Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering October 1, 2011 To December 31, 2011, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• The number of records in the volunteer database decreased by 20.7% over the last quarter. The database now contains 7,072 records.
• Results show an average of 1,080 visits per month, and with an average of 2,328 pages viewed per month.
• Get Outdoors Nevada supported 22 volunteer events in a variety of ways. These events utilized 867 volunteers whom contributed approximately 3,774.5 hours of service.
• Two community outreach events were attended, resulting in 476 direct contacts with 50 names added to the database.
• The 7th Annual Volunteer Recognition Banquet was held on 11/5/11 with 156 volunteers in attendance.

Take Pride In America In Southern Nevada: Annual Progress Report, Period Covering January 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• A meeting of stakeholders across Nevada was held to explore the potential for statewide collaboration on litter and dumping issues.
• Website activity for the first three quarters of the year averaged 1,122 hits per month, with an average of 1,927 pages viewed per month.
• The team attended 12 community outreach events resulting in 2,154 direct contacts and 324 new mailing list records.
• The Take Pride in America (TPIA) in Southern Nevada completed a total of 41 volunteer events contributing a total of 10,779 volunteer hours.
• The TPIA team filed a no-cost extension to SNPLMA and received an extension until December …

Limnological Assistance For Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Quarterly Report, Period Ending December 31, 2011, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1

• Technical assistance with the implementation of the Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (IMAP) for Quagga Mussels is ongoing; remaining analyses are underway with report delivery rescheduled for 05/2012.
• Data have been delivered for Veliger abundance and settlement at different depths of Lake Mead with report delivery re-scheduled for 05/2012.
• Growth of adult quagga mussels within Las Vegas Wash/Las Vegas Bay
• The Interagency Quagga Mussel Meeting was held on 11/17/2011; the next meeting is scheduled for 02/16/2011.

Project 2

• Appendix 7, an addition to the Long-term Limnological and Aquatic Resource Monitoring and Research Plan for Lakes Mead and Mohave, has …

Science With A Skew: The Nuclear Power Industry After Chernobyl And Fukushima, Gayle Greene

Scripps Faculty Publications and Research

It is one of the marvels of our time that the nuclear industry managed to resurrect itself from its ruins at the end of the last century, when it crumbled under its costs, inefficiencies, and mega-accidents. Chernobyl released hundreds of times the radioactivity of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs combined, contaminating more than 40% of Europe and the entire Northern Hemisphere. But along came the nuclear lobby to breathe new life into the industry, passing off as “clean” this energy source that polluted half the globe. The “fresh look at nuclear”—in the words of a New York Times makeover piece …

Ensemble Forecast Spread Induced By Soil Moisture Changes Over Mid-South And Neighbouring Midwestern Region Of The Usa, Arturo I. Quintanar, Rezaul Mahmood

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

This study investigated the potential impact of soil moisture perturbations on the statistical spread of an ensemble forecast for three different synoptic events during the summer of 2006. Soil moisture was perturbed from a control simulation to generate a 12 member ensemble with six drier and six moister soils. The impacts on the near-surface atmospheric conditions and on precipitation were analysed. It was found, as previous studies have confirmed, that soil moisture can change the spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation and of the overlying circulation. It was found that regardless of the conditions in synoptic forcing, temperature, relative humidity …

The Role Of Attached And Free-Living Bacteria In Biodegradation In Karst Aquifers, Roger Painter, Tom Byl, Lonnie Sharpe, Ahmad Kheder, Justin Harris

Civil and Architectural Engineering Faculty Research

Natural attenuation of groundwater contamination occurs at some level for all aquifers impacted with organic contaminants. The issues regarding natural attenuation are whether it takes place at a sufficient rate to be protective of human health and the environment. Implementation of a Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) remedial alternative for groundwater requires parties responsible for the contamination to demonstrate to regulators and the public that MNA is protective at a given site. Analysis of MNA for remediation of karst aquifers is hampered by a lack of understanding of biodegradation in karst environments. The lack of studies examining biodegradation in karst aquifers …

The Fierce Green Fire: Vol. 2 Issue 13, Wofford College Environmental Studies Program

The Fierce Green Fire

No abstract provided.

Analyzing Ecohydrology Of Subirrigated Meadow, Dry Valley And Upland Dune Ecosystems Using Remote Sensing And In-Situ Estimations In The Semiarid Sand Hills Region Of Nebraska, Usa, Nathan C. Healey

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nebraska’s dependence upon the High Plains (Ogallala) Aquifer for agricultural production is vital to the state’s economy, ecology and hydrology. The Sand Hills region (58,000 km²) of Nebraska is a unique system of lakes, (~5%) wetlands, (~10%) subirrigated meadows, (~20%) dry valleys and (~65%) upland sand dune ecosystems. Understanding how each of these land cover types reacts to climate conditions of different water limitations is vital to regional water resource management. This research explores the ecohydrological behavior of different land cover types at the Gudmundsen Sand Hills Research Laboratory (GSRL) near Whitman, Nebraska in the heart of the …

Ecophysiological Responses Of Herbaceous Plants To The Presence Or Absence Of Amorpha Canescens In A Nebraska Sandhills Grassland, Jessica L. Milby

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Deeply-rooted shrubs are a common component of grasslands. This study investigated the ecophysiological role of Amorpha canescens, a common leguminous shrub, in Sandhills grassland, and response of herbaceous plants to the presence or absence of A. canescens. Two sites were selected for the study at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory near Whitman, Nebraska – one with A. canescens (G-L) and one without (G-NL) A. canescens. Plant canopy cover and aboveground biomass were characterized on both sites in June and August 2010. Seasonal trends in net photosynthesis (A), stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration (E), water use efficiency (WUE), and predawn …

Climatic Controls On The Summertime Energy Balance Of A Thermokarst Lake In Northern Alaska: Short-Term, Seasonal, And Interannual Variability, Brittany L. Potter

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Shallow, thermokarst lakes that develop atop permafrost are a prominent landscape feature on the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of northern Alaska. The ACP is vulnerable to ongoing climate change and landscape modification, as thousands of thaw lakes and ponds are impacted by changes in temperature, precipitation, thawing permafrost, and human activity. Although summer in the Arctic is short, incoming solar radiation and lake evaporation are relatively high, and both factors play a significant role in the landscape water balance. Furthermore, lake evaporation is anticipated to increase as the ice-free season lengthens and water temperatures become warmer. To improve our understanding …

Abiotic Stress Responses In Photosynthetic Organisms, Joseph Msanne

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Cellular and molecular aspects of abiotic stress responses in Arabidopsis thaliana subjected to cold, drought, and high salinity and in two photosynthetic green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Coccomyxa sp. C-169, subjected to nitrogen deprivation were investigated. Cold, drought, and high salinity can negatively affect plant growth and crop production. The first research aimed at determining the physiological functions of the stress-responsive Arabidopsis thaliana RD29A and RD29B genes. Cold, drought, and salt induced both genes; the promoter of RD29Awas found to be more responsive to drought and cold stresses, whereas the promoter of RD29B was highly responsive to salt stress. …

Climate Change And Climate Variability: El Salvador – Impacts On Productivity Of Grain Crops And Opportunities For Management And Improvement, P. V. Vara Prasad

INTSORMIL Presentations

1. Climate change and climate variability (past and future).

2. Climate change and variability in El Salvador (climate models).

3. Impact of temperature on grain yield of dry bean, maize and sorghum in El Salvador (crop simulation models).

4. Effects of temperature, drought and/or carbon dioxide: experimental evidence (response of grain sorghum, maize and dry bean).

5. Opportunities for crop management and genetic improvement.

Estimating Oil Concentration And Flow Rate With Calibrated Vessel-Mounted Acoustic Echo Sounders, Thomas C. Weber, Alex De Robertis, Shep Smith, Samuel F. Greenaway, Larry A. Mayer, Glen Rice

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

As part of a larger program aimed at evaluating acoustic techniques for mapping the distribution of subsurface oil and gas associated with the Deepwater Horizon-Macondo oil spill, observations were made on June 24 and 25, 2010 using vessel-mounted calibrated single-beam echo sounders on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship Thomas Jefferson. Coincident with visual observations of oil at the sea surface, the 200-kHz echo sounder showed anomalously high-volume scattering strength in the upper 200 m on the western side of the wellhead, more than 100 times higher than the surrounding waters at 1,800-m distance from the wellhead, …

Aquatic Plant Surveys In The Bureau Of Land Management, Medford District, 2010-2011, Mark D. Sytsma, Rich Miller, Vanessa Morgan

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

The introduction of invasive aquatic plant species (IAPS) can cause significant ecological and economic harm. IAPS can displace native aquatic plant species, impair recreation, and degrade water quality. Early detection of new invasions can improve chances for successful eradication or containment to reduce the risk of IAPS spread. The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) lists the most egregious offenders as “Noxious Weeds” which are defined as plants classified by the Oregon State Weed Board that are injurious to public health, agriculture, recreation, wildlife, or any public or private property (ODA 2011).

Several IAPS classified as noxious have been detected within …

Model Comparisons For Estimating Carbon Emissions From North American Wildland Fire, Nancy H. F. French, Willam J. De Groot, Liza K. Jenkins, Brendan M. Rogers, Ernesto Alvarado, Brian Amiro, Bernardus De Jong, Scott Goetz, Elizabeth Hoy, Edward Hyer, Robert Keane, B. E. Law, Donald Mckenzie, Steven G. Mcnulty, Roger Ottmar, Diego R. Perez-Salicrup, James Randerson, Kevin M. Robertson, Merritt Turetsky

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

Research activities focused on estimating the direct emissions of carbon from wildland fires across North America are reviewed as part of the North American Carbon Program disturbance synthesis. A comparison of methods to estimate the loss of carbon from the terrestrial biosphere to the atmosphere from wildland fires is presented. Published studies on emissions from recent and historic time periods and five specific cases are summarized, and new emissions estimates are made using contemporary methods for a set of specific fire events. Results from as many as six terrestrial models are compared. We find that methods generally produce similar results …

Vulnerability Of High Latitude Soil Organic Carbon In North America To Disturbance, Guido Grosse, Jennifer Harden, Merritt Turetsky, David A. Mcguire, Philip Camill, Charles Tarnocai, Steve Frolking, Edward A.G. Schuur, Torre Jorgenson, Sergei Marchenko, Vladimir Romanovsky, Kimberly P. Wickland, Nancy H. F. French, Mark Waldrop, Laura Bourgeau-Chavez, Robert G. Striegl

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

This synthesis addresses the vulnerability of the North American high-latitude soil organic carbon (SOC) pool to climate change. Disturbances caused by climate warming in arctic, subarctic, and boreal environments can result in significant redistribution of C among major reservoirs with potential global impacts. We divide the current northern high-latitude SOC pools into (1) near-surface soils where SOC is affected by seasonal freeze-thaw processes and changes in moisture status, and (2) deeper permafrost and peatland strata down to several tens of meters depth where SOC is usually not affected by short-term changes. We address key factors (permafrost, vegetation, hydrology, paleoenvironmental history) …

Emergent Behavior In A Coupled Economic And Coastline Model For Beach Nourishment, Eli D. Lazarus, D E. Mcnamara, M D. Smith, S Gopalakrishnan, A B. Murray

Publications

Developed coastal areas often exhibit a strong systemic coupling between shoreline dynamics and economic dynamics. "Beach nourishment", a common erosion-control practice, involves mechanically depositing sediment from outside the local littoral system onto an actively eroding shoreline to alter shoreline morphology. Natural sediment-transport processes quickly rework the newly engineered beach, causing further changes to the shoreline that in turn affect subsequent beach-nourishment decisions. To the limited extent that this landscape/economic coupling has been considered, evidence suggests that towns tend to employ spatially myopic economic strategies under which individual towns make isolated decisions that do not account for their neighbors. What happens …

Randomization Tests For Quantifying Species Importance To Ecosystem Function, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Werner Ulrich, Fernando T. Maestre

College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Publications

1. Quantifying the contribution of different species to ecosystem function is an important challenge. We introduce simple randomization tests (and software) for quantifying the average effect of species on ecosystem variables measured in multiple plots with and without the presence of a particular species. These randomization tests formalize the analysis of uncontrolled 'natural experiments' and quantify species effects in standardized deviation units. 2.We tested the method with data on ecosystem function in biological soil crust assemblages of lichens in semi-arid gypsum outcrops in central Spain. In sixty-three 50cm×50cm sample plots, we measured the presence and percentage cover of 17 species …

Underestimating The Costs Of Conservation In Southeast Asia, David P. Edwards, Brendan Fisher, Xingli Giam, David S. Wilcove

Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Theory And Practice Of Genetically Engineered Crops And Agricultural Sustainability, David E. Ervin, Leland L. Glenna, Raymond Adelard Jussaume

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

The development of genetically engineered (GE) crops has focused predominantly on enhancing conventional pest control approaches. Scientific assessments show that these GE crops generally deliver significant economic and some environmental benefits over their conventional crop alternatives. However, emerging evidence indicates that current GE crops will not foster sustainable cropping systems unless the negative environmental and social feedback effects are properly addressed. Moreover, GE crop innovations that promote more sustainable agricultural systems will receive underinvestment by seed and chemical companies that must understandably focus on private returns for major crops. Opportunities to promote crops that convey multi-faceted benefits for the environment …

Adaptive Management Of Bull Trout Populations In The Lemhi Basin, Andrew J. Tyre, James T. Peterson, Sarah J. Converse, Tiffany Bogich, Damien Miller, Max Post Van Der Burg, Carmen Thomas, Ralph Thompson, Jeri Wood, Donna C. Brewer, Michael C. Runge

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The bull trout Salvelinus confluentus, a stream-living salmonid distributed in drainages of the northwestern United States, is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act because of rangewide declines. One proposed recovery action is the reconnection of tributaries in the Lemhi Basin. Past water use policies in this core area disconnected headwater spawning sites from downstream habitat and have led to the loss of migratory life history forms. We developed an adaptive management framework to analyze which types of streams should be prioritized for reconnection under a proposed Habitat Conservation Plan. We developed a Stochastic Dynamic Program that identified optimal …

Characterizing The Performance Of Ecosystem Models Across Time Scales: A Spectral Analysis Of The North American Carbon Program Site-Level Synthesis, Michael C. Dietze, Rodrigo Vargas, Andrew D. Richardson, Paul C. Stoy, Alan G. Barr, Ryan S. Anderson, M. Altaf Arain, Ian T. Baker, T. Andrew Black, Jing M. Chen, Philippe Ciais, Lawrence B. Flanagan, Christopher M. Gough, Robert F. Grant, David Hollinger, R. Cesar Izaurralde, Christopher J. Kucharik, Peter Lafleur, Shugang Liu, Erandathie Lokupitiya, Yiqi Luo, J. William Munger, Changhui Peng, Benjamin Poulter, David T. Price, Daniel M. Ricciuto, William J. Riley, Alok Kumar Sahoo, Kevin Schaefer, Andrew E. Suyker, Hanqin Tian, Christina Tonitto, Hans Verbeeck, Shashi B. Verma, Weifeng Wang, Ensheng Weng

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Ecosystem models are important tools for diagnosing the carbon cycle and projecting its behavior across space and time. Despite the fact that ecosystems respond to drivers at multiple time scales, most assessments of model performance do not discriminate different time scales. Spectral methods, such as wavelet analyses, present an alternative approach that enables the identification of the dominant time scales contributing to model performance in the frequency domain. In this study we used wavelet analyses to synthesize the performance of 21 ecosystem models at 9 eddy covariance towers as part of the North American Carbon Program’s site-level intercomparison. This study …

Heritable Choice Of Colony Size In Cliff Swallows: Does Experience Trump Genetics In Older Birds?, Erin A. Roche, Charles R. Brown, Mary Bomberger Brown

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The variation in breeding colony size seen in populations of most colonial birds may reflect heritable choices made by individuals that are phenotypically specialized for particular social environments. Although a few studies have reported evidence for genetically based choice of group sizes in birds, we know relatively little about the extent to which animals potentially rely on experience versus innate preferences in deciding how many conspecifics to settle with at different times of their lives. We conducted a cross-fostering experiment in 1997–1998 on cliff swallows, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota, in southwestern Nebraska, USA, in which some individuals were reared in colonies …

Missouri National Recreational River, Natural Resource Condition Assessment, Kevin J. Stark, Lucas J. Danzinger, Michael R. Komp, Andy J. Nadeau, Shannon Amberg, Eric J. Iverson, David Kadlec, Barry Drazkowski

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

As a unit in the National Park Service (NPS), Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR) is responsible for the management and conservation of natural resources within its boundaries. This mandate is supported by the National Park Service Organic Act of 1916, which directs the NPS to:

conserve the scenery and natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such a manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.

In 2003, NPS Water Resources Division received funding through the Natural Resource Challenge …

Scotts Bluff National Monument Plant Community Composition And Structure Monitoring, 2011 Annual Report, Isabel W. Ashton, Michael Prowatzke, Michael R. Bynum, Tim Shepherd, Stephen K. Wilson, Kara Paintner-Green

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

The Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network (NGPN) was established to develop and provide scientifically credible information on the current status and long-term trends of the composition, structure, and function of ecosystems in thirteen parks located in five northern Great Plains states. NGPN identified upland plant communities, exotic plant early detection, and riparian lowland communities as vital signs that can be used to better understand the condition of terrestrial park ecosystems (Gitzen et al. 2010). Upland and riparian ecosystems are important targets for vegetation monitoring because the status and trends in plant communities provide critical insights into …

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument Plant Community Composition And Structure Monitoring, 2011 Annual Report, Isabel W. Ashton, Michael Prowatzke, Michael R. Bynum, Tim Shepherd, Stephen K. Wilson, Kara Paintner-Green

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

The Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network (NGPN) was established to develop and provide scientifically credible information on the current status and long-term trends of the composition, structure, and function of ecosystems in thirteen parks located in five northern Great Plains states. NGPN identified upland plant communities, exotic plant early detection, and riparian lowland communities as vital signs that can be used to better understand the condition of terrestrial park ecosystems (Gitzen et al. 2010). Upland and riparian ecosystems are important targets for vegetation monitoring because the status and trends in plant communities provide critical insights into …

Develop Energy Dashboard For Real-Time Campus Energy Use Monitoring, Hsui-Lin Winkler, Charlene Hoegler, William Batina

Cornerstone 3 Reports : Interdisciplinary Informatics

No abstract provided.

Chilling A Hot Planet: Many Solutions, No Answers, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

If there was a report card on how the world is doing on issues related to climate change, it would read a resounding 'F'. Consider the figures. It took about 12,500 years between the last glacial age and today for global temperatures to rise six degrees Celsius. Yet in this century alone – despite heightened awareness of the need to arrest the ever-increasing levels of greenhouse gas emission – temperatures have risen up to four degrees Celsius.

The Distribution And Reproductive Success Of The Western Snowy Plover Along The Oregon Coast - 2011, David J. Lauten, Kathleen J. Castelein, J. Daniel Farrar, Adam A. Kotaich, Eleanor P. Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

From 6 April – 19 September 2011 we monitored the distribution, abundance and productivity of the federally Threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) along the Oregon coast. From north to south, we surveyed and monitored plover activity at Sutton Beach, Siltcoos River estuary, the Dunes Overlook, North Tahkenitch Creek, Tenmile Creek, Coos Bay North Spit, Bandon Beach, New River, and Floras Lake. Our objectives for the Oregon coastal population in 2011 were to: 1) estimate the size of the adult Snowy Plover population, 2) locate plover nests, 3) continue use of mini-exclosures (MEs) to protect nests from …

Microbial Methane Production In Oxygenated Water Column Of An Oligotrophic Lake, Hans-Peter Grossart, Katharina Frindte, Claudia Dziallas, Werner Eckert, Kam W. Tang

VIMS Articles

The prevailing paradigm in aquatic science is that microbial methanogenesis happens primarily in anoxic environments. Here, we used multiple complementary approaches to show that microbial methane production could and did occur in the well-oxygenated water column of an oligotrophic lake (Lake Stechlin, Germany). Oversaturation of methane was repeatedly recorded in the well-oxygenated upper 10 m of the water column, and the methane maxima coincided with oxygen oversaturation at 6 m. Laboratory incubations of unamended epilimnetic lake water and inoculations of photoautotrophs with a lake-enrichment culture both led to methane production even in the presence of oxygen, and the production was …