Digital Commons Network^™

Constructing A Man-Made Oyster Reef In The Little Hellgate Salt Marsh, Randall's Island, New York: A Project Overview, Beryl C. M. Kahn, Howard R. Feldman, Christopher D. Girgenti, Daniel M. Molinaro

Lander College for Women - The Anna Ruth and Mark Hasten School Publications and Research

Atlantic oyster beds provide instrumental estuarine infrastructure, shaping waterways and mediating the impacts of storm surge. In addition, the reefs provide habitat for numerous species. The oysters themselves are expert filter feeders, remediating poor water quality at little cost to the organism. As the free-swimming oyster larvae (spat) only settle on the shells of their forbears, the reefs are essential in perpetuation of the species, as well as for the continuation of such invaluable ecosystem services. Oyster reefs of the New York City waterway system have long been subject to environmental degradation, from water pollution and sedimentation to dredging. Randall’s …

Role Of Low Exposure To Metals As Male Reproductive Toxicants, H. Anna Jeng, Yeou-Lih Huang, Chih-Hong Pan, Norou Diawara

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

The objective of the study was to examine the associations between environmentally relevant low metal concentrations and semen quality parameters in men. The concentrations of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), selenium (Se), and lead (Pb) in the seminal plasma and urine were measured from 196 male human subjects in Taiwan. Urinary Cd concentrations were negatively associated with sperm viability (p=0.006). Seminal plasma Cu concentrations of the normal group (>= 15 x 10(6)/ml) were significantly lower than those of the abnormal group (p=0.023). However, the linear regression analysis showed a weak association between Cu concentration and sperm …

The Coastal Monitor: Vol. 1, No. 1, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

The Center for Environmental Research and Coastal Oceans Monitoring (CERCOM) is a scientific coastal research center and field station dedicated to exploring our global coastal environments and near-shore oceans. CERCOM is the field station support facility for all sciences at Molloy College and services the degree programs of Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Studies, with special attention to a B.S. degree in Earth and Environmental Studies. Located at the West Sayville Boat Basin on the Great South Bay, CERCOM is a 2,500 sq. ft. field station estuarine/ marine science laboratory where environmental monitoring and analysis is conducted 365 days a year.

Great South Bay, Long Island, New York Summer Water Quality Monitoring Program, Cercom, Molloy University, John Tanacredi Ph.D., Sixto E. Portilla

CERCOM Reports

The Center for Environmental Research and Coastal Oceans Monitoring (CERCOM) visits 15 locations in Great South Bay to monitor for dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, salinity, clarity, total and fecal coliforms and temperature. This monitoring program has been conducted for the past 13 years. These parameters are critical in determining long-term water quality conditions in Long Island estuaries. Methodologies for monitoring parameters are provided by the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater 20th Edition (1998). Criteria for determining water quality conditions in marine eco-systems are based on the type of contact (uses) people have with the water system. …

The Impacts Of Climate Change Mitigation Strategies On Animal Welfare, Sara Shields, Geoffrey Orme-Evans

Animal Welfare Collection

The objective of this review is to point out that the global dialog on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in animal agriculture has, thus far, not adequately considered animal welfare in proposed climate change mitigation strategies. Many suggested approaches for reducing emissions, most of which could generally be described as calls for the intensification of production, can have substantial effects on the animals. Given the growing world-wide awareness and concern for animal welfare, many of these approaches are not socially sustainable. This review identifies the main emission abatement strategies in the climate change literature that would negatively affect animal welfare and …

Accuracy Or Precision: Implications Of Sample Design And Methodology On Abundance Estimation, Lucas K. Kowalewski, Christopher J. Chizinski, Larkin A. Powell, Kevin L. Pope, Mark A. Pegg

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Sampling by spatially replicated counts (point-count) is an increasingly popular method of estimating population size of organisms. Challenges exist when sampling by point-count method, and it is often impractical to sample entire area of interest and impossible to detect every individual present. Ecologists encounter logistical limitations that force them to sample either few large-sample units or many small sample-units, introducing biases to sample counts. We generated a computer environment and simulated sampling scenarios to test the role of number of samples, sample unit area, number of organisms, and distribution of organisms in the estimation of population sizes using N-mixture …

Evaluating The Assessment Methodology For The Chlorophyll-A And Secchi Transparency Criteria At Beaver Lake, Arkansas, J. Thad Scott, Brian E. Haggard

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

A Unifying Gravity Framework For Dispersal, E. Jongejans, O. Skarpaas, M. J. Ferrari Et Al.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

2015 Academic Program Review School Of Natural Resources University Of Nebraska–Lincoln

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Phytoremediation Of Metal Contamination Using Salix (Willows), Gordon J. Kersten

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abandoned hardrock mines and the resulting Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) are a source of vast, environmental degradation that are toxic threats to plants, animals, and humans. Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) are metal contaminants often found in AMD. In my mine outwash water samples, cadmium and lead concentrations were 19 and 160 times greater than concentrations in control waterways, and 300 and 40 times greater than EPA Aquatic Life Use water quality standards, respectively. I tested the phytoremediation characteristics of three montane willows native to the Rocky Mountains: Salix drummondiana, S. monticola, and S. planifolia. I tested …

Cures Garden Program - Martha Baldwin, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.

Implementation Of Collaborative Learning As A High-Impact Practice In A Natural Resources Management Section Of Freshman Seminar, Matthew W. Mcbroom, Steven H. Bullard, David Kulhavy, Daniel R. Unger

Faculty Publications

Forestry and environmental science students enrolled in a one credit hour freshman seminar course participated in a land management evaluation and water quality sampling excursion using canoes and water sampling equipment. The purpose of this assessment was to engage students with hands-on, field based education in order to foster connections to their chosen profession and the resource. This culminated in poster symposium of the experience. Broad competency areas for high impact practices in natural resource management were emphasized for learning. Students were engaged in the exercise and commented that the project helped them develop a sense of place and forming …

How Resort Owners And Customers Perceive Ecosystems To Be Affected By Changes In Water Level Regulation In Voyageurs National Park, Lauren M. Meckle

Honors Capstones

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

Continuous 1.3-Million-Year Record Of East African Hydroclimate, And Implications For Patterns Of Evolution And Biodiversity, Robert P. Lyons, Christopher Scholz, Andrew S. Cohen, John W. King, Erik T. Brown, Sarah J. Ivory, Thomas C. Johnson, Alan L. Deino, Peter N. Reinthal, Michael M. Mcglue, Margaret W. Blome

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

The transport of moisture in the tropics is a critical process for the global energy budget and on geologic timescales, has markedly influenced continental landscapes, migratory pathways, and biological evolution. Here we present a continuous, first-of-its-kind 1.3-My record of continental hydroclimate and lake-level variability derived from drill core data from Lake Malawi, East Africa (9–15° S). Over the Quaternary, we observe dramatic shifts in effective moisture, resulting in large-scale changes in one of the world’s largest lakes and most diverse freshwater ecosystems. Results show evidence for 24 lake level drops of more than 200 m during the Late Quaternary, including …

Anthropogenic Impacts As Revealed From Sediment Cores From Punderson Lake Ohio, Ronald A. Van Blarcum

ETD Archive

Sediment core archives provide a history of data useful for serving as a long-term monitoring reserve to evaluate chronological events of contamination to lake systems. This could be an effective tool for continual environmental management, monitoring and potential restoration efforts. This method is also very cost-effective without the addition of a water quality monitoring station on site. Taking 3 sediment cores from Punderson Lake Ohio for analysis has allowed associating variations in select metals to anthropogenic events or activities we can determine a time frame with limited uncertainty and resolve the intensity of anthropogenic contamination to the lake starting with …

Evaluating An Unconfined Aquifer By Analysis Of Age-Dating Tracers In Stream Water, D. K. Solomon, T. E. Gilmore, B. Kimball, D. P. Genereux

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The mean transit time (MTT) is a fundamental property of a groundwater flow system that is strongly related to the ratio of recharge rate to storage volume. However, obtaining samples for estimating the MTT using environmental tracers is problematic as flow-weighted samples over the full spectrum of transit times are needed. Samples collected fromthe base flow of a gaining stream in the North Carolina Coastal Plain (West Bear Creek) that were corrected for exchange with the atmosphere yielded environmental tracer concentrations (SF₆ and CFC-11) very similar to flow-weighted values from nine or ten streambed piezometers that directly sampled groundwater …

Application Of Remote Sensing For Quantifying And Mapping Surface Energy Fluxes In South Central Nebraska: Analyses With Respect To Field Measurements, Vivek Sharma, Suat Irmak, Ayse Kilic, Denis Mutibwa

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Large-scale quantification of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) from various vegetation surfaces can aid in planning, managing, and allocating water resources. Field measurement of surface energy fluxes, including ETc, remains (and should remain) a crucial process for calibration and validation of satellite/remote sensing-based methods, which can provide important supporting information for water balance assessments and for analyzing the spatial distribution of energy fluxes on large scales. The Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) was evaluated in estimating surface energy fluxes in south central Nebraska using Landsat imagery and meteorological data. SEBS-estimated surface energy fluxes were compared to Bowen Ratio Energy Balance System (BREBS) …

A New Design Method For Vanadium Redox Batteries In Renewable Energy Systems, Casey Gibson, Karla G. Morrissey Unversity Of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

This study investigated the behavior of vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs), which are batteries capable of easily switching between charging and discharging modes, making them a suitable option for storing intermittent sources of alternative energies (solar, wind, etc). Since different sizes of the battery provide varying voltages, optimal parameters for a particular home are key for implementation. These parameters, specifically the cell and tank volumes of the battery that are capable of providing consistent on-load voltage, were determined using data from a 13 kW solar array and a medium-sized house. Charge/discharge current values were used to run a mathematical model …

Training Conservation Practitioners To Be Better Decision Makers, Fred Johnson, Mitchell J. Eaton, James H. Williams, Gitte H. Jensen, Jesper Madsen

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Traditional conservation curricula and training typically emphasizes only one part of systematic decision making (i.e., the science), at the expense of preparing conservation practitioners with critical skills in values-setting, working with decision makers and stakeholders, and effective problem framing. In this article we describe how the application of decision science is relevant to conservation problems and suggest how current and future conservation practitioners can be trained to be better decision makers. Though decision-analytic approaches vary considerably, they all involve: (1) properly formulating the decision problem; (2) specifying feasible alternative actions; and (3) selecting criteria for evaluating potential outcomes. Two approaches …

Phosphorus Retention In A Lowland Neotropical Stream Following An Eight-Year Enrichment Experiment, Gaston E. Small, Marcelo Ardón, John H. Duff, Alan P. Jackman, Alonso Ramírez, Frank J. Triska, Catherine M. Pringle

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Human alteration of the global P cycle has led to widespread P loading in freshwater ecosystems. Much research has been devoted to the capacity of wetlands and lakes to serve as long-term sinks for P inputs from the watershed, but we know much less about the potential of headwater streams to serve in this role. We assessed storage and retention of P in biotic and abiotic compartments after an 8-y experimental P addition to a 1st-order stream in a Neotropical wet forest. Sediment P extractions indicated that nearly all P storage was in the form of Fe- and Al-bound P …

Aquatic Pollution Increases Use Of Terrestrial Prey Subsidies By Stream Fish, Johanna M. Kraus, Justin F. Pomeranz, Andrew S. Todd, David M. Walters, Travis S. Schmidt, Richard B. Wanty

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

1. Stream food webs are connected with their riparian zones through cross-ecosystem movements of energy and nutrients. The use and impact of terrestrial subsidies on aquatic consumers is often determined by in situ biomass of aquatic prey. Thus, stressors such as aquatic pollutants that greatly reduce aquatic secondary production could increase the need for and reliance of stream consumers on terrestrial resource subsidies.

2. To test this hypothesis, we surveyed stream fish, their diets, and resource availability in 16 subalpine streams over a regional gradient of trace metals known to strongly impact aquatic insect communities (i.e. fish prey) in …

Investigating Endocrine And Physiological Parameters Of Captive American Kestrels Exposed By Diet To Selected Organophosphate Flame Retardants, Kimberly J. Fernie, Vince Palace, Lisa E. Peters, Nil Basu, Robert J. Letcher, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Sandra L. Schultz, Rebecca S. Lazarus, Barnett A. Rattner

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Organophosphate triesters are high production volume

additive flame retardants (OPFRs) and plasticizers. Shown to accumulate

in abiotic and biotic environmental compartments, little is known about the

risks they pose. Captive adult male American kestrels (Falco sparverius) were

fed the same dose (22 ng OPFR/g kestrel/d) daily (21 d) of tris(2-

butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP), tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP),

tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP), or tris(1,2-dichloro-2-propyl)

phosphate (TDCIPP). Concentrations were undetected in tissues (renal,

hepatic), suggesting rapid metabolism. There were no changes in glutathione

status, indicators of hepatic oxidative status, or the cholinergic system (i.e.,

cerebrum, plasma cholinesterases; cerebrum muscarinic, nicotinic receptors).

Modest …

Use Of Terrestrial Field Studies In The Derivation Of Bioaccumulation Potential Of Chemicals, Nico W. Van Den Brink, Jennifer A. Arblaster, Sarah R. Bowman, Jason M. Conder, John E. Elliott, Mark S. Johnson, Derek C.G. Muir, Tiago Natal-Da-Luz, Barnett A. Rattner, Bradley E. Sample, Richard F. Shore

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Field-based studies are an essential component of research addressing the behavior of organic chemicals, and a unique line of evidence that can be used to assess bioaccumulation potential in chemical registration programs and aid in development of associated laboratory and modeling efforts. To aid scientific and regulatory discourse on the application of terrestrial field data in this manner, this article provides practical recommendations regarding the generation and interpretation of terrestrial field data. Currently, biota-to-soil-accumulation factors (BSAFs), biomagnification factors (BMFs), and bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) are the most suitable bioaccumulation metrics that are applicable to bioaccumulation assessment evaluations and able to be …

Estimating Relative Sea-Level Rise And Submergence Potential At A Coastal Wetland, Donald R. Cahoon

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

A tide gauge records a combined signal of the vertical change (positive or negative) in the level of both the sea and the land to which the gauge is affixed; or relative sealevel change, which is typically referred to as relative sea-level rise (RSLR). Complicating this situation, coastal wetlands exhibit dynamic surface elevation change (both positive and negative), as revealed by surface elevation table (SET) measurements, that is not recorded at tide gauges. Because the usefulness of RSLR is in the ability to tie the change in sea level to the local topography, it is important that RSLR be calculated …

Traditional Medicine Usage And The Transmission Of Traditional Ecological Knowledge In Three Villages Near Phnom Kulen National Park, Kayla N. Deur

Environmental Studies / Environmental Science Student Scholarship

Traditional ecological knowledge refers to knowledge regarding the relationships between humans and the natural environment. This knowledge and skill set is acquired by local and indigenous peoples through generations of direct contact with the environment, and is often shared in an intergenerational pattern of verbal retelling and instruction. Traditional medicine is one component of traditional ecological knowledge, and this paper outlines the investigation of traditional medicine usage and the transmission of such knowledge in three villages near Phnom Kulen National Park in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The study was conducted through semi-structured interviews at homes that were both randomly and purposively …

Morphology And Niche Partitioning Of Fish Assemblage In The Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve - A Case Study Of The Prek Toal Core Area, Lan Thi Ngoc Nguyen

Environmental Studies / Environmental Science Student Scholarship

A morphological approach provides vital information on community structure and ecological adjustments among different species that occupy in the same habitat. The coexistence of competing species in a diverse community results in niche partitioning in order to increase stabilization. Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve, one of the world’s most productive inland wetlands is a tropical river ecosystem so dynamic that supports high biodiversity, especially fish population. This study tests the relationship between morphology and niche partitioning to understand the coexistence of diverse fish assemblages in the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve. By measuring 31 morphological variables and gathering ecological data of the …

A Mixed-Methods Approach To Assessing Success In Transitioning Water Management Institutions: A Case Study Of The Platte River Basin, Nebraska, Christina Hoffman Babbitt, Mark E. Burbach, Lisa Pennisi

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

To address increasing conflicts between surface water and groundwater users, the state of Nebraska has adopted a more localized and integrated approach in managing water resources. Integrated approaches offer promise in better managing connected water resources within the state; however, little review of the potential benefits and/or challenges of these actions has been conducted. This case study uses both qualitative and quantitative data collection efforts to take an in-depth look at how this new and innovative management system is working through the eyes of stakeholders living and working in the basin. Data collection reveals that overall the current water management …

Predictions Of Future Ephemeral Springtime Waterbird Stopover Habitat Availability Under Global Change, Daniel R. Uden, Craig R. Allen, Andrew A. Bishop, Roger Grosse, Christopher F. Jorgensen, Theodore G. Lagrange, Randy G. Stutheit, Mark P. Vrtiska

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

In the present period of rapid, worldwide change in climate and landuse (i.e., global change), successful biodiversity conservation warrants proactive management responses, especially for long-distance migratory species. However, the development and implementation of management strategies can be impeded by high levels of uncertainty and low levels of control over potentially impactful future events and their effects. Scenario planning and modeling are useful tools for expanding perspectives and informing decisions under these conditions. We coupled scenario planning and statistical modeling to explain and predict playa wetland inundation (i.e., presence/absence of water) and ponded area (i.e., extent of water) in the Rainwater …

The Importance Of Scaling For Detecting Community Patterns: Success And Failure In Assemblages Of Introduced Species, Craig R. Allen, David G. Angeler, Michael P. Moulton, Crawford S. Holling

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Community saturation can help to explain why biological invasions fail. However, previous research has documented inconsistent relationships between failed invasions (i.e., an invasive species colonizes but goes extinct) and the number of species present in the invaded community. We use data from bird communities of the Hawaiian island of Oahu, which supports a community of 38 successfully established introduced birds and where 37 species were introduced but went extinct (failed invasions). We develop a modified approach to evaluate the effects of community saturation on invasion failure. Our method accounts (1) for the number of species present (NSP) when the species …

Sustainability And Economic Analysis Of Propylene Carbonate And Polypropylene Carbonate Production Processes Using Co2 And Propylene Oxide, Yaşar Demirel

Yaşar Demirel Publications

Currently, the industrially important polycarbonates are synthesized from bisphenol A and diphenyl carbonate, which are highly toxic and hence other feasible alternatives are preferable. Following the considerable advances on the catalyst for the synthesis of carbonates from CO₂ and propylene oxide (PO), industrial scale processes for the productions of propylene carbonate (PC) and polypropylene carbonate (PPC) have been designed and simulated with sustainability and economic analyses. The CO₂ is supplied by a nearby bioethanol plant, while the PO from a petrochemical process. The first part of the study is for the production of 200 million lb/year cyclic PC …