Environmental Effects and Aspects

ENVIRONMENTAL:

Environmental Impacts. Concern about the increasing "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico as a result of recent flood disasters and other causes. Both EPA and NOAA are involved in studies. (posted 6/18/08)

FORESTRY:

• Washington Post, Katrina, Rita Caused Forestry Disaster. Nov. 11, 2007. pp. 1, 18. This is a news account of the study by Chambers. This is an unusual element of recovery, but one we may see more discussion of in the future.
  
  
• Jeffrey Q. Chambers et al. (2007) Hurricane Katrina's Carbon Footprint on U.S. Gulf Coast Forests
  
  Hurricane Katrina's impact on U.S. Gulf Coast forests was quantified by linking ecological field studies, Landsat and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image analyses, and empirically based models. Within areas affected by relatively constant wind speed, tree mortality and damage exhibited strong species-controlled gradients. Spatially explicit forest disturbance maps coupled with extrapolation models predicted mortality and severe structural damage to ~320 million large trees totaling 105 teragrams of carbon, representing 50 to 140% of the net annual U.S. forest tree carbon sink. Changes in disturbance regimes from increased storm activity expected under a warming climate will reduce forest biomass stocks, increase ecosystem respiration, and may represent an important positive feedback mechanism to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide. Available from AAAS. Published in

  Science 16 November 2007: Vol. 318. no. 5853, p. 1107

FARM RECOVERY

Some practical, short-term recovery measures for farms affected by disasters is available in an online-handbook maintained by the Univ. of Florida, Extension Service.