Gene Transcription In Sea Otters (Enhydra Lutris); Development Of A Diagnostic Tool For Sea Otter And Ecosystem Health, 2012 Western Ecological Research Center
Gene Transcription In Sea Otters (Enhydra Lutris); Development Of A Diagnostic Tool For Sea Otter And Ecosystem Health, Lizabeth Bowen, A. Keith Miles, Michael Murray, Martin Haulena, Judy Tuttle, William Van Bonn, Lance Adams, James L. Bodkin, Brenda Ballachey, James A. Estes, M. Tim Tinker, Robin Keister, Jeffrey L. Stott
United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications
Gene transcription analysis for diagnosing or monitoring wildlife health requires the ability to distinguish pathophysiological change from natural variation. Herein, we describe methodology for the development of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays to measure differential transcript levels of multiple immune function genes in the sea otter (Enhydra lutris); sea otter-specific qPCR primer sequences for the genes of interest are defined. We establish a ‘reference’ range of transcripts for each gene in a group of clinically healthy captive and free-ranging sea otters. The 10 genes of interest represent multiple physiological systems that play a role in immuno-modulation, …
Spatially Dense Drip Hydrological Monitoring And Infiltration Behaviour At The Wellington Caves, South East Australia, 2012 Water Research Centre and Connected Waters Initiative Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney. Affiliated to the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (NCGRT), Australia
Spatially Dense Drip Hydrological Monitoring And Infiltration Behaviour At The Wellington Caves, South East Australia, Catherine N. Jex, Gregoire Mariethoz, Andy Baker, Peter Graham, Martin S. Andersen, Ian Acworth, Nerilee Edwards, Cecilia Azcurra
International Journal of Speleology
Despite the fact that karst regions are recognised as significant groundwater resources, the nature of groundwater flow paths in the unsaturated zone of such fractured rock is at present poorly understood. Many traditional methods for constraining groundwater flow regimes in karst aquifers are focussed on the faster drainage components and are unable to inform on the smaller fracture or matrix-flow components of the system. Caves however, offer a natural inception point to observe both the long term storage and the preferential movement of water through the unsaturated zone of such fractured carbonate rock by monitoring of drip rates of stalactites, …
Spring Migration Of Mallards From Arkansas As Determined By Satellite Telemetry, 2011 University of Arkansas
Spring Migration Of Mallards From Arkansas As Determined By Satellite Telemetry, David George Krementz, Kwasi Asante, Luke W. Naylor
United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications
We used satellite telemetry to document spring migration phenology, routes, stopover regions, and nesting sites of mallards Anas platyrhynchos marked in Arkansas during the winters of 2004–2007. Of the 143 marked mallards that migrated from Arkansas, they did so, on average, by mid-March. Mallards flew over the Missouri Ozarks and 42% made an initial stopover in Missouri, where they used areas that had larger rivers (Mississippi River, Missouri River) embedded in an agricultural landscape. From this stopover region they either migrated directly to the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) or they migrated north to Minnesota where they either moved next to …
Geogram 2011, 2011 Western Kentucky University
Geogram 2011, David J. Keeling Editor, Wku Department Of Geography And Geology
Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Publications
No abstract provided.
Droughtscape- Fall 2011, 2011 University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Droughtscape- Fall 2011, Kelly Smith
Droughtscape, Quarterly Newsletter of NDMC, 2007-
Drought Preparedness Community Options
Drought Likely to Persist, Intensify Across South
Database Will Help Planners Find Options
Impacts: Ag Losses, Fire, Water Restrictions
NDMC Welcomes International Visitors
New Drought Impact Reporter Online
Sim-Drought, Available Now at Select Agencies
The Potential For Indicators In The Management Of Climate Change Impacts On Cultural Heritage, 2011 Technological University Dublin
The Potential For Indicators In The Management Of Climate Change Impacts On Cultural Heritage, Caithleen Daly
Conference papers
The global scale and unpredictable nature of climate change impacts on cultural heritage poses a challenge for conservation management. This article explores the potential of indicators as an aid for decision makers in the heritage sector. The author proposes a new indicator tool for addressing long-term stone recession impacts that may be related to climate change. The indicator is being installed at two World Heritage sites in Ireland but no results are available. The prototype was developed during doctoral research at the Technological University of Dublin.
Droughtscape- Summer 2011, 2011 University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Droughtscape- Summer 2011, Kelly Smith
Droughtscape, Quarterly Newsletter of NDMC, 2007-
New NDMC Website
Drought May Improve in Southeast and Southwest
Impacts Summary: Fire, Crop Loss and More
International Activities
NDMC Launches Ranch Planning Tool
Serving Data to Order
Workshop Builds Drought Planning Community
Identifying Changes In Climatic Trends And The Fingerprints Of Landuse And Landcover Changes In The High Plains Of The Usa, 2011 University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Identifying Changes In Climatic Trends And The Fingerprints Of Landuse And Landcover Changes In The High Plains Of The Usa, Denis Mutiibwa
Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Human activities such as conversion of natural ecosystem to croplands and urban-centers, deforestation and afforestation impact biophysical properties of land surface such as albedo, energy balance, and surface roughness. Alterations in these properties affect the heat and moisture exchanges between the land surface and atmospheric boundary layer. The objectives of this research were; (i) to quantitatively identify the High plains’ regional climate change in temperatures over the period 1895 to 2006, (ii) detect the signatures of anthropogenic forcing of LULC changes on the regional climate change of the High Plains, and (iii) examine the trends in evolving regional latent heat …
Building An Enhanced Drought Early Warning System (Dews): Tools And Services For Decision Support, 2011 University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Building An Enhanced Drought Early Warning System (Dews): Tools And Services For Decision Support, Mark Svoboda
Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications
Outline
- About the NDMC
- Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) Overview
- Tools (USDM, DIR, Atlas, VegDRI, + EPC/DRC)
- NDMC and the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS)
- Toward a Global Drought Early Warning System (NIDIS)
- Toward a Global Drought Early Warning System (GDEWS)
- Summary
- Q&A
Droughts In The 21st Century And Beyond, 2011 Texas A & M University - College Station
Droughts In The 21st Century And Beyond, Vijay P. Singh, Chris Funk, Jim Angel, Mark Svoboda
Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications
Drought: Science
- Characterization
- Mechanisms
- Modelings
- Prediction and Forecasting
Drought Monitoring
- Measurement
- Mapping
- Space
- Time
- Data Sharing
- Updating
Full Conference Program With Abstracts, 2011 Western Kentucky University Hoffman Institute
Full Conference Program With Abstracts, Jason S. Polk, Leslie A. North
International 2011 Conference on Karst Hydrogeology and Ecosystems
No abstract provided.
Secretive Marsh Bird Species Co-Occurrences And Habitat Associations Across The Midwest, Usa, 2011 University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Secretive Marsh Bird Species Co-Occurrences And Habitat Associations Across The Midwest, Usa, Jason R. Bolenbaugh, Sarah E. Lehnen, David G. Krementz
United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications
Because secretive marsh birds are difficult to detect, population status and habitat use for these birds are not well known. We conducted repeated surveys for secretive marsh birds across 264 sites in the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Joint Venture region to estimate abundance, occupancy, and detection probabilities during the 2008 and 2009 breeding seasons. We identified species groups based on observed species co-occurrences. Two species, least bittern Ixobrychus exilis and American bittern Botaurus lentiginosus, co-occurred with other species less often than expected by chance, and two species groups, rails (Virginia rail Rallus limicola and sora Porzana carolina) and …
Assessing Seasonal Features Of Tropical Forests Using Remote Sensing, 2011 University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Assessing Seasonal Features Of Tropical Forests Using Remote Sensing, Roberto Bonifaz-Alfonzo
Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Tropical forests are key components of the biogeochemical cycles, complex in structure, diversity and dynamics, also, tropical regions have been deforested and modified by human activities particularly for agriculture. Understanding the inter-annual and intra-annual variation dynamics of tropical regions could give valuable information on temporal characteristics of ecosystems behavior which is important for mapping and monitoring. This dissertation assesses seasonal and inter-annual changes in the tropical land cover that may be related to changes in the natural environment and/or human activities. Research was focused on the Mayan forest located in southern Mexico and Northwest Guatemala, one of the northern-most important …
Rapid Wetland Expansion During European Settlement And Its Implication For Marsh Survival Under Modern Sediment Delivery Rates, 2011 U.S. Geological Survey, Charlottesville
Rapid Wetland Expansion During European Settlement And Its Implication For Marsh Survival Under Modern Sediment Delivery Rates, Matthew L. Kirwan, A. Brad Murray, Jeffrey P. Donnelly, D. Reide Corbett
United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications
Fluctuations in sea-level rise rates are thought to dominate the formation and evolution of coastal wetlands. Here we demonstrate a contrasting scenario in which land-use–related changes in sediment delivery rates drive the formation of expansive marshland, and vegetation feedbacks maintain their morphology despite recent sediment supply reduction. Stratigraphic analysis and radiocarbon dating in the Plum Island Estuary (Massachusetts, United States) suggest that salt marshes expanded rapidly during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries due to increased rates of sediment delivery following deforestation associated with European settlement. Numerical modeling coupled with the stratigraphic observations suggests that existing marshland could survive, but not …
Drought-Ready Communities: A Guide To Community Drought Preparedness, 2011 National Drought Mitigation Center/University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Drought-Ready Communities: A Guide To Community Drought Preparedness, Mark D. Svoboda, Kelly Smith, Melissa Widhalm, Donna Louise Woudenberg, Cody L. Knutson, Meghan Sittler, Jim Angel, Mike Spinar, Mark Shafer, Renee Mcpherson, Heather Lazrus
National Drought Mitigation Center: Publications
Table of Contents
Introduction to Drought-Ready Communities........................................................ 4
Section 1. Getting Started: Invite the Community to Participate, Commit to the Process...................... 7
1.1 Establish a leadership team that includes individuals with responsibility for monitoring, communication, and implementation .............................................. 7
1.2 Identify stakeholders or groups in the community that may need additional resources to participate in the Drought-Ready Communities process .................... 8
1.3 Include government agencies and regulators ....................................... 9
1.4 Develop a contact list ................................................................ 9
1.5 Gather community perceptions of drought .................................................. 10
Section 2. Information Gathering: Understand Water Sources and Uses, Develop a Drought History . 11
2.1 …
Growing The Urban Ecosystem In Detroit, Michigan, 2011 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Growing The Urban Ecosystem In Detroit, Michigan, Sean Basalyga
Social Sciences
Many views of the future are seen as bleak and devoid of the life where once stood beauty and abundance. However, the Living Cities Design Competition challenges these views and calls for a vision of the future that inspires hope, biodiversity, and a healthy interaction between human and natural systems. We chose to redesign the city of Detroit, Michigan to be a living city by the year 2035. As the earth scientist on an interdisciplinary team, I acted as an ecological consultant. By developing the urban ecosystem of Detroit, a number of social, economical, and environmental problems can be solved. …
Improving Energy Sustainability In Pound Hall, 2011 University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Improving Energy Sustainability In Pound Hall, Craig Adams
Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses
This research project deals with improving energy sustainability in Pound Hall dormitory located on the University of Nebraska at Lincoln’s (UNL) city campus. An investigation on the current energy usage of Pound Hall showed that its energy rates worsened between the years of 2009 and 2010. These combined (electricity, steam, and water) energy rates were compared with those of the newly renovated Othmer Hall to emphasize the lack of sustainability in the older dormitory. In order to improve Pound Hall’s energy rates, an energy benefit analysis of implementing a green roof was performed. Having a green roof on this dormitory …
An Investigation Of Stratigraphic Evidence For An Abrupt Climatic Event 8200 Yr Bp In Valle De Las Morrenas, Costa Rica, 2011 University of Tennessee - Knoxville
An Investigation Of Stratigraphic Evidence For An Abrupt Climatic Event 8200 Yr Bp In Valle De Las Morrenas, Costa Rica, Brian Thomas Watson
Masters Theses
Lago de las Morrenas 4 (9.498056° [degrees] N, 83.486111° [degrees] W, 3466 m elev.) is the lowest lake in a chain of glacial lakes located in the Valle de las Morrenas, a valley facing almost due north from Cerro Chirripó, the highest peak in the Cordillera de Talamanca in Costa Rica. Coarse resolution analyses of pollen, microscopic charcoal, and loss-on-ignition of a ca. 10,000 year sediment record from Lago de las Morrenas 4 was carried out to complement and extend previous research on the environmental history of the Chirripó highlands and to provide context for high-resolution sampling and analysis of …
Evaluation Of Drought Indices Based On Thermal Remote Sensing Of Evapotranspiration Over The Continental United States, 2011 USDA-ARS
Evaluation Of Drought Indices Based On Thermal Remote Sensing Of Evapotranspiration Over The Continental United States, Martha C. Anderson, Christopher R. Hain, Brian Wardlow, Agustin Pimstein, John R. Mecikalski, William P. Kustas
Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications
The reliability of standard meteorological drought indices based on measurements of precipitation is limited by the spatial distribution and quality of currently available rainfall data. Furthermore, they reflect only one component of the surface hydrologic cycle, and they cannot readily capture nonprecipitation-based moisture inputs to the land surface system (e.g., irrigation) that may temper drought impacts or variable rates of water consumption across a landscape. This study assesses the value of a new drought index based on remote sensing of evapotranspiration (ET). The evaporative stress index (ESI) quantifies anomalies in the ratio of actual to potential ET (PET), mapped using …
Effects Of Rodent Species, Seed Species, And Predator Cues On Seed Fate, 2011 Utah State University
Effects Of Rodent Species, Seed Species, And Predator Cues On Seed Fate, Kelly J. Sivy, Steven M. Ostoja, Eugene W. Schupp, Susan Durham
United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications
Seed selection, removal and subsequent management by granivorous animals is thought to be a complex interaction of factors including qualities of the seeds themselves (e.g., seed size, nutritional quality) and features of the local habitat (e.g. perceived predator risk). At the same time, differential seed selection and dispersal is thought to have profound effects on seed fate and potentially vegetation dynamics. In a feeding arena, we tested whether rodent species, seed species, and indirect and direct predation cues influence seed selection and handling behaviors (e.g., scatter hoarding versus larder hoarding) of two heteromyid rodents, Ord’s kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ordii) and …