Springs in the Ash Meadows, Nevada wetland area are discharging groundwater at a high volume that cannot be sustained by local, present-day precipitation and associated recharge. Previous groundwater flow models for this region have required groundwater to flow through complex geology for long distances (160km) through fractures that, in the current stress field, should be closed in many instances in the presumed flow direction. This thesis examines several possible flow paths and evaluates each flow path using chemical and isotopic signatures in the water, as well as geologic and geophysical constraints, and determines that flow from beneath the Yucca Mountain area is the most viable source of groundwater for the springs at Ash Meadows. Isotopic signatures also indicate that recharge likely occurred during the last pluvial, a cooler, wetter period about 13,000 or more years ago, and that present-day water is discharging from storage. Geophysical investigations show the relationship of a deep-seated crustal feature (the Gravity Fault) with shallow offset faults near the Ash Meadows springs. The damage zone of the Gravity Fault appears to provide a conduit for groundwater flow; the north-south fractures should have the greatest aperture under the current stress field, and the buried tufa mounds (revealed with ground penetrating radar data) indicate localized upwelling from a deeper regional water source.

A resume of this thesis shows its main objective to be the design of Draper’s meadows, a community designed and landscaped for living, to provide housing for some members of the faculty of Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, Virginia. A review of literature dealing with community design from the l860’s to the present time, was made. A preliminary survey of the site was made, and data taken in this survey was used to make a topographic map which served as a base map for accurately projecting subsequent drawings. A general consideration of the environment and physical condition of the site along with a discussion of its historical significance, and a review of the methods of attacking the problem of community design, present the reader with an introduction to the thesis. The body of the thesis consists of three main sections: “Design of community,” “Construction Details,” and “Landscape Design.” Drawings related to these topics are included and frequently referred to end explained in these sections. of the design is of a contemporary nature, stressing simplicity und beauty along with unity and individuality. It is concluded that the design does embody some new principles which could be adaptable to other community situations, while at the same time providing a solution to the design of a community at Draper’s Meadows. / Master of Science

Havsstrandängar av EU-kod 1330 har en utbredning från atlantkusten till Öresund. Längs med Hallands kust finns salta strandängar utspridda. Habitatet är hem för många hotade och ohotade arter och har krav på finkorniga jordarter samt topografi med låg höjd och sluttning. Genom bete eller slåtter hålls strandängarna öppna. Klimatförändringar påverkar den globala havsnivån och kommer påverka strandängarna negativt. Genom en GIS-analys går det att beräkna strandsförluster samt ta fram potentiella marker för nyetablering. Resultatet visar att stora areella försluter drabbar Hallands strandängar. 87,9% av befintliga strandängar kommer gå förlorade vid en havsnivåhöjning på 1m. Resultatet visar också att det finns möjligheter för nyetablering av salta strandängar. Arealen för potentiell nyetablering är större än den strandängsareal som finns idag vilket ses som ett positivt resultat. GIS-analysen ger en indikation om vad som kommer att ske med Hallands salta strandängar men för att nya marker ska kunna fungera som strandängar måste aktiva åtgärder vidtas. Både omföring av befintliga markslag och åtgärdsprogram som kan underlätta för strandängarna att återetablera sig vid eventuella havsnivåhöjningar. / Coastal meadows of the EU-code 1330 have a range reaching from the Atlantic coast to the Öresund including all along the coastline of Halland. The habitat is home to many species, including many that are threatened and have requirements for fine-grained soils with low height and slope. Grazing and haymaking keep these species rich meadows open. Climate change, however, affects global sea level and is projected to negatively affect on the salt meadows. Through a GIS analysis, meadow losses due to sea level rise are calculated. The result shows large losses of meadows in Halland, a full 87.9% of the existing meadows are projected to be lost in a sea level rise of 1m. In addition to these concerns, the result also shows that there are opportunities for establishment of new salt meadows. In fact, the area for potential new meadows is greater than what’s available today, which is considered as a positive result. In conclusion, GIS analysis provides an indication of what may happen with salt meadows in Halland due to climate change, losses and potential compensation. However, if new areas are to serve as meadows, active measures must be taken. Necessary actions include both change of existing land types and effort that can help the meadows to re-establish themselves in the event of sea level rises.

Possibilities of remote sensing in grassland vegetation and management interventions monitoring in the Giant Mountains Abstract The aim of this thesis was to evaluate suitability of WorldView-2 imagery for grassland associations classification in the model area of Giant Mountains. The classification was based both on the legend compiled by a botanist, and on the legend of Natura 2000. In order to eliminate the effects of other types of land cover on the classification accuracy, a mask of grasslands was created. Using discriminant analysis, the significance of spectral bands of WorldView-2, as well as signifikance of selected vegetation indices and components from Principal Component Analysis (PCA) - to distinguish particular classes of grassland vegetation were evaluated. Based on the results of discriminant analysis, classifications using neural networks method and also maximum likelihood method were performed in ENVI 4.7 version software. The results of the both method were compared Key words: remote sensing, meadows association, classification, Giant mountains, WorldView 2

Le remaniement sédimentaire, défini comme l’ensemble des mouvements de particules sédimentaires induits par les organismes benthiques, est l’une des deux composantes du phénomène de bioturbation. Il constitue un processus clé du fonctionnement des écosystèmes côtiers. Ce manuscrit présente une étude intégrée de ce depuis l’échelle de la simple particule sédimentaire jusqu’à celle de la communauté benthique in toto.Le développement d’une nouvelle approche expérimentale basée sur l’acquisition à haute fréquence et l’analyse de séries temporelles d’images de mouvements de luminophores le long de la paroi d’aquariums plats a permis de mesurer directement les mouvements élémentaires de particules de sédiment effectués par le bivalve A. alba. Cette approche a ainsi conduit à la première détermination expérimentale d’ « empreintes » du remaniement sédimentaire d’un invertébré marin, d’après le formalisme du modèle CTRW (Continuous Time Random Walk).Dans un second temps, le déploiement de cette nouvelle approche a permis d’évaluer, de manière dynamique (i.e. pendant des expériences de 48h) et sur l’ensemble de la partie de la colonne sédimentaire affectée par ce bivalve, le contrôle exercé par la température et par la disponibilité de matière organique fraîche sur les caractéristiques du processus de remaniement sédimentaire effectué par A. alba.Enfin, l’intensité du remaniement sédimentaire effectué par l’ensemble de la communauté benthique a été mesurée in-situ dans le Bassin d’Arcachon, à la fois dans un herbier à Zostera noltii et dans une zone de vase nue d’où celui-ci a disparu. Ceci a permis de déterminer les effets limitant de la présence d’herbier et de certaines espèces benthiques clés, sur le remaniement sédimentaire. / Sediment particle mixing, defined as the movements of sediment particles induced by benthic fauna, is one of the two components of bioturbation by benthic organisms. It is a key process of the ecological functioning in coastal areas. This manuscript presents an integrated study of sediment particle mixing process from the single sediment particle to the whole benthic community.The development of a new experimental approach, coupling high frequency acquisition of time series images of luminophores motions along thin aquaria glass walls, allowed for the direct measurement of elementary particle motions induced by the bivalve Abra alba. This constitutes the first experimental assessment of sediment particle mixing “fingerprints” in a marine invertebrate, according to the CTRW (Continuous Time Random Walk) model formulation.The deployment of this new approach also allowed for the determination of the control of water temperature and of fresh organic matter availability on sediment particle mixing induced by Abra alba. Moreover, the temporal (i.e., during 48h experiments) and spatial (i.e., over the whole section of the sediment column affected) dynamics of these effects were considered.At last, sediment particle mixing intensities induced by the whole benthic community were assessed in-situ in Arcachon Bay, within both a Zostera noltii meadow and a bare sediment mudflat where phanerogams were previously present. These results highlighted the restrictive effect of phanerogams themselves and of a restricted number of key benthic species, on sediment particle mixing.

No description available.

This paper examines the ongoing conflict between Squaw Valley Ski Holdings and the local Tahoe community and analyzes this conflict within the greater historical context of ski resort consolidation and development across the Western United States.

Climate change is currently a central problem in ecology, with far-reaching effects on species that may be diffcult to quantify. Ectothermic species which rely on environmental cues to complete successive stages of their life history are especially sensitive to temperature changes and so are good indicators of the impacts of climate change on ecosystems. Based on data collected in growth experiments for the alpine butterfly Parnassius smintheus (Rocky Mountain Apollo), a novel mathematical model is presented to study developmental rate in larval insects. The movement of an individual through larval instars is treated as a discrete-time four-outcome Bernoulli process, where class transition and death are assigned temperature-dependent probabilities. Transition and mortality probabilities are estimated using maximum likelihood estimation techniques. This adult emergence model is then integrated into a reproductive success model, and multi-year implications of climate change on the population dynamics of P. smintheus are explored. / Applied Mathematics

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2006. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

The survey presented in this thesis focused on germination of six orchid species in the Protected landscape area White Carpathians; specifically Platanthera bifolia, Neottia ovata, Anacamptis pyramidalis, Gymnadenia conopsea subsp. conopsea, Traunsteinera globosa, Orchis militaris on restored medows of various age. As the control, two National Protected Areas (Zahrady pod Hájem and Čertoryje) were used. The initial stage of germination was detected on both restored and control meadows. The advanced stage of germination (protocorm) was recorded in three species (GC, NO, PB) on restored meadows, and in all species on kontrol meadows. The other aim of the thesis was to determine via molecular methods, which species of mycorrhizal fungi are associated with the model orchid species.