Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

Producing Biofuels Without Raising The Food Price, Lais Speranza

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Producing Biofuels without Raising the Food Price

Why We Need Cafe Standards Or A Higher Gasoline Tax, Celeste Wanner

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Why We need CAFE Standards or a Higher Gasoline Tax

Africa's Next Step, Kyle Pierce

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Africa's Next step

Integrating Green Energy, Kent Gunderson

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Integrating Green Energy

There Is No Planet B, Lukas Mullins

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

There is No Planet B

Nuclear Power Option, Kyle Mclaughlin

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Nuclear Power Option

Weighing The Merits Of Corn Ethanol, Christopher Fulk

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Weighing the Merits of Corn Ethanol

Portfolio Planning For Planet Earth, Alexandra Brown

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Portfolio Planning for Planet Earth

The Energy Independence And Security Act Mandates Biofuel Diversity, Hannah Janda

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

The Energy Independence and Security Act Mandates Biofuel Diversity

Droughtscape, Winter 2012, National Drought Mitigation Center

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

Drought Planning for Kansas Ranchers Jan. 21

South Hoping La Niña Dryness Stays Away

2011 Brought Record-Breaking Extent of D4

Reported Impacts Ease as Growing Season Ends

Disaster Planning in Nanjing at Hohai U

Ag, Fire and Water Supply Topped 2011 Impacts

Characterization Of Temporal And Spatial Variation In Subwatersheds Of The Strawberry River, Ar, Prior To Implementation Of Agricultural Best Management Practices, T. R. Brueggen-Boman, J. L. Bouldin

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) assessments indicate alterations in physical and/or chemical factors making them valuable tools when attempting to assess agricultural best management practices (BMPs). The purpose of this study was to obtain pre-BMP land cover and macroinvertebrate community data in order to characterize temporal and spatial variation in three catchments: Little Strawberry (LS), Greasy Creek (GC), and Sandy Creek (SC) of the Strawberry River Watershed, located in north central Arkansas, in order to establish baseline conditions. BMIs were collected for the three subwatersheds in 1995, 1999, 2002, 2003 and 2009. Taxa richness, Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (HBI) and Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and …

Association Of Ring-Necked Pheasants And Conservation Reserve Program-Grasslands During The Brood-Rearing Season In Eastern South Dakota, Joshua J. White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Grassland established through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has provided critical habitat for many wildlife species. Recent declines in CRP-grassland acreage attributed to changes in federal enrollment policy, increased biofuels production, and commodity prices may have negative consequences on wildlife populations. Conservation Reserve Program habitats have increased availability of quality nesting and over-winter cover for pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) in regions where large-scale conversions of native grasslands to cropland have occurred. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effect of CRP-grasslands on pheasants across a large geographic region. Primary objectives of the study were to determine presence/absence of pheasants …

Cameras, Satellites, And Surveys: A Multi-Platform Approach To Monitoring Lake Conservation Behavior, Daniel D. Homeier

Honors Theses

Shoreline buffers are essential to maintaining lake water quality and there are numerous methods for their assessment. There is uncertainty in the benefits and drawbacks of different shoreline buffer assessment methods. In this study I explore three methods of remotely assessing shoreline buffers in the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine: household surveys, geotagged shoreline photos, and satellite imagery. By comparing these three methods I will evaluate their accuracy and applicable scale when used to assess the presence and quality of shoreline buffers.

I used both parametric and non-parametric analysis to (1) evaluate the relative accuracy of 154 household surveys in …

Age Composition And Distribution Of Red Drum (Sciaenops Ocellatus) In Offshore Waters Of The North Central Gulf Of Mexico: An Evaluation Of A Stock Under A Federal Harvest Moratorium, Sean P. Powers, Crystal Hightower, J. Marcus Drymon, Matthew W. Johnson

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Because of a lack of fishery- dependent data, assessment of the recovery of fish stocks that undergo the most aggressive form of management, namely harvest moratoriums, remains a challenge. Large schools of red drum (Sclaenops ocellatus) were common along the northern Gulf of Mexico until the late 1980s when increased fishing effort quickly depleted the stock. After 24 years of harvest moratorium on red drum in federal waters, the stock is in need of reassessment; however, fishery dependent data are not available in federal waters and fishery-independent data are limited. We document the distribution, age composition, growth, and condition of …

Population Estimate Of Chinese Mystery Snail (Bellamya Chinensis) In A Nebraska Reservoir, Noelle M. Chaine, Craig R. Allen, Kent A. Fricke, Danielle M. Haak, Michelle L. Hellman, Robert A. Kill, Kristine T. Nemec, Kevin L. Pope, Nicholas A. Smeenk, Bruce J. Stephen, Daniel R. Uden, Kody M. Unstad, Ashley E. Vanderham

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The Chinese mystery snail (Bellamya chinensis) is an aquatic invasive species in North America. Little is known regarding this species’ impacts on freshwater ecosystems. It is believed that population densities can be high, yet no population estimates have been reported. We utilized a mark-recapture approach to generate a population estimate for Chinese mystery snail in Wild Plum Lake, a 6.47-ha reservoir in southeast Nebraska. We calculated, using bias-adjusted Lincoln-Petersen estimation, that there were approximately 664 adult snails within a 127 m² transect (5.2 snails/m²). If this density was consistent throughout the littoral zone (depth) of …

Variation In Native Micro-Predator Abundance Explains Recruitment Of A Mobile Invasive Fish, The Common Carp, In A Naturally Unstable Environment, Przemyslaw G. Bajer, Christopher J. Chizinski, Justin J. Silbernagel, Peter W. Sorensen

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Why certain species of fish become invasive is poorly understood and a key obstacle to restoring many of the world’s ecosystems. In this study we tested whether variation in biotic resistance exerted by native predators might explain the reproductive success of the common carp, a large and fecund invasive species that typically spawns in outlying and unstable shallow habitat. An initial three-year study of the relative abundance of youngof- year (YOY) carp in interconnected lakes in the Upper Mississippi River Basin discovered that YOY carp are only found in shallow waters that experience winter hypoxia (winterkill) and have low densities …

2012 Nebraska Water Monitoring Programs Report, Marty Link, Mike Archer

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality: Reports

The following Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality staff have contributed to this report with their photos, maps, numbers, words, and editing. Their efforts are greatly appreciated and gratefully acknowledged here: Mike Archer, Ken Bazata, Dave Bubb, Ryan Chapman, Jason Garber, Patrick Hartman, Tom Heatherly, Dave Ihrie, Dan Inman, Greg Michl, Will Myers, Patrick O’Brien (NARD), Brad Routt, and Dave Schumacher.

Global Environmental Outlook 5, United Nations Environment Programme: Chapter 17, Global Responses, Maria Ivanova, Ivar Baste, Bernice Lee, Satishkumar Belliethathan, Ibrahim Abdel Gelil, Joyeeta Gupta, Peter M. Haas, Zerisenay Habtezion, Achim Halpaap, Jennifer Clare Mohamed-Katerere, Peter King, Marcel Kok, Marcus Lee, Trista Patterson, Vivien Campal, Bradnee Chambers, Melissa Goodall, Slobodan Milutinovic, Felix Preston

Conflict Resolution, Human Security, and Global Governance Faculty Publication Series

Global environmental change such as climate change and the degradation of ecosystem services is heightening risks and reducing opportunities, especially for poor and vulnerable populations. Such change is taking place in an increasingly globalized, urbanized, interconnected and fast-moving world amidst shifting geopolitical power balances. Burgeoning flows of goods and services, capital and technology, information and labour all fuel a growing global population with implications for patterns of consumption and production. The scale and persistence of global environmental problems require sustained collective efforts to meet internationally agreed goals. Responses at national and regional levels are already available, but addressing the underlying …

Reproductive Biology And Recruitment Of Xiphopenaeus Kroyeri In A Marine Protected Area In The Western Atlantic: Implications For Resource Management, Ariádine C. Almeida, J. Antonio Baeza, Vivian Fransozo, Antonio L. Castilho, Adilson Fransozo

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The potential of a recently established marine protected area (MPA) in the Western Atlantic, Brazil, as a 'seed production' and nursery ground for Xiphopenaeus kroyeri, an intensively exploited penaeid shrimp, was investigated in an attempt to reveal any future benefit of this new MPA to adjacent populations experiencing heavy exploitation. Overall, we observed that males and females >12 and 20 mm carapace length, respectively, contributed the most to reproduction in the studied population. Reproductive activity of X. kroyeri was continuous at the MPA; 2 annual reproductive peaks were recorded from March to April and from November to December, which were …

Establishing Winter Origins Of Migrating Lesser Snow Geese Using Stable Isotopes, Viviane Hénaux, Larkin A. Powell, Mark P. Vrtiska, Keith A. Hobson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Increases in Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens) populations and large-scale habitat changes in North America have contributed to the concentration of migratory waterfowl on fewer wetlands, reducing resource availability, and enhancing risks of disease transmission. Predicting wintering locations of migratory individuals is critical to guide wildlife population management and habitat restoration. We used stable carbon (δ¹³C), nitrogen (δ ¹⁵N), and hydrogen (δ²H) isotope ratios in muscle tissue of wintering Snow Geese to discriminate four major wintering areas, the Playa Lake Region, Texas Gulf Coast, Louisiana Gulf Coast, and Arkansas, and infer the wintering locations …

Seasonal Variation In Heat Fluxes, Predicted Emissions Of Malodorants, And Wastewater Quality Of An Anaerobic Swine Waste Lagoon, Rezaul Mahmood

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Prescribed Grazing On Pasturelands, Lynn E. Sollenberger, Carmen T. Agouridis, Eric S. Vanzant, Alan J. Franzluebbers, Lloyd B. Owens

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Northeast Ohio Storm Water Training Consortium Strategic Plan: 2012-2014, Claudette Robey

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Fiscal Review Of The Cleveland Public Library And Scan Of State And National Trends In Library Funding, Claudette Robey, Kevin O'Brien, Kyle Julien, Scott Winograd

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

The Next Steps Toward Consolidating Public Safety Dispatch Centers: Parma, Ohio, Daila Shimek, Scott Winograd, Kimberly Renee Vining, Eugene Kramer, Thomas Cozzens, Claudette Robey, Kevin E. O'Brien, Andrew Batson

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Review Of The Operations Of Bay Village, Ohio, Daila Shimek, Kyle Julien, Scott Winograd, Claudette Robey, James Wyles, Kevin E. O'Brien

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of Grass Filters In Reducing Phosphorus And Sediment Runoff, Ahmed Al-Wadaey, Charles S. Wortmann, Thomas G. Franti, Charles A. Shapiro, Dean E. Eisenhauer

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Surface water contamination can often be reduced by passing runoff water through perennial grass filters. Research was conducted in 2006 to 2008 to evaluate the size of cool season grass filters consisting primarily of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb) with some orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L.) relative to drainage area size in reducing runoff sediment and phosphorus (P). The soil was Pohocco silt loam Typic Eutrochrepts with a median slope of 5.5%. The grass filters occupying 1.1 and 4.3% of the plot area were compared with no filter with four replications. The filters were planted in the V-shaped …

Butterfly Community Dynamics In A Restored Prairie Used For Biofuel Production, Nicholas E. Tebockhorst, Jarrett D. Pfrimmer, Mark C. Myers

Undergraduate Student Work

The conversion of native Midwestern tallgrass prairie to monoculture production of corn (Zea mays) and soybeans (Glycene max) for food and fuel has resulted in a significant decrease in habitat for insect pollinators, including butterflies. Compared to conventional biofuels such as corn ethanol, prairie biomass produces greater energy yields while providing high quality wildlife habitat and protecting soil and water resources. My research took place at Cedar River Natural Resource Area in Black Hawk County Iowa, USA. In spring 2009, the University of Northern Iowa’s Tallgrass Prairie Center seeded 48 research plots in conventional fields to …

Bird Use Of Heterogeneous Prairie Biofuel Production Plots In Black Hawk County, Iowa, Jarrett Pfrimmer, Mark C. Myers, Benjamin Hoksch, Drew Miller

Undergraduate Student Work

Agricultural intensification has driven the loss of >90% of native grassland habitats in the Midwest. Consequently, grassland birds have declined more drastically than any other North American guild. Current biofuel production systems rely on high input monoculture crops that provide little habitat value to most grassland birds. The University of Northern Iowa’s Tallgrass Prairie Center is exploring the feasibility of growing and harvesting diverse mixes of native prairie vegetation for use as a sustainable biofuel in a manner that also provides high quality bird habitat. In 2009, we seeded 48 research plots on three soil types with one of four …

Development And Deployment Of A Bioreactor For The Removal Of Sulfate And Manganese From Circumneutral Coal Mine Drainage, C. B. Mastin, J. D. Edwards, Christopher D. Barton, Anastasios D. Karathanasis, Carmen T. Agouridis, Richard C. Warner

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Surface mining, in the form of contour mining and mountain-top removal, is a common means for retrieving coal in the Appalachian Coal Belt region of Kentucky. Overburden or excess spoil generated by these two methods is placed in valley fills. Traditionally Constructed fills have been shown to adversely impact headwater ecosystems via stream burial and through alterations to the hydrology, sediment supply, water quality and biological composition of downstream reaches. Mine drainages emanating from the toe of valley fills often contain elevated levels of total dissolved solids and heavy metals. Drainage chemistry from Guy Cove, a valley fill located in …