Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

The Fate And Transport Of Nitrogen (N) And The Effect Of Emergent Plants On Natural Treatment Of N-Species At Las Vegas Wash, Nevada, Tanju Kiriscioglu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of emergent plant communities at Las Vegas Wash (the System) using a system dynamics modeling approach. Understanding the dynamics of nitrogen (N —major polluting nutrient in the Wash) that enters the System is important because it occasionally causes algal blooms, choking Lake Mead through excessive eutrophication. Emergent plant communities are an integral part of wetland ecosystems and they play a crucial role in natural treatment of nutrients. This study is intended to test this hypothesis.

The study makes use of Wash data from reliable sources (Las Vegas Valley Water District, …

Cooperative Conservation: Increasing Capacity Through Community Partnerships -- Interagency Volunteer Program & Cooperative Conservation Program: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending March 31, 2006, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• Interagency volunteer database now contains 2,211 records, reflecting 404 new volunteer records this quarter, a 22% increase over last quarter.
• Website activity decreased, recording an average of 35,798 hits per month, with an average of 3,337 pages viewed per month.
• Volunteer events were successfully executed in Sloan Canyon NCA, Spring Mountains NRA, and Lake Mead NRA.
• Interagency training was delivered to 70 volunteers.

Effects Of Predator Removal On Upland Nesting Ducks In North Dakota Grassland Fragments, Kristen D. Chodachek, Michael J. Chamberlain

The Prairie Naturalist

Low nest success rates in the Prairie Pothole Region are attributed mainly to changes in the predator community coupled with reductions in availability of suitable nesting cover. We evaluated effects of removal of mammalian predators on pair density and nest success of ducks nesting on 259 ha sites in northeastern North Dakota during 2001 and 2002. We monitored pair density and duck nests on 10 sites with removal and 10 sites without removal. Overall nest success for both years was greater on trapped (53.4%) than nontrapped sites (28.7%). Pair densities were not affected by predator removal, but did increase across …

Optimal Management Of Groundwater Over Space And Time, Nicholas Brozovic, David L. Sunding, David Zilberman

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

For nearly half a century, groundwater has been portrayed in the economic literature as a typical common property resource. Numerous studies of groundwater extraction have analyzed the externalities imposed by users on each other. A large body of work offers clear prescriptions in the form of optimal policy instruments, and a similarly large body of work advocates the needlessness of any centralized intervention. Yet existing theoretical models of groundwater extraction implicitly make two strong assumptions about the underlying behavior of the resource. First, the spatial distribution of resource users is assumed to be irrelevant. Second, path-independence of the resource is …

Terpenes And Carbohydrate Source Influence Rumen Fermentation, Digestibility, Intake, And Preference In Sheep, J. J. Villalba, F. D. Provenza, K. C. Olson

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

We hypothesized that toxins and nutrients in foods interact to influence foraging behavior by herbivores. Based on this hypothesis we predicted that 1) terpenes in big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) influence intake and preference in sheep for diets varying in sources of nonstructural (barley grain) and structural (sugar beet pulp) carbohydrates, and 2) these effects are due to the differential effects of terpenes on fermentation products and apparent digestibility of each class of carbohydrates. Lambs were fed 2 isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets with varying proportions of the same ingredients (beet pulp- and barley grain-based diet) or offered a choice between the …

Zero Effluent Stretch Target (Zest), Orla O'Connor

Theses

The goals of this project were to assess the viability of avoiding water use and of “cascading” water uses, i.e. using outlet water from one process in another activity, possibly with some purification, including the upgrading of the final effluent stream for internal reuse. Water use has been inventoried at FMC Biopolymer, Cork. Avoidance and reduction measures were identified that could reduce water consumption from 49m /hr to 19 m /hr (a reduction in excess of 60%), with an annual saving in excess of €350,000. These projects were assessed for feasibility and implementation. Potential streams that could be subject to …

Cooperative Conservation: Increasing Capacity Through Community Partnerships -- Interagency Volunteer Program & Cooperative Conservation Program: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending December 31, 2005, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• Database now contains 1,807 records, a 15% increase over the last quarter.
• Website activity increased, recording an average of 38,399 hits per month, with an average of 3,537 pages viewed per month.
• Inaugural interagency volunteer recognition event held October 28, 2005.
• Interagency training program (phase 1) scheduled for February 2006 (four sessions).
• Alternative Workforce Survey completed and delivered to National Park Service.

Preliminary Survey Of Rattlesnake Brook

Watershed Access Lab Projects

Rattlesnake Brook is located in Assonet, MA, passing under Rte 24 near exit #9 and under South Main Street. The stream was accessed at three sites: NSTAR (just upstream from the South Main St. culvert), Rapoza (downstream at 114 South Main St.) and Narrows Road (just upstream from the Narrows Rd culvert prior to the stream’s confluence with the Assonet River). One major change in land use is the addition of the Stop & Shop distribution center on South Main St. behind the Rapoza site.

Initial data for temperature and DO indicate that dissolved oxygen is high at the first …

A Water Quality Study Of Germany Brook, A Tributary Of The Neponset River

Watershed Access Lab Projects

Germany Brook is a first-order stream that originates in Westwood and travels two miles emptying into Ellis Pond in Norwood. Earlier sampling conducted by volunteers affiliated with the Neponset River Watershed Association on the lower reaches of the stream had indicated marginal water quality characterized by high nutrient and bacterial levels. In order to assess the potential impact of surrounding land uses on water quality in the stream, the benthic macroinvertebrate community was sampled at two stations during October, 2005.

It was hypothesized that the upstream station should have better water quality than its downstream counterpart as the upper reaches …

A Comparison Study: Fall Book And A Natural Spring; Focus: Water Chemistry

Watershed Access Lab Projects

The purpose of the study was to compare two fresh water resources in the Freetown Lakeville area. One site found was a natural spring located in Lakeville near Morgan Reserves off Long Pont Road. The Spring is located in the woods and in a remote location. The water from the spring enters into Little Quittacas Pond, a reservoir for New Bedford drinking water. The other freshwater site was a brook called Fall Brook in Freetown located off Gurney Road. The brook is located near Still Water Fastener Factory and flows under Gurney Road.

The focus of the study was on …

Macro Invertebrates Of Kirby Brook

Watershed Access Lab Projects

The purpose of our project was to compare the relative abundance of Macroinvertebrates at two sites on Kirby Brook in Westport MA. One site was in the woods behind our high school approximately 1/4 of a mile along an overgrown trail. These woods are frequented in the winter for hunting purposes. At the time of the study, the water was stagnant due to lack of rain. The second site was across from a farm on Drift Rd. The water was low but flowing.

At both sites, Oligochaetes made up the majority of Macroinvertebrates (231 at site 1, 71 at site …

The Taunton River's Last Major Tributary: Chemical Analysis Of A Freshwater Dam System In The Upper Assonet River

Watershed Access Lab Projects

No abstract provided.

Comparative Study Of Leonard Washburn Brook And Poquoy Brook

Watershed Access Lab Projects

Leonard Washburn Brook is a tributary of Poquoy Brook. It is located in Lakeville, MA and was accessed on Cross Street. We considered this our pristine river environment. Poquoy Brook, also of Lakeville, MA was accessed on Taunton Street. We considered this our river with many land uses as it passes through both a cranberry bog and a golf course.

Initial data for temperature and DO indicate that dissolved oxygen is higher at the Leonard Washburn than Poquoy Brook. Poquoy follows a normal diurnal curve while Leonard Washburn fluctuates with temperature due to lack of vegetation in the water column. …

A Comparison Of Divergent Sites On The Farm River: Wetlands Vs. Industry

Watershed Access Lab Projects

The Fore River Watershed initiates in the Blue Hills of Milton, Massachusetts. The Farm River, which flows through Braintree, Massachusetts, is one of the tributaries. It is a first order river that contributes to Great Pond, the major water supply for Braintree, Randolph and Avon. As the Farm River proceeds beyond Great Pond, it passes within thirty feet of an industrial park and shopping mall for approximately 1km. It also passes under a heavily traveled road, Granite Street. The amount of imperviousness in the area is considerable

The purpose of this study was to determine if a river flows through …

A River With History: Evaluating The Aberjona River

Watershed Access Lab Projects

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Autumn Leaf Drop On Water Quality At Turner's Pond Outlet

Watershed Access Lab Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact that the autumn leaf drop associated with the changing seasons has on water quality. Students in the senior elective, Botany, participated in this study of the main outlet of Turner’s Pond in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. The students designated two test sites downstream from the dam that holds back Turner’s Pond. Testing was done October 6 and 7, 2005 and October 27 and 28, 2005. The first dates were prior to the leaf drop and the second dates occurred after leaf drop had started but not yet been completed. The macroinvertebrate sampling …

The Runnins Report

Watershed Access Lab Projects

For the past 4 years, students in AP Biology have performed summer Ecology research studies at Burr’s Pond in Seekonk. One goal of the summer research has been to provide the students with a relevant, meaningful inquiry-based learning experience. At the start of the school year, the students measure the dissolved oxygen as part of the required AP Laboratory Exercise 12. A second goal of the summer research has been to sustain an annual evaluation of the dissolved oxygen as well as the diversity and distribution of organisms in and around the pond. Unfortunately, the data is not very accurate …

Cooperative Conservation: Increasing Capacity Through Community Partnerships -- Interagency Volunteer Program & Cooperative Conservation Program: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending September 30, 2005, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• 1,573 total volunteer records now loaded into database
• 230 new volunteers recruited through website: www.getoutdoorsnevada.org
• Website recorded an average of 35,000 hits per month for the quarter, with an average of 3,350 pages viewed per month
• Three major interagency volunteer events completed this quarter, at which more than 300 volunteers picked up a total of 128 cubic yards of litter at three separate National Public Lands Day clean-up events: September 17, 2005 - Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area September 24, 2005 - Red Rock National Conservation Area September 24, 2005 - Lake Mead National Recreation Area
• Interagency Volunteer Team selected …

The Ten Mile River Study

Watershed Access Lab Projects

In the past year, North Attleboro High Schools’ environmental science class has been conducting an intense study of the Ten Mile River. The focus of our study is to find out detailed information regarding the biological, physical, and chemical state of the river.

The Ten Mile River is the main river within North Attleboro. It runs down to Narragansett Bay and flows through many other local towns. The river begins at Cargill Pond in Plainville and flows 23 miles through North Attleboro, Attleboro, Plainville, and Seekonk before going into Rhode Island.

We studied two sites along the river within Bristol …

Long Pond Replication Study

Watershed Access Lab Projects

Long Pond, due to changes in demographics over the past 20 years, is experiencing environmental stress from two sources. One is the documented presence of Eurasian Milfoil and the other is the increased population density with small lot size in areas immediately adjacent to the pond. It is believed that effluent from overtaxed septic systems is moving into the pond via subsurface flow. ARHS students completed a study of water quality in 2001. At that time they found fecal coliform counts of 215 colonies/100 ml at Clark Shores. The Lakeville Conservation Commission wanted to know whether conditions have improved. This …

Second Herring Brook: An Analysis Of Our Watershed

Watershed Access Lab Projects

No abstract provided.

Introduction To Long Pond

Watershed Access Lab Projects

No abstract provided.

The Loon Pond Experience

Watershed Access Lab Projects

Since a previous study dealt with the water quality of Loon Pond, this year’s study focused on the possible presence of invasive aquatic weeds. Lakeville, like other towns in Massachusetts, is having a difficult battle with Eurasian Milfoil. The Lakeville Conservation Commission wanted to know whether the weed had also invaded Loon Pond. The study found many indigenous species of aquatic weeds. There was no evidence of Eurasian Milfoil. Water quality was within acceptable limits for pH, DO, temperature, reactive phosphorus and nitrogen as nitrate. Any increases in monthly concentrations of RP and NO₃ were explained by weather and …

Seasonal Changes In An Intermittent Stream

Watershed Access Lab Projects

No abstract provided.

Eel River Examination Ii

Watershed Access Lab Projects

No abstract provided.

Long Pond Five Site Study

Watershed Access Lab Projects

Long Pond, due to changes in demographics over the past 20 years, is experiencing environmental stress from two sources. One is the documented presence of Eurasian Milfoil and the other is the increased population density with small lot size in areas immediately adjacent to the pond. Lakeville Conservation Commission has tested and found fecal coliform bacteria in private wells of residents on Long Pond. In 2001, ARHS students found fecal coliforms the water of the pond itself. The Commission wanted to know whether the presence of fecal coliforms and concentrations of reactive phosphorus are weather dependent. Sampling for fecal coliforms …

How Polluted Is West Meadow Brook?

Watershed Access Lab Projects

This was a study of two sites along West Meadow Brook, located on the campus of Brockton High School. The river has been monitored by groups at BHS over the past four years and is known to be polluted. The purpose of the study completed this year was to continue monitoring the quality of the river and how it is being affected by its surroundings. The river is flanked by playing fields, including Marciano Stadium and Campanelli Stadium, on one side, and Brockton High’s main campus and parking lots on the other side. The maintenance of these playing fields, as …

Mussel Mania

Watershed Access Lab Projects

Long Pond, because of changes in demographics over the past 20 years, is experiencing environmental stress from the presence of Eurasian Milfoil. Two herbicides, Sonar and Diquat, were applied to water in the residential area of Long Pond known as Parkhurst in order to eradicate the milfoil. Shortly after this application a report was made of dead mussels floating on the north side of Assawampset Pond. Long Pond and Assawampset Pond are connected via Snake River. There is some speculation that there is also a connection via a culvert between Parkhurst and Assawampset Pond. The Lakeville Conservation Commission wanted to …

Cleaning The Quequechan River

Watershed Access Lab Projects

The 2005 Quequechan River Project has a couple of interesting subplots: The fecal coliform bacteria data, the increasing phosphorus levels, the leaf decomposition project, and the sewer overflow diversion project.

1. We had no bacteria growth for the samples we collected this year. That could be a good thing resulting from the tunnel project diverting sewer overflow waters or it could just be because we had no rain before we sampled.
2. Our biotic index indicated a severely impacted river (7.0). We collected mostly scuds from our site below the bridge. However, when we went with Olyssa Starry from the Urban Environmental …

Indian Head River Project

Watershed Access Lab Projects

The Indian Head River is a tributary of the North River which is part of the South Coastal Basin. The Drinkwater becomes the Indian Head River below Factory Pond on the Hanson/Hanover line. Upstream there are a number of businesses but from Factory Pond downstream, much of the river has a forested riparian zone. The Indian Head River flows through the towns of Hanson, Hanover, and Pembroke. Between the two study sites there is some white water including several small waterfalls.

This is the fourth year that Whitman-Hanson Regional Schools have investigated the Indian Head River. The High School studied …