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Oliver Ranch Science School Complex & Wild Horse And Burro Facility: Final Close-Out Report, Margaret N. Rees

Oliver Ranch Project

“The mission of the Red Rock Desert Learning Center is to instill stewardship and respect by increasing knowledge and understanding of the Mojave Desert ecosystems and cultures through a unique experiential discovery program.”

Spatial Variation In The Chemical Composition Of Natal Otholiths From A Reef Fish In The Galápagos Islands, Benjamin I. Ruttenberg, Robert R. Warner

Biological Sciences

Over the past decade, researchers have used variation in the chemical composition of fish otoliths (earstones) to address a number of ecological questions, such as stock assessment and assessing rates of movement of individuals among habitats or life-history stages. However, these methods have yet to be applied successfully to the study of larval connectivity, a major unanswered question in marine ecology. Accomplishing this task requires a reference collection of pre-pelagic natal otoliths and accurate measurement of the chemical signatures of otoliths cores of recruits. We analyzed the chemical composition of natal otoliths from near-term benthic eggs of a damselfish (Stegastes …

Long-Term Effects Of Tebuthiuron On Bromus Tectorum, Dana M. Blumenthal, Urszula Norton, Justin D. Derner, Jean D. Reeder

Western North American Naturalist

Use of herbicides to thin dense stands of Artemisia spp. (sagebrush) can free up resources for herbaceous plants and increase forage production, but may also facilitate weed invasion. We revisited a sagebrush thinning experiment in a north central Wyoming big sagebrush–grassland 11 years after application of tebuthiuron (N-[5-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl]-N-N′-dimethylurea) to determine the long-term responses of shrubs, available soil resources, perennial grasses, and Bromus tectorum L. (downy brome). Tebuthiuron reduced shrub cover by more than half, from 31% in untreated plots to 15% in treated plots (P = 0.002), and increased downy brome cover approximately 4-fold, from 0.9% in untreated plots …

Living In A Land Of Fire, R. J. Whelan, P. Kanowski, M. Gill, A. Andersen

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Fires are an inherent part of the Australian environment. They cannot be prevented, but the risks they pose — to life, health, property and infrastructure, production systems, and to environment values — can be minimised through systematic evaluation and strategic planning and management. Fires have a fundamental and irreplaceable role in sustaining many of Australia’s natural ecosystems and ecological processes, and they are a valuable tool for achieving many land management objectives. However, if they are too frequent or too infrequent, too severe or too mild, or mistimed, they can erode ecosystem ‘health’ and biodiversity and compromise other land management …

Spatial Analysis Of Substantiated Child Maltreatment In Metro Atlanta, Georgia, Yueqin Zhou

Geosciences Theses

Identifying high-risk areas for child maltreatment to ultimately aid public health agencies for interventions is necessary for protecting children at high risk. Rates of substantiated neglect and physical/emotional abuse in 2000-2002 are computed for the census tracts in the urban area of five counties in Metro Atlanta, Georgia, and analyzed using spatial regression to determine their relationships with twelve risk variables computed from the Vital Records births and the 2000 Census data. After accounting for multicollinearity among risk variables and spatial autocorrelation among observations for neighboring locations, it is found that high percentages of (1) births to non-married mothers, (2) …

The Tangled Web Of Community Ecology: Making Sense Of Complex Data, Monica Lynn Beals

Doctoral Dissertations

Ecological communities are governed by complicated processes that give rise to observable patterns. Making sense of these patterns, much less inferring the underlying processes, has proved challenging for several reasons. Manipulative experiments in natural communities may not be feasible due to large numbers of variables, lack of adequate replication, or the risk of undesirable consequences (e.g., introducing an invasive species). The multivariate nature of ecological datasets presents analytical problems as well; many statistical techniques familiar to ecologists have difficulty handling large numbers of potentially collinear variables. I present results from three studies of spider communities in which I employ a …

Functional Trait Niches Of North American Lotic Insects: Traits-Based Ecological Applications In Light Of Phylogenetic Relationships, N. Leroy Poff, Julian D. Olden, Nicole K.M. Vieira, Debra S. Finn, Mark P. Simmons, Boris C. Kondratieff

College of Natural and Applied Sciences

The use of species traits to characterize the functional composition of benthic invertebrate communities has become well established in the ecological literature. This approach holds much potential for predicting changes of both species and species assemblages along environmental gradients in terms of traits that are sensitive to local environmental conditions. Further, in the burgeoning field of biomonitoring, a functional approach provides a predictive basis for understanding community-level responses along gradients of environmental alteration caused by humans. Despite much progress in recent years, the full potential of the functional traits-based approach is currently limited by several factors, both conceptual and methodological. …

Evaluation Of Genetic Diversity Between Some Nitraria Retusa Populations Using Molecular Markers, Z. Abo El-Kheir, M. El-Monayeri, D. Abd El-Raof

Al-Azhar Bulletin of Science

Nitraria retusa (Nitrariaceae) is a true xerophyte plant grows in most deserts of Egypt, especially in wadies habitat and dry salt marshes. This study aims to evaluate any possible genetic diversity among samples of Nitraria retusa grown under different habitats using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers, protein electrophoresis and isozyme electrophoresis. For such goal, the ecological aspects of the selected habitats were investigated with the view of finding correlations among these markers and some ecological parameters. Five collected samples of Nitraria retusa were collected from Wadi Hof (sunny and shady), Oyun Musa, Kattamyia and Hammam Faraon. The obtained results …

Responses To Salinity Of Color Polymorphs In Two Populations Of The Sea Star, Pisaster Achraceus, Viren Johann Perumal

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Pisaster ochraceus was analyzed to determine if varying salinities, animal color, or location affect the physiology of these sea stars. The three responses analyzed were aerobic respiration, ammonia excretion, and self-righting. The tested variables included two different color morphs (orange and purple) of P. ochraceus, two different locations (open coast and inland straits) in Washington State, and three salinities (22, 30, and 40 psu).

Wet mass-specific oxygen consumption rates were not significantly affected by color, location, or salinity, and Dry mass-specific oxygen consumption rates showed no significant differences for main effects, but a three-way interaction was identified. Similarly, ammonia …

Blood Parasite Infection In Mice From Cloud Forest And Nearby Disturbed Habitats, December 2006, Jesse A. Blumenstock

Tropical Ecology and Conservation [Monteverde Institute]

Conversion of habitat by humans is pervasive, increasing, and the root of serious environmental problems. This study was performed to find differences in blood parasite infections of host mice in neotropical cloud forest versus nearby disturbed habitat. In Monteverde, Costa Rica, mice were trapped and examined for blood parasite species richness and abundance in primary forest and disturbed areas near houses. Twenty-eight mice were captured: 15 from the forest and 13 from the disturbed habitats. Eighty-six percent of these mice were of the species Peromyscus nudipes. There was no significant difference of parasite species richness between mice from the forest …

Cultivation Of Phylogenetically Diverse And Metabolically Novel Atrazine Degrading Soil Bacteria Using Bio-Sep® Beads, Emily Catherine Martin

Masters Theses

The s-triazine herbicide atrazine is among the most widely used herbicides worldwide. The human health effects of atrazine exposure remain unclear, but atrazine and its metabolites appear to cause developmental abnormalities in amphibians. A mounting body of knowledge concerning the ecology of atrazine degradation suggests the current collection of microorganisms and genetic biomarkers of atrazine degradation cannot accurately predict the natural attenuation of atrazine. To this end, a novel in situ enrichment approach using highly porous, atrazine-impregnated Bio-Sep® beads was employed to isolate a taxonomically diverse group of atrazine-degrading bacteria from soil and wetland environments in Tennessee and Ohio. The …

An Interpolation Method For Stream Habitat Assessments With Reference To The Crystal Darter, Kenneth Richard Sheehan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Crystallaria asprella spp. (Elk River crystal darter) is documented only in Elk River, West Virginia. Little life history detail is known about this lotic, benthic-dependent species. Previous studies have led to a very basic understanding of the use of depth, flow and substrate of the crystal darter (Crystallaria asprella), and less is known about the Elk River crystal darter. Due to substrate-specificity in crystal darters (which reportedly bury in sand), a study concerning benthic stream habitat modeling was undertaken. Substrate and depth modeling using >5% of an area sampled at a resolution of 0.093 m2 square spatial data in a …

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 …

Montana Kaimin, November 28, 2006, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula. Page 7 is missing.

Alien Invaders! Post-Visit Lessons, Support Materials (Grade 6), Discover Mojave: Forever Earth

Curriculum materials (FE)

Support material to enable students to write a public service announcement invasive species.

Alien Invaders! Pre-Visit, Support Materials: Water Characteristics (Grade 6), Discover Mojave: Forever Earth

Curriculum materials (FE)

Student worksheets about water quality and the effect invasive species have on it.

Prevalensi Dan Determinan Hipertensi Di Pulau Jawa, Tahun 2004, Zamhir Setiawan

Kesmas

Hipertensi merupakan faktor risiko utama kardiovaskuler yang merupakan penyebab utama kematian di seluruh dunia. Peningkatan umur harapan hidup dan perubahan gaya hidup meningkatkan faktor risiko hipertensi di berbagai negara. Tujuan penelitian ini (1) Mengetahui prevalensi hipertensi dan penyebarannya di Pulau Jawa tahun 2004. (2) Mengetahui faktor-faktor sosiodemografi yang berhubungan dengan kejadian hipertensi. (3) Mengetahui kontribusi dan dampak potensial masing masing faktor tersebut. Penelitian dengan rancangan studi Ekologi Multilevel ini menggabungkan variabel tingkat pengukuran individu dengan tingkat pengukuran ekologi dalam analisis bersama, dengan unit analisis individu. Analisis kontekstual dilakukan melalui kerangka konsep hipertensi, menggunakan metode analisis regresi logistik ganda, dengan status …

Statistical Analysis Of Air Pollution Panel Studies: An Illustration, Holly Janes, Lianne Sheppard, Kristen Shepherd

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

The panel study design is commonly used to evaluate the short-term health effects of air pollution. Standard statistical methods for analyzing longitudinal data are available, but the literature reveals that the techniques are not well understood by practitioners. We illustrate these methods using data from the 1999 to 2002 Seattle panel study. Marginal, conditional, and transitional approaches for modeling longitudinal data are reviewed and contrasted with respect to their parameter interpretation and methods for accounting for correlation and dealing with missing data. We also discuss and illustrate techniques for controlling for time-dependent and time-independent confounding, and for exploring and summarizing …

Contribution Of The Nasa Land-Cover/Land-Use Change Program To The Northern Eurasia Earth Science Partnership Initiative: An Overview, Garik Gutman

United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Publications

The Northern Eurasia Earth Science Partnership Initiative (NEESPI) is a rapidly growing program that involves national government agencies, academia and private organizations in the U.S., Europe, Japan and Northern Eurasia. During the last decade the Northern Eurasian region have been undergoing socioeconomic, climatic and demographic changes. The causes of these changes, the associated interactions between the land surface, the atmosphere and the surrounding ocean and the resultant impact on the sustainability of land use of the region are important topics for scientific research. The NEESPI Science Plan has been prepared as an integrated regional study to better understand these hemispheric-scale …

Red Rock Desert Learning Center Stakeholder Phasing Meeting: October 5, 2006, Red Rock Desert Learning Center

Reports (RRLC)

• Our goals for this meeting

• What does phasing offer us?

• Possible phasing scenados

• Where do we go from here?

• Other business regarding RRDLC

Feasibility Of Developing Exposure Estimates For Use In Epidemiological Studies Of Radioactive Emissions From The Santa Susana Field Laboratory, Jan Beyea Ph.D.

Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL)

This report provides exposure estimates to assist epidemiologists in deciding on the effectiveness of studies of radiation-induced disease around the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL). Developing such estimates was a difficult challenge, because the site is extremely complex from the meteorological perspective, there is limited information available about releases of radioactivity in the 1950s and 60s, and some meteorological data is withheld by the plant owner. As a result, the estimates in this report are limited to scoping calculations that carry a wide range of uncertainty, complicating their use for estimation of statistical power. Nevertheless, they represent the current state …

Cal State San Bernardino Magazine (Fall/Winter 2006), Csusb

CSUSB Magazine

Features:

Update Feature......Page 3
For CSUSB's three 2006 honorary doctorate recipients, the lofty goals inherent in education rise from the most down-to-earth ways of pursuing a higher life.

Athletics Feature......Page 13
You could call her the enforcer, or you could call her mom. Either way, Cita Jones is just looking for a little love and compliance from her student athletics.

Contributions Feature......Page 19
With construction of the new education building now underway, CSUSB is bent on furnishing it with the best and brightest in equipment.

Student Scapes Feature......Page 23
Manny Aybar's few days at the Royal …

Liana Habitat Associations And Community Structure In A Bornean Lowland Tropical Forest, Saara J. Dewalt, Kalan Ickes, Reuben Nilus, Kyle E. Harms, David F.R.P. Burslem

Faculty Publications

Lianas (woody vines) contribute substantially to the diversity and structure of most tropical forests, yet little is known about the importance of habitat specialization in maintaining tropical liana diversity and the causes of variation among forests in liana abundance and species composition. We examined habitat associations, species diversity, species composition, and community structure of lianas at Sepilok Forest Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia in northeastern Borneo among three soil types that give rise to three distinct forest types of lowland tropical rain forest: alluvial, sandstone hill, and kerangas (heath) forest. Alluvial soils are more nutrient rich and have higher soil moisture than …

Research & Action Report, Fall/Winter 2006, Wellesley Centers For Women, Rangita De Silva-De Alwis

Research & Action Report

In this issue:

WCW International Programs Reach East

New Staff Examine Risks, Change, Resilience in Relationships

Critical Mass on Corporate Boards: Why Three or More Women Enhance Governance

Evaluating The Long-Term Metacommunity Dynamics Of Tree Hole Mosquitoes, Alicia M. Ellis, L. Philip Lounibos, Marcel Holyoak

Dartmouth Scholarship

Four different conceptual models of metacommunities have been proposed, termed “patch dynamics,” “species sorting,” “mass effect,” and “neutral.” These models simplify thinking about metacommunities and improve our understanding of the role of spatial dynamics both in structuring communities and in determining local and regional diversity. We tested whether mosquito communities inhabiting water-filled tree holes in southeastern Florida, USA, displayed any of the characteristics and dynamics predicted by the four models. The densities of the five most common species in 3–8 tree holes were monitored every two weeks during 1978–2003. We tested relationships between habitat variables and species densities, spatial synchrony, …

Book Review Of Twilight Of The Mammoths: Ice Age Extinctions And The Rewilding Of America By Paul S. Martin, Michael Fosha

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences

Applying ecological studies to the adaptations of prehistoric human hunter-gatherer groups has greatly increased our abilities to interpret effects of an ever-changing environment and our access to critical resources on these populations. The Pleistocene/Holocene transition, its climate and human genesis in the new world, draws intensive interest from a number of scientific communities. In Twilight of the Mammoths, Paul Martin adds his views, which are of no surprise, on the megafaunal extirpations during a cultural period referred to in North America as Clovis.

Rna:Protein Ratio Of The Unicellular Organism As A Characteristic Of Phosphorous And Nitrogen Stoichiometry And Of The Cellular Requirement Of Ribosomes For Protein Synthesis, Tatiana V. Karpinets, Duncan J. Greenwood, Carl E. Sams, John T. Ammons

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- General Biology

Background

Mean phosphorous:nitrogen (P:N) ratios and relationships of P:N ratios with the growth rate of organisms indicate a surprising similarity among and within microbial species, plants, and insect herbivores. To reveal the cellular mechanisms underling this similarity, the macromolecular composition of seven microorganisms and the effect of specific growth rate (SGR) on RNA:protein ratio, the number of ribosomes, and peptide elongation rate (PER) were analyzed under different conditions of exponential growth.

Results

It was found that P:N ratios calculated from RNA and protein contents in these particular organisms were in the same range as the mean ratios reported for diverse …

Distribution, Morphology, And Genetic Affinities Of Dwarf Embedded Fucus Populations From The Northwest Atlantic Ocean, Arthur C. Mathieson, Clinton J. Dawes, Aaron L. Wallace, Anita S. Klein

New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station Publications

Dwarf embedded Fucus populations in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean are restricted to the upper intertidal zone in sandy salt marsh environments; they lack holdfasts and are from attached parental populations of F. spiralis or F. spiralis x F. vesiculosus hybrids after breakage and entanglement with halophytic marsh grasses. Dwarf forms are dichotomously branched, flat, and have a mean overall length and width of 20.3 and 1.3 mm, respectively. Thus, they are longer than Irish (mean 9.3 mm) and Alaskan (mean 15.0 mm) populations identified as F cottonii. Reciprocal transplants of different Fucus taxa in a Maine salt marsh confirm that …

Mother-Young Recognition In An Ungulate Hider Species: A Unidirectional Proce, Marco V.G. Torriani, Elisabetta Vannoni, Alan G. Mcelligott

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

Parent‐offspring recognition is usually crucial for survival of young. In mammals, olfaction often only permits identification at short range, and vocalizations are important at longer distances. Following and hiding antipredator strategies found in newborn mammals may also affect parental recognition mechanisms. We investigated mother‐offspring recognition in fallow deer, an ungulate hider species. We analyzed the structure of adult female and fawn contact calls to determine whether they are individually distinctive and tested for mother‐offspring recognition. Only females (and not fawns) have individualized vocalizations, with the fundamental frequency as the most distinctive parameter. Playback experiments showed that fawns can distinguish the …

Alien Invaders! Pre-Visit, Support Materials: Introduced And Invasive Species (Grade 6), Discover Mojave: Forever Earth

Curriculum materials (FE)

Worksheets to accompany pre-visit lesson about invasive fish.