Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

Monitoring Of Polluted Water Bodies By Remote Sensing, Anatoly A. Gitelson, Robert Stark, Gideon Oron, Inka Dor

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to evaluate a remote sensing method for real time monitoring of wastewater effluent. Reflectance in the range from 400 to 950 nm with a spectral resolution of 2 nm, simultaneously with turbidity, chlorophyll and total suspended matter contents were acquired in two wastewater systems: R "m and Naan, Israel. The reflectance spectra of wastewater effluent were investigated in order to develop algorithms for remote estimation of wastewater quality expressed as chlorophyll-α, bacteriochlorophyll-α, non-organic and total suspended matter concentrations. Reflectance height at 720 nm and an area above the base line from 670 to 950 …

Ecological Water Treatment System For Removal Of Phosphorus And Nitrogen From Polluted Water, Ray W. Drenner, Donald J. Day, Stacy J. Basham, J. Durward Smith, Susan I. Jensen

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

We propose that phosphorus and nitrogen can be removed from polluted water using an ecological water treatment system consisting of periphyton and fish. In the proposed system, polluted water flows through a series of vessels, and the nutrients are taken up by periphyton growing on porous screens. Algal-grazing fish feed on the periphyton and either assimilate or egest the nutrients in mucus-bound feces that settle from the water into a sediment trap. Both the fish and their feces can be harvested as nutrient sinks. In this study we examined the effects of an algal-grazing cichlid (Tilapia mossambica) and …

Sem Analysis Of Quartz Sand Grain Surface Textures Indicates Alluvial/Colluvial Origin Of The Quaternary "Glacial" Boulder Clays At Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), East-Central China, P. E. Helland, Pei-Hua Huang, Robert F. Diffendal Jr.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Geomorphic features and Pleistocene deposits on Huangshan have been attributed to glaciation. Recent reassessment questions this interpretation. As part of the reassessment, quartz sand grains from deposits identified as glacial boulder clays (till composed of boulders in a clay or silt matrix) were analyzed by scanning electron microscope for evidence of their sedimentary history. Surface textures found on the boulder-clay grains were compared with those on grains with known sedimentary histories including glacial, grus, colluvial, and alluvial grains. The analysis shows that the grains lack typical glacial textures. The surface textures present indicate a complex history. Non-uniformly weathered grain surfaces …

Domestic Well Water Quality In Rural Nebraska: Focus On Nitrate-Nitrogen, Pesticides And Coliform Bacteria, D. C. Gosselin, J. Headrick, R. Tremblay, X. H. Chen, S. E. Summerside

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Radiation And Gas Exchange Of Understory Species At Boreas: Research Annual Performance Report For Period June 15, 1997- June 14, 1998, E. A. Walter-Shea, T. J. Arkebauer

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

1997 Rapid Ecological Assessment Northern Great Plains Steppe Ecoregion: Western And Central South Dakota, Northwestern Nebraska, Eastern Wyoming, A Final Report, Terri Hildebrand

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

In an effort to gain a more complete understanding of existing vegetative communities of the Northern Great Plains Steppe Ecoregion, rapid ecological assessment was undertaken throughout the ecoregion during the field season of 1997. Field office personnel of The Nature Conservancy and private contractors evaluated previously delineated regions in accordance with methodology determined in May of 1997. The following document presents results of the rapid ecological assessments performed by Hildebrand Contracting. The purpose of this document is to provide The Nature Conservancy with information to help determine the vegetative features of regions sampled. The specific areas and boundaries for evaluation …

Twenty-Five Year Index To The Prairie Naturalist, Volumes 1-25, 1968-1993, Paul B. Kannowski

The Prairie Naturalist

Forward

Author Index

1.Articles and Notes

2. Book Reviews

3. Editorials

Subject Index

Geographic Index

Taxonomic Index

Plants

Animals

Other Records

A Floristic Study Of The Republican River Valley In Nebraska With Emphasis On Endangered, Threatened, And Rare Plants, Steven J. Rothenberger

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

The objectives of this study were: (1) to survey the Republican River Valley and selected tributaries in Nebraska for rare plant species (as listed by the Nebraska Natural Heritage program) and determine the present status of these species; (2) to identify and describe potential natural areas that, because of their location and/or species composition, are thought to have ecological value; (3) to complie a plant species check list for the study area in order to better understand species distributions and associations that impact rare species; and (4) to speculate as to the effect of instream river flows on the distribution …

Histomorphological Responses Of Red Shiner (Cyprinella Lutrensis) To Atrazine, Terbufos, And Their Mixture, Ibrahim A. Messaad

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Alterations of normal histomorphology of fish tissues, behavior, and thermal tolerance are recognized by environmental toxicologists and fish biologists as powerful tools indicating diverse biochemical and physiological changes. Toxicity of atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-1,3,5-triazine), terbufos (S-(((1,1-dimethyl-ethyl)thio)methyl)O,O-diethyl phosphorodithioate), and their mixture to red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis) at 23$\sp\circ$C and 30$\sp\circ$C was investigated in 14-d bioassays after 14-d acclimation. During the bioassays, fish behavior, indications of toxicosis, and external anomalies were observed. After the bioassays, the critical thermal maximum (CTM) was determined. Fish also were preserved for examinations of gill, liver, and kidney tissues using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy (LM). SEM …

The Effects Of Wet Meadow Fragmentation On Grassland Birds, Christopher J. Helzer

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 28, No. 4. December 1996

The Prairie Naturalist

IMPLANTED MICROCHIPS USED TO INDIVIDUALLY IDENTIFY BLACK-FOOTED FERRETS IN MONTANA ▪ R. Stoneberg

GRAY WOLF STATUS IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ D. S Licht and L. E. Huffman

VARIATION IN SELECTION OF MICROHABITATS BY MERRIAM'S TURKEY BROOD HENS ▪ M. A. Rumble and S. H. Anderson

SURVIVAL AND REPRODUCTIVE CHRONOLOGY OF FEMALE RING-NECKED PHEASANTS IN SOUTH DAKOTA ▪ A. P. Leif

EFFECTS OF LOGGING SLASH ON ASPEN REGENERATION IN GRAZED CLEARCUTS ▪ M. A. Rumble, T. Pella, J. C. Sharps. A. V. Carter, and J. B. Parrish

BOOK REVIEWS

The Poetry of Ecoregions ▪ J. Pastor

Saving Texas' Rare Ones ▪ …

Prairie Legacies - Mammals, Russell A. Benedict, Patricia W. Freeman, Hugh H. Genoways

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Few North American ecosystems have been as dramatically altered by humans as the prairies of the Great Plains. Occupying the immense interior of North America, these deceiving grassland oceans hid their complexity and diversity from many early travelers who saw this area merely as an obstacle to overcome in their westward journeys. But for the careful observer, prairies hold a tremendous quantity of life, arranged in a diverse mosaic of patches ranging in scale from minute anthills to the vastness of the Nebraska Sandhills or Kansas Flint Hills. Not only is a given ridgetop subdivided into a number of areas …

Reproductive Success Of Grasshopper Sparrows In Relation To Edge, Jennifer M. Delisle, Julie A. Savidge

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Using an index based on observations of breeding behaviors, we estimated reproductive success of 31 territorial grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum) on Conservation Reserve Program fields in southeast Nebraska. Reproductive success was 52%, and no difference was detected between birds holding interior (>100 m from the edge) vs. edge territories. However, grasshopper sparrows appeared to avoid nesting within 50 m of edge habitats. Territories ranged from 0.36-1.24 ha, and territory size did not differ between successful and unsuccessful males.

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 28, No. 3. September 1996

The Prairie Naturalist

REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS OF GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS IN RELATION TO EDGE ▪ J. M Delisle, and J. A. Savidge

OBSERVATIONS ON BATS AT BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH DAKOTA ▪ M A. Bogan, J. G. Osborne, and J. A. Clarke

DIETS OF FEMALE WHITE-TAILED DEER IN THE CROSS-TIMBERS REGION ▪ F. C. Bryant, G. Van Vreede, T. J. Deliberto, and K. L. Gee

NOTES

Second Record of White Ibis in North Dakota ▪ J. W. Marlow, L. D. Igl, and M. R. Hartman

A Recent Record of Mountain Lion in Nebraska ▪ H. H. Genoways and P. W. Freeman

Prairie Falcon Predation on …

Propagation Of Juniperus For Conservation Plantings In The Great Plains, Scott Allen Lee

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

The Biology Of Alewife Alosa Pseudoharengus In Lake Ogallala, Nebraska, Eric A. Laux

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

Improving The Validation Of Model-Simulated Crop Yield Response To Climate Change: An Application To The Epic Model* Jour. Ser. No. 11339 Nebraska Ag. Res. Div., William E. Easterling, Xiafen Chen, Cynthia Hays, James R, Brandle, Hehui Zang

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Crop models have been used extensively to simulate yield response to various scenarios of climate change. Such simulations have been inadequately validated, limiting their utility in policy analysis. In this research, it is argued that the performance of crop models during recent years of extreme weather conditions relative to current normals may give a better indication of the validity of model simulations of crop yields in response to climate change than performance during the full range of climate conditions (as is done now). Twenty years of the climate record (1971-1990) are separated into different growing season temperature and precipitation classes …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 28, No. 2. June 1996

The Prairie Naturalist

RAPTOR NESTING CHRONOLOGY IN NORTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ R. K. Murphy, and J. T. Ensign

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS FOR NORTH DAKOTA -1995 ▪ R. N. Randall

YELLOW PERCH SPAWNING HABITATS IN PICKEREL LAKE, SOUTH DAKOTA ▪ S. J. Fisher, K. L Pope, L. J. Templeton, and D. W. Willis

ECOLOGY OF BOTRYCHIUM CAMPESTRE ON NORTHEASTERN lOWA GLADES ▪ J. C. Nekola, and D. W. Schlicht

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF PURPLE CONEFLOWER IN SOUTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ H. K. Leuszler, V J. Tepedino, and D. G. Alston

BOOK REVIEWS

A Unique Group of Birds ▪ J. H. Schulz

Forest Ecology ▪ S. …

Growth And Yield Of Snap Beans (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) As Affected By Shelterbelts And Planting Dates, Mohd Nazip Suratman

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

Thermal Tolerances Of Platte River Fishes: Field And Laboratory Studies, Brett P. Fessell

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

Chronic Effects Of Baseflow Levels Of Atrazine On Platte River Algae, Karen J. Nelson

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Prey Availability On Walleye (Stizostedion Vitreum), Mark T. Porath

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 28, No. 1. March 1996

The Prairie Naturalist

SUMMER AVIAN ABUNDANCE, INVERTEBRATE BIOMASS, AND FORBS IN KANSAS CRP ▪ S. D. Hull, R.J. Robel, and K. E. Kemp

SUPPRESSION OF SMOOTH BROME BY ATRAZINE, MOWING, AND FIRE ▪ G. D. Willson, and J. Stubbendieck

NOTES

Continued Westward Dispersal of the Woodchuck in Kansas ▪ G. M. Wilson and J. R. Choate

Intraspecific Aggression Between GadwalIs Results in Mortality ▪ D. E. Naugle, K. F. Higgins and M. S. Wilsdon

Western Meadowlark Impaled on Barbed-wire Fence ▪ L. D. Igl

Cyperaceae in Dodge County Nebraska: New Records ▪ S. J. Rothenberger

BOOK REVIEWS

Native Habitats of the Twin Cities …

Geologic History Of Ash Hollow State Historical Park, Nebraska, Robert F. Diffendal Jr., Roger K. Pabian, J. R. Thomasson

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

Contents:

Introduction
Acknowledgments
Cautions
General Stratigraphy
Oligocene Series-White River Group-Brule Formation-Whitney Member
Miocene Series-Ogallala Group-Ash Hollow Formation
Pliocene Series-Broadwater Formation
Quaternary deposits
Older colluvium and loess
Younger colluvium and alluvium
General Paleontology
Evidence of past life: fossils and subfossils
Collecting fossils
Vertebrate fossils
Fossils from the Whitney Member of the Brule Formation
Plants
Invertebrates
Vertebrates
Fossils from the Ash Hollow Formation
Plants
Invertebrates
Vertebrates
Fossils from the Broadwater Formation
Plants
Vertebrates
Quaternary fossils
Plants
Invertebrates
Vertebrates
Additional studies of Nebraska fossils
Geologic History
Prehistory and History
References
Appendices I-IV

Surface Exchange Of Water Vapour Between An Open Sphagnum Fen And The Atmosphere, S. B. Verma

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Conifer Shoot Bidirectional Scattering: Methodology And Preliminary Results, E.A. Walter-Shea, M.A. Mesarch

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Land Use/Land Cover On Climatological Values Of The Diurnal Temperature Range, Kevin P. Gallo, David R. Easterling, Thomas C. Peterson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The diurnal temperature range (DTR) at weather observation stations that make up the U.S. Historical Climatology Network was evaluated with respect to the predominant land use/land cover associated with the stations within three radii intervals (100, 1000, and 10 000 m) of the stations. Those stations that were associated with predominantly rural land use/land cover (LULC) usually displayed the greatest observed DTR, whereas those associated with urban related land use or land cover displayed the least observed DTR. The results of this study suggest that significant differences in the climatological DTR were observed and could be attributed to the predominant …

Estimation Of Seasonal Dynamics Of Pasture And Crop Productivity In Kazakhstan Using Noaa/Avhrr Data, Anatoly A. Gitelson, Felix Kogan, Lev Spivak, Edige Zakarin, Lubov Lebed

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Recently, NOAA developed the AVHRR-based Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) for drought monitoring. This index was used for estimating pasture and crop productivity in Kazakhstan. The results of VCI-derived vegetation conditions were compared with vegetation density, biomass and reflectance measured in different climatic and ecological zones with elevation from 200 to 700 m and a large range of the NDVI variation (over space and season) from 0.05 to 0.47. An estimation error of AVHRR-derived vegetation density was less than 16 per cent. First time it was shown that the VCI-derived vegetation condition data can be effectively used for quantitative assessments of …

Novel Algorithms For Remote Sensing Of Chlorophyll Content In Higher Plant Leaves, Anatoly A. Gitelson, Mark N. Merzlyak, Yuri Grits

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The general features of reflectance spectra of higher plant leaves are considered with special reference to remote sensing of chlorophyll. Wavelengths with maximum sensitivity to chlorophyll content were found in the wide spectral range from 550 to 630 nm and near 700 nm. The wavelength of the red edge position of the reflectance spectrum correlated very closely with the reflectance at 550 and 700 nm. The ratios of reflectances in the near infra-red range of the spectrum (above 750 nm) to that at 700 nm R_NIR/R₇₀₀ and R_NIR/R₅₅₀ were directly proportional to the leaves' …

Windbreaks For Snow Management, James R. Brandle, H. Doak Nickerson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

In areas of high winds and blowing snow, windbreaks can reduce the amount of effort spent on snow management. They can be designed to spread snow across a large area or to confine it to a relatively small storage area. The design of your windbreak will depend on your objective. Field windbreaks designed to distribute snow evenly across a field should be tall and porous. In contrast, windbreaks designed to capture snow and control drifting should have multiple rows with high density. There is no one set design, number of rows, or width of planting that is ideal for every …