The purpose of this report is to (1) compare the extent and duration of the flooded area in isolated wetlands located in three regional well fields operated by Tampa Bay Water in the northern Tampa Bay region during a period before and a period after reductions in the rate of groundwater withdrawals; (2) evaluate the ability of the flooded area duration integrated over the two periods to provide evidence of the change in wetland hydrologic conditions; and (3) discuss the potential use of wetland flooded-area data to interpret long-term wetland vegetation monitoring data.

The 'Grossglockner', Austria's highest mountain at 3,789m, is one of the most important summits of the Eastern Alps - and not only because it is so important for alpine tourism. At the end of the 18th Century, it had been explored and nobody less than Arch Bishop Salm-Reiffenscheidt-Krautheim was the first to ascend in 1800. Today, with more than 5000 ascents per year, it is a very popular destination for climbers. But even for those who do not want to climb, the fascination of this mountain is hard to escape. There is no better way to investigate than from the 'Grossglockner' High Alpine roads. The road leads across both mountain passes Fuscher Toerl and Hochtor, crossing the main Alpes from Salzburg to Carinthia, with turnoffs to the Edelweiss peak and the Kaiser-Franz-Josef-height. The road as an adventure trip and its 12% ascent has to be well managed. Who would be more capable to report about all this than Stefan Bogner, the master of the automobile photo books? With fuel in his blood and a sensitive feel for history, but also with accelerator and brake, he provides a portrait of one of the most exciting and most visited Alpine roads. Text in English and German.

The U.S. Geological Survey Puget Sound Ecosystem Portfolio Model is a decisions-support tool that uses scenarios to evaluate where, when, and to what extend future population growth, urban growth, and shoreline development may threaten the Puget Sound nearshore environment.

One of the most important issues in current debates on climate change is sea level rise. Hardly a day goes by when there is not a newspaper article, TV or radio presentation on the topic. Nearly half of the world's population live on or near the coast, so there is real concern about the impact that future sea level rise may have. Yet media predictions of future changes tend to be depicted in a sensationalist manner and quite often the explanations of the science of sea level change bear little relation to reality. This book details the history of scientific discoveries that have explained the patterns of sea level change that have taken place across the Earth in the past. Alastair Dawson introduces the many complex processes, some of which are not well-known, that influence patterns and rates of relative sea level change. Using this knowledge, the reader is much better placed to form a clearer perspective on what the future is likely to have in store for sea levels on Earth.Alastair Dawson first addresses some of the most important misconceptions about the topic of sea level change. He then explains the principal causes of sea level change focusing on the key issues of vertical land movements and changes in global ocean volume. He explores the key areas of science that we need to understand in order to evaluate competing assertions of how sea level is likely to change in the future. He also shows how, remarkably, the melting history of the last great ice sheets on Earth is still playing an important part in contributing to present patterns of sea level change. The book concludes with a consideration of the rates and patterns of sea level change that have occurred over the last century and demonstrates how satellite technology is presently contributing new ways of understanding of present patterns of change.

Threshold concepts are used in research and management of ecological systems to describe and interpret abrupt and persistent reorganization of ecosystem properties (Walker and Meyers, 2004; Groffman and others, 2006). Abrupt change, referred to as a threshold crossing, and the progression of reorganization can be triggered by one or more interactive disturbances such as land-use activities and climatic events (Paine and others, 1998). Threshold crossings occur when feedback mechanisms that typically absorb forces of change are replaced with those that promote development of alternative equilibria or states (Suding and others, 2004; Walker and Meyers, 2004; Briske and others, 2008). The alternative states that emerge from a threshold crossing vary and often exhibit reduced ecological integrity and value in terms of management goals relative to the original or reference system. Alternative stable states with some limited residual properties of the original system may develop along the progression after a crossing; an eventual outcome may be the complete loss of pre-threshold properties of the original ecosystem.

This book provides an up-to-date and comprehensive report on the soils of Wisconsin, a state that offers a rich tapestry of soils. It discusses the relevant soil forming factors and soil processes in detail and subsequently reviews the main soil regions and dominant soil orders, including paleosols and endemic and endangered soils. The last chapters address soils in a changing climate and provide an evaluation of their monetary value and crop yield potential. Richly illustrated, the book offers both a valuable teaching resource and essential guide for policymakers, land users, and all those interested in the soils of Wisconsin.

In 2012, the FAA and USDA continued to make great progress with its multifaceted approach for mitigating wildlife strikes. The FAA ensured that 100 percent of Part 139 airports have completed a Wildlife Hazard Assessment (WHA), are in the process of conducting a WHA, or have taken a Federal grant to conduct a WHA. Strike reporting continued to increase, especially with General Aviation (GA) aircraft, which increased strike reporting by 11 percent between 2011 and 2012. The FAA implemented three performance metrics to monitor strike reporting trends and GA wildlife mitigation. The performance metrics include percentage of damaging strikes, strike reporting rates, and tracking of General Aviation (GA) airports that conduct WHAs and site visits. We also issued a final Advisory Circular (AC) on strike reporting and draft ACs on WHA methodology and requirements for federally obligated public airports to conduct WHAs.

The myriad definitions of soil/ecosystem quality or health are often driven by ecosystem and management concerns, and they typically focus on the ability of the soil to provide functions relating to biological productivity and/or environmental quality (Doran and Parkin, 1994; Karlen and others, 1997). A variety of attempts have been made to create indices that quantify the complexities of soil quality and provide a means of evaluating the impact of various natural and anthropogenic disturbances.