Environmental Studies Commons^™

Cultural Resources Survey Of Forest Stewardship Area 1 For The City Of Tyler Smith County, Texas, Victor Galan

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

Deep East Texas Archaeological Consultants (DETAC) conducted a cultural resource management survey for the City of Tyler, Texas of approximately 104.6 hectares (258.5 acres) in four tracts of Forest Stewardship Area 1 around Lake Tyler East. Timber will be thinned in the project area and hauled off the property. The pedestrian survey was conducted with a combination of visual examination in floodplains and shovel testing across upland ridges. A total of 232 shovel tests were excavated across the shovel tested areas. No new archaeological sites were recorded, but one isolated find was found in Tract 3 and a road cut …

Archeological Investigations Of The Proposed Leon Creek Emergency Bank Stabilization Project San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, Melanie Nichols

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

On April 8, 2013, Atkins North America, Inc. (Atkins) conducted an emergency archaeological survey for the proposed City of San Antonio (COSA)-sponsored Leon Creek Emergency Bank Stabilization project in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The project will include the removal of concrete that has been dumped along the north side of the Leon Creek channel as well as approximately 500 feet of immediate stabilization improvements along Leon Creek’s south channel wall. The project area is defined as the footprint of the proposed stabilization improvements along the north and south channel walls of Leon Creek. The proposed project is located on …

A Cultural Resources Survey Of The Proposed Herff Road Re-Alignment Project, Kendall County, Texa, David L. Nickels, Tierras Antiguas

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

Klotz Associates of Houston, Texas contracted with Tierras Antiguas Archaeological Investigations to conduct a cultural resources survey of 700 linear meters of road right-of-way on the outskirts of the city of Boerne, in Kendall County, Texas. The total Area of Potential Effect is 700 meters long x 45 meters wide, for a total of 7.78 acres. Texas Antiquities Permit #6708 was issued in order to proceed with the archaeological investigations.

Tierras Antiguas conducted a thorough pedestrian survey and dug 17 shovel tests on May 23 and 25, 2014, resulting in the discovery of no evidence of either prehistoric or historic …

Intensive Archaeological Survey Of The East Crystal Falls Parkway (Cr 272) Improvements Project, From Us 183 To Us 183a, Williamson County, Texas, Christian T. Hartnett, Abigail Peyton

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

PROJECT TITLE: Intensive Archaeological Survey of the East Crystal Falls Parkway (CR 272) Improvements Project, From US 183 to US 183A, Williamson County, Texas

LOCATION: The project is located in southwestern Williamson County roughly 1.5 miles east of the City of Leander, Texas. The project begins at US 183 and runs northeastward terminating at US 183A. The project area is located on the Leander, Texas USGS 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle map.

PURPOSE OF WORK: The project sponsor is fulfilling regulatory requirements in compliance with the Texas Antiquities Code and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

PROJECT SPONSOR: Texas Department …

Final Report On The Archeological Investigations Of The Jacob's Well Natural Area Hays County, Texas, Samantha Walden Champion, Josh Haefner, Shannon Smith

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

In January 2014, Hicks & Company completed an intensive areal survey of the Jacob’s Well Natural Area in Wimberley, Hays County, Texas. The survey was completed for Hays County under Texas Antiquities Permit #6732 in preparation for redevelopment of the 81.5-acre area as detailed in the Jacob’s Well Development Master Plan finalized in July 2012. The improvements will be constructed on land that is owned and controlled by Hays County, a political subdivision of the State of Texas, and is therefore subject to the requirements of the Antiquities Code of Texas. Furthermore, since the proposed project is funded through an …

State Loop 195 Between Farm To Market 755 And Us 83, Starr County, Texas, Kristen Atwood, Steve Carpenter, Christopher Shelton, Jessica Uimer, Ken Lawrence, Christopher Ringstaff

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

Over the course of two field sessions in May 2016 and in May 2018, SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted an intensive cultural resources survey along the proposed State Loop (SL) 195 from Farm-to-Market (FM) 755 to 1.4 miles west of the intersection of U.S. Highway (US) 83 and Loma Blanca Road in Starr County, Texas. This work augmented previous investigations by Cox-McClain and Hicks and Company. This management summary addresses the cumulative work completed, resources identified, eligibility recommendations, and what remains to be completed.

SWCA’s work was conducted in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (54 …

Participatory Action And Drought As A Symbolic Context: The Case Of Aldama Chihuahua, Mexico, Sara Soledad Garcia

Teacher Education

This paper presents a field-based project and a theoretical framework for work with an Action Research paradigm. The complexities of process are illustrated and synthesized in two theoretical models. The design of the study required constant change in the focus of projects as a result of the action produced from genuine involvement. As a result a working template of the execution of the action research projects involving multiple educational institutions was generated by bi-national collaborations. Participants were ecological researchers and schoolteachers, actively engaged in schools and in the education of the community at-large on the effects of drought in their …

An Invitation For Engagement: Assigning And Assessing Field Notes To Promote Deeper Levels Of Observation, John S. Farnsworth, Lyn Baldwin, Michelle Bezanson

Environmental Studies and Sciences

This paper explores current practices for teaching the discipline of keeping field notes within academic natural history courses. We investigate how journal projects can be structured to promote engagement with the natural world while emphasizing the importance of recording accurate and honest observations. Particular attention is paid herein to the assignment of field notes, and to the process of assessing the results of these assignments. Our discussion includes results from an informal survey of best practices among colleagues representing numerous natural history disciplines.

The Great Sustainability Challenge, Isidor Wallimann

Sociology - All Scholarship

"The balance between society and nature is askew. The age of industrialization and the subsequent era of consumerism are large culprits for pollution and the degradation of the environment. Human activity on Earth has undeniably affected the planet and has contributed colossal levels of carbon emissions that are pushing global temperatures to keep rising. Significant ecological risks to human survival may result from not taking more pressing action. Governments have a role to play in moving more rapidly and effectively towards more sustainable practices – “how to be more sustainable?” is a question that must be integrated in all decision-making …

Herring : An Analysis Of Spawning Ground Management, Ecological Conditions And Human Impacts In Greifswald Bay, Vistula Lagoon And Hanö Bight., Dariusz P. Fey, Adam M. Lejk, Lena Szymanek, Iwona Psuty, Tomasz Nermer, Friederike Lempe, Harry V. Strehlow, Patrick Polte, Dorothee Moll, Nardine Stybel, Anne Hiller, Michael Van Laak, Henrik Nilsson, Lilitha Pongolini

Books

This book compiles the findings of the HERRING project which was conducted from 2012 until 2015 and part-financed by the EU South Baltic Programme.

The main objective of the HERRING project is to improve the consideration of including herring spawning grounds in coastal management. Herring as a resource recourse would be part of the economic development of coastal areas, and HERRING strongly emphasizes the importance of foster an integrated coastal management in the South Baltic Sea. Three case study areas in Germany, Poland and Sweden serve as the basis of the approach, which can be roughly distinguished in two parts. …

Assessing Perceived And Documented Crop Damage In A Tanzanian Village Impacted By Human-Elephant Conflict (Hec), Rebekah R. Hoffmeier-Karimi, Bruce A. Schulte

Biology Faculty Publications

In sub-Saharan Africa human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is a growing conservation issue and human-elephant conflict (HEC) is of special concern. Crop loss to wildlife comprises a main component of HWC. Deterrent methods for crop loss are numerous and such schemes could be more effective by an improved understanding of how farmers’ perceptions align with actual causes of crop loss. Our objective was to compare the perception by farmers of the causes and extent of crop damage to the measured crop damage in fields of maize (Zea mays) using different deterrent methods. We interviewed agriculturalists in the farming village of Miti Mirefu …

Impacts Of Environmental Pressures On The Reproductive Physiology Of Subpopulations Of Black Rhinoceros (Diceros Bicornis Bicornis) In Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa, Elizabeth Freeman, Jordana Meyer, Jed Bird, John Adendorff, Bruce A. Schulte, Rachel Santymire

Biology Faculty Publications

Black rhinoceros are an icon for international conservation, yet little is known about their physiology due to their secretive nature. To overcome these challenges, non-invasive methods were used to monitor rhinoceros in two sections of Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa, namely Addo and Nyathi. These sections were separated by a public road, and the numbers of elephants, predators and tourists were higher in Addo. Faecal samples (n = 231) were collected (from July 2007 to November 2010) from known individuals and analysed for progestagen and androgen metabolite (FPM and FAM, respectively) concentrations. As biotic factors could impact reproduction, …

Marine Noise Pollution - Increasing Recognition But Need For More Practical Action, Mark P. Simmonds, Sarah J. Dolman, Michael Jasny, E. C. M. Parsons, Lindy Weilgart, Andrew J. Wright, Russell Leaper

Ecology Collection

Over the last two decades, marine noise pollution has become increasingly recognized as an issue of major significance. The issue has become a primary focus of marine mammal research, but is also of concern to the public and policy makers. The result has been efforts involving a variety of disciplines, and relevant legislation and associated guidance are now in place in many parts of the world. Most current mitigation efforts are directed at reducing the risk of injury from exposure to intense noise, although the effectiveness of such mitigation measures in terms of risk reduction has rarely been quantified. Longer-term …

Population Genetic Structure Of Gray Wolves (Canis Lupus) In A Marine Archipelago Suggests Island-Mainland Differentiation Consistent With Dietary Niche, Astrid V. Stronen, Erin L. Navid, Michael S. Quinn, Paul C. Paquet, Heather M. Bryan, Chris T. Darimont

Population Distribution and Habitat Collection

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that ecological heterogeneity across space can influence the genetic structure of populations, including that of long-distance dispersers such as large carnivores. On the central coast of British Columbia, Canada, wolf (Canis lupus L., 1758) dietary niche and parasite prevalence data indicate strong ecological divergence between marine-oriented wolves inhabiting islands and individuals on the coastal mainland that interact primarily with terrestrial prey. Local holders of traditional ecological knowledge, who distinguish between mainland and island wolf forms, also informed our hypothesis that genetic differentiation might occur between wolves from these adjacent environments.

Results: We used microsatellite genetic markers …

Women Working On A Fair Flower Farm In Ecuador: An Ethnographic Study, Corrie Grosse

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Despite a history of worker exploitation and environmental degradation, today, the cut-flower industry is striving for ethical production practices. Ecuador is leading the way in this regard, and one farm, Fairtrade-certified Nevado Roses, appears to be a shining example. In 2012, I set out to conduct ethnographic research centering workers' perspectives about labor conditions and life as Fairtrade rose cultivators at Nevado Roses. I wanted to understand how women, who comprise the majority of flower workers, fare on a farm with socially and environmentally sustainable policies. The research confirmed the benefits of ethical production practices, but also revealed that Fairtrade …

Pitzer College Outback Preserve Restoration Project, Paul Faulstich

Pitzer Faculty Publications and Research

A question we keep asking ourselves in environmental analysis at Pitzer College is whether it’s possible to create modern socionatural systems that are truly sustaining; that is, that avoid the features of contemporary systems in which the human factor dominates to the detriment of the environment. Any genuinely sustainable society must honor diversity— cultural and biological—and, at Pitzer, we’re committed to forging innovative directions for a healthy future. Toward this end, students, along with faculty and staff, have initiated a program of ecological restoration in the Pitzer College Outback Preserve.

Paul Faulstich’S Reflective Review Of Susan A. Phillips’ Essay, Paul Faulstich

Pitzer Faculty Publications and Research

Paul Faulstich's review of Susan A. Phillips' essay titled, "Huerta del Valle: A New Nonprofit in a Neglected Landscape".

Letter From The Dean, Michael Vayda

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Discovery: The Student Journal Of Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences - Volume 15 2014, Several Authors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Environmental Constraints Faced By Public Private Partnership (Ppp) In India And The Road To A Framework For Successful Implementation Of Ppp Project, M.S. Khan

Business Review

Infrastructure development is the key to continued and sustainable growth for any developing economy of the world in general and India in particular. It will make India globally stable, sound, prosperous, competitive, raise standard of living, enhance profits for government and private sectors, bridge rural-urban gap and simultaneously will help in increasing the number of employment opportunities. The most vital criteria for a continued growth rate of an economy lie on the provision of a high and rich quality of infrastructure. As per the statement of planning Commission, an approximation of 8 percent of the Gross Domestic product (GDP) need …

Sociobiophysicality And The Necessity Of Critical Theory: Moving Beyond Prevailing Conceptions Of Environmental Sociology In The Usa, Alex Stoner

Journal Articles

Today, to perceive the link between society and environment does not require that we engage in an effort of great abstraction. What remains paradoxical is that the intensity and scale of societally induced environmental degradation, which rose to historically unprecedented levels during the latter half of the 20th century, is synchronous with an equally impressive increase in public concern for and attention to the biophysical world. This article examines values-based and traditional Marxist-oriented approaches to environmental sociology in the USA in order to assess whether or not – and if so, how exactly – these approaches help us make sense …

Plant Community Composition And Structure Monitoring For Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, 2013 Annual Report, Isabel W. Ashton, Michael Prowatzke

United States National Park Service: Publications

Introduction

During the last century, much of the prairie within the Northern Great Plains has been plowed for cropland, planted with non-natives to maximize livestock production, or otherwise developed, making it one of the most threatened ecosystems in the United States. Within Nebraska, greater than 77% of the area of native mixed-grass prairie has been lost since European settlement (Samson and Knopf 1994). The National Park Service (NPS) plays an important role in preserving and restoring some of the last pieces of intact prairies within its boundaries. The stewardship goal of the NPS is to “preserve ecological integrity and cultural …

Characterizing Wetland Hydrology, Chemistry, And Soils For An Endemic Crayfish, The Piedmont Blue Burrower, Jess H. Gilmer Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic alteration of Earth's ecosystems has pushed global biodiversity into a state of crisis. Freshwater species have been particularly vulnerable, with crayfish ranking as the second most imperiled taxonomic group in North America. Primary burrowers represent only 15% of crayfish species in North America; however, they constitute 32% of imperiled crayfish. Despite their conservation importance, little is known about the ecology of burrowing crayfish. To advance our knowledge about the habitat characteristics of burrowing crayfish, groundwater hydrology, water chemistry, and soil properties were assessed to determine their importance for the state-listed endangered, primary burrower Cambarns harti. Groundwater hydrology and …

Self-Reliance Beyond Neoliberalism: Rethinking Autonomy At The Edges Of Empire, Karen Hébert, Diana Mincyte

Publications and Research

Across scholarly and popular accounts, self-reliance is often interpreted as either the embodiment of individual entrepreneurialism, as celebrated by neoliberal designs, or the basis for communitarian localism, increasingly imagined as central to environmental and social sustainability. In both cases, self-reliance is framed as an antidote to the failures of larger state institutions or market economies. This paper offers a different framework for understanding self-reliance by linking insights drawn from agrarian studies to current debates on alternative economies. Through an examination of the social worlds of semisubsistence producers in peripheral zones in the Global North, we show how everyday forms of …

Case Collection On Philippines (2012), Swee-Sum Lam, Leland Dela Cruz, David Jeremiah Seah, Gabriel Henry Jacob

Development Studies Faculty Publications

This is the second working paper in the series on Social Entrepreneurship in Asia published by the Asia Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy (ACSEP). ACSEP’s mission is to advance the understanding and impactful practice of social entrepreneurship and philanthropy in Asia through research and education. While Asia is rich with the practice of social entrepreneurship given the plethora of social issues and challenges facing the region, there is still catch-up to be done in the documentation of these challenges and the responses from the private, public and people sectors. Case studies provide the platform for story-telling, analysis and theory …

Contents, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Trees, My Lungs: Self Psychology And The Natural World At An American Buddhist Center, Daniel S. Capper

Faculty Publications

This study employs ethnographic field data to trace a dialogue between the self psychological concept of the selfobject and experiences regarding the concept of “interbeing” at a Vietnamese Buddhist monastery in the United States. The dialogue develops an understanding of human experiences with the nonhuman natural world which are tensive, liminal, and nondual. From the dialogue I find that the selfobject concept, when applied to this form of Buddhism, must be inclusive enough to embrace relationships with animals, stones, and other natural forms. The dialogue further delineates a self psychological methodology for examining religions in their interactions with natural forms.

Unilateral Climate Regulation, James W. Coleman

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

It is now plain that decades of negotiation toward a binding global climate treaty have failed. Yet, at the same time, many nations are adopting a range of unilateral policies to address climate change. The existing literature on climate policy neglects these unilateral climate regulations because it focuses on the necessity and possible design of a multilateral climate treaty. But these domestic regulations present a unique puzzle: given that climate outcomes are determined by global emissions, and that unilateral regulations inevitably influence incentives to regulate elsewhere, how can domestic action achieve the greatest marginal reduction in global emissions? In other …

Gelang: A Photography Of Belonging, Chase Clow

Collected Faculty Scholarship

Gelang: A Photography of Belonging proposes a new category of landscape photography, one that moves away from emphasis upon imagery of particular kinds of landscape (such as wilderness, topographical, or wastelandscape) and also away from genres of photography (art, documentary, or scientific) and instead investigates the shared values and ethics among landscape and nature photographers and the kinds of awareness and knowledge that arise through outdoor, field-based photographic practice. An analysis of the writings of photographers and their published interviews, as well as the author's own photographic experiences in the field, reveals a common core of life-affirming values predicated on …

Suburban Sustainability: Favorable, Forgotten, Or Fantasy?, Tessia Melvin, Tessia G. Melvin

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

In the decades after World War II, the United States became a prosperous nation and world superpower. Reinventing itself through the development of suburbs, many communities were created by suburbs. Years later, criticized for suburban sprawl and aging communities, suburban communities today are faced with the dilemma of what changes to make in order to create sustainable suburban communities.

Most of the literature on sustainability and its success comes from the private sector. Much available literature provides sustainable indicators and concepts on corporate sustainability. As a result, many public administrators are faced with a reality that changes need to occur …