Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

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. …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

Annual Smelt Brook Survey - An Autumn Snapshot (2010)

Watershed Access Lab Projects

No abstract provided.

Furnace Brook Stream Study

Watershed Access Lab Projects

No abstract provided.

Abbott Run Annual Study 2011

Watershed Access Lab Projects

The purpose of our study was to ensure that Abbott Run maintained its Class A River water quality. This is important because Abbott Run is the source of drinking water for Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Abbott Run is located in the western section of North Attleboro and is within the Blackstone River Watershed. Rhode Island is to the west of the stream and Plainville and North Attleboro border the south of the stream. The North Attleboro section of the watershed is four square miles in area according to the town records.

Most of the land is used for single-family residential buildings, …

Chemistry Of The Matfield River

Watershed Access Lab Projects

Three classes at East Bridgewater High School examined and analyzed various aspects of the Matfield River during the 2010-2011 school year. The chemistry and environmental science classes at East Bridgewater High School collected data from the Matfield River in November 2010. The environmental science class analyzed the macroinvertebrates of the river, and the chemistry class examined the chemistry of the river. The oceanography class tested fecal coliform bacteria in water samples taken in March 2011, and also examined land use of the river’s tributaries.

Although concerns were raised about the sewage treatment plant releasing waste into the Salisbury Plain River, …

Macroinvertebrate Study In Scituate

Watershed Access Lab Projects

A severe drought affected the streams leading into the reservoirs in Scituate throughout the summer of 2010 causing water bans and an exceptionally low amount of water from which to draw for the town’s use. The usual public and accessible portions of the streams were dry. Fortunately, the North and South Rivers Watershed Association includes a member who graciously allowed four students to come and sample the water on his property on October 7, 2010. Following the sampling with kick nets and gear borrowed from the WAL lab, these students spent the next six months meeting weekly to classify the …

Matfield River Land Use

Watershed Access Lab Projects

Three classes at East Bridgewater High School examined and analyzed various aspects of the Matfield River during the 2010-2011 school year. The chemistry and environmental science classes at East Bridgewater High School collected data from the Matfield River in November 2010. The environmental science class analyzed the macroinvertebrates of the river, and the chemistry class examined the chemistry of the river. The oceanography class tested fecal coliform bacteria in water samples taken in March 2011, and also examined land use of the river’s tributaries.

Although concerns were raised about the sewage treatment plant releasing waste into the Salisbury Plain River, …

Agawam River Project Year 11: River Water And Salt

Watershed Access Lab Projects

No abstract provided.

Watershed Access Lab: Educators Resource Center For Environmental Studies, Kim Mccoy

Watershed Access Lab Projects

Brief overview of the RiverNet Watershed Access program - its history and the achievements of the many participating teachers and students from throughout Southeastern Massachusetts.

How Much Do U.S. University Students Know, And Want To Know, About Sustainability And Green Building? The Findings Of A Survey, And Possible Implications For General Elective Curriculum., Jeremy R. Farner

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

Using the survey approach, this investigation examined the attitudes and interest of college students at two universities in different geographic locations within the United States.  Approximately 24,000 students from all disciplines and majors at Weber State University (WSU) in Utah, and 4,000 at Purdue University in Indiana, were invited to participate in a study to determine current knowledge, familiarity, and interest in topics within the sustainability and Green Building educational arena. The goal of this study was to determine what students already know, would like to know, and how much interest there would be in developing …

Droughtscape, Spring 2011, Kelly Smith

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

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Forecasters Say Dryness in TX and SW to Continue

Drought Planning, The Game: Coming Soon

Ding Takes New Post

South and Southwest Lose Crops, Fight Fires

Drought Monitor Authors Review Enhanced GIS Tools and New Processes

Are Western Australian Waters The Least Productive Waters For Finfish Across Two Oceans? A Review With A Focus On Finfish Resources In The Kimberley Region And North Coast Bioregion, B. W. Molony, S. J. Newman, L. Loll, R C J Lenanton, B. Wise

Fisheries Research Articles

The marine ecosystems of Western Australia, including those in the Kimberley, are classified as being of moderate to low productivity. This is primarily a consequence of the influence of the Leeuwin Current, the eastern boundary current that flows poleward delivering warm, low nutrient waters, and only sporadic short-term upwelling events to shelf habitats off the Western Australian coast. This, coupled with little riverine inflow from old weathered terrestrial systems, results in low levels of primary and secondary production in habitats along most of the coast. The consequence is that finfish fisheries in the Kimberley and throughout the State typically land …

Stochastic Hybrid Embodied Co2-Eq Analysis: An Application To The Irish Apartment Building Sector, Adolf Acquaye, Aidan Duffy, Biswajit Basu

Articles

Although embodiedCO2-eq analysis has seen recent developments as evident in the establishment of the ISO14040 and 14044 LCA standards, it is recognized that due to weaknesses in gathering data on product-related emissions,embodiedCO2-eq values are probabilistic. This paper presents a stochastic analysis of hybrid embodied CO2-eq in buildings to account for this weakness in traditional methods and, by way of example, applies it to an Irish construction-sector case study. Using seven apartment buildings, 70,000 results are simulated with Monte Carlo analysis and used to derive probabilistic and cumulative embodied CO2-eq intensity distributions for apartment buildings in Ireland. A Wakeby distribution with …

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering January 1, 2011 To March 31, 2011, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• The number of records in the volunteer database increased by 15.35% over the last quarter. The database now contains 7,537 records.
• The number of site visits increased 38.5% over the last quarter. Results show an average of 1,356 visits per month.
• The number of page views increased 29.15% over last month. Results show an average of 2,081 pages viewed per month.
• Get Outdoors Nevada supported 22 volunteer events in a variety of ways. These events utilized 692 volunteers whom contributed 2,930 combined hours of service.
• Four volunteer trainings have been completed; 72 volunteers attended the trainings.
• Volunteer Orientation Training Automation …

Limnological Assistance For Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Quarterly Report, Period Ending March 30, 2011, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1

• Technical assistance with the implementation of the Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP) for Quagga Mussels is ongoing. During this quarter, analysis was completed for 13 juvenile/adult samples and analyses of the remaining samples are underway.
• Both research projects are well underway with 14 sample sets collected for Veliger abundance and settlement at different depths of Lake Mead and 12 samples collected for Growth of adult quagga mussels within Las Vegas Wash/Las Vegas Bay.

Project 2

• Annual summary sheets are under development for the topics listed within the Limnological and Aquatic Resource Monitoring and Research Plan for Lakes Mead …