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Water Current, Volume 38, No. 1. Winter 2006

Water Current Newsletter

Contents

• Third Annual Water Law, Policy and Science Conference to Nebraska City’s Lied Lodge in May by Steve Ress

• Monitoring and Stocking Pallid Sturgeon by Mark Drobish

• From the Director

• Meet the Faculty

• UNL Monitoring Program Records Persistent Groundwater Declines by Steve Ress

• UNL Assists State With Research and Survey Work by Steve Ress

• UNL Spring Water and Natural Resources Lectures Continue Through April 19

• Public Policy Center Works With Communities For Development and Safe Drinking Water by Steve Ress

• Saving Recreation Water in McConaughy Might Offset Irrigation, Power Losses by …

Fisheries Research Report No. 153 - A 12-Month Survey Of Recreational Fishing In The Pilbara Region Of Western Australia During 1999-2000, P C. Williamson, Neil R. Sumner, B E. Malseed

Fisheries Research Reports

A 12-month creel survey of recreational boat-based and shore-based fishing in the Pilbara region (Onslow to Broome inclusive) of Western Australia was conducted between December 1999 and November 2000. During the survey 3,085 boat crews were interviewed at public boat ramps when they returned from their fishing trips. Patrols conducted along the coastline interviewed 73 groups of boat-based fishers and 569 groups of shore-based fishers at fishing locations and camp sites.

The total annual recreational fishing effort for the Pilbara region was estimated to be 201,000 fisher days (95%CI: 193,000 – 210,000). This comprised 109,000 fisher days by boats launched …

Feral Pigs In Queensland - Distribution, Ecology And Impact

Other Publications in Wildlife Management

Domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) were introduced to Australia by early settlers. Subsequent accidental and deliberate releases resulted in the wild (feral) population establishing throughout Australia. Feral pigs damage crops, stock and property, spread weeds and transmit diseases such as Leptospirosis and Foot and Mouth. They also cause environmental damage, digging up large areas of native vegetation and spreading weeds.

Feral pigs are declared Class 2 pests under Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002. Declaration requires landholders to control declared pest on the land under their control. A local government may serve a notice …

Linking Ecology And Economics For Ecosystem Management, Stephen Farber, Robert Costanza, Daniel L. Childers, Jon Erickson, Katherine Gross, Morgan Grove, Charles S. Hopkinson, James Kahn, Stephanie Pincetl, Austin Troy, Paige Warren, Matthew Wilson

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

This article outlines an approach, based on ecosystem services, for assessing the trade-offs inherent in managing humans embedded in ecological systems. Evaluating these trade-offs requires an understanding of the biophysical magnitudes of the changes in ecosystem services that result from human actions, and of the impact of these changes on human welfare.We summarize the state of the art of ecosystem services?based management and the information needs for applying it. Three case studies of Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites?coastal, urban, and agricultural? illustrate the usefulness, information needs, quantification possibilities, and methods for this approach. One example of the application of …

Sustainable Development And National Security, Sanford E. Gaines

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

No abstract provided.

Restructuring America's Government To Create Sustainable Development, Jeffrey Rudd

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

No abstract provided.

Innovative Solutions To Human–Wildlife Conflicts

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Contents

Introduction
Developing Methods
Bird Research Program
Mammal Research Program
Product Development Research Program
Program Support
Wildlife Disease Research Program
Providing Wildlife Services
National Support
International Cooperation
Valuing and Investing in People
2005 Publication Awards
Supporting Student Research
Enhancing Information and Communication
Information Services
Seminars
Meetings, Workshops, and Conference Presentations
Publications

New Directions In Conservation For The National Wildlife Refuge System, Robert L. Fischman, Vicky J. Meretsky, James R. Karr, Daniel M. Ashe, Michael Scott, Reed F. Noss, Richard L. Schroeder

Articles by Maurer Faculty

The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 includes the nation’s broadest statutory commitment to ecosystem protection: to “ensure that the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health of the system are maintained.” The act also directs the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to expand the scope of conservation monitoring, assessment, and management beyond refuge boundaries to encompass surrounding landscapes. The act thus gives the FWS a leadership role in developing research and management partnerships with other agencies, organizations, and neighboring landowners. Increasing research capacity and scientific expertise, and strengthening institutional resolve to limit activities that impede the attainment …

Development Of Environmentally Benign Microencapsulation With Polymer Microspheres And Liposomes, Baohua Yue

Dissertations

Microencapsulation means applying a shell-like coating to encapsulate the contents of interest in a particle form with a size range of few micrometers or below. In this work, aqueous liposome systems and polymer based encapsulation of fine particles in supercritical CO₂ were studied. Compared to many other microencapsulation methods, these two methodologies feature reduction/prevention of using organic solvents, making them particularly attractive as green technology.

For polymer microencapsulation, a novel in situ polymerization based process to encapsulate various types of fine particles, include drugs, fire retardant, inorganic nanoparticles, and carbon nanotubes, was developed. In the process, host particles, monomers …

Environmental Justice Education And Atmospheric Particulate Analysis In Urban Environmental Health Policy Development : Indoor Airborne Particulate Concentrations In Preschools Of Asthmatic Children In Newark, Rita L. Thornton

Dissertations

Analysis suggests that several residential areas in Newark, New Jersey (USA) have Black/African-American and Hispanic populations, which may be "at high risk" with respect to the adverse health effects of particulate air pollution. This study analyzes the community locations and evaluates literature and other available air pollution data for the target communities in the city of Newark. The study focuses on asthma or reactive airway diseases as a target health risk. It also performs data collection on particulate pollutants and levels of trace metals in particulate matter in target communities and schools of preschool children in two of the five …

Nature - The Ultimate Classroom, Red Rock Desert Learning Center

Oliver Ranch Project

A public meeting will be held to introduce the Red Rock Learning Center, the first outdoor education center for local fifth grade children in Southern Nevada. Designed to enhance math and science skills, the school will be built in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. It will feature a curriculum that teaches children about conservation and the natural world by increasing their knowledge and understanding of the Mojave Desert ecosystem.

Red Rock Desert Learning Center & Wild Horse And Burro Facility: Public Meeting Psa For Radio/Tv, Red Rock Desert Learning Center

Oliver Ranch Project

Text of a public service radio announcement for a meeting about the Red Rock Desert Learning Center.

Innovative Solutions To Human–Wildlife Conflicts

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The mission of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Wildlife Services (WS) Program is to provide Federal leadership in managing problems caused by wildlife. The National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) functions as the research arm of WS by providing scientific information on the development of socially acceptable methods for wildlife damage management. As part of WS’ strategic plan to improve the coexistence of people and wildlife, NWRC has identified four strategic program goals: (1) developing methods, (2) providing wildlife services, (3) valuing and investing in people, and (4) enhancing information and communication. WS is dedicated to helping meet the wildlife …

Presentation To Outside Las Vegas Foundation January 23, 2006, Public Lands Institute

Presentations (PLI)

The Public Lands Institute is dedicated to strengthening the national fabric that is essential for the protection, conservation, and management of public lands.

In collaboration with federal, state, and non-profit partners, we are:

• creating new knowledge
• advancing technology
• improving education
• engaging the public to become involved in conservation and stewardship.

Red Rock Desert Learning Center Core Group Meeting: January 17, 2006, Red Rock Desert Learning Center

Reports (RRLC)

1. Introductions & Announcements (5 min.)
2. Approval of Minutes from December 6, 2005 Meeting (5 min.)
3. Update on Project Schedule – Michael Reiland (10 min.)
   A. Utilities
   B. Parking
   C. Construction Estimates/Inflation
4. Statement of Work/Request for Information Update – Michael Reiland
   (10 min.)
5. Update on Water Line – Michael Reiland/Las Vegas Valley Water District
   (10 min.)
6. Update on Environmental Assessment – Michael Reiland (10 min.)
7. Update on Curriculum Development – Jeanne Klockow (5 min.)
8. Standing Reports (10 min.)
   A. Line and Space Architects
   B. BLM Capital Improvements – Michael Reiland
   C. Community Outreach – LaNelda Rolley
   --RRDLC Open House, January 26, …

Emerging Chemicals And Analytical Methods (2006), Matthew C. Morley, Daniel D. Snow, Chad Cecrle, Patrick Denning, Lindsey Miller

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

This review summarizes peer-reviewed literature related to analysis, occurrence, and fate of emerging chemical contaminants in the water environment. The review focuses on the following broad categories of emerging contaminants: pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs); endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), including hormones, surfactants, and plasticizers; and brominated flame retardants (BFRs). Although many of the cited articles refer to multiple types of contaminants (particularly hormones and pharmaceuticals), each article is summarized in only one section. Articles pertaining to specific treatment methods, risk assessments, or biological effects are not included in this review, and articles covering disinfection byproducts (DBPs), fluorinated compounds, and …

The Environmental Effects Of War, Philip Swintek

Student Theses 2001-2013

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Cooperation Targets: From Industry To Energy Services, Stephanie Ohshita, A Meier, S Wiel, G Heggelund

Environmental Science

Our research has identified three key trends in existing energy efficiency cooperation. The first, discussed in Chapter 3, is the growing role of independent, international cooperation networks in facilitating large-scale energy efficiency improvements. The second, explored in Chapter 4, is the increasing importance of policy development cooperation as an effective mechanism for promoting significant energy savings and greenhouse gas reductions. In Chapter 5, we examine cooperation activity sector by sector and note increasing activity in certain economic sectors with numerous, diverse actors, most notably in appliances, transportation and buildings. In the industrial sector, there is a trend from “hard” technology …

Discussion Of "Estimation Of The Water Balance Using Observed Soil Water In The Nebraska Sandhills" By V. Sridhar And K.G. Hubbard, Jozsef Szilagyi

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Prevalence And Serovars Of Salmonella In The Feces Of Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) In Nebraska, David G. Renter, David P. Gnad, Jan M. Sargeant, Scott E. Hygnstrom

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

To determine the prevalence and serovars of Salmonella in free-ranging deer, we cultured feces from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) harvested by hunters during a regular firearm season in southeastern Nebraska (USA). We recovered Salmonella from 5 (1%; 95% confidence interval: 0.37– 2.20%) of 500 samples and identified four different Salmonella enterica serovars [Litchfield (1), Dessau (1), Infantis (2), and Enteritidis (1)]. Although the prevalence of Salmonella in free-ranging deer appears to be low, the serovars recovered are known to be pathogenic to humans and animals.

Absorption Properties Of Dissolved And Particulate Matter In Turbid Productive Inland Lakes, Giorgio Dall'olmo, Anatoly A. Gitelson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study is to extend the knowledge on the absorption properties of turbid productive lakes by describing the spectral characteristics of a_CDOM, a_nap and a_φ spectra measured in an agriculturally dominated region of North America (Nebraska, USA).

Three-Band Model For Noninvasive Estimation Of Chlorophyll Carotenoids And Anthocyanin Contents In Higher Plant Leaves, Anatoly A. Gitelson, Galina P. Keydan, Mark N. Merzlyak

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Leaf pigment content and composition provide important information about plant physiological status. Reflectance measurements offer a rapid, nondestructive technique to estimate pigment content. This paper describes a recently developed three-band conceptual model capable of remotely estimating total of chlorophylls, carotenoids and anthocyanins contents in leaves from many tree and crop species. We tuned the spectral regions used in the model in accord with pigment of interest and the optical characteristics of the leaves studied, and showed that the developed technique allowed accurate estimation of total chlorophylls, carotenoids and anthocyanins, explaining more than 91%, 70% and 93% of pigment variation, respectively. …

Ecophysiology Of Two Native Invasive Woody Species And Two Dominant Warm-Season Grasses In The Semiarid Grasslands Of The Nebraska Sandhills, Kathleen D. Eggemeyer, Tala Awada, David A. Wedin, F. Edwin Harvey, Xinhua Zhou

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Populations of Pinus ponderosa and Juniperus virginiana are expanding into semiarid Sandhills grasslands in Nebraska. To evaluate the physiological basis of their success, we measured the seasonal course of leaf gas exchange, plant water status, and carbon isotope discrimination in these two native trees and two native C₄ grasses (Schizachyrium scoparium and Panicum virgatum). Compared to the trees, grasses had higher net photosynthetic rates (A_net) and water use efficiency (WUE) and more negative predawn and midday water potentials (Ψ) in June and July. While leaf Ψ and rates of leaf gas exchange declined for all …

Impacts Of A Manure Composting Program On Stream Water Quality, A. Bekele, A. M.S. Mcfarland, A. J. Whisenant

Faculty Publications

In February 2001, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) adopted a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) along the North Bosque River. Within this TMDL, dairy waste application fields were identified as the major nonpoint-source contribution of nutrients. In September 2000, a manure composting program was initiated that resulted in about 500,000 metric tons of dairy manure being hauled to composting facilities and exported from the watershed through December 2004. To evaluate the impact of the manure composting program on stream water quality, storm event mean concentrations of nutrients and total suspended solids were compared …

Determining Biogeochemical Assemblages On The Stony River, Grant County, Wv, Using Fuzzy C-Means And K-Nearest Neighbors Clustering, M. Joseph Hughes

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Periphyton assemblages were assessed on the Stony River, a high-gradient stream in the Potomac drainage of Grant County, WV. Periphyton samples were collected from nine sites along the mainstem and in two tributaries. Chlorophyll-a, dry weight, taxonomic identifications, and bioaccumulated metals concentrations data were compiled. These data were related to water quality parameters measured at each site during the study. Fuzzy C-means and k-nearest neighbor clustering on the combined, normalized dataset produced similar results. Clustering separated species occurring in each tributary from each other and those dominating the mainstem. Nearly every bioaccumulated metal was associated with one of these tributary …

Bridging The Digital Divide In Public Participation: The Roles Ofinfrastructure, Hardware, Software And Social Networks In Helsinki’S Arabianranta Andmaunula, C. J. Gabbe

Environmental Studies and Sciences

Information and communications technology (ICT) itself does not provide communities with a more effective voice in the planning process. However, when ICT is used as a tool to build stronger neighborhood social networks, it can catalyze public participation in planning. The use of ICT as a community-building tool requires a combination of network infrastructure, hardware and software, according to the literature. Additionally, it requires the utilization of human social networks. Based on my study of Helsinki’s Arabianranta and Maunula neighborhoods, I found that catalyzing collaborative planning in Helsinki using ICT requires a combination of infrastructure, hardware, software, and, most importantly, …

Promoting Low Impact Development In Your Community, New England Environmental Finance Center

Planning

Low Impact Development (LID) is an approach to stormwater management and site development that is gaining popularity throughout the country. Its attractiveness lies in its potential to lessen off-site stormwater impacts, reduce costs to municipalities and developers, and promote development that is “softer on the land” compared with typical traditional development. The approach, which is applicable to residential, commercial and industrial projects, and in urban, suburban and rural settings, often is linked with efforts by governments and citizens to foster more sustainable communities.

The Abundance Of Different Dragonfly Species At Furman Lake - 2006, Wade Worthen

Furman Lake Restoration Book Gallery

A line graph showing the abundance of fifteen different species of dragonflies spotted over a five month period at Furman Lake in 2006.

Analysis Of Response Calls To Diverse Ground Predators From Three Geographically Separate Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma Coerulescens) Subpopulations, Sarah A. (Bales) Douglass

Master of Environmental Science (MES) Theses

Dialectic variation occurs in many bird species. Different factors have been investigated regarding dialectic variation, including cultural and genetic transmission of songs or calls, and geographic separation. In this study, the predator alarm call of the Florida Scrub-Jay to ground predators was recorded in three geographically separate subpopulations across Florida—Canaveral National Seashore/Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Lyonia Preserve and Leisure Lakes/Lake June in Winter Scrub State Park—to examine any dialectic occurrence between these three subpopulations. Additionally, many bird species are recognized as having highly evolved predator recognition systems, often with different calls for specific predators. The Florida Scrub Jay has …

Sprawl And The Resilience Of Humans And Nature: An Introduction To The Special Feature, Craig R. Allen

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Human-driven change in land use and land cover is an accelerating global phenomenon with farreaching implications for food production, forest and water resources, the climate, and biogeochemical cycles (Foley et al. 2005). It affects the amount and configuration of habitat available for animals ranging from soil nematodes to elephants. It affects the provision of ecological goods and services for human beings. It affects the processes and function of ecosystems. “Sprawl”, as it has been termed, is exurban human land use change with a footprint exceeding the minimum required for the activity developed. It is that disproportionately large footprint that defines …