Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

The Cost Of Green Infrastructure: Worth The Investment?, Martha Sheils

Green Infrastructure

Is GI worth the investment?

• LID techniques often lead to cost savings when we look at WHOLE PROJECT COSTS

• Natural Infrastructure investments for flood control, drinking water protection and wildlife habitat can yield SIGNIFICANT AVOIDED COSTS and additional co-benefits to communitites

Global Fossil Energy Markets And Climate Change Mitigation: An Analysis With Remind, Nico Bauer, Ioanna Mouratiadou, Gunnar Luderer, Lavinia Baumstark, Robert J. Brecha, Ottmar Edenhofer, Elmar Kriegler

Physics Faculty Publications

We analyze the dynamics of global fossil resource markets under different assumptions for the supply of fossil fuel resources, development pathways for energy demand, and climate policy settings. Resource markets, in particular the oil market, are characterized by a large discrepancy between costs of resource extraction and commodity prices on international markets. We explain this observation in terms of (a) the intertemporal scarcity rent, (b) regional price differentials arising from trade and transport costs, (c) heterogeneity and inertia in the extraction sector. These effects are captured by the REMIND model. We use the model to explore economic effects of changes …

Growth Of Tropical Dasyatid Rays Estimated Using A Multi-Analytical Approach, Owen R. O'Shea, Matias Braccini, Rory Mcauley, Conrad W. Speed, Mark G. Meekan

Fisheries Research Articles

We studied the age and growth of four sympatric stingrays: reticulate whipray, Himanutra uarnak (n=19); blue mask, Neotrygon kuhlii (n=34); cowtail, Pastinachus atrus (n=32) and blue-spotted fantail, Taeniura lymma (n=40) rays at Ningaloo Reef, a fringing coral reef on the north-western coast of western Australia. Age estimates derived from band counts within sectioned vertebrae ranged between 1 and 27 years (H. uarnak, 1 - 25 yrs.; N. kuhlii, 1.5 - 13 yrs.; P. atrus, 1 - 27 yrs. and T. lymma, 1 -11 yrs.). Due to limitations of sample sizes, we combined several analytical methods …

Evaluation Of Phase Change Materials For Cooling In A Super-Insulated Passive House, Jeffrey Stephen Lauck

Dissertations and Theses

Due to factors such as rising energy costs, diminishing resources, and climate change, the demand for high performance buildings is on the rise. As a result, several new building standards have emerged including the Passive House Standard, a rigorous energy-use standard based on a super-insulated and very tightly sealed building envelope. The standard requires that that air infiltration is less than or equal to 0.6 air changes per hour at a 50 Pascal pressure difference, annual heating energy is less than or equal to 15kWh/m2, and total annual source energy is less than or equal to 120 kWh/m2. A common …

Mongolian National Parks: Competing Interests And Institutional Viability In A Still Emerging Protected Areas System, Kieryn Wurts

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In Mongolia, 17% of the total landmass is designated as one of four kinds of “protected areas”—Strictly protected areas, national parks, nature reserves, and natural historical monuments. This study focuses primarily on national parks as a civil institution, through on the ground interviewing of ten individuals employed in the protected areas system, field-notes and observations, and community surveying totaling 38 respondents at two research locations, Hustai-Nuruu National Park and Lake Khovsgol National Park. Protected areas are constructed civil spaces, and as a result are sites of competing societal interests--the interests of scientists and conservationists, of tourism and business interests, and …

Species Censes & Local Conceptions Of Ornithological Fauna, Uzi, Alexandria Vandervest

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Uzi Island is a rapidly growing and developing island with a wealth of flora and fauna found in very few other places around the world. Study is needed in every field, this was a preliminary study into the residential and migrant bird species presence on Uzi Island. Birds were observed in two of the main habitats present on Uzi Island, intertidal/mangrove and coral-rag. Three transects were cut and laid through each of the two habitats and monitored in the morning and evening hours over the course of 20 days. A total of 1949 birds were recorded comprising 71 species (708 …

The ‘Boonies: Effects Of Habitat On The Behavior Of Papio Anubis Outside Of Lake Manyara National Park In Mto Wa Mbu, Tanzania, Madison Hoeninghausen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Human/wildlife conflict is a rapidly growing issue in the world today. As human population and development increase, wildlife habitat decreases, forcing humans and animals to share resources. One negative consequence of the human/wildlife interface is an alteration of behavior of wildlife in order to survive in new, high-stress environments. This study looks at the behavior of a troop of olive baboons residing on the border of Lake Manyara National Park in Mto wa Mbu, Tanzania. These animals leave the park each morning and spend their days in four surrounding habitats with varying levels of human presence: the main road, riverine …

Water Access And Security For Mongolian Peri-Urban Communities In The Face Of Climate Change And Development, Heather Cook

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The paper attempts to assess how water access and security in Mongolian ger districts is impacted by the competing forces of climate change and development. The development of Mongolia is, understandably, a priority of the government and much of the populace, as are the impacts of climate change, which are well documented and acknowledged. Furthermore, these processes both have potentially adverse impacts on the overall well being of communities. In the context of water access and security, the need to strike this balance becomes even more acute. These factors can all be seen playing out in the city of Sainshand, …

Las Raíces De La Deforestación En El Departamento Pando, Jeremy Levine-Drizin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research paper examines the phenomenon of the recent trend of deforestation in the Pando department in northwestern Bolivia. Historically, the economy of Pando has always been based primarily in agro-forestal extraction activities that provided income to communities without the need to destroy the surrounding forests. The most important of these agro-forestal products have been rubber (primarily during the beginning of the 20th century) and more recently Castaña (Brazilian Nut). Recently however, as the result of various forces, the inhabitants of Pando have begun to cut down there forests at an alarming rate. The most relevant causes of this phenomenon …

Wildlands Conservancy/Connick Ranch Research, Susie Van Kirk

Susie Van Kirk Papers

Susie Van Kirks research notes on the Wildlands Conservancy and Connick Ranch. Includes newspaper references, interviews, as well as deed, survey and patent information.

Vulnerability, Environmental Security, And Adaptation Awareness In Samoa, Katie Williams

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Climate change remains a prevalent problem for today’s international community, particularly for Pacific Island countries. This study examines the current influence of climate change on Samoa by looking at the three tenets of vulnerability: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. These aspects of climatic change correlate and build off one another, ultimately elucidating the basic vulnerability of any given region. It also analyzes how environmentally secure Samoa is and will be, using Thomas Homer- Dixon’s theory on climate change and conflict. Finally, this paper seeks to outline the current system of adaptation awareness that exists between government, community and foreign aid …

The Role Of Resource Predictability In The Metapopulation Dynamics Of Insects, Byju Nambidiyattil Govindan

Open Access Dissertations

The metapopulation paradigm has emerged as an important tool to understand the dynamics of species living in fragmented landscapes. In this dissertation, I investigate the unpredictable nature of resource availability for species living in human-dominated heterogeneous and dynamic landscapes in the context of its consequences for long-term regional persistence of species. In particular, I test theoretical advancements in metapopulation ecology following a two-pronged approach - via experiments in the lab and observations in the field - using insects. In chapter 1, I introduce the concept of metapopulation ecology in the context of its relevance for dynamics of species living in …

A Way To Reestablish Our Nations Power, Spencer Petersen

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

A Way to Reestablish Our Nations Power

Where Is Your Next Gallon Coming From?, Daniel Kent

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Where Is Your Next Gallon Coming From?

Clean Fuel For Americans, Tate Emanuel

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Clean fuel for Americans

Green Revolving Funds Provide Community Benefits Through Innovation, Amanda Johnson

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Green Revolving Funds Provide Community Benefits Through Innovation

Finding Future Energy Today, Savanna Mcdonald

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Finding Future Energy Today

Energy Responsibility, Lee Kottmeyer

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Energy Responsibility

The War On American Ethanol, Jared Korth

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

The War on American Ethanol

Electric Vehicles, Clean Or Dirty?, Nathan Mccormick

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Electric Vehicles, Clean or Dirty?