The Redwater Production Area (RPA) is an established oil field located north of Edmonton in central Alberta. Recent assessments indicate that substantial amounts of hydrocarbon contaminated soil exist in the RPA as a result of the use of flare pits, ecological ponds, product spills and pipeline leaks. Alternative remedial technologies may reduce the quantity, cost, and ultimately the long-term liabilities associated with the current practice of landfill disposal. The purpose of this thesis is to assess the viability of accelerated biopile soil treatment as a remedial methodology in the rehabilitation of contaminated soil in the RPA. The thesis includes a literature search, a bench scale treatability and pilot biopile experiment and concludes with a summary of the viability of biopiling to be employed as part of a multi-year/multi-site remedial initiative. Construction of the Redwater Soil Treatment Facility began in 2008 with treatment and recycling operations commencing in early 2009.

There are many health issues surrounding Alberta’s forests today and for the future. Health impacts of diseases, pests and climate change are currently being predicted in order to implement new management ideas and solutions, and identify specific research needs. This study examines state of the art knowledge on the current impacts of Armillaria root disease (ARD) (Armillaria spp.) in Alberta’s boreal forest region. It also assesses the biology and structure of the disease within this region to predict the extent to which the boreal forest may be impacted. In the next 50 years, both Armillaria ostoyae (Romag.) Herink and Armillaria sinapina Bérubé & Dessureault will become more of a problem, due to climate change and the current mature state of Alberta’s forests. A. sinapina, as a less-pathogenic but more opportunistic species, is predicted to be more prevalent that A. ostoyae, since the former will flourish when there are environmental stresses. Management practices will require research and evaluation of the use of alternative native tree species that have a higher resistance to the Armillaria species within Alberta and the impacts of such alternatives to the forestry industry and community structure. Future research is also essential to determine if one promising biological control agent and fungus, Hypholoma fasciculare (Huds. ex. Fr.), will be a viable and cost effective method to control Armillaria species within Alberta.

A characteristic of alpine drainage basins is the very sparse distribution of meteorological recording stations. This study models a contiguous distribution of microclimate and snowpack accumulation in the upper Oldman River basin. To accomplish this goal, gaps between weather recording stations are first filled using a modified MTCLIM climate simulation model in conjunction with the spatial analysis capabilities of the PAMAP geographic information system (GIS). The GIS provides terrain information such as elevation, slope, and aspect on a 100 metre grid as input into the microclimate simulator which, in turn, outputs daily meteorological conditions for a user-defined period of time. The estimation of snowpack accumaltion is achieved with another component of the model which makes use of the modelled microclimate to calculate daily accumulation and ablation on a grid point basis. Simulation results are returned to the GIS for display and spatial analysis. Discussion includes such thngs as the grouping of terrain variables and the derivation of an altitudinal precipitation profile, both of which are required for computational efficiency. While regression analysis indicates a very close relationship between observed and simulated temperature, precipitation is less successfully modelled at the daily time scale. Comparisons of simulated temperature with observed data resulted in an r2 + .94 and are therefore considered very reliable. Daily precipitation comparisons initially indicated a low correlation between observed and simulated data. However, when monthly totals are considered instead, r2 rises to 0.66. When snopack conditions are simulated for several snow pillows in the region, regression analysis with observed data producers r2 values as high as 0.896. / xi, 178 leaves : ill., maps ; 29 cm.

International students in Canadian universities face an array of sometimes bewildering practical, cultural, academic, and social challenges. Many may not be fully prepared to cope with such challenges without some form of assistance from the university and surrounding community. Such students need assistance and support to face successfully the challenge of a new society and a new environment. It is therefore critical that the institutions admitting international students develop an understanding of what support and assistance can be offered that is most helpful and welcomed by the international student. In this study, undergraduate men and women, from the University of Lethbridge, the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta responded to a questionnaire consisting of thirty-two questions on a five-point lickert scale ("strongly disagree" to "strongly agree"). The questions were grouped into the following categories: first contact with Canada, arrival and orientation, assistance for international students, English language skills, housing and accommodation, academic assistance, and getting to know Canadians. An additional summative thirteen questions, some of which are open-ended, and eight demographic questions were also asked. Follow-up interviews were arranged with a subset of the questionnaire respondents. A total of 131 returned questionnaires and 32 personal interviews were available for data analysis. The most notable findings are as follows: (i) Higher levels (at or above 65%) of satisfaction were found in the areas of assistance requested from professors and fellow students, the teaching and content of their courses, fair treatment from professors, and making friends with and visiting in the homes of Canadians. (ii) Lower levels (at or below 45%) of satisfaction were found in the areas of assistance in obtaining suitable accommodation, the welcome and orientation at their university, time to discuss course work with professors, the lack of international content in their courses, the opportunity to get to know Canadian and other international students in a non-academic setting, and the experience of racism in Canada. This inquiry found that overall, 52.5% (68 students) were satisfied by the welcome and assistance they had received by the university and community. / viii, 103 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm.

Land application of wood ash is becoming more appealing, as a disposable alternative, to landfilling options. It is estimated that 110,000 tonnes of wood ash is produced annually in Alberta by cogeneration systems, a large percentage produced in Central and Peace River Regions of Alberta. Alkaline (pH-13) properties and nutrient content of wood ash provides an alternative for the acidic and nutrient deficient soils within these regions. The objective of this field study was to determine the effect wood ash applications would have under field conditions on: the chemical and physical properties of soils; barley dry matter production; grain and seed yield of barley and canola; and the nutrient and metal uptake by crop tissue. Ash applications significantly increased dry matter and seed yield, improved crop nutrient quality, increased soil pH and improved soil nutrient availability, while not infringing on any environmental regulations. / xxiii, 142 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Responsibility Centre Budgeting/Responsibility Centre Management (RCB/RCM) on the role of academic deans in a public university. A model was developed in the study, incorporating the traditional role of deans, the components of a responsibility centre budge, and current management theories. Using this model, a new dimension of the deans' decisional role emerged. The increased decision-making is characterized and bound by issues of autonomy, accountability, communication, and contingent factors. The research implies that the deans studied in this particular RCB/RCM system carry out roles similar to those of general managers in the for-profit sector. An implication for academics holding this expanded role is that knowledge and/or training in RCB/RCM systems is required. Additionally, workload generated by this type of system, and the accountability it imparts on deans, necessitates the assistance of individuals trained in budget preparation. / xi, 140 leaves ; 28 cm.

I studied free-living Richardson's ground squirrels (Spermophilus richardsonii) using telemetry and total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) to evaluate overwinter energy utilization and the impact of seed caching on body composition of males. I excavated 51 hibernation systems and found that 66% of 35 males cached 1 to 4 species of seed in the hivernaculum. Pre-emergent euthermy was shorter for 3 non-caching (0.7 = 0.2 days) than for 13 caching males (4.0 = 2.8 days), and metabolic predictions of overwinter mass loss approximated actual loss for non-caching males, but over-estimated mass loss for caching males. I concluded that caching males recouped some of the mass lost during hibernation by eating the cache during the longer period of pre-emergence euthermy. Based on TOBEC, the recouped mass included both fat and lean tissue. I suggest that caching in one year is a cost of reproduction that offsets the energetic demands of mating the following year. / xii, 139 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.

The purpose of this study was to explore and gain a greater understanding of senior university students' perceptions of their readiness to enter the work force following program completion, as well as their perceptions of the availability and helpfulness of career-related resources and services. Due to the exploratory nature of this research, no a priori hypothese were generated. A sample of 324 undergraduate students attending the University of Lethbridge in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada was surveyed using the Comprehensive Career Needs Survey Post-Secondary Form, a revision of the Comprehensive Career Needs Survey developed by Magnusson and Bernes (2001). The resulting data analysis provided an overview of student perceptions of readiness to enter the work force, their thoughts about the availability and usefulness of career-related services and resources, as well as their actual use of those services and resources. This research supports previous findings regarding the benefit of experiential learning as part of the university experience and contributes information regarding the resources that students feel would be most helpful as they make the transition from school to work. / xi, 135 leaves ; 29 cm.

Livestock grazing in riparian habitats alters the vegetation structure, which has a detrimental effect on wildlife. This study examined the effect of cattle grazing in riparian habitats on winter bird biodiversity, small mammal biodiversity, and microclimate. Study sites were ungrazed, moderately grazed, and heavily grazed riparian habitats along the Oldman River, Alberta during winter 2005 and 2006. Bird species richness, individual abundance, and diversity indices were higher in ungrazed habitats than in grazed habitats. Deer mouse population sizes were not different except during spring 2006, when populations were larger in ungrazed sites. Microclimate data were collected in riparian sites and upland sites in winter 2006. Temperatures were higher and wind speeds were slower in riparian sites than in upland sites. Wind speeds were faster in heavily grazed riparian sites than in lightly grazed sites. Faster winds in heavily grazed sites may account for the decreased winter biodiversity in these habitats. / x, 118 leaves ; 29 cm

In 2003 the Rotary Club of Lethbridge, Alberta proposed a revitalization of Galt Gardens, a small historic park in Lethbridge‘s downtown which was perceived to be the focus of particular kinds of “negative use.” Over the course of the revitalization the park changed significantly – public washrooms and a water feature were installed, and private security guards were introduced. According to the local newspaper, developments have transformed the park into an “idyllic scene of children splashing and playing, families picnicking and people strolling” (Gauthier, 2008). This thesis explores the revitalization of Galt Gardens through a consideration of various texts and practices that (re)produce, not only the park, but also the “public” (and “non-public”). My analysis focuses on the ways in which a revitalized Galt Gardens is discursively represented and materially practiced to include and exclude particular users and uses, with potential consequences for the construction of public social space. / vii, 168 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm