Digital Commons Network^™

New York Botanical Garden Internship: From Photography To Policy, Christine Willeford

Student Theses 2001-2013

No abstract provided.

Interview With Judy Combs, Kaiser Permanente, 2010 (Audio), Judy Combs

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Judy Combs by Nazer Frias at Clackamas, Oregon on May 17th, 2010.

The interview index is available for download.

The Homestead: Revisited, Christopher William Kramer

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This paper discusses ideas for harmony on 100 acres in mid-eastern New York. Problems leading to this research include the depletion of resources from irresponsible energy use and profit-driven industrial agriculture; dependency on fossil fuels and centralized energy; and lack of connection between people within communities, with their environment, and with sources of food and water. It is feared that sustainable, resilience building practices that nourished generations throughout history are being neglected. This specific application provides depth and concreteness to the discussion and planning process. Resources including books, maps, reports, and periodicals were integrated to select the site and plan …

Time To Get Real: A Food Assessment Of Dining At Pomona College, Samantha Meyer

Pomona Senior Theses

Pomona College is an institution deeply committed to sustainability and student well being; however these commitments are not reflected in the College’s food purchases. Before this study, an assessment of purchasing had not been conducted at Pomona College. Using the Real Food Calculator – a metric designed to evaluate food purchasing at academic institutions – I tracked all food purchased by one of the College’s dining halls over the course of one month. Each food item was assessed based on the potential health concerns of its ingredients and whether the item was locally produced, ecologically sound and/or humane to determine …

A Study Of The Sustainability Of Wild Capture Salmon In The Pacific Northwest, Justin D. Hansen

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Conservation Biology Of The Diamondback Terrapin In North America, Amanda Hackney

All Theses

Reptiles are experiencing global declines and pond turtles (Emydidae) are particularly vulnerable. The diamondback terrapin uses multiple habitats to fulfill its life history requirements, in the estuarine environments of the Gulf Coast and Atlantic states (US). Interacting effects of coastal development, overharvesting, abandoned crabbing gear, road mortality, climate change, and nest predation are likely causing population declines throughout its distribution. Protection levels were assessed by referencing each state's Wildlife Action Plan for the species' Conservation Status Ranking Code. At least 7 federal laws directly or indirectly regulate take, wetland, and/or coastal activities (Lacey Act, CWA, FWCA, NAWCA, WPFPA, CBRA, NEPA). …

Mobility Of Plutonium In Zea Mays (Corn): Determination Of Transport Velocities, Spatial Distribution And Correlations With Iron., Shannon Thompson

All Dissertations

Understanding the environmental behavior of plutonium (Pu) is essential for proper radioactive waste disposal or for remedial activities following an accidental release of Pu. The environmental behavior of Pu is influenced by physical, chemical, and biotic factors, such as the simultaneous existence of multiple Pu species, redox transformations at mineral surfaces, colloid formation, and the potential of microbes and plants to affect its sorption to soil. Plant Pu studies have been conducted for quantifying bioaccumulation or phytoremediation. Until now, experimental studies have not focused on the capacity of plants to affect the transport behavior and distribution of Pu in the …

Maternal Effects In Transmission Of Self-Medicative Behavior From Mother To Offspring In Sheep, Udita Sanga

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mammals begin learning food preferences in utero and maternally mediated influences early in life help offspring develop their feeding habits. Mammals also learn by individual experience to ingest medicinal compounds such as polyethylene glycol (PEG), which attenuates the negative post-ingestive effects of tannins, a group of potentially toxic plant secondary compounds. The objective of this study was to investigate the transmission of acquired self-medicative behavior from mother to offspring using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a medicine to relieve malaise caused by tannins. I hypothesized that: 1) mothers trained to associate the beneficial effects of PEG while consuming tannins will pass …

Influence Of Canopy Cover, Nutrients, And Season On Stoichiometric Variation Of Epilithon In Neotropical Streams., Tyler J. Kohler

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Light and nutrient availability are strong factors determining the nutrient composition of epilithon in temperate stream ecosystems. However, little work has been performed regarding this association in tropical streams. In our study, we investigated 1) how gradients of canopy cover and nutrients and 2) wet/dry seasonality influence epilithon standing stocks and nutrient quality. We surveyed 18 stream locations within six watersheds that varied in nutrient and light conditions during both the wet and dry seasons on the island of Trinidad to test these questions. Additionally, we sampled four stream reaches bimonthly for three years, thinning the canopy of two of …

Sustainable Portland: Implementation Series 3, New England Environmental Finance Center

Climate Change

This report is the third in a series of efforts by students at the Muskie School of Public Service, Community Planning and Development Master’s program, in a core class called “Sustainable Communities.” In this course students seek to understand principles of sustainability and how efforts to implement Sustainability programs can become more successful. The report assembles term papers students completed on particular efforts by municipalities, universities, and other groups to achieve sustainability goals. Students worked on each project in a service learning format with real world clients. They were asked to fashion their papers around lessons learned by other organizations …

Rural Tree Decline In Tasmania’S Midlands: Stand Structure, Substrate Geology, And Carbon Content Analysis, Claire Superak

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The once densely forested dry sclerophyll landscapes of the Midlands of Tasmania are now characterized by vast spans of agricultural pasture with intermittent dead and ailing eucalypt trees. This landscape changing phenomenon, rural tree dieback, has come into the focus of a collaborative research team at the University of Tasmania sponsored by the nonprofit organization, Greening Australia. Through the efforts of this team of scientists of diverse backgrounds, Greening Australia aims to create an ecologically viable reforestation plan for the Midlands.

I conducted a pilot study focusing on a 400 ha plot within the Dennistoun Farm property in Bothwell, Tasmania …

Droughtscape, Spring 2010, Kelly Smith

DroughtScape: Quarterly Newsletter of the National Drought Mitigation Center (2007–2023)

NDMC and NC Drought Council Team Up

Drought to Intensify in Northwest and Hawaii

International Work

Impacts Recorded in Hawaii and Western States

U.S. Drought Monitor Archives Enhanced

Low-Water Impact Surveys Completed

K-12 Drought Outreach

European Starling Preferences For Bait Substrates Used In Drc-1339 Applications, H. Jeffrey Usda-Aphis-Wildlife Services, George M. Linz, Scott F. Beckerman, Anthony Duffiney, Thomas Halstead

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Additional bait substrates for the avicide, DRC-1339 Concentrate (3-chloro-4- methylaniline hydrochloride), could provide USDA/Wildlife Services with more flexibility when managing nuisance populations of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) at livestock facilities. From January 11 to 21, 2008, we conducted 11 2-choice preference tests with 6 bait types at a feedlot in central Kansas. The baits included cracked corn mixed with lard (2 concentrations), 2 forms of distiller’s grain (wet powder and pellets), 2 types of livestock feed (calf-starter pellet and sweet-feed mix), and a custom-produced poultry pellet (carrier pellet) made by USDA specifically for baiting starlings. We evaluated bait …

Cellulosic Ethanol: The Benefits, Obstacles, And Implications For Nebraska, Cassidee Lin Thompson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Abstract Ethanol is a biofuel that has unique capabilities to mitigate global climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously supporting rural economies and decreasing the United States’ dependence on foreign oil. Currently, the state of Nebraska depends on corn ethanol, which may be unsustainable. Cellulosic ethanol is a promising alternative but it is not without its problems, including high production costs and potential environmental damage. This thesis is an attempt to understand the benefits, downfalls, and processes of corn-based and cellulosic ethanol and the potential implications to Nebraska. This research should shed some light on the current obstacles …

Scwds Briefs: Volume 27, Number 1 (April 2010), Gary L. Doster , Editor, Scwds Briefs, Michael J. Yabsley

Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study: Publications

White Nose Syndrome Update

Respiratory Disease in Gopher Tortoises

Feral Hog Information

Frogs and Salmonella

Feral Cats and Wildlife

The Early Worm Gets the Bird

TB in Elephants

Accolades

Visitation To Cottonseed Storage Sites By Feral Swine And Evidence Of Gossypol Exposure, Tyler A. Campbell, Sarah Bullock, David B. Long, David G. Hewitt, Michael Dowd

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Texas ranks first in U.S. cotton production, and southern Texas is a major region of production within the state. Within Kleberg County, for example, approximately 16,147 ha are planted in cotton annually, yielding approximately 68,200 bales, or 15,467 metric tons, of cotton (U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] 2009). Cotton producers have discovered new uses for cotton ginned by-products, such as hydro-mulch (Holt et al. 2005) used as a protein supplement for range livestock (DelCurto et al. 2000) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; Cooper 2006). Because of this, much of the materials are temporarily stored for later use.

The Effects Of Ornamentation On Wolf Spider Foraging, Mari Pesek

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

ABSTRACT: As a secondary sexual trait that can increase reproductive success, ornamentation is believed to be costly for organisms to acquire and possess. This study investigates possible costs of ornamentation on wolf spider foraging by comparing foraging abilities of two male forms that differ in ornamentation upon maturation. The two male forms, found syntopically in a mixed population in Mississippi, USA, resemble two sibling species: Schizocosa ocreata, in which males develop large black brushes on their forelegs upon maturation, and Schizocosa rovneri, in which males lack ornamentation following maturation. Individuals of both forms participated in foraging trials as penultimates (juveniles) …

Limnological Assistance For Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Quarterly Report, Period Ending March 30, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1

• Technical assistance with the implementation of the Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP) for Quagga Mussels is ongoing. Three sampling events took place this quarter and analysis of all samples (fall 2009 – spring 2010) is underway.

• Two graduate students are undergoing necessary training for the two small-scale research projects funded by this task agreement. Sampling is anticipated to begin in June 2010.

• The quarterly Interagency Quagga Mussel Meeting was held in March 2010.

Project 2

• Protocols relevant to the Long-term Limnological Aquatic Resource Monitoring and Research Plan (Plan) for Lakes Mead and Mohave have …

Kentucky River Watershed Watch: A Summary Of Volunteer Water Quality Sampling Efforts In The Kentucky River Basin From 1999 To 2009, Malissa Mcalister, Madhu Akasapu, Ben Albritton, Lindell Ormsbee, Dan Carey

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.

Interview With Bernard Smith, Full Of Life Farms, 2010 (Audio), Bernard Smith

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Bernard Smith by Kyle Dykstra on February 28th, 2010.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Katy Kolker, Portland Fruit Tree Project, 2010 (Audio), Katy Kolker

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Katy Kolker by Dan Stillinger in Portland, Oregon on February 27th, 2010.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Allejandro Tecum, Adelante Mujeres, 2010 (Audio), Allejandro Tecum

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Allejandro Tecum by Adam Villareal at Forest Grove, Oregon on February 25th, 2010.

The interview index is available for download.

Climate Change Response Strategy, Anne Bennett

Bulletins 4000 -

Climate change and policies introduced to reduce emissions will affect the agricultural sector and will lead to social and economic outcomes.

In addressing the Western Australian Government's priority plan for the agriculture and food sector, the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia has a number of roles it can play to assist industry to adapt and respond to climate change.

This document provides a balanced and coordinated strategic direction for climate change activities by identifying and prioritising key actions to be achieved over the next five years. The strategy is split into four chapters: emissions abatement, carbon sinks, adapting …

Non-Destructive Estimation Pigment Content Ripening Quality And Damage In Apple Fruit With Spectral Reflectance In The Visible Range, Alexei E. Solovchenko, Olga B. Chivkunova, Anatoly A. Gitelson, Mark N. Merzlyak

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Modern non-destructive optical-reflectance-based techniques for estimation of pigment (chlorophyll, carotenoid, anthocyanin, and flavonol) contents, the rate of on- and off-tree ripening as well as for detection of common physiological disorders, such as sunscald, superficial scald, and water core, and other damages to apple fruit are an emphasis on the methods developed by the authors. The basic spectral features of fruit reflectance in the visible and near infra-red are briefly considered together with their implications for the development of algorithms for non-destructive pigment content assessment. The use of reflectance spectroscopy for estimating chlorophyll and carotenoid content as well as carotenoid/chlorophyll ratio …

2010 Interior Least Tern And Piping Plover Monitoring, Research, Management, And Outreach Report For The Lower Platte River, Nebraska, Mary Bomberger Brown, Joel G. Jorgensen

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

This document reports on our monitoring, research, management, and outreach activities during the past 12 months (2010). We prepared it to inform our partners, cooperating agencies, funding sources, and other interested parties of our activities and to provide a preliminary summary of our results.

The Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership (TPCP), based at the University of Nebraska–School of Natural Resources, and the Nongame Bird Program (NBP), based at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) work cooperatively on Interior Least Tern and Piping Plover monitoring, research, management, and outreach activities. While the focus of our work is the Lower Platte, …

Landscape Assessment Of A Stable Aspen Community In Southern Utah, Usa, Paul C. Rogers, A. Joshua Leffler, R. Ryel

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Recent reports of rapid die-off of aspen (Populus tremuloides), coupled with vigorous debate over longterm reduction of aspen cover in western North America, has prompted considerable research given the importance of this forest type for economic and non-economic interests. Despite this interest, indicators of aspen conditions are poorly understood, and there is a lack of systematic monitoring of stable aspen landscapes. Stable aspen are defined here as being predominantly aspen overstorey (>80% basal area) with little or no conifer regeneration. We examined a putative stable aspen landscape in southern Utah and addressed (1) stand structure and (2) indicators of …

Ua12/13 2010 Sustainability Report [Western Kentucky University], Wku Office Of Sustainability

Sustainability Publications and Resources

As I reflect on the past year, I am filled with pride and hope by our progress in becoming a more sustainable WKU. The milestones are significant: completion of our first building for which we will seek LEED certification, sustainability included as a core commitment in the WKU Strategic Guide for 2010-2012 and a Resolution for Education for Sustainability adopted, the first Education for Sustainability faculty retreat, the Energy Savings Performance Contract project initiated and nearly completed, and WKU included in the Princeton Review’s Guide to 286 Green Colleges. These are but a few of the accomplishments made in 2010. …

Environmental Assessment: Adobe Town-Salt Wells Creek Herd Management Area Complex Wild Horse Gather, U.S. Bureau Of Land Management

Environmental Assessments (WY)

To analyze the environmental effects of wild horse gather operations and potential population control methods (including fertility control treatment and sex ration adjustment) in order to achieve and maintain the established appropriate management levels for the Adobe Town and Salt Wells Creek Herd Management Areas.

Interactions Among Top-Down Regulators In A Temperate Forest Floor Ecosystem;Effects On Macrofauna, Mesofauna, Microbes And Litter Decay, Cari-Ann M. Hickerson

ETD Archive

High species diversity and complexity of forest-floor food webs present a challenge for understanding the role of species interactions (e.g. competition and predation) as regulatory mechanisms for ecosystem processes such as decomposition and nutrient cycling. In particular, we understand very little about the roles of forest-floor predators in regulating diversity and abundance of lower trophic levels and ecosystem processes. However, ecological theory and several studies suggest that interactions among intraguild predators (IGP) may be important controls of diversity and abundance of organisms and detritus in lower trophic levels within food webs. A key prediction is that interactions among predators weaken …

Foraging Effort Of Juvenile Steller Sea Lions Eumetopias Jubatus With Respect To Heterogeneity Of Sea Surface Temperature, Michelle E. Lander, Thomas R. Loughlin, Miles G. Logsdon, Glenn R. Vanblaricom, Brian Fadely

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Among many other factors, the decline of the western distinct population segment of Steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus in Alaska (USA) has been attributed to changes in the distribution or abundance of prey due to the cumulative effects of fisheries and large-scale climate change. However, the depletion of localized prey resources due to small-scale environmental variability and perturbations may be impeding recovery, resulting in the need to understand how the environment currently affects this species on smaller spatial and temporal scales. The objective of this study, there-fore, was to assess how Steller sea lions respond to changes in localized environmental …