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Channel Geomorphology And Restoration Guidelines For Springfield Plateau Streams, South Dry Sac Watershed, Southwest Missouri, John M. Horton

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Land-use change, both historical and present, has been a source of channel degradation within Ozark streams. This study examines the influence of land use on channel morphology within the South Dry Sac Watershed which drains 78.5 km2. The main objectives of this study are to: (1) perform a geomorphic assessment of stream channel and sediment characteristics; (2) evaluate the effects of watershed factors on channel morphology and dynamics; (3) quantify the geomorphic relationships for use in stream restoration projects in the Springfield Plateau area. Thirty-six reaches were surveyed and evaluated in the field for channel cross-sectional geometry, longitudinal profile, and …

History Of Sedimentation And Contamination In Valley Mill Reservoir, Springfield, Missouri, Susan S. Licher

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The Valley Mill Reservoir (VMR) was constructed between 1851 and 1871 and drains an important recharge area of the drinking water watershed for Springfield, Missouri. Presently, management efforts to protect downstream water quality are aimed at using VMR as a non-point pollution and sedimentation basin since its watershed is planned for continued urban development. The morphometry of VMR is typical of most reservoirs with an elongated basin and the deepest point being near the dam. Sedimentation within the reservoir has created a delta formation with upstream wetlands and floodplains acting as part of the delta especially during the past. Little …

A Model Life Table For Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) From The Indian River Lagoon System, Florida, U.S.A., Megan K. Stolen, Jay Barlow

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Data gathered from 220 stranded bottlenose dolphins (Tzmiop tvuncatlls) in the Indian River Lagoon system, Florida, were used to derive a life table. Survivorship curves were fit to the data using Siler’s competing-risk model and a maximum likelihood approach. Population growth was estimated to be between r = 0.0 and 0.046 based on the observed numbers of stranded dolphins. Variance in survival rates was estimated using an individual-based, age-structured population projection model. We estimate that the overall annual mortality rate for this population was 9.8% per year. Sex-specific differences in survivorship were apparent with females outliving males. The …

Uso De La Tierra En La Zona De Influencia De La Provincia Del Purus, David S. Salisbury, Chris Fagan

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

El objetivo preliminar de este estudio fue determinar las características del uso de tierra de cinco comunidades indígenas representadas por cuatro grupos culturales dentro de la zona de influencia nordeste. Un segundo objetivo fue el de averiguar cómo y en qué grado las fuerzas económicas y culturales están influenciando las decisiones con respecto al uso de la tierra. Los resultados de este estudio son preliminares, pero esperamos que la información sea de alguna utilidad para los administradores de esta área protegida.

Coastal Resources Management Training Needs Assessment: Strategies And Opportunities, Kevin O'Brien, Claudette Robey, Wendy A. Kellogg, Michael J. Tevesz

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve (OWC), Ohio Department of Natural Resources-Coastal Management Program (ODNRCMP), and Ohio Sea Grant College Program engaged the Great Lakes Environmental Finance Center (GLEFC) to aid them in developing a coastal resources management training initiative for Ohio coastal decision-makers. Coastal decision-maker professionals are expected to formulate effective strategies and apply interdisciplinary approaches to solving problems and policy issues that affect the environments of coastal regions. There are a number of professionals in a variety of occupations who make decisions regarding coastal and environmental policy issues. These individuals include those within the coastal resources …

Assessment Of Potential Environmental Impacts Of Nature-Based Tours Originating Within Clark County, Nevada, Beth Domowicz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this thesis was to assess the potential magnitude of negative environmental damage of nature-based tours originating in Clark County, Nevada. An ordinal ranking system was used for assessment of five variables. These variables were resource use, noise pollution, soil degradation, vegetation degradation, and wildlife disturbance. There were two proposed answers. The first was that as distance increased, negative tour impact would increase. This was not supported, since tours had high impacts for destinations that were close by and far away. The second was that most tours were not causing high damage to the environment. This hypothesis was …

Tracks In The Woods: Identifying And Evaluating Historic Logging Railroad Systems Within The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Carol Taylor Hearne

All Master's Theses

The Sauk River Lumber Company (SRLC) operated in western Washington's Sauk River valley between 1922 and 1954. Impacts made on the landscape during that time can still be identified. Archival research, oral history interviews and archaeological fieldwork were undertaken to identify and evaluate the many landscape features associated with the SRLC's timber harvest activities. The systematic identification and documentation of this single company's logging operations and the features that resulted from those operations can be used to assist cultural resource managers facing the same task elsewhere. Maps, diagrams, and photographs are included to provide resource managers with basic tools and …

Fox Control In Urban Conservation Reserves: An Analysis Of Bait Uptake And Public Perceptions In The Perth Metropolitan Area, Jennifer Jackson

Theses : Honours

As the world's population becomes increasingly urbanised, the need for people to see nature on their doorstep is becoming more appealing. The city of Perth (Western Australia) has large areas of bushland that have been reserved as conservation estate, and therefore are only minimally modified by urban development. But while many of these urban bushland reserves contribute highly to biodiversity in the form of vegetation, vertebrate surveys have indicated a low diversity of fauna. These areas have the potential to function in a more complete manner as nature reserves with significant conservation value by supporting populations of native animals which …

Influence Of The Pacific Decadal Oscillation On The Climate Of The Sierra Nevada, California And Nevada, Larry Benson, Braddock Linsley, Joe Smoot, Scott Mensing, Steve Lund, Scott Stine, Andre Sarna-Wojcicki

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Mono Lake sediments have recorded five major oscillations in the hydrologic balance between A.D. 1700 and 1941. These oscillations can be correlated with tree-ring-based oscillations in Sierra Nevada snowpack. Comparison of a tree-ring-based reconstruction of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) index (D’Arrigo et al., 2001) with a coral-based reconstruction of Subtropical South Pacific sea-surface temperature (Linsley et al., 2000) indicates a high degree of correlation between the two records during the past 300 yr. This suggests that the PDO has been a pan-Pacific phenomena for at least the past few hundred years. Major oscillations in the hydrologic balance of the …

Aeolian Cliff-Top Deposits And Buried Soils In The White River Badlands, South Dakota, Usa, J. Elmo Rawling Iii, Glen G. Fredlund, Shannon Mahan

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Aeolian deposits in the North American Great Plains are important sources of Holocene palaeoenvironmental records. Although there are extensive studies on loess and dune records in the region, little is known about records in aeolian cliff-top deposits. These are common on table (mesa) edges in the White River Badlands. These sediments typically have loam and sandy-loam textures with dominantly very fine sand, 0.5–1% organic carbon and 0.5–5% CaCO₃. Some of these aeolian deposits are atypically coarse and contain granules and fine pebbles. Buried soils within these deposits are weakly developed with A-C and A-AC-C profiles. Beneath these are …

Quaternary Loess-Paleosol Sequences As Examples Of Climate-Driven Sedimentary Extremes, Daniel R. Muhs, E. Arthur Bettis Iii

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Loess is a widespread, wind-transported, silt-dominated deposit that contains geologic archives of atmospheric circulation and paleoclimate on continents. Loess may cover as much as 10% of the Earth’s land surface. It is composed mainly of quartz, feldspars, and clay minerals, with varying amounts of carbonate minerals. The geochemistry of loess differs from region to region, depending on source materials, but all loess is very high in SiO2 with lesser amounts of other major elements. Trends in loess downwind from source areas include systematic decreases in thickness and amounts of sand and coarse silt, and increases in amounts of fine silt …

Quantifying Ecosystem Geomorphology Of The Southern Appalachian Mountains, Scott R. Abella

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

Geomorphology is a dominant factor influencing vegetation distribution in the southern Appalachians, and quantifying landform characteristics is increasingly important for forest ecosystem classification. This study used slope gradient and two previously published geomorphic indices, terrain shape index and landform index that quantify landform shape and protection, to develop a field-based landform quantification system at four study areas in the southern Appalachians. Six major landform types (ridgetops, nose slopes, linear hillslopes, coves, stream ravines, and stream bottoms) exhibited quantitatively different characteristics, and these differences among landforms were not evident when using only categorical landform descriptions (e.g., convex, concave) that have been …

Water Resources Year In Review - Winter 2003, Annis Water Resource Institute

AWRI Reviews

No abstract provided.

Developing A Conceptual System Model For Ecological Integrity Planning In The Greater Kluane Region, Yukon, Brent Heyward Parker

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Understanding the complexity and ecological organization of protected area ecosystems, and their bioregional surroundings, is fundamental to maintaining their integrity. This research set out to integrate the bodies of systems and hierarchy theory to establish a framework for developing a conceptual model that would synthesize knowledge from diverse fields and identify key system processes, thereby providing new insight into ecosystem organization, function, and integrity. This understanding was then applied to planning for ecological integrity in the Canadian National Parks context through a case study of Kluane National Park and Reserve (KNP&R) within the Greater Kluane Region (GKR). The methodology characterized …

The Ceres-Rice Model-Based Estimates Of Potential Monsoon Season Rainfed Rice Productivity In Bangladesh, Rezaul Mahmood, Mark Meo, David R. Legates, Mark L. Morrissey

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Agricultural practices in Bangladesh are largely dependent on the monsoonal rainfall. Historically, Bangladesh often experiences severe droughts and floods during the monsoon months, with significant crop losses during both extreme conditions. This article provides a quantitative assessment of potential monsoon-season aman rice for four transplanting dates: 1 June, 1 July, 15 July, and 15 August. A crop-growth simulation model, the CERES-Rice, is applied to sixteen locations representing major rice-growing regions of Bangladesh to determine baseline yield estimates for four transplanting dates. The applications were conducted for 1975 through 1987. Average potential yield in Bangladesh is 6,907, 5,039, 3,637, and 1,762 …

Investigating The Urban Heat Island Effect With A Collaborative Inquiry Project, Linda Acha George, William G. Becker

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Modification of the earth's surface through urbanization can have a dramatic impact on local climate. A phenomenon known as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, which is a measure of the near-surface air temperature contrast between urbanized and adjoining rural areas, can be evaluated with readily available instruments. Students in an undergraduate general education science course study this phenomenon in the Portland, Oregon area through a collaborative research project. This inquiry project includes background content and literature review, preliminary studies, development of research questions, experimental design and implementation, data analysis and report writing. This project successfully enables students to collaboratively …

Surface Water Pesticide Contamination In The Upper Terrebonne Basin Of Louisiana, John S. Walther

LSU Master's Theses

Triazine herbicides are the most heavily used pesticides in the United States. Atrazine and Simazine are the primary triazine herbicides used for broadleaf weed control in the production of corn, sugarcane, and sorghum. Recent monitoring studies of surface waters in the Upper Terrebonne Basin of Louisiana indicate elevated amounts of triazines are running off fields and entering drinking water supplies. Atrazine has been classified as a possible carcinogen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Recent epidemiological studies have revealed increases in breast cancer and pre-term births following exposure to triazines at levels detected in drinking water. Non-point source pollution …

Self-Sufficiency Ecological Stress And Rural Poverty In Kibwezi Division Kenya, James Fitzsimmons

Honors Capstones

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

The John Muir Newsletter, Winter 2002/2003, The John Muir Center For Environmental Studies

Muir Center Newsletters (1981-2015)

University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA Volume 18, Number l Wri\ - 102/0.3 (6 Go TO theMountatns! " Helen Hunt Jackson bv Bonnie Johanna Gisel • I—4 elen Hunt Jackson, poet, author oiA Century of JL -L. Dishonor: A Sketch of the United States Government's Dealings with Some of the Indian Tribes (1881) and Ramona: A Story (1884), and Special Commissioner to the "Mission Indians" of southern California (1883), wrote to her friend Jeanne C. Carr and to John Muir in 1885. She was seeking a place in the mountains of California where she could rest and recover from an …

Historical Changes In Mid-Water Stands Of Common Reed In The Winnebago Pool Lakes, Wisconsin, Anthony O. Gabriel, Leo R. Bodensteiner

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Despite the tolerance of common reed grass to environmental extremes, mid-water stands in the Winnebago pool lakes of central Wisconsin appear to be diminishing. Formerly occupying shoreline locations, water level manipulations subsequent to dam construction beginning in the 1850's have isolated reed stands off shore. These stands have persisted but casual observations indicate that stand size has been declining. To address this perception we obtained an approximately decadal series of aerial photographs dating back to 1937 for four stands in Lake Poygan. Annual records were available for 1986–94. Using image analysis software, we determined shape and size metrics. Changes in …

Breeding Bird Community Response To Vegetation Succession In Hardwood Shelterwood Cuts In The Virginia Piedmont, Pamela Coleman

Theses & Honors Papers

Population declines of many Neotropical migrant bird species (NTMs) in parts or all of their North American breeding ranges have prompted concern regarding the conservation of these species. Many NTMs have specific habitat requirements and are thus negatively affected by habitat alteration. In eastern North America, habitats have changed significantly since European settlement and those changes have had different impacts on different suites of breeding birds. Forest birds are frequently identified as species particularly sensitive to habitat changes though, more recently,marked declines of shrubland or early successional songbirds have raised concern. My goal was to examine the effects of a …

Attracting Arctic Foxes To Relocate A Gull Colony At Keflavik International Airport (Poster), Pall Hersteinsson, Gundmundur Orn Jonsson

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 4th (2002)

The Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) colony at Keflavik International Airport has grown from around 1,000 pairs in 1975 to over 20,000 pairs in the early 1990s and to around 30,000 pairs in 2000. The colony is considered a serious hazard to both military and civil air traffic. The population of arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus), the only predator in Iceland capable of preying on these gulls, was very small in this area from the late 1950s until the mid-1980s. A decade ago we noted that the location of the colony had shifted away from an arctic …

Americanizing Sustainability: Place-Based Approaches To The Global Challenge, Timothy Beatley, Richard C. Collins

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

No abstract provided.

Red Rock Desert Learning Center & Wild Horse And Burro Facility: Oliver Ranch Feasibility Study, Yosemite National Institutes

Oliver Ranch Project

Yosemite National Institutes, a private, non-profit national environmental education leader, has been running successful residential science programs in national parks for 30 years in partnership with the National Park Service. The mission of YNI is to provide educational adventures in nature's classroom to inspire a personal connection to the natural world and responsible actions to sustain it. Early in 2000 in Las Vegas, a new organization, the Outside Las Vegas Foundation (OLVF), was forming. The OLVF is dedicated to preserving the federal public lands surrounding Las Vegas, enriching the experience of its visitors, enhancing the quality of life for local …

Water Current, Volume 34, No. 4. August 2002

Water Current Newsletter

• Summer Tour Attracts More Than 80 by Steve Ress

• From the Director

• Meet the Faculty

• We All Live Within One System by Mary Harding

• Has the Time Come To Look at Urban Stormwater Differently? By Glenn D. Johnson

• Mapping Groundwater Recharge for Nebraska

• Nebraska Water Marketing Policy Choices by J. David Aiken

• Water News Briefs

• A Union of Festibal of Color and Gardener’s Gala by Steve Ress

Impact Of Irrigation On Midsummer Surface Fluxes And Temperature Under Dry Synoptic Conditions: A Regional Atmospheric Model Study Of The U.S. High Plains, Jimmy O. Adegoke, Roger A. Pielke Sr., J. Eastman, Rezaul Mahmood, Kenneth G. Hubbard

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The impact of irrigation on the surface energy budget in the U.S. high plains is investigated. Four 15-day simulations were conducted: one using a 1997 satellite-derived estimate of farmland acreage under irrigation in Nebraska (control run), two using the Olson Global Ecosystem (OGE) vegetation dataset (OGE wet run and OGE dry run), and the fourth with the Kuchler vegetation dataset (natural vegetation run) as lower boundary conditions in the Colorado State University Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS). In the control and OGE wet simulations, the topsoil in the irrigated locations, up to a depth of 0.2 m, was saturated at …

The Probe, Issue 223 – July/August 2002

The Probe: Newsletter of the National Animal Damage Control Association

• Suburban Invasion! By Wildlife? -- Michelle L. Shuey, Southwest Texas State University
• What are the health risks of consuming meat from deer or elk infected with Chronic Wasting Disease ?
• The 68th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference is set for March 26-30, 2003, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Book Review: Living in the Shadows: How to Help the Stray Cat in Your Life (Without Adding to the Problem) by Ann K. Fisher.--“I was impressed with her chapter on taming feral cats. It would certainly take a dedicated soul to put that much work into taming …

Monitoring Of Air Quality In Abu-Dhabi City 1998-2001, Fatima Yahya Abdullah Ahmed Al-Aidrous

Theses

Documentation of air pollution and sources in the emirate of Abu Dhabi has never been reviewed in terms of its effect on health. No research by means of a population-based study has been conducted in order to define the important epidemiological characteristics of air pollution in human health. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the levels of air pollutants in the environment of Abu Dhabi Emirate, and the effects of air pollution on human health. Additionally, a comprehensive time-series analysis was performed on the air quality data for a period of four years (1998-2001)

The study was undertaken …

Water Policy And Cultural Exchange: Transferring Lessons From Around The World To The Western United States, James L. Wescoat

Allocating and Managing Water for a Sustainable Future: Lessons from Around the World (Summer Conference, June 11-14)

27 pages.

Contains references (pages 19-27).

Agenda: Allocating And Managing Water For A Sustainable Future: Lessons From Around The World, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Allocating and Managing Water for a Sustainable Future: Lessons from Around the World (Summer Conference, June 11-14)

1 v. (various pagings) ; 30 cm

Includes bibliographical references

Conference speakers included University of Colorado School of Law professors David H. Getches, Douglas S. Kenney and Lakshman D. Guruswamy

The conference will begin with a full day of free public lectures, featuring approximately 60 presentations from water experts in the U.S. and abroad. The following three days, open to conference registrants only, will feature in-depth discussions examining the use of markets and policy processes in water allocation; mechanisms for integrating environmental, cultural, and other values in water regimes; and conflicts and cooperative efforts associated with transboundary water resources. The …