Environmental Monitoring Commons^™

Informing Responders Using Gis And Gps, Deidre Mccarthy

CHAR

Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in August 2005 and created the single largest disaster for cultural resources that the United States has witnessed since the inception of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) in 1966. Notably, the NHPA created the National Register of Historic Places, our nation’s catalog of important cultural resources. The NHPA also stipulates that any federal undertaking which may adversely affect National Register eligible resources be mitigated. For the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Katrina created the largest compliance project ever under Section 106 of the NHPA.

Although causing a great deal of damage, Katrina also …

Applications Of Nasa Earth Observations For Monitoring Surface Water Availability For Pastoralists In Remote Regions Of Tahoua, Niger, Kelsey E. Herndon, Rebekke Muench, Emil Cherrington, Robert Griffin

Von Braun Symposium Student Posters

No abstract provided.

Assessing Time-Weighted Dynamic Time Warping As A Method For Land Cover Classification Utilizing Nasa Satellite Imagery, Ronan Lucey

Von Braun Symposium Student Posters

No abstract provided.

Radiation Detection In Various High Altitude Environments, C Wolfe, J Miller, I Slamen, T Jamison, Christopher Helmerich, Everett Cavanaugh, Sarah Dangelo, Sean Widmier, Elena Pradhan

Von Braun Symposium Student Posters

No abstract provided.

Unmanned Aerial Systems For Monitoring Trace Tropospheric Gases, Travis J. Schuyler, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) has changed the composition of the atmosphere during the Anthropocene. Accurately documenting the sources and magnitude of GHGs emission is an important undertaking for discriminating the contributions of different processes to radiative forcing. Currently there is no mobile platform that is able to quantify trace gases at altitudes(UASs) can be deployed on-site in minutes and can support the payloads necessary to quantify trace gases. Therefore, current efforts combine the use of UASs available on the civilian market with inexpensively designed analytical systems for monitoring atmospheric trace gases. In this context, this perspective introduces the …

How Useful Is Gsv As An Environmental Observation Tool? An Analysis Of The Evidence So Far., Katherine Nesse, Leah Airt

SPU Works

Researchers in many disciplines have turned to Google Street View to replace pedestrian- or carbased in-person observation of streetscapes. It is most prevalent within the research literature on the relationship between neighborhood environments and public health but has been used as diverse as disaster recovery, ecology and wildlife habitat, and urban design. Evaluations of the tool have found that the results of GSV-based observation are similar to the results from in-person observation although the similarity depends on the type of characteristic being observed. Larger, permanent and discrete features showed more consistency between the two methods and smaller, transient and judgmental …

The Utility Of Bioenergetics Modelling In Quantifying Predation Rates Of Marine Apex Predators: Ecological And Fisheries Implications, A. Barnett, M. Braccini, C. L. Dudgeon, N. L. Payne, K. G. Abrantes, M. Sheaves, E. P. Snelling

Fisheries Research Articles

Predators play a crucial role in the structure and function of ecosystems. However, the magnitude of this role is often unclear, particularly for large marine predators, as predation rates are difficult to measure directly. If relevant biotic and abiotic parameters can be obtained, then bioenergetics modelling offers an alternative approach to estimating predation rates, and can provide new insights into ecological processes. We integrate demographic and ecological data for a marine apex predator, the broadnose sevengill shark Notorynchus cepedianus, with energetics data from the literature, to construct a bioenergetics model to quantify predation rates on key fisheries species in …

What Controls Variation In Carbon Use Efficiency Among Amazonian Tropical Forests?, Christopher E. Doughty, Gregory R. Goldsmith, Nicolas Raab, Cecile A. J. Girardin, Filio Farfan-Amezquita, Walter Huaraca-Huasco, Javier E. Silva-Espejo, Alejandro Araujo-Murakami, Antonio C. L. Da Costa, Wanderley Rocha, David Galbraith, Patrick Meir, Dan B. Metcalfe, Yadvinder Malhi

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Why do some forests produce biomass more efficiently than others? Variations in Carbon Use Efficiency (CUE: total Net Primary Production (NPP)/ Gross Primary Production (GPP)) may be due to changes in wood residence time (Biomass/NPP_wood), temperature, or soil nutrient status. We tested these hypotheses in 14, one ha plots across Amazonian and Andean forests where we measured most key components of net primary production (NPP: wood, fine roots, and leaves) and autotrophic respiration (R_a; wood, rhizosphere, and leaf respiration). We found that lower fertility sites were less efficient at producing biomass and had higher rhizosphere respiration, …

Turning Monitoring Data Into Simple Population Growth Models: Getting Your Ducks In A Row, Holly Gaff

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Land Cover Change Shows Little Effect On Migration Patterns Of Wood Storks And Great Egrets, Johanna Smith

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Examining Water Quality Along Cozine Creek, Noah Berg, Hayden Cooksy, Gabrielle Esparza, Kyle Huizinga, Peri Muellner, Mehana Sabado-Halpern, Connor Sende

Environmental Studies Student Papers

Water is an essential resource for all life. Water sustains ecological processes that are important to the survival of fish, vegetation, wetlands, and birds. It contributes to humans by providing drinking water, irrigation, and also is an inspiration for recreational, cultural, and spiritual practices. Anthropogenic activities affect water quality in various ways, and a significant portion of the human population is currently experiencing water stress. The quality of water, as well as its social and economic value, share a positive relationship. Therefore, as water quality becomes degraded by pollution, the environmental, social, and economic value also decrease. The recognition of …

The Prairie Post Quarterly Newsletter Of The High Plains Regional Climate Center- October 2017, Natalie Umphlett, Warren Pettee, Crystal J. Stiles

Prairie Post: Quarterly Newsletter of the High Plains Regional Climate Center

Inside this issue:

Message from the interim director........................................1

Staff spotlight...........................1

Tribal engagement.................2

Product highlights..................3

Update on regional climate conditions..................................4

ENSO tool...................................4

Wind River project..................5

Recent and upcoming travel and activities.............................6

Gouldian Finch Non Breeding Counts 2017: Ord-East Kimberley Expansion Project - Weaber Plain Development Area, Save The Gouldian Fund

Irrigated Agricultural Development in the North

As part of the requirement for State approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, an assessment and regular monitoring of the endangered Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae) is required during the operation of the Ord River Irrigation Area Weaber Plain Development Project in Kimberley, Western Australia. This report details the findings from surveys of non-breeding Gouldian finches.

In accordance with the EPBC Act (6AIV) and GFMP (3-4) conditions, this work specifically provides:

1) Gouldian finch counts of the non-breeding population.

Do Advisors Perceive Climate Change As An Agricultural Risk? An In-Depth Examination Of Midwestern U.S. Ag Advisors’ Views On Drought, Climate Change, And Risk Management, Sarah P. Church, Michael Dunn, Nicholas Babin, Amber Saylor Mase, Tonya Haigh, Linda Stalker Prokopy

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Through the lens of the Health Belief Model and Protection Motivation Theory, we analyzed interviews of 36 agricultural advisors in Indiana and Nebraska to understand their appraisals of climate change risk, related decision making processes and subsequent risk management advice to producers. Most advisors interviewed accept that weather events are a risk for US Midwestern agriculture; however, they are more concerned about tangible threats such as crop prices. There is not much concern about climate change among agricultural advisors. Management practices that could help producers adapt to climate change were more likely to be recommended by conservation and Extension advisors, …

Bacteria Mitigation In Sponge Mariculture, Jambiani Zanzibar, Claire Johnston

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The declining seaweed industry coupled with efforts by the NGO Marine Cultures have led to the establishment of sponge mariculture in Jambiani, Zanzibar. However, growing cyanobacteria levels have substantially increased sponge mortality rates. In order to determine successful cyanobacteria mitigation treatments, six populations of farm ropes, support lines, and sponges were (a) untreated, (b) manually cleaned or submerged in solutions of (c) 2% hydrogen peroxide, (d) 4% hydrogen peroxide, (e) 50 g/L salt, or (f) 70 g/L salt. No conclusions were drawn from rope treatments, no techniques were effective for support line treatments, and both concentrations of hydrogen peroxide were …

Quantifying Resilience Of Multiple Ecosystem Services And Biodiversity In A Temperate Forest Landscape, Elena Cantarello, Adrian C. Newton, Phillip A. Martin, Paul M. Evans, Arjan Gosal, Melissa S. Lucash

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Resilience is increasingly being considered as a new paradigm of forest management among scientists, practitioners, and policymakers. However, metrics of resilience to environmental change are lacking. Faced with novel disturbances, forests may be able to sustain existing ecosystem services and biodiversity by exhibiting resilience, or alternatively these attributes may undergo either a linear or nonlinear decline. Here we provide a novel quantitative approach for assessing forest resilience that focuses on three components of resilience, namely resistance, recovery, and net change, using a spatially explicit model of forest dynamics. Under the pulse set scenarios, we explored the resilience of nine ecosystem …

Finding Water Scarcity Amid Abundance Using Human–Natural System Models, William K. Jaeger, Adell Amos, Daniel P. Bigelow, Heejun Chang, David R. Conklin, Roy Haggerty, Christian Langpap, Kathleen Moore, Philip Mote, Anne W. Nolin, Andrew J. Plantinga, Cynthia L. Schwartz, Desiree Tullos, David P. Turner

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Water scarcity afflicts societies worldwide. Anticipating water shortages is vital because of water’s indispensable role in social-ecological systems. But the challenge is daunting due to heterogeneity, feedbacks, and water’s spatial-temporal sequencing throughout such systems. Regional system models with sufficient detail can help address this challenge. In our study, a detailed coupled human–natural system model of one such region identifies how climate change and socioeconomic growth will alter the availability and use of water in coming decades. Results demonstrate how water scarcity varies greatly across small distances and brief time periods, even in basins where water may be relatively abundant overall. …

Droughtscape, Fall 2017, National Drought Mitigation Center

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

Contents

Drought worsens in northern Great Plains

Drought takes toll on agriculture, livestock

Study examines ag advisors’ views on climate change

New drought definition could lead to better preparation

McCook takes big steps toward drought readiness

Group hopes to map drought planning process for Korea

South African researcher working to forecast drought

Cultivating drought preparedness in South Africa

Elution Tailing Of Nonaqueous Phase Liquids In Porous Media, Louisa Orr

Civil and Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

A variety of porous media were studied to characterize contaminant dispersion over time. This work looked at a compilation of previously published studies to investigate the dependence of long term elution tailing trends on particular soil characteristics. Recession curve analysis was conducted on existing dispersed contaminant literature, to yield the low-concentration recession constant (K). The R² values correlating the soil properties to contaminant concentration ranged from 0.12494 to 0.95429. The low-concentration recession constant (K) values ranged from 0.9745407 0.9999988. The relationship between K and the soil properties porosity, organic carbon, and fines fraction is increasing. Bulk density and the …

The Clean Air Act And Its Impact On Ground Level Ozone Pollution Levels In Los Angeles, California, Rebecca G. Ford

Honors Theses

Ozone (O₃) occurs naturally as a protective, ultraviolet radiation-shielding “Ozone Layer” in the Stratosphere and as a photochemically produced pollutant in the Troposphere. The Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1970 regulates the emission and concentration of O₃ and five other atmospheric pollutants. Since the signing of the CAA, the ongoing question has been whether or not the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and regulatory policies have had an effect on decreasing O₃ concentration. The Los Angeles metropolitan area is a prime example of how O₃ can be a public health hazard, and taint a …

Managing Opuntioid Cacti In Australia - Best Practice Control Manual For Austrocylindropuntia, Cylindropuntia And Optunia Species, M. R. Sheehan, S. Potter

Biosecurity published reports

The twenty-seven species of opuntioid cacti that are recognised as Weeds of National Significance are some of Australia's worst weeds. They grow over a wide climatic range and have impacted on pastoral and agricultural use of large tracts of land; pose an environmental risk to wildlife; and reduce aesthetic and recreational use, with direct impact on human safety.

Weedy infestations occur in all states and territories. Some are extensive, covering hundreds of thousands of hectares with a significant potential for range expansion

Over time there has been a substantial effort by government, industry, landholders and community groups to manage opuntioid …

Survey Of Invasive Lantana Camara At Makirovana-Tsihomanaomby Forest Complex, Eliza Pessereau

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Lantana camara is a shrub known globally as an invasive pest that grows primarily in degraded areas. The species is known to exist at Makirovana-Tsihomanaomby, a forest complex in northeastern Madagascar with 167 endemic species of flora and fauna, several of which are on the IUCN Red List. The complex, specifically Tsihomanaomby forest, is used as a resource for the three rural communes that live on its outskirts, meaning that it experiences much human activity. The objective of this study was to survey the population of L. camara at two sites: one just outside of the Tsihomanaomby forest and one …

Factors Associated With Bat Mortality At Wind Energy Facilities In The United States, Maureen Thompson, Julie A. Beston, Matthew Etterson, Jay E. Diffendorfer, Scott R. Loss

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Hundreds of thousands of bats are killed annually by colliding with wind turbines in the U.S., yet little is known about factors causing variation in mortality across wind energy facilities. We conducted a quantitative synthesis of bat collision mortality with wind turbines by reviewing 218 North American studies representing 100 wind energy facilities. This data set, the largest compiled for bats to date, provides further evidence that collision mortality is greatest for migratory tree-roosting species (Hoary Bat [Lasiurus cinereus], Eastern Red Bat [Lasiurus borealis], Silver-haired Bat [Lasionycteris noctivagans]) and from July to October. Based …

Human Energy Capstone

Activities

Movement is very important for humans. From our earliest days, we seem eager to get up and move around. The most celebrated moments of a child’s life seem to be geared around the ability to move: the first crawl, the first walk, the first bike ride, and (every parent’s nightmare) the first driver’s license. The ability to get around is one of the most cherished abilities and freedoms. For many Americans, our ability to get around when and how we want is almost considered a sacred right. Physics textbooks, which have many chapters devoted to motion, build a great many …

Efficiency

Activities

The previous two activities in this module have shown us the importance of conservation laws. These laws provide extra “tools” that allow us to analyze certain aspects of physical systems and to be able to predict the motion of objects in the systems without using more complicated analysis. Even in situations wherein we cannot exactly solve the motion, these laws are incredibly useful. For instance, if someone shows us an incredibly complicated device that can seemingly produce electricity with no energy input whatsoever, we know not to invest money in this device, as it must be a sham since it …

First Law Of Thermodynamics

Activities

In last week’s activity, we calculated the motion of objects by studying the forces on them. Using Newton’s Second Law of Motion, we were able to relate the forces on an object to the acceleration it experienced. The presence of constant forces led to constant accelerations, which corresponded to linearly-increasing velocities with respect to time. Comparisons made between the velocities we measured and those calculated from a study of the forces on the objects allowed us to validate Newton’s equation F = ma. In this week’s activity, we are going to investigate almost the same experimental setup as last week, …

Newton's Second Law

Activities

There are two ways to study the dynamics of a system in which there is motion. One of these is to study the kinematics of the system to see if there is any acceleration. If there is an acceleration, then this implies that there is a net force on some part of the system. If there is no acceleration, then this means that either there are no forces on the system, or that the forces within the system are all balanced. The other way to study the system is from an energy standpoint. Energy can flow from potential to kinetic, …

Population Growth

Activities

When George Washington started the first Presidency of the United States of America, he was governing less than 4 million people who occupied an area of 2,300,000 square kilometers. It was an agrarian society, with 95% of the population living on farms and only 5% in cities or towns of more than 2,500. There was plenty of land, and a vast array of natural resources, just waiting to be tapped. Today, we live in a country of over 294 million people. While we are one of the major food producers in the world, it is no longer due to us …

Age Structures

Activities

One of the tools that demographers use to understand population is the age structure diagram (it is sometimes called a population pyramid, but it is not always pyramidal in shape). This diagram shows the distribution by ages of females and males within a certain population in graphic form. Figure 1 shows a diagram in which the ages and sexes for the United States population are arranged so that ages are grouped together such as 0 – 4 years, 5 – 9 years, and so on. The population of each is group is represented as a bar extending from a central …

Population Statistics

Activities

For all of its futuristic stylings, the television show Star Trek was, like most science fiction, a commentary on the state of society at the time it was written (late 1960’s). One of the more famous episodes of that series was the one entitled The Mark of Gideon, which dealt with a planet that was so overpopulated that people did not have anywhere to sit down. At the time of the show, the Earth’s population was at about 3.5 billion, and was increasing at an incredible rate. The effects of such a large population on the environment were beginning to …