Digital Commons Network^™

Assessment And Classification Of A Modified Urban Stream: Schneider Creek, Kitchener, Ontario, J. Andrew Carnegie

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study has produced an assessment framework and classification designed specifically for urban modified streams. While many stream assessment frameworks do exist, most are designed for natural streams and as such have no provision for characteristics of urban streams such as concrete channelization, storm drains, and urban debris. Building upon previous assessment and classification schemes, both urban and natural, this framework satisfies this need. It strengths lie in its user-friendly, visual-based approach to assessment by employing representative photographs and qualitative information to aid the user. A total of ten variables were employed that are scaled on a spectrum of categories, …

An Investigation Into The Spatial And Temporal Movement Of The Sand Dunes In The West Lake Ecosystem Of Sandbanks Provincial Park And The Implications For Management (Ontario), Jayson A. Childs

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Sandbanks Provincial Park is located on the northern shore of eastern Lake Ontario approximately 150km east of Toronto. The park is located on the southwestern shore of Prince Edward County in Hallowell Township and the research site was located on the larger of the two baymouth barriers the park protects. The research into aeolian sediment transport was carried out over twelve months in 2003--2004 on the Wellington Baymouth barrier. Vegetated sand dunes are sensitive geomorphic systems and when the protective cover is damaged and removed, changes are inevitable. The study examined variations in the amount of sediment transport in different …

Implementing The Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan: A Case Study Of Initial Implementation Experiences, Ryan Dore

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Implementing an ecologically-based land use plan presents a variety of challenges. To gain insight into these challenges, this study focuses on the experiences of actor intimately involved in implementing the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan. To begin, a conceptual overview of regional planning/growth management, ecosystem-based management, and policy implementation literature and concepts are presented, along with a contextual overview of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan. Following the conceptual and contextual overviews, Hanna’s (2006) framework addressing eight obstacles to policy implementation is used to discuss and analyze the information collected during the interview process. Lastly, seven lessons for implementing an …

Patterns Of Total Suspended Solids Concentration And The Influence Of Antecedent Conditions On Hydrograph Response To Precipitation Events On Beaver Creek, Ontario, Matthew Peter Roy Mittler

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study explored relationships between suspended solids concentration and discharge, the influence of antecedent conditions on event hydrograhs and the state of dynamic equilibrium in a second-order stream (Beaver Creek), draining an agricultural basin in southern Ontario, near the City of Waterloo. Beaver creek was monitored for nineteen weeks from July to November of 2005. Thirteen precipitation events of various magnitude and duration were examined within the study period. Discharge and total suspended soils were sampled throughout the events. Cross sectional profiles of six transects were measured prior to and after each event. Base flow, antecedent conditions and event response …

Detecting Hot Spots Of Mountain Pine Beetle Infestations In The Forests Of British Columbia: An Approach Using Local Spatial Autocorrelation, Rodrigo Tapia-Mcclung

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) is an endemic species in the forests of British Columbia that has become epidemic and reached infestation levels like never before. Different approaches have been taken in order to try and manage the forest and understand the processes affecting the behavior of mountain pine beetle. No single model has been entirely successful in unearthing the complexity of mountain pine beetle behavior. In this thesis, large spatial data sets of mountain pine beetle attacks, obtained from helicopter and ground surveys, and further adjusted for the incorporation of uncertainty, are studied using a spatial autocorrelation approach …

Seasonal Variability Of Carbon Dioxide Fluxes Over A Heterogeneous Low Tundra Ecosystem, Ronald P. Van Haarlem

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The seasonal carbon dioxide (CO2) budget and its associated environmental controlling parameters, soil moisture, soil temperature and depth to frost were investigated throughout the growing period during the summer of 2004. The study site is located within the low arctic tundra environment at Daring Lake, NWT (62⁰52’N, 111⁰35’W). The CO2 fluxes from an area of heterogeneous tundra composition were intensely monitored. The net seasonal CO2 budget was approximated to be 10.2 g C-CO2 m-2 for 100 days (DOY 159-259) of the 2004 snow-free study period. The CO2 flux dynamic was found to differ between 4 identified seasonal periods—melt, pre-green, green …

Of Fish And People: Managerial Ecology In Newfoundland And Labrador Cod Fisheries, Dean Louis Yelwa Bavington

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation aims to understand the history of, and possible alternatives to, managerial responses to socio-ecological issues by examining one of the largest natural resource management failures of the twentieth century—the collapse of the Northern cod fisheries off Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. In 1992, the Northern cod fishery off Newfoundland and Labrador (the world's largest ground fishery) was shut down. The Northern cod had been reduced to 1% of their historic spawning biomass and cod fishing as a way of life had come to an end after a 500 year history. The dissertation develops and applies a critical theory of …

Addressing Cheating And Workload Characterization In Online Games, Christopher Chambers

Dissertations and Theses

The Internet has enabled the popular pastime of playing video games to grow rapidly by connecting game players in disparate locations. However, with popularity have come the two challenges of hosting a large number of users and detecting cheating among users. For reasons of control, security, and ease of development, the most popular system for hosting on-line games is the client server architecture. This is also the most expensive and least scalable architecture for the game publisher, which drives hosting costs upwards with the success of the game. In addition to the expense of hosting, as a particular game grows …

Foreign Migration To The Cleveland-Akron-Lorain Metropolitan Area From 1995 To 2000, Mark Salling, Ellen Cyran

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report is one of a series on migration to and from the region using the five percent Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) of the 2000 Census of Population and Housing and provides a description of foreign migrants moving to the Cleveland-Akron-Lorain (CAL) Consolidated Metropolitan Area (CMSA) from 1995 to 2000.* The report identifies the countries of origin of migrants and compares the demographic, socioeconomic, and housing characteristics of the foreign migrants to the CAL with other groups, including foreign migrants to Ohio and the nation, and, at times, to domestic migrants to and from the CAL.

The Relationship Between Meteorological Patterns And Rural Ground Ozone Concentration, Dasen Kendrick

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Throughout the United States, many areas exceed the level of safe ground ozone (O3) concentration. Non-natural emissions made as result of daily human activities and natural emissions react photochemically to produce ground O3 concentration. Variation in ground O3 concentration is controlled by local and regional emissions, synoptic and mesoscale meteorology, and boundary layer chemistry and dynamics. When the right meteorological variables are present, rural areas can have unhealthy air conditions with high levels of ground O3 concentration similar to that of metropolitan areas. Particular ground O3 concentration episodes were analyzed to summarize what meteorological variables constitute a healthy or hazardous …

Spatial Autocorrelation Of Deer-Vehicle Accidents In Vigo County, J. Scott Horn

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Deer-vehicle accidents (DV As) are a problem in many areas. They cause millions of dollars in property damage, personal injury, and loss of life each year. This thesis examines whether DVAs in Vigo County, Indiana during the year 2000 were spatially autocorrelated; and whether DV As selected by deer habitat were spatially autocorrelated. Specifically using Moran's I to test for spatial autocorrelation this study determined if and to what degree spatial autocorrelation existed among these DVAs. A Moran's I value of .0023 shows that the accidents occurred randomly. These DV A data were then used to plot a map which …

Biomass Estimation Using Statistical And Neural Network Analysis Of Aster Data, Vijay O. Lulla

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study assessed the performance of different biomass estimation methods using Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) lll data in a temperate forest. Multiple linear regression statistics of spectral band data and derived indices with biomass values were compared with advanced neural network models created with spectral band data and indices to model biomass values. Biomass for the study area was estimated using both of these methods and the results were discussed. The data were analyzed using multivariate statistical analysis. Correlation analysis and regression analysis were employed to understand the relationship of biomass to the spectral data and …

Foraminiferal Faunas Of The Southern California Bight: A Temporal And Spatial Comparison Of Assemblages In The >150, 63-150, And >63 Μm Fractions, Amanda S. Shepard

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Analyses ofliving (Rose Bengal stained) deep-sea benthic foraminifera collected on the Southern California margin reveal temporal and spatial changes in foraminiferal assemblages related to changes in sea-surface productivity. Samples were collected from two sites in May, August, and October 1996. Results show that foraminiferal microhabitats are not static at these sites, and some species ( e.g., Bolivina spissa and Uvigerina peregrina) responded to the change in seasons with a change in their vertical distribution profiles, which is indicative of microhabitat preferences. Species such as Buliminella tenuata changed sediment depth in different stages of their life cycles, which has implications for …

Ontoqa: Metric-Based Ontology Quality Analysis, Samir Tartir, I. Budak Arpinar, Michael Moore, Amit P. Sheth, Boanerges Aleman-Meza

Kno.e.sis Publications

As the Semantic Web gains importance for sharing knowledge on the Internet this has lead to the development and publishing of many ontologies in different domains. When trying to reuse existing ontologies into their applications, users are faced with the problem of determining if an ontology is suitable for their needs. In this paper, we introduce OntoQA, an approach that analyzes ontology schemas and their populations (i.e. knowledgebases) and describes them through a well defined set of metrics. These metrics can highlight key characteristics of an ontology schema as well as its population and enable users to make an informed …

Mathematics And The Divine (Book Review), Calvin Jongsma

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Reviewed Title: Teun Koetsier and Luc Bergmans, editors. Mathematics and the Divine. Boston: Elsevier, 2005. 701 pages. ISBN 0-444-50328-5

Vegetation Treatments On Bureau Of Land Management Lands In 17 Western States, Bureau Of Land Management

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

No abstract provided.

Geosciences Newsletter - 2005, Department Of Geosciences

Geological and Environmental Sciences News

Vol. 2, No. 1

• Mohamed Sultan, Chairperson
• Faculty News
• Emeriti News
• Department News
• Graduate Student News
• Awards & Graduations
• Alumni News
• Professional Meetings
• Outstanding Alumni Academy
• New Faces in the Geosciences

Development Of Biological Reference Conditions Of Wadeable Streams In The Major Ecoregions And Subecoregions Of Georgia, Duncan L. Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

One bioassessment tool available to resource managers to indicate NPS impairment of wadeable streams and rivers are multi-metric invertebrate indices. Such indices are assembled from metrics in broad categories that represent different aspects of community structure and function (e.g. richness, composition, tolerance/intolerance, feeding group, and habit). Indices must incorporate suites of metrics that are ecologically relevant, quantifiable, non-redundant, and that best individually discriminate between reference sites and impaired sites. More than 240 wadeable streams in Georgia were sampled during the September thru February index period using RBP protocols during three successive sample seasons (1999-2003). Ecoregional reference (minimally impaired) sites, as …

Sluice Boxes On The Shores: An Environmental History Of Gold Mining On Oregon's South Coast, Tania Louise Hyatt-Evenson

Dissertations and Theses

Environmental historians have researched, analyzed, and concluded that gold mining significantly altered the environment in Southern Oregon. Environmental case studies have examined mining's impact on the watersheds in the Rogue Valley, but none have analyzed the effect gold miners had on the Southern Oregon coast. While gold mining occurred on the South Coast from the 1850s to the 1940s, on a smaller scale, the impact from environmental change is just as significant. The purpose of this study is to understand how mining changed the landscape of the South Coast, and how this change affected the human populations that lived in …

Utah Resource Assessment, Utah Association Of Conservation Districts, Utah Department Of Agriculture And Food, Natural Resource Conservation Service

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

Located in the Rocky Mountain Region, Utah derives its name from the Native American Ute tribe and means “people of the mountains”. Utah is 84,900 square miles and is ranked the 11th largest state (in terms of square miles) in the US. As hosts of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, Utah boasts the “greatest snow on earth” and is the home of 18 colorful National Parks and monuments. Utah's peaks are, on average, the tallest in the country and create great contrasts that range from the snow covered peaks of the Uinta Range in the east, to the renowned natural …

Potential Of Modis Evi And Surface Temperature For Directly Estimating Per-Pixel Ecosystem C Fluxes, Abdullah Rahman, Daniel A. Sims, Vicente D. Cordova, Bassil Z. El-Masri

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

We tested the potential of estimating per-pixel gross primary production (GPP) directly from the MODIS enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and respiration directly from MODIS surface temperature (MOD11). Carbon flux data were obtained from 10 eddy covariance tower sites representing a wide range of North American vegetations. The correlation between across-site tower GPP and EVI was comparable (r = 0.77) to that between tower GPP and MOD17-GPP (r = 0.73), suggesting that EVI could be used to provide reasonably accurate direct estimates of GPP on a truly per-pixel basis. There was also a strong relationship (r2 = 0.67) between respiration and …

Student Fact Book, Fall 2005, Twenty-Ninth Annual Edition, Wright State University, Office Of Student Information Systems, Wright State University

Wright State University Student Fact Books

The student fact book has general demographic information on all students enrolled at Wright State University for Fall Quarter, 2005.

Prediction Of Sediment-Bound Nutrient Delivery From Semi-Arid California Watersheds, Emmanuel Gabet, Noah Fierer, Oliver Chadwick

Faculty Publications

Soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) are lost from hillslopes in particulate forms through soil erosion. The fate of the eroded C (e.g., sequestration or oxidation) may affect the global C budget, and delivery of N and P to waterbodies can lead to eutrophication. Whereas the magnitude of particulate nutrient losses may be similar to or greater than dissolved losses, it is rarely estimated. We couple a sediment delivery model with measurements of C, N, and P in soil to account explicitly for hillslope sediment transport processes that yield sediment-bound nutrients to fluvial networks. The model is applied …

Geogram 2005, David J. Keeling Editor, Wku Department Of Geography And Geology

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Publications

No abstract provided.

The National Weather Service's Polygon Method: Warning Dissemination Of The Future, Crystal L. Bergman

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The National Weather Service (NWS) is continuously improving its forecasting skills, but forecasters still cannot accurately predict the path of a tornado or a severe thunderstorm. The NWS has developed a new warning system in which the warned area is outlined by a polygon, not a county boundary. The polygon-waming approach is expected to significantly reduce the total square-mile area of warnings not followed by an event, called the False Alarm Area. There are three central issues concerning the failure of the polygon-warning method: I) the size of the counties impacted by a storm, 2) the impact of the new …

Review Of Lewis And Clark And The Geology Of The Great Plains And Lewis And Clark And The Geology Of Nebraska And Parts Of Adjacent States, Harmon D. Maher Jr.

Geography and Geology Faculty Publications

When it comes to science in general, and the geology of the Great Plains in particular, there is arguably an imbalance between the wealth of material written for experts and the relative paucity written for the general public. These publications help correct that imbalance at a time when the various Lewis and Clark celebrations create an especially receptive and engaged audience.

Earth News, V29, Fall 2005, Department Of Earth Science, University Of Northern Iowa.

Earth News

Inside this issue:

--- Earth Science Staff Activities
--- A T. rex Named Sue
--- Earth Science Seminar Series
--- From Ocean to Ice: GSI 2004 Spring Field Trip Highlights
--- Physical Geology Professor Keeps Passion for Teaching, Researching
--- Earth Science Majors
--- Sigma Gamma Epsilon - Gamma Sigma Chapter
--- 2005 Earth Science Graduates
--- Student Research Presentations
--- 2004-2005 Scholarship and Award Recipients
--- Student Internships
--- Gifts to the Department of Earth Science
--- Earth Science Alumni News

The Moxee City (Washington) Mammoth: Morphostratigraphic, Taphonomic, And Taxonomic Considerations, Karl Lillquist, Steve Lundblad, Bax R. Barton

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

A nearly complete, but highly fractured, proboscidean tusk was unearthed during parking lot construction near Moxee City in central Washington in May 2001. Schreger angle analysis revealed that the tusk was from a mammoth. AMS radiocarbon dating of the tusk established that the mammoth died 14,570 ¹⁴C yr BP. The age, combined with the biogeography of proboscidean finds in the Pacific Northwest, suggests the tusk is from a Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi). The condition of the tusk and its association with basalt and crystalline erratics suggest that a locally derived tusk was swept up in the advancing …

Drowning Shangrila: Balancing Environmental Protection With Development In China, Tessa A. Vennell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Tibetan Buddhism And Culture In Sustainable Development (A Case Study Of Yubeng Village), Frazer Lanier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

During a lecture by Li Bo, of CBIK (the Center for Biodiversity and Indigenous Knowledge a Chinese NGO), I was given a glimpse into the role that culture plays within poverty alleviation and environmental conservation. While poverty alleviation aims to develop community economies, this goal is usually seen as being in conflict with environmental conservation because it requires the use of environmental resources. This is a common misperception. According to Gou Jing’s article Gateway between Culture and Nature， “man’s touch bestows nature with culture” (Guo Jing 12). The interaction between nature and humans is the foundation for culture and the …