Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

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 …

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 …

A Gis Approach For Estimating Optimal Sites For Grid-Connected Photovoltaic (Pv) Cells In Nebraska, Tomotoshi Funabashi

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

In the context of rising energy concerns and increased spotlight on solar energy, this study examines and draws attention to the state of mid potential sunlight. The purpose of this study is to estimate the optimal sites for grid-connected photovoltaic cells in Nebraska, which is ranked 13th nationally in terms of insolation potential. Five factors – insolation potential, adjacency to roads, accessibility to grid, topography, and acreage – are examined with the use of Geographic Information System (GIS). Insolation potential was quantitatively analyzed by averaging, plotting, and interpolating the 20 years of datasets recoded at 28 weather stations of High …

A Health Impact Assessment Of Mixed Use Redevelopment Nodes And Corridors In Lincoln, Nebraska, Katie Clear

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Obesity is a growing threat to America’s health. The national rate of obesity is 34% (Health Consequences, 2011), and Lincoln, Nebraska is not far behind that trend at 20.7% (BRFSS, 2011). Increasing physical activity is one way to reduce weight gain, (Edwards, 2008) and further studies show that small changes to the built environment can induce people to use alternative and more active forms of transportation such as biking, walking, and public transportation (Edwards, 2008; Zheng, 2008). The 2040 Comprehensive Plan for Lincoln, NE includes language to create a more walkable community. The proposal is to redevelop existing areas within …

Empathy-Based Conservation: An Interdisciplinary Approach To Conservation Policy And Decision-Making, Kaitlyn Delashmutt

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

In the late 20^th century, neuroscientists in Italy discovered a neuron in the brain capable of mentally mimicking the emotions derived from the actions of others (Rizzolatti and Craighero, 2004). It is the process that makes your elbow ache when someone else knocks their elbow on the counter or the uncontrollable smile that creeps up when someone smiles at you. No questions asked, people intuitively sense what others are feeling. The old school of thought was that humans deduced through logic and reason the actions of others and interpreted the emotions through a rational process (Carew et al, 2008). …

Mapping Potential Crp Land And Determining Crp Profitability In Lancaster County, Jamie Pesek

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Annually 17 tons of soil is lost due to the erosion of agriculture land. A majority of the soil lost is fertile topsoil, which can render the land unproductive. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was enacted to reduce the high erosion rates on agriculture land by giving landowners a monetary incentive to let their land lay idle and allow the soil to regenerate. Although there is awareness of the benefits of CRP, little effort has been put toward delineating CRP eligible land. In this project, Geographical Information Systems were used to map CRP eligible land in Lancaster County, Nebraska based …

Avian Species Abundance In Response To Recreational Trail Use, Carrie A. Wencel

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Studies have indicated that non-consumptive outdoor recreation may affect wildlife. Thus, as the nation increases interest in outdoor recreation, data suggests the effect on wildlife will also increase. Previous studies indicate that as disturbance to wildlife increases, both avian species richness will decrease. Knowing how to anticipate effects on native species when planning and managing recreational areas is important in order to both provide for human desires and ensure the least impact to local species diversity.

The goal of this project was to observe and compare avian species richness and diversity between selected trail sites within Shevlin Park, Bend, Oregon …

Factors The Cause Growth And Development In The City Of Lincoln, Ne, Kaylene Tegtmeier

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This qualitative study looks at what factors may contribute to the outward growth and development of the city of Lincoln, Nebraska. The two main factors the study discusses are the Lincoln Public School planners and their placement of schools in the city, and the “American dream” of the people, looking at where the people of Lincoln want to be living throughout the city and what some of their daily habits are. This study also discusses some of the main visions of the city of Lincoln’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan how the plan’s ambitions may affect the two factors looked at in …

A Geotechnical Evaluation Of Chesapeake Beach Shoal For Beach Quality Sand, Donna A. Milligan, C. Scott Hardaway Jr., Mary C. Cox, Christine A. Wilcox

Reports

Chesapeake Beach Shoal is located along the southern coast of Chesapeake Bay in Virginia Beach, Virginia (Figure 1-1). Chesapeake Beach, which is nearly adjacent, has a history of chronic beach erosion which threatens upland infrastructure. Beach nourishment occurs on Ocean Park Beach to the east from intermittent dredging of Lynnhaven Inlet (Figure 1-2), but the effects do not always translate westward to Chesapeake Beach. The general alongshore sand movement is east to west. The purpose of this project is to establish a reliable source of beach sand for Chesapeake Beach via the nearshore shoal. Many issues, including identifying the location …

Land Systems Of The Kimberley Region, Western Australia, A L. Payne, N Schoknecht

Technical Bulletins

The Land Systems of the Kimberley Region Report describes and maps the landscapes, soils and vegetation of the Kimberley region. This report is a consolidation of surveys carried out by different organisations, across different areas of the Kimberley, since the 1940s. The Kimberley region, as defined in this bulletin, covers 330 070km². The report categorises the Kimberley region into 111 land systems. Under each land system, the report identifies the vulnerabilities of those areas, and provides recommendations on how to achieve sustainable use. The report also publishes pasture types for the entire region and the grazing potential for each pasture, …

Green Worlds And Ecosemiotics, Paul Siewers

Faculty Conference Papers and Presentations

"Overlay landscapes" in Early Insular literatures, and how they connect early medieval cosmology with current-day ecosemiotics..

The Autonomy House: Team Las Vegas Conceptual Design, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas. Solar Decathlon Team.

DesertSol: Planning and Design

An overview of a net-zero energy concept house developed for the 2013 Solar Decathlon. Document uses original project name "Autonomy House".

Team Las Vegas Solar Decathlon 2013: Technical Proposal, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas. Solar Decathlon Team.

DesertSol: Planning and Design

Team Las Vegas is proposing an elegant, sustainable, and innovative home design that aims to be net zero energy as part of participation in the 2013 Solar Decathlon supported by the Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The home will be constructed and tested at the 2013 Solar Decathlon competition at a location to be determined by NREL. Imagine a home that captures energy instead of reflecting sunlight; one that filters rainwater and sequesters carbon in its vegetation and soils; one that actually gives back to the ecosystem in which it resides, and supports sustainability for …

The Limits To Prediction In Ecological Systems, Brian Beckage, Louis J. Gross, Stuart Kauffman

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Predicting the future trajectories of ecological systems is increasingly important as the magnitude of anthropogenic perturbation of the earth systems grows.We distinguish between two types of predictability: the intrinsic or theoretical predictability of a system and the realized predictability that is achieved using available models and parameterizations. We contend that there are strong limits on the intrinsic predictability of ecological systems that arise from inherent characteristics of biological systems. While the realized predictability of ecological systems can be limited by process and parameter misspecification or uncertainty, we argue that the intrinsic predictability of ecological systems is widely and strongly limited …

Changing The Way We View Humanity And The Rest Of Nature, Robert Costanza

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the idea of ecosystem services, how ecosystem aided to solve the mother of all problems and how ecosystem services offer real solutions to problems.

A Global Partnership For Ecosystem Services, Dolf De Groot, Robert Costanza, Dieter Van Den Broeck, James Aronson

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

The article offers information on the participation of the Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve in the Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP) in South Africa. It mentions that an active group of scientists has been working with the local and ESP to restore the Mega Reserve using the ecosystem services. The group combines a learning village to raise awareness of the project and a tree nursery that specializes in indigenous species.

Sustainability And Climate Models For The Intermountain West: An Annotated Bibliography, Marianne A. Buehler, William E. Brown Jr.

Brookings Mountain West Publications

This resource on climate models and sustainability in the Intermountain West, a region that includes the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, is a collaborative effort between the UNLV Libraries (http://library.unlv.edu/) and Brookings Mountain West (http://brookingsmtnwest.unlv.edu/).

The selected citations include academic, government, and non-profit information that highlight ongoing research on climate models and sustainability efforts in the region. The websites, government studies, independent reports, scholarly articles, and media reports reflect the diversity and complexity of climate change and sustainability issues in a region that contains widely varying ecosystems. The Intermountain West, with its deserts, basins, mountains, …

Indigenous Australians Fight Climate Change With Fire, Scott Heckbert, Jeremy Russell-Smith, Andrew Reeson, Glenn James

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

The article focuses on the move of Indigenous people in Australia to implement fire management in an effort to improve landscape condition and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It highlights the launch of the West Arnhem Land Fire Abatement (WALFA) project, a prime example of scientists, governments, Indigenous land managers, and carbon markets connecting to offer innovative solutions to resource management and economic development. It also highlights ecosystem services in the region.

City Of Hampton, Virginia Shoreline Inventory Report Methods And Guidelines, Marcia Berman, Harry Berquist, Sharon Killeen, Carl Hershner, Karinna Nunez, Karen Reay, Tamia Rudnicky

Reports

The data inventory developed for the Shoreline Inventory is based on a three‑tiered shoreline assessment approach. In most cases this assessment characterizes conditions that can be observed from a small boat navigating along the shoreline. The three tiered shoreline assessment approach divides the shorezone into three regions: 1) the immediate riparian zone, evaluated for land use; 2) the bank, evaluated for height, stability, cover and natural protection; and 3) the shoreline, describing the presence of shoreline structures for shore protection and recreational purposes. Hand-held GPS units are used to log features observed in the field.

Three GIS coverages are developed …

Take Pride In America Phase Iii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering July 25, 2011-October 24, 2011, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• The GIS database was field tested.
• Three youth groups began the Hector’s Helpers curriculum.
• America Recycles Day event planning occurred.
• Forms were developed for the volunteer monitoring program.

Dissemination Of Geological Information In Avoiding Geotechnical Risks Associated With Tunnel Construction: Lessons Learned From Deep Voids In Marble In Lower Manhattan, New York City, Nazrul I. Khandaker, Stanley Schleifer, Masud Ahmed, Leah Scott

Publications and Research

Test boring associated with the recently accomplished City Water Tunnel # 3 in Manhattan, New York City revealed moderately to highly weathered marble with insoluble silicate residues composed mostly of phlogopite, chlorite, and tremolite. Apparent control on the weatherability of the marble was in response to original mineral constituents dominating this lithology. Encountered marble samples ranged between pure calcitic to mixed dolomitic/siliceous types. Fresh marble samples collected from adjacent boring locations revealed characteristic geochemical data: Lime (25-45%), Silica (4-7%), Alumina (1-3%), MgO (5-20%), and LOI (35-42%); compressive strength of unweathered marble varied between 2000-3000 Kg/cm². Relict foliations with …

Take Pride In America In Southern Nevada: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering July 6, 2011-October 5, 2011, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• A total of 6 clean-up events were conducted this quarter.
• Interagency cooperation continued.
• Recycling containers were distributed to agencies for use at public events.
• Website redesign continued.

Heating Up The Forest: Open-Top Chamber Warming Manipulation Of Arthropod Communities At Harvard And Duke Forests, Shannon L. Pelini, Francis P. Bowles, Aaron M. Ellison, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Nathan J. Sanders, Robert R. Dunn

College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Publications

1.Recent observations indicate that climatic change is altering biodiversity, and models suggest that the consequences of climate change will differ across latitude. However, long-term experimental field manipulations that directly test the predictions about organisms' responses to climate change across latitude are lacking. Such experiments could provide a more mechanistic understanding of the consequences of climate change on ecological communities and subsequent changes in ecosystem processes, facilitating better predictions of the effects of future climate change. 2.This field experiment uses octagonal, 5-m-diameter (c.22m 3) open-top chambers to simulate warming at northern (Harvard Forest, Massachusetts) and southern (Duke Forest, North Carolina) hardwood …

Is Lac Anony Reaching Its Tipping Point? A Comparative Case Study Of The Traditional Fishery At The Village Of Antsovela, Corinne Haynes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Traditional fisheries are globally recognized as an important supplier of food resources. In fact, “small-scale fisheries provide over half the world’s wild-caught seafood” (Shester and Micheli, 2011). All around the southern tip of Madagascar, the traditional fishing industry acts as one of the most common livelihoods. The island nation contributes 120,000,000 tons of aquatic resources to the world supply each year, the majority of which is caught by traditional fishermen found in 1,250 rural villages all around the island. However, 80% of the catch is consumed locally, pinpointing the main goal of these traditional fishermen: to feed their families (RAZANOELISOA, …

Hrc Enews — 2011 Fall, Megan K. Svarz

Publications (HRC)

This issue contains staff accomplishments and announcements, event listings, and a "new faces" listing for new staff, affiliates, and researchers.

Dr7a: Changes In Ecosystem Services And Migration In Low-Lying Coastal Areas Over The Next 50 Years, Robert Costanza, Ida Kubiszewski, Joe Roman, Paul Sutton

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

This paper examines the history and current status of ecosystem services in low-lying coastal areas (LLCAs), their potential changes because of wider environmental and social shifts, and the potential impacts of these changes on human migration. We synthesised information from a number of sources on the status and value of ecosystem services in LLCAs, including information about key ecosystems that are likely to be particularly vulnerable to environmental change. We created maps of ecosystem and human population changes in LLCAs and then estimated changes in ecosystem services. Estimating the impacts of these potential changes depends on the future scenario one …

Greening Of Ill At Himmelfarb Library, Yvonne Lee, Alek Potrzebowski, Kathe Obrig

Himmelfarb Library Faculty Posters and Presentations

Traditionally, the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Department consumed the largest amount of paper from routine printing of articles/chapters before delivery. In 2010, staff examined existing processes to find ways to print only when necessary and become a greener department. This poster presentation explains the implementation and the outcomes of the "greening" initiative in the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Department of the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library.