Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering October 1, 2010 To December 31, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• The number of records in the volunteer database decreased by 1.17% over the last quarter. The database now contains 6,534 records.
• Results show an average of 836 visits per month, with an average of 2,081 pages viewed per month.
• Get Outdoors Nevada supported nineteen volunteer events in a variety of ways. These events utilized 1,225 volunteers whom contributed 6,921 hours of service.
• Volunteer fall training has been completed with 61 volunteers attending 3 trainings.
• Fall training has been completed.
• Spring training scheduling is underway.
• Volunteer Orientation Training Automation is scheduled to be completed in February.
• One hundred and thirty-four people …

Ua6/1/1 Lost River Cave & Valley - Oral History Project, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Unprocessed oral history files regarding Lost River Cave & Valley.

Enhanced Detection Of Groundwater Contamination From A Leaking Waste Disposal Site By Microbial Community Profiles, Paula J. Mouser, Donna M. Rizzo, Gregory K. Druschel, Sergio E. Morales, Nancy Hayden, Patrick O'Grady, Lori Stevens

College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications

Groundwater biogeochemistry is adversely impacted when municipal solid waste leachate, rich in nutrients and anthropogenic compounds, percolates into the subsurface from leaking landfills. Detecting leachate contamination using statistical techniques is challenging because well strategies or analytical techniques may be insufficient for detecting low levels of groundwater contamination. We sampled profiles of the microbial community from monitoring wells surrounding a leaking landfill using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Results show in situ monitoring of bacteria, archaea, and the family Geobacteraceae improves characterization of groundwater quality. Bacterial T-RFLP profiles showed shifts correlated to known gradients of …

Ua1b1/3 University Lecture Series, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by the University Lecture Series committee which invites distinguished and prominent individuals to lecture at the university. The records include correspondence with potential speakers and programs, posters and recordings of lectures.

Ua1c11/25 Lost River Cave Photo Collection, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Photographs and postcards created by Lost River Cave & Valley.

Conclusions About Niche Expansion In Introduced Impatiens Walleriana Populations Depend On Method Of Analysis, Lisa Mandle, Dan L. Warren, Matthias H. Hoffmann, A. Townsend Peterson, Johanna Schmitt, Eric J. Von Wettberg

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Determining the degree to which climate niches are conserved across plant species' native and introduced ranges is valuable to developing successful strategies to limit the introduction and spread of invasive plants, and also has important ecological and evolutionary implications. Here, we test whether climate niches differ between native and introduced populations of Impatiens walleriana, globally one of the most popular horticultural species. We use approaches based on both raw climate data associated with occurrence points and ecological niche models (ENMs) developed with Maxent. We include comparisons of climate niche breadth in both geographic and environmental spaces, taking into account differences …

Bringing The Endangered Barn Owl Back To Mclean County, Illinois: Implementing A Local Nest Box Program, Anna Groves '11

Outstanding Senior Seminar Papers

Barn owls are an endangered species in Illinois, but populations have been known to increase where nest box programs have been implemented. In conjunction with the John Wesley Powell Audubon Society, a barn owl nest box program was established in McLean County and the surrounding area. Seventeen boxes are now scheduled for construction and installation this winter in the McLean County area in order to enhance existing barn owl populations, and the nest box program will continue in the future through the JWP Audubon.

Nutrient Enrichment Enhances Hidden Differences In Phenotype To Drive A Cryptic Plant Invasion, Christine Holdredge, Mark D. Bertness, Eric Von Wettberg, Brian R. Silliman

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Many mechanisms of invasive species success have been elucidated, but those driving cryptic invasions of non-native genotypes remain least understood. In one of the most successful cryptic plant invasions in North America, we investigate the mechanisms underlying the displacement of native Phragmites australis by its Eurasian counterpart. Since invasive Phragmites' populations have been especially prolific along eutrophic shorelines, we conducted a two-year field experiment involving native and invasive genotypes that manipulated nutrient level and competitor identity (inter- and intra-genotypic competition) to assess their relative importance in driving the loss of native Phragmites. Inter-genotypic competition suppressed aboveground biomass of both native …

Environmental Justice: Improving Inclusion Of Minorities In Environmental Work In Bloomington-Normal, Il, Emmy Grace '11

Outstanding Senior Seminar Papers

The Ecology Action Center provides environmental education, information and outreach for McLean County, Illinois. In an effort to make services accessible to the entire county, the Ecology Action Center realizes the need to better reach the minority community in Bloomington-Normal. This study examines the environmental justice concerns in relation to minority involvement in environmental work; environmental concerns among minorities; and environmental outreach to minorities and low-income people. This project reveals that regardless of race, all people share environmental concerns; however, the kinds of concerns may differ. The culmination of this project provides suggestions for how the Ecology Action Center can …

Geographic Factors Of Residential Burglaries - A Case Study In Nashville, Tennessee, Jonathan A. Hall

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examines geographic patterns and geographic factors of residential burglary at the Nashville, TN area for a twenty year period at five year interval starting in 1988. The purpose of this study is to identify what geographic factors have impacted on residential burglary rates, and if there were changes in the geographic patterns of residential burglary over the study period. Several criminological theories guide this study, with the most prominent being Social Disorganization Theory and Routine Activities Theory. Both of these theories focus on the relationships of place and crime. A number of spatial analysis methods are hence adopted …

Take Pride In America In Southern Nevada: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering October 5, 2010 – January 4, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• The Hector’s Helpers program with the Clark County School District continued curriculum development.
• The team was selected to serve on the litter and recycling work group for Keep Las Vegas Beautiful.
• The team continued to develop the GIS database.
• A total of 12 clean-up events were conducted this quarter.

Take Pride In America In Southern Nevada: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering July 5, 2010 – October 4, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• The street team portion of the media campaign was completed.
• The Hector’s Helpers program with the Clark County School District continued curriculum development.
• The team was selected to serve on the litter and recycling work group for Keep Las Vegas Beautiful.
• The team continued to develop the GIS database.
• A total of five clean-up events were conducted this quarter.

Gloucester Marine Station: Future Development Feasibility Study, Jack F. Ahern, Ben Eli Webb

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity

The study commenced in July 2009 with historical research about the site and its context, site analysis, including the existing conditions and development regulations. This analysis included: topography, soils, vegetation, structures, utilities, easements, property deed, and city, state, and federal regulations. From this analysis an assessment of future development potentials was made based on the existing data/documents from UMass files, public records, Mass GIS data, site visits, and interviews with Gloucester, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and other officials and stakeholders. From the assessment we identified potential future uses, building locations, and feasible alternative layouts of the site. These alternatives were summarily …

Renewable Energy In Rural Amazônia: A Case Study Of Its Advantages And Limitations In Santo Antônio, Amy Plovnick

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Isolated renewable energy projects are a promising alternative to diesel power for providing electricity in rural communities not connected to the conventional electricity transmission grid. However, there have been a limited number of such projects in rural Amazônia, and they often face obstacles that limit their sustainability. The objective of this study is to evaluate the environmental, social and economic impact of isolated renewable energy projects through a case study of a small-scale biomass and solar energy electrification project in the community of Santo Antônio, Pará. It will also evaluate the limitations to implementing and sustaining isolated renewable energy projects …

As Rivers Run Dry: A Study Of Global Freshwater Scarcity And Its Implications For Socio-Economic Development, Sophia Wenzlau

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Water scarcity is a serious problem—without adequate supplies of clean freshwater, there cannot be life. The direct and indirect costs of water scarcity are huge, including poor public health, gender inequality, and acute restrictions for economic development. Currently, around 20 percent of the global population lacks access to safe drinking water and 2.4 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation facilities (UNEP Brief, 1). About 1.8 million people—most of them children less than five years old—die every year due to water-borne diseases from fecal pollution—the equivalent of about 15 killer tsunamis each year or 12 Boeing 747 crashes …

“Mieux Vaut Prévenir Que Guérir”: The Effect Of Natural Disasters On Water- And Sanitation-Related Infectious Diseases And The Increasing Need For Disaster Preparedness, Naomi Malam

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The world is suffering from an extreme global water crisis. 1.1 billion people in the world lack access to adequate clean water, and 2.6 billion people lack access to water and sanitation. Approximately 10 million deaths per year can be attributed to this water crisis; water-borne infectious diseases play a significant role in this death toll. Diarrhoeal disease accounts for 2.6 million deaths per year and is one of the leading causes of death in many developing countries.

We are entering a period of undeniable climate change which is bringing about more natural disasters and extreme weather events than ever …

Les Impacts De L’Éco-Tourisme Sur La Population De Ranohira: Étude De Cas Du Parc National De L’Isalo, Benjamin Cook

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

À Madagascar, une île dans l’Océan Indien, le tourisme et les installations touristiques sont en processus de développement. Alors que certains étrangers profitent du climat tropical pour aller à la plage, d’autres passent le temps dans l’un des 20 parcs nationaux, tous connus pour la flore et la faune uniques. Madagascar National Parks, une organisation privée qui était établie en 1990, est chargé de la gestion de chaque parc y compris l’éco-tourisme, la conservation, et le développement durable. Généralement reconnu comme l’un des parcs les plus visités de Madagascar (avec des dizaines de milliers de touristes chaque année), le Parc …

La Cara De La Explotación: Un Estudio De La Industria Minería En El Sur De La República De Ecuador, Jillian Howell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mi viaje continúo al sur oriente a la ciudad de Macas en la provincia de Morona Santiago, a dónde había una reunión del Programa de Pequeños Donaciones (PPD) de las Naciones Unidas - Proyecto de Desarrollo (UNDP) sobre los pequeños proyectos sostenibles en el sur de Ecuador. Unos de estos proyectos era sobre mitigando de los impactos ambientales de los mineros artesanales de La Pangui y Congüime en el Cordillera del Cóndor. Yo visité este proyecto una semana después, cuando fui a La Pangui y viví una noche con la familia del presidente de una asociación de los mineros artesanales. …

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering July 1, 2010 To September 30, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• The number of records in the volunteer database increased by 0.05% over the last quarter. The database now contains 7,669 records.
• Results show an average of 1,060 visits per month, and with an average of 2,597 pages viewed per month.
• Five National Public Lands Day events have been completed.
• The Interagency Volunteer Standard Operations Manual has been updated and revised.
• Get Outdoors Nevada supported six volunteer events in a variety of ways. These events utilized 630 volunteers whom contributed 3,686 hours of service.
• Preparations for the volunteer recognition banquet continued.

Protecting Degraded Rainforests: Enhancement Of Forest Carbon Stocks Under Redd+, David P. Edwards, Brendan Fisher, Emily Boyd

Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

The likely Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) mechanism includes strategies for the enhancement of forest carbon stocks. Recent concerns have been expressed that such enhancement, or restoration, of forest carbon could be counterproductive to biodiversity conservation, because forests are managed as "carbon farms" with the application of intensive silvicultural management that could homogenize diverse degraded rainforests. Restoration increases regeneration rates in degraded forest compared to naturally regenerating forest, and thus could yield significant financial returns for carbon sequestered. Here, we argue that such forest restoration projects are, in fact, likely to provide a number of benefits to biodiversity …

End Of Program Evaluation On Catchment Demonstration Initiative (Cdi), Urs

Natural resources commissioned reports

In 2003 the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia, developed a Catchment Demonstration Initiative (CDI) Project as a contribution to the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality. Joint Commonwealth and State funding allocated $6 million towards a project aimed at demonstrating viable salinity management systems in the agricultural area of Western Australia. The CDI sought to deliver its outcomes in partnership with NRM Regions by co-investment in targeted, large-scaled, catchment-based demonstrations of integrated salinity management practices.

Submissions were invited from interested groups to provide proposals, and following an assessment process at the local, state/Commonwealth level against predetermined …

Do Scientists Agree About Climate Change? Public Perceptions From A New Hampshire Survey, Lawrence C. Hamilton

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

This report, a collaboration of the Carsey Institute, the UNH Survey Center, and the UNH Office of Sustainability, is the first of a new initiative that will track public perceptions about climate change as they change over time. Questions related to climate change were asked as part of New Hampshire's Granite State Poll, which surveyed 512 New Hampshire residents in April 2010.

Take Pride In America In Southern Nevada: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering April 5, 2010 – July 4, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• With Board approval, the next phase of the Don’t Trash Nevada marketing campaign began.
• The Hector’s Helpers program with the Clark County School District began curriculum development.
• The team participated in the strategic planning process for Keep Las Vegas Beautiful.
• The team met with the Education Director of Keep America Beautiful to begin the process of developing a statewide program.
• The team continued to develop the GIS database.
• A total of 15 clean-up events were conducted this quarter.

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Annual Progress Report, Period Covering July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• From July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010 the Volgistics database has increased the number of records from 6,226 to a total of 6,536 records at the end of this period.
• Website activity this year averaged 109,216 hits per month, with an average of 10,443 pages viewed per month.
• The team attended 14 community outreach events resulting in 2,588 direct contacts and 300 new mailing list records.
• The Interagency Volunteer Program (IVP) completed a total of 67 volunteer events contributing a total of 15,195 volunteer hours.
• A total of 131 volunteers completed orientations and trainings with the IVP.
• A total …

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering April 1, 2010 – June 30, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• The number of records in the volunteer database increased by 6% over the last quarter. The database now contains 7,250 records.
• A new tracking method was implemented to provide a more comprehensive analysis of website activity. Results show an average of 1397 visits per month, and with an average of 3,400 pages viewed per month.
• Spring volunteer training has been completed.
• Initial planning for Fall events has begun.
• Preparations and initial planning for the 2,010 volunteer recognition banquet began.
• The Interagency Volunteer Standard Operations Manual has been updated and revised.
• Get Outdoors Nevada supported 17 volunteer events in a variety …

How Anthocyanin Mutants Respond To Stress: The Need To Distinguish Between Stress Tolerance And Maximal Vigour, Eric J. Von Wettberg, Maureen L. Stanton, Justen B. Whittall

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Anthocyanins are produced by plants in response to diverse stresses. Mutants that block the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway (ABP) at various steps can easily be compared across numerous abiotic stresses. Hypothesis: Anthocyanins or their precursors are required for stress tolerance. Thus, ABP loss-of-function mutants should have proportionately lower fitness than wildtype plants under stress, compared with benign conditions. In contrast, a decrease in maximal vigour - the general capacity for growth and fecundity - should be most pronounced under benign conditions that allow luxuriant growth by the most vigorous genotypes. Tests: Determine whether, under stressful conditions, ABP loss-of-function mutants have …

Somalian Immigration And Assimilation To Minnesota, Chantae Erickson

Academic Symposium of Undergraduate Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Youth Initiative Hector’S Helpers: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering February 11, 2010 – April 15, 2011, Hector's Helpers

Anti-littering Programs

The third quarter has progressed with the Hector’s Helpers program. We took action with hands-on classroom activities and lead three clean-up field trips. Students learned how to protect public lands in Southern Nevada through our anti-litter and desert dumping initiative. West Career Technical Academy students completed various GIS projects and finished the Adopt-A-Block Handbook. The Hector’s Helpers staff also submitted a formal proposal to study pre- and post-program surveys of students participating in the Hector's Helpers program.

If These Men Could Still Talk, Rebecca Damphousse

Academic Symposium of Undergraduate Scholarship

For this assignment, two theorists in psychology were selected to engage in conversation. Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget were chosen and their theories of human development were researched. Erikson was asked how his experiences as a child impacted the formation of his theories. The question for Piaget was directed at the permanence, relevancy and universality of his theory into the 21st century. While a large amount of research was conducted, the questions and answers were pure conjecture.

Take Pride In America In Southern Nevada: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering January 5, 2010 - April 4, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• The team presented the strategic plan to the Board for review and feedback.
• The team presented their revised Charter to the Board and received approval.
• the team met with AAEQ Manufacturing, a company interested in assisting with recycling and messaging efforts.
• The team began planning a unified recycling messaging for SNAP.
• The team met with the marketing firm B&P and discussed ideas for the messaging campaign.
• The team began collaborating with the Clark County School District on a "Hector's Helpers" program using Youth Initiative funding the BLM received.
• The team assisted the City of Las Vegas Keep America Beautiful task …