Environmental Monitoring Commons^™

Slides: Bmps For Reclamation: Do We Know What Is Effective?, Peter Stahl

Best Management Practices (BMPs): What? How? And Why? (May 26)

Presenter: Pete Stahl, Wyoming Reclamation and Restoration Center

19 slides

Slides: The Economic Benefits Of Completing Initial Reclamation Successfully For Oil And Gas, David Chenoweth, David Holland, Gerald Jacob, Lindsey Kruckenberg, John Rizza, Bryan Whiteley

Best Management Practices (BMPs): What? How? And Why? (May 26)

Presenters: Joe Schneider and Colby Reid, Western States Reclamation, Inc.

34 slides

Slides: Arctic Ecosystem Services Measurement And Modeling Project, Eric Biltonen

Best Management Practices (BMPs): What? How? And Why? (May 26)

Presenter: Eric Biltonen, PhD, Environment Economist, Houston Advanced Research Center

8 slides

Slides: Master Development Plans (Mdps): Oil And Gas Projects, Mary Bloomstran

Best Management Practices (BMPs): What? How? And Why? (May 26)

Presenter: Mary Bloomstran, Edge Environmental

19 slides

Slides: Planning Tools: Wildlife Mitigation Plan (Wmp), Comprehensive Drilling Plan (Cdp), Geographic Area Plan (Gap), Ginny Brannon

Best Management Practices (BMPs): What? How? And Why? (May 26)

Presenter: Ginny Brannon, Colorado Department of Natural Resources

7 slides

Slides: Master Development Plans (Mdps) / Geographic Area Plans (Gaps): Comprehensive Planning Tools For Oil And Gas Projects, Allen B. Crockett

Best Management Practices (BMPs): What? How? And Why? (May 26)

Presenter: Mary Bloomstran, Edge Environmental

20 slides

Slides: Environmentally Friendly Drilling Systems Program, Rich Haut

Best Management Practices (BMPs): What? How? And Why? (May 26)

Presenter: Rich Haut, Houston Advanced Research Center

6 slides

Slides: Collaborative Planning And Lessons Learned, Matt Sura

Best Management Practices (BMPs): What? How? And Why? (May 26)

Presenter: Matt Sura, University of Colorado Law School

48 slides

The Green, Blue And Grey Water Footprint Of Crops And Derived Crop Products, Mesfin Mekonnen, Arjen Y. Hoekstra

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Abstract. This study quantifies the green, blue and grey water footprint of global crop production in a spatially-explicit way for the period 1996–2005. The assessment improves upon earlier research by taking a high-resolution approach, estimating the water footprint of 126 crops at a 5 by 5 arc minute grid. We have used a grid-based dynamic water balance model to calculate crop water use over time, with a time step of one day. The model takes into account the daily soil water balance and climatic conditions for each grid cell. In addition, the water pollution associated with the use of nitrogen …

National Water Footprint Accounts: The Green, Blue And Grey Water Footprint Of Production And Consumption. Volume 1: Main Report, Mesfin Mekonnen, Arjen Y. Hoekstra

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

This study quantifies and maps the water footprints of nations from both a production and consumption perspective and estimates international virtual water flows and national and global water savings as a result of trade. The entire estimate includes a breakdown of water footprints, virtual water flows and water savings into their green, blue and grey components. The main finding of the study can be summarized as:

The global water footprint in the period 1996-2005 was 9087 Gm3/yr (74% green, 11% blue, 15% grey). Agricultural production contributes 92% to this total footprint.

About one fifth of the global water footprint relates …

National Water Footprint Accounts: The Green, Blue And Grey Water Footprint Of Production And Consumption, Volume 2: Appendices, Mesfin Mekonnen, Arjen Y. Hoekstra

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Contents

Appendix I. The water footprint of national production (Mm³/yr)

Appendix II. Virtual-water flows related to trade in crop, animal and industrial products, per country (Mm³/yr)

Appendix III. International virtual-water flows per product category (Mm³/yr)

Appendix IV. National water saving related to trade in agricultural and industrial products per country (Mm³/yr)

Appendix V. Global water saving related to trade in agricultural and industrial products, per product (Mm³/yr)

Appendix VI. The average water footprint per ton of commodity per country, weighted based on origin (WF* in m³/ton)

Appendix VII. …

Memorial To Charles Alexander Baskerville (1928–2009), Allen W. Hatheway, Ajitkumar Shah, Joseph J. Lifrieri, Nazrul I. Khandaker, Stanley Schleifer

Publications and Research

Charles Alexander Baskerville captured our imagination, as a senior colleague in the practice of engineering geology in New York City. “Charlie” held the seat of master Big Apple Geologist during his matured career. He was the source, he knew the possibilities, he was aware of the pitfalls of this most geologically complex of American cities. His final work was his greatest reach—the four bedrock geologic quadrangles of the city. Baskerville mapped New York City for more than fifty years. He was sought and given access to sites of bedrock and bedrock/ overburden interface on the various capitol construction projects undertaken …

Ecotourism In Costa Rica: Environmental Impacts And Management, Emily Mckeone

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Globally we are witnessing growing environmental destruction, particularly to the natural resource bases of underdeveloped countries. If ecotourism can generate profits for local economies, while protecting and conserving the natural resource base of that community, it could be a strong alternative for numerous countries. Evidence suggests that the ecotourism industry has been expanding at a rapid rate in recent decades (Dasenbrock 2002). It is important to understand the positive and negative ecological impacts of the industry as this rapid growth rate continues.

The main objective of this study is to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the ecotourism industry in …

Improving Energy Sustainability In Pound Hall, Craig Adams

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This research project deals with improving energy sustainability in Pound Hall dormitory located on the University of Nebraska at Lincoln’s (UNL) city campus.  An investigation on the current energy usage of Pound Hall showed that its energy rates worsened between the years of 2009 and 2010.  These combined (electricity, steam, and water) energy rates were compared with those of the newly renovated Othmer Hall to emphasize the lack of sustainability in the older dormitory.  In order to improve Pound Hall’s energy rates, an energy benefit analysis of implementing a green roof was performed.  Having a green roof on this dormitory …

An Assessment Of Stable Hydrogen-Isotope Analysis Methods To Assign Geographic Origin To Migratory Red-Tailed Hawks (Buteo Jamaicensis), Carla Marie Ahlschwede

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Stable-hydrogen isotopes are becoming an increasingly popular method of studying migratory birds, though sample preparation methods may affect results.  In this study I examined feathers from red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) to determine the relationship between measure of δD due to inter-feather variation or drying methods, assessed the accuracy of results by using two birds of known-origin and estimated possible natal origins of migratory red-tailed hawks.  Two feathers per individual were taken from 81 wild hawks caught at Hitchcock Nature Center near Crescent IA and from 2 rescued red-tailed hawks, Raptor Recovery Nebraska near Eagle, NE. 119 of the …

Spatial Patterns Of Drought Triggers And Indicators, Joseph P. Robine

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Drought is a reoccurring phenomenon with widespread economic, social, and environmental impacts. Unlike other disasters, a drought cannot be easily detected. In addition, droughts are widespread and develop slowly over time making it difficult to detect its onset and monitor its severity and impacts. To assist in monitoring the severity and spatial extent of droughts, drought managers frequently use indicators and triggers. Drought indicators are meteorological or hydrological variables or indices that quantify or describe the level of drought severity. A drought trigger is a value of an indicator that initiates management and response actions. Despite the clear importance of …

Prioritizing Investment In Residential Energy Efficiency And Renewable Energy: A Case Study For The U.S. Midwest, Robert J. Brecha, Austin Mitchell, Kevin P. Hallinan, J. Kelly Kissock

Physics Faculty Publications

Residential building energy use is an important contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and in the United States represents about 20% of total energy consumption. A number of previous macro-scale studies of residential energy consumption and energy-efficiency improvements are mainly concerned with national or international aggregate potential savings. In this paper we look into the details of how a collection of specific homes in one region might reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, with particular attention given to some practical limits to what can be achieved by upgrading the existing residential building stock. Using a simple model of residential, single-family home …

Impacts Of Climate Change And Weather Modification On Hydrologic Characteristics Of Watersheds In The Western United States, Anil Acharya

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research quantifies the impacts of climate change and weather modification (WM) on hydrologic characteristics of watersheds in the arid regions of the western United States. This research performs a long-term simulation of streamflow for present and future climate conditions in the North Platte (NP) Watershed, Wyoming; a shorter duration simulation is then performed to observe the likely impacts of event based changes in an urban watershed in Las Vegas, Nevada.

First, a study is carried out in Chapter 3 that evaluates the impacts of WM on water supply by developing a hydrologic model for the NP Watershed. The variable …

Effectiveness Of Earthtec ® On Killing Invasive Quagga Mussels (Dreissena Rostriformis Bugenis) And Preventing Their Colonization In The Western U.S., Ashlie Watters

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Dreissena rostriformis bugensis, an invasive species, also known as the quagga mussel, was discovered in Lake Mead, NV in January of 2007. In the four years since detection, quagga mussels have created tremendous economical, ecological, and human health impacts. The mussels clog pipes, ruin boat motors, and damage recreational equipment, and once established in the lake, routine maintenance is necessary to avoid further damage. Because of quagga mussels' high fecundity, planktonic veliger stage, and ability to attach to substrates with byssal threads, they have easily and swiftly spread to other lakes and reservoirs in the Lower Colorado River Basin. …

Pleistocene Climate In Alaska From Stable Isotopes In An Ice Wedge, Corinne Y. Griffing

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The CRREL permafrost tunnel offers a unique opportunity to sample ice wedges in a climate-controlled environment, penetrating frozen silts which host massive ground ice that may record Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) and Heinrich Events. Ice wedges in the tunnel have been dated to approximately 36-22 ka (Hamilton et al., 1988), allowing the paleoclimate of the region to be reconstructed during MIS 3, when D-O and Heinrich events were documented in various other records. These climate cycles are rapid climate oscillations that have been recognized in records from the Arctic and subarctic, and suggest that climate can rapidly shift by 10°C over millennial …

Colonization And Decontamination Of Quagga Mussels In The Western United States: Monitoring Veligers In Lake Mead And Field Testing In The Effects Of Hot-Water Spray As A Means Of Watercraft Decontamination, Sean Robin Comeau

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The introduction and establishment of aquatic invasive species (AIS) is one of the top causes of global biodiversity loss and ecological change, and is also financially costly for taxpayers and agencies managing protected areas. This is especially true regarding the nationwide spread of dreissenid mussels to various bodies of freshwater. The discovery of invasive quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) in Lake Mead on January 6, 2007 has changed the popular recreation area into a potential vector of the destructive AIS. This location could allow for an increased spread of these dressenid species to uninfested bodies of water in the western …

Assessing Seasonal Features Of Tropical Forests Using Remote Sensing, Roberto Bonifaz-Alfonzo

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Tropical forests are key components of the biogeochemical cycles, complex in structure, diversity and dynamics, also, tropical regions have been deforested and modified by human activities particularly for agriculture. Understanding the inter-annual and intra-annual variation dynamics of tropical regions could give valuable information on temporal characteristics of ecosystems behavior which is important for mapping and monitoring. This dissertation assesses seasonal and inter-annual changes in the tropical land cover that may be related to changes in the natural environment and/or human activities. Research was focused on the Mayan forest located in southern Mexico and Northwest Guatemala, one of the northern-most important …

Salt Contamination Of Ground And Surface Water In Connecticut: A Compilation And Synthesis Of Historic Data And Local Scale Testing, James P. Cassanelli

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Eel River Examination, 2011

Watershed Access Lab Projects

The purpose of our study was to observe the changes in the Eel River from year to year. The analysis included: the river’s profile, depth, amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen compounds, and levels of dissolved oxygen.

The river is designated a Class A water body. It’s fed by the sole source Plymouth-Carver Aquifer. Already classified as a nitrogen-limited river system, town engineers determined that the addition of even 1 mg/L of Nitrogen compounds could spell disaster for the watershed’s plants and animals, some of which are considered endangered. Currently under study by numerous environmental watch groups, it was the intention …

Burr’S Pond And Runnins River Annual Watershed Survey, 2011

Watershed Access Lab Projects

For the past ten years, AP Biology students at Seekonk High School have been required to complete an independent research project to fulfill the Ecology unit of the course during the summer prior to the course. Students must apply what they learned in their readings to a local ecosystem, Burr’s Pond, which is attached to the Runnins River. Students spend time at the pond area during the summer documenting organisms, evidence of population dynamics, animal behavior, trophic levels, nutrient cycling, etc. Students put together a Burr’s Pond Summer Field Research Project Portfolio to be submitted on the first day of …

Water Quality Of Norroway Stream

Watershed Access Lab Projects

No abstract provided.

Aquatic Insect Survey: Goldstein Open Space And Walking Path

Watershed Access Lab Projects

AP Environmental students visited Norroway Stream in Randolph, MA. This stream comes from nearby Norroway Pond. Students took macro invertebrate samples from a point in the stream near West St. A kick sample was taken using a net to catch organisms. After collecting the specimens they were stored and brought back to the school to work with. Students sorted the sample and picked out the macro invertebrates and then identified them to the order level using a key and stereo microscopes. This is a new program for this class.

2011 Pond Meadow Study – The Monatiquot River

Watershed Access Lab Projects

Ten students at South Middle School participated in an after school group to learn about water quality and macro-invertebrates. After an introduction of the project, students started to learn how macro-invertebrates can be used as an indicator of water quality. Students traveled to Pond Meadow Park in Braintree to collect macro-invertebrates on March 8, 2011. We had two sites at the Park and collected at each site. Students made observations and took pictures while others collected the bugs.

Upon return, the Brook Buddies spent two afternoons sorting through the samples. They picked out the macro-invertebrates and started sorting them by …

The Runnins River Biosurvey

Watershed Access Lab Projects

Fall 2010 marks the third year that all 10th grade Biology II students and their teachers joined the watershed study project initiated by AP Biology students at Seekonk High School. The students traveled to two sites, one upstream and one downstream, along the Runnins River, which is a river that meanders through the Town of Seekonk. The upstream site was located at the home of the Masons off of Woodward Ave and the downstream site was located just below Burr’s Pond, both in Seekonk. The four Biology II classes were split between the two site locations and it was their …

Water Quality Assessment: Goldstein Open Space And Walking Path

Watershed Access Lab Projects

No abstract provided.