Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

Ua3/9/5 Wku Energy Policy Announcement, Wku President's Office

WKU Administration Documents

Remarks and announcement by WKU president Gary Ransdell regarding WKU's energy policy and enumerating conservation efforts.

Project Update: Taunton River Watershed Management Plan (March 12, 2009 Meeting), Horsley Witten Group, Inc.

Public Meetings

No abstract provided.

Afternoon Concurrent Track 1: Sustainability In The K-16 Classroom, Ellen Ebert, Rebecca Reichenbach, Nick Pretasky, Dale Walsh

Education for a Global Future: 21st Century Challenges in Sustainability & Climate Change Education

AFTERNOON CONCURRENT TRACK 1: SUSTAINABILITY IN THE K-16 CLASSROOM Moderator Gale Sinatra Student Union Room 207 Ellen Ebert – Using the STS/EEE Model in 6-12 Curriculum to Understand the Sustainability Issues Related to the Colorado River System Abstract: Beginning in 1982, the National Science Teachers Association called for curriculum designers to develop materials that demonstrate the interconnectedness among science, technology and societal issues while presenting both positive and negative influences. This session will focus on using the STS/EEE learning model to design curriculum for secondary science that emphasizes sustainability issues focused on the Colorado River system. The presentation will outline …

Afternoon Concurrent Track 3: Green Curricula At Unlv, Thomas Jones, Ken Teeters, Barbara St. Pierre Schneider, Nancy Menzel, Lori Candela, Yu Xu, Sally Miller, Scott Nowicki

Education for a Global Future: 21st Century Challenges in Sustainability & Climate Change Education

AFTERNOON CONCURRENT TRACK 3: GREEN CURRICULA AT UNLV Moderator Carolyn Yucha Student Union Room 213 Tom Jones, Ken Teeters – Incorporating Sustainability into a Hospitality Management Curriculum Abstract: For the past 15 years, faculty members in the Harrah College of Hotel Administration who teach Facilities Management (HMD 395) have incorporated a sustainability management component in this required course. The concepts of sustainability and global climate change are introduced through readings and multi-media. The concept of Triple Bottom Line is presented and is applied to almost every component in the course. Students are assigned a variety of semester-long service-learning projects that …

Morning Concurrent Track 1: What Does It Mean For K-12 Students To Think About Sustainability In The Western U.S.?, Ellen Ebert, Rebecca Reichenbach, Allison Brody, Amy Page, Marcel Parent, Signa Gundlach

Education for a Global Future: 21st Century Challenges in Sustainability & Climate Change Education

MORNING CONCURRENT TRACK 1: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR K-12 STUDENTS TO THINK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY IN THE WESTERN U.S.? Moderator Kent Crippen Student Union Room 207 Ellen Ebert - Using the STS/EEE Model in 6-12 Curriculum to Understand the Sustainability Issues Related to the Colorado River System (repeats Afternoon Concurrent Session #1) Abstract: Beginning in 1982, the National Science Teachers Association called for curriculum designers to develop materials that demonstrate the interconnectedness among science, technology and societal issues while presenting both positive and negative influences. This session will focus on using the STS/EEE learning model to design curriculum for secondary …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 84, No. 37, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. Articles:

• Ulber, Emily. West Campus Greenways Project Moves to Phase 2
• Simpson, Mandy. Western to Offer Summer Developmental Courses – College Prep
• Claybourn, Cole. The Right Spot – Vagina Monologues
• Moore, Josh. Pulitzer Prize Winning Alumnus Speaks to Crowded Auditorium – Rick Loomis
• Bennett, Emily-Rose. A Thousand Words – Matt Coffelt
• Barczak, Mary. Student Government Association Attendance Down 6 Percent
• Barczak, Mary. Student Government Association Approves Study Abroad Scholarship
• Erskine, Anne. Editorial Cartoon re: Spring Break
• Winter Break Part II: Spring Break Should Be Moved Back to Spring
• Browning, …

Fisheries Research Contract Report No. 20 - Risk Assessment Of The Record Brook Inter-Basin Water Transfer Scheme To The Aquatic Fauna Of The Donnelly And Warren Rivers, M. De Graaf, D. L. Morgan, S. J. Beatty, C. W. Hugh

Fisheries Research Contract Reports

Report to the Water Corporation of Western Australia

This report describes the fishes and freshwater crayfishes of the Donnelly and Warren River catchments and provides a risk assessment to these fauna of the proposed extraction of water from Record Brook (tributary of the Donnelly River) and subsequent transfer to Scabby Gully Dam (Warren River catchment). The proposed location of the structure in Record Brook is at the gauging station ~1 km upstream from the confluence with the Donnelly River. The project aims to divert peak flows in the winter and spring flow period, transferring around 500 ML each year. The …

Evapotranspiration Of Irrigated And Rainfed Maize–Soybean Cropping Systems, Andrew E. Suyker, Shashi Verma

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

We have been making year-round measurements of mass and energy exchange in three cropping systems: (a) irrigated continuous maize, (b) irrigated maize–soybean rotation, and (c) rainfed maize–soybean rotation in eastern Nebraska since 2001. In this paper, we present results on evapotranspiration (ET) of these crops for the first 5 years of our study. Growing season ET in the irrigated and rainfed maize averaged 548 and 482 mm, respectively. In irrigated and rainfed soybean, the average growing season ET was 452 and 431 mm, respectively. On average, the maize ET was higher than the soybean ET by 18% for irrigated crops …

The Prairie Naturalist, Volume 41, No. 1/2 March/June 2009, The Great Plains Natural Science Society

The Prairie Naturalist

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH DUCK USE OF IMPOUNDED AND NATURAL WETLANDS IN WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. J. E. Austin and D. A. Buhl

THIRD REPORT OF THE NORTH DAKOTA BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE: 2004-2005 D. Svingen and R. E. Martin

EFFECT OF DROUGHT AND AGRICULTURE ON RING-NECKED PHEASANT ABUNDANCE, NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. C. J. Randel 55

COMMON RAVEN NESTS IN NORTH DAKOTA AFTER 1OO-YEAR HIATUS. M. P. Nenneman, T. A. Grant, and R. E. Martin

Suggestions for Contributors

Editorial Policy

Vegetation, Environmental Characteristics, And Their Relationships: Variation Within The Annually Flooded Riparian Zones Of The John Day River Basin, Oregon, Samuel J. Hartsfield

Dissertations and Theses

I hypothesized that vegetation and physical environmental characteristics would differ between the upper and lower extents of the annually flooded riparian zone on the John Day River, and that relationships between species and environmental variables would display differences between these two zones. Vegetation, environmental variables, and relationships between them were assessed for the entire annually flooded riparian zone, and for the proposed upper and lower zones. Data were collected from 60 one-square-meter quadrats: 30 in each the upper and lower zones. Sites were randomly selected and located so that flood duration was roughly equal at all sites within each zone. …

Take Pride In America In Southern Nevada: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering October 6, 2008 – January 5, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• Douglas Joslin has resigned from his Project Manager position

• Zia Engineering submits draft report

• GIS project meetings lead to preliminary proposal

• HECTOR announced as the winning name in the name the mascot contest

• Five clean-up events conducted this quarter

• Team provides 619 cubic yards of roll-off space for clean-ups

Earth Day, South Dakota State University

Conservation/Energy Alternatives

Bibliography and photographs of a display of government documents from South Dakota State University.

Development Of A Healthy Farm Index To Assess Ecological, Economic, And Social Function On Organic And Sustainable Farms In Nebraska's Four Agroecoregions., James R. Brandle

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

An Evaporation Estimation Method Based On The Coupled 2-D Turbulent Heat And Vapor Transport Equations, Jozsef Szilagyi, Janos Jozsa

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The analytical solution of the coupled turbulent diffusion equations of heat and vapor transport across a moisture discontinuity under near-neutral atmospheric conditions and constant energy available at the evaporating surface yields a simple equation (i.e., the wet-surface equation [WSE]) that relates the change in surface temperature to the change in the land surface moisture content as the environment dries. With the help of percent possible sunshine, air temperature, and humidity measurements at selected weather stations as well as land surface temperature values from MODIS data, monthly, warm-season evaporation rates were estimated for five rectangular regions across the contiguous U.S. employing …

Complementary Relationship Of Evaporation And The Mean Annual Water-Energy Balance, Jozsef Szilagyi, Janos Jozsa

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

By combining the complementary relationship of evaporation with the coupled long-term water-energy balance of Porporato et al. (2004) in a Budyko-type framework, one can, from atmospheric measurements alone, derive important ecosystem characteristics, such as the mean effective relative soil moisture and the maximum soil water storage, as well as predict changes in the rooting depth of vegetation as a response to climate variations.

Comment On ‘‘Power Law Catchment-Scale Recessions Arising From Heterogeneous Linear Small-Scale Dynamics’’ By C. J. Harman, M. Sivapalan, And P. Kumar, Jozsef Szilagyi

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

It is demonstrated that a near-linear subsurface runoff response from a short and relatively steep slope segment and a nonlinear response at the watershed scale may primarily arise from geometry rather than from an assumed linear nature of the subsurface runoff response from the hillslope, as Harman et al. [2009] employed for the Panola Mountain Research (PMR) catchment in Georgia. The authors caution in their paper that hydraulic theory (exemplified by the study of Brutsaert and Nieber [1977]) cannot generally account for the heterogeneity in the watershed scale and therefore should be used with certain reservation when employing it for …

Movements, Distribution, And Abundance Of Great Argus Pheasants (Argusianus Argus) In A Sumatran Rainforest, Nurul L. Winarni, Timothy G. O'Brien, John P. Carroll, Margaret F. Kinnaird

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

We used radiotelemetry, habitat sampling, camera trapping, and line-transect surveys to explore movement patterns, distribution, and abundance of Great Argus Pheasants (Argusianus argus) in Sumatra, Indonesia. We radiotracked six adult and one subadult males. Territories averaged 14.5 ± 8.5 ha, and home-range size did not vary by month or by relative abundance of selected plant foods. Daily travel distance (849 ± 211 m) varied significantly between months but did not reflect changes in plant foods. Territories were used almost exclusively by resident males. Males preferentially used undisturbed forest (habitat I). Vegetation structure at male display sites and random points indicated …

A Phylogenetic Supertree Of The Fowls (Galloanserae, Aves), Soo Hyumg Eo, Olaf R.P. Bininda-Emonds, John P. Carroll

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The fowls (Anseriformes and Galliformes) comprise one of the major lineages of birds and occupy almost all biogeographical regions of the world. The group contains the most economically important of all bird species, each with a long history of domestication, and is an ideal model for studying ecological and evolutionary patterns. Yet, despite the relatively large amount of systematic attention fowls have attracted because of their socio-economic and biological importance, the species-level relationships within this clade remain controversial. Here we used the supertree method matrix representation with parsimony to generate a robust estimate of species-level relationships of fowls. The supertree …

Modeling Lakes And Reservoirs In The Climate System, M. D. Mackay, P. J. Neale, C. D. Arp, L. N. De Senerpont Domis, X. Fang, G. Gal, K. D. Johnk, G. Kirillin, J. D. Lenters, E. Litchman, S. Macintyre, P. Marsh, J. Melack, W. M. Mooij, F. Peeters, A. Quesada, S. G. Schladow, M. Schmid, C. Spence, S. L. Stokes

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Modeling studies examining the effect of lakes on regional and global climate, as well as studies on the influence of climate variability and change on aquatic ecosystems, are surveyed. Fully coupled atmosphere–land surface–lake climate models that could be used for both of these types of study simultaneously do not presently exist, though there are many applications that would benefit from such models. It is argued here that current understanding of physical and biogeochemical processes in freshwater systems is sufficient to begin to construct such models, and a path forward is proposed. The largest impediment to fully representing lakes in the …

First Record Of Pseudorabies In Feral Swine In Nebraska, Sam Wilson, Alan R. Doster, Justin D. Hoffman, Scott E. Hygnstrom

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

In 2007, two new populations of feral swine were discovered in Nance and Valley counties, Nebraska, USA. Necropsies and serologic testing was done on two individuals from the Nance County herd. Results indicated that a lactating sow had positive antibodies for pseudorabies virus (PRV). Investigations conducted by Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Law Enforcement division confirmed that the infected individual was transported illegally to Nebraska, USA, from Texas, USA. All domestic swine herds located within an 8 km radius of the infected individual tested negative for antibodies to PRV. Our results provide a clear example of how diseases can spread …

A Modified Advection-Aridity Model Of Evapotranspiration, Jozsef Szilagyi, Michael T. Hobbins, Janos Jozsa

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Analytical Solution Of The Coupled 2-D Turbulent Heat And Vapor Transport Equations And The Complementary Relationship Of Evaporation, Jozsef Szilagyi, Janos Jozsa

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Estimating Spatially Distributed Monthly Evapotranspiration Rates By Linear Transformations Of Modis Daytime Land Surface Temperature Data, J. Szilagyi, J. Jozsa

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Nutrient Uptake And Mineralization During Leaf Decay In Streams – A Model Simulation, J. R. Webster, J. D. Newbold, Steven A. Thomas, P. J. Mulholland

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

We developed a stoichiometrically explicit computer model to examine how heterotrophic uptake of nutrients and microbial mineralization occurring during the decay of leaves in streams may be important in modifying nutrient concentrations. The simulations showed that microbial uptake can substantially decrease stream nutrient concentrations during the initial phases of decomposition, while mineralization may produce increases in concentrations during later stages of decomposition. The simulations also showed that initial nutrient content of the leaves can affect the stream nutrient concentration dynamics and determine whether nitrogen or phosphorus is the limiting nutrient. Finally, the simulations suggest a net retention (uptake > mineralization) of …

Characterizing The Seasonal Dynamics Of Plant Community Photosynthesis Across A Range Of Vegetation Types, Lianhong Gu, Wilfred M. Post, Dennis D. Baldocchi, T. Andrew Black, Andrew E. Suyker, Shashi Verma, Timo Vesala, Steve C. Wofsy

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The seasonal cycle of plant community photosynthesis is one of the most important biotic oscillations to mankind. This study built upon previous efforts to develop a comprehensive framework to studying this cycle systematically with eddy covariance flux measurements. We proposed a new function to represent the cycle and generalized a set of phenological indices to quantify its dynamic characteristics. We suggest that the seasonal variation of plant community photosynthesis generally consists of five distinctive phases in sequence each of which results from the interaction between the inherent biological and ecological processes and the progression of climatic conditions and reflects the …

Spring Home Ranges Of White Bass In Irrigation Reservoirs Of The Republican River Basin, Nebraska, D. R. Martin, Larkin A. Powell, Kevin L. Pope

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Fishery biologists have documented small home ranges, relative to available habitat, for many littoral freshwater fishes. Home ranges for pelagic species, such as white bass Morone chrysops, are generally not well described, yet are thought to be large. We studied white bass movement using acoustic telemetry in two irrigation reservoirs of the Republican River basin in south-western Nebraska. Acoustic transmitters were implanted in fall of the previous year and tracking occurred a minimum of once per week throughout spring (mid-March to May) 2007 and 2008. Linear home ranges were calculated from observed locations of individual fish. Twelve of the …

Latitudinal Patterns Of Magnitude And Interannual Variability In Net Ecosystem Exchange Regulated By Biological And Environmental Variables, Wenping Yuan, Yiqi Luo, Andrew D. Richardson, Ram Oren, Sebastiaan Luyssaert, Ivan A. Janssens, Reinhart Ceulemans, Xuhui Zhou, Thomas Grünwald, Marc Aubinet, Christian Berhofer, Dennis D. Baldocci, Jiquan Chen, Allison L. Dunn, Jared L. Deforest, Danilo Dragoni, Allen H. Goldstein, Eddy Moors, J. William William Munger, Russell K. Monson, Andrew E. Suyker, Gregory Starr, Russell L. Scott, John Tenhunen, Shashi Verma, Timo Vesala, Steven C. Wofsy

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Over the last two and half decades, strong evidence showed that the terrestrial ecosystems are acting as a net sink for atmospheric carbon. However the spatial and temporal patterns of variation in the sink are not well known. In this study, we examined latitudinal patterns of interannual variability (IAV) in net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO₂ based on 163 site-years of eddy covariance data, from 39 northern-hemisphere research sites located at latitudes ranging from ~29°N to ~ 64°N. We computed the standard deviation of annual NEE integrals at individual sites to represent absolute interannual variability (AIAV), and the corresponding …

Differential Soil Respiration Responses To Changing Hydrologic Regimes, Vincent J. Pacific, Brian L. Mcglynn, Diego Andrés Riveros-Iregui, Howard E. Epstein, Daniel J. Welsch

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Soil respiration is tightly coupled to the hydrologic cycle (i.e., snowmelt and precipitation timing and magnitude). We examined riparian and hillslope soil respiration across a wet (2005) and a dry (2006) growing season in a subalpine catchment. When comparing the riparian zones, cumulative CO₂ efflux was 33% higher, and peak efflux occurred 17 days earlier during the dry growing season. In contrast, cumulative efflux in the hillslopes was 8% lower, and peak efflux occurred 10 days earlier during the drier growing season. Our results demonstrate that soil respiration was more sensitive to drier growing season conditions in wet (riparian) …

Integrating Remote Sensing And Geographic Information Systems, James W. Merchant, Sunil Narumalani

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) comprise the two major components of geographic information science (GISci), an overarching field of endeavor that also encompasses global positioning systems (GPS) technology, geodesy and traditional cartography (Goodchild 1992, Estes and Star 1993, Hepner et al. 2005). Although remote sensing and GIS developed quasi-independently, the synergism between them has become increasingly apparent (Aronoff 2005). Today, GIS software almost always includes tools for display and analysis of images, and image processing software commonly contains options for analyzing ‘ancillary’ geospatial data (Faust 1998). The significant progress made in ‘integration’ of remote sensing and GIS has …

Remote Sensing Of Cropland Agriculture, M. Duane Nellis, Kevin P. Price, Donald Rundquist

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Remote sensing has long been used in monitoring and analyzing agricultural activities. Well prior to the first coining of the term ‘remote sensing’ in 1958 by Eveyln Pruitt of the U.S. Office of Naval Research (Estes and Jensen 1998), scientists were using aerial photography to complete soil and crop surveys associated with agricultural areas in the United States and other parts of the world (Goodman 1959). Most of such work in the 1930s involved general crop inventories by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and soil survey mapping as part of the work of the then U.S. Soil Conservation Service. With …