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Nrel: A Year In Clean Energy Innovations: A Review Of Nrel's Feature Stories, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Publications (E)

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the nation’s primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development.

NREL’s mission and strategy are focused on advancing the U.S. Department of Energy’s and our nation’s energy goals. The laboratory’s scientists and researchers support critical market objectives to accelerate research from scientific innovations to market-viable alternative energy solutions. At the core of this strategic direction are NREL’s research and technology development competencies. These areas span from understanding renewable resources for energy, to the conversion of these resources to renewable electricity and fuels, and ultimately to the use of renewable electricity …

Protected Areas And Climate Change In Canada: Challenges And Opportunities For Adaptation, Christopher J. Lemieux, Thomas J. Beechey, Daniel J. Scott, Paul A. Gray

Geography and Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of Duck And Ring-Necked Pheasant Nest Survival And Nest Density In Relation To Patch Size And Landscape Variables In Eastern South Dakota, Keith J. Fisk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Grassland ecosystems in South Dakota have experienced significant transformations over the last 100 years. Landscapes are currently dominated by large agricultural fields interspersed with small, isolated grassland patches. These isolated grassland patches are hypothesized to experience decreased nest survival rates for ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) and dabbling duck species due to small size and high degrees of fragmentation. Several natural resource agencies currently conserve grasslands throughout eastern South Dakota, but wildlife managers seek more information on how the size and spatial arrangement of grasslands affect targeted conservation strategies. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to: (1) evaluate the relationship …

What Are The Causes, Consequences And Correctives Of Fish Contamination In The Detroit River Aoc That Cause Health Consumption Advisories? (Final Report, Michigan Sea Grant Michu-T-10-001), Donna R. Kashian, Ken G. Drouillard, D. Haffner, Ann E. Krause, Z Liu, Larissa Sano

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

Using an Integrated Assessment (IA) framework, we consolidated and utilized existing data from the Detroit River to develop models that both identify possible drivers of elevated fish contaminant body burdens, and to facilitate a more risk-based approach of tissue trigger-levels for consumption advisories. This integrated assessment approach was particularly useful for consumption advisories as it provided the ability to integrate and organize complex data in a manner that can help inform management decisions. In addition, the IA framework explicitly fosters collaboration and participation of multiple interested groups. We have capitalized on this component of IAs, by seeking the active participation …

Applying Geographic Information Systems To Support Strategic Environmental Assessment: Opportunities And Limitations In The Context Of Irish Land-Use Plans, Ainhoa Gonzalez, Alan Gilmer, Ronan Foley, John Sweeney, John Fry

Articles

The strengthening of spatial database infrastructures, further promoted by the INSPIRE Directive adopted in 2007, has led to an increased use of spatial data in planning and decision-making. Given that land-use plans are intrinsically spatial, such evidence and approaches can significantly benefit plan-making. A spatial framework could especially support the specific Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) aspects of the plan-making process. Spatial tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are particularly well-placed to support the environmental integration sought in SEA by providing evidence through the spatial assessment of multiple environmental datasets. Moreover, GIS bring the opportunity to augment conventional assessment techniques …

Building Capacity For Sustainability Through Curricular And Faculty Development: A Learning Outcomes Approach, Jennifer H. Allen, Jeffrey J. Gerwing, Leslie G. Mcbride

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Portland State University has made integration of sustainability across its academic programs an institutional priority. This article describes the strategies that have been used to engage faculty in developing sustainability curricula, including adopting sustainability as one of eight campus-wide learning outcomes, incorporating sustainability into the general education program, providing faculty development, and developing a Graduate Certificate in Sustainability. The article shares lessons learned and next steps planned to advance Portland State's sustainability curricula.

Refuge Update – January/February 2010, Volume 7, Number 1

RefugeUpdate (USFWS-NWRS)

Table of Contents:
Encouraging Kids to Look Closely A falconer and a Friend connect young people with nature. Page 5
FOCUS: Citizen Science Citizens of all ages engage with refuges by collecting data about buds and birds or raising turtle hatchlings. Pages 8 to 13
Protected Stopovers Help Restore Shorebirds Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, MA, plays a key role in researching and restoring red knots. Page 16
Leaders on the Move Relocation. Incentives. Motivations. Page 18

A Modelling Approach To Evaluate Potential Management Actions Designed To Increase Growth Of White Perch In A High-Density Population, Christopher J. Chizinski, Kevin L. Pope, G.R. Wilde

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

A deterministic, age-structured population model was developed to simulate potential management scenarios designed to increase growth of individuals (quantified by maximum length) in a hypothetical population of white perch, Morone americana (Gmelin). Four scenarios were developed that included non-selective mortality of adult white perch, increased mortality of age groups most influential on population growth, increased age-0 mortality and inhibiting recruitment after spawning. The greatest increase in maximum length occurred with nonselective adult mortality when population biomass was reduced by 97%; lesser increases in maximum length were achieved with the other management scenarios. Populations returned to their original state after control …

Nisc Newsletter: September 2010

National Invasive Species Council

Invasive Species In the News

Great Lakes: White House Names Asian Carp Czar (Paul Quinlan)

Experts testify in 5-state carp lawsuit

Snails seized at Dulles Airport

International News

National Invasive Species Strategy for Mexico

NISC Agencies News

Friends of Wild Amphibians

Federal/State News

Restoration for Aleutian Seabirds Brings New Life to Refuge “Rat” Island

Wasps Wage War on Behalf of Wiliwili Trees

Special Event!!

Winds of Change: Great Lakes, Great Oceans, Great Communities

Conferences

Nisc Newsletter: June-July 2010

National Invasive Species Council

Invasive Species In The News

Asian Carp Discovered Near Lake Michigan

International News

New: CBD - Subsidiary Body for Science, Technology and Technological Assistance (SBSTTA) meeting in Nairobi, Kenya

UK: Exploring Fish Invasion

Follow the money: wealth, population are key drivers of invasive species

NISC Agencies News

EPA

Climate Change Indicator Report

USDA

USDA/APHIS PPQ Moratorium for Biological Control of Saltcedar (Tamarix species) using the bilological control agent Diorhabda Spe-cies (Coleoptera: Chrytsomelidae)

APHIS

Risk Assessment of the Movement of Fire-wood within the United States

DOI

National Park Service

DOC

NOAA

State News

Research Project: Developing a Regional Risk-Assessment Model for …

Nisc Newsletter- Special Issue: September 2010

National Invasive Species Council

Invasive Species Employment Opportunity

Below is summary information supporting two vacancy announcements and e-mail links for a full-time Biologist (Invasive Species, GS -401-11) working for the USFWS - Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office in Honolulu, Hawaii. The vacancy announcements (one for merit promotion and a second for open competition) will close on 15 September. This position will specialize on aquatic invasive species (30% time) issues in addition to broader, regional invasive species and disease issues (70% time).

Recent Regulation Changes Regarding Invasive Species In Mexico And The Development Of Mexico’S National Strategy On Invasive Species, Francisco Abarca

National Invasive Species Council

Between November 2008 and February 2010, Mexico made several modifications to existing environmental and wildlife regulations regarding invasive species.

On November 2008, the Deputy Chamber made several modifications to the Ecological Equilibrium and Environmental Protection General Law (LGEEPA by its Spanish acronym; equivalent to NEPA), and the Wildlife General Law. These modifications were published in the Federal Register until February 2010.

The intent of these modifications was to strengthen existing regulations by incorporating more specific language dealing with invasive species and make these regulations more in tune with other regulations outside of the wildlife arena, such as the Forestry, …

Methods For Assessing Fish Populations, Kevin L. Pope, Steve E. Lochmann, Michael K. Young

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Fisheries managers are likely to assess fish populations at some point during the fisheries management process. Managers that follow the fisheries management process (see Chapter 5) might find their knowledge base insufficient during the steps of problem identification or management action and must assess a population before appropriate actions can be taken. Managers will implement some type of assessment during the evaluation step as a means of measuring progress relative to objectives. Choosing how to assess a population is an important decision because managers strive to maximize their knowledge of a population while minimizing the time and money expended to …

Wetland Program Plan For Nebraska, Ted Lagrange

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

The State of Nebraska plans to continue to implement its wetland program over the next three calendar years (2011-2013). In 2011, Nebraska will undertake an intensification study to assess the condition of its wetlands in 10 different wetland complexes. The State will use this information to improve our understanding of baseline wetland conditions, and to prioritize wetland restoration and protection activities. Nebraska will continue to work in partnership with landowners, agencies, and organizations to restore and protect 9,000 acres of wetlands. The priorities for the restoration and protection will be determined by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the …

2010 Nebraska Water Monitoring Programs Report, Marty Link

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality: Reports

The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) is charged with monitoring, assessing, and to the extent possible, managing the state’s water resources. The purpose of this work is to protect and maintain good quality water and encourage or execute activities to improve poor water quality. Monitoring is done on the over 18,000 miles of flowing rivers and streams, our greater than 280,000 acres of surface water in lakes and reservoirs, and the vast storage of groundwater in Nebraska’s aquifers.

Geographic Variation Of Persistent Organic Pollutant Levels In Humpback Whale (Megaptera Novaeangliae) Feeding Areas Of The North Pacific And North Atlantic, Cristiane T. Elfes, Glenn R. Vanblaricom, Daryle Boyd, John Calambokidis, Phillip J. Clapham, Ronald W. Pearce, Jooke Robbins, Juan Carlos Salinas, Janice M. Straley, Paul R. Wade, Margaret M. Krahn

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Seasonal feeding behavior and high fidelity to feeding areas allow humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) to be used as biological indicators of regional contamination. Biopsy blubber samples from male individuals (n=67) were collected through SPLASH, a multinational research project, in eight North Pacific feeding grounds. Additional male samples (n=20) were collected from one North Atlantic feeding ground. Persistent organic pollutants were measured in the samples and used to assess contaminant distribution in the study areas. North Atlantic (Gulf of Maine) whales were more contaminated than North Pacific whales, showing the highest levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers …

History And Fate Of A Small Isolated Population Of Weddell Seals At White Island, Antarctica, Thomas S. Gelatt, Corey S. Davis, Ian Stirling, Donald B. Siniff, Curtis Strobeck, Isabelle Delisle

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii Lesson) at White Island, Antarctica form a small, completely enclosed, natural population hypothesized to be of recent origin, likely founded by individuals from nearby Erebus Bay. This population constitutes an ideal model to document a founder event and ensuing genetic drift, with implications for conservation. Here we combined historical accounts, census and tagging data since the late 1960s, and genetic data (41 microsatellite loci and mitochondrial DNA sequences) from 84 individuals representing nearly all individuals present between 1990 and 2000 to investigate the history of the founding of the White Island population, document its population …

Adverse Outcome Pathways And Ecological Risk Assessment: Bridging To Population-Level Effects, Vincent J. Kramer, Matthew A. Etterson, Markus Hecker, Cheryl A. Murphy, Guritno Roesijadi, Daniel J. Spade, Julann A. Spromberg, Magnus Wang, Gerald T. Ankley

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Maintaining the viability of populations of plants and animals is a key focus for environmental regulation. Population-level responses integrate the cumulative effects of chemical stressors on individuals as those individuals interact with and are affected by their conspecifics, competitors, predators, prey, habitat, and other biotic and abiotic factors. Models of population-level effects of contaminants can integrate information from lower levels of biological organization and feed that information into higher-level community and ecosystem models. As individual-level endpoints are used to predict population responses, this requires that biological responses at lower levels of organization be translated into a form that is usable …

Hierarchical Bayesian Spatial Models For Multispecies Conservation Planning And Monitoring, Carlos Carroll, Devin S. Johnson, Jeffrey R. Dunk, William J. Zielinski

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Biologists who develop and apply habitat models are often familiar with the statistical challenges posed by their data’s spatial structure but are unsure of whether the use of complex spatial models will increase the utility of model results in planning. We compared the relative performance of nonspatial and hierarchical Bayesian spatial models for three vertebrate and invertebrate taxa of conservation concern (Church’s sideband snails [Monadenia churchi], red tree voles [Arborimus longicaudus], and Pacific fishers [Martes pennanti pacifica]) that provide examples of a range of distributional extents and dispersal abilities. We used presence–absence data derived from regional monitoring programs to develop …

Hydrological Connectivity For Riverine Fish: Measurement Challenges And Research Opportunities, A. H. Fullerton, K. M. Burnett, E. A. Steel, R. L. Flitcroft, G. R. Pess, B. E. Feist, C. E. Torgersen, D. J. Miller, B. L. Sanderson

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

1. In this review,we first summarize how hydrologic connectivity has been studied for riverine fish capable of moving long distances, and then identify research opportunities that have clear conservation significance. Migratory species, such as anadromous salmonids, are good model organisms for understanding ecological connectivity in rivers because the spatial scale over which movements occur among freshwater habitats is large enough to be easily observed with available techniques; they are often economically or culturally valuable with habitats that can be easily fragmented by human activities; and they integrate landscape conditions from multiple surrounding catchment(s) with in-river conditions. Studies have focussed on …

Meridional Patterns In The Deep Scattering Layers And Top Predator Distribution In The Central Equatorial Pacific, Elliott L. Hazen, David W. Johnston

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

The deep scattering layers (DSL) in the central equatorial Pacific form an important prey resource in a relatively oligotrophic habitat. In March of 2006, we used a calibrated 38-kHz SIMRAD EK60 scientific sonar to assess the spatial distribution of the deep scattering layer relative to broad-scale oceanographic features and fine-scale physical and biological measurements. We conducted a single continuous transect from approximately 10°S to 20°N at 170°W while measuring acoustic backscatter, current velocity and direction, temperature, salinity, oxygen, and fluorescence with depth, coincident with marine mammal occurrence. These data were combined with remotely sensed sea surface height, chlorophyll, and sea …

Water Current, Volume 42, No. 1, Winter 2010

Water Current Newsletter

Meet the Faculty (Tala Awada and Cody Knutson)
Above Average Precipitation Causes Groundwater Level Rises
$3.1 million NSF Grant Funds Innovative Grad Education Program
From the Interim Director: Getting a Feel for the Job With Lots Ahead for the Water Center
Free Water and Resources Lectures Continue
Planning Continues for Platte Basin Tour
October River Basins Symposium and Law Conference
Feds Mull Regulating Drugs in Water
Sediments and Emerging Contaminants: On the Menu and in the Air
Watching Water Consumption
Improved Site Adds New Features
Featured Partner: Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership
Wastewater Treatment Education Helps Protect Nebraska’s Water Resources …

The Impact Of Conservation On The Status Of The World's Vertebrates, Michael Hoffmann, Craig Hilton-Taylor, Ariadne Angulo, Monika Böhm, Thomas M. Brooks, Stuart H. M. Butchart, Kent E. Carpenter, Janice Chanson, Beth A. Polidoro, Jonnell C. Sanciangco

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Using data for 25,780 species categorized on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, we present an assessment of the status of the world's vertebrates. One-fifth of species are classified as Threatened, and we show that this figure is increasing: On average, 52 species of mammals, birds, and amphibians move one category closer to extinction each year. However, this overall pattern conceals the impact of conservation successes, and we show that the rate of deterioration would have been at least one-fifth again as much in the absence of these. Nonetheless, current conservation efforts remain insufficient to offset the …

Micro-Environment And Plant Assemblage Structure On Virginia's Barrier Island "Pimple" Dunes, Brett A. Mcmillan, Frank P. Day

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

“Pimple” dunes are small, rounded coastal dunes that form along major dune ridges of the barrier islands along the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Although most pimple dunes are small structures ranging between 10 and 20 m in diameter, they have distinct plant assemblages that replicate the upland ecotones of their barrier islands. We examined the relationship between microenvironment, edaphic factors, and plant assemblage structure on pimple dunes. Water availability was an obvious major ecological driver, but we also tested other environmental factors that may correlate with plant assemblage structure. We found distinct assemblage types that segregated themselves by habitat type: …

Spatial And Temporal Variation In Otolith Chemistry For Tautog (Tautoga Onitis) In Narragansett Bay And Rhode Island Coastal Ponds, Ivan Mateo, Edward G. Durbin, David A. Bengtson, Richard Kingsley, Peter K. Swart, Daisy Durant

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

The elemental composition of otoliths may provide valuable information for establishing connectivity between fish nursery grounds and adult fish populations. Concentrations of Rb, Mg, Ca, Mn, Sr, Na, K, Sr, Pb, and Ba were determined by using solution-based inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in otoliths of young-of-the year tautog (Tautoga onitis) captured in nursery areas along the Rhode Island coast during two consecutive years. Stable oxygen (δ¹⁸O) and carbon (δ¹³C) isotopic ratios in young-of-the year otoliths were also analyzed with isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Chemical signatures differed significantly among the distinct nurseries within Narragansett …

Resource Selection By Elk In An Agro-Forested Landscape Of Northwestern Nebraska, David M. Baasch, Justin W. Fischer, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Andrew J. Tyre, Joshua J. Millspaugh, James W. Merchant, Jerry D. Volesky

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

In recent years, elk have begun recolonizing areas east of the Rocky Mountains that are largely agroforested ecosystems composed of privately owned land where management of elk is an increasing concern due to crop and forage depredation and interspecific disease transmission. We used a Geographic Information System, elk use locations (n = 5013), random locations (n = 25,065), discrete-choice models, and information-theoretic methods to test hypotheses about elk resource selection in an agro-forested landscape located in the Pine Ridge region of northwestern Nebraska, USA. Our objectives were to determine landscape characteristics selected by female elk and identify publicly owned land …

Pursuing Geoengineering For Atmospheric Restoration, James Salzman, Robert B. Jackson

Faculty Scholarship

Geoengineering is fraught with problems, but research on three approaches could lead to the greatest climate benefits with the smallest chance of unintentional environmental harm. The authors propose a model for thinking about geoengineering based on the concept of restoration, suggesting the term “atmospheric restoration.” Under this model geoengineering efforts are prioritized based on three principles: to treat the cause of the disease itself, to reduce the chance of harm, and to prioritize activities with the greatest chance of public acceptance.

Based on these principles, the authors propose three forms of geoengineering that could provide the greatest climate benefits with …

The Potential For Gaseous Biofuels In Ireland, Darren Kenneally

Theses

According to the EU Renewables Directive 2009/28/EC, 20% of the energy across Europe needs to be renewable by 2020. This is inclusive of the energy utilised in the transport sector where 10% of this energy needs to be renewable. In order for Ireland to meet the targets set in the Renewables Directive various changes need to be applied. The utilisation of gaseous biofuels produced from the anaerobic digestion of various feedstocks will aid Ireland in meeting this directive.

In this study biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) and energy crops are analysed as potential feedstocks for the production of biomethane. This biomethane …

Effluent Organic Nitrogen (Eon): Bioavailability And Photochemical And Salinity-Mediated Release, Deborah A. Bronk, Quinn N. Roberts, Marta P. Sanderson, Elizabeth A. Canuel, Patrick G. Hatcher, Rajaa Mesfioui, Katherine C. Filippino, Margaret R. Mulholland, Nancy G. Love

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The goal of this study was to investigate three potential ways that the soluble organic nitrogen (N) fraction of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents, termed effluent organic N (EON), could contribute to coastal eutrophication - direct biological removal, photochemical release of labile compounds, and salinity-mediated release of ammonium (NH₄+). Effluents from two WWTPs were used in the experiments. For the bioassays, EON was added to water from four salinities (∼0 to 30) collected from the James River (VA) in August 2008, and then concentrations of N and phosphorus compounds were measured periodically over 48 h. Bioassay results, based …

Methods In Environmental Biotechnology For Environmentalists, Florentin Smarandache, W.B. Vasantha Kandasamy, S.R. Kannan, S. Ramathilagam

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

The study of environmental pollution by chemicals used in agriculture as pesticide or as fertilizers or pollution caused by industries and chemical plants which use chemicals have not been analysed systematically. This book has five chapters. First chapter is introductory in nature. Here we just study chemical pollution caused by garment industries in chapter two of this book using fuzzy associative memories. In chapter three we give ways to control pollution by improving the system performance using hierarchical genetic fuzzy control algorithm. This study is carried out using the past data reported by Shimada et al (1995). Health hazards suffered …