Steve Apfelbaum, "Emulating Nature"
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Applied Ecological Services is an environmental restoration company that has been providing sustainable solutions for over 35 years. They specialize in restoring degraded landscapes such as rivers, coastal environments, and watersheds. Their projects aim to restore the natural functions of ecosystems by reestablishing soil carbon levels, water cycles, biodiversity, and improving human relationships with the land. They have completed over 9,000 restoration projects worldwide.
Steve Apfelbaum, "Emulating Nature"
- 1. Applied Ecological Services, Inc. Water and Ecosystem Restoration Sustainable Solutions For More Than 35 Years
- 3. Rivers Coastal Environment Watersheds Zone of: •Generation /”reservoir” • Carbonaceous materials • Freshwater-surface and recharge • Suspended solids • Parent material, minerals/nutrients • Thermal buffers-baseflow cooling • Water supply buffers- modulator/inertia • Water quality buffer-- Zone of: •Mixing (chemistry, water, biology, energy) •Dilution •Deposition •Redistribution, assimilation, and production Zone of: •Bed/suspended solid origin •Organic matter breakdown/fractioning •Mobility for life •Energetics Larger Relationships-
- 4. River s Coastal Environment Zone of: •Generation /”reservoir” • Carbonaceous materials • Freshwater-surface and recharge • Suspended solids • Parent material, minerals/nutrients • Thermal buffers-baseflow cooling • Water supply buffers- modulator/inertia • Water quality buffer-- Zone of: •Mixing (chemistry, water, biology, energy) •Dilution •Deposition •Redistribution, assimilation, and production Zone of: •Bed/suspended solid origin •Organic matter breakdown/fractioning •Mobility for life •Energetics Watershed and Water Impact Impervious landscapes, Urban environments, Compaction, Agricultural, Fertilizers, Climate change, Vulcanism, Forestry practices, livestock grazing,Contaminants, Sanitary sewage, Dredging/Filling, Planting non-native or invasive plant and animal and disease species, human design and ingenuity
- 5. Stream Degradation and Watershed Development Trends Historic River in IL Existing River in IL
- 6. Nine 100 to 500 yr floods in 15 yrs
- 7. 0 1 10 50 100 1000 1 0 4 10 100 1000 10000 Des Plaines River Discharge---1899 DISCHARGE(CFS) FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE
- 8. 10000 1000 100 10 1.0 0.1 .13 99.8799.5999895908070605040302010521.5 Single Point Watershed Changes Over Time---Des Plaines River Discharge----1973 780 cfs
- 9. Des Plaines River Discharge (CFS) at Riverside, Illinois, 1886-1988 -1000 0 1000 1000 2000 3000 0 70605040302010 -200 0 200 400 600 800 0 70605040302010 HIGH FLOWS •High flows have doubled •From 1886-1904, 1.5 high flows/yr •Presently, 3-5 high flows/yr MEDIAN FLOWS •Median flows are 400 times higher -100 0 100 200 300 400 0 70605040302010 LOW FLOWS •Low flows are 250 times higher Annual Hydrographs and Normal Average Water Levels for Restored Wetlands. Designed by Engineers vs. Ecologists Spring Fall FallSpring Avg. Avg. * Unpredictable Swings in Water Levels * Creates Biological Instability * Promotes Habitats for Weeds and Poor Aesthetics * Promotes Poor Water Quality * Annual Seasonal High and Low * Predictable Hydraulics and Seasonal Trajectory * Promotes Habitat for Stable yet Dynamic Plant Communities (Diversity of Plants and Animals) File name: C:DRAWINGS199797-45HYDRLGY No changes in storm intensity, frequency, or rainfall distributions! Soil Carbon collapse (~9% to 1.5%) Imperviousness (0 to 15%) Agricultural tiling (0~70%)
- 10. Prairie Crossing - Plan & Photographs Ecology, Economy and Culture
- 11. STT- FIRST AT PRAIRIE CROSSING A System of Connected, Restored Open Space--------------- instead of pipes and detention ponds. Setting New Standards—On Hundreds of projects
- 12. Creating Great Places ! (Saving $$) Swimmable/Fishable Water High Clarity and Quality Unprecedented Results: •Lake Leopold, refugia for rare fish. • Restored Prairies, home to rare grassland birds •Renewed connections between people and place and to each other.
- 13. Kankakee Sands, Indiana Junk.shp Soil/Vegetation Relationship WATER EMERGENT SEDGE WET MESIC/ SEDGE MESIC/ WET MESIC SAVANNA Management Units D B C N O E F G H I J K L M Soil/Vegetation Relationship WATER EMERGENT SEDGE WET MESIC/ SEDGE MESIC/ WET MESIC SAVANNA #Y #Y#Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y %U #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y %U #Y#Y#Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y #Y D B C N O E F G H I J K L M Drainage System District Main Ditch Regional Main Field Drain Local Feeder Drainage System Abandon Proposed Control Structures %U Major Controls #Y Minor Controls
- 14. Lower Don Lands Revitalization Toronto, Ontario River Mouth and Hydrology Restoration
- 16. Restore Soil Carbon and Water Cycle Everywhere 16
- 17. AES’s ~9000 projects worldwide (Water, soils, biodiversity, human relationships with place, etc) •Diversity •Dynamics •Productivity •STINGINESS RESTORING :
- 18. Applied Ecological Services, Inc. Thank You! Sustainable Solutions For More Than 35 Years steve@appliedeco.com www.appliedeco.com