Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Institution
Articles 1 - 7 of 7
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Nitrogen Dynamics And Transport Along Flowpaths In A Rural Wetland-Stream Complex, Colton Kyro
Nitrogen Dynamics And Transport Along Flowpaths In A Rural Wetland-Stream Complex, Colton Kyro
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
Human activities have doubled the rate of nitrogen inputs onto the landscape resulting in elevated nitrogen concentrations in our streams. Anthropogenically applied nitrogen is largely transported to stream networks via groundwater movement. Groundwater discharge occurs in distinct points along a stream but whose influences can often persist far beyond that area due to insufficient biogeochemical removal of imported nitrogen potentially causing alterations in community structure and precipitating large algae blooms. To understand the factors governing nitrogen abundance in a historical polluted stream, I used a mass-balance approach to quantify groundwater-surface water interaction and the magnitude of groundwater nitrogen input and …
Water Source Partitioning For Shrubland Transpiration In A Mixed Phreatophytic Plant Community, Amanda Jean Wagner
Water Source Partitioning For Shrubland Transpiration In A Mixed Phreatophytic Plant Community, Amanda Jean Wagner
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Groundwater in the basins of east central Nevada (Great Basin Desert, NV) has been permitted for export to southern Nevada. These basins are also vulnerable to changes in climate that could lead to declining recharge. Any decline in groundwater levels no matter the driving force could significantly impact phreatophytes (deep rooted shrubs), which utilize water from both the vadose zone and the capillary fringe to meet plant water needs, to support growth, and for overall health. A reduction in groundwater due to these forces could have a significant impact on the decoupling of phreatophytes from what is normally a reliable …
Impacts To Anadromous Fish Through Groundwater Extraction, Aaron Hebert
Impacts To Anadromous Fish Through Groundwater Extraction, Aaron Hebert
Master's Projects and Capstones
California uses more groundwater than any other state in the United States in order to meet agricultural demand during the growing season when water is naturally least available due to the state’s Mediterranean climate. The state also hosts populations of anadromous fish that are otherwise found exclusively in the wetter Pacific northwest. Groundwater has historically helped maintain baseflow in the summer and fall low-flow periods and acted as a natural buffer against the regular droughts that occur in California. Today, groundwater provides 30-40% of the state’s water supply, but the pumping in many cases has reduced groundwater discharge and baseflow, …
Water Water Everywhere: Analyzing Long Island's Water Issues And Finding Solutions For A Sustainable Future, Anthony T. Becker
Water Water Everywhere: Analyzing Long Island's Water Issues And Finding Solutions For A Sustainable Future, Anthony T. Becker
2014 Student Theses
Over three million people call Long Island their home. With access to beautiful landscapes, world-renowned beaches, and proximity to New York City, it is no wonder that so many proudly call this geographic stretch of glacial till their home. However, throughout the years our actions do not necessarily reflect this affection we have to our home. Years of sprawl and human infestation across the island have resulted in widespread environmental degradation. Specifically, the water we drink and the beaches we enjoy have become endangered. I plan on studying the urban ecology of how intensified population growth led to the eutrophication …
The Evaluation Of Water Storage In Death Valley Using Grace Satellite Data, Maile Sweigart
The Evaluation Of Water Storage In Death Valley Using Grace Satellite Data, Maile Sweigart
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
As drought conditions spread across the United States, concerns over water supplies, water use, and water management policies are growing and possible contributing environmental factors are continually being scrutinized. This thesis examines Death Valley as an analog for Southern Nevada and utilizes NASA EOS data, combined with ancillary climate data, to assess the effect of decadal climate variability on groundwater storage in the Death Valley area. Historical climate data, combined with satellite imagery observations, were compiled and calculated for analyses. Conclusions derived from statistical analyses infer trends between GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellite data and fluctuating levels of …
The Response Of Banksia Roots To Change In Water Table Level In A Mediterranean-Type Environment, Caroline Canham
The Response Of Banksia Roots To Change In Water Table Level In A Mediterranean-Type Environment, Caroline Canham
Theses: Doctorates and Masters
For phreatophytic plants to persist in a given habitat they need to maintain a functional connection to the water table, and the capacity for roots to respond to changes in the water table is a key aspect of this. If root growth is limited by season, plants may not be able to grow roots to adjust to changes in the water table at a particular time of the year. The redistribution of roots, particularly the capacity for roots to follow the water table down in summer and autumn months, is vital for phreatophytic plants to maintain a functional connection with …
Quantifying Soil And Groundwater Chemistry In Areas Invaded By Tamarix Spp. Along The Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico, Michelle Kelly Ohrtman
Quantifying Soil And Groundwater Chemistry In Areas Invaded By Tamarix Spp. Along The Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico, Michelle Kelly Ohrtman
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Tamarix spp. (a.k.a. saltcedar, tamarisk) invasion is considered a major ecological threat at both national and global levels, with supposed impacts on soil and water chemistry. One of the most often cited mechanisms of ecosystem change by Tamarix is through its ability to deposit salty exudates and salt-rich leaf litter. The degree to which Tamarix relates to elevated soil and groundwater salinity, however, has not been adequately quantified, especially in the context of environmental factors that may also influence salinity. If Tamarix does elevate localized salinity by means of uptake, concentration and exudation by plant tissues, then we might expect …