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From Herd Diversification To Livelihood Diversification As A Response To Poverty: The Case Of The Waso Boran Of Northern Kenya, D. Layne Coppock, Abdullahi D. Jillo, Abdillahi A. Aboud

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

The Waso Boran of northern Kenya used to have large, mobile, and diverse herds of livestock that exploited equally large and diverse rangelands. Forty years of human population growth, drought, environmental change, and lack of relevant policies have altered this situation, however, with the majority of Waso Boran today being livestock poor and engaged in a variety of non-pastoral activities to diversify their livelihoods. One-third of 540 households we surveyed in Isiolo District now have ten head of cattle or less, and a larger census suggests that only 15 percent of households can currently be categorized as mobile pastoralists. The …

Intermediate Development Of A Forested Headwater Wetland Hgm Model For Wetlands Management In Virginia, Kirk J. Havens, David O'Brien, David Stanhope, Kory Angstadt, Daniel Schatt, Donna M. Bilkovic, Carl Hershner

Reports

No abstract provided.

On The Use Of Modis Evi To Assess Gross Primary Productivity Of North American Ecosystems, Daniel A. Sims, Abdullah Rahman, Vicente D. Cordova, Bassil Z. El-Masri, Dennis D. Baldocchi, Lawrence B. Flanagan, Allen H. Goldstein, David Y. Hollinger, Laurent Misson, Russell K. Monson, Walter C. Oechel, Hans P. Schmid, Steven C. Wofsy, Liukang Xu

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

[1] Carbon flux models based on light use efficiency (LUE), such as the MOD17 algorithm, have proved difficult to parameterize because of uncertainties in the LUE term, which is usually estimated from meteorological variables available only at large spatial scales. In search of simpler models based entirely on remote‐sensing data, we examined direct relationships between the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and gross primary productivity (GPP) measured at nine eddy covariance flux tower sites across North America. When data from the winter period of inactive photosynthesis were excluded, the overall relationship between EVI and tower GPP was better than that between …

Nesting Success Of Grassland And Savanna Birds On Reclaimed Surface Coal Mines Of The Midwestern United States, Edward W. Galligan, Travis L. Devault, Steven L. Lima

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Reclaimed surface coal mines in southwestern Indiana support many grassland and shrub/ savanna bird species of conservation concern. We examined the nesting success of birds on these reclaimed mines to assess whether such ‘‘unnatural’’ places represent productive breeding habitats for such species. We established eight study sites on two large, grassland-dominated mines in southwestern Indiana and classified them into three categories (open grassland, shrub/savanna, and a mixture of grassland and shrub/savanna) based on broad vegetation and landscape characteristics. During the 1999 and 2000 breeding seasons, we found and monitored 911 nests of 31 species. Daily nest survival for the most …

Raccoon Predation As A Potential Limiting Factor In The Success Of The Green Iguana In Southern Florida, Henry T. Smith, Walter E. Meshaka Jr., Richard M. Engeman, Steven M. Crossett, Mark E. Foley, Gary Bush

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The Green Iguana, Iguana iguana, is a well established, large-bodied, exotic species in Florida (Meshaka et al. 2004a. The Exotic Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida, Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida. 155 pp.; Meshaka et al. 2004b. Iguana 11:154-161). Limiting factors of populations and causes of Green Iguana mortality in Florida are poorly understood and the only documented predators are the domestic dog (Canus familiaris) (Meshaka et al. 2004a), Yellow-crowned Night-heron (Nyctanassa violacea) (Engeman et al. 2005. Herpetol. Rev. 36:320), Florida Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia floridana) (McKie et al. 2005. Florida Field Nat. 33:125-127), …

Community Perceptions Concerning Key Ecological Resources At Risk In Baringo District, Kenya, D. Layne Coppock, Mark N. Mutinda, Abdillahi A. Aboud

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Key ecological resources in arid and semi-arid lands are often characterized by small patches of seasonal grazing and important water points that lend critical support to entire production systems. When key resources are degraded or lost, production systems can be badly compromised. The Baringo District of north-central Kenya is well known for enduring decades of environmental degradation and food relief. As an initial part of an effort to map and characterize key ecological resources at risk in Baringo, we interviewed 136 resident leaders from pastoral and agro-pastoral areas. We asked them to identify and rank their most vulnerable ecological resources, …

Collective Action By Women’S Groups To Combat Drought And Poverty In Northern Kenya, D. Layne Coppock, Solomon Desta, Getachew Gebru, Adan Wako, Ibrahim Aden, Chachu Tadecha, Seyoum Tezera

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Collective action can be an effective means of local development and risk reduction among rural people, but few examples have been documented in pastoral areas. We conducted extensive interviews for 16 women’s groups residing in northern Kenya. Our objectives were to understand how groups were formed, governed, and sustained and what activities they have pursued. The groups we interviewed were 10 years old, on average. Charter memberships averaged about 24 women, 20 of whom were illiterate. Half of the groups formed after facilitation by a development partner and half formed spontaneously. Groups are governed under detailed constitutional frameworks with elected …

Public Engagement To Prioritize The Pastoral Research Agenda At The Pastoral And Agro-Pastoral Research Center Of Oari In Ethiopia, D. Layne Coppock, Getachew Gebru, Lemma Gizachew, Sintayehu Mesele, Mohammed Hassena, Solomon Desta

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

The Oromia Agricultural Research Institute (OARI) has a mandate to conduct agricultural and livestock research throughout the Regional State of Oromia in Ethiopia. OARI has recently opened a facility near Yabello town on the Borana Plateau called the Pastoral and Agro-Pastoral Research Center. A meeting was held in August 2006 at Yabello that involved representatives from pastoral communities, the private sector, government, and non-governmental organizations. The aim was to engage stakeholders in a process of problem prioritization and set the stage to create new partnerships to better address pressing problems. The final priorities included: addressing a general decline in forage …

Interview With Greg Sawyer, Providence Builders, 2006 (Audio), Greg Sawyer

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Greg Sawyer by Amy Evangelista in NE Portland, Oregon on December 1st, 2006.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Yianni Doulis, Yianni Doulis Architecture, 2006 (Audio), Yianni Doulis

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Yianni Doulis by Daniel Woodward in NW Portland, Oregon on December 1st, 2006.

The interview index is available for download.

The Distribution And Reproductive Success Of The Western Snowy Plover Along The Oregon Coast - 2006, David J. Lauten, Kathleen J. Castelein, Susan Weston, Krista Eucken, Eleanor P. Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Part of the Oregon Bidiversity Information Center Report

Changes In Land Cover And Soil Conditions For The Yabelo District Of The Borana Plateau, 1973-2003, D. Layne Coppock, Sintayehu Mesele, Heluf Gebrekidan, Lemma Gizachew

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

It has been proposed that the Borana Plateau has markedly changed in terms of land cover and land use in recent decades, but no hard data have been available to critically assess this claim. In addition, systematic analysis of soil properties has been limited. Research was designed to measure changes in land cover/land use over 30 years in the 400-km2 Yabelo District of southern Ethiopia using three satellite images taken at an average interval of 15 years. Samples were also collected to assess variation in the physical and chemical properties of dominant soils. Results indicated that Yabelo District has indeed …

Derelict Blue Crab Trap Impacts On Marine Fisheries In The Lower York River, Virginia, Kirk J. Havens, Donna Marie Bilkovic, David Stanhope, Kory Angstadt, Carl Hershner, Center For Coastal Resources Management, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

In Virginia, an examination of existing derelict trap data retrieved from Chesapeake Bay Multispecies Monitoring and Assessment Program (ChesMMAP) trawl surveys shows the potential effect of derelict traps on fish communities in Virginia waters (Bonzek and Latour 2005). Since 2002, ChesMMAP has attempted to sample 90 stations in the mainstem Chesapeake Bay ranging from the southern edge of the Susquehanna Flats to the Bay mouth in all depths to a minimum of 10 feet during each cruise. There are approximately 4-5 cruises per year and a large mesh bottom trawl is used to capture adult fish of a variety of …

Modeling Soil Erosion In The Upper Green River, Ky, Narcisa Pricope

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Off-site soil erosion has tremendous impacts on the present state of most river systems throughout the United States, contributing sediments to channels mainly as nonpoint pollution resulting from land-use and agricultural practices and leading to sedimentation downstream and downwind, a decrease in the transport capacity of streams, increase in the risk of flooding, filling reservoirs, and eutrophication. A primary focus in examining the problems associated with soil erosion arid ultimately in proposing control measures should be on identifying the sources of the sediment. Therefore, a model that would be able to assess soil erosion needs to start by identifying the …

Assessment Of Atrazine In A Rural Water Source: Rough River Lake, Kentucky, Scotty Sharp

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Atrazine [2-chloro- 4-(ethylamino)-6-(isopropylamino)-l,3,5-triazine], a widely used herbicide in US corn production, impacts quality of drinking water for many rural water supply systems. Four systems at Rough River Lake, Kentucky, have had high levels of atrazine in raw water and in some cases finished water that have exceeded the legal limit of 3 parts per billion (ppb). The Rough River Lake watershed is 1,700-km2, much of which is located in limestone karst. A hypothesis was developed stating that there would be higher concentrations of atrazine in the northeast section of the Rough River Watershed, located in Hardin County, due to the …

Flash Flooding In Eastern Kentucky: An Analysis Of The 3-4 August 2001 Event, Christina Henry

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Limited research exists concerning flash flooding in the United States. However, flash floods can occur anywhere and cause more fatalities than any other weather related natural disaster. Eastern Kentucky experienced an average of 41 flash floods per year (1993-2002), yet little research exists for this region. Therefore, this paper presents an analysis of the particularly devastating flash flood event of 3-4 August 2001, which resulted in $15 million worth of property damage and two deaths. Previous studies indicate that flash floods typically occur under relatively 'benign' conditions, the most common characteristics being a quasi-stationary system and high atmospheric moisture. The …

Grassland Songbirds In A Dynamic Management Landscape: Behavioral Responses And Management Strategies, Noah G. Perlut, Allan M. Strong, Therese M. Donovan, Neil J. Buckley

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

In recent decades, earlier and more frequent harvests of agricultural grasslands have been implicated as a major cause of population declines in grassland songbirds. From 2002 to 2005, in the Champlain Valley of Vermont and New York, USA, we studied the reproductive success of Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) and Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) on four grassland treatments: (1) early-hayed fields cut before 11 June and again in early- to mid-July; (2) middle-hayed fields cut once between 21 June and 10 July; (3) late-hayed fields cut after 1 August; and (4) rotationally grazed pastures. Both the number of …

Education In The Environment: A Hands-On Student Research And Outdoor Learning Experience: Quarterly Progress Report: Period Ending November 30, 2006, Environmental Education Strategy For Nevada

Reports (PLI Education)

• Forever Earth was scheduled for 17 days and benefited 307 individuals.
• Technology was successfully tested aboard Forever Earth that may allow for distance education opportunities in Clark County School District classrooms.
• Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne and Congressman Jon Porter were hosted by the National Park Service aboard Forever Earth on October 31, 2006.
• Training for Forever Earth program facilitators was conducted on November 20, 2006.
• Four Discover Mojave Outdoor World events were conducted. A partnership with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization is under development to increase participation in the program.
• Meeting held with Las Vegas developer Focus Property Group …

Interview With Alisa Kane, Office Of Sustainable Development, 2006 (Audio), Alisa Kane

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Alisa Kane by Daniel Woodward at City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development, Oregon on November 30th, 2006.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Michael Zilis, Walker Macy, 2006 (Audio), Michael Zilis

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Michael Zilis by Gerald Bones at Portland, Oregon on November 29th, 2006.

The interview index is available for download.

A Long-Term Perspective On Drought In The Great Plains And West, Sherilyn C. Fritz

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Management of water resources requires an understanding of the full range of natural variability and its consequences. The weather record, which spans the last 100 years or so, provides a snapshot of the contemporary history of drought and its impacts, but this record is relatively short and is inadequate for understanding long-term trends or for evaluating the magnitude of human impacts. A variety of so-called paleoclimatic records - such as tree rings, lake sediments, and sand dunes - record the history of the environment and can be used to extend the record of climatic variation to older intervals of time. …

The Public Interest Test For Water Appropriations, Sandi Zellmer

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Nebraska, like most states, imposes a “public interest” review on applications for water appropriations, changes and transfers. However, Nebraska statutes do not provide any specific public interest criteria for use in evaluating applications for new water appropriations or intra-basin transfers. Under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 46-234, an application for a water appropriation may be refused when denial is demanded by the public interest. The director of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has the duty of determining whether the public interest demands the denial of a water appropriation, but is given no express statutory criteria to provide assistance in making …

Instream Flow Legislation, Sandi Zellmer

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

In the west, state law historically considered water left in the stream to be wasted. Western states, which rely heavily on diversions to meet their water needs, have encouraged full appropriation of rivers and streams. In many cases, however, diversions have resulted in the depletion of stream flow reliant ecosystems and adversely affected fish, wildlife, recreation and river navigation.

A comparison of Nebraska law to the water law of other western states demonstrates that Nebraska’s existing instream flow legislation is quite narrow. Nebraska statutes impose a variety of restrictions on instream flow appropriations, many of which are unique and even …

Interview With Jessica Green, Macdonald Environmental Planning, 2006 (Audio), Jessica Green

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Jessica Green by Cory Angell in SW Portland, Oregon on November 29th, 2006.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Christopher Weaver, Plm, 2006 (Audio), Christopher Weaver

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Christopher Weaver by Gerald Bones at Hillsboro, Oregon on November 29th, 2006.

The interview index is available for download.

Water As Property, Sandi Zellmer

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

The issue of whether water is or should be characterized as property under the law raises considerable controversy. In the western United States, water is typically viewed as a form of property, while in the east it is not. Whether water should be treated as property has been the subject of an extensive body of scholarship. Proponents argue that establishing legally protected, secure private property rights encourages maximum utilization of resources. Also, exclusivity and surety of possession can foster wise investment of labor and stewardship. Conversely, the absence of legally protected interests in property ownership can result in a “tragedy …

The Republican, The Platte And Pumpkin Creek: Current Nebraska Water Policy Issues, J. David Aiken

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Potential conflicts between surface water users and ground water users are posing perplexing challenges to Nebraska policy makers. Surface water law is the rule of priority, "first in time is first in right," as administered by the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Ground water is primarily the rule of correlative rights, as administered by local natural resources districts (NRDs). Traditionally ground water irrigators have been subject to few restrictions on drilling new wells or how much water could be used (except in the Upper Republican NRD in southwest Nebraska). Now the DNR can ban new wells in overappropriated and …

Interview With Laurel Macdonald-Bonnell, Macdonald Environmental, 2006 (Audio), Laurel Macdonald-Bonnell

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Laurel McDonald by Chloe Collins at MacDonald Environmental Planning on November 29th, 2006.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Dell M. Turner, Green Roofing Contractor, 2006 (Audio), Dell M. Turner

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Dell M. Turner by Padraic Keene at Portland State University on November 28th, 2006.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Brian Croak, Croak Creations, 2006 (Audio), Brian Croak

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Brian Croak by Chloe Collins on November 28th, 2006.

The interview index is available for download.