Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons^™

Groundwater Investigation Buntine-Marchagee Natural Diversity Recovery Catchment, Russell John Speed, M Strelein

Resource management technical reports

A groundwater investigation was initiated in the Buntine-Marchagee Natural Diversity Recovery Catchment 200 kms north-east of Perth, Western Australia in 2002. The investigation aimed to install a regional groundwater monitoring network and characterise the regolith throughout the catchment. Drill site selection was based on establishing a series of transects to enable construction of hydrogeological cross-sections to enhance conceptual understanding of the catchment.

Land For Maine's Future Program: Increasing The Return On A Sound Public Investment, Richard Barringer, Hugh Coxe, Jack Kartez, Catherine Reilly, Jonathan Rubin

Economics and Finance

Maine is nowhere a more special place than in the quality of its landscape and the traditions of its land use. Among the mo st privately-owned of all the states, Maine’s natural diversity and beauty combine with its traditions of resource stewardship, open access, and appreciation of nature to distinguish it in the public mind and national imagination. In recent decades, however, these traditions have come under assault from the forces of economic and social change; and the people of Maine have responded. In 1986, Governor Joseph Brennan’s Special Commission on Outdoor Recreation recognized the growing threats to Maine’s natur …

Fire In Southern Appalachians: Fuels, Stand Structure And Oaks, David L. Loftis, Mary A. Arthur, Rex Mann, Jeffrey Lewis

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Managers responsible for maintaining the diversity and productivity of Southern Appalachian forests are increasingly turning to prescribed fire as an important management tool in oak dominated forests. The decision to use fire with increasing frequency and spatial extent is based, in part, on an emerging sense of the prehistoric significance of fire in this landscape and its potential to control the proliferation of fire-sensitive competitors in contemporary forests. While it is well documented that fire has been an important ecological force in Southern Appalachian forests for a very long time, there has been little research to demonstrate that prescribed fire …

Achieving Bat Conservation Through Tourism, Lisa A. Pennisi, Stephen M. Holland, Taylor V. Stein

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Self-Calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index, Nathan Wells, Steve Goddard, Michael Hayes

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) has been used for more than 30 years to quantify the long-term drought conditions for a given location and time. However, a common critique of the PDSI is that the behavior of the index at various locations is inconsistent, making spatial comparisons of PDSI values difficult, if not meaningless.

A self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index (SC-PDSI) is presented and evaluated. The SC-PDSI automatically calibrates the behavior of the index at any location by replacing empirical constants in the index computation with dynamically calculated values. An evaluation of the SC-PDSI at 761 sites within Nebraska, …

Agricultural Sub-Regions Of The Avon River Basin, Paul D. Galloway

Resource management technical reports

This report identifies, describes and locates nine sub-regions within the land cleared for agricultural uses in the Avon River Basin in Western Australia. The sub-regions are: Darling Range; Dale/Upper Avon; Avon Valley; Yealering Lakes; Mortlock; Northern Sandplain; south-east Lakes; Carrabin; Southern Cross. The sub-regions are described in terms of their distinguishing biophysical characteristics of: soils and related original vegetative cover; general topography; surface and sub-surface hyrdological stus; underlying geology; and rainfall and evapotranspiration range. Current dominant land use, economic drivers and land use pressures are identified for each sub-region.

Infill Groundwater Study Of The Quairading Townsite, S Ghauri

Resource management technical reports

An infill groundwater study of Quairading in Western Australia was carried out as part of the Rural Towns Program Community Bores Project to clarify reasons for localised moisture accumulation in buildings.

Reference Soils Of South-Western Australia, W M. Mcarthur, Australian Society Of Soil Science W.A. Branch., Department Of Agriculture And Food

Books & book chapters

First printed 1991, Reprinted 2004

Groundwater Trends In The Albany Hinterland Sub-Region, Arjen Ryder

Natural resources published reports

The South Coast Regional Initiative Planning Team (SCRIPT) has divided the South Coast region of Western Australia into six sub-regions The Albany Hinterland is in the western portion (see Figure 1). It is bounded by the Pallinup River in the east. Stirling Ranges to the north and the Kent River catchment boundary in the west. Two-thirds (580.000 ha) of the sub-region has been cleared for agriculture This publication describes the groundwater trends, risk of shallow watertables, and technical feasibility of salinity management within the agricultural land

Soil-landscape zones are spatial units based on geology and geomorphology. Since most groundwater processes …

Environmental Gradients, Community Boundaries, And Disturbance The Darlingtonia Fens Of Southwestern Oregon, Deborah A. Tolman

Dissertations and Theses

The Darlingtonia fens, found on serpentine soils in southern Oregon, are distinct communities that frequently undergo dramatic changes in size and shape in response to a wide array of environmental factors. Since few systems demonstrate a balance among high water tables, shallow soils, the presence of heavy metals, and limited nutrients, conservative efforts have been made to preserve them. This dissertation investigates the role of fire on nutrient cycling and succession in three separate fens, each a different time since fire. I specifically analyze the spatial distributions of soil properties, the physical and ecological characteristics of ecotones between Jeffrey pine …

The Contribution Of Stewardship To Park Planning And Management In Ontario: A Study Of Bruce Peninsula And Georgian Bay Islands National Parks, Felicitas Egunyu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Parks Canada has adopted ecosystem-based management as a means of maintaining ecological integrity. However, ecosystems often extend beyond park boundaries. Where parks share boundaries with other government-protected areas, arrangements have often been made for cooperation. These arrangements usually result in mutual benefits for the protected areas involved. Where parks share boundaries with privately owned land, stewardship is one of the methods being used to implement conservation-based practices. This study investigated the extent to which stewardship contributes to park planning and management in Ontario using the Georgian Bay Islands and Bruce Peninsula National Parks as case studies. Results show that stewardship …

Forest Fires, Woodland Caribou And Land Use Policies In Northwestern Ontario (Rangifer Tarandus), Brian Frederick Kutas

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) are a threatened species in Ontario's boreal forest. Caribou require habitat that supports appropriate forage, including large areas of lichen rich forests. This research examines two dynamics that influence woodland caribou habitat in northwestern Ontario. These dynamics are forest fires and land use policies. The effects of forest fires are assessed quantitatively at both the ecosite and landscape scales within Woodland Caribou Provincial Park. Land use policy and management activities are evaluated using a case study and a policy analysis of protected area and forest management approaches to woodland caribou conservation in this region. Forest …

Regional Planning And British Columbia's Agricultural Land Reserve: A Case Study Of Land Use, Development And Policy Impacts In The Central Okanagan Valley, Danielle H. Noble

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In North America, farmland is commonly targeted as the site of urbanization, because it is often the most easy to develop. British Columbia has been no exception. But British Columbia is unique in North American planning because it has imposed a comprehensive agricultural land reserve (ALR), now over thirty years old, to respond to agricultural land loss. Such an instrument can have important implications for land-use planning and for planning practice. This research documents some of the impacts of the ALR on planning while focusing on the Central Okanagan Valley as a case study region. The lessons of the Okanagan …

A Proposal To Meet The Biofuels Directive In Ireland, Karl Mccarthy

Theses

In 1990 the transport sector accounted for 9,5% of all Irish emissions. By 2010 it is predicted that transport emissions will have increased by 179%, accounting for 18.8% of all emissions. It is predicted that transport emissions will therefore be around 14,000 kt in 2010. This equates to around €370 million pa in carbon taxes if and when the taxation regime is introduced. This €370 million may be used to facilitate a biofuel industry (for example, by reducing excise duty on biofuels).

The proposed carbon tax along with the EU Biofuels Directive aims to encourage the use of renewable transport …

Prescribed Fire Impacts To Amphibians And Reptiles In Shelterwood-Harvested Oak-Dominated Forests, Patrick D. Keyser, David J. Sausville, W. Mark Ford, Donald J. Schwab, Patrick H. Brose

Virginia Journal of Science

As part of a larger study examining the role of prescribed fire in regenerating upland oaks (Quercus spp.), seasonal prescribed burns (winter, spring, summer, and unburned control) were applied to first-stage shelterwood-harvested stands on Horsepen Wildlife Management Area in the Virginia Piedmont in 1995. Because fire impacts are poorly documented for herpetofaunal communities, we surveyed these stands in 1996 capturing 133 individuals of ten species during over 12,720 pitfall trapnights. We found no significant differences in relative abundance of Eastern Red-backed Salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) (P = 0.26), American Toads (Bufo americanus) (P = 0.93), …

Fifteen Years Of Plant Community Dynamics During A Northwest Ohio Oak Savanna Restoration, Scott R. Abella, John F. Jaeger, Lawrence G. Brewer

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

Midwest oak savanna communities are noted for their unusual plant assemblages, but these communities have been reduced by more than 98% because of changing land uses and conversion to closed-canopy forests. We initiated an ongoing 15-year experiment in 1988 to restore a 40-ha black oak (Quercus velutina) savanna by applying burn treatments that historically maintained this vegetation type. Groundlayer composition changed significantly for both the burn treatment and the control, with the burn treatment exhibiting slight increases in herbs such as wild lupine (Lupinus perennis) and hairy puccoon (Lithospermum caroliniense), both of which are species requiring greater insolation. Burn treatments …

Friends Of Red Rock Canyon Quarterly Meeting, Public Lands Institute

Presentations (PLI)

The Public Lands Institute is dedicated to strengthening the national fabric that is essential for the protection, conservation, and management of public lands.

An Evaluative Framework For Assessing Information Management In Watershed Management: The Case Of The Grand River Conservation Authority (Ontario), Robert Scott Brown

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Watershed management has been rapidly evolving over the last 50 years. The current focus has been adaptive and ecosystem-based approaches to watershed management, redefining roles, responsibilities, and relationships of watershed organizations. While entire management models need to be heavily scrutinized, the practices and policies surrounding information are fundamentally important. Information forms the understanding and knowledge for watershed decision-making. Watershed organizations need to be critical of the policies and practices affecting their collection, storage, processing, analysis, monitoring, and reporting of data and information. Among the Conservation Authorities, the GRCA has developed a proficiency at information management, doing it as well as …

Groundwater Trends In The Kent-Frankland Sub-Region, Arjen Ryder

Natural resources published reports

The South Coast Regional Initiative Planning Team (SCRIPT) has divided the South Coast region of Western Australia into six sub-regions. Kent-Frankland covers the catchments of the Frankland, Gordon and Kent' Rivers. Approximately two-thirds (450,000 ha) has been cleared for agriculture. This publication describes the groundwater trends, risk of shallow watertables, and technical feasibility of salinity management on agricultural land.

Soil-landscape zones are spatial units based on geology and geomorphology. Since most groundwater processes in WA are controlled by the geologic and regolith properties, these zones can be used for allocating hydrological attributes, such as groundwater characteristics and trends. The hydrological …

Modification Of Growing-Season Surface Temperature Records In The Northern Great Plains Due To Land-Use Transformation: Verification Of Modelling Results And Implication For Global Climate Change, Rezaul Mamood, Kenneth G. Hubbard, Christy Carlson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Land-use and land-cover change can modify near-surface atmospheric condition. Mesoscale modelling studies have shown that modification in land use affects near-surface soil moisture storage and energy balance. Such a study in the Great Plains showed that changes in land use from natural grass to irrigated agriculture enhanced soil water storage in the root zone and increased latent energy flux. This increase in latent energy flux would correspond to a decrease in sensible heat flux and, therefore, modify near-surface temperature records. To verify this deduction, we have investigated the changes in the historical near-surface temperature records in Nebraska, USA. We have …

An Analysis Of Simulated Long-Term Soil Moisture Data For Three Land Uses Under Contrasting Hydroclimatic Conditions In The Northern Great Plains, Rezaul Mahmood, Kenneth Hubbard

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Soil moisture (SM) plays an important role in land surface and atmosphere interactions. It modifies energy balance near the surface and the rate of water cycling between land and atmosphere. The lack of observed SM data prohibits understanding of SM variations at climate scales under varying land uses. However, with simulation models it is possible to develop a long-term SM dataset and study these issues.

In this paper a water balance model is used to provide a quantitative assessment of SM climatologies for three land uses, namely, irrigated corn, rain-fed corn, and grass, grown under three hydroclimatic regimes in Nebraska. …

The Role Of Soil Water Availability In Potential Rainfed Rice Productivity In Bangladesh: Applications Of The Ceres-Rice Mode, Rezaul Mahmood, David R. Legates, Mark Meo

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Soil water stress and its impact on the monsoon season potential rainfed rice productivity in Bangladesh is investigated. A crop growth simulation model, CERES-Rice, is applied to 16 locations representative of the major rice growing regions of Bangladesh to determine the impact of soil water stress on the regional scale potential yield for four transplanting dates: 1 June, 1 July, 15 July, and 15 August. A quantified estimate of potential yield loss for four regions and for Bangladesh as a whole is calculated for water stress during flowering and maturing stages. For example, in Bangladesh, average potential yield for 1 …