Ecological and Environmental Indicators

Biologs are an effective tool in the fight against stream bank and shoreline erosion. Made of 100% biodegradable coir fibers bound by high strength twisted coir netting, Biologs attenuate wave energy and buffer fluctuations in stream flow velocities while allowing sufficient time for re-growth or vegetation. By the time the Biologs degrade, the once eroded area is restored, stabilized by the vigorous network of roots and grasses. The result is a 100% natural solution designed to promote healthy waterways and enhance wildlife habita Read more

As the genesis of your Erosion website continues to adapt to the ever changing world, so does the need to improve their offerings and its presentation (s) / usability (s) This has resulted in a new link page as seen here www.erosioncontrolforum.com is an independent organisation which acts as an un-biased source for methods,practices and publications for all erosion related issues, providing information from the world’s largest suppliers, to the global market place. The data is obtained from internet research for this erosion website and is available when you subscribe here .

Iowa Department of Transportation Taking Proactive Erosion Control Steps The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) has issued a Public Interest Finding (PIF) for the use of ScourStop on state projects. ScourStop Transition Mats are a biotechnical replacement for rock rip-rap and offer permanent protection against scour and erosion at drainage outlets, overflow structures and stream banks; as well as providing an aesthetically pleasing, natural landscape. They have been used on a project-by-project basis in various locations across the state for several years. Read this and many more as seen here !

This page (s) of erosion articles was newly revised with original articles of erosion. The dead-end links and out-dated stories were replaced with current and fresh accounts of worldwide reports and descriptions that chronicle erosion. It is our goal to add 10 stories per week so come back often! They will be available to view on Mondays Visit this/these pages now

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” Anonymous Published Oct. 14, 2008 Trees play a key role in the environment's natural landscape due to their ability to prevent erosion. The Spanish Government says it will plant 45 million trees over the next four years to counter desertification caused by global warming. The massive tree–planting scheme aims to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, the cause of global warming. It estimates that in the long term, the trees could absorb more than 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. Soils contain carbon in the form of organic matter. When organic matter is exposed to oxygen in the atmosphere, the carbon in the organic matter combines with the oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, contributing to the greenhouse effect and global warming. Organic matter is being lost from soils for a number of reasons. These include long—term changes in land management practices, changing soil man...

Even as government strives to mitigate the impact of desetification, the effort has not made much impact, even in the face of the threat of climate change. Besides desertification in the North, many areas in the Southern part of the country, especially in the South-East, are ravaged by erosion. Efforts to check the Agulu Nanka erosion menace in Anambra have not yielded much success. This is also the case in most erosion prone parts of the country. The erection of concrete barriers and the channelisation of water courses to check erosion have not helped matters. It is against this background that experts suggest the adoption of natural measures such as the cultivation of special plants on degraded soils as the most adaptable measure to contain the menace. One plant that comes to mind, according to experts, is Jatropha, ''the wonder plant''. Read more

ScourStop is a no-maintenance post-construction BMP. - ScourStop is a semi-rigid, high-density polyethylene plastic mat (4 ft X 4 ft X ½ inch) designed with voids throughout the structure which enable vegetative growth. ScourStop is formulated with 10+ years, UV protection which colors it a dark green. Additionally, once vegetated, the mat is mostly shielded from the sun and undetectable – making it a permanent installation. - ScourStop integrates vegetation with modern polymer material technology to mechanically protect the soil from scour and erosion until the shear forces have dissipated. This synergy of mechanical protection and vegetation enables this BMP system to resist much higher shear stresses and velocities than vegetation alone or rock rip rap. * ScourStop is only one element of a channel protection BMP protecting the scour area; the other element of the BMP is the downstream channel protection. Sod and/or turf-reinforcement mats can carry the water load once expansion of t...

The Spanish Government says it will plant 45 million trees over the next four years to counter desertification caused by global warming. The massive tree-planting scheme aims to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, the cause of global warming. The Spanish Government estimates that in the long term, the trees could absorb more than 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. The trees will also help to prevent desertification, or land degradation by consolidating soils and preventing erosion. Environmental groups say one-third of Spain is threatened by desertification that leaves soils dead and landscapes barren. read more

A University of Colorado at Boulder team working at 16,400 feet in the Peruvian Andes has discovered how barren soils uncovered by retreating glacier ice can swiftly establish a thriving community of microbes, setting the table for lichens, mosses and alpine plants. The discovery is the first to reveal how microbial life becomes established and flourishes in one of the most extreme environments on Earth and has implications for how life may have once flourished on Mars, said Professor Steve Schmidt of CU-Boulder's ecology and evolutionary biology department. The study also provides new insights into how microorganisms are adapting to global warming in cold ecosystems on Earth. A paper on the subject was published online Aug. 27 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the United Kingdom's national academy of science. Co-authors included CU-Boulder's Sasha Reed, Diana Nemergut, Stuart Grandy, Andrew Hill, Elizabeth Costello, Allen Meyer, Jason Neff and Andrew Martin as wel...

These documents outline extensive field testing by the Texas Transportation Institute Hydraulic and Erosion Control Laboratory and provides the latest performance data for rolled and spray-on erosion control and re-vegetation products. Visit website

A diverse team of researchers from Europe, Asia and the USA have unearthed new information on how roots grow and develop. Specifically, how roots are able to move out sideways out of the central root and into the soil. Their discovery has opened the way to further research that may eventually lead to the creation of new crops with improved root structure, improving their chances of survival in difficult soils. Roots provide the crops we eat with water and nutrients. They serve as a firm anchor, keeping them in place against violent winds, and as a place to store food against leaner times. All these attributes have made agricultural farming possible. A paper recently published in Nature Cell Biology has revealed for the first time how lateral root emergence is achieved. Their findings show that new lateral roots are actually able to 're-programme' the cells that overlay them; this ability causes them to separate thereby enabling the new root to emerge. Lateral roots, as their na...

TENAX is a manufacturer of geosynthetics for civil engineering and environmental applications: geogrids for soil reinforcement and retaining walls, geogrids for soil stabilization, geocomposites for drainage; fences, meshes and grids for construction: road works signalisation, building site fencing, pipeline protection; plastic nets for agriculture: shading and windbreak screens; nets and products for gardening; plastic netting for industry, tubular nets for packaging. Visit Website

The International Conference on Scour and Erosion has become a respected event in the technical conference calendar for engineers, scientists, decision makers and administrators working in all areas of hydraulics and geo-engineering. Its importance and reputation was established by the technical successes of the first three conferences: College Station in USA(2002), Singapore(2004) and Amsterdam(2006). We are delighted to host the fourth International Conference on Scour and Erosion in Tokyo, Japan. The conference provides a forum to discuss new developments, concepts and practices, and to share field experiences, problems and solutions dealing with scour and erosion issues in hillslope, fluvial, estuarine and coastal environments. It also inspires cross-disciplinary contributions pertaining to morphodynamics and sedimentary evolution, with increased appreciation of multi-scaled nature in sediment processes. Tokyo, the capital of Japan, has been selected as the location for the confere...

21 July 2008 – A new database on the world’s soils improves knowledge of the current and future land productivity as well as the present carbon storage and carbon sequestration potential of the world’s soils. It helps to identify land and water limitations, and assist in assessing the risks of land degradation, particularly soil erosion risks, said FAO today [more..

Green Infrastructure is a concept originating in the United States in the mid-1990's that highlights the importance of the natural environment in decisions about land use planning.[1][2] In particular there is an emphasis on the "life support" functions provided by the natural environment for example; clean water and healthy soils , as well as the more anthropocentric functions such as recreation and providing shade and shelter in and around towns and cities. Today(07-14-08) Green Infrastructure was added as to your category list of options to choose when you subscribe and discover information re: Greenways, Raingardens, Wetlands Restoration, Trees, Green Roofs, Swales, Porous Pavement, Native Landscaping. Green Infrastructure naturally manages stormwater, reduces flooding risk and improves water quality. Green infrastructure usually costs less to install and maintain when compared to traditional forms of infrastructure. Green infrastructure projects also foster commun...

NEW: Proposed Construction General Permit: On May 16, 2008 (96 FR 28457), EPA Regions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 proposed for public comment the issuance of their 2008 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permits for stormwater discharges from new dischargers engaged in large and small construction activities (2008 CGP). This draft 2008 CGP contains the same limits and conditions as the Agency’s 2003 CGP with the exception of a few minor modifications which are detailed in the draft permit documents. As proposed, EPA is issuing this CGP for a period not to exceed two (2) years and will make the permit available to new construction activities and unpermitted ongoing activities only. … read more

Source: European Commission, Environment DG Published Jun. 12, 2008 The European Commission this week hosted a high-level conference on the relationship between soil and climate change, and the role of soil management in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Organic matter plays a fundamental role supporting soil fertility, retaining water, sustaining biodiversity and regulating the global carbon cycle. But organic matter is in decline, and the conference heard how large amounts of carbon have been lost to the atmosphere in recent years. The Commission is convinced of the need to act at EU level to protect soil. Members of the European Parliament, the President of the Environment Council and other key players agreed that the role of soil as a repository of carbon must be enhanced. They discussed policy options for achieving this, and advocated the adoption of a Directive on the protection of soil, along the lines of the Soil Framework Directive that was blocked by Council last Dece...

Source: European Commission , Environment DG Published May 30, 2008 Soils play an important role in the carbon cycle, containing more than two thirds of the total carbon held in terrestrial ecosystems. Concern about climate change and rising CO2 levels is driving research to understand carbon cycling through soils. New research suggests that in tropical regions greater tree diversity increases soil respiration (the release of carbon) rates, but also improves overall ecosystem health, which ultimately leads to greater carbon absorption. Soil respiration is the main pathway through which carbon is transferred from soil into the atmosphere, with an estimated 50-75 Gt carbon released each year. This is approximately 10 times the amount of carbon released from fossil fuel combustion. The large amount of carbon stored in soils means that small changes in soil respiration rate could have a huge impact on atmospheric CO2. Research undertaken in Panama explored the effects of monoculture, three...

Bringing conservation from the countryside to your backyard Just as they do on the farm, conservation practices on nonagricultural land can help increase food and shelter for birds and other wildlife, control soil erosion, reduce sediment in waterways, conserve water and improve water quality, inspire a stewardship ethic, and beautify the landscape. "Backyard Conservation" shows you how conservation practices that help conserve and improve natural resources on agricultural land across the country can be adapted for use around your home. These practices help the environment and can make your yard more attractive and enjoyable. Most backyard conservation practices are easy to use. America's farmers and ranchers have been using these practices successfully for decades. Whether you have rural acreage, a suburban yard, or a city lot, you can help protect the environment and add beauty and interest to your surroundings. Ten conservation practices have been scaled down for home...

It used to be that if you said a building had a green roof, you were referring to the color of the shingles on top of it, or the hue it had been painted. But that was then. Nowadays, green roofs are one of the latest trends in environmental-friendly architecture and development. And a West Whiteland company is right at the forefront of the revolution. Weston Solutions , based in West Whiteland, is the exclusive U.S. licensee of GreenGrid Green Roof Systems , a modular green roof system. The company has installed green roofs across the U.S., and it doesn’t shy away from the big jobs. In fact, one of its latest projects, The High Museum of Art in Atlanta, is nearly 7,000 square feet. That’s a whole lot of green. Advertisement Closer to home is the enormous Court at Upper Providence, an enclosed shopping mall near Royersford, Montgomery County, where Weston Solutions put together a 2.3-acre GreenGrid roof. So what is a green roof exactly? It’s a roof that is partially or completely covere...

Erosion becomes a problem when human activity causes it to occur much faster than under natural conditions. When properly installed and maintained, vegetation can protect slopes by reducing erosion, strengthening soil, and inhibiting landslides. Too often, well intended erosion control and slope stabilization programs do not recognize and incorporate vegetation as a legitimate design tool to address these slope processes. Primarily, these oversights are because the use of vegetation alone (soil bioengineering) or together with other slope stability structures (biotechnical engineering, hydroseeding etc.) for slope protection is poorly understood. Therefore, the value of vegetation along a slope is either underestimated or ignored during the important project planning, design, and agency permitting periods.

Indigenous peoples have contributed the least to world greenhouse gas emissions and have the smallest ecological footprints on Earth. Yet they suffer the worst impacts not only of climate change, but also from some of the international mitigation measures being taken, according to organizers of a United Nations University co-hosted meeting today, April 3 in Darwin, Australia. In tropical and sub-tropical areas, an increase in diseases associated with higher temperatures and vector-borne and water-borne diseases like cholera, malaria and dengue fever; * Worsening drought conditions and desertification, leading to more forest fires that disrupt subsistence agriculture, hunting and gathering livelihoods, as well as serious biodiversity loss; * Distinct changes in the seasonal appearance of birds, the blooming of flowers, etc. These now occur earlier or are decoupled from the customary season or weather patterns; * In arid and semi-arid lands: excessive rainfall and prolonged droughts, r...

Storm water Management is most affective when it involves a system of BMP’s that targets each stage of the erosion process to ensure success from construction activities. The most efficient approach involves minimizing the likely sources from outwash. This means the less disturbance to a land area the better. BMP’s should also involve controlling the amount of runoff and its ability to carry sediment by diverting incoming flows and stopping inner flows. And finally, BMP’s should be able to attain certain sediments that are picked up on the way through the use of sediment-capturing devices. Above all BMP’s are best performed using advance planning and good scheduling. A system intended to eliminate storm water pollution should include at least one example of each of the following categories : surface stabilization, runoff control measures, runoff conveyance measures, outlet protection, sediment traps and barriers, and stream protection. As far as surface stabilization goes the best meth...

In the endless goal for erosion information, this link to the NRCS Soils Website can be viewed here . Enjoy :-)

Over the past century, runaway development has paved over forests, fields and wetlands across the country. Along with urbanization has come the problem of "urban stormwater" – rainwater that washes over dirty surfaces such as roads, buildings and lawns and becomes a major source of pollution in rivers, lakes and bays. While much has been achieved in the past 30 years to limit pollution from easily identifiable sources, such as watersheds, efforts to control pollution from these diffuse sources are still in their infancy. Although the Clean Water Act mandates stormwater control, local governments have been slow to respond. This report, however, focuses on runoff pollution from developed areas, which occurs when stormwater carries away a wide variety of contaminants as it runs across rooftops, roads, parking lots, baseball diamonds, construction sites, golf courses , lawns, and other surfaces in our cities and suburbs. The oily sheen on rainwater in roadside gutters is but on...

What is scour? Scour is the hole left behind when sediment (sand and rocks) is washed away from the bottom of a river. Although scour may occur at any time, scour action is especially strong during floods. Swiftly flowing water has more energy than calm water to lift and carry sediment down river What is involved in a bridge–site examination? A bridge–site examination for scour begins in the office of the Massachusetts Highway Department, where historical engineering information and bridge plans are reviewed. The examiner then visits the bridge site, walking upstream and downstream from the bridge and taking notes on the condition of the river channel. Other characteristics of the river are noted, such as locations of river bends near the bridge and what possible effects these may have on the bridge. Many things affecting scour are examined, such as the type of rock or sediment carried by the river and the angle at which the river flows toward and away from the bridge. Th...

Today (Feb.9, 2008), we added a reciprocal link to Online Stormwater Training This link may be found on our link page

The purpose of the Wetlands & Watersheds Article Series is to expand the Center’s current watershed protection guidance, tools, and resources to provide guidance to local communities on how to integrate wetlands into larger watershed protection efforts. Center for Watershed Protection

This Urban Stormwater BMP Performance Tool has been developed to provide stormwater professionals with easy access to approximately 220 studies assessing the performance of over 275 BMPs. Additional studies will be added to this collection periodically. This Tool presents information previously compiled by the International Stormwater BMP Database Exit EPA Site and by the State of California in an easy to use search and sort format. In the future, EPA hopes to add more studies to this collection, particularly ones that evaluate the performance of "green infrastructure" or "low impact development" BMPs. Choosing effective stormwater BMPs is one of the key challenges facing anyone interested in improving or protecting the quality of our rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. Having access to studies of BMP performance that have been conducted by public agencies, academic researchers, non-profit groups, and others will help make better decisions. This tool provides access...

GLOBAL WARMING: Spiraling costs to move imperiled coastal communities pit needs against limited resources. By BETH BRAGG bbragg@adn.com Published: October 22, 2007 Last Modified: October 22, 2007 at 01:23 PM The cost of relocating villages that face extinction in the next decade or so -- sooner if the wrong storm hits the wrong place at the wrong time -- is staggering. Even by Alaska standards. Click to enlarge Click to enlarge • Moving Newtok, a Bering Sea coast town of 315 being squished and swamped by two rivers, could cost as much as $130 million. Or $412,000 per person. • Moving Shishmaref, a strip of sand in the Chukchi Sea that's home to about 600 people, could cost as much as $200 million. Or $330,000 per person. • Moving Kivalina, a shrinking barrier island in the Chukchi that last month saw most of its 380 residents run for safety from the season's first storm, could cost as much as $125 million. Or $330,000 per person. Meanwhile, millions more are needed to protect p...

Vegetation along rivers and streams, called riparian vegetation, plays an important part in maintaining and improving the quality of our rivers and streams. The type, density and width of riparian vegetation provide a crucial link between terrestrial and stream ecosystems. Native vegetation along the streambank provides food and shelter, while also providing a corridor for the movement of wildlife. Riparian vegetation provides vegetable matter, which breaks down and provides food for aquatic invertebrates. Shade from riparian vegetation helps maintain cool water temperatures in pools. In addition, fallen branches, large woody debris and aquatic plants provide habitat for fish and invertebrates. Riparian vegetation is important in the prevention of stream bank erosion. Vegetation binds soil and and creates a “roughness” that reduces stream flow rates, particularly during floods. Vegetation at the base of riverbanks is especially important to riverbank stability, particularly on outside ...