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Agenda For Action - Casco Bay, Department Of Environmental Protection

Maine Collection

Agenda For Action - Casco Bay

Department of Environmental Protection, Augusta, Maine (January, 1989)

Contents: Introduction / The Problems : Bacteria, Toxics, Nutrients / The Solutions / Recommendations / References

Riparian Plant Water Relations Along The North Fork Of The Kings River, California, J. L. Nachlinger, S. D. Smith, R. J. Risser

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Plant water relations of five obligate ripar-ian species were studied along California's North Fork Kings River. Diurnal stomatal conductance, transpi-ration, and xylem pressure potentials were measured throughout the 1986 growing season and in mid-season in 1987. Patterns were similar for all species although absolute values varied considerably. Maximum stomatal conductance occurred early in the day and season during favorable environmental conditions and decreased as air temperature and the vapor pressure difference between the leaf and air increased. Maximum transpiration rates occurred in mid-morning and mid-summer resulting in estimated daily water losses per unit sunlit leaf area of 163-328 mol H2O …

An Isotopic Analysis Of The Hydrology And Riparian Vegetation Water Sources On Bishop Creek, M. L. Space, J. W. Hess, S. D. Smith

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Five power generation plants along an eleven kilometer stretch divert Bishop Creek water for hydro-electric power. Stream diversion may be adversely affecting the riparian vegetation. Stable isotopic analysis is employed to determine surface water/ground-water interactions along the creek. surface water originates primarily from three headwater lakes. Discharge into Bishop Creek below the headwaters is primarily derived from ground water. The average δD and δ18O values are significantly different for surface water and ground water that an isotopic analysis can delineate between these two components of flow. Therefore isotopic shifts along the creek can determine gaining reaches. In addition, by knowing …

Leaf Optical And Indirect Lai Measurements In Wheat And Alfalfa At Maciv: Agmet Progress Report 89-4, E. A. Walter-Shea, B. L. Blad

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

Interpretation of remotely sensed vegetative surfaces requires an understanding of the interaction of radiation with the various components of vegetation. Leaves are the most important component. Thus it is important to know the optical properties of individual leaves as well as the amount and distribution of leaves making up the vegetative cover. The objectives of our study were 1) to characterize the reflectance from and transmittance through adaxial and abaxial surfaces of individual wheat and alfalfa leaves and 2) to compare the traditional, time-consuming, destructive method of estimating LAI (direct method) to a relatively quick, indirect estimate of LAI in …

Maine Nonpoint Source Pollution Assessment Report, Bureau Of Water Quality Control

Maine Collection

Maine Nonpoint Source Pollution Assessment Report

Prepared by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Quality Control, Augusta, Maine 1989.

Contents: Executive Summary / Introduction / Methodology / Statewide Water Quality Summary / State And Local Agency Programs for Control of Nonpoint Source Pollution / Process for Identification of Best Management Practices and Associated Standards / List of References / List of Figures / List of Tables

The Status Of Erythronium Albidum And E. Mesochoreum (Liliaceae) In Nebraska, Robert B. Kaul

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Two species of Erythronium grow in the eastern quarter of Nebraska, but there are none elsewhere in the State. Erythronium albidum is locally abundant, mostly in upland bur oak forests, and has been collected in 18 counties since 1864. Erythronium mesochoreum is becoming rare because its habitat--virgin tall-grass prairie--is disappearing. It is known to grow now in six east-central counties, but it probably could be found in some remnant prairies in all counties south and east of the Platte and Big Blue rivers, respectively. Distributional data about these species is herein brought up to date relative to earlier published reports. …

Temporal And Spatial Variation In Pelagic Fish Abundance In Lake Mead Determined From Echograms, Gene R. Wilde, Larry J. Paulson

Publications (WR)

Echograms have been used extensively to locate and estimate the relative abundance of marine fish stocks (Cushing 1973). In freshwater, echograms have been used to describe vertical (Netsch et al. 1971; Eggers 1978; O'Brien et al. 1984; Matthews et al. 1985), spatial (O'Brien et al. 1984; Wanjala et al. 1986) and temporal (Baker and Paulson 1983) patterns in fish abundance. Although most uses of echograms have been qualitative, Mullan and Applegate (1969) and Matthews et al. (1985) obtained relative estimates of fish abundance by counting targets (fish) on echograms. However, neither Mullan and Applegate (1969) nor Matthews et al. (1985) …

Colony Survivorship In Pogonomyrmex Occidentalis, Western Harvester Ant, In Western Nebraska, Kathleen H. Keeler

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Little is known about the life span of individual ant colonies (Keeler, 1981), even though the dynamics of some species, such as harvester ants, are crucial to the structure of plant and animal communities (e.g., Brown et al., 1979). This note reports the results of 10 years of observations on a population of harvester ants.

Fifty-six mounds of Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Cresson (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), western harvester ant, were permanently marked with aluminum tags in August 1977. The site, about 1 ha just south of the University of Nebraska's Cedar Point Biological Station, Keith Co., Nebraska, was within a pasture subject to …

Vertical Distribution Of Phytoplankton Populations Along The Northeastern Continental Shelf Margin Of The United States, Bruce Burwell Wagoner

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A study of phytoplankton vertical distribution at six stations along the northeast continental shelf of the United States was conducted in April 1984.

A total of 168 taxa were identified from nine phylogenetic groups collected at depths up to 150 m. Highest cell concentrations and cell volumes were in the upper 30 m. Greatest cell concentrations were produced by diatoms and a pico-nanoplankton component, with cell volumes mainly the product of diatoms and dinoflagellates. A high degree of variability was observed between phylogenetic groups within each station, but less variability was noted for phylogenetic categories at different stations.

Little difference …

The Distribution Of Zooplankton In Selected Oregon Lakes, Mary Elizabeth Claska

Dissertations and Theses

Zooplankton samples were collected from 166 Oregon lakes. The lakes included a wide range in size, trophic status, and water quality. Lakes were located throughout the state. Zooplankton were identified using standard taxonomic keys and counted. Seventy-four species were identified from the 200 total samples, including 32 species of cladocera, 22 copepods, and 11 rotifers. Two species of copepod were recorded for the first time in Oregon: Diaptomus mississippiensis and Diaptomus pallidus. Seven species had widespread distributions throughout most of the watersheds in the state. Seventeen other species had distributions restricted to eastern, central, or western Oregon. The remaining …

Seasonal Phytoplankton Assemblages In The Nansemond River, Virginia, Cindy Eleanor Shomers

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A monthly phytoplankton study was conducted on the Nansemond River from November 1984 to October 1985. Light microscopy was utilized to characterize the resident populations, their cell concentrations and to provide a general comparison to other regional studies of river systems considered more polluted. The results divided the flora into two major categories. The first group was a pico-nanoplankton component composed of Cyanobacteria and Chlorophycean cells 1-10 um in diameter. The second group was a microplankton assemblage of Bacillariophyceae, Dinophyceae, Cryptophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Cyanobacteria and Euglenophyceae. The pico-nanoplankton had a unimodal abundance pattern with peak concentrations occurring in spring. The microplankton …

Microbial Food Resources Of The Macrofaunal-Deposit Feeder Ptychodera Bahamensis (Hemichordata: Enteropneusta), Fred C. Dobbs, James B. Guckert

OES Faculty Publications

Biochemical and traditional analyses were used to characterize the microbial food resources and digestive efficiency of Ptychodera bahamensis, an enteropneust hemichordate. Sediment was collected from freshly extruded fecal casts and adjacent feeding depressions. There were no significant differences between casts and depressions in median grain size, percent silt-clay, density of total meiofauna and of nematodes, and concentrations of chlorophyll a and phaeophytin. Nematodes in casts had a median diameter greater than those in depressions. Measures of total, viable microbial biomass were 30% (total phospholipid, ester-linked fatty acids) and 49% (extractible phospholipid phosphate) lower in casts. Concentrations of 33 fatty …

Callianassa Trilobata (Crustacea: Thalassinidea) Influences Abundance Of Meiofauna And Biomass, Composition, And Physiologic State Of Microbial Communities Within Its Burrow, Fred C. Dobbs, James B. Guckert

OES Faculty Publications

Biochemical and traditional methods were used to determine the influence of Callianassa trilobata on microbiological and meiofaunal communities within its large, highly consolidated burrow. Sediment was collected from the lining of the shrimp's burrow, the burrow matrix, and ambient, subsurface sediment. The lining and matrix were composed of poorly sorted, fine-grained material compared to sandy ambient sediment. Meiofauna, predominantly nematodes, were most abundant in ambient sediment, not in the burrow as has been found for other species of macrofauna. Concentrations of chlorophyll a were very high in the lining, consistent with the suggestion that C. trilobata lines its burrow walls …

Characterization Of The Aquatic Environment In Lake Mead Near The Proposed Spring Canyon Pumped-Storage Project, And Assessment Of Potential Aquatic Impacts, Charles R. Liston, Stephen J. Grabowski, Bureau Of Reclamation

Publications (WR)

A pumped storage system consists of an upper reservoir and lower reservoir separated by an elevation difference. During low demand energy periods such as nights and weekends water is pumped from the lower to the upper reservoir using available energy from conventional steam electric power plants. During high energy demand periods, such as mornings and afternoons of weekdays, upper reservoir water is allowed to drop back down through the same system of water conduits and turbines, generating electricity to conveniently meet abrupt electrical energy requirements. The same water turbines thus act both as pumps and as conventional hydroelectric turbines. Because …

Age And Growth Of The Tautog, Tautoga Onitis (Pisces: Labridae), From Lower Chesapeake Bay And Coastal Waters Of Virginia, E. Brian Hostetter

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The tautog, Tautoga onitis (Pisces: Labridae), is rapidly gaining popularity in Virginia by anglers, spearfishermen and specialized commercial interests. In Virginia, tautog are seasonally abundant on hard bottom substrates in nearshore (ca. 2-10 m) habitats and inhabit offshore wrecks and reef areas (ca. 10-30 m) year round. Habitat restriction and slow growth of the species coupled with recent technological advances in marine electronics which simplify locating tautog populations by user groups may contribute to overexploitation of tautog within the region.

Tautog were collected over a two year period from the lower Chesapeake Bay and nearshore waters of the Atlantic Ocean …

Decomposition Of Roots In The Great Dismal Swamp, Edward G. Tupacz

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The decomposition rates of roots to a depth of 40 cm were estimated by two methods in four plant communities in the periodically flooded Great Dismal Swamp. Modified litter bags and a core method were simultaneously employed on three flooded sites and an unflooded mixed hardwood site. Reciprocal samples (litter from each of the other sites) were placed on each site to examine the effects of litter composition.

For the litter bags, the cedar and maple - gum sites displayed the lowest mean decay rate. However, reciprocal samples showed that roots from the cedar and mixed hardwood sites decayed the …

Environmental Assessment Of Las Vegas Wash And Lake Mead Artificial Wetlands Demonstration Project, John R. Baker, R. M. Gersberg, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Publications (WR)

The effective use of artificial wetlands for treatment of municipal wastewater is well documented; however, design and economic data for artificial wetlands development are limited (Gersberg et al., 1984a). This is due partly to regional differences in climate, soils, and vegetation and partly to the desired waste treatment. As a result, specific treatment levels and cost benefits relative to the use of an artificial wetlands for a particular site cannot be evaluated adequately without a pilot demonstration project. Las Vegas Wash receives sewage effluent from the Las Vegas metropolitan area and has been designated as a wetlands community park. Las …

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of Rangelands In The Ashburton River Catchment, Western Australia, A A. Mitchell, A L. Payne, W F. Holman

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of rangelands in the Ashburton River catchment, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 1976 and 1978, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The area surveyed …

New And Corrected Floristic Records For Nebraska, Steven B. Rolfsmeier, Robert B. Kaul, Marjorie M. Garabrandt, David M. Sutherland

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

New distributional data are given for 54 species of vascular plants in Nebraska. Twenty are newly recorded for the State. 23 are shown to be more widespread than was previously known, seven are shown to have more restricted ranges than previously reported. the records of one species attributed to the State are shown to be based on misidentifications. and the presence in the State of three species collected long ago is confirmed by recent collections.

Autumn Foods Of White-Tailed Deer In Arkansas, Thomas A. Nelson, Luke Eggering, Danny Adams

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Rumen contents from 65 hunter-harvested deer were collected and analyzed during 1985-86 to estimate the principal autumn foods consumed by white-tailed deer inhabiting the Ozark Mountains, Arkansas River Valley, and Gulf Coastal Plain regions of Arkansas. Deer in the Ozarks and Coastal Plain fed heavily on woody browse species, which comprised 99% of rumina identified from these 2 regions. Acorns were the primary food of deer in these heavily forested areas. Acorns and other woody browse were less important to deer inhabiting the Arkansas River Valley. In this region of interspersed agricultural fields and bottomland forests, soybeans and corn comprised …

Factors Affecting Annual Deer Harvest In Arkansas, Richard A. Kluender, T. Bentley Wigley Jr., Michael E. Cartwright

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

An understanding of general forces affecting annual harvest is essential to the management of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). A predictive model based on such factors would be valuable to managers. The relationship between 27 different variables and annual, legal deer harvest in Arkansas was evaluated for 1957-1986. Variables most affecting harvest were soybean acreage, hay acreage, number of days in the deer season, rain during the deer season, and total state timber production, total state pulpwood production, and deer harvest 2 years prior. Because significant autocorrelation and heteroscedasticity were present in the variables, log-linear, first differencing and non-linear quasi-Newton regression …

Wolf Distribution And Road Density In Minnesota, L. David Mech, Steven H. Fritts, Glenn L. Radde, William J. Paul

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Distribution of the wolf (Canis lupus) in parts of Wisconsin (Thiel 1985) and Michigan and Ontario (Jensen et al. 1986) has been related to the density of roads passable by 2-wheel-drive vehicles. Wolves in those regions generally do not occur where road densities exceed 0.58 km/km², whereas similar areas nearby with fewer roads do contain wolves.

In a small segment of the wolf range in Minnesota, wolves did not have territories where roads exceeded a density of 0.73 km/km² (T. K. Fuller, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, unpublished data). In another small area of Minnesota …

Can We Guarantee The Safety Of Genetically Engineered Organisms In The Environment?, Kathleen H. Keeler, Frances E. Sharples

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Can we guarantee the safety of genetically engineered organisms in the environment? To anticipate my remarks, the answer to the title question is “No, we cannot guarantee the safety of genetically engineered organisms released into the environment.” Indeed, it is a tenet of the scientific method that nothing can be proved, only disproved. Thus, we can never show that a release will be safe. We could only show that it would be unsafe, if that were the case. However, if the question is posed differently, for example, can we safely release genetically engineered organisms into the environment?, the answer is …

Limnological Monitoring Data For Lake Mead During 1987: Technical Report No. 20, Larry J. Paulson

Publications (WR)

Limnological monitoring was conducted in Las Vegas Bay and Boulder Basin from April to December of 1987. The purpose of the monitoring was to (i) document possible changes in water quality resulting from decreased phosphorus loading in Las Vegas Wash, and (ii) establish a data base for evaluating the adequacy of water quality standards.

Fish Aid: The Lake Mead Fertilization Project, Richard Axler, Larry Paulson, Peter Vaux, Patrick Sollberger, Donald H. Baepler

Publications (WR)

Sport fishing at Lake Mead in Nevada and Arizona is a resource valued at nearly $100 million per year to southern Nevada. During the past two decades, salmonids, mostly trout, have disappeared entirely, the largemouth bass catch has drastically declined despite greater fishing pressure, and the condition factors for striped bass have steadily deteriorated. It appears that a major reduction in phosphorus loading caused by the upstream impoundment of the Colorado River to form Lake Powell in 1963 and advanced wastewater treatment removal of phosphorus from domestic wastewater inflows in 1981 are the principal factors responsible for decreased production at …

Lake Mead Prefertilization Study: Preliminary Nutrient Enhancement Studies In Lake Mead, Richard P. Axler, Larry J. Paulson, Patrick J. Sollberger, Donald H. Baepler, U.S. Bureau Of Reclamation

Publications (WR)

Studies conducted by the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV), the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD), The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP), and the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) have identified decreased algal production as a major factor involved in the decline of the Lake Mead sport fishery. Phosphorus-laden silt particles in the Colorado River have been sedimenting out in Lake Powell since the completion of Glen Canyon Dam 286 miles upstream in 1963. This sharp decrease in phosphorus loading to Lake Mead (>5000 tons per year) has resulted in decreased …

Classifying Oregon Lake-Watershed Ecosystems For Regional Water Resources Assessment, Randall Alan Jones

Dissertations and Theses

Natural lake-watershed ecosystems in Oregon compose a diverse and valuable assemblage of land and water resources. With an increasing demand on lakes for recreation, water supplies, and aesthetic values and an increase in available data on Oregon lake systems, there is a need for applicable and timely scientific water management information about lake conditions statewide. This thesis is an attempt to summarize some of the data collected on natural Oregon lake-watershed ecosystems.

The purpose of the thesis is to identify the most typical natural systems out of an initial data base of twenty-four variables, measured over ninety-eight lake-watershed ecosystems. The …

Thermal Tolerances And Preferences Of Fishes Of The Virgin River System (Utah, Arizona, Nevada), James E. Deacon, Paul B. Schumann, Edward L. Stuenkel

Publications (WR)

Critical thermal maxima (CTM) and thermal preferenda of the common fishes of the Virgin River were examined. Differences in final temperature preferenda and CTM for species with low thermal lability (speckled dace, spinedace, roundtail chub) correspond well with differences in their distribution and abundance in the river. These species shifted their acute thermal preferences relatively little as acclimation temperature increased. For thermally labile species (woundfin, red shiner, desert sucker, and fiannehnouth sucker), the final preferendum is a less precise indicator of probable distribution. The woundfin, an endangered fish, has a high CTM (39.5 C at 25 C acclimation) and a …

Benthic Invertebrates And Crayfish Of Lake Mead, Susan K. Peck, William L. Pratt, James E. Pollard, Larry J. Paulson, Donald H. Baepler

Publications (WR)

The objectives of this study were to:

1. Establish baseline densities of benthic invertebrates and relative abundance of crayfish in Lake Mead.

2. Evaluate the distributions of benthic organisms and crayfish in relation to existing habitat conditions and 1imnological characteristics of Lake Mead.

3. Measure seasonal changes in abundances of benthic organisms and crayfish in Lake Mead.

4. Compare observations of Procambarus clarkii life history in Lake Mead to reports from other aquatic systems.

5. Evaluate the importance of benthic organisms and crayfish as food sources for game fish in Lake Mead.

A Taxonomic Survey Of The Family Gyrinidae (Coleoptera) Of The State Of Virginia, Jerrold R. Harris

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The aquatic insect fanua of Virginia is not very well known. This is especially true of the order Coleoptera. There are few taxonomic studies on the families of Coleoptera found within the state, and one of the least known is the family Gyrinidae. It is the intent of this study to determine what species of Gyrinidae are found within the state and where they are found. Collections of the beetles were made throughout the state from March to December.

Twenty-one species of Gyrinidae were identified in Virginia, nine species of Dineutus and 12 species of Gyrinus. The family is distributed …