summer than during winter. This difference is attributed to the presence of water vapor transpired by tree foliage and the drying of surface soil during the summer months. Tritium concentrations in tree cores from pines south of SWSA-5 indicated that tritium migration in the vicinity of the middle drainage tributary has perhaps increased during the last 10 years. At this time, it is not known to what extent the tree core data are representative of tritium discharges from SWSA-5 as a whole. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1987-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6479888 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6479888 | |
| Vegetation survey of Pen Branch and Four Mile Creek wetlands | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); 540250* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; COMPILED DATA; DATA; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; INFORMATION; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUMERICAL DATA; PLANTS; SAMPLING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SURVEYS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WETLANDS | One hundred-fifty plots were recently sampled (vegetational sampling study) at the Savannah River Site (SRS). An extensive characterization of the vascular flora, in four predetermined strata (overstory, Understory, shrub layer, and ground cover), was undertaken to determine dominance, co-dominance, and the importance value (I.V.) of each species. These results will be used by the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) to evaluate the environmental status of Four Mile Creek, Pen Branch, and two upland pine stands. Objectives of this study were to: Describe in detail the plant communities previously mapped with reference to the topography and drainage, including species of plants present: Examine the successional trends within each sampling area and describe the extent to which current vegetation communities have resulted from specific earlier vegetation disturbances (e.g., logging and grazing); describe in detail the botanical field techniques used to sample the flora; describe the habitat and location of protected and/or rare species of plants; and collect and prepare plant species as herbarium quality specimens. Sampling was conducted at Four Mile Creek and Pen Branch, and in two upland pine plantations of different age growth. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States); Dames and Moore, Los Angeles, CA (United States) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6969615 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6969615 | |
| Energy Programs at Oak Ridge National Laboratory | Sheffield, J | 02 PETROLEUM; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; DEVELOPING COUNTRIES; ENERGY DEMAND; ENERGY POLICY; ENERGY SOURCES; ENERGY SYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FOSSIL FUELS; NUCLEAR POWER; PETROLEUM PRODUCTS; STANDARD OF LIVING; SUPPLY DISRUPTION; SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT | Energy availability in a country is of great importance to its economy and to raising and maintaining its standard of living. In 1994, the United States consumed more than 88 quadrillion Btu (quads) of energy and spent about $500 billion on fuels and electricity. Fortunately, the United States is well endowed with energy sources, notably fossil fuels, and possesses a considerable nuclear power industry. The United States also has significant renewable energy resources and already exploits much of its hydropower resources, which represent 10% of electricity production. Nevertheless, in 1994, the United States imported about 45% of the petroleum products it consumed, equivalent to about 17 quads of energy. This dependence on imported oil puts the country at risk of energy supply disruptions and oil price shocks. Previous oil shocks may have cost the country as much as $4 billion (in 1993 dollars) between 1973 and 1990. Moreover, the production and use of energy from fossil fuels are major sources of environmental damage. The corresponding situation in many parts of the world is more challenging. Developing countries are experiencing rapid growth in population, energy demand, and the environmental degradation that often results from industrial development. The near-term depletion of energy resources in response to this rapid growth runs counter to the concept of ''sustainable development''--development that meets the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Energy research and development (R&D) to improve efficiency and to develop and deploy energy alternatives may be viewed, therefore, as an insurance policy to combat the dangers of oil shocks and environmental pollution and as a means of supporting sustainable development. These considerations guide the energy policy of the United States and of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In its strategic plan, DOE identifies the fostering of ''a secure and reliable energy system that is environmentally and economically sustainable'' as the first component of its mission. The strategic goal established for energy resources, identified as one of DOE's four businesses, is for ''the Department of Energy and its partners [to] promote secure, competitive, and environmentally responsible energy systems that serve the needs of the public.'' DOE has also identified four strategic goals for its programs in energy resources: (1) strengthening the economy and raising living standards through improvements in the energy field; (2) protecting the environment by reducing the adverse environmental impacts associated with energy production, distribution, and use; (3) keeping America secure by reducing vulnerabilities to global energy market shocks; and (4) enhancing American competitiveness in a growing world energy market. | ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) | (US) | United States | 1999-05-11T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/814243 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/814243 |
| Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact: Implementation of the Wetland Mitigation Bank Program at the Savannah River Site | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; AIKEN; EA; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; FONSI; IMPLEMENTATION; MITIGATION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SAVANNAH RIVER SITE; SC; SOUTH CAROLINA; US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; WETLAND MITIGATION; WETLANDS | The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) (DOE/EA-1205) for the proposed implementation of a wetland mitigation bank program at the Savannah River Site (SRS), located near Aiken, South Carolina. Based on the analyses in the EA, DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required, and DOE is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Floodplain Statement of Findings. | Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (US) | USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US) | United States | 1999-04-28T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/767453 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/767453 | |
| Summary of Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2000 | Hanf, Robert W; Poston, Ted M; Oconnor, G A; Morasch, Launa F | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; GROUND WATER; HANFORD RESERVATION; RADIATION DOSES; RADIOISOTOPES | Summary booklet of the annual environmental report for CY 2000. | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US) | USDOE | United States | 2001-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/965677 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/965677 |
| Biomedical and Environmental Research Program of the LASL Life Sciences and Health Divisions. Progress report, January-December 1979. [Lead abstract] | Petersen, D F | 560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man; 560306 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987); 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ABSTRACTS; BIOCHEMISTRY; BIOPHYSICS; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; CHEMISTRY; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; EPIDEMIOLOGY; INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE; LEADING ABSTRACT; MATERIALS; MEDICINE; MUTAGENESIS; PATHOLOGY; QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TOXIC MATERIALS | Nine separate abstracts were prepared for the research papers presented by the Life Sciences Division and by the Health Division. This report summarizes research and development activities of LASL's Biomedical and Environmental Research Program for the calendar year 1978. (KRM) | Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1980-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6681480 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6681480 | |
| Measure of Legionella pneumophila activity in situ | Fliermans, C. B.; Soracco, R. J.; Pope, D. H. | 550701* -- Microbiology-- Tracer Techniques; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ANTIBODIES; AZOLES; BACTERIA; CHLORIDES; CHLORINE COMPOUNDS; ELECTRON TRANSFER; HALIDES; HALOGEN COMPOUNDS; HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; MICROORGANISMS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS; TETRAZOLES; TETRAZOLIUM; UPTAKE | Detection of Legionella pneumophila by serogroup-specific fluorescent antibodies was combined with a tetrazolium dye (INT) to measure electron transport activity. The biological uptake and reduction of the INT dye was studied in pure cultures and in natural water samples with respect to temperature. Uptake was complete within 60 minutes. Controls inhibited with formaldehyde demonstrated little activity. Both the in vitro and in situ determinations suggested that the electron transport system of Legionella was active over a temperature range of 25/sup 0/ to 60/sup 0/C. | Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.; Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY (USA) | United States | 1981-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6682474 | ||
| Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2021 with 2021 Environmental Report Attachment A: Site Description | Redding, Theodore J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ASER; Environment; Environmental; NFO; NNSA; NNSS | This Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report (NNSSER) summarizes actions taken in 2021 to protect the environment and the public while achieving the NNSA/NFO mission goals. It is prepared for the public and our stakeholders in hopes that it is readily understandable and usable. It is a key component in our efforts to keep the public informed of environmental conditions at the NNSS and its support facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada. The accompanying Attachment A expands on the general description of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) presented in the Introduction to the Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2021. Included are subsections that summarize the siteâs geological, hydrological, climatological, and ecological settings and the cultural resources of the NNSS. | Nevada National Security Site/Mission Support and Test Services LLC, Las Vegas, NV (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2022-10-01T04:00:00Z | Program Document | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1889386 | |
| Biosphere reserves in action: Case studies of the American experience | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ATTITUDES; BIOSPHERE; COMMUNICATIONS; COMMUNITIES; ECOSYSTEMS; EDUCATION; LEARNING; MONITORING; REGIONAL COOPERATION; SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT; TRAINING; UNESCO; UNITED NATIONS | For nearly 20 years, biosphere reserves have offered a unique framework for building the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for conservation and sustainable use of ecosystems. The 12 case studies in this volume chronicle many of the cooperative efforts to implement the biosphere reserve concept in the United States. Considered together, these efforts involve more than 20 types of protected areas, and the participation of all levels of government, and many private organizations, academic institutions, citizens groups, and individuals. Biosphere reserves are multi-purpose areas that are nominated by the national committee of the Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB) and designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to serve as demonstration areas for cooperation in building harmonious relationships between human activities and the conservation of ecosystems and biological diversity. Each biosphere reserve exemplifies the characteristic ecosystems of one of the worlds biogeographical regions. It is a land or coas%arine area involving human communities as integral components and including resources managed for objectives ranging from complete protection to intensive, yet sustainable development. A biosphere reserve is envisioned as a regional ''landscape for learning'' in which monitoring, research, education, and training are encouraged to support sustainable conservation of natural and managed ecosystems. It is a framework for regional cooperation involving government decisionmakers, scientists, resource managers, private organizations and local people (i.e., the biosphere reserve ''stakeholders''). Finally, each biosphere reserve is part of a global network for sharing information and experience to help address complex problems of conservation and development. The 12 case studies presented in this report represent only a few of the possible evolutions of a biosphere reserve in its efforts to reach out to the local and regional community. As you have read, some have had great success, while others consider their successes almost negligible. All document tremendous effort from many people to improve the communication among landowners, land managers, scientists, and any others interested in the health and well-being of the natural and human environment of the biosphere reserve. | United States Man and the Biosphere Program, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC (US) | USDOE Office of Energy Research (ER) (US) | United States | 1995-06-26T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/771250 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/771250 | |
| Management of potential transuranium assimilation cases | Johnson, N. D.; Ratchford, D. J. | 560171* -- Radiation Effects-- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987); 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ACTINIDES; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; AMERICIUM; AMERICIUM 241; AMERICIUM ISOTOPES; BIOASSAY; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS; BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS; BIOLOGICAL WASTES; BODY; BODY FLUIDS; CALIFORNIUM; CLEANING; CURIUM; CURIUM 244; CURIUM ISOTOPES; DATA FORMS; DECONTAMINATION; ELEMENTS; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; FECES; HEAVY NUCLEI; INGESTION; INHALATION; INJECTION; INJURIES; INTAKE; ISOTOPES; METALS; NEPTUNIUM; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; ORGANS; PERSONNEL; PLUTONIUM; PLUTONIUM 238; PLUTONIUM 239; PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES; RADIATION EFFECTS; RADIATION INJURIES; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS; RESPIRATORY SYSTEM; SKIN; TABLES; TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS; TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS; URINE; WASTES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES | This review deals primarily with the duties of Health Protection personnel assigned to Savannah River's operatig facilities - as opposed to the role of bioassay and dosimetry specialists - in handling potential transuranium assimilation cases. (PCS) | Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Plant | United States | 1979-06-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5882417 | ||
| Rooting patterns in the pinyon-juniper woodland | Foxx, T S; Tierney, G D | 052002 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 550800* -- Morphology; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ARID LANDS; FEDERAL REGION VI; GRASS; HERBS; MORPHOLOGY; NEW MEXICO; NORTH AMERICA; PLANTS; ROOTS; SHRUBS; TREES; USA | An extensive bibliographical study documenting rooting patterns of native and introduced plants of the Western United States resulted in a computerized data base of over 1000 different rooting depth citations. From that data base, average rooting depths and frequencies were determined as related to species, habit, soil type, geographic region, root type, family, root depth to shoot height ratios, and root depth to root lateral ratios. Annual grasses were found to root within 1 m of the soil surface. Median rooting depth of other life forms was 2.0 m with a maximum rooting depth of 61 m. The various life forms had the following median and maximum rooting depths: annual forbs (median of 0.6 m, maximum of 3.0 m), biennial forms (0.8 m, 1.5 m), perennial grasses (1.1 m, 8.2 m), perennial forbs (1.1 m, 39.0 m), subshrubs and vines (1.2 m, 6.4 m), shrubs (2 m, 17.0 m), and trees (1.6 m, 61 m). In addition to the bibliographic study, 21 species common to the pinyon-juniper woodland were excavated from soils derived from volcanic tuff in Northern New Mexico. Rooting patterns and gross morphology were examined. Perennial forbs and grasses occurred within the first 30 cm of the soil surface. Roots of the overstory trees were traced to depths of 6 m and roots of shrubs to depths of 1.8 to 2.6 m. 29 refs., 2 figs., 6 tabs. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1985-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6387432 | ||
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory Institutional Plan, FY 1995--FY 2000 | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990000; GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; ORNL; PLANNING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US DOE | This report discusses the institutional plan for Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the next five years (1995-2000). Included in this report are the: laboratory director`s statement; laboratory mission, vision, and core competencies; laboratory plan; major laboratory initiatives; scientific and technical programs; critical success factors; summaries of other plans; and resource projections. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10126873 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10126873 | |
| Research plan for elk in the eastern Jemez Mountains | White, G C; Lissoway, J | 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 560400 -- Other Environmental Pollutant Effects; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ANIMALS; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; HAZARDS; LASL; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NEW MEXICO; NORTH AMERICA; POPULATION DYNAMICS; SAFETY; SOUTHWEST REGION; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; WILD ANIMALS | In June 1977, the holocaustic La Mesa Fire occurred in the eastern Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. The fire and the subsequent reseeding of the area have created a potential 15,000-acre winter range for elk. Winter range generally is considered the limiting factor in control of elk populations; this new abundance may allow a large increase in the eastern Jemez Mountains elk population. The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL), located in the area, is interested in elk overpopulation because of the effect on the vegetation, because increased numbers of elk on the roads would increase traffic hazards, and because of the possibility of elk becoming contaminated with effluents released by the Laboratory. The elk population is difficult to control here because LASL and Bandelier National Monument do not allow hunting on their lands. A 1-day workshop, held June 12, 1979, to discuss problems that might occur with elk population changes, resulted in the research plan outlined here. Participants, including experts on elk and regional land and wildlife managers, are listed in the Appendix. | Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1980-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5708015 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5708015 | |
| Record of decision remedial alternative selection for the F-area burning/rubble pits (231-F, 231-1F, and 231-2F) | Palmer, E | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CHEMICAL WASTES; CONTAMINATION; GROUND WATER; LAND USE; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; REMEDIAL ACTION; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOILS; US SUPERFUND | This decision document presents the selected remedial alternative for the FBRP located at the SRS in Aiken, South Carolina. The selected alternative was developed in accordance with CERCLA, as amended, and to the extent practicable, the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan. This decision is based on the Administrative Record File for this specific RCRA/CERCLA unit. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/568447 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/568447 |
| Natural resource management activities at the Savannah River Site. Environmental Assessment | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210; 540250; BASIC STUDIES; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FORESTS; MAPS; RECREATIONAL AREAS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; STREAMS; WETLANDS; WILD ANIMALS | This environmental assessment (EA) reviews the environmental consequences of ongoing natural resource management activities on the Savannah River Site (SRS). Appendix A contains the Natural Resources Management Plant (NRMP). While several SRS organizations have primary responsibilities for different elements of the plan, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Savannah River Forest Station (SRFS) is responsible for most elements. Of the river scenarios defined in 1985, the High-Intensity Management alternative established the upper bound of environmental consequences; it represents a more intense level of resource management than that being performed under current resource management activities. This alternative established compliance mechanisms for several natural resource-related requirements and maximum practical timber harvesting. Similarly, the Low-Intensity Management alternative established the lower bound of environmental consequences and represents a less intense level of resource management than that being performed under current resource management activities. This alternative also established compliance mechanisms, but defined a passively managed natural area. The Proposed Action of this EA describes the current level of multiple-natural resource management. This EA reviews the proposed action, and the high and low intensity alternative scenarios. | USDOE Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10102320 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10102320 | |
| Summary of the Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 1999 | Hanf, R W; O'Connor, G P; Poston, T M; Morasch, L F | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; HANFORD RESERVATION; MONITORING; SITE CHARACTERIZATION | No abstract prepared. | Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2000-10-24T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/765643 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/765643 |
| Summary of the Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 1999 | Hanf, Robert W; Morasch, Launa F; Poston, Ted M; O'Connor, Georganne P | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; GROUND WATER; HANFORD RESERVATION; MONITORING; PERFORMANCE; RADIOISOTOPES; RECOMMENDATIONS | A brief summary of the 1999 Hanford Site Environmental Report. | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US) | USDOE | United States | 2000-10-24T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/15001071 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/15001071 |
| ERDA facilities: a national resource for resolving energy problems | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; DECISION MAKING; EMPLOYMENT; ENERGY FACILITIES; ENERGY MANAGEMENT; INFORMATION; MANAGEMENT; MANPOWER; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; ORGANIZING; PERSONNEL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA | The extensive facilities and human resources of the Energy Research and Development Administration will play a key role in pursuing the goals of a consolidated Department of Energy. ERDA's extensive scientific, engineering, production, and administration capabilities are distributed nationwide. They consist of twelve field and project offices, seven government-operated (in-house) laboratories, and thirty-eight contractor-operated laboratory, engineering and production facilities in 26 states. The total contractor and Federal employment approaches 100,000 of which 99 percent are contractor employees. The responsibility of this office has been the overall coordination of the diverse and dispersed field organization to ensure a field resource capability of supporting and carrying out the many missions of ERDA. This interim document has been prepared with the objective of providing current information in a quick reference, yet comprehensive, format. It is designed for internal use as a management tool to aid in reorganization decision making and as a source of general information for new DOE employees. The following text describes ERDA's management structure and the current program activities, staffing and funding levels, and unique capabilities of each of ERDA's facilities for responding to the nation's energy priorities. | Energy Research and Development Administration, Washington, DC (USA) | United States | 1977-08-10T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/7301644 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7301644 | ||
| Environmental Assessment for the Health Protection Instrument Calibration Facility at the Savannah River Site | 053000; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; CALIBRATION; CONSTRUCTION; DOSEMETERS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GEOLOGY; HEALTH AND SAFETY; HYDROLOGY; METEOROLOGY; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; PERSONNEL; PLANTS; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIATION MONITORS; RADIATION PROTECTION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SEALED SOURCES; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES | The purpose of this Environmental Assessment (EA) is to review the possible environmental consequences associated with the construction and operation of a Health Protection Instrument Calibration Facility on the Savannah River Site (SRS). The proposed replacement calibration facility would be located in B Area of SRS and would replace an inadequate existing facility currently located within A Area of SRS (Building 736-A). The new facility would provide laboratories, offices, test equipment and the support space necessary for the SRS Radiation Monitoring Instrument Calibration Program to comply with DOE Orders 5480.4 (Environmental Protection, Safety and Health Protection Standards) and 5480.11 (Radiation Protection for Occupational Workers). The proposed facility would serve as the central site source for the evaluation, selection, inspection, testing, calibration, and maintenance of all SRS radiation monitoring instrumentation. The proposed facility would be constructed on a currently undeveloped portion in B Area of SRS. The exact plot associated with the proposed action is a 1.2 hectare (3 acre) tract of land located on the west side of SRS Road No. 2. The proposed facility would lie approximately 4.4 km (2.75 mi) from the nearest SRS site boundary. The proposed facility would also lie within the confines of the existing B Area, and SRS safeguards and security systems. Archaeological, ecological, and land use reviews have been conducted in connection with the use of this proposed plot of land, and a detailed discussion of these reviews is contained herein. Socioeconomic, operational, and accident analyses were also examined in relation to the proposed project and the findings from these reviews are also contained in this EA. | USDOE Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10105435 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10105435 | |
| Addendum to the remedial investigation report on Bear Creek Valley Operable Unit 2 (Rust Spoil Area, Spoil Area 1, and SY-200 Yard) at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Volume 1: Main text | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; AIR POLLUTION MONITORING; COMPLIANCE; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HABITAT; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; HEALTH HAZARDS; REMEDIAL ACTION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; US SUPERFUND; Y-12 PLANT | This addendum to the Remedial Investigation (RI) Report on Bear Creek Valley Operable Unit (OU) 2 at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant was prepared in accordance with requirements under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) for reporting the results of a site characterization for public review. This addendum is a supplement to a document that was previously issued in January 1995 and that provided the Environmental Restoration Program with information about the results of the 1993 investigation performed at OU 2. The January 1995 D2 version of the RI Report on Bear Creek Valley OU 2 included information on risk assessments that have evaluated impacts to human health and the environment. Information provided in the document formed the basis for the development of the Feasibility Study Report. This addendum includes revisions to four chapters of information that were a part of the document issued in January 1995. Specifically, it includes revisions to Chaps. 2, 3, 4, and 9. Volume 1 of this document is not being reissued in its entirety as a D3 version because only the four chapters just mentioned have been affected by requested changes. Note also that Volume 2 of this RI Report on Bear Creek Valley OU 2 is not being reissued in conjunction with Volume 1 of this document because there have been no changes requested or made to the previously issued version of Volume 2 of this document. | Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (United States); Science Applications International Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/171288 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/171288 | |
| Summary of Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2000 | Hanf, Jr, Robert W; Poston, Ted M; Oconnor, G A; Morasch, Launa F | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; GROUND WATER; HANFORD RESERVATION; MONITORING; PERFORMANCE; POLLUTION CONTROL; POLLUTION REGULATIONS; RADIOISOTOPES; WASTE MANAGEMENT | This booklet summarizes the Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2000. The Hanford Site environmental report is prepared annually to summarize environmental data and information, describe environmental management performance, demonstrate the status of compliance with environmental regulations, and highlight major environmental programs and efforts. The document is written to meet requirements and guidelines of the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the needs of the public. This summary booklet is designed to briefly (1) describe the Hanford Site and its mission; (2) describe environmental programs at the Hanford Site; (3) discuss estimated radionuclide exposures to the public from 2000 Hanford Site activities; (4) summarize the status of compliance with environmental regulations; and (5) present information on environmental monitoring and surveillance and groundwater protection and monitoring. Readers interested in more detailed information can consult the 2000 report or the technical documents cited and listed in that report. | Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2001-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/789921 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/789921 |
| Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1984 to the DOE Office of Energy Research. Part 2. Ecological sciences | Novich, C M | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR-WATER INTERACTIONS; ANIMALS; ARID LANDS; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; COASTAL WATERS; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; MASS TRANSFER; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PLANTS; POLLUTION; POPULATION DYNAMICS; RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SOILS; SURFACE WATERS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WATER POLLUTION; WILD ANIMALS | Research progress is reported in the following areas: (1) the terrestrial ecology of semi-arid sites; (2) marine sciences; (3) radionuclide fate and effects; (4) waste mobilization, fate and effects; and (5) theoretical research on environmental sampling. (ACR) | Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA) | United States | 1985-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5829078 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5829078 | |
| Screening-Level Ecological Risk Assessment Methods, Revision 3 | Mirenda, Richard J. | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Earth Sciences; Environmental Protection | This document provides guidance for screening-level assessments of potential adverse impacts to ecological resources from release of environmental contaminants at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL or the Laboratory). The methods presented are based on two objectives, namely: to provide a basis for reaching consensus with regulators, managers, and other interested parties on how to conduct screening-level ecological risk investigations at the Laboratory; and to provide guidance for ecological risk assessors under the Environmental Programs (EP) Directorate. This guidance promotes consistency, rigor, and defensibility in ecological screening investigations and in reporting those investigation results. The purpose of the screening assessment is to provide information to the risk managers so informed riskmanagement decisions can be made. This document provides examples of recommendations and possible risk-management strategies. | Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) | USDOE | United States | 2012-08-16T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1352432 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1352432 |
| Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory interests and capabilities for research on the ecological effects of global climatic and atmospheric change | Amthor, J S; Houpis, J L; Kercher, J R; Ledebuhr, A; Miller, N L; Penner, J E; Robison, W L; Taylor, K E | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLIMATE MODELS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; FORECASTING; GLOBAL ASPECTS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS | The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has interests and capabilities in all three types of research that must be conducted in order to understand and predict effects of global atmospheric and climatic (i.e., environmental) changes on ecological systems and their functions (ecosystem function is perhaps most conveniently defined as mass and energy exchange and storage). These three types of research are: (1) manipulative experiments with plants and ecosystems; (2) monitoring of present ecosystem, landscape, and global exchanges and pools of energy, elements, and compounds that play important roles in ecosystem function or the physical climate system, and (3) mechanistic (i.e., hierarchic and explanatory) modeling of plant and ecosystem responses to global environmental change. Specific experimental programs, monitoring plans, and modeling activities related to evaluation of ecological effects of global environmental change that are of interest to, and that can be carried out by LLNL scientists are outlined. Several projects have the distinction of integrating modeling with empirical studies resulting in an Integrated Product (a model or set of models) that DOE or any federal policy maker could use to assess ecological effects. The authors note that any scheme for evaluating ecological effects of atmospheric and climatic change should take into account exceptional or sensitive species, in particular, rare, threatened, or endangered species. | Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/231490 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/231490 |
| Science, engineering and technical service capabilities of Nevada higher education organizations | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990000; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; ENVIRONMENT; GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; NEVADA; PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TRAINING | The objective of this document is to increase the current dialogue between members of Nevada`s higher education system and the leadership of the federal scientific community in Nevada in order to start and expand collaborative relationships. This section provides introductory material on Nevada institutions of higher education and research together with background information on the need for increased federal collaboration with Nevada higher education institutions. | Nevada Univ., Las Vegas, NV (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-09-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10103547 | ||
| Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1980 to the DOE Assistant Secretary for Environment. Part 2. Ecological sciences. | Vaughan, B E | 510300* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSTRACTS; ALASKA; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; COAL LIQUEFACTION; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ELECTRIC FIELDS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENT; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; HANFORD RESERVATION; HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS; LEADING ABSTRACT; LIQUEFACTION; MATERIALS; MICROWAVE POWER TRANSMISSION; MILL TAILINGS; MINERAL OILS; MINES; MINING; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; NORTH AMERICA; NUCLEAR REACTIONS; NUCLEOSYNTHESIS; OILS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGION; POLLUTANTS; POWER PLANTS; POWER TRANSMISSION; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; REVEGETATION; SHALE OIL; SOLID WASTES; SRC-II PROCESS; SURFACE MINING; TAILINGS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES; THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS; URANIUM MINES; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; WASTES | Separate abstracts were prepared for 33 topics discussed in this progress report. Section 11 which deals with the energy-related research for other agencies such as EPA, NOAA, NSF, and NRC is not represented by a separate abstract. (KRM) | Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA) | United States | 1981-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6602558 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6602558 | |
| Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1991 | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540000* -- Environment-- (1990-); 550700 -- Microbiology; 58 GEOSCIENCES; 580000 -- Geosciences; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100 -- Management; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BIOMASS; BIOTECHNOLOGY; DATA ANALYSIS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GEOLOGY; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; PROGRESS REPORT; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RISK ASSESSMENT; US AEC; US DOE; US DOE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | This progress report summarizes the research and development activities conducted in the Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory during the period October 1, 1990, through September 30, 1991. The report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the division's major organizational units. Following the sections describing the organizational units is a section devoted to lists of information necessary to convey the scope of the work in the division. The Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) conducts environmental research and analyses associated with both energy technology development and the interactions between people and the environment. The division engages in basic and applied research for a diverse list of sponsors. While the US Department of Energy (DOE) is the primary sponsor ESD staff also perform research for other federal agencies, state agencies, and private industry. The division works collaboratively with federal agencies, universities, and private organizations in achieving its research objectives and hosts a large number of visiting investigators from these organizations. Given the diverse interdisciplinary specialization of its staff, ESD provides technical expertise on complex environmental problems and renders technical leadership for major environmental issues of national and local concern. This progress report highlights many of ESD's accomplishment in these and other areas in FY 1991. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5231402 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5231402 | |
| Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1991 | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540000; 550700; 58 GEOSCIENCES; 580000; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BIOMASS; BIOTECHNOLOGY; DATA ANALYSIS; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; GEOLOGY; GEOSCIENCES; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; MANAGEMENT; MICROBIOLOGY; ORNL; PROGRESS REPORT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RISK ASSESSMENT; US DOE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT | This progress report summarizes the research and development activities conducted in the Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory during the period October 1, 1990, through September 30, 1991. The report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the division`s major organizational units. Following the sections describing the organizational units is a section devoted to lists of information necessary to convey the scope of the work in the division. The Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) conducts environmental research and analyses associated with both energy technology development and the interactions between people and the environment. The division engages in basic and applied research for a diverse list of sponsors. While the US Department of Energy (DOE) is the primary sponsor ESD staff also perform research for other federal agencies, state agencies, and private industry. The division works collaboratively with federal agencies, universities, and private organizations in achieving its research objectives and hosts a large number of visiting investigators from these organizations. Given the diverse interdisciplinary specialization of its staff, ESD provides technical expertise on complex environmental problems and renders technical leadership for major environmental issues of national and local concern. This progress report highlights many of ESD`s accomplishment in these and other areas in FY 1991. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10145045 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10145045 | |
| Quaternary volcanism, tectonics, and sedimentation in the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory area | Hackett, W R; Smith, R P | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; 58 GEOSCIENCES; 580000; BASALT; GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS; GEOLOGY; GEOSCIENCES; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; SEDIMENTATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; TECTONICS; TUFF; VOLCANISM | In this article, we discuss the regional context and describe localities for a two-day field excursion in the vicinity of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). We address several geologic themes: (1) Late Cenozoic, bimodal volcanism of the Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP), (2) the regional tectonics and structural geology of the Basin and Range province to the northwest of the ESRP, (3) fluvial, lacustrine, and aeolian sedimentation in the INEL area, and (4) the influence of Quaternary volcanism and tectonics on sedimentation near the INEL. | EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-09-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10169190 | |
| Environmental assessment for the A-01 outfall constructed wetlands project at the Savannah River Site | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; COMPLIANCE; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; MONITORING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; WETLANDS | The Department of Energy (DOE) prepared this environmental assessment (EA) to analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed A-01 outfall constructed wetlands project at the Savannah River site (SRS), located near aiken, South Carolina. The proposed action would include the construction and operation of an artificial wetland to treat effluent from the A-01 outfall located in A Area at SRS. The proposed action would reduce the outfall effluent concentrations in order to meet future outfall limits before these go into effect on October 1, 1999. This document was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended; the requirements of the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500--1508); and the DOE Regulations for Implementing NEPA (10 CFR Part 1021). | Dept. of Energy, Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/319893 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/319893 | |
| Terrestrial Ecosystem Responses to Global Change: A Research Strategy | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON; DESIGN; ECOSYSTEMS; FORESTS; NUTRIENTS; PLANNING; PRODUCTIVITY; RESOLUTION; SENSITIVITY; SPECIES DIVERSITY; STORAGE; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TESTING; WATER | Uncertainty about the magnitude of global change effects on terrestrial ecosystems and consequent feedbacks to the atmosphere impedes sound policy planning at regional, national, and global scales. A strategy to reduce these uncertainties must include a substantial increase in funding for large-scale ecosystem experiments and a careful prioritization of research efforts. Prioritization criteria should be based on the magnitude of potential changes in environmental properties of concern to society, including productivity; biodiversity; the storage and cycling of carbon, water, and nutrients; and sensitivity of specific ecosystems to environmental change. A research strategy is proposed that builds on existing knowledge of ecosystem responses to global change by (1) expanding the spatial and temporal scale of experimental ecosystem manipulations to include processes known to occur at large scales and over long time periods; (2) quantifying poorly understood linkages among processes through the use of experiments that manipulate multiple interacting environmental factors over a broader range of relevant conditions than did past experiments; and (3) prioritizing ecosystems for major experimental manipulations on the basis of potential positive and negative impacts on ecosystem properties and processes of intrinsic and/or utilitarian value to humans and on feedbacks of terrestrial ecosystems to the atmosphere. Models and experiments are equally important for developing process-level understanding into a predictive capability. To support both the development and testing of mechanistic ecosystem models, a two-tiered design of ecosystem experiments should be used. This design should include both (1) large-scale manipulative experiments for comprehensive testing of integrated ecosystem models and (2) multifactor, multilevel experiments for parameterization of process models across the critical range of interacting environmental factors (CO{sub 2}, temperature, water, nutrients). With limited resources, these complementary experiments should be focused in high-priority ecosystems, with experimental treatments designed to address the major uncertainties in each system. Critical ecosystems, both managed and unmanaged, have been identified using the above criteria and key uncertainties in current understanding of ecosystem processes used to identify critical issues and experiments. The sizes of both the whole-ecosystem experiments and the multifactor experimental treatment units must be based on the sizes of the dominant organisms, the scale of major processes in each system, and the spatial heterogeneity of each system. For example, large-scale ecosystem manipulations in temperate forests should evaluate at a minimum CO{sub 2} and temperature and could be conducted on small, gauged catchments. The multifactor process experiments should address all major environmental driving variables, and the treatment units should be large enough to include multiple individuals of the major tree species. This approach represents a fundamental shift in the scale and integration of experimental ecosystem research: from the current small-scale, single- or two-factor experiments in simple natural or artificial ecosystems to highly coordinated, large-scale, replicated experiments in complex ecosystems, with multiple interacting factors being evaluated at two (or more) complementary levels of spatial scale and process resolution. These experiments will require an unprecedented long-term funding commitment and concentration of large-scale experimental research at a few major sites, with significant new investment in infrastructure to support large interdisciplinary teams of scientists. | ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 1998-09-23T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/814449 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/814449 | |
| Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation - DOE Oversight Division. Status Report to the Public - December 1999 | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; ENVIRONMENT; PUBLIC INFORMATION; RESOURCE CONSERVATION; TENNESSEE; US DOE | No abstract prepared. | State of Tennessee, Oak Ridge, TN (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 1999-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/765717 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/765717 | |
| Terrestrial ecosystem responses to global change: A research strategy | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON CYCLE; CLIMATIC CHANGE; DATA COVARIANCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS | Uncertainty about the magnitude of global change effects on terrestrial ecosystems and consequent feedbacks to the atmosphere impedes sound policy planning at regional, national, and global scales. A strategy to reduce these uncertainties must include a substantial increase in funding for large-scale ecosystem experiments and a careful prioritization of research efforts. Prioritization criteria should be based on the magnitude of potential changes in environmental properties of concern to society, including productivity; biodiversity; the storage and cycling of carbon, water, and nutrients; and sensitivity of specific ecosystems to environmental change. A research strategy is proposed that builds on existing knowledge of ecosystem responses to global change by (1) expanding the spatial and temporal scale of experimental ecosystem manipulations to include processes known to occur at large scales and over long time periods; (2) quantifying poorly understood linkages among processes through the use of experiments that manipulate multiple interacting environmental factors over a broader range of relevant conditions than did past experiments; and (3) prioritizing ecosystems for major experimental manipulations on the basis of potential positive and negative impacts on ecosystem properties and processes of intrinsic and/or utilitarian value to humans and on feedbacks of terrestrial ecosystems to the atmosphere. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/666209 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/666209 | |
| Record of Decision Remedial Alternative Selection for the D-Area Burning/Rubble Pits (431-D and 431-1D) | Palmer, E R; Mason, J T | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMBUSTION; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; GROUND WATER; REGULATIONS; REMEDIAL ACTION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOLID WASTES; WASTE DISPOSAL | The D-Area Burning/Rubble Pits (DBRP) (431-D and 431-1D) Waste Unit is listed as a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) 3004(U) Solid Waste Management Unit/Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) unit in Appendix C of the Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) for the Savannah River Site (SRS). This decision document presents the selected remedial alternative for the DBRP located at the SRS in Aiken, South Carolina. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/626417 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/626417 |
| Species status of Mill Creek Elliptio | Davis, G M; Mulvey, M | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540350; DENSITY; DISTRIBUTION; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; GENETICS; MOLLUSCS; MONITORING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SPECIES DIVERSITY; STREAMS | This report discusses environmental effects of the Savannah River Plant on aqautic populations in Mill Creek and surrounding tributaries. Of particular concern was the status of Elliptio. Genetics and phenotypic characteristics have shown that the current classification system is not adequate for these populations. The appendices characterize genetic variability at different loci, electrophoretic data, allele frequencies, sympatric species, and anatomical characters. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-12-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10143436 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10143436 |
| Replacement by Caenis diminuta walker (ephemeroptera:caenidae) in the mayfly community structure of a thermally-stressed, southeastern stream | Poff, N L; Matthews, R A | 520400* -- Environment, Aquatic-- Thermal Effluents Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; ARTHROPODS; COMMUNITIES; DATA; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; EPHEMEROPTERA; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; INFORMATION; INSECTS; INVERTEBRATES; NUMERICAL DATA; POLLUTION; SPECIES DIVERSITY; TEMPERATURE EFFECTS; THERMAL POLLUTION | Mayfly community structure on sycamore and sweetgum leaf packs in a thermally-stressed, post-thermal and an unstressed stream were compared. Leaves were colonized over an 11 wk (77 d) period from December 1982 to March 1983. Degree-days (> 0/sup 0/C) accumulated were 1014, 638 and 627 for the thermally-stressed, post-thermal and unstressed streams, respectively. Significant differences in mayfly community structure were found between the thermally-stressed vs. the post-thermal and unstressed streams with respect to both Stenonema spp. and Caenis diminuta Walker. No significant differences in community structure were found between the two leaf species. Stenonema spp. dominated the mayfly fauna over the sampling period for both the unstressed (68%) and post-thermal (98%) streams; however, C. diminuta replaced Stenonema spp. as the dominant mayfly (88%) within leaf packs from the stream receiving thermal effluent. Additional data suggest C. diminuta is tolerant of rapidly fluctuating thermal regimes (..delta.. T of up to 11/sup 0/C in 1 h) and high temperatures (up to 40/sup 0/C). 30 references, 3 figures, 3 tables. | Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.; Indiana Univ., Bloomington (USA). School of Public and Environmental Affairs | United States | 1984-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5149100 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5149100 | |
| Quaternary volcanism, tectonics, and sedimentation in the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory area | Hackett, W R; Smith, R P | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); 58 GEOSCIENCES; 580000 -- Geosciences; BASALT; GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS; GEOLOGY; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; IGNEOUS ROCKS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ROCKS; SEDIMENTATION; TECTONICS; TUFF; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VOLCANIC ROCKS; VOLCANISM | In this article, we discuss the regional context and describe localities for a two-day field excursion in the vicinity of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). We address several geologic themes: (1) Late Cenozoic, bimodal volcanism of the Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP), (2) the regional tectonics and structural geology of the Basin and Range province to the northwest of the ESRP, (3) fluvial, lacustrine, and aeolian sedimentation in the INEL area, and (4) the influence of Quaternary volcanism and tectonics on sedimentation near the INEL. | EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7045304 | |
| Environmental analysis of Lower Pueblo/Lower Los Alamos Canyon, Los Alamos, New Mexico | Ferenbaugh, R W; Buhl, T E; Stoker, A K; Becker, N M; Rodgers, J C; Hansen, W R | 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; ABANDONED SITES; COMPILED DATA; CONTAMINATION; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EVALUATION; HEALTH AND SAFETY; LANL; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; RADIOMETRIC SURVEYS; REMEDIAL ACTION; RIO GRANDE RIVER; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; VALLEYS | The radiological survey of the former radioactive waste treatment plant site (TA-45), Acid Canyon, Pueblo Canyon, and Los Alamos Canyon found residual contamination at the site itself and in the channel and banks of Acid, Pueblo, and lower Los Alamos Canyons all the way to the Rio Grande. The largest reservoir of residual radioactivity is in lower Pueblo Canyon, which is on DOE property. However, residual radioactivity does not exceed proposed cleanup criteria in either lower Pueblo or lower Los Alamos Canyons. The three alternatives proposed are (1) to take no action, (2) to construct a sediment trap in lower Pueblo Canyon to prevent further transport of residual radioactivity onto San Ildefonso Indian Pueblo land, and (3) to clean the residual radioactivity from the canyon system. Alternative 2, to cleanup the canyon system, is rejected as a viable alternative. Thousands of truckloads of sediment would have to be removed and disposed of, and this effort is unwarranted by the low levels of contamination present. Residual radioactivity levels, under either present conditions or projected future conditions, will not result in significant radiation doses to persons exposed. Modeling efforts show that future transport activity will not result in any residual radioactivity concentrations higher than those already existing. Thus, although construction of a sediment trap in lower Pueblo Canyon is a viable alternative, this effort also is unwarranted, and the no-action alternative is the preferred alternative. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10114171 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10114171 |
| Documentation of the Ecological Risk Assessment Computer Model ECORSK.5 | Gallegos, Anthony F; Gonzales, Gilbert J | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMPUTERS; DOCUMENTATION; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; RISK ASSESSMENT; US EPA | The FORTRAN77 ecological risk computer model--ECORSK.5--has been used to estimate the potential toxicity of surficial deposits of radioactive and non-radioactive contaminants to several threatened and endangered (T and E) species at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). These analyses to date include preliminary toxicity estimates for the Mexican spotted owl, the American peregrine falcon, the bald eagle, and the southwestern willow flycatcher. This work has been performed as required for the Record of Decision for the construction of the Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test (DARHT) Facility at LANL as part of the Environmental Impact Statement. The model is dependent on the use of the geographic information system and associated software--ARC/INFO--and has been used in conjunction with LANL's Facility for Information Management and Display (FIMAD) contaminant database. The integration of FIMAD data and ARC/INFO using ECORSK.5 allows the generation of spatial information from a gridded area of potential exposure called an Ecological Exposure Unit. ECORSK.5 was used to simulate exposures using a modified Environmental Protection Agency Quotient Method. The model can handle a large number of contaminants within the home range of T and E species. This integration results in the production of hazard indices which, when compared to risk evaluation criteria, estimate the potential for impact from consumption of contaminants in food and ingestion of soil. The assessment is considered a Tier-2 type of analysis. This report summarizes and documents the ECORSK.5 code, the mathematical models used in the development of ECORSK.5, and the input and other requirements for its operation. Other auxiliary FORTRAN 77 codes used for processing and graphing output from ECORSK.5 are also discussed. The reader may refer to reports cited in the introduction to obtain greater detail on past applications of ECORSK.5 and assumptions used in deriving model parameters. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (US) | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) (US) | United States | 1999-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/9415 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/9415 |
| Developing a strategy and closure criteria for radioactive and mixed waste sites in the ORNL remedial action program: Regulatory interface | Trabalka, J. R. | 052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CHEMICAL WASTES; COMPLIANCE; DECOMMISSIONING; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; LAWS; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY ACTS; ORNL; PLANNING; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; REGULATIONS; REMEDIAL ACTION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES | Some options for stabilization and treatment of contaminated sites can theoretically provide a once-and-for-all solution (e.g., removal or destruction of contaminants). Most realizable options, however, leave contaminants in place (in situ), potentially isolated by physical or chemical, but more typically, by hydrologic measures. As a result of the dynamic nature of the interactions between contaminants, remedial measures, and the environment, in situ stablization measures are likely to have limited life spans, and maintenance and monitoring of performance become an essential part of the scheme. The length of formal institutional control over the site and related questions about future uses of the land and waters are of paramount importance. Unique features of the ORNL site and environs appear to be key ingredients in achieving the very long term institutional control necessary for successful financing and implementation of in situ stabilization. Some formal regulatory interface is necessary to ensure that regulatory limitations and new guidance which can affect planning and implementation of the ORNL Remedial Action Program are communicated to ORNL staff and potential technical and financial limitations which can affect schedules or alternatives for achievement of long-term site stabilization and the capability to meet environmental regulations are provided to regulatory bodies as early as possible. Such an interface should allow decisions on closure criteria to be based primarily on technical merit and protection of human health and the environment. A plan for interfacing with federal and state regulatory authorities is described. 93 refs., 1 fig., 4 tabs. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1987-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6126203 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6126203 | |
| Performance Assessment for the Idaho National Laboratory Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility | Schafer, Annette L.; Sondrup, A. Jeffrey; Rood, Arthur S. | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; RH-LLW; performance assessment; remote-handled low-level waste | This performance assessment for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility at the Idaho National Laboratory documents the projected radiological dose impacts associated with the disposal of low-level radioactive waste at the facility. This assessment evaluates compliance with the applicable radiological criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for protection of the public and the environment. The calculations involve modeling transport of radionuclides from buried waste to surface soil and subsurface media, and eventually to members of the public via air, groundwater, and food chain pathways. Projections of doses are calculated for both offsite receptors and individuals who inadvertently intrude into the waste after site closure. The results of the calculations are used to evaluate the future performance of the low-level radioactive waste disposal facility and to provide input for establishment of waste acceptance criteria. In addition, one-factor-at-a-time, Monte Carlo, and rank correlation analyses are included for sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. The comparison of the performance assessment results to the applicable performance objectives provides reasonable expectation that the performance objectives will be met | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) | United States | 2012-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1044201 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1044201 |
| History of the Plutonium Production Facilities at the Hanford Site Historic District - 1943 - 1990 - June 2002 | CANNAN, S. D. | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; HANFORD RESERVATION; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; PLUTONIUM; PRODUCTION | No abstract prepared. | PNNL (US) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US) | United States | 2001-12-14T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/807939 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/807939 |
| Mammals of the Savannah River Site | Cothran, E. G.; Smith, M. H.; Wolff, J. O.; Gentry, J. B. | 053000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210; BASELINE ECOLOGY; BASIC STUDIES; ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS; HABITAT; MAMMALS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOUTH CAROLINA; WILD ANIMALS | This book is designed to be used as a field guide, reference book, bibliography, and introduction to the basic biology and ecology of the 54 mammal species that currently or potentially exist on or near the Savannah River Site (SRS). For 50 of these species, we present basic descriptions, distinguishing morphological features, distribution and habitat preferences, food habits, reproductive biology, social behavior, ecological relationships with other species, and economic importance to man. For those species that have been studied on the SRS, we summarize the results of these studies. Keys and illustrations are provided for whole body and skull identification. A selected glossary defines technical terminology. Illustrations of tracks of the more common larger mammals will assist in field identifications. We also summarize the results of two major long-term SRS studies, ``The Forbearer Census`` and ``White-tailed Deer Studies``. A cross-indexed list of over 300 SRS publications on mammals classifies each publication by 23 categories such as habitat, reproduction, genetics, etc., and also for each mammal species. The 149 Master`s theses and Ph.D. dissertations that have been conducted at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory are provided as additional references. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1991-12-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10109487 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10109487 |
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory institutional plan, FY 1996--FY 2001 | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; ORNL; PLANNING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US DOE | This report discusses the institutional plan for Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the next five years. Included in the report are: laboratory director`s statement; laboratory mission, vision, and core competencies; laboratory strategic plan; major laboratory initiatives; scientific and technical programs; critical success factors; summaries of other plans; resource projections; appendix which contains data for site and facilities, user facility, science and mathematic education and human resources; and laboratory organization chart. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/257301 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/257301 | |
| Los Alamos Life Sciences Division's biomedical and environmental research programs. Progress report, January-December 1980 | Holland, L M; Stafford, C G; Bolen, S K | 04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS; 040700 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Health & Safety; 041000 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Environmental Aspects; 510000 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- (-1989); 520000 -- Environment, Aquatic-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ABSTRACTS; BIOLOGY; BIOPHYSICS; BITUMINOUS MATERIALS; CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS; CHEMISTRY; DOCUMENT TYPES; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENT; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; GENETICS; LASL; LEADING ABSTRACT; MATERIALS; MINERAL OILS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OIL SHALES; OILS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; PATHOLOGY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SHALE OIL; TOXICITY; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | Highlights of research progress accomplished in the Life Sciences Division during the year ending December 1980 are summarized. Reports from the following groups are included: Toxicology, Biophysics, Genetics; Environmental Pathology, Organic Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences. Individual abstracts have been prepared for 46 items for inclusion in the Energy Data Base. (RJC) | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1981-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5575704 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5575704 | |
| Interactive effects of temperature and nutrients on periphyton assemblages from a low-pH South Carolina stream | Brown, D. C. | 20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS; 200201 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management-- Thermal Effluents; 560202* -- Thermal Effects-- Microorganisms-- (1987); 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BIOMASS; CARBON; DAILY VARIATIONS; DATA; ELEMENTS; ENERGY SOURCES; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; INFORMATION; NONMETALS; NUMERICAL DATA; NUTRIENTS; PH VALUE; PRODUCTIVITY; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; TEMPERATURE EFFECTS; UPTAKE; VARIATIONS | Periphyton that accumulated on glass slides in a flow-through, artificial stream system at the Thermal Effects Laboratory, Savannah River Laboratory, were studied for their response to continuously elevated temperatues and to nutrient additions. Although the stream water used in these experiments was low in nutrients, addition of nutrients rarely increased periphyton biomass or carbon-uptake rates. The most consistent stimulation occurred in July at 12/sup 0/C above ambient temperature. Large day-to-day variations in chlorophyll a and rate of carbon-uptake of the assemblages were observed at ambient temperatures and at elevated temperatures. Temperature and available carbon varied on approximately the same time scale as the algal parameters. It is concluded that nutrient imitation, if it exists in this system, is masked by the effects of temperature and, in summer, possibly by limitation of carbon to the periphyton. | Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab. | United States | 1981-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6500843 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6500843 | |
| Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Volume 1, Appendix C, Savannah River Site Spent Nuclear Fuel Mangement Program | 050900; 052002; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300; AIR QUALITY; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; CULTURAL RESOURCES; DECISION MAKING; ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, AND SAFETY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; GEOLOGY; LAND USE; NOISE; PUBLIC HEALTH; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS; SPENT FUEL STORAGE; SPENT FUELS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TRANSPORT, HANDLING, AND STORAGE; US DOE; WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE; WATER QUALITY; WATER RESOURCES; WETLANDS | The US Department of Energy (DOE) is engaged in two related decision making processes concerning: (1) the transportation, receipt, processing, and storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at the DOE Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) which will focus on the next 10 years; and (2) programmatic decisions on future spent nuclear fuel management which will emphasize the next 40 years. DOE is analyzing the environmental consequences of these spent nuclear fuel management actions in this two-volume Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Volume 1 supports broad programmatic decisions that will have applicability across the DOE complex and describes in detail the purpose and need for this DOE action. Volume 2 is specific to actions at the INEL. This document, which limits its discussion to the Savannah River Site (SRS) spent nuclear fuel management program, supports Volume 1 of the EIS. Following the introduction, Chapter 2 contains background information related to the SRS and the framework of environmental regulations pertinent to spent nuclear fuel management. Chapter 3 identifies spent nuclear fuel management alternatives that DOE could implement at the SRS, and summarizes their potential environmental consequences. Chapter 4 describes the existing environmental resources of the SRS that spent nuclear fuel activities could affect. Chapter 5 analyzes in detail the environmental consequences of each spent nuclear fuel management alternative and describes cumulative impacts. The chapter also contains information on unavoidable adverse impacts, commitment of resources, short-term use of the environment and mitigation measures. | USDOE Idaho Operations Office, Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10161335 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10161335 | |
| INEL environmental characterization report. Volume I. Summary | 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220501 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Environmental Aspects-- Siting; 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLIMATES; CULTURAL RESOURCES; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; GEOGRAPHY; GEOLOGY; HYDROLOGY; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; PRODUCTION REACTORS; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; REACTORS; REGULATIONS; RESOURCES; SEISMICITY; SITE SURVEYS; SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | This environmental characterization report contains general information on environmental aspects of the INEL, and specific information on two areas within the INEL which have been tentatively selected for NPR siting. The objective is to present environmental information but not assess environmental impacts. Impacts will be addressed specifically at a later date when an EIS is prepared. The information in this report will be used to evaluate the siting of various reactor types at each of the three reservation alternatives. The report covers geography, physiography, and demography of the INEL, ecology, climatology overview, geology and seismology, hydrology, cultural resources assessment, baseline socioeconomic data, description of INEL facilities and capabilities, effluent and environmental measurements and monitoring programs, exposure pathways, and environmental laws and regulations. | EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls (USA) | United States | 1984-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6185273 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6185273 | ||
| Historical records of radioactive contamination in biota at the 200 Areas of the Hanford Site | Johnson, A R; Markes, B M; Schmidt, J W; Shah, A N; Weiss, S G; Wilson, K J | 052000; 053000; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; CONTAMINATION; ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; HANFORD RESERVATION; HEALTH AND SAFETY; PLANTS; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WILD ANIMALS | This document summarizes and reports a literature search of 85 environmental monitoring records of wildlife and vegetation (biota) at the 200 East Area and the 200 West Area of the Hanford Site since 1965. These records were published annually and provided the majority of the data in this report. Additional sources of data have included records of specific facilities, such as site characterization documents and preoperational environmental surveys. These documents have been released for public use. Records before 1965 were still being researched and therefore not included in this document. The intent of compiling these data into a single source was to identify past and current concentrations of radionuclides in biota at specific facilities and waste sites within each operable unit that may be used to help guide cleanup activities in the 200 Areas to be completed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response and Liability Act (CERCLA). The 200 East Area and 200 West Area were the locations of the Hanford Site separation and process facilities and waste management units. For the purposes of this document, a sample was of interest if a Geiger-Mueller counter equipped with a pancake probe-indicated beta/gamma emitting radioactivity above 200 counts per minute (cpm), or if laboratory radioanalyses indicated a radionuclide concentration equaled or exceeded 10 picocuries per gram (pCi/g). About 4,500 individual cases of monitoring for radionuclide uptake or transport in biota in the 200 Areas environs were included in the documents reviewed. About 1,900 (i.e., 42%) of these biota had radionuclide concentrations in excess of 10 pCi/g. These radionuclide transport or uptake cases were distributed among 45 species of wildlife (primarily small mammals and feces) and 30 species of vegetation. The wildlife species most commonly associated with radioactive contamination were the house mouse and the deer mouse and of vegetation species, the Russian thistle. | Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10191138 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10191138 |
| Health, Safety, and Environment Division annual report, 1988 | Rosenthal, M. A. | 500300* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 560151 -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; DOCUMENT TYPES; EPIDEMIOLOGY; FILTERS; LASL; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VENTILATION; WASTES | The primary responsibility of the Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Division at the Los Alamos National Laboratory is to provide comprehensive occupational health and safety programs, waste processing, and environmental protection. These activities are designed to protect the worker, the public, and the environment. Many disciplines are required to meet the responsibilities, including radiation protection, industrial hygiene, safety, occupational medicine, environmental science, epidemiology, and waste management. New and challenging health and safety problems occasionally arise from the diverse research and development work of the Laboratory. Research programs in HSE Division often stem from these applied needs. These programs continue but are also extended, as needed, to study specific problems for the Department of Energy and to help develop better occupational health and safety practices. 52 refs. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) | DOE/MA | United States | 1989-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5645230 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5645230 |
| Wetland vegetation establishment in L-Lake | Kroeger, S R | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540310* -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); 540350 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); AMOEBA; ANIMALS; BIRDS; COMPILED DATA; DATA; DATA ANALYSIS; ECOLOGY; FERTILIZERS; INFORMATION; INVERTEBRATES; MICROORGANISMS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUMERICAL DATA; PLANNING; PLANTS; PROTOZOA; SAMPLING; SARCODINA; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SURFACE WATERS; TOPOGRAPHY; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES | Wetland vegetation was transplanted from PAR Pond to L-Lake between January and August, 1987. Approximately 100,000 individual plants representing over 40 species were transplanted along the southern shoreline. Three zones of vegetation were created: (1) submersed/floating-leaved, (2) emergent, (3) upper emergent/shrub. During the summers of 1987, 1988, 1989, the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory sampled the vegetation in 54 permanent transects located in planted (N=32) and unplanted areas (N=22). The 1989 vegetation data from L-Lake were compared to 1985 data from PAR Pond. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1990-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6529765 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6529765 |
| Wetland vegetation establishment in L-Lake | Kroeger, S R | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540310; 540350; AMOEBA; BASIC STUDIES; BIRDS; COMPILED DATA; DATA ANALYSIS; ECOLOGY; FERTILIZERS; PLANNING; PLANTS; SAMPLING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SURFACE WATERS; TOPOGRAPHY | Wetland vegetation was transplanted from PAR Pond to L-Lake between January and August, 1987. Approximately 100,000 individual plants representing over 40 species were transplanted along the southern shoreline. Three zones of vegetation were created: (1) submersed/floating-leaved, (2) emergent, (3) upper emergent/shrub. During the summers of 1987, 1988, 1989, the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory sampled the vegetation in 54 permanent transects located in planted (N=32) and unplanted areas (N=22). The 1989 vegetation data from L-Lake were compared to 1985 data from PAR Pond. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1990-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10155841 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10155841 |
| Savannah River Site environmental report for 1993 | Arnett, M W; Karapatakis, L K; Mamatey, A R | 052000; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540150; 540250; 540350; AIR; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; ENVIRONMENT; GROUND WATER; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; HEALTH AND SAFETY; LIQUID WASTES; PUBLIC HEALTH; QUALITY ASSURANCE; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; REMEDIAL ACTION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SOILS; SURFACE WATERS; SURVEILLANCE; WASTE MANAGEMENT | Savannah River Site (SRS) conducts effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance to ensure the safety of the public and the well-being of the environment. DOE Order 5400,1, ``General Environmental Protection Program,`` requires the submission of an environmental report that documents the impact of facility operations on the environment and on public health. SRS has had an extensive environmental surveillance program in place since 1951 (before site startup). At that time, data generated by the on-site surveillance program were reported in site documents. Beginning in 1959, data from off-site environmental monitoring activities were presented in reports issued for public dissemination. Separate reporting of SRS`s on- and off-site environmental monitoring activities continued until 1985, when data from both surveillance programs were merged into a single public document. The Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1993 is an overview of effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance activities conducted on and in the vicinity of SRS from January 1 through December 31, 1993. For complete program descriptions, consult the ``SRS Environmental Monitoring Plan`` (WSRC-3Ql-2-1000). It documents the rationale and design criteria for the monitoring program, the frequency of monitoring and analysis, the specific analytical and sampling procedures, and the quality assurance requirements. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10173208 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10173208 |
| Mammals of the Savannah River Site | Cothran, E. G.; Smith, M. H.; Wolff, J. O.; Gentry, J. B. | 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); ANIMALS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; DEVELOPED COUNTRIES; ECOLOGY; HABITAT; MAMMALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOUTH CAROLINA; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; VERTEBRATES; WILD ANIMALS | This book is designed to be used as a field guide, reference book, bibliography, and introduction to the basic biology and ecology of the 54 mammal species that currently or potentially exist on or near the Savannah River Site (SRS). For 50 of these species, we present basic descriptions, distinguishing morphological features, distribution and habitat preferences, food habits, reproductive biology, social behavior, ecological relationships with other species, and economic importance to man. For those species that have been studied on the SRS, we summarize the results of these studies. Keys and illustrations are provided for whole body and skull identification. A selected glossary defines technical terminology. Illustrations of tracks of the more common larger mammals will assist in field identifications. We also summarize the results of two major long-term SRS studies, The Forbearer Census'' and White-tailed Deer Studies''. A cross-indexed list of over 300 SRS publications on mammals classifies each publication by 23 categories such as habitat, reproduction, genetics, etc., and also for each mammal species. The 149 Master's theses and Ph.D. dissertations that have been conducted at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory are provided as additional references. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1991-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6846414 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6846414 |
| Biological Assessment of the Continued Operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory on Federally Listed Threatened and Endangered Species | Hansen, Leslie A. | 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Biological resources | This biological assessment considers the effects of continuing to operate Los Alamos National Laboratory on Federally listed threatened or endangered species, based on current and future operations identified in the 2006 Site-wide Environmental Impact Statement for the Continued Operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory (SWEIS; DOE In Prep.). We reviewed 40 projects analyzed in the SWEIS as well as two aspects on ongoing operations to determine if these actions had the potential to affect Federally listed species. Eighteen projects that had not already received U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) consultation and concurrence, as well as the two aspects of ongoing operations, ecological risk from legacy contaminants and the Outfall Reduction Project, were determined to have the potential to affect threatened or endangered species. Cumulative impacts were also analyzed. | Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) | USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) | United States | 2006-09-19T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1291211 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1291211 |
| From Protection and Prevention to Research and Discovery: Eligibility Assessment of the Health Research Laboratory (TA-43) and Historic Documentation for TA-43-0001 - Volume 1 | Gregory, Carrie Jeannette; Schultz, Elliot Merle; Townsend, Cameron Dee; Garcia, Kari L. M; Brunette, Jeremy Christopher | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; cultural resources | The U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Los Alamos Field Office (NA-LA) requests the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) to concur with the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)âeligibility determinations detailed in this report for the Health Research Laboratory (HRL) complex in Technical Area 43 (TA-43) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). As part of the LANL Footprint Reduction Programâs Decommissioning and Demolition (D&D) process, all facilities of the HRL complex are scheduled for characterization and future demolition. | Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States) | USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) | United States | 2022-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1900430 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1900430 |
| Close out report for archaeological investigations on the Savannah River Site, South Carolina | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290200* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Economics & Sociology; ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES; ARCHAEOLOGY; COMPLIANCE; CULTURAL RESOURCES; DOCUMENT TYPES; EXCAVATION; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PRESERVATION; PROGRESS REPORT; REGULATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE SURVEYS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WATERSHEDS | The Savannah River Archaeological Research Program (SRARP), South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of South Carolina conducted archaeological investigations under contract AC09-81SR10749 entitled Archaeological Investigations at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Plant from July 1981 through September 1987. The major emphasis was upon the completion of a 40% stratified sample of the Savannah River Site (SRS) in order to identify and preserve archaeological resources. The investigations were conducted to bring the Savannah River Operations Office into compliance with specific laws and regulations pertaining to the identification and preservation of archaeological and historical resources on federally owned and controlled properties. 15 refs., 3 figs., 12 tabs. | South Carolina Univ., Columbia, SC (USA). Inst. of Archaeology and Anthropology | DOE/DP | United States | 1989-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6912887 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6912887 | |
| Environmental effects of a complex nuclear facility | Bebbington, W. P. | *ENVIRONMENT-- POLLUTION; *SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT-- WASTE MANAGEMENT; GASEOUS WASTES; LIQUID WASTES; N44200* --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Radioactive Effluents; N44600 --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Thermal Effluents; N77900 --Reactors--Reactor Safety & Environmental Aspects; NONRADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SOLID WASTES; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE HEAT | BS>From AIChe sixty-sixth meeting; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA (11 Nov 1973). Fuel fabrication, nuclear reactors, and chemical reprocessing have all been in operation for nearly 20 years at the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission's Savannah River Plant. The Plant's experience and the present condition of its 300-square-mile site provide bases for judging the effects of complex nuclear operations on the environment. It is concluded that nuclear technology can be and has been controlled to provide useful services without harmful consequences. (auth) | Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Savannah River Plant | United States | 1973-06-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4423985 | ||
| Site characterization report for the proposed transuranic waste handling and packaging plant, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee | Campbell, A. W.; Cada, G. F.; Ketelle, R. H.; Kroodsman, R. L.; Lee, R. R.; Pounds, L. R. | 052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ALPHA-BEARING WASTES; BASELINE ECOLOGY; COMPLIANCE; DOCUMENTATION; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; LAWS; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ORNL; PROCESSING; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTE PROCESSING; WASTES | This report is intended to assist the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Transuranic Waste Program in preparing environmental documentation to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The report presents a characterization of the environmental baseline conditions at a proposed site for a transuranic Waste Handling and Packaging Plant (WHPP) on the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation. The information contained in this report will be used in the future analysis of environmental impacts associated with the WHPP. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1989-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6225603 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6225603 | |
| Site Selection for Surplus Plutonium Disposition Facilities at the Savannah River Site | Wike, L D | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; PLUTONIUM; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE SELECTION | The purpose of this study is to identify, assess, and rank potential sites for the proposed Surplus Plutonium Disposition Facilities complex at the Savannah River Site. | Savannah River Site (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2000-12-13T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/773102 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/773102 |
| Wetland survey of the X-10 Bethel Valley and Melton Valley groundwater operable units at Oak Ridge National Labortory Oak Ridge, Tennessee | Rosensteel, B A | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMPLIANCE; HYDROLOGY; MAPPING; ORNL; REGULATIONS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; WETLANDS | Executive Order 11990, Protection of Wetlands, (May 24, 1977) requires that federal agencies avoid, to the extent possible, adverse impacts associated with the destruction and modification of wetlands and that they avoid direct and indirect support of wetlands development when there is a practicable alternative. In accordance with Department of Energy (DOE) Regulations for Compliance with Floodplains and Wetlands Environmental Review Requirements (Subpart B, 10 CFR 1022.11), surveys for wetland presence or absence were conducted in both the Melton Valley and the Bethel Valley Groundwater Operable Units (GWOU) on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) from October 1994 through September 1995. As required by the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act of 1992, wetlands were identified using the criteria and methods set forth in the Wetlands Delineation Manual (Army Corps of Engineers, 1987). Wetlands were identified during field surveys that examined and documented vegetation, soils, and hydrologic evidence. Most of the wetland boundary locations and wetland sizes are approximate. Boundaries of wetlands in Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 2 and on the former proposed site of the Advanced Neutron Source in the upper Melton Branch watershed were located by civil survey during previous wetland surveys; thus, the boundary locations and areal sizes in these areas are accurate. The wetlands were classified according to the system developed by Cowardin et al. (1979) for wetland and deepwater habitats of the United States. A total of 215 individual wetland areas ranging in size from 0.002 ha to 9.97 ha were identified in the Bethel Valley and Melton Valley GWOUs. The wetlands are classified as palustrine forested broad-leaved deciduous (PFO1), palustrine scrub-shrub broad-leaved deciduous (PSS1), and palustrine persistent emergent (PEM1). | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1996-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/224263 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/224263 |
| Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory site environmental report for calendar year 1997 | Evans, R B; Brooks, R W; Roush, D; Martin, D B; Lantz, B S | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; MONITORING; NUMERICAL DATA; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION | To verify that exposures resulting from operations at Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear facilities remain very small, each site at which nuclear activities are conducted operates an environmental surveillance program to monitor the air, water and any other pathway whereby radionuclides from operations might conceivably reach workers and members of the public. Environmental surveillance and monitoring results are reported annually to the DOE-Headquarters. This report presents a compilation of data collected in 1997 for the routine environmental surveillance programs conducted on and around the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). The results of the various monitoring programs for 1997 indicated that radioactivity from the INEEL operations could generally not be distinguished from worldwide fallout and natural radioactivity in the region surrounding the INEEL. Although some radioactive materials were discharged during INEEL operations, concentrations in the offsite environment and doses to the surrounding population were far less than state of Idaho and federal health protection guidelines. | Environmental Science and Research Foundation, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/334261 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/334261 |
| Annual Report for 1981 to the DOE Office of the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Protection, Safety, and Emergency Preparedness. Part 2. Ecological Sciences. [Lead abstract] | Vaughan, B E | 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; 010900 -- Coal, Lignite, & Peat-- Environmental Aspects; 04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS; 041000 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Environmental Aspects; 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 060900 -- Fusion Fuels-- Environmental Aspects-- (1980-1987); 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 13 HYDRO ENERGY; 130600 -- Hydro Energy-- Environmental Aspects; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 530200 -- Environmental-Social Aspects of Energy Technologies-- Assessment of Energy Technologies-- (-1989); 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; ABSTRACTS; ALASKA; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; COAL LIQUEFACTION; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ELECTRIC FIELDS; ELECTRIC POWER; ENERGY SOURCES; ENERGY SYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; FEDERAL REGION X; FISSION; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; HYDROELECTRIC POWER; LAND USE; LAWS; LEADING ABSTRACT; LIQUEFACTION; MATERIALS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; MINERAL OILS; NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; NORTH AMERICA; NUCLEAR REACTIONS; NUCLEOSYNTHESIS; OILS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; POWER; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOECOLOGY; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT; RESOURCES; SHALE OIL; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES; THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA; WASTES | Separate abstracts were prepared for the 38 reports for this Pacific Northwest Laboratory Annual Report for 1981 to the DOE Office of Energy Research. This part dealt with research conducted in the ecological sciences. | Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA) | United States | 1982-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5359991 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5359991 | |
| Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1982. Environmental Sciences Division Publication No. 2090. [Lead abstract] | 052002 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 500200* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSTRACTS; ACID RAIN; AIR POLLUTION; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; BIOMASS; CARBON CYCLE; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; GLOBAL ASPECTS; LEADING ABSTRACT; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; POLLUTION; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RAIN; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SOLID WASTES; SYSTEMS ANALYSIS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TOXIC MATERIALS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES | Separate abstracts were prepared for 12 of the 14 sections of the Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report. The other 2 sections deal with educational activities. The programs discussed deal with advanced fuel energy, toxic substances, environmental impacts of various energy technologies, biomass, low-level radioactive waste management, the global carbon cycle, and aquatic and terrestrial ecology. (KRM) | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1983-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6125799 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6125799 | ||
| Environmental Assessment for Selection and Operation of the Proposed Field Research Centers for the Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research (NABIR) Program | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; BIOREMEDIATION; CLEANING; CONTAMINATION; DECONTAMINATION; EA; FIELD RESEARCH CENTERS; FONSI; MICROORGANISMS; MIXTURES; NABIR; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RESEARCH; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESIDUES; SEDIMENTS; SLUDGES; SOILS; WASTES; WATER; WEAPONS | The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER), within the Office of Science (SC), proposes to add a Field Research Center (FRC) component to the existing Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research (NABIR) Program. The NABIR Program is a ten-year fundamental research program designed to increase the understanding of fundamental biogeochemical processes that would allow the use of bioremediation approaches for cleaning up DOE's contaminated legacy waste sites. An FRC would be integrated with the existing and future laboratory and field research and would provide a means of examining the fundamental biogeochemical processes that influence bioremediation under controlled small-scale field conditions. The NABIR Program would continue to perform fundamental research that might lead to promising bioremediation technologies that could be demonstrated by other means in the future. For over 50 years, DOE and its predecessor agencies have been responsible for the research, design, and production of nuclear weapons, as well as other energy-related research and development efforts. DOE's weapons production and research activities generated hazardous, mixed, and radioactive waste products. Past disposal practices have led to the contamination of soils, sediments, and groundwater with complex and exotic mixtures of compounds. This contamination and its associated costs and risks represents a major concern to DOE and the public. The high costs, long duration, and technical challenges associated with remediating the subsurface contamination at DOE sites present a significant need for fundamental research in the biological, chemical, and physical sciences that will contribute to new and cost-effective solutions. One possible low-cost approach for remediating the subsurface contamination of DOE sites is through the use of a technology known as bioremediation. Bioremediation has been defined as the use of microorganisms to biodegrade or biotransform hazardous organic contaminants to environmentally safe levels in soils, subsurface materials, water, sludges, and residues.. While bioremediation technology is promising, DOE managers and non-DOE scientists have recognized that the fundamental scientific information needed to develop effective bioremediation technologies for cleanup of the legacy waste sites is lacking in many cases. DOE believes that field-based research is needed to realize the full potential of bioremediation. The Department of Energy faces a unique set of challenges associated with cleaning up waste at its former weapons production and research sites. These sites contain complex mixtures of contaminants in the subsurface, including radioactive compounds. In many cases, the fundamental field-based scientific information needed to develop safe and effective remediation and cleanup technologies is lacking. DOE needs fundamental research on the use of microorganisms and their products to assist DOE in the decontamination and cleanup of its legacy waste sites. The existing NABIR program to-date has focused on fundamental scientific research in the laboratory. Because subsurface hydrologic and geologic conditions at contaminated DOE sites cannot easily be duplicated in a laboratory, however, the DOE needs a field component to permit existing and future laboratory research results to be field-tested on a small scale in a controlled outdoor setting. Such field-testing needs to be conducted under actual legacy waste field conditions representative of those that DOE is most in need of remediating. Ideally, these field conditions should be as representative as practicable of the types of subsurface contamination conditions that resulted from legacy wastes from the nuclear weapons program activities. They should also be representative of the types of hydrologic and geologic conditions that exist across the DOE complex. | U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science (US) | USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US) | United States | 2000-04-18T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/768668 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/768668 | |
| Distribution of Aeromonas hydrophila in a South Carolina cooling reservoir. [Aeromonas hydrophila] | Fliermans, C. B.; Gorden, R. W.; Hazen, T. C.; Esch, G. W. | 20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS; 200200 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management; 560203* -- Thermal Effects-- Plants-- (-1987); 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FISHES; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS; PLANKTON; POLLUTION; POPULATION DYNAMICS; POWER PLANTS; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; THERMAL POLLUTION; THERMAL POWER PLANTS; VERTEBRATES | Par Pond is a thermally enriched monomictic southeastern lake which receives heated effluent from a production nuclear reactor. Fish populations in the lake have lesions of epizooty from which Aeromonas spp. are readily isolated. Distribution and population densities of Aeromonas in the water column were measured along an oxygen and temperature gradient. Greater population densities of Aeromonas occurred below the oxygen chemocline when the lake was stratified. Survival of A. hydrophila under in situ conditions in both epilimnetic and hypolimnetic waters was determined using polycarbonate membrane diffusion chambers, during two separate reactor operating conditions. Survival levels of pure cultures of A. hydrophila corresponded to the distribution patterns of the naturally occurring Aeromonas-like populations. The greater survival of A. hydrophila below the chemocline when the reactor was in full operation suggests that the fish populations may be exposed to Aeromonas for a longer period of time than when the reactor is not operating. | Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Savannah River Lab.; Wake Forest Univ., Winston-Salem, N.C. (USA). Dept. of Biology | United States | 1977-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5352758 | ||
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory institutional plan, FY 1992--FY 1997 | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 360000 -- Materials; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540000 -- Environment-- (1990-); 550000 -- Biomedical Sciences, Basic Studies; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 660000 -- Physics-- (1992-); 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100 -- Management; ACCELERATORS; BIOLOGY; BUDGETS; BUILDINGS; CERAMICS; CHEMISTRY; COOPERATION; DOCUMENT TYPES; EDUCATION; ENGINEERING; GAS COOLED REACTORS; GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS; HEAVY ION ACCELERATORS; HTGR TYPE REACTORS; INTERAGENCY COOPERATION; LICENSING; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NEUTRON SOURCES; ORNL; PARTICLE SOURCES; PHYSICS; PLANNING; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIATION SOURCES; REACTORS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US AEC; US DOE; US DOE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT | In operation for fifty years, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is managed by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., for the US Department of Energy (DOE). ORNL is one of DOE's major multiprogram national laboratories. Activities at the Laboratory are focused on basic and applied research, on technology development, and on other technological challenges that are important to DOE and to the nation. The Laboratory also performs research and development (R D) for non-DOE sponsors when such activities complement DOE missions and address important national or international issues. The Laboratory is committed to the pursuit of excellence in all its activities, including the commitment to carry out its missions in compliance with environmental, safety, and health laws and regulations. The principal elements of the Laboratory's missions in support of DOE include activities in each of the following areas: (1) Energy production and conservation technologies; (2) physical and life sciences; (3) scientific and technical user facilities; (4) environmental protection and waste management; (5) science technology transfer; and, (6) education. This institutional plan for ORNL activities is for the next five years: FY 1992--1997. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1991-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6120326 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6120326 | |
| Nuclear operations and the environment: Savannah River Plant | Bebbington, W. P. | *SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT-- ENVIRONMENT; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS; ECOSYSTEMS; HUMAN POPULATIONS; MONITORING; N44200* --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Radioactive Effluents; N44600 --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Thermal Effluents; N44700 --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Chemical Effluents; NONRADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; PERSONNEL; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; WASTE HEAT | Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Atomic Energy Div. | United States | 1973-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/4485006 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4485006 | ||
| Programs of the Office of Energy Research | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS; 430000 -- Particle Accelerators; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540000 -- Environment-- (1990-); 640000 -- Physics; 650000 -- Physics (1980-); 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; 700000 -- Fusion Energy; 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; 73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; ACCELERATORS; BIOLOGY; BNL; BUDGETS; CHEMISTRY; CYCLIC ACCELERATORS; ENGINEERING; ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING; FERMILAB ACCELERATOR; HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR PHYSICS; PHYSICS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; STANFORD LINEAR ACCELERATOR CENTER; STORAGE RINGS; SUPERCONDUCTING SUPER COLLIDER; SYNCHROTRONS; THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | The Office of Energy Research sponsors long-term research in certain fundamental areas and in technical areas associated with energy resources, production, use, and resulting health and environmental effects. This document describes these activities, including recent accomplishments, types of facilities, and gives some impacts on energy, science, and scientific manpower development. The document is intended to respond to the many requests from diverse communities --- such as government, education, and public and private research --- for a summary of the types of research sponsored by the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Research. This is important since the Office relies to a considerable extent on unsolicited proposals from capable university and industrial groups, self-motivated interested individuals, and organizations that may wish to use the Department's extensive facilities and resources. By describing our activities and facilities, we hope not only to inform, but to also encourage interest and participation. | USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (USA) | DOE/ER | United States | 1990-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/7022902 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7022902 | |
| Site hydrogeologic/geotechnical characterization report for Site B new municipal solid waste landfill | Reynolds, R; Nowacki, P | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; DATA; GEOLOGIC SURVEYS; GROUND WATER; LAND USE; SANITARY LANDFILLS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SOILS; SOLID WASTES; SOUTH CAROLINA | This Site Hydrogeologic/Geotechnical Characterization Report (SHCR) presents the results of a comprehensive study conducted on a proposed solid waste landfill site, identified herein as Site B, at the Savannah River Site (SRS). This report is intended to satisfy all requirements of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) with regard to landfill siting requirements and ground water and environmental protection. In addition, this report provides substantial geotechnical data pertinent to the landfill design process. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1991-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/565058 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/565058 |
| Savannah River Site environmental report for 1989 | Cummins, C L; Martin, D K; Todd, J L | 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220500 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Environmental Aspects; 220700 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Plutonium & Isotope Production Reactors; AIR FILTERS; ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES; ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES; ALPHA DETECTION; ALPHA SPECTROMETERS; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; AUDITS; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA DETECTION; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS; CESIUM 137; CESIUM ISOTOPES; CHARGED PARTICLE DETECTION; COAL; CONTROL; DATA ANALYSIS; DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; DEER; DEPOSITION; DETECTION; DOSES; DRINKING WATER; ELEMENTS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EQUIPMENT; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; FILTERS; FISHES; FOOD; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; GAMMA DETECTION; GE SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS; GROUND WATER; HIGH-PURITY GE DETECTORS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROGEN ISOTOPES; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES; IODINE 129; IODINE ISOTOPES; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; MAMMALS; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MATERIALS; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; MERCURY; METALS; MONITORING; MONITORS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT; PONDS; PRODUCTION REACTORS; QUALITY ASSURANCE; QUALITY CONTROL; RADIATION DETECTION; RADIATION DETECTORS; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOISOTOPES; RAIN WATER; REACTORS; RETENTION; RIVERS; RUMINANTS; RUNOFF; SAMPLING; SANITARY LANDFILLS; SAVANNAH RIVER; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS; SETTLING PONDS; SEWAGE; SLUDGES; SOILS; SPECIAL PRODUCTION REACTORS; SPECTROMETERS; STREAMS; STRONTIUM 90; STRONTIUM ISOTOPES; SULFUR 35; SULFUR ISOTOPES; SURFACE WATERS; TRITIUM; UPTAKE; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; VITRIFICATION; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER; WATER POLLUTION MONITORS; WATER QUALITY; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES | this volume of Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1989 (WSRC-IM-90-60) contains the figures and tables referenced in Volume I. The figures contain graphic illustrations of sample locations and/or data. The tables present summaries of the following types of data federal and state standards and guides applicable to SRS operations; concentrations of radioactivity in environmental media; the quantity of radioactivity released to the environment from SRS operations; offsite radiation committed dose from SRS operations; measurements of physical properties, chemicals, and metals concentrations in environmental media; and interlaboratory comparison of analytical results. The figures and tables in this report contain information about the routine environmental monitoring program at SRS unless otherwise indicated. No attempt has been made to include all data from environmental research programs. Variations in the report's content from year to year reflect changes in the routine environmental monitoring program or the inability to obtain certain samples from a specific location. 42 figs., 188 tabs. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (USA) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA) | United States | 1989-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6081033 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6081033 |
| Technology transfer at Pacific Northwest Laboratory | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; BIOMASS; CHEMICAL REACTORS; CHEMISTRY; COMMERCIALIZATION; ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY; ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES; ELECTROCHEMISTRY; ENERGY SOURCES; LICENSING; MARKETING; MATERIALS; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; ROBOTS; SPECTROMETERS; SUPERCONDUCTIVITY; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | Scientific discoveries, engineering developments, and innovative applications of technology create new pathways of economic opportunity for new processes and products. The Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), other federal laboratories, and federally funded research and development efforts are at the forefront in such trail-blazing ventures. PNL's programs of research, engineering development, and creative problem solving enhance the nation's technology base and strengthen its economy. Putting technology to work has been a pivotal feature of the management and operation of PNL since Battelle Memorial Institute was awarded the management and operation of the Laboratory in 1965. Under a unique contractual agreement with the US Department of Energy, PNL performs research and development work for both the government and the private sector. This arrangement has resulted in an effective means for domestic transfer of federally funded technology. At PNL, the Technology Transfer program acts as a bridge,'' enabling products of the Laboratory to cross'' -- tailored to meet government and industry needs. The program is based on a strong Laboratory commitment to the rapid deployment of research results. This commitment is implemented through a network of collaborative interactions with agencies of national, state, and local government, with academic institutions, and with a variety of business and industrial interests. Highlights of PNL's recent technology transfer activities during 1988 are summarized in this report, which also contains an overview of program organization and methodology. Also, this document is PNL's invitation for inquiries by state, local, and municipal agencies, as well as for discussions of technology interests with representatives of US industry. | Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) | DOE/ER | United States | 1989-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/7172153 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7172153 | |
| Effects of solutions to simulate acidic precipitation on fertilization of the Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) | Evans, L S; Bozzone, D M | 500200 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 560303* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Plants-- (-1987); 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ACID RAIN; AIR POLLUTION; AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BIOMASS; CHLORIDES; CHLORINE COMPOUNDS; DISPERSIONS; ENERGY SOURCES; FERNS; HALIDES; HALOGEN COMPOUNDS; MIXTURES; NITRATES; NITROGEN COMPOUNDS; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PLANTS; POLLUTION; PRECIPITATION SCAVENGING; RAIN; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; REPRODUCTION; SEPARATION PROCESSES; SIMULATION; SOLUTIONS; SULFATES; SULFUR COMPOUNDS | Experiments were performed to determine the effects of chloride, nitrate, and sulfate in buffered solutions on sperm motility and fertilization in gametophytes of Pteridium aquilinum. Buffered solutions with various anions simulated exposures to acidic precipitation up to 3.5 hr. The presence of each anion decreased both sperm motility and fertilization. | Manhattan Coll., New York (USA). Lab. for Plant Morphogenesis; Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, N.Y. (USA) | United States | 1977-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5143037 | ||
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory institutional plan, FY 1987-FY 1992 | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; BIOLOGY; ECOLOGY; ENERGY CONSERVATION; ENERGY SOURCES; FINANCING; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR PHYSICS; ORNL; PHYSICS; PLANNING; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; REACTORS; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT | Oak Ridge National Laboratory's planned research, development, and demonstration activities associated with energy production and conservation, as well as basic research in the physical and life sciences are described through 1992. The views of the Laboratory's senior management about the future and about the role of ORNL are given. ORNL initiatives are briefly summarized. The range of ORNL's scientific and technical programs is described, including work for DOE and work for other sponsors. The site and facilities of the laboratory are described, and external interactions are discussed. Projected funding is tabulated. (LEW) | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1986-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/7037073 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7037073 | ||
| Aeromonas distribution and survival in a thermally altered lake | Fliermans, C. B.; Gordon, R. W.; Hazen, T. C.; Esch, G. W. | 520302 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 520400* -- Environment, Aquatic-- Thermal Effluents Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BACTERIA; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; DISEASES; ECOSYSTEMS; FISHES; INFECTIOUS DISEASES; MICROORGANISMS; POPULATION DYNAMICS; SURFACE WATERS; SURVIVAL TIME; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; VERTEBRATES | Par Pond is a thermally enriched monomictic southeastern lake which receives heated effluent from a production nuclear reactor. Fish populations in the lake have lesions of epizooty from which Aeromonas spp. are readily isolated. Distribution and population densities of Aeromonas in the water column were measured along an oxygen and temperature gradient. Greater population densities of Aeromonas occurred below the oxygen chemocline when the lake was stratified. Survival of A. hydrophila under in situ conditions in both epilimnetic and hypolimnetic waters was determined using polycarbonate membrane diffusion chambers, during two separate reactor operating conditions. Survival levels of pure cultures of A. hydrophila corresponded to the distribution patterns of the naturally occurring Aeromonas-like populations. The greater survival of A. hydrophila below the chemocline when the reactor was in full operation suggests that the fish populations may be exposed to Aeromonas for a longer period of time than when the reactor is not operating. (auth) | Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Savannah River Lab.; University of Southern Colorado, Pueblo (USA). Dept. of Biology; Wake Forest Univ., Winston-Salem, N.C. (USA). Dept. of Biology | United States | 1976-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7267105 | ||
| Prey Selectivity and Foraging Activity of Canis latrans and Vulpes vulpes in Response to Prey Fluctuations and Habitat in a Heterogeneous Landscape | Randa, Lynda A. | Predators may forage in a variety of ways, such as specializing on particular prey species, switching to alternative prey, or by varying spatial activity patterns. The latter two modes can occur in a heterogeneous landscape. The effects of fluctuating prey numbers on the activity patterns and diet selection of two terrestrial predators, the coyote (Canis /atrans) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes), were investigated. The study site was located in northern Illinois, at Fermi National accelerator Laboratory (F ermilab ), and included sampling in seven different habitats of a heterogeneous landscape. Availability of small mammalian prey was assessed by monthly markrecapture sampling conducted along three 200-m transects in each of the seven locations. Availability of squirrels (Sciurus spp.), eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus .floridanus), and Ring-necked Pheasants (Phasianus co/chicus) was assessed by monthly visual counts along the same transects. Spatial activity patterns of C. /atrans were determined from scent station lines parallel to the small mammal trapping transects. Scats collected along standardized routes were analyzed for number and occurrence of prey items. During 1994, there were significant differences in prey availability over time between the seven locations. Dietary analyses indicated that both red fox and coyote switched between alternative prey, albeit with a strong preference for Microtus. A concurrent study on small mammal population dynamics, conducted in one of the seven habitats, showed experimentally that the preferential selection of voles depressed prey populations. Except for Microtus, overall prey availability did not affect coyote activity patterns across Fermilab. This lack of correlation was due, in part, to habitat selection by coyotes, primarily, the avoidance of wooded areas. Coyotes did, however, respond to abundant patches of Peromyscus, through spatial and temporal alterations in activity patterns. | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) | United States | 1996-01-01T04:00:00Z | Thesis/Dissertation | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1985069 | ||
| Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report, 2003 | Hughes, JF | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COMPLIANCE; GASEOUS WASTES; MONITORING; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PERFORMANCE; RADIATIONS; SAFETY; SAMPLING; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WATER | This document is prepared annually to summarize environmental activities, primarily environmental-monitoring activities, on the ORR and within the ORR surroundings. The document fulfills the requirement of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 231.1, ''Environment, Safety and Health Reporting,'' for an annual summary of environmental data to characterize environmental performance. The environmental monitoring criteria are described in DOE Order 450.1, ''Environmental Protection Program''. The results summarized in this report are based on data collected prior to and through 2003. This report is not intended to provide the results of all sampling on the ORR. Additional data collected for other site and regulatory purposes, such as environmental restoration remedial investigation reports, waste management characterization sampling data, and environmental permit compliance data, are presented in other documents that have been prepared in accordance with applicable DOE guidance and/or laws. Corrections to the report for the previous year are found in Appendix A. Environmental monitoring on the ORR consists primarily of two major activities: effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. Effluent monitoring involves the collection and analysis of samples or measurements of liquid and gaseous effluents at the point of release to the environment; these measurements allow the quantification and official reporting of contaminants, assessment of radiation and chemical exposures to the public, and demonstration of compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements. Environmental surveillance consists of the collection and analysis of environmental samples from the site and its environs; these activities provide direct measurement of contaminants in air, water, groundwater, soil, foods, biota, and other media subsequent to effluent release into the environment. Environmental surveillance data provide information regarding conformity with applicable DOE orders and, combined with data from effluent monitoring, allow the determination of chemical and radiation dose/exposure assessments of ORR operations and effects, if any, on the local environment. | ORNL | USDOE | United States | 2004-08-24T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/885568 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/885568 |
| Treatment of M-area mixed wastes at the Savannah River Site | 052000; 053002; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; VITRIFICATION; WASTE MANAGEMENT | The Department of Energy has prepared this environmental assessment, DOE/EA-0918, to assess the potential environmental impacts of the treatment of mixed wastes currently stored in the M-Area at the Savannah River Site, near Aiken, South Carolina. DOE is proposing to treat and stabilize approximately 700,000 gallons of mixed waste currently stored in the Interim Treatment/Storage Facility (IT/SF) and Mixed Waste Storage Shed (MWSS). This waste material is proposed to be stabilized using a vitrification process and temporarily stored until final disposal is available by the year 2005. This document has been prepared to assess the potential environmental impacts attributable to the treatment and stabilization of M-area mixed wastes, the closure of the interim storage area, and storage of the vitrified waste until disposal in onsite RCRA vaults. Based on the analyses in the environmental assessment, the Department of Energy has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement is not required, and the Department of Energy is issuing this finding of no significant impact. | USDOE Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10191063 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10191063 | |
| SRS ECOLOGY ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION DOCUMENT -1997 UPDATE | Halverson, N V; Wike, L D; Patterson, K K; Bowers, J A; Bryan, A L; Chen, K F; Cummins, C L; deCarmen, B R; Dixon, K L; Dunn, D L | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; ECOLOGY; ENDANGERED SPECIES; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FISHES; PLANTS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SOILS; SOUTH CAROLINA; SURFACE WATERS; WETLANDS | The purpose of the SRS Ecology: Environmental Information Document is to provide a source of information on the ecology of the Savannah River Site. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-12-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/626411 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/626411 |
| Environmental assessment for the transfer of the DP Road tract to the County of Los Alamos. Final document | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; LAND RESOURCES; LAND USE; LANL; LOCAL GOVERNMENT; OWNERSHIP; PROBABILITY; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIATION ACCIDENTS; RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT | The purpose of an Environmental Assessment (EA) is to provide the DOE with sufficient evidence and analysis to determine whether to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). Additional considerations (such as costs, timing, or non-environmental legal issues) that influence DOE decisions are not analyzed in this EA. As part of its initiative to fulfill its responsibilities to provide support for the County of Los Alamos (the County), in northern New Mexico, the US Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to transfer ownership of the undeveloped, so called, DP Road property to the County. Transfer of this tract would permanently reduce the size of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) by approximately 0.1%. Approximately 12 hectares (28 acres) would be changed from an undeveloped to a developed status. This would result in an equivalent loss of wildlife habitat. A hypothetical accident was analyzed that evaluated potential radiological dose to the public at the DP Road tract from LANL operations. The dose to the hypothetical worker population of 450 new employees could result in an increase of approximately three latent cancer fatalities in the population. The DOE finds that there would be no significant impact from proceeding with the transfer of the 28-acre tract for development and use as a business park or for light industrial purposes. | USDOE Los Alamos Area Office, NM (United States) | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-01-23T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/441664 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/441664 | |
| Biotelemetry studies on elk | White, G C | 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; BEHAVIOR; COMMUNICATIONS; DATA TRANSMISSION; HABITAT; LOS ALAMOS; MAMMALS; MORTALITY; NEW MEXICO; NORTH AMERICA; RUMINANTS; SOUTHWEST REGION; TELEMETRY; USA; VERTEBRATES | The movements of Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) in the eastern Jemez Mountains in north-central New Mexico were studied from 1978 to 1980. Thirty-six elk were trapped, marked, and released, and 30 of these animals were radio-collared. The June 1977 la Mesa fire created a wintering habit at that was used heavily by the radio-collared elk. The 10-year-old clear cuts on Cerro del Medio on the Baca Land and Cattle Company property were used for calving and nursing areas. In general, radio-collared elk used in an early successional state, and they did not use areas at the Los Alamos National Laboratory where there was human activity. | Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1981-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6622795 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6622795 | |
| Chemical Characterization of Soluble Phosphorus Forms along a Hydrologic Flowpath of a Forested Stream Ecosystem | Segars, J E | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BROMINATION; CHROMATOGRAPHY; ECOSYSTEMS; EDTA; ENZYMES; FILTRATION; INOSITOL; PHOSPHATES; PHOSPHORUS; SODIUM; SOILS; ULTRAFILTRATION; WATERSHEDS; WHEAT | The concentration and distribution of soluble phosphorus (P) forms were determined in compartments of a hydrologic pathway in a forested watershed (Walker Branch, Tennessee). Rainfall, throughfall, soil water, groundwater, stream water, and water from two sites in Melton Hill reservoir downstream of Walker Branch were examined for soluble reactive and total soluble phosphorus (SRP and TSP). Soluble unreactive P (SUP) was determined from their difference. An increase of TSP from rainfall to throughfall indicated leaching or wash off of P from the canopy. SRP and SUP decreased markedly as water percolated through the soil, suggesting biological uptake and/or geochemical adsorption of phosphate groups on soil particles. Changes in soluble P. concentrations within the stream channel supported previous evidence for biological control of P dynamics in Walker Branch. Overall, SUP (an estimate of soluble organic P) constituted a significant fraction of the total soluble P present in each compartment of the flowpath. An analytical technique using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to separate the inositol phosphates (IP's) was developed and used in characterizing organic P fractions of natural systems. Commercial orthophosphate, inositol monophosphate (IMP), and inositol hexaphosphate (IHP) were adequately separated from each other on Aminex A-27 resin using a sodium chloride/tetrasodium EDTA gradient elution. The technique was used to separate an enzyme hydrolysate mixture of IP's into five components. IHP was separated from PO{sub 4} and IMP in a wheat bran extract using the HPLC method. Alkaline bromination was used to extract IP's from a Walker Branch soil sample and HPLC was used to examine the extract; at least three IP peaks were recognized. Using the HPLC technique, an attempt was made to detect the presence of IP's in a Walker Branch groundwater sample concentration by ultrafiltration. The concentration process was unsuccessful possibly due to filtration membrane leakage, so no peaks were detected. The HPLC developmental work indicated the potential usefulness of this technique in characterizing soluble organic P compounds in natural waters, leading to the identification of the inositol phosphates. | ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) | OHER, DOE (US) | United States | 1999-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/814417 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/814417 |
| Risk constraint measures developed for the outcome-based strategy for tank waste management | Harper, B L; Gajewski, S J; Glantz, C L | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; HANFORD RESERVATION; MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RISK ASSESSMENT; TANKS; UNDERGROUND STORAGE | This report is one of a series of supporting documents for the outcome-based characterization strategy developed by PNNL. This report presents a set of proposed risk measures with risk constraint (acceptance) levels for use in the Value of Information process used in the NCS. The characterization strategy has developed a risk-based Value of Information (VOI) approach for comparing the cost-effectiveness of characterizing versus mitigating particular waste tanks or tank clusters. The preference between characterizing or mitigating in order to prevent an accident depends on the cost of those activities relative to the cost of the consequences of the accident. The consequences are defined as adverse impacts measured across a broad set of risk categories such as worker dose, public cancers, ecological harm, and sociocultural impacts. Within each risk measure, various {open_quotes}constraint levels{close_quotes} have been identified that reflect regulatory standards or conventionally negotiated thresholds of harm to Hanford resources and values. The cost of consequences includes the {open_quotes}costs{close_quote} of exceeding those constraint levels as well as a strictly linear costing per unit of impact within each of the risk measures. In actual application, VOI based-decision making is an iterative process, with a preliminary low-precision screen of potential technical options against the major risk constraints, followed by VOI analysis to determine the cost-effectiveness of gathering additional information and to select a preferred technical option, and finally a posterior screen to determine whether the preferred option meets all relevant risk constraints and acceptability criteria. | Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1996-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/477712 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/477712 |
| A manual for analysis of hemispherical canopy photography | Rich, P. M. | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 090700 -- Biomass Fuels-- Resources-- (1990-); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990200 -- Mathematics & Computers; AGRICULTURE; C CODES; CANOPIES; COMPUTER CODES; COMPUTER OUTPUT DEVICES; COMPUTER-GRAPHICS DEVICES; COMPUTERS; DIGITAL COMPUTERS; DISPLAY DEVICES; DOCUMENT TYPES; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; FORESTS; GROUND COVER; IMAGE PROCESSING; INDUSTRY; LEAVES; MANUALS; MEASURING METHODS; MICROCOMPUTERS; MONITORING; PERSONAL COMPUTERS; PHOTOGRAPHY; PLANTS; PROCESSING; RADIATIONS; S CODES; SOLAR RADIATION; STELLAR RADIATION; TREES; WOOD PRODUCTS INDUSTRY | Hemispherical canopy photography involves taking photographs through a hemispherical (fisheye) lens pointed upward from beneath a plant canopy. The resulting photographs can be analyzed to determine the geometry of canopy openings and to calculate potential light penetration. This manual serves as a comprehensive guide to the program CANOPY{copyright}, a public domain microcomputer program for image analysis of hemispherical canopy photography. Included are discussions of theory, research applications, field methodology, hardware setup and operation, and software setup and operation. CANOPY enables video digitization of negatives, real-time display of positive images, interactive determination of a threshold to distinguish foliage from canopy openings, editing of photographs with poor exposure, rapid calculation of various measures of canopy geometry and indices of potential light penetration, and convenient output of results. A series of utility programs allow user specification of theoretical or empirical distributions of direct sunlight and diffuse skylight for a given site. 78 refs., 11 figs., 8 tabs. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) | DOE/MA | United States | 1989-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/7064866 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7064866 |
| Capsule review of the DOE research and development and field facilities | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy, Legislation, & Regulation; CONTRACTS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ENERGY FACILITIES; FEDERAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; REVIEWS; TEST FACILITIES; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA | A description is given of the roles of DOE's headquarters, field offices, major multiprogram laboratories, Energy Technology and Mining Technology Centers, and other government-owned, contractor-operated facilities, which are located in all regions of the US. Descriptions of DOE facilities are given for multiprogram laboratories (12); program-dedicated facilities (biomedical and environmental facilities-12, fossil energy facilities-7, fusion energy facility-1, nuclear development facilities-3, physical research facilities-4, safeguards facility-1, and solar facilities-2); and Production, Testing, and Fabrication Facilities (nuclear materials production facilities-5, weapon testing and fabrication complex-8). Three appendices list DOE field and project offices; DOE field facilities by state or territory, names, addresses, and telephone numbers; DOE R and D field facilities by type, contractor names, and names of directors. (MCW) | Department of Energy, Washington, DC (USA) | USDOE | United States | 1980-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6733198 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6733198 | |
| Oak Ridge Reservation Federal Facility Agreement. Quarterly report for the Environmental Restoration Program. Volume 4, July 1995--September 1995 | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; REMEDIAL ACTION | This quarterly progress report satisfies requirements for the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program that are specified in the Oak Ridge Reservation Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) established between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). The reporting period covered herein is July through September 1995 (fourth quarter of FY 1995). Sections 1.1 and 1.2 provide respectively the milestones scheduled for completion during the reporting period and a list of documents that have been proposed for transmittal during the following quarter but have not been approved as FY 1995 commitments. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/120851 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/120851 | |
| Biomedical and environmental sciences programs at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory | Preston, E. L.; Getsi, J. A. | 550600 -- Medicine; 560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology; 570000 -- Health & Safety; 62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; BIOLOGY; DOCUMENT TYPES; ENVIRONMENT; MEDICINE; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR MEDICINE; ORNL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; REVIEWS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | A major objective of the biomedical and environmental sciences (BES) research at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is to provide information on environmental, health, and safety considerations that can be used in the formulation and implementation of energy technology decisions. Research is directed at securing information required for an understanding of both the short- and long-term consequences of the processes involved in new energy technologies. Investigation of the mechanisms responsible for biological and ecological damage caused by substances associated with energy production and of repair mechanisms is a necessary component of this research. The research is carried out by the staff of four divisions and one program: Biology Division, Environmental Sciences Division, Health and Safety Research Division, Information Division, and the Life Sciences Synthetic Fuels Program. Research programs underway in each of these divisions are discussed. Information on the following subjects is also included: interactions with universities; interactions with industry; technology transfer; recent accomplishments in the areas of program, publications, awards, and patents; and new initiatives. (JGB) | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1982-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5206714 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5206714 | |
| Archaeological resource management plan of the Savannah River Archaeological Research Program | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290200* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Economics & Sociology; ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES; ARCHAEOLOGY; COMPLIANCE; CULTURAL RESOURCES; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; REGULATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; RESOURCES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | This Archaeological Resource management Plan addresses the future cultural resource management needs of the United States Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS). The archaeological information contained herein is based on prehistoric and historic archaeological syntheses prepared by the Savannah River Archaeological Research Program (SRARP) for the SRS. The syntheses also address future research directions that will facilitate better management of the cultural resources. This document is a prelude to a Programmatic Memorandum of Agreement (PMOA) which, in conjunction with this Archaeological Resource Management Plan, will assure SRS continued compliance with all applicable federal laws and regulations in concert with any DOE plans, policies and directives. 225 refs., 21 figs., 8 tabs. | South Carolina Univ., Columbia, SC (USA). Inst. of Archaeology and Anthropology | DOE/DP | United States | 1989-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6967689 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6967689 | |
| Structure-activity relationships for the degradation of a mixture of organic chemicals in soil | Anderson, T. A.; Walton, B. T. | 510200* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONTAMINATION; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; MATERIALS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; MATTER; REMOVAL; SAMPLING; SOILS; STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS; VOLATILE MATTER | The degradation rates of a mixture of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (N = 16) were determined by monitoring the removal of parent chemicals from two different soil types, a Captina silt loam (Typic Fragiudult) and a McLaurin sandy loam (Typic Paleudults), over a 7-day period. The compounds were applied to the soil in a mixture such that the concentration of each individual chemical was 100 ..mu..g/g soil (dry weight). Soil samples, along with sterile (autoclaved) controls, were incubated in the dark at 20/degree/C in 8 /times/ 5-cm glass jars equipped with teflon-lined stoppers and charcoal traps. Samples were disassembled, extracted with methanol, and analyzed on days 0, 2, 3, 6, and 7 of the experiment. Linear regression analysis was used to model the disappearance of the compounds from the soils. First-order degradation rate constants and half-lives were calculated. half-lives for the 16 organic compounds were relatively short (<23 days). Correlations between physicochemical parameters and half-lives were poor (r less than or equal to 0.63) for the entire data set (N = 16), however, a group of structurally related benzene derivatives (N = 7) gave good correlations in both soil types with log/sub 10/ octanol-water partition coefficient (r greater than or equal to 0.89), log/sub 10/ molecular weight (r greater than or equal to 0.84), log/sub 10/ water solubility (r greater than or equal to 0.77), and molecular connectivity (r greater than or equal to 0.83). 81 refs., 3 figs., 13 tabs. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1989-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5908573 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5908573 | |
| Guide to energy R and D programs for universities and other research groups | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100* -- Management; DOCUMENT TYPES; GRANTS; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; REVIEWS; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS | The purpose of this guide to provide researchers in universities and other research institutions with summary-level information on the various research and development programs supported by the Department. Collectively, DOE programs support a wide range of research activities - from studies on the fundamental nature of matter and energy to exploratory and advanced research on the development of new technical approaches leading to new energy technologies. The guide summarizes, in one source, basic information on DOE's energy research and development and related programs, interests and needs. It supplies information on current Federal and DOE grant and contract policies and procedures and lists the names of DOE staff, by program area, from whom additional information may be obtained. | USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC | United States | 1984-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6809307 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6809307 | ||
| Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report for 2003 | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES | This document is prepared annually to summarize environmental activities, primarily environmental-monitoring activities, on the ORR and within the ORR surroundings. The document fulfills the requirement of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 231.1, âEnvironment, Safety and Health Reporting,â for an annual summary of environmental data to characterize environmental performance. The environmental monitoring criteria are described in DOE Order 450.1, âEnvironmental Protection Program.â The results summarized in this report are based on data collected prior to and through 2003. This report is not intended to provide the results of all sampling on the ORR. Additional data collected for other site and regulatory purposes, such as environmental restoration remedial investigation reports, waste management characterization sampling data, and environmental permit compliance data, are presented in other documents that have been prepared in accordance with applicable DOE guidance and/or laws. Corrections to the report for the previous year are found in Appendix A. Environmental monitoring on the ORR consists primarily of two major activities: effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. Effluent monitoring involves the collection and analysis of samples or measurements of liquid and gaseous effluents at the point of release to the environment; these measurements allow the quantification and official reporting of contaminants, assessment of radiation and chemical exposures to the public, and demonstration of compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements. Environmental surveillance consists of the collection and analysis of environmental samples from the site and its environs; these activities provide direct measurement of contaminants in air, water, groundwater, soil, foods, biota, and other media subsequent to effluent release into the environment. Environmental surveillance data provide information regarding conformity with applicable DOE orders and, combined with data from effluent monitoring, allow the determination of chemical and radiation dose/exposure assessments of ORR operations and effects, if any, on the local environment. | Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) | United States | 2004-09-30T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1183768 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1183768 | |
| Analysis of radionuclide concentrations and movement patterns of Hanford-site mule deer | Eberhardt, L E; Hanson, E E; Cadwell, L L | 510302* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES; ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES; ANIMALS; BEHAVIOR; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CESIUM 137; CESIUM ISOTOPES; DATA; DEER; DISTRIBUTION; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; HANFORD RESERVATION; INFORMATION; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; ISOTOPES; MAMMALS; MORTALITY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEI; NUMERICAL DATA; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; POPULATION DYNAMICS; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; RADIOISOTOPES; RUMINANTS; SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION; STRONTIUM 90; STRONTIUM ISOTOPES; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES | From 1980 through 1982, the movements of 37 radio-collared mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) were monitored for periods of 3 to 17 months on the Handord Site in southcentral Washington. The objectives were to compare radionuclide concentrations in deer residing near the 200 Area waste management sites with concentrations in deer occupying areas remote from waste management sites and to document movement patterns of Hanford Site deer with particular emphasis on offsite movements. Cesium-137 in deer muscle and liver and /sup 90/Sr concentrations in deer bone were statistically higher in deer living near the 200 Area than in control animals. During this study, the highest concentrations of /sup 137/Cs and /sup 90/Sr in 200 Area deer were in those individuals residing in or immediately adjacent to radiation zones. Cesium-137 and /sup 90/Sr concentrations were more variable in deer residing near the 200 Area than in control animals, where only background (fallout) levels were observed. Movement patterns of Hanford site deer were analyzed to determine home range size and usage. The average home range was 0.39 +- 27 km/sup 2/. In addition, ten (27%) of the monitored deer made offsite movements during the study period. While most of these movements were made in the spring and summer, some fall and winter movements were noted. It was estimated that approximately 8% (95% confidence interval is from 0 to 21%) of the Hanford deer herd is harvested each year. As a result of the low harvest rate, the Hanford deer herd appears to have a disproportionate number of older animals, with 24% of the 17 examined deer older than 10.5 years. | Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) | United States | 1982-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6728863 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6728863 | |
| Locating critical natural features information for environmental planning | Pardue, J. W.; Olson, R. J.; Burgess, R. L. | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; 500100* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 520100 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANIMALS; BIOMASS; COMPUTERS; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; HABITAT; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; PLANNING; PLANTS; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESOURCES; US AEC; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | Information on critical natural features (such as rare species, wilderness areas, critical habitats, and endangered ecosystems) needs to be readily available to planners early in their activities to help identify and mitigate potential environmental impacts. Much of this information is dispersed among a confusing variety of agencies, organizations, groups, and individuals, and is not readily available. Needed facts about the natural features of an area are often discovered only after considerable effort has been expended on planning, design, and construction. ORNL is attempting to facilitate this information transfer by developing an interface between prime sources and those who legitimately need the information. With the planned interactive computer system, a user could request information concerning critical natural features of a region, county, or sub-county unit and receive a list of brief descriptions of these features coupled with a list of contacts for more detailed information. References will also be supplied from a growing bibliographic data file on nature conservation. Natural features information would be used to amplify natural resource information that has been compiled at the county level by the Geoecology Project at ORNL for use in integrated regional assessments of energy facilities. | Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn. (USA) | United States | 1977-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5117266 | ||
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory institutional plan, FY 1989--FY 1994 | 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 210300 -- Power Reactors, Nonbreeding, Graphite Moderated; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 360200 -- Ceramics, Cermets, & Refractories; 500200 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 550400 -- Genetics; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 645000 -- High Energy Physics; 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100 -- Management; ATOMIC PHYSICS; BUILDINGS; CERAMICS; DATA PROCESSING; DOCUMENT TYPES; EDUCATION; ENERGY SOURCES; FABRICATION; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; GAS COOLED REACTORS; GENETIC MAPPING; GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS; GREENHOUSE EFFECT; HTGR TYPE REACTORS; INCOME; LICENSING; MANAGEMENT; MAPPING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NEUTRON SOURCES; ORNL; PARTICLE SOURCES; PHYSICS; PROCESSING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; RADIATION SOURCES; REACTORS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; REVIEWS; ROYALTIES; SINTERING; SUPERCONDUCTORS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | This report contains a description of the programs now under way and those planned for in the future. The past decade has witnessed a growing awareness of the connection between advances in science and technology and economic growth. It has also witnessed the growing concern that the United States is falling behind in its ability to compete in certain arenas of technology development. As a result, there has been an examination of many activities in our nation to determine what might be done to improve our ability to compete on a global scale. Competitiveness has become a buzz word. We need to continue to identify and conduct outstanding frontier programs of basic and applied research and technology development. Competitiveness means periodic critical review of these programs to ensure that they are excellent and consistent with the national needs. In that regard, ORNL and the other Department of Energy Laboratories have a vital role to play in various arenas involving competitiveness. To enhance our competitive position in international commercial markets, better working relationships with industrial organizations will help to transfer knowledge about the Laboratory's scientific and technological developments. Our colleagues from industry can also help the Laboratory scientists to better understand industry problems that the Laboratory might help to solve. This type of synergistic relationship also exists between universities and the Laboratory. Jointly sponsored research and other interactions provide access to unique facilities and invigorating discussions. Also, to be competitive in the future, the DOE Laboratories and industries need sufficient technical staff. Closer ties with schools and universities can help this situation by stimulating our youth, including minorities and women to consider careers in science and engineering. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1989-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6374256 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6374256 | ||
| Facility Environmental Vulnerability Assessment | Van Hoesen, S D | 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BNL; CONTAMINATION; EVALUATION; HFIR REACTOR; MANAGEMENT; ORNL; PLANNING; TRITIUM; VULNERABILITY | From mid-April through the end of June 2001, a Facility Environmental Vulnerability Assessment (FEVA) was performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The primary goal of this FEVA was to establish an environmental vulnerability baseline at ORNL that could be used to support the Laboratory planning process and place environmental vulnerabilities in perspective. The information developed during the FEVA was intended to provide the basis for management to initiate immediate, near-term, and long-term actions to respond to the identified vulnerabilities. It was expected that further evaluation of the vulnerabilities identified during the FEVA could be carried out to support a more quantitative characterization of the sources, evaluation of contaminant pathways, and definition of risks. The FEVA was modeled after the Battelle-supported response to the problems identified at the High Flux Beam Reactor at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This FEVA report satisfies Corrective Action 3A1 contained in the Corrective Action Plan in Response to Independent Review of the High Flux Isotope Reactor Tritium Leak at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, submitted to the Department of Energy (DOE) ORNL Site Office Manager on April 16, 2001. This assessment successfully achieved its primary goal as defined by Laboratory management. The assessment team was able to develop information about sources and pathway analyses although the following factors impacted the team's ability to provide additional quantitative information: the complexity and scope of the facilities, infrastructure, and programs; the significantly degraded physical condition of the facilities and infrastructure; the large number of known environmental vulnerabilities; the scope of legacy contamination issues [not currently addressed in the Environmental Management (EM) Program]; the lack of facility process and environmental pathway analysis performed by the accountable line management or facility owner; and poor facility and infrastructure drawings. The assessment team believes that the information, experience, and insight gained through FEVA will help in the planning and prioritization of ongoing efforts to resolve environmental vulnerabilities at UT-Battelle--managed ORNL facilities. | ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2001-07-09T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/814472 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/814472 |
| Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1983 to the DOE Office of Energy Research. Part 2. Ecological sciences | Vaughan, B E | 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 510300* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520100 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSTRACTS; ALASKA; ANIMALS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; FEDERAL REGION X; LEADING ABSTRACT; MASS TRANSFER; NORTH AMERICA; PLANTS; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SURFACE WATERS; USA; WASTES | The 1983 annual report highlights research in five areas funded by the Ecological Sciences Division of the Office of Energy Research. The five areas include: western semi-arid ecosystems; marine sciences; mobilization fate and effects of chemical wastes; radionuclide fate and effects; and statistical and quantitative research. The work was accomplished under 19 individual projects. Individual projects are indexed separately. | Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) | United States | 1984-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/7008872 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7008872 | |
| Savannah River Plant Low-Level Waste Heat Utilization Project preliminary analysis. Volume I. Executive summary | 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 220700* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Plutonium & Isotope Production Reactors; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; 320304 -- Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Waste Heat Recovery & Utilization; ECONOMICS; ENERGY; ENERGY SOURCES; FEASIBILITY STUDIES; HEAT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES; THERMODYNAMICS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE HEAT; WASTE HEAT UTILIZATION; WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION; WASTES | A preliminary feasibility study of capturing energy ejected in hot water at the Savannah River Plant (SRP) is presented. The cooling water, drawn from the river or a pond at the rate of 500,000 gallons per minute, is typically heated 80/sup 0/F to about 150/sup 0/F and is then allowed to cool in the atmosphere. The energy added to the water is equivalent to 20 million barrels of oil a year. This study reports that the reject heat can be used directly in an organic Rankine cycle system to evaporate fluids which drive electric generators. The output of one reactor can produce 45,000 kilowatts of electricity. Since the fuel is waste heat, an estimated 45% savings over conventional electric costs is possible over a thirty year period. | South Carolina Energy Research Inst., Columbia (USA) | United States | 1978-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5593012 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5593012 | ||
| Roundtable on Fermilab III, The Great Computer Debate and Technology for the Nineties | Carrigan, Richard Jr.; Crego, C.; Grommes, S. | 43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States) | USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25) | United States | 1990-01-01T04:00:00Z | Program Document | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1336615 | ||
| Resource Management Plan for the US Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 15, Appendix P: waste management | Kelly, B A | 052000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Management; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290400* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources; 500200 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 500300 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510200 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; GASEOUS WASTES; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; LIQUID WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SOLID WASTES; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES | Since their inception, the DOE facilities on the Oak Ridge Reservation have been the source of a variety of airborne, liquid, and solid wastes which are characterized as nonhazardous, hazardous, and/or radioactive. The major airborne releases come from three primary sources: steam plant emissions, process discharge, and cooling towers. Liquid wastes are handled in various manners depending upon the particular waste, but in general, major corrosive waste streams are neutralized prior to discharge with the discharge routed to holding or settling ponds. The major solid wastes are derived from construction debris, sanitary operation, and radioactive processes, and the machining operations at Y-12. Nonradioactive hazardous wastes are disposed in solid waste storage areas, shipped to commercial disposal facilities, returned in sludge ponds, or sent to radioactive waste burial areas. The radioactive-hazardous wastes are treated in two manners: storage of the waste until acceptable disposal options are developed, or treatment of the waste to remove or destroy one of the components prior to disposal. 5 references, 4 figures, 13 tables. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1984-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6257342 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6257342 | |
| Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1998 | Arnett, M | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; DATA; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; MONITORING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT | The mission at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is focused primarily on support of the national defense, nonproliferation, and environmental cleanup. SRS-through its prime operating contractor, Westinghouse Savannah River Company-continues to maintain a comprehensive environmental monitoring program. | Savannah River Site (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 1999-06-09T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/13861 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/13861 |
| Approach and strategy for performing ecological risk assessments for the US Department of Energy`s Oak Ridge Reservation: 1995 revision | Suter, II, G W; Sample, B E; Jones, D S; Ashwood, T L; Loar, J M | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AMPHIBIANS; BIRDS; FISHES; MAMMALS; OAK RIDGE; ORNL; PLANNING; REMEDIAL ACTION; REPTILES; RISK ASSESSMENT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; WILD ANIMALS | The purpose of this document is to provide guidance for planning and performing ecological risk assessments (ERAs) on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). It is the third such document prepared for this purpose. The first ecorisk strategy document described the ERA process and presented a tiered approach to ERAs appropriate to complex sites. The first revision was necessitated by the considerable progress that has been made by the parties to the Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA) for the ORR in resolving specific issues relating to ERA as a result of a series of data quality objectives (DQOs) meetings. The tiered approach to ERAs as recommended in the first document was implemented, generic conceptual models were developed, and a general approach for developing ecological assessment endpoints and measurement endpoints was agreed upon. This revision is necessitated by comments from the US Environmental Protection Agency`s Region IV and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) which clarified and modified the positions taken during the DQO process. In particular, support for the collection of data that would support ERAs for all OUs on the ORR have been withdrawn. Therefore, the work plan developed to fill the reservation-wide data needs identified in the DQO process has also been withdrawn, and portions that are still relevant have been incorporated into this document. The reader should be aware that this guidance is complex and lengthy because it attempts to cover all the reasonable contingencies that were considered to be potentially important to the FFA parties. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/206432 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/206432 |
| Data package for the Low-Level Waste Disposal Development and Demonstration Program environmental impact statement: Volume 2, Appendices E-O | Ketelle, R. H. | 052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ANIMALS; BASELINE ECOLOGY; DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; EVALUATION; FLOW RATE; HYDROLOGY; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MAMMALS; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SOILS; SOLID WASTES; STREAMS; SURFACE WATERS; UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL; VERTEBRATES; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WELL LOGGING; WILD ANIMALS | This volume contains 11 appendices to the main document in Volume 1. Topics in Volume 2 include hydrologic data for a proposed solid waste storage area, soil characterizations, well logs, surface water discharge data, water quality data, atmospheric precipitation and stream flow, a small mammal survey, and general ecological information. (TEM) | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1988-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6898880 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6898880 | |
| Annual highlights, Environmental Programs of the Department of Energy and Environment | 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; 010900 -- Coal, Lignite, & Peat-- Environmental Aspects; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; 500100 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 500200* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 58 GEOSCIENCES; 580500 -- Oceanography-- (1980-1989); ACID RAIN; AIR POLLUTION; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BNL; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; COASTAL REGIONS; COASTAL WATERS; DIFFUSION; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS; GASEOUS WASTES; LIQUID WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; METEOROLOGY; MICROORGANISMS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OCEANOGRAPHY; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PARASITES; PLUMES; POLLUTION; POWER PLANTS; RAIN; REGIONAL ANALYSIS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; STACK DISPOSAL; SULFATES; SULFUR COMPOUNDS; SURFACE WATERS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; THERMAL POWER PLANTS; US AEC; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VIRUSES; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER POLLUTION | Brief summaries are presented of some 35 individual programs covering a wide range of activities in the atmospheric, oceanographic, and terrestrial ecology areas. In general, these programs are involved with the study of pollutants resulting from the production of energy and their effects or potential effects on the environment. Programs include meteorology and plume dispersion, with emphasis on tracing plumes from the tall stacks of fossil-fuel burning power plants, and implementation of MAP3S (the Multistate Atmospheric Power Production Pollution Study), including both field and modeling studies related to atmospheric pollutants in the Northeastern United States, the meteorology of the coastal land-sea interface, the development of long-distance tracer systems for following movements of air masses, the measurement of a series of pollutants at ambient levels in real time, and laboratory and field studies on the collection and behavior of aerosol particulates, including work on the speciation and quantification of sulfate particulates. The objective of programs in oceanographic sciences is to assess the potential impact of energy-related activities (reactor releases, oil spills, etc.) on the Northeast coastal zone and its biota. A capability for the study of environmental virology has been established. Another major program is the study of the effects of acid rain on forest ecosystems and on selected crops. | Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA) | United States | 1977-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6701660 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6701660 | ||
| Nevada`s energy research strategy. Progress report, September 30, 1991--September 29, 1992 | McNelis, D N | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500; BIOLOGY; CHEMISTRY; ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; EDUCATION; ENERGY; ENERGY POLICY; ENVIRONMENT; GREENHOUSE EFFECT; HYDROLOGY; NEVADA; PLANNING; PROGRESS REPORT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND COMMERCIALIZATION | This document was produced by the University and Community College System of Nevada (UCCSN) under a grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Research as part of the DOE-Experimental Program for the Simulation of Competitive Research (DOE-EPSCoR). The document develops Nevada`s strategies for the UCCSN to broaden and deepen energy-related research over the next five years in hydrology sciences, environmental biology and chemistry, chemical physics, and global change. A strategy was also developed to support energy-related research with education and human resources in science, math and engineering. A key concept of these strategies is continued success under the DOE-EPSCOR program. Participation in the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Basic Energy Science and Global Climate Change programs in collaboration with the Nevada Test Site and DOE multi-program laboratories is also part of Nevada`s strategy for success in energy-related research. | Nevada Univ., Las Vegas, NV (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10176583 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10176583 |
| Patterns of fish assemblage structure and dynamics in waters of the Savannah River Plant. Comprehensive Cooling Water Study final report | Aho, J M; Anderson, C S; Floyd, K B; Negus, M T; Meador, M R | 053003; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; BIOLOGICAL STRESS; CHEMICAL AND THERMAL EFFLUENTS; COMPILED DATA; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; FISHES; POPULATION DYNAMICS; PROGRESS REPORT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SPECIES DIVERSITY; THERMAL EFFLUENTS | Research conducted as part of the Comprehensive Cooling Water Study (CCWS) has elucidated many factors that are important to fish population and community dynamics in a variety of habitats on the Savannah River Plant (SRP). Information gained from these studies is useful in predicting fish responses to SRP operations. The overall objective of the CCWS was (1) to determine the environmental effects of SRP cooling water withdrawals and discharges and (2) to determine the significance of the cooling water impacts on the environment. The purpose of this study was to: (1) examine the effects of thermal plumes on anadromous and resident fishes, including overwintering effects, in the SRP swamp and associated tributary streams; (2) assess fish spawning and locate nursery grounds on the SRP; (3) examine the level of use of the SRP by spawning fish from the Savannah River, this objective was shared with the Savannah River Laboratory, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company; and (4) determine impacts of cooling-water discharges on fish population and community attributes. Five studies were designed to address the above topics. The specific objectives and a summary of the findings of each study are presented. | Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (United States). Stress and Wildlife Ecology Div. | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1986-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10118268 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10118268 |
| Technology '89: R and D Laboratory technology transfer program | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; BUSINESS; INDUSTRY; LABORATORIES; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SMALL BUSINESSES; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS | Technology transfer from DOE laboratories to industry is increasing. Technology transfer opportunities have many forms, including new materials, new and enhanced technologies, improved processes, technical know-how, unique experimental facilities, and computer software. The applied research programs --- Nuclear Energy, Conservation and Renewable Energy, and Fossil Energy --- include technology transfer activities that are referred to as program directed. When the technology is used for secondary applications or an application that differs from the original purpose for which the technology was developed, spin-off transfer occurs. The laboratories are the predominant implementors of spin-off transfer activities. Private-sector companies, universities, and consortia are also integral participants for program implementation. In this document, the technology transfer accomplishments of DOE's research programs and some of the best from its R D laboratories are described and illustrated. This document is intended to communicate a few of the many opportunities available for US industry and universities to work with DOE and its laboratories. | USDOE, Washington, DC (USA) | DOE/ER | United States | 1990-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6979964 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6979964 | |
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory Institutional Plan FY 1984-FY 1989 | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100* -- Management; INDUSTRY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; PLANNING; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | In this plan, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) continues to be committed to scientific and technological research that is based on technical excellence and innovation and that provides a foundation for and a stimulus to broader and more sustained economic growth. DOE is being asked to assist in establishing a new program for Laboratory cooperation with industry, beginning with an initial focus on materials science. The current Institutional Plan thus projects growth in the materials science area as well as in other basic physical science areas and suggests a new initiative designed to extend the various technology transfer activities and to make them more effective by using ORNL as the trial Laboratory for some of these different approaches. This Institutional Plan projects a stable future for ORNL, with only modest amounts of growth in selected areas of research for the FY 1984-FY 1989 planning cycle. Summaries of the overall picture of the proposed budget and personnel levels for the current planning cycle are included. Scientific programs, laboratory resource development, and private sector interactions are discussed. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1983-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5424428 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5424428 | ||
| HPCC technology awareness program: Improved economic competitiveness through technology awareness, transfer and application. Final report | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990200; COMPUTER CODES; MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTERS; PARALLEL PROCESSING; PROGRESS REPORT; RECOMMENDATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND COMMERCIALIZATION; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION; US DOE | A need has been defined by Congress for the DOE National Laboratories to participate in various dual use and technology transfer programs. This requirement has spawned several technology transfer approaches at the DOE laboratories. These programs are designed to encourage large and small business to bring their problems and needs forward, and to allow the labs to transfer effective high performance computing technology to the commercial marketplace. This IG Technologies grant from the DOE was undertaken to address the issues and problems associated with technology transfer between the DOE National Laboratories and commercial industry. The key focus is to gain an understanding of how DOE and industry independently and collectively view the requirements and the missing elements that could allow DOE to facilitate HPCC technology transfer. At issue is HPCC Technology Transfer for the High Performance Computing industry and its relationship to the DOE National Laboratories. Several observations on this are addressed. The issue of a ``Technology Utilization Gap`` between the National Laboratories and Independent Software Vendors is discussed. This study addressed the HPCC Technology Transfer plans of all six DOE National Labs. Study team members briefed numerous industrial users of HPCC technology as to the feasibility of technology transfer for various applications. Significant findings of the effort are that the resistance to technology transfer is much higher than anticipated for both the National Labs and industry. Also, HPCC Technology Transfer is observed to be a large company`s dominion. Small businesses have a difficult time in addressing the requirements of technology transfer using Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA`s). Large businesses and the DOE National Labs however, often have requirements and objectives which are at cross purposes, making effective technology transfer difficult. | IG Technologies, San Diego, CA (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10192371 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10192371 | |
| Environmental surveillance at Los Alamos during 1979 | 500200 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 500300* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510200 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510302 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520302 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; AIR POLLUTION; ANIMALS; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; COMPLIANCE; DATA; DATA FORMS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FISHES; FLUIDS; FOOD; FRUITS; GASEOUS WASTES; GASES; GRAPHS; GROUND WATER; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; HONEY; HUMAN POPULATIONS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; INFORMATION; LASL; LAWS; LIQUID WASTES; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUMERICAL DATA; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; POLLUTION; POLLUTION REGULATIONS; POPULATIONS; RADIATION HAZARDS; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIATION PROTECTION LAWS; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOACTIVITY; REGULATIONS; RESOURCES; SEDIMENTS; SOILS; SURFACE AIR; SURFACE WATERS; TABLES; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VEGETABLES; VERTEBRATES; WASTES; WATER; WATER POLLUTION; WATER RESOURCES | This report documents the environmental surveillance program conducted by the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) in 1979. Routine monitoring for radiation and radioactive or chemical substances was conducted on the Laboratory site and in the surrounding region to determine compliance with appropriate standards and permit early identification of possible undesirable trends. Results and interpretation of the data for 1979 on penetrating radiation, chemical and radiochemical quality of ambient air, surface and ground water, municipal water supply, soils and sediments, food, and airborne and liquid effluents are included. Comparisons with appropriate standards and regulations or with background levels from natural or other non-LASL sources provide a basis for concluding that environmental effects attributable to LASL operations are minor and cannot be considered likely to result in any hazard to the population of the area. Results of several special studies provide documentation of some unique environmental conditions in the LASL environs. | Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1980-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5476030 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5476030 | ||
| Savannah River Site environmental report for 1995 | Arnett, M W; Mamatey, A | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; AIR POLLUTION; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; FOOD CHAINS; GROUND WATER; LIQUID WASTES; PLANTS; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; REMEDIAL ACTION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SURFACE WATERS; WILD ANIMALS | The 1990s have brought dramatic change to the Savannah River Site (SRS) in its role as a key part of the U.S. Department of Energy`s (DOE) weapons complex. Shrinking federal budgets, sharp workforce reductions, the end of the Cold War, and a major shift in mission objectives have combined to severely test the mettle of SRS-South Carolina`s largest employer. But the sprawling 310-square-mile site`s employees have responded to the test in admirable fashion, effectively shifting their emphasis from weapons production to environmental restoration. This report describes the environmental report for the SRS for 1995. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-12-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/419117 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/419117 |
| Historical Site Assessment: Select Hanford Reach National Monument Lands -- | Fritz, Brad G; Dirkes, Roger L; Poston, Ted M; Hanf, Robert W | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; HANFORD RESERVATION; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; LAND OWNERSHIP; RADIATION MONITORING; US FWS | Consistent with its current mission, the U.S. Department of Energy Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) plans to transfer ownership of large tracts of the Hanford Site in the next 3 to 5 years. Specifically, DOE-RL plans to transfer ownership of a large portion of the Hanford Reach National Monument to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Before DOE can transfer ownership of these tracts, a radiological clearance of the lands must be performed. Fluor Hanford, Inc., (FHI) is responsible for the radiological clearance for DOE-RL. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is supporting FHI on this effort through various work agreements. | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US) | USDOE | United States | 2003-07-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/15004207 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/15004207 |
| Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1999 | Arnett, M | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; COMPLIANCE; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; MANAGEMENT; MONITORING; PERFORMANCE; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT | The purpose of this report is to present summary environmental data that characterize site environmental management performance, confirm compliance with environmental standards and requirements, highlight significant programs and efforts, and assess the impact of SRS operations on the public and the environment. | Savannah River Site (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2000-06-30T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/765047 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/765047 |
| The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Site environmental report for calendar year 1992 | Hoff, D L; Mitchell, R G; Moore, R; Bingham, L | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540230; 540330; 560101; 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; COMPILED DATA; COMPLIANCE; DOSE EQUIVALENTS; DOSIMETRY AND MONITORING; DRINKING WATER; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; GROUND WATER; HUMAN POPULATIONS; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; REGULATIONS; US GS | The results of the various monitoring programs for 1992 indicate that most radioactivity from the INEL operations could not be distinguished from worldwide fallout and natural radioactivity in the region surrounding the INEL Site. Although some radioactive materials were discharged during Site operations, concentrations and doses to the surrounding population were of no health consequence and were far less than State of Idaho and Federal health protection guidelines. The first section of the report summarizes INEL activities related to compliance with environmental regulations and laws for Calendar Year 1992 and January 1 through April 1, 1993. The major portion of the report summarizes results of the RESL environmental surveillance program, which includes the collection of foodstuffs at the INEL boundary and distant offsite locations, and the collection of air and water samples at onsite locations, offsite boundary, and distant locations. The report also compares and evaluates the sample results to appropriate Federal regulations and standards and discusses implications, if any. The USGS ground-water monitoring program is briefly summarized, and data from USGS reports are included in maps showing the spread of contaminants. Effluent monitoring and nonradiological drinking water monitoring performed by INEL contractors are discussed briefly, and data are summarized in tables. | USDOE Idaho Operations Office, Idaho Falls, ID (United States). Radiological and Environmental Sciences Lab. | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10177231 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10177231 |
| Energy systems programs funded by the Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health: FY 1993--FY 1994 | Buttram, A W | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; HEALTH HAZARDS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAFETY STANDARDS | This document presents an overview of work at Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., (Energy Systems) during FY 1993--FY 1994 that was funded by the Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health (ASEH). To illustrate the programmatic breadth of Energy Systems and to establish the context within which this work was accomplished, this document also includes representative descriptions of ASEH-related work at Energy Systems done for other sponsors. Activities for ASEH cover a wide variety of subjects that are geared towards the environmental, safety, and health aspects of DOE operations. Subjects include the following: environmental compliance, environmental guidance, environmental audits, NEPA oversight, epidemiology and health surveillance, transportation and packaging safety, safety and quality assurance; technical standards, performance indicators, occurrence reporting, health physics instrumentation, risk management, security evaluations, and medical programs. The technical support section describes work in progress for ASEH, including specific program accomplishments. The work for others section describes work for non-ASEH sponsors that reinforces and supplements the ASEH work. Appendix A includes a list of FY 1993--FY 1994 publications related to the ASEH work. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-12-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/34362 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/34362 |
| Biomedical and Environmental Research Program of the LASL Health Division. Progress report, January-December 1978 | Petersen, D F; Sullivan, E M | 04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS; 041000 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Environmental Aspects; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 510000 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 550000 -- Biomedical Sciences, Basic Studies; 560100* -- Biomedical Sciences, Applied Studies-- Radiation Effects; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS; BIOLOGY; BIOPHYSICS; BITUMINOUS MATERIALS; CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS; CELL FLOW SYSTEMS; COORDINATED RESEARCH PROGRAMS; ECOLOGY; ENERGY SOURCES; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; ISOTOPES; LABELLED COMPOUNDS; LASL; MEDICINE; MOLECULAR BIOLOGY; MUTAGENESIS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OIL SHALES; RADIATION EFFECTS; RADIOISOTOPES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SYNTHESIS; TOXICITY; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | The research and development activities at LASL's Biomedical and Environmental Research Program is summarized. Reports relate the current status of the projects. The following groups are included: the mammalian biology group, the industrial hygiene group, the cellular and molecular biology group, the biophysics group, the organic and biochemical synthesis group, and the environmental sciences group. | Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1979-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5796022 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5796022 | |
| A spatially-dynamic preliminary risk assessment of the bald eagle at the Los Alamos National Laboratory | Gonzales, G J; Gallegos, A F; Foxx, T S; Fresquez, P R; Mullen, M A; Pratt, L E; Gomez, P E | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; BIRDS; E CODES; ENDANGERED SPECIES; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; LANL; METALS; NUMERICAL DATA; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; RADIOISOTOPES; RISK ASSESSMENT | The Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Record of Decision on the Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) require that the Department of Energy protect the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), a state and federally listed species, from stressors such as contaminants. A preliminary risk assessment of the bald eagle was performed using a custom FORTRAN code, ECORSK5, and the geographical information system. Estimated exposure doses to the eagle for radionuclide, inorganic metal, and organic contaminants were derived for varying ratios of aquatic vs. terrestrial simulated diet and compared against toxicity reference values to generate hazard indices (His). HI results indicate that no appreciable impact to the bald eagle is expected from contaminants at LANL from soil ingestion and food consumption pathways. This includes a measure of cumulative effects from multiple contaminants that assumes linear additive toxicity. Improving model realism by weighting simulated eagle foraging based on distance from potential roost sites increased the HI by 76%, but still to inconsequential levels. Information on risk by specific geographical location was generated, which can be used to manage contaminated areas, eagle habitat, facility siting, and/or facility operations in order to maintain risk from contaminants at low levels. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Management and Administration, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/658265 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/658265 |
| Los Alamos National Laboratory annual report 1982 | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100* -- Management; LASL; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | The history of the Los Alamos National Laboratory is reviewed. Summaries of research are provided in the areas of defense-related programs, energy-related programs, and basic research programs. (GHT) | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1983-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5828521 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5828521 | ||
| Biomedical and environmental sciences programs at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory | Richmond, C R; Johnson, C A | 09 BIOMASS FUELS; 140504 -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989); 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 500200* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510200 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR POLLUTION MONITORING; BIOLOGICAL STRESS; BIOLOGY; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON OXIDES; CARCINOGENESIS; CHALCOGENIDES; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; DOSIMETRY; ENVIRONMENT; GENETICS; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; MATERIALS; MEDICINE; MUTAGENESIS; NUCLEAR MEDICINE; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PATHOGENESIS; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RISK ASSESSMENT; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; WASTES | This progress report summarizes the research and development activities conducted in the Biomedical and Environmental Sciences Programs of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the major organizational units. Following the accounts of research programs, is a list of publications and awards to its members. 6 figs., 14 tabs. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1988-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/7028078 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7028078 | |
| Walker Branch Throughfall Displacement Experiment Data Report: Site Characterization, System Performance, Weather, Species Composition, and Growth | Hanson, P J | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON DIOXIDE; DOCUMENTATION; FORESTS; FORTRAN; INTERNET; PERFORMANCE; PRECIPITATION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SOILS; TENNESSEE; THROUGHFALL; TREES; WATER; WATERSHEDS; WEATHER | This numeric data package provides data sets, and accompanying documentation, on site characterization, system performance, weather, species composition, and growth for the Throughfall Displacement Experiment, which was established in the Walker Branch Watershed of East Tennessee to provide data on the responses of forests to altered precipitation regimes. The specific data sets include soil water content and potential, coarse fraction of the soil profile, litter layer temperature, soil temperature, monthly weather, daily weather, hourly weather, species composition of trees and saplings, mature tree and sapling annual growth, and relative leaf area index. Fortran and SAS{trademark} access codes are provided to read the ASCII data files. The data files and this documentation are available without charge on a variety of media and via the Internet from the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC). | ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2001-09-04T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/814151 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/814151 |
| N Springs expedited response action proposal | 053002; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; GROUND WATER; HANFORD RESERVATION; HEALTH AND SAFETY; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; REMEDIAL ACTION; STRONTIUM 90 | Since signing the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) in 1989, the parties to the agreement have recognized the need to modify the approach to conducting investigations, studies, and cleanup actions at Hanford. To implement this approach, the parties have jointly developed the Hanford Past-Practice Strategy. The strategy defines a non-time-critical expedited response action (ERA) as a response action ``needed to abate a threat to human health or welfare or the environment where sufficient time exists for formal planning prior to initiation of response. In accordance with the past-practice strategy, DOE proposes to conduct an ERA at the N Springs, located in the Hanford 100 N Area, to substantially reduce the strontium-90 transport into the river through the groundwater pathway. The purpose of this ERA proposal is to provide sufficient information to select a preferred alternative at N Springs. The nature of an ERA requires that alternatives developed for the ERA be field ready; therefore, all the technologies proposed for the ERA should be capable of addressing the circumstances at N Springs. A comparison of these alternatives is made based on protectiveness, cost, technical feasibility, and institutional considerations to arrive at a preferred alternative. Following the selection of an alternative, a design phase will be conducted; the design phase will include a detailed look at design parameters, performance specifications, and costs of the selected alternative. Testing will be conducted as required to generate design data. | USDOE Richland Operations Office, WA (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10125857 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10125857 | |
| Dose-to-Man Program progress report, FY 1973 | Crawford, T V | DIFFUSION-- ENVIRONMENT-- HUMAN POPULATIONS-- INGESTION-- INHALATION-- INTERNAL IRRADIATION-- MAN-- MATHEMATICAL MODELS-- POINT SOURCES-- RADIATION DOSES-- RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL-- RADIOISOTOPES-- RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION-- SURFACE AIR-- SURFACE WATERS-- UPTAKE; FOOD CHAINS AIR POLLUTION-- DIFFUSION-- FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS-- GASEOUS WASTES-- METEOROLOGY-- PLUMES-- SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT-- STACK DISPOSAL-- SULFUR OXIDES-- WASTE DISPOSAL; N44700 --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Chemical Effluents; N48610* --Life Sciences--Radionuclide Effects (Internal Source)--Man | The Dose-to-Man Program at the Savannah River Plant (SRP) was conceived in FY-1972 and operations began in FY-1973. The major objectives of the program are to develop (or adapt), test, and apply comprehensive mathematical models to calculate the radiation dose-to-man from one or more point sources released to the atmosphere or surface waters. These models will be applied to SRP operations; however, the methods are expected to be generally applicable over a large portion of the southeastern United States. A discussion is included of a new meteorological data acquisition program now in operation using a 1200-ft TVtower located near the plant site and seven 200-ft towers to be located onsite in FY-1974. Previously collected meteorological data from the TV-tower were analyzed to show spatial and temporal variation in eddy diffusivity, mesoscale kinetic energy spectra, and dispersion climatology based upon wind-sequencing information. A discussion of a framework for calculation of doseto-man, and a comparison of the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and Pasquill methods for determining dispersion coefficients are also included. A currert sulfur dioxide survey is discussed which will help verify the calculation techniques for predicting dispersion from heated plumes. (auth) | comp.; Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Savannah River Lab. | United States | 1974-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/4351400 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4351400 | |
| Elk and Deer Study, Material Disposal Area G, Technical Area 54: Source document | Ferenbaugh, J K; Fresquez, P R; Ebinger, M H; Gonzales, G J; Jordan, P A | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FOOD CHAINS; LANL; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; PLANTS; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; SOILS | As nuclear research has become more prevalent, environmental contamination from the disposal of radioactive waste has become a prominent issue. At Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in northern New Mexico, radioactive contamination from disposal operations has raised some very specific concerns. Material Disposal Area G (Area G) is the primary low-level radioactive waste disposal site at LANL and occupies an area adjacent to land belonging to the Native American community of the Pueblo of San Ildefonso. Analyses of soil and vegetation collected from the perimeter of Area G have shown concentrations of radionuclides greater than background concentrations established for northern New Mexico. As a result, Pueblo residents had become concerned that contaminants from Area G could enter tribal lands through various ecological pathways. The residents specifically questioned the safety of consuming meat from elk and deer that forage near Area G and then migrate onto tribal lands. Consequently, this study addresses the uptake of {sup 3}H, {sup 90}Sr, {sup tot}U, {sup 238}Pu, {sup 239}Pu, {sup 241}Am, and {sup 137}Cs by elk (Cervus elaphus) and deer (Odocoileus hemionus) that forage around the perimeter of Area G and the associated doses to the animals and to humans who consume these animals. Radionuclide uptake by and internal dose to animals was estimated using equations modified from National Council on Radiological Protection Report 76. The Residual Radiation computer code was used to estimate the external dose to animals and the dose to humans consuming meat. Soil and water concentrations from the perimeter of Area G and from background regions in northern New Mexico were averaged over 4 years (1993--1996) and used as input data for the models. Concentration estimates generated by the model correspond to the concentration range measured in actual tissue samples from elk and deer collected at LANL. The highest dose estimates for both animals (0.028 mrad/d) and humans (0.072 mrem/y) were well below guidelines established to protect the environment (100 mrad/d) and the public (100 mrem/y) from radiological health risks. | Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (US) | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) (US) | United States | 1999-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/751947 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/751947 |
| Environmental Education and Development Program | 052000; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290200; ECONOMICS AND SOCIOLOGY; EDUCATION; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; EDUCATIONAL TOOLS; PERSONNEL; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; REMEDIAL ACTION; TRAINING; WASTE MANAGEMENT | The Environmental Education and Development Program is a component on the effort to accomplish the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management`s (EM) goal of environmental compliance and cleanup of the 1989 inventory of inactive DOE sites and facilities by the year 2019. Education and Development programs were designed specifically to stimulate the knowledge and workforce capability necessary to achieve EM goals while contributing to DOE`s overall goal of increasing scientific and technical literacy and competency. The primary implementation criterion for E&D activities involved a focus on programs and projects that had both immediate and long-range leveraging effects on infrastructure. This focus included programs that yielded short term results (one to five years), as well as long-term results, to ensure a steady supply of appropriately trained and educated human resources, including women and minorities, to meet EM`s demands. | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Technology Integration and Environmental Education and Development | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10137936 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10137936 | |
| Report to Congress on the Small Business Program | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 450200 -- Military Technology, Weaponry, & National Defense-- Nuclear Explosions & Explosives; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100 -- Management; BUSINESS; COMPETITION; CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRIES; CONTRACTORS; DOCUMENT TYPES; DOCUMENTATION; ENERGY CONSERVATION; ENERGY FACILITIES; ENERGY MANAGEMENT; ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; MANAGEMENT; MARKETING; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; OPERATION; PLANNING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; PROGRESS REPORT; PUBLIC HEALTH; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT; RISK ASSESSMENT; SMALL BUSINESSES; STATISTICAL MODELS; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WEAPONS | The Department of Energy (DOE) provides the framework for a comprehensive and balanced national energy plan through the coordination and administration of the Federal Government's energy functions. The Department is responsible for long-term, high-risk research and development of energy technology; the marketing of Federal power; energy conservation; the nuclear weapons program; energy regulatory programs; and a central energy data collection and analysis program. The programmatic activities of DOE Headquarters are supported through an extensive network of field organizations including Operations Offices, support offices, National Laboratories and other facilities. Significant numbers of these Departmental programs are carried out in DOE-owned laboratories, plants and other facilities. Contractors which operate these facilities are referred to as Management and Operating (M O) contractors. The use of small firms by these M Os in subcontracting activities is an important element of the Department's Small Business Program. | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Management and Administration, Washington, DC (USA). Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization | DOE/S | United States | 1988-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/7125468 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7125468 | |
| Environmental surveillance at Los Alamos | 500200 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 500300* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510200 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR POLLUTION; AIR QUALITY; DATA; DATA ANALYSIS; DATA FORMS; DOSES; ENVIRONMENT; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; GROUND WATER; HAZARDS; HEALTH HAZARDS; HUMAN POPULATIONS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; INFORMATION; LASL; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUMERICAL DATA; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; POLLUTION; POPULATIONS; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION HAZARDS; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIATION PROTECTION; REGULATIONS; STANDARDS; SURFACE WATERS; TABLES; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WATER; WATER POLLUTION | This report documents the environmental surveillance program conducted by the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) in 1978. Routine monitoring for radiation and radioactive or chemical substances is conducted on the Laboratory site and in the surrounding region to determine compliance with appropriate standards and permit early identification of possible undesirable trends. Results and interpretation of the data for 1978 on penetrating radiation, chemical and radiochemical quality of ambient air, surface and groundwater, municipal water supply, soils and sediments, food, and airborne and liquid effluents are included. Comparisons with appropriate standards and regulations or with background levels from natural or other non-LASL sources provide a basis for concluding that environmental effects attributable to LASL operations are minor and cannot be considered likely to result in any hazard to the population of the area. Results of several special studies provide documentation of some unique environmental conditions in the LASL environs. | Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1979-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6163485 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6163485 | ||
| Guidelines for revegetation of disturbed sites at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory | Anderson, J. E.; Shumar, M. L. | 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ARID LANDS; DESERTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; EROSION; FEDERAL REGION X; IDAHO; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; MITIGATION; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NORTH AMERICA; PLANNING; REVEGETATION; SEEDS; SOILS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; USA | The arid climate of the INEL presents a serious challenge for the reclamation of disturbed sites. Because of limited precipitation and a short growing season, disturbed areas ''heal'' slowly. Timely and effective revegetation of such sites is necessary to stabilize soil and prevent erosion, preclude colonization by undesirable weeds, and maintain an aesthetically-pleasing landscape. This guide was developed to aid in such revegetation efforts. Planning for reclamation prior to initiating construction or development activities can minimize the areal extent and severity of disturbances and reduce costs associated with reclamation. Suggestions for defining objectives for reclamation projects and examples of specific objectives for revegetation planning at the INEL are provided. Because meeting some objectives in the most expedient manner may preclude or delay meeting others, implications and tradeoffs of various revegetation strategies are discussed. The success of a revegetation project depends on selecting species that are adapted to the soils and climate of the INEL. Characteristics of plant species recommended for revegetation projects are presented. Specific recommendations of seeding mixtures for restoring natural communities, seeding waste management sites and roadsides, and establishing strips of fire-resistant vegetation are included. Techniques for preparing seedbeds, seeding, and transplanting are discussed. Timing of planting is critical at the INEL and specific recommendations are given. Finally, we provide guidelines for evaluating the success of revegetation projects. 65 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs. | USDOE Radiological and Environmental Sciences Lab., Idaho Falls, ID | United States | 1989-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6267252 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6267252 | |
| Intensive archaeological survey of the proposed Central Sanitary Wastewater Treatment Facility, Savannah River Site, Aiken and Barnwell Counties, South Carolina | Stephenson, D K; Sassaman, K E | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; WASTE PROCESSING; WASTE PROCESSING PLANTS; WASTE WATER | The project area for the proposed Central Sanitary Wastewater Treatment Facility on the Savannah River Site includes a six-acre tract along Fourmile Branch and 18 mi of trunk line corridors. Archaeological investigations of the six-acre parcel resulted in the discovery of one small prehistoric site designated 38AK465. This cultural resource does not have the potential to add significantly to archaeological knowledge of human occupation in the region. The Savannah River Archaeological Research Program (SRARP) therefore recommends that 38AK465 is not eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and further recommends a determination of no effect. Archaeological survey along the trunk line corridors implicated previously recorded sites 38AK92, 38AK145, 38AK415, 38AK417, 38AK419, and 38AK436. Past disturbance from construction had severely disturbed 38AK92 and no archaeological evidence of 38AK145, 38AK419, and 38AK436 was recovered during survey. Lacking further evidence for the existence of these sites, the SRARP recommends that 38AK92, 38AK145, 38AK419, and 38AK436 are not eligible for nomination to the NRHP and thus warrant a determination of no effect. Two of these sites, 38Ak415 and 38AK417, required further investigation to evaluate their archaeological significance. Both of the sites have the potential to yield significant data on the prehistoric period occupation of the Aiken Plateau and the SRARP recommends that they are eligible for nomination to the NRHP. The Savannah River Archaeological Research Program recommends that adverse effects to sites 38AK415 and 38AK417 from proposed construction can be mitigated through avoidance. | South Carolina Univ., Columbia, SC (United States). Savannah River Archaeological Research Program | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10175605 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10175605 |
| Technical qualification requirements and training programs for radiation protection personnel at Oak Ridge National Laboratory | Copenhaver, E. D.; Houser, B. S.; Butler, Jr., H. M.; Bogard, J. S.; Fair, M. F.; Haynes, C. E.; Parzyck, D. C. | 560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; PERSONNEL; RADIATION PROTECTION; TRAINING; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | This document deals with the policies and practices of the Environmental and Occupational Safety Division (EOSD) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in regard to the selection, training, qualification, and requalification of radiation protection staff assigned to reactor and nonreactor nuclear facilities. Included are personnel at facilities that: (1) operate reactors or particle accelerators; (2) produce, process, or store radioactive liquid or solid waste; (3) conduct separations operations; (4) engage in research with radioactive materials and radiation sources; and (5) conduct irradiated materials inspection, fuel fabrication, deconamination, or recovery operations. The EOSD personnel also have environmental surveillance and operational and industrial safety responsibilities related to the total Laboratory. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA). Environmental and Occupational Safety Div. | United States | 1986-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5014695 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5014695 | |
| Monitoring plan for long-term environmental measurements at the proposed Douglas Point Ecological Laboratory, Nanjemoy, Maryland | Jensen, B. L.; Miles, K. J.; Strass, P. K.; McDonald, B. S.; Nugent, A. | 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220501 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Environmental Aspects-- Siting; 500500 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 510500* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY; BASELINE ECOLOGY; CENTRAL REGION; CHEMISTRY; COST; DESIGN; DOUGLAS POINT SITE; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; LABORATORIES; MAINTENANCE; MARYLAND; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; METEOROLOGY; MONITORING; NORTH AMERICA; OPERATION; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PH VALUE; PLANNING; POWER PLANTS; QUALITY ASSURANCE; RAIN WATER; SPECIFICATIONS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; USA; WATER | The Douglas Point Ecological Laboratory has been set up at the site of a proposed power plant, which is to be powered by either nuclear, coal, or an alternate form of fuel. A plan for long-range monitoring of terrestrial ecosystems and atmospheric chemistry is presented. A site characterization study will be made initially. Chemical and physical soil profiles will be established with continuous measurement of soil moisture and nutrient content, as well as other parameters. Data sets will be established, reflecting changes in rainfall pH and rate of deposition through precipitation and dryfall sedimentation of Ca/sup 2 +/, Mg/sup 2 +/, K/sup +/, Na/sup +/, SO/sub 4//sup 3 -/, Cl/sup -/, NH/sub 4//sup +/, and NO/sub 3//sup -/. Among other objectives are the development of new monitoring techniques that can be used to trace energy flow, nutrient transport, and radionuclide transport through all trophic levels to selected carnivores. The atmospheric monitoring plan is outlined as to system design and specifications; system installation, operation, and maintenance, data processing and reports; quality assurance program; and project organization. A discussion of administrative and operational monitoring costs is included. (JGB) | Charles County Community Coll., La Plata, MD (USA). Div. of Biological Sciences; Dames and Moore, Washington, DC (USA). Meteorological Div. | United States | 1979-09-25T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5642672 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5642672 | |
| Environmental surveillance at Los Alamos during 1980 | 500200 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 500300* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR; AIR POLLUTION; ANIMALS; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; DATA; DATA COMPILATION; DOSES; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; FLUIDS; FOOD; GASEOUS WASTES; GASES; GROUND WATER; HUMAN POPULATIONS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; INFORMATION; ISOTOPES; LASL; LIQUID WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUMERICAL DATA; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PLANTS; POLLUTION; POLLUTION REGULATIONS; POPULATIONS; QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS; RADIOISOTOPES; REGULATIONS; SEDIMENTS; SOILS; STACK DISPOSAL; SURFACE AIR; SURFACE WATERS; TOXIC MATERIALS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER; WATER POLLUTION; WATER QUALITY | Documentation is presented for the environmental surveillance program during 1980. Routine monitoring for radiation and radioactive or chemical substances is conducted on the Laboratory site and in the surrounding region to determine compliance with appropriate standards and permit early identification of possible undesirable trends. Results and interpretation of the data for 1980 on penetrating radiation, chemical and radiochemical quality of ambient air, surface and ground water, municipal water supply, soils and sediments, food, and airborne and liquid effluents are included. Comparisons with appropriate standards and regulations or with background levels from natural or other non-Laboratory sources provide a basis for concluding that environmental effects attributable to Laboratory operations are minor and cannot be considered likely to result in any hazard to the population of the area. Results of several special studies describe some unique environmental conditions in the Laboratory environs. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1981-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6499974 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6499974 | ||
| Environmental Assessment for the Closure of the High-Level Waste Tanks in F- & H-Areas at the Savannah River Site | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; CLOSURES; COMPLIANCE; CONTAMINATION; DEFENSE WASTE PROCESSING FACILITY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; EVAPORATORS; HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; PLANTS; RADIOACTIVE; REGULATIONS; REMOVAL; RESIDUAL; SAFETY; SALTSTONE; SHIELDING; SOILS; SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL; STORAGE FACILITIES; TANKS; TOXICITY; US SUPERFUND; WASTES | This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared by the Department of Energy (DOE) to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with the closure of 51 high-level radioactive waste tanks and tank farm ancillary equipment (including transfer lines, evaporators, filters, pumps, etc) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) located near Aiken, South Carolina. The waste tanks are located in the F- and H-Areas of SRS and vary in capacity from 2,839,059 liters (750,000 gallons) to 4,921,035 liters (1,300,000 gallons). These in-ground tanks are surrounded by soil to provide shielding. The F- and H-Area High-Level Waste Tanks are operated under the authority of Industrial Wastewater Permits No.17,424-IW; No.14520, and No.14338 issued by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC). In accordance with the Permit requirements, DOE has prepared a Closure Plan (DOE, 1996) and submitted it to SCDHEC for approval. The Closure Plan identifies all applicable or relevant and appropriate regulations, statutes, and DOE Orders for closing systems operated under the Industrial Wastewater Permits. When approved by SCDHEC, the Closure Plan will present the regulatory process for closing all of the F- and H-Area High Level Waste Tanks. The Closure Plan establishes performance objectives or criteria to be met prior to closing any tank, group of tanks, or ancillary tank farm equipment. The proposed action is to remove the residual wastes from the tanks and to fill the tanks with a material to prevent future collapse and bind up residual waste, to lower human health risks, and to increase safety in and around the tanks. If required, an engineered cap consisting of clay, backfill (soil), and vegetation as the final layer to prevent erosion would be applied over the tanks. The selection of tank system closure method will be evaluated against the following Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) criteria described in 40 CFR 300.430(e)(9): ( 1) overall protection of human health and the environment; (2) compliance with applicable or relevant and appropriated requirement: (ARARs); (3) long-term effectiveness and permanence; (4) reduction of toxicity, mobility, or volume through treatment; (5) short-term effectiveness; (6) implementability; (7) cost; (8) state acceptable; and (9) community acceptance. Closure of each tank involves two separate operations after bulk waste removal has been accomplished: (1) cleaning of the tank (i.e., removing the residual contaminants), and (2) the actual closure or filling of the tank with an inert material, (e.g., grout). This process would continue until all the tanks and ancillary equipment and systems have been closed. This is expected to be about year 2028 for Type I, II, and IV tanks and associated systems. Subsequent to that, Type III tanks and systems will be closed. | Savannah River Site, Aiken, SC (US) | USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US) | United States | 1996-07-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/831173 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/831173 | |
| Survey of protected vascular plants on the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee | Awl, D J; Pounds, L R; Rosensteel, B A; King, A L; Hamlett, P A | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BOTANY; ENDANGERED SPECIES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANTS; RESOURCE ASSESSMENT; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; SPECIES DIVERSITY | Vascular plant surveys were initiated during fiscal year 1992 by the environmentally sensitive areas program to determine the baseline condition of threatened and endangered (T&E) vascular plant species on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). T&E species receive protection under federal and state regulations. In addition, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires that federally-funded projects avoid or mitigate impacts to listed species. T&E plant species found on or near the U.S. Department of Energy`s (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) are identified. Twenty-eight species identified on the ORR are listed by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation as either endangered, threatened, or of special concern. Four of these have been under review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for possible listing (listed in the formerly-used C2 candidate category). Additional species listed by the state occur near and may be present on the ORR. A range of habitats support the rare taxa on the ORR: river bluffs, sinkholes, calcareous barrens, wetlands, utility corridors, and forests. The list of T&E plant species and their locations on the ORR should be considered provisional because the entire ORR has not been surveyed, and state and federal status of all species continues to be updated. The purpose of this document is to present information on the listed T&E plant species currently known to occur on the ORR as well as listed species potentially occurring on the ORR based on geographic range and habitat availability. For the purpose of this report, {open_quotes}T&E species{close_quotes} include all federal- and state-listed species, including candidates for listing, and species of special concern. Consideration of T&E plant habitats is an important component of resource management and land-use planning; protection of rare species in their natural habitat is the best method of ensuring their long-term survival. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1996-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/262979 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/262979 |
| Savannah River Site Environmental Implentation Plan | 053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-); ANIMALS; DATA BASE MANAGEMENT; EDUCATION; EMERGENCY PLANS; ENVIRONMENT; MAMMALS; MAN; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PERSONNEL; PLANNING; PRIMATES; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; TRAINING; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES | This report describes the organizational responsibilities for the Savannah River Site Environmental program. Operations, Engineering and projects, Environment, safety, and health, Quality assurance, and the Savannah River Laboratory are described. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1989-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6942556 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6942556 | |
| Savannah River Site Environmental Implentation Plan. Volume 3, Management and support programs | 053000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; DATA BASE MANAGEMENT; EMERGENCY PLANS; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS; PERSONNEL; PLANNING; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; TRAINING | This report describes the organizational responsibilities for the Savannah River Site Environmental program. Operations, Engineering and projects, Environment, safety, and health, Quality assurance, and the Savannah River Laboratory are described. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1989-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10104028 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10104028 | |
| Approach and Strategy for Performing Ecological Risk Assessments for the Department of Energy Oak Ridge Field Office Environmental Restoration Program | Suter, II, G W | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BREAKDOWN; COMPLIANCE; MANAGEMENT; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PLANNING; RISK ASSESSMENT; US EPA; US SUPERFUND | This technical memorandum provides guidance for planning and performing ecological risk assessments (ERAs) on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). This work was performed under Work Breakdown Structure 1.4.12.2.3.04.07.02 (Activity Data Sheet 8304) and meets an Environmental Restoration Program milestone for FY 95. The strategy discussed in this report is consistent with the overall strategy for site management and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) compliance developed for the ORR and relevant U.S. Environmental Protection Agency documents and guidance. The general approach and strategy presented herein was developed for the ORR, but it could be applicable to other complex CERCLA sites that possess significant ecological resources. | ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US) | OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION AND WASTE MANAGEMENT, DOE (US) | United States | 1992-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/814575 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/814575 |
| Environmental analysis of the operation of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (X-10 site) | Boyle, J W; Blumberg, R; Cotter, S J | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 500100 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510500 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989); 520100 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 530100* -- Environmental-Social Aspects of Energy Technologies-- Social & Economic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ACCIDENTS; AIR POLLUTION; BASELINE ECOLOGY; CLEANING; DECONTAMINATION; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGY; ECONOMIC IMPACT; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GEOLOGY; GROUND WATER; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROLOGY; INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS; LAND POLLUTION; LAND USE; MANAGEMENT; METEOROLOGY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY; OPERATION; ORNL; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; POLLUTION; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVITY; REVIEWS; SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WATER; WATER POLLUTION | An environmental analysis of the operation of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) facilities in Bethel Valley and Melton Valley was conducted to present to the public information concerning the extent to which recognizable effects, or potential effects, on the environment may occur. The analysis addresses current operations of the ORNL X-10 site and completed operations that may continue to have residual effects. Solid wastes from ORNL operations at the Y-12 site which are transported to the X-10 site for burial (e.g., Biology Division animal wastes) are included as part of X-10 site operation. Socioeconomic effects are associated primarily with the communities where employees live and with the Knoxville Bureau of Economic Analysis economic area as a whole. Therefore, ORNL employees at both Y-12 and X-10 sites are included in the ORNL socioeconomic impact analysis. An extensive base of environmental data was accumulated for this report. Over 80 reports related to ORNL facilities and/or operations are cited as well as many open-literature citations. Environmental effects of the operation of ORNL result from operational discharges from the onsite facilities; construction and/or modification of facilities, transportation to and from the site of persons, goods and services; socioeconomic impacts to the local, regional, and general population; and accidental discharges if they should occur. Operational discharges to the environnment are constrained by federal, state, and local regulations and by criteria established by the US Department of Energy to minimize adverse impacts. It is the purpose of this document to evaluate the operation of the ORNL insofar as impacts beyond the site boundary may occur or have the potential for occurrence. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1982-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6706652 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6706652 | |
| Independent review of inappropriate identification, storage and treatment methods of polychlorinated biphenyl waste streams | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; COMPLIANCE; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; HYDRAULIC FLUIDS; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MIXTURES; OIL SPILLS; POLLUTION REGULATIONS; POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; REMEDIAL ACTION; TANKS | The purpose of the review was to evaluate incidents involving the inappropriate identification, storage, and treatment methods associated with polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) waste streams originating from the V-tank system at the Test Area North (TAN). The team was instructed to perform a comprehensive review of Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Company (LMITCO`s) compliance programs related to these incidents to assess the adequacy and effectiveness of the management program in all respects including: adequacy of the waste management program in meeting all LMITCO requirements and regulations; adequacy of policies, plans, and procedures in addressing and implementing all federal and state requirements and regulations; and compliance status of LMITCO, LMITCO contract team members, and LMITCO contract/team member subcontractor personnel with established PCB management policies, plans, and procedures. The V-Tanks are part of an intermediate waste disposal system and are located at the Technical Support Facility (TSF) at TAN at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). The IRT evaluated how a waste was characterized, managed, and information was documented; however, they did not take control of wastes or ensure followup was performed on all waste streams that may have been generated from the V-Tanks. The team has also subsequently learned that the Environmental Restoration (ER) program is revising the plans for the decontamination and decommissioning of the intermediate waste disposal system based on new information listed and PCB wastes. The team has not reviewed those in-process changes. The source of PCB in the V-Tank is suspected to be a spill of hydraulic fluid in 1968. | Lockheed Idaho Technologies Co., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1997-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/578499 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/578499 | |
| Global change: Acronyms and abbreviations | Woodard, C T; Stoss, F W | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; CLIMATIC CHANGE; INFORMATION RETRIEVAL; STANDARDIZED TERMINOLOGY | This list of acronyms and abbreviations is compiled to provide the user with a ready reference to dicipher the linguistic initialisms and abridgements for the study of global change. The terms included in this first edition were selected from a wide variety of sources: technical reports, policy documents, global change program announcements, newsletters, and other periodicals. The disciplinary interests covered by this document include agriculture, atmospheric science, ecology, environmental science, oceanography, policy science, and other fields. In addition to its availability in hard copy, the list of acronyms and abbreviations is available in DOS-formatted diskettes and through CDIAC`s anonymous File Transfer Protocol (FTP) area on the Internet. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/543641 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/543641 |
| Capsule summaries of plants and laboratories, FY 1975 | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100* -- Management; INDUSTRIAL PLANTS; MANAGEMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | This report briefly describes the extent and scope of ERDA's existing nationwide field organization. The field organization includes 16 production facilities, 39 laboratories and research centers, and 11 field operations offices that are located across the country. Of primary focus here are the 55 plants and laboratories. These are primarily government-owned contractor-operated facilities but also include government-owned and -operated laboratories and long-standing off-site university contractors. These plants and laboratories represent a cumulative investment of slightly over $12 billion. They employ nearly 93,000 persons, 99 percent of which are contractor employees; over 20,000 are working scientists and engineers. (RWR) | Energy Research and Development Administration, Washington, D.C. (USA). Office of the Assistant Administrator for Field Operations | United States | 1976-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/7338557 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7338557 | ||
| Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1981 | Auerbach, S I; Reichle, D E | 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; 010900 -- Coal, Lignite, & Peat-- Environmental Aspects; 02 PETROLEUM; 020900 -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects; 052000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Management; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 520100* -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520302 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ACID RAIN; ACTINIDES; AIR POLLUTION; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; BIOMASS; CARBON CYCLE; COOLING SYSTEMS; ECOSYSTEMS; ELEMENTS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENERGY SYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; ISOTOPES; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MATERIALS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; METALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATURE RESERVES; ORNL; POLLUTION; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RAIN; REGIONAL ANALYSIS; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESOURCES; RISK ASSESSMENT; SOLID WASTES; SURFACE WATERS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TOXIC MATERIALS; TOXICITY; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; WATER RESERVOIRS | Research programs from the following sections and programs are summarized: aquatic ecology, environmental resources, earth sciences, terrestrial ecology, advanced fossil energy program, toxic substances program, environmental impacts program, biomass, low-level waste research and development program, US DOE low-level waste management program, and waste isolation program. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1982-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5179294 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5179294 | |
| A study of bat populations at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Bandelier National Monument, Jemez Mountains, New Mexico: FY95--97 report to Los Alamos National Laboratory and Bandelier National Monument | Bogan, M A; O`Shea, T J; Cryan, P M; Ditto, A M; Schaedla, W H; Valdez, E W; Castle, K T; Ellison, L | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BATS; LANL; NATURE RESERVES; NEW MEXICO; NUMERICAL DATA; POPULATION DENSITY; POPULATION DYNAMICS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS | In 1995, a three-year study was initiated to assess the current status of bat species of concern, elucidate distribution and relative abundance, and obtain information on roosting sites of bats. The authors captured and released 1532 bats of 15 species (Myotis californicus, M. ciliolabrum, M. evotis, M. thysanodes, M. volans, M. yumanensis, Lasiurus cinereus, Lasionycteris noctivagans, Pipistrellus hesperus, Eptesicus fuscus, Euderma maculatum, Corynorhinus townsendii, Antrozous pallidus, Tadarida brasiliensis, and Nyctinomops macrotis) and followed 32 bats of eight species (M. evotis, M. thysanodes, M. volans, E. fuscus, E. maculatum, C. townsendii, A. pallidus, and N. macrotis) to 51 active diurnal roosts. The most abundant species were L. noctivagans, E. fuscus, L. cinereus, M. evotis, M. volans, and M. ciliolabrum. Most of these species are typical inhabitants of ponderosa pine-mixed coniferous forests. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States) | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-12-31T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/296873 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/296873 |
| Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Relocation of Technical Area 18 Capabilities and Materials at the Los Alamos National Laboratory | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONSTRUCTION; CRITICALITY; Construction; Criticality; DESIGN; EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES; EIS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; Education; Final Report; Los Alamos National Laboratory; NEVADA TEST SITE; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); PERSONNEL; PROLIFERATION; Proposal; RELIABILITY; Report; SAFEGUARDS; SAFETY; SECURITY; TA-18 Relocation; Technical Area 18 | The National Nuclear Security Administration, a separately organized agency within DOE, is responsible for providing the Nation with nuclear weapons, ensuring the safety and reliability of those nuclear weapons, and supporting programs that reduce global nuclear proliferation. These missions are accomplished with a core team of highly trained nuclear experts. One of the major training facilities for these personnel is located at Technical Area 18 (TA-18), within the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, New Mexico. Principal TA-18 operational activities involve research in and the design, development, construction, and application of experiments on nuclear criticality. Though TA-18 is judged to be secure by DOE's independent inspection office, its buildings and infrastructure are from 30 to more than 50 years old and are increasingly expensive to maintain and operate. Additionally, the TA-18 operations are located in a relatively isolated area, resulting in increasingly high costs to maintain a security Category I infrastructure. NNSA wishes to maintain the important capabilities currently provided at TA-18 in a manner that reduces the long-term costs for safeguards and security. NNSA proposes to accomplish this by relocating the TA-18 security Category I/II capabilities and materials to new locations. The TA-18 Relocation EIS evaluates the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts associated with this proposed action at the following DOE sites: (1) a different site at LANL at Los Alamos, New Mexico; (2) the Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico at Albuquerque, New Mexico; (3) the Nevada Test Site near Las Vegas, Nevada (the Preferred Alternative); and (4) the Argonne National Laboratory-West near Idaho Falls, Idaho. The EIS also analyzes the alternatives of upgrading the existing TA-18 facilities and the No Action Alternative of maintaining the operations at the current TA-18 location. | US Department of Energy (USDOE), Washington, DC (United States) | USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP) | United States | 2002-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/823309 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/823309 | |
| Summary of Public Outreach by DOE for the Special Isotope Separation Project | Cochran, Thomas | 07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES; Isotope Separation; NPR | Summary of Public Outreach by DOE for the Special Isotope Separation Project. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) | United States | 1987-02-26T04:00:00Z | Program Document | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1822888 | |
| Framework for DOE mixed low-level waste disposal: Site fact sheets | Gruebel, M M; Waters, R D; Hospelhorn, M B; Chu, M S.Y. | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; GEOGRAPHY; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE SELECTION; US DOE | The Department of Energy (DOE) is required to prepare and submit Site Treatment Plans (STPS) pursuant to the Federal Facility Compliance Act (FFCAct). Although the FFCAct does not require that disposal be addressed in the STPS, the DOE and the States recognize that treatment of mixed low-level waste will result in residues that will require disposal in either low-level waste or mixed low-level waste disposal facilities. As a result, the DOE is working with the States to define and develop a process for evaluating disposal-site suitability in concert with the FFCAct and development of the STPS. Forty-nine potential disposal sites were screened; preliminary screening criteria reduced the number of sites for consideration to twenty-six. The DOE then prepared fact sheets for the remaining sites. These fact sheets provided additional site-specific information for understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the twenty-six sites as potential disposal sites. The information also provided the basis for discussion among affected States and the DOE in recommending sites for more detailed evaluation. | Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/65026 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/65026 |
| Analysis of Removal Alternatives for the Heavy Water Components Test Reactor at the Savannah River Site | Owen, M B | 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; DECISION MAKING; DECONTAMINATION; EVALUATION; HWCTR REACTOR; RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE; REACTOR COMPONENTS; REACTOR DECOMMISSIONING; REACTOR DISMANTLING; REACTOR SAFETY; REMEDIAL ACTION; UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL | This engineering study was developed to evaluate different options for decommissioning of the Heavy Water Components Test Reactor (HWCTR) at the Savannah River Site. This document will be placed in the DOE-SRS Area reading rooms for a period of 30 days in order to obtain public input to plans for the demolition of HWCTR. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States); U.S. Energy Corp., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1996-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/409936 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/409936 |
| Ecological risks of DOE`s programmatic environmental restoration alternatives | 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; COMPILED DATA; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; FEED MATERIALS PRODUCTION CENTER; HANFORD RESERVATION; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; HEALTH AND SAFETY; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT; REMEDIAL ACTION; RISK ASSESSMENT; ROCKY FLATS PLANT | This report assesses the ecological risks of the Department of Energy`s (DOE) Environmental Restoration Program. The assessment is programmatic in that it is directed at evaluation of the broad programmatic alternatives outlined in the DOE Implementation Plan. It attempts to (1) characterize the ecological resources present on DOE facilities, (2) describe the occurrence and importance of ecologically significant contamination at major DOE facilities, (3) evaluate the adverse ecological impacts of habitat disturbance caused by remedial activities, and (4) determine whether one or another of the programmatic alternatives is clearly ecologically superior to the others. The assessment focuses on six representative facilities: the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL); the Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP); the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), including the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Y-12 plant, and K-25 plant; the Rocky Flats Plant; the Hanford Reservation; and the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10180077 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10180077 | |
| Site characterization plan for groundwater in Waste Area Grouping 1 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee | Lee, R R; Curtis, A H; Houlberg, L M; Purucker, S T; Singer, M L; Tardiff, M F; Wolf, D A | 052002; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540220; 540230; 540320; 540330; CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; DECOMMISSIONING; DECONTAMINATION; GEOCHEMISTRY; GROUND DISPOSAL; GROUND WATER; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; HEALTH AND SAFETY; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; ORNL; PIPES; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SOILS; SURFACE WATERS; WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE | The Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 1 Groundwater Operable Unit (OU) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is undergoing a site characterization to identify environmental contamination that may be present. This document, Site Characterization Report for Groundwater in Waste Area Grouping I at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, identifies areas of concern with respect to WAG 1 groundwater and presents the rationale, justification, and objectives for conducting this continuing site characterization. This report summarizes the operations that have taken place at each of the areas of concern in WAG 1, summarizes previous characterization studies that have been performed, presents interpretations of previously collected data and information, identifies contaminants of concern, and presents an action plan for further site investigations and early actions that will lead to identification of contaminant sources, their major groundwater pathways, and reduced off-site migration of contaminated groundwater to surface water. Site characterization Activities performed to date at WAG I have indicated that groundwater contamination, principally radiological contamination, is widespread. An extensive network of underground pipelines and utilities have contributed to the dispersal of contaminants to an unknown extent. The general absence of radiological contamination in surface water at the perimeter of WAG 1 is attributed to the presence of pipelines and underground waste storage tank sumps and dry wells distributed throughout WAG 1 which remove more than about 40 million gal of contaminated groundwater per year. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10170380 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10170380 |
| Environmental Development Plan: Defense Waste Management | 052000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Management; 053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment, Health, & Safety; 290600 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Nuclear Energy; ELEMENTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GASEOUS WASTES; HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS; LEGAL ASPECTS; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL DEFENSE; OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY; PLANNING; PROCESSING; PUBLIC HEALTH; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAFETY; SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS; TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTE PROCESSING; WASTES | This Environmental Development Plan (EDP) encompasses the programmatic and environmental, health and safety considerations associated with the handling of DOE wastes generated primarily as a byproduct of the DOE national defense programs. The Defense Waste Management Program and the Commercial Waste Manageent (CWM) Program deal with similar technologies pertaining to waste processing, immobilization, packaging, burial, and disposal. However, commercial waste activities are addressed in a separate EDP and are considered in this EDP to the extent that such activities are common to the Defense Waste Management Program. This plan does not address mining and milling tails, transportation of wastes, decommissioning and decontamination (D and D) programs or safeguards, security, and profliferation aspects. | Department of Energy, Washington, DC (USA) | United States | 1980-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6833998 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6833998 | ||
| Oak Ridge Reservation site evaluation report for the Advanced Neutron Source | Sigmon, B; Heitzman, Jr, A C; Morrissey, J | 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220501 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Environmental Aspects-- Siting; 220600* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Research, Test & Experimental Reactors; AIR QUALITY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; HYDROLOGY; MAPS; METEOROLOGY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NEUTRON SOURCE FACILITIES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE SELECTION; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WATER QUALITY | The Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) is a research reactor that is the US Department of Energy (DOE) plans to build for initial service late in this century. The primary purpose of the ANS is to provide a useable neutron flux for scattering experiments 5 to 10 times as a high as that generated by any existing research reactor, secondary purposes include production of a variety of transuranic and other isotopes and irradiation of materials. The ANS is proposed to be located on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This report documents the evaluation of alternative sites on the ORR and the selection of a site for the ANS. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Science Applications International Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1990-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5759584 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5759584 |
| Oak Ridge Reservation site evaluation report for the Advanced Neutron Source | Sigmon, B; Heitzman, Jr, A C; Morrissey, J | 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220501; 220600; AIR QUALITY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HYDROLOGY; MAPS; METEOROLOGY; NEUTRON SOURCE FACILITIES; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; RESEARCH, TEST, TRAINING, PRODUCTION, IRRADIATION, MATERIALS TESTING REACTORS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE SELECTION; SITING; WATER QUALITY | The Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) is a research reactor that is the US Department of Energy (DOE) plans to build for initial service late in this century. The primary purpose of the ANS is to provide a useable neutron flux for scattering experiments 5 to 10 times as a high as that generated by any existing research reactor, secondary purposes include production of a variety of transuranic and other isotopes and irradiation of materials. The ANS is proposed to be located on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This report documents the evaluation of alternative sites on the ORR and the selection of a site for the ANS. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Science Applications International Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1990-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10120216 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10120216 |
| Historical Botany of the Romero Cabin: A Family Homestead on the Pajarito Plateau | Foxx, Teralene S; Tierney, Gail D | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BOTANY; ECOLOGY; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; LANL | No abstract prepared. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 1999-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/766951 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/766951 |
| Oak Ridge Reservation, annual site environmental report for 1993 | 053000; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; COMPILED DATA; COMPLIANCE; ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; HEALTH AND SAFETY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; POLLUTION LAWS; RADIATION MONITORING; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES | The US DOE currently oversees activities on the Oak Ridge Reservation, a government-owned, contractor-operated facility. Three sites compose the reservation; Y-12, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and K-25. This document contains a summary of environmental monitoring activities on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) and its surroundings. The results summarized in this report are based on the data collected during calendar year (CY) 1993 and compiled in; Environmental Monitoring in the Oak Ridge Reservation: CY 1993 Results. Annual environmental monitoring on the ORR consists of two major activities: effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. Effluent monitoring is the collection and analysis of samples or measurements of liquid, gaseous, or airborne effluents for the purpose of characterizing and quantifying contaminants and process stream characteristics, assessing radiation and chemical exposures to members of the public, and demonstrating compliance with applicable standards. Environmental surveillance is the collection and analysis of samples of air, water, soil, foodstuffs, biota, and other media from DOE sites and their environs and the measurement of external radiation for purposes of demonstrating compliance with applicable standards, assessing radiation and chemical exposures to members of the public, and assessing effects, if any, on the local environment. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10119310 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10119310 | |
| Environmental monitoring in the vicinity of the Savannah River Plant. Annual report for 1972 | *SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT-- ENVIRONMENT; DIFFUSION; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; SAVANNAH RIVER; WATER POLLUTION | Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Savannah River Plant | United States | 1973-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/4483243 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4483243 | |||
| Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 1997 | Evans, R B; Roush, D; Brooks, R W; Martin, D B | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; AIR; AIR SAMPLES; CONCENTRATIONS; DEPOSITION; DOSES; DRINKING WATER; FALLOUT; GAME ANIMALS; GROSS ALPHA; GROSS BETA; HEALTH PROTECTION; INGESTION; INHALATION; MILK; MONITORING; NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY; OFFSITE ENVIRONMENT; POPULATION DOSE; PRECIPITATION; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVITY; RECOMMENDATIONS; SUBMERSION; SURFACE WATER | The results of the various monitoring programs for 1997 indicated that radioactivity from the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) operations could generally not be distinguished from worldwide fallout and natural radioactivity in the region surrounding the INEEL. Although some radioactive materials were discharged during INEEL operations, concentrations in the offsite environment and doses to the surrounding population were far less than state of Idaho and federal health protection guidelines. The maximum potential population dose from submersion, ingestion, inhalation, and deposition to the approximately 121,500 people residing within an 80-km (50-mi) radius from the geographical center of the INEEL was estimated to be 0.2 person-rem (2 x 10-3 person-Sv) using the MDIFF air dispersion model. This population dose is less than 0.0005% of the estimated 43,700 person-rem (437 person-Sv) population dose from background radioactivity. | Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (US); Environmental Science and Research Foundation, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 1998-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/769254 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/769254 |
| Annual report on in-house energy management, FY 1988 | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 291000* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Conservation; 293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy, Legislation, & Regulation; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; 320100 -- Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization-- Buildings; 320200 -- Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization-- Transportation; BUILDINGS; EFFICIENCY; ENERGY ANALYSIS; ENERGY CONSERVATION; ENERGY CONSUMPTION; ENERGY EFFICIENCY; ENERGY FACILITIES; ENERGY POLICY; ENERGY SOURCES; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; LABORATORIES; MANAGEMENT; MARKETING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; ORGANIZATIONAL MODELS; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; REPORTING REQUIREMENTS; STANDARDS; SURVEYS; TRANSPORTATION SECTOR; US DOE; US DOE FIELD OFFICES; US ORGANIZATIONS; WEAPONS | Each Federal Executive agency is required by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to submit an Annual Report on Energy Management. '' During Fiscal Year 1988, the Department of Energy (DOE) completed its third year of operation under its Ten-Year In-house Energy Management Plan for FY 1986--FY 1995. This Annual Report will address program activities during FY 1988, summarize total program achievements, as well as evaluate progress toward the achievement of DOE efficiency and energy reduction goals as outlined in the ten-year plan. 39 figs., 5 tabs. | USDOE Assistant Secretary for Management and Administration, Washington, DC (USA). Office of Project and Facilities Management | DOE/MA | United States | 1989-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5687153 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5687153 | |
| The nuclear weapons complex: Management for health, safety, and the environment | 054000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Health & Safety; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 450200 -- Military Technology, Weaponry, & National Defense-- Nuclear Explosions & Explosives; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540210 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-); ACTINIDES; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; COMMUNICATIONS; CONTAMINATION; CONTROL; ELEMENTS; ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS; ENGINEERING; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; FIRE HAZARDS; HAZARDS; LABORATORIES; MANAGEMENT; MEASURING METHODS; METALS; MODIFICATIONS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY; OPTIMIZATION; PLUTONIUM; PROCESS CONTROL; PRODUCTION; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; PUBLIC HEALTH; RECOMMENDATIONS; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAFETY; SEISMIC EFFECTS; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WEAPONS | The Department of Energy (DOE) operates 17 major facilities to develop and produce nuclear weapons. The facilities, which together are termed the weapons complex,'' include laboratores that design and test the weapons and components; materials for use in weapons; and weapons production facilities that either produce various components or assemble them into completed weapons, or both. This report, which was requested of the National Research Council by DOE at the direction of Congress, sets out an assessment of various management, environmental, health, and safety issues melting to the operation of the complex. An examination of the weapons complex is an immense undertaking. The facilities are located throughout the United States, and each of the major facilities is a huge and sophisticated operation. The total budget of the complex for FY 1990 amounts to some $10 billion and involves a staff of some 80,000 people working for the Department and its contractors. The Department confronts a variety of problems in connection with its stewardship of the complex. Many of the facilities are old, and maintenance over the years has been inadequate. There is a legacy of environmental contamination that must be addressed. Moreover, DOE must be prepared to operate under close public scrutiny and in compliance with environmental and safety standards that have become increasingly stringent over time. 42 refs., 8 figs., 4 tabs. | National Research Council, Washington, DC (USA). Committee to Provide Interim Oversight of the DOE Nuclear Weapons Complex | DOE/DP | United States | 1989-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/7052216 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7052216 | |
| Final environmental impact statement for the construction and operation of an independent spent fuel storage installation to store the Three Mile Island Unit 2 spent fuel at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. Docket Number 72-20 | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE; SPENT FUEL STORAGE; STORAGE FACILITIES; THREE MILE ISLAND-2 REACTOR; US DOE; US NRC | This Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) contains an assessment of the potential environmental impacts of the construction and operation of an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) for the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) fuel debris at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental laboratory (INEEL). US Department of Energy-Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) is proposing to design, construct, and operate at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP). The TMI-2 fuel debris would be removed from wet storage, transported to the ISFSI, and placed in storage modules on a concrete basemat. As part of its overall spent nuclear fuel (SNF) management program, the US DOE has prepared a final programmatic environmental impact statement (EIS) that provides an overview of the spent fuel management proposed for INEEL, including the construction and operation of the TMI-2 ISFSI. In addition, DOE-ID has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) to describe the environmental impacts associated with the stabilization of the storage pool and the construction/operation of the ISFSI at the ICPP. As provided in NRC`s NEPA procedures, a FEIS of another Federal agency may be adopted in whole or in part in accordance with the procedures outlined in 40 CFR 1506.3 of the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). Under 40 CFR 1506.3(b), if the actions covered by the original EIS and the proposed action are substantially the same, the agency adopting another agency`s statement is not required to recirculate it except as a final statement. The NRC has determined that its proposed action is substantially the same as actions considered in DOE`s environmental documents referenced above and, therefore, has elected to adopt the DOE documents as the NRC FEIS. | Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards | Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/573193 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/573193 | |
| Technology applications bulletins: Number one | Koncinski, W Jr | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; 320000 -- Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization; 42 ENGINEERING; 420200 -- Engineering-- Facilities, Equipment, & Techniques; 440300 -- Miscellaneous Instruments-- (-1989); 47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990210 -- Supercomputers-- (1987-1989); ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE; CONTROL SYSTEMS; ENERGY CONSERVATION; ENERGY SOURCES; MANUFACTURING; MEASURING METHODS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ON-LINE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS; ON-LINE SYSTEMS; ORNL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; ROBOTS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Energy Systems), operates five facilities for the US Department of Energy (DOE): the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), which is a large, multidisciplinary research and development (R and D) center whose primary mission is energy research; the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, which engages in defense research, development, and production; and the uranium-enrichment plants at Oak Ridge; Paducah, Kentucky; and Portsmouth, Ohio. Much of the research carried out at these facilities is of interest to industry and to state or local governments. To make information about this research available, the Energy Systems Office of Technology Applications publishes brief descriptions of selected technologies and reports. These technology applications bulletins describe the new technology and inform the reader about how to obtain further information, gain access to technical resources, and initiate direct contact with Energy Systems researchers. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1989-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5895975 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5895975 | |
| Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1982 to the DOE Office of Energy Research. Part 2. Environmental sciences | Vaughan, B E | 520200* -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ABSTRACTS; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; COAL GASIFICATION; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; GASIFICATION; LEADING ABSTRACT; MANAGEMENT; MASS TRANSFER; MATHEMATICS; RADIATION EFFECTS; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; SOLID WASTES; STATISTICS; THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES | The following research areas are highlighted: terrestrial and riverine ecology; marine sciences; radionuclide fate and effects; ecological effects of coal conversion; solid waste: mobilization fate and effects; and statistical and theoretical research. A listing of interagency services agreements provided at the end of this report. (PSB) | Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA) | United States | 1983-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6423850 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6423850 | |
| Guidance Manual for Conducting Screening Level Ecological Risk Assessments at the INEL | VanHorn, R L; Hampton, N L; Morris, R C | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONCEPTUAL SITE MODEL; ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; MANUALS; PATHWAYS OF CONTAMINANT MIGRATION; RISK ASSESSMENT; RISK CHARACTERIZATION; SCREENING LEVEL ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; STRESSOR CHARACTERIZATION; US EPA; WASTE AREA GROUP (WAG); WASTES | This document presents reference material for conducting screening level ecological risk assessments (SLERAs)for the waste area groups (WAGs) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Included in this document are discussions of the objectives of and processes for conducting SLERAs. The Environmental Protection Agency ecological risk assessment framework is closely followed. Guidance for site characterization, stressor characterization, ecological effects, pathways of contaminant migration, the conceptual site model, assessment endpoints, measurement endpoints, analysis guidance, and risk characterization are included. | Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (US) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US) | United States | 1995-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/11009 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/11009 |
| Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1994 | Arnett, M W; Mamatey, A; Spitzer, D | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONTAMINATION; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; MONITORING; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; SAMPLING; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SURVEILLANCE | The mission at the Savannah River Site has changed from producing nuclear weapons materials for national defense to managing the waste it has generated, restoring the environment, and enhancing industrial development in and around the site. But no matter what the site`s mission is, it will continue to maintain its comprehensive environmental monitoring and surveillance program. In 1994, effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance were conducted within a 30,000-square-mile area in and around SRS that includes neighboring cities, towns, and counties in Georgia and South Carolina and extends up to 100 miles from the site. Thousands of samples of air, surface water, groundwater, foodstuffs, drinking water, wildlife, rainwater, soil, sediment, and vegetation were collected and analyzed for radioactive and nonradioactive contaminants. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-12-16T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/195620 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/195620 |
| 105-DR Large Sodium Fire Facility closure plan. Revision 1 | 052000; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; CLOSURES; FIRE FIGHTING; GROUND WATER; HANFORD RESERVATION; HEALTH AND SAFETY; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; MONITORING; PLANNING; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SAMPLING; SODIUM; WASTE MANAGEMENT | The Hanford Site, located northwest of the city of Richland, Washington, houses reactors, chemical-separation systems, and related facilities used for the production of special nuclear materials, and activities associated with nuclear energy development. The 105-DR Large Sodium Fire Facility (LSFF), which was in operation from about 1972 to 1986, was a research laboratory that occupied the former ventilation supply room on the southwest side of the 105-DR Reactor facility. The LSFF was established to provide a means of investigating fire and safety aspects associated with large sodium or other metal alkali fires in the liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) facilities. The 105-DR Reactor facility was designed and built in the 1950`s and is located in the 100-D Area of the Hanford Site. The building housed the 105-DR defense reactor, which was shut down in 1964. The LSFF was initially used only for engineering-scale alkali metal reaction studies. In addition, the Fusion Safety Support Studies program sponsored intermediate-size safety reaction tests in the LSFF with lithium and lithium lead compounds. The facility has also been used to store and treat alkali metal waste, therefore the LSFF is subject to the regulatory requirements for the storage and treatment of dangerous waste. Closure will be conducted pursuant to the requirements of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-303-610. This closure plan presents a description of the facility, the history of waste managed, and the procedures that will be followed to close the LSFF as an Alkali Metal Treatment Facility. No future use of the LSFF is expected. | USDOE Richland Field Office, WA (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10195136 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10195136 | |
| Trends and balances: 1985-1990 | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100* -- Management; INFORMATION; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; ORNL; PLANNING; PUBLIC INFORMATION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | This is the seventh edition of Trends and Balances to be presented to the staff of Oak Ridge National (ORNL) and other interested parties. Each year at the end of the planning cycle the Laboratory publishes its official planning document, the Institutional Plan. Trends and Balances is brought out as a condensation of that more formal document and is intended to provide a reference to the kinds of plans that have occupied senior laboratory management over the past year. An institution as large as ORNL changes slowly, so some of the information in this document overlaps that contained in the previous edition of Trends and Balances. Much, however, is different. A new section, for example, describes what senior Laboratory management feels are five new directions for science and technology at ORNL. This document is intended to provide new insights into the programs and structure of the Laboratory. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA) | United States | 1985-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5990627 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5990627 | ||
| Idaho National Engineering Laboratory site development plan | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, AND SAFETY; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; PLANNING; SITE APPROVALS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SITE PREPARATION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES | This plan briefly describes the 20-year outlook for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). Missions, workloads, worker populations, facilities, land, and other resources necessary to fulfill the 20-year site development vision for the INEL are addressed. In addition, the plan examines factors that could enhance or deter new or expanded missions at the INEL. And finally, the plan discusses specific site development issues facing the INEL, possible solutions, resources required to resolve these issues, and the anticipated impacts if these issues remain unresolved. | Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10191030 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10191030 | |
| Measuring the environmental effects of thermal discharges | Harvey, R. S.; Randall, D. | *AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; *SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT-- THERMAL EFFLUENTS; *SURFACE WATERS-- THERMAL POLLUTION; *THERMAL EFFLUENTS-- BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; ANIMALS; FISHES; N44630* --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Thermal Effluents-- Water; PLANTS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS | Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Savannah River Lab. | United States | 1972-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/4296159 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4296159 | ||
| Impacts Analyses Supporting the National Environmental Policy Act Environmental Assessment for the Resumption of Transient Testing Program | Schafer, Annette L.; Brown, LLoyd C.; Carathers, David C.; Christensen, Boyd D.; Dahl, James J.; Miller, Mark L.; Farnum, Cathy Ottinger; Peterson, Steven; Sondrup, A. Jeffrey; Subaiya, Peter V.; Wachs, Daniel M.; Weiner, Ruth F. | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; NEPA; TREAT; environmental assessment; impacts analyses | This document contains the analysis details and summary of analyses conducted to evaluate the environmental impacts for the Resumption of Transient Fuel and Materials Testing Program. It provides an assessment of the impacts for the two action alternatives being evaluated in the environmental assessment. These alternatives are (1) resumption of transient testing using the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and (2) conducting transient testing using the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR) at Sandia National Laboratory in New Mexico (SNL/NM). Analyses are provided for radiologic emissions, other air emissions, soil contamination, and groundwater contamination that could occur (1) during normal operations, (2) as a result of accidents in one of the facilities, and (3) during transport. It does not include an assessment of the biotic, cultural resources, waste generation, or other impacts that could result from the resumption of transient testing. Analyses were conducted by technical professionals at INL and SNL/NM as noted throughout this report. The analyses are based on bounding radionuclide inventories, with the same inventories used for test materials by both alternatives and different inventories for the TREAT Reactor and ACRR. An upper value on the number of tests was assumed, with a test frequency determined by the realistic turn-around times required between experiments. The estimates provided for impacts during normal operations are based on historical emission rates and projected usage rates; therefore, they are bounding. Estimated doses for members of the public, collocated workers, and facility workers that could be incurred as a result of an accident are very conservative. They do not credit safety systems or administrative procedures (such as evacuation plans or use of personal protective equipment) that could be used to limit worker doses. Doses estimated for transportation are conservative and are based on transport of the bounding radiologic inventory that will be contained in any given test. The transportation analysis assumes all transports will contain the bounding inventory. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) | United States | 2014-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1123849 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1123849 |
| Environmental Assessment Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, low-level and mixed waste processing | 052001; 052002; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; COMBUSTION; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; LAND TRANSPORT; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE; WASTE PROCESSING | The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA), DOE/EA-0843, for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) low-level and mixed waste processing. The original proposed action, as reviewed in this EA, was (1) to incinerate INEL`s mixed low-level waste (MLLW) at the Waste Experimental Reduction Facility (WERF); (2) reduce the volume of INEL generated low-level waste (LLW) through sizing, compaction, and stabilization at the WERF; and (3) to ship INEL LLW to a commercial incinerator for supplemental LLW volume reduction. | USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-06-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10121211 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10121211 | |
| Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1991 to the DOE Office of Energy Research | Perez, D A | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540220* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 540230 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); 550700 -- Microbiology; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; AQUIFERS; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; DESORPTION; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; MASS TRANSFER; MINERALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SORPTIVE PROPERTIES; SURFACE PROPERTIES; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | This report summarizes progress in environmental sciences research conducted by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Health and Environmental Research in FY 1991. Each project in the PNL research program is a component in an integrated laboratory, intermediate-scale, and field approach designed to examine multiple phenomena at increasing levels of complexity. Examples include definition of the role of fundamental geochemical and physical phenomena on the diversity and function of microorganisms in the deep subsurface, and determination of the controls on nutrient, water, and energy dynamics in arid ecosystems and their response to stress at the landscape scale. The Environmental Science Research Center has enable PNL to extend fundamental knowledge of subsurface science to develop emerging new concepts for use in natural systems and in environmental restoration of DOE sites. New PNL investments have been made in developing advanced concepts for addressing chemical desorption kinetics, enzyme transformations and redesign, the role of heterogeneity in contaminant transport, and modeling of fundamental ecological processes. | Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5244920 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5244920 |
| Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1991 to the DOE Office of Energy Research. Part 2, Environmental sciences | Perez, D A | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540220; 540230; 550700; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; AQUIFERS; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; DESORPTION; ENVIRONMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; MICROBIOLOGY; MINERALS; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SORPTIVE PROPERTIES; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS | This report summarizes progress in environmental sciences research conducted by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the US Department of Energy`s (DOE) Office of Health and Environmental Research in FY 1991. Each project in the PNL research program is a component in an integrated laboratory, intermediate-scale, and field approach designed to examine multiple phenomena at increasing levels of complexity. Examples include definition of the role of fundamental geochemical and physical phenomena on the diversity and function of microorganisms in the deep subsurface, and determination of the controls on nutrient, water, and energy dynamics in arid ecosystems and their response to stress at the landscape scale. The Environmental Science Research Center has enable PNL to extend fundamental knowledge of subsurface science to develop emerging new concepts for use in natural systems and in environmental restoration of DOE sites. New PNL investments have been made in developing advanced concepts for addressing chemical desorption kinetics, enzyme transformations and redesign, the role of heterogeneity in contaminant transport, and modeling of fundamental ecological processes. | Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1992-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10154344 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10154344 |
| Technical books and monographs. 1979 compilation | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; 990100 -- Management; BIBLIOGRAPHIES; BIOLOGY; CHEMISTRY; COMPUTERS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ENERGY; ENGINEERING; ENVIRONMENT; ISOTOPE SEPARATION; MATERIALS; MATHEMATICS; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; MEDICINE; METALLURGY; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PHYSICS; REACTORS; SAFETY; SEPARATION PROCESSES; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS | This booklet lists technical books and monographs published since the issuance of Technical Books and Monographs, 1978 Catalog, a bibliography of books and monographs sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE) or by one of the earlier organizations that were brought together to form DOE. In general, information for each published book, and for each book in press when known, includes title, author and author affiliation, publisher and publication date, page count, size of book, price, availability information if the book is not available from the publisher, Library of Congress card number, International Standard Book Number (ISBN), a brief descriptive statement concerning the book, and a list or a description of the contents. The books and monographs are grouped under twelve subject categories: general reference, biology and medicine, chemistry, computers and mathematics, energy, engineering and instrumentation, environment, health and safety, isotope separation, metallurgy and materials, physics, and reactors. (RWR) | United States | 1980-01-01T04:00:00Z | Book | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6770828 | ||||
| Y-12 Plant Remedial Action technology logic diagram. Volume I: Technology evaluation | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY; AUTOMATION; GROUND WATER; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; MERCURY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; ORGANIC WASTES; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; REGULATIONS; REMEDIAL ACTION; ROBOTS; SOILS; SURFACE WATERS; URANIUM | The Y-12 Plant Remedial Action Program addresses remediation of the contaminated groundwater, surface water and soil in the following areas located on the Oak Ridge Reservation: Chestnut Ridge, Bear Creek Valley, the Upper and Lower East Fork Popular Creek Watersheds, CAPCA 1, which includes several areas in which remediation has been completed, and CAPCA 2, which includes dense nonaqueous phase liquid wells and a storage facility. There are many facilities within these areas that are contaminated by uranium, mercury, organics, and other materials. This Technology Logic Diagram identifies possible remediation technologies that can be applied to the soil, water, and contaminants for characterization, treatment, and waste management technology options are supplemented by identification of possible robotics or automation technologies. These would facilitate the cleanup effort by improving safety, of remediation, improving the final remediation product, or decreasing the remediation cost. The Technology Logic Diagram was prepared by a diverse group of more than 35 scientists and engineers from across the Oak Ridge Reservation. Most are specialists in the areas of their contributions. 22 refs., 25 tabs. | Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (United States) | USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/531082 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/531082 | |
| 2001 Wastewater Land Application Site Performance Reports for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory | Meachum, T R; Lewis, M G | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GROUND DISPOSAL; LAND; MONITORING; PERFORMANCE; PERMIT; WASTEWATER | The 2001 Wastewater Land Application Site Performance Reports for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory describe site conditions for the facilities with State of Idaho Wastewater Land Application Permits. Permit-required monitoring data are summarized, and any permit exceedences or environmental impacts relating to the operation of any of the facilities during the 2001 permit year are discussed. Additionally, any special studies performed at the facilities, which related to the operation of the facility or application of the wastewater, are discussed. | Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID (US) | USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US) | United States | 2002-02-15T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/795688 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/795688 |
| 2001 Wastewater Land Application Site Performance Reports for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory | Meachum, Teresa Ray; Lewis, Michael George | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; land; monitoring; permit; wastewater | The 2001 Wastewater Land Application Site Performance Reports for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory describe site conditions for the facilities with State of Idaho Wastewater Land Application Permits. Permit-required monitoring data are summarized, and any permit exceedences or environmental impacts relating to the operation of any of the facilities during the 2001 permit year are discussed. Additionally, any special studies performed at the facilities, which related to the operation of the facility or application of the wastewater, are discussed. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL) | USDOE | United States | 2002-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/911414 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/911414 |
| Inventory of Federal energy-related environment and safety research for FY 1978. Volume II. Project listings and indexes | 500100* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 520100 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENERGY; ENVIRONMENT; INVENTORIES; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAFETY; US ORGANIZATIONS | This volume contains summaries of FY-1978 government-sponsored environment and safety research related to energy. Project summaries were collected by Aerospace Corporation under contract with the Department of Energy, Office of Program Coordination, under the Assistant Secretary for Environment. Summaries are arranged by log number, which groups the projects by reporting agency. The log number is a unique number assigned to each project from a block of numbers set aside for each agency. Information about the projects is included in the summary listings. This includes the project title, principal investigators, research organization, project number, contract number, supporting organization, funding level if known, related energy sources with numbers indicating percentages of effort devoted to each, and R and D categories. A brief description of each project is given, and this is followed by subject index terms that were assigned for computer searching and for generating the printed subject index in Volume IV. | Department of Energy, Washington, DC (USA). Office of Program Coordinator | USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) | United States | 1979-12-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/5540310 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5540310 | |
| Decommissioning and decontamination planning for Hanford nuclear facilities using multiattributed decision analysis | Litchfield, J W; King, J C | 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220200* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Components & Accessories; 220900 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety; 38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY; 400702 -- Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry-- Properties of Radioactive Materials; CLEANING; COMPUTER CALCULATIONS; DATA; DATA ANALYSIS; DATA COMPILATION; DECISION MAKING; DECOMMISSIONING; DECONTAMINATION; DELPHI METHOD; FORECASTING; HANFORD RESERVATION; INFORMATION; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; NUMERICAL DATA; PLANNING; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS | The 570-square mile Hanford Project contains facilities with varying degrees of radioactive contamination as a result of plutonium production operations. With the evolution of production requirements and technology, many of these have been retired and will be decommissioned and decontaminated (D and D). Because of the large number of facilities and high cost of decontamination strategies, a multiattributed decision model was used to develop individual facility D and D priorities. Each facility was treated as an alternative and four prioritization criterion were developed. Because this approach required approximately 2400 performance estimates (approx. 600 facilities on each of four criteria), computerized models were developed to determine these performance estimates utilizing a computer-based information system as the data base. The relative importance of each criterion was determined by experts from the Energy Research and Development Administration and the major Hanford contractors using a modified Delphi technique. The importance rankings (or weights) were combined with utility functions, also determined by the experts, to give an importance function that responded to the level of each criteria as well as to its overall intrinsic importance. The importance functions and the performance estimates of each facility on each criterion were combined in a prioritization model that determined a priority index for each facility. This index is an integral part of the overall decommissioning and decontamination plan. | Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA) | USDOE | United States | 1977-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6413388 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6413388 |
| Los Alamos Life Sciences Division's biomedical and environmental research programs. Progress report, January-December 1981. [Leading abstract] | Holland, L M; Stafford, C G | 510100 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 550200 -- Biochemistry; 550400 -- Genetics; 550900 -- Pathology; 560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ABSTRACTS; ANIMALS; BIOLOGY; BIOPHYSICS; CELL FLOW SYSTEMS; DEER; DOCUMENT TYPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; GENETICS; LASL; LEADING ABSTRACT; MAMMALS; MINERAL OILS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OILS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; PATHOLOGY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RUMINANTS; SHALE OIL; SYNTHESIS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TOXICITY; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES | This report summarizes research and development activities of the Los Alamos Life Sciences Division's Biomedical and Environmental Research program for the calendar year 1981. Individual reports describing the current status of projects have been entered individually into the data base. | Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1982-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6118008 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6118008 | |
| Remedial investigation/feasibility study for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek operable unit. Volume 5. Appendixes G, H, I, J | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CESIUM 137; CLINCH RIVER; CONTAMINATION; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; LIQUID WASTES; MERCURY; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; PESTICIDES; POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS; QUALITY ASSURANCE; QUALITY CONTROL; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; REMEDIAL ACTION; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; WATER QUALITY | The Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Program for Phase 2 of the Clinch River Remedial Investigation (CRRI) was designed to comply with both Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5700.6C and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) QAMS-005/80 (EPA 1980a) guidelines. QA requirements and the general QA objectives for Phase 2 data were defined in the Phase 2 Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP)-Quality Assurance Project Plan, and scope changes noted in the Phase 2 Sampling and Analysis Plan Addendum. The QA objectives for Phase 2 data were the following: (1) Scientific data generated will withstand scientific and legal scrutiny. (2) Data will be gathered using appropriate procedures for sample collection, sample handling and security, chain of custody (COC), laboratory analyses, and data reporting. (3) Data will be of known precision and accuracy. (4) Data will meet data quality objectives (DQOs) defined in the Phase 2 SAP. | Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/226395 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/226395 | |
| Remedial investigation work plan for the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek characterization area, Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON TETRACHLORIDE; CHLOROFORM; DATA; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; GROUND WATER; LAND POLLUTION; REMEDIAL ACTION; RESOURCE RECOVERY ACTS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; STREAMS; US SUPERFUND; WATER POLLUTION; Y-12 PLANT | The Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, located within the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), is owned by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and managed by Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc. The entire ORR was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) of CERCLA sites in November 1989. Following CERCLA guidelines, sites under investigation require a remedial investigation (RI) to define the nature and extent of contamination, evaluate the risks to public health and the environment, and determine the goals for a feasibility study (FS) of potential remedial actions. The need to complete RIs in a timely manner resulted in the establishment of the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek (UEFPC) Characterization Area (CA) and the Bear Creek CA. The CA approach considers the entire watershed and examines all appropriate media within it. The UEFPC CA, which includes the main Y-12 Plant area, is an operationally and hydrogeologically complex area that contains numerous contaminants and containment sources, as well as ongoing industrial and defense-related activities. The UEFPC CA also is the suspected point of origin for off-site groundwater and surface-water contamination. The UEFPC CA RI also will address a carbon-tetrachloride/chloroform-dominated groundwater plume that extends east of the DOE property line into Union Valley, which appears to be connected with springs in the valley. In addition, surface water in UEFPC to the Lower East Fork Poplar Creek CA boundary will be addressed. Through investigation of the entire watershed as one ``site,`` data gaps and contaminated areas will be identified and prioritized more efficiently than through separate investigations of many discrete units. | Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (United States); CDM Federal Programs Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/171289 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/171289 | |
| Energy policy and decision analysis: new concepts and mechanisms | Kaufman, E L; Vogel, R W | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290100 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Analysis & Modeling; 293000* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy, Legislation, & Regulation; DECISION MAKING; ENERGY ANALYSIS; ENERGY POLICY; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; MANAGEMENT; NORTH AMERICA; PUBLIC POLICY; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; USA | The US has entered an administrative era much more complex than that which existed earlier. The present technique used for policymaking and public problem solving was developed decades ago and is no longer appropriate. Today's energy dilemmas are symptomatic of an administrative management system that cannot function within the necessary time frames. Similar dilemmas can be expected in other categories that cut across government organizational structure. If questions of energy independence, or at what rate can imports be reduced, while maintaining a reasonable rate of growth, are important, the technique presented offers a means for answer. However, commitment to change is required. The change is not merely the exchange of bureaucracies for the sake of change, but a switch in the manner in which dependable decisions are made. This paper describes relevant portions of the energy-management problem and a technique wherein objective energy policy analysis can be performed in a short time frame. A precept for decision criteria is proposed and a set of fundamental concepts are described that allow quantitative assessment of policy and decision consequences for the total energy system. A decision conferencing is described wherein the technical assessment is combined with the political acumen of experienced decision makers to allow the best public-interest choice to be made. A rationale is also presented for the organizational placement of the analysis function, outside of government or industry. This placement will provide a much needed level of credibility, higher than that which presently exists, and will reduce bias and equitably balance the needs of the public, government, and industry. | Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA) | United States | 1979-07-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6001155 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6001155 | |
| Steamlined Approach for Environmental Restoration (SAFER) Plan For Corrective Action Unit 394: Areas 12, 18, and 29, Spill/Release Sites, Nevada Test Site, Nevada (November 2001, Rev. 0) | 394; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ASPHALTS; CAS; CAU; CONCEPTUAL SITE MODELS; CONCRETES; COPCS; CORRECTIVE ACTION UNIT; CSM; FFACO; HYDROCARBONS; LAND USE; NEVADA TEST SITE; OIL SPILLS; PLANNING; RADIOISOTOPES; REMEDIAL ACTION; SOILS; WASTE OILS | This plan addresses the actions necessary for the characterization and closure of Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 394: Areas 12, 18, and 29, Spill/Release Sites, identified in the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO). The CAU, located on the Nevada Test Site, consists of six Corrective Action Sites (CASs): CAS 12-25-04, UST 12-16-2 Waste Oil Release; CAS 18-25-02, Oil Spills; CAS 18-25-02, Oil Spills; CAS 18-25-03, Oil Spill; CAS 18-25-04, Spill (Diesel Fuel); CAS 29-44-01, Fuel Spill (a & b). Process knowledge is the basis for the development of the conceptual site models (CSMs). The CSMs describe the most probable scenario for current conditions at each site, and define the assumptions that are the basis for the SAFER plan. The assumptions are formulated from historical information and process knowledge. Vertical migration of contaminant(s) of potential concern (COPCs) is expected to be predominant over lateral migration in the absence of any barrier (with asphalt /concrete being the exception at least two of the CASs). Soil is the impacted or potentially impacted media at all the sites, with asphalt and/or concrete potentially impacted at two of the CASs. Radionuclides are not expected at any CAS; hydrocarbons are the primary COPC at each CAS, and can be used to guide the investigation; future land-use scenarios limit use to various nonresidential uses; and exposure scenarios are limited by future land-use scenarios to site workers. There is sufficient information and process knowledge from historical documentation regarding the expected nature and extent of potential contaminants to recommend closure of CAU 394 using the SAFER process. On completion of the field activities, a Closure Report will be prepared and submitted to the NDEP for review and approval. | IT Corporation, Las Vegas, NV (US) | U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Operations Office (NNSA/NV) (US) | United States | 2001-09-24T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/792882 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/792882 | |
| 2000 Savannah River Biological Surveys for Westinghouse Savannah River Company | Arnett, M | 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; POLLUTANTS; SAVANNAH RIVER; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; WATER QUALITY | The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia has been conducting biological and water quality studies of the Savannah River since 1951. These studies are designed to assess potential effects of Savannah River Site (SRS) contaminants and warm-water discharges on the general health of the river and its tributaries. The study design includes multiple biological groups spanning a broad range of ecological roles, both because no single group is the best indicator of every component of water quality and because there is wide-spread agreement that protecting the entire system is important. | Savannah River Site (US) | US Department of Energy (US) | United States | 2002-02-08T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/799317 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/799317 |
| Melton Valley Storage Tanks Capacity Increase Project, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee | 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR QUALITY; CONSTRUCTION; DRINKING WATER; ECOSYSTEMS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GROUND WATER; LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; ORNL; STORAGE FACILITIES; TANKS; WASTE STORAGE | The US Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to construct and maintain additional storage capacity at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for liquid low-level radioactive waste (LLLW). New capacity would be provided by a facility partitioned into six individual tank vaults containing one 100,000 gallon LLLW storage tank each. The storage tanks would be located within the existing Melton Valley Storage Tank (MVST) facility. This action would require the extension of a potable water line approximately one mile from the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) area to the proposed site to provide the necessary potable water for the facility including fire protection. Alternatives considered include no-action, cease generation, storage at other ORR storage facilities, source treatment, pretreatment, and storage at other DOE facilities. | USDOE Oak Ridge Operations Office, TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1995-04-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/219098 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/219098 | |
| SRS ecology: Environmental information document | Wike, L D; Shipley, R W; Bowers, J A | 053002; 053003; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220502; 220503; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; 540350; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; CHEMICAL AND THERMAL EFFLUENTS; COMPILED DATA; ECOSYSTEMS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; HABITAT; HYDROLOGY; MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; WATER QUALITY; WETLANDS; WILD ANIMALS | The purpose of this Document is to provide a source of ecological information based on the exiting knowledge gained from research conducted at the Savannah River Site. This document provides a summary and synthesis of ecological research in the three main ecosystem types found at SRS and information on the threatened and endangered species residing there. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10116863 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10116863 |
| Idaho National Laboratory Cultural Resource Management Plan | Williams, Julie Braun | 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; archaeology; cultural resources; history | As a federal agency, the U.S. Department of Energy has been directed by Congress, the U.S. president, and the American public to provide leadership in the preservation of prehistoric, historic, and other cultural resources on the lands it administers. This mandate to preserve cultural resources in a spirit of stewardship for the future is outlined in various federal preservation laws, regulations, and guidelines such as the National Historic Preservation Act, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act. The purpose of this Cultural Resource Management Plan is to describe how the Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office will meet these responsibilities at Idaho National Laboratory in southeastern Idaho. The Idaho National Laboratory is home to a wide variety of important cultural resources representing at least 13,500 years of human occupation in the southeastern Idaho area. These resources are nonrenewable, bear valuable physical and intangible legacies, and yield important information about the past, present, and perhaps the future. There are special challenges associated with balancing the preservation of these sites with the management and ongoing operation of an active scientific laboratory. The Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office is committed to a cultural resource management program that accepts these challenges in a manner reflecting both the spirit and intent of the legislative mandates. This document is designed for multiple uses and is intended to be flexible and responsive to future changes in law or mission. Document flexibility and responsiveness will be assured through regular reviews and as-needed updates. Document content includes summaries of Laboratory cultural resource philosophy and overall Department of Energy policy; brief contextual overviews of Laboratory missions, environment, and cultural history; and an overview of cultural resource management practices. A series of appendices provides important details that support the main text. | Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) | United States | 2013-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1070113 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1070113 |
| Environmental implementation plan | Peterson, G L | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 290300; ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, AND SAFETY; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; IMPLEMENTATION; NATURE RESERVES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT | In this document, the Savannah River site environmental programs and plans from DOE contractors and Westinghouse Savannah River Company divisions/departments are presented along with the environmental coordinator for each program. The objectives are to enhase communication of existing or planned programs to do the following: identify activities required for meeting environmental needs; identify needing resources and a schedule to accomplish those activities; promote share-savings and consistency in those activities. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1994-10-04T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10106252 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10106252 |
| Environmental status of the Hanford site for CY 1978 | Houston, J R; Blumer, P J | 500300* -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510300 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520300 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; AEROSOL MONITORING; AEROSOLS; AIR; ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES; ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES; ALPHA DETECTION; ANIMALS; BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA DETECTION; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BODY; CERIUM 144; CERIUM ISOTOPES; CESIUM 137; CESIUM ISOTOPES; CHARGED PARTICLE DETECTION; COLLOIDS; COLUMBIA RIVER; DATA; DATA COMPILATION; DATA FORMS; DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; DEER; DETECTION; DISPERSIONS; DOSES; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; FLUIDS; GASES; GRAPHS; HYDROGEN ISOTOPES; INFORMATION; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; IODINE 131; IODINE ISOTOPES; ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; MAMMALS; MICE; MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NIOBIUM 95; NIOBIUM ISOTOPES; NUCLEI; NUMERICAL DATA; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; ODD-ODD NUCLEI; PLANTS; PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES; PRASEODYMIUM 144; PRASEODYMIUM ISOTOPES; RABBITS; RADIATION DETECTION; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; RADIOISOTOPES; RARE EARTH ISOTOPES; RARE EARTH NUCLEI; RIVERS; RODENTS; RUMINANTS; RUTHENIUM 106; RUTHENIUM ISOTOPES; SOILS; SOLS; STREAMS; STRONTIUM 90; STRONTIUM ISOTOPES; SURFACE WATERS; TABLES; TISSUES; TRITIUM; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; WILD ANIMALS; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; ZIRCONIUM 95; ZIRCONIUM ISOTOPES | Continued compliance of Hanford operations with all applicable state and federal environmental regulations, with the exception of suspended particulates from several steam power plants, was demonstrated by the environmental and effluent data collected during 1978. Included in the environmental data collected were measurements of external radiation, and radionuclide analyses of air samples, Columbia River water, other surface waters, wildlife, soil, and vegetation. Periodically all roadways, railways, and active as well as retired waste disposal sites were surveyed to detect any abnormal levels of radioactivity. | Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA) | United States | 1979-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6139724 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6139724 | |
| Subwog 12-D tritium technology meeting. Abstracts | Parker, M J; Addis, R P | 07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES; 070100; 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 220600; 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 450000; CHEMICAL PROPERTIES; DECOMMISSIONING; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; GLOVEBOXES; ISOTOPIC EXCHANGE; MEETINGS; MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; MONITORING; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; PACKAGING; PHYSICAL ISOTOPE SEPARATION; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; PROCESS CONTROL; PRODUCTION; RADIOLYSIS; RECOVERY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; RESEARCH, TEST, TRAINING, PRODUCTION, IRRADIATION, MATERIALS TESTING REACTORS; SAFETY; SEPARATION EQUIPMENT; SEPARATION PROCESSES; TRANSPORT; TRITIUM; TRITIUM EXTRACTION PLANTS; TRITIUM TARGET | The first Subwog 12-D Tritium Technology Meeting was held at the Westinghouse Savannah River Site during the week of May 21, 1990. Subwog 12-D was created as a subwog of JOWOG 12 to address the need to understand tritium applications throughout the entire weapons complex. This includes weapons related concerns, but is primarily intended to cover tritium production and handling, environmental, safety and health issues, compatibility with materials in general; and facility design, commissioning and decommissioning activities. Tritium technology issues discussed included the physical and chemical properties, kinetics, storage, reservoir loading techniques, isotope exchange, radiolysis/aging, process and handling technology, compatibility, purification and filtering, analysis, monitoring methods, function testing, packaging and shipping, environmental and operational safety, facility design and safety, glovebox atmosphere clean-up systems, glovebox/facility decommissioning, tritium production target materials, and tritium recovery. This document provides a collection of most of the unclassified extended abstracts and abstracts presented at Subwog 12-D. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1991-12-31T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10129455 | |
| Raptors of the Hanford Site and nearby areas of southcentral Washington | Fitzner, R E; Rickard, W H; Cadwell, L L; Rogers, L E | 510100* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989); 510302 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES; ANIMALS; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS; BIOLOGICAL WASTES; BIRDS; CESIUM 137; CESIUM ISOTOPES; DATA; DATA COMPILATION; DIET; DISTRIBUTION; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; ECOLOGY; FECES; HABITAT; HANFORD RESERVATION; INFORMATION; ISOTOPES; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEI; NUMERICAL DATA; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; POPULATION DYNAMICS; PRODUCTIVITY; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; RADIOISOTOPES; REPRODUCTION; SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; WASTES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES | This report is concerned with the birds of prey which use the Hanford Site not only during the nesting season but throughout the year. An ecological treatment of five nesting owls (great horned, long-eared, short-eared, barn and burrowing) and five nesting hawks (marsh hawk, red-tailed hawk, Swainson's hawk, prairie falcon and American kestrel) is provided and supportive information on non-nesting species is presented. Factors which control raptor densities and population dynamics throughout all seasons of the year are discussed. Information is also provided for raptors from other areas of southcentral Washington in order to yield a comprehensive picture of how the Hanford Site fits in with regional bird of prey populations. The following were the objectives of this study: (1) to determine the numbers of birds of prey nesting on the Hanford Site, (2) to document the reproductive chronology of each nesting raptor species, (3) to provide analyses of food habits of birds of prey on the Hanford Site coupled with prey abundance data, (4) to determine the productivity of the dominant large birds of prey on the Hanford Site, (5) to determine the distribution and land use patterns of all raptors on the Hanford Site, (6) to determine the kinds and relative abundance of non-nesting raptors on the Hanford Site and adjacent areas of southcentral Washington (7) to document present land use practices on the Hanford Site and their effects on raptors, (8) to document radionuclide levels in birds of prey on the Hanford Site, and (9) to determine the role of birds of prey in radioecological monitoring. | Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA) | United States | 1981-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6451483 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6451483 | |
| 2003 Wastewater Land Application Site Performance Reports for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory | Meachum, Teresa R | 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; GROUND DISPOSAL; IDAHO; INEEL; MONITORING; PERFORMANCE; environmental impacts; wastewater | The 2003 Wastewater Land Application Site Performance Reports for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory describe the conditions for the facilities with State of Idaho Wastewater Land Application Permits. Permit-required monitoring data are summarized, and permit exceedences or environmental impacts relating to the operations of the facilities during the 2003 permit year are discussed. | Idaho Completion Project (ICP) | DOE - EM | United States | 2004-02-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/910631 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/910631 |
| Final Long-Term Management and Storage of Elemental Mercury Environmental Impact Statement Volume1 | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; BUILDINGS; CONTROL; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS; EXPORTS; HUMAN POPULATIONS; KANSAS CITY PLANT; MANAGEMENT; MERCURY; METRICS; MISSOURI; POTENTIALS; REGULATIONS; RESOURCE CONSERVATION; SOLID WASTES; STORAGE; US CEQ; US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT; USES; VOLUME; WASTES | Pursuant to the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-414), DOE was directed to designate a facility or facilities for the long-term management and storage of elemental mercury generated within the United States. Therefore, DOE has analyzed the storage of up to 10,000 metric tons (11,000 tons) of elemental mercury in a facility(ies) constructed and operated in accordance with the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (74 FR 31723).DOE prepared this Final Mercury Storage EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) implementing regulations (40 CFR 1500â1508), and DOEâs NEPA implementing procedures (10 CFR 1021) to evaluate reasonable alternatives for a facility(ies) for the long-term management and storage of elemental mercury. This Final Mercury Storage EIS analyzes the potential environmental, human health, and socioeconomic impacts of elemental mercury storage at seven candidate locations:Grand Junction Disposal Site near Grand Junction, Colorado; Hanford Site near Richland, Washington; Hawthorne Army Depot near Hawthorne, Nevada; Idaho National Laboratory near Idaho Falls, Idaho;Kansas City Plant in Kansas City, Missouri; Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina; and Waste Control Specialists, LLC, site near Andrews, Texas. As required by CEQ NEPA regulations, the No Action Alternative was also analyzed as a basis for comparison. DOE intends to decide (1) where to locate the elemental mercury storage facility(ies) and (2) whether to use existing buildings, new buildings, or a combination of existing and new buildings. DOEâs Preferred Alternative for the long-term management and storage of mercury is the Waste Control Specialists, LLC, site near Andrews, Texas. | Office of Environmental Management, Washington, DC | USDOE | United States | 2011-01-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/1004994 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1004994 | |
| Occupational radiation exposure history of Idaho Field Office Operations at the INEL | Horan, J R; Braun, J B | 56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, APPLIED STUDIES; DOSE LIMITS; IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY; MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE DOSE; OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE; PERSONNEL; PERSONNEL DOSIMETRY; RADIATION ACCIDENTS; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION PROTECTION; RADIOACTIVITY; SL-1 REACTOR | An extensive review has been made of the occupational radiation exposure records of workers at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) over the period of 1951 through 1990. The focus has been on workers employed by contractors and employees of the Idaho Field Operations Office (ID) of the United States Department of Energy (USDOE) and does not include the Naval Reactors Facility (NRF), the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), or other operations field offices at the INEL. The radiation protection guides have decreased from 15 rem/year to 5 rem/year in 1990 for whole body penetrating radiation exposure. During these 40 years of nuclear operations (in excess of 200,000 man-years of work), a total of twelve individuals involved in four accidents exceeded the annual guidelines for exposure; nine of these exposures were received during life saving efforts on January 3, 1961 following the SL-1 reactor accident which killed three military personnel. These exposures ranged from 8 to 27 rem. Only one individual has exceeded the annual whole body penetrating radiation protection guidelines in the last 29 years. | Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-10-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/29381 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/29381 |
| Residual-energy-applications program: support and integration report | 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; 320304* -- Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Waste Heat Recovery & Utilization; ABSORPTION REFRIGERATION CYCLE; BOTTOMING CYCLES; CONSTRUCTION; COST; DESIGN; EAST FACILITY; ENERGY; ENERGY CONSERVATION; ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS; ENERGY RECOVERY; ENERGY SYSTEMS; HEAT; HEAT PUMPS; HEAT RECOVERY; INDUSTRIAL PLANTS; MACHINERY; MANAGEMENT; MARKETING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; OPERATION; PLANNING; POWER GENERATION; POWER SYSTEMS; PROCESS HEAT; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; RANKINE CYCLE POWER SYSTEMS; RECOVERY; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; SPECIFICATIONS; SYSTEMS ANALYSIS; TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; TEST FACILITIES; THERMAL EFFLUENTS; THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES; TURBINES; TURBOMACHINERY; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE HEAT; WASTE HEAT UTILIZATION; WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION; WASTES | The proposed government-owned EAST Facility at the Savannah River Plant in Aiken, South Carolina, would provide capabilities for development and confidence testing of industrial heat pumps, high temperature bottoming cycles, low temperature Rankine cycle power generation systems, and absorption chillers. This work is one component of the Residual Energy Applications Program (REAP). Other documents provide initial considerations concerning the heat pump and power generation systems to be tested at EAST, policy, objectives and guidelines for operation of the facility, a preliminary conceptual design, and environmental data. This report describes support and integration activities that were performed during the contract year. The various elements that impact on the EAST Facility are discussed and an assessment of the EAST Facility mission is given. The report concludes with proposed milestones, schedules, and costs for design, construction, and operation of the facility. | South Carolina Energy Research Inst., Columbia (USA) | United States | 1980-11-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/6292707 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6292707 | ||
| Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1997 | Arnett, M W; Mamatey, A R | 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; ENVIRONMENT; GROUND WATER; MONITORING; RADIATION DOSES; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT | The mission at the Savannah River Site has changed from the production of nuclear weapons materials for national defense to the management of waste, restoration of the environment, and the development of industry in and around the site. | Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1998-08-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/292677 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/292677 |
| FY 1991 environmental research programs for the Nevada Operations Office: Work plan and quarterly reports, first and second quarter reports | 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES; CONTAINMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; GROUND WATER; HYDROLOGY; NEVADA TEST SITE; PLANNING; PROGRESS REPORT; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; RAILWAYS; REMEDIAL ACTION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SOIL CHEMISTRY; UNDERGROUND EXPLOSIONS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; YUCCA MOUNTAIN | The work carried out on behalf of the DOE by the Desert Research Institute (DRI) includes a wide range of research and support activities associated with the Weapons Testing Program conducted at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Ongoing and new environmental research programs to be conducted by DRI over the period of this contract include archaeological studies, site mitigation plans, compliance activities, and historical research; offsite community radiation monitoring support; environmental compliance activities related to stat and federal regulations; hydrologic assessment of containment of underground nuclear detonations; hydrology/radionuclide investigations designed to better understand and predict the possible subsurface movement of radionuclides at the NTS; and support of various statistical and data management and design, laboratory, field, and administrative activities. In addition to these, archaeological site characterization, flood hazards for rail transportation, and paleofaunal investigations will be carried out in support of the Yucca Mountain Project. Other areas of the overall program which require DRI support are classified security activities, radiation safety and training, quality assurance and control, computer protection and historical data management, review and classification of DRI documents, and preparation of any special reports, e.g., quarterly reports, not included in the requirements of the individual projects. A new set of programs funded by the Office of Technology Development will be in place by the third quarter of FY 1991. These projects will address environmental restoration and waste management concerns, among other related topics. This document contains the Work Plan, including project descriptions, tasks, deliverables and quarterly progress reports on each project for FY 1991. | Nevada Univ., Reno, NV (United States). Desert Research Inst. | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1991-05-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/564095 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/564095 | |
| Long-term ecological effects of exposure to uranium | Hanson, W. C.; Miera, Jr., F. R. | 510300* -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 560152 -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Animals; 560163 -- Radionuclide Effects-Internal Source-- Plants-- (-1987); 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ACTINIDES; ANIMALS; BIOMASS; BODY; CONTAMINATION; DIGESTIVE SYSTEM; ECOSYSTEMS; ELEMENTS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; EXPLOSIONS; GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT; LASL; LUNGS; MAMMALS; METALS; MONITORING; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS; ORGANS; PLANTS; RADIATION MONITORING; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; RESPIRATORY SYSTEM; SAMPLING; SOILS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; URANIUM; US AEC; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES | The consequences of releasing natural and depleted uranium to terrestrial ecosystems during development and testing of depleted uranium munitions were investigated. At Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, soil at various distances from armor plate target butts struck by depleted uranium penetrators was sampled. The upper 5 cm of soil at the target bases contained an average of 800 ppM of depleted uranium, about 30 times as much as soil at 5- to 10-cm depth, indicating some vertical movement of depleted uranium. Samples collected beyond about 20 m from the targets showed near-background natural uranium levels, about 1.3 +- 0.3 ..mu..g/g or ppM. Two explosives-testing areas at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) were selected because of their use history. E-F Site soil averaged 2400 ppM of uranium in the upper 5 cm and 1600 ppM at 5-10 cm. Lower Slobovia Site soil from two subplots averaged about 2.5 and 0.6 percent of the E-F Site concentrations. Important uranium concentration differences with depth and distance from detonation points were ascribed to the different explosive tests conducted in each area. E-F Site vegetation samples contained about 320 ppM of uranium in November 1974 and about 125 ppM in June 1975. Small mammals trapped in the study areas in November contained a maximum of 210 ppM of uranium in the gastrointestinal tract contents, 24 ppM in the pelt, and 4 ppM in the remaining carcass. In June, maximum concentrations were 110, 50, and 2 ppM in similar samples and 6 ppM in lungs. These data emphasized the importance of resuspension of respirable particles in the upper few millimeters of soil as a contamination mechanism for several components of the LASL ecosystem. | Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N.Mex. (USA) | United States | 1976-03-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/7267114 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7267114 | |
| Remedial Investigation work plan for Bear Creek Valley Operable Unit 4 (shallow groundwater in Bear Creek Valley) at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee | 053002; 053003; 054000; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 540250; CHEMICAL AND THERMAL EFFLUENTS; CONTAMINATION; FEASIBILITY STUDIES; GEOLOGY; GROUND WATER; HEALTH AND SAFETY; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; HYDROLOGY; PLANNING; RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS; REMEDIAL ACTION; SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES; SURFACE WATERS; Y-12 PLANT | To effectively evaluate the cumulative impact of releases from multiple sources of contamination, a structured approach has been adopted for Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) based on studies of the groundwater and surface water separate from studies of the sources. Based on the realization of the complexity of the hydrogeologic regime of the ORR, together with the fact that there are numerous sources contributing to groundwater contamination within a geographical area, it was agreed that more timely investigations, at perhaps less cost, could be achieved by separating the sources of contamination from the groundwater and surface water for investigation and remediation. The result will be more immediate attention [Records of Decision (RODS) for interim measures or removal actions] for the source Operable Units (OUs) while longer-term remediation investigations continue for the hydrogeologic regime`s, which are labeled as integrator OUs. This Remedial Investigation work plan contains summaries of geographical, historical, operational, geological, and hydrological information specific to the unit. Taking advantage of the historical data base and ongoing monitoring activities and applying the observational approach to focus data gathering activities will allow the Feasibility Study to evaluate all probable or likely alternatives. | Science Applications International Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (United States) | USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1993-09-01T04:00:00Z | Technical Report | 10.2172/10191349 | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10191349 | |
| Subwog 12-D tritium technology meeting | Parker, M J; Addis, R P | 07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES; 070100* -- Physical Isotope Separation; 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 220600 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Research, Test & Experimental Reactors; 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 450000 -- Military Technology, Weaponry, & National Defense; AGING; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CHEMICAL PROPERTIES; CHEMICAL RADIATION EFFECTS; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; CONTROL; DECOMMISSIONING; DECOMPOSITION; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; EQUIPMENT; GLOVEBOXES; HYDROGEN ISOTOPES; INDUSTRIAL PLANTS; ISOTOPE SEPARATION PLANTS; ISOTOPES; ISOTOPIC EXCHANGE; LABORATORY EQUIPMENT; LIGHT NUCLEI; MEETINGS; MONITORING; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; PACKAGING; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; PROCESS CONTROL; PRODUCTION; RADIATION EFFECTS; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIOLYSIS; RECOVERY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SAFETY; SEPARATION EQUIPMENT; SEPARATION PROCESSES; TARGETS; TRANSPORT; TRITIUM; TRITIUM EXTRACTION PLANTS; TRITIUM TARGET; WEAPONS; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES | The first Subwog 12-D Tritium Technology Meeting was held at the Westinghouse Savannah River Site during the week of May 21, 1990. Subwog 12-D was created as a subwog of JOWOG 12 to address the need to understand tritium applications throughout the entire weapons complex. This includes weapons related concerns, but is primarily intended to cover tritium production and handling, environmental, safety and health issues, compatibility with materials in general; and facility design, commissioning and decommissioning activities. Tritium technology issues discussed included the physical and chemical properties, kinetics, storage, reservoir loading techniques, isotope exchange, radiolysis/aging, process and handling technology, compatibility, purification and filtering, analysis, monitoring methods, function testing, packaging and shipping, environmental and operational safety, facility design and safety, glovebox atmosphere clean-up systems, glovebox/facility decommissioning, tritium production target materials, and tritium recovery. This document provides a collection of most of the unclassified extended abstracts and abstracts presented at Subwog 12-D. | Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States) | DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) | United States | 1991-01-01T04:00:00Z | Conference | https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5732976 |
Biota Specific
Roy, W.K., E. Znidersic, S.E. Darling, J.M. Herold. 2017. First Roane County Record of Purple Gallinule is Captured on Trail Camera. The Migrant 88(4):137-140.
McCracken, M.K., N.R. Giffen, A.M. Haines, B.J. Guge, J.W. Evans. 2015. Bat Species Distribution on the Oak Ridge Reservation. ORNL/TM-2015/248.
Roy, W.K., N.R. Giffen, M. C. Wade, A. M. Haines, J. W. Evans, R. T. Jett. 2014. ORR Bird Records and Population Trends. ORNL/TM-2014/109.
Giffen, Neil R., R. Scott Reasor, and Claire A. Campbell. 2011. Small Mammal Abundance and Distribution Survey: Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park. ORNL/TM-2011/323.
Giffen, N.R., R.S. Reasor, B.L. Peterson, C.A. Campbell. 2009. Reptile and Amphibian Abundance and Distribution Survey, Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park. ORNL/TM-2009/296.
Roy, W. Kelly, Daniel L. Combs, and James W. Evans. 2004. Movement and Harvest of Giant Canada Geese in East Tennessee. The Migrant 75(4):140-149.
Roy, W. Kelly, James W. Evans, and Michael G. Ryon. 2001. The red-headed woodpecker and brown-headed nuthatch on the Oak Ridge Reservation: Relationship to recent landscape changes. The Migrant 72(1):1-12.
Mann, Linda K., Jason M. Mitchell, James W. Evans, J. Devereux Joslin, and Michael D. Roedel. 1997. Birds of the Oak Ridge Reservation. The Migrant 68(3):76-93.
Management Plans
Herold, J.M., McCracken, M.K. 2018 Grassland Ecosystem Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation ORNL/TM-2007/38/R1
McCracken, M.K., N.R. Giffen. 2017. Invasive Plant Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation. ORNL/TM-2004/98/R2.
Parr, P.D., G.S. Byrd, J.W. Johnston, Jr., N.R. Giffen. 2015. Forest Management Plan for the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation: An Interdisciplinary Approach for Managing a Heritage Resource. ORNL/TM-2015/98.
Giffen, Neil R., Daniel C. Wade, and Marcella A. Mueller. 2012. Interior Forest Areas of the Oak Ridge Reservation. ORNL/TM-2012/388. September.
Giffen, Neil R., James W. Evans, and Patricia D. Parr. 2012. Wildlife Management Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation. ORNL/TM-2012/387. September.
Research Park Briefs
ORR Biodiversity Poster, September 2014.
Managing Invasive Plants, June 2011.
Invasive Plants on the Oak Ridge Reservation, August 2003/updated June 2011.
Other Publications
Drake, S.J., J.F. Weltzin, and P.D. Parr. 2003. Assessment of Non-native Invasive Plant Species on the United States Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park. Castanea 68(1):15-30.
Dale, V.H. and P.D. Parr. 1998. Preserving DOE’s Research Parks. Issues in Science and Technology XIV(2):73-77.
Mann, L.K., P.D. Parr, L.R. Pounds, and R.L. Graham. 1996. Protection of Biota on Nonpark Public Lands: Examples from the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation. Environmental Management 20(2):207-218.
