Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Does Socio/Economic Status Affect Environmental Awarness In Elementary School Children Interacting With School Gardens?, Grady C. Erickson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This is a case study involving three elementary schools in the greater Lincoln, Nebraska area. These schools were chosen to provide insight to three different economic backgrounds. Saratoga and Randolph from Lincoln Public Schools, and Norris Elementary part of Norris Public Schools 160 was the third school involved in the study. This case study focused on seeing whether socio/economic background had any effect on environmental awareness. To do so, surveys were handed out to each school to help measure environmental awareness. These surveys also helped determine where the environmental literacy standards were in the elementary schools of Lincoln, Nebraska. The …

How Are The Torres Strait Islander's Traditional Hunting Practices Affected By The Current Rate Of Decline In Dugong And Sea Turtle Populations And The Australian Government's Co-Management Policies On Marine Preservation?, Katilyn Price

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This paper will attempt to identify the extent to which the Torres Strait Islanders traditional hunting practices have been disrupted by the overall decline in dugong and sea turtle populations, which has directly correlated to an increase in hunting restrictions put in place by the Australian Government. The traditional hunting of dugongs and sea turtles provides not only a food source, but brings prestige to the men who catch them and serves as an educational platform to teach the younger generations about their culture. There are many environmental threats that impact the populations of sea turtles and dugongs though the …

Educators' Attitudes Toward Outdoor Classrooms And The Cognitive Benefits In Children, Carlie Speedlin

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

A case study was organized at a K-5 elementary school in Lincoln, Nebraksa. This school is Saratoga Elementary School and is a United States Title I Distinguished School1 under No Child Left Behind. It has a population of 266 students, with 47% being minority, 1% gifted, and 28% special education (LPS School Profile Brochure). 80% of the student population is eligible for free/reduced meals, implying that it’s a school with a lower socioeconomic status. At this school a garden space was constructed and an after school garden club was implemented for this case study. The club had been running since …

Recent Legislation To Promote Wind Energy In Nebraska, Ryan Lemke

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Nebraska is currently ranked 4th in the nation for wind energy potential, but ranks low in actual wind power production. The lack of wind energy production could be the result of Nebraska’s unique public power districts that have eminent domain of distribution and retail sales of electricity in the State. Public Power districts are prohibited from receiving benefits of state and federal tax incentives for the development of wind farms, however some Nebraska power districts still pursue wind energy as a renewable source of energy.

Recent legislation changes, including the passing of laws LB629 and LB1048, have provided the State …

Fire Effects On Wildlife In Tallgrass Prairie, Maria Gaetani, Kayla Cook, Sherry Leis

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

In the tallgrass prairie region of North America, grasslands are often burned on a rotational schedule to prevent the encroachment of woody species and maintain the vigor of plant communities. Although prescribed fire practitioners often consider the effects of fire on plant communities, the effects of fire on wildlife are also important. Practitioners as well as park visitors inquire about the effects of fire on birds, deer, and other animals of interest. Many wildlife species focus on vegetation structure in choosing suitable habitats, and fire can temporarily alter that structure. Wildlife species have varying habitat needs, and therefore, a …

Relating Bike Racks And Bike Ridership, John Sens

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Abstract The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the relationship between bicycle ridership and bike racks in a given area. The goal was to discern whether or not the density of bike racks determines the number of riders in the area. I predicted that there would be higher ridership in the areas with a denser bike rack concentration. To investigate this point, I set up five different areas of varying sizes with a similar number of bike racks, and then observed them over a period of 5 business days. By using a simple tally of the bikes found on …

Distribution Of Rain Gardens In Lincoln Nebraska: Are Rain Gardens More Likely To Be Built Near Bodies Of Water, Eric Voecks

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Abstract Rain gardens are an important tool in reducing the amount of stormwater runoff and accompanying pollutants from entering the city’s streams and lakes, and reducing their water quality. This thesis project analyzed the number of rain gardens installed through the City of Lincoln Nebraska Watershed Management’s Rain Garden Water Quality Project in distance intervals of one-eighth mile from streams and lakes. This data shows the distribution of these rain gardens in relation to streams and lakes and attempts to determine if proximity to streams and lakes is a factor in homeowners installing rain gardens. ArcGIS was used to create …

The Green Revolution Of The 1960'S And Its Impact On Small Farmers In India, Kathryn Sebby

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The Green Revolution was initiated in the 1960’s to address the issue of malnutrition in the developing world. The technology of the Green Revolution involved bio-engineered seeds that worked in conjunction with chemical fertilizers and heavy irrigation to increase crop yields. The technology was readily adopted in many stated in India and for some was a great success. However, there were many farmers who could not afford the inputs necessary to participate in the Green Revolution and gaps between social classes widened as wealthy farmers got wealthier and poor farmers lagged behind. This paper discusses how small farmers were affected …

Gasoline: The Achilles' Heel Of U. S. Energy Security, Robert W. Weaver

US Department of Energy Publications

The United States must balance securing our energy future with protecting our environment from climate change. A holistic approach is required to solve this complex problem. We must reduce demand for petroleum, improve energy efficiency, and develop feasible alternative energy solutions to include emission capture technologies.

The United States remains the largest consumer of energy products in the world and is the second leading producer of green house gas (GHG) emissions. Our dependence on imported petroleum is undermining our control of our national security interests. Petroleum comprises 63% of the United States’ energy consumption, with the transportation sector accounting for …

Northern Great Plains Network Vital Signs Monitoring Plan, Robert A. Gitzen, Marcia Wilson, United States National Park Service, Northern Great Plains Inventory And Monitoring Network, Mike Bynum, John Wrede, Joshua J. Millspaugh, Kara J. Paintner

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

The condition of natural resources in parks and other units of the National Park Service (NPS) is fundamental to this agency’s mission to manage park resources “unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” Park managers are increasingly confronted with complex and challenging resource management issues and need a broad-based understanding of the status and trends of park resources for the long-term protection of park ecosystems. The National Park Service has initiated a long-term ecological “Vital Signs” monitoring program to provide the minimum infrastructure needed to track the overall condition of natural resources in parks and to provide early …

Revised Relative Abundance Estimates And Temporal Activity Of Bats At Three Great Lakes National Parks Based On Acoustic Data, Bruce W. Miller

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

In this study, Miller re-analyzed acoustic bat data collected from June-August 2003 that was part of a baseline inventory of bat species in three national parks in the Lake Superior region. While the original study presented base-line data on the presence/absence of bat species in these parks, this reanalysis provides estimates of relative abundance and temporal activity of the identified species. Using a suite of recently developed acoustic analysis tools, Miller created species specific filters. This allowed parsing of calls from non-fragmented sequences and differentiate between two species, Myotis septentrionalis and Myotis lucifugus, that were combined into a …

Connection To Nature In Park Visitors: A Look At Structured And Unstructured Recreational Activities, Chelsea D. West

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

There is evidence that park visitation is on the decline (Pergams & Zaradic, 2008) and if this is the case, and budgets decrease proportionately, there is a chance park land will be lost. Definitive explanations of the decline in park visits and time spent in nature are not available. In addition, there has been some discussion and research pertaining to the possible effects on people of not going into the natural environment and experiencing a connection with nature.

This study represents the first research known to focus on connectedness to nature and its relationship to structured and unstructured recreational activities. …

Measuring Economic Impacts Of Drought: A Review And Discussion, Ya Ding, Michael J. Hayes, Melissa Widhalm

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

A comprehensive assessment of drought economic impacts provides critical information to rational decisions supporting drought mitigation policies and programs. The objective of this paper is to increase the understanding of the full scope of drought economic impacts and the associated quantitative assessment methodologies. To accomplish this, the paper reviews the literature of drought economic impact studies in both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, summarizes the methods and data employed, compares the various results, and investigates the problems and limitations of previous studies. The paper concludes with a discussion of the challenges and directions of future improvement on drought economic impact assessment.

Niobrara National Scenic River Condition Assessment, Sunil Narumalani, Gary D. Willson, Christine K. Lockert, Paul B. T. Merani

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

Niobrara National Scenic River spans a 122-km (76-mile) long reach of the Niobrara River in rural, north-central Nebraska. The scenic river encompasses 9,338 ha (23,074 acres) of land and water, all of which is in private ownership, except for about 320 ha (790 acres). Because the scenic river does not own land, it achieves management goals by coordinating and collaborating with federal, state, and local jurisdictions and private landowners.

The central Niobrara River Valley is often referred to as a “biological crossroads” with plant and animal species representative of northern boreal forest, eastern deciduous forest, rocky mountain coniferous …

Gustav Radde In Sibirien: Zum 150. Jubiläum Der Baikalexpedition (1855-1859), Juri Durnev, Michael Stubbe, Annegret Stubbe

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Unter den Beiträgen der deutschen Gelehrten zur Erforschung der Fauna der Baikalregion sind die Arbeiten von Gustav Radde besonders hervorzuheben. Er war nach I. Georgi der zweite Gelehrte, der den Versuch machte, den Baikalsee mit dem Boot für zoologische Untersuchungen zu bereisen. G. Radde untersuchte die Wirbeltiere der Baikalküsten und des Chamar-Daban-Gebirges. Er bestieg als erster Naturforscher den höchsten Gipfel Ostsibiriens, den Munku-Sardyk.

Zum 300. Geburtstag Georg Wilhelm Stellers, Peter Hoffmann

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

First paragraph:

Genau heute vor 300. Jahren, am 10. März 1709, wurde Georg Wilhelm Steller in Windsheim/ Franken geboren. Sein Name wird in den Quellen, Kirchenbüchern usw. Stöhler, Stöller, Stoeller geschrieben. Eine solche unterschiedliche Schreibweise des Namens darf uns nicht irritieren – bis zur Gründung von Standesämtern 1878 wurden in Deutschland Personenstandsdaten von den Pastoren aufgezeichnet, die in die Kirchenbücher die Namen in der Form eintrugen, wie sie sie gehört hatten. Und auch in anderen Dokumentationen, etwa in den Akten eines Stadtarchivs, wurden Eigennamen meist nach dem Gehör notiert. Erst die standesamtliche Registrierung brachte auch eine Normierung der Schreibweise von …

In Memoriam, Academician Prof. Dr. Osor Shagdarsuren (1929-2010), Sundev Gombobaatar, D. Sumiya, R. Samiya, B. Bayartogtokh, S. Shar, Nyamsuren Batsajchan, M. Altantsetseg, Ch. Uuganbayar, D. Usukhjargal, P. Amartuvshin, P. Jargalsaikhan, Sh. Boldbaatar, N. Tseveenmyadag, G. Mainjargal, B. Nyambayar, E. R. Potapov, Michael Stubbe, Annegret Stubbe, Andrew Dixon

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Academician, Professor Osor Shagdarsuren passed away due to apoplexy on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at the age of 81. He was one of the most respected Mongolian ornithologists, biologists, and educators. The Mongolian scientific community has lost one of its greatest members, the premier Mongolian ornithologist.

Ecology Of Eurasian Black Vultures (Aegypius Monachus) In Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia, Richard P. Reading, David Kenny, John Azua, Travis Garrett, Mary Jo Willis, Tsolmonjav Purevsuren

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

We studied the nesting ecology and movement patterns of Eurasian black vultures (Aegypius monachus) nesting in and near Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Dornogobi Aimag, Mongolia. From 2003 till 2009, we monitored nesting pairs from incubation to fledging and compared nesting success for pairs nesting on rocks and trees. We captured chicks just prior to fledging to apply leg bands and wing tags. We also captured adults in June and attached solar-powered global positioning system (GPS)/satellite telemetry units, leg bands, and wing tags. We collected resighting data on marked birds opportunistically and telemetry data on tagged birds. We monitored …

Verzeichnis Der In Den „Beiträgen Zur Gefiederkunde Und Morphologie Der Vögel“ Hefte 1-14 Beschriebenen Und Der Vom Verfasser Im Übrigen Schrifttum Publizierten Federbestimmungsmerkmale Von Mongolischen Vögeln, W.-D. Busching

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

First paragraph:

Seit der ersten Mongolisch-Deutschen Biologischen Expedition im Jahre 1962 hat die Erforschung der Avifauna große Fortschritte gemacht, wobei im Zoologischen Institut der Martin Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg, der Mongolischen Akademie der Wissenschaften und dem Biologischen Institut der Nationaluniversität der Mongolei in Ulaanbaatar umfangreiche Balgund Skelettsammlungen angelegt wurden. Nicht wenige Vogelfunde lagen aber in Form von Nahrungsresten der Greifvögel, Eulen und des Haarraubwildes vor und waren damit nur schwer anzusprechen. So gingen die aufgesammelten Rupfungen und Säugetierrisse zumeist an den Autor, in der Hoffnung, dass sie bestimmt werden können.

Im Gedenken An Den Mongolischen Ornithologen Ajurzana Bold (1936-2007), M. Stubbe, Annegret Stubbe

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Obituary of Mongolian ornithologist Ajurzana Bold (1936-2007).

Das Baikalo-Mongolische Übergangsgebiet Und Seine Bedeutung Für Die Dynamik Der Avifauna Der Baikalgrabenzone, Juri Durnev, Marina Sonina

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The „Baikalgrabenzone“ or Tunka valley is the area between the lake Chubsugul in the Southwest and the bassin of the river Oljekma in the Northeast. It’s an important biogeograhic region. Some bird species are immigrating from Mongolia in this area, some other species are disapeared here. In the ornithofauna can be distinguished ten types of zoogeographic origin.

Betr.: Schutz Des Wildesels/Kulans (Equus H. Hemionus) In Der Mongolei [Letter], Annegret Stubbe, Michael Stubbe

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Letter to R. Grube of Deutschen Bahn AG in Berlin, Germany, asking for dispensation as the authors attempted to relocate a herd of wild asses (Equus h. hemionus) from a site in Mongolia where they would in harm's way due to development.

Do Nest Materials And Nest Substrates Affect The Breeding Of Buteo Hemilasius In The Mongolian Steppe?, Sundev Gombobaatar, B. Odkhuu, Yosef Reuvan, B. Gantulga, B. Amartuvshin, D. Usukhjargal

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Upland buzzards occur across Mongolia excluding lush taiga forest and breeds from the Mongolian Altai mountains to the western foothills of the Great Khyangan Mountains. Our field work was conducted during the breeding season of the species in Mongolia from 2001 to 2007. Nest materials of the studied nests contained natural (twigs of elm tree, shrubs, tail, and mane of horse, hair of cows, fur of sheep, goats and camels), and artificial or man-made (cotton, plastic bags, wires, cables, and others) materials. Contents of the nesting materials of the species were differed by location, region and breeding pair’s behavior. A …

Waterbirds Of Uvs-Nuur Depression, T. P. Archimaeva-Ozerskaya, V. I. Zabelin

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

This report provides an overview of water birds (Non-Passeriformes) inhabiting the lakes of Uvs- Nuur Depression. The article includeds material obtained during field work in the Uvs-Nuur Depression during 1999-2006, unpublished observations of rare vagrant species of birds, and data from the literature. Altogether we and others recorded 81 bird species from ten families on the lakes within the basin. The list we provide does not include sparrows or birds from habitats closely associated with the basin. The following non-Passeriformes bird families were noted (with the number of species in parentheses): Gaviidae (1), Podicipedidae (2), Phalacrocoracidae (1), Ardeidae (5), Anatidae …

Brutareale Und Brutbiologie Der Greifvogelarten Der Mongolei = Grid Mapping And Breeding Ecology Of Raptors In Mongolia, Michael Stubbe, Annegret Stubbe, Nayamsuren Batsaikhan, Sundev Gombobaatar, T. Stenzel, H. Von Wehrden, Sh. Boldbaatar, B. Nayambayar, D. Sumjaa, Ravčigijn Samjaa, N. Ceveenmjadag, A. Bold

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

This work summarizes the longtime ecological research of the German-Mongolian scientific cooperation regarding biodiversity studies in Central Asia, focusing on native raptor species (Aves: Falconiformes). There is included a short overview on the history of raptor research in Mongolia. One of the primary goals was the creation of distribution maps of breeding records based on definitive time and space coordinates. Additional data on the breeding biology amend the distribution data. Currently 43 raptor species are recorded for Mongolia. Whenever possible were also incorporated data from adjacent regions of Mongolia (China, Tuva, Burjatia, Pribaikalia), in order to embed the avifauna of …

The Institute For Raptor Studies Expeditions In Mongolia, 1994-2000, David H. Ellis

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2000, I led small teams of biologists across Mongolia in search of Saker falcon (Falco cherrug Gray) and golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) eyries. We also counted raptors along our march route during the first three years. These expeditions documented: (1) occupancy and productivity rates, and described eyrie sites, for Saker falcons (150 territories, 182 eyries) and golden eagles (27 known breeding territories), (2) mortality of Sakers and ipland buzzards (Buteo hemilasius) due to entanglement with trash in nests and loss of golden eagle eggs due to concealment by trash in nests, …

Water Use Of Asiatic Wild Asses In The Mongolian Gobi, Petra Kaczensky, V. Dresley, D. Vetter, H. Otgonbayar, C. Walzer

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Water is a key resource for most large bodied mammals in the world’s arid areas. With the growing human population, access to water for wildlife often becomes compromised. Equids are typical inhabitants of semi-arid to arid rangelands and need regular access to fresh water. However, their water needs are difficult to study under free-ranging conditions. In this study we investigated Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus) use of permanent water points in the Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area (SPA) in south-western Mongolia. We combined observational data from one specific water point with high frequency GPS location data from …

Temporal Dynamics Of Group Size And Sexual Segregation In Ibex, N. J. Singh, S. Amgalanbaatar, Richard P. Reading

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Group size is an important variable describing behavioral ecology of animals. A variety of factors such as habitat characteristics, life history, spatio-temporal resource dynamics, population density, predation risk, competition with kin, and social learning often determine group size in large mammals. We studied temporal dynamics of group size in Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica) in a protected area in Mongolia. We measured monthly and yearly variations in typical group size and used the sexual segregation and aggregation statistic to assess sexual segregation. Ibex formed the largest groups in November and smallest groups in July. However, group sizes did not …

Auswertung Der In Den Jahren 1993-2009 Im Östlichen Altai (Russland) Und Südöstlichen Altai (Tyva) Gesammelten Federn Und Rupfungen, W.-D. Busching

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Determination-results of birds from Russian Altai-Mountains and Tyva based on plucked and moult-feathers.

This paper deals with plucked- and moult-feathers of different Central-Asian birds collected by STEPHAN ERNST, DANIEL MICHELE LINDNER and JENS HERING in the Russian Altai- Mountains and Tyva 1993 - 2009.

The Use Of High Frequency Gps Data To Classify Main Behavioural Categories In A Przewalski’S Horse In The Mongolian Gobi, Petra Kaczensky, Klaus Huber

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Behavioral observations of free ranging animals can provide important insight into many aspects of their biology but are not without problems. The recent development of GPS technology allows to remotely collect high precision location data at fixed intervals. We tested whether it is possible to classify the behavior of a Przewalski’s horse in the Mongolian Gobi into Resting, Grazing and Moving based on GPS locations collected at 15 minute intervals by comparing GPS data with direct observations. Although behavioral categories lasting for 15 minutes could by fairly reliably separated based on the distances covered between successive fixes, almost half the …