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Anthropogenic Influences On Avian Life, Past And Present, Within The Adirondack Park, Melodee A. Decoteau

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

In the northeastern comer of New York over the last 10,000 years, avian life developed a complex network of niches within the varied ecosystems produced by the retreat of the last glacier. When humans began to dominate the area, beginning around two hundred years ago, avian diversity was compromised. The past and present anthropogenic influences have increasingly intensified the stresses on avian life in the park. If avian diversity is to be preserved, human factions must work together to decrease that stress. The establishment of the Adirondack Park and hunting seasons as well as restrictions on pesticide use have directly …

Travel Time Study At The Wetlands Park National Preserve, Brandon Bair

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis reports on a study of the residence time of water in the Wetlands Park Nature Preserve in Henderson, Nevada. Rhodamine WT was used in order to test for the travel time of the water from the Monson Channel inflow to the Nature Preserve outflow to the Las Vegas Wash. The initial hypothesis was that the water would stay in the system for approximately 8 days. Residence time was tested using an ISCO sampling machine along with a Sequoia-Turner model 450 fluorimeter to test for the fluoresce of the dye in the water. All samples collected were taken immediately …

Modeling Habitat Quality For American Martens In Western Newfoundland, Canada, William A. Adair

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The "Den Mother" marten habitat quality models were created to provide insight into American marten habitat selection behavior and to promote the recovery of the Newfoundland marten (Martes americana atrata) population. Although these objectives are typical of most wildlife habitat modeling projects, the marten's idiosyncratic habitat ecology and apparently intractable conflicts associated with timber harvesting motivated a unique, process-oriented approach to appraising landscapes. The Den Mother models used optimal decision-making principles to synthesize critical resources (den sites and foraging opportunities) and constraints (adverse thermal situations and exposure to predations) into a single hierarchical framework. The resulting spatially explicit, …

The Short And Long-Term Effects Of Herbicide Application In Maine Clearcuts On Ant Communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Kerry Frances Lough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The short and long-term effects of glyphosate application on the diversity and abundance of ants in Maine clearcuts was assessed in a two-year study. Glyphosate is applied to release coniferous trees from suppression by competition with deciduous vegetation after a forest is clearcut. Previous research indicates glyphosate has limited immediate and long-term effects on non-target fauna, though specific species can be affected. Limited research on the effects of herbicides on insects indicates some initial decrease in insect populations. Beneficial insects, such as pollinators and predators, positively influence the forest ecosystem, but little research has examined the effects of herbicide application …

The 100th Meridian Initiative In Nevada: Assessing The Westward Movement Of The Zebra Mussel To The Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Megan Mccoy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Zebra mussels, Dreissena polymorpha, are a concern for all bodies of water in North America. East of the 100th Meridian, zebra mussels have infested the waters and dramatically changed the natural ecosystems. The US Fish and Wildlife Services set up the 100th Meridian Initiative project to monitor the boat traffic to and from infested and non-infested waters of the United States and Canada. Surveys were conducted from October 19, 2002 through March 31, 2003, focusing specifically on the Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LMNRA) for the scope of this thesis. This study addresses the movement of trailers, boats, and other …

Consumptive Water Use At The Mirage Hotel And The Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino In Las Vegas, Nevada, Johann A. Feller

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Las Vegas Valley is one of the driest regions in the southwest United States. Due to limited water supplies from the Colorado River, rainfall, and groundwater sources, the water requirements of the valley’s growing population is slated to surpass the current available water supply. The purpose of this comparative study is to quantify the amount of consumptive water used at a major Las Vegas resort/casino in one year. This, being of importance, because of the resort/casino industry’s role as one of the largest, most visible, and most resource intensive industries in the Las Vegas valley. The goal of this …

Fluctuations In Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha) Counts At Three Lower Columbia River Spawning Sites, Eric Michael Loomis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Several hypotheses were developed to explore the pronounced increase in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) returning to spawning grounds at the Cowlitz, Kalama, and Lewis Rivers, three tributaries of the lower Columbia River. The study was conducted using data compiled over a ten-year span from 1991-2001. Preliminary indications are that trends in climate are linked to these increases, with the absence of El Niño events and fluctuations in winter precipitation as likely explanations of these phenomena. The unique nature of Chinook life cycles causes them to utilize a variety of habitats that require ideal conditions for maximum survival rates. Correlations between …

Qualitative Measurements Of Occupant Comfort In Five U.S. Schools, Anthony Miller

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) performed indoor air quality studies in five U.S. schools during energy retrofits during 1997-98. Four EPA reports and three Environmental Health and Engineering, Inc. (EH&E) reports illustrated the indoor environmental quality before and after heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) retrofits at specific elementary schools in Texas, Colorado, Minnesota, New Jersey, and California. Selected comfort, environmental, physical, and occupant response data were collected in randomly selected areas over a one–week, five–school day monitoring period for each of these schools.

The EPA studied indoor air quality (IAQ) and occupant comfort using an EPA Indoor Environmental …

A Waste Assessment Of The Unlv Dormitories, Colin Kaneda

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this thesis is the examine the waste stream of the UNLV dormitories to see if there is a significant amount of waste than can be diverted through a possible recycling program to lower disposal costs. Also with this data we can look at if the student monitored program in the Upper Classmen Complex dormitories is having any effect on the waste stream. This was done through a waste assessment which is where garbage is sorted and weighed by categories. This study found that 35% of the waste stream is recyclable. This data was compared to the national …

Risk Of Radiation Exposure From The Transportation Of High-Level Nuclear Waste, Lawrence Banks

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Transportation of high-level nuclear waste poses a potential risk of exposure from radiation to people of Las Vegas and the surrounding environment. 77,000 metric tons of waste is scheduled to start arriving at Yucca Mountain in 2010. For 24 years legal weight trucks will transport high-level nuclear waste through 109 cities with populations over 100,000. The population of Las Vegas is over 400,000 people. In all, legal weight trucks will cross 43 states traveling millions of highway miles (see appendix B). The U. S. Department of Energy estimates expected radiological risk from accidents would be no higher than 0.003 latent …

An Analysis Of Apartment Complex Recycling In Clark County, Nevada, Noriko Eguchi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to analyze recycling opportunities for people living in apartments and recommend solutions to improve apartment complex recycling programs in Clark County, Nevada. There are two hypotheses for this problem. First, there is not enough space to put recycling containers in some apartment complex dumpster enclosures. Second, there are several obstacles to providing recycling for complex managers. There are two methods involved in testing these hypotheses. Unincorporated Clark County was selected for the study area. The size of dumpster enclosures was measured in 73 apartment complexes out of 240 complexes which do not recycle in …

Assemblages Of Salamanders (Family Plethodontidae) In Cwa 305(B) Fully-Supporting, Partially-Supporting, And Non-Supporting Streams On Walden's Ridge, Tennessee, Jason M. Houck

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Surface mining throughout the southeastern United States leading to acid mine drainage (AMD) has caused significant declines in plethodontid salamander communities in AMD affected streams. The Clean Water Act (CWA) requires that each navigable body of water in the United States be assigned a use designation and a support status based upon the stream's use designation and how it is affected by local pollution to be published in the CW A 305(b) report. Three streams on the Cumberland Escarpment, outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee, representing CWA 305(b) fully-supporting, partiallysupporting, and non-supporting status were surveyed for aquatic plethodontid salamanders. Plethodontid salamanders were …

Recreational Use Of Montane Streams Of The Puerto Rican Rainforest, Summer Kartchner

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

As the population of the small island of Puerto Rico increases, so do the number of recreationists in natural areas. With increasing pressure on finite resources, managers must understand how humans are using these resources in order to conserve without limiting visitor satisfaction.

Water Quality Remediation At The Abandoned Jones-Kincaid Mine Site, Pyramid Mining District, Washoe County, Nevada, Si-Ok Choi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the cost and efficiency of four remediation methods, natural attenuation, permeable reactive barriers, pump and treat systems, and bioremediation, and to determine the best suitable method for preventing further environmental degradation from the abandoned Jones-Kincaid Mine (JKM), located within the Pyramid Mining District, Washoe County, Nevada.

Problems from abandoned mine sites may be divided into four types: water quality, public safety, economic concerns, and scenic interests. The foremost problem is the effect of pollution on water quality. Acid run-off and precipitation may be spread hundreds of miles and influence drinking water sources …

Determining The Factors That Control Respiration And Carbon Use Efficiency In Crop Plants, Jonathan M. Frantz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the literature on plant respiration, there are two viewpoints concerning the source of respiratory control: supply (photosynthate availability) or demand (temperature dependent) limitations. While different studies indicate the primary dependency for respiration is either the supply or demand side, the two paradigms cannot both be true. The relative importance of each paradigm may depend on a number of factors including period of time during which respiration is measured, phase of plant development, environmental conditions, and species.

Studies were performed using continuous CO₂ gas-exchange instrumentation to monitor short- and long-term changes in whole canopies of lettuce, tomato, soybean, and …

Breeding Bird Communities Of Major Mainland Rivers Of Southeastern Alaska, Jim A. Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Because of the scarcity of information for bird communities at the major mainland rivers of southeastern Alaska, the main objective of this study was to provide baseline information including distribution, status, and habitat associations of breeding birds.

I conducted a meta-analysis of all known reports (including the current study) conducted at major mainland rivers during the breeding season. I described bird species composition, distribution, abundance estimates, status, habitat associations, and guild membership for all birds recorded at 11 major mainland rivers. Based on incidental observations, 170 species were recorded by all studies. Of these, 134 species were known or suspected …

Simazine Mineralization In Wetland Soils Of William's Island, Elise Chapman

Honors Theses

Wetlands are an interface between terrestrial and aquatic environments. As anthropogenic impacts on the environment increase it puts these sensitive areas at the forefront of change. Farming on William's Island has not occurred since 2001 but before that it was farmed to provide cost-free upkeep of the island. Simazine is a triazine herbicide, the most commonly used group of herbicides in modem agricultural practices. The fields on William's Island were most likely exposed because they were farmed for numerous years prior to 2001. Because of this the wetland that drains the fields, separating them from the Tennessee River, may have …

Measuring The Environmental Attitudes Of Children In Grade 4: A Study In Clark County, Amir Khawaja

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine whether there is an increased positive effect on children's attitude when they are taught about the environment in an outdoor/hands-on setting versus an indoor traditional classroom setting. The study focused on grade four students in the Clark County School District. Half of the group was comprised of students that were taught about the environment using traditional classroom learning materials while the other half consisted of students that were taught using the outdoor/hands-on approach. In order to test the results, the students were given a survey. The questionnaire created by Malkus and Musser …

Trail Conditions And Preferences From A Mountain Bike Users Perspective In Cottonwood Valley, Jeff Frampton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to gather baseline data and user preferences from a mountain bike user’s perspective about the current condition of the multiple use trails in Cottonwood Valley. Cottonwood Valley is an area located at the southern tip of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Multiple use includes hiking, biking and horseback riding and does not include motorized vehicles. The area was set aside for conservation by an act of Congress because of the inherent value that it represents.

Because the public is allowed to access and use the trails in the area, there has been …

Watershed Data Organization And Project Prioritization, Joshua Darling

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

The Oregon Coastal Salmon Restoration Initiative (OCSRI) (1197) is the first of several documents that have come to be known as the Oregon Plan for Salmon and watersheds (OPSW). The OCSRI indicates that protection and restoration of salmonid stocks and improvement in water quality are the main roles for state agencies within the Oregon Plan (EO09-01: 1(b)). The Oregon Plan specifies particular actions that state agencies must take to aid in salmon recovery and also directs the Governors Watershed Enhancement Board (GWEB) to help create and organize watershed councils responsible for assessing conditions and determining priorities for watershed health. A …

Urbanization And Its Relationship To Water Quality Within The Bronson Creek Watershed, Jason Cristopher Creech

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

A watershed analysis project was undertaken to investigate the impact of urbanization on the water quality with Bronson Creek; a small urban stream in the metropolitan area of Portland, Oregon. Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) have been established for several water quality parameters within the watershed.

Water quality data were collected at nine sampling along Bronson Creek by Clean Water Services, a local public utility charged with storm water management and water quality protection duties. Only seven water quality parameters were included in the analysis; they were 1) temperature, 2) total phosphorous, 3) ortho-phosphate, 4) ammonia, 5) total nitrogen, 6) …

One Hundred Years Of Environmental Pollution At Chattanooga Creek: A Review Of Selected Studies, Connie C. Kennedy

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

When studying local Chattanooga history, one cannot ignore the issues of pollution in the city and the environmental degradation of the Chattanooga Creek. Throughout the past one hundred years, the Chattanooga Creek was subjected to multiple inputs of pollutants, beginning with animal wastes in the early 1900s, coal tar from government operated coke ovens during the WWII era, and large amounts of industrial wastes in the latter part of the century. Today the creek is officially closed to the public but the status of its water and sediments remains dangerously polluted. Several research projects throughout the past two decades have …

An Analysis Of Materials Suitable For Use As A Pitfall Trap In A Desert Environment, R. Renee Brown

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to identify a type of pitfall trap container that can withstand the temperature extremes of the Mojave Desert in which the terrestrial, or above ground, drift fence with pitfall traps will be utilized for trapping reptiles. A pitfall trap is a container, such as a plastic bucket with a plastic lid, that is buried in the ground up to the lip of the bucket and used to catch small ground dwelling fauna that fall into the trap. Many different pitfall trap materials have been utilized in the trapping of small ground-dwelling fauna. Plastic has …

The Tragedy Of The Rivers: Building Authority Over The British Water Environment, Kevin B. Vichcales

Dissertations

"The Tragedy of the Rivers: Building Authority over the British Water Environment" examines the problem of rivers as common public resources in modern Britain. Viewed historically, the enduring problem of environmental pollution control in Britain has been the establishment of regulating authority over aspects of nature that are regarded simultaneously as economic resources, public utilities, and public amenities. Legislators, subject to pressure from industrial polluters, political parties, and advocates for environmental quality, sought at different times to locate authority at local, regional, national and extra-national levels. Each effort failed to resolve the issue of authority over the environment, because administrative …

Characterization Of Chlorinated Solvent Degradation In A Constructed Wetland, Nathan D. Clemmer

Theses and Dissertations

Widespread chlorinated ethene contamination of aquifers coupled with high costs of current treatment technologies demand innovative remediation solutions. Wetlands, maintaining anaerobic and aerobic zones promoting the complete degradation of chlorinated ethenes such as Tetrachloroethylene (PCE), could be the answer. This thesis characterized the chlorinated solvent contamination levels in three strata of an upward flow constructed wetland. Analysis of samples was accomplished by purge-and-trap gas chromatography. Water quality parameters, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP), pH, Conductivity, and Temperature, were also measured in monitoring wells with a water monitoring sonde. After removing data outliers caused by short-circuiting flow, PCE concentrations …

An Economic Evaluation Of Binary Cycle Geothermal Electricity Production, Crissie D. Fitzgerald

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. is heavily dependent on fossil fuels to produce electricity. Geothermal energy, the heat in the earth's crust, can provide an alternative source of energy for electricity production as well as reduce fossil fuel consumption. The economic analysis presented in this study focuses on binary cycle geothermal electricity production. Variables such as well flow rate, geothermal gradient and electricity prices were varied to study their influence on the economic payback period for binary cycle geothermal electricity production. Payback periods represent the amount of time (in years) necessary to recover initial costs of plant construction.

A Life Cycle Assessment And Economic Analysis Of Wind Turbines Using Monte Carlo Simulation, Edward J. Liberman

Theses and Dissertations

The United States depends heavily on nonrenewable fossil fuels to generate electricity. Using renewable energy sources, such as wind, could reduce air emissions and fossil fuel dependency. Previous studies have examined the life cycle costs and environmental impacts of using wind to generate electricity, but results have varied due to inconsistent modeling assumptions. This research uses Monte Carlo simulation to conduct an economic payback analysis and life cycle assessment of 11 modern, utility-scale wind turbines. Hourly meteorological data was used to evaluate 239 U.S. locations. For each location, the wind turbine with the shortest median payback period was assumed to …

Development Of A Simplified Sustainable Facilities Guide, David F. Hargy

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force has adopted the United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) Green Building Rating System as the preferred self-assessment metric for sustainable development. LEED™ is designed for new construction and major renovations, and, within the Air Force, is most applicable for Military Construction (MILCON) projects. The Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence developed the Air Force Sustainable Facilities Guide to provide guidance and strategies to meet LEED™ requirements. The Air Force has not adopted a sustainable development guide or rating system that is most applicable for construction projects that are relatively low (compared …

Remote Sensing Systems Optimization For Geobase Enhancement, Steve J. Paylor

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. Air Force is in the process of implementing GeoBase, a geographic information system (GIS), throughout its worldwide installations, Air Force GIS needs can be augmented by imagery from aerial and satellite platforms. Imagery has greatly improved over the past several years and provides high resolution coverage of features on earth. Various imagery types will significantly increase GeoBase usefulness in a range of mission requirements, Potential Air Force uses of imagery include identifying heat loss, environmental monitoring, command decision-making, and emergency response, The research develops a decision tool to determine the appropriate imagery for a given Air Force Application, …

Modeling Catalytic Destruction Of Subsurface Contaminants In Recirculating Wells, Kerry J. Cadena

Theses and Dissertations

Groundwater and soil contamination is a significant problem throughout the nation, with approximately 300,000 to 400,000 sites affected (National Research Council, 1994). Examples of groundwater contaminants of special interest to DoD and AF installations include fuel hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and nitroaromatic compounds. Traditional remediation technologies, which include pump-and-treat, permeable reactive barriers, and natural attenuation, have numerous drawbacks associated with them. These drawbacks have prompted researchers to look for innovative contamination clean-up methods. The technology investigated in this thesis, reticulating horizontal flow treatment wells (HFTWs) with in-well palladium (Pd) catalyst reactors, offers the potential for destruction of groundwater contaminants commonly found …