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An Examination Of Wetland Change In Douglas And Sarpy Counties, Nebraska From 1981 To 2003., Michelle Rerucha
An Examination Of Wetland Change In Douglas And Sarpy Counties, Nebraska From 1981 To 2003., Michelle Rerucha
Student Work
This study focuses on wetland change in Douglas and Sarpy Counties, Nebraska, between 1981 and 2003. Because previous studies have indicated that urban development generally has a negative effect on wetlands, these two counties were selected because they are among the most rapidly urbanizing counties in Nebraska, a predominantly rural state, in terms of land use. The study examined wetlands over one acre in size in 1981, 1993, in 2003, including freshwater emergent wetlands, freshwater ponds, and lakes. The National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) data were utilized as base data for wetlands present in 1981. Aerial imagery from 1993 and 2003 …
An Evaluation Of Wetland No Net Loss And Mitigation Under Section 404 Of The Clean Water Act On The Santa Rosa Plain, Sonoma County, California., Teresa M. Silence
An Evaluation Of Wetland No Net Loss And Mitigation Under Section 404 Of The Clean Water Act On The Santa Rosa Plain, Sonoma County, California., Teresa M. Silence
Student Work
The Santa Rosa Plain (Plain), Sonoma County, California, has lost 85% of its vernal pools, affecting the survival of four threatened and endangered species. The ability of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act to achieve the goal of no net loss is a particular importance in areas, such as the Plain, where wetland resources have become severely impacted. The objective of the study was to determine if a no net loss of wetland area occurred on the Plain, to evaluate the implementation of the Santa Rosa Plain programmatic permit, and to examine trends associated with compensatory medication. Fifty-two Section …
A Water Quality Evaluation Of The Heron Haven Wetland In Omaha, Nebraska., Gabrielle Christine Collins
A Water Quality Evaluation Of The Heron Haven Wetland In Omaha, Nebraska., Gabrielle Christine Collins
Student Work
Introduction: Wetlands are ubiquitous but extremely variable and important elements of the landscape that are characterized by water saturation for at least part of the year. They may receive water from groundwater sources but many are recharged only from rainfall and surface runoff. Wetlands are found in most climates and in widely varying sizes and topographic settings. The soil/substrate, water chemistry, vegetation, groundwater, and other factors also vary (Environmental Protection Agency, 1999). Cowardin et al. (1979) describe wetlands as transitional lands between terrestrial and aquatic systems where the water table is at or near the surface. They contain hydrophytes, or …
Effects Of Different Magnitude Precipitation Events On The Water Quality Of The Little Papillion Creek, Omaha, Nebraska., Kristie Raymond
Effects Of Different Magnitude Precipitation Events On The Water Quality Of The Little Papillion Creek, Omaha, Nebraska., Kristie Raymond
Student Work
Urban hydrology has become an important field of study with the growth of urban areas over the past century. Urbanization has important effects on waterways within the city. A major impact in the flushing of contaminants off impervious surfaces into urban streams during storm events. This study analyzes the Little Papillion Creek in Omaha, Nebraska (1) to assess selected water quality parameters during different magnitude runoff events, (2) to determine if a first flush of pollutants is apparent during the rising and descending limb of the storm hydrograph at one location on the Little Papillion Creek, and (3) to determine …
Population Impacts On Surface Water Quality In The Little Papillion Creek Watershed., Steven L. Bartosh
Population Impacts On Surface Water Quality In The Little Papillion Creek Watershed., Steven L. Bartosh
Student Work
This study involved monthly monitoring of water quality at 30 rural and urban sites in Douglas County, Nebraska from January 1996, to December 1996. Eight water parameters were measured or calculated for each sample and the results were then analyzed. Nitrate, potassium, chloride and sodium were the four parameters used in the thesis to display the strongest relationships between the land uses and quality of water. This thesis examines how rural and urban land uses affect the concentrations of the chemical constituents. Additionally, this thesis will correlate the number of businesses and residents with nitrate, potassium, chloride and sodium. Rural …
Hyperspectral Reflectance From Restored Tallgrass Prairie Under Different Management., Sung-Jun Kim
Hyperspectral Reflectance From Restored Tallgrass Prairie Under Different Management., Sung-Jun Kim
Student Work
Tallgrass Prairie has been highly fragmented and severely disturbed by overgrazing and land development with most of the tallgrass prairie remnants less than 100 hectares in size. The small size results in increased edge effects, potential invasion by undesirable or exotic species, low genetic diversity in local populations and increased extinction rates. To conserve tallgrass prairie remnants, some types of active management are needed. The most common management methods are prescribed burning, haying and mowing. It is essential to monitor the status of tallgrass prairie in order to determine if management objectives are being met. In this study, close-range hyperspectral …
Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Of A Submerged Macrophyte., Diana M. Reehoorn
Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Of A Submerged Macrophyte., Diana M. Reehoorn
Student Work
This study used to Spectron Industries SE-590 portable spectroradiometer to investigate a common Midwestern wetland species, Ceratophllum. Primary research objectives were: determine the effect of Ceratophllum on the composite spectral signal upwelling from a column of water, determine the death constraint for remote identification of Ceratophllum, and ascertain the presence of Ceratophllum in chlorophyll-laden water. Characteristic absorption features at 443 nm and 670 nm decreased with increasing depth and also as the algal chlorophyll concentrations increased. A wavelength shift in the NIR, associated with increasing depth was found to exist for water columns relatively free of algal chlorophyll as well …
Change Detection Of Wetlands In The Sandhills Of Nebraska Using Landsat Mss Imagery., Rod Fraser
Change Detection Of Wetlands In The Sandhills Of Nebraska Using Landsat Mss Imagery., Rod Fraser
Student Work
Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS) satellite data was used to identify and analyze temporal change of a wetlands area in the Nebraska Sandhills over an 18 year period. A dual-approach to change detection was utilized: bivariate regression of the spectral data in classification comparison. The former indicates biophysical changes of the land surface, while the latter indicates land cover changes. If both types of changes are found to be significant, then environmental changes of the land surface are revealed. A final analysis involving change images for both spectral and classification data was conducted to gain insight into the nature of the …
Dendrogeomorphologic Analysis Of The Meadville Slope Failure., Susan Kim Smulling
Dendrogeomorphologic Analysis Of The Meadville Slope Failure., Susan Kim Smulling
Student Work
The Meadville slope failure, 24 km north of Ainsworth, on the north facing cut bank of the Niobrara River, is the largest such feature in Nebraska. Tertiary sands, gravels and siltstones, overly the unstable Cretaceous Pierre Shale which lies beneath the slope failure. The slope failure in this area has caused damage to roads, power lines and a bridge and has the potential to damage several buildings. Numerous slump and glide blocks, ground cracks, flow lobes and shear zones, have effected tree species including Pinus ponderosa (Ponderosa pine), Juiperus virginiana (red cedar), Quercus macrocarpa (bur oak), Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash), …
Sandhill Wetlands Change Detection Based On Landsat Imagery., Andrew P. Dinville
Sandhill Wetlands Change Detection Based On Landsat Imagery., Andrew P. Dinville
Student Work
The purpose of this thesis was to determine if there had been significant changes in sandhill wetlands between the years 1972 and 1989, as determined by Landsat satellite imagery. Seven satellite images were classified and analyzed to identify wetlands in the study area and described their characteristics. Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS) imagery and Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery were used as primary source data for the project. U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFW) National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) map data and existing color infrared photography (CIR) were used to help identify wetland types from the satellite imagery. The image analysis focused on attempting …
Holocene Climatic Change In The Central United States Inferred From Paleoecological Data., Raymond P. Latimer
Holocene Climatic Change In The Central United States Inferred From Paleoecological Data., Raymond P. Latimer
Student Work
The Holocene in the central U.S. is the period of time since the retreat of the last continental ice sheets. It has been a 10,000 year period of climate variability. In North America, Holocene climatic fluctuations have been detected in the paleoenvironmental record of the central United States. The most evident climactic fluctuation has been the mid-Holocene Climatic Optimum, or Altithermal. The Altithermal provided the warmest and driest post-glacial climatic conditions which lasted from ca. 8500-4000 years B.P.
The Phytogeomorphology Of The Niobrara Region Near Meadville, Nebraska., Barbara J. Pollack Friskopp
The Phytogeomorphology Of The Niobrara Region Near Meadville, Nebraska., Barbara J. Pollack Friskopp
Student Work
One of the most phytogeomorphologically unique areas of Nebraska occurs along the Niobrara River Valley north of the community of Ainsworth. Not only is this an area where the Rocky Mountain, Eastern Deciduous and Northern Boreal Forest converge, but it is also an area of relatively recent geomorphic activity. Landslides are known to have occurred here; there is evidence of very recent, active movement as well as older, stabilized landslides. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between plant communities and geomorphic history. Three 100 m long transects were surveyed in each of the five study areas, …
Quaternary Geomorphology Of The Meadville Slope Failure ; Niobrara River Valley, Nebraska (Geomorphological Mapping)., Mahtab A. Lodhi
Quaternary Geomorphology Of The Meadville Slope Failure ; Niobrara River Valley, Nebraska (Geomorphological Mapping)., Mahtab A. Lodhi
Student Work
This study area is located 2 km south of Meadville town on the right bank of the Niobrara River. Lying on the cut-bank side in the meander curve of the Niobrara River, the area is subjected to intensive slope failure of numerous forms, further accelerated by the continuous and very rapid later undercutting of the steep cliffs by the Niobrara River, and the unstable geologic formation exposed in the area. The impermeable Pierre Shale of the Cretaceous period and overlying Rosebud and Valentine formations of the Tertiary period are highly susceptible to mass wasting. The instability of the Pierre Shale …
A Review And Comparison Of Vegetation Indices: An Application Of Landsat Spectral Reflectance Digital Data To The Northern Range, Yellowstone National Park., Brian Lee Soliday
A Review And Comparison Of Vegetation Indices: An Application Of Landsat Spectral Reflectance Digital Data To The Northern Range, Yellowstone National Park., Brian Lee Soliday
Student Work
The last two decades have seen vast progress in the utilization of spectral reflectance digital data for vegetation assessment purposes. The development of over fifty vegetation indices have been documented in the literature. Although the amount of variability between these indices has been studied, no comprehensive review of indice development efforts and theories exists. Therefore, the primary objectives of this study were to; 1) review the history and theories behind the development of the vegetation indices that have been applied in previous research, with particular emphasis on their spectral characteristics and use in grassland environments, and; 2) compare and evaluate …
Analysis Of The Rain Basin Depressions Of Clay County, Nebraska., Patrick J. Starks
Analysis Of The Rain Basin Depressions Of Clay County, Nebraska., Patrick J. Starks
Student Work
Introduction: The state of Nebraska has an area of 76,612 square miles and is divided into thirteen distinct physiographic regions (Figure 1). In recent years, attention has been focused upon one particular portion of the Central Loess Plains—the “rainbasin area” or, as it is sometimes called, the “rainwater basin”.
A Remote-Sensing Analysis Of Selected Wetlands Within The Nebraska Sandhills Region., Jeffrey S. Linden
A Remote-Sensing Analysis Of Selected Wetlands Within The Nebraska Sandhills Region., Jeffrey S. Linden
Student Work
Remote-sensing techniques were utilized to investigate selected wetland environments in the Nebraska Sandhills. The intent was to determine which remote-sensing technique might prove most effective in delineating three general classes of wetlands, i.e., open water, marsh, and subirrigated meadow. Two specific techniques were utilized in the research, namely the computer classification of Landsat digital data derived from computer compatible tapes and the video-digitization and classification of color-infrared aerial photography. As a result of comparative analysis of both systems, it was felt that the use of Landsat digital data is the optimum mechanism for classifying and mapping for three general wetland …
The Biogeography And Geomorphology Of The Niobrara River Valley Near Valentine, Nebraska., Paul J. Hearty
The Biogeography And Geomorphology Of The Niobrara River Valley Near Valentine, Nebraska., Paul J. Hearty
Student Work
Within the study area located near Valentine, Nebraska, the Niobrara River is deeply entrenched in Tertiary siltstones and sandstones, and covered with Pleistocene and Holocene eolian deposits of sand and loess. The 100 m depth of the valley reflects the entrenchment. Periods of equilibrium of the river are indicated by the numerous benchlands that lie within and adjacent to the valley. Mass wasting in the forms of landslides and creep significantly alter the form of these terracelands when it is combined with the shifting of the river and saturation by groundwater. Many of the terraces have been correlated with climatic …