Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

Turning Students Into Problem Solvers, Larkin A. Powell, Andrew J. Tyre, Michael J. Conroy, James T. Peterson, B. Ken Williams

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

In the popular movie Apollo 13, based on the actual NASA mission, three astronauts are stranded in space, their craft’s electrical system broken, their oxygen quickly running out. To help them fix the problem and return home safely, mission controllers summon a group of engineers, dump a pile of equipment onto a desk—the tools available to the astronauts—and tell them to find a solution, or more specifically, “a way to put a square peg in a round hole. Rapidly.” Eventually, the engineers’ plan saves the day, and the astronauts make it home.

State and federal agency biologists generally do …

Baselines Newsletter, No. 8, Summer/Fall 2011, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Baselines: The Natural Resources Law Center Newsletter (2007-2011)

No abstract provided.

Cedar Infestation Impacts Avian Communities Along The Niobrara River Valley, Nebraska, January S. Frost, Larkin A. Powell

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Habitat modification has the potential to cause changes in structure and composition of bird communities. Our goal was to determine the response of Songbird community composition to eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) removal in The Nature Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley Preserve, Nebraska. We used point counts to survey birds in the riparian matrix of grassland and forest habitats. More than 60 species were recorded on surveys during 2004–2005. We also use the program PRESENCE to determine the response of five species to various habitat components, including cedar density: House Wren (Troglodytes aedon), Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculates …

Droughtscape, Summer 2011, Kelly Smith

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

New NDMC Website

Drought May Improve in Southeast and Southwest

Impacts Summary: Fire, Crop Loss and More

International Activities

NDMC Launches Ranch Planning Tool

Serving Data to Order

Workshop Builds Drought Planning Community

The Distribution And Life Cycle Of Alliaria Petiolate In Lincoln, Nebraska, Caleb Pharris

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Alliaria petiolata (Garlic Mustard) is a biennial alien invasive plant species of the Brassicacea family. It is responsible for displacing native plant species throughout North America and its management has proven to be extremely difficult. Recently several populations of Alliaria petiolata have been discovered in southwestern Lincoln, Nebraska. The spread of Alliaria petiolata is a concern for natural resource managers and the general public. Due to the difficulty of its control, Alliaria petiolata is capable of creating monocultures which diminish the aesthetic value of an ecosystem. While most commonly found in the understory of hardwood forests, it is capable of …

Variable Renewable Energy In Modeling Climate Change Mitigation Scenarios, Falko Ueckerdt, Robert J. Brecha, Gunnar Luderer, Patrick Sullivan, Eva Schmid, Nico Bauer, Diana Böttger

Physics Faculty Publications

This paper addresses the issue of how to account for short‐term temporal variability of renewable energy sources and power demand in long‐term climate change mitigation scenarios in energy‐economic models. An approach that captures in a stylized way the major challenges to the integration of variable renewable energy sources into power systems has been developed. As a first application this approach has been introduced to REMIND‐D, a hybrid energy‐economy model of Germany. An approximation of the residual load duration curve is implemented. The approximating function endogenously changes depending on the penetration and mix of variable renewable power. The approach can thus …

Spatial Accuracy Of Climate Networks In Nebraska, Andrea J. Coop

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

Climate data has become increasingly scrutinized for its accuracy because of the need for reliable predictions about climate change. The U.S. has taken great strides to keep up with the demand for accurate climate data. Over the last thirty years, vast improvements to instrumentation, data collection, and station siting have created more accurate data records. This study is to explore the accuracy of existing networks. This study analyzes three climate networks used in Nebraska: the U.S. Historical Climatology Network (HCN), the Automated Weather Data Network (AWDN), and the newest network, the U.S. Climate Reference Network (CRN). Each of these networks …

Late Holocene History Of Dune Activity Along The Elkhorn River In Northeastern Nebraska, Rebecca A. Young

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

The Nebraska Sand Hills have been an important study area for dune activation and the nature of prehistoric drought events in the Great Plains. However, little has been done to understand the impact of these droughts to smaller dune fields along the eastern margin of the Great Plains. This study focuses on the Stanton dune field which is found about 145 km east of the Sand Hills along the southern edge of the Elkhorn River valley in northeastern Nebraska. With a wetter and slightly cooler climate regime than that of the Nebraska Sand Hills and most other central Great Plains …

Green Jobs And The Ohio Economy: The Workforce Skills And Training Ohio Green Industries Need, Wright State University, Center For Urban And Public Affairs, U.S. Department Of Labor Employment And Training Administration

Economic Development

In spring 2011, a survey was conducted with private employers representing selected sectors within the potential green industry. The following report presents research results about employers and the labor force skills they require to be successful in Ohio’s Green Industry.

As mentioned in earlier parts of this report series, there are many challenges to studying the green economy. The word “potential” in the first sentence of this report is a critical term, because there is no known listing of companies in the green industry. Green industry business association lists exist, but those are membership-based lists and not intended to be …

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Annual Progress Report, Period Covering July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• From July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011 the Volgistics database has increased the number of records from 6,536 to a total of 8,460 records at the end of this period.
• Website activity this year averaged 1,110 hits per month, with an average of 2,347 pages viewed per month.
• The team attended 11 community outreach events resulting in 2,455 direct contacts and 393 new mailing list records.
• The Interagency Volunteer Program (IVP) completed a total of 71 volunteer events contributing a total of 17,784 volunteer hours.
• A total of 131 volunteers completed orientations and trainings with the IVP.
• A total …

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering April 1, 2011-June 30, 2011, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• The number of records in the volunteer database increased by 12.2% over the last quarter. The database now contains 8,460 records.
• The number of site visits decreased by 12.3 % over the last quarter. Results show an average of 1,188 visits per month.
• The number of page views increased 26.4% over last month. Results show an average of 2,632 pages viewed per month.
• The IVP standard operations manual is under final review.
• Get Outdoors Nevada supported twenty-one volunteer events in a variety of ways. These events utilized 1,112 volunteers whom contributed 4,599 combined hours of service.
• Volunteer Orientation Training Automation …

Limnological Assistance For Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Quarterly Report, Period Ending June 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 42 juvenile/adult samples and analyses of the remaining samples are underway.
• As of 7/07/11 all sample sets will have been collected for Veliger abundance and settlement at different depths of Lake Mead; sampling continues for Growth of adult quagga mussels within Las Vegas Wash/Las Vegas Bay.
• The Interagency Quagga Mussel Meeting was held on 05/17/11; the next meeting is scheduled for 08/25/11.

Project 2

• Appendix 7, an addition to the Long-term Limnological and Aquatic …

Slides: Risk Management Strategies Of The Upper Basin: Addressing Potential Shortages, Eric Kuhn

Navigating the Future of the Colorado River (Martz Summer Conference, June 8-10)

Presenter: Eric Kuhn, Colorado River Water Conservation District

15 slides

Slides: Thinking The Unthinkable, Lawrence J. Macdonnell

Navigating the Future of the Colorado River (Martz Summer Conference, June 8-10)

Presenter: Lawrence J. MacDonnell, University of Wyoming College of Law

7 slides

Filling The Gap: Commonsense Solutions For Meeting Front Range Water Needs: Executive Summary, Western Resource Advocates, Trout Unlimited, Colorado Environmental Coalition (U.S.)

Navigating the Future of the Colorado River (Martz Summer Conference, June 8-10)

8 pages.

"February 2011"

Presented by Drew Beckwith, Water Policy Manager, Western Resource Advocates, on June 10th at Clyde O. Martz Summer Conference 2011, Navigating the Future of the Colorado River Basin

Full report available at: http://www.westernresourceadvocates.org/gap

Materials For Presentation: The Disappearing Colorado River, Lawrence J. Macdonnell

Navigating the Future of the Colorado River (Martz Summer Conference, June 8-10)

7 pages.

"Western Economics Forum, Fall 2010"

Slides: Who Should Be At The Table, And What Should They Be Talking About?, Robert W. Adler

Navigating the Future of the Colorado River (Martz Summer Conference, June 8-10)

Presenter: Robert W. Adler, James I. Farr Chair in Law, University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law

9 slides

Slides: Smart Fallowing: New Strategies In Ag Forbearance, Bonnie Colby

Navigating the Future of the Colorado River (Martz Summer Conference, June 8-10)

Presenter: Dr. Bonnie Colby, Department of Agriculture & Resource Economics, University of Arizona

34 slides

Slides: Long-Term Augmentation Of The Water Supply Of The Colorado River System, Les Lampe

Navigating the Future of the Colorado River (Martz Summer Conference, June 8-10)

Presenter: Les Lampe, Colorado River Water Consultants, Las Vegas, Nevada

29 slides

Fact Sheet: Study Of Long-Term Augmentation Options For The Water Supply Of The Colorado System, Black & Veatch, Ch2m Hill

Navigating the Future of the Colorado River (Martz Summer Conference, June 8-10)

1 page.

"March 2008"

Material submitted by Les Lampe, Colorado River Water Consultants, for "Augmentation Options" program, Session 3: Mapping a New Course, Panel F: Some Policy Options and Solutions.

Colorado River Water Consultants is a project-specific partnership of engineering firms Black & Veatch and CH2MHill.

Materials For Presentation: Water Banks: Voluntary And Flexible Water Supplies For The Colorado River's Uncertain Future [Outline], Robert Wigington

Navigating the Future of the Colorado River (Martz Summer Conference, June 8-10)

4 pages.

"Robert Wigington, The Nature Conservancy"

Slides: Water Banks: Voluntary And Flexible Water Supplies For The Colorado River's Uncertain Future, Robert Wigington

Navigating the Future of the Colorado River (Martz Summer Conference, June 8-10)

Presenter: Robert Wigington, The Nature Conservancy

7 slides

Slides: Law Of Colorado River: Where We Are, Where We Are Going, Steven M. Fitten

Navigating the Future of the Colorado River (Martz Summer Conference, June 8-10)

Presenter: Steven M. Fitten, Chief Counsel, International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC)

14 slides

Agenda: Navigating The Future Of The Colorado River, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center, Western Water Policy Program

Navigating the Future of the Colorado River (Martz Summer Conference, June 8-10)

Competition for scarce Colorado River water resources is nothing new, but the conflicts that prompted the seven basin states to negotiate the 1922 Colorado River Compact have grown considerably fiercer and more complex in recent decades. In 2007, responding to the challenges of increasing demand and sustained drought, the seven basin states and a number of other affected interests agreed to a set of interim guidelines for allocating Colorado River water in the event of shortages. This agreement represents an important evolution in the governance of the Colorado River, suggesting that the many interests in the basin can work together …

Report Surveys Colorado River Basin Leaders: Collaborative Approaches To Dwindling Supplies Are Highlighted, Sarah Bates, University Of Montana Missoula. Center For Natural Resources And Environmental Policy

Navigating the Future of the Colorado River (Martz Summer Conference, June 8-10)

4 pages.

Press release "April 14, 2011"

"Executive Summary April 2011" of report, Thinking Like a River Basin: Leaders' Perspectives on Options and Opportunities in Colorado River Management

Full report available at:

http://www.carpediemwest.org/wp-content/uploads/Thinking_Like_A_River_Basin_8-20-13.pdf

Detecting Spatiotemporal Changes Of Corn Developmental Stages In The U.S. Corn Belt Using Modis Wdrvi Data, Toshihiro Sakamoto, Brian D. Wardlow, Anatoly A. Gitelson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The dates of crop developmental stages are important variables for many applications including assessment of the impact of abnormal weather on crop yield. Time-series 250-m vegetation-index (VI) data acquired from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provide valuable information for monitoring the spatiotemporal changes of corn growth across large geographic areas. The goal of this study is to evaluate the performance of a new crop phenology detection method, namely, two-step filtering (TSF), for revealing the spatiotemporal pattern of specific corn developmental stages (early vegetative: V2.5; silking: R1; dent: R5; mature: R6) over an eight-year period (2001–2008) across Iowa, Illinois, and …

An Analysis Of A Management Case: Green Hill Beach Development Of The Rhode Island Coastal Zone, John R. Braddon

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

One of the most valuable and misused assets possessed by the United States is the rich and highly varied coastal zone. The genesis of much of our material wealth and the basis for success of the early colonies has been our national fascination with the sea. As our industry and population have expanded, the coastal zone has been neglected seriously to the detriment of both current and future generations of Americans. Abuse of the coastal zone stems from employing it as a dumping ground, using the rivers flowing into it for effluent disposal and haphazard, poorly planned development. Since the …

Creating An Environmental Education Program For Camp Fire Usa, Shannon Diaz

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

The topic area for this Senior Project is Environmental Education. There were four environmental hands-on lesson plans that were created for the non-profit organization Camp Fire USA, Central Coast Council. These lessons will be implemented at Camp Natoma, the resident camp the Central Coast Council owns in Paso Robles, California. The lesson plans take up hour-long increments and have been created for youth ages eight through fifteen. The topics covered in the lessons include: composting; reduce, reuse, and recycle; solar energy; and wetlands. These lesson plans will be implemented as a new “Nature Class” that campers can choose to take …

Camera Study For Mammalian Carnivore Presence Across Seasons In Montana De Oro State Park, San Luis Obispo County, Ca, Samuel R. Young

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Montana de Oro (MDO) is one of the largest state parks in California. Little is known however about its wildlife or their habits. Large predators such as mountain lion (Puma concolor) and black bear (Ursus americanus), and non–native species such as red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and feral pig (Sus scropha) are of management concern because of their potentially dramatic ecological roles. Cameras were deployed at 5 sites along the Coon Creek hiking trail in spring (May 3–June 7), summer (July 15–August 19), and fall (October 10–November 23) sessions with the goal of …

Effects Of Species, Water, And Nitrogen On Competition Among Three Prairie Grasses, Jerry L. Weatherford, Randall W. Myster

The Prairie Naturalist

We conducted an experiment to investigate effects of species, water (W), and nitrogen (N) on competition among little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), and indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans). All biomass parameters and the root:shoot ratio of little bluestem were reduced by the presence off 1 of 2 other species, and its shoot biomass and total biomass were both increased by addition of N. Root and shoot biomass of sideoats grama were reduced by the presence of indiangrass and its total biomass was reduced by the presence of itself, whereas its shoot biomass was increased by addition of W at …