Dissertation Research: The influence of development configuration on thermal pollution in urban streams

城市流域的溪流在低流量时通常较温暖，在暴雨期间，当径流经过热的铺砌表面时，会经历更高的温度。众所周知，高温会对河流中的生物造成压力，但我们对发育和河流温度变化之间关系的理解仍然不准确。将在多个地点监测水温，以区分开发空间配置的重要性，对比地面连通性（例如，不透水斑块的大小、形状、位置、阴影）和地下连通性（例如，雨水基础设施，尤其是管道）。这将提高我们对城市发展对河流热脉冲的影响的理解，更普遍地说，对河流生态系统的影响。由于这些指标将更明确地联系到水文行为比现在常用的许多发展代理，这项研究将有助于更好地了解城市流域的功能，以及政策如何改善城市化对河流生态系统的负面影响。本研究的合作者将包括杜克大学、教堂山北卡罗来纳州大学和北卡罗来纳州州立大学的教师和研究生研究人员、三角J政府理事会以及为查佩尔山、达勒姆、卡尔博罗和罗利工作的流域管理人员。当地一个八年级班将通过使用户外教室和在上课时间介绍结果参与，女童子军514部队的成员将参加实地工作，并通过动手活动学习热污染。

Streams in urban watersheds are typically warmer at low flows and can experience higher temperatures during storm flows when run-off passes over hot paved surfaces. It's known that high temperatures can stress in-stream organisms, however our understanding of the relationship between development and altered stream temperature remains imprecise. Water temperature will be monitored at multiple locations to distinguish the importance of the spatial configuration of development, contrasting above-ground connectivity (e.g., impervious patch size, shape, location, shading) and below-ground connectivity (e.g., stormwater infrastructure, especially pipes). This will improve our understanding of the impact of urban development on heat pulses in streams, and more generally on stream ecosystems. Because these metrics will be linked more explicitly to hydrologic behaviors than many development proxies that are now commonly used, this research will help to better understand how urban watersheds function and how policies can ameliorate negative effects of urbanization on stream ecosystems. Collaborators in this research will include faculty and graduate student researchers at Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University, the Triangle J Council of Governments, and watershed managers working for Chapel Hill, Durham, Carrboro, and Raleigh. A local eighth grade class will be involved through the use of an outdoor classroom and the presentation of results during class times and members of Girl Scout Troop 514 will participate in fieldwork and a day of learning about thermal pollution through hands-on activities.