Environmental Studies Commons^™

Homestead National Monument Of America, Acoustic Monitoring, 2011-2012

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

This report presents acoustical data gathered by Student Conservation Association interns and the Natural Resource Specialist at Homestead National Monument of America in 2011 and 2012. Data were collected at four sites to provide park managers with information on the acoustical environment, sources of noise, and the existing ambient sound levels within the monument. The data will also inform the park managers with information regarding the potential impact of traffic on Highway 4.

Monitoring occurred at each site during two different seasons (except HOME002) in order to document seasonal variations. In each deployment, sound pressure level (SPL) was …

Natural Resources Condition Assessment, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (February 2020 Revision), Reilly R. Dibner, Nicole Korfanta, Gary Beauvais

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

In collaboration with the National Park Service, the University of Wyoming Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources and the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database completed the Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) for Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (NM). The purpose of the NRCA is to provide park leaders and resource managers with information on resource conditions to support near-term planning and management, long-term strategic planning, and effective science communication to decision-makers and the public.

Agate Fossil Beds NM was authorized in 1965 and established in 1997. The purposes of the park include protecting the paleontological resources on the …

Adaptive Injustice: Responsibility To Act In The Plastics Economy, Katie Conlon

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

How can plastic material be reduced, reused, repurposed, or salvaged so it is kept out of rivers, oceans and ecosystems in general? Social awareness about the impacts of plastic pollution is growing, and creative, social solutions to the ‘plastic menace’ are popping up globally. Every day, one can read about the latest, innovative method for managing plastic waste at the local level: plastic PET bottles stuffed with plastic-film food wrappers to make ‘ecobricks;’ paving roads with plastic waste; making yoga-wear out of marine plastic pollution; weaving plastic into tote bags; using a 3D printer to make plastic into products for …

Mitigation Localized Flooding - Development Of A Green Infrastructure Master Plan In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Andrew Ernest, Javier Guerrero, Ahmed Mahmoud, Roxana Tello, Jose Figueroa, Jorge Hernandez

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

The City of Mercedes in partnership with the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) proposed to develop a demonstration green infrastructure (GI) master plan to mitigate localized flooding in a high priority region within the city limits of the City. Local governments in the LRGV control localized flooding and stormwater runoff by adopting strict drainage design policies. During the course of this project, participating in local governments and the project team reviewed the city drainage policy. The project team identified those that already incorporate GI language, provided GI related information to the …

Measuring Spatial And Temporal Shifts In Forest Structure And Composition In T High Elevation Beech Forests In Response To Beech Bark Disease In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Lee Rubmle, Glenn Taylor, Joshua B. Grinath, Ashley B. Morris

United States National Park Service: Publications

Exotic forest pests and pathogens are among the most serious environmental threats to millions of hectares of forested land worldwide. Beech Bark Disease (BBD) is a non-native, pathogenic complex consisting of associations between scale insects and fungi. First confirmed in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) in 1986, this complex has since threatened local high elevation beech forests, which are G-1 ranked (critically imperiled) forest communities where American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) is a foundational tree species. In 1994, GRSM initiated the BBD Monitoring Protocol at 10 high elevation beech forest plots in the Park. The plots were sampled biennially …

Environmental Crisis Communication Nrs 542, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Prey Of Reintroduced Fishers And Their Habitat Relationships In The Cascades T Range, Washington, Mitchell A. Parsons, Jeffrey C. Lewis, Jonathan N. Pauli, Tara Chestnut, Jason I. Ransom, David O. Werntz, Laura R. Prugh

United States National Park Service: Publications

Conservation and recovery of forest carnivores requires an understanding of their habitat requirements, as well as requirements of their prey. In much of the western United States, trapping and habitat loss led to extirpations of fishers (Pekania pennanti) by the mid-20th century, and reintroductions are ongoing to restore fishers to portions of their former range. Fisher recovery in Washington State has been limited by isolation from other populations, but other potentially important factors, such as diet of fishers in this region and prey availability, have not been thoroughly investigated. We collected hair samples from potential prey and fishers for stable …

Centering Equity In Oregon’S 100 Year Water Vision: A Student-Led Policy Paper Prepared By The Oregon Water Stories Team At Portland State University, Clare T. Mcclellan, Sadie Boyers, Victoria Cali De Leon, Tony Cole, Laura Cowley-Martinson, Shersten Finley, Dustin Lanker, Julia Seydel, Aakash Nath Upraity, Janet Cowal, Melissa Haeffner

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this report is to provide evidence for the need to further intentionally incorporate equity into Oregon’s 100 Year Water Vision. Four case studies contextualize this need and highlight the variety of water issues throughout the state, supported by linguistic analyses of local newspapers. As Oregon policy-makers are responsible for ensuring working water systems for all Oregonians, we also suggest implementable criteria for the evaluation of equity in water issues and decision-making. This student-led and interdisciplinary report comes from the Haeffner-Cowal Oregon Water Stories research lab at Portland State University.

Following The Newark, Nj Drinking Water Lead Crisis, Morgan Clauser

Gettysburg Social Sciences Review

In the summer of 2018, after it was revealed that there were dangerous levels of lead in the drinking water in Newark, New Jersey, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the New Jersey Education Workers Caucus filed a lawsuit against the City of Newark. They claimed the city did not comply with statues in the Safe Drinking Water Act, Lead and Copper Rule, and New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act. This case follows the nationally recognized case in Flint, MI, and both cases present undertones of systemic racism through the inaction of local governments. While the jury is still out …

The Effects Of Historical Housing Policies On Resident Exposure To Intra-Urban Heat: A Study Of 108 Us Urban Areas, Jeremy Hoffman, Vivek Shandas, Nicholas Pendleton

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

The increasing intensity, duration, and frequency of heat waves due to human-caused climate change puts historically underserved populations in a heightened state of precarity, as studies observe that vulnerable communities—especially those within urban areas in the United States—are disproportionately exposed to extreme heat. Lacking, however, are insights into fundamental questions about the role of historical housing policies in cauterizing current exposure to climate inequities like intra-urban heat. Here, we explore the relationship between “redlining”, or the historical practice of refusing home loans or insurance to whole neighborhoods based on a racially motivated perception of safety for investment, with present-day summertime …

The Bioethical Significance Of “The Origin Of Man’S Ethical Behavior” (October 1941, Unpublished) By Ernest Everett Just And Hedwig Anna Schnetzler Just, Theodore Walker Jr.

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Abstract –

E. E. Just (1883-1941) is an acknowledged “pioneer” in cell biology, and he is perhaps the pioneer in study of egg cell fertilization. Here we discover that Just also made pioneering contributions to general biology and evolutionary bioethics.

Within Just’s published contributions to observational cell biology, there are substantial fragments of his theory of ethical behavior, a theory with roots in cell biology. In addition to such previously available fragments, Just’s fully developed theory is now available. This recently discovered unpublished book-length manuscript argues for the biological origins of ethical behavior (evolving from cells to humans, within a …

Plains Zebra (Equus Quagga) Behaviour In A Restored Population Reveals Seasonal Resource Limitations, Charli De Vos, Alison J. Leslie, Jason I. Ransom

United States National Park Service: Publications

A once abundant species, plains zebra (Equus quagga), is declining across much of sub-Saharan Africa. Reintroduction efforts at Majete Wildlife Reserve, Malawi, have resulted in rapid population increases, but little is known about how such populations resemble natural populations socially or behaviourally, and what those attributes may reveal about restoration success. Incorporating behavioural knowledge into conservation efforts is an important tool for managing the effects of habitat fragmentation and resource competition. The aim of this study was to quantify the daylight time budget of both family and bachelor bands of reintroduced plains zebra to determine if such behaviours …

Conceptual Understanding Of Sustainability Among Academic Administrators Of Pakistan Public Universities, Syed Kaleem Ullah Shah Bukhari, Hamdan Said, Faizah Mohamad Nor

The Qualitative Report

The transition of higher education institutions (HEIs) from a traditional role to a modern one has focused on the advancement of the innovative idea of sustainability in their functions. HEIs played their traditional role in promoting the disciplinary nature of teaching and research. The modern role of HEIs makes demands for not only knowledge to be promoted but also for the gap between academia and society to be bridged. This modern role is a fundamental principle of sustainability. Lack of understanding of the concept of sustainability causes hurdles in taking sustainable initiatives. The status of sustainability in Pakistan is in …

The Tale Of Two Community Gardens: Green Aesthetics Versus Food Justice In The Big Apple, Sofya Aptekar, Justin S. Myers

Publications and Research

There has been a vibrant community gardening movement in New York City since the 1970s. The movement is predominantly located in working class communities of color and has fought for decades to turn vacant land into beneficial community spaces. However, many of these communities are struggling with gentrification, which has the potential to transform access to and use of community gardens in the city and the politics around them. Drawing on separate multi-year ethnographic projects, this article compares two community gardens in food insecure communities in Queens and Brooklyn: one that is undergoing gentrification and one that is not. We …

Predicting Livestock Depredation Risk By African Lions (Panthera Leo) In A Multi-Use Area Of Northern Tanzania, K. Beattie, E. R. Olson, B. Kissui, A. Kirschbaum, C. Kiffner

United States National Park Service: Publications

Human-wildlife conflicts, especially those involving large carnivores, are of global conservation and livelihood concern and require effective and locally-adapted prevention measures. Risk of lion attack on livestock (i.e. depredation) may vary seasonally and may be associated with variation in wild prey abundance or landscape characteristics. To test these competing hypotheses, we used a resource selection approach, and determined whether prey catchability (indicated by geo-spatial variables), or prey availability (indicated by modeled abundance recorded via camera traps) explained spatial and seasonal variation in livestock depredation risk by African lions on Manyara Ranch Conservancy, a multi-use area in northern Tanzania. Seasonal variation …

Cultural Resources Survey For The Granbury East Wastewater Treatment Plant, City Of Granbury, Hood County, Texas (Twdb Project No. 73813), Kevin Stone, Thomas Chapman

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

This report presents the substantive findings of a cultural resources survey for the Granbury East Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Project, which is a component to the Wastewater Phase I Improvements Project reviewed by the Texas Water Development Board [TWDB] under Project No. 73813. The proposed Granbury East WWTP is located within a 10.6-acre (ac) property located at 3121 Old Granbury Road in the City of Granbury, Hood County, Texas.

As the City of Granbury is a political entity of the State of Texas, the City is required to comply with the Antiquities Code of Texas (ACT). In addition, as the …

Final Report: Intensive Archeological Survey For The Proposed Rockport Center For The Arts, Aransas County, Texas, Scotty Moore

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

In March 2020, an intensive archeological survey was completed in order to inventory and evaluate archeological resources within the proposed footprint of a new Center for the Arts, Performing Arts, and Conference Center in Aransas County, Texas.

The project is owned and sponsored by the Rockport Center for the Arts. The project area lies adjacent to the Kline’s Café Building, which has been determined eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Under the current preferred alternative, the Kline Café will be relocated to a location outside of the project area. This action is considered “an adverse …

Intensive Cultural Resources Survey Of An Approximately 14.7-Acre Proposed Solar Array Near Calaveras, Wilson County, Texas, Christopher Shelton

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

On behalf of DG Central 1, LLC (DG Central 1), a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted a cultural resources survey of an approximately 14.7-acre parcel proposed for the Calaveras Solar Project (Project). The Project is proposed to occur on a parcel located immediately east of the intersection of County Road 128 and Farm-to-Market Road 775, near the community of Calaveras, Wilson County, Texas. The proposed Project will consist of a main solar array and ancillary facilities all constructed within the 14.7-acre parcel. Expected Project impacts include widespread surficial modifications with deeper impacts in location …

Negative Findings Report Cultural Resources Survey Fabens Lease 13031, University Lands El Paso County, Texas, Jeff P. Turpin

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

On July 23, 2020, TAS Inc. conducted a cultural resource survey of a 10- acre tract intended to host a truck stop on the northwest corner of IH10 and FM 793 two miles northeast of the town of Fabens, in El Paso County, Texas. The project was sponsored by Ya Rehman, Ent, Inc. and was authorized by Texas Antiquities Permit 9518 with Jeff Turpin acting as Principal Investigator. The tract is a southwest-trending dune between two arroyos. The pavement and construction debris from an abandoned gasoline station occupy the southwestern corner. The current survey and shovel test regime found the …

Archaeological Monitoring Associated With Geotechnical Boring For The Cenotaph Relocation In Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, José E. Zapata

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

On October 21, 2019, in response to a request from the City of San Antonio (COSA) Transportation and Capital Improvements (TCI), The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) conducted archaeological monitoring of geotechnical boring associated with the Cenotaph Relocation project in the Alamo Plaza complex in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The boring samples will be used by Terracon Consultants, Inc. (Terracon) to evaluate the soil bearing pressure, the active soil load, the location of the groundwater table, and the soil characteristics. The archaeological work consisted of monitoring two geotechnical bores that formed the …