Earth Sciences Commons^™

Local And Landscape Factors Affecting Nest Site Selection And Nest Success Of Burrowing Owls In Western Nebraska, Rebecca T. Ekstein

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

Ecology Of Elk In Northwestern Nebraska: Demographics, Effects Of Human Disturbance, And Characteristics Of Calving Habitat, Bruce A. Stillings

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Divalent Cations On The Prophenoloxidase Enzyme Cascade Activity In The Freshwater Crayfish Cambarus Latimanus, Hans Skailand Eikaas

Theses and Dissertations

The effect of divalent cations such as cadmium, calcium, copper, lead and magnesium upon the prophenoloxidase system (proPO) was studied in hemocytes of the crayfish Cambarus latimanus. It was demonstrated that cadmium, calcium, copper and lead increased proPO activity significantly, whereas magnesium had no statistically significant effect on the system. Also, the molecular weight of the proPO enzyme was estimated using SDS-PAGE and found to be approximately 76 kDa.

Runoff From Fescue Plots Treated With Trimec, Cristopher G. Moss, Dwayne R. Edwards, Stephen R. Workman, R. Michael Williams

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Runoff of herbicides can promote adverse impacts in receiving waters. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of rainfall delay, herbicide application rate, rainfall intensity, and pre-application rainfall on runoff of TRIMEC (a combination of 2,4-D, dicamba, and mecoprop), a herbicide that is commonly used in central Kentucky. The levels of rainfall delay were 0, 2, and 4 d following application; and the levels of herbicide application rate were 0, 0.5, 1 and 2 times the recommended rate. Simulated rainfall was applied at intensities of 64, 102, and 140 mm h^-1; and the depths of …

Vegetation Trend In The East Kimberley Region : An Analysis Of Ground Monitoring Data From 1991-1998, Noelene Duckett, Paul Novelly, Ian Watson

Research Reports

This document summarises the analyses carried out on the ground monitoring data from the Kimberley region of Western Australia as part of the Natural Heritage Trust project 953024 - ‘'Development of Information Products for Reporting Rangeland Changes.”

Observations Of Shallow Groundwater Contamination Due To Leakage Of Dairy Effluent Ponds On The Swan Coastal Plain, Wa, Richard J. George Dr, D L. Bennett, J R M Bell, Roger Wrigley

Resource management technical reports

In response to the risk of pollution of surface water from farm runoff, dairy farmers have been encouraged to install effluent storage ponds. Previous research has indicated that leachate from these storages can contribute to groundwater contamination. This project assessed the performance of storages at eight sites on the Swan Coastal Plain (SCP), WA. Groundwater conditions were monitored for over three years to study the influence of soil type, water table depth and waste water characteristics.

Earth In Four Dimensions: Development Of The Ideas Of Geologic Time And History, Robert F. Diffendal Jr.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Changes in ideas and in technology can come about as slow incremental modifications, as well as by major paradigm shifts. In the case of the development of the ideas of geologic history and time, I will try to present these changes broadly and then look at how some of these have affected interpretation of Nebraska geology. Changes of view on three fronts were important in the development of geologic history and time concepts. First is the question of the nature of time. Is time cyclic or is it linear? The Greco-Oriental cultures had a world view based on cosmic cycles, …

Regional Hydrology Of The Dixie Valley Geothermal Field, Nevada: Preliminary Interpretations Of Chemical And Isotopic Data, Gregory Nimz, Cathy Janik, Fraser Goff, Charles Dunlap, Mark Huebner, Dale Counce, Stuart Johnson

Charles Dunlap

Chemical and isotopic analyses of Dixie Valley regional waters indicate several distinct groups ranging in recharge age from Pleistocene (<20 ka) to recent (<50a). Valley groundwater is older than water from perennial springs and artesian wells in adjacent ranges, with Clan Alpine range (east) much younger (most <50a) than Stillwater range (west; most > 1OOOa).Geothermal field fluids (-12-14 ka) appear derived from water similar in composition to non-thermal groundwater observed today in valley artesian wells (also -14 ka). Geothermal fluid interaction with mafic rocks (Humboldt Lopolith) appears to be common, and significant reaction with granodiorite may also occur. Despite widespread occurrence of carbonate rocks, largescale chemical interaction appears minor. Age asymmetry of the ranges, more extensive interaction with deep- seated waters in the west, and distribution of springs and artesian wells suggest the existence …

Results Of The Improved Soil Management & Cropping Systems For Waterlog-Prone Soils Project, Derk Bakker, G J. Hamilton, Peter I. Tipping, Cliff Spann, Doug Rowe

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Soil Moisture Within The Windbreak/Crop Interface And A Comparison Of Three Types Of Sensors For Measuring Soil Water Content, Qingjiang Hou

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

Central Platte River Forests: Breeding Birds And Woody Vegetation, Barbara K. Good

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

Modeling Macrophytes Of The Columbia Slough, Oregon, Chris Berger, Scott A. Wells

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Columbia Slough is a tidally influenced freshwater system of wetlands, channels, and lakes located within the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. It is a eutrophic water body susceptible to algae blooms and crashes and periods of high pH which violate water quality standards. High nutrient loads from groundwater principally controls algae productivity. Past structural changes to the Columbia Slough have included filling of wetlands and lakes and the construction of levees, dikes, culverts and irrigation channels. These changes have altered the natural flow dynamics creating an environment more conducive to eutrophication. …

The Salinity And Hydrology Of The Upper Slab Hut Catchment, R Ferdowsian, A T. Ryder

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Capstone Experience For Geoscience Students At The University Of Maine: Integrating Fieldwork, Laboratory Analysis And Multimedia Technology In A Teamwork Environment, Daniel F. Belknap, Martin Yates

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

This project establishes a Capstone Experience for senior undergraduate geoscience students. The major component is equipment for a networked Collaborative Computer Laboratory housed in the new sciences center. The laboratory is the major resource for an integrated course including computer, field work, laboratory, analytical, and publishing experiences for undergraduate seniors in geology and anthropology. This Capstone Experience has a strong interdisciplinary component (geology, environmental sciences, and anthropology) and involves other universities and K 12 students. This project focuses on Maine and neighboring regions and builds on the strengths of the university and opportunities provided by Maine's geological and geographic setting. …

Close-Range And Satellite Remote Sensing Of Algal Biomass In The Iowa Great Lakes, Eric A. Wilson

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The utility of both close-range and satellite remote sensing for assessing inland water quality was examined in the Iowa Great Lakes. The water quality of this system is of considerable interest because of its status as an environmental, recreational, and therefore, economic resource. The broad range of optical conditions present in the lakes and the wealth of literature on the system make it an ideal environment for water quality remote sensing research. The goal of this research was to survey the water quality of the Iowa Great Lakes via remote sensing, evaluate different predictive algorithms, and map the distribution of …

Pretty Tree Bench Vegetation Project, Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Usda Forest Service

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

This Draft Environmental Impact Statement documents the analysis of the No Action, Proposed Action, and three action alternatives developed for the Pretty Tree Bench Project area. The Proposed Action and action alternatives considered in detail, are consistent with current management direction. Each alternative responds differently to the issues associated with the Proposed Action.

The Proposed Action prescribes disturbances within a number of different vegetation types throughout the project area. One disturbance practice uses prescribed fire. The acres of treatment by vegetation type through the use of prescribed fire are: Sagebrush (200-250 acres), Gambel Oak (450-500 acres), Pinyon/Juniper (3000-3500 acres), Ponderosa …

Classification Of Great Basin Plant Communities Occurring On Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, Vel Emrick, Alison Hill

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

No abstract provided.

Land Evaluation Standards For Land Resource Mapping : Guidelines For Assessing Land Qualities And Determining Land Capability In South-West Western Australia, Dennis Van Gool, Geoff Allan Moore

Resource management technical reports

Updated by report 298, van Gool, D, Tille, P J, and Moore, G A. (2005)
This report provides a standard method for attributing and evaluating digital land resource maps in Western Australia so that strategic decisions about the management, development and consevation of land resources can be based on the best information available. The standards update the generic methodology described by Wells and King (1989) which have been used routinely for the assessment of land resources in catchment and land use planning in Western Australia.

Mountain Evolution And Environmental Changes Of Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), China, Pei-Hua Huang, Robert F. Diffendal Jr., Min-Qing Yang, Patricia E. Helland

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) is located in southern part of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The highest Lotus Flower peak is 1,864 m above sea level. Formative ages of the Huangshan and its granite, process of mountain geomorphic evolution from the Eocene to Quaternary, environmental changes of Quaternary, formative origin of beautiful peaks and fascinating rocks were studied and the questionable “Pleistocene glaciation” was also discussed in this paper.

Classification Of Explosives Transformation Products In Plant Tissue, Steven L. Larson, Robert P. Jones, Lynn Escalon, Don Parker

US Army Corps of Engineers

Explosives contamination in surface or groundwater used for the irrigation of food crops and phytoremediation of explosives-contaminated soil or water using plant-assisted biodegradation have brought about concerns as to the fate of explosives in plants. Liquid scintillation counting, high-performance liquid chromatography, and gel permeation chromatography were utilized to characterize explosives (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine and trinitrotoluene) and their metabolites in plant tissues obtained from three separate studies. Analyzing tissues of yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus), corn (Zea mays), lettuce (Lacuta sativa), tomato (Lyopersicum esculentum), radish (Raphanus sativus), and parrot feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum) …

The Effect Of Water Level Management On The Soils And Vegetation Of Two Coastal Louisiana Marshes, Brian J. Wilsey, K. M. Flynn, I. A. Mendelssohn

Brian J. Wilsey

Wetland degradation and loss is the result of a combination of natural causes and anthropogenic activities and is a serious problem in coastal Louisiana, where approximately 80% of the total US coastal wetland loss since the 1930’s has occurred. One method currently used to address this wetland loss problem is structural marsh management,which is the use of levees and water control structures to control hydroperiod. The effects of structural marsh management on two managed marshes in Southern Louisiana (Unit 4 of the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge and the Fina LaTerre Mitigation Bank) were evaluated by comparing the soils and the dominant …

Mass Flux Of Agricultural Nonpoint-Source Pollutants In A Conduit-Flow-Dominated Karst Aquifer, Logan County, Kentucky, James C. Currens

Report of Investigations--KGS

Changes in water quality in a karst ground-water basin used intensively for agriculture are being measured before, during, and after the implementation of best management practices (BMP’s) and other management practices, to determine the success of such programs in protecting ground water. The study was divided into three phases. The results of the first two phases are included in this report and cover research conducted between August 1990 and October 1994. During phase I of the study the overall ground-water quality of the basin and its hydrogeology were investigated. Phase II began monitoring the water quality at Pleasant Grove Spring …

Available Resources Of The Fire Clay Coal In Part Of The Eastern Kentucky Coal Field, Stephen F. Greb, Gerald A. Weisenfluh, Robert E. Andrews, John K. Hiett, James C. Cobb, Richard E. Sergeant

Report of Investigations--KGS

Available resources for the Fire Clay coal were calculated for a 15-quadrangle area in the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field. Original coal resources were estimated to be 1.8 billion tons (BT). Coal mined or lost in mining was estimated at 449 million tons (MT), leaving 1.3 BT of remaining Fire Clay resources in the study area. Of the remaining resources, 400 MT is restricted from mining, primarily because the coal is less than 28 in. thick, normally considered too thin to mine underground using present technology. The total coal available for mining in the study area is 911 MT, or 52 …

Monitoring The 1996 Drought Using The Standardized Precipitation Index, Michael J. Hayes, Mark D. Svoboda, Donald A. Wilhite, Olga V. Vanyarkho

Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Droughts are difficult to detect and monitor. Drought indices, most commonly the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), have been used with limited success as operational drought monitoring tools and triggers for policy responses. Recently, a new index, the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), was developed to improve drought detection and monitoring capabilities. The SPI has several characteristics that are an improvement over previous indices, including its simplicity and temporal flexibility, that allow its application for water resources on all timescales. In this article, the 1996 drought in the southern plains and southwestern United States is examined using the SPI. A series …

Geochemistry Of Small Mountainous Rivers Of Papua New Guinea: Local Observations And Global Implications, Megan B. Raymond

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Small, wet mountainous rivers (runoff > 0.63 m yr" 1 , headwater elevation> 1000 m, basin area < 10,000 km2 ) contribute a disproportionate amount of sediment to the global ocean due to their steep high topography, erosive substrate, and often high precipitation. Scattered data have suggested a slight, but statistically insignificant, inverse relationship between total dissolved solid (TDS) yield (T km-2 yr-1 ) and basin area, but small to very small rivers (basin areas< 10,000 km2 ) have been poorly documented. To fill this data gap, as well as to elucidate possible links between weathering and basin hydrology, nine small wet mountainous rivers, basin areas 22 km2-2300 km2 , were sampled in late May 1997 in northeastern Papua New Guinea. TDS concentrations ranged from 75 to 148 mg L-1 , with no correlation to watershed area. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) values were low, with a mean DOC value of 135 f.Lmol L-1 ; POC values were lower, averaging 3lf.Lmol L- 1 • TDS data, combined with large wet mountainous river TDS data, demonstrate a significant inverse relationship between TDS yield and basin area. As a result, small wet mountainous rivers contribute a disproportionate amount of TDS, and have the highest TDS yields of any class of river. This observation is attributed to the high runoff of the sampled rivers (-2m yr-1 ), in addition to high rates of chemical weathering, which is facilitated by the erosive substrate and high rates of organic matter remineralization.

Comparison Of An Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (Elisa) To Gas Chromatography (Gc) - Measurement Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (Pcbs) In Selected Us Fish Extracts, James L. Zajicek, Donald E. Tillitt, Ted R. Schwartz, Christopher J. Schmitt, Robert O. Harrison

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The analysis of PCBs in fish tissues by immunoassay methods was evaluated using fish collected from a US monitoring program, the National Contaminant Biomonitoring Program of the US Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. Selected composite whole fish samples, which represented widely varying concentrations and sources of PCBs, were extracted and subjected to congener PCB analysis by gas chromatography (GC) and total PCB analysis using an ELISA (ePCBs) calibrated against technical Aroclor 1248. PCB congener patterns in these fishes were different from the patterns found in commercial Aroclors or their combinations as demonstrated by principal component analysis of normalized …

200,000 Years Of Climate Change Recorded In Eolian Sediments Of The High Plains Of Eastern Colorado And Western Nebraska, Daniel R. Muhs, James Swinehart, David Loope, John N. Aleinikoff, Josh Been

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Loess and eolian sand cover vast areas of the western Great Plains of Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado (Fig. 1). In recent studies of Quaternary climate change, there has been a renewed interest in loess and eolian sand. Much of the attention now given to loess stems from new studies of long loess sequences that contain detailed records of Quaternary glacial-interglacial cycles, thought to be a terrestrial equivalent to the foraminiferal oxygen isotope record in deep-sea sediments (Fig. 2). Loess is also a direct record of atmospheric circulation, and identification of loess paleowinds in the geologic record can test atmospheric general …

Salinity And Hydrology Of The Fence Road Catchment : A Focus Catchment Of The Blackwood Basin, Ben Whitfield

Resource management technical reports

It is the clearing of native vegetation and replacement with lower water-use annual crops and pastures that is responsible for the developing salinity problem. Traditional farming practices have led to increased recharge to the groundwater systems resulting in increased storage and/or greater areas or rates of discharge. Groundwater monitoring has revealed variable rates of rise throughout the Fence Road catchment, from static to 0.6 metres per year, in a period of average to below average rainfall.

Coastal Land And Groundwater For Horticulture From Gingin To Augusta, Dennis Van Gool, Werner Runge

Resource management technical reports

Due to a variety of factors, including infrastructure needs, labour requirements and transport costs, horticulture is normally located near major urban centres. This study focuses on the coastal plain region from Gingin to Augusta. This region accomodates over 80% of Western Australia's population and includes the States major urban centres. This region also accounts for over half the State's horticultural production with a gross value of production of $244 million.

Avon And Upper Hotham Region Natural Resource Atlas, Sarah Weaving, Jason Batory

All other publications

The Avon and Upper Hotham Region Atlas is one of a series of Natural Resource Atlases covering the agricultural region of Western Australia. The purpose of the Atlas is to provide data for local people who manage or have an interest in natural resources. This includes the members of Land Conservation District Committees (LCDC), catchment groups, local government, non-government organisations, conservation groups, schools and libraries.

The aim of this publication is to bring together land and natural resource information from a number of sources and present it in a clear and accessible way. The data covers a number of topics …