Environmental Sciences Commons^™

Isolation And Enumeration Of Enteric Viruses From Primary Wastewater Sludge, Michael Wayne Nath

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The presence of large numbers of enteric viruses in wastewaters has resulted in concern regarding their significance and consequences for humans. Assessments of relative significance or consequences may most accurately be made following precise measurements of the range of virus types and amounts in wastewaters and sludges and after epidemiological considerations. In this study, results are presented pertaining to enteric virus isolation, concentration, and enumeration from primary wastewater sludges.

As an integral part of a comparison of isolation procedures, several anionic surfactants were examined for extraction of enteric viruses from primary wastewater sludges. Plaquing efficiencies for poliovirus type 2 and …

Phytoplankton Studies Within The Virginia Barrier Islands I. Seasonal Study Of Phytoplankton In Goose Lake, Parramore Island, Harold G. Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The phytoplankton of Goose Lake, an oligohaline lake on Parramore Island, was studied for one year. The populations consisted primarily of ultraplankton and nanoplankton-sized forms with diatoms and chlorophyceans dominant most of the year. A general pattern of seasonally higher cell concentrations in early summer and fall was noted, with an unidentified ultraplankton-sized component prominent throughout the collection period. A list of 154 species is given.

Additional Comments On Reproductive Strategies And Population Fluctuations In Microtine Rodents, Michael S. Gaines, William M. Schaffer, Robert K. Rose

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Recently, Schaffer and Tamarin (1973) proposed a model relating changes in reproductive effort (RE) to fluctuating densities in microtine rodents (lemmings and voles). They assumed (and presented data supporting this assumption) that the major effect of increased crowding would be a reduction in survival among prereproductives, thereby lowering the effective fecundity (Schaffer and Rosenzweig 1977) of their parents. As a consequence, Schaffer and Tamarin argued that the optimal reproductive expenditure, E(N), should decline with increasing population size, N. They also deduced the shape of the zero-growth isocline, N*(E), for differing levels of RE and plotted both E(N) and N*(E) on …

Conservation According To The Pure Theory Of Exhaustible Resources, George Lymbouris

Economics Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to develop a theory for defining optimal conservation and applying definition to the prevailing rate of domestic petroleum production. Optimal conservation is defined as action designed to achieve or to maintain, from the point of view of society as a whole, the maximum present value of natural resources (or of a natural resource). The proper "action" is defined according to the pure theory of exhaustible resources. The literature survey is a chronological series of articles concerning this theory.

Through building a model which shows that optimal conservation occurs when the marginal internal rate of …

A Seasonal Study Of Phytoplankton Composition Abundance And Productivity In Back Bay, Virginia, Robert Ringgold Comegys

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Phytoplankton samples were collected monthly (August 1974-June 1975) at two stations in the Back Bay system of southeastern Virginia. Measurements of phytoplankton productivity and potentially influencing environmental parameters (water and air temperature, turbidity, depth, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen) accompanied sample collections. A total of 106 phytoplankton species, representing six algal divisions and 54 genera were identified. Cyanophyta species were dominant at both stations in the warmer months of August, September, October, and June, and in April at one station only. In all remaining months, Chlorophyta species were dominant, indicating a seasonal shift in phytoplankton composition during winter and spring. The …

A Model To Investigate The Influence Of Suspended Sediment On The Mass Transport Of A Pollutant In Open Channel Flow, Raymond Scott Chapman

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The environmental impact of the transport of pollutants in open channel flow has for many years been of interest due to the continuous introduction of heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, and other foreign substances into natural waterways. In order to fully understand this transport process, it-is necessary to examine the significance of its individual components. In the present study an explicit two-dimensional finite difference model, designed to investigate the influence of suspended sediment on the pollutant transport process, is presented. Specific attention is directed toward examining the role of suspended sediment in 1) the turbulent vertical transport mechanism in a stratified …

An Engineering Solution To Improve Water Quality In A Tidal Lagoon, Richard Warren Price

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Rising demand for better water quality stimulated research and development of ways to improve the quality level in existing as well as proposed water systems. At present, most of the solutions focus on biological and chemical processes.

Many natural or man-made water bodies act as receivers for both point and non-point pollution sources. Employment of biological and chemical treatment has proved successful in many of these cases; however, in some cases a more natural physical solution of an engineering mode would be more desirable. A "flushing" technique using the tidal fluctuation as a driving force has been investigated and the …

Application Of Satellite Data And Lars' Data Processing Techniques To Mapping Vegetation Of The Dismal Swamp, Jeffrey Allan Messmore

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

This study concerned the feasibility of using digital satellite imagery and automatic data processing (ADP) techniques as a means of mapping swamp forest vegetation. Multispectral scanner data acquired by the Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS-1; renamed LANDSAT-1) was analyzed using ADP techniques developed by Purdue University's Laboratory for Applications of Remote Sensing (LARS). The site for this investigation was the Dismal Swamp, a 210,000 acre swamp forest located south of Suffolk, Va. on the Virginia-North Carolina border. Two basic classification strategies were employed in determining the vegetation mapping capability of ERTS-1 data. The initial classification utilized unsupervised techniques which produced …

Observations On The Distribution And Composition Of Zooplankton In Portions Of The Intracoastal Waterway, Virginia, O. Clair Hillard Jr.

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Five stations were established in the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, the Dismal Swamp Canal, the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal and the North Landing River. Representative samples of zooplankton were taken from October 1971 to June 1972. A. total of 57 species were identified and discussions regarding seasonal distribution in relation to physical factors and circulation are presented.

The composition of the zooplankton was found to fluctuate greatly due to the variables characteristic of the study area. The combined effect of tidal flow with freshwater input in conjunction with drainage from the Great Dismal Swamp, results in isolated populations …

The Use Of Color Infrared Aerial Photography In Determining Salt Marsh Vegetation And Delimiting Man-Made Structures Of Lynnhaven Bay, Virginia, Robert E. Holman Lll

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Color infrared aerial photography was found to be superior to color aerial photography in an ecological study of Lynnhaven Bay, Virginia. The research was divided into three phases: 1) determination of the feasibility of correlating color infrared aerial photography with wetland species composition and zonation patterns, 2) determination of the accuracy of the aerial interpretation and problems related to the aerial method used, and 3) comparison of developed with undeveloped areas along Lynnhaven Bay's shoreline.

Wetland species composition and zonation patterns of major cones were correlated with aerial infrared photography and resulted in a high degree of accuracy. Problems with …

An Ecological Study Of The Craney Island Disposal Area In Hampton Roads, Virginia, David Wallace Laist

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A one year ecological study was conducted on the Craney Island Disposal Area in Hampton Roads, Virginia. This study attempted to identify the flora and fauna inhabiting the spoil deposits and trace the development of communities from the time of deposition through the initial stages of succession.

One hundred and ninety-two species were identified including 48 vascular plants, 66 insects, 48 birds, 18 species of algae, 4 crustaceans, and 8 vertebrates. The study area was divided into six zones based on substrate characteristics and species composition. The successional patterns and biotic interactions within each zone were discussed.

Studies On The Causes Of Tree Distribution In A Forest Type In The Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Thomas A. Janszen

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Vegetational composition and environmental parameters were analyzed in a forest type of the Dismal Swamp. A 0.5 ha forest stand was divided into 200 5 x 5 meter contiguous quadrats and the tree size classes were precisely mapped. Fifty soil samples were analyzed for texture, pH, and major nutrients. A topographic map was constructed with precision to 0.01 ft. Analysis of variance tests showed non-randomness to exist in soil texture and nutrient content while homogeneity tests showed non-randomness in distribution of some woody species. Factor analysis indicated no significant correlations between soil quality, topography, and woody species. Findings indicate that …

The Economic Aspects Of Water Pollution By Naval Vessels In The Port Of Charleston, South Carolina, John Edward O'Connor

Economics Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Limnological Survey Of Brackish-Water Lake And A Fresh-Water Lake At Mount Trashmore, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Gene Ramon Cocke

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

No abstract.

The Occurrence And Distribution Of Methane In The Marine Environment, Larry P. Atkinson, Francis A. Richards

CCPO Publications

The distributions of methane dissolved in the sulfide-bearing waters of the Black Sea, the Cariaco Trench, and Lake Nitinat are reported. The gas was not detected in the oxygen-deficient water of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, in the Santa Barbara Basin, nor in the sulfide-bearing water of Saanich Inlet. Maximum concentrations observed were 70 μmole CH4/l., and the distribution tends to follow that of sulfide. The data indicate that methane is derived from organic compounds not containing nitrogen or phosphorus and that its formation is much slower than that of sulfide. The solubility coefficient in seawater (salinity = 40‰) is …

Succession In A Dune Community At Mentor Headlands, Ohio, Harold G. Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Continual sand deposition on the Lake Erie shore, adjacent to the mouth of the Grand River, has led to the formation of a developing sand dune community and through the years a successional pattern of plant growth. An analysis was made of the general plant composition of the area by means of four transects directed from the bare beach inland. Definite zonation of specific plant species was present throughout the community in parallel formation. Named for the dominant plant types they contained, the major stages were: dune grass, poplar, aspen, and oak.