This report addresses the conservation of freshwater ecosystems within the United States. A comparison of the pre-settlement and current conditions of U.S. freshwater resources is provided. Requirements for maintaining freshwater ecosystem physical and biotic components, such as flow patterns, sediment/organic inputs, temperature, light, chemical/nutrient conditions, and plant/animal assemblages...
This report discusses the three primary categories of atmospheric pollutants of aquatic ecosystems and how their ecological effects impact humans, fish and wildlife. Pollutants of concern such as organic compounds, synthetic fragrances, fluorinated surfactants, flame retardants, mercury, and nutrients are reviewed. The emission, deposition, and fate of atmospheric pollutants are discussed; in...
In this Issue, students examine published data that address the causes of coral and seagrass decline in Florida. Activities engage students in data analysis and hypothesis testing and will increase their understanding of the complexities of ecological phenomena.
This teaching activity explores what the short- and long-term effects of a whole-watershed deforestation experiment are on streamflow. Students can use an MS Excel file or hard copy of data to graph short- and long-term streamflow response to a whole-watershed manipulation. Students can then compare results to baseline data, draw conclusions about hypotheses, and consider implications of...
In this activity, students work with data collected during 15 years as part of a long-term research project at Harvard Forest. Students analyze the data to address the question, "How have stands of pine and hardwood forest responded to long-term nitrogen fertilization?" Students address the question using data on several ecosystem characteristics and processes: net primary productivity, tree...
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