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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Mojave Desert Ecosystem Recovery: Potency Of Biotic And Abiotic Restoration Methods In Low Elevation Plant Communities, Mary Amanda Balogh
Mojave Desert Ecosystem Recovery: Potency Of Biotic And Abiotic Restoration Methods In Low Elevation Plant Communities, Mary Amanda Balogh
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
The historic and current state of land in the Mojave Desert, including land managed by the National Park Service with fundamental goals of natural resource conservation and preservation, been severely degraded by a variety of anthropogenic disturbances. Due to increasingly sporadic and unpredictable precipitation patterns, land managers struggle to implement restoration projects with high success rates and are resource-limited for post-treatment monitoring. In this study, I examined success rates of biotic (outplanting, seeding) and abiotic (soil manipulation, vertical mulch) restoration treatments on various disturbance types in the creosote-bursage (Larrea tridentata-Ambrosia dumosa), blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima), and Joshua tree woodland (Yucca brevifolia) …
Long-Term Monitoring Of Rare Gypsum Communities In The Eastern Mojave Desert: A Study In Science And Art, Tiffany Jane-Marie Pereira
Long-Term Monitoring Of Rare Gypsum Communities In The Eastern Mojave Desert: A Study In Science And Art, Tiffany Jane-Marie Pereira
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
For land managers, reliable estimates of soil seed banks, and more specifically, change in seed banks over time, provide insight into the restoration and regeneration potential of the landscape, site history and disturbance mapping, and, invasive and rare plant management. To understand the intricacies of desert soil seed banks in relation to aboveground vegetation change, my research evaluated long-term change in soil seed banks, fertile islands, and plant communities of conservation-priority gypsum rare plant habitat of the eastern Mojave Desert. Research found significant spatial and temporal differences in seed bank composition and density over an 11-year period; however, the gypsum …
Role Of Sorting On The Composition Of Siliciclastic Sediment: Implications For Interpreting Provenance After Limited Transport In An Arid Climate, Forrest Christopher Driscoll
Role Of Sorting On The Composition Of Siliciclastic Sediment: Implications For Interpreting Provenance After Limited Transport In An Arid Climate, Forrest Christopher Driscoll
Masters Theses
This study tested whether transport distances (< 500 m) have the capacity to shape the geochemistry of sediments across multiple grain-size populations due to sorting derived from a single source. In the Stepladder Mountains, Mojave Desert, CA, a < 1 km2 [square kilometers] watershed allows for a controlled study to understand how modern sediments acquire their composition from a single granodioritic source in an arid climate where there is no chemical weathering. Sediments are naturally sorted into distinct grain-size populations, with modes ranging from very fine sand to gravel within a single, alluvial channel. Sediment samples representative of each population were petrographically and geochemically analyzed in order to test the effectiveness of commonly used discrimination diagrams. Sediments became proportionally enriched in plagioclase and biotite and depleted in K-feldspar and quartz with decreasing grain …
The Impact Of Creosote Bush (Larrea Tridentata) And Biological Soil Crust On Ca Distribution In Arid Soils Of The Mojave Desert, Brittany Myers
The Impact Of Creosote Bush (Larrea Tridentata) And Biological Soil Crust On Ca Distribution In Arid Soils Of The Mojave Desert, Brittany Myers
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Ca is an important nutrient that plays a role in membrane stability and cell repair in plant life. This study examines the impact of creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) and biological soil crust on calcium cycling and distribution in desert soils in order to explore the use of Ca as a biosignature. Samples of creosote bush, biological soil crust and eolian dust were taken at two field sites in the Mojave Desert. The first site is located in Eldorado Valley, NV, a soil formed on a young (800-1200 years) alluvial fan deposit; the second site is located on a late Holocene-aged …
Geophysical And Remote Sensing Applications For A Better Understanding Of The Structural Controls On Groundwater Flow In The Lucerne Valley, California, Dale R. Dailey
Masters Theses
An integrated study was conducted in the Mojave Basin to investigate the potential role of faults and basement uplifts for groundwater flow in the Mojave Desert. Observations made include: 1) Very Low Frequency (VLF) measurements across mapped (using LIDAR and Geoeye-1 imagery) fault traces showed significant radio field dip angles indicative of presence of shallow sub-vertical, sheet-like conductors; many of the VLF tilt peaks coincided with changes in the magnetic profiles; 2) Vertical Electric Soundings indicate shallow basement west of, and parallel to, the Helendale Fault and deep saturated zones east of the fault/basement outcrop (F/B); and 3) isotopic analyses …