Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Louisiana's Coastwide Reference Monitoring System

Louisiana has this neat program called the Coastwide Reference Monitoring System. That's a lot of information all at once so let's unpack that. 

Coastwide: Covering the entire coast, in this case, of Louisiana.
Reference: Sites are in a reference network that occur in/out of project areas.
Monitoring: The sites are monitored for a suite of data types. 
System: It's a network, and a systematic approach to this project.

From the official CRMS website: "Wetland restoration efforts conducted in Louisiana require monitoring the effectiveness of individual projects as well as monitoring the cumulative effects of all projects in restoring, creating, enhancing, and protecting the coastal landscape. The effectiveness of the traditional paired-reference monitoring approach in Louisiana has been limited because of difficulty in finding comparable test sites. CRMS is a multiple reference approach that uses aspects of hydrogeomorphic functional assessments and probabilistic sampling. This approach includes a suite of sites that encompass the range of ecological conditions for each stratum, with projects placed on a continuum of conditions found for that stratum. Trajectories in reference sites are then compared with project trajectories through time. The approach could serve as a model for evaluating wetland ecosystems."


TL;DR: "CRMS was designed to monitor the effectiveness of restoration actions at multiple spatial scales from individual projects to the influence of projects on the entire coastal landscape." [source]


Biloxi Marsh, one of the areas that CRMS captures

So as we all should know by now, coastal wetlands loss is a massive problem. It's not specific to Louisiana, the Gulf Coast, the US Coast, or even North America. It's a problem world wide. Wetlands are lost by many many processes (in no particular order):
-Erosion
-Inundation
-Subsidence
-Altered hydrology
-Conversion of freshwater marsh to salt marsh (and vice versa)
-Lack of sediment influx
-Saltwater intrusion
-Agricultural development
-Hurricanes
-Residential development

In 1990, CWPPRA was created. CWPPRA is the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act and is a partnership of agencies aimed at wetlands restoration and protection from future destruction. It is also referred to as the Breaux Act because of US Senator John Breaux. There's several parts to CWPPRA, including a task force comprised of officials from the various agencies, a comprehensive state coastal restoration plan, feasibility studies, and a yearly priority project list.

In practice, CWPRRA has a plan that identifies, prioritizes, and constructs wetland restoration projects. It's called the Coastal Master Plan and it is updated every few years with additional data and projections.

210 CWPPRA projects have been authorized, and almost 100 projects have been developed and created. This creates a suite of questions. How effective is this restoration? Are the goals being met? Do the projects work? What can be done better? Where there any unintended or unexpected outcomes?

Coastal restoration of this magnitude is largely experimental and every site and situation is different. That's the nature of wetlands. There are tools to help like computer modeling, simulations, and the brand new Mississippi River physical model. But these nuances of the varied projects created the need for systematic data to inform decision making. CRMS was developed to monitor all these restoration projects at multiple spatial scales in multiple basins across Louisiana's coast. Because sites are located within and without of project areas, "comparisons of changing conditions are not limited to project influences, but are possible throughout the coastal zone" [source].

In addition to monitoring single projects, the broad scope and plethora of study sites allows scientists to assess the overall health and status of Louisiana's coastal wetlands.

The multiple reference approach allows for extensive data on changes between project (restoration) sites and reference (natural) sites. It allows managers to determine if projects are effective, and how restoration sites ultimately end up differing from reference sites. This is useful for making management and restoration decisions, and ultimately is useful for the health of the coast.

CRMS is only one piece of a many pronged approach to solving 1 massive problem in 1 location. It's a huge drop in the wetlands bucket for what needs to be done worldwide, but it's a fantastic start for Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. It's hard to fathom everything that needs to be done or could be done. So let's just look at one example!

My favorite example of wetlands restoration in action is the LaBranche wetlands.


The LaBranche wetland project isn't necessarily the flashiest, or the largest, or the most novel of projects but it was one of the very first projects created with CWPPRA. It's also near and dear to my own heart because I grew up in the area.

PO-17 is "Bayou LaBranche Wetland Creation". PO stands for Pontchartrain Basin, and 17 is the # of the project. This area is degraded wetlands caused by interstate construction, failure of agricultural impoundments, and the nearby railroad tracks. I just learned this myself but both the Unnamed 1915 Hurricane and Hurricane Betsy (50 years later in 1965) had scarily similar approaches to the coast of Louisiana, and both caused Lake Pontchartrain to overtop it's natural boundaries and for salt water to be pushed inland through canals and cuts. That further created problems for the LaBranche wetlands.

As we learned above, CWPPRA was authorized in 1990. In 1991, the very first list of Priority Projects was released. PO-17 was on it. The project was constructed in 1994. You can see the map below of the reference vs project areas.

The PO-17 Habitat Classification [source]

So here we are, with a project that was constructed in 1994. According to reports it was functioning as planned. "In 2003, the CWPPRA Task Force approved the implementation of a Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS) as a means to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of CWPPRA projects at three levels: project, region, and coastwide" [source].

And along come CRMS! In 2008 monitoring began at the LaBranche wetlands. Two CRMS sites were installed: CRMS2830 (reference) and CRMS6299 (project). All data is publicly available on the CIMS data website HERE. For 10 years CRMS6299 has been capturing conditions and data about the restored area and CRMS2830 has been collecting data about the neighboring reference (unrestored) site.

Now that it's 2018 and the PO-17 project was constructed 24 years ago, and was a success, with all of the data to prove it. The adjacent reference site has also been authorized, in 2010 -- PO-75 is "LaBranche East Marsh Creation", but has not yet been constructed.

This is a great example of a marsh restoration project (in this case, marsh creation) that was paired with a reference (control) site, and both were monitored for 10+ years, and since it was successful the reference site has now been authorized. It's brilliant!

I don't know when PO-75 will be built, but hopefully soon. Money is always a limiting factor and the process takes time.

Restoration is a long term plan. Nothing happens immediately. Managers and restoration specialists might not see the full results and potential of a project for 20 years. Most people don't think about the future 20 years out. But managers must look at the big picture to have long term success. That's why Louisiana's Coastal Master Plan is a 50 year plan, but also updated every 3 years with new data. Long term goals are necessary but management plans also have to be adaptive.

And a lot can happen in 20 years to influence the projects that are impossible to be forecast exactly. The LaBranche wetlands since the 1994 project construction have endured many things. Hurricanes with storm surge and rainfall can have a massive impact. The Bonnet Carre Spillway is adjacent to the LaBranche wetlands and when it is open, freshwater from the Mississippi River pushes out into Lake Pontchartrain and can be a (probably much needed) flush for the wetlands.
-1997: Bonnet Carre Spillway opened
-1998: Hurricane Georges
-2001: Tropical Storm Allison
-2005: Hurricane Katrina
-2008: Bonnet Carre Spillway opened
-2008: Hurricane Gustav
-2011: Bonnet Carre Spillway opened
-2012: Hurricane Isaac
-2016: Bonnet Carre Spillway opened
-2018: Bonnet Carre Spillway opened

Adaptability and resilience is key in any long term plan. Hurricanes and floods may hinder or help, but the long term plan can hopefully account for fluxes like that. The battle for coastal restoration continues in the face of everything that stands in the way!

Additional reading:
CRMS fact sheet, lacoast.gov, accessed 10/24/2018
CRMS website with data & maps 
2017 Coastal Master Plan Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, accessed 10/24/2018
EPA - Coastal Wetlands EPA, accessed 10/24/2018
Wetland Loss In Louisiana lacoast.gov, accessed 10/24/2018
Wetlands: a global disappearing act RAMSAR, accessed 10/24/2018
New Orleans 1915 Hurricane Wikipedia, accessed 10/30/2018
Hurricane Betsy 1965 Wikipedia, accessed 10/30/2018
CIMS Data Tool, LA CPRA, accessed 10/30/2018
PO-17 Fact Sheet CWPPRA, accessed 10/30/2018
PO-75 Fact Sheet CWPPRA, accessed 10/30/2018
Mississippi River Physical Model LSU, accessed 10/31/2018
Bonnet Carre Spillway information Wikipedia accessed 10/31/2018
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Friday, October 26, 2018

Weekly Science Roundup: 10/26/2018










A running list of action on plastic pollution National Geographic, 10/19/2018







A 14-year-long oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico verges on becoming one of the worst in U.S. history The Washington post, 10/21/2018


Using Markets to Manage Climate Change? The Wall Street Journal, 10/21/2018











How Recycled Plastic Bottles Are Building Homes Great Big Story on Youtube, 10/22/2018









Cities are planning for climate change all wrong The Washington Post, 10/22/2018

Cheers! Solar farm cider powers up Treehugger, 10/23/2018
















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Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Personal Decisions to Combat Climate Change

A few weeks ago, the IPCC report on climate change was released. And there were a slew of articles about the personal decisions an individual can make to combat climate change. 

CNN says the 5 things you can do about climate change are make small changes at home (LED bulbs, turning off the lights, changing thermostats to be more eco-friendly, use less water), recycle at the office, use public transportation, get informed, and get involved. 

Sure, you definitely SHOULD use energy efficient appliances/bulbs, turn off the lights and water when not in use, and all of that. I definitely agree that everyone should do the list of things that CNN has laid out. 

In the same vein, Forbes recommends that you should campaign/protest/lobby/vote, change your commute to be more eco-friendly (hybrid cars, public transit, carpool, biking), build better and utilize green infrastructure, use less energy and invest in solar, use the 5 Rs (refuse, reduce, repair, reuse, recycle), and eat less meat and focus on locally sourced food. 

I also agree with these. 

However, all of those things are only drops in the bucket. They are helpful, yes, and you SHOULD do them. 

But there's bigger picture steps that you can take, as an individual. 

  1. VOTE VOTE VOTE. You can check to see how much money various industries give to politicians and use that information to vote wisely. For example, Ted Cruz (R-TX) received the most oil & gas money in 2018. https://www.opensecrets.org/
  2. VOTE VOTE VOTE 2.0. Vote for politicians who are environmentally minded. Who are pro-green new deal. Who have the environment's best interests at the forefront, not those who are pawns for polluting industries. 
  3. You can invest your money with Swell Investing which uses UN Sustainable Development Goals to pick the mixture of companies for various impact areas - like climate action, clean water, etc. You can make a change by voting with your dollars. Put your money where your brain is, so to speak.
  4. Buy from companies with sustainable practices, or to not support companies you disagree with. The movement is called voting with your wallet, and you have many options to learn more about that. Boycotts can be effective to make companies change their ways. I also talked more about this with clothing in a previous post. 
  5. Donate money to organizations doing the good work. Non-profits like The Nature Conservany, The Ocean Conservancy, Sea Legacy, and the like are all doing their part. 
  6. Rethink your daily actions. Consider the impact of your habits. For example, if I buy a single use bottle of soft drink every day, I'm generating 7 pieces of plastic that are recyclable but avoidable. I could use aluminum cans instead. Or buy a 2-liter larger bottle and drink from a reusable cup everyday. I could eliminate the soft drinks all together and opt for water, tea, etc in reusable cups. The same idea could work for the daily coffee on the go (use a reusable cup), lunches, etc. Just rethink your habit and find creative ingenious solutions to be more eco-friendly!
  7. VOTE!

If everyone makes the small changes AND votes wisely
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Friday, October 19, 2018

Weekly Science Roundup: 10/19/2018

10/10/2018




Trump blames wildfires on California forest policy and threatens to withhold funds from state LA Times, 10/17/2018

Great Lakes Pipeline Dispute Highlights a Broader Energy Dilemma EcoWatch, 10/17/2018










Microplastics found in 90 percent of table salt National Geographic, 10/17/2018



Israel's SodaStream sucks up ocean plastic in Honduras cleanup World Israel News, 10/17/2018


Researchers use ultrasound to learn more about Ningaloo's pregnant green sea turtles ABC Australia, 10/17/2018




Extreme Botany: The Precarious Science of Endangered Rare Plants Yale Environment 360, 10/18/2018


















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Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Cypress Logging in Louisiana

I have spent many many hours deep in the swamps of Louisiana. Most of the swamps I've seen have been modified by humans in one or more ways - cypress logging, building levees, digging canals, adding water control structures, and impounding and/or draining. There's virtually no remaining intact swamp. 

The most dramatic of those on a large scale in my opinion is the widespread cypress logging that took place across the coastal swamps of Louisiana and the rest of the Gulf coast. 

People have been logging baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) in Louisiana swamps since the 1700s, but it wasn't until the 1890s that people had the machines to log with any efficiency. Cypress lumber is valuable because it's rot resistant, strong, with a tight grain. It does make for beautiful boards. It also makes beautiful trees. 

Around that time, people developed the pull-boat, which was basically the downfall of cypress stands that were present in those days. The pull-boat allowed trees to be logged much more quickly than before. Intense logging occurred with that mechanical invention, and most virgin (never logged) cypress were logged from 1890-1925. By the 1930s, most cypress mills were going out of business and logging was dwindling... because nothing of worth was left to cut down. Any big trees left standing at that point were hollow and therefore useless to the logger, or otherwise damaged.

To log cypress, workers would visit the sites in the winter, when water levels were lower, and girdle the trees. Girdling is when the bark around the tree is removed, which will ultimately kill the tree [source]. Then, in the spring during high water, loggers would come back, cut the tree down, and then be able to float or pull the logs out of the swamp. To cut the trees down, loggers created notches in the trees that they inserted boards into - called springboards - that they could stand on while cutting the tree down [source].

Loggers effectively clearcut cypress trees from large tracts of land in south Louisiana. I've read descriptions of Manchac, LA (between the Lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain) that described huge cypress trees as far as the eye can see. Now, there are patches of cypress trees in that area but not nearly what used to be. The marsh is beautiful, but if you look carefully you can tell that something traumatic happened. There are still some sparse standing trees, with marsh underneath and around, but many standing cypress stumps and small canals criss-crossing the remaining marsh. 

There's many remnants of the effects of cypress logging still visible today. Here's a few:

While you can't see the pattern from the ground, the area is dissected with pull-boat canals. You can see all the straight, unnatural lines that run to one central point. Those are pull-boat canals where the logs were pulled out of the swamp. This is but one example of many that are visible on current aerial photography available to the public.


On the ground in Pearl River, I found an old stump that was girdled. This tree was cut down ~100 years ago, yet this stump still remains. This further proves the point that cypress wood is very very long lasting. Photo by me.

On the Tickfaw River, an old stump that has springboard notches visible. The notches are where loggers inserted the ends of boards (called springboards because they bounced) into the tree to stand on while they cut the tree down. It's hard to picture 100 years ago at this site, before it was logged, or picturing loggers work to cut this tree down. Photo by me. 


In Hope Canal, the remains of a former logging railroad can be seen. The railroad was built in the 1890s, and used to move logs out of the swamp. It wasn't until the 1930s that the actual canal was dug to divert water to Lake Maurepas. Photo by me.


In Manchac, you can see cypress dot the horizon. It's surely not the dense stands it once was. Photo by me.

These are only a few examples of the remnant hints of the cypress logging that took place. I see these scars all the time and they remind me of what used to be, but will never be again (probably). 

The hydrology of coastal Louisiana was relatively unaltered by humans in the early 20th century, so forests that were harvested had the opportunity to regrow. Baldcypress seeds need saturated soils but not flooded soils to germinate. Swamps are naturally seasonally flooded, with a portion of the year not flooded which allows seeds to germinate into seedlings. Once seedlings are established they can tolerate the natural flooding regime. 

But by the end of the 1930s, the hydrology was dramatically shifted and shifting. 

Since then, we've contained the Mississippi River in a prison of levees, and built a few diversion projects to semi-mimic natural floodwater dispersion into wetlands, cut off natural bayous that were river distributaries, extensively dug canals for flood relief, created two flood relief spillways, built interstates/roads over/through the swamps, and dug many many oil and gas exploration canals. I could write pages on all the changes that have happened in the last 100 years so I'll save that for a follow up post. 

The point is that the coast is not even remotely the same. 

Cypress that regenerated 100 years ago would not be able to do the same in 2018. The hydrology is massively different and seedlings to not seasonally get the non-flooded conditions necessary for adequate growth. Additionally wetlands (swamps included) provide valuable ecosystem services which cannot be easily replicated by humans, nor should they be when the original system is right in front of you. 

In the current situation, cypress swamps are semi-stable in my experience. Reconnecting the hydrology would be incredibly beneficial, planting older more tolerant seedlings in marshes is helpful, killing any and all nutria that eat the young trees would be amazing, and those are just the first 3 things I can think of. 

The take home message is that even though the hydrology is all messed up, the ecosystem is not properly functioning, and there are many environmental and political hurdles - love the swamp. The swamp is beautiful, it's wonderful, it's home to many beautiful species, and it's iconic. It is not to be feared, drained, destroyed, or logged. 

Additional Information:

1800s-era sunken logs are now treasure; here are the men who find them LA Times, 7/13/2014

Video of Louisiana Cypress Logging, 1920s YouTube user foresthistory, 2/3/2009

Sinker cypress: treasures of a lost landscape Christopher Aubrey Hurst, LSU thesis, 2005. 
>> start at page 29 for a history of cypress in Louisiana

Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 Wikipedia, accessed 10/16/2018

Flood Control Act of 1928 Wikipedia, accessed 10/16/2018

Caernarvon, Louisiana Wikipedia, accessed 10/16/2018

History of Levees FEMA, accessed 10/16/2018
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Friday, October 12, 2018

Weekly Science Roundup: 10/12/2018


Arctic Sea Ice Minimum NASA, accessed 10/12/2018




HOW MUSHROOMS MIGHT SAVE THE BEES Newsweek, 10/7/2018








What climate change is actually expected to do The Washington Post, 10/8/2018


















With Thick Ice Gone, Arctic Sea Ice Changes More Slowly NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 10/11/2018








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Sunday, October 7, 2018

Social Experiments with Environmental Impacts: A 6 month shopping ban + steps to approach zero waste

Right now, I have many mixed feelings running through my heart and head. I am anxious and feel guilty about my failure and fear of my bike commuting idea. I shouldn't feel bad about it, because there's many ways that I'm more eco-conscious than others.

But I can definitely improve my everyday ways. 

So I just came across "The Year of Less" by Cait Flanders where she instituted a 1 year shopping ban that actually turned into 2 years. (Also: even though she's stepped away, check out her awesome blog for info and resources). Financially, I've toyed with mini shopping bans, travel hiatuses, strict budgeting, and frugal solutions to everyday problems. Environmentally, I've tried composting, gardening, native plants, and also my career. Also I'm super interested in the zero/nearo waste lifestyle. 

So reading more about shopping bans and zero waste lifestyles got the wheels turning and I developed an experiment for myself. My 6 month social experiment includes a shopping ban and steps to reach a zero-er waste lifestyle. However, I have struggled with whether to lay it all out there for the universe to read, and whether or not this was truly outdoor conservation related. Ultimately, I decided to share (obviously). 

But why?

Often the world of conservation seems to large and overwhelming, like no matter what an individual does it's just a drop in a very large bucket making very little impact. But every little thing DOES make an impact. That's important to remember. However we can always do more. Changes to personal habits is more tangible, accountable, and measurable so that for me is a good place to start. At least it's an effort I can control more and every little bit helps! 

By banning unnecessary shopping, I am reducing my consumption of goods. I am then in turn reducing my environmental impact. How often do you buy something on impulse at a shop and use it/wear it once or twice, and end up never using it again? More often than you'd care to admit, I'm sure, because that's me. And I don't even enjoy shopping in general. But it all adds up. So, for example, by reducing my clothing purchases, I can reduce my environmental impact because the clothing industry is notoriously environmentally unfriendly. 

I'm also immensely bothered by the amount of waste generated by my daily life. To name a few - cat litter/waste, dog food bags, kitchen scraps, unnecessary packaging, takeout containers, single use plastics, and the list goes on. 

So naturally, because of these frustrations, I'm going to challenge myself because I like quests. Also I'm inspired by Cait Flanders and all the geniuses at r/ZeroWaste. 

So here's the rules for my 6 month shopping ban: 
1) I can purchase necessary consumable items from the allowed list below but only when needed. 
2) I can also purchase anything on my pre-approved shopping list. I have a few things I do actually need but haven't purchased yet. 
3) I can also make a purchase if an item wears out and legitimately does need to be replaced. Caveat - aim for used or responsibly produced replacements.
4) Travel souvenirs are allowed when abroad (non daily special instance). I like to buy earrings, fridge magnets, and books when abroad and these things bring me much joy and daily use. 
5) Everything else is a no go! 

Allowed Shopping List:
Toiletries, cleaning supplies, pet supplies, bike parts, gifts, used books, home improvement supplies.

Not Allowed Shopping List:
Music, new books, decor, media, electronics, shoes, kitchen stuff, clothes, pretty much everything else.

Approved Item List:
Prints for existing wall frames
Smart thermostat for the house
NOLS course supplies that are required for the course
fabric to make curtains
stick vacuum for all the dog hair

I predict that my weaknesses will be impulse buys at the shop, new books, and outdoor gear and clothing.

I would also like to clarify that a shopping ban does not equal a spending money ban. I'd rather spend money on an experience - eating dinner out with friends, traveling, competing in a race, etc. It's the unnecessary impulse buys and retail therapy that I'm eliminating.

So if Step 1 is to reduce the amount of things coming into my life, then Step 2 is to reduce the amount of things currently in my life. I will do a major purge - clothes, kitchen, storage space, gear room, everything. Things will be donated/sold as necessary.

Step 3 is to start the journey towards zero waste. There are other adults in my life, and I can't control anyone, but I can do my own personal best. For example I will start composting again. I don't like vegetable gardening and I'm really bad at it but I can use the compost for my yard and native plants instead of it ending up in a landfill. I'll outline my zero waste goals in another post once I make a systematic plan. Exact details TBD! 

You can read about other people's experiments in these realms below:
My Year of No Shopping by Ann Patchett NY Times, 12/15/2017

 Save Money and Reset Your Financial Life With a Shopping Ban NY Times, 2/23/2018

r/ZeroWaste Reddit sub Zero Waste

It’s 2018! Time For A Shopping Ban Tiny Ambitions Blog, accessed 10/4/2018

The Six Month Shopping Ban (And How It Jump Started My Path to Financial Freedom) GenTwenty Blog, accessed 10/4/2018

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Friday, October 5, 2018

Weekly Science Roundup: 10/5/2018









Why What You Recycle May End Up In The Trash Capital Public Radio, 10/2/2018




Waterkeeper Alliance manager calls Cape Fear coal ash spill 'much worse' than previous spills Spectrum News, 10/3/2018

Cameras detect ‘surprising’ predators prowling in backyards in NC and DC, study shows The Herald-Sun, 10/3/2018









Right?’ Seattle Q13 Fox News, 10/3/2018













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Thursday, October 4, 2018

Conservation Book of the Month October 2018 - Firestorm, Edward Struzik

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