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California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Theses/Dissertations

2012

Articles 1 - 11 of 11

Full-Text Articles in Environmental Sciences

Communication Of Recycling Through Labeling And Packaging, Serena Mistry Dec 2012

Communication Of Recycling Through Labeling And Packaging, Serena Mistry

Graphic Communication

Recycling has become a more prevalent practice in the last few decades. However, the labeling system on today’s packaging is not always clear in indicating whether something is recyclable. Recently, there has been a great deal of attention directed at a new system, known as the How2Recycle label, an innovative labeling system expected to launch in the next few years. As the population continues to grow at unprecedented levels and more strain is placed on the global environment, recycling becomes more crucial. In the United States, the lack of a standard system for recycling on labeling and packaging deters people …


Climate Change And The Spread Of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, Courtney B. Reed Dec 2012

Climate Change And The Spread Of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, Courtney B. Reed

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.


Effects Of Silvicultural Management On Coast Redwood Forest Composition, Density And Structure In Santa Cruz And San Mateo Counties, Michael J. Papa Dec 2012

Effects Of Silvicultural Management On Coast Redwood Forest Composition, Density And Structure In Santa Cruz And San Mateo Counties, Michael J. Papa

Master's Theses

The multiple-objective exploratory study investigates effects of various silvicultural management regimes commonly applied to coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens [D. Don] Endl.) forests in Santa Cruz and San Mateo Counties, California, USA. A temporary forest inventory was installed in 24 harvest origin stands and 4 natural origin stands throughout the study area (sample area = 1189 acres). Data from the systematic sample of 233 one-quarter acre nested cluster plots (sample intensity = 4.9%) rendered overall forest descriptions in terms of species composition, density, and structure. The common forestry measures of trees per acre (TPA), basal area per acre (BA), and …


Mortality Assessment Of Redwood And Mixed Conifer Forest Types In Santa Cruz County Following Wildfire, Steve R. Auten Dec 2012

Mortality Assessment Of Redwood And Mixed Conifer Forest Types In Santa Cruz County Following Wildfire, Steve R. Auten

Master's Theses

On August 12, 2009, the Lockheed Fire ignited the west slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains burning approximately 7,819 acres. Foresters and other land managers were left with challenging decisions on how to evaluate tree mortality. Big Creek Lumber Company, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly)’s Swanton Pacific Ranch (SPR), and other resource professionals familiar with this region teamed up to develop a method for evaluating damage and thereby mortality for redwood, California nutmeg, live oak, tanoak, California bay, Pacific madrone, big leaf maple, Douglas-fir, Monterey pine, and knobcone pine. Quantitative damage criteria were used to design …


Climate Change And The Water Crisis In Israel, Lauren Deutsch Nov 2012

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 …


Nuclear Waste Policy Act: Where We've Been And Where We're Headed, Kevin Flournoy Jul 2012

Nuclear Waste Policy Act: Where We've Been And Where We're Headed, Kevin Flournoy

Physics

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act is analysed in its practical and political impact. A policy recommendation is made of greater state and regional autonomy of on-site waste storage.


The Effects Of Biochar Age And Concentration On Soil Retention Of Phosphorus And Infiltration Rate, Emilie Schneider Jun 2012

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 Jun 2012

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

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.


The Invasion Of California Grasslands: Past, Present, And Future Implications, Danielle Simone Caziarc Jun 2012

The Invasion Of California Grasslands: Past, Present, And Future Implications, Danielle Simone Caziarc

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.


Reducing The Enviromental Impact Of Horse Keeping, Amanda R. Shere Jun 2012

Reducing The Enviromental Impact Of Horse Keeping, Amanda R. Shere

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.


An Education On Growing Water Scarcity And The Benefits Of Domestic Greywater Recycling Systems, Patricia Cates May 2012

An Education On Growing Water Scarcity And The Benefits Of Domestic Greywater Recycling Systems, Patricia Cates

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Water scarcity is becoming an ever growing concern in the world today. Fresh potable water is a natural resource which is being used more rapidly than it is being replenished. A growing global population, agriculture, and industry have placed great demands on our water resources. There is a need to help conserve our planet’s fresh water reserves. A tremendous percentage of household drinking water in the United States is currently being used to flush toilets, water yards and wash laundry or dishes. A practice termed ‘greywater recycling’ allows a person to utilize slightly used water to irrigate landscapes and flush …