Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1974. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.L.S.)--University of Michigan, 1944. / "Designed to supplement the Subject index to the history of the Pacific Northwest and of Alaska ... prepared by Katharine B. Judson, and published by the Washington State Library, in 1913"--Introd. "Library Science 321." At head of title: University of Michigan, Department of Library Science.

This study was undertaken to establish the impact of the Alaska-British Columbia boundary on socio-economic development in the boundary region. The impact was studied in three stages: (1) an historical analysis to determine the raison d'etre of the boundary and the consequent adaptations which have been made to its resulting barrier functions, (2) a contemporary analysis of the boundary as a constraint on the transportation routeways which it divides and (3) an analysis of a future problem which the situation of the boundary is expected to create in the division of authority over the international rivers which traverse the boundary. It was found that historically the boundary was established as a result of the extention of the Russian and British fur trade economies and thus was created as a barrier to penetration by the opposing traders. As a result of its delimitation on this basis, it created considerable stress in the region as the need arose for greater economic and social penetration of the boundary. Several rail, highway, and water routes were utilized to exploit this region and it was found that the boundary impeded the efficient operation of these routeways, albeit to a lesser extent than the Canadian public have expressed in political concern. However, to overcome this problem, effort has been directed at altering the location of the boundary to facilitate Canadian transportation routeways. This solution was found to offer little possibility of success. It was therefore suggested that the functions of the boundary be reviewed and that this approach would lead to a reduction in the barrier effect of the boundary. The future possibility of efficient utilization of the hydro electric resources of the Yukon, Taku and Stikine Rivers was also found to be hampered by the division of political jurisdiction. It is suggested that the limited market base in the region and large capital costs required for hydro projects preclude separate American and Canadian development programmes. Precedent established along the southern boundary of Canada and the United States provides a sufficient political-geographic framework within which to exploit jointly the power available on the northern rivers. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

Sitka black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis Sm.) prefer understory forages growing beneath a forest canopy despite a greater abundance of the same plant species in forest clearings. This research examined responses of the deciduous shrub - blueberry (Vaccinium ovalifolium), to test the hypotheses that 1) forage is less nutritious and less palatable when grown in clearings than in forest understories, and that 2) changes in the plant carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio in response to light and nitrogen supply determine forage nutritional quality. Responses to irradiance and nitrogen supply were examined with respect to plant physiology, morphology, biochemistry and nutritional quality in three phases : 1) under controlled conditions in a growth room, 2) with manipulations in a field experiment and 3) along natural gradients of light and nitrogen in the native forests. The results were highly consistent from the growth room to the field. Light strongly affected plant physiological responses, including photosynthesis, relative growth rates and growth efficiency, whereas nitrogen had little effect. In regression analyses, leaf morphological properties, including specific leaf weight and leaf succulence, were the best predictors of relative growth rates (R2=.67). Irrespective of nitrogen supply, the biochemical properties of sun leaves included higher concentrations of starch, nonstructural carbohydrates and % lignin + cutin in the cell wall, but lower concentrations of structural polymers, total nitrogen, free amino acids, and ratio of free amino acids : total N, compared to shade leaves. Sun leaves also were slightly higher in digestible energy, much lower in digestible nitrogen and presumably less palatable due to higher tannin concentrations, compared to shade leaves. Tannins were directly correlated to specific leaf weight (R2=.89). Regression equations based upon specific leaf weight, leaf succulence and leaf structural polymers accurately predicted field values for digestible nitrogen (R2=.91) and digestible energy (R2=.96) in foliage. Nutritional properties of blueberry forage grown under variable irradiance in the natural stands matched predictions based upon results from the growth room and field. Compared to even-aged stands and oldgrowth, leaves of plants grown in clear-cuts were similar in digestible energy, much lower in digestible nitrogen, and presumably less palatable due to higher tannin concentrations. / Graduation date: 1990

No description available.

Surveyor Deep-Sea Channel extends for approximately 700 km over the northern Alaskan Abyssal Plain. It originates near the base of the continental slope opposite Dry Bay and Alsek Strath and terminates in the Aleutian Trench south of Kodiak Island. East of Giacomini Seamount, the axial gradient of the channel is in the order of 10 m/km and its morphology is in agreement with prediction, assuming a depositional equilibrium with channelized turbidity currents. West of Giacomini Seamount, the axial gradient increases to values as high as 7.5 m/km, as the channel course turns toward the northwest and plunges into the trench. Over this part of its length the measured center channel relief and cross-sectional area of the channel increase, contradicting prediction. The lower channel is found to be erosional in nature, this effect being a response to downwarping of the northern rim of the Pacific Plate into the Aleutian Trench. The channel originated in early to middle Pliocene time coeval with the initiation of pronounced tectonism and intense glaciation in southeastern Alaska. At this time, the channel was located perhaps 200 km south of its present position with relation to the North American Plate, and may have been linked with one of the fossil sea-channels on the eastern Aleutian Abyssal Plain. Throughout its history, the channel has not been linked with any consistent river drainage system, its sediment source instead being the large system of piedmont glaciers in southeastern Alaska. The distribution of coarse sedimentary material over the northern Gulf of Alaska strongly suggests that turbidity current activity has not been confined to only those regions close to Surveyor Deep-Sea Channel. / Graduation date: 1972

Observations were made of salinity, temperature, nitrate + nitrite, phosphate, silicate, total available nitrogen, and chlorophyll a in nine areas of the Alaskan Inside Passage during April of 1971. In general all properties indicated the water to be well mixed throughout this area. The conservative properties were particularly uniform. The greatest range in temperature from the surface to 200 m was only 1.1°C. The largest salinity range over the same depth was 2.0 ₀/₀₀ Spring phytoplankton blooms were just beginning to appear. Clarence Strait, in the southern part, presented the most evidence of biological activity. Values of chlorophyll a in this area were the highest observed (7.25 mg chl a/m³) outside of Auke Bay. This area also had the most density structure, probably due to stabilization brought on by warming. N:Si:P ratios for Clarence Strait indicate that silicate could become limiting in this area. The only other area, outside of Auke Bay, that had evidence (high chlorophyll a) of biological activity was Taku Inlet. The N:Si:P ratios for this area indicate that nitrate will probably be the limiting nutrient. Low oxygen values (2 ml/l) from the bottom of several deep basins indicate the possibility of anaerobic conditions developing as the water column stabilizes. Flow within the Inside Passage seems to be controlled by freshwater and saltwater inputs. Several major sources of both types of water are found. Tides and winds contribute to the circulation of the area but the mixing of saltwater and freshwater seems to be the predominant force. Local effects such as land runoff, glacial melt, input from hot springs and bottom topography are important in determining water conditions. Total available nitrogen may be a better indicator of photosynthesis than nitrate. TAN:P ratios tend to remain higher during photosynthesis than nitrate:P ratios. / Graduation date: 1972

The response of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) circulation to large-scale North Pacific climate variability is explored using three high resolution (15 km) regional ocean model ensembles over the period 1950-2004. On interannual and decadal timescales the mean circulation is strongly modulated by changes in the large scale climate forcing associated with PDO and ENSO. Intensification of the model gyre scale circulation occurs after the 1976-1977 climate shift, as well as during 1965-1970 and 1993-1995. From the model dynamical budgets we find that when the GOA experiences stronger southeasterly winds, typical during the positive phase of the PDO and ENSO, there is net large-scale Ekman convergence in the central and eastern coastal boundary. The geostrophic adjustment to higher sea surface height (SSH) and lower isopycnals lead to stronger cyclonic gyre scale circulation. The opposite situation occurs during stronger northwesterly winds (negative phase of the PDO). Along the eastern basin, interannual changes in the surface winds also modulate the seasonal development of high amplitude anticyclonic eddies (e.g. Hada and Sitka eddies). Large interannual eddy events during winter-spring, are phase-locked with the seasonal cycle. The initial eddy dynamics are consistent with a quasi-linear Rossby wave response to positive SSH anomalies forced by stronger downwelling favorable winds (e.g. southwesterly during El Nio). However, because of the fast growth rate of baroclinic instability and the geographical focusing associated with the coastal geometry, most of the perturbation energy in the Rossby wave is locally trapped until converted into large scale nonlinear coherent eddies. Coastally trapped waves of tropical origin may also contribute to positive SSH anomalies that lead to higher amplitude eddies. However, their presence does not appear essential. The model ensembles, which do not include the effects of equatorial coastally trapped waves, capture the large Hada and Sitka eddy events observed during 1982 and 1997 and explain most of the variance of tidal gauges along the GOA coast. In the western basin, interannual eddy variability located south of the Alaskan Stream is not correlated with large scale forcing and appears to be intrinsic. A comparison of the three model ensembles forced by NCEP winds and a multi-century-long integration forced only with the seasonal cycle, shows that the internal variability alone explains most of the eddy variance. The asymmetry between the eddy forced regime in the eastern basin, and the intrinsic regime in the western basin, has important implications for predicting the GOA response to climate change. Eastern boundary eddies transport important biogeochemical quantities such as iron, oxygen and chlorophyll-a into the gyre interior, therefore having potential upscale effects on the GOA high-nutrient-low-chlorophyll region.

This thesis focuses on transactional process involved in the construction and operation of the Kuskokwim River Salmon Management Working Group. This cooperative wildlife management mechanism gives Yup'ik commercial and subsistence fishermen and other users a direct role, with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, in salmon management. / Transactions involving participants' knowledge and values are described in three processes: (1) the establishment of a management body and its operating rules; (2) the mediation of power in decision-making; and, (3) fishery management which uses both "science" and "fishermen's knowledge." / Results indicate that through cooperation in decision-making, data gathering, and other management tasks the participants have been able to promote record commercial salmon harvests while at the same time providing for subsistence and conservation needs. Shared local values of consensus and reciprocity have acted to sustain participants' interaction in the bargaining process inherent in co-management. Through having to mediate and accommodate diverse interests and goals, the participants have developed a significant congruency or compatibility of values.

Graduation date: 1982