The occurrences of Staphylea L. (Staphyleaceae) fossils have been abundantly documented from the Cenozoic of Eurasia, but none has been confirmed from North America to date. In this study, we describe Staphylealevisemia sp. nov. on the basis of seed remains from the latest Miocene to earliest Pliocene of northeastern Tennessee, southeastern USA. The seeds are characterized by a smoothly inflated body, a large hilar scar perforated by several vascular traces and bordered by a distinctive lip-like rim, a cuticle coating the seed coat interior, and seed coat section containing weakly developed tiny lumina. According to the paleogeographic distribution of the genus, it is hypothesized that Staphylea originated from western Eurasia no later than the late Oligocene, and arrived in eastern North America no later than the late Neogene, most possibly through the North Atlantic land bridges like many other seed plants.

The Gray Fossil Site (GFS) of northeastern Tennessee has yielded a diverse salamander fossil assemblage for the southern Appalachian Mio-Pliocene. This assemblage includes at least five taxa (Ambsytoma sp.; Plethodon sp., Spelerpinae, gen. et sp. indet., Desmognathus sp.; and Notophthalmus sp.) from three families (Ambystomatidae, Plethodontidae, and Salamandridae, respectively). All taxa are present in the area today and support a woodland-pond interpretation of the site. Reported specimens represent the earliest record of their families in the Appalachian Mountains (and the earliest record of Plethodontidae and Ambystomatidae east of the Mississippi River); with the Notophthalmus sp. vertebrae being the only Mio-Pliocene body fossil known for the Salamandridae in North America. The Desmognathus sp. specimens may help shed light on the evolutionary origins of the genus Desmognathus, which purportedly has its roots in this region during the Mio-Pliocene.

The Gray Fossil Site in northeastern Tennessee preserves materials from a 5-million-year-old ecosystem, including wood from nearby trees. Trees provide a unique perspective into ecosystems as they are immobile during their lifetime. As such, tree rings convey information about precipitation and temperature for a given location. As southern Appalachia is one of North America’s most biodiverse regions, and modern climates are warming, understanding the warmer past climate of the Gray Fossil Site can help predict the region’s future. This study consists of three parts: conservation of wood remains, identification of taxonomic groups represented by the fossil wood, and the measured organic content of fossil wood from the Gray Fossil Site. When excavated, the wood is saturated due to a modern local high water table. A variety of drying methods from paleontology, archaeology, and dendrology were compared on saturated samples, from string wrapping to refrigeration, alcohol replacement to microwaving. The method least likely to cause warping and cracking is to wrap specimens in cotton string to slow drying. Microscopic examination of the wood reveals tree rings that have identifying features. Utilizing identification keys for tree rings, each specimen with visible rings can be identified. Taxa represented by fossil wood specimens are like those present in pre-modern forests. Finally, loss on ignition tests reveal that the Gray Fossil Site wood lacks extensive permineralization or mineral replacement. As the wood is 80-90% organic, alpha-cellulose can be extracted. The presence of alpha-cellulose, albeit stained with iron oxides, indicates that future stable isotope analyses are possible.

Multiple regression and discriminant analysis procedures are commonly used to develop forest site quality models. 'When they contain many independent variables relative to sample size, these models may be subject to predicton bias. Fit statistics such as R2 in regression and classification tables in discriminant analysis show the apparent model accuracy but this may be a biased estimate of the model's actual accuracy. Sample splitting methods such as cross-validation and the bootstrap can be used to get an unbiased actual accuracy estimate. A discriminant procedure called classification tree analysis uses cross-validation to build the classifier with the greatest estimated actual accuracy. Because cross-validation is used in model development, the model is less likely to be over-fit with insignificant variables when compared with stepwise linear discriminant analysis. Classification tree analysis and linear discriminant analysis were used to develop models that discriminate prime vs. nonprime ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) sites. Prime sites are defined as having site index 25 greater than 7.6 meters; nonprime sites have site index 25 less than 7.6 meters. Forest habitat type, percent sand content, and soil pH were incorporated in both models. The cross-valiation estimate of classification tree actual accuracy was 88 percent. A random bootstrap estimate of the linear discriminant function actual accuracy was 80 percent. viii A multiple regression model developed with random plots revealed little useful information and was biased when applied to prime site plots. The conventional regression approach using random plots may be misleading if one is interested in identifying relatively rare prime sites. Forest habitat types within the ponderosa pine series in southern Utah were examined as site quality indicators. The site index range within any one habitat type was broad. However, the best ponderosa pine sites consistently occurred in only Pinus ponderosa/Quercus gambelii, and Pinus ponderosa/Symphoricarpos oreophilus habitat types; or in habitat types within the Pseudotsuga menziesii or Abies concolor series. Therefore forest habitat type when used with other site variables may be useful in predicting prime sites. The effect of aspect at the upper elevational limit of ponderosa pine was examined by comparing mean site index and mean initial 10 year diameter increment on southerly and northerly slopes from two cinder cones. Southerly aspects on both cinder cones had greater mean diameter increment. Southerly aspects on the highest elevation cinder cone had the greatest mean site index. There was no significant difference in mean site index on the lower elevation cinder cone. Optimal aspect for height and diameter growth may differ due to l) the effect of density on diameter increment; and/or 2) available soil water limiting height growth during the spring and ambient temperature/solar radiation limiting diameter growth in late summer. Optimal aspect for forest production is not constant but varies with tree species, elevation, latitude, and other factors affecting site microclimate.

The purpose of this thesis was to determine the criteria necessary for an analysis of site suitability for locating a marina at Bear Lake. Once criteria were defined and pertinent resource factors collected, a method to analyze the criteria was utilized to aid in the selection of the best site for locating this marina. Various methods to analyze site suitability were evaluated and the pros and cons of the chosen approach, a cluster analysis of existing resource transect data with hypothetical transect criteria, were discussed. Based on this study, no optimum sites were located at Bear Lake for a marina facility. However, it was concluded that transect number 3, near Garden City, is the most acceptable area for the development of a marina. It was also concluded that other areas of Bear Lake's shore zone are very sensitive and in order to protect the shore zone environment and water quality of Bear Lake, strict planning and development guidance needs to be generated and enforced for the Bear Lake shore zone.

No description available.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(農学) / 乙第12881号 / 論農博第2808号 / 新制||農||1028(附属図書館) / 学位論文||H26||N4880(農学部図書室) / 31599 / (主査)教授 冨永 達, 教授 奥本 裕, 教授 宮川 恒 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当 / Doctor of Agricultural Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第21363号 / 工博第4522号 / 新制||工||1704(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院工学研究科都市環境工学専攻 / (主査)教授 高岡 昌輝, 教授 米田 稔, 准教授 大下 和徹 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DFAM

Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Health Sciences, 2013. / High resolution aeromagnetic and radiometric data covering the 1:50,000 mapsheets 2229AB Mapungubwe and 2229AD Coila were collected by the Council for Geoscience and interpreted in this study. Several generations of magnetised lineaments were identified and modelled as mafic dykes. North-northwest, east-northeast and east-west trending lineaments occur in the pre-Karoo basement (~2.04 Ga to Dwyka) and east-west trending lineaments predominate in Karoo sediments (<183 Ma). A number of circular magnetic anomalies occur in north-northwest and east-northeast trending clusters in the southwest of the study area. These were interpreted to be intrusive plugs – possibly feeders for the dolerite sills and dykes that occur in the area. Radiometric data delineate geological units within the pre-Karoo basement. Granitic to granodioritic rocks (2.6 Ga) are enriched in uranium and thorium while tonalitic rocks are not. Geological cross-sections, constructed along flight lines and tie-lines, suggest that there are two or more sills at depth under the southwestern portion of the study area intruded by the Venetia kimberlite pipes. In addition a large strongly magnetic anomaly with no surface expression was identified in the northeastern area and modelled to be at about 1200 m depth.

Mottled ducks (Anas fulvigula) are a non-migratory waterfowl species endemic to the western Gulf Coast, with a separate, genetically distinct subspecies (A. fulvigula fulvigula) occurring in peninsular Florida. Birds from Texas, Louisiana, and Florida were released in coastal South Carolina from 1975-1983, and banding data suggest an expanding population. I monitored 72 mottled duck nests and captured and radio-marked 196 pre-breeding and nesting females between 2010 and 2014 to study breeding ecology of these birds in the Ashepoo, Combahee, Edisto Rivers Basin. Nest success averaged 12% and varied with vegetation height and year. Indicated breeding pair surveys revealed breeding mottled ducks select managed wetland impoundments, predominately influenced by water depth. Future research should investigate ecology of nest predators of mottled ducks to devise successful habitat management strategies for breeding birds. Preliminary evidence suggests that managed wetland impoundments are important to breeding and brood rearing mottled ducks in coastal South Carolina.