Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

Predicted Performance Of A Skytherm North, A Highly Insulated Building Envelope System And A Frost Protected Shallow Foundation, Kitrina Ann Stratton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

How do you design a durable, sustainable, and financeable Net Zero Energy house for a cold weather climate using little or no external energy that is also affordable? Reviewing all of the factors that would influence the design and materials selection of an appropriate response to the issues, the perfect system for housing people, whether it is in response to affordability, durability, comfort, cultural sensitivity, appearance or being locally appropriate, is using some kind of straw bale construction system with an integrated frost protected shallow foundation and a SkyTherm North design.

The focus and intention of this research is to …

Population Genetics Of Seaside Sparrow (Ammodramus Maritimus) Subspecies Along The Gulf Of Mexico., Stefan Woltmann, Phillip C. Stouffer, Christine M. Bergeon Burns, Mark S. Woodrey, Mollie F. Cashner, Sabrina S. Taylor

CREC Publications

Seaside Sparrows (Ammodramus maritimus) along the Gulf of Mexico are currently recognized as four subspecies, including taxa in Florida (A. m. juncicola and A. m. peninsulae) and southern Texas (Ammodramus m. sennetti), plus a widespread taxon between them (A. m. fisheri). We examined population genetic structure of this "Gulf Coast" clade using microsatellite and mtDNA data. Results of Bayesian analyses (Structure, GeneLand) of microsatellite data from nine locations do not entirely align with current subspecific taxonomy. Ammodramus m. sennetti from southern Texas is significantly differentiated from all other populations, but we found evidence of an admixture zone with A. m. …

It's A Small World After All – And We're All Connected, Alaina Bernard

UCF Forum

We’ve probably all had the song “it’s a small world” stuck in our heads after visiting Fantasyland at Walt Disney World. This simple song highlights how we all are connected, and was created to promote the message of international peace and inclusion of diversity. Walt Disney sped up the tempo from the original version and made it more cheery, but it is arguably a simple message that we continue to strive for decades later.

Translating Aboveground Cosmic-Ray Neutron Intensity To High-Frequency Soil Moisture Profiles At Sub-Kilometer Scale, R. Rosolem, T. Hoar, A. Arellano, J. L. Anderson, W. J. Shuttleworth, X. Zeng, Trenton E. Franz

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Above-ground cosmic-ray neutron measurements provide an opportunity to infer soil moisture at the subkilometer scale. Initial efforts to assimilate those measurements have shown promise. This study expands such analysis by investigating (1) how the information from aboveground cosmic-ray neutrons can constrain the soil moisture at distinct depths simulated by a land surface model, and (2) how changes in data availability (in terms of retrieval frequency) impact the dynamics of simulated soil moisture profiles. We employ ensemble data assimilation techniques in a “nearly-identical twin” experiment applied at semi-arid shrubland, rainfed agricultural field, and mixed forest biomes in the USA. The performance …

Fisheries Management Paper No.265 - Exmouth Gulf Prawn Managed Fishery Harvest Strategy 2014 - 2019 Version 1.0, Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

This fishery-specific harvest strategy has been developed in line with the Department of Fisheries' (Department) over-arching Harvest Strategy Policy for Aquatic Resources (Department of Fisheries in prep.) and in consultation with licensees. The broad scope of the Harvest Strategy Policy for Aquatic Resources is consistent with the National Harvest Strategy Guidelines but as well as considering all retained target species, it also incorporates retained non-target species, bycatch' and other ecological components to ensure the risks to these elements are managed effectively.

The Exmouth Gulf Prawn Managed Fishery (EGPMF) harvest strategy outlines the longand short-term fishery-specific management objectives; a description of …

Planning For Adaptation To Climate Change: Lessons From The Us National Wildlife Refuge System, Robert L. Fischman, Vicky J. Meretsky, Alexei Babko, Michael Kennedy, Lei Liu, Michelle Robinson

Articles by Maurer Faculty

US national wildlife refuges have recent, detailed management plans illustrating the state of planning for climate-change adaptation in protected areas. Discussion of and prescriptions for addressing climate change increased in refuge plans between 2005 and 2010 but decreased in 2011. The plans respond to some climate-change impacts on biodiversity and call for monitoring but with little clarity regarding how to act on monitoring results and scant attention to future changes in phenology and community composition. The threats posed by sea-level rise generated the best-developed plan prescriptions. Examples of excellent prescriptions provide models for future planning. Some decision-support tools, such as …

Use Of Remote Sensing Data In Determination Of Potential Influences On Drinking Water Quality For Rural Communities In A Developing Country, Kelly Hodgskins, Tim Klug, Daryl Ann Winstead, Megan Carter, Brian O'Neill

Von Braun Symposium Student Posters

No abstract provided.

Extraction And Empowerment: The Application Of Traditional Knowledge Within The Development Of The Nwt Bhp Ekati Diamond Mine, Daniel Vanclieaf

Laurier Undergraduate Journal of the Arts

No abstract provided.

The Figure Of Bitu-Man, Paul Royster

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

The ominously imposing figure in the above illustration is “the Syncrude bird deterrent device, locally known as ‘Bitu-man’.” He stands (or stood—the original image was from the late 1970s) in the tailings pond of the Syncrude Canada Ltd. oil sands mining operation along the Athabasca River near Fort McMurray in northeastern Alberta. That operation surface mines (i.e., strip mines) bitumen-impregnated sand, processes it with hot water and steam, and discharges the liquid effluent or “tailings” into a pond covering roughly 3000 hectares (11 square miles). (Google Map coordinates: 56.9°N, -111.3° W). Residue bitumen collects on the surface and poses a …

Jefferson Currents: Autumn Volume 15, Issue 2, 2014

Jefferson Currents: The Energy Conservation Newsletter

Jefferson Current: Autumn Volume 15, Issue 2, 2014

Jefferson Currents: Spring Volume 15, Issue 1, 2014

Jefferson Currents: The Energy Conservation Newsletter

Jefferson Current: Spring Volume 15, Issue 1, 2014

Getches Wilkinson Center Newsletter, Fall 2014, University Of Colorado Boulder. Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, And The Environment

Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment Newsletter (2013-)

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Altitude And Micro-Spatial Habitats On The Physiognomic Characteristics Of Syzygium Guineense In Mazumbai Forest Reserve, Erin Brynn Zalmanek

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In order to examine the affects that altitude and micro-spatial habitat have on the physiognomy of Syzygium Guineense; buttress sphere size, number of buttresses, relative size of the buttresses, DBH, and height were measured in three different altitudinal bands (1400 - 1500 m, 1500 - 1600 m, and 1600 - 1700 m) and three different habits portraying concave, convex, and intermediate landscapes. Micro-spatial habits showed to have weak to no effect on all measured physiognomic variables giving insignificant p-values according to ANOVA. However, correlation tests against leaf litter depth and slope showed to have some relation to the size and …

Land Rights Among Subsistence Farmers: An Examination Of Madagascar’S Land Reform And Prevailing Systems Of Land Tenure In Betafo, Taylor Crowl

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In Madagascar, legal systems of land tenure have been inaccessible for the vast majority of the rural population. This has stranded millions of subsistence farmers in a sense of insecurity, as they lack legal rights for the property that they have farmed for generations. Madagascar’s land reform, launched in 2005, attempted to change these exclusionary tenure practices. This reform —known as the Plan National Foncier—created land certificates and local land offices in an attempt to make legal land tenure financially, geographically, and logistically accessible to the local population. This study discusses the successes, failures, and unforeseen consequences of Madagascar’s land …

The Mechanical And Social Feasibility Of Using Biogas To Fuel An Essential Oil Distillation Unit In The Rural Commune Of Ankarimbelo, Madagascar, Hannah Nesser

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The rural commune of Ankarimbelo is located on the edge of the Ikongo Rainforest Corridor in southeastern Madagascar. The commune’s remote location, an increasing population, and the prohibition of farming in the rainforest corridor have contributed to extreme poverty. In an attempt to mitigate these effects, the Malagasy NGO Ny Tanintsika has implemented an essential oils distillation plant as an alternative livelihood project. While the project may provide needed income to local populations, thereby diverting destructive agriculture practices such as tavy, or slash-and-burn agriculture, the distillation of essential oils still requires that firewood be burned. Over the course of …

Investment Opportunities In Solar-Powered Lighting For Small Rural Shops In Zanzibar, Alexander Cheston

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Small shop-owners in rural Zanzibar, Tanzania were surveyed on their shops lighting fixtures and requirements to determine whether using a solar home system to power the shops lights would be a profitable investment. The shops surveyed in 4 grid connected rural villages in Zanzibar had very similar requirements, and a high-quality, affordable solar home system was designed to meet the requirements of the majority of these shops. Potential savings were calculated for each shop that replaced its current lighting fixture with a solar home system. 20% of the shops surveyed were found to potentially profit from investing in the solar …

Feasibility Of A Mangrove-Based Carbon Business In Makoba Bay, Unguja, Zanzibar, Janice Liang

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mangrove ecosystems, along with other coastal vegetation, have tremendous potential to be abundant carbon sinks. With the prospect of carbon sequestered in coastal ecosystems starting to be explored in carbon credit markets, this study attempts to assess the feasibility of a mangrove-based carbon business in Makoba Bay, Unguja, Zanzibar. An aboveground carbon estimation demonstrates that the mangrove forest of Makoba Bay is a recovering ecosystem, but has the potential to be initiated into a program such as REDD+ in the future. Social surveys in both Makoba Bay and Chwaka Bay also indicate that a number of improvements would have to …

Beach Or Bush? A Study On Sanitation And Clean Water In Ushongo Village, Charlotte Vetter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study was to examine the issues with sanitation and clean water in Ushongo Mtoni Village and then use these findings to determine weather Ushongo Mtoni meets the 2014 World Health Organizations target goals for sanitation and clean water: eliminate open defecation; achieve universal access to basic drinking water, sanitation and hygiene for households. This study was conducted in Ushongo Mtoni, Tanzania, between the dates of November 10^th to 24^th 2014. Interviews were conducted using non-random sampling through formal and non-formal interviews with participants chosen by my translator, Shaban. Sample frame was the villagers of …

Sharks Aren’T The Only Fish To Be Afraid Of… A Survey Of Serranidae Species Of Genus Aethaloperca, Anyperodon, Cephalopholis, Epinephelus, And Plectropomus On Chumbe Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Kimberly D. Nesbitt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A census as well as behavioral analysis of six grouper (Serranidae) species was conducted on Chumbe Island off the coast of Unguja, Zanzibar, Tanzania during October and November 2014. The six species were counted, divided into size classes, and behavioral notes were taken on the individuals observed on both the western drop-off of Chumbe Island’s reef as well as the back, shallower reef. Results showed that larger individuals, as well as species that grow larger, inhabit the deeper waters of the drop-off, while smaller species and juveniles inhabit the shallower back reef. The Brown Marbled (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus) and …

Connections Between Student Explanations And Arguments From Evidence About Plant Growth, Jenny Dauer, Jennifer H. Doherty, Allison L. Freed, Charles W. Anderson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

We investigate how students connect explanations and arguments from evidence about plant growth and metabolism—two key practices described by the Next Generation Science Standards. This study reports analyses of interviews with 22 middle and high school students postinstruction, focusing on how their sense-making strategies led them to interpret—or misinterpret—scientific explanations and arguments from evidence. The principles of conservation of matter and energy can provide a framework for making sense of phenomena, but our results show that some students reasoned about plant growth as an action enabled by water, air, sunlight, and soil rather than a process of matter and energy …

Droughtscape, Fall 2014, Kelly Smith

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

Contents

Director’s report

Upcoming events

Drought and climate summary

Drought impacts

Drought planning in Brazil

Ethiopian workshop

Visiting scholar

Help for South Plains ranchers

Wind River tribal workshop

Inter Tribal Buffalo Council

South Dakota ranch workshops

The Optimal Foraging Of Equus Burchelli At Enashiva Nature Refuge, Edward Haubenreiser

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Within the country of Tanzania lies a vast ecosystem known as the Serengeti. This unique landscape, primarily of grasslands and woodlands, shapes the seasonal feeding habits of the abundant wildlife that call the area home. While these feeding habits on a large spatial scale are well understood, such behavior within a specie’s specific environment remains of interest. With the theory of optimal foraging in mind, which considers how animals should look for and select food (Green, 1990), I studied the foraging habits of resident Burchell’s zebra (Equus burchelli) by observing if they move and forage among distinct resource …

Migratory Ecology Of Sea Turtles, Nathan Jack Robinson

Open Access Dissertations

Establishing the movement patterns of free-ranging animals is imperative to understanding their behavior and ecology, and is often necessary for designing effective conservation-strategies. This is especially true for migratory species, such as sea turtles, whose long-distance movements form a major component of their life history. In this thesis, I investigated which factors are driving the migratory behavior of the leatherback turtleDermochelys coriacea. Firstly, I examined whether the timing of the nesting season (nesting phenology) is influenced by oceanographic conditions along the pre-nesting migratory route or by variation in population structure. The discovery that nesting phenology appears more influenced by …

Walkable Gettysburg— How Pedestrian Friendly Is The Borough Of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania?, Samuel C. Gilvarg, Shane A. Kesnig

Student Publications

Walkability is a measure of how easily pedestrians can reach a variety of destinations via walking. Greater walkability has been linked to several benefits, including improvements in human health, economic stimulus, and improved air quality. We surveyed 37 blocks in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to record the presence of 13 design factors such as street trees and pedestrian oriented amenities that have been shown to encourage walking. These results were then compared with the Walk Score from walkscore.com, a common measurement tool of walkability. Based on the surveys, we calculated a design quality score (DQI) for each block. There was no correlation …

What Drives Car Attitudes: An Analysis Of How Demographics And Environmental Views Relate To Car Attitudes, Kelly M. Gross, Alexandra S. Isaacson, Brian J.B. Lonabocker

Student Publications

Successfully marketing new, clean, car technologies to consumers requires an advertising strategy that fits consumers’ priorities and attitudes towards cars. We created a survey to study how attitudes towards cars are associated with demographics and environmental views. Our study examined car preferences and environmental concerns of a sample of Gettysburg College students in comparison to a national sample obtained from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Overall, we concluded that environmental beliefs are a significantly better prediction of car behaviors than demographics. We found that on average people would pay more for a car with a higher fuel economy, but not enough to …

Palm Reading: Predicting The Future Of Four Threatened Palm Species At Pointe À Larrée, Eastern Madagascar, Eva Colberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Madagascar has one of the highest concentrations of palm diversity in the world, with 195 species, 192 of which are endemic, but just as for the rest of the island’s natural resources, the future of these palms is at stake. In fact, 83% of the country’s endemic palms qualify as threatened following the most recent version of IUCN Red List criteria, version 3.1, yet 28 are not even found within protected areas. One area awaiting government protection, MBG’s Pointe à Larrée project, is home to 18 different palm species, 11 of which are threatened. This study took sample counts to …

Comparison Of Coral Reef Health: Lokobe National Park And Tanikely National Park, Northwest Madagascar, Kailani Acosta

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral reefs are microcosms of biodiversity and life. They are home to about a quarter of all marine life, yet amount to only about 1% of the world’s marine environment. Coral reefs are very vulnerable ecosystems; there are numerous threats to their health, such as damage by echinoderm and fish feeding, natural disasters, coral illness and bleaching events. Coral health fluctuates according to many of these factors and as a result of the fragile symbiotic balance between zooxanthellae algae and corals. Subsequently, coral health is an essential topic for analysis and assessment.

Coral reefs were assessed in Lokobe National Park, …

Improving The Resilience Of Mixed-Farm Systems To Pending Climate Change In Far Western Nepal: Baseline Survey Report, D. Layne Coppock

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

This report provides a summary of the main results of a household baseline survey carried out in late 2013 in four village development committees (VDC) in Bajura District. A total of 320 households were surveyed with 80 per VDC. Two of the VDCs have been subsequently targeted for interventions related to climate change adaptation, while two VDCs have voluntary agreed to serving as paired “controls.” This baseline survey was undertaken as part of a study entitled, ‘Improving the Resilience of Mixed Farm Systems to Pending Climate Change in Far Western Nepal’, conducted by USU and HKI. The baseline survey was …

Predictors Patterns And Processes Of Extinction Risk In Porgies And Seabreams (Family: Sparidae), Mia Theresa B. Conteros

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A variety of human-induced changes are having profound impacts on the marine environment, and no area on the planet remains unaffected by the detrimental effects of our activities. These stressors can potentially lead to synergistic effects, causing accelerated biodiversity loss and diminished ecosystem functioning. Identification and understanding of the factors that drive species to heightened risk of extinction are important goals in conservation.

The Sparidae are commercially important and ecologically complex marine fishes; global extinction risk assessments using the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species methodology show that 9% (13 species) have increased vulnerability to population declines from intense fishing …

Learning From Conservation Planning For The U.S. National Wildlife Refuges, Robert L. Fischman, Vicky J. Meretsky

Articles by Maurer Faculty

The U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System has nearly completed its first round of unit-level, comprehensive conservation plans (CCPs) and will soon begin required revisions. Laws and policies governing refuge planning emphasize ecological integrity, landscape-scale conservation, and adaptive management. We evaluated 185 CCPs completed during 2005–2011, which cover 324 of 555 national wildlife refuges. We reviewed CCP prescriptions addressing 5 common conservation issues (habitat and game, nongame, imperiled, and invasive species) and 3 specialized topics (landscape-scale conservation, climate change, and environmental quality). Common conservation issues received prescriptions in >90% of CCPs. Specialized topics received more variable treatment. Prescriptions for aquatic connectivity, …