Summer Soil Moisture Spatiotemporal Variability In Southeastern Arizona,
2014
The University of Arizona, Tucson
Summer Soil Moisture Spatiotemporal Variability In Southeastern Arizona, Susan Stillman, Jason Ninneman, Xubin Zeng, Trenton E. Franz, Russell L. Scott, William J. Shuttleworth, Ken Cummins
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Soil moisture is important for many applications, but its measurements are lacking globally and even regionally. The Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW) in southeastern Arizona has measured near surface 5-cm soil moisture with 19 in situ probes since 2002 within its 150km2 area. Using various criteria to identify erroneous data, it is found that in any given period from 1 July to 30 September from 2002 to 2011, 13– 17 of these probes were producing reasonable data, and this is sufficient to estimate area-averaged seasonal soil moisture. A soil water balance model is then developed using rainfall as its only …
Local Awareness Of And Attitudes Toward Pygmy Hippopotamus Conservation In The Moa River Island Complex, Sierra Leone.,
2014
University of Georgia
Local Awareness Of And Attitudes Toward Pygmy Hippopotamus Conservation In The Moa River Island Complex, Sierra Leone., April L. Conway, Sonia M. Hernandez, John P. Carroll, Gary T. Green, Lincoln Larson
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Abstract The pygmy hippopotamus Choeropsis liberiensis is an Endangered species found only in the Upper Guinea rainforests of West Africa. Using a two-phase approach, with initial semi-structured interviews followed by more extensive questionnaires, we examined local residents’ awareness of and attitudes towards the pygmy hippopotamus along the Moa River near Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Sierra Leone. The interviews and questionnaires addressed human–hippopotamus interactions, local knowledge and awareness of pygmy hippopotamus ecology and behaviour, and public attitudes towards hippopotamus conservation. Overall, 22% of questionnaire respondents acknowledged benefits related to hippopotamus conservation; factors affecting the perception of benefits included age, livestock …
Using Art To Assess Environmental Education Outcomes,
2014
University of Georgia
Using Art To Assess Environmental Education Outcomes, Ami G. Flowers, John P. Carroll, Gary T. Green, Lincoln R. Larson
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Construction of developmentally appropriate tools for assessing the environmental attitudes and awareness of young learners has proven to be challenging. Art-based assessments that encourage creativity and accommodate different modes of expression may be a particularly useful complement to conventional tools (e.g. surveys), but their efficacy and feasibility across diverse contexts has not been adequately explored. To examine the potential utility of integrating art into evaluations of environmental education outcomes, we adapted an existing drawing prompt and corresponding grading rubric to assess the environmental attitudes and awareness of children (ages 6–12) at summer camps in Athens, GA, USA (n = …
Evidence For Bluegill Spawning Plasticity Obtained By Disentangling Complex Factors Related To Recruitment,
2014
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Evidence For Bluegill Spawning Plasticity Obtained By Disentangling Complex Factors Related To Recruitment, Mark A. Kaemingk, Kristopher J. Stahr, Jeffrey C. Jolley, Richard S. Holland, David W. Willis
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Fishes can exhibit many forms of plasticity to maximize fitness. However, limited information exists on the ability of freshwater fish to adjust spawning behavior and characteristics (e.g., timing, duration, magnitude of spawning events) to minimize mortality of recruits and ultimately maximize fitness.Wewanted to test the life history hypothesis for bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) (i.e., opportunistic strategy) utilizing existing literature and results from our study to further evaluate the potential for spawning plasticity in this species. Our objective was to identify bluegill recruitment bottlenecks (i.e., periods of high mortality) and factors associated with these events in a single lake during …
Temperature, Hatch Date, And Prey Availability Influence Age-0 Yellow Perch Growth And Survival,
2014
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Temperature, Hatch Date, And Prey Availability Influence Age-0 Yellow Perch Growth And Survival, Mark A. Kaemingk, Brian D. S. Graeb, David W. Willis
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Throughout their range, Yellow Perch Perca flavescens are an important ecological and economic component of many fisheries, but they often exhibit highly variable recruitment. Much research effort has been devoted to better understanding the mechanisms responsible for these erratic recruitment patterns, yet few studies have examined this process at the detail necessary to reveal complex interactions that may exist across multiple early life stages. Our current understanding of the early life recruitment patterns of Yellow Perch suggests a strong abiotic component. Using existing information, we developed three working hypotheses to examine Yellow Perch recruitment at two larval stages (5–14 and …
Does Human Predation Risk Affect Harvest Susceptibility Of White-Tailed Deer During Hunting Season?,
2014
Mississippi State University
Does Human Predation Risk Affect Harvest Susceptibility Of White-Tailed Deer During Hunting Season?, Andrew R. Little, Stephen Demarais, Kenneth L. Gee, Stephen L. Webb, Samuel K. Riffell, Joshua A. Gaskamp, Jerrod L. Belant
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Large carnivores are considered a primary source of mortality for many ungulate populations, but harvest by hunters is the primary means of population management. However, research is needed to evaluate how human predation risk influences observability (a surrogate to harvest susceptibility) of ungulates. We determined how hunting intensity and duration influence observation rates of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and how deer behavior (i.e., movement rate and resource selection) affects observation rates. We sampled 37 adult (≥2 yr) male deer at 2 levels of risk (i.e., low-risk = 1 hunter/101 ha; and high-risk = 1 hunter/30 ha) during 3 …
Unscreened Water-Diversion Pipes Pose An Entrainment
Risk To The Threatened Green Sturgeon, Acipenser
Medirostris,
2014
Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District
Unscreened Water-Diversion Pipes Pose An Entrainment Risk To The Threatened Green Sturgeon, Acipenser Medirostris, Timothy D. Mussen, Dennis Chocherell, Jamilynn B. Poletto, Jon S. Reardon, Zachary Hockett, Ali Ercan, Hossein Bandeh, M. Levent Kavvas, Joseph J. Cech Jr., Nann A. Fangue
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Over 3,300 unscreened agricultural water diversion pipes line the levees and riverbanks of the Sacramento River (California) watershed, where the threatened Southern Distinct Population Segment of green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris, spawn. The number of sturgeon drawn into (entrained) and killed by these pipes is greatly unknown. We examined avoidance behaviors and entrainment susceptibility of juvenile green sturgeon (3560.6 cm mean fork length) to entrainment in a large (.500-kl) outdoor flume with a 0.46-m-diameter water-diversion pipe. Fish entrainment was generally high (range: 26–61%), likely due to a lack of avoidance behavior prior to entering inescapable inflow conditions. We estimated that …
Larval Green And White Sturgeon Swimming
Performance In Relation To Water-Diversion Flows,
2014
University of California, Davis
Larval Green And White Sturgeon Swimming Performance In Relation To Water-Diversion Flows, Christine E. Verhille, Jamilynn B. Poletto, Dennis E. Cocherell, Bethany Decourten, Sarah Baird, Joseph J. Cech Jr., Nann A. Fangue
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Little is known of the swimming capacities of larval sturgeons, despite global population declines in many species due in part to fragmentation of their spawning and rearing habitats by man-made water-diversion structures. Larval green (Acipenser medirostris) and white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) inhabit the highly altered Sacramento–San Joaquin watershed, making them logical species to examine vulnerability to entrainment by altered water flows. The risk of larval sturgeon entrainment is influenced by the ontogeny of swimming capacity and dispersal timing and their interactions with water-diversion structure operations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe and compare …
Efficacy Of A Sensory Deterrent And Pipe
Modifications In Decreasing Entrainment
Of Juvenile Green Sturgeon (Acipenser Medirostris)
At Unscreened Water Diversions,
2014
University of California, Davis
Efficacy Of A Sensory Deterrent And Pipe Modifications In Decreasing Entrainment Of Juvenile Green Sturgeon (Acipenser Medirostris) At Unscreened Water Diversions, Jamilynn B. Poletto, Dennis E. Cocherell, Timothy D. Mussen, Ali Ercan, Hossein Bandeh, M. Levent Kavvas, Joseph J. Cech Jr., Nann A. Fangue
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Water projects designed to extract fresh water for local urban, industrial and agricultural use throughout rivers and estuaries worldwide have contributed to the fragmentation and degradation of suitable habitat for native fishes. The number of water diversions located throughout the Sacramento–San Joaquin watershed in California’s Central Valley exceeds 3300, and the majority of these are unscreened. Many anadromous fish species are susceptible to entrainment into these diversions, potentially impacting population numbers. In the laboratory, juvenile green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) have been shown to have high entrainment rates into unscreened diversions compared with those of other native California fish …
Parameterization Of The Satellite-Based Model (Metric) For
The Estimation Of Instantaneous Surface Energy Balance
Components Over A Drip-Irrigated Vineyard,
2014
Universidad Catolica del Maule
Parameterization Of The Satellite-Based Model (Metric) For The Estimation Of Instantaneous Surface Energy Balance Components Over A Drip-Irrigated Vineyard, Marcos Carrasco-Benavides, Samuel Ortega-Farias, Luis Octavio Lagos, Jan Kleissl, Luis Morales-Salinas, Ayse Kilic
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
A study was carried out to parameterize the METRIC (Mapping EvapoTranspiration at high Resolution with Internalized Calibration) model for estimating instantaneous values of albedo (shortwave albedo) (αi), net radiation (Rni) and soil heat flux (Gi), sensible (Hi) and latent heat (LEi) over a drip-irrigated Merlot vineyard (location: 35°25′ LS; 71°32′ LW; 125 m.a.s. (l). The experiment was carried out in a plot of 4.25 ha, processing 15 Landsat images, which were acquired from 2006 to 2009. An automatic weather station was placed inside the experimental plot to measure αi, …
Biofrag – A New Database For Analyzing Biodiversity
Responses To Forest Fragmentation,
2014
Imperial College London
Biofrag – A New Database For Analyzing Biodiversity Responses To Forest Fragmentation, Marion Pfeifer, Andrew Tyre
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Habitat fragmentation studies have produced complex results that are challenging to synthesize. Inconsistencies among studies may result from variation in the choice of landscape metrics and response variables, which is often compounded by a lack of key statistical or methodological information. Collating primary datasets on biodiversity responses to fragmentation in a consistent and flexible database permits simple data retrieval for subsequent analyses. We present a relational database that links such field data to taxonomic nomenclature, spatial and temporal plot attributes, and environmental characteristics. Field assessments include measurements of the response(s) (e.g., presence, abundance, ground cover) of one or more species …
Spectroscopic Analysis Of Seasonal Changes In Live Fuel Moisture Content And Leaf Dry Mass,
2014
University of Utah
Spectroscopic Analysis Of Seasonal Changes In Live Fuel Moisture Content And Leaf Dry Mass, Yi Qi, Philip E. Dennison, W. Matt Jolly, Rachael C. Kropp, Simon C. Brewer
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Transdisciplinary Research On Environmental Governance: A View From The Inside,
2014
Colorado State University
Transdisciplinary Research On Environmental Governance: A View From The Inside, Katherine Mattor, Michele Betsill, Ch'aska Huayhuaca, Heidi Huber-Stearns, Theresa Jedd, Faith Sternlieb, Patrick Bixler, Matthew Luizza, Antony S. Cheng
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Carbon–Temperature–Water Change Analysis For Peanut
Production Under Climate Change: A Prototype For The
Agmip Coordinated Climate-Crop Modeling Project
(C3mp),
2014
Climate Impacts Group, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, NY
Carbon–Temperature–Water Change Analysis For Peanut Production Under Climate Change: A Prototype For The Agmip Coordinated Climate-Crop Modeling Project (C3mp), Alex Ruane, Sonali Mcdermid, Cynthia Rosenzweig, Guillermo Baigorria, James W. Jones, Consuelo Romero, L. Dewayne Cecil
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Climate change is projected to push the limits of cropping systems and has the potential to disrupt the agricultural sector from local to global scales. This article introduces the Coordinated Climate-Crop Modeling Project (C3MP), an initiative of the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) to engage a global network of crop modelers to explore the impacts of climate change via an investigation of crop responses to changes in carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]), temperature, and water. As a demonstration of the C3MP protocols and enabled analyses, we apply the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) CROPGRO-Peanut crop model for …
Assessing Risk Of Disease Transmission: Direct Implications
For An Indirect Science,
2014
USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research Center
Assessing Risk Of Disease Transmission: Direct Implications For An Indirect Science, Michael Lavelle, Justin Fischer, Gregory Phillips, Tyler Campbell, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Aaron Hildreth, David Hewiltt, Scott Hygnstrom
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
By definition, contact denotes the ;unction of at least two objects. In the context of disease transmission, contact implies interaction with potential to spread disease. Mischaracterization of contacts may res"lt in inaccurate estimates of transmission rates. To collect more-accurate contact data among white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), "'e built a deer-borne contact detection system (DCDS) consisting of a camera and a proximity logger installed on a GPS (Global Positioning System) collar. We outfitted 26 adult male deer with DCDSs to record GPS locations, proximity of equipped deer to other equipped deer, and video of deer interactions in southern Texas during arltUmn …
A Tallgrass Prairie Forb In A Landscape Shaped By Patch Burn Grazing,
2014
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
A Tallgrass Prairie Forb In A Landscape Shaped By Patch Burn Grazing, Stephen L. Winter
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Our research indicated that Indian plantain is a tallgrass prairie forb that experiences a temporary period of competitive release as a result of the fire‐grazing interaction found in patch burn grazing systems. Additional research is needed to determine what other species of perennial forbs exhibit this phenomena and in what other locations. Conservationists are especially interested in whether this is the case for what are termed “conservative” species of forbs, species that aren’t typically found in locations that have a long history of heavy grazing or other type of land use that produces vegetation characterized by only the hardiest species. …
Landsat-8: Science And Product Vision For Terrestrial Global
Change Research,
2014
South Dakota State University
Landsat-8: Science And Product Vision For Terrestrial Global Change Research, David P. Roy, M. A. Wulder, T. R. Loveland, C. E. Woodcock, R. G. Allen, M. C. Anderson, D. Helder, J. R. Irons, D. M. Johnson, R. Kennedy, T. A. Scambos, C. B. Schaaf, J. R. Schott, Y. Sheng, E. F. Vermote, A. S. Belward, R. Bindschadler, W. B. Cohen, F. Gao, J. D. Hipple, P. Hostert, Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nv, C. O. Justice, Ayse Kilic, V. Kovalskyy, Z. P. Lee, L. Lymburner, J. G. Masek, J. Mccorkel, Y. Shuai, R. Trezza, J. Vogelmann, R. H. Wynne, Z. Zhu
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Landsat 8, a NASA and USGS collaboration, acquires global moderate-resolution measurements of the Earth's terrestrial and polar regions in the visible, near-infrared, short wave, and thermal infrared. Landsat 8 extends the remarkable 40 year Landsat record and has enhanced capabilities including new spectral bands in the blue and cirrus cloud-detection portion of the spectrum, two thermal bands, improved sensor signal-to-noise performance and associated improvements in radiometric resolution, and an improved duty cycle that allows collection of a significantly greater number of images per day. This paper introduces the current (2012–2017) Landsat Science Team's efforts to establish an initial understanding of …
Estimation Of Crop Gross Primary Production (Gpp): FaparChl Versus Mod15a2 Fpar,
2014
NASA, Greenbelt, MD
Estimation Of Crop Gross Primary Production (Gpp): FaparChl Versus Mod15a2 Fpar, Qingyuan Zhang, Yen-Ben Cheng, A. I. Lyapustin, Yujie Wang, Feng Gao, Andrew E. Suyker, Shashi B. Verma, Elizabeth M. Middleton
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Photosynthesis (PSN) is a pigment level process in which antenna pigments (predominately chlorophylls) in chloroplasts absorb photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) for the photochemical process. PAR absorbed by foliar non-photosynthetic components is not used for PSN. The fraction of PAR absorbed (fAPAR) by a canopy/vegetation (i.e., fAPARcanopy) derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images, referred to as MOD15A2 FPAR, has been used to compute absorbed PAR (APAR) for PSN (APARPSN) which is utilized to produce the standard MODIS gross primary production (GPP) product, referred to as MOD17A2 GPP. In this study, the fraction of PAR …
You Are Not Always What We Think You Eat: Selective Assimilation
Across Multiple Whole-Stream Isotopic Tracer Studies,
2014
Kansas State University
You Are Not Always What We Think You Eat: Selective Assimilation Across Multiple Whole-Stream Isotopic Tracer Studies, W. K. Dodds, S. M. Collins, S. K. Hamilton, J. L. Tank, S. Johnson, J. R. Webster, K. S. Simon, M. R. Whiles, H. M. Rantala, W. H. Mcdowell, S. D. Peterson, T. Riis, C. L. Crenshaw, S. A. Thomas, P. B. Kristensen, B. M. Cheever, A. S. Flecker, N. A. Griffiths, T. Crowl, E. J. Rosi-Marshall, R. El-Sabaawi, E. Marti
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Analyses of 21 15N stable isotope tracer experiments, designed to examine food web dynamics in streams around the world, indicated that the isotopic composition of food resources assimilated by primary consumers (mostly invertebrates) poorly reflected the presumed food sources. Modeling indicated that consumers assimilated only 33–50% of the N available in sampled food sources such as decomposing leaves, epilithon, and fine particulate detritus over feeding periods of weeks or more. Thus, common methods of sampling food sources consumed by animals in streams do not sufficiently reflect the pool of N they assimilate. Isotope tracer studies, combined with modeling and …
Estimation Of Crop Gross Primary Production (Gpp): I. Impact Of Modisobservation Footprint And Impact Of Vegetation Brdf Characteristics,
2014
Unversities Space Research Association
Estimation Of Crop Gross Primary Production (Gpp): I. Impact Of Modisobservation Footprint And Impact Of Vegetation Brdf Characteristics, Qingyuan Zhang, Yen-Ben Cheng, Alexei I. Lyapustin, Yujie Wang, Xiangming Xiao, Andrew E. Suyker, Shashi Verma, Bin Tan, Elizabeth M. Middleton
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Accurate estimation of gross primary production (GPP) is essential for carbon cycle and climate change studies. Three AmeriFlux crop sites of maize and soybean were selected for this study. Two of the sites were irrigated and the other one was rainfed. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the enhanced vegetation index (EVI), the green band chlorophyll index (CIgreen), and the green band wide dynamic range vegetation index (WDRVIgreen) were computed from the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) surface reflectance data. We examined the impacts of the MODIS observation footprint and the vegetation bidirectional reflectance distribution function …
