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Insider Vol. 10 No. 4 Summer 2010, College Of Arts & Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

Special Awards Edition

Center For Grassland Studies, Summer 2010, Volume 16, No. 2

Center for Grassland Studies: Newsletters

Contents:

Grazing Systems Research in the Nebraska Sandhills

From the Director

Ingalls’ Ode to Blue Grass

2010 CGS Fall Seminar Series

August 1 Is Pre-registration Deadline for Nebraska Grazing Conference

CGS Associates

Resources

Dig It! Smithsonian Exhibit Omaha

Info Tufts

Socioeconomic Indicators That Matter For Population Health, Paula M. Lantz, Andrew Pritchard

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

Increasing research and policy attention is being given to how the socioeconomic environment influences health. This article discusses potential indicators or metrics regarding the socioeconomic environment that could play a role in an incentive-based system for population health. Given the state of the research regarding the influence of socioeconomic contextual variables on health outcomes, the state of data and metrics for these variables at the local level, and the potential for program and policy intervention, we recommend a set of metrics related to the socioeconomic composition of a community (including poverty, unemployment, and public assistance rates); educational attainment and achievement; …

Ummra Info: Volume Xiii, Number 1, University Of Minnesota, Morris Retirees' Association

UMMRA Info

This newsletter includes: a letter from the UMMRA president, 2010-2011 dates to save, sad news, 2010-2011 in review, Mini-grants for UMMRA members, UMMRA kudos, bits and pieces, another high rank for UMM, and an article titled Memories of UMM.

From Landscape-Scale Models Of Forest Biodiversity Change Towards An Integrated Planning Tool – A Gui For Building Empirical Ecological Extrapolation Models Based On Land Cover Data –, Tobias Lung, Gertrud Schaab

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Spatially explicit models linking biological field data with remotely-sensed landcover data have become commonplace for landscape-scale biodiversity assessments, butthey usually neither consider time series data nor include future scenarios. Extrapolationmodels addressing these deficiencies for three keystone species/groups of the Kakamega-Nandi forests in western Kenya proved to be a suitable means for investigating the effectsof long-term land change processes on the development of forest biodiversity in space andtime. However, the experimental modelling design of the approaches is not consideredconvenient for a more comprehensive, interlinked assessment including morespecies/groups and also ecosystem functions and services, nor is it adequate for a stronglocal stakeholder …

Dust Storms Over The Arabian Gulf: An Optimistic Vision Toward Climate Change Consequences, Waleed Hamza, Mohamed Rizk, Huda Al-Hassini, Jan Stuut, Dirk De-Beer

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Dust storms frequencies and strengths have been monitored during 2009 at different locations along the coastal areas of the United Arab Emirates as a representative site of the Arabian Gulf marine environment. The results have been compared with the previous five years data set. Moreover mineralogical components of the collected dust samples during the study period have been analyzed using both XRD and XRF techniques. The results of comparison have allowed to evaluate changes occurred in dust storms characteristics over the Arabian Gulf and to consider it as a sensitive signal of climate changes over the region. It has been …

Impact Of Land-Use Changes On The Hydrological Processes In The Elbow River Watershed In Southern Alberta, G. N. Wijesekara, A. Gupta, C. Valeo, J. G. Hasbani, Danielle J. Marceau

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Due to the rapid population growth and urbanization in the City of Calgary, the Elbow River watershed in southern Alberta covering 1238 km2 has been subjected to considerable land-use changes over the last decade. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of land-use intensification simulated with a cellular automata (CA) model on the hydrological processes of the watershed using MIKE-SHE, a physically-based and distributed hydrological model. MIKE-SHE was calibrated for the period 1985-1990 and validated for the period 2000-2005. The calibration was achieved by comparing observed and simulated flow data. The CA model was calibrated using four …

Advances In The Integration Of Watershed And Lake Modeling In The Lake Winnipeg Basin, Luis F. León, William Booty, I. Wong, Craig Mccrimmon, S. J. Melles, G. Benoy, J. Vanrobaeys

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Estimating non-point source pollution from watersheds and the effects of mitigation measures (e.g. beneficial management practices or BMPs) is an important step in managing and protecting water quality, not only at the basin level where it originates, but also at the receiving waters such as reservoirs, lakes or oceans. Lake Winnipeg is a prime example of such land-lake interactions, where eutrophication and increased algal blooms in the lake are fueled, as evidence suggests, from agricultural sources of nutrients in the region. Over the years, simulation models at the watershed level have been applied to aid in the understanding and management …

Modelling Urban Land Use Change Using Geographically Weighted Regression And The Implications For Sustainable Environmental Planning, Noresah Mohd Shariff, Sanjay Gairola, Anita Talib

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

In this study we applied Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) approach to model urban landuse changes in Penang Island from 1990 to 2005, covering the period during which the Island has experiencedtremendous urban growth due to in migration from adjacent areas. Land use change has potential impacts on thephysical and social environment. We identified spatial variables describing environment, physical and socioeconomicfactors which are hypothesized to influence the change in the land use in the study area. An ordinaryleast squares regression (OLS) model is applied to the variables followed by a GWR model and the results arecompared. The results show that the …

Evaluating Climate Suitability For Agriculture In Switzerland, A. Holzkämper, P. Calanca, J. Fuhrer

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

With climate change increased water shortage and extreme weather eventsduring the cropping season may cause more frequent crop loss, yield instability, and makecultivated areas less suitable for traditional crops. In order to develop long-term agriculturalpolicies, planners need to understand the likely impacts of climate change on the climatesuitability for different cultivation types. Agroclimatic indices have great potential tocommunicate the impacts of climate change. However, each metric only represents aspecific aspect of climate that may or may not be relevant for the growth of a certain croptype. To guide planners and policy makers, different indices have to be aggregated in acomprehensible …

Uncertainty Of A Biological Nitrogen And Phosphorus Removal Model, A. Cosenza, G. Mannina, G. Viviani

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

In the last few years, the use of mathematical models in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) processes has become a common way to predict WWTP behaviour. However, mathematical models generally demand advanced input for their implementation that must be evaluated by an extensive data gathering campaign, which cannot always be carried out. This fact, together with the intrinsic complexity of the model structure, leads to model results that may be very uncertain. Quantification of the uncertainty is imperative. However, despite the importance of uncertainty quantification, only a few studies have been carried out in the wastewater treatment field, and those studies …

End-To-End Workflows For Coupled Climate And Hydrological Modeling, Kathy Saint, Sylvia Murphy

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

In order to examine the effects of environmental changes on local watersheds, it has become increasingly important to be able to interoperate between diverse models and document and share the resulting data. To this end, we are prototyping an end-to-end workflow that executes multiple, distributed models, loosely couples the model components, and disseminates the model results and metadata using a data portal. This project is made up of three major components and is implemented in multiple phases. The main components include the interface to the models for configuration and execution, the interface to the portal for data dissemination, and the …

Effective Engagement Of Stakeholders In Total Maximum Daily Load Development And Implementation, Erica Gaddis, Carl Adams, Alexey Voinov

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) identify the maximum amount of pollution that a water body can receive and still support its designated uses and allocates the maximum load to specific sources in the watershed. In the United States, The Clean Water Act requires public participation in the process of TMDL development. This requirement has been met through simple presentation of results at public meetings, strategic partnerships with key stakeholders, and/or to advisory committees in which stakeholders participate in critical decisions about TMDL definition and implementation. These decisions include model selection and assumptions, selection of water quality endpoints, load allocations, TMDL …

Dynamics Of Habitat Banking Under Changing Conservation Costs And Habitat Restoration Time Lags, Martin Drechsler, Florian Hartig

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Tradable permits are a popular instrument for environmental policy. Classical examples are emission control, but tradable permit systems are recently also promoted and applied to the conservation of biodiversity. This raises a number of challenges. One problem is that habitat turnover (the destruction of habitats and restoration elsewhere) is harmful to many species, even if the total amount of habitat is constant. Another problem is that the restoration of habitats often takes time, leading to time lags between the beginning of restoration activities and the time when the restored habitat is available for trading. It is therefore important to understand …

Modeling Thermal Structure Variations In A Stratified Reservoir, C. Lindim, E. J. Hayter, J. L. S. Pinho, J. M. P. Vieira

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

In this work the effects of hydrologic and atmospheric conditions changes in the thermalstructure of the Alqueva reservoir are investigated. Reservoir water temperatures andthermal stratification have a strong influence on ecological processes; therefore a goodunderstanding of their dynamics is of major importance when studying eutrophicatedreservoirs. A finite element model (RMA10) was used to simulate flow and temperature inthe Alqueva reservoir, the largest western European lake. Survey and monitoring data fordifferent years were used to calibrate and validate the model. Simulated temperaturescompared well with observations at different monitoring stations. Model results showedthat the reservoir has a stable thermal stratification during summer. …

Functional Linear Models To Test For Differences In Prairie Wetland Hydraulic Gradients, Mark C. Greenwood, Richard S. Sojda, Todd M. Preston

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Functional data analysis provides a framework for analyzing multiple time seriesmeasured frequently in time, treating each series as a continuous function of time.Functional linear models are used to test for effects on hydraulic gradient functionalresponses collected from three types of land use in Northeastern Montana at fourteenlocations. Penalized regression-splines are used to estimate the underlying continuousfunctions based on the discretely recorded (over time) gradient measurements. Permutationmethods are used to assess the statistical significance of effects. A method foraccommodating missing observations in each time series is described. Hydraulic gradientsmay be an initial and fundamental ecosystem process that responds to climate change. …

Multi-Disciplinary Development Of An Early Warning And Automated Response System (Ewars) For Epidemic Prevention, Ajit N. Babu, Engelbert Niehaus

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

It is becoming increasingly clear that changes in the environment can promote growth ofdisease vectors like mosquitoes and rodents as well as rise in water-borne illnesses likecholera and other enteric diseases. Our paper is based on the concept that a multidisciplinaryinformatics scaffold can serve as an Early Warning and Automated Response System(EWARS) for a variety of communicable diseases. It will utilize multiple informationresources including Remote Sensing (RS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS) andGeographic Information Systems (GIS) for exposure assessment (John et al 2004). Earlywarning systems are not new (Witt et al 2009). However, what is novel in the proposal isthe integration …

Eastern Kentucky University Magazine, Summer 2010, Eastern Kentucky University, Alumni Relations

The Eastern Magazine

No abstract provided.

The Learning Marketspace, July 2010, Bob Heterick, Carol Twigg

The Learning MarketSpace (4/03 - 4/14)

No abstract provided.

Pepperdine Magazine - Vol. 2, Iss. 2 (Summer 2010), Office Of Public Affairs, Pepperdine University

Pepperdine Magazine

Megan Huard, editor.

Crowning Achievements, David Marc

Syracuse University Magazine

No abstract provided.

Alumni Journal

Syracuse University Magazine

No abstract provided.

Integrated River Assessment By Coupling Water Quality And Ecological Assessment Models, Ine S. Pauwels, Gert Everaert, Peter L. M. Goethals

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The European Water Framework Directive has a high impact on current watermanagement in Belgium. Several restoration scenarios have been worked out by thegovernment. To compare the effect of these scenarios, a combination of a water quality(PEGASE) and ecological assessment models (data driven models based on regression trees)has been developed and applied for the major part of the large river systems in Flanders(Belgium). The simulation results illustrate that the currently foreseen investments in waterquality improvement will lead to drastic improvements of the ecological water quality, but arenot enough to meet the target status in most of the streams in Flanders. Moreover, …

The Cumulative Effects Of Dam Project On River Ecosystem Based On Multi-Scale Ecological Network Analysis, Chen Shaoqing, Yang Jin, Chen Bin

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The importance of addressing cumulative environmental impact of large developmentprojects on rivers has been increasingly concerned. Consideration to potential impact pathways may bedifficult, however, without appropriate analytical methods. By introducing ecological network model,this paper is focused on the quantification of the cause-effect relationships inherent the cumulativeeffects of dam construction in holistic perspective. With Lancang river of Longitudinal Range-GorgeRegion (LRGR) as example, the risk-based interaction instead of the conventional energy or materialflow of ecological network model was created to conceptualize the cumulative effects network model.Grounding on which the network structural and functional analysis were adjusted for the assessment ofpotential eco-environmental impact …

A Geosimulation Tool To Assess Intervention Scenarios In Relation To The Spread Of Infectious Disease And Environmental Factors, Mondher Bouden, Bernard Moulin, Pierre Gosselin

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Several approaches have been proposed to model and simulate the spread ofinfectious diseases such as the West Nile virus (WNV). However, these approaches such asmathematical modeling and cellular automata have some weaknesses when trying to modeland simulate the influence of geographic and climatic features on the disease spread and thespatio-temporal interactions of various kinds of actors (e.g. mosquitoes, birds, mammalsand humans in the WNV case). In this context, we propose to apply a geosimulationapproach to remedy some shortcomings of current methods. Using such an approach wedeveloped WNV-MAGS, a tool allowing public health decision policy makers to assessseveral intervention scenarios in …

Remote Sensing Time Series For Modeling Invasive Species Distribution: A Case Study Of Tamarix Spp. In The Us And Mexico, Anna F. Cord, Doris Klein, Stefan Dech

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Detecting invasive species and predicting their potential distribution are crucial to coordinate management responses. Remote sensing data are now available in several spatial and temporal resolutions and can supply environmental models with additional information. This study uses the Maximum Entropy algorithm to model the current distribution of the saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) in the US and Mexico and to identify suitable habitats, both already inhabited and not yet occupied. Tamarisk is restricted to specific habitats such as riparian zones, wetlands and agricultural or disturbed areas, which are typically not only characterized by climate. To describe vegetation phenology and thermal seasonality in …

Application Of Life Cycle Analysis (Lca) In Evaluating Energy-Consuming Of Integrated Oxidation Ditch (Iod), Xianchun Tan, Junyi Xu, Sheng Wang, C. Y. Miao

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

With the research on some critical technology going deeply, the problem of technology route and project approach for the saving energy and reducing consumption have become the focus of municipal wastewater treatment process. In this article, LCA (Life Cycle Analysis) is applied to identify and compare the energy consumption of each stage of different technologies in municipal wastewater treatment from the view of whole process. This is carried out after reviewing the condition of energy utilizing of typical technologies in China. And some measures are brought forward to improve the efficiency of energy utilizing. Integrated Oxidation Ditch (IOD) is taken …

A Model-Based Quantitative Assessment Of Ecosystem Services In The Scenarios Of Environmental Management, Peter A. Khaiter, Marina G. Erechtchoukova

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

It is well recognized that ecological systems generate a spectrum of diverse benefits that are vital to humankind. Sustainable environmental management requires an adequate consideration of ecosystem goods and services. The problem, however, is that many of the ecological and social amenities are not currently incorporated into the decision-making process. A fundamental issue is getting at the quantitative characteristics of the ecosystem services. Publications on this matter note that simulation models of the phenomena in question have to be used for this purpose. In fact, a whole family of simulation models is required. Such models should represent the main components …

Modeling And Support Tools For Studying Disease Spread In Livestock Using Networks, Joel Francis, Greg Klotz, Neil Harvey, Deborah Stacey

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The natural occurrence or intentional release of highly contagious agents of livestock disease can have serious consequences for any country’s agricultural economy. Successful control and management of animal disease outbreaks require that adequate response strategies be developed beforehand. Disease spread simulation models are being used by veterinary epidemiologists to evaluate strategies for the control of disease spread. These models enable decision-makers and emergency preparedness personnel to explore many different scenarios to determine the effects of control measures such as vaccination, and study the likely size, duration and cost of outbreaks. This paper presents an overview of livestock disease spread modeling …

Providing Intelligent Decision Support Systems With Flexible Data-Intensive Case-Based Reasoning, Beatriz Sevilla Villanueva, Miquel Sànchez-Marrè

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

In this paper we present a flexible CBR shell for Data-Intensive Case-Based Reasoning Systems which is fully integrated in an Intelligent Data Analysis Tool entitled GESCONDA. The main subgoal of the developed tool is to create a CBR Shell where no fixed domain exists and where letting the expert/user creates (models) his/her own domain. From an abstract point of view, the definition of the CBR can be seen as a methodology composed by four phases and each phase offers different ways to be solved. Then, since the CBR shell is integrated in GESCONDA, it inherits all its functionalities which cover …