Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment Commons^™

Enamel-Based Mark Performance For Marking Chinese Mystery Snail Bellamya Chinensis, Alec Wong, Craig R. Allen, Noelle M. Hart, Danielle M. Haak, Kevin L. Pope, Nicholas A. Smeenk, Bruce J. Stephen, Daniel R. Uden

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The exoskeleton of gastropods provides a convenient surface for carrying marks, and in the interest of improving future marking methods our laboratory assessed the performance of an enamel paint. The endurance of the paint was also compared to other marking methods assessed in the past. We marked the shells of 30 adult Chinese mystery snails Bellamya chinensis and held them in an aquarium for 181 days. We observed no complete degradation of any enamel-paint mark during the 181 days. The enamel-paint mark was superior to a nail-polish mark, which lasted a median of 100 days. Enamel-paint marks also have a …

Mortality Estimate Of Chinese Mystery Snail, Bellamya Chinensis (Reeve, 1863) In A Nebraska Reservoir, Danielle M. Haak, Noelle M. Chaine, Bruce J. Stephen, Alec Wong, Craig R. Allen

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The Chinese mystery snail (Bellamya chinensis) is an aquatic invasive species found throughout the USA. Little is known about this species’ life history or ecology, and only one population estimate has been published, for Wild Plum Lake in southeast Nebraska. A recent die-off event occurred at this same reservoir and we present a mortality estimate for this B. chinensis population using a quadrat approach. Assuming uniform distribution throughout the newly-exposed lake bed (20,900 m2), we estimate 42,845 individuals died during this event, amounting to approximately 17% of the previously-estimated population size of 253,570. Assuming uniform distribution throughout all …

Scenarios Of Bioenergy Development Impacts On Regional Groundwater Withdrawals, Daniel R. Uden, Craig R. Allen, Rob B. Mitchell, Qingfeng Guan, Tim D. Mccoy

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Irrigation increases agricultural productivity, but it also stresses water resources (Huffaker and Hamilton 2007). Drought and the potential for drier conditions resulting from climate change could strain water supplies in landscapes where human populations rely on finite groundwater resources for drinking, agriculture, energy, and industry (IPCC 2007). For instance, in the North American Great Plains, rowcrops are utilized for livestock feed, food, and bioenergy production (Cassman and Liska 2007), and a large portion is irrigated with groundwater from the High Plains aquifer system (McGuire 2011). Under projected future climatic conditions, greater crop water use requirements and diminished groundwater recharge rates …

Rainwater Basin Wetland Inundation Decision Support System Guide, Christopher F. Jorgensen, Andy A. Bishop, Daniel R. Uden, Roger Grosse

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The Rainwater Basin region of south-central Nebraska, U.S.A., is a critical stopover location for migratory waterfowl, waterbirds and shorebirds traveling along the Central Flyway. The ephemeral playa wetlands in the region serve as spring staging areas, providing critical habitat for migrating birds to rest, feed and establish pairs before resuming their northward migration to the breeding grounds. Collectively, the playa wetlands found in the region form the Rainwater Basin Wetland Complex, encompassing a 6,150 square-mile area of rolling loess plains that extend over 21 counties. Analyses of the State’s historic soil surveys (1910-1917), National Wetland Inventory (NWI; 1980-1982; U.S. Geological …

Effects Of Simulated Angler Capture And Live-Release Tournaments On Walleye Survival, John H. Loomis, Harold L. Schramm Jr., Bruce Vondracek, Patrick D. Gerard, Christopher J. Chizinski

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

We examined the effects of acclimation water temperature, live-well (LW) water temperature, and LW dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration on survival of adult Walleyes Sander vitreus subjected to simulated tournament conditions (angling, LW confinement, and weigh-in procedures) under controlled laboratory conditions. We tested three acclimation temperatures (12, 18, and 24◦C), and three LWtemperature differentials (Delta T=−4, 0, and +4◦C) were tested at each acclimation temperature. Survival was monitored after 8 h of LW confinement and during a 5-d retention period in 1,700-L tanks. None of the Walleyes that were acclimated to 24◦C and subjected to simulated tournament procedures survived the 5-d …

Barrow Island Ute Guide - Non-Indigenous Invertebrates, Frogs, Reptiles & Weeds, Mike Grimm, Kristofer Collett, Jessica Harrison, Peter Davis, Marc Widmer, Andras Szito, Rob Emery, Peter Mangano, John Botha, David Robinson, Brad Maryan

Biosecurity published reports

Barrow Island, the second largest island in Western Australia, is a Class A Nature Reserve and home to a variety of rare and endangered fauna and flora, some of which occur nowhere else. To protect fauna and flora it is essential workers and visitors to the island are aware of the risks that a non-indigenous species (NIS) poses to the ecological balance of Barrow Island.

Workers and visitors to Barrow Island need to be aware and keep their eyes open for any unusual fauna and flora that might be in accommodation units, recreation areas or the work place. Reports from …

Experiments To Measure The Effects Of Timber Harvesting Equipment On Surface Lithic Scatters, Douglas J. Baughman

All Master's Theses

The importance of cultural resource preservation cannot be overstated; however local economies are at least as important. Due to conservative archaeological site protection practices in Region 5 of the United States Forest Service, the economy of Northeastern California is being adversely affected. In an attempt to help the Forest Service make more informed management decisions and improve the Northeastern California economy, I undertook experiments on the effects of timber harvesting on lithic scatters on Modoc National Forest. The experiments involved placement of 225 glass tiles (proxy lithics) in each of three plots subject to vehicle traffic and log dragging by …

Carbon Farming In Wa, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia, Department Of Regional Development And Lands, Western Australia

Natural resources published reports

Fact sheets:

1. Applying biochar to improve soil quality and crop productivity

2. Reducing methane emissions from cattle using feed additives

3. Cattle breeding for lower greenhouse gas emissions

4. Managing genetic codes to reduce methane emissions from cattle

5. Managing pastures and stocking rate to reduce methane emissions from cattle

6. Claying as a method of increasing soil carbon content

7. Green and brown manuring as part of carbon farming

8. Permanent environmental plantings to earn carbon credits

9. Nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural soils

10. Sheep genetics in methane reduction

11. Managing sheep pastures to reduce methane production …

Changes In Net Ecosystem Production Over The Past 40 Years In Arctic Tundra Ponds Near Barrow, Alaska: Application Of Historic And Modern Techniques, Nickole Ann Miller

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Arctic environments have gained interest recently due to their sensitivity to climate change. As warming has created longer growing seasons, extended ice-free periods as well as permafrost thaw, the production in freshwater ecosystems has the potential to be greatly impacted. It is hypothesized that as climate change and warming occurs, increases in primary production will occur and ponds will become carbon sinks. Net ecosystem production (NEP) was determined using phytoplankton and periphyton samples collected weekly during the growing season (June - August) from arctic tundra ponds near Barrow, Alaska. Enrichment with 14C was used to determine both weekly photosynthetic rates …

Bacillus Thuringiensis: Transgenic Crops, Julie A. Peterson, John J. Obrycki, James D. Harwood

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops, genetically modified to express insecticidal toxins that target key pests of corn, cotton, rice, potato, and other crops, have been rapidly adopted and have become dominant fixtures in agroecosystems throughout the world. Due to the constitutive nature of Bt toxin expression, insecticidal proteins may be found in nearly all plant tissues, presenting multiple sources for Bt toxins to enter the environment, thus creating complex direct and indirect pathways for non-target organisms to be exposed to insecticidal proteins. The environmental impacts of Bt crops have been widely debated, although both benefits and risks do exist. Benefits of …

U.S. Drought Monitor, December 25, 2012, Richard R. Heim Jr.

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of the United States for December 25, 2012 (12/25/12) plus: United States crop areas experiencing drought (map), an approximate percentage of crop located in drought by state (bar graph), and the percentage of crop area located in drought during the past 52 weeks (line graph) for hay, cattle, and winter wheat.

U.S. Drought Monitor, December 18, 2012, David Simeral

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for December 18, 2012 (12/18/12) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

U.S. Drought Monitor, December 11, 2012, Rich Tinker

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for December 11, 2012 (12/11/12) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

U.S. Drought Monitor, December 4, 2012, Rich Tinker

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for December 4, 2012 (12/4/12) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

Interactions Of Zooplankton And Phytoplankton With Cyanobacteria, Rebecca Alexander

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

Cyanobacteria are a major concern in Nebraska reservoirs and are capable of producing toxins that can cause skin irritations and gastrointestinal problems, as well as affect the nervous system. It is important to determine the mechanisms that can cause cyanobacteria blooms due to the effect they can have on human health. The interaction of zooplankton and other phytoplankton groups with cyanobacteria is important because there is a biological component in surface waters that should be taken into consideration along with the physical and chemical parameters that have been noted to promote cyanobacteria. For example, zooplankton have the ability to alter …

Long-Term Integrated Studies Show Complex And Surprising Effects Of Climate Change In The Northern Hardwood Forest, Peter M. Groffman, Lindsay E. Rustad, Pamela H. Templer, John L. Campbell, Lynn M. Christenson, Nina K. Lany, Anne M. Socci, Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur, Paul G. Schaberg, Geoffrey W. Wilson, Charles T. Driscoll, Timothy J. Fahey, Melany C. Fisk, Christine L. Goodale, Mark B. Green, Steven P. Hamburg, Chris E. Johnson, Mryon J. Mitchell, Jennifer L. Morse, Linda H. Pardo, Nicholas L. Rodenhouse

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Evaluations of the local effects of global change are often confounded by the interactions of natural and anthropogenic factors that overshadow the effects of climate changes on ecosystems. Long-term watershed and natural elevation gradient studies at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest and in the surrounding region show surprising results demonstrating the effects of climate change on hydrologic variables (e.g., evapotranspiration, streamflow, soil moisture); the importance of changes in phenology on water, carbon, and nitrogen fluxes during critical seasonal transition periods; winter climate change effects on plant and animal community composition and ecosystem services; and the effects of anthropogenic disturbances and …

U.S. Drought Monitor, November 27, 2012, Eric Luebehusen

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for November 27, 2012 (11/27/12) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

U.S. Drought Monitor, November 20, 2012, Eric Luebehusen

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for November 20, 2012 (11/20/12) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

U.S. Drought Monitor, November 13, 2012, David Miskus

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for November 13, 2012 (11/13/12) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

U.S. Drought Monitor, November 6, 2012, David Miskus

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for November 6, 2012 (11/6/12) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

Situation Statement: The 'Prickle Bush' Weeds (Mesquite, Parkinsonia And Prickly Acacia) In Western Australia, Jon Dodd, Andrew Reeves, Richard Watkins, Linda Anderson

Biosecurity published reports

The term 'Prickle bush weeds' refers to weedy trees and shrubs of Mesquite, Parkinsonia and Prickly acacia. All are present in Western Australia.

Mesquite and Parkinsonia are widespread, well established woody weeds in various parts of the WA Rangelands. Prickly acacia is a recent introduction and has a relatively restricted distribution in the East Kimberley. All three impact mainly on the pastoral industry and have considerable potential for further spread and greater impact within the Rangelands. All are Weeds of National Significance (WoNS) and are high priority Declared Plants in WA.

The purpose of this situation statement is to describe …

U.S. Drought Monitor, October 30, 2012, Michael J. Brewer, Liz Love-Brotak

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for October 30, 2012 (10/30/12) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

U.S. Drought Monitor, October 16, 2012, Matthew Rosencrans

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for October 16, 2012 (10/16/12) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

U.S. Drought Monitor, October 9, 2012, Matthew Rosencrans

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for October 9, 2012 (10/9/12) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

U.S. Drought Monitor, October 2, 2012, Anthony Artusa

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for October 2, 2012 (10/2/2012) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

Too Much Weed: Invasive Species In Chitwan National Park, Laura Nelson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Invasive plant species threaten jungle eco-systems in Chitwan National Park. Mikania micrantha is the most destructive invasive plant in the park and has been named one of the world’s 100 worst invaders. It is an exceptionally fastgrowing and aggressive perennial plant that is quickly spreading throughout Chitwan and ousting native plant species that comprise the diets of rhinos and other important wildlife species. M. micrantha poses both immediate ecological concerns to wildlife and threatens rural subsistence farming populations by destroying cropland. In Nepal, no policy or program exists to contain invasive plant species, and large-scale management of M. micrantha is …

Current Status And Long-Term Trends In Water Quality And Living Resources In The Virginia Tributaries And Chesapeake Bay Mainstem From 1985 Through 2011, Daniel M. Dauer, Harold G. Marshall, John R. Donat, Michael F. Lane, Suzanne C. Doughten, Cindy Johnson

Status and Trends for Virginia Chesapeake Bay

The period prior to the implementation of the Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Program was characterized by a marked decline in the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay. The disappearance of submerged aquatic vegetation in certain regions of the Bay, declines in the abundance of some commercially and recreationally important species, increases in the incidence of low dissolved oxygen events, changes in the Bay's food web, and other ecological problems have been related to the deteriorating water quality (e.g. USEPA, 1982,1983;Officer et al.,1984; Orth and Moore, 1984). The results of concentrated research efforts in the late 1970s and early 1980s stimulated the …

U.S. Drought Monitor, September 25, 2012, Anthony Artusa

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for September 25, 2012 (9/25/12) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Corn, Soybeans, Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

U.S. Drought Monitor, September 18, 2012, David Simeral

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for September 18, 2012 (9/18/12) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Corn, Soybeans, Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

U.S. Drought Monitor, September 11, 2012, David Simeral

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for September 11, 2012 (9/11/12) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Corn, Soybeans, Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.