Environmental Health and Protection Commons^™

Cesu Agreements: Beyond Traditional Science Applications, Margaret N. Rees

Presentations (PLI)

Partnering with four federal land-management agencies

• Bureau of Land Management
• National Park Service
• U.S. Forest Service
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Is Degradation A Major Problem In Semi-Desert Environments Of The Gobi Region In Southern Mongolia?, Karsten Wesche, Vroni Retzer

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

This paper tests predictions derived from the non-equilibrium theory of rangeland science. Data were collected in livestock enclosures situated in the relatively moist desert steppes of the Gobi Gurvan Saykhan region of southern Mongolia from 2000 to 2003. Plant community composition and species’ richness in enclosures showed clear differences between years, but these were equally strong in ungrazed controls. Thus, changes were mainly attributed to differences in precipitation between years as opposed to grazing, as no significant effects thereof were detected. This was also confirmed by data on above-ground standing biomass. This changed tremendously over the years, with differences between …

Natürliche Und Nutzungsbedingte Land- Und Bodendegradationsprozesse, Untersucht Am Unteren Orchon (Nord-Mongolei) = Naturally And Land Use Caused Land And Soil Degradation Processes, Studied At The Lower Orchon (Northern Mongolia), Christian Opp

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

Landscape-ecological investigations were carried-out within the forest steppe of Northern Mongolia. The site conditions of the partly by agriculture used area of Cagaan Tolgoj at the Lower Orchon (Aimag Selenge) were analysed in seven test areas. Results of soil analysis are given. The evaluation of soil cover and partly vegetation cover was carried-out with special regard, to degradation phaenomena. It is based on field analysis, measurements during the soil survey and the detection of soil degradation parameter with the help of laboratory analysis. Among naturally and land use caused factors of soil status and of the changing conditions within forest …

Regional Open Space & Trails Workgroup Presentation, Public Lands Institute

Presentations (PLI)

The Public Lands Institute is dedicated to strengthening the national fabric that is essential for the protection, conservation, and management of public lands.

Vegetation Characteristics Associated With Small Mammal Populations In The Las Vegas Wash, Christine Therese Herndon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Percent litter, average litter depth, percent bare ground, vegetation density, vegetation canopy, and distance to an ecotone boundary were measured and compared to small mammal capture locations in the Las Vegas Wash. Neotoma lepida appear to be greatly dependent upon the foliage litter of T. ramosissima. Alternatively, ecotone boundaries appear to be the most important factor affecting Dipodomys merriami distributions. Peromyscus eremicus distributions may be predicted based on vegetation density and increased canopy during shorter, winter torpor periods. Chaetodipus penicillatus were consistently associated with dense, seed-bearing vegetation, although C. penicillatus is extremely opportunistic and vegetation density should not limit their …

Habitat Preferences Of Four Species Of Lizards Found At The Las Vegas Springs Preserve, Scott Garncarz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Developing an understanding of the habitat usage of reptiles is important when trying to develop a management or restoration plan that is compatible with what is known of the reptile species that are being investigated. There are many lizard species found in the Mojave Desert, but there are only four known to inhabit the Las Vegas Springs Preserve (LVSP) in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the LVSP, sites are going to be restored with native Mojave Desert vegetation. Since there are many habitat types in the Mojave Desert, we must determine which types would be best suited for the four species …

Friends Of Red Rock Canyon Quarterly Meeting, Public Lands Institute

Presentations (PLI)

The Public Lands Institute is dedicated to strengthening the national fabric that is essential for the protection, conservation, and management of public lands.

Fisheries Research Contract Report No. 2 - Towards An Assessment Of Natural And Human Use Impacts On The Marine Environment Of The Abrolhos Islands (Phase 1 : Data Consolidation And Scoping - Final Report For Frdc Project 2000/1 66), C. F. Chubb, K. Nardi

Fisheries Research Contract Reports

This project has drawn together existing research data relating to natural and human impacts on the Abrolhos Islands marine habitats. It has surveyed current uses of these habitats and placed anthropogenic impacts within the context of natural perturbations. Through public forum presentation and debate, this work has allowed real issues, not perceptions, to surface and be addressed properly. This was achieved by defining a strategic programme of research through a scientific workshop process involving all community stakeholders. A two volume Fisheries Research Report (WA) summarizes current knowledge and details the workshop proceedings and strategic research plan.

The 100th Meridian Initiative In Nevada: Assessing The Westward Movement Of The Zebra Mussel To The Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Megan Mccoy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Zebra mussels, Dreissena polymorpha, are a concern for all bodies of water in North America. East of the 100th Meridian, zebra mussels have infested the waters and dramatically changed the natural ecosystems. The US Fish and Wildlife Services set up the 100th Meridian Initiative project to monitor the boat traffic to and from infested and non-infested waters of the United States and Canada. Surveys were conducted from October 19, 2002 through March 31, 2003, focusing specifically on the Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LMNRA) for the scope of this thesis. This study addresses the movement of trailers, boats, and other …

Conservation And Restoration Of Pine Forest Genetic Resources In México, C. Sáenz-Romero, Amy E. Snively, R. Lindig-Cisneros

Student Published Works

Deforestation rates in México are about 670,000 ha/year. This threatens the richness of forest genetic resources in México, causing the disappearance of locally adapted populations and rare and endangered pine species. México is one of the six megadiverse countries in the world, with half of the world’s Pinus species. Pinus is one of the most economically and ecologically important forest genera in México. We suggest that delineation of seed zones and the establishment of a network of Forest Genetic Resource Conservation Units (FGRCUs), linked with forest management and ecological restoration programs will protect this valuable resource. We estimate that FGRCUs …

Fisheries Envrionmental Management Plan For The Gascoyne Region. Draft Report., Dept. Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

This draft document for the Gascoyne Region is the first in the series of Environmental Management Plans. . It complements the recently released Fisheries Environmental Management Review of the Gascoyne Region (2000).

Casco Bay Watershed Wetlands Characterization, State Planning Office

Maine Collection

Casco Bay Watershed Wetlands Characterization

State of Maine Executive Department - State Planning Office

Augusta, Maine, May 2001

Contents: Abstract / Background / Getting Started / Designing the System / The Characterization / The Prioritization / Results / Cautions / Significance of the Approach / Literature Cited / Figure 1 - Biophysical Regions of Maine / Appendix A: Steering Committee Members / Appendix B: Field Verification Form / Appendix C: Contacts

An Ethical Framework For Interpreting The United States Endangered Species Act, Cathryn M. Elgin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this study I argue that a holistic approach is better than an individualistic approach for interpreting the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA). I propose that the use of a holistic ethical framework, based on fundamental environmental philosophy, is better in that it more effectively fulfills the ESA's goals of species and ecosystem conservation. Holistic ethics is based on concern for a community as a whole, while individualistic ethics is based on concern for the individual. A holistic approach, I argue, is more beneficial to nature than is an individualistic approach or other non-holistic approaches. I set up basic …

Land Use Patterns In Relation To Lake Water Quality In The Lake George And Oaks Pond Watersheds, Problems In Environmental Science Course (Biology 493), Colby College, Colby Environmental Assessment Team, Colby College

Colby College Watershed Study: Other Area Studies

There has always been an inexplicable wonder associated with the beauty of Maine lakes. In addition to their aesthetic value, lakes and ponds provide important habitats for aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. The attraction of the lake's natural beauty, however, can increase recreational pressures that may lead to human induced eutrophication. Lake George and Oaks Pond were chosen as the Colby Environmental Assessment Team's (CEAT) study sites due to the concern about potential human induced eutrophication of both water bodies. Lake George and Oaks Pond are situated in southern Somerset County, Maine, and experience heavy recreational and developmental uses. Neither water …

Land Use Patterns In Relation To Lake Water Quality In The Lake Wesserunsett Watershed, Problems In Environmental Science Course (Biology 493), Colby College, Colby Environmental Assessment Team, Colby College

Colby College Watershed Study: Other Area Studies

The Colby Environmental Assessment Team (CEAT) engaged in an extensive data collection and analysis effort from September to December of 2000 to produce a comprehensive evaluation of the ecological health of the Lake Wesserunsett ecosystem. CEAT examined several factors related to lake water quality, including land use within the watershed, the impacts of residential and commercial development, and physical and chemical measurements of the lake itself. Lake water quality was the primary focus of the study due to its predictive value regarding overall watershed function and viability. The accumulation of nutrients in a lake due to surface runoff and erosion …

Atlas Of Essential Wildlife Habitats For Maine's Endangered And Threatened Species, Maine Department Of Inland Fisheries And Wildlife

Maine Collection

Atlas of Essential Wildlife Habitats for Maine's Endangered and Threatened Species

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 284 State Street, Augusta, Maine, 04333. 2000 Edition ("Valid through December 31, 2000").

"Printed under appropriations 014/013-09A-2004/3204-012".

Vegetation Analysis: A Graphical Analysis Of Plant Succession In Desert Communities Affected By Fire, Jeff Lantow

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Mojave Desert is affected by fire every year. With each fire comes the removal of old growth and, in its place, new growth – consisting primarily of those species which thrive in disturbed areas. The focus of my research is to look at plant communities that have been disturbed by fire, and examine the successional pathway of these disturbed environments. The seven environments I analyzed were burned within the last twenty years and are found in the Coleogyne ramosissima ecotone throughout the Spring Mountain range near Las Vegas, Nevada. The data was collected with randomly chosen circle plots in …

Interagency Lake Mead And Las Vegas Wash Monitoring Program: Standard Operating Procedures Manual, Bureau Of Reclamation, City Of Henderson Water Reclamation Facility, City Of Las Vegas Water Pollution Control Facility, Clark County Sanitation District, Nevada, Southern Nevada Water Authority

Publications (WR)

A number of agencies sample Lake Mead and the Las Vegas Wash on a routine basis at several locations. In order to share and properly interpret the data, the Bureau of Reclamation, Southern Nevada Water Authority and the three Wastewater Treatment Facilities (City of Las Vegas, Clark County Sanitation District and City of Henderson) formed a committee to examine sampling and analytical protocols and to share information with the goal of maximizing the data quality. The group first met in April 1997. It was agreed that an effort should be made to discuss and compare specific sampling and analytical techniques …

Las Vegas Wash Water Quality Monitoring Program: 1996 Report Of Findings, Richard A. Roline, James J. Sartoris, U.S. Bureau Of Reclamation, U.S. Geological Survey

Publications (WR)

Las Vegas Wash, a natural wash east of the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, carries stormwater, groundwater drainage, and sewage effluent from three sewage treatment plants to Lake Mead. The Wash provides nearly the only surface water outlet for the entire 2,193 mi² of Las Vegas Valley. A drainage area of 1,586 mi² contributes directly to the Wash through surface flow which is channeled to Las Vegas Bay of Lake Mead, while drainage of the remaining 607 mi² is presumably subsurface and may drain toward Las Vegas Wash.

In the 1930's and 1940's, sewage treatment plants were …

The Influence Of The Wastewater Drainage From The Las Vegas Valley On The Limnology Of Boulder Basin, Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona, James F. Labounty, Michael J. Horn, Bureau Of Reclamation

Publications (WR)

Lake Mead, Colorado River, Arizona-Nevada, is one of the most heavily used reservoirs in the western United States, providing abundant recreational opportunities as well as downstream domestic and agricultural water for over 22 million users. Based on average nutrient levels and productivity, Lake Mead is classified as mildly mesotrophic. The interflow of the Colorado River dominates the limnology of much of the 106 km-long reservoir, and may still be identified at Hoover Dam under certain conditions. The lower basin of Lake Mead ending at Hoover Dam is known as Boulder Basin and is near the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Las …

Land Use Patterns In Relation To Lake Water Quality In The Messalonskee Lake Watershed, Problems In Environmental Science Course (Biology 493), Colby College, Colby Environmental Assessment Team, Colby College

Colby College Watershed Study: Other Area Studies

The main purpose of this study is to assess the current land use patterns and their influences on the water quality of Messalonskee Lake, including the biotic and abiotic parameters which are involved. More specifically, four main objectives were proposed. First, was to calculate the water budget and flushing rate for Messalonskee Lake. Second, was to determine the influence of current and historical land use patterns on lake water quality. Third, was to utilize gathered information to construct a phosphorus model, which will enable future water quality predictions to be made. Our fourth and final objective was to make recommendations …

Wetland Resources Of Eastern South Dakota, Rex R. Johnson, Kenneth F. Higgins

Natural Resource Management Faculty Books

The mere mention of the word "wetland" in coffee shops and other gathering places on the prairies today brings out emotions and opinions that run the gamut from saving them all to draining them all. To some people, what we do with wetlands has been, and still is, a personal choice, a matter of exercising individual rights on private property. To others, wetlands are community resources that provide values that touch all of society. They contend that what is done to and about wetlands is a community decision regardless of ownership. Herein lies the controversy we have experienced over wetlands …

Report Of Significant Findings--Las Vegas Bay/Boulder Basin Investigations, James F. Labounty, Michael Horn, Bureau Of Reclamation

Publications (WR)

Field sampling was carried out between 0830 and 1500 beginning at the confluence of Las Vegas Wash and the Inner Las Vegas Bay. Ten (10) locations were sampled, each in a similar manner. Locations of sampling stations are in line from the Wash-Bay confluence to a point midway between Saddle and Black Islands. In addition, sampling was done at a location midway between Sentinel Island and the base of Fortification Hill, and at the buoy line in front of Hoover Dam. Sampling stations are labeled from LV01, at Wash-Bay confluence, to LV17 at Hoover Dam. A significant data collection point …

Fish Tissue Contamination In Maine Lakes : Data Report, Jeanne Difranco, Linda Bacon, Barry Mower, David Courtemanch

Maine Collection

Fish Tissue Contamination in Maine Lakes : Data Report

by Jeanne DiFranco, Linda Bacon, Barry Mower and David Courtemanch

Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (REMAP)

State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Land and Water Quality, Division of Environmental Assessment, State House Station 17, Augusta, Maine 04333 (September 1995).

Contents: List of Figures and Tables / I. Introduction / II. Goals and Objectives / III. Experimental Design / IV. Methods / V. Data / VI. Quality Assurance-Quality Control / Appendices A-H

Nutrient Limitation In A Southwestern Desert Reservoir: Eutrophication Of Las Vegas Bay, Lake Mead, Nevada, Davine M. Lieberman

Publications (WR)

Algal bioassay tests were conducted with Selenastrum capricornutum and natural algae on inner Las Vegas Bay, Lake Mead, Nevada, from December 1992 through September 1993, to identify any nutrient limitation in an area of the reservoir that has experienced problems associated with severe nutrient enrichment. Three areas were sampled based on a gradient of water quality conditions that existed in Las Vegas Bay (LVB). Disodium ethylenedinitrilotetraacetate (EDTA) significantly stimulated algal growth compared to non-EDTA treatment. Algal bioassays indicated that phosphorus (P) was the primary limiting nutrient at all stations for most of the test dates. Chl a response with EDTA …

Structure Of Woody Riparian Vegetation In Great Basin National Park, S. D. Smith, K. J. Murray, F. H. Landau, A. M. Sala

Life Sciences Faculty Research

The community composition and population structure of the woody riparian vegetation in Great Basin National Park are described. Community analyses were accomplished by sampling 229 plots along an elevational gradient of 8 major stream systems in the Park. TWINSPAN analysis identified 4 primary species groups that were characterized by Populus tremuloides (aspen), Abies concolor (white fir), Rosa woodsii (Woods rose), and Populus angustifolia (narrowleaf cottonwood) as dominants, respectively. Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DECORANA) showed that the most important environmental factors associated with the distribution of species were elevation and slope, with flood-related physiographic factors having a secondary effect. Analysis of size-class …

Baseline Water Quality Data Inventory And Analysis: Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Volume Ii Of Ii, National Park Service

Publications (WR)

This document presents the results of surface-water-quality data retrievals for Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LAME) from five of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) national databases: (1) Storage and Retrieval (STORET) database management system; (2) River Reach File (RF3); (3) Industrial Facilities Discharge (IFD); (4) Drinking Water Supplies (DRINKS); and (5) Flow Gages (GAGES). This document is one product resulting from a cooperative contractual endeavor between the National Park Service's Servicewide Inventory and Monitoring Program, the National Park Service's Water Resources Division (WRD), and Horizon Systems Corporation to retrieve, format, and analyze water quality data for all units …

Baseline Water Quality Data Inventory And Analysis: Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Volume I Of Ii, National Park Service

Publications (WR)

This document presents the results of surface-water-quality data retrievals for Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LAME) from five of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) national databases: (1) Storage and Retrieval (STORET) database management system; (2) River Reach File (RF3); (3) Industrial Facilities Discharge (IFD); (4) Drinking Water Supplies (DRINKS); and (5) Flow Gages (GAGES). This document is one product resulting from a cooperative contractual endeavor between the National Park Service's Servicewide Inventory and Monitoring Program, the National Park Service's Water Resources Division (WRD), and Horizon Systems Corporation to retrieve, format, and analyze water quality data for all units …

Identification Of Tire Leachate Toxicants And A Risk Assessment Of Water Quality Effects Using Tire Reefs In Canals, S. M. Nelson, G. Mueller, D. C. Hemphill, U.S. Bureau Of Reclamation

Publications (WR)

Cover is an important component of aquatic habitat and fisheries management. Fisheries biologists often try to improve habitats through the addition of natural and artificial material to improve cover diversity and complexity. Habitat-improvement programs range from submerging used Christmas trees to more complex programs using sophisticated artificial habitat modules. Used automobile tires have been employed in the large scale construction of reefs and fish attractors in marine environments and to a lesser extent in freshwater and have been recognized as a durable, inexpensive and long-lasting material which benefits fishery communities.

Recent studies by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation have quantified …

Southern Nevada Effluent Wetlands: A Proposed Cooperative Venture Between The Bureau Of Reclamation & City Of Las Vegas, Bureau Of Reclamation

Publications (WR)

Throughout North America there is a growing interest in constructed wetlands, both as relatively inexpensive, low-maintenance systems for removing nutrients from wastewater, and as a means of using municipal wastewater to enhance wildlife habitat and create public use opportunities. Because wetlands appear to have good potential as a component in the overall management of scarce water resources, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has undertaken several cooperative research and demonstration projects to evaluate their effectiveness in a variety of local environments. While a number of projects have demonstrated that wetlands can be beneficially employed to improve water quality, few such projects …