Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Managing Bushland On The Farm, Penny Hussey

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Since the time of European settlement in Western Australia, the replacement of native vegetation with crops and pastures has led to problems for both agricultural production and nature conservation. The most obvious of these are hydrological changes leading to salinisation and waterlogging, and the extinction of some native plants and animals.

Protection of remaining remnants of native bushland, together with revegetation, is increasingly seen as important ways of achieving sustainable agriculture and maintaining our unique wildlife.

Saving The Catchments Of Albany's Harbours, Ashley Prout

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Fertiliser, particularly phosphorus, running off farm land is a major source of nutrient entering Albany's harbours. Oyster Harbour, which has a large rural catchment, is especially at risk.

The build-up in nutrients in the harbours has caused nuisance algal growth since the early 1970s and subseuent death of more than half the seagrass beds, which are vital to the areas marine life.

The Department of Agriculture, at the request of the Environmental protection Authority, has developed and promoted catchment management plans that enable rural land holders to reduce the amount of run-off into the harbours without necessarily sacrificing farm productivity. …

Improving Sustainable Production From Water Repellent Sands, Paul Blackwell

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The agricultural management of water repellent ( non-wetting) sands is difficult, and production from them is mostly low. However, there are ways to make them more productive.

Furrow sowing and the incorporation of dispersive clay are two likely methods to make these soils easier to manage, more productive and more profitable than they are now.

This article discusses several aspects of our research on water repellent sands. In addition, some of the costs and benefits of alternative management strategies are outlined.

Wbecon- An Interactive Computer Model For The Economic Evaluation Of Field Windbreaks, James R. Brandle

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Research Of The Nebraska Agroforestry Team, James R. Brandle

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Vertebrates For Biological Control Of Insects In Agroforestry Systems, James R. Brandle

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

An Improved Goniometer System For Calibrating Field Reference-Reflectance Panels, Elizabeth A. Walter-Shea, Cynthia J. Hays, Mark A. Mesarch

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Photosynthesis And Stomatal Conductance Related To Reflectance On The Canopy Scale, S. B. Verma

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Eddy Correlation Measurement Of Co2 Flux Using A Closed-Path Sensor: Theory And Field Tests Against An Open-Path Sensor, A. E. Suyker, S. B. Verma

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Asymmetric Trends Of Daily Maximum And Minimum Temperature, Thomas R. Karl, Philip D. Jones, Richard W. Knight, George Kukla, Neil Plummer, Vyacheslav Razuvayev, Kevin P. Gallo, Janette Lindseay, Robert J. Charlson, Thomas C. Peterson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Monthly mean maximum and minimum temperatures for over 50% (10%) of the Northern (Southern) Hemisphere landmass, accounting for 37% of the global landmass, indicate that the rise of the minimum temperature has occurred at a rate three times that of the maximum temperature during the period 1951-90 (0.84°C versus 0.28°C). The decrease of the diumal temperature range is approximately equal to the increase of mean temperature. The asymmetry is detectable in all seasons and in most of the regions studied.

Remote Sensing Observations Of The Phytoplankton Distribution In Lake Kinneret, Anatoly A. Gitelson, M. Mayo, Y. Yacobi, A. Parparov, T. Berman

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Reflectance spectra from 400 to 750 nm were measured in Lake Kinneret, when low phytoplankton stock prevailed, with chlorophyll concentrations from 3.1 to 7.3 μg/l. Algorithms for estimation of chlorophyll (CHL) concentration were devised using reflectances in the blue and green region of the spectrum and natural solar induced fluorescence. The fluorescence was calculated either from the reflectance height above a baseline drawn between 650 and 715 nm or between 670 and 730 nm, and also from the sum of reflectance above the base line through 670 and 730 nm. This paper presents experimental evidence showing that fluorescence can be …

Reflectance Models For Quantifying Chlorophyll In Inland Waters, Anatoly A. Gitelson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

To develop the models for chlorophyll (CHL) estimation, the nature of a peak near 700 nm on the reflectance spectrum of water should be investigated. Simultaneous measurements of the reflectance spectra from 400 to 750 nm and relevant water quality constituent concentrations were carried out. A shift of the peak position and an increase of the peak magnitude, when chlorophyll concentration increased, were observed. The relationships of the magnitude and position of the peak to chlorophyll-a, were applied to several independent data sets. The parameters of the peak can be used as precise indicators of CHL content in inland waters.

13.2.2. The North American Waterfowl Management Plan: A New Approach To Wetland Conservation, Angela V. Graziano, Diana H. Cross

Waterfowl Management Handbook

The decline of waterfowl populations and the loss of wetlands are high-ranking environmental concerns in North America. The importance of these issues is reflected in an ambitious wetland recovery plan, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Signed in 1986 by the U.S. and Canadian federal governments, the plan features specific strategies to reverse the declines in waterfowl numbers and wetland acreage. The goal is to restore waterfowl populations to a level common to the 1970’s by improving and securing long-term protection of 6 million acres (2.4 million ha) of habitat in 34 areas of major concern.

The key to achieving …

13.3.14. Detrital Accumulation And Processing In Wetlands, Patrick A. Magee

Waterfowl Management Handbook

Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems on earth (Fig. 1) and are often characterized by lush growths of hydrophytes. However, direct consumption of wetland plants by animals is relatively low, and, therefore, much of the biomass and energy assimilated by hydrophytes becomes detritus or senesced plant litter. Nutrients released by detritus into the water and soil are assimilated by microorganisms, algae, plants, and small aquatic animals. Through this process, energy is transferred from detritus to other biotic components of a wetland. Plant litter ultimately decomposes.

Litter processing is regulated by environmental factors, microbial activity, the presence and abundance of …

13.1.11. Life History Traits And Habitat Needs Of The Redhead, Christine Mitchell Custer

Waterfowl Management Handbook

Redheads are one of five common diving duck species in North America. They are in the same taxonomic group as the pochards or bay ducks and are most similar in appearance and behavior to the canvasback. Smaller body size, late breeding, wintering in southern areas, and tolerance to salt in winter and in breeding areas differentiate the redhead from the canvasback and suggest an evolutionary origin in the arid areas of the West. Parasitism of other waterfowl nests is more pronounced in redheads than in other North American waterfowl. These and other aspects of the biology of the redhead are …

13.1.15. Life History And Habitat Needs Of The Black Brant, Dirk V. Derksen, David H. Ward

Waterfowl Management Handbook

The black brant is a sea goose that depends on coastal habitats from high arctic nesting sites in Canada, Alaska, and Russia to wintering areas in the Pacific coastal states, the Baja California peninsula, and mainland Mexico estuaries. Population estimates are based on aerial surveys in Mexico, California, Oregon, and Washington during mid-winter. Despite much annual variability in estimates, a plot of the counts from 1964 to 1992 reveals a significant downward trend in the winter populations (Fig. 1). Three of four major colonies on the Yukon&#;Kuskokwim (Y&#;K) delta declined an average of 60% during the first half of the …

Toxicokinetics And Metabolism Of Aniline And 4-Chloroaniline In Medaka (Oryzias Latipes), Steven P. Bradbury, Julia M. Dady, Patrick N. Fitzsimmons, Michelle M. Voit, Dean E, Hammermeister, Russell J. Erickson

Steven P. Bradbury

The in vivo toxicokinetics and in vitro hepatic microsomal metabolism of (14C)aniline and (14C)4-chloroaniline in medaka (Oryzias latipes) were investigated to provide a basis upon which to interpret the toxicological responses of small aquarium fish to aniline derivatives. During static aqueous exposures of up to 320 min, parent equivalents failed to reach steady state and results from depuration studies clearly demonstrated biphasic elimination. Due to low elimination rates, 40 to 20% of absorbed aniline and 4-chloroaniline doses, respectively, remained within the fish through 330 min postexposure. Based on an analysis of excreted metabolites, N-acetylation was the dominant route of in …

A Non-Invasive Neurotoxicity Assay Using Larval Medaka, Steven P. Bradbury, Dave Featherstone, Charles D. Drewes, Joel R. Coats

Steven P. Bradbury

We present a method for non-invasive electrophysiological analysis of rapid escape responses in intact, freely behaving larval medaka (Oryzias latipes) before and after short-term exposure to environmental toxicants. Recordings are obtained as a larval medaka swims in a small chamber of water above pairs of recording electrodes etched onto a printed circuit board. When the chamber is briefly vibrated by a sinusoidal pulse from a speaker attached to the grid, a stereotyped Mauthner cell-initiated escape response is evoked. The following parameters were quantified from recordings: 1) Mauthner axon conduction velocity, 2) delay between Mauthner axon spike and motoneuron spike in …

Instream Flow Protection In The West, Lawrence J. Macdonnell, Teresa A. Rice, Steven J. Shupe, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Books, Reports, and Studies

1 v. (various pagings) : ill., maps ; 28 cm

POLICIES AND ISSUES: Recognizing the value of in-place uses of water in the West : an introduction to the laws, strategies and issues / Steven J. Shupe, Lawrence J. MacDonnell -- Instream flows : integrating new uses and new players into the prior appropriation system / Christopher H. Meyer -- People preserving rivers : the public and its changing role in protecting instream flows / Lori Potter -- Instream flows and the public trust / Harrison C. Dunning -- The federal role in in-place water protection / Lawrence J. MacDonnell, …

The Planet, 1993, Volume 23, Issue 02, T. R. Morris, Huxley College Of The Environment, Western Washington University

The Planet

No abstract provided.

The Potential Effects Of Climate Change On Summer Season Dairy Cattle Milk Production And Reproduction, Peggy L. Klinedinst, Donald A. Wilhite, G. Leroy Hahn, Kenneth G. Hubbard

Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

The potential direct effects of possible global warming on summer season dairy production and re-production were evaluated for the United States and Europe. Algorithms used for milk production and conception rate were previously developed and validated. Three widely known global circulation models (GISS, GFDL, and UKMO) were used to represent possible scenarios of future climate. Milk production and conception rate declines were highest under the UKMO model scenario and lowest under the GISS model scenario. Predicted declines for the GCM scenarios are generally higher than either “l year in 10” probability-based declines or declines based on the abnormally hot summer …

Contaminación De Las Aguas, Aldemaro Romero Jr., Ana Mayayo

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Economic Impacts Of Noxious Facilities: Incorporating The Effects Of Risk Aversion, Leslie A. Nieves

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The author suggests an integrative approach for projecting economic impacts of facilities that elicit public Risk aversion. She incorporates both economic stimulus effects and perception-based effects of facilities on the host area economy. Empirical findings are compared and an impact estimation framework is suggested for integrating psychometric and econometric techniques.

Environmental Analysis Of The Caddo River And Its Tributaries: Comparison Of Water Quality During 1992 With 1974-75, Kelly L. House, Jimmy D. Bragg, Clark Kuyper, T. Kent Thomas, C. Renn Tumlison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Environmental data related to water quality of the Caddo River and its tributaries were collected from March - October, 1992, and compared with data from August, 1974 - May, 1975. Bacterial, chemical and physical parameters were investigated at six river locations and thirteen tributary sites. Ammonia, nitrates, soluble phosphorus, turbidity and fecal coliform were significantly lower, and sodium and potassium were significantly higher in 1992 than during the previous study. Bacterial loading exceeded EPA criteria at some locations during both studies.

Larval Chironomids Of The St. Francis Sunken Lands In Northeast Arkansas, Betty G. Cochran, Edmond J. Bacon Jr., George L. Harp

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Sixty semi-annual collections (August 1987-July 1988) were made from 30 stations by sampling each station twice for 1.5 man-hours with an aquatic dipnet. Larval chironomids were mounted on slides and identified at 400-1000 magnifications using a Leitz Dialux 20 EB microscope. A survey of the aquatic macroinvertebrates of the St. Francis Sunken Lands in northeast Arkansas revealed 36 taxa of Order Diptera, Family Chironomidae. The taxa were used to evaluate the general health of the aquatic environment. Stations that were located within the least disturbed areas, which were old river channels and oxbows, contained the highest number of organisms and …

Water Quality Impacts Of Natural Riparian Grasses Part 1: Empirical Studies, B. J. Barfield, R. L. Blevins, Alex W. Fogle, C. E. Madison, S. P. Inamdar, D. I. Carey, V. P. Evangelou

KWRRI Research Reports

Studies were conducted on the effectiveness of natural riparian grass buffer strips in removing sediment and ag chemicals from surface runoff. No till and conventional tillage erosion plots served as the sediment and chemical source area. Runoff from the plots was directed onto 15, 30, and 45 foot filter strips where the inflow and outflow concentrations and sediment size distributions. Trapping percentages for sediment and ag chemicals typically ranged near or above 90%. An evaluation was made of the distribution of trapped chemicals among infiltrated mass and mass stored in the surface layer and on plant surfaces. The analysis showed …

Water Quality Impacts Of Naturals Riparian Grasses Part 2: Modeling Effects Of Channelization On Sediment Trapping, S. P. Inamdar, B. J. Barfield, D. I. Carey, Alex W. Fogle

KWRRI Research Reports

A methodology is developed to determine expected sediment trapping in riparian vegetative filter strips considering channelization of flow. The framework consists of defining the channel network stochastically, with deposition/detachment in each channel being modeled deterministically. The two approaches were then combined to develop a model which could predict expected trapping efficiencies for vegetative filters under known field conditions. The model was then extended to include conditions such as rainfall on the filter so as to make it applicable to generic field situations.

Field and laboratory studies were conducted to collect and estimate data to develop and evaluate the model. sediment …

Las Consecuencias Ambientales De La Guerra, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Field Manual For The Identification Of Selected North American Freshwater Fish By Fillets And Scales, David W. Oates, Lisa M. Krings, Karen L. Ditz

Other Publications in Wildlife Management

This manual is designed for use in the field to help conservation officers identify fish that have been filleted or skinned. Many North American freshwater gamefish and those caught by commercial fishermen are included. Our goal was to collect six fish of each species for measurement purposes. Several states and provinces including Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., Wisconsin and Wyoming furnished samples. Fish may vary from location to location; these differences were not corrected for in this manual.

For identification of fish, we will first examine fillets. Fish …

Controlling Mountain Beaver Damage In Forest Plantations, David S. De Calesta, Ralph E. Duddles, Michael C. Bondi

Other Publications in Wildlife Management

Damage to conifer regeneration by mountain beavers, more commonly called boomers, results in significant losses in Western Oregon annually. Most of the damage is to 1- to 5-year-old conifer seedlings. Where populations are high, repeated clipping by mountain beavers can cause loss of production through poorly stocked acres-even reforestation failures.

Damage can continue on saplings up to 15 to 20 years old; however, newly planted seedlings are particularly vulnerable. In a few instances, extensive burrowing can undermine the roots of larger trees enough to topple them.

This publication will help you design a program to reduce mountain beaver damage in …