Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Seasonal Study Of Phytoplankton Composition Abundance And Productivity In Back Bay, Virginia, Robert Ringgold Comegys

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Phytoplankton samples were collected monthly (August 1974-June 1975) at two stations in the Back Bay system of southeastern Virginia. Measurements of phytoplankton productivity and potentially influencing environmental parameters (water and air temperature, turbidity, depth, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen) accompanied sample collections. A total of 106 phytoplankton species, representing six algal divisions and 54 genera were identified. Cyanophyta species were dominant at both stations in the warmer months of August, September, October, and June, and in April at one station only. In all remaining months, Chlorophyta species were dominant, indicating a seasonal shift in phytoplankton composition during winter and spring. The …

State Effort In Controlling Oil Spills, Victor Alan Bell

Theses and Major Papers

In light of the growing demand for imported oil, the accelerated offshore development program and the recent series of tanker incidents, many states have enacted, or plan to enact, legislation to protect their coastal lands and waters from oil pollution. The purpose of this paper is to outline present state legislation that deals with controlling oil pollution, and stating how this legislation would coexist with existing and proposed federal legislation and the International Conventions. The results of this study point to areas where state legislation would be useful and where overlapping or unnecessary legislation does exist.

The Impacts Of Agriculture And Pastoralism On Wildlife In The Sudan, Fraser Tong Kuotwel

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This report describes the effects of agriculture and pastoralism on wildlife resources in the Sudan. For centuries people in the western and southern Sudan have been earning their living through shifting cultivation and pastoralism. Being one of the agrarian countries of Africa, the Sudan is rapidly undergoing a transition from shifting cultivation to mechanized farming, in order to provide enough food for its rapidly growing human population, and to supply other Arab countries with the surplus. Mechanized farming and water associated development projects have great impact on wildlife resources, ranging from the destruction of wildlife habitat to the isolation of …

Seasonal Course Of Root Respiration In Atriplex Confertifolia, Richard S. Holthausen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Root respiratory response of mature Atriplex confertifolia plants growing in established communities was measured during two growing seasons using freshly excised root segments and gas chromatography techniques. Respiratory response at fixed test temperatures changed significantly during the growing season, and this pattern of respiratory adjustment varied for root segments located at different depths in the soil profile. Respiration measured at a constant test temperature was highest during early sumner, and declined to minimum values in late summer and fall. Root segments taken from the top 30 cm of the soil profile displayed peak activity several weeks before root segments from …

The Effect Of Four Mine Spoil Treatments On The Seedling Water Relations Of Two Plant Species, Lorraine K. Van Kekerix

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Surface mines in mountainous areas cause environmental deterioration at lower elevations in the watershed. The most successful long term solution to the downstream problem is revegetation. However, mine spoils are low in essential plant nutrients, have low water holding capacity, and are often acidic. These factors limit plant colonization. Plants must also be adapted to the environmental conditions of high elevations.

At the McLaren Mine, }1ontana, at 2800 m, it was observed that seedlings on revegetation plots were desiccated, indicating possible water deficits. Field and growth chamber studies were carried out to determine the effects of some spoil ameliorating treatments …

Biological Manipulation Of Blackbrush (Coleogyne Ramosissima Torr.) By Browsing With Goats, Frederick D. Provenza

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to provide data on responses of Angora goats and blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) to a biological manipulation program. Blackbrush utilization levels averaged 30, 16, and 6 percent (545, 367, and 147 kg per hectare) for the heavily, moderately, and lightly browsed pastures, respectively; removal rates of 77, 38, and 19 percent (1164, 582, and 291 kg per hectare) were projected.

Statistically significant differences in body weight loss (P=0.052) were noted for goats browsing in different replications. Goats lost an average of 14 and 19 percent of body weight in replications one and two, …

Coyote-Food Base Relationships In Jackson Hole, Wyoming, John L. Weaver

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I measured three variables of coyote-food base relationships in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, during the period July, 1973, to July, 1975. Field work provided estimates of relative coyote and prey abundance as well as observations on coyote feeding behavior during winter. Laboratory analysis of 1,500 coyote scats revealed feeding patterns while feeding trials with captive coyotes allowed refinement in interpretation of scat analysis.

Deer mice and chipmunks comprised most of the rodent biomass captured in traps in the fall, while ground squirrels accounted for much of the rodent biomass in the spring. Field voles declined from 1973 to 1974 throughout much …

Rodent Density And Species Composition In The Snake River Birds Of Prey Natural Area, Idaho, Jon R. Montan Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rodent densities were estimated in the major vegetation types of the Snake River Birds of Prey Natural Area in 1975 and 1976 by a combination of live-trapping and kill-trapping. Only deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) were numerous enough to permit reliable density estimates. Relative densities of other rodent species were indicated by kill-trap capture rates. Densities of deer mice correlated well (r = 0.99) with kill-trap capture rates. The use of kill-trapping in place of live-trapping in 1976 permitted extensive sampling throughout the 1930 km² study area. Differences were found among the major vegetation and land-use types in …

Evaluation Of Some Soil Loss Equations For Predicting Sheet Erosion, Douglas Joseph Trieste

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objectives of this study were (a) to apply sediment and associated plot data from various infiltrometer studies to the parameters in the Universal Soil Loss Equation, a modified version of the original Musgrave Equation, and a modified version of the original Universal Soil Loss Equation, and compare the computed results with the measured soil loss, (b) to suggest reasons for any differences between computed and measured soil loss, and (c) to suggest improvements for each equation so that it will give results near the measured soil loss. The data used consisted of 2805 infiltrometer plots collected by previous researchers …

Contour Trenching As A Strategy In Watershed Rehabilitation: Application To Nepalese Condition, Kumar P. Upadhyay

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The disastrous soil erosion problems and the uncontrolled movement of water in Nepal's mountains caused by human and livestock activities call for the identification of simple, cheap, and effective rehabilitation techniques. This report analyzes contour trenching as rehabilitation techniques in the United States and examines the applicability and transferability of the techniques to the Nepalese conditions.

The details of contour trench systems as applied by the U. S. Forest Service have been analyzed by reviewing available research papers, handbooks, official records, personal communication, and actual field visits. The results and observations have been delineated for the physical and cultural aspects …

Environmental Perception In Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico, Howard Graham Crow Ii

Geography ETDs

The focus of this study was on visitor satisfac­tion in a natural area, as opposed to alternative use such as preservation of the area, with little or no visitor access. Visitor satisfaction can be approached through studies in environmental perception. Such studies integrate work in psychology, philosophy, and geography. This author sought to determine whether or not more precise information about the perceptual basis for visitor satisfaction in a natural area could be obtained through survey research. Bandelier National Monument served as a useful laboratory for carrying out this research.

Data collection was by a survey technique. A detailed questionnaire …

West Africa (East Central Atlantic) As A Regional Base For Fisheries Management, Conservation And Research: And Pollution Control, Vincent F. Adebolu

Theses and Major Papers

About two decades ago when the First Law of the Sea Conference was underway, little attention was paid to ocean management. By then all of the ocean space apart from narrow bands of coastal waters was broadly recognized as the High Seas which is open to use by all countries. But despite this concept of free open use, only the major maritime powers were actually interested in maximizing the freedom of the seas principle. During this period there were only ninety independent coastal and landlocked states.

A Study Of The Second And Third Committees Of The Third United Nations Conference On The Law Of The Sea, James C. Bridgman

Theses and Major Papers

The Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea was divided along lines established for the preparitory Conference. The plenary consisted of all delegates of all delegations and was generally used to make formal what had already been negotiated in closed sessions. In the fifth session, it took on a new function as a forum for debating in closed session proposed articles on dispute settlement. In the future, it will look at drafts of the preamble and final clauses to the Convention. Each of three primary committees was empowered with specific issues to consider, again stemming from the …

Rhode Island Coastal Zone Management And Local Government Organizational Structure: An Analysis Of Selected Community Governments, Methods, And Capabilities, Robert F. Greene

Theses and Major Papers

It is the purpose of this discussion to examine the organizational structure, and the governmental processes selected Rhode Island communities utilize to carry out their particular role as participants in the management of the coastal resources within their political boundaries. Insofar as practicable, the major sources of information for this research are the communities themselves--their elected and appointed officials, and the documentary material the Towns generate and use as they carry out their management functions.

The Nesting Ecology Of Several Species Of Herons And The Glossy Ibis (Plegadis Falcinellus) In Three Heronries In Virginia, Barbara Susan Warren

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Petroleum Hydrocarbons On Salt Marsh Communities, Carleton H. Hershner Jr.

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This dissertation is from the Joint Program Degree from the College of William & Mary and University of Virginia and awarded by the University of Virginia.

The effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on salt marsh grasses and gastropods were examined under three different circumstances. In the first study reported, a small pocket marsh was repeatedly dosed with small amounts of a No. 2 fuel oil. The second study investigated the effects of a large accidental spill of No. 6 fuel oil. The third study involved single doses of a fresh and a weathered crude oil on artificially enclosed segments of marsh.

Teacher's Guide Planning A 6th Grade Outdoor Education Program For Your School, William Arnold Muench

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Environmental Variables On The Heart Rate Of Invertebrates, Peter L. Defur

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Biology Of The Porcupine (Erethizon Dorsatum) In Northwestern South Dakota, Judith Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The summer home ranges, food habits, cover preferences, population dynamics, metabolic rates, growth rates, and taxonomic characteristics were determined for porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) in northwestern South Dakota. The summer home ranges were 158.2 ha for adult females, 90.4 ha for juveniles, and 57.9 ha for adult males. The population was 34 percent adult males, 16 percent juvenile males, 34 percent adult females, and 15 percent juvenile females. The preferred daytime cover choice was silver buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea), followed by snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis), earth dens, forbs, and low brush. Shrubs were the most important item in the diet, then trees, forbs, …

Factors Affecting Waterfowl Brood Use Of Stock Ponds In South Dakota, Gene D. Mack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A July waterfowl brood survey was conducted from 1973 to 1976 on stock ponds located within four physiographic strata in South Dakota. Information was collected on weather, stock pond characteristics, land use and the condition of other wetlands located within the quarter section (64.8 ha) study plots. Multiple regression and multiple discriminant analyses were sued to determine the importance of these variables in influencing brood use of stock ponds. Vegetation type, distribution of emergent vegetation and pond size were important in determining if broods of any particular species utilized a pond or not. Shoreline distance was particularly important in explaining …

Variables Associated With Breeding Waterfowl On South Dakota Stock Ponds, Jay A. Roberson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Use of stock watering ponds by indicated breeding pairs of waterfowl was measured in the western two-thirds of South Dakota from 1973 to 1976. Multiple regression and discriminant analyses were used to describe the habitat associated with pairs of each species. Habitat variables explained 35-47 percent of the variation in pairs having small home ranges and 26-35 percent of the variation in pairs having large home ranges. Shoreline distance account for more variation in mallard (Anas Platyrhmchos) and blue-winged teal (A. discors) pairs than any other single variable. Ponds used by these pairs and shoreline distances that averaged 590 m …

Estimate Of Production By A Population Of Fathead Minnows, Pimpephales Promelas, In A South Dakota Prairie Wetland, Ronald D. Payer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Estimates of production and population densities were obtained for an autochthonous population of fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas Rafinesque, in a South Dakota prairie wetland. The study was conducted from May to September of 1976. Population estimates were obtained using a Schnabel-type mark and recapture model. Fish were marked either by fin clipping or granular fluorescent pigments driven into the dermal tissue. Production estimates were derived both arithmetically and graphically. The estimated population of adult fathead minnows declined from 194 in May and June to 26 in July. Production by adults was estimated at 0.10 kg, or 0.0007 gm/m²/yr. The population …

Cover Use And Activity Time Budget Of Blue-Winged Teal, Mallard, And Pintail Broods, James K. Ringelman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Blue-winged teal (Anas discors), mallard (A. platyrhynchos), and pintail (A. acuta) broods were observed on 17 days between 25 June and 30 July, 1976. Brood activities and cover uses were recorded continuously from first light until dark. Observations of 269 broods from three wetlands were evaluated by species and brood age-class. Activity time budgets revealed significant (p<.01) age specific differences in total feeding time and visibility among age-classes of all species combined and age-classes of blue-winged teal broods. Feeding modes also varied among age-classes. Daily patterns of cover use varied among brood age-classes and species. Morning and evening feeding peaks became more pronounced, and overall visibility increased, with brood age. Interspecific differences in daily activity patterns were observed among broods of the same age-class. Duration of active periods increased with age in blue-winged teal broods. Active periods recurred at regular intervals in all broods throughout the day, suggestive of polycyclic behavior patterns similar to those of adult ducks. A progressive increase in brood visibility was attributed primarily to seasonal changes in brood age structure and to wetland water loss. Temperature and wind speed influenced brood visibility during most observation days. Climatic conditions favorable to nighttime brood activity influenced brood behavior during the following day. Accuracy of present brood inventory techniques could be improved if considerations were made for brood behavior patterns and environmental factors which alter brood cover use.

Population, Home Range, And Dispersal Of Red Foxes In East-Central South Dakota, James D. Sweeting

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The population, dispersal movements and summer home range of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were studied in east-central South Dakota during 1974 and 1975. The spring population density of foxes on a 23,319 ha study area declined from 9.2 families/township in 1974 to 7.6 families/township in 1975. Fifty-four percent of 130 foxes tagged in spring, 1974 and 1975 were recovered during the first year following tagging. Hunting and trapping accounted for 18.0 and 77.8 percent, respectively. Recoveries revealed that dispersing juvenile male foxes were more mobile than juvenile females; juvenile foxes traveled a mean distance of 39 km for males and …

Digestibility Of Common Forage Plants And Energetic Requirements Of The Black-Tailed Prairie Dog, Maureen A. Beckstead

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) assimilated 51.5 percent of the wheatgrass (Agropyron intermedium) they consumed; thus, they would have to consume 0.148 kcal · g-1 · day-l in order to obtain the 0.076 kcal · g-1 · day-1 they would require to maintain their weight. Prairie dogs assimilated 31.5 percent of the buffalograss/blue grama mixture (Buchloe dactyloides/Bouteloua gracilis) they were fed. They would have to consume 0.229 kcal · g-1 · day-1 of this forage to assimilate 0.072 kcal · g-1 · day-1 and maintain their weight. The proximate composition of forages fed in feeding trials was similar to that …

Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Of The Unchannelized Missouri River In South Dakota, James R. Clapp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Areas of eight habitats were identified, delineated, and measured along the unchannelized Missouri River in South Dakota. Agricultural and urban developments existed on 60 percent of the land within 1 km of the river. Six habitat types made up the non-developed land in the study area: cottonwood-dogwood (16 percent), cottonwood-willow (9 percent), elm-oak (7 percent), cattail marsh (3 percent), sand dune (3 percent), and sand bar (1 percent). All non-developed habitats except sand bar were sampled to obtain vegetative composition and to determine their value to wildlife. The value of each habitat to nine faunal groups of wildlife was subjectively …

Food, Growth, And Reproduction Of White Crappies (Pomixis Annularis) And Black Crappies (P. Nigromaculatus) In Lake Poinsett, South Dakota, Thomas R. Busiahn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The food habits, food selectivity, growth, condition, and population structures of the white crappies (Pomoxis annularis) and black crappies (P. nigromaculatus) in Lake Poinsett, South Dakota, were studied from May, 1975, to May, 1976. The total food volume of 173 adult white crappies consisted of 59.0% plankton1o crustaceans, 25.2 % insects, 14.5 % fish, and 1.3 % miscellaneous organisms. The food volume of 39 adult black crappies consisted of 39.0 % planktonic crustaceans, 3.5 % insects, 57.8 % fish, and 0.7 % miscellaneous organisms. Both species selected Daphnia pulex over other zooplankton and probably contributed to its decline from 193.8/l …

A Review And Case Study Of The Effect Of Urbanisation On Streamflow, R.F. Fraser

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

No abstract provided.

A Model For Solid Waste Collection Costs, Bruce Anderson

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Stream Survey Of Riley Creek, Coles County, Illinois, Using Macroinvertebrates As Indicators Of Organic Pollution, Joseph R. Rowe

Masters Theses

A stream survey of Riley Creek in Coles County Illinois, was undertaken to determine ecological trends and the qualitative status of the aquatic community throughout the course of the stream.

The survey encompassed the entire length of Riley Creek from the area of its status as an intermittant waterway to its confluence with Cassel Creek. Sampling periods included the months of April, May, June, July, October and November.

Macroinvertebrate collections were made at six locations along the stream approximately equidistant from each other. The organisms were assigned tolerance levels as designated by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Physical and chemical …