Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Beaver (Castor Canadensis) Of The Salinas River: A Human Dimensions-Inclusive Overview For Assessing Landscape-Scale Beaver-Assisted Restoration Opportunities, Stuart Christian Suplick

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Across the western United States, researchers are increasingly working with beaver (Castor canadensis) for process-based stream and watershed restoration. One recently-developed geographic information system-based tool, the Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool (BRAT), analyzes opportunities for beaver-assisted restoration (BAR) at a landscape-scale. However, this tool benefits significantly from human dimensions-inclusive, basin-centralized beaver knowledge for proper interpretation. Unfortunately, this information is scattered or absent in most semi-arid and arid southern California basins. This study thus sought to gather and produce this information through an explorative, benefits-maximizing approach to landscape-scale BAR opportunities assessment in one of these basins, the Salinas River. 49.2 …

Investigation Of Pervasive Clay Layers And Their Effect On Groundwater Flow Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography In The San Antonio Groundwater Basin, James M. Carlson

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

The United States Geological Survey is developing an integrated hydrologic model of the San Antonio Creek Groundwater Basin to better understand and simulate the integrated surface water and groundwater system. An abrupt 60 meter offset in groundwater depth over a distance of less than one kilometer is observed in well readings within the Cañada De Las Flores region of the groundwater basin. Abrupt changes in groundwater levels are often explained by the presence of a fault in the subsurface vertically offsetting sedimentary units. However, observations of the structural geology of this region indicates that faulting is unlikely and suggests an …

Investigation Into Strath Terrace Production In The Mud Hills, California, Patrick Morley Miller

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Rainbow Basin and Owl Canyon comprise deeply dissected uplands in the Mud Hills region near Barstow, California in the western portion of the Basin and Range geologic province. These erosional landscapes are formed in sediment deposited in a Miocene-time extensional basin. The basin was then filled with sediment before being inverted due to tectonic uplift beginning roughly 10 Ma. Sometime after 250 to 300 ka strath terraces were produced and preserved in the two drainage basins in Rainbow Basin, but not in the single drainage basin of Owl Canyon. The reason behind this difference is the main problem to be …

Tectonic Controls On Alluvial Fan Dissection In The El Paso Mountains, Michael Thomas Gaffney

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

The localized dissection of alluvial fans along the western El Paso Mountains is under question. A relatively minor, south dipping normal fault, previously unmentioned in scientific literature, cuts across Quaternary terraces and alluvial fans in the piedmont of the El Paso Mountains. The linear trend of footwall uplift and the pattern of stream incision into the footwall adjacent to the linear trend of footwall uplift reveal that fan dissection is a result of base level fall caused by ongoing tectonism along the El Paso fault system. The regional importance is discussed as the timing of faulting reveals relatively recent uplift …

Column Tests Of Nitrate Breakthrough Behavior In Subsurface Sediments To Understand Transport In The Root-Zone, Rebecca Sally Haworth, Emma Rose Goodwin

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Nitrate has become an increasingly ubiquitous pollutant in surface and groundwater, posing a threat to hu- man health and ecosystems. Nitrogen is a necessary nutrient for plant growth and is limiting in many soils. As a result, farmers often add nitrogen to soil in a usable form such as nitrate, nitrite, or ammonia through the addition of fertilizer.

A Study Of Marine Terrace Formation Along The California Central Coast, Mary C. Devlin

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Marine terrace formation is in many instances attributed to wave action, and shore platforms are often called “wave-cut”. However, alternative models for marine terrace formation suggest that other types of physical and chemical weathering have a more central role in the formation of marine terraces than is widely acknowledged. Roering and Retallack (2012) concluded that the roles of subaerial physical and chemical weathering are significant, and played a major role in the formation of the terraces. In this study, weathering of beach cliffs and shore platforms associated with marine terraces at eight sites in two different locations along the central …

Soil Science Lesson Plan For The Cal Poly Learn By Doing Lab, Kelsey Ormonde

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

To increase interest in soil science and other related sciences, educational materials need to be tailored to appeal to younger students. The purpose of this project was to create a soil science lesson plan that could be utilized by the Cal Poly Learn By Doing Lab. Information from several articles, textbooks, lesson plans, and websites was reviewed to create a soil science lesson plan for students in 5-8^th grade. The lesson plan focused on the three sub-disciplines of soil science; physical, chemical, and biological. Activities were created to correspond to the three sub-disciplines. Alternate activities were created to allow …

Stream Terrace Genesis Along Bunte Creek In The Elkhorn Plain, Ca, Madi Allgaier, Shelley Anderson, Duncan Lord

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

There are several factors influencing terrace genesis and terrace types in Bunte Creek. Strath terraces exist at upper Bunte Creek, whereas thick fill terraces exist at lower Bunte Creek. Analysis of these terraces leads to insight on what specific factors lead to their formation. Terraces were mapped along the extent of Bunte Creek. Sediment data and terrace-height data were collected for in order to make a complete analysis of the terraces. Tectonic uplift led to incision and strath terrace genesis at upper Bunte Creek. Climatic forcing and base-level rise caused alluvial aggradation behind a shutter ridge that intersects lower Bunte …

Structure And Geochronology Of The White Fork Pluton, Southern Sierra Nevada, Ian Richard Mahaffey

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

The Sierra Nevada batholith represents an archetypal continental arc, although the style of deformation throughout the history of the arc is only poorly understood, in part due to the voluminous nature of Late Cretaceous magmatism that has overprinted earlier structures. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of pre-Late Cretaceous deformation in the Sierra Nevada batholith through a structural and geochronological study of the Jurassic White Fork pluton. A Jurassic age for the White Fork pluton is indicated by its inclusion of numerous 148 Ma Independence dikes, and geochronology on the White Fork pluton is limited …

Digitization Of Disturbance History For Swanton Pacific Ranch From 1989 To 2015, Daniel Mcquillan

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Utilizing Indicator Of Reduction In Soils Tubes To Affirm A Serpentinitic Hydric Soil On The California Central Coast, Jason Demoss

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Wetlands are vital ecosystems that are crucial in maintaining the life of rare and unique soils, plants, and animals. These ecosystems are key players in water storage, water filtration, carbon storage, and harboring unique species. Since the intervention of human development on the Earth’s surface, almost 50% of the Earth’s original wetlands have either been damaged or destroyed. The identification and assessment of both new and old wetlands is crucial in the survival of these precious ecosystems and their conservation. A 3 month-long study was performed to confirm the hydric status of a soil derived from serpentinitic parent material. The …

Detrital Zircon Geochemistry Of The Nacimiento Block, Santa Ynez Mountains, California, Vincent Zhao

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

The long-lived California section of the North American Cordillera is one of the most studied continental margins in the world; however, erosion and deformation in areas along the San Andreas Fault and the Sur-Nacimiento Fault has erased sections of the Cordillera which could provide insight in Cordilleran processes. The lost sections are partially preserved in detrital zircons deposited alongside the arc in fore-arc basins such as in the Toro Formation of the Nacimiento block which represents the coastal central California equivalent to the Great Valley Group, located in the Santa Ynez Mountains. Geochemical analysis of the detrital zircons from the …

Investigating Meter Scale Topographic Variation As A Factor Of Monterey Pine (Pinus Radiata) Growing Conditions At Kenneth Norris Rancho Marino Reserve, Cambria, Ca, William J. Meyst

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Endemic Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) is limited to three locations in California due to its unique ecological requirements. This project was conducted to investigate spatial growth patterns ofMonterey pine over complex ground surfaces. The coastal hills of Rancho Marino Reserve, Cambria, were surveyed using four 150-m transects to quantify and record ground surface features and growing conditions ofMonterey pine. Changes in elevation of each transect were measured using an Abney level. Linear ground surfaces were found at 86% (344 of 400) of survey nodes. Convex ground surfaces were found at 10.5% of survey nodes (42 of 400). Of …

Relationship Between Soil Moisture And Electrical Resistivity In A Native Meadow And Forest Ecotone, Todd Davis

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Relationship Of Joint Sets To Folded Diatomite Bedding Of The Miguelito Member Of The Pismo Formation In Montaña De Oro State Park, Michael Mcmahan

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

This study was conducted to determine if the orientations of observed joint sets in the late Miocene diatomite bedding of the exposed Miguelito Member in Montaña de Oro State Park relate to the San Andreas wrench fault compressional forces that caused folding of the formation. Strikes and dips of bedding planes and their corresponding first and second generation joint sets were gathered and compiled into a stereonet program for analysis. A cross section of the bedding plane data shows compressional antiform (fold axis oriented ~304/013) and synform (fold axis oriented ~300/001) features. Previous studies indicate post Miocene, tectonic shortening with …

Common Core 4th Grade Environmental Science Lesson Plans For California Teachers, Gillian Schoenfeld

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

This project and its analyses were conducted to assist California fourth grade elementary school teachers in adjusting to teaching Common Core standards and science curriculum in their classrooms. The project included the creation of lesson plans, which could be utilized throughout the state of California.

As the Common Core standards, California’s Next Generation Science Standards for K- 12, were just proposed in June of 2013, these lesson plans would help teachers update their lessons and provide them materials and concepts of how to do so. These lessons provide higher-order thinking for students, which is the whole concept of the new …

Geoelectrical Detection Of Water Table Depth At Two Locations In The Los Osos Groundwater Basin, Hallie A. Douglas

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

The city of Los Osos sits on top of a coastal groundwater aquifer which is the sole supplier of all its residential, agricultural, and industrial water needs. Lacking a sewer system, the upper aquifer became progressively contaminated with nitrates over several decades. Groundwater pumping eventually shifted to the lower aquifer, however seawater intrusion of the lower aquifer caused by over-pumping has further degraded water quality. The Los Osos groundwater basin provides an excellent field region to examine the utility of geophysical methods for characterizing aquifer structure. In this study shallow (<20 >m) electrical resistivity imaging methods were performed at two …

Surficial Geologic Map Of Kings Canyon: Implications For Relatively Slow Stream Incision Rates, Andrew Farris

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Most of the Kings River in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California has responded to regional uplift with rapid incision, creating the deepest canyon in the United States. However, Kings Canyon near Cedar Grove is still a mountainous relict landscape with little evidence of fluvial incision. Mapping took place in the Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon to assess factors and/or processes causing relatively low stream incision rates in the region during Holocene time. A surficial geologic map was created in the field, along with visual observations of the South Fork of the Kings River and characterization of geologic map …

Road Cuts And Atterberg Limits Of Little Creek Road, Christopher A. Marquis

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

This senior project examined road cuts and soil adjacent to the road cut, along Little Creek road. Contrasting a landslide hillslope complex to a hillslope drainage complex, the project also compared the organic soil horizon to the mineral soil horizon in both soil units. The soils were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative measures of soil properties. The project utilized a road cut inventory to note the characteristics of the road cut such as presence of rill erosion, rock outcrop and sloping degree of the road cut. The project derived the plasticity index for both organic and mineral horizons, and compared …

Depth To Bedrock Estimations Using The H/V Spectral Ratio In The San Joaquin Valley, Tyler A. Morelli

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Basin depth is a fundamental parameter in many types of geologic studies such as resource exploration and regional tectonic mapping. The Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio (“H/V”) method has been successfully applied to estimating of basin depths up to several hundred meters. In this study the H/V method is applied to the deep basins on the western side of the San Joaquin Valley to determine the thickness of the sedimentary layers and depth to bedrock. Microtremor data from Earthscope Seismic Array stations are ideal to test the accuracy of the H/V method on deeper basins because the data is of high-quality and …

A Study Of Knickpoint Formation: Geomorphic Analysis Of San Simeon Creek, Keith Moffatt

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

The highest point of orogeny in the Santa Lucia range occurs 50-60km from the nearest active faulting. This orogeny is believed to have occurred hear due to relatively weak Franciscan Mélange versus the granitic material at the fault boundary. This paper studies the development of a knickpoint in San Simeon creek to identify the role of relatively recent (graded time) tectonic activity in orogeny of the Santa Lucia range.
The 2003 earth quake is evidence of recent base level change with the occurrence of orogeny supporting the theory of continuous orogeny in recent and graded time scale. Although the knickpoint …

Impact Of Hydraulic Fracturing On Ground And Surface Water Resources, Reyna Schenck

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

The following study examines hydraulic fracturing operations in the United States in relation to groundwater contamination, withdrawals of freshwater resources, and jurisdictional authority over the activity with the purpose of producing objective analysis of research findings. With a growing population and increasing energy needs, hydraulic fracturing is expanding across the nation, as is public concern over the risks to freshwater resources. Because of the difficulty in identifying non-point sources of water pollution, a lack of legitimate water samples representing baseline conditions, and incomplete lists of chemical additives used, study results are often inconclusive as to the correlation between hydraulic fracturing …

Lower San Luis Obispo Creek Stewardship Plan, Raven Lukehart, Daniel Bohlman

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Late-Quaternary Channel Migration In Red Rock Canyon State Park, California; Implications For Regional Tectonics, Kirk Forrest Townsend

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

The Iron Canyon Valley, located at the southern end of the eastern Sierra Nevada at the boundary between the Mojave and Basin and Range tectonic provinces, exhibits clear evidence, over graded timescales, of development through monoclinal shifting, which is the tendency of streams flowing parallel to strike over sedimentary rocks to shift down-dip. Although the character of the valley and bedrock dip indicates development through monoclinal shifting, the current stream network is located up-dip on the east side of the valley. Mapping the surficial geology of the valley revealed the presence of dissected alluvial surfaces approximately 85 meters above modern …

Climate Change And The Water Crisis In Israel, Lauren Deutsch

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Israel’s water crisis is controlled by the availability and location of water resources that are affected by climate change and geopolitics in southwest Asia. Conflict between Israel and the Palestinian occupied territories in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank have put strains on the allocation of water recourses. The goal of this research was to model how much a change in climate will affect the amount of available freshwater in Israel. Intensive research taken from Israel and the occupied territories was carried out to understand how the amount of precipitation, rainfall, and the rate of evaporation is affected by …

Geochemistry And Geochronology Of The Central Metasedimentary Belt Boundary Thrust Zone Thrust Sheets In Southern Ontario, Grenville Province, Kenjo Agustsson

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Studies of pre-Grenvillian (1.4–1.3 Ga) plutons offer insight into the dynamics of arc amalgamation and backarc rifting prior to continental collision in the Ottawan orogeny. The Central Metasedimentary Belt boundary thrust zone (CMBbtz) is a northeast–southwest trending thrust zone consisting of metaplutonic thrust sheets enveloped in gneissic tectonites and calcitic– dolomitic marbles. Tonalitic CMBbtz thrust sheets (Dysart and Redstone) are made up of upper amphibolite-facies, foliation-concordant metatonalites (+ amphibole ± biotite ± accessory zircon and titanite) and amphibolites (± biotite ± clinopyroxene), and are located in the southern Ontario Grenville Province. These thrust sheets are thought to have formed and …

Determining Ancient Movement Of The Sur–Nacimiento Fault Zone Using Detrital Zircon Geochronology, Jennifer Per Lee

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Middle Cretaceous movement along the Sur–Nacimiento Fault has implications for our understanding of how convergent tectonic margins evolve and for the architecture of forearc basins. Traditional explanations suggest an autochthonous California Mesozoic Forearc that underwent sinistral or thrust displacement; although recent research suggests either an allochthonous forearc or an isolated Nacimiento Block that experienced significant dextral displacement. Detrital zircons obtained from the Great Valley Group within the Nacimiento block provide age distribution patterns that can help identify sources of sediment deposition and therefore the past location of the Nacimiento block. Using U-Pb detrital zircon geochronology, we have discovered a dominance …

The Effects Of Biochar Age And Concentration On Soil Retention Of Phosphorus And Infiltration Rate, Emilie Schneider

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Changes in land use and land management practices are regarded as one of the main factors in altering the hydrogeological system, causing changes in runoff, surface supply yields, and the quality of receiving water (Tong and Chen, 2002). Phosphorus is a significant contributor to accelerated eutrophication of fresh water and is largely sourced from agricultural runoff (Sharpley et al., 1994). The dominant processes controlling solution composition in agricultural soils are primarily ‘chemical’ for P (i.e. adsorption/desorption and dissolution/precipitation) (Edwards and Withers, 1998). Biochar has chemical characteristics that have the potential to adsorb P or influence precipitation of P insoluble pools …

A Study Of Enhanced De-Chlorination And Bio-Remediation: Molasses Injections Into Groundwater, Brent Anderson

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Factors Influencing Landslides In The Bittercreek Wildlife Refuge, David Mceachern

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.