Digital Commons Network^™

Micronuclei And Other Erythrocyte Nuclear Abnormalities In Fishes From The Great Lakes Basin,Usa, Ryan P. Braham, Vicki S. Blazer, Cassidy H. Shaw, Patricia M. Mazik

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Biological markers (biomarkers) sensitive to genotoxic and mutagenic contamination in fishes are widely used to identify exposure effects in aquatic environments. The micronucleus assay was incorporated into a suite of indicators to assess exposure to genotoxic and mutagenic contamination at five Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs), as well as one non-AOC (reference) site. The assay allowed enumeration of micronuclei as well as other nuclear abnormalities for both site and species comparisons. Erythrocyte abnormality data was also compared to skin and liver tumor prevalence and hepatic transcript abundance. Erythrocyte abnormalities were observed at all sites with variable occurrence and severity …

Habitat Mosaics And Path Analysis Can Improve Biological Conservation Of Aquatic Biodiversity In Ecosystems With Low-Head Dams, Sean M. Hitchman, Martha E. Mather, Joseph M. Smith, Jane S. Fencl

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Conserving native biodiversity depends on restoring functional habitats in the face of human-induced disturbances. Low-head dams are a ubiquitous human impact that degrades aquatic ecosystems worldwide. To improve our understanding of how low-head dams impact habitat and associated biodiversity, our research examined complex interactions among three spheres of the total environment. i.e., how low-head dams (anthroposphere) affect aquatic habitat (hydrosphere), and native biodiversity (biosphere) in streams and rivers. Creation of lake-like habitats upstream of low-head dams is a well-documented major impact of dams. Alterations downstream of low head dams also have important consequences, but …

Degradation Of Crude 4‑Mchm (4-Methylcyclohexanemethanol) In Sediments From Elk River, West Virginia, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Denise M. Akob, Mary Jo Baedecker, Tracey Spencer, Jeanne Jaeschke, Darren S. Dunlap, Adam C. Mumford, Amisha T, Poret-Peterson, Douglas B. Chambers

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

In January 2014, approximately 37 800 L of crude 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (crude MCHM) spilled into the Elk River, West Virginia. To understand the long-term fate of 4-MCHM, we conducted experiments under environmentally relevant conditions to assess the potential for the 2 primary compounds in crude MCHM (1) to undergo biodegradation and (2) for sediments to serve as a long-term source of 4-MCHM. We developed a solid phase microextraction (SPME) method to quantify the cis- and transisomers of 4-MCHM. Autoclaved Elk River sediment slurries sorbed 17.5% of cis-4-MCHM and 31% of trans-4-MCHM from water during the 2-week experiment. …

Design Tradeoffs In Long-Term Research For Stream Salamanders, Adrianne B. Brand, Evan H. Campbell Grant

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Long-term research programs can benefit from early and periodic evaluation of their ability to meet stated objectives. In particular, consideration of the spatial allocation of effort is key. We sampled 4 species of stream salamanders intensively for 2 years (2010–2011) in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Maryland, USA to evaluate alternative distributions of sampling locations within stream networks, and then evaluated via simulation the ability of multiple survey designs to detect declines in occupancy and to estimate dynamic parameters (colonization, extinction) over 5 years for 2 species. We expected that fine scale microhabitat variables (e.g., cobble, detritus) …

Floristic Quality Index And Forested Floristic Quality Index: Assessment Tools For Restoration Projects And Monitoring Sites In Coastal Louisiana, Kari F. Cretini, William B. Wood, Jenneke M. Visser, Ken W. Krauss, Leigh Anne Sharp, Gregory D. Steyer, Gary P. Shaffer, Sarai C. Piazza

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

In 2003, the Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS) program was established in coastal Louisiana marshes and swamps to assess the effectiveness of individual coastal restoration projects and the cumulative effects of multiple projects at regional and coastwide scales (Steyer et al., 2003). In order to make these assessments, analytical teams were assembled for each of the primary data types sampled under theCRMS program, including vegetation, hydrology, landscape, and soils. These teams consisted of scientists and support staff from the US Geological Survey and other federal agencies, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana, and university academics. Each team was …

Linking Animals Aloft With The Terrestrial Landscape, Jeffrey J. Buler, Wylie C. Barrow Jr., Matthew E. Boone, Deanna K. Dawson, Robert H. Diehl, Frank R. Moore, Lori A. Randall, Timothy D. Schreckengost, Jaclyn A. Smolinsky

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Despite using the aerosphere for many facets of their life, most flying animals (i.e., birds, bats, some insects) are still bound to terrestrial habitats for resting, feeding, and reproduction. Comprehensive broad-scale observations by weather surveillance radars of animals as they leave terrestrial habitats for migration or feeding flights can be used to map their terrestrial distributions either as point locations (e.g., communal roosts) or as continuous surface layers (e.g., animal densities in habitats across a landscape). We discuss some of the technical challenges to reducing measurement biases related to how radars sample the aerosphere and the flight behavior of animals. …

Extending The Habitat Concept To The Airspace, Robert H. Diehl, Anna C. Peterson, Rachel T. Bolus, Douglas Johnson

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Habitat is one of the most familiar and fundamental concepts in the fields of ecology, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation and management. Humans interact with habitats through their senses and experiences and education to such a degree that their perceptions of habitat have become second nature. For this reason, it may be difficult at first to accept the airspace as habitat, an area that is invisible, untouchable, highly dynamic, and its occupants difficult to see. Nonetheless, the habitat concept, by definition and in practice, applies readily to the airspace. Some ecological and behavioral processes including habitat selection, foraging, and reproduction …

Linking Animals Aloft With The Terrestrial Landscape, Jeffrey J. Buler, Wylie C. Barrow Jr., Matthew E. Boone, Deanna K. Dawson, Robert H. Diehl, Frank R. Moore, Lori A. Randall, Timothy D. Schreckengost, Jaclyn A. Smolinsky

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Despite using the aerosphere for many facets of their life, most flying animals (i.e., birds, bats, some insects) are still bound to terrestrial habitats for resting, feeding, and reproduction. Comprehensive broad-scale observations by weather surveillance radars of animals as they leave terrestrial habitats for migration or feeding flights can be used to map their terrestrial distributions either as point locations (e.g., communal roosts) or as continuous surface layers (e.g., animal densities in habitats across a landscape). We discuss some of the technical challenges to reducing measurement biases related to how radars sample the aerosphere and the flight behavior of animals. …

Extending The Habitat Concept To The Airspace, Robert H. Diehl, Anna C. Peterson, Rachel T. Bolus, Douglas Johnson

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Habitat is one of the most familiar and fundamental concepts in the fields of ecology, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation and management. Humans interact with habitats through their senses and experiences and education to such a degree that their perceptions of habitat have become second nature. For this reason, it may be difficult at first to accept the airspace as habitat, an area that is invisible, untouchable, highly dynamic, and its occupants difficult to see. Nonetheless, the habitat concept, by definition and in practice, applies readily to the airspace. Some ecological and behavioral processes including habitat selection, foraging, and reproduction …

Key Differences Between Lakes And Reservoirs Modify Climate Signals: A Case For A New Conceptual Model, Nicole M. Hayes, Bridget R. Deemer, Jessica R. Corman, N. Roxanna Razavi, Kristin E. Strock

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Lakes and reservoirs are recognized as important sentinels of climate change, integrating catchment and atmospheric climate change drivers. Climate change conceptual models generally consider lakes and reservoirs together despite the possibility that these systems respond differently to climate-related drivers. Here, we synthesize differences between lake and reservoir characteristics that are likely important for predicting waterbody response to climate change. To better articulate these differences, we revised the energy mass flux framework, a conceptual model for the effects of climate change on lentic ecosystems, to explicitly consider the differential responses of lake versus reservoir ecosystems. The model predicts that catchment and …

Influence Of Topography And Moisture And Nutrient Availability On Green Alder Function On The Low Arctic Tundra, Nt, Katherine Louise Black Ms., Jennifer Lynn Baltzer Dr.

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The Arctic has warmed by at least 3^°C over the past 50 years and this rapid warming is expected to continue. Climate warming is driving the proliferation of shrubs across the tundra biome with implications for energy balance, climate, hydrology, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity. Changes in tundra plant water use attributable to shrub expansion are predicted to increase evapotranspirative water loss which may amplify local warming and reduce run-off. However, little is known about the extent to which shrubs will enhance evapotranspirative water loss in these systems. Direct measures of shrub water use are needed to accurately predict …

Evaluating Soil Physical And Chemical Properties Following Addition Of Non-Composted Spent Coffee And Tea For Athletic Fields, Shuang Zhou

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Physical and chemical properties of non-composted spent coffee (CF) and tea (T) suggest they may have applications as soil amendments for improving poor soils. Studies were conducted to determine 1) the effect of amendments on grass growth and soil properties, 2) the effect of incorporation versus surface application of amendments on soil properties, and 3) the effect of amendment application frequency on grass growth and soil properties. In the first study, amendments were mixed with sand and planted to bermudagrass. Treatments included CF, T, and peat moss (PM) mixed with sand, and 100% sand as a control. In the second …

Analysis Of Volcanic Ash, Conor O'Dowd

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Volcanic ash begins to weather upon deposition, resulting in the in situ development of clay minerals in the glass pore spaces. Almquist (2011) established a classification scheme of weathering based on ash deposits in New Zealand using an SEM. We are examining volcanic ash collected from Mount St. Helens, New Zealand, and Cobble Cuesta of the Gabbs Valley Basin to broaden the classification scheme based on morphology and authigenic clay mineral composition. SEM and XRD analysis of the material were used to get a better understanding of the morphology and geochemistry of the weathering products. By broadening the weathering classification …

Marsh-Exported Dissolved Organic Matter Fate In Estuaries, Laura Ann Logozzo

Dissertations and Theses

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a significant driver of estuarine productivity and nutrient cycling. The colored component of DOM, chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), impacts coastal optical properties, ocean color, and light attenuation. While marshes are largely considered sinks for carbon due to their high productivity and low soil carbon degradation rates, laterally they are sources of carbon as optically and chemically distinct DOM to surrounding aquatic ecosystems; these inputs are often essential in sustaining a net heterotrophic system. However, the photoreactivity and bioavailability of marsh-exported DOM is largely uncategorized, thus making it difficult to quantify its impacts on estuarine …

Temporal Variability Of Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter At A Brackish, Tidal Marsh-Estuary Interface, Alana B. Menendez

Dissertations and Theses

Marshes are both terrestrial and aqueous, sitting as an intermediate between land and water. Studies over constrained numbers of tidal cycles have demonstrated that these marshes are net exporters of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to adjoining estuaries, however, there is need for continuous monitoring to better understand the temporal variability of this flux: tidally, seasonally, and during episodic rain events. Through use of a YSI EXO2 sonde, an in situ optical sensor at the interface of the brackish, tidal Kirkpatrick Marsh and Rhode River sub-estuary in Edgewater, Maryland (located on the northwestern shore of the Chesapeake Bay), we were able …

Silicate-Promoted Phosphorylation Of Glycerol In Non-Aqueous Solvents: A Prebiotically Plausible Route To Organophosphates, Maheen Gull, Brian J. Cafferty, Nicholas V. Hud, Matthew A. Pasek

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Phosphorylation reactions of glycerol were studied using different inorganic phosphates such as sodium phosphate, trimetaphosphate (a condensed phosphate), and struvite. The reactions were carried out in two non-aqueous solvents: formamide and a eutectic solvent consisting of choline-chloride and glycerol in a ratio of 1:2.5. The glycerol reacted in formamide and in the eutectic solvent with phosphate to yield its phosphorylated derivatives in the presence of silicates such as quartz sand and kaolinite clay. The reactions were carried out by heating glycerol with a phosphate source at 85 °C for one week and were analyzed by 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy …

Soil Erosion Risk Factors And The Impacts Of Diversification On Organic Strawberry Farms Along California’S Central Coast, Kay Sterner

Pomona Senior Theses

Soil erosion is a major issue that threatens to undermine our current system of agriculture. Due to the fact that this system is in turn the number one cause of erosion, agricultural practices in the United States need to be rethought. This study explores how traditional ideas of erosion risks are related to observed erosion on organic strawberry farms along California’s Central Coast. In addition, diversified farming systems are addressed as a possible solution for the current unsustainability of our farming practices. The data from this research suggest that diversity of crops on farms could be linked to less soil …

Cd10 − /Aldh − Cells Are The Sole Cisplatin-Resistant Component Of A Novel Ovarian Cancer Stem Cell Hierarchy, Brendan Ffrench, Claudia Gasch, Karsten Hokamp, Cathy Spillane, Gordon Blackshields, Thamir Mahmoud Mahgoub, Mark Bates, Louise Kehoe, Aoibhinn Mooney, Ronan Doyle, Brendan Doyle, Dearbhaile O ’ Donnell, Noreen Gleeson, Bryan T Hennessy, Britta Stordal, Ciaran O ’ Riain, Helen Lambkin

Articles

No abstract provided.

Glacial To Holocene Changes In Eastern Equatorial Pacific Deep-Water Chemistry And Circulation, Natalie E. Umling

Theses and Dissertations

It has been hypothesized that the oceans store CO2 during glacial periods and then release it to the atmosphere, causing the onset of warm interglacial periods (Sigman and Boyle, 2000). Documenting this past transfer of CO2 between the oceans and atmosphere is of utmost importance for better understanding the impact that anthropogenic CO2 has and will have on Earth’s climate. The last deglaciation is a good analogue to modern increases in CO2 and temperature and is recent enough to be studied using radiocarbon. This period provides important insights into the nature of climate changes during the transition from glacial to …

Serpentinization And Synthesis: Searching For Abiotic And Biotic Non-Volatile Organic Molecules In The Subsurface Of The Atlantis Massif, Katherine A. Hickok

Theses and Dissertations

High concentrations of hydrogen created during serpentinization can promote the formation of abiotic organic carbon molecules such as methane, formate, and short chain hydrocarbons and, in laboratory experiments, larger molecules containing up to 32 carbon atoms. Subsurface archaeal and bacterial communities can use these reduced compounds for metabolic energy. International Ocean Discovery Project Expedition 357 drilled 17 boreholes into the Atlantis Massif with the goals of investigating carbon cycling and the presence of life in a zone of active serpentinization. The expedition recovered multiple lithologies including gabbros, basalts, carbonate sands, and serpentinites. A subset of contrasting lithologies were analyzed for …

Land Use And Land Cover Change Of Chanthaburi Watershed Following 1999, 2006 And 2013 Floods, Chuti Chatewutthiprapa

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The application of remote sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) has become an effective tool and widely used in monitoring the environment on the earth surface. In this study, Landsat imageries were used as a data to deal with the assessment of land use and land cover changes (LULC) before and after the 3-year floods in 1999, 2006 and 2013. The images were classified by supervised classification process and it can be identified as 9 classes consisting of paddy field, field crop, para rubber, orchard, aquacultural land, forest land, mangrove forest, urban and built-up area, and water bodies. The …

Geochemistry Of Petroleum Potential Source Rock In Tak Fa Formation, Phetchabun Province, Supawich Fuengfu

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Since 1962, petroleum exploration was begun in Khorat Plateau until now (2018). Nam Phong and Sin Phu Horm are two onshore petroleum commercial fields. Gas and condensate have been accumulated in Permian carbonate Pha Nok Khao Formation. Upper Carboniferous - Upper Permian in Saraburi Group was predicted to a petroleum source rock beneath the Khorat Plateau. This study analyses potential source rock in Khao Khwang Platform of Tak Fa Formation as Middle Permian sedimentary rock by nine outcrop samples from Bueng Sam Phan, Chon Daen and Nong Phai areas, Phetchabun province. Petroleum geochemistry methods are used to determine petroleum potential …

Short-Term Effects Of Nutrients On A Barrier Island Grassland Community, Ashley Moulton

Theses and Dissertations

Increased nutrient availability globally has the potential to affect community functional composition of plants in nutrient limited environments, such as coastal grassland systems. Stability of these systems are threatened worldwide by urbanization, as well as effects of sea level rise and increased frequency and intensity of storms, and atmospheric N deposition, associated with climate change. Annual net primary productivity (ANPP), species composition, and functional traits (community weighted specific leaf area (CWSLA), leaf area index (LAI), growth form and photosynthetic pathway) were measured across four treatments to assess multiple resource limitation of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and functional community response …

Application Of Agisoft Photoscan And Sediment Transport Modeling For The Analysis Of Sediment Wave Propagation Succeeding Gravel Augmentation, Oak Grove Fork Of The Clackamas River, Oregon, Mindi Lea Curran

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Application of agisoft photoscan and sediment transport modeling for the analysis of sediment wave propagation succeeding gravel augmentation, oak grove fork of the clackamas river, oregon

Mindi Lea Curran

Physical features in alluvial rivers such as riffles, gravel bars, pools, and side channels provide refugia, nutrients, and spawning and rearing habitat for anadromous fish and other aquatic organisms. The downstream transport of gravels that continuously replenish these features is prevented by dams, and often leads to a coarsened channel bed condition and other geomorphic changes that have negative impacts on aquatic organisms. Geomorphic change in rivers can be challenging to …

Numerical Modeling Of The Interactions Between Nonlinear Waves And Arbitrarily Flexible Vegetation, Navid Tahvildari

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Coastal wetlands are among the natural features with the capability to dissipate wave energy and reduce storm damage. Inadequate representation of wave and vegetation characteristics in numerical models may reduce their capability in predicting wave processes over wetlands. Previous numerical wave models have typically applied simplifications on vegetation behavior. For instance, vegetation stems were usually assumed to be rigid or semi-flexible and thus extreme stem deflections could not be captured. In this study, a time-domain nonlinear numerical model based on extended Boussinesq formulation is developed and coupled with a numerical model for vegetation blade dynamics that allows for arbitrary flexibility. …

Effects Of Nonaerated Circulation Water Velocity On Nutrient Release From Aquaculture Pond Sediments, Xiangju Cheng, Dantong Zhu, Xixi Wang, Deguang Yu, Jun Xie

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Sustaining good water quality in aquaculture ponds is vital. Without an aerator, the dissolved oxygen in ponds comes primarily from mass transfer at the water-ambient atmosphere interface. As sediment can seriously affect water quality, this study used indoor experiments to examine the nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) release mechanisms and fluxes from sediment in aquaculture ponds with moving water but no aeration. The results showed that the ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) concentration in the overlying water was inversely proportional to flow velocity and that a higher flow velocity tended to result in a lower concentration in the overlying water, a …

Depositional Systems, Sequence Architecture, And Controlling Factors Of An Eocene Stratigraphic Sequence At Minfeng Steep Margin Of Dongying Depression, Eastern China, Zhixin Li

Doctoral Dissertations

“This study is carried out in Minfeng area, the steep margin of Dongying half graben, eastern China, by integrating 3-D seismic, wireline log, and core data, and aims to interpret the depositional systems, reconstruct sequence stratigraphic architecture, and understand the controlling processes and factors at the steep margin of a rift basin. In the first part of this work, an Eocene stratigraphic sequence is divided into three systems tracts, corresponding to different stages of lake evolution, as early expansion (EEST), late expansion-early contraction (LEECST), and late contraction (LCST). EEST is the thickest and diagnostic by the best-developed marginal and basinal …

Cycling Of Gypsiferous White Sands Aerosols In The Shallow Critical Zone At White Mountain, New Mexico, Patrick Richard Rea

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Dry deposition significantly affects evolution of the critical zone by nutrient supply and contributing to soil genesis. Dust influx and cycling in soils are difficult to quantify because dust sources can be chemically similar to local soils. White Sands, New Mexico, emits gypsum dust with a unique chemical and isotopic signature, providing an opportunity to investigate dust deposition and its movement in soils. This study evaluated the mobility of White Sands dust particles in the critical zone at White Mountain, New Mexico, a highland 100 km downwind. Four soil profiles were collected over limestone, igneous, mixed limestone and dolostone, and …

Evaluation Of Cryptic Sulfur Cycling In Marine Sediments, Michael Ngari Mathuri

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Despite the importance of marine sediments as a carbon sink and many efforts to integrate microbiological with geochemical and geological data, the understanding of microbial organic carbon mineralization processes in marine sediments remains incomplete. There is growing evidence for the existence of an unrecognized oxidative sulfur cycling (cryptic sulfur cycling) above, within and below of the main sulfate reduction zone. For example, sulfate exists in supposedly sulfate-free methanogenic marine sediments from the Aarhus Bay and Black Sea. This implies that sulfur cycling is an ongoing process in the deep biosphere. Quantification of cryptic sulfur cycling is a major challenge because …

A New Method For Ultra-Low Sulfate Extraction And A Pilot Study In Arid Soils, Marisela Montelongo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Sulfur in soils is a crucial nutrient for all organisms including plants. Sulfate (SO42-), a water soluable anion, is a good source of this important element. Because of the importance of sulfur for agriculture, the use of sulfate has been well studied in temperate climate zones, and it is generally accepted that microbes play a critical role in controlling the availability of sulfate. Organically bound sulfur, such as sulfate esters and carbon-bonded sulfur, compounds that are generated and decomposed by microbes, are essential sulfur sources for plants under these conditions. For arid environments, knowledge of sulfate turnover in soils by …