Digital Commons Network^™

Droughtscape, Summer 2008, Kelly Smith

DroughtScape: Quarterly Newsletter of the National Drought Mitigation Center (2007–2023)

VegDRI Expands West

Spring Rains Ease Drought But CA Still Dry

Scholar Donates Books

NDMC Welcomes Employees Bathke, Nothwehr

Latest Workshop Info Up

State Lawmakers to Focus on Drought Planning

Decadal Variation -- Clues to Droughts and Floods?

Using Soap To Develop Software For Air Trajectory Calculation, J. Zeng, T. Matsunaga, Hitoshi Mukai

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

We developed a program with Simple Object Access Protocol and constructed a data server system to deliver meteorological data from the server to clients of the program for air trajectory calculation. Our practice shows that with proper design, the performance of running the program with client-server configuration is well acceptable comparing with a program of traditional design. The request-for-data-on-demand approach helps to reduce the burden of maintaining huge amount of data in local machine by end-user and provides a more transparent way to calculate air trajectories.

Statistical Analysis Of Spatial Plant Patterns Under The Effect Of Forest Use, I. López, T. Standovár, J. Garay, Z. Varga, M. Gámez

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The analysis of the consequences of land use (in particular forest use) may beconsidered as a partial step towards an integrated modelling of a land system. Let usconsider a forest territory, where a gap-cut is made, and after a given time period theeventual change in the spatial distribution of undergrowth plants and tree seedlings is to bedetected (see Mihók et al., 2005 and Gálhidy et al., 2006). If floristic data are collectedalong a line transect, we can try to detect the change in the plant distributions along thetransect, the so-called change-point, and see whether this occurs at the geometric frontierof …

The Impact Of Geometrical Effects On Calculated Value Of Albedo On The Heterogeneous Environmental Interfaces, D. Kapor, A. M. Cirisan, Dragutin T. Mihailović

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The albedo of the interface is an important parameter for the calculation of the radiation fluxes in environmental studies. The problem arises when the surface is a heterogenous one. There have been developed various manners to calculate the aggregated albedo. Our previous research has indicated, however, existence of a geometrical effect related to the fact that different parts of the interface may have different heights. In these studies we have offered the general approach to the calculation of the flux that is lost due to the absorption on the vertical lateral boundaries. We derived analytically the expressions for this loss …

Evaluating Consistency Of Biosphere Models: Software Tools For A Web-Based Service, G. A. Alexandrov, T. Matsunaga

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

A biosphere model is a geographical extension of an ecosystem model, and so modelling ecosystems at global scale we are facing the same problem as at the local scale -- structural uncertainty. The structural uncertainty includes competing conceptual frameworks, lack of agreement on model structure, ambiguous definitions of system boundaries, inadequate description of significant processes. The typical approach to this problem is assessing the maturity of the underlying science through retrospection of modelling efforts. This displays either consensus building or paradigm shift. In this paper we present a general scheme and software tools for performing such analysis, discuss how this …

Reclaiming Garbage: Interaction Design For Participation, Marijke Rijsberman

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Since the introduction of organized sanitation practices in the West, local governments and waste management business in the private sector have essentially adhered to an out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach to residential garbage, by which, for a modest fee, individuals are relieved from responsibility for their own waste and from awareness of its impact on the planet. Together with the systematic deferral of the environmental costs of current activities, this out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach has fostered individual behaviors that exert a great deal of pressure on the environment. Current environmental challenges and rising environmental concern now dictate a greater awareness of the impacts …

Spatially Distributed Identification Of Debris Flow Source Areas By Credal Networks, A. Salvetti, A. Antonucci, M. Zaffalon

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Debris flows represent a very destructive natural hazard, affecting buildings, transport infrastructures, and, very often, causing human losses in mountain regions. That makes the identification of potential source areas of debris flows inside a watershed particularly important. In this paper we present a general identification procedure based on the credal network (that is an imprecise probabilistic graphical model generalizing Bayesian networks) originally introduced by Antonucci et al. [2004]. That model is significantly improved by a more refined description of the meteorological and hydrological processes contributing to the debris flow initiation. As a counterpart of such improvement, the model pays a …

Spatial Information System For Risk Assessment Of Dust Transport In The Neighbourhood Of The Surface Coal Mine, L. Matejicek, Z. Janour

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Risk assessment of dust transport from surface coal mines over neighbouring residential zones requires more complex modelling tools in order to analyse satellite images, to attach high resolution aerial images, to create more precise digital terrain models, to integrate time series of meteorological variables, to realize linkage between the spatial database and numerical simulation tools, to provide spatial analysis, and to visualize the results. Thus, a spatial information system based on GIS technology is used for data management, advanced spatial analysis and numerical simulation linked by shared data files. At first, a digital terrain model is created by processing data …

The Use Of Third Generation Air Quality Modeling Systems For Web Operational Real-Time Forecasting Decision Support Systems: Spain Case, R. San José, J. L. Pérez, J. L. Morant, F. Prieto, R. M. González

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

New generation of electric power plants and industrial plants are important emission sources generally surrounding large, medium and small cities. Future tendencies on energy production envision that the growing demand of electricity will push forward the need to construct more electric power plants with different combustion material. In Spain, the growing electric energy demand has conducted to a growing market on natural gas combined cycle electric power plants. The air quality impact of such a plant is considerable smaller than the old ones but the modern EU Air Quality legislation is starting to obligate to control the air quality impact …

Integration Of Environmental Models Based On Fluid Mechanics In Gis, L. Matejicek, Z. Janour, L. Benes

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

An exploration of dust dispersion over the surface of coal mines requires morecomplex modelling tools in order to estimate dust emission and dust transport. Thus, spatialdata and data originating from a numerical simulation are integrated into a GISenvironment. The Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations for incompressible flowswith turbulent algebraic extensions are used for dispersion modelling of the wind flows anddust transport. In addition to spatial data management, the GIS is used for the creation of adigital terrain model originating from surface laser scanning, GPS measurements, ageodetic survey and existing data sources. This more precise mapping of the surface isrequired in order …

Review: Down To The Waterline: Boundaries, Nature, And The Law In Florida, Lori Critz

Georgia Library Quarterly

Review of the non-fiction book "Down to the Waterline: Boundaries, Nature, and the Law in Florida," by Sara Warner.

Inside Unlv, Grace Russell, Michelle Mouton, Shane Bevell, Diane Russell

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Review: Man Food: Recipes From The Iron Trade Forward, Wally Eberhard

Georgia Library Quarterly

Review of the non-fiction book "Man Food: Recipes from the Iron Trade Forward," by Karen R. Utz.

Shifting Ground To Address Climate Change: The Land Use Law Solution, John R. Nolon

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

This article conceives and describes a Land Use Stabilization Wedge: a strategy that aggregates these five wedges and further organizes strategic energies. This builds on Socolow’s optimistic assertion that “an excuse for inaction based on the world’s lack of technological readiness does not exist.” I assert that the existing legal authority of state and local governments to regulate and guide land use and building is a powerful “technology already deployed somewhere in the world.” The Land Use Stabilization Wedge aggregates several of Socolow’s initiatives and employs multiple mitigation techniques available to citizens in every locality in the country.

Review: Crackers In The Glade: Life And Times In The Old Everglades, Regina W. Cannon

Georgia Library Quarterly

Review of the non-fiction book "Crackers in the Glade: Life and Times in the Old Everglades," by Rob Storter, edited by Betty Savidge Briggs.

The Check-Dam Route To Mitigate India's Water Shortages, Govindasamy Agoramoorthy, Sunita Chaudhary, Minna J. Hsu

Natural Resources Journal

No abstract provided.

Reference Dependence In Iterative Choices, W. Kip Viscusi, Joel Huber, Jason Bell

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Valuation of goods often proceeds from a series of hypothetical pairwise choices. We examine reference dependence on the outcome of such evaluations in a large-scale study in which respondents make a series of choices between areas that differ on cost of living and the quality of lakes and rivers. We uncover three substantial reference effects. First, we find that respondents’ choices are altered by being told the national value of water quality. For these people, consistent with prospect theory, changes in water quality below the 65% referenced national standard are treated as losses and given more weight while identical changes …

Generation Of Monthly Precipitation Under Limited Data And Climate Change: An Example From The Upper Blue Nile River Basin, U. Kim, Jagath J. Kaluarachchi, V. Smakhtin

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This work develops a methodology to project the future precipitation in large river basins under limited data and climate change while preserving the historical temporal and spatial characteristics. The computationally simple and reliable conditional generation method (CGM) is presented and applied to generate reliable monthly precipitation data in the upper Blue Nile River Basin of Ethiopia where rain-fed agriculture is prevalent. The results showed that the temporal analysis with the CGM performs better to reproduce the historical long-term characteristics than other methods, and the spatial analysis with the CGM reproduced the historical spatial structure accurately. A 100-year time series analysis …

Richmond Law Magazine: Summer 2008, University Of Richmond

Richmond Law Magazine

John G. Douglass: New dean welcomes 'this time of great possibility'

Redefining 'Emeritus'

Mister Media

Numerical Analysis Of Non-Constant Pure Rate Of Time Preference: A Model Of Climate Policy, Tomoki Fujii, Larry Karp

Research Collection School Of Economics

When current decisions affect welfare in the far-distant future, as with climate change, the use of a declining pure rate of time preference (PRTP) provides potentially important modeling flexibility. The difficulty of analyzing models with non-constant PRTP limits their application. We describe and provide software (available online) to implement an algorithm to numerically obtain a Markov perfect equilibrium for an optimal control problem with non-constant PRTP. We apply this software to a simplified version of the numerical climate change model used in the Stern Review. For our calibration, the policy recommendations are less sensitive to the PRTP than widely believed. …

An Assessment Of Local People’S Opinions Of Community Conservation Initiatives In Relation To Livelihood Strategies In Kenya, Jill Mechtenberg

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Abstract This paper analyzed the changing livelihood strategies in Kenya, and their cultural impacts via a literature review. I then combined this understanding with the data I collected while in Kenya to examine the opinions local people have of community conservation initiatives, based on their changing livelihood strategies. I expected to find that the following factors would have an affect on the opinions local community members have of community conservation initiatives: livelihood strategy, gender, ethnicity, whether or not they believe the distribution of benefits coming from wildlife conservation is equitable, what issues they would like to see improved within community …

Section I, Saint Mary's College Of California

Academic Catalog

No abstract provided.

Complete Catalog, Saint Mary's College Of California

Academic Catalog

No abstract provided.

Environmental Science And Studies Programs, Saint Mary's College Of California

Academic Catalog

No abstract provided.

Section Ii, Saint Mary's College Of California

Academic Catalog

No abstract provided.

Watershed Health And Mechanical Fuel Reduction In The Walker Flats, Andrew Erdmann

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

The mechanical fuel reduction project being implemented in the Walker Flats area is the result of a collaborative effort on the part of La Jicarita Enterprise Community (LJEC), the National Forest Service (USFS), the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF), New Mexico State University (NMSU), the University of New Mexico (UNM), and numerous other Federal, state, local, non-profit, and educational agencies (LJEC, 2005). Each of these agencies is involved in several aspects of this project ranging from research, to developing the prescription, to monitoring the impacts and effectiveness of the project. The collective efforts of these agencies to develop and monitor …

The Use Of Co-Management And Protected Land-Use Designations To Protect Tribal Cultural Resources And Reserved Treaty Rights On Federal Lands, Martin Nie

Natural Resources Journal

No abstract provided.

Thanks For The Maps And Reports. What Do We Do With Them?, Joyce El Kouarti

PREP Reports & Publications

The goal of this project was to assist local communities in establishing specific local priorities for land protection. MMRG staff conducted a total 32 meetings with conservation commissions, organized three regional workshops, created three sets of maps, conducted three field events, gave three presentations at lake association meetings, created six display booths and issued 12 press releases.

2008 Raptor Monitoring In The Middle Rio Grande Bosque, Hawks Aloft, Inc.

Multi-Species Reports (Hawks Aloft)

No abstract provided.

Quantifying Soil Organic Carbon (Soc) In Wetlands Impacted By Groundwater Withdrawals In West-Central Florida, Katherine Moore Powell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Saturated for most of the year, wetlands accumulate large amounts of biomass in thick organic soil horizons with slow rates of decomposition due to anaerobic conditions. Wetland soils thereby sequester large amounts of organic carbon in relative long-term storage. Municipal water demands in west-central Florida are largely met through extensive groundwater pumping. These withdrawals can impact ecosystems dependent on surface water levels that are ultimately linked to confined aquifers. Soils in a subset of cypress swamps that are monitored by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) were sampled and analyzed to ascertain the health of the wetlands impacted by …