Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

El Nino Southern Oscillation (Enso) Enhances Co2 Exchange Rates In Freshwater Marsh Ecosystems In The Florida Everglades, Sparkle L. Malone, Christina L. Staudhammer, Steven F. Oberbauer, Paulo Olivas, Michael G. Ryan, Jessica L. Schedlbauer, Henry W. Loescher, Gregory Starr

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Wildwood/Kraemer Lake County Park Observational Study: The Effects Of Fragmentation On Old-Growth Forest Species, Rhonda H. Zimmerman

Culminating Projects in Biology

Habitat fragmentation generates forest fragments with increased ratio of "edge". This "edge effect" alters the natural community. Old growth forests support deep forest communities which rely on the closed canopy for survival, often indicators of healthy old growth communities. Putative old growth forest patches were identified in Wildwood Park and St. John’s Arboretum/University. One study objective was to collect baseline data on flora and fauna in Wildwood to confirm the presence of old-growth patches. The main ecological goal of the study was to determine if bird and plant communities exhibited patterns consistent with the operating assumption of 50 acre old-growth …

Ndvi With Artificial Neural Networks For Srtm Elevation Model Improvement – Hydrological Model Application, Dadiyorto Wendi, Yabin Sun, Chi Dung Doan, Shie-Yui Liong, Richard Sanders, Timothy Fewtrell

International Conference on Hydroinformatics

Digital elevation model (DEM) plays a substantial role in hydrological study, from understanding the catchment characteristics, setting up a hydrological model to mapping the flood risk in the region. Depending on the nature of study and its objectives, high resolution and reliable DEM is often desired to set up a sound hydrological model. However, such source of good DEM is not always available and it is generally high-priced. Obtained through radar based remote sensing, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) is a publicly available DEM with resolution of 92m outside US. It is a great source of DEM where no surveyed …

Remote Sensing Data Assimilation In Water Quality Numerical Model Of Eagle Creek Reservoir Using Ensemble Kalman Filter Method, Amir Javaheri, Meghna Babbar-Sebens

International Conference on Hydroinformatics

Numerical models are used as effective tools for simulating complex processes in aquatic systems, such as hydrodynamic and water quality processes. The accuracy of the model is reliant on the multiple model parameters and variables which need to be calibrated and regularly updated to reproduce changing conditions accurately. Different sources of observations such as remote sensing data or in-situ monitoring technologies can improve the model accuracy by providing benefits of individual monitoring technology within the model updating process. Remote sensing technology can provide the spatially dense surface temperature of water body, while in-situ technology is able to prepare more frequent …

Empirical Regression Model Using Ndvi, Meteorological Factors For Estimation Of Wheat Yield In Yunnan, China, Jing Huang, Qiang Dai, Huimin Wang, Dawei Han

International Conference on Hydroinformatics

Crop yield estimation is of great importance to food security. NDVI, as an effective crop monitoring tool, is extensively used in crop yield estimation. However there are few studies conducted in the regions where mixed crops are grown. In this study, a statistical approach for crop area identification is proposed and applied to wheat in Jianshui County in the Nanpan River Basin, Yunnan Province of China. Based on the correlation analysis between MODIS NDVI data and crop yield, the planting areas are identified, as well as the best periods for a reliable estimation. Regression models are presented to predict the …

On The Importance Of Remote Sensing Data To Validate A Distributed Dynamic Vegetation Model Applied To A Semi-Arid Basin, Félix Francés, Guiomar Ruiz-Pérez, Marta Pasquato, Chiara Medici, María González-Sanchis, Tarcísio J. G. Fernandes, Antonio Molina, Antonio D. Del Campo

International Conference on Hydroinformatics

Efforts to better understand the components of catchments’ water balance have traditionally been one of the objectives of the hydrological community. Very few hydrological models incorporate vegetation development as state variable. This is beginning to change with the recognition by the hydrological community that biological processes play a key role in catchment’s water balance. In addition, some studies confirm that vegetation density controls most of hydrological processes in semi-arid regions. However, the most of the dynamic vegetation models are too complex to be coupled with hydrological models and they incorporate variables and inputs which are difficult to be estimated across …

Monitoring Spatiotemporal Total Organic Carbon Concentrations In Lake Mead With Integrated Data Fusion And Mining (Idfm) Technique, Sanaz Imen, Ni-Bin Chang, Y. Jeffrey Yang

International Conference on Hydroinformatics

Forest fires, soil erosion, and land use changes in Lake Mead watershed nearby Las Vegas wash are considered as sources of water quality impairment in the Lake Mead. These conditions result in higher concentration of Total Organic Carbon (TOC). TOC in contact with Chlorine which is often used for disinfection purposes of drinking water supply causes the formation of trihalomethanes (THMs). THM is one of the toxic carcinogens controlled by EPA’s Disinfection By-Product Rule. As a result of threat posed to drinking water of 25 million people downstream, recreation area, and wildlife habitat of Lake Mead, it is necessary to …

Measuring And Modeling Of Urban Growth And Its Impacts On Vegetation And Species Habitats In Greater Orlando, Florida, Sunhui Sim, Victor Mesev

International Journal of Geospatial and Environmental Research

Urban growth is widely regarded as an important driver of environmental and social problems. It causes the loss of informal open space and wildlife habitats. Timely and accurate assessments of future urban growth scenarios and associated environmental impacts are crucial for urban planning, policy decision, and natural resource management. In this study, five distinct scenarios ("no constraints", "compact development", "transit-oriented development", "agriculture protection" and "environmental protection" scenarios) were tested on Greater Orlando, Florida, along with conservation objectives and projections for future land use/cover from development demands. The study examined the consequences of alternative scenarios of urban growth on potential habitat …

Proving Widespread Deforestation Of The Ancient Mediterranean As Myth: A Detailed Examination Of How Anthropogenic Activities During Antiquity Affected The Mediterranean Landscape, Carolyn Hooper

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the debate surrounding the possible deforestation of the ancient Mediterranean landscape through anthropogenic activities. Until the ancient Mediterranean landscape is understood more clearly, it is impossible to impose current beneficial land-use laws in order to conserve and preserve the future landscape of the region. Currently there are three predominant views surrounding the debate: (1) deforestation did occur and drastically altered the landscape from a forested region to a more desert-like region, (2) human activities did not cause deforestation, rather the Mediterranean has always been home to a distinct and resilient landscape that is able to regenerate following …

Does Wildfire And Cheatgrass Invasion In A Sage-Steppe Ecosystem Change Soil Texture?, Maeve Mccormick, Xavier Gagne, Jennifer Pierce

College of Arts and Sciences Presentations

Fire and land-use changes influence vegetation types and alter below-ground carbon storage and soil characteristics; additionally, shrub-steppe environments are prone to cheatgrass invasion and subsequent alterations in soil morphology and characteristics following fire. We compared soil particle size, texture, consistence, structure, color and pH among adjacent but distinct sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp.), cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) communities established following a 1983 fire in Kuna Butte of southwestern Idaho, a site underlain by basalt and mantled with loess. Soil characteristics were compared in qualitative field soil profiles (two pits per vegetation type) …

Slides: Best Management Practices For Oil And Gas Development And Comparative Water Quality Database Of Regulations Relating To Shale Oil And Gas, Matt Samelson, University Of Colorado Boulder. Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, And The Environment. Intermountain Oil And Gas Bmp Project

Fracking, Water Quality and Public Health: Examining Current Laws and Regulations (March 20)

Presenter: Matt Samelson, J.D., Attorney, Consultant for Intermountain Oil and Gas Best Management Practices (BMP) Project, Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment, University of Colorado Law School

34 slides

Setting Goals And Choosing Appropriate Reference Sites For Restoring Mine Pit Lakes As Aquatic Ecosystems: Case Study From South West Australia, Eddie J. Van Etten, Clint D. Mccullough, Mark A. Lund

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Pit lakes may form when open cut mining leaves a pit void behind that fills with ground and surface water. Often replacing terrestrial ecosystems that existed prior to mining, the pit lake may offer an alternative ecosystem with aquatic biodiversity values that can be realised through planned restoration. Restoration theory and mine closure regulatory requirements guides us toward restoring disturbed systems towards landscapes that are of regional value and relevance. However, how do we identify a restoration target for a novel aquatic habitat that did not exist prior to the new post-mining landscape? This paper presents a process of first …

Holocene Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction From Mexico's Pacific Coast-A Paleotempestological Investigation, Thomas Bianchette

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines the paleoenvironments of four lagoons from Mexico’s Pacific coast, with the aim of retrieving sediment deposition from storm surge events to determine long-term tropical cyclone (TC) records. Lagoons Agua Dulce, Boquita, Mitla, and Nuxco are located along a 700 km stretch in states Jalisco and Guerrero. Roughly 70 meters of sediment were collected and subjected to multiple proxies, including loss-on ignition, a microfossil survey, and geochemical analysis. Nuxco’s dynamism is caused by intense and prolonged rainfall (largely from TCs), responsible for increasing water level, opening the tidal inlet, and draining the site (termed “blowouts”). High amounts of …