Summer Environmental Exchange Projects
2003

Tahoe Projects

• Environmental Pollution Associated with Acid Mine Drainage
  (John Steude - Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board)

  This project was designed as a continuation of the 2002 project, Bioassessment of Metal-fixing Microbial Communities in Acid Mine Drainage Environments. More data was to be analyzed to explore the use of microbial communities as water quality indicators at mine sites scheduled for remediation. Though water samples that could yield conclusive results were not successfully obtained, participants were introduced to current methods of acid mine drainage treatment, and learned how to identify bacteria using cutting-edge microscopy methods.
  Click here to view the project presentation.

• Food Web Dynamics and Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Energetics in Pyramid Lake, Nevada (Sudeep Chandra - UC Davis Tahoe Research Group)

  During the last century, the native trout of the western United States have been impacted by the introduction of nonnative species and alterations to landscape. After the extirpation of Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT) from the Pyramid - Lake Tahoe watershed, a hatchery program was initiated by the Paiute tribe of Pyramid Lake to reestablish LCT into Pyramid Lake. Although tribal efforts have sustained a trophy fishery on Pyramid Lake, the fisheries program has noted a potential decline in the size of spawning fish returning to the hatchery. This study initiated a preliminary assessment of food web dynamics in Pyramid Lake, in order to evaluate the potential ecological (competition and predation) constraints regulating fish growth. The preliminary results are that LCT are at the top of the food chain and do not appear to be limited by competition from other fish.
  Click here to view the project presentation or report.

• Washoe Culture Interpretation on the Tahoe Rim Trail
  (Rachel Sigman - Tahoe-Baikal Institute)

  The main goal of this project was to increase awareness among trail users about the cultural and natural significance of the Tahoe Meadows segment of the Tahoe Rim Trail. In cooperation with the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California and the Tahoe Rim Trail Association, an inventory of culturally and ecologically significant plant species was conducted, and a brochure and educational panel were designed to guide trail users in identifying threatened plant species and to advise on trail-use methods that help protect these species.
  Click here to view the project presentation or report.

• Watershed Assessment for the Pioneer Trail Erosion Control Project
  (Bryan von Lossberg and Kim Carr - California Tahoe Conservancy)

  TBI participants collected and analyzed data in the Bijou Park Creek stream environment zone to characterize pollutant sources, development disturbance, and drainage infrastructure and to identify opportunities and constraints for source control, water treatment, and restoration. Participants worked with key agencies, the City of South Lake Tahoe, and the UC Davis Tahoe Research Group, making a valuable contribution to the preliminary project planning and design phase of the erosion control project. This was similar to the Evaluation Survey of Best Management Practices in the Lake Tahoe Basin project in 2002.
  Click here to view the project presentation or report.

Baikal Projects

• Ecological Assessment of Lake Baikal near the Settlement of Bol'shye Koty
  (Maxim Timofeyev - Irkutsk State University)

  For the second year in a row, TBI participants contributed to this ongoing invertebrate monitoring sutdy to evaluate the impact of small shoreline settlements on the ecology of Lake Baikal. Two test plots were studied to evaluate population structure, identify dominant groups and examine particular species representing them. Comparison of results from the two plots, one near the settlement of Bol’shye Koty and another at a location with no identifiable nearby sources of anthropogenic influence, suggests that environmental impacts of small settlements in the littoral zone of the lake are significant.
  Click here to view the project report.

• Evaluation of the Conditions of the Forest Ecosystems in the Baikal Biospheric State Nature Preserve (Aleksey Shekhovstsov - Irkutsk Institute of Geography)

  The main aim of this project was the evaluation of the general health of the forest ecosystems of the Baikal Biosphere State Nature Preserve. Background information was provided by various park workers at the beginning of the project. The fieldwork of the project took place in the different locations of the BNP. Assessment of the forest health was carried out on the northern slope of the Khamar-Daban mountain range. Dendro-chronological analysis and physical stand descriptions of forest plots were carried near the settlement Tankhoy as well as at the southern slope of the mountain range. Various forest ecosystems were described and compared. During a visit to the Tayozhny settlement situated on the southern slope of the BNP, an evaluation of the socio-economic conditions prevailing in communities surrounding the BNP was carried out.
  Click here to view the project report.

• Trail Interpretation at the Sludyanski Lakes
  (Evgeniy Maryasov - Great Baikal Trail Association)

  The project site was a scenic trail on the west shore of Lake Baikal near the city of Severobaikalsk. One of the most heavily trafficked tourist destinations on the lake, this area is a prime location to test the feasibility of eco-tourism in practice. The goals of the project were trail interpretation and environmental education. Models were designed to inform hikers of facts, interest points, and ecological principles. An informational kiosk at the trailhead included a map, estimations of distance and duration, a brief description, and rules to respect the environment. This was designed with both domestic and international tourists in mind. Other models described the rich history, minerals found, botanical growth, and viewpoint facts of the area. Other forms of environmental education included organizing a coastal clean-up with local school children and a public demonstration of the signs.
  Click here to view the project report.