Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment Commons^™

Natural And Constructed Wetlands For Ecosystem And Engineering Services In The Arid And Semi-Arid Regions, Achyut Raj Adhikari

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Las Vegas Wash (LVW) has undergone significant wetlands degradation and soil erosion over the past thirty years due to increasing flow resulting from urbanization and large rainfall events in the Las Vegas Valley Watershed. The increased flow and associated pollution load in the LVW and its adverse impact in Lake Mead have alerted stakeholders to pay a greater attention to explore alternative measures for rehabilitation of wetland ecosystems. This dissertation, using the case of changes in LVW, analyzes and describes ecological and engineering services provided by wetlands in arid and semi-arid regions and provides a knowledge base that can …

Plankton Evolution Driven By Paleoceanographic Change: Prediscosphaera From The Mid-Cretaceous In The Western North Atlantic, Kristen L. Mitchell

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Well-preserved nannofossil assemblages in late Albian and Cenomanian hemipelagic sections from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 171B preserve a record of the early history and adaptive radiation of the calcareous nannofossil genus Prediscosphaera. There was a significant rise in the abundance of the genus (from an average of 2% in the early late Albian to about 6% in the latest Albian and Cenomanian. This rise, and other shorter term pulses of increased generic abundance, corresponds to black shale deposition episodes. Twelve distinct morphotypes that were derived from the long-ranging Prediscosphera columnata and Prediscosphaera spinosa, are recognized and differentiated …

Clean Water In Haiti, Hannah Mchugh

2012 Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity - Documents

In the past few years, Haiti has been a topic that has been in the news here in the United States for many reasons. These reports typically show the faces of hundreds of starving and injured Haitians who live in turmoil and they discuss the disasters that have befallen the country. While these reports do not usually show the more pleasant aspects, they are relatively accurate in showing the state of the majority of the country. A major impact on a country that is in such a dire state is the presence and availability of clean water. But to understand …

Zooplankton Biomass Changes In Response To Arctic Warming, Jacob N. Bilbo ^, Vanessa Lougheed *

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2012

No abstract provided.

Droughtscape, Spring 2012, National Drought Mitigation Center

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

Contents

Director’s report.

Climate Masters 1

Ranch plan workshop . 3

Winter climate summary 4

Winter impacts summary . 6

Zhao research.

Getachew research 0

Other international news

Wardlow move 13

IPCC disaster report .

Evolution Of The Optical Properties Of Seawater Influenced By The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill In The Gulf Of Mexico, Zhengzhen Zhou, Laodong Guo

Faculty Publications

The fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) technique coupled with parallel factor (PARAFAC) modeling and measurements of bulk organic carbon and other optical properties were used to characterize the oil components released from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and to examine the chemical evolution and transformation of oil in the water column. Seawater samples were collected from the Gulf of Mexico during October 2010 and October 2011, three months and fifteen months, respectively, after the oil spill was stopped. Together with previous results from samples collected during the oil spill in May/June 2010, these time series samples …

Implications For Old-Field Restoration: Diversity And Abundance Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi In Soils Of Restored York Gum (Eucalyptus Loxophleba Subsp. Loxophleba) Sites Vs. Remnants., Jessica Wong

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may be critical to the restoration of ecosystem function in old-fields. Whether the diversity of the plant community is promoted by the AMF community or is the driving force of AMF diversity is unknown. We investigated two questions in the context of old-field restoration in southwestern Australia: 1) Does restoration of the plant community achieve the restoration of AMF and 2) Is AMF species diversity and abundance influenced by the plant species composition? Our study sites were located in the Ridgefield Experiment in the University of Western Australia’s “Future Farm”. Soil samples were collected from beneath …

The Effect Of Climate Change On Mongolian Herding Communities: Investigating The Current Prevalence Of Ecomigration And Community Perceptions Of And Responses To Migration In The Countryside, Rachael Diniega

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The livelihoods of Mongolian herders depend on rangeland conditions, which are being threatened by land degradation and climate change. These changes may cause some Mongolian herders to move to a different land. Thus, the prevalence of ecomigration today and the perceptions and responses of herding communities to migrants were examined to understand ways government could form adaptation policy to climate change in the future. Interviews were conducted with both migrant and host herders as well as government officials in Mungunmorit, Tov and Delgerkhan, Khentii, including the state reserve Herlen Bayan-Olaang. A survey was used to evaluate the prevalence of ecomigration …

Las Carreteras Ya No Cantan: Una Investigación Sobre La Riqueza Y Diversidad De Especies De Anfibios En Sitios Sensibles A Lado Del Eje Vial N°4 En La Reserva Biológica Tapichalaca, Harrison Goldspiel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Tapichalaca Biological Reserve (RBT), located in Zamora Chinchipe Province in southern Ecuador, is a zone with high biodiversity and endemism. Although famous for the Jocotoco antpitta (Grallaria ridgelyi), the reserve is very rich in anphibians, especially frogs of the genus Pristimantis. RBT hosts at least 29 species of amphibians, including the new and endemic Hyloscirtust tapichalaca and 25 Pristimantis species (Meza-R. et al. 2008). RBT faces various threats, such as climate change, farms, and the exploitation of palm trees. One pertinent threat is Eje Vial N°4, a main road that passes through the reserve. This study investigated …

Seeds Of Change The Development Of Apple Farming In Mustang A Documentary Film, Gretchen Powers

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this Independent Research Project is to make a documentary film about the effects modernization has had on the apple farming industry in Lower Mustang since its 1967 introduction. This film focuses on both the influence of Buddhi Ratna Sherchan, the senior horticulturalist who first introduced apples to Mustang, as well as the both positive and negative effects modernization and climate change have had on the region. Findings indicate a general movement towards mass production of apples that utilizes the new road to export high volume production. The heavy hail and rain fall brought about by climate change …

The Effects Of Organizational Structure On Sustainability Report Compliance, Kurt E. Mink

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

The purpose of this qualitative research was to determine the organizational characteristics that contribute to developing sustainability reports with GRI A+ application levels. Judgment sampling was used to select organizations that received an A+ GRI application level in 2010. These organizations were then surveyed using a fifteen-question survey, which emulated the semi-structured interview questions utilized by Farneti and Guthrie (2007). The survey was disseminated to 107 organizations and the responses were collated and analyzed to determine important themes relevant to this research study. The results of this research study suggest a relationship between an organization’s genuine commitment to sustainability by …

The Hospitality Industry’S Response To Climate Change: Is The Response Sufficient?, Paul Michael Carlson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to explore the serious consequences that global warming and climate change pose for the planet and its inhabitants, and to shed light on the hospitality industry’s contribution to the problem. The study further sought to examine whether the hospitality industry is doing their part in implementing “green” programs to combat its negative contribution to climate change.

Modeling The Impact Of Cracking In Low Permeability Layers In A Groundwater Contamination Source Zone On Dissolved Contamination Source Zone On Dissolved Contaminant Fate And Transport, Katherine W. Sievers

Theses and Dissertations

The storage and transport of a dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) was evaluated using a numerical model. Many DNAPLs are used as solvents by the DoD and industry. The improper disposal and handling of these chemicals has led to long term contamination of groundwater. When spilled, a DNAPL will pool atop low permeability layers and slowly dissolve creating a contaminant plume. The dissolved contaminant within a low permeability layer serves as long-term sources of contamination once the source is removed. In this study, cracks are hypothesized to exist in the low permeability layers, allowing for enhanced transport. A numerical model …

Uintah County, Uintah County Road #060703a (Amendment), United States Department Of The Interior, Bureau Of Land Management

Environmental Assessments (UT)

This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared to analyze Uintah County's proposal to amend their right-of-way (ROW) UTU-69125-20 (county road #060703A) to include approximately 4.36 miles of road for public commerce, enjoyment, recreation and travel. Uintah County has proposed this project to facilitate management of their County Road system.

Research, Monitoring, Assessment And Development Plan 2011 – 2012, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

Physicochemical And Microbiological Quality Of Harvested Rainwater From An Agricultural Installation In Ireland, Sean O'Hogain, Liam Mccarton, Niamh Mcintyre, Jenny Pender, Anna Reid

Articles

Members of DTC Research Group. Dublin Institute of Technology was commissioned in 2005 by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government in Ireland to assess the feasibility of utilising rainwater to replace treated mains water for nonpotable uses. The project involved the design, installation, commissioning and monitoring of rainwater harvesting on a farm. Two monitoring programmes, Regime 1 and Regime 2, examined the physicochemical and microbiological quality of the harvested rainwater. Samples were taken monthly and tested. Regime 1 analysis showed that the microbiological quality of the rainwater from the site did not comply with the requirements of the …

The Ecology Of Pulse Events: Insights From An Extreme Climatic Event In A Polar Desert Ecosystem, U. N. Nielsen, D. H. Wall, B. J. Adams, R. A. Virginia

Dartmouth Scholarship

Climate change is occurring globally, with wide ranging impacts on organisms and ecosystems alike. While most studies focus on increases in mean temperatures and changes in precipitation, there is growing evidence that an increase in extreme events may be particularly important to altering ecosystem structure and function. During extreme events organisms encounter environmental conditions well beyond the range normally experienced. Such conditions may cause rapid changes in community composition and ecosystem states. We present the impact of an extreme pulse event (a flood) on soil communities in an Antarctic polar desert. Taylor Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys, is dominated by large …

Groundwater Pollution Risk Assessment Under Scenarios Of Climate And Land Use Change In The Northern Great Plains, Ruopu Li

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

Modeling groundwater vulnerability to pollution is critical for implementing programs to protect groundwater quality. Traditionally, groundwater vulnerability was modeled based on current hydrogeology and land use conditions. However, groundwater vulnerability is strongly dependent on factors such as depth-to-water, recharge and land use conditions that may change in response to future changes in climate and/or socio-economic conditions. For example, global warming may lead to northward shifts in cropping patterns and changes in crop mixes (and use of farm chemicals). Meanwhile, growing demands for biofuels are resulting in expanding corn acreage, and may lead to pressures to remove land from the Conservation …

Agriculture Futures: Potential Rural Land Uses On The Palusplain, Rodney Safstrom, Nicolyn Short Dr

Resource management technical reports

The purpose of this project was to identify agricultural land use options and opportunities within the Serpentine–Jarrahdale and Murray Shires, with particular focus on the Palusplain wetland section. The report will contribute to the Department of Planning’s natural resource management plan for the region and guide development of regional and local planning strategies. Historically, the Palusplain was a slowly moving, interconnected, seasonal wetland system with areas of higher ground. Extensive clearing and drainage occurred in the late 1800s through to the mid-1900s to facilitate agriculture; however, agriculture has been found to be a major contributor of nutrients to the system. …

Changing Water Quality In Great Pond: The Roles Of Lake Sediments, Invasive Macrophytes, And The Watershed, Colby Environmental Assessment Team, Colby College, Problems In Environmental Science Course (Biology 493), Colby College

Colby College Watershed Study: Great Pond (2012, 2010, 1998)

Eutrophication as a result of human activity is a threat to lake water quality globally and within the state of Maine. Great Pond, in the Belgrade Lakes region of Maine, has traditionally been an oligotrophic lake that is experiencing early signs of eutrophication and is currently classified as a mesotrophic lake. In the fall of 2012, the Colby Environmental Assessment Team (CEAT) measured the primary sources of nutrient loading to Great Pond including the catchment and the lake sediment, current water quality in Great Pond, and the potential impact of the variable milfoil invasion on the lake’s water quality. An …