Department of Agriculture— Disturbance or 

 manipulation of ecosystems sometimes causes changes 

 in water quality. The changes may be in bedload or 

 suspended sediment, chemical composition, or 

 temperature of streams or lakes. Research includes 

 analysis of water quality as affected by changes in 

 forests because of removal of vegetation, road-building, 

 and mining. Research is devising ecosystem conserva- 

 tion and management methods to prevent erosion and 

 siltation, to rehabilitate surface-mined areas, and to 

 minimize adverse effects of disturbances such as fire 

 and roadbuilding. Basic to these studies is an under- 

 standing of the interrelationships among plants, soil, 

 and water in a wide variety of ecosystems. 



1971 1972 1973 



$0.59 $0.87 $0.71 



4. Pollutant Emissions 



Environmental Protection Agency. — Programs on 

 aquatic systems are conducted to determine the effects 

 of pollutants such as temperature, pesticides, and 

 heavy metals on fresh water and marine fish, inverte- 

 brates, and their food chain organisms. Specific 

 objectives include determining (1) the effects of organic 

 chemicals, heavy metals, petroleum and petroleum by- 

 products on marine life; (2) safe levels of pesticides and 

 pesticide derivatives in estuarine and coastal waters; 

 and (3) temperature and dissolved oxygen require- 

 ments for marine life. Acute and chronic effects of pollu- 

 tants on the various life stages of the organisms are 

 being determined in order to specify safe levels of the 

 pollutants involved. 



1971 1972 1973 



$9.80 $11.38 $11.43 



National Aeronautics and Space Administra- 

 tion — Remote sensing is employed to identify and 

 define the spatial distribution and djmamics of pollu- 

 tants. The acquired data are used to analyze the effects 

 of waste products on bodies of water and their ecology. 

 Specific attention is directed toward industrial 

 effluents; oil seeps, slicks, and spills; water pollution 

 distribution and dispersion; sediments in coastal areas 

 and estuaries; and benthic responses to fertilization 

 and mining chemicals. 



1971 1972 1973 



$0.04 $0.04 $0.04 



49 



