Digital Commons Network^™

Tree Canopy Effect On Grass And Grass/Legume Mixtures In Eastern Nebraska, Michael El. L. Perry, Walter H. Schacht, Gregory A. Ruark, James R. Brandle

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

A study to determine the feasibility of producing forage for grazing livestock under trees was conducted as a step toward evaluating the potential for silvopasture systems in the northern and central Great Plains. The effects of overstory leaf area index (LAI), percentage understory light transmittance (LT), and soil moisture (SM) on yield and crude protein (CP) of big bluestem [Andropogon gerardii Vitman; (BB)], smooth bromegrass [ Bromus inermis Leyss.; (SB)], and mixtures with birdsfoot trefoil [ Lotus corniculatus L.; (BFT)] were examined. The study was conducted in both Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and green ash (Fraxinus …

The Burden Of Fetching Water: Using Caloric Expenditure As An Indicator Of Access To Safe Drinking Water—A Case Study From Xieng Khouang Province, Lao Pdr, Jeff La Frenierre

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Millennium Development Goals measure ‘access to improved drinking water’ using an indicator that defines access as the presence of an improved water source within 1 kilometer of a person’s dwelling. This purely linear measurement has significant shortcomings, including a lack of consideration for the difficulty of the terrain being traversed and the weight of the loads being carried. This paper examines in detail the human energy costs associated with fetching water, first using two Lao villages as case studies, then applying a predictive energy expenditure model to measure the potential caloric effect of variations in the age and gender …

Birth-Intervals And Sex Composition Of Western Gray Whales Summering Off Sakhalin Island, Russia, David W. Weller, Amanda L. Bradford, Aimée R. Lang, Robert L. Brownell Jr., Alexander M. Burdin

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Determining the birth-interval at which reproductive females produce calves is an indispensable component of studies on the population biology of large whales. In theory, shorter birth-intervals will result in a faster rate of population increase. Therefore, estimating this reproductive parameter is particularly important for modeling exercises designed to project the potential growth of a given population and, in the case of endangered populations, their ability to recover from a depleted state (e.g. Cooke et al., 2008). While a number of inherent biases exist with respect to determination of birth-intervals for baleen whales (Barlow and Clapham, 1997), dedicated sampling efforts and …

Whole Foods: Renewable Energy Credits, Green Business, And Capitalist Approaches To Climate Change, Samantha Kanofsky

Pomona Senior Theses

Dedication. Acknowledgements. Preface. Chapter 1: Introduction. Chapter 2: Green Business and Carbon Offsetting. Chapter 3A: Case Study. Chapter 3B: Interview. Chapter 4: Case Study. Chapter 5: Conclusion. Bibliography.

Substrate Monitoring, Contaminant Monitoring, And Educational Outreach On Quagga Mussels (Dreissena Bugensis) In Lake Mead, Nevada, Sara Ann Mueting

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The invasive species, the quagga mussel, Dreissena bugensis, was found in Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona, USA on January 6, 2007. Since then, researchers have been attempting to quantify the amount of damage these mussels will cause to the lower Colorado River basin. Three projects were implemented in this thesis to research the quagga mussel in Lake Mead. First, a study to determine which types of substrates quagga mussels will grow on preferentially was conducted. Six different substrates, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) plastic, Concrete Underlayment Board (CUB), aluminum, stainless steel and fiberglass, were placed in the Boulder …

Improving Success Of Translocating Southern Idaho Ground Squirrels (Spermophilus Endemicus), Katie Lea Busscher

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Populations of the southern Idaho ground squirrel (Spermophilus endemicus; SIDGS), a federally listed candidate species, have declined in the last 30 years mainly because of habitat degredation, loss, and fragmentation. As a management tool, translocation is commonly used to augment, establish, or re-establish wildlife populations, although translocation has historically not been the most successful conservation strategy for species that are threatened or endangered animals as a result of habitat loss. I employed various techniques to improve translocation success of southern Idaho ground squirrels. To establish new populations, I relocated SIDGS to areas within their native range not already occupied by …

Nitrogen Transport, Transformation And Cycling Through A Mountain Lake, Bull Trout Lake, Idaho, Usa, Ryan Settle Lockwood

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effects of a mountain lake on nitrogen dynamics in a sub-alpine watershed were examined via watershed monitoring, mesocosm experiments, microcosm experiments, and enzymatic assays during spring and summer of a single year. Our study addressed the questions: (1) How does hydrologic transport through the lake affect the net fluxes of dissolved nitrogen (N) species? (2) What are the net effects of the littoral zone biota on dissolved N fluxes? (3) What are the seston and benthic uptake rates of nitrate? (4) What is the magnitude of N retention in littoral zone sediments? (5) What role does microbial hydrolysis of …

An Analysis Of The Environmental And Hormonal Effects On The Growth And Development Of The Moss Ceratodon Purpureus, Megan Knight

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Ceratodon has not been documented in scientific literature as thoroughly as other species of moss such as Funaria or Tortula. Commonly known as fire moss or purple horned moss, Ceratodon is often reddish or yellow-brown and the spore capsules are usually purple (Crum, 1983). A picture of the species growing in its natural habitat is shown in Figure 4. Ceratodon often grows in tufts and is considered a weed, often thriving in polluted or disturbed areas and frequently invading after a fire (Crum 1983). Ceratodon belongs to the class Bryopsida, which also contains the previously mentioned Funaria and Tortula species. …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 84, No. 43, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. Articles:

• Howerton, Christina. Board of Regents to Vote on Additional Costs for Course Hours Exceeding 15
• Moore, Josh. Western to Submit 6-Year Capital Plan to the State – Construction
• Simpson, Mandy. Taking On Water – Concrete Canoe, Engineering
• Barczak, Mary. Student Government Association Senate Has Yet to Spend Its Full Budget
• Ulber, Emily. Scholarship Honors Former Psychology Student – Jesse Keeling
• Moore, Josh. Student Housing Renewals Rise – Housing & Resident Life
• Erskine, Anne. Editorial Cartoon re: Vending Machine
• Don’ Approve Price Gouging – Tuition
• Harten, David. I Want …

The Efficacy Of Climate Change Projects In Samoa: Evaluating Community-Based Adaptation Initiatives, Marisa Chock

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines the efficacy of community-based climate change adaptation projects in Samoa, comparing evaluations conducted by agencies responsible for the projects to the opinions of the community involved. Specific projects with community-centered missions and methods are compared across different environmental agencies in Samoa, including the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The research examines how closely the implementation of each project matches its initial goals, how the success of implementation and community involvement is measured by the agency and whether evaluative tools were used …

Guardians Of The Grassland: A Qualitative Assessment Of The Success Of Community-Based Wildlife Conservation In Mongolia’S Eastern Steppe, Alexandra Sprague

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Community-based conservation is a newer type of conservation that includes people in the ecosystem and attempts to simultaneously promote development and conservation. One organization in Mongolia that is facilitating the implementation of community-based conservation is the Wildlife Conservation Society. Their goal is:

My research questions concerning this NGO’s project are: what are the perceived benefits and problems with CBC? What makes it successful and how can it be improved? My location of study was the easternmost aimags of Mongolia, Dornod and Sukhbaatar. I spent 1 week travelling to 9 of the WCS’s 13 active herder communities asking their opinions about …

Alaska Marine Mammal Stock Assessments, 2008, R. P. Angliss, B. M. Allen

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

This report provides information on the marine mammal stocks of Alaska under the jurisdiction of the National Marine Fisheries Service. Each stock assessment includes, when available, a description of the stock’s geographic range, a minimum population estimate, current population trends, current and maximum net productivity rates, optimum sustainable population levels and allowable removal levels, and estimates of annual human-caused mortality and serious injury through interactions with commercial fisheries and subsistence hunters. These data will be used to evaluate the progress of each fishery towards achieving the MMPA’s goal of zero fishery-related mortality and serious injury of marine mammals. The Stock …

Scwds Briefs: Volume 25, Number 1 (April 2009), Gary L. Doster , Editor, Scwds Briefs, Michael J. Yabsley

Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study: Publications

Table of Contents:

USDA Seeks Comments on New CWD Rule

Some of the Intricacies of CWD

3rd International CWD Symposium

White Nose Syndrome Update

Wildlife Poisoning in Kansas

Salmonellosis in Your Backyard

Trichomonosis in Songbirds

Dr. Al Franzmann

Staff & Student Recognition

House Cats As Predators In The Australian Environment: Impacts And Management, Christopher R. Dickman

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This paper provides an overview of the predatory activities of the house cat (Felis catus) in Australia, focusing principally on the interactions of domestic and stray cats with native species of prey. Like their free-living, or feral, counterparts, domestic cats take a broad range of prey, with small mammals, birds, and human-derived foods forming the bulk of the diet. Domestic and stray cats have contributed to declines of suburban populations of eastern barred bandicoots (Perameles gunnii) and superb lyrebirds (Menura novaehollandiae) in Victoria, Australia. The effects of cats on prey communities remain speculative. In …

Mangrove-Exported Nutrient Incorporation By Sessile Coral Reef Invertebrates, Elise F. Granek, Jana E. Compton, Donald L. Phillips

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Coastal mangrove forests were historically considered as a source of organic matter (OM) for adjacent marine systems due to high net primary production; yet recent research suggesting little uptake through the food web because of low nutritional quality, challenges the concept of trophic linkage between mangrove forests and coral reefs. To examine the importance of mangrove forests to coral reef nutrient availability, we examined sessile reef-forming invertebrate consumers including hard corals, sponges, a bivalve mollusc, polychaete annelid and tunicate, and potential sources of OM (decaying mangrove leaves, microalgae, macroalgae, and seagrass) in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Using stable isotope analyses …

Droughtscape, Spring 2009, Kelly Smith

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

U.S. Drought Monitor Publishes Map 500!

Weakening La Niña May Mean Relief for Texas

Upcoming Workshops

Drought Impacts Worst in California, Texas

CoCoRaHS to Request Drought Impact Data, Too

NDMC Adds Researcher

K-12 Students Learn About Drought

Gently Modified Operations: How Environmental Concerns Addressed Through Customs Procedures Can Successfully Resolve The Us-Eu Gmo Dispute, David E. Sella-Villa

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

No abstract provided.

Volume 02, Joseph A. Mann, Kathryn J. Greenly, Scott E. Jenkins, Andrew E. Puckette, Daniel M. Honey, Jeffery P. Ravenhorst, Jamie Elizabeth Mesrobian, Thomas Scott, Jay Crowell, Sarah Spangenberg, Amy S. Eason, Kenny Wolfe, Liz Hale, Rachel Bouchard, Will Semonco, Carley York, Ryan Higgenbothom, Adrienne Heinbaugh, Melissa Dorton, Madeline Hunter, June Ashmore, Clark Barkley, Jay Haley

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction from Dean Dr. Charles Ross

Mike's Nite: New Jazz for an Old Instrument by Joseph A. Mann

Investigation of the use of Cucumis Sativus for Remediation Of Chromium from Contaminated Environmental Matrices: An Interdisciplinary Instrumental Analysis Project by Kathryn J. Greenly, Scott E. Jenkins, and Andrew E. Puckette

Development of GC-MS and Chemometric Methods for the Analysis of Accelerants in Arson Cases by Scott Jenkins

Building and Measuring Scalable Computing Systems by Daniel M. Honey and Jeffery P. Ravenhorst

Nomini Hall: A Case Study in the Use of Archival Resources as Guides for Excavation at An Archaeological Site by …

Vegetation, Environmental Characteristics, And Their Relationships: Variation Within The Annually Flooded Riparian Zones Of The John Day River Basin, Oregon, Samuel J. Hartsfield

Dissertations and Theses

I hypothesized that vegetation and physical environmental characteristics would differ between the upper and lower extents of the annually flooded riparian zone on the John Day River, and that relationships between species and environmental variables would display differences between these two zones. Vegetation, environmental variables, and relationships between them were assessed for the entire annually flooded riparian zone, and for the proposed upper and lower zones. Data were collected from 60 one-square-meter quadrats: 30 in each the upper and lower zones. Sites were randomly selected and located so that flood duration was roughly equal at all sites within each zone. …

Indiana Wildlife Disease News, Volume 4, Issue 1 – February 2009

Indiana Wildlife Disease News

Inside this issue:
• Starvation and malnutrition in deer
• New test at ADDL can test for starvation and/or malnutrition in wildlife
• Avian Influenza symposium at the University of Georgia
• White-nose syndrome update
• WBII Information Node
• New Test at ADDL
• Int. Symposium on AI
• Steve Hooser Bio
• Upcoming Wildlife Disease Conf.
• NBII Information Node
• Midwest Wildlife Disease Update

Measuring The Effects Of Food Carbon Footprint Training On Consumer Knowledge, Transfer Intentions, And Environmental Self-Efficacy, Wayne Wakeland, Lindsay Sears, Kumar Venkat

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

The supply chains through which foods are produced, processed, and transported can have a significant impact on the environment in terms of the carbon dioxide (CO2) that is emitted during each of these phases; however, little research has incorporated information about environmental impact into supply chain scenarios. Moreover, many consumers are unaware of how their food choices may impact the environment in this way. To fill these gaps, a tool called CarbonScope was developed to show consumers the CO2 emissions associated with different food types and food transportation scenarios. A short training was designed that walks participants through various food …

Improvements In Life Cycle Energy Efficiency And Greenhouse Gas Emissions Of Corn-Ethanol, Adam J. Liska, Haishun S. Yang, Virgil R. Bremer, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Daniel T. Walters, Galen Erickson, Kenneth G. Cassman

Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research: Publications

Abstract
Corn-ethanol production is expanding rapidly with the adoption of improved technologies to increase energy efficiency and profitability in crop production, ethanol conversion, and coproduct use. Life cycle assessment can evaluate the impact of these changes on environmental performance metrics. To this end, we analyzed the life cycles of corn-ethanol systems accounting for the majority of U.S. capacity to estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy efficiencies on the basis of updated values for crop management and yields, biorefinery operation, and coproduct utilization. Direct-effect GHG emissions were estimated to be equivalent to a 48% to 59% reduction compared to gasoline, …

Nutrient Uptake And Mineralization During Leaf Decay In Streams – A Model Simulation, J. R. Webster, J. D. Newbold, Steven A. Thomas, P. J. Mulholland

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

We developed a stoichiometrically explicit computer model to examine how heterotrophic uptake of nutrients and microbial mineralization occurring during the decay of leaves in streams may be important in modifying nutrient concentrations. The simulations showed that microbial uptake can substantially decrease stream nutrient concentrations during the initial phases of decomposition, while mineralization may produce increases in concentrations during later stages of decomposition. The simulations also showed that initial nutrient content of the leaves can affect the stream nutrient concentration dynamics and determine whether nitrogen or phosphorus is the limiting nutrient. Finally, the simulations suggest a net retention (uptake > mineralization) of …

Nondestructive Estimation Of Anthocyanin Content In Grapevine Leaves, Mark R. Steele, Anatoly A. Gitelson, Donald C. Rundquist, Mark N. Merzlyak

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The anthocyanin (Anth) content in leaves provides valuable information about the physiological status of plants. Thus, there is a need for accurate, efficient, practical methodologies to estimate this biochemical parameter. Reflectance measurement is a means of quickly and nondestructively assessing leaf Anth content in situ. The objective of this study was to test the overall performance and accuracy of nondestructive techniques for estimating Anth content in grapevine leaves. Relationships were established between Anth content and four vegetation indices: NIR (near-infrared)/green, red/green, anthocyanin reflectance index (ARI, based on reflectances in bands within the green and the red-edge regions), and a modified …

Variability Of Anaerobic Animal Waste Lagoon Delta15N Source Signatures, Sadayappan Mariappan, Mary Exner Spalding, Glen E. Martin, Roy F. Spalding

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

High ammonium-N concentrations derived from animal wastes stored and partially treated in earthen anaerobic lagoons at confined feeding facilities can seep to groundwater. δ¹⁵N-NH₄⁺ values from +2.0 to +59.1‰ in 13 lagoons complicate identification of lagoon seepage as well as land-applied lagoon effluent in ground and surface waters. The spectrum of δ¹⁵N values requires site-specific isotope characterization of the potential source. Feed and fresh manure and urine δ¹⁵N values indicate that most N isotopic fractionation occurs after excretion. Lagoon management clearly affects enrichment. δ¹⁵N-total Kjeldahl N (TKN) and δ^{15 …}

2009 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 (2009). 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 education-outreach activities. While the proximate focus of our work is the Lower …

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of The Lower Murchison River Area, Western Australia, P Hennig

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of the lower Murchison River area, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 2002 and 2003, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. This survey report presents …

Beyond Gdp: The Need For New Measures Of Progress, Robert Costanza, Maureen Hart, John Talberth, Stephen Posner

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

This paper is a call for better indicators of human well-being in nations around the world. We critique the inappropriate use of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a measure of national well-being, something for which it was never designed. We also question the idea that economic growth is always synonymous with improved well-being. Useful measures of progress and well-being must be measures of the degree to which society?s goals (i.e., to sustainably provide basic human needs for food, shelter, freedom, participation, etc.) are met, rather than measures of the mere volume of marketed economic activity, which is only one means …

An Hsus Report: The Implications Of Farm Animal-Based Bioenergy Production, The Humane Society Of The United States

Impact of Animal Agriculture

As the current and potential impacts of climate change become more evident and increasingly urgent, entities such as governments, corporations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are seeking out non-fossil fuelbased sources of energy to mitigate those effects. In addition, many governments are investigating ways to promote their own domestic energy sources as a result of rising oil prices. Bioenergy—made from recently living organic matter, such as plants, agricultural waste and crop residue, meat processing wastes, or farmed animals’ fats and manure—has quickly become one of the fastest growing, and controversial, alternative energy sources. Globally, production of biofuels, generally used for transport, …

Scwds Briefs: Volume 24, Number 4 (January 2009), Gary L. Doster , Editor, Scwds Briefs, Michael J. Yabsley

Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study: Publications

Table of Contents:

HD in 2007: A Year to Remember

Ecology of AIV in Shorebirds

New USDA Brucellosis Proposal

TWS Seeks Comments on Draft Lead Policy

Unusual Eagle Death

New SCWDS Grad Students

Tennessee Director Retiring

3rd International CWD Symposium

Another SCWDS Student Award