Table 10-6. Percentage of Different Types of Developed Land in Coastal Maine^ 



S ection 



Dwellings Farm- Roads Rail- 

 Urban Year- Seasonal steads roads 

 Round 



Southeastern 



Region 1 62 



Midcoast 



Regions 2, 3, 34 

 and 4 



14 



24 



12 



19 



Other 



Northeastern 



Regions 5, 6 16 



Average for 



ent ir e 50 



Characteriza- 

 tion area 



38 



19 



23 



12 



From Anderson et al. 197 5. 



Because of the lack of vegetation and exposed ground and the general lack of 

 interception and reevaporation in cities, most rain or snow becomes runoff. 

 In Maine the runoff carries chemicals and particulate pollutants as well as 

 nutrients to streams, rivers, palustrine, lacustrine, or estuarine habitats, 

 which are absorbed by these ecosystems. Water used by urban systems usually 

 is imported from other nearby ecosystems but is then exported to downstream 

 ecosystems after nutrients, chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, and other 

 impurities have been added. This cycle, in a much less severe form, is also 

 applicable to suburban and rural communities. 



Problems Associated with Developed Areas 



Developed lands produce large amounts of waste products that cannot be 

 processed by the natural decomposers of urban ecosystems. When these wastes 

 are transported out of the urban system they may overtax the ability of 

 natural ecosystems to filter, break down, and/or assimilate these organic and 

 inorganic chemicals and particles. These waste products include industrial 

 emissions, such as sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and particulates; 

 automobile fumes containing nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons; and 

 particulate matter and fumes from dumps and incinerators. Environmental 

 problems are caused in cities by these pollutants; high plant mortality, 

 health problems in people, and contamination of natural ecosystems. These 

 problems exist throughout coastal Maine and are more severe where population 

 densities are highest. Specific sources of contamination are detailed in 



10-9 



10-80 



