Ruppia maritima is a euryhaline hydrophyte found as a cosmopolitan inhabitant of shallow water habitats. In Chesapeake Bay, Ruppia maritima L. (Potamogetonaceae) and Zostera marina L. (Zosteraceae) form an important submerged aquatic vegetation community. Research in Chesapeake Bay has focused primarily on Zostera marina. Ruppia maritima occurs abundantly in large monospecific stands as well as in mixed stands with Zostera marina. Recent surveys have shown that natural revegetation in some areas has occurred and Ruppia maritima was the primary colonizer in the natural revegetation of some areas. The objective of this study was to investigate the reproductive biology of Ruppia maritima including the possible function of seed banks and vegetative and sexual propagules on the colonization of new habitats, and the plant's ecological impact around Goodwin Islands, York County, Virginia. Ruppia maritima rapidly colonized experimental plots that have historically been mixed beds or have been monospecific beds of Zostera marina because it utilized a combination of sexual and asexual reproduction. Ruppia maritima colonized plots by rapid rhizome growth. Seed reserves were probably more important in re-establishing populations than in "maintenance" of populations. Ruppia produces energy costly Post-reproductive shoots. These shoots which produce inflorescences (and then seeds) remain viable after seeds mature and can detach, disperse, and colonize sites. First year plants were not found to produce an inflorescence. This is significant in the establishment of new habitats. If a fledgling population is distressed by poor water quality or sediment disturbance, the possibility of producing seeds seems to be eliminated unless the plants have been established for one full growing season. This may explain the ephemeral nature of some Ruppia populations. / Ph. D.

In 1996 and 1997, I studied the nest site selection of the yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) in the George Washington National Forest, southwestern Virginia. Data were collected from nine 30 ha plots. I compared the habitat features of nest sites with two types of nonnest sites (nonuse and systematically random). Habitat features were measured at 3 spatial scales: nest tree, nest tree area (0.0049 ha centered on the nest), and nest stand (forest stand surrounding the nest). Yellow-billed cuckoo nests were oriented in a nonrandom direction (mean angle = 114°, r = 0.43, P = 0.05) with respect to the bole and were concealed more from above than from below (n = 14, M = 5, p = 0.01) or from the side (n = 14, M = 4, p = 0.04). Slope aspect was nonrandom at yellow-billed cuckoo nest sites (mean angle = 143°, r = 0.52, P < 0.05). Small stem density in the nest tree area was greater (P = 0.029) at nest sites than nonuse sites but species composition was similar. The density of grape (Vitus spp.) and dogwood (Cornus spp.) snags was greater at nest sites than random sites (P < 0.001). Total basal area at yellow-billed cuckoo nest stands was lower than nonuse or random sites with (P = 0.033, and 0.016, respectively) or without (P = 0.014, and 0.004, respectively) snags. Nest sites also occurred in areas with less (P = 0.008) canopy cover but more (P = 0.038) ground cover than random sites. Yellow-billed cuckoos appeared to select nest sites based on the structure and composition of the understory vegetation. Periodic disturbance that promotes the growth of shade intolerant species, but maintains the general structure of the stand may be beneficial for this species that appears to select disturbed areas in mature forests. / Department of Biology

Thesis (M.L. Arch.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1993. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 231-235). Also available via the Internet.

Based on author's thesis (doctoral)-- West Virginia University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 267-288) and index.

The report herein consists of a two phase study of sedimentation in John H. Kerr Reservoir. First is a comparison of suspended sediment data, which was collected by a VPI&SU team, to theoretical sedimentation patterns. A fairly good agreement was found. The field monitoring trips were performed a total of ten times between March 30,1981 and March 3, 1982. The VPI&SUdata is presented in graphical form, in terms of the suspended sediment distribution in evidence each research trip, as well as the patterns that were evident at each station during the period of monitoring. The second phase compares historical sediment inflow data provided by the U.S.G.S. to three Kerr Reservoir sedimentation studies performed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The. period involved is from Jan. 1952-0ct.1976. The discrepancy involved is calculated, and possible causes are discussed. In the 24-year period analyzed, only 1.48 percent of the total storage volume of Kerr Reservoir was lost due to sediment accumulation, indicating that the long term operation of the reservoir is not significantly affected by sedimentation. / Master of Engineering

During recent years both Sweden and the rest of Europe have experienced periods of drought as a consequence of hot summers with low levels of precipitation. For villages provided with drinking water from water plants with groundwater as raw water source droughts can lead to considerable problems if the groundwater reservoir would be affected. One Swedish village which is provided with drinking water from a groundwater drinking plant and which has faced problems regarding their drinking water production is Hurva, located outside of Eslöv in Scania and with a population of almost 400 people. The problem has been periods of water shortage in the drinking water system. The solution to this problem has consisted in filling up the water reservoir in the drinking water system with drinking water delivered in trucks. This is not considered a sustainable solution to the problem and a transmission pipe connecting Hurva to the regional drinking water system has been suggested. This project is written in collaboration with VA SYD, the joint municipal authority in Hurva, and consisted of two main objectives. The first objective was to examine the possibilities of implementation of a circular wastewater system in Hurva from a process technical and health and safety point of view. The second objective was to estimate the waterbalance in the system to make sure that there was enough water for a circular water system. According to the calculations regarding the waterbalance estimation there has been enough water in the system every month of the period January 2018-December 2019 with exception for June 2018 which was a month with extreme droughts in Sweden. The results indicates that there is a risk for water shortage in the system although this is probably not the case for months with normal conditions. Two possible treatment chains was designed, based on the requirement that they should have the capacity to treat the wastewater from Hurva WWTP into drinking water quality. The first chain, treatment chain 1 consisted of ultrafiltration, reversed osmosis, granular activated carbon, pH/hardness adjustment and UV treatment. The second chain, treatment chain 2, consisted of ultrafiltration, ozonation, granular activated carbon and UV treatment. / Under de senaste åren har både Sverige och övriga Europa upplevt perioder av torka till följd av varma somrar med lite nederbörd. För byar som förses av dricksvatten från vattenverk med grundvatten som råvattenkälla kan torka leda till stora problem om grundvattenreservoaren blir påverkad. En by som förses med dricksvatten från ett grundvattenverk och som stött på problem gällande dricksvattenproduktionen under de senaste åren är Hurva, som är beläget utanför Eslöv i Skåne och har en befolkning på strax under 400 personer. Problemen har bestått i att det inte alltid funnits tillräckligt mycket vatten i grundvattenmagasinet. Vid dessa tillfällen har lösningen varit att fylla på drickvattenreservoaren med dricksvatten transporterat i lastbilar från ett annat vattenverk. Detta anses inte som en hållbar lösning och ett förslag har lagts fram om att koppla på Hurva till det regionala dricksvattennätet med hjälp av en överföringsledning. Detta projekt har utförts i samarbete med VA SYD, som är VA-huvudman i Hurva. Projektets syfte var att undersöka möjligheterna till att implementera ett cirkulärt dricksvattsystem med avloppsvatten som primär råvattenkälla i Hurva utifrån två huvudaspekter. Den första delen av projektet handlade om att beräkna vattenbalansen i systemet för att underöka om det finns tillräckligt med vatten. I den andra delen undersöktes möjligheterna till att implementera ett cirkulärt vattenverk i Hurva utifrån processtekniska aspekter samt hälso- och säkerhetsaspekter. Enligt beräkningar av vattenbalans har det funnits tillräckligt mycket vatten i systemet för alla månader mellan januari 2018 och december 2019 med undantag för juni 2018, vilket var ett extremt torrt år i Sverige. Utifrån resultaten kan slutsatsen dras att under normala år har det funnits tillräckligt mycket vatten för att kunna implementera ett cirkulärt dricksvattensystem men att det föreligger en viss risk för vattenbrist i torra perioder. Två möjliga vattenverk, i rapporen kallade treatment chain 1 och treatment chain 2, togs fram. Båda verken designades för att uppfylla kravet om att ha kapacitet att rena avloppsvattnet från Huvas reningsverk till dricksvattenkvalitet. Treatment chain 1 bestod av följande 5 behandlingssteg: ulftrafiltrering, omvänd osmos, granulärt aktivt kol, hårdhet+pH justering och UV disinfektion. För treatment chain 2 valdes följande 4 behandlingssteg: ulftrafiltrering, ozonering, granulärt aktivt kol och UV disinfektion.

Much of the bedrock surface of the Southern Appalachian Valley and Ridge Province is covered by a veneer of surficiaI deposits classified as alluvium, colluvium, and residuum. In this investigation the surficial geology of a 60-km² area of the New River drainage system was mapped at a scale of 1:24,000. The area is located within the Eggleston and Newport 7 1/2-minute topographic quadrangles in Giles County, southwest Virginia. The data derived from mapping the surficial geology (particularly alluvial deposits), in conjunction with other field observations and with heavy-mineral analyses, are interpreted in terms of provenance, depositional environment (or accumulation), and preservation of the surficial deposits. In addition, these data are applied to an interpretation of the evolution of the New River drainage in the Valley and Ridge Province during the latter half of the Neogene. The areal distribution of the surficial materials indicates that in a humid, temperate climate deposits of surficial materials tend to be preserved if they overlie carbonate bedrock which weathers chemically but tend to be eroded from shale and sandstone bedrock which weathers mechanically. In carbonate terrains where surface runoff is minimal, surficial materials are let down in place by solution and have been accumulating in a piecemeal fashion over a time period which in some areas may include all of Cenozoic time. Analysis of the transparent heavy-mineral assemblages contained in the modern alluvium and older alluvial deposits of the area indicates that radiation-damaged zircon (intermediate and metamict) is unstable under conditions of subaerial weathering. Earlier workers have suggested that zircon is dissolved by acid ground water. This study supports these earlier suggestions and further demonstrates in a semiquantitative manner that the solution rate of radiation-damaged zircon may be a linear function of time as measured against either tourmaline er normal zircon. The estimated period of time over which the solution rate of zircon appears . to be lil1ear is on the order of 10 m.y. The areal distribution and lithology of alluvial deposits provide evidence which can be used to reconstruct the late Cenozoic evolution of part of the New River drainage system within the Valley and Ridge Province. These data, in conjunction with assumptions involving lithologic and structural variations within the stratigraphic section which has been removed by erosion, suggest that the James and Roanoke Rivers have captured three northeastern tributaries of the New River during the latter half of the Neogene. Within this time period no evidence was found of major changes in the course of the New River itself (except for meander loops) between Radford and Narrows. / Ed. D.

This theses compares the benefits of energy self reliance strategies with the benefits of industrial development strategies to determine which strategies create greater benefits as a method of economic development. A critical factor, which is examined, is the probability of success for industrial development strategies as opposed to the near certain benefits from the self-reliance strategies. The methodology employs a Virginia input-output model using a regional purchase coefficient technique to regionalize the model for the New River Valley Region of Virginia. The strategies are developed based on two distinct expenditure levels, acting as resource constraints on the strategy selection, in order to compare the return on additional expenditures. / Master of Science

The problem for research in this study was: What are the effects of certain selected factors on interagency teamwork within the Roanoke Valley Council of Community Services? Other questions central to the study were: 1. How do the operational processes--goals, communication, leadership, and group effectiveness--of the RVCCS affect interagency teamwork? 2. How do the agency partners perceive what the role of the Council should be? 3. How do certain characteristics such as agency mission, funding source, clientele income level, program planning level, and decision-making level affect the perception of various RVCCS partners of the role of the interagency mechanism? 4. How do the agency partners perceive the role of non-elected community leaders and local elected officials in an interagency mechanism? This was a study of the Roanoke Valley Council of Community Services, a voluntary regional interagency mechanism. The respondents studied were forty of the eighty-three agency heads, twenty board members, seven local officials, and three staff members. The interview method was used to gather the data with subjects responding to closed-ended and open-ended items on the instrument. The statistical methods utilized in analyzing the data were profile analysis, chi square, one-way analysis of variance, and percentages. The findings indicated that certain selected factors affect, facilitate, or hinder interagency teamwork within the Roanoke Valley Council of Community Services. The perception of RVCCS goals by the agency partners appears to facilitate Council's operation. Yet, a lack of goal clarity by the agency heads appears to be a hindering factor. The difference in perception of the communication process between the agency heads and other agency partners would seem to be a major hindering factor to Council's operation, especially a significant lack of trust by the agency heads. The RVCCS leadership seems to be a facilitating factor in the interagency mechanism's operation. The group effectiveness of the Council as perceived by the board, local officials, and staff seems to facilitate its operation, but the perceptions of the agency heads of RVCCS as not being as cohesive and prestigious as the other partners appear to hinder its effectiveness. A strong consensus among the agency members regarding the roles of RVCCS and community leaders appears to be major facilitating factors in its operation. Staff competence, capability, and relationships also seem to facilitate the interagency mechanism. Likewise, Council's credibility and ability to focus on community needs and problems appear to be a facilitating force. The role of local officials in RVCCS appears neither to facilitate or hinder the operation of the Council. Finally, the RVCCS is an effective interagency mechanism, but more agency heads and a broader representation of community citizens need to be involved in its operation in order to better facilitate coordination within the Roanoke valley area. It was recommended that further study be undertaken to determine additional effects of goals, communication, leadership, and group effectiveness on the operation of interagency mechanisms. / Doctor of Education

We monitored distribution and abundance of food resources and determined food habits of nonbreeding bald eagles (<i>Haliaeetus leucocephalus</i>) on the northern Chesapeake Bay, as a preliminary step toward examining food-base effects on bald eagle distribution and abundance. To correctly interpret our food habits results, we first examined biases of 2 commonly-used food habits techniques, pellet analysis and food remains collection, through feeding trials with 2 captive bald eagles. Eagles were fed a variety of food items found on the northern Bay. Egested pellet contents and frequency of remains were compared with actual diet. We also examined efficacy of direct observation by observing eagles in high-use foraging areas. We found pellet analysis accurately indicated the species of birds and mammals eaten, but overrepresented medium-sized mammals and underrepresented large carrion in percent occurrence results. Fish were poorly represented in pellets. Eagles rarely produced pellets after eating fish, suggesting that pellet egestion rate, defined as the number of pellets produced per eagle per night, can serve as an index to relative use of birds and mammals. Food remains collection was highly biased toward birds, medium~sized mammals, and large, bony fish. Direct observation was labor intensive and required close proximity of the observer for unbiased identification of food items. Observation may be the only means of documenting eagles' use of small, soft-bodied fish. We used direct observation, pellet analysis, and pellet formation rates to determine bald eagle food habits from December 1986 through April 1988. We monitored fish abundance by gill netting and waterfowl abundance by aerial surveys over this same period. Fish and waterfowl abundance varied reciprocally; waterfowl numbers peaked in winter and fish numbers peaked in spring and late summer. Bald eagles responded to differences in food abundance with diet shifts. Canada geese (<i>Branta canadensis</i>), mallard (<i>Anas platyrhynchos</i>), and white-tailed deer (<i>Odocoileus virginianus</i>) carrion were primary foods from November through February. Cold-stressed gizzard shad (<i>Dorosoma cepedianum</i>) were captured frequently by eagles below a hydroelectric dam on the Susquehanna River in November and December, and also were taken frequently throughout the study area during a winter when ice cover was extensive. Shad were not commonly available during a milder winter. From April through September, bald eagles fed on a variety of fish species, primarily gizzard shad, channel catfish (<i>Ictalurus punctatus</i>), Atlantic menhaden (<i>Brevoortia tyrannus</i>), white perch (<i>Morone americana</i>), American eel (<i>Anguilla rosfrata</i>), and yellow perch (<i>Perca flavescens</i>). The 4 most commonly consumed fish species also were the most commonly gill netted species. At least 25% of all fish taken were scavenged. Live fish were most abundant at the water's surface in shallow water. Bald eagles' use of live fish reflected this availability; water depth at live fish capture sites was less than at sites where fish of dead or unknown status were taken. Eagles foraged most intensively within 1 hour of sunrise. A second smaller peak in foraging activity was observed in early afternoon. / Master of Science