Environmental Monitoring Commons^™

Effects Of Mining Reclamation On Sediment Yield And Organic Carbon Flux In First Order Watersheds, Zoe E. Bezold

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

A Survey Of Seafood Traceability And Sustainability In The United States— Processes, Regulations, And Current Initiatives, Nancy A. Olsen

Working Papers

The global seafood industry currently lacks a standardized, widespread method to easily trace the chain of custody of products that they purchase. With global overfishing leading to declining fish stocks around the world, it is vital for seafood providers to have the ability to identify and buy products from sustainable fisheries that are well managed, target abundant species, and fish in environmentally responsible ways. This paper analyzes public and private initiatives that seek to provide product traceability. In summarizing the current status of seafood traceability, stakeholders agree that are a number of challenges with trying to piece together so many …

Observations Of Localised Effects Of The Busselton Compensating Basins On Surface Water, Groundwater And Soil Salinity, D L. Bennett, Richard J. George Dr

Resource management technical reports

Between 2001 and 2009 the Water Corporation constructed three flood-compensating basins on farmland in the Vasse and Sabina river catchments, upstream of in the city of Busselton. The basins are designed to reduce the risk of flooding in urban areas of Busselton by temporarily storing and then regulating runoff during flood events. This report fulfils the reporting requirements of a contract between the Water Corporation and the Department of Agriculture and Food. Data relating to the local groundwater and surface-water dynamics, salinity, nutrients and pH, plus changes to shallow and deep-soil salinity (from repeat ground-based electromagnetic induction [EM] surveying), was …

Arsenic Contamination In Groundwater In Vietnam: An Overview And Analysis Of The Historical, Cultural, Economic, And Political Parameters In The Success Of Various Mitigation Options, Thuy M. Ly

Pomona Senior Theses

Although arsenic is naturally present in the environment, 99% of human exposure to arsenic is through ingestion. Throughout history, arsenic is known as “the king of poisons”; it is mutagenic, carcinogenic, and teratogenic. Even in smaller concentrations, it accumulates in the body and takes decades before any physical symptoms of arsenic poisoning shows. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the safe concentration of arsenic in drinking water is 10 µg/L. However, this limit is often times ignored until it is decades too late and people begin showing symptoms of having been poisoned.

This is the current situation for Vietnam, …

Las Carreteras Ya No Cantan: Una Investigación Sobre La Riqueza Y Diversidad De Especies De Anfibios En Sitios Sensibles A Lado Del Eje Vial N°4 En La Reserva Biológica Tapichalaca, Harrison Goldspiel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Tapichalaca Biological Reserve (RBT), located in Zamora Chinchipe Province in southern Ecuador, is a zone with high biodiversity and endemism. Although famous for the Jocotoco antpitta (Grallaria ridgelyi), the reserve is very rich in anphibians, especially frogs of the genus Pristimantis. RBT hosts at least 29 species of amphibians, including the new and endemic Hyloscirtust tapichalaca and 25 Pristimantis species (Meza-R. et al. 2008). RBT faces various threats, such as climate change, farms, and the exploitation of palm trees. One pertinent threat is Eje Vial N°4, a main road that passes through the reserve. This study investigated …

Droughtscape, Spring 2012, National Drought Mitigation Center

DroughtScape: Quarterly Newsletter of the National Drought Mitigation Center (2007–2023)

Contents

Director’s report.

Climate Masters 1

Ranch plan workshop . 3

Winter climate summary 4

Winter impacts summary . 6

Zhao research.

Getachew research 0

Other international news

Wardlow move 13

IPCC disaster report .

The Effects Of Organizational Structure On Sustainability Report Compliance, Kurt E. Mink

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

The purpose of this qualitative research was to determine the organizational characteristics that contribute to developing sustainability reports with GRI A+ application levels. Judgment sampling was used to select organizations that received an A+ GRI application level in 2010. These organizations were then surveyed using a fifteen-question survey, which emulated the semi-structured interview questions utilized by Farneti and Guthrie (2007). The survey was disseminated to 107 organizations and the responses were collated and analyzed to determine important themes relevant to this research study. The results of this research study suggest a relationship between an organization’s genuine commitment to sustainability by …

Research, Monitoring, Assessment And Development Plan 2011 – 2012, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

Agriculture Futures: Potential Rural Land Uses On The Palusplain, Rodney Safstrom, Nicolyn Short Dr

Resource management technical reports

The purpose of this project was to identify agricultural land use options and opportunities within the Serpentine–Jarrahdale and Murray Shires, with particular focus on the Palusplain wetland section. The report will contribute to the Department of Planning’s natural resource management plan for the region and guide development of regional and local planning strategies. Historically, the Palusplain was a slowly moving, interconnected, seasonal wetland system with areas of higher ground. Extensive clearing and drainage occurred in the late 1800s through to the mid-1900s to facilitate agriculture; however, agriculture has been found to be a major contributor of nutrients to the system. …

2012 Nebraska Groundwater Quality Monitoring Report

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality: Reports

The 2001 Nebraska Legislature passed LB329 (Neb. Rev. Stat. §46-1304) which, in part, directed the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) to report on groundwater quality monitoring in Nebraska. Reports have been issued annually since December 2001. The text of the statute applicable to this report follows: “The Department of Environmental Quality shall prepare a report outlining the extent of ground water quality monitoring conducted by natural resources districts during the preceding calendar year. The department shall analyze the data collected for the purpose of determining whether or not ground water quality is degrading or improving and shall present the …

Climate Divisions For Alaska Based On Objective Methods, Peter A. Bieniek, Uma S. Bhatt, Richard L. Thoman, Heather Angeloff, James Partain, John Papineau, Frederick Fritsch, Eric Holloway, John E. Walsh, Christopher Daly, Martha Shulski, Gary Hufford, David F. Hill, Stavros Calos, Rudiger Gens

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Alaska encompasses several climate types because of its vast size, high-latitude location, proximity to oceans, and complex topography. There is a great need to understand how climate varies regionally for climatic research and forecasting applications. Although climate-type zones have been established for Alaska on the basis of seasonal climatological mean behavior, there has been little attempt to construct climate divisions that identify regions with consistently homogeneous climatic variability. In this study, cluster analysis was applied to monthly-average temperature data from 1977 to 2010 at a robust set of weather stations to develop climate divisions for the state. Mean-adjusted Advanced Very …

Drought Monitoring: Historical And Current Perspectives, Michael J. Hayes, Mark D. Svoboda, Brian D. Wardlow, Martha C. Anderson, Felix Kogan

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Drought is a normal, recurring feature of climate throughout the world, with characteristics and impacts that can vary from region to region. Figure 1.1 illustrates the regular occurrence of drought within the United States between 1895 and 2010 with approximately 14% of the country, on average (plotted by black dotted line), experiencing severe to extreme drought conditions during any given year. Drought conditions can persist in a region for several years, as occurred in the United States in the 1930s, 1950s, and early 2000s, and tree ring and other proxy records confirm that multiple-year droughts are part of the long-term …

Future Opportunities And Challenges In Remote Sensing Of Drought, Brian D. Wardlow, Martha C. Anderson, Justin Sheffield, Bradley D. Doorn, James P. Verdin, Xiwu Zhan, Matthew Rodell

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

The value of satellite remote sensing for drought monitoring was first realized more than two decades ago with the application of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) for assessing the effect of drought on vegetation, as summarized by Anyamba and Tucker (2012, Chapter 2). Other indices such as the Vegetation Health Index (VHI) (Kogan, 1995) were also developed during this time period and applied to AVHRR NDVI and brightness temperature data for routine global monitoring of drought conditions. These early efforts demonstrated the unique perspective that global imagers like AVHRR could provide …

Microwave Remote Sensing Of Soil Moisture Science And Applications, Son V. Nghiem, Brian D. Wardlow, David Allured, Mark Svoboda, Doug Lecomte, Matthew Rosencrans, Steven K. Chan, Gregory Neumann

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Soil moisture is a fundamental link between global water and carbon cycles and has major applications in predicting natural hazards such as droughts and floods (National Research Council, 2007). From precipitation data, soil wetness can be estimated by hydrological land-surface models. In the United States, preliminary precipitation data are based on measurements gathered from many active stations nationwide each month, and it takes 3–4 months to assemble final, quality-controlled data. In the western United States, some climate divisions may have no stations reporting in a particular month or may lack first- or second-order stations, and significant blockages by mountains limit …

Drought Triggers And Declarations: Science And Policy Considerations For Drought Risk Management, Linda Courtenay Botterill, Michael J. Hayes

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

This paper explores the value of triggers and declarations in the management of drought, bringing together two disciplinary perspectives, those of the public policy scholar and the climate scientist. These two perspectives highlight the complexity of the development and use of triggers in drought risk management by drawing on the experience of the United States, which has the most sophisticated system of drought triggers in the world, and that of Australia that has the most developed and longest standing national drought policy based on principles of risk management. The paper explores the advantages and disadvantages of triggers in managing drought, …

A Synoptic Perspective Of The Record 1-2 May 2010 Mid-South Heavy Precipitation Event, Joshua D. Durkee, Lee Campbell, Kyle Berry, Dustin Jordan, Gregory Goodrich, Rezaul Mahmood, Stuart Foster

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

During 1–2 May 2010, a series of strong thunderstorms led to 41, 57, and 43 tornado, severe wind, and severe hail reports, respectively, across portions of the southern United States. In addition to severe weather, these storms also distributed recordsetting rainfall amounts across the mid-South region, which contributed to historic flooding across portions of central and western Kentucky and Tennessee (Fig. 1). This heavy precipitation event was sampled by multiple surface observational networks, including (but not limited to) 48 research-grade automated stations from the Kentucky Mesonet (www.kymesonet .org), first-order automated stations from the National Weather Service (NWS; www.ncdc.noaa.gov /oa/ncdc.html), and …

The Feasibility Of Switchgrass For Biofuel Production, Rob Mitchell, Kenneth P. Vogel, Daniel R. Uden

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Switchgrass research has been conducted cooperatively by the US Department of Agriculture and the University of Nebraska since the mid-1930s, with a primary focus on bioenergy since 1990 at several institutions. Progress has been made in switchgrass breeding and genetics, molecular genetics, establishment, fertility management, production economics, production energetics, harvest and storage management, ecosystem services and ethanol yield. A complete field-validated biomass production system has been developed for the Midwest and Central Plains. Even with favorable economic and sustainability results from field trials, switchgrass for bioenergy has not been adopted on a large scale. Lack of adoption is likely due …

Thermal-Based Evaporative Stress Index For Monitoring Surface Moisture Depletion, Martha C. Anderson, Christopher R. Hain, Brian D. Wardlow, Agustin Pimstein, John R. Mecikalski, William P. Kustas

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

The standard suite of indicators currently used in operational drought monitoring reflects anomalous conditions in several major components of the hydrologic budget—representing deficits in precipitation, soil moisture content, runoff, surface and groundwater storage, snowpack, and streamflow. In principle, it is useful to have a diversity of indices because drought can assume many forms (meteorological, agricultural, hydrological, and socioeconomic), over broad ranges in timescale (weeks to years), and with varied impacts of interest to different stakeholder groups. Farmers, for example, may be principally interested in soil moisture deficits, river forecasters will focus on streamflow fluctuations, and water managers will be concerned …

Droughtscape, Winter 2012, National Drought Mitigation Center

DroughtScape: Quarterly Newsletter of the National Drought Mitigation Center (2007–2023)

Drought Planning for Kansas Ranchers Jan. 21

South Hoping La Niña Dryness Stays Away

2011 Brought Record-Breaking Extent of D4

Reported Impacts Ease as Growing Season Ends

Disaster Planning in Nanjing at Hohai U

Ag, Fire and Water Supply Topped 2011 Impacts

A Review Of National Msw Generation Assessments In The United States, David J. Tonjes, Krista L. Greene

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is generated in very large quantities (probably, between 200 and 400 million tonnes per year) in the United States (US). MSW is generated at millions of places and there is no one precise, general definition for MSW that is generally applied, despite US Environmental Protection Agency efforts. As an element of both commerce and politics, reporting may be framed towards particular ends. Therefore, the two best known assessments of the quantity of US MSW production differ by approximately 50%. The assessors understand some of the reasons for the differences, but our analysis suggests that there are …

Population Estimate Of Chinese Mystery Snail (Bellamya Chinensis) In A Nebraska Reservoir, Noelle M. Chaine, Craig R. Allen, Kent A. Fricke, Danielle M. Haak, Michelle L. Hellman, Robert A. Kill, Kristine T. Nemec, Kevin L. Pope, Nicholas A. Smeenk, Bruce J. Stephen, Daniel R. Uden, Kody M. Unstad, Ashley E. Vanderham

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The Chinese mystery snail (Bellamya chinensis) is an aquatic invasive species in North America. Little is known regarding this species’ impacts on freshwater ecosystems. It is believed that population densities can be high, yet no population estimates have been reported. We utilized a mark-recapture approach to generate a population estimate for Chinese mystery snail in Wild Plum Lake, a 6.47-ha reservoir in southeast Nebraska. We calculated, using bias-adjusted Lincoln-Petersen estimation, that there were approximately 664 adult snails within a 127 m² transect (5.2 snails/m²). If this density was consistent throughout the littoral zone (depth) of …

Variation In Native Micro-Predator Abundance Explains Recruitment Of A Mobile Invasive Fish, The Common Carp, In A Naturally Unstable Environment, Przemyslaw G. Bajer, Christopher J. Chizinski, Justin J. Silbernagel, Peter W. Sorensen

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Why certain species of fish become invasive is poorly understood and a key obstacle to restoring many of the world’s ecosystems. In this study we tested whether variation in biotic resistance exerted by native predators might explain the reproductive success of the common carp, a large and fecund invasive species that typically spawns in outlying and unstable shallow habitat. An initial three-year study of the relative abundance of youngof- year (YOY) carp in interconnected lakes in the Upper Mississippi River Basin discovered that YOY carp are only found in shallow waters that experience winter hypoxia (winterkill) and have low densities …

2012 Nebraska Water Monitoring Programs Report, Marty Link, Mike Archer

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality: Reports

The following Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality staff have contributed to this report with their photos, maps, numbers, words, and editing. Their efforts are greatly appreciated and gratefully acknowledged here: Mike Archer, Ken Bazata, Dave Bubb, Ryan Chapman, Jason Garber, Patrick Hartman, Tom Heatherly, Dave Ihrie, Dan Inman, Greg Michl, Will Myers, Patrick O’Brien (NARD), Brad Routt, and Dave Schumacher.

Using Lidar To Map Landslides In Kenton And Campbell Counties, Kentucky, Matthew M. Crawford

Report of Investigations--KGS

The geology and topography of northern Kentucky and Cincinnati make the area susceptible to landslides. Decades of development and slope modification have contributed to the area being prone to landslides and having one of the highest costs per capita in the United States for landslide damage. The slow nature of some landslides and incremental damage that can span several decades often result in lack of awareness of the problem, however. Many of the landslides go unreported, and citizens do not take advantage of resources to become educated about mitigating the problem.

Research at the Kentucky Geological Survey developed a methodology …

A New Model For Simulating Climate Change And Carbon Dynamics In Forested Landscapes, Caren C. Dymond, Robert M. Scheller, Sarah Beukema

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Journal of Ecosystems & Management vol. 13 no. 2 2012 news brief .

Standardized Precipitation Index: User Guide, Mark Svoboda, Michael Hayes, Deborah Wood

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Over the years, there has been much discussion on what drought indices should be used in a particular climate and for what application. Many drought definitions and indices have been developed and attempts have been made to provide some guidance on this issue. With this in mind, the Interregional Workshop on Indices and Early Warning Systems for Drought was organized and held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, United States of America, from 8 to 11 December 2009. It was jointly sponsored by the School of Natural Resources (SNR) of the University of Nebraska, the United States National Drought Mitigation Center …

Method Development For Detecting And Characterizing Manufactured Silver Nanoparticles In Soil Pore Water Using Asymmetrical Flow Field-Flow Fractionation, Annie R. Whitley

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Recent advances in nanotechnology have led to the production of materials with nanoscale dimensions (nm) and properties distinctly different from their bulk (>100 nm) counterparts. With increased use, it is inevitable that nanomaterials will accumulate in the environment and there is concern that the novel properties of nanomaterials could result in detrimental environmental and human health effects. In particular, there has been concern recently regarding the use of silver (Ag) based nanomaterials as antimicrobial agents in consumer and medical products. Current regulations dealing with the discharge of metals into the environment are based on total concentrations with no consideration …

Using Image Processing Techniques To Estimate The Air Quality, Ernesto Zamora

McNair Poster Presentations

The color of the sky varies depending on the composition of the air. The particles lingering in the atmosphere scatter the components of the light based on their wavelength in relation to particle size. Thus, the color of the sky depends on what wavelengths are scattered while the light travels through our atmosphere.

By analyzing the color of the sky using computer image processing, it is possible to determine the quality of the air in an area. It is possible to classify pictures of the sky into clean or polluted air and have a computer estimate the category any other …

Surface Water Characteristics Of The Weaber Plain And Lower Keep River Catchments: Data Review And Preliminary Results, D L. Bennett, Richard J. George Dr

Resource management technical reports

In 2008, the Ord Irrigation Expansion Project was approved by the Western Australian Government to develop irrigated agriculture on the Weaber Plain.

An important concern is the effect the Weaber Plain agricultural development may have on the water quality of the downstream Border Creek and Keep River

This report assembles and reviews all available physico-chemical water quality data for the lower Keep River and Border Creek systems and presents data from the initial year of a targeted baseline monitoring program (June 2010 – June 2013).

Groundwater Chemistry Of The Weaber Plain: Preliminary Results, Adam Lillicrap, Paul Raper, Richard J. George Dr, D L. Bennett

Resource management technical reports

In 2008, the Ord Irrigation Expansion Project was approved by the Western Australian Government to develop irrigated agriculture on the Weaber Plain. Construction of the M2 supply channel connecting the ORIA and the Weaber Plain, and the final period of irrigation design, environmental management and related approval processes, commenced later in 2009. This process followed a protracted period of public and private industry planning and environmental assessment (Kinhill 2000). This report summarises an analysis of groundwater salinity trends on the Ivanhoe and Weaber plains and the preliminary results of an intensive water-quality sampling program carried out in 2010 as part …