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Red Rock Desert Learning Center Core Group Meeting: May 17, 2005, Red Rock Desert Learning Center

Reports (RRLC)

1. Introductions (5 min.)
2. Approval of Minutes from March 15, 2005 Meeting (5 min.)
3. Review of Project Issues & Concerns (30 min.)
   A. Discussion of Strategic Project Review
4. Update on Water Options and NEPA Timeline/Progress – Michael Reiland (15 min.)
5. Core Curriculum Development: Progress Report – Jeannie Klockow (15 min.)
6. Community Outreach – Nancy Flagg (15 min.)
   A. Key Messages
   B. List of environmental groups and media
   D. Revisit Core Group list
7. Standing Reports (20 minutes)
   A. Line and Space Architects – Les Wallach/Henry Tom
   B. BLM Capital Improvements – Michael Reiland
8. Committee Reports (10 min.)
   A. Building Committee – Angie …

Analyzing The Effects Of Various Sign Types Used By The Bureau Of Land Management For Desert Cleanup And Restoration Projects, Christopher Linehan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

What is the effectiveness of attempts to curb illegal dumping with prompts on signs posted in the area? Do positive friendly language prompts such as “Restoration in Progress Please Do Not Disturb” generate more positive attitudes and intentions towards illegal dumping problems, than less friendly prompts such as “No Dumping Allowed”?

Results, although inconclusive, did however show a slight trend towards the negative language signs.

Total Suspended Solids In Las Vegas Wash, Mika Koponen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Erosion along the Las Vegas Wash (Wash) has increased steadily along with the rapidly increasing population. The focus of this study is to find out if there is a relationship between lower total suspended solids rate (TSS) and the construction of erosion control structures along the Wash. The study was conducted between 7/15/2003 and 11/29/2004.

The method was water sampling on 7 sites and the samples were analyzed at Southern Nevada Water Systems (SNWS) laboratory at Saddle Island in Boulder City. Additional water quality data was also collected using Quanta, a device measuring different parameters in water. In this study …

Relative Influence Of Landscape Indicators On Macroinvertebrate Communities In A Predominately Forested Watershed: Effects Of Spacial Scale, Robert Johnson

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Robert Johnson on May 9, 2005.

Range Expansion By Moose Into Coastal Temperate Rainforests Of British Columbia, Canada, C. T. Darimont, P. C. Paquet, T. E. Reimchen, V. Crichton

Biogeography and Ecological Opportunity Collection

Ranges of species are dynamic and respond to long-term climate change and contemporary effects such as habitat modification. We report here that moose (Alces alces) have recently colonized coastal temperate rainforests of British Columbia, Canada. Contrary to recent publications, field observations of moose and their sign, combined with their occurrence in wolf (Canis lupus) faeces, suggest that moose are now widespread on the coastal mainland and occur on least three islands. Traditional ecological knowledge (information accumulated by aboriginal peoples about their environment) suggests that colonization occurred during the mid 1900s, concomitant with logging of major watersheds that bisect the Coast …

2002 Licensed Angler Survey: Summarized Results, Keith L. Hurley, Kristin L. Duppong-Hurley

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

On October 22, 2002, 5000 six-page surveys (Appendix 3) were sent to a stratified-random sample of Nebraska anglers drawn from the 2001 licensed anglers database. The database included all anglers who purchased a fishing license in 2001 as well as all lifetime fishing permit holders who purchased their license before or during 2001. The database did not include those possessing a free permit, such as veteran’s or senior citizen permits. The survey subsample (2.6% of the 2001-licensed angler database) was stratified such that the proportions of surveys in the subsample (4366 residents and 634 non-residents) matched the proportions of resident/non-resident …

An Additional Record Of The Ornate Box Turtle From Western South Dakota, Steven G. Platt, Jennifer I. Stover, Edward J. Stover Iii

The Prairie Naturalist

On June 11, 2003, one of us (EJS) found an ornate box turtle crossing BIA Highway 2, approximately 7.2 km north of Sharps Comer on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Shannon County, South Dakota. The air temperature at the time of collection was approximately 30°C and the substrate was moist from light rain the previous day. The turtle was an adult female with a straight-line carapace length of 118 mm. Other straight-line measurements were: maximum carapace width = 100 mm; plastron length = 122 mm; maximum plastron width = 82 mm; and maximum shell depth = 64 mm. We …

Examination Of The Ecological Differences Between Two Closely Related Endemic Whitefish In Relation To Growth Conditions And Predation Risk, Benjamen M. Kennedy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Benthic Bear Lake whitefish (Prosopium abyssicola) and Bonneville whitefish (P. spilontus) are closely related, yet the extent of ecological separation remains poorly understood. We described their spring and summer distribution and diet in Bear Lake and examined how these were related to environmental growth conditions, and predation risk. In spring and summer, Bonneville whitefish dominated shallower depths (5-30 m), whereas Bear Lake whitefish dominated deeper depths (45-55 m). At intermediate depths (35-40 m), low numbers of both species occurred. Bonneville whitefish ate mostly Chironomidae, whereas Bear Lake whitefish ate mostly Ostracoda. Habitats occupied by Bonneville whitefish …

Effects Of Fire Disturbance On Terrestrial Salamanders In Mixed-Coniferous Forests Of The Klamath/Siskiyou Region Of The Pacific Northwest, Donald J. Major

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An effective examination of fire disturbance on floral and faunal components requires research that integrates knowledge from multiple disciplines to understand the pattern and process controls affecting organisms in a complex system. However, current fire effects research typically focuses on the pattern response of organisms or their habitats with little integration of the dynamic fire process that created the pattern. This dissertation integrates an analysis of the processes of fire disturbance with terrestrial salamander ecology in a fire-dependent forest ecosystem, Klamath Province, California, USA.

In Chapter 1, I begin with a comprehensive review of disturbance ecology, focusing primarily on fire …

Methods For Non-Invasive Body Temperature Measurement And Partitioning Heat Loss To Air And Water From Swimming Mallard Ducklings (Anas Platyrhynchos), Matthew J. Van Sant

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Water birds whose young begin swimming while downy are interesting because hypothermia and mortality are associated with wetting. Wetting is known to increase heat loss, but little is known about the amount of heat lost to air vs. water during swimming. Accurate measurements of body temperature are required in studies investigating heat loss. I used 2-d to 3-d-old mallard ducklings (Anas platyrhynchos) to test whether remote thermographic measurement of scalp temperature could be used to estimate core temperature from a distance. For wind speeds of up to 2.5 mis, I found cloaca} temperature could be estimated to within 1 °C …

Fisheries Occasional Paper No. 20 - Management Of Western Rock Lobster Fishery - Advice To Stakeholders - Assessment Of Southern Zone Resource Sustainability Options, Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

The management options presented in this paper have been developed in close cooperation with the rock lobster industry to address the short-term sustainability and economic concerns regarding the level of exploitation and its impact on the breeding stock in the southern region. The main focus in the short-term is to consider options that reduce fishing effort during periods that may be economically inefficient to fish and at the same time reduce the level of exploitation.

The management package does not address the serious long-term sustainability or socioeconomic issues (e.g. cost pressures and related fleet capacity) facing the industry. If the …

Macrofungi Of The Tennessee River Gorge, William D. Starrett

Honors Theses

Representative macro fungi of the Tennessee River Gorge were collected on the Tennessee River Gorge Trust (TRGT) property during 18 forays I conducted fom May to November 2004. This dramatically added to the baseline data on the macrofungi of the TRGT by adding 15 orders, 34 families, and 138 species to the existing list. These data were recorded in the herbarium of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga database. I converted the University's File Maker Pro fungi database into Microsoft Excel and Access, which allows it to be processed for introduction into the National Biological Information Infrastructure and onto the …

Using Geographic Information Systems To Examine Red Wolf Home Range And Habitat Use In The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Harry Ford Mauney

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

A Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis was conducted to determine home range and habitat use patterns of the reintroduced red wolf (Canis rufus) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). To facilitate this GIS analysis, the original telemetry data was first converted from obsolete file formats into a contemporary database. When spatial movement patterns of animals are analyzed with regard to habitat characteristics, habitat use patterns may be revealed. In order to ascertain gender-based home range and core area size differences, home range and core areas were determined for 16 of 31 red wolf data sets (9 male, 7 …

K-Means Clustering With Multiresolution Peak Detection, Guanshan Yu, Leen-Kiat Soh, Alan B. Bond

Avian Cognition Papers

Clustering is a practical data mining approach of pattern detection. Because of the sensitivity of initial conditions, k-means clustering often suffers from low clustering performance. We present a procedure to refine initial conditions of k-means clustering by analyzing density distributions of a data set before estimating the number of clusters k necessary for the data set, as well as the positions of the initial centroids of the clusters. We demonstrate that this approach indeed improves the accuracy and performance of k-means clustering measured by average intra to interclustering error ratio. This method is applied to the virtual ecology project to …

Attention-Altering Signal Interactions In The Multimodal Courtship Display Of The Wolf Spider Schizocosa Uetzi, Eileen A. Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Complex signals are common throughout the animal kingdom, consisting of one or more signals in one or more sensory modalities presented within a single display. I tested an efficacy-based backup hypothesis of complex signal function using the bimodal courtship signaling wolf spider Schizocosa uetzi. This hypothesis predicts that the visual and vibratory courtship displays function as backups to each other in the presence of environmental variability. I compared mating frequencies across four environmental treatments in which the visual and vibratory environments were manipulated independently in a 2 × 2 design with visual treatments of light/dark (i.e., visual signal present/absent) …

Alternative Futures For The Bear River Watershed, Richard E. Toth

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The Bear River Watershed (BRW) is located in northeastern Utah, southeastern Idaho, and southwestern Wyoming. Over the three states the watershed encompasses an area of 7,500 square miles (4,800,000 acres). The Bear River 's headwaters begin at close to 13,000 feet in the High Uintas Wilderness Area of northeastern Utah. The course of the river follows a horseshoe pattern flowing north through Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho before bending south at Soda Springs. The river then meanders through the Gem and Cache Valleys before reaching its delta at the Great Salt Lake at an elevation of 4,211 feet.

Observed Omnivory In The Herbivorous Blue Tilapia (Oreochromis Aureus), Stephen M. Oliveira Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Gila seminuda, a native endangered species, and Oreochromis aureus, a nonnative invasive species, share the same habitat in the form of the Reid Gardner Power Plant intake ponds. The purpose of this study is to characterize the feeding habits of Oreochromis aureus within the Reid Gardner Power Plant intake ponds and address the potential predation habits of Oreochromis aureus. Stomach contents of O. aureus were identified and analyzed using chi-square and log-likelihood ratio techniques, with respect to mass, length, girth, gender, or spatial distribution of samples. Results showed omnivorous behavior with a 7.00% predatory/prey relationship, and no difference of feeding …

Cattle Utilization Of Forage Kochia (Kochia Prostrata) And Its Relation To Forage Quality And Plant Morphological Characteristics, Burke W. Davenport

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Several experimental lines of forage kochia [Kochia prostrata (L. Shrad.)] have potential to provide taller forage on fall and winter rangelands than the only released variety of forage kochia, Immigrant. This study was conducted to determine differences in cattle utilization among experimental lines of forage kochia and relate them to forage quality and morphological attributes. The utilization of forage kochia was also compared to 'Ladak ' alfalfa [Medicago saliva (L.)] and two entries of winterfat [Krashnennikovia species (Guldenstaedt)]. Cattle utilization was determined by calculating a biomass consumed value and a percent biomass consumed value. Dry weights for …

A Comparison Of Population Sizes And Number Of Captures For The Desert Woodrat (Neotoma Lepida) In Two Microhabitats In The Las Vegas Wash, Nevada, Jayson Barangan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Planned removal and eradication of saltcedar in the Las Vegas Wash, Nevada could potentially generate adverse impacts on present desert woodrat (Neotoma lepida) populations inhabiting the area. Consequently, research was conducted investigating population sizes of N. lepida in two distinct microhabitat types, saltcedar (Tamarix sp.) and mesquite/quailbush (Prosopis sp./Atriplex lentiformis). The results of this study will aid in gauging the effects of the changes in vegetation once restoration work is completed and assist with logistical scheduling for implementation of control measures. Mark-recapture field techniques were utilized for data collection from July 2002 to June 2003. Population estimates were calculated using …

Species Composition And Visitation Frequency Of Birds And Mammals At A Bait Station In Northern Minnesota, Adam Roiko

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors program.

The International Lepidoptera Survey Newsletter, April 2005, International Lepidoptera Survey, Kenneth E. Davenport, Ray E. Stanford, Robert L. Langston

International Lepidoptera Survey Newsletter

Contents (pages 1-66)

Title

Flight Periods of California Butterflies for “Resident Species,” Subspecies and Most Strays to the State (2005)

Authors

Kenneth E. Davenport, Ray E. Stanford and Robert L. Langston

Abstract

Normal flight periods and early/late records for resident species, subspecies and regular strays of butterflies of California are presented below.. Many subspecies or populations in the state are distinctive and may prove to merit species recognition by specialists in the future.

Immature Stages Of Estigmene Acrea From Guatemala (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), Jack Harry

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

The immature stages of Estigmene acrea Drury are described and figured. The larval host utilized was Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis (cauliflower).

Immature Stages Of Colias Johanseni From Arctic Canada (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), Jack Harry

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

The immature stages of Colias johanseni are described and figured. The probable larval host plant is Hedysarum mackenziei, a common arctic legume.

Immature Stages Of Colias Occidentalis Sullivani From Oregon (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), Jack Harry

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

The immature stages of Colias occidentalis sullivani Hammond and McCorkle are described and figured. The larval host is Lathyrus rigidus White.

Thinking Critically About Science And Religion: Disclosure Interviews Massimo Pigliucci, Jeff West, Viva Nordberg

disClosure: A Journal of Social Theory

No abstract provided.

Presentation To Mojave-Southern Great Basin Rac, Public Lands Institute

Presentations (PLI)

University manages selected SNPLMA projects as determined by the four federal agencies. Projects must be:

• Compatible with UNLV’s mission.
• Enhance education and research.
• Draw upon expertise of faculty, staff, and students.

Big Brains Do Matter In New Environments, Lori Marino

Evolutionary Biology Collection

No abstract provided.

Mammals Of The Cosigüina Peninsula Of Nicaragua, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert M. Timm

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Nicaragua’s Cosigüina Peninsula, located at the northwestern tip of the country, is one of the most poorly studied biotic regions in Central America. The peninsula has been occupied for millennia because the climate of the region supported human habitation and because of its strategic position along the rich Pacific coast. The combination of long-term occupancy by humans and the cataclysmic eruptions of Volcán Cosigüina have produced a heavily impacted landscape. During the 1960s, the University of Kansas conducted multiyear field surveys of the terrestrial mammals on the peninsula and the adjacent mainland to quantify species diversity, relationships, abundances, habitat use, …

Facts From Faeces: Prey Remains In Wolf, Canis Lupus, Faeces Revise Occurrence Records For Mammals Of British Columbia’S Coastal Archipelago, Michael H. H. Price, Chris T. Darimont, Neville N. Winchester, Paul C. Paquet

Biogeography and Ecological Opportunity Collection

Archipelagos often harbour taxa that are endemic and vulnerable to disturbance. Conservation planning and research for these areas depend fundamentally on accurate and current taxonomic inventories. Although basic ecological information is in its infancy, the temperate rainforest islands of coastal British Columbia are undergoing rapid human-caused modification, particularly logging. We report herein new mammal records for these islands as determined by prey remains in the faeces of Wolves (Canis lupus), the area’s apex mammalian terrestrial predator. Of particular interest is our detection of Marten (Martes americana) on islands previously inventoried and island occupancy by Moose (Alces alces), which have apparently …

Spring 2005, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.