A study of the potassium status of some Lower Fraser Valley soils was undertaken in order to supply data which would aid in the interpretation of fertility experiments and chemical tests for available soil potassium. Since the rapid chemical tests for available potassium now used in the Lower Fraser Valley leave much to be desired, several promising methods were studied and compared to a standard ammonium acetate extraction gravimetric analysis method for determining exchangeable potassium. The Morgan and Spurway rapid methods for available potassium estimation were not found precise or accurate enough for the purposes of the study. A technique described by Peech and English, which involves extraction of available potassium with normal sodium acetate of pH4.8 and subsequent precipitation of potassium as the di-potassium sodium cobaltinitrite in formaldehyde-isopropyl alcohol solution was tested. A modification of this method was adapted to estimation by the photometer and results for exchangeable potassium, although lower, correlated well with those of the standard determination. A technique which is more rapid and better adapted to studies in which potassium is the only cation to be tested is that described by Bray, who recommends extraction with sodium nitrate and precipitation of potassium with sodium cobaltinitrite in ethyl alcohol solution and subsequent photometric determination. This method extracted slightly more potassium than that of Peech but also showed a high correlation with the standard method used. Both and Bray and Peech procedures were found adaptable to line chart estimation for routine soil testing work. The Bray method was compared to the standard ammonium acetate-gravimetric procedure in potassium fixation and release studies in limed and unlimed soils. Two upland soils and three recent alluvial soils, on which fertility experiments with oats had been conducted, were studied. A greenhouse experiment using lettuce was designed to indicate any existing relation between chemical studies and plant response. In the laboratory fixation was induced by alternately wetting and drying the soils at 110⁰ C. All soils were found to have high fixing potentials when measured by both extraction methods, although the fixation was higher when determined by the standard method. The effect of lime on fixation in both the laboratory and greenhouse soils was determined. The soils generally showed an apparent release of potassium when measured by the ammonium acetate-gravimetric method and a fixation by the sodium nitrate technique. These differences were considered to be due to the relative replacing powers of Na+ and NH+ when Ca++ or H+ dominate the exchange complex. Thus the extraction of potassium by Na+ may be inhibited when calcium is the complementary ion on the colloid. The potassium status of the upland soils was less affected by lime than the lowland soils when fixation or release due to lime was measured by either method. The soils studied failed to release any potassium from the fixed form when leached of their exchangeable potassium and stored for three months in a moist condition, or when wetted and dried at 110 C. No relation was found to exist between exchangeable potassium or the relative potassium fixing and supplying powers of the soils, and oat response to potassium in the field or lettuce growth in the greenhouse. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

This study examines the economic and social aspects of part-time farming in two municipalities in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia. The study was undertaken in 1970 under the auspices of the British Columbia Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of British Columbia. The primary purpose of the study was to provide descriptive information about part-time farmers and to provide some framework within which policy decisions could be made. The study examines the physical characteristics of the part-time farm, the socio-economic characteristics of the part-time farm operator and his family, and the financial aspects of part-time farming. Some analysis is undertaken with respect to the findings of the survey and, where possible, these are related to census data for comparison between part-time farms and all census farms for the same area. The main conclusions drawn from these analyses were that part-time farmers were only distinguishable from the census population farmers on the basis of direct financial aspects of their farms. This was reflected in the much lower levels of farm sales and expenses experienced by part-time farmers. Several characteristics of both census farms and part-time farms were significantly different between the two municipalities. There were strong indications that neither of the two groups are homogeneous between regions. Consequently, it is difficult to envisage a single definition of farming, much less part-time farming, being formulated which will have application in such a diversified agricultural mosaic as is found in British Columbia. The study concludes by questioning the validity of a policy which segments the farm community on the basis of the farm operator having an off-farm job. The study suggests that the only meaningful indicator as to whether or not farm land resources are being effectively utilized is productivity as measured by the usual economic criteria of gross and net dollar receipts. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

The northerly trending Hozameen, Yale and Hope faults transect the northwesterly trending Custer Gneiss and Hozameen, Ladner and Jackass Mountain Groups. Yale Fault separates gneisses of the Hozameen Group to the east from Custer Gneiss to the west. The Custer Gneiss, as herein restricted, is compositionally distinct from the Hozameen Group and shows a period of early deformation not present in the Hozameen Group. During the Cretaceous, regional deformation and greenschist facies metamorphism of the biotite zone affected rocks between the Yale and Hozameen faults. These rocks grade into gneisses of the hornblende hornfels facies within a few hundred yards of the Spuzzum Quartz Diorite and Yale Intrusions. This restricted contact metamorphism contrasts with the widespread, high temperature and pressure metamorphism found in this and other areas around the Spuzzum Quartz Diorite on the west side of the Hope fault. / Science, Faculty of / Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of / Graduate

This study analyses the adoption and rejection of some dairy farm innovations by Lower Fraser Valley dairymen. It also analyses use of information sources, length of time spent in the adoption process, reasons for delay in proceeding through the adoption process, reasons for rejection and discontinuance of innovations, and dairyman-district agriculturist contact. Data for the analysis were collected by interviewing a representative sample of the Lower Fraser Valley dairymen. There was a distinct tendency for the earlier adopters to have large farms, a high production per cow, less than 20 years farming experience, a high farm plus off-farm employment income, large numbers of dairy young stock, office visits with the district agriculturist, agriculture courses at vocational schools, and enjoyment from dairying. There were no significant differences between the earlier and later adopters regarding age, years of school completed, social participation, tenure, specialization, use of hired labour and place of birth. A number of the respondents had had no contact of any type with the district agriculturist in the year previous to the interview but on the average each respondent used 2.53 types of contact. When classified by the nature of the activity, the most used sources of information were personal, followed by individual instructional, mass and instructional group. When classified by origin, the most to least used sources were personal, commercial, government and farm organization. The proportions in which the information sources were used for the two groups of innovations differed. On the average each respondent was unaware of 2.19 of the 10 innovations and continuing in the adoption process for 1.57. Rejection had occurred for an average of 4.38, adoption for 1.66 and discontinuance for 0.20 of the 10 innovations. Almost half the decisions to reject innovations were made at the awareness stage in the adoption process. From the laggard to the early adopter-innovator category, unawareness and rejection decreased while continuation in the adoption process, adoption and discontinuance increased. Situational factors made up more than two-thirds the reasons for delay in proceeding through the adoption process but characteristics of the innovations made up more than two-thirds the reasons for rejection and discontinuance of innovations. The rate of rejection and discontinuance was higher and adoption lower when less than one year was spent than when one or more years was spent in the adoption process. An adoption tendency score was derived and compared with the adoption score but it could not be determined that use of one or the other was a more useful way of identifying differences among the respondents. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

Distress over pollution of natural water courses by industrial and domestic wastes is causing national concern. However, wastes must be disposed of by some method and these natural water courses have been and still are obvious sources for disposal. By careful study of the natural capacity of rivers and streams for assimilation of wastes, they can be used for disposal as long as this capacity is not exceeded. One method of determining this capacity without destroying the water course is by modeling the system mathematically to determine limits of pollution. This thesis contains the results of a preliminary study on the effect of the new Annacis Island Treatment Plant on coliform concentrations in the Fraser Estuary from Barnston Island to Garry Point. Mathematical formulas predicting coliform concentrations were used to computer simulate coliform profiles on the river. These results were then compared to present measured concentrations in the Estuary. Once a correlation between measured and simulated concentrations was established the effect of future discharges to the system could be simulated on the computer. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Civil Engineering, Department of / Graduate

A study was undertaken to determine the manganese status of some Lower Fraser Valley soils developed from alluvial and marine deposits. Mn fractions in six soils and in their particle size separates were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Water soluble Mn ranged from 0.5 to 1.4 ppm; Exchangeable Mn from 0.5 to 15.0 ppm; Hydroquinone reducible from 0.7 to 119.5 ppm; Total Mn from 82.0 to 957.5 ppm; and "Active Mn" from 3.2 to 129.8 ppm. These ranges were similar to reported values, except that.the study failed to find the high levels of total Mn reported by Baker on some soils from the same area. Generally water soluble and exchangeable Mn showed little variation within profile or between soils. In four out of the six profiles reducible and total Mn were higher in the parent material than in the surface horizons. However, there was no satisfactory fit for a number of the profiles to the four distribution patterns suggested by Leeper. Values for EDTA extractable and "active" Mn in two profiles suggest that both fractions of Mn represent the same chemical form. However, further results suggest that the two Mn fractions are different. In nearly all samples with high organic matter content EDTA extracted more Mn after removing "active Mn" than direct extraction with EDTA, supporting suggestions that EDTA extracts chelated Mn and also causes some dispersion of soil particles. Sonic dispersion led to increased recovery of all forms of Mn, more especially reducible and total Mn. The results suggest that until more is known about sonic dispersion it is unwise to assume that no modification of soil constituents takes place. Statistical techniques were used to examine the relationship between Mn distribution and parent materials, pH, organic matter content and cation exchange capacity. These analyses showed that the level of Mn fractions in the soil cannot be predicted by any single factor, but only by a number of soil factors in combination. The possibility of building up a computer model to predict Mn distribution is suggested. The significance of soil Mn distribution in terms of plant requirements is discussed. Plant available Mn in these soils, estimated by 0.02 M CaCl₂ extraction, ranged from 0.5 to 10.7 ppm. This was very similar to that for exchangeable. Based on data in the literature these soils were classified into manganese-deficient and-sufficient categories. Using extraction techniques only, various Mn pools were established for these soils according to the chemical pool concept proposed by Viets. These pools and their possible relation to Mn availability are discussed. It was suggested that a further study was necessary to establish a correlation between these Mn pools and plant Mn requirements and also to reveal the equilibria and rates of interconversion existing between the established pools as found under the soil conditions of the Lower Fraser Valley. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

Assessments of the mesoscale variability of the insolation over the lower Fraser Valley have been hampered by the inadequate spatial resolution of the available pyranometric data. At present, the establishment of a dense ground-based observing network is economically infeasible. The adaptation of geostationary satellite data for estimating insolation is an attractive alternative. The ability of a simple physically-based model (Gautier et al., 1980) to resolve the hourly mesoscale insolation variability is evaluated. The satellite-based estimates are shown to be more coherent than the observed insolation. Discrepancies are attributed to the spatial averaging inherent in the satellite methodology. The estimates are found to be insensitive to spatial averaging down to a 3 x 3 pixel (about 13 km₂ ) scale. The effects of spatial averaging are believed to occur at smaller spatial scales. The satellite-based estimates generally display a good correspondence with the observed insolation. Maps of the mean hourly estimated insolation are obtained with a high degree of accuracy due to small systematic modelling errors. The inability of the model to distinguish between snow and cloud, and its sensitivity to variations in surface albedo introduce artifacts in maps of the clear sky insolation. On the other hand, the mesoscale variability of individual hourly fields cannot be resolved using 'the satellite-based approach. Errors for these estimates are so large that they obscure the variability of the insolation field. The usefulness of the mapping procedure appears to be limited to assessments of the average insolation. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

Near the earth's surface, ozone is a highly toxic and reactive pollutant. In order to avoid potentially hazardous concentrations near densely populated areas, accurate forecasts of the temporal variability of ozone are necessary. Several statistical models which may be used to understand the temporal variability of ozone as well as to forecast short-term ozone fluctuations are developed. The models may be divided into two distinct categories: (1) those which forecast daily maximum one-hour average ozone concentrations and (2) those which forecast the diurnal behavior of one-hour average ozone concentrations. To assess the relative utility of each model, their forecast ability is evaluated by statistical comparison with data not used in model development. Most of the developed models appear to perform reasonably well; however, the utility of any forecast model is dependent upon the needs of the user. It is believed that the limits of the "pure time series" method (i.e., mathematical decomposition of time series into various elements) have been approached. Future investigations with these data should attempt to answer specific questions regarding the physical mechanisms governing ozone variability. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

A two year field study located in Delta Municipality, British Columbia, was conducted to investigate the possible improvement of nitrogen (N) fertilizer recommendations for arable crops in the Lower Fraser Valley (LFV). After reviewing current N fertilizer recommendation systems in other humid regions, the approach taken in the study was to determine the applicability of a spring soil test and/or a N Index system for the LFV region. The project, which used sweet corn (Zea Mays saccharata) as the trial crop, consisted of two interconnected parts: 1) A 'Replicated Fertilizer Response Trial' which aimed to; a) Monitor soil N0₃-N and NH₄-N during spring to a depth of 80cm, using intervals of 0-20, 20-50, and 50-80cm. b) Investigate yield response and N uptake efficiency at four different rates of sidedress applied urea, 0, 50, 100 and 200 kg ha⁻¹ N. c) Compare the effectiveness of urea applied broadcast preplant, and applied by sidedressing, when the crop was approximately 30cm tall. 2) A 'Multifarm Survey' at 28 locations, comparing plots sidedressed with 135 kg ha⁻¹ N, to control plots containing only starter N. The aim of this survey vas to establish the range of N supplying capacities in some LFV soils and relate these capacities to other soil properties and site history. Monitoring mineral N in the soil demonstrated that soil N0₃-N increased during the spring, reaching a peak 5-6 weeks after planting. Maximum N0₃-N levels in the 0-80cm profile were 90 and 135 kg ha⁻¹ in 1984 and 1985 respectively. NH₄-N levels tended to be low compared to NO₃-N. As a proportion of total mineral N, NH₄-N decreased from approximately 25% at the beginning of May, to between 10 and 15% by mid June. Large amounts of spatial and temporal variability in both N0₃-N and NH₄-N were observed on the two sites studied. The difference in magnitude of mineral N between the years was due to a large number of site and weather factors which could not be separated. No significant differences in corn yield or crop N content were found between any of the four fertilizer treatments in the Replicated Response Trial. Similarly, no significant differences were found in the comparison of urea N applied by broadcasting before planting and urea N applied by sidedressing. Two reasons for this lack of response were suggested, one, that the soil plus starter N provided sufficient N for the crop's needs, and two, that the fertilizing techniques were inefficient considering the soil and weather conditions. The Multifarm Survey provided the greatest amount of information relevant to the project's objectives. It showed that the range of soil types and cropping regimes on corn fields in Delta Municipality was too narrow to have a direct influence on N supplied by the soil. Soil N supplying capacity was shown to be weakly related to organic matter, the study results suggested that a knowledge of site history was necessary before this relationship could be assumed to be positive. Such findings favoured the implementation of a spring soil test rather than a N Index system. Various approaches to estimating N fertilizer requirements using a spring soil sample were examined. In conclusion, the project showed that substantial amounts of N vere made available by the soil and that these should be taken into consideration when fertilizer recommendations are made. The study suggested that in a small agricultural region such as Delta Municipality, spring soil N0₃-N appeared to be sufficiently well correlated with total soil plus crop nitrogen to warrant the further investigation of a soil test for N. This test, for corn, should be as close as possible to sidedress time and the ideal sampling depth would be to 80cm. Anomalous sites with adverse soil conditions, such as poor drainage, marine influences, low pH or compaction should not be included in the test. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

Soil degradation in the lowland soils of the Lower Fraser Valley area is an off-season (September-April) problem. The legacy of the degradation process is encountered every year in the form of ponding which delays farming operations such as cultivation and seeding. It is common for the lowland soils in west Delta to be left in a bare, loose, and therefore unstable state in the fall after harvest. As the result of raindrop impact on such a soil, a disaggregation process takes place which decreases the saturated hydraulic conductivity, the saturated water content, the air entry pressure head, and the water releasing ability of a soil. As a result of these changes the hydrologic responsiveness of a soil will decrease, decreasing its ability to allow rapid infiltration and drainage. The objective of this thesis was firstly, to investigate the causes of the soil structural degradation and secondly, to use some of the soil structural parameters to optimize the responsiveness of a soil and thirdly, to suggest a management model with the objective of improving the hydrologic responsiveness of a lowland soil. To fulfill the above objectives, in the first chapter, the process of soil degradation was studied on large undisturbed soil columns removed from two adjacent locations within an area of Ladner in west Delta, British Columbia. It was found that a disaggregation process caused by the impact of raindrops on a weakly aggregated soil was the main cause of a low hydrologic responsiveness at the beginning of the cultivation season. As a result of degradation of the soil surface layer, a surface seal can form with a saturated hydraulic conductivity in the order of 9.7x10⁻¹⁰ m s⁻¹. A surface seal can effectively decrease the infiltration rate, leading to the formation of a persistent pond which will make a soil untrafficable and unworkable. In the second chapter, a concept of "designer soil" was developed, where a set of "design hydrologic parameters" were identified for a partially hypothetical soil. A soil possessing hydrologic parameters better than the design parameters would therefore display a certain desired hydrologic responsiveness. In the third chapter, a descriptive management model was suggested with the objective of achieving the design parameters as identified in the second chapter. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate