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Ant Diversity In Two Southern Minnesota Tallgrass Prairie Restoration Sites, Pamela M. Kittelson, Monica Paulson Priebe, Phillip J. Graeve

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

There is little basic information about ant species richness and abundance in tall grass prairie restorations despite the importance of ants to plant community structure and function. We compared ant abundance and richness, vascular plant cover and richness, and soil compaction at two southern Minnesota grassland restoration sites, a prairie reconstruction and a prairie remnant undergoing rehabilitation. We collected a total of 3,523 ants from 12 different species. Plant species richness ranged from 45 in the prairie reconstruction to 95 in the remnant prairie. We found five more species of ants and significantly higher mean ant species richness per plot …

El Milagro De Almeria, Espana: A Political Ecology Of Landscape Change And Greenhouse Agriculture, Robert Tyrell Wolosin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate changes in the landscape of Almería in southeastern Spain, particularly in relation to the emergence of the 80,000-acre greenhouse sector. This thesis questions why the province of Almería has the highest concentration of greenhouses in the world and determines what processes led to this industry. The research focuses on local-global scale interactions and environmental history analysis within a political ecology framework. The methods for data collection included literature review of secondary sources and four months living in Almería conducting interviews and field observations. Located in Europe’s driest desert, the greenhouses of Almería …

Evaluating The Design And Management Of Community-Based Ecotourism Projects In Guatemala, Kassandra Lynne Miller

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Community-based ecotourism (CBE) has become the newest buzzword in development circles for its purported ability to provide alternative income generation for families and incentives to protect natural resources. Organizations such as the World Bank, World Wildlife Federation and USAID have supported these small-scale projects across the globe. However, there has been much debate over the efficacy of these projects. They are often developed, managed, and even owned by NGOs, not by local communities. Economic benefits resulting from the project are often directed toward one or two people in prominent positions within the community and not evenly distributed. The increase in …

Redeveloping A Montana Food Processing Industry: The Role Of Food Innovation Centers, Jessica Babcock

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Montana produces a staggering amount of food crops, yet the state struggles to enjoy the fruits of this abundance. The majority of Montana crops and livestock are shipped out of state as raw commodities, a practice that retains very little of the added value of the crop. Processing these crops within the state would help retain more of their value; however, Montana’s food processing industry has undergone changes that have resulted in decreased availability of food processing facilities and services to agricultural growers and producers. Over the past 70 years, there has been a simultaneous decline in decentralized food manufacturing …

Place-Based Conservation Legislation And National Forest Management: The Case Of The Beaverhead-Deerlodge Partnership, Michael Thomas Fiebig

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This paper investigates the use of place-based conservation legislation as a tool for conflict resolution, wilderness designation and unit-level administrative planning reform on national forests by analyzing the case of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge Partnership in Southwestern Montana. The codification of place-based negotiated compromises over forest management is a significant departure from the administrative planning approach used to resolve multiple-use conflicts by the U.S. Forest Service. The goals of this paper were to develop a place-based legislation typology for natural resources policy, to determine the motivations for seeking this approach, and to analyze its use. Preliminary research for this project was begun …

Development Of An Environmental Law Curriculum For Kosovo Universities, Nebojsa Vlajic

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This paper aims to improve environmental problem solving in Kosovo by introducing an environmental law course to the Kosovo university system. No school in Kosovo currently teaches environmental law and lawyers practicing environmental litigation are nonexistent. There are not many experts who can be consulted or who can help draft the environmental laws Kosovo must enact in order to harmonize its laws with those of the European Union. Lawyers having proper and formal training for doing the Environmental Impact Assessment are also extremely limited in number. The first part explains the rationale for proposing an environmental law course at law …

Assessment And Mitigation Of Water Related Environmental Health Impacts In The Bagrami District Of Kabul Province, Mumtaz Ahmad

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

My paper includes: (1) an analysis of cases of waterborne diseases in Bagrami District from 2003-2007; (2) a review and assessment of the effectiveness of three recent water supply and sanitation projects carried out by aid organizations; (3) a description of a Bagrami water sanitation project that I helped manage in 17 villages in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in spring 2008; and (4) my recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness of water supply and sanitation projects in Bagrami and other areas of Afghanistan based on insights gained from this study.

The Role Of Brownfields Redevelopment In The Rejuvenation Of An Older Industrial City: A Case Study Of Two Successful Brownfields Reuse Projects In Baltimore, Maryland, Gregory William Lewis

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The industrialized world is littered with tens of thousands of acres of vacant, decaying, and often contaminated industrial and commercial sites. These sites, commonly referred to as “brownfields,” scar the landscape of communities, expose citizens to possible health risks, deteriorate surrounding land values, and erode the tax base of municipalities. Vacant and abandoned industrial sites are present in every state, but the blight associated with brownfields is worst in America’s “rustbelt,” the chain of once great industrial cites and towns stretching along historic canals and rail lines from Baltimore to Boston, and west to Milwaukee. This thesis investigates federal and …

The Traditional Wilderness Conception, Postmodern Cultural Constructionism And The Importance Of Physical Environments, Matthew Adam Gray

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Recently, a heated debate has emerged between advocates of the traditional wilderness concept and those who believe that this concept is merely a cultural construction. The traditional wilderness conception viewed wilderness as an objective place separate from humans that is defined by being primarily shaped by natural forces, possessing natural origins and being free of human inhabitants and structures. This view culminated in the definition of wilderness featured in the 1964 Wilderness Act. A postmodern critique of the traditional wilderness conception began in the 1980s. In this view, the traditional wilderness conception is thought to be a product of Euro- …

Gifford Pinchot's Photographic Aesthetic, Carlie Shaw Magill

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Gifford Pinchot’s aesthetic developed in childhood and combined the pictorial considerations of the Hudson River School with the use philosophy of early landscape architecture and the format of early western survey photographers. Pinchot and photography came of age during the American industrial revolution; at a time when medium and man seemed to encompass both art and science. Gifford Pinchot used photography to ask the questions what is the proper course? what is the appropriate plan of use?

The Klamath's Path After Termination, Monika Nicole Bilka

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

During the 1950s, termination policy dominated federal Indian policy. Termination policy was an effort by the federal government to complete the assimilation process by ending the federal trust relationship it held with Native American tribes. US federal officials chose to terminate the trust relationship with tribes that they considered assimilated and wealthy. As many other historians have argued, termination history did not end in a positive way for tribes. Many tribes witnessed the social and economic collapse of their communities, as well as the loss of their tribal identity. Although the Klamaths suffered from their termination experience, they faced a …

Seasonal Nutrient Dynamics In A Small-Scale Constructed Wetland Treating Primary Effluent With Applications Of Effluent Reuse In Biomass Production, Paul Thomas Miller

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Constructed wetlands have been investigated for use in the treatment of municipal wastewater. Species of nitrogen and phosphorus are the nutrients of focus and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS) and fecal coliform are the pollutants. Prior work has focused on design concepts, plant effects on nutrient and pollutant treatment, and annualized treatment performance characteristics. This work builds upon published design concepts and wetland plant community and its function and investigates seasonal treatment performance and the kinetics of treatment performance for certain nutrients and pollutants during each season. Previous engineering based work has broadly suggested that first order …

The Blackfoot Valley Trumpeter Swan Reintroduction: A Chronology And Case Study, Brian Kevin Ferrasci-O'Malley

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Since 2003, United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) personnel have been working together with state and local officials to reintroduce a viable population of trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator) to wetlands in the Blackfoot River Valley of western Montana. I had the great opportunity to be involved with this project while completing a Masters in Environmental Studies at the University of Montana. During the time I was involved, we conducted a habitat analysis, worked to prepare wetlands for swan use, released the first cohort of reintroduced trumpeter swans in the Blackfoot Valley, and tracked their movements until they left for …

Lawrence Brown, Marilyn Brown, Joseph Sorensen, And Kathleen Sorenson V. The Division Of Water Rights Of The Department Of Natural Resources Of The State Of Utah : Brief Of Appellant, Utah Supreme Court

Utah Supreme Court Briefs (2000–2020)

On a Writ of Certiorari to the Utah Court of Appeals

New Distributional Records Of Ants In Arkansas, David M. General, Lynne C. Thompson

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Commencement Program (December 2008), Csusb

CSUSB Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Commencement Program (June 2008), Csusb

CSUSB Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Clark University Academic Catalog [2007-2008], Clark University

Clark University Academic Catalogs

Annual academic catalog for the 2007-2008 academic year at Clark University.

Clark University academic catalogs contain academic announcements, course listings and descriptions, degrees and degree requirements, registers of instructor and administrator names, information on buildings and grounds, Clark history, and more. They have had various titles throughout the decades, but for consistency we collectively refer to them as academic catalogs across all titles.

Voices From The Past And Echoes Of The Future: Management Of Forest And Woodland Resources By Local Religious Institutions Within The Mufurudzi Resettlement Scheme In Zimbabwe, Geoffrey Mukwada

Journal of Ecological Anthropology

The existing body of literature on community-based natural resource management suggests that local institutions are a mainstay, particularly for the management of plants and animals upon which communities depend for livelihood. However, evidence from the Mufurudzi resettlement scheme in Zimbabwe refutes this assertion. This paper examines the effectiveness of local religious institutions in the management of forest and woodland resources at the micro-level. In this setting, communities were “grafted;” that is, their members were arbitrarily selected for resettlement without consideration for the diversity of their cultural backgrounds or whether they were neighbors to one another prior to resettlement. Based on …

National Cave And Karst Research Institute 2006-2007 Annual Report Nckri Biennial Report, 2006-2007, National Cave And Karst Research Institute

KIP Articles

Contents: Executive Summary -- A Time of Changes -- Organizational Chart -- Board of Directors -- Board Meetings -- Building Design -- NCKRI Projects -- Visiting Scholar Program -- Distinguished Lecture Series -- Publications -- Website -- Karst Information Portal -- NCKRI Sponsored Projects -- Volunteers -- Budget Information -- Future Directions.

Smu Research, Volume 15, Office Of Public Affairs

SMU Research Magazine

No abstract provided.

The Southeastern Librarian V. 55, No. 4 (Winter 2008) Complete Issue

The Southeastern Librarian

Complete issue of The Southeastern Librarian, volume 55, No. 4 (Winter 2008).

People News

The Southeastern Librarian

Recent professional developments from SELA members.

Fact Book 2008-09, Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University Fact Books

• General Information
• Enrollment Information
• Institutional Comparison
• Student Information
• Faculty Information
• Budgets and Resources

The Effect Of Orientation To Growing Season Sunlight On Stomatal Parameters Of Q. Rubra In The Belgrade Lakes Region, Central Maine, Rachel G. Daly

Honors Theses

Stomatal frequencies of fossil-plant species are used to estimate past pCO2 levels based on the physiological functions of living taxa. Numerous studies have shown that there is an inverse relationship between pCO2 and stomatal frequency parameters. As levels of pCO2 increase, the Stomatal Density (SD) and Stomatal Index (SI) decrease. However, pCO2 is not the only factor affecting SD and SI values, which are a product of leaf growth and expansion. Stomatal characteristics differ between genera, and studies also have shown that SD and light intensity have a positive correlation. The present study hypothesizes that SD and SI are not …

Caution Ahead: Changing Laws To Accommodate Public-Private Partnerships In Transportation , Ellen M. Erhardt

Valparaiso University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Separating People And Wildlife: Zoning As A Conservation Strategy For Large Carnivores, Courtney L. Larson

Honors Theses

Large carnivores are some of the world’s most difficult species to conserve because of their large spatial requirements, low population density, and high potential for conflict with humans. However, large carnivores are valuable for ecological, cultural, and ethical reasons. Carnivore management can take a wide variety of forms, including translocation, sterilization, livestock compensation programs, regulated hunting, improved livestock husbandry practices, and zoning, among others. The objective of this thesis was to conduct a comparative analysis of examples of zoning from around the world to examine whether it is an effective carnivore management strategy.

Analysis of twelve case studies showed that …

Effect Of Observed Biological And Non-Biological Movement On Human Action And Coordination, Walter L. Campbell

Honors Theses

Recently, it has been demonstrated that an individual’s rhythmic limb movements exhibit greater variability when viewing spatially incongruent biological limb movements, but not when viewing spatially incongruent non-biological movements. Some researchers have concluded that a ‘mirror-neuron system’ might mediate the intrinsic bidirectional link between perception and action underlying interpersonal, but not environmental, coordination (e.g., Kilner et al., 2003; Tognoli et al., 2007). The current study aimed to: 1) contest this recent finding; and 2) demonstrate that the self-organized entrainment processes of coupled oscillators can explain the differing influences of biological and non-biological movements. In the first experiment, participants intentionally coordinated …

Phosphorus Primer For Maine’S Lakes, Lindsay B. Philips

Honors Theses

Phosphorus plays a major role in aquatic systems and the life that they support. It is a macronutrient that constitutes 0.5lf microorganisms and zooplankton by mass. Phosphorus is of great importance in terrestrial, agricultural, and plant systems as a macronutrient, and when it comes to aquatic systems, we tend to look at phosphorus in terms of its influence on lake primary productivity. Lakes are often phosphorus sinks because they are maintained by hydrological sources that are capable of causing nutrient influx. To understand phosphorus cycling in lake systems, it is important to consider the many sources and forms of phosphorus …

Carbon Neutrality At Colby College, Jamie K. O’Connell

Honors Theses

Carbon neutral is a term used to describe any organization, entity, or process that has a net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions level of zero (Dautremont-Smith et al. 2007a). Since carbon neutrality only requires a net greenhouse gas emissions level of zero, organizations do not need to eliminate all carbon pollution to become carbon neutral. Net emissions differ from gross emissions in that gross emissions are the sum of all emissions released by the individual or entity, whereas net emissions are equivalent to the gross emissions minus any carbon offsets. A carbon offset is any activity that reduces carbon emissions so …