US Fish and Wildlife Service 1979 wetland classification: A review

In 1979 the US Fish and Wildlife Service published and adopted a classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States. The system was designed for use in a national inventory of wetlands. It was intended to be ecologically based, to furnish the mapping units needed for the inventory, and to provide national consistency in terminology and definition. We review the performance of the classification after 13 years of use. The definition of wetland is based on national lists of hydric soils and plants that occur in wetlands. Our experience suggests that wetland classifications must facilitate mapping and inventory because these data gathering functions are essential to management and preservation of the wetland resource, but the definitions and taxa must have ecological basis. The most serious problem faced in construction of the classification was lack of data for many of the diverse wetland types. Review of the performance of the classification suggests that, for the most part, it was successful in accomplishing its objectives, but that problem areas should be corrected and modification could strengthen its utility. The classification, at least in concept, could be applied outside the United States. Experience gained in use of the classification can furnish guidance as to pitfalls to be avoided in the wetland classification process

Use of a reciprocal transplant study to measure the rate of plant community change in a tidal marsh along a salinity gradient

The relationship between environmental factors and the spatial distribution of maintained and actively used burrows of the grapsid crab Helograpsus haswellianus was studied at three saltmarsh sites in southeast Queensland, Australia. The sites had been modified by runnelling for mosquito-control, a method that transports low-amplitude tides to areas of saltmarsh. The study investigated the relationship between burrow density, burrow aperture size, and runnelling, as well as the effect of flooding or non-flooding tides and distance from a tidal source. Responses differed at the three sites. The most consistent pattern across all sites was that active burrows were most numerous between 30 and 50 m from the saltmarsh / mangrove interface at the landward side of the tidal source. At particular sites, there were significant relationships between burrow aperture size, tidal period, and the presence of runnels. Generally, few small burrows occurred low on the shore, while larger burrows were distributed across the shore to 50 m. At naturally dry sites, more burrows occurred within 5 m of the runnel, whereas at naturally wet sites, fewer burrows were found close to the runnel. As runnels transport low-amplitude tides, moisture conditions required for burrowing may very between flooding and non-flooding tides. Overall, the influence of tides on the density of crab burrows and their aperture sizes was of more importance than the presence of runnels alone

Promoting patient engagement in cancer genomics research programs: An environmental scan

Background: A national priority in the United States is to promote patient engagement in cancer genomics research, especially among diverse and understudied populations. Several cancer genomics research programs have emerged to accomplish this priority, yet questions remain about the meaning and methods of patient engagement. This study explored how cancer genomics research programs define engagement and what strategies they use to engage patients across stages in the conduct of research.Methods: An environmental scan was conducted of cancer genomics research programs focused on patient engagement. Research programs were identified and characterized using materials identified from publicly available sources (e.g., websites), a targeted literature review, and interviews with key informants. Descriptive information about the programs and their definitions of engagement, were synthesized using thematic analysis. The engagement strategies were synthesized and mapped to different stages in the conduct of research, including recruitment, consent, data collection, sharing results, and retention.Results: Ten research programs were identified, examples of which include the Cancer Moonshot Biobank, the MyPART Network, NCI-CONNECT, and the Participant Engagement and Cancer Genome Sequencing (PE-CGS) Network. All programs aimed to include understudied or underrepresented populations. Based on publicly available information, four programs explicitly defined engagement. These definitions similarly characterized engagement as being interpersonal, reciprocal, and continuous. Five general strategies of engagement were identified across the programs: 1) digital (such as websites) and 2) non-digital communications (such as radio broadcasts, or printed brochures); 3) partnering with community organizations; 4) providing incentives; and 5) affiliating with non-academic medical centers. Digital communications were the only strategy used across all stages of the conduct of research. Programs tailored these strategies to their study goals, including overcoming barriers to research participation among diverse populations.Conclusion: Programs studying cancer genomics are deeply committed to increasing research participation among diverse populations through patient engagement. Yet, the field needs to reach a consensus on the meaning of patient engagement, develop a taxonomy of patient engagement measures in cancer genomics research, and identify optimal strategies to engage patients in cancer genomics. Addressing these needs could enable patient engagement to fulfill its potential and accelerate the pace of cancer genomic discoveries

Priorities to Promote Participant Engagement in the Participant Engagement and Cancer Genome Sequencing (PE-CGS) Network.

BACKGROUND: Engaging diverse populations in cancer genomics research is of critical importance and is a fundamental goal of the NCI Participant Engagement and Cancer Genome Sequencing (PE-CGS) Network. Established as part of the Cancer Moonshot, PE-CGS is a consortium of stakeholders including clinicians, scientists, genetic counselors, and representatives of potential study participants and their communities. Participant engagement is an ongoing, bidirectional, and mutually beneficial interaction between study participants and researchers. PE-CGS sought to set priorities in participant engagement for conducting the network\u27s research. METHODS: PE-CGS deliberatively engaged its stakeholders in the following four-phase process to set the network\u27s research priorities in participant engagement: (i) a brainstorming exercise to elicit potential priorities; (ii) a 2-day virtual meeting to discuss priorities; (iii) recommendations from the PE-CGS External Advisory Panel to refine priorities; and (iv) a virtual meeting to set priorities. RESULTS: Nearly 150 PE-CGS stakeholders engaged in the process. Five priorities were set: (i) tailor education and communication materials for participants throughout the research process; (ii) identify measures of participant engagement; (iii) identify optimal participant engagement strategies; (iv) understand cancer disparities in the context of cancer genomics research; and (v) personalize the return of genomics findings to participants. CONCLUSIONS: PE-CGS is pursuing these priorities to meaningfully engage diverse and underrepresented patients with cancer and posttreatment cancer survivors as participants in cancer genomics research and, subsequently, generate new discoveries. IMPACT: Data from PE-CGS will be shared with the broader scientific community in a manner consistent with participant informed consent and community agreement

Wetland Issues Affecting Waterfowl Conservation in North America

This paper summarises discussions by invited speakers during a special session at the 6th North American Duck Symposium on wetland issues that affect waterfowl, highlighting current ecosystem challenges and opportunities for the conservation of waterfowl in North America. Climate change, invasive species, U.S. agricultural policy (which can encourage wetland drainage and the expansion of row-crop agriculture into grasslands), cost and competition for water rights, and wetland management for non-waterfowl species were all considered to pose significant threats to waterfowl populations in the near future. Waterfowl populations were found to be faced with significant threats in several regions, including: the Central Valley of California, the Playa Lakes Region of the south-central U.S., the Prairie Pothole Region of the northern U.S. and western and central Canada, the boreal forest of northern Canada, the Great Lakes region and Latin America. Apart from direct and indirect threats to habitat, presenters identified that accurate and current data on the location, distribution and diversity of wetlands are needed by waterfowl managers, environmental planners and regulatory agencies to ensure focused, targeted and cost-effective wetland conservation. Although populations of many waterfowl species are currently at or above long-term average numbers, these populations are thought to be at risk of decline in the near future because of ongoing and predicted nesting habitat loss and wetland destruction in many areas of North America

Spatial variation of wetland woods in the latitudinal transition to arid regions: a multiscale approach

In order to investigate the occurrence of wetland woods in the latitudinal transition to arid regions in south-western Europe, we studied species patterns (richness and abundance), examined floristic differences between woods along the latitudinal gradient, and determined the relative influence of the underlying environmental drivers of plant variation at various scales

Vegetative Ecological Characteristics of Restored Reed (Phragmites australis) Wetlands in the Yellow River Delta, China

In this study, we compared ecological characteristics of wetland vegetation in a series of restoration projects that were carried out in the wetlands of Yellow River Delta. The investigated characteristics include plant composition structure, species diversity and community similarity in three kinds of Phragmites australis wetlands, i.e. restored P. australis wetlands (R1, R2, R3 and R4: restored in 2002, 2005, 2007 and 2009, respectively), natural P. australis wetland (N) and degraded P. australis wetland (D) to assess the process of wetlands restoration. The coverage of the R1 was 99%, which was similar to natural wetland. Among all studied wetlands, the highest and lowest stem density was observed in R1 and R2, respectively, Plant height and stem diameter show the same trend as N > R2 > R1 > R3 > D > R4. Species diversity of restored P. australis wetlands became closed to natural wetland. Both species richness and Shannon–Wiener index had similar tendency: increased first and then decreased with restored time. The highest species richness and species diversity were observed in R2, while the lowest values of those parameters were found in natural P. australis wetland. Similarity indexes between restored wetlands and natural wetland increased with the restoration time, but they were still less than 50%. The results indicate that the vegetation of P. australis wetlands has experienced a great improvement after several years’ restoration, and it is feasible to restored degraded P. australis wetlands by pouring fresh water into those wetlands in the Yellow River Delta. However, it is notable that costal degraded P. australis wetland in this region may take years to decades to reach the status of natural wetland

Microstructure and interfacial reactions during active metal brazing of stainless steel to titanium

Microstructural evolution and interfacial reactions during active metal vacuum brazing of Ti (grade-2) and stainless steel (SS 304L) using a Ag-based alloy containing Cu, Ti, and Al was investigated. A Ni-depleted solid solution layer and a discontinuous layer of (Ni,Fe)2TiAl intermetallic compound formed on the SS surface and adjacent to the SS-braze alloy interface, respectively. Three parallel contiguous layers of intermetallic compounds, CuTi, AgTi, and (Ag,Cu)Ti2, formed at the Ti-braze alloy interface. The diffusion path for the reaction at this interface was established. Transmission electron microscopy revealed formation of nanocrystals of Ag-Cu alloy of size ranging between 20 and 30 nm in the unreacted braze alloy layer. The interdiffusion zone of β-Ti(Ag,Cu) solid solution, formed on the Ti side of the joint, showed eutectoid decomposition to lamellar colonies of α-Ti and internally twinned (Cu,Ag)Ti2 inter- metallic phase, with an orientation relationship between the two. Bend tests indicated that the failure in the joints occurred by formation and propagation of the crack mostly along the Ti- braze alloy interface, through the (Ag,Cu)Ti2 phase layer