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Juvenile Crawfish (Procambarus Clarkii) Lc50 Mortality From South Louisiana Crude, Peanut And Mineral Oil, Okey Umejuru

LSU Master's Theses

Nearly every continent has species of crawfish that inhabit wetlands or are near coastal areas where petroleum and other oils are produced, transported, and accidentally released. Most crawfish cannot tolerate polluted water. Thus, they could serve as biomonitors of fossil fuel, biofuel, and other oil releases and assess potential negative impacts such oils have on wetland and coastal ecosystems. The objectives of this study were to estimate the acute toxicity of three oils to juvenile crawfish and determine if toxicity was due to poisoning or interference with oxygen transfer across the gills. Juvenile crawfish (Procambarus clarkii) were tested for acute …

Playground For The Imagination, B. Darlene Miller

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Over the past years, my work has been based on a desire to depict the spiritual and physiological interdependence humans have with the wetland ecosystem. As I examine the shapes of trees and their roots through rubbings, paintings, and sculpture, I sought to express this interaction between humans and nature. My artwork metamorphosed from the traditionally separated forms of painting and sculpture into an environment. The transformation of natural materials into manufactured products led me to cultivate a deeper understanding of ecology, where humans are participants in the natural process of the life cycle. Nature becomes the primary subject and …

Retrospective Analysis Of Marine Biological Data From Port Valdez, Alaska: A Case Study In Long -Term Monitoring, Arny L. Blanchard

Marine Biology

Efforts to understand anthropogenic effects within the Port Valdez study area provide a simple and adaptive model for developing and refining hypotheses to measure the structure of and detect, change in nearshore and benthic habitats. Drivers of change detected by this study are the 1964 Prince William Sound earthquake and the oil transportation and salmon aquaculture industries within the fjord. The study area is a glacial-outwash fjord characterized by strong seasonal and spatial environmental gradients due to glacial influences including seasonally low salinity, high suspended sediment loads, and subsequent high sedimentation rates. Direct and indirect effects from intolerance to low …

Tidal Bores, Catastrophic Flooding In Bangladesh, And The Potential Usefulness Of Causeways, Priyanka Joseph

Macro Center Working Papers

Through discussion of the worldwide devastation that tidal bores can cause, author Priyanka Joseph, examines the causes and the possible solutions to prevent these destructive waves. The pros and cons of each solution (such as causeways, viaducts, and regulators) are debated as well as their effect on the surrounding areas and environment.

Gonadal Histology And Reproductive Steroidogenesis Of Anurans Exposed To Potential Endocrine Disrupting Contaminants, Emily May La Fiandra

Doctoral Dissertations

The prevalence of malformed amphibians and the association of high incidences of malformation with the presence of environmental contaminants have raised questions about the effects of environmental contaminants on the development of larval amphibians. The potential endocrine disrupting effects of pesticides suggest that the reproductive and developmental abnormalities observed in larval anurans may be due at least in part to impacts on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. The present studies investigate the effects of exposure to environmental contaminants including DDT and atrazine on the development, gonadal histology and reproductive steroidogenesis of larval anurans.

As previous monitoring at Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge …

Ecological Patterns, Community Classification, And A Comparison Of Approaches For Predicting Biological And Habitat Reference Conditions In New Hampshire Streams, Brian R. Frappier

Doctoral Dissertations

Reference conditions play a vital role in many challenges facing both conservation and natural resources management. This dissertation sought to establish minimally-impacted reference conditions for stream biota and habitat in New Hampshire and explore alternative statistical methodologies to predict reference conditions for biological and habitat assessments. The fish, stream-dwelling salamander, macroinvertebrate and periphyton assemblages as well as the co-occurring physical habitat and riparian conditions of 76 minimally-impacted first to fourth order streams in New Hampshire were estimated using USEPA Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program protocols over a four year period. Several statistical approaches and data standardizations for classifying multi-taxonomic assemblages …

Improving Estimation Of Gross Primary Productivity Of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Qingyuan Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

The MOderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provides an unprecedented opportunity to monitor and quantify seasonal changes of vegetation and phenology. MODIS has the potential to improve the estimation, which is based on the algorithms for the NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), of biophysical/biochemical variables of vegetation. My doctoral study improves estimation of gross primary productivity (GPP) through two aspects: first, my study improved the detection of vegetation phenology by distinguishing MODIS contaminated observations and contamination-free observations, and secondly, I inverted the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) by chlorophyll using radiative transfer models and daily MODIS data. …

The Ecological Christ: Discerning An Ecological Consciousness In The Sermon On The Mount, Nancy J. Miaoulis

Doctoral Dissertations

Ecology is the science that studies the function of communities of life within ecosystems. These systems are bound by an affirmation of relationship. Such relationships are very complex and every part of them is dependent on every other part if they are to maintain the integrity of nature that allows us all to survive.

The adoption of the four principles of ecology: everything is connected to everything else; everything has to go somewhere; nature knows best; and there is no such thing as a free lunch---have been suggested to ensure the survival of all species. However, knowledge of scientific findings …

Unruly Complexity: Ecology, Interpretation, Engagement, Peter Taylor

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publication Series

Ambitiously identifying fresh issues in the study of complex systems, Peter J. Taylor, in a model of interdisciplinary exploration, makes these concerns accessible to scholars in the fields of ecology, environmental science, and science studies. Unruly Complexity explores concepts used to deal with complexity in three realms: ecology and socio-environmental change; the collective constitution of knowledge; and the interpretations of science as they influence subsequent research.

For each realm Taylor shows that unruly complexity-situations that lack definite boundaries, where what goes on "outside" continually restructures what is "inside," and where diverse processes come together to produce change-should not be suppressed …

Ten Suggestions To Strengthen The Science Of Ecology, Gary E. Belovsky, Daniel B. Botkin, Todd A. Crowl, Kenneth W. Cummins, Jerry F. Franklin, Malcolm L. Hunter, Anthony Joern, David B. Lindenmayer, James A. Macmahon, Chris R. Margules, J. Michael Scott

Papers in Ecology

There are few well-documented, general ecological principles that can be applied to pressing environmental issues. When they discuss them at all, ecologists often disagree about the relative importance of different aspects of the science’s original and still important issues. It may be that the sum of ecological science is not open to universal statements because of the wide range of organizational, spatial, and temporal phenomena, as well as the sheer number of possible interactions.We believe, however, that the search for general principles has been inadequate to establish the extent to which generalities are possible.We suggest that ecologists may need to …

Fire Dynamics In Amazonia, Manoel Cardoso

Doctoral Dissertations

Fires are major disturbances for ecosystems in Amazonia. Because of their short time scale and strong links to biogeochemical cycles, fires significantly affect fluxes and stocks of carbon and nutrients, change air composition, and modify ecosystems structure and functioning. Fires are strongly related to land-use, land-cover and climate conditions. Because the increasing development of the region, these factors have been changing and leading to different patterns of fire activity. Thus it is very important to understand the dynamics of fires in the region and to develop models that can project their potential changes. To contribute in all these subjects, we …

Aggiecology- Usu Thinks Green, Utah State University

Agriculture

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Prokaryotic Diversity In A Chlorinated Solvent-Contaminated Bedrock Aquifer Using Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis, Ribosomal Dna Sequencing, And Real Time Pcr, Walid Naser

Doctoral Dissertations

A culture-independent molecular phylogenetic approach was implemented to investigate spatial and temporal variations in microbial diversity and abundance in a chlorinated solvent-contaminated bedrock aquifer. Core and groundwater samples were collected from several boreholes and included the following samples: (1) groundwater that was associated with the core, (2) open fractures and (3) partially mineralized sealed fractures (PMSF) exposed by striking the core with a surface-sterilized geology hammer. DNA representing the attached and unattached microbial communities was extracted from these samples, and the 16S rRNA gene was amplified with primers specific for Bacteria, Archaea, sulfate reducers, Geobacteraceae family, Dehalorespirers (Dehalococcoides sp. and …

Teaching Green: Experimenting With Green Values In The Classroom, David Whiteman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Historical Changes In Mid-Water Stands Of Common Reed In The Winnebago Pool Lakes, Wisconsin, Anthony O. Gabriel, Leo R. Bodensteiner

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Despite the tolerance of common reed grass to environmental extremes, mid-water stands in the Winnebago pool lakes of central Wisconsin appear to be diminishing. Formerly occupying shoreline locations, water level manipulations subsequent to dam construction beginning in the 1850's have isolated reed stands off shore. These stands have persisted but casual observations indicate that stand size has been declining. To address this perception we obtained an approximately decadal series of aerial photographs dating back to 1937 for four stands in Lake Poygan. Annual records were available for 1986–94. Using image analysis software, we determined shape and size metrics. Changes in …

Sponges Dominant In The Alaska Intertidal: Biology, Ecology, And Genetic Diversity, Ann Lynette Knowlton

Marine Biology

The role of the sponge, Halichondria panicea, in a Kachemak Bay, Alaska, intertidal community was investigated through field and laboratory experiments. The relationship between H. panicea and co-occurring macroalgae was studied and results indicate that removing macroalgae had no effect on sponge abundance. A laboratory feeding trial investigating H. panicea and its primary predator Archidoris montereyensis showed that nudibranchs consuming symbiotic sponge had higher feeding and egg production rates than individuals eating aposymbiotic sponge. In a simulated predation event, initial sponge growth rates into experimental feeding scars were high, indicating a response mechanism to tissue damage. A naturally occurring high …

Detection Of Giardia Lamblia And Cryptosporidium Parvum In The Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Harvested From The Great Bay Estuary, Kim Marie Stowell

Doctoral Dissertations

The Great Bay Estuarine system is being impacted by point source and nonpoint source pollution that affect shellfish quality. Many outbreaks of human gastroenteritis are potentially caused by the consumption of raw or undercooked oysters in which the protozoan pathogens, Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium parvum are present. The development of a rapid and sensitive technique to detect infectious protozoa in oysters is a necessity.

Immunofluorescence has been employed as a technique for the detection of these organisms in drinking water. Cross reactivity with algae and the production of false positive results limits the usefulness of this technique in environmental studies. …

A Critical Evaluation Of Research Techniques In Animal Ecology, Michelle A. Baker

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Review Of "Vanishing Borders: Protecting The Planet In The Age Of Globalization" By Hilary French: Implications For Peace, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article reviews a recent book by Hilary French, vice president for research at the Worldwatch Institute.

Scale, Ecological Fallacy, And The River Continuum Concept, Hope M. Childers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Concern over scale is not new, and it is not restricted to geographers. Spatial and temporal scaling is a conceptual and methodological problem for all sciences using geographic information. This paper teases out issues of scale and ecological fallacy from the literature and discusses how these issues influence the applicability of an influential theoretical framework in stream ecology, the River Continuum Concept (RCC). Investigators are faced with decisions regarding scale during sampling location selection, field data capture, and subsequent data interpretation. A thorough understanding of the heterogeneity of stream habitats and the life histories of the organisms being studied could …

Disturbance Indicators For Time Series Reconstruction And Marine Ecosystem Health Impact Assessment, Benjamin Harrison Sherman

Doctoral Dissertations

A systematic reconstruction of Multiple Marine Ecological Disturbances (MMEDs) involving disease occurrence, morbidity and mortality events has been undertaken so that a taxonomy of globally distributed marine disturbance types can be better quantified and common forcing factors identified. Combined disturbance data include indices of morbidity, mortality and disease events affecting humans, marine invertebrates, flora and wildlife populations. In the search for the best disturbance indicators of ecosystem change, the unifying solution for joining data from disparate fields is to organize data into space/time/topic hierarchies that permit convergence of data due to shared and appropriate scaling. The scale of the data …

The Long-Term Effects Of Disturbance On Nitrogen Cycling And Loss In The White Mountains, New Hampshire, Christine Lynn Goodale

Doctoral Dissertations

Theories of nitrogen retention suggest that N cycling and loss should increase with ecosystem successional age and with chronic N deposition over time (N saturation). These factors both affect northeastern U.S. forests, most of which receive elevated rates of N deposition and have experienced past disturbances by wind, logging, fire, or agriculture. This work examined the long-term (80--110 year) effects of land-use history on nitrogen cycling and loss in the White Mountains, New Hampshire. Historical land-use maps were used to identify a network of watersheds and plots containing burned, logged, or old-growth forests. Nitrate-N fluxes from old-growth watersheds exceeded those …

Wolves And Bears: An Interdisciplinary Activity Guide For Grades 3-5, Susan L. Thomas

All Graduate Projects

A popular set of "Discovery Boxes" are used by educators across North Central Washington. These boxes are administered by the U.S. Forest Service and focus on such themes as wolves, bears, fire, plants and forests. These boxes are available to be checked out to educators for two-week periods, and reach approximately 9,000 students annually. Each box contains "hands-on" props which enhance the learning of each theme. Some of the boxes have activity guides in them to assist the educator in teaching the theme and thus using the box to its full potential. Two of the most popular boxes, the wolf …

Controls On Spatial And Temporal Variability In Nitrous Oxide Fluxes Across A Tropical Rainforest Ecosystem In The Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico, Claire Patricia Mcswiney

Doctoral Dissertations

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a trace gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect and participates in the reactions that destroy stratospheric ozone. Soil microbial processes are significant producers of this trace gas, particularly in tropical areas, which are considered major sources in the global N2O budget. Nitrous oxide fluxes to the atmosphere are variable in space and time. In this study, spatial and temporal variability in surface N2O fluxes were assessed as well as the major environmental controls on N2O production for a tropical rainforest watershed in northeastern Puerto Rico. A static chamber technique was used to assess surface fluxes …

Measuring And Modeling Northeastern Forest Ecosystem Response To Environmental Stresses, Jennifer Caroline Jenkins

Doctoral Dissertations

Because forest responses to CO$\sb2$ fertilization and associated climate change are likely to be extremely complex, numerical models representing forest response to an integrated set of future conditions can be useful predictive tools. I compared predictions of forest net primary productivity (NPP) made by two ecosystem process models (PnET-II and TEM 4.0) using different climate scenarios, spatial resolutions, and methods of representing land cover and soils. Decreasing spatial resolution did not appreciably change NPP estimates. Input datasets, particularly climate, land cover, and soil water holding capacity, were important sources of variability in NPP estimates. These datasets interacted with model structures …

Revitalizing Environmental Federalism, Daniel C. Esty

Michigan Law Review

Politicians from Speaker Newt Gingrich to President Bill Clinton, cheered on by academics such as Richard Revesz, are eagerly seeking to return authority over environmental regulation to the states. In the European Union, localist opponents of environmental decisionmaking in Brussels rally under the banner of "subsidiarity." And in debates over international trade liberalization, demands abound for the protection of "national sovereignty" in environmental regulation. All of these efforts presume that a decentralized approach to environmental policy will yield better results than more centralized programs. This presumption is misguided. While the character of some environmental concerns warrants a preference for local …

Factors Controlling The Impacts Of South Louisiana Crude Oil On The Vegetation And Revegetation Of Coastal Wetlands., Qianxin Lin

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The impacts of south Louisiana crude oil on three types of marsh, salt, brackish, and freshwater, dominated by Spartina alterniflora, S. patens, and Sagittaria lancifolia, respectively, were studied in the greenhouse. The influence of a number of factors such as marsh type, plant species, oil dosage, oil coverage, soil composition, leaf surface structure, season and meteorological conditions, on the impact of crude oil to marsh vegetation and revegetation were investigated. Vegetative sensitivity to south Louisiana crude oil increased in the order of S. lancifolia, S. alterniflora, and S. patens. Photosynthetic rates, stem densities, and the regrowth of aboveground biomass for …

An Ecological Vocabulary Essential To Environmental Education, James L. Isleib

Faculty Publications

This study verified a basic ecological vocabulary essential to environmental education and measured the effect of Texas Environmental Education Advisory Committee {TEEAC) endorsed teacher in service programs on participants' ecological vocabulary. The study results may be used in the development and assessment of environmental interpretation programs.

The Ecology Of A High-Latitude Rocky Intertidal Community: Processes Driving Population Dynamics In Kachemak Bay, Alaska, Michael Leslie Carroll

Marine Biology

The population dynamics and interactions of selected key species relative to community structure were investigated in the rocky intertidal of Kachemak Bay, southcentral Alaska (59$\sp\circ$35$\sp\prime$N, 151$\sp\circ$30$\sp\prime$W). The roles of recruitment processes and predation in regulating intertidal populations were emphasized in this investigation. Species cover was distinctly seasonal. Total cover typically exceeded 80% during the summer, especially in lower intertidal. Winter cover averaged 40-60%, with macroalgal cover varying up to six-fold between summer and winter. Barnacle recruitment varied both inter-annually and with respect to species. From 1991-1993, mean recruitment densities varied from 0.85-8.71 cm$\sp{-2}$ (range = 0-71 cm$\sp{-2}).$ In the upper …

Toward A Sustainable Maine : The Politics, Economics, And Ethics Of Sustainability, Richard Barringer (Ed.)

Maine Collection

Toward A Sustainable Maine : The Politics, Economics, and Ethics of Sustainability

Richard Barringer, editor, Professor Emeritus at the University of Southern Maine

Edmund S. Muskie Institute of Public Affairs, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine, 1993.

The proceedings of a conference presented at Bowdoin College on March 19 and 20, 1993, by the Edmund S. Muskie Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Southern Maine, and by the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Ellen Baum, conference organizer.

Contents; Foreword by Richard Barringer / Welcome by Everett Carson / Global, Canadian, and Maine Perspectives / Sustaining Our Natural and …