Other Environmental Sciences Commons^™

Viability Of Piping Plover Charadrius Melodus Metapopulations, Jonathan H. Plissner, Susan M. Haig

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The meta-population viability analysis package, vortex, was used to examine viability and recovery objectives for piping plovers Charadrius melodus, an endangered shorebird that breeds in three distinct regions of North America. Baseline models indicate that while Atlantic Coast populations, under current management practices, are at little risk of near-term extinction, Great Plains and Great Lakes populations require 36% higher mean fecundity for a significant probability of persisting for the next 100 years. Meta-population structure (i.e. the delineation of populations within the meta-population) and inter-population dispersal rates had varying effects on model results; however, spatially-structured meta-populations exhibited lower viability than …

Internal Temperature Of Douglas-Fir Buds Is Altered At Elevated Temperature, Martha E. Apple, Melissa S. Lucash, David M. Olszyk, David T. Tingey, Donald L. Phillips

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir) saplings were grown in sun-lit controlled environment chambers at ambient or elevated (4°C above ambient) temperature. We measured internal temperatures of vegetative buds with thermocouple probes and compared temperatures of normal buds and abnormal buds with loosened, rosetted outer scales in elevated temperature chambers. The abnormal buds had higher and earlier peak daily temperatures than normal buds. Elevated temperature may influence the internal temperature of buds and contribute to the development of abnormal, rosetted buds with loosened outer scales. Abnormal bud development may alter branching patterns and allometry of Douglas-fir trees subjected to climatic change.

The Relative Importance Of Patch Area And Perimeter–Area Ratio To Grassland Breeding Birds, Christopher J. Helzer, Dennis E. Jelinski

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Habitat fragmentation has been implicated as a major cause of population decline in grassland birds. We tested the hypothesis that a combination of area and shape determines the use of grassland patches by breeding birds. We compared both species richness and individual species presence in 45 wet meadow grasslands in the floodplain of the central Platte River, Nebraska. Bird data were collected through the use of belt transects and supplemented by walking and listening outside transects. Our data supported our primary hypothesis that perimeter–area ratio, which reflects both the area and shape of a patch, is the strongest predictor of …

Characterization And Improvement Of Eos Land Products Using Measurements At Ameriflux Grassland And Wheat Sites In The Arm/Cart Region: Research Annual Performance Report For Period March 1, 1999- February 29, 2000., E. A. Walter-Shea, S. B. Verma

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Morphogenesis Of Douglas Fir Buds Is Altered At Elevated Temperature But Not At Elevated Co2, Martha E. Apple, Melissa S. Lucash, David M. Olszyk, David T. Tingey

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Global climatic change as expressed by increased CO₂ and temperature has the potential for dramatic effects on trees. To determine what its effects may be on Pacific Northwest forests, Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii ) seedlings were grown in sun-lit controlled environment chambers at ambient or elevated (+4°C above ambient) temperature, and at ambient or elevated (+200 ppm above ambient) CO₂. In 1995–1996 and 1996–1997, elevated CO₂ had no effect on vegetative bud morphology, while the following unusual morphological characteristics were found with greater frequency at elevated temperature than at ambient: rosetted buds with reflexed and loosened outer …

Air Temperature Variations And Rice Productivity In Bangladesh: A Comparative Study Of The Performance Of The Yield And The Ceres-Rice Models, Rezaul Mahmood

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Potential increase in air temperature due to climatic change and inter-annual climatic variability and its impacts on crop productivity is of major concern to crop scientists. A number of physically-based models have been developed and applied to estimate crop–environment relationships. In the present study the performance of two such models (the YIELD and the CERES-Rice) are discussed. These two models are used to estimate boro rice productivity under normal and abnormal climate scenarios in Bangladesh. This study finds that boro rice productivity at Mymensingh predicted by the YIELD is higher than the prediction by the CERES-Rice. Productivity estimates for Barisal …

Characterization And Improvement Of Eos Land Products Using Measurements At Ameriflux Grassland And Wheat Sites In The Arm/Cart Region: Research Annual Performance Report For Period March 1, 1998- January 8, 1999, E. A. Walter-Shea, S. B. Verma

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Integrating Agroforestry Into Usda Programs: A Task Force Report To The Usda Interagency Working Group On Agroforestry, W. J. Rietveld, James P. Lassoie, Charles A. Francis, William Farris, Catalino Blanche, Bruce Wight

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The task force collected and synthesized infonnation and recommended actions to develop the potential of agroforestry to help attain USDA sustainable development goals.

Ecological Water Treatment System For Removal Of Phosphorus And Nitrogen From Polluted Water, Ray W. Drenner, Donald J. Day, Stacy J. Basham, J. Durward Smith, Susan I. Jensen

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

We propose that phosphorus and nitrogen can be removed from polluted water using an ecological water treatment system consisting of periphyton and fish. In the proposed system, polluted water flows through a series of vessels, and the nutrients are taken up by periphyton growing on porous screens. Algal-grazing fish feed on the periphyton and either assimilate or egest the nutrients in mucus-bound feces that settle from the water into a sediment trap. Both the fish and their feces can be harvested as nutrient sinks. In this study we examined the effects of an algal-grazing cichlid (Tilapia mossambica) and …

Radiation And Gas Exchange Of Understory Species At Boreas: Research Annual Performance Report For Period June 15, 1997- June 14, 1998, E. A. Walter-Shea, T. J. Arkebauer

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Csrees Department Of Forestry, Fisheries & Wildlife Comprehensive Review, University Of Nebraska - Lincoln

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Slope Effects On Shortwave Radiation Components And Net Radiation: Interim Report For Period April 1, 1991- December 31, 1991, E. A. Walter-Shea, B. L. Blad, C. J. Hays, M. A. Mesarch

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

A Report On Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs In Nebraska, Their Biology, Behavior, Ecology, Management, And Responses To A Visual Barrier Fence, Nancy S. Foster

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

I examined the effects of a visual barrier fence, which had a see-through visibility of 600/0, on the foraging, vigilance, and aggressive behaviors of adult female black-tailed prairie dogs from June through August 1990 in central Nebraska. I also examined changes in their home ranges and use of an area in response to this fence. Prairie dogs prefer an open view of their surroundings. Therefore, I expected animals near a visual barrier to spend more time in vigilance and aggression, and less time foraging. Adult female prairie dogs exposed to the visual barrier devoted more time to foraging and less …

Calibration Of Field Reference Panel And Radiometers Used In Fife 1989: Semi-Annual Report For Period February 1- September 30, 1990, B. L. Blad, E. A. Walter-Shea, C. J. Hays, M. A. Mesarch

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Habitat Use And Diet Analysis Of Breeding Common Barn Owls In Western Nebraska, Joseph A. Gubanyi M.S.

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

I studied barn owl (Tyto alba) breeding biology in western Nebraska 1984-1986. I had greatest success capturing males (56% success) at night using trap doors at nest sites and females (91 % success) using hoop nets at nest sites during the day. Barn owls removed 16 of 23 tail-mounted radios. Eight birds were radio-tracked for 7-14.5 hours. The mean foraging range was 198 ha (32- 299 ha, n = 8) with < 1 % overlap among birds from adjacent nest sites. Field-tested telemetry error was high (mean displacements of radio-locations for 2 birds were 208 and 241 m). I found no relationship between percent cover in foraging habitat and reproductive success. I identified 10,140 prey items from 15 nest sites and found both annual and seasonal variation in barn owl diets. Microtus ochrogaster occurred most frequently (32.7%) and increased in the diet from 17.6 to 27.2 to 43.5% 1984-1986. M. ochrogaster and Perognathus hispidus annual frequencies were …

Leaf Optical And Indirect Lai Measurements In Wheat And Alfalfa At Maciv: Agmet Progress Report 89-4, E. A. Walter-Shea, B. L. Blad

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

Interpretation of remotely sensed vegetative surfaces requires an understanding of the interaction of radiation with the various components of vegetation. Leaves are the most important component. Thus it is important to know the optical properties of individual leaves as well as the amount and distribution of leaves making up the vegetative cover. The objectives of our study were 1) to characterize the reflectance from and transmittance through adaxial and abaxial surfaces of individual wheat and alfalfa leaves and 2) to compare the traditional, time-consuming, destructive method of estimating LAI (direct method) to a relatively quick, indirect estimate of LAI in …

Loss Of Biological Diversity: A Global Crisis Requiring International Solutions: A Report To The National Science Board, Craig Call Black, Perry L. Adkisson, Gardner Mallard Brown, Rita Rossi Colwell, Charles E. Hess, James B. Holderman, K. June Lindstedt-Siva, William A. Nierenberg, Peter Hamilton Raven, Theodore M. Smith, Edward O. Wilson, W. Franklin Harris

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Executive Summary

Biological diversity refers to the variety and variability among living organisms and the ecological complexes in which they occur. Diversity can be defined as the number of different items and their relative frequency. For biological diversity, these items are organized at many levels, ranging from complete ecosystems to the chemical structures that are the molecular basis of heredity. Thus, the term encompasses different ecosystems, species, genes, and their relative abundance (OTA, 1987).

There is an ongoing, unprecedented loss of the variety as well as absolute numbers of organisms-from the smallest microorganism to the largest and most spectacular of …

Proceedings -- National Wilderness Research Conference: Current Research, United States Department Of Agriculture, Forest Service

Forestry

Includes more than 70 reports of current wilderness research. Papers are organized around nine topics: wilderness resource research, including natural fire, air quality, impacts to soil and vegetation, fish and wildlife, and water; and wilderness user research related to recreational use and user characteristics, attitudes and behavior, benefits, and management concepts and tools.

Multiple Trophic Levels In Soft-Bottom Communities, John A. Commito, William G. Ambrose Jr.

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

In order to assess the general applicability of recent field experiments with predatory infauna, we searched the literature and found 48 well-documented cases of infaunal consumption by such predators. In 63 % of the cases detailed enough to make a determination, the predators ate other predators. Multiple trophic levels within the infauna are probably a common feature of many soft-bottom communities.

Forestry For Wildlife Habitat Improvement. Nebraska Cooperative Extension Service Ec 81-1747, Ec 80-1747, Frank A. Hershey, Howard L. Wiegers

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Wildlife cannot exist without food and protective cover. Natural and planted woodlands contribute significantly to these essentials. This circular describes habitat needs of wildlife, recommends forestry practices for habitat improvement, and gives examples of practices to improve habitat for pheasant, quail, and deer.

Variety, rather than uniformity of vegetation, benefits most wildlife species. Management which results in a diverse plant community with many stages of growth can increase the numbers and species of wildlife. Techniques which create improved conditions for woodland wildlife are fundamentally the same as those designed to grow good timber.

Bibliography Of J. E. Weaver

Papers of John E. Weaver (1884–1956)

1914-1963

(8 pages, typescript)

West Midlands Development : Development Techniques, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Most clearing in the West Midlands is carried out by chaining, though the method chosen will depend on the country being cleared and on the resources of the farmer.

Ultrasonic Tracking Of Migratory Fishes With An Internal Tag, Ross M. Horrall, H. F. Henderson, A. D. Hasler

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

First paragraph:

A small ultrasonic tag, 9 mm by 40 mm in size, has been developed by members of the fish orientation group at the University of Wisconsin. The tag emits a continuous signal at approximately 65 kc/sec. The signal is received via a directional hydrophone and a high quality communications receiver. Tracking ranges of up to 1 km have been obtained. The placement of the tag is internal: either into the stomach or into the body cavity of the fish. The tags and tracking equipment have been successfully employed in studies on the open water movements and orientation of …

Bluebush Seed Supplies, C V. Malcolm

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A GREAT deal of publicity has been given of late to the value of bluebush (Kochia brevifolia) as a plant for some types of salt-affected land, particularly in the drier parts of the wheatbelt.

Obtaining seed supplies can be a problem, but fortunately large amounts of seed are not required since once a few bushes are established they will spread seed over the intervening areas.

Thus rates of 1 to 2 lb of seed per acre have been found quite satisfactory.