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We discuss the potential for adopting a critical load (CL) of air pollutant-deposition approach to inform natural resource protection and management in New York. The CL reflects the quantitative exposure to pollutants below which significant harmful effects on specified sensitive elements of the environment do not occur. Here, we discuss how CLs can be used to protect sensitive ecosystems against the harmful effects of atmospheric sulfur and nitrogen deposition and associated soil and water acidification and nutrient enrichment. The CL can be used diagnostically to determine resources at risk and prescriptively to evaluate the effectiveness of regulations and to manage resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the linkages among environmental gradients and three measures of ecosystem nitrogen (N) cycling collected during the 2003 growing season. With this, maps of canopy nitrogen obtained through analysis of high-resolution, hyperspectral, remotely sensed images offer a powerful means to make landscape-scale to regional-scale estimates of forest N cycling and net primary production. These linkages include, field survey of canopy N, field survey of soil C:N and canopy N measured through analysis of hyperion hyperspectral images.

It is believed that atmospheric deposition of S and N in the Adirondack Mountains of New York has depleted soil-base cation pools, reduced soil base saturation (BS), and contributed to enhanced acidification of soils and surface waters. However, data to determine changes in soil characteristics are generally lacking. It is expected that soil acid-base status will improve as acidic deposition declines in response to atmospheric emissions controls. We studied edaphic characteristics at 199 locations within 44 statistically selected Adirondack lake-watersheds, plus 26 additional watersheds that are included in long-term lakewater monitoring programs. The statistically selected watersheds were chosen to be representative of Adirondack watersheds containing lakes larger than 1 ha and deeper than 1 m that have lakewater acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) less than or equal to 200 μmolc L-1. Results of soil analyses were extrapolated to the watersheds of 1320 low ANC lakes. In general, the concentrations of exchangeable base cations, base saturation, and soil pH were low. More than 75% of the target lakes received drainage from watersheds having average B horizon exchangeable Ca concentrations < 0.52 cmolc kg-1, base saturation < 10.3%, and pH (H2O) < 4.5. Variations in the effective cation exchange capacity in both O and B horizons were closely correlated with soil organic matter content. These data provide a baseline against which to compare future changes in regional soil chemistry, and provide input data for aquatic and terrestrial effects models intended to project future changes in surface water chemistry, biological conditions, and forest health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies interactions between acidic deposition and watershed characteristics for a group of lakes in the Adirondack Mountains, New York. Study of landscape characteristics relative to paleolimnological inferences of historical acidification; Use of Model of Acidification of Groundwater in Catchments (MAGIC); Characteristics of lakes that have experienced historical acidification.

Abstract: Background: HIV rapid testing programs in New York State (NYS) are required to collect a specimen for confirmation of a preliminary positive result; however, some venues have limited capacity to collect venous blood, and confirmation using oral fluid is restricted by cost and availability. Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of using dried blood spots (DBS) at non-clinical HIV rapid testing sites for Western blot testing. Study design: The New York State Department of Health facilitated registration of 48 non-clinical HIV test sites and provided training on DBS procedures. Following a reactive rapid test, DBS were collected by fingerstick onto filter paper cards, dried and mailed to the NYS public health laboratory for Western blot testing. Results: From October 2010 to December 2012, 280 DBS specimens were submitted for confirmation. Four (1.4%) were unsatisfactory for testing and 276 (98.6%) DBS were tested. Of these, 235 (85.1%) were positive, 37 (13.4%) were negative and 4 (1.4%) were indeterminate. During this period, the laboratory also received 1033 venous blood specimens for rapid test confirmation, and 35 (3.4%) were unsatisfactory. Of the 998 tested by Western blot, 784 (78.6%) were positive, 197 (19.7%) were negative and 17 (1.7%) were indeterminate. Discussion: Compared to venous blood, the percentage of rapid test referral specimens with a positive Western blot was significantly greater for DBS specimens and the frequency of unsatisfactory specimens did not differ significantly. These results indicate that DBS are a suitable alternative to venous blood for confirmation of HIV rapid tests conducted at non-clinical sites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Adirondack Mountains in New York State have a varied surficial geology and chemically diverse surface waters that are among the most impacted by acid deposition in the U.S. No single Adirondack investigation has been comprehensive in defining the effects of acidification on species diversity, from bacteria through fish, essential for understanding the full impact of acidification on biota. Baseline midsummer chemistry and community composition are presented for a group of chemically diverse Adirondack lakes. Species richness of all trophic levels except bacteria is significantly correlated with lake acid—base chemistry. The loss of taxa observed per unit pH was similar: bacterial genera (2.50), bacterial classes (1.43), phytoplankton (3.97), rotifers (3.56), crustaceans (1.75), macrophytes (3.96), and fish (3.72). Specific pH criteria were applied to the communities to define and identify acid-tolerant (pH < 5.0), acid-resistant (pH 5.0-5.6), and acid-sensitive (pH > 5.6) species which could serve as indicators. Acid-tolerant and acid-sensitive categories are at end-points along the pH scale, significantly different at P < 0.05; the acid-resistant category is the range of pH between these end-points, where community changes continually occur as the ecosystem moves in one direction or another. The biota acid tolerance classification (batc) system described herein provides a clear distinction between the taxonomic groups identified in these subcategories and can be used to evaluate the impact of acid deposition on different trophic levels of biological communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]