scholarly journals Visualizing the Invisible: Visual-Based Design and Efficacy in Air Quality Messaging

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (20) ◽  
pp. 10882
Author(s):  
Zoey Rosen ◽  
Channing Bice ◽  
Stephanie Scott
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Experimental Design ◽  
Health Communication ◽  
Behavioral Intention ◽  
Source Credibility ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Message Design ◽  
Quality Health ◽  
Future Work

This study examines the effect and efficacy of visual designs for messages about poor air quality. The study utilized a 2 (message efficacy: high vs. low) × 2 (message design: visual vs. text) between-subjects experimental design, of N = 95 students from a large Western university. This experiment assessed the effects of message design and efficacy of language on students’ visual comprehension, source credibility, self-efficacy, and protective behavioral intention. Hypotheses 1 and 2 were partially supported, finding that there were some statistically significant effects for efficacy and message design on students’ comprehension and protective behavioral intention. Future work should focus on strategies for more salient air quality health communication because wildfires will continue to impact the western United States.

scholarly journals The contribution of marine organics to the air quality of the western United States

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (15) ◽  
pp. 7415-7423 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Gantt ◽  
N. Meskhidze ◽  
A. G. Carlton
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
The United States ◽  
Coastal Areas ◽  
Western United States ◽  
The Us

Abstract. The contribution of marine organic emissions to the air quality in coastal areas of the western United States is studied using the latest version of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regional-scale Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQv4.7) modeling system. Emissions of marine isoprene, monoterpenes, and primary organic matter (POM) from the ocean are implemented into the model to provide a comprehensive view of the connection between ocean biology and atmospheric chemistry and air pollution. Model simulations show that marine organics can increase the concentration of PM2.5 by 0.1–0.3 μg m−3 (up to 5%) in some coastal cities such as San Francisco, CA. This increase in the PM2.5 concentration is primarily attributed to the POM emissions, with small contributions from the marine isoprene and monoterpenes. When marine organic emissions are included, organic carbon (OC) concentrations over the remote ocean are increased by up to 50% (25% in coastal areas), values consistent with recent observational findings. This study is the first to quantify the air quality impacts from marine POM and monoterpenes for the United States, and it highlights the need for inclusion of marine organic emissions in air quality models.

Comparison of dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium spp., Viscaceae) in the western United States with mistletoes (Amyema spp., Loranthaceae) in Australia—ecological analogs and reciprocal models for ecosystem management

2004 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 481 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. Shaw ◽  
David M. Watson ◽  
Robert L. Mathiasen
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Life History ◽  
Keystone Species ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Management Perspective ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Control And Management ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Considerable Detail

Whereas the biology, physiology and systematics of mistletoes have been explored in considerable detail, their ecology has received less attention and our understanding is highly fragmentary. A conspicuous exception is the dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium spp.)—a genus that exclusively parasitises coniferous trees, including many commercially valuable species in the forests of the western United States. Accordingly, these plants have been the subjects of intensive cross-disciplinary research for the past five decades, initially from a control and management perspective but extending into most aspects of their ecology and life history. This review summarises our understanding of dwarf mistletoes, focusing on recent developments in the areas of mistletoe–wildlife interactions, fire, ecosystem ecology and conservation biology. We also compare dwarf mistletoes with Australian mistletoes in the genus Amyema, a diverse suite of species found throughout the continent. Despite fundamental differences in their evolutionary origin and most aspects of their autecology and life history, the genera exhibit many similarities in terms of their ecological role in forests and woodlands, and their influence on stand- and forest-scale dynamics. In particular, both groups provide nesting resources for a range of birds and mammals, and nutritional resources for a diverse assemblage of species. Both also interact with fire, potentially leading to changes in successional dynamics at the stand scale. At an applied level, both groups are widely considered as pests but, as our understanding of these keystone species improves, they have the potential to serve as sensitive ecological indicators for their respective ecosystems. Key research priorities are identified for further research on both groups of mistletoes and more explicit comparative research, with Arceuthobium serving as a valuable template for future work on Amyema and Australian mistletoes in general.

scholarly journals Characterization of coarse particulate matter in the western United States: a comparison between observation and modeling

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1311-1327 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Li ◽  
C. Wiedinmyer ◽  
K. R. Baker ◽  
M. P. Hannigan
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Sparse Vegetation ◽  
Coarse Particulate Matter

Abstract. We provide a regional characterization of coarse particulate matter (PM10–2.5) spanning the western United States based on the analysis of measurements from 50 sites reported in the US EPA Air Quality System (AQS) and two state agencies. We found that the observed PM10–2.5 concentrations show significant spatial variability and distinct spatial patterns, associated with the distributions of land use/land cover and soil moisture. The highest concentrations were observed in the southwestern US, where sparse vegetation, shrublands or barren lands dominate with lower soil moistures, whereas the lowest concentrations were observed in areas dominated by grasslands, forest, or croplands with higher surface soil moistures. The observed PM10–2.5 concentrations also show variable seasonal, weekly, and diurnal patterns, indicating a variety of sources and their relative importance at different locations. The observed results were compared to modeled PM10–2.5 concentrations from an annual simulation using the Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system (CMAQ) that has been designed for regulatory or policy assessments of a variety of pollutants including PM10, which consists of PM10–2.5 and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The model under-predicts PM10–2.5 observations at 49 of 50 sites, among which 14 sites have annual observation means that are at least five times greater than model means. Model results also fail to reproduce their spatial patterns. Important sources (e.g. pollen, bacteria, fungal spores, and geogenic dust) were not included in the emission inventory used and/or the applied emissions were greatly under-estimated. Unlike the observed patterns that are more complex, modeled PM10–2.5 concentrations show the similar seasonal, weekly, and diurnal pattern; the temporal allocations in the modeling system need improvement. CMAQ does not include organic materials in PM10–2.5; however, speciation measurements show that organics constitute a significant component. The results improve our understanding of sources and behavior of PM10–2.5 and suggest avenues for future improvements to models that simulate PM10–2.5 emissions, transport and fate.

Policy barriers and opportunities for prescribed fire application in the western United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (11) ◽  
pp. 874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney A. Schultz ◽  
Sarah M. McCaffrey ◽  
Heidi R. Huber-Stearns
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Policy Barriers ◽  
Barriers And Opportunities

Prescribed fire is an important management tool on US federal lands that is not being applied at the necessary or desired levels. We investigated the role of policy barriers and opportunities for prescribed fire application on US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands in the western United States. We conducted 54 semi-structured interviews with federal and state land managers and air quality regulators, and with several non-federal partners. We found that lack of adequate capacity and funding were the most commonly cited barriers to increasing application of prescribed fire. Interviewees also emphasised that owing to a lack of incentives and the prevalence of risk aversion at multiple agency levels, active prescribed fire programs depend on the leadership and commitment of individual decision-makers and fire managers. Successful approaches also rely on collaborative forums and positions that allow communication, problem-solving and resource sharing among federal and state partners, and that facilitate dialogue between air-quality and land managers. We did not find that air quality regulation was consistently cited as a major barrier, except in specific locations. Our findings highlight the importance of contextualised investigation into policy barriers and the role of collaborative and multilevel governance approaches for addressing complex land management challenges.

scholarly journals Environmental Conditions, Ignition Type, and Air Quality Impacts of Wildfires in the Southeastern and Western United States

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
pp. 1442-1456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. Brey ◽  
Elizabeth A. Barnes ◽  
Jeffrey R. Pierce ◽  
Christine Wiedinmyer ◽  
Emily V. Fischer
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Western United States

scholarly journals The impact of marine organics on the air quality of the western United States

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 6257-6278 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Gantt ◽  
N. Meskhidze ◽  
A. G. Carlton
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
The United States ◽  
Coastal Areas ◽  
Western United States ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The impact of marine organic emissions to the air quality in coastal areas of the western United States is studied using the latest version of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regional-scale Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQv4.7) modeling system. Emissions of marine isoprene, monoterpenes, and primary organic matter (POM) from the ocean are implemented into the model to provide a comprehensive view of the connection between ocean biology and atmospheric chemistry and air pollution. Model simulations show that marine organics can increase the concentration of PM2.5 by 0.1–0.3 μg m−3 (up to 5%) in coastal cities. This increase in the PM2.5 concentration is primarily attributed to the POM emissions, with small contributions from the marine isoprene and monoterpenes. When marine organic emissions are included, organic carbon (OC) concentrations over the remote ocean are increased by up to 50% (25% in coastal areas), values consistent with recent observational findings. This study is the first to quantify the air quality impacts from marine POM and monoterpenes for the United States, and highlights the need for inclusion of marine organic emissions in air quality models.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document