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Using Sections To Assess Sequential Experience Along The Baltimore-washington Parkway
Get PDFThis paper presents a study of the spatial experience of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway through the use of repetitive and systematic cross-sections as an analytic tool. The sectional study is part of a cultural landscape report for the parkway, and it complements map-based and plan analyses that examined regional contexts,forest character, planted vegetation, structures, and small-scale features.
The Baltimore-Washington Parkway was constructed in the early 1950s and is considered a transitional parkway, a hybrid of earlier scenic parkways and later modern highways. It is historically significant for its role in the preservation of significant tracts of forest and because it shows that a conventional modern highway alignment can become a parkway rather than a mere highway through careful design of structures, vegetation and small-scale features. Spatial sequencing is also part of this parkway vocabulary, but it is harder to document than the other ‘things’ like bridges, guard walls and forests.
To document and assess spatial sequence, we constructed sections at half mile increments along the full 19-mile length of the parkway, recording topography, forest edge conditions, planted vegetation, mowed grass, and open space in each section. The following issues are discussed: - The value of a quick, ‘draft’ version to test the method - Spacing of the sections - Use of Google maps street view coupled with field verification - Balancing realistic representation with ease of production - Use of graphic ‘modules’ to represent recurring conditions We compiled sections at two scales to reveal different aspects of the spatial experience. At 1:70, they document two-mile sequences of the driving experience and were used to identify spatial conditions that characterize each segment. At 1:200 they were overlaid on maps (1:2000) to reveal distinct spatial sequences in the landscape, and these became key determinants of character areas. The findings in the analysis informed design recommendations focused on differentiating spatial experience in places with long, unchanging sequences
Getting Beyond Visual Impact: Designing Renewable Energy as a Positive Landscape Addition
Get PDFThe critical necessity of scaling up renewable energy to meet the challenge of climate change implicates vast swaths of American landscape. Renewable energy infrastructure has long concerned itself with minimizing its visual impact, in order to decrease opposition from local landowners and users of the landscape. As energy facilities proliferate across the landscape, their visual impact can be expected to grow as well—both in terms of the scale of installations, as well as the amount of territory affected.
On public lands, renewable energy infrastructure has had to compete with alternate public uses of the land, including scenic and recreational values. Managers of public landscapes have developed specific procedures for describing the visual impact to landscapes stemming from energy development, and specific methodologies to evaluate whether a particular project should proceed.
In most contemporary energy planning processes that include landscape design professionals, these designers’ scope is limited to comparing the visual impact of discrete energy installations: the spacing, height, and alignment of wind turbines or solar panels, for example. We argue for a more inclusive approach to incorporating spatial design considerations, earlier in the planning process, as a way of incorporating public aspirations and opinions about the energy landscape, expanding the field of potential planning outcomes, and identifying synergies for co-locating multiple positive elements. How can energy infrastructure actively participate in the shaping of a positive landscape experience, and not just try to minimize its impact on the landscape?
This paper will present several examples of infrastructure-driven landscape transformations that actively incorporated public input and visual assessment considerations, at the municipal and regional scales, in order to develop energy planning frameworks with high social acceptance. One case study looks at the spatial planning around wind turbine installations in the Wieringermeer polder in the Netherlands, which used design to develop a consistent image for wind installations, and create a recognizable new layer in the cultural landscape that reflects the qualities, scale, and character of the underlying landscape (H+N+S Landschapsarchitecten, 2014). One other European example demonstrates the impact of an iterative design process in producing the successful Middelgrunden wind farm in Copenhagen, Denmark.
We analyze the potential of these kinds of planning processes on American renewable energy infrastructure planning. We note examples of energy planning that are successfully minimizing conflict between social and ecological stakeholders, focusing on California programs such as the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP), but that would benefit from incorporating design methodologies more extensively to manage visual landscape impact
Fishing Privileges or Privileged Fishermen ? Federal Catch Share Policy
Get PDFCatch shares are a fishery management tool that assign the exclusive privilege to harvest a specific quantity of fish to different fishery participants. An increase in resource rent is considered a primary benefit of catch shares, and its overall level is an indicator of the economic performance of a fishery. Despite substantial expansion in the use of this management tool in the US, however, the size and distribution of rent remains poorly understood. Using a multiple regression model of quota lease prices, resource rent in federal catch share programs is estimated to be $690 million, or roughly half of annual revenues. Theory suggests when fishing privileges are assigned for free, as they have been in federal programs, resource rent will accrue largely to the initial recipient of the privileges as a windfall gain. An examination of past recipients reveals considerable homogeneity, with an overwhelming majority distributed to vessel or permit owners based on historical landings. These findings suggest catch shares have improved the aggregate economic performance of many federal fisheries, but the gains have been largely directed toward a narrow group of fishery participants
HABITAT SELECTION, PREY PREFERENCE, AND POPULATION ECOLOGY OF NORTHERN BARRENS TIGER BEETLES IN THE HUDSON VALLEY, NEW YORK
Get PDFReliable monitoring of the population ecology of rare species and determination of important habitat variables are critical for determining extinction risk and for development of management plans. The goal of this research was to ascertain basic population ecology and define important habitat and prey variables for the rare northern barrens tiger beetle, Cicindela patruela patruela Dejean (Coleoptera: Carabidae), at Sam’s Point Preserve, NY. Mark- recapture surveys spanning three years were conducted and habitat use and prey abundance assessed within a single year. Over a two-year period, the population grew from 81 (95% CI 75 to 99) to 109 (95% CI 101 to 128) individuals with an occupancy estimate of 0.79 ± 0.16. Percent cover of pebbles, moss/lichen, and small sand grains were important variables associated with C. patruela presence. Priority should be given to identification of new populations outside the current known distribution in NY as well as further identification and preservation of critical habitat features
Visual Resource Stewardship – An International Perspective
Get PDFAn international perspective to visual resource stewardship is presented in this paper. It examines the history of Great Britain’s love affair with its landscapes, then summarizes the more recent development of the European Landscape Convention, which has been embraced across much of Europe. The recognition of outstanding landscapes under the World Heritage Convention is then covered and the international Protected Areas program, which includes landscapes, is briefly summarized. Programs in several countries are reviewed. As the United States is very adequately covered in this and the 2017 conference, this paper mainly addresses other countries. The key message the paper imparts is that most of the provisions focus on the character of the landscape, not its quality. Because it has been assumed, particularly in Britain, that it is too difficult and subjective to measure scenic quality, landscape character has become the subject. Authorities have stayed clear of subjectivity and applied objective-based analysis to landscape character
Measuring And Mapping Scenic Quality Using The community Preferences Method
Get PDFFor centuries, philosophers of aesthetics believed that beauty lay in the object, a physical entity. It was not until the 18th century, that British and German philosophers realized that beauty lay in the eyes of the beholder, in our mind rather than in the object. Contemporary theories of landscape aesthetics derive from an evolutionary perspective, what humans prefer is survival enhancing. The rapidity of aesthetic judgments, and the similarity of judgments across different individuals, reinforces its innate basis. Yet early attempts to measure scenic quality relied on measuring the characteristics of the landscape in the belief that somehow its scenic beauty would emerge, but it never did. Based on psychophysics, the science of measuring the effect of external stimuli via our senses on the brain, researchers in the United States have achieved understanding of aesthetic preferences. Common elements include use of a rating scale, a rating instrument, and participants to rate scenes. The Community Preferences Method (CPM) is based on these elements and has been applied to 14 projects in Australia and England. CPM involves photographing the area, classifying the scenic character, selecting photographs representative of its character, having the photographs rated together with scenic components, and applying the ratings to areas of the region with similar character. The paper discusses criteria for the use of photographs, the determination of scenic character units, and the contents of an Internet survey instrument to measure scenic quality. The analysis of the survey results is discussed, covering demographics, familiarity, overall ratings, the influence of scenic components with many examples, the derivation of scenic quality models, and the mapping of scenic quality. Scenic quality maps derived from various projects are included. Based on the findings of the projects undertaken, a draft scenic quality map of the United States was prepared. The simplicity, adaptability and robustness of the CPM demonstrate its utility and value in measuring and mapping scenic quality
Conference Proceedings
Get PDFContains 15 papers 17 visual case studies and seven abstracts from the Visual Resource Stewardship Conference: Seeking 20/20 Vision for Landscape futures held at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Illinois on October 27-30, 2019. The material covers topical themes related to federal and state agency programs and policies, theories and concepts, visual quality assessment, visual impact and mitigation, as well as visual resource management tools and technology
REMOVAL OF PHOSPHORUS FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTION USING SIDERITE AND BIORETENTION SOIL MEDIA
Get PDFPhosphorus (P) is a concern in stormwater runoff in urban ecosystems. Passive treatment methods as bioretention have been considered for phosphorus removal. Siderite has shown potential in the removal of dissolved phosphorus from aqueous solution. The present study found that siderite had a phosphorus adsorption capacity of 94.27ug/g, described by the Langmuir isotherm adsorption model, for an initial concentration of 1 mg P/L and a solid-liquid ratio of 1:100 at 22oC, after 12 hours. A bioretention soil mix was also tested, and was found to have produced phosphorus due to leaching. A combination of the bioretention soil mix and siderite was also tested, and the presence of siderite in the combination was able to reduce the phosphorus concentration by 40-47% during the first 15-minute contact time
The Use of Hydrogen Peroxide as a Source of Oxygen for Ammonia Removal in Saturated Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands
Get PDFNitrification is one of the mechanisms to remove ammonium in constructed wetlands. An important factor affecting this biochemical process is the concentration of dissolved oxygen. This study proposed using hydrogen peroxide as a source of oxygen to ensure enough dissolved oxygen in saturated vertical flow constructed wetlands. Hydrogen peroxide is decomposed into water and oxygen in the presence of catalase in constructed wetlands. Three hydrogen peroxide concentrations, 0.6%, 1% and 2% (w/v) in the dosing solutions, were tested over three periods. The effects of hydrogen peroxide concentration on ammonia removal were assessed in terms of oxygen generation and potential impacts of hydrogen peroxide solution concentration on microorganisms and wetland plants. It was found that as hydrogen peroxide dosing concentration increased, concentration of nitrate in the effluent decreased while an increase in plant growth was observed. It was concluded that the use of hydrogen peroxide affected nitrification by shifting the primary ammonia removal mechanism from nitrification to plant uptake. A dosing solution of 1% was suggested since the greatest plant growth was measured and a uniform dissolved oxygen distribution was measured
USING A TRAIN-THE-TRAINER APPROACH TO MAXIMIZE COMMUNITY SCIENCE TRAINING CAPACITY FOR THE IMAPINVASIVES CERTIFIED TRAINERS NETWORK
Get PDFThis research aimed to take a new approach to a community science program’s current training method and create a resource that helps New York State residents and visitors expand their understanding and awareness of invasive species. Since launching in 2010, the invasive species community utilizing iMapInvasives has grown and training requests has exceeded staff capacity. Through sponsorship from the New York Natural Heritage Program and SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry, a Certified Trainers Network was created. The iMapInvasives Certified Trainers Network (CTN) consists of volunteers from diverse backgrounds interested in protecting NYS natural resources. The CTN was adopted following a train-the-trainer model approach, utilizing a three-step certification protocol. The CTN resulted in 12 trainer trainings, and 77 subsequent trainings with 1,162 attendees. As a result, 298 individuals representing 128 organizations submitted 4,290 observations, 546 animal observations and 3,743 plant observations, totaling 175 different species