Digital Commons Network^™

The First-Order Effect Of Holocene Northern Peatlands On Global Carbon Cycle Dynamics, Yi Wang, Nigel T. Roulet, Steve Frolking, L A. Mysak, Xiaodong Liu, Zhangdong Jin

Earth Sciences

Given the fact that the estimated present-day carbon storage of Northern Peatlands (NP) is about 300-500 petagram (PgC， 1 petagram = 1015 gram), and the NP has been subject to a slow but persistent growth over the Holocene epoch, it is desirable to include the NP in studies of Holocene carbon cycle dynamics. Here we use an Earth system Model of Intermediate Complexity to study the first-order effect of NP on global carbon cycle dynamics in the Holocene. We prescribe the reconstructed NP growth based on data obtained from numerous sites (located in Western Siberia, North America, and Finland) where …

The Long Journey To Become 'The River Of National Unity': The Sao Francisco River Basin From 1940s To 2008 And The Interactions Of Environment, Government And Local Citizens, Lucigleide Nery Nascimento

Doctoral Dissertations

In its 2,700 kilometers north and then eastern journey to the Atlantic Ocean, the Sao Francisco River of Brazil drains eight percent of the nation's territory. The watershed is three and a half times the size of New England. This research investigates the impacts of the federal water resource management, or lack of it, on the riverine environment and on the life of the people who locally have depended on the ecosystem's services of the river during the 1940s--2008 timeframe. A new legal instrument, the 1997 Water Policy, introduced a novel form of management regarding public participation, policy goals and …

Topics In Access, Storage, And Sensor Networks, Swapnil Bhatia

Doctoral Dissertations

In the first part of this dissertation, Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) and IEEE 802.3ah Ethernet Passive Optical Network (ETON), two access networking standards, are studied. We study the impact of two parameters of the DOCSIS protocol and derive the probability of message collision in the 802.3ah device discovery scheme. We survey existing bandwidth allocation schemes for EPONs, derive the average grant size in one such scheme, and study the performance of the shortest-job-first heuristic.

In the second part of this dissertation, we study networks of mobile sensors. We make progress towards an architecture for disconnected collections of …

Community Change In The Northern Forest, Chris R. Colocousis

Doctoral Dissertations

In 2006, the pulp mill in Berlin, NH was closed and dismantled, marking an end to more than a century of dependence on the pulp and paper industry. The city's location in a high-amenity and recreation-dependent region suggests that the rebirth of the local economy would follow a general transition from a production orientation to consumption. Using in-depth interviews and other qualitative methods, survey work, and secondary quantitative data I chronicle a century change, focusing on how the industry has shaped the community and its present ability to reinvent itself. I analyze the ways in which patterns of change and …

"This Wilderness World": The Evolution Of A New England Farm Town, 1820--1840, Mary Babson Fuhrer

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation uses the extraordinary conflict that roiled one rural town in central Massachusetts during the second quarter of the nineteenth century as a lens through which to observe communal relationships in transition. Using the Amish as a model, the dissertation identifies traditional communal social organization as agrarian, patriarchal, communal, homogeneous, localistic, and consensual -- as well as closed, conformist, and suspicious of difference and innovation. The dissertation argues that conflict arose in Boylston during the 1820s and '30s as these traditional relationships gradually gave way to more modern ways of belonging, associating, and envisioning one's place in the wider …

Land Development In Massachusetts: Its Effect On The Environment Within Essex And Middlesex Counties From 1990 To 2007, Peter Sean Tardie

Doctoral Dissertations

Since the 1970's urban centers in and surrounding Essex and Middlesex Counties in Massachusetts have expanded and proliferated into adjacent communities. This expansion has led to the conversion of land for housing, businesses, schools, recreation, and parks, placing significant strain on existing land cover, land use, and available natural resources. Mounting growth pressures and a reduction of undeveloped land have raised serious concerns as cropland and forest fragmentation, wetland destruction, protected open-space infringement, pollution, and systematic losses of rural conditions have become obvious. To monitor development, the post-classification change detection method was applied to Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite data …

University Of New Hampshire R+30 Headcounts Of Majors By College And Gender Unh - Durham Degree Candidates Only Fall 2009, University Of New Hampshire. Institutional Research And Assessment

UNH Factbooks

University of New Hampshire factbook data from the 2009-2010 academic year

University Of New Hampshire R+30 Headcounts Of Majors By College And Gender Unh - Durham Degree Candidates Only Spring 2010, University Of New Hampshire. Institutional Research And Assessment

UNH Factbooks

University of New Hampshire factbook data from the 2009-2010 academic year

Bachelor Degree Completions By College, 2000-2009, University Of New Hampshire. Institutional Research And Assessment

UNH Factbooks

University of New Hampshire factbook data from the 2009-2010 academic year

The Instrumentation, Testing, And Structural Modeling Of A Steel Girder Bridge For Long-Term Structural Health Monitoring, Paul J. Lefebvre

Master's Theses and Capstones

The currently accepted bridge design practice is individual element design through approximate "worst-case" loading scenarios and distribution with appropriate safety factors. The resulting design is not necessarily representative of the true behavior of a bridge. Computer structural modeling advancements have made it practical to improve the design process by capturing the design intelligence in the bridge model for use in bridge management and condition assessment. Nearly 1/3 of U.S. bridges are nearing the end of their design life and the design of the next generation of highway bridges has begun. The time is optimum to consider advancements in bridge design …

Assessing The Accuracy Of Passive Microwave Estimates Of Snow Water Equivalent In Data-Scarce Regions For Use In Water Resource Applications, Carrie M. Vuyovich

Master's Theses and Capstones

Winter snowpack is a significant contributor to water supply in many regions of the world and accurate estimates of the snow water equivalent (SWE) are necessary for water resource planning. Satellite data is an attractive source of snow information in remote regions with limited ground data. The objective of this study is to assess passive microwave SWE in the Upper Helmand Watershed in Afghanistan where snowmelt is a primary source of water. Passive microwave SWE data were compared over 6 winter seasons, 2004-2009, to an independent estimate of SWE using a snow hydrology model. The snow hydrology model was calibrated …

Hydrologic And Nutrient Dynamics In An Agriculturally Influenced New England Floodplain, Michelle Galvin

Master's Theses and Capstones

Non point-source pollution from agricultural activity is a major cause of water quality degradation. In particular, nutrient loading can lead to eutrophication and related anoxia in rivers, streams and lakes. Floodplains adjacent to these water bodies are sites of active nutrient cycling that can mediate the flux of nutrients to and from these water bodies. This study examines the hydrologic and nutrient dynamics of an agriculturally-influenced creek and floodplain in Lee, New Hampshire. Chemical mixing models were used to assess cycling of nutrients in response to flooding. The floodplain acted primarily as a sink for phosphate (PO43-), ammonium (NH4+) and …

Race And Poverty: Does Geographical Location Matter?, Skye Mackay

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study utilizes the 2005 to 2007 American Community Survey data to examine two research questions: (1) Does knowledge of geographical location increase the prediction of poverty over individual/household characteristics and; (2) Does the effect of race on poverty vary by geographical location? This research supplements the existing literature by comparing across multiple categories of race (non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic other, Hispanic) and geographical location (region of the country and metropolitan status). Poverty is found to vary by individual characteristics and by region and location. However, multiple regression analyses demonstrates that when individual characteristics (race, sex, age, educational attainment, …

Growing Winter Sprouting Broccoli In Unheated High Tunnels In New Hampshire, Clifton A. Martin

Master's Theses and Capstones

Winter sprouting broccoli was grown in a two-year study in unheated high tunnels in Durham, NH. Eleven cultivars were grown in a 9.1 m by 18.2 m unheated high tunnel and evaluated for yield, duration of harvest, and number of days from seed to harvest. Secondary rowcover applications were also evaluated for effects on yield, duration of harvest, number of days from seed to harvest, and for their effects on air temperature at plant height. All cultivars were harvested between March and May of 2008 and 2009. Yields ranged from 0.6 to 1.4 kilograms per meter squared. While mortality was …

Digital Image Correlation Application To Structural Health Monitoring, Philip A. Brogan

Master's Theses and Capstones

Bridge inspectors have historically relied on previous inspection reports and photographs to assess bridge health. The inclusion of instrumentation including sensors such as strain gauges, tilt sensors, LVDTs, or accelerometers can greatly enhance bridge management. This instrumentation and data interpretation is classified under a new field of study called Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). A relatively new application called Digital Image Correlation (DIC) can be deployed for SHM of civil structures. DIC uses multiple digital cameras to capture sequenced images of a target object and provide displacement information. This research has sought to incorporate DIC systems into bridge inspection and eventually …

Development And Validation Of A Robust Model To Predict The Response Of Wave Energy Conversion Devices, James Wright

Master's Theses and Capstones

In this study, a computer model of the dynamics and generator output of a point-absorber-type wave energy converter (WEC) was developed and evaluated against a 1:25 scale prototype in wave tank tests. The WEC consists of a circular wave follower buoy with a central hole which fits over a slender spar buoy that extends up through the follower buoy opening. The wave follower buoy slides axially on the spar, providing relative motion for the power take-off unit consisting of a rack-and-pinion configuration connected through gears to a permanent magnet generator. Linear wave theory is applied to determine the response of …

The New Hampshire, Vol. 99 [100], No. 26 (Dec. 11, 2009), The New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Print Edition

An independent student produced newspaper from the University of New Hampshire. This volume was printed as 99, but it is the 100th volume in the series. This was corrected in pencil.

Unh Climatologist Available To Discuss One-Year Anniversary Of Ice Storm, Lori Wright

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

Visualizing Population Dynamics Of Alaska's Arctic Communities, Lawrence C. Hamilton, Angela M. Mitiguy

Sociology

Abstract

Arctic demography has previously been reviewed on a large scale, across the circumpolar nations. We look instead at some recent population dynamics on sub-regional to community scales, focusing on Arctic Alaska. Detailed graphics depicting yearly population changes from 1990 to 2006 in 43 selected Arctic Alaska towns and villages and all 27 of the state's "county-equivalent entities" (e.g., boroughs) have been published online in connection with two International Polar Year projects. Seemingly comparable places within the same borough have taken widely divergent paths. Birth rates generally exceed death rates, although both are high. Year-to-year and place-to-place variations are dominated …

Regional Variation In Perceptions About Climate Change., Lawrence C. Hamilton, Barry D. Keim

Sociology

A 2007 survey covering rural areas in nine US states provides data on perceived local impacts of climate change. Perceptions vary from region to region, with a pattern suggesting links to real climate specifically to winter warming in snow country. A multivariate analysis using mixed-effects ordered logit regression confirms a significant perception-temperature relationship, net of individual background and ideological characteristics, and of regional variations. These findings invite more detailed research.

The Importance Of Northern Peatlands In Global Carbon Systems During The Holocene, Y Wang, Nigel T. Roulet, Steve Frolking, L A. Mysak

Earth Sciences

We applied an inverse model to simulate global carbon (C) cycle dynamics during the Holocene period using atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations reconstructed from Antarctic ice cores and prescribed C accumulation rates of Northern Peatlands (NP) as inputs. Previous studies indicated that different sources could contribute to the 20 parts per million by volume (ppmv) atmospheric CO2 increase over the past 8000 years. These sources of C include terrestrial release of 40–200 petagram C (PgC, 1 petagram=1015 gram), deep oceanic adjustment to a 500 PgC terrestrial biomass buildup early in this interglacial period, and anthropogenic land-use and land-cover changes of …

Carsey, Children's Alliance: Nh Schools Expel Less, Suspend More Than National Average, Beth Potier

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

Student Discipline In New Hampshire Schools , Barbara Wauchope

Carsey Publications

A new analysis of student discipline in New Hampshire schools in the 2007–2008 school year shows that out-of-school suspension rates are higher and statewide expulsion rates are lower than the average. Schools reporting the highest rates of suspensions and expulsions are the smallest in the state and have the highest percentage of students in poverty. This brief is the first in a collaborative series between the Children's Alliance of New Hampshire and the Carsey Institute.

Walker Family Starts Scholarship Fund For Student-Athletes With Disabilities At Unh, Keely Ames

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

Lynette Hamlin, Associate Professor And Chair, Nursing, Travels To Mexico, Lynette Hamlin

Faculty Travel Reports

No abstract provided.

Fall 2009, From The Director: China An Area Of Focus For Coming Year, Claire Malarte-Feldman

UNH International Educator Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Divergence In Seasonal Hydrology Across Northern Eurasia: Emerging Trends And Water Cycle Linkages, Michael A. Rawlins, H. Ye, D. Yang, Alexander I. Shiklomanov, Kyle C. Mcdonald

Faculty Publications

Discharge from large Eurasia rivers increased during the 20th century, yet much remains unknown regarding details of this increasing freshwater flux. Here, for the three largest Eurasian basins (the Ob, Yenisei, and Lena) we examine the nature of annual and seasonal discharge trends by investigating the flow changes along with those for precipitation, snow depth, and snow water equivalent. On the basis of a multiperiod trend analysis and examination of station data, we propose two characteristic regimes to explain the long‐term discharge increase from these large Eurasian rivers. Over the early decades from approximately 1936 to 1965, annual precipitation correlates …

Soil–Atmosphere Exchange Of Nitrous Oxide, Nitric Oxide, Methane, And Carbon Dioxide In Logged And Undisturbed Forest In The Tapajos National Forest, Brazil, Michael Keller, Ruth K. Varner, Jadson D. Dias, Hudson Silva, Patrick M. Crill, Raimundo Cosme De Oliveira Jr., Gregory P. Asner

Faculty Publications

Selective logging is an extensive land use in the Brazilian Amazon region. The soil–atmosphere fluxes of nitrous oxide (N2O), nitric oxide (NO), methane (CH4), and carbon dioxide (CO2) are studied on two soil types (clay Oxisol and sandy loam Ultisol) over two years (2000–01) in both undisturbed forest and forest recently logged using reduced impact forest management in the Tapajos National Forest, near Santarem, Para, Brazil. In undisturbed forest, annual soil–atmosphere fluxes of N2O (mean ± standard error) were 7.9 ± 0.7 and 7.0 ± 0.6 ng N cm−2 h−1 for the Oxisol and 1.7 ± 0.1 and 1.6 ± …

Unh Teams Up With National Weather Service To Launch Statewide Precipitation Measuring Network, Mary D. Stampone, David Glenn

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

Forest Disturbance And Recovery: A General Review In The Context Of Spaceborne Remote Sensing Of Impacts On Aboveground Biomass And Canopy Structure, Steve Frolking, Michael W. Palace, D B. Clark, Jeffrey Q. Chambers, H H. Shugart, George C. Hurtt

Earth Sciences

Abrupt forest disturbances generating gaps >0.001 km² impact roughly 0.4–0.7 million km²a⁻¹. Fire, windstorms, logging, and shifting cultivation are dominant disturbances; minor contributors are land conversion, flooding, landslides, and avalanches. All can have substantial impacts on canopy biomass and structure. Quantifying disturbance location, extent, severity, and the fate of disturbed biomass will improve carbon budget estimates and lead to better initialization, parameterization, and/or testing of forest carbon cycle models. Spaceborne remote sensing maps large-scale forest disturbance occurrence, location, and extent, particularly with moderate- and fine-scale resolution passive optical/near-infrared (NIR) instruments. High-resolution remote sensing (e.g., ∼1 …