Digital Commons Network^™

Who Wins And Who Loses? A Community Approach To Understanding The Well-Being Of Boomtown Residents, Douglas Alan Malloy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this thesis is to accurately identify residents of a boomtown who are either experiencing a higher level of well-being, or lower level of well-being. By definition, we consider the former to be winning, and the latter to be losing. Multivariate ordinary least squares regression analyses help to distinguish between winners and losers by generating statistical coefficients which will show both strength and direction of the relationship between individuals and various indicators of social well-being.

The data used in this thesis are from a community impact study issued in the spring of 2009, to residents of …

Assessing Linkages Among Landscape Characteristics, Stream Habitat, And Macroinvertebrate Communities In The Idaho Batholith Ecoregion, Andrew C. Hill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Understanding the composition of lotic communities and the landscape processes and habitat characteristics that shape them is one of the main challenges confronting stream ecologists. In order to better understand the linkages among landscape processes, stream habitat, and biological communities and to understand how accurately our measurements represent important factors influencing biological communities, it is important to test explicit hypotheses regarding these linkages. Increasing our understanding of aquatic communities in a hierarchical context and recognizing how well our measurements represent factors structuring aquatic communities will help managers better evaluate the influence of land management practices on aquatic ecosystems, direct conservation …

Using Nestling Bald Eagles To Assess Spatial And Temporal Trends Of Environmental Contaminants, Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, Henry Pittman

All Theses

Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) are a avian species used to monitor environmental contaminants such as mercury (Hg), methylmercury (MeHg), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCs) in North America. Populations of bald eagles nesting along the Great Lakes were very slow to recover after the ban of PCBs and OCs because these compounds were very persistent. Bald eagles at Voyageurs National Park (VNP) have been monitored since 1973 and provide an opportunity to assess temporal and spatial trends of persistent environmental contaminants. Nestling bald eagle feathers were analyzed for Hg concentrations for the past 12 years. Nestling bald …

Evaluation Of Spotlight Surveys For Monitoring Mink Populations In Coastal South Carolina, Michael Waller

All Theses

Annual commercial fur harvest data suggests a decline in South Carolina's mink (Mustela vison) populations over the past century (Butfiloski and Baker 2005). In 1990, DNR began conducting assessments of South Carolina's coastal marshes, revealing mink populations to be scarce to absent in the northern coastal regions (Baker 1999). Since 1999, restoration efforts have re-established mink populations in the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and additional areas in the northern coastal marshes of South Carolina. Because mink are a species of high conservation priority throughout the coastal zone of South Carolina, it is important to develop and implement a reliable …

Home Range, Habitat Selection, And Migratory Pathways Of Canada Geese Wintering At The Santee National Wildlife Refuge, Molly Giles

All Theses

Information on local and flyway-scale space use is lacking for the cohort of migrant geese (Branta canadensis interior) that winter in and adjacent to the Santee National Wildlife Refuge in Summerton, South Carolina. I examined home range and habitat selection of Canada geese in this region. I deployed transmitters on 17 geese (9 VHF and 8 PTT) on wintering grounds at Santee NWR during the winter of 2009-2010. Estimates of fixed kernel home range size ranged from 214.2 to 263.6 ha for VHF-marked geese and 1190.2 to 1915.6 ha for PTT-marked geese. Home ranges of all birds were compact and …

Establishment Of Permanent Plots And Analysis Of Woody Vegetation In The Tennessee River Gorge, Marion And Hamilton Counties, Tennessee, Gerald Woodworth

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The Tennessee River Gorge (TRG) is a large river canyon 8 km west of Chattanooga, Tennessee, on the Cumberland Plateau. In 1984, the Tennessee Natural Heritage Program (TNHP) described 21 vegetation communities within the TRG. Permanent vegetation plots for the long-term study of 13 of these communities were established in summer 2009 in order to fulfill three goals. The first goal was to provide baseline data for long-term monitoring through establishing and surveying 100 plots. The second goal was to perform a temporal comparison of each community to its original description from 1984. The third goal was performing a comparison …

Effects Of Varying Field Conditions On Potential Painted Bunting Habitat In Coastal South Carolina, Kelly Campbell

All Theses

Daily point counts were conducted during the summer seasons of 2006, 2007 and 2008 in randomly selected agricultural plots at two field sites in coastal South Carolina to examine habitat use by painted buntings, indigo buntings, blue grosbeaks and brown-headed cowbirds. Plots were selected based on their original condition, such as planted, fallow or old field, in 2006. The two sites, James A. Webb Wildlife Management Area and Nemours Plantation, are areas managed in methods similar to those described in several Conservation Reserve Programs (CRPs), and CP33 - Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds - in particular. I propose the management …

Use Of Sub-Saharan Vultures In Traditional Medicine And Conservation And Policy Issues For The African Grey Parrot (Psittacus Erithacus), Kristina Dunn

All Theses

ABSTRACT
Wildlife populations worldwide are being negatively affected by the illegal wildlife trade. The severity of the impact to both Sub-Saharan vultures and African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) (AGP) populations are explored in this thesis. Many species of Sub-Saharan vultures are used in the traditional medicinal trade. Previous studies have found that vultures have mystical powers attributed to them due to their keen
ability to find food. AGP's are sought after for international trade due to their ability to mimic human vocabularies and for their aesthetic beauty.
Due to the illegal, secret, and illusive nature of this trade, the monetary …

Evaluating The Energy And Carbon Footprint Of Water Conveyance System And Future Water Supply Options For Las Vegas, Nevada, Eleeja Shrestha

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Water production requires the use of energy to transport water from distant locations, pump groundwater from deep aquifers and treat water to meet stringent drinking water and wastewater regulations. Energy production based on its source involves the emission of greenhouse gases also known as carbon footprint, which is the leading cause of global warming and climate change. Because of growing concerns of global warming due to these emissions, water providers are required to analyze the energy and associated carbon footprint of existing water production facilities and future water supply options. A system dynamics model is developed to estimate the energy …

Removal Of Arsenic And Strontium From Aqueous Solution Using Ironoxide Coated Zeolitized Tuff, Nataliya V. Kasimtseva

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As world population grows so does the demand for safe drinking water. Meanwhile water resources become increasingly scarce and quality of natural water decreases due to a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors. Industry and agriculture have become a premiere source of hazardous constituents, along with natural processes such as rock weathering and volcanic eruptions. Our ability to remove hazardous constituents from water depends on chosen technology and nature of contaminant. Sorption and ion-exchange have been widely applied for water purification. Natural zeolites have been widely applied in water and waste water treatment as ion-exchangers for removal of harmful contaminants …

Design Standards Within Constructed Wetlands For The Reduction Of Mosquito Populations In Clark County, Nevada, Phillip C. Bondurant

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Wetlands are considered one of the most productive ecosystems in the world and provide many benefits to the environment. However, the slow moving and sometimes stagnant water created by the vegetation in the wetland creates an ideal environment for the proliferation of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are the most important insect disease vector worldwide. The presence of mosquitoes within wetlands increases the risk of disease transmission among workers and visitors creating a public health concern. Effective design standards aimed at reducing mosquito breeding habitat should be implemented during the construction and planning phase of wetland development to effectively reduce the mosquito populations. …

Detention Basins For Phosphorus And Sediment Control In Clark County, Nevada, Amina Rashid Lodhi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nonpoint source urban stormwater runoff degrades aquatic ecosystems, and causes flooding. To mitigate its effects on natural and human environments best management practices (BMPs) became popular strategies to protect the integrity of water quality. Similarly, to mitigate the effects of stormwater quantity, detention basins (DBs) were put into place as flood control structures. Water quality control remains an unexplored and important aspect of DB utility, particularly, in arid regions. Since DBs are depressions in the earth and retain water over the course of several hours to days after a rain event, they can potentially act as BMPs. A key pollutant …

An Investigation Of Sustainable Environmental Practices And Consumer Attitudes & Behaviors Toward Hotel Bathroom Amenities, Edward James Bobbett

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the 1980s hotel operators became concerned with greening and sustainability. It was at this time the hospitality industry began focusing on energy efficiency and the sustainable development of tourism (Chan & Lam, 2001; Welford, Ytterhus, & Eligh, 1999). Since then, a global trend has emerged as hotels introduce programs to reduce the amount of resources used and the overall environmental impact they have on the planet, or their carbon footprint. The hospitality industry has introduced programs such as recycling in both the front and back of the house, energy-efficient lighting, towel re-use programs, linen exchange programs, Green Certifications, and …

A Study On Eco-Friendly Merchandise In A Resort Retail Environment, Lindsey C. Patrick

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to determine consumer purchasing habits of ecofriendly apparel in a retail resort environment. In order to find the rationale behind purchasing decisions, this study measured sales and survey responses based on the choice of two tee shirt options, eco-friendly tee shirts and regular cotton tee shirts. The survey was given to all customers purchasing these tee shirts in order to determine specific demographic information as well as their personal opinions on eco-friendliness, and willingness to pay a premium for eco-friendly products. Due to a lack of previous research in this field, this study is …

The Role Of Sulfur In Biomineralization: Argopecten Irradians And The Impact Of Ocean Acidification, Bryanna Joy Broadaway

Graduate Masters Theses

The burning of fossil fuels, and other natural processes, has led to an increase of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere. The equilibration of atmospheric CO₂ with surface waters causes the ocean pH to decrease from the current value of 8.1. Evidence suggests that as the ocean becomes more alkaline, organisms such as the bay scallop, Argopecten irradians¸will become more stressed due to increased energy demands to maintain shell deposition and growth. This stress, as hypothesized here, may cause the deposition of S-bearing organic macromolecules to aid in mineralization as well as the potential for sulfate …

Improving Ensemble Streamflow Prediction Using Interdecadal/Interannual Climate Variability, Kenneth W. Lamb

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The National Weather Service’s (NWS) river forecast centers provide long-term water resource forecasts for the main river basins in the U.S. The NWS creates seasonal streamflow forecasts using an ensemble prediction model called the Extended Streamflow Prediction (ESP) software. ESP creates runoff volume forecasts by taking the current observed soil moisture and snowpack conditions in the basin and applying them to historical temperature and precipitation scenarios. The ESP treats every historic input year as a likely scenario of future basin conditions. Therefore improving the knowledge about how long-term climate cycles impact streamflow can extend the forecast lead time and improve …

Effect Of Spatial And Temporal Variability Of Antecedent Moisture Content On Model-Generated Runoff From An Arid Watershed, William J. Meyer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Streams in the arid southwest are typically ephemeral, and stream gages are not commonly available. Consequently, runoff data from storm events is not available, and flood control facility design or other water resource related decisions are based on synthetic hydrographs. In the Mojave Desert region of Southern Nevada, the duration of storm used to develop these synthetic hydrographs is the 6 hour storm. The 6 hour storm is used to simulate high intensity summer storms. Additionally, soils information used in the calculations for these synthetic hydrographs is taken from maps that are generally developed for a broad range of issues …

Applied Ecosystem Services In Working Forests: A Direct Market Valuation, Darin Stuart Hale

Masters Theses

Ecosystem services, or the benefits humans obtain from natural ecosystems, have long been recognized as critical to human health. Efforts have been taken by many to determine the non-market values of these services but few have offered a direct market valuation. Increasing awareness, scarcity, and regulation have fostered transactions, and markets are emerging that can allow for direct valuation and could provide landowners the opportunity to merchandise this natural capital. This paper provides a valuation and comparison, as a case study, of a traditional management scheme, including the marketing of fiber and recreational leases, and an ecosystem services management scheme, …

Terrain Impacts From Vehicle Operations Across Multiple Passes, James Robert Kane

Masters Theses

This study, conducted on August 12th and 13th, 2008 at Fort Riley, Kansas on a clay loam soil, evaluated the terrain impacts of four commonly used tracked and wheeled military vehicles: the M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank, M998 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, M985 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck, and M113 Armored Personnel Carrier. Disturbed width and impact severity were assessed along 14 spirals subjected to a maximum of eight consecutive passes for a total of 696 impact points. Data indicate that multiple passes produce increased vegetative impacts, with multipass coefficients ranging from 0.98 to 4.44 (compared to the commonly …

Phytoremediation Of Copper Contaminated Waste Water Using Lemna Minor, Mark Apelt

Theses and Dissertations

The use of natural remediation methods to remove contaminants from waste water is becoming more popular. Plants have been used for several decades, yet their use for municipal waste water contaminated by heavy metals is limited to a few studies which focus on the Mercury and Chromium (Bennicelli, et.al, 2004). This study specifically attempted to determine the viability for using Lemna minor to remediate municipally generated wastewater contaminated with copper. The study used 100 ml samples of wastewater, artificially spiked with 8 mg/L of copper sulfate and seeded with approximately 100 Lemna minor fronds. Each treatment was repeated 15 times …

Impact Investigation Of Reactor Fuel Operating Parameters On Reactivity For Use In Burnup Credit Applications, Tanya N. Sloma

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

When representing the behavior of commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF), credit is sought for the reduced reactivity associated with the net depletion of fissile isotopes and the creation of neutron-absorbing isotopes, a process that begins when a commercial nuclear reactor is first operated at power. Burnup credit accounts for the reduced reactivity potential of a fuel assembly and varies with the fuel burnup, cooling time, and the initial enrichment of fissile material in the fuel. With regard to long-term SNF disposal and transportation, tremendous benefits, such as increased capacity, flexibility of design and system operations, and reduced overall costs, provide …

Effects Of Urbanization On Environmental Parameters In Aquatic Systems Along An Urban-Rural Gradient In Northeastern Illinois, Tiffany Garrett

All Capstone Projects

The transformation of landscapes from rural to urban land use impacts affected ecosystems. Replacing natural vegetation with impervious surfaces and introducing environmental stressors through increased human activity can significantly alter aquatic ecosystems. This study examined the effects that urbanization had on salinity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, conductivity, and pH of aquatic systems along an urban-rural gradient in Illinois, Chicago land area- Little Calumet River, Thorn Creek, and Kankakee River. The first objective of this project was to examine whether there were changes or fluctuations among various environmental parameters that may be due to heavily populated residential areas when compared to a …

Trace Metal Concentrations Across Trophic Levels In Cotton Fields Of Xinjiang Province, China, Jessica Quinn

All Student Theses

Trace metals become concentrated in urban and peri-urban soils with the use of agricultural practices and industrial emissions. Fertilizers, liming, sewage sludge, and irrigation water contain metals which accumulate in agricultural fields and pose a risk to humans and wildlife. Coal plants and brickyards release metals into the atmosphere which are deposited on soil and plant surfaces. This research quantifies the concentrations of nine trace metals in three different soil types. A total of 116 rodents were sampled in cotton fields and a desert. Cotton plants and triplicate soil samples were collected with each rodent capture. Soil samples were analyzed …

Application Of The Coastal Storm Impulse (Cosi) Parameter To Predict Coastal Erosion, Robert Aaron Walker

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A new coastal storm-strength parameter, the Coastal Storm Impulse (COSI) parameter, was introduced at the 2006 International Conference of Coastal Engineering (ICCE) in San Diego and further discussed at the ICCE 2008 in Hamburg. COSI is based on the conservation of linear, horizontal momentum to combine storm surge, wave dynamics, and currents over the storm duration. Both tropical storms (hurricanes) and extra-tropical storms (northeasters) can produce similar COSI parameters. Potential implications of such a storm classification system include the evaluation of potential coastal erosion and coastal infrastructure, as well as providing a universal storm strength indicator that is directly tied …

Technology Enhancement In Hotel Guestroom, Chee Wah Peter Too

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This is an exploratory research paper looking on various types of technology, facilities enhancement and devices adopted by hoteliers for their guestrooms to meet the ever increasing demand and expectations from their guests. This paper also explores the technologies and devices that owners use to leverage on business sustainability for their operations. As part of the corporate social responsibility, hotel owners are exploring the opportunities to increase these activities through the use of modern technology and devices to reduce damage to the environment such as using energy saving devices in their properties. Business and leisure travelers who are environmentally conscious …

The Public Understanding Of Climate Change : A Case Study Of Taiwanese Youth, Shih-Yun Kuo

Dissertations

Global climate change is likely to be the most challenging environmental dilemma of the 21st century because its impacts on ecosystems and human society are transnational in scale and long term in scope. Due to its high scientific complexity and uncertainty and high political and economic sensitivity, mitigating the problem will require interdisciplinary cooperation and collective and sustained efforts on the part of all nations. Sufficient domestic support from both government and the lay public will not only be significant to the success of an international climate regime, but also crucial to the effectiveness of potential domestic climate policies.

Such …

Design Of A New Suturing And Knot Tying Device For Laparoscopic Surgery, Sinan Onal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Minimally invasive or laparoscopic surgery has completely changed the focus of surgery becoming an alternative to various types of open surgery. Minimally invasive surgery avoids invasive open surgery as the operation is performed through one or more small incisions in the abdomen and using a small camera called laparoscope. Through these incisions, surgeons insert specialized surgical instruments to perform the operation resulting in less postoperative pain, shorter hospital stay, and faster recovery. However, the main problems during minimally-invasive surgery are the limited space for operating instruments and the reduced visibility and range of motion inside the patient’s body. During minimally-invasive …

Steps Toward Butternut (Juglans Cinerea L.) Restoration, Sunshine L. Brosi

Doctoral Dissertations

Butternut (Juglans cinerea L.), a lesser-known relative of black walnut (Juglans nigra L.), is a native tree species beneficial for wildlife, valuable for timber, and part of the great diversity of species in the eastern forests of North America. Populations of butternut are being devastated by butternut canker disease, caused by the fungus Sirococcus clavigignenti-juglandacearum (V.M.G. Nair, Kostichka, & Kuntz), which is thought to be introduced to North America. The disease causes multiple branch and stem cankers that eventually girdle trees. Small population sizes, lack of sprouting, and shade intolerance exacerbates the disease and results in permanent losses of butternut …

Sources And Transport Pathways Of Fecal Bacteria And Pathogens To Aquifers In Rural Bangladesh, Peter S. K. Knappett

Doctoral Dissertations

During the 1980’s millions of households in Bangladesh switched from drinking surface water to private groundwater wells to reduce their exposure to fecal microorganisms. Sadly, this switch to shallow groundwater resulted in the largest example of drinking water poisoning in history, with approximately 100 million people exposed to high concentrations of naturally occurring Arsenic in the groundwater. Spatial distribution of Arsenic in the shallow aquifers tends to be patchy, so the most economical mitigation option has been lateral switching from high Arsenic wells to nearby low Arsenic wells. The recently developed Arsenic flushing conceptual model, which explains the spatial distribution …

Effects Of 2000-2050 Global Climate Change On Ozone And Particulate Matter Air Quality In The United States Using Models-3/Cmaq System, Yun-Fat Lam

Doctoral Dissertations

The Models-3/Community Multi-scale Air Quality modeling system (CMAQ), coupled with Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) atmospheric General Circulation Model (GCM), fifth Generation Mesoscale Model system (MM5), and Goddard Earth Observing System-CHEMistry (GEOS-Chem), was used to simulate atmospheric concentration of ozone and particulate matter over the continental United States 12-km and 36-km (CONUS) domains at year 2000 and year 2050. In the study, GISS GCM model outputs interfaced with MM5 were utilized to supply the current and future meteorological conditions for CMAQ. The conventional CMAQ profile initial and boundary conditions were replaced by time-varied and layer-varied GEOS-Chem outputs. The future …