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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Will Lowering Estuarine Salinity Increase Gulf Of Mexico Oyster Landings?, R. Eugene Turner Jun 2006

Will Lowering Estuarine Salinity Increase Gulf Of Mexico Oyster Landings?, R. Eugene Turner

Faculty Publications

Previous studies provide conflicting opinions on whether lower than average salinities in Gulf of Mexico (GOM) estuaries are likely to increase or decrease oyster harvests (Crassostrea virginica), which represented 69% and 54% of the United States oyster landings by weight, and dockside value, respectively, in 2003. The present study examined a 54-yr record (1950–2003) of oyster harvests and river discharge in five major estuaries in GOM states (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas). Oyster landings were inversely related to freshwater inflow. Peaks in landings, 21 of 23 in West Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas combined, were coincidental with …


Application Of Short-Term Sediment Dynamics And Particle-Bound Phosphorus Fractionation Methods (Sedex) To Estimate The Benthic Nutrient Loading Potential In Upper Newport Estuary, California, Hilary Amanda Collis Jan 2006

Application Of Short-Term Sediment Dynamics And Particle-Bound Phosphorus Fractionation Methods (Sedex) To Estimate The Benthic Nutrient Loading Potential In Upper Newport Estuary, California, Hilary Amanda Collis

LSU Master's Theses

Estuaries act as sources, sinks, and biogeochemical transformation sites for natural and anthropogenically-derived nutrients. Sediment loading from watersheds provides an important source of particulate nutrients to estuaries often neglected when constructing nutrient budgets. Deposition and resuspension of these sediments are known to impact biogeochemical cycles in estuarine environments. Phosphorus (P) exists in many forms in aquatic environments, and increased P loading to coastal environments increases primary productivity potentially leading to eutrophication. Magnitude and variability of sediment deposition, resuspension, and sediment-bound P concentrations were evaluated in Upper Newport Bay (UNB), California. During 2004, seven push cores were collected from the intertidal …


Oxygen Depletion In The Gulf Of Mexico Adjacent To The Mississippi River, Nancy N. Rabalais, R. Eugene Turner Jan 2006

Oxygen Depletion In The Gulf Of Mexico Adjacent To The Mississippi River, Nancy N. Rabalais, R. Eugene Turner

Faculty Publications

The seasonal formation of a bottom water layer severely depleted in dissolved oxygen has become a perennial occurrence on the Louisiana continental shelf adjacent to the Mississippi River system. Dramatic changes have occurred in this coastal ecosystem in the last half of the 20th century as the loads of dissolved inorganic nitrogen tripled. There are increases in primary production, shifts in phytoplankton community composition, changes in trophic interactions, and worsening severity of hypoxia. The hypoxic conditions (dissolved oxygen less than 2 mg l-1) cover up to 22,000 km2 of the seabed in mid-summer. Dissolved oxygen concentrations seldom decrease to anoxia, …


Investigation Into The Dirhodium-Catalyzed Hydroformylation Of 1-Alkenes And Preparation Of A Novel Tetraphosphine Ligand, Alexandre R. Monteil Jan 2006

Investigation Into The Dirhodium-Catalyzed Hydroformylation Of 1-Alkenes And Preparation Of A Novel Tetraphosphine Ligand, Alexandre R. Monteil

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The reaction of the tetraphosphine ligand rac-et,ph-P4 (et,ph-P4 = PEt2CH2CH2(Ph)PCH2P(Ph)CH2CH2PEt2) with 2 equiv. of [Rh(nbd)2]+ (nbd = norbornadiene) generates [rac-Rh2(nbd)2(et,ph-P4)]2+, which is the precursor to a highly active and regioselective hydroformylation catalyst system. The “key” catalyst species generated under H2/CO pressure has been proposed to be the dihydrido complex [rac-Rh2H2(ì-CO)2(et,ph-P4)]2+, and represents one of the most dramatic example of homobimetallic …


Genetic Stratigraphy And Geochronology Of Last Interglacial Shorelines On The Central Coast Of South Carolina, Russell Willis Jan 2006

Genetic Stratigraphy And Geochronology Of Last Interglacial Shorelines On The Central Coast Of South Carolina, Russell Willis

LSU Master's Theses

This study investigated the shallow subsurface of the Lower Coastal Plain of South Carolina in order to determine the sea-level history and stratigraphic architecture preserved within several emergent shoreline complexes. The absolute age of each shoreline complex was estimated using single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) techniques. The resulting geochronology was incorporated into a high-resolution stratigraphic framework defined by ground penetrating radar calibrated with deep sediment cores, many of which contain a complete sequence of highstand deposition. Three emergent barrier complexes were identified within the Lower Talbot, Pamlico, and Princess Anne terraces, and assigned to sea-level highstands during interglacial …


Ice Sheet Grounding Zone Deposits On Ross Sea Continental Shelf (Antarctica): Seismic Facies Analysis And P-Wave Reflectivity Attributes, Adeniyi Adewumi Saanumi Jan 2006

Ice Sheet Grounding Zone Deposits On Ross Sea Continental Shelf (Antarctica): Seismic Facies Analysis And P-Wave Reflectivity Attributes, Adeniyi Adewumi Saanumi

LSU Master's Theses

Subglacial till and overlying glaciomarine deposits are difficult to distinguish because the physical properties of subglacial till may vary depending on the drainage conditions of the rock directly beneath the ice sheet. Based on approximately 120 kilometers of multi-channel seismic data, detailed seismic facies analysis and amplitude variation with offset (AVO) analysis are carried out to examine the distribution of ice sheet grounding zone deposits on the continental shelf of the Northern Basin, Ross Sea (Antarctica) and infer the physical properties of interpreted subglacial till. Seismic facies analysis led to the differentiation of distinct sub-environments around a grounded ice sheet: …


Using Elimination To Describe Maxwell Curves, Lucas P. Beverlin Jan 2006

Using Elimination To Describe Maxwell Curves, Lucas P. Beverlin

LSU Master's Theses

Cartesian ovals are curves in the plane that have been studied for hundreds of years. A Cartesian oval is the set of points whose distances from two fixed points called foci satisfy the property that a linear combination of these distances is a fixed constant. These ovals are a special case of what we call Maxwell curves. A Maxwell curve is the set of points with the property that a specific weighted sum of the distances to n foci is constant. We shall describe these curves geometrically. We will then examine Maxwell curves with two foci and a special case …


Reliability Of Determining Adults From Juvenile Ducks By Presence Or Absence Of Notched Tail Feathers In Various Species Of North American Ducks, Thomas Michael Siwarski Jan 2006

Reliability Of Determining Adults From Juvenile Ducks By Presence Or Absence Of Notched Tail Feathers In Various Species Of North American Ducks, Thomas Michael Siwarski

LSU Master's Theses

I estimated when juvenile tail molt occurs for several commonly harvested duck species, mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), northern pintails (A. acuta) (hereafter referred to as pintails), gadwalls (A. strepera), lesser scaup (Aythya affinis), and redheads (A. americana). Tests showed that aging mallards by notched tail feathers became unreliable the earliest (early September), followed closely by pintails (mid-late September), with gadwalls being the latest of the dabbling ducks to lose reliability in aging by notched tail feathers (late November). Lesser scaup and redheads retained their notched tail feathers throughout January and the completion of hunting season. Based on initial banding and band …


Effective Inter-Organizational Information And Communication Technology Adoption In Business-To-Business Customer Interface, Sanna Maria Kallioranta Jan 2006

Effective Inter-Organizational Information And Communication Technology Adoption In Business-To-Business Customer Interface, Sanna Maria Kallioranta

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Past research has found that 80-90 percent of IT investments do not meet corporate performance objectives, primarily due to non-technical reasons such as human and organizational aspects. When Inter-organizational Information and Communication Technology (IICT) implementation is properly managed IICT can help manage the flow of goods, services, and information between business partners in the supplier-customer dyad, thus reducing transaction costs along the entire value chain. Using the underlying Resource-Based View theoretical foundation, this research approaches effective IICT implementation capability as a holistic organizational capability that extends beyond tangible IT resources. This research investigates business outcomes of IICT adoption in the …


Simulating Protein Evolution Via Thermodynamic Models, Yanlong Xu Jan 2006

Simulating Protein Evolution Via Thermodynamic Models, Yanlong Xu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Natural proteins are results of evolution and they need to maintain certain thermodynamic stabilities in order to carry out their biological functions. By simulating protein evolution based on thermodynamic rules, we could reconstruct the evolution trajectory and analyze the evolutionary dynamics of a protein population, and further understand the protein sequence-structure-function relationship. In this study, we have used both a simplified lattice model and a high-resolution atomic model to simulate protein evolution processes. With the lattice model, we have investigated general theoretical questions about how protein structural designability would affect protein evolution, particularly how it would affect protein recombination and …


Ecology Of Lesser Scaup Amphipods In The Upper-Midwest: Scope And Mechanisms Of The Spring Condition Hypothesis And Implications For Migration Habitat Conservation, Michael Jason Anteau Jan 2006

Ecology Of Lesser Scaup Amphipods In The Upper-Midwest: Scope And Mechanisms Of The Spring Condition Hypothesis And Implications For Migration Habitat Conservation, Michael Jason Anteau

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

I tested the scope of the Spring Condition Hypothesis in explaining the continental population decline of lesser scaup (Aythya affinis; hereafter scaup) and explored potential mechanisms affecting female body condition to assist conservation efforts for population recovery. Lipid reserves of females currently are lower than historical values during spring migration throughout Iowa, Minnesota, and North Dakota; females catabolized lipids throughout this area (indexed by concentrations of plasma-lipid metabolites, which accounted for 75% of the variation in mass change). My results indicate that a large segment of the continental scaup population likely is affected by decreased lipid reserves, which could cause …


Influence Of Surface Chemistry On The Aggregation Of Beta Amyloid Peptide, Mariah Joan Wooldridge Mcmasters Jan 2006

Influence Of Surface Chemistry On The Aggregation Of Beta Amyloid Peptide, Mariah Joan Wooldridge Mcmasters

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurological ailment affecting 4.5 million aging Americans. The disease is characterized by the presence in the brain of self-assembled fibrils consisting of beta amyloid protein (Aβ). Soluble Aβ protein is present in normal human cerebrospinal fluid, but it is unclear what makes the protein aggregate into insoluble plaques. There is evidence that the Aβ fibril assembly is affected by interactions with biological surfaces, such as neuronal membranes. Here, surfaces consisting of self-assembled alkanethiol monolayers with different end groups were used to test the effect of surface chemistry on the structure and morphology of aggregates formed …


Infrared Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry: Fundamental And Applications, Mark Little Jan 2006

Infrared Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry: Fundamental And Applications, Mark Little

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation on infrared laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry encompasses fundamental studies of the desorption/ionization process and direct-from-gel laser desorption/ionization applications. Understanding of the fundamentals behind desorption and ionization can lead to improvements in the technique and to new applications. Experiments aimed at advancing this goal are wavelength studies and two-laser infrared/ultraviolet matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization experiments. The direct-from-gel laser desorption/ionization application in which infrared laser desorption/ionization of analytes directly ionized after gel electrophoretic separation will also be presented. Protein and peptide standards were used as test analytes and the infrared lasers used were a 10.6 micrometers carbon-dioxide laser and a mid-IR …


Ontology-Based Methodology For Error Detection In Software Design, Allyson M. Hoss Jan 2006

Ontology-Based Methodology For Error Detection In Software Design, Allyson M. Hoss

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Improving the quality of a software design with the goal of producing a high quality software product continues to grow in importance due to the costs that result from poorly designed software. It is commonly accepted that multiple design views are required in order to clearly specify the required functionality of software. There is universal agreement as to the importance of identifying inconsistencies early in the software design process, but the challenge is how to reconcile the representations of the diverse views to ensure consistency. To address the problem of inconsistencies that occur across multiple design views, this research introduces …


A Computational Framework For The Structural Change Analysis Of 3d Volumes Of Microscopic Specimens, Madhusudhanan Balasubramanian Jan 2006

A Computational Framework For The Structural Change Analysis Of 3d Volumes Of Microscopic Specimens, Madhusudhanan Balasubramanian

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Glaucoma, commonly observed with an elevation in the intraocular pressure level (IOP), is one of the leading causes of blindness. The lamina cribrosa is a mesh-like structure that provides axonal support for the optic nerves leaving the eye. The changes in the laminar structure under IOP elevations may result in the deaths of retinal ganglion cells, leading to vision degradation and loss. We have developed a comprehensive computational framework that can assist the study of structural changes in microscopic structures such as lamina cribrosa. The optical sectioning property of a confocal microscope facilitates imaging thick microscopic specimen at various depths …


Crystal Growth And The Search For Highly Correlated Ternary Intermetallic Antimonides And Stannides, Evan Lyle Thomas Jan 2006

Crystal Growth And The Search For Highly Correlated Ternary Intermetallic Antimonides And Stannides, Evan Lyle Thomas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation describes the crystal growth, chemical structures, and efforts made towards the understanding of the physical properties of novel ternary rare-earth intermetallics, which may display signature behavior such as superconductivity, heavy fermion behavior, intermediate valence, and/or large magnetoresistance. To address the problem of correlating these characteristics with structural features, several ternary antimony- and tin-containing phases, Ln-T-X (Ln = lanthanide; T = Co, Ni, Pd; X = Sn, Sb), have been synthesized in single crystalline form by metallic flux-growth methods and characterized by X-ray diffraction. The antimonide compounds LnNi1-xSb2 (Ln = Y, Gd-Tb, Er, Yb), alpha, beta-LnNiSb3 (Ln = La, …


Mcd And Magnetization Studies On Nifb/Nifz Minus Molybdenum Iron Protein From Azotobacter Vinelandii, Marcia S. Cotton Jan 2006

Mcd And Magnetization Studies On Nifb/Nifz Minus Molybdenum Iron Protein From Azotobacter Vinelandii, Marcia S. Cotton

LSU Master's Theses

This study reports a characterization of the iron-sulfur clusters of the MoFe protein expressed by the nifBnifZ deletion strain of A. vinelandii. VT-MCD spectroscopic and magnetization analysis of as-isolated ΔnifBΔnifZ MoFe protein were undertaken. VT-MCD spectra of as-isolated ΔnifBΔnifZ MoFe protein contains bands remarkably similar to those seen in as-isolated ΔnifH MoFe protein, assigned to arise from an [4Fe-4S]+ cluster. The low-temperature magnetization curve of as-isolated ΔnifBΔnifZ MoFe protein reveals the MCD spectra bands stem from an S = ½ spin system with diamagnetic contributions of some other species. As-isolated ΔnifBΔnifZ MoFe protein is compared with as-isolated ΔnifH MoFe …


Syntheses And Biological Evaluation Of Water Soluble Carboranylporphyrins For Application In Boron Neutron Capture Therapy, Vijay Gottumukkala Jan 2006

Syntheses And Biological Evaluation Of Water Soluble Carboranylporphyrins For Application In Boron Neutron Capture Therapy, Vijay Gottumukkala

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of the research presented in this dissertation is to develop novel water soluble carboranylporphyrins that can deliver therapeutic dosage of boron specifically to tumors for application in boron neutron capture therapy. In order to accomplish this goal novel water soluble tetra(nido-carboranyl)porphyrin and the octa(nido-carboranyl)porphyrin with high boron contents are synthesized by the condensation of the carborane substituted benzaldehyde with the pyrrole under acidic conditions. These porphyrins are made water soluble by the deboronation of the closo-carboranes to afford the corresponding amphiphilic nido-carborane cages. The low cytotoxicity, high cellular uptake and intracellular localization of these carboranylporphyrins in tumor cells …


Spatial Distribution Of Heavy Metals In Louisiana Sediments And Study Of Factors Impacting The Concentrations, Suniti Bhattarai Jan 2006

Spatial Distribution Of Heavy Metals In Louisiana Sediments And Study Of Factors Impacting The Concentrations, Suniti Bhattarai

LSU Master's Theses

To identify the sites with elevated metal concentrations and factors impacting the concentrations, we studied 128 observations on heavy metals collected from the four inch deep sediments in Louisiana lakes and rivers. Use of Fe as a normalizing factor to interpret the site of metal enrichment was justified based on its high correlation with other heavy metals. The regression coefficients of metal/Fe came out to be significant for all the metals in both level and log versions. For the metals, where prediction exceeded upper 95% confidence interval, we mapped the site with factors such as number of industries located within …


Use Of Atomic Force Microscopy To Study A Molecular Micelle As An Anionic Polymer For Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Deposition On Polymeric Substrates, Angela Nakeeta Douglas Jan 2006

Use Of Atomic Force Microscopy To Study A Molecular Micelle As An Anionic Polymer For Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Deposition On Polymeric Substrates, Angela Nakeeta Douglas

LSU Master's Theses

Polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) have been used as stationary phases for various chiral and achiral separations in open-tubular electrochromatagraphy (OT-CEC). However, the physical characteristics of PEMs are not well understood. The production of PEM coatings involves flowing alternating rinses of positive and negative charged polyelectrolytes onto a surface. Although PEMs are typically deposited on fused silica capillaries, there is growing interest to use this approach in conjunction with microchip devices to enhance separation characteristics. Since microchips are fabricated using polymeric substrates, the deposition of PEMs on these substrates needs to be examined. The study reported in this thesis uses atomic force …


Winter Diet, Seed Preferences And Foraging Behavior Of Henslow's Sparrows (Ammodramus Henslowii) In Southeastern Louisiana, Jennifer K. Dimiceli Jan 2006

Winter Diet, Seed Preferences And Foraging Behavior Of Henslow's Sparrows (Ammodramus Henslowii) In Southeastern Louisiana, Jennifer K. Dimiceli

LSU Master's Theses

Henslow's Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) is a grassland bird whose population is declining throughout its range, mainly due to habitat loss. The Longleaf Pine forest ecosystems in which Henslow's Sparrows spend their winters are reduced to 5% of their former range. The winter ecology of Henslow's Sparrow remains understudied, especially regarding important aspects of diet and foraging behavior. To determine winter diet, I collected fecal samples from Henslow's Sparrows during banding operations in southeastern Louisiana pine savannas from October 2003-March 2004 and October 2004-April 2005. I then analyzed the samples for presence of seeds and arthropod parts, identified them to the …


U.S. Demand For Certified Tropical Hardwood Products, Shadia Duery Jan 2006

U.S. Demand For Certified Tropical Hardwood Products, Shadia Duery

LSU Master's Theses

Tropical forests, which contain 50 percent of the planet's biodiversity, are threatened by deforestation and illegal logging. Forest certification was initiated initially as a s certification: forest management practices and chain of custody (CoC). The United States is the largest market for secondary, or value-added, tropical hardwood products (STHP) which influences forest management practices in supplier countries. In 2004, this study was conducted to measure the demand for certified products in the U.S. The objectives of the study were to identify characteristics of U.S. demand for secondary (value-added) tropical hardwood products and to understand market perceptions regarding certification of secondary …


Delineating Hurricane Vulnerable Populations In Orleans Parish, Louisiana, Stephanie Pedro Jan 2006

Delineating Hurricane Vulnerable Populations In Orleans Parish, Louisiana, Stephanie Pedro

LSU Master's Theses

Since settlement first began, equality issues between different social classes have been evident in the location of where residents settled in New Orleans. This research seeks to answer the question: What socioeconomic indicators are prevalent in the areas most-at-risk to flooding which could inhabit populations least able to evacuate? I will use Census 2000 block group data from the socioeconomic sample data (SF3) collected in 2000, along with other economic and GIS data from the New Orleans region to statistically represent the distribution of risk by selecting indicators predicted to be in flood zones from a classification tree analysis. Then, …


Characterization Of The Dependency Across Foreign Exchange Markets Using Copulas, Ryan Coelho Jan 2006

Characterization Of The Dependency Across Foreign Exchange Markets Using Copulas, Ryan Coelho

LSU Master's Theses

Though Pearson's correlation coefficient provides a convenient approach to measuring the dependency between two variables, in the last few years, there has been a significant amount of literature cautioning against the use of Pearson's correlation coefficient, as it does not remain invariant under monotone transformations of the underlying distribution functions. Since we are interested in examining the dependency pattern observed by the return on the Sterling Pound with that of the Japanese Yen, we will use the notion of a copula to approximate the joint density function between the daily returns on the Sterling Pound and the Japanese Yen. In …


Laboratory And Field Measurements Of Bioturbation By Macrofauna In A Coastal Setting, Skyler Neylon Jan 2006

Laboratory And Field Measurements Of Bioturbation By Macrofauna In A Coastal Setting, Skyler Neylon

LSU Master's Theses

Two ophiuroid species, Hemipholis elongata and Ophiophragmus spp. were studied in laboratory microcosms to elucidate patterns of sediment mixing for key bioturbators in the Mississippi Sound, Mississippi. The effects of bioturbation on artificially stratified sediments in microcosms were traced via time-series digital x-radiography. Preliminary results indicate that for three population densities of the brittle stars (comparable to field densities), a steady state volumetric bioturbation rate of 1-2 cm3/d is reached within two months of introduction to a fresh system. The preservation quotient, q, a fractional measure of preserved primary fabric, reached a minimum of 0.5 during the 16-week experiment. Maximum …


Security In Heterogeneous Wireless Networks, Vijay Bulusu Jan 2006

Security In Heterogeneous Wireless Networks, Vijay Bulusu

LSU Master's Theses

The proliferation of a range of wireless devices, from the cheap low power resource starved sensor nodes to the ubiquitous cell phones and PDA's has resulted in their use in many applications. Due to their inherent broadcast nature Security and Privacy in wireless networks is harder than the wired networks. Along with the traditional security requirements like confidentiality, integrity and non-repudiation new requirements like privacy and anonymity are important in wireless networks. These factors combined with the fact that nodes in a wireless network may have different resource availabilities and trust levels makes security in wireless networks extremely challenging. The …


Assessing The Potential Impact Of Microbes In The Edwards And Trinity Aquifers Of Central Texas, Kelli Willson Randall Jan 2006

Assessing The Potential Impact Of Microbes In The Edwards And Trinity Aquifers Of Central Texas, Kelli Willson Randall

LSU Master's Theses

The Edwards Aquifer in central Texas is one of the largest carbonate aquifers in the United States, supplying nearly two million people with water. The role of microorganisms in the development of deep carbonate aquifers has not been thoroughly investigated. The Edwards Aquifer is composed of a freshwater zone and a sulfidic, saline water zone. Down-well video surveys show an abundance of white filamentous and planktonic biomass floating in the water column, indicating that the saline water may serve as a habitat for microbes and provide a unique opportunity to investigate microbially enhanced deep subsurface karstification. A combination of geochemical …


Improved Abutment Dosimetry In Segmented-Field Electron Conformal Therapy, John Dudley Richert Jan 2006

Improved Abutment Dosimetry In Segmented-Field Electron Conformal Therapy, John Dudley Richert

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: Segmented-field electron conformal therapy is characterized by dose heterogeneity due to unmatched penumbra of abutted fields of differing energy. The present work investigates the potential to decrease dose heterogeneity by approximately matching beam penumbra using energy-specific source-to-collimator distances (SCDs). It was hypothesized that a clinically practical, variable-SCD method that utilizes Cerrobend® custom inserts can deliver segmented-field electron conformal therapy in the energy range of 6-20 MeV with less than ±5% variation in dose spread in the abutment regions of hypothetical planning target volumes (PTVs), i.e. constrain the PTV dose to 85%-105%. Methods: A Varian 15x15-cm2 electron applicator was modified …


Swamp Tours In Louisiana Post Hurricane Katrina And Hurricane Rita, Dawn Schaffer Jan 2006

Swamp Tours In Louisiana Post Hurricane Katrina And Hurricane Rita, Dawn Schaffer

LSU Master's Theses

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita made landfall in southern Louisiana during August and September 2005, respectively. Prior to these storms swamp tours were a popular nature-based tourism experience that entertained visitors while teaching them about local flora, fauna, and culture. The number of swamp tour businesses in the state was slowly increasing. The purpose of this study was to determine how many swamp tours were operating after the hurricanes, what type of damage they sustained, and how they repaired their businesses. Differences between those tours that remained open after the hurricanes and those that closed were also examined. A 3-phase mail …


Dendrochronological Analysis Of Productivity And Hydrology In Two Louisiana Swamps, John Blake Amos Jan 2006

Dendrochronological Analysis Of Productivity And Hydrology In Two Louisiana Swamps, John Blake Amos

LSU Master's Theses

Modified river flows and land subsidence have subjected many coastal swamp forests in the delta of the Mississippi River to greatly altered flooding, sediment, and nutrient regimes. These areas have become inundated to greater depth, duration, and frequency and either are connected to the river and receive drastically increased sediment and nutrients (riverine swamps) or have become disconnected from riverine flooding (stagnant swamps) and receive little or no sediment and nutrient input. To better understand how these changes are affecting ecosystems, dendrochronological techniques for baldcypress (Taxodium distichum L. Rich.) were used at three sites in each of two contrasting swamps …