O Urso-de-óculos (Tremarctos ornatus), único urso endêmico da América do Sul, é uma espécie severamente ameaçada devido à perda do seu hábitat e à caça. É importante do ponto de vista da conservação pela função que cumpre no ecossistema onde habita e pela sua relação com a cultura Andina. Por estas razões, torna-se necessária a aplicação de alternativas de conservação a espécie. Uma ferramenta alternativa de conservação é a reprodução assistida, porém, existe pouco conhecimento da reprodução desta espécie. A pouca informação sobre os padrões reprodutivos diminui a possibilidade de se estabelecer programas de reprodução bem sucedidos e torna-se mais difícil a criação de planos de conservação. O objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar o ciclo ovariano na fêmea do Urso-de-óculos. Para tanto foi realizada a monitoração endócrina por meio da extração e dosagem de metabólitos fecais dos esteróides sexuais: estradiol e progesterona. O estudo foi realizado com amostras colhidas de seis fêmeas de T. ornatus mantidas em cativeiro em dois zoológicos da cidade de Lima, Peru, pelo período de treze meses, desde Fevereiro de 2010 até Abril de 2011. As extrações dos metabólitos fecais foram feitas no Laboratorio de Reproducción Animal, FMVUNMSM, em Lima, Peru; e foram quantificados por enzimaimunoensaio (EIE), no Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien-Áustria. Os resultados indicam que é possível descrever e monitorar a endocrinologia do ciclo ovariano em T. ornatus de forma não-invasiva através do uso de metabólitos fecais de esteroides sexuais; demonstrando que o Urso-de-óculos em cativeiro é uma espécie que conta com uma reprodução não sazonal, com fase folicular e lútea durando em média 08 e 22 dias, respectivamente. Nestas condições, apresenta em média, de três a quatro fases de atividade ovarianas por ano. Os resultados encontrados ajudarão a compreender o ciclo ovariano nos Ursos-de-óculos e facilitar o desenvolvimento de programas de reprodução assistida na espécie. / Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) is the only bear species that inhabits South America. It is an endangered species due to habitat loss and hunting. For the conservation point of view it is an important species for the ecosystem maintenance and also for their relationship with the Andean culture. For these reasons it is necessary to apply conservation alternatives for this species. Assisted reproduction is an alternative conservation tool; however, there is a lack of knowledge of the Spectacled bear reproduction. Little information about the reproductive parameters diminishes the possibility to establish a successful breeding program and make difficult the implementation of conservation plans for the species. The aim of this study was to characterize the ovarian cycle in the female Spectacled bear with noninvasive techniques for monitoring fecal metabolites of reproductive hormones (estradiol and progesterone). The study was carried out with samples collected by a 13-month period (Feb/10 to April/11), from six captive females T. ornatus kept in two zoological institutions in Lima, Peru. The metabolites extraction was carried out at Laboratory of Animal Reproduction, FMV-UNMSM, in Lima-Peru, and the hormonal analysis was performed in the Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien-Austria. The results show us that it is possible to describe and realize a non-invasive monitoring of ovarian cycles in T. ornatus, with the use of fecal metabolites of sex steroids; and demonstrates that in captive conditions Spectacled bear is a non-seasonal reproduction species, with follicular and luteal phases lasting on average 8 and 22 days, respectively, whereas in captivity has on average three to four stages of ovarian activity per year. These results will help to understand the ovarian cycle in Spectacled Bear and facilitate the development of programs of assisted reproduction in the species.

The intent of this thesis is to compare contingent valuation methods (CVM) and travel cost methods (TCM) to estimate consumer surplus for boaters and anglers in northern Utah. TCM results are about three times that of CVM. Several limitations are noted, specifically that CVM solicits given willingness to pay (WTP for specific reservoir sites. TCM analyzes aggregated trips to reservoirs with a wide array of site characteristics.

In west-central Alberta increased landscape fragmentation has lead to increased human use, having negative effects on wildlife such as the grizzly bear (<i>Ursus arctos</i> L.). Recently, grizzly bears in the Foothills Model Forest were found to select clear cuts of different age ranges as habitat and selected or avoided certain clear cuts depending on the site preparation process employed. Satellite remote sensing offers a practical and cost-effective method by which cut areas, their age, and site preparation activities can be quantified. This thesis examines the utility of spectral reflectance of SPOT-5 pansharpened imagery (2.5m spatial resolution) to identify and map 44 regenerating stands sampled in August 2005. Using object based classification with the Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI), green, and short wave infrared (SWIR) bands, 90% accuracy can be achieved in the detection of forest disturbance. Forest structural parameters were used to calculate the structural complexity index (SCI), the first loading of a principal components analysis. The NDMI, first-order standard deviation and second-order correlation texture measures were better able to explain differences in SCI among the 44 forest stands (R2=0.74). The best window size for the texture measures was 5x5, indicating that this is a measure only detectable at a very high spatial resolution. Age classes of these cut blocks were analysed using linear discriminant analysis and best separated (82.5%) with the SWIR and green spectral bands, second order correlation under a 25x25 window, and the predicted SCI. Site preparation was best classified (90.9%) using the NDMI and homogeneity texture under a 5x5 window. Future applications from this research include the selection of high probability grizzly habitat for high spatial resolution imagery acquisition for detailed mapping initiatives.

Human disturbance as the main factor influencing the habitat of brown bear (Ursus arctos) has occurred frequently with the development of human society. How to reduce and prevent the conflict between human and brown bears is considered as an important question for brown bear conservation, management and public safety. Sånfjället National Park has one of the densest bear populations in Sweden. Many tourists are attracted to visit bears each year. Through this study, the most possibility brown bear denning habitat in Sånfjället National Park was determined by using Multi-Criteria Analysis. A customized habitat distribution map generator was programmed within the Microsoft Visual Basic® for Applications (VBA) in ArcGIS. Three themes were designed in the map generator, i.e., the human impact emphasis weighted, neutral weighted themes and customized weighted theme. Customized weighted theme was produced for user discovering denning habitat results with user-defined weights. Comparing the final maps generated from the human impact emphasis weighted and neutral weighted themes, human influence concentrated in the south area of the National Park. The trails near Sveduterget should be changed to avoid human disturbance in the bear denning period.

Time series of brightness temperature (TB) measurement obtained at various frequencies by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer–Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) are investigated to determine ice phenology parameters and ice thickness on Great Bear Lake (GBL) and Great Slave Lake (GSL), Northwest Territories, Canada. TB measurements from the 6.9, 10.7, 18.7, 23.8, 36.5, and 89.0 GHz channels (H- and V- polarization) are compared to assess their potential for detecting freeze-onset (FO)/melt-onset (MO), ice-on/ice-off dates, and ice thickness on both lakes. The sensitivity of TB measurements at 6.9, 10.7, and 18.7 GHz to ice thickness is also examined using a previously validated thermodynamic lake ice model and the most recent version of the Helsinki University of Technology (HUT) model, which accounts for the presence of a lake-ice layer under snow. This study shows that 18.7 GHz H-pol is the most suitable AMSR-E channel for detecting ice phenology events, while 18.7 GHz V-pol is preferred for estimating lake ice thickness on the two large northern lakes. These two channels therefore form the basis of new ice cover retrieval algorithms. The algorithms were applied to map monthly ice thickness products and all ice phenology parameters on GBL and GSL over seven ice seasons (2002-2009). Through application of the algorithms much was learned about the spatio-temporal dynamics of ice formation, decay and growth rate/thickness on the two lakes. Key results reveal that: 1) both FO and ice-on dates occur on average 10 days earlier on GBL than on GSL; 2) the freeze-up process or freeze duration (FO to ice-on) takes a comparable amount of time on both lakes (two to three weeks); 3) MO and ice-off dates occur on average one week and approximately four weeks later, respectively, on GBL; 4) the break-up process or melt duration (MO to ice-off) lasts for an equivalent period of time on both lakes (six to eight weeks); 5) ice cover duration is about three to four weeks longer on GBL compared to its more southern counterpart (GSL); and 6) end-of-winter ice thickness (April) on GBL tends to be on average 5-15 cm thicker than on GSL, but with both spatial variations across lakes and differences between years.

In west-central Alberta increased landscape fragmentation has lead to increased human use, having negative effects on wildlife such as the grizzly bear (<i>Ursus arctos</i> L.). Recently, grizzly bears in the Foothills Model Forest were found to select clear cuts of different age ranges as habitat and selected or avoided certain clear cuts depending on the site preparation process employed. Satellite remote sensing offers a practical and cost-effective method by which cut areas, their age, and site preparation activities can be quantified. This thesis examines the utility of spectral reflectance of SPOT-5 pansharpened imagery (2.5m spatial resolution) to identify and map 44 regenerating stands sampled in August 2005. Using object based classification with the Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI), green, and short wave infrared (SWIR) bands, 90% accuracy can be achieved in the detection of forest disturbance. Forest structural parameters were used to calculate the structural complexity index (SCI), the first loading of a principal components analysis. The NDMI, first-order standard deviation and second-order correlation texture measures were better able to explain differences in SCI among the 44 forest stands (R2=0.74). The best window size for the texture measures was 5x5, indicating that this is a measure only detectable at a very high spatial resolution. Age classes of these cut blocks were analysed using linear discriminant analysis and best separated (82.5%) with the SWIR and green spectral bands, second order correlation under a 25x25 window, and the predicted SCI. Site preparation was best classified (90.9%) using the NDMI and homogeneity texture under a 5x5 window. Future applications from this research include the selection of high probability grizzly habitat for high spatial resolution imagery acquisition for detailed mapping initiatives.

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No description available.

This project uses a Geographic Information System (GIS) as a tool for estimating soil erosion on a watershed scale. A new and key tool for managing ecosystems in North America are resource management plans based on watershed areas. Watershed management plans are a response to widespread concern about the cumulative effects of nonpoint source pollution (such as agriculture pollution) on water resource quality.The primary objective of this project was to develop a method using GIS to estimate the annual gross erosion for each of the watersheds. Sediment delivery was calculated within each of the subwatersheds of Bear Creek, and the amount of sediment that potentially could be trapped by vegetative filter strips in each watershed was determined. The area that was used for the study site is the Upper Bear Creek watershed. The Bear Creek watershed is a subwatershed of the Loblolly watershed in Jay County, Indiana.The analysis determined that 99% of sediment was contributed from cropland. When vegetative filter strips were modeled, the sediment delivered to a load cell was substantially reduced. Cropland area required for vegetative filter strips would be 2.3% for the whole watershed. / Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management

It is all too easy to dismiss myth as belonging to the realm of the abstract and theoretical, too removed from reality to constitute anything pragmatic. And yet myth makes up the very fabric of society, informing the way history is understood and the way people and things are remembered. William Faulkner’s works approach myth with a healthy skepticism, only gradually coming to find value in a process that is often destructive; his works demand of their readers the same perceptive criticism. This thesis approaches myth through the lens of Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily," Absalom, Absalom!, and "The Bear." Faulkner's texts ultimately ask readers to bear witness by thinking critically about the process of myth-making, not only in the realm of literature but in the world as a whole.