Submitted by (lucia.rodrigues@ufrpe.br) on 2016-10-05T15:02:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Julio Jose do Nascimento Silva.pdf: 6372867 bytes, checksum: 695188902789532f6851de1b788672bc (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-05T15:02:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Julio Jose do Nascimento Silva.pdf: 6372867 bytes, checksum: 695188902789532f6851de1b788672bc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-02-29 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of the castor bean culture in an alluvial valley of Pernambuco Agreste. The research was conducted in the Nossa Senhora do Rosário farm, Pesqueira-PE. It was cultivated the BRS 188 – Paraguaçu castor bean, which according to the literature is suitable to the local conditions. The cultivation experiment started up on 15/03/2007, finishing his first stage on 31/10/07. In this period, the experiment was conducted on a dry condition, with only one irrigation application of 12 mm. Therefore, the soil and climate conditions were evaluated wider which where the culture was developed, such as soil texture, electrical conductivity of the saturation extract (CEes), average soil fertility, reference evapotranspiration (ET0). Based on the Tanque Class "A" and employing crop coefficient for castor bean suggested by culture FAO, it was estimated the crop evapotranspiration (ETc). The parameters evaluated were the height of the plants, stem diameter, leaf area index and productivity. All these parameters were estimated using descriptive statistics. It has been observed mean values of 1.48 dS.m-1 for CEes, before planting, and of 0.96 dS.m-1 at the end of the cycle, at sandy-loam area. The ETo average over the cycle was 2.98 mm.day-1 and ETc of 2.08 mm.day-1, while the average soil water matric potential was -27.97 kPa. By the end of1° cycle, the plants were 3.32 m tall with a diameter of 65 mm; regarding the estimation of the leaf area, a value of 4.42 m has been obtained of highest vegetative growth, and the approximate yield was 2900 kg.ha-1. On the other hand, it was also used geoestatistics techniques to observe the degree of dependency for the attributes and the spatial variability of soil, texture and CEes, and the attributes crop stem diameter and height of the plants. All parameters adjusted to a normal distribution, except free with the exception of stem diameter, for 200 days after sowing, showing a medium to low degree of spatial dependence. None of the variables showed pure nugget effect, adjusting to theoretical models for the semivariograms. The contour maps produced isolinhas the observation of the most heterogeneous areas, where a local management strategy can be developed. / Objetivou-se com este trabalho foi avaliar o potencial da cultura da mamoneira em vales aluviais no Agreste de Pernambuco. A pesquisa foi conduzida na Fazenda Nossa Senhora do Rosário, Pesqueira-PE. Utilizou-se a cultivar BRS 188 – Paraguaçu, que segundo a literatura se adequa às condições locais. O cultivo experimental iniciou-se no dia 15/03/2007, terminando seu primeiro ciclo no dia 31/10/07. Neste período, o plantio foi conduzido em regime de sequeiro, havendo apenas uma irrigação de salvação de 12 mm. Para tanto, foram avaliadas as condições edafoclimáticas em que se desenvolveu a cultura, como granulometria do solo, condutividade elétrica do extrato de saturação (CEes), fertilidade média do solo, evapotranspiração de referência (ETo). Pelo Tanque Classe “A” e adotando-se coeficiente de cultura para mamona da FAO, estimou-se a evapotranspiração da cultura (ETc). Os parâmetros avaliados da cultura foram a altura de plantas, diâmetro caulinar, índice de área foliar e produtividade. Todos estes parâmetros foram estimados por meio de estatística descritiva, onde se observou os valores médios de CEes de 1,48 dS.m-1, antes do plantio, e de 0,96 dS m-1 no final do ciclo, com classe textural franco arenosa. A ETo média durante o ciclo foi de 2,98 mm.dia-1 e a ETc de 2,08 mm.dia-1, enquanto o potencial matricial médio da águado solo foi de -27.97 kPa. As plantas alcançaram, até o final do 1° ciclo, 3,32 m de altura com diâmetro caulinar de 65 mm, no tocante à estimativa da área foliar, obteve-se valor de 4,42 m², no período de maior desenvolvimento vegetativo, e a produtividade estimada foi de 2900 kg.ha-1, média do experimento. Outrossim, utilizou-se também técnicas geoestatísticas para observar o grau de dependência e a variabilidade espacial dos atributos de solo, granulometria e CEes, bem como dos atributos de crescimento diâmetro caulinar e altura das plantas. Todos os parâmetros se ajustaram a uma distribuição Normal, com exceção do diâmetro caulinar aos 200 dias após a semeadura, e apresentou de médio a baixo grau de dependência espacial. Nenhuma das variáveis estudadas apresentou efeito pepita puro, ajustando-se modelos teóricos aos semivariogramas experimentais. Os mapas de isolinhas que foram produzidos permitiram observar regiões mais heterogêneas, onde um manejo localizado da área pode ser desenvolvido.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / Os aqÃÃferos aluviais presentes na regiÃo semi-Ãrida do Nordeste brasileiro hospedam importantes recursos hÃdricos naturais para as populaÃÃes que vivem nessa regiÃo, devido a sua excelente qualidade, quando comparado aos aqÃÃferos localizados nas Ãreas de embasamento cristalino. No entanto, constituem recursos frÃgeis, sendo susceptÃveis a processos de degradaÃÃo da sua qualidade por aÃÃes antrÃpicas, variaÃÃes climÃticas ou modificaÃÃes hidrogeolÃgicas. Com o objetivo de identificar e quantificar os principais processos responsÃveis pelo aumento da salinidade observada no aqÃÃfero aluvial durante o perÃodo nÃo chuvoso usou-se, alÃm de estudos hidroquÃmicos (diagramas e estudo de razÃes iÃnicas), a anÃlise estatÃstica multivariada (agrupamento hierÃrquico e discriminante) e a modelagem geoquÃmica inversa. Os diagramas de Piper e Stiff mostraram a classificaÃÃo das Ãguas quanto à presenÃa dos Ãons dominantes, onde as Ãguas aluviais apresentaram caracterÃsticas intermediÃrias entre as Ãguas do aqÃÃfero fissural e Ãgua dos reservatÃrios. Com o diagrama de RAS obteve-se a mesma interpretaÃÃo. As relaÃÃes iÃnicas revelaram forte relaÃÃo das Ãguas aluviais com a litologia da regiÃo e a provÃvel dissoluÃÃo de aerossÃis contendo compostos de MgCl2 nos aqÃÃferos do embasamento cristalino. A anÃlise de agrupamento mostrou as similaridades entre os poÃos, enquanto a anÃlise discriminante ajudou a compreender o processo de salinizaÃÃo no aqÃÃfero aluvial. As modelagens geoquÃmicas inversas realizadas com o PHREEQC identificaram trocas catiÃnicas de CaX2, MgX2, NaX e KX, alÃm de precipitaÃÃes de K-mica e albita e dissoluÃÃes de anortita e K-feldspato, evidenciando a aÃÃo intempÃrica das Ãguas sobre as rochas. A grande dissoluÃÃo de CO2 nas Ãguas aluviais justifica a caracterÃstica bicarbonatada dessas Ãguas. A contribuiÃÃo volumÃtrica de Ãguas do aqÃÃfero fissural, como forma de justificar o aumento da salinidade nos poÃos aluviais, foi estimada entre 1,53% e 27,99% para diferentes pontos, na mÃdia foi de 15,8%. No entanto, esta contribuiÃÃo representa quase 64% da salinidade no aluviÃo. / The alluvial aquifers in the semi-arid region of Brazilâs Northeast host an important natural water resource for the populations that live in that region, owing to its excellent quality, when compared to the crystalline basement rock aquifers. However, they are fragile resources and are susceptible to processes of degradation of quality by anthropic action, climatic changes or hydrogeological modifications. The objective of this research is to identify and quantify the primary processes responsible for the increase in salinity observed in the alluvial aquifers during the dry season. Besides hydrochemical analysis (Piper and Stiff diagrams and ionic relations), multivariate statistical analysis (hierarchical clustering and discriminant analyses) and inverse geochemical modeling were also used. The Piper and Stiff diagrams presented water classification according to dominant ions, where the alluvial water showed intermediate characteristics between the hard-rock basement aquifer water and that from the reservoirs. With the SAR diagram, the same result was observed. The ionic relations revealed a strong relation of the alluvial water with the lithology of the region and the probable dissolution of aerosols containing composites of the MgCl2 type in the aquifers of the crystalline rock shield. Cluster analysis showed the similarities between the wells, whereas discriminant analysis helped to understand the process of salinization in the alluvial aquifer. The inverse geochemical modeling carried out with PHREEQC identified cationic exchanges of CaX2, MgX2, NaX and KX, as well as precipitation of K-mica and albite and dissolutions of anorthite and K-feldspar, evidencing the intemperic action of the water on the rocks. Strong dissolution of CO2 in the alluvial water justifies the bicarbonated characteristics of that water. The volume contribution from crystalline rock aquifer water was estimated as between 1.53% and 27.99% at different points with a mean value of 15.8%. However, this contribution represents nearly 64% of the salinity of the water in the alluvium.

Análises de proveniência sedimentar são tradicionalmente utilizadas com o objetivo de reconstruir a relação entre depósitos sedimentares e suas respectivas áreas fonte, de forma a permitir a composição do contexto tectônico regional. Uma aplicação menos explorada dos métodos de análise de proveniência sedimentar é a avaliação detalhada das variações de áreas fonte ao longo da história de preenchimento de uma bacia sedimentar e das variações locais de proveniência em intervalos estratigráficos específicos. Tais estudos podem trazer importantes inferências sobre a configuração dos alto estruturais vizinhos à bacia sedimentar, assim como informações a respeito de eventos tectônicos capazes de mudar o padrão das drenagens que alimentam a bacia sedimentar. Na Bacia Camaquã (Ediacarano-Cambriano, RS) o Grupo Santa Bárbara e o Grupo Guaritas registram eventos de atividade de altos estruturais durante a sedimentação, responsáveis pela segmentação da bacia em sub-bacias. O Grupo Santa Bárbara compreende sucessões siliciclásticas distribuídas em três sub-bacias separadas pelos altos de Caçapava do Sul e da Serra das Encantadas. Na sub-bacia ocidental esse grupo apresenta depósitos de arenitos e conglomerados aluviais, depósitos siltoarenosos de ambientes fluviais distais e lacustres e depósitos conglomeráticos de leques aluviais, que compõem um ciclo retrogradacional inicial, seguido por dois ciclos progradacionais separados por uma superfície brusca. O Grupo Santa Bárbara na sub-bacia central, por sua vez, apresenta uma sucessão siltoarenosa com base conglomerática, que se estende até a porção média da sucessão sedimentar, quando dá lugar a depósitos conglomeráticos de leques aluviais que são depois sucedidos por nova sucessão siltoarenosa no topo da unidade. O Grupo Guaritas apresenta depósitos de rios entrelaçados na base e no topo da unidade, com interdigitação de sistemas deposicionais eólicos, de rios entrelaçados e de leques aluviais na porção intermediária da sucessão. Os depósitos do Grupo Santa Bárbara na sub-bacia ocidental foram investigados em detalhe por meio de levantamentos sistemáticos de dados de proveniência em escala de afloramento, em lâmina delgada e por meio de análises isotópicas em zircões detríticos. Os resultados mostram áreas fonte distintas entre os depósitos aluviais da base e do topo da unidade, sendo que em ambos a proveniência é local. Os depósitos da base têm áreas fonte a oeste e sudoeste da bacia, enquanto os depósitos do topo da unidade têm áreas fonte a leste da bacia, no alto de Caçapava da Sul, sugerindo uma mudança na configuração das áreas fonte que teria início correspondente ao primeiro nível conglomerático da sucessão aluvial intermediária da unidade. Adicionalmente os dados de proveniência indicam ausência de deslocamento entre áreas fonte e depósitos sedimentares indicando que o rejeito das falhas de borda é normal, como esperado para bacias do tipo rift. As sucessões sedimentares do Grupo Santa Bárbara na sub-bacia central foram investigadas de maneira preliminar por meio de análise de proveniência macroscópica. Os dados indicam pouca variação de áreas fonte na história da bacia, com áreas fonte predominantemente no Alto da Serra das Encantadas, que estaria então soerguido. Nos depósitos conglomeráticos superiores há uma contribuição de litoclastos atribuídos ao Alto de Caçapava do Sul. O Grupo Guaritas teve depósitos sedimentares do topo de sua sucessão estudados por meio de análise de proveniência macroscópica em depósitos de leques aluviais e em depósitos fluviais, que cobrem os anteriores em contato erosivo. Os dados apontam para proveniência estritamente local, do Alto da Serra das Encantadas nos depósitos de leques aluviais, enquanto que os depósitos fluviais contam com áreas fonte mais distantes, sugerindo que o Alto da Serra das Encantadas sofreu subsidência e foi recoberto nesse intervalo de tempo. Os dados indicam que o soerguimento do Alto de Caçapava do Sul, que se deu durante a deposição do Grupo Santa Bárbara e individualizou a sub-bacia ocidental, teria provocado uma progradação instantânea dos depósitos sedimentares, ao contrário do previsto em modelos tectônicos disponíveis, em consequência do aumento do aporte sedimentar pela erosão de sedimentos pouco litificados depositados sobre o Alto de Caçapava do Sul e de uma queda na taxa de subsidência das bacias provocado por um amplo domeamento antes da nucleação da falha de borda. Tal progradação está registrada nas sucessões aluviais intermediárias do Grupo Santa Bárbara nas sub-bacias ocidental e central. Após o estabelecimento da falha normal na borda leste do alto estrutural há uma passagem brusca para depósitos mais distais, na sub-bacia ocidental seguida de progradação de cunhas clásticas no topo da unidade, enquanto que na sub-bacia central há uma retrogradação sugerindo que o soerguimento do Alto de Caçapava do Sul tenha resultado na captura de um sistema de drenagem que alimentava toda a bacia para o graben da bacia ocidental, diminuindo assim o aporte sedimentar na sub-bacia central. O Grupo Guaritas indica, por sua vez, uma situação inversa, com mudança nos sistemas deposicionais provocada pela subsidência do Alto da Serra das Encantadas, que teria permitido a captura de sistemas de drenagem para dentro da bacia, promovendo o aumento do aporte sedimentar e a substituição dos sistemas eólicos e de leques aluviais por sistemas fluviais entrelaçados. / Sedimentary provenance is generally used aiming the reconstruction of the relations between sedimentary deposits and their source areas, in order to interpret the regional tectonic setting. An application that is less frequent in sedimentary provenance analysis is the detailed assessment of the changes in the source areas during the infilling history of a sedimentary basin and of the local variation of the provenance data in specific stratigraphic intervals. Such studies can result in important inferences concerning the configuration of adjacent structural highs, as well as information about tectonic events that are capable of changing the drainage network feeding the sedimentary basin. In the Camaquã Basin (RS) the Santa Bárbara and Guaritas groups register events of syn-sedimentary movement of structural highs, which caused the segmentation of the basin into sub-basins. The Santa Bárbara Group comprises siliciclastic successions distributed in three sub-basins separated by the Caçapava do Sul and Serra das Encantadas structural highs. The western sub-basin contains alluvial sandstones and conglomerates, siltstones and sandstones of fluvial and lacustrine environments, and alluvial fan conglomerates, disposed in a initial retrogradatinoal cycle, and two overlying progradational cycles, which are separated by a abrupt flooding surface. In the central sub-basin, the Santa Bárbara Group comprises a siltstone and sandstone succession with conglomerates at its base, followed by alluvial fan conglomeratic deposits in the middle part of the sedimentary succession, which in turn is succeeded by another succession of siltstones and sandstones at the top of the group. The Guaritas Group shows braided river deposits both at the base and the top of the unit, with interfingering of eolian, braided river and alluvial fan systems in the intermediate part of the succession. The deposits of the Santa Bárbara Group in the western sub-basin were investigated in detail through systematic studies of provenance both at the outcrop scale and in thin sections and by detrital zircon isotope analysis. The results show distinct source areas for the alluvial deposits of the base and the top of the unit, with a local sources for both of them. The lower deposits had source areas to the west and southwest of the basin, while the upper ones had source areas to the east of the basin, on the Caçapava do Sul High, suggesting a change in the configuration of the source areas, with its onset corresponding to the first conglomeratic level of the intermediate alluvial succession of the Santa Bárbara Group. The provenance data also shows that there is no significant lateral displacement deposits relative to their source areas, suggesting that the main displacement of the border faults was normal, as expected for rift basins. The sedimentary successions of the Santa Bárbara Group in the central sub-basin were preliminarily investigated through macroscopic provenance analysis. The data implies only in small changes of the source areas through the history of the basin, with source areas in the Serra das Encantadas High, which was then uplifted. In the upper conglomeratic deposits there is some contribution of lithoclasts from the Caçapava do Sul High. The sedimentary deposits of the top of the Guaritas Group were studied through macroscopic provenance analysis in alluvial fan and fluvial deposits, the latter covering the alluvial fans in erosive contact. The data points to strictly local provenance, from the Serra das Encantadas High in the alluvial fan deposits, while the fluvial deposits had also more distant source areas. This suggests that the Serra das Encantadas High subsided during this period, and was covered by the younger fluvial deposits. The collected data suggests that the Caçapava do Sul High uplift, which took place during the deposition of the Santa Bárbara Group and individualized the western sub-basin, triggered a progradation of the sedimentary deposits. This is not in accordance with the existing models, and could be explained as a result of both of an increase in the sedimentary input by erosion of unlithified sediments deposited on the Caçapava do Sul High and of the fall in the subsidence rates of the sedimentary basins due to a wide doming before the nucleation of the main border fault. Such progradation is registered in the alluvial successions of the Santa Bárbara Group in the western and central sub-basins. After the definition of the normal faulting in the eastern border of the structural high, an abrupt passage to distal facies took place in the occidental sub-basin, which was in turn was followed by progradation of clastic wedges on the top of the unit, while in the central sub-basin there is a retrogradation, suggesting that the uplift of the Caçapava do Sul High would have resulted in the capture of a main drainage system, that fed the entire basin, to the western basin graben, and so decreasing the sedimentary input to the central sub-basin. The Guaritas Group in its turn indicates a change in the depositional systems caused by the subsidence of the Serra das Encantadas High, which allowed the capture of drainage systems to the basin, thus increasing the sedimentary input and the substitution of the eolian and alluvial fan systems by braided fluvial systems.

Le Tianshan est une orogène intracontinentale de près de 2000 km de long. Cette chaîne accommode jusqu'à 40% de la convergence entre l'Inde et l'Eurasie, jouant ainsi un rôle fondamental dans l'évolution de la déformation en Asie. De plus, malgré cette déformation intense et ses hauts reliefs, sa topographie reste irrégulière avec de nombreux bassins intrachaîne préservés. Elle représente ainsi un cas remarquable pour l'étude des processus orogéniques dynamiques hors équilibre et constitue une zone clé pour l'étude de la déformation en Asie. Depuis le début du Pléistocène, une aridité prononcée a permis une préservation de nombreux marqueurs morphologiques. Ces marqueurs ont localement subi des déformations d'origine tectonique. Ainsi, la datation par isotopes cosmogéniques de ces marqueurs et la quantification du raccourcissement à l'origine de leur déformation, a permis de connaître précisément les vitesses de raccourcissements quaternaires de nombreuses structures actives au travers l'ensemble du Tianshan oriental. À cela s'ajoutent ponctuellement des études des vitesses de raccourcissement depuis le Néogène, basées sur la modélisation géométrique de strates syntectoniques. Ces mesures nous ont permis de mieux contraindre les taux de déformation sur les piémonts Nord et Sud de la chaîne mais également dans le bassin intrachaîne de Bayanbuluk. Sur la base de ces observations, je propose que les vitesses observées actuellement par les mesures GPS ne soient acquises par la chaîne que depuis ~150 à 200 ka. Nous démontrons aussi qu'au minimum 15% du raccourcissement est accommodé dans les parties internes de la chaîne. Je soutiens ainsi l'hypothèse que cette chaîne reste dans un stade de croissance immature et hors-équilibre / The Tianshan range is a 2000-km-long tectonically active mountain range. The Tianshan plays a major role in the India-Asia collision since it presently accommodates up to 40% of the total convergence between those two continents. Despite this intense deformation, the topography of the range shows series of high elevated range separated by flat intermountain basins. This range is therefore a remarkable case of example to study orogenesis processes and remains a key area to better understand how the deformation related to the India collision has been distributed through the Asian continent. Enhanced aridity since Pleistocene has moreover remarkably preserved alluvial terraces and fans which may have recorded the deformation enabling the quantification of the tectonic rates during the Quaternary period. Therefore, using Terrestrial Cosmogenic Nuclide we have dated several alluvial surfaces and analyzed their deformation using D.E.M. or high resolution DGPS measurements. Hence, in the eastern Tianshan we quantify the quaternary shortening rates across several structures located in the Northern and Southern foreland piedmonts but also within the range in the intermountain Bayanbuluk basin. Moreover, when possible we have also derived the Neogene shortening rates from geometric modeling of syntectonic strata. Our results highlight the recent acceleration of the eastern Tianshan since ~150-200 ka. We also show that a significant proportion (>15%) of the whole deformation is accommodated within the range while the remaining part is distributed between the different thin skin tectonic structure in the piedmonts. This result supports the hypothesis that the range is out of equilibrium and an in-building stage of deformation

Les zones humides (ZH) alluviales constituent des secteurs à forte valeur écologique etpatrimoniale. Pour comprendre et prédire l’évolution à long terme de ces zones, en particulierface aux changements globaux, il apparaît primordial de traduire les perturbationshydrologiques attendues en termes de perturbations biologiques, afin d'estimer lesconséquences potentielles de ces changements pour la biodiversité et le fonctionnement globalde ces écosystèmes. Cette thèse s’articule donc autour de deux objectifs: proposer un modèleconceptuel de fonctionnement écologique des ZH soumises à des assèchements saisonniers etestimer la vulnérabilité écologique de communautés faunistiques vivant dans ces ZH, enconsidérant conjointement les peuplements benthiques et interstitiels (principalementCrustacés).Nos résultats démontrent que la morphologie des ZH (eau relativement courante, eaustagnante, apports phréatique) et leurs modes d’assèchement (formation de mouilles isoléesou assec complet) sont essentiels dans la structuration des communautés microbiennes etd’invertébrés et dans la réponse saisonnière de la biodiversité et des processus écologiques.L’intensification probable des étiages et des assèchements augmentera l’hétérogénéité spatialeet temporelle des habitats et leur richesse spécifique mais réduira la biodiversité globale desplaines alluviales (disparition des espèces rares). Ces étiages plus sévères modifieront lesprocessus écologiques, diminuant le recyclage de la matière organique et la qualité des eauxsuperficielles. Les recherches futures devraient s’orientées vers des stratégies et des moyensefficaces pour garantir la durabilité écologique des ZH. / Alluvial wetlands offer many ecological goods and services. In order to evaluate thelong term impact of global changes, it appeared essential to translate the hydrological changesin term of biological perturbation, so as to estimate the consequences on biodiversity andecosystem functioning. This PhD thesis focuses on two points: to propose a conceptual modelof ecological functioning of the wetlands that are subjected to seasonal drying and to estimatethe ecological vulnerability of aquatic invertebrate communities of the wetlands facing theincreasing drought risk, by considering both the benthic and interstitial assemblages (with aparticular interest on Crustaceans).Our main results demonstrate that wetlands’ morphology (running water, groundwaterupwelling, stagnant water) and their drying modalities (formation of isolated pools orcomplete drying) influence both the microbial and invertebrate community structures andcontrol the seasonal responses of biodiversity and ecological processes. The potential increasein the low flow period and drying intensity may increase the spatial and temporalheterogeneity of habitats and their specific richness but may decrease the global biodiversityof floodplain (rarefaction of sensible species). Severe low flow periods may also disturb theirecological functioning, reducing the organic matter recycling and the surface waters quality.Future studies should develop efficient strategies to support the ecological durability ofwetlands.

Estimates of production and related parameters (growth rate, density, standing crop) were made for populations of mountain whitefish in altered and "unaltered" areas of the Glacksmith Fork and Logan River, UtJh from spring 1975 through summer 1976. Capture records of marked whitefish were also analyzed to describe fish movement and check on assumptions implicit in the population estimator. Mean weights and instantaneous growth rates of whitefish were similar at all sites for comparable size/age groups. Among sites, differences in production per sampling interval and annual production were due mainly to differences in standing crop and/or age structure. Estimates of mountain whitefish density varied by site and season and ranged from 0 to 3,467 fish/ha, with the highest densities occurring during the fall and winter (spawning season) and the lowest during the summer when streamflows were low. Estimates of standing crops of whitefish followed a pattern similar to density. In the sites where fish remained during the summer most production occurred during the spring and summer. A bulldozed reach of the Logan River (including an "unstable" section) had the highest annual production of mountain whitefish (51.85 kg/ha/yr)--almost double the annual production for the same reach when the unstable section was not included (31.85 kg/ha/yr). The highest annual production of whitefish in sites in the Blacksmith Fork River (51.23 kg/ha/yr) occurred in a reach that had been recently dredged but still contained a riffle and pool structure. Annual production of whitefish was low in a recently bulldozed reach (5.47 kg/ha/yr) and an old bulldozed reach (10.08 kg/ha/yr) of the Blacksmith Fork River where suitable habitat (pools and glides) was lacking, especially during the summer months. Mountain whitefish remained or returned to reaches after channel alterations as long as water depth remained sufficient. This study illustrated the necessity of frequent sampling when attempting to evaluate the effects of perturbations on fish populations or in production studies in general.

In 2019, the Mississippi River watershed had a record-long flooding, which was comparable with the 1927 Great Mississippi River Flood. This study leveraged this flooded condition to assess the flood tolerance of eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) and black willow (Salix nigra) planted as short rotation woody crops (SRWCs) on seasonally flooded marginal land of the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV) in 2018. The survival/mortality prediction models developed by using hydrologic and environmental variables suggested that only high flood depth affected the survival of black willow. However, eastern cottonwood was threatened by flood depth, flood duration, and cumulative flooding temperature calculated by summing air temperatures while trees were flooded in 2019, 2020, and 2021. During the growing season, the models predicted that black willow could tolerate flood depth of 1.38 m in April, 1.52 m in May, and 0.74 m in June, while eastern cottonwood could tolerate 1.18 m in April, 0.86 m in May, and 0.85 m in June. Due to having higher flood tolerance thresholds, black willow had better survival and biomass production than eastern cottonwood. This study also identified critical physiological parameters that affected the biomass productivity of eastern cottonwood, black willow, and American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis). Results showed that the growth of black willow was driven by nitrogen per unit leaf area (R2 = 0.41 and P-value = 0.004) and photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (R2 = 0.27 and P-value = 0.03); American sycamore was determined by stomatal conductance (R2 = 0.68 and P-value = 0.04) and transpiration rate (R2 = 0.70 and P-value = 0.04); and eastern cottonwood was not affected by either water or nitrogen factors. Understanding physiological strategies of these species provides useful information when matching site-species for riparian restoration in the LMAV. This study also found that a SRWC plantation could mitigate agricultural runoff by removing 78 to 83% of nitrate-nitrogen and 70 to 73% of orthophosphate-phosphorus from the groundwater before discharge to the Yazoo River. Therefore, rather than abandoning these areas, establishing SRWC plantations for bioenergy on marginal cropland can mitigate agricultural nutrient runoff and improve the water quality of the LMAV.

A vast area of the northeastern Great Basin of the western USA was inundated by a succession of Plio-Pleistocene lakes, including Lake Bonneville (28 ka to 12 ka). The Pilot Valley playa, located just east of the Utah-Nevada border near Wendover, Utah, within the eastern Basin and Range Province, represents an 8 to 16 km wide and ~50 km long remnant of these lakes. The playa corresponds to the upper surface of a closed basin that is delimited by two mountain ranges, which are mantled by recent alluvial fans over which the playa sediments have prograded. In order to investigate the interaction of Plio- Pleistocene lake sedimentation and alluvial fan development, high-resolution seismic reflection profiles have been acquired near the base of both the west-bounding and the east-bounding ranges. On the western side of the basin, the seismic profiles provide images of sub-horizontal playa sediments prograding over the inclined alluvial fans. Theboundary between the playa and fan sediments is marked by a prominent angular unconformity. Seismic images from the eastern side of the basin reveal a markedly different structural and stratigraphic style with down-to-the-basin normal faulting of relatively shallow Paleozoic bedrock overlain by alluvial fan deposits, which are in turn on-lapped by a thin veneer of playa sediments. The results contained herein reveal for the first time the stratigraphic relationships between Quaternary pluvial sediments as a shoreline depositional facies and the adjacent bounding fan deposits. Post-stack reprocessing of lower-resolution but deeper penetration seismic data located in an analogous basin to the southwest, provides a likely context for the Pilot Valley seismic data. The new geophysical images, when integrated with available geologic mapping and limited well control, aid in constraining how deep aquifers are locally recharged from an adjacent range. The results also clearly demonstrate the strong structural asymmetry of the range and playa system, which is consistent with a classic half-graben structure. Lastly, this study demonstrates the utility of the shallow seismic reflection method as a tool to provide high-resolution sub-surface images in the geophysically challenging environment of Basin and Range geology.

Because the Coastal Plain of southeastern Virginia has not been extensively studied, thirty random samples associated with Blackwater and Nottoway rivers were collected in the spring of 1987 from Surry, Sussex, and Southampton counties. Soil classification as well as mineralogical, chemical, and physical analysis were conducted for all samples. The purposes of this investigation were to: (1)classify the soils in this area, (2) determine the distribution of sand and clay minerals, (3) examine the weathering effect on clay minerals on different position of the landscape for different parent material sources. The soils examined classified as follow: Aquic Hapludults 43% > Typic Hapludults 26.6% > Ultic Hapludalfs 10% > Humic Hapludults 3% = Typic Rhodudlts 3% = Aquic Hapludalfs 3% = Typic Udipsamment 3% = Typic Quartzpsamment 3% = Psammentic Hapludalfs. Qualitative analysis of clay minerals revealed that kaolinite and hydroxy interlayer vermiculite were the dominant clay minerals; that montmorillonite, mica, gibbsite quartz, and vermiculite were of lesser quantities; that chlorite, feldspar and interstratified minerals were of trace amounts. Kaolinite represents about 21-70%, HlV 11-60%, montmorillonite 0-20%, mica 0-16%, gibbsite 0-13%, quartz 1-12%, and vermiculite 0-10%. The presence of these minerals were mainly related to the acid reaction of the soil media, which was essentially attributed to Al and H ions in soil solution. From the past history and geological composition of the Piedmont it is assumed that kaolinitic minerals were transported and sedimented in the Coastal Plain. Hydroxy-interlayer vermiculite minerals was weathering from vermiculite because most of the Al was adsorbed by vermiculite to form HIV. Therfore, gibbsite was not precipitated. Montmorillonite was assumed to have formed from mica minerals. That was substantiated by statistical analysis which showed a high negative correlation between gibbsite and vermiculite (r=0.46, n=30) and between montmorillonite and mica (r=-0.6, n=10). / Master of Science

This research investigated hydrologic connectivity, the intricate network of water pathways linking waterbodies, and its implications for biodiversity exchange in floodplains. Chapter 1 provides an exhaustive literature review encompassing factors influencing hydrologic connectivity, assessment approaches, scales, challenges, and management tools. Existing research often focuses on single scales and short-term periods, revealing a need for comprehensive multi-scale and extended temporal analyses. The absence of standardized definitions and methodologies in this field is also considered. Chapter 2 presents an innovative approach quantifying eight key connectivity metrics using remote sensing and GIS within the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV). This adaptable method assesses connectivity between oxbow lakes and varying stream sizes, revealing spatial variability within the LMAV and enhancing scientific understanding of connectivity dynamics while ensuring portability. This research is crucial for effective ecosystem management and targeted conservation efforts, particularly regarding invasive species like the bigheaded carps (Hypophthalmichthys spp.).