Thesis (M.S.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2009. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Mar. 11, 2010). Thesis advisor: Sally P. Horn. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

A multi-proxy approach is utilized on mm- to cm-scale laminated sediment records in coastal salt ponds on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands to characterize the sediments, identify their sources and depositional processes/events (heavy rainfall, tropical cyclones, tsunamis). Historical records are combined with high-resolution geochronology (short-lived radioisotopes, 210Pb, 137Cs, 7Be) and scanning elemental techniques (XRF and LA-ICP-MS) to link depositional events to how they are manifested in the sedimentary record. Volcanic rocks are the terrigenous sediment source and the sedimentary signature of terrigenous sediment in the geologic record consists of higher amounts of Al, Fe, Ti, Co, and Si, and is associated with terrigenous runoff due to rainfall events. A minimum threshold value of >2.0 mm per day (minimum to erode and transport terrigenous sediment downslope) of rainfall has been determined for the study area. The frequency of heavy rainfall events that exceed the threshold of >2.0 mm per day is significantly correlated to the amount of terrigenous sediment accumulation of the terrigenous indictor element Al measured by scanning LA-ICP-MS. There is a robust sedimentary record of terrigenous sediment runoff that is a function of the frequency of heavy rainfall events (exceed threshold). Variability in the sedimentary record reflects changes between periods of "wet" increased frequency of heavy rainfall events and "dry" decreased frequency of heavy rainfall events. Tropical cyclones and tsunamis can cause marine overwash into salt ponds leading to deposition of marine sediments. Elemental scans for Ca and Sr and overwash indicator elements are complicated by grain size effects of LA-ICP-MS techniques, as well the difficulty in differentiating between tropical cyclone overwash deposits and tsunami deposits. By defining the sedimentary signature for depositional events , geologic records can be interpreted to provide insight into the natural variability of these processes throughout geologic time for comparisons to the more recent anthropogenic time period. This study provides a framework that can be applied to other coastal environments on high-relief tropical islands, to compare local records, and provide information on regional processes controlling rainfall variability in tropical latitudes.

Links between the pond and surrounding land for horticulture is a distinctive feature of farming households in Bangladesh. It was hypothesised that the role of fishponds in integrated aquaculture systems has potential towards improving livelihoods and poverty alleviation. Rural and peri-urban settlements in Mymensingh District, Bangladesh were selected for assessing the importance and role of pond-dike systems on the livelihoods of households of different socio-economic level. The study was carried out in view of the sustainable livelihood approaches of the Department for International Development, U.K. Participation of all levels of stakeholders was ensured in the first and last phase of the study. The combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis at community and household level was a major strength and challenge of the study, and was used to explore the potential of integrated farming and factors that undermine such potential to contribute to a sustainable livelihood. The research commenced with a comprehensive situation appraisal and baseline survey to explore the context and characterize farming systems, followed by a longitudinal household survey to understand the effect of seasons on livelihoods. Households with access to ponds were identified as active or passive integrators based on a simple set of criteria and their resources and livelihoods assessed in comparison with non-pond households. During the last phase of the study a farmer participatory research (FPR) trial, based on a priority issue identified during the 1st phase of the study, was launched to investigate the potential of the integrated systems. The situation appraisal conducted within four communities revealed the effects of gender, well-being and location on farmers' regular activities and food consumption patterns. Fish culture was equally important as an enterprise among richer and poorer men, whereas vegetable cultivation was more important to men than women but wealth and location also affected its importance. Lack of knowledge was a particular problem for farmers growing fish and vegetables in the rural areas. Fish disease, high price of input, lack of money were also identified as constraints by fish producers. The expected use and current use of ponds, problems and benefits associated with fish culture were also found to be affected by groups emphasising vegetable, orchard and fish culture within their systems. The role of the pond for family use, which was a major objective for pond construction, was found to be significantly different between rural and peri-urban areas. Fish culture is now the dominant use of ponds for households irrespective of their focus on vegetable, orchard or fish production and they are utilised less for general domestic use. Ponds are relatively more important as a source of irrigation water in rural than in peri-urban communities. Significant differences were observed between locations and well-being categories for the percentage of fish retained for consumption and that sell. Rice bran was the most commonly used pond input (80% of all pond households) but active integrated farmers applied rice bran more frequently than passive groups (91 compared to 63 times/season). ‘Ease of production’ was a major incentive for farmers to integrate fish and vegetable production and this opinion was related to household type i.e. active integrators were more aware and confident about the practice. The literacy levels of household heads, access to information and capital and contact with formal and informal institutions of active producers and the better-off households was significantly higher than other groups and poorer households respectively. It is revealed from the longitudinal households’ analysis that the consumption pattern in terms of food types and amount are linked with income, expenses and food availability in different well-being categories between seasons across locations. The empirical analysis showed that as active households’ income increased, expenditure on food purchases, agricultural labour, pond inputs and poultry per household also increased. However, on-farm contributions as a source of fish and vegetables were important during the lower income and least productive months. Performance of integrated farming systems varied by location. Resource base, accessibility to market and information played key roles in the development of integrated farming system in the study area. Active integrated households in peri-urban areas, in response to higher demand in the nearby market, produced significantly more fish and vegetables than those in the rural areas. The result showed clearly the need for due consideration of these factors while promoting IAA systems in Bangladesh. Farmer participatory research showed that production of fish could be increased by a substantial level through increasing pond nutrient inputs rather than stocking an additional species (tilapia), although this may be related to the ‘improved’ nutrition used by farmers still being well below the level required for optimal tilapia performance. Rural households benefited more than peri-urban through direct consumption of both fish and vegetables; in contrast peri-urban households benefited more through cash sales of both fish and vegetables than rural households. Higher production did not lead to increased consumption, rather households benefited financially through selling fish. Similar production levels of vegetables between groups followed different levels of fish culture practices suggesting that increased investment in fish production is complementary rather than competitive with associated vegetable production. It could be concluded that considerable potential exists for further integration and development of pond-dike systems, which could contribute towards improved livelihoods of both better off and worse off people.

Waste stabilisation ponds (WSP) are a popular form of wastewater treatment worldwide, especially for rural-based manufacturing plants and small community sewage treatment. Ponds offer a robust and operationally simple technology, which are inexpensive where land is available, and have the potential to provide a considerable degree of treatment. However the continued use of WSP is being undermined by their inconsistent performance relative to current discharge requirements, particularly with respect to suspended solids, pathogen and nutrient removal. In a climate of increased public awareness of pollution, and the ever more stringent environmental protection regulations, novel pond designs need to be developed, and existing ponds retro-fitted, to improve their performance. This dissertation investigated the hydraulic modelling of non-mechanically mixed ponds, and produced a modelling framework from which improved pond designs could be evaluated. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were used to develop models which were able to predict the hydraulics of arbitrarily shaped, non-mechanically mixed ponds under controlled conditions. The models represent an important departure from traditional pond modelling techniques, which are based on either historical experience or simple hydraulic and reaction models. The CFD approach overcomes the main limitation of these models, as it accounts for spatial variations of parameters within a pond such as fluid velocity, or pollutant concentration. This allows for the prediction of pond hydraulics based on the pond geometry (such as inlet configuration, pond shape or baffle placement), pond inlet boundary conditions and the fluid properties. Thus CFD models allow the rapid investigation of the effect of design modifications on pond performance. The WSP models were designed using a two stage process. The first stage, a steady state simulation, calculated the velocity and turbulence fields for the pond; the second stage, a transient numerical tracer, utilised the underlying steady state results to calculate the advection and diffusion of a tracer species. The species concentration at the outlet was then integrated to produce residence time distributions (RTD) and other quantities which were used to characterise the pond hydraulics, and quantitatively compare the models with experimental results to assess the pond¡¦s performance. These techniques could be applied to any numerical pond flow model, and are a discerning test of the model¡¦s consistency. RTD generated from two-dimensional (2-D) CFD simulations were compared to experimental RTD derived by Mangelson and Watters (1972). In one of the three geometries simulated, the 2-D CFD model successfully predicted the experimental RTD. However, the flow patterns in the other two geometries were not well described, due to the difficulty of representing a three dimensional (3-D) inlet in the 2-D CFD model. As no general relationship could be found for approximating a 2-D inlet in 3-D, full 3-D simulations were used to model the unsuccessful cases. The 3 D simulations provided much improved results, predicting all the major features of the RTD over the first residence time, and matching exponential decay of the RTD after this period. Due to the uncertainty in the exact experimental inlet dimensions, a range of inlet depths were simulated. This showed that the CFD model was sensitive to changes in the inlet configuration, and using the appropriate inlet depth, the simulated RTD matched the experimental results well. A sensitivity analysis of the effect of the inlet turbulent boundary conditions and tracer molecular diffusivity for the k-ƒÕ turbulent model, showed the RTD was insensitive to these properties, thereby confirming similar results in related systems (Benelmouffok, 1989; De Vantier and Larock, 1987). This is significant for future pond modelling, as these properties are difficult to measure experimentally or predict reliably. Tracer studies were performed in this dissertation on five full-scale pond systems. In Tasmania three identical sewage ponds with different inlet and baffle configurations were investigated. However wind conditions in this locality masked any effect of these modifications. Tracer studies were also performed on sugar mill ponds near Mackay. While the models predicted qualitative consistent RTD results, they did not match the experimentally measured RTD due to uncontrolled environmental mixing factors and the long residence times of these ponds. A preliminary investigation of the effect of wind mixing was undertaken by imposing a velocity to the top surface of the model. These results confirmed the strong influence of even small wind velocities due to the large surface area of the ponds. Practical experience has indicated that the pond hydraulics are often the limiting factor in pond performance. Both experimental and simulation results have confirmed this through the presence of short circuiting and dead zones within the pond. Three baffle designs were assessed, all of which improved the pond hydraulics by either dispersing the inlet jet, or utilising the jet to generate specific pond mixing. Finally the work in this thesis has highlighted a number of other areas for future investigation. These include reservations over the use of RTD to characterise full-scale pond hydraulics, and considerations regarding the most efficient use of the inlet mixing in ponds. The hydraulic models developed in this dissertation can be extended to include solids, stratification and reaction models, which would enable the direct validation of the model based on physical or chemical parameters. In addition, a coupled flow and reaction model would provide a tool that could be used to truly optimise pond performance. This offers the possibility of tailoring the design of ponds for specific reactions, such as improved biological nutrient removal.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Η εργασία αυτή αποσκοπούσε στη μελέτη της πληθυσμιακής και συμπεριφορικής οικολογίας σε δύο είδη τριτώνων που διαβιούν συμπάτρια σε ένα εποχικό τέλμα στο όρος Χελμός κατά την αναπαραγωγική τους περίοδο. Εφαρμόστηκε η μέθοδος της σύλληψης-επανασύλληψης ατόμων με τη χρήση παθητικών πομπών (PIT-tags). Χρησιμοποιήθηκε η μέθοδος εφαρμογής και επιλογής μοντέλων για την εκτίμηση του μεγέθους των πληθυσμών, της αναλογίας φύλων και των πιθανοτήτων επιβίωσης και επανασύλληψης των ατόμων, για την εξέταση του προτύπου μετανάστευσης των ατόμων προς το τέλμα, καθώς και για τη συσχέτιση των πιο πάνω παραμέτρων με περιβαλλοντικές μεταβλητές (θερμοκρασία νερου και εδάφους). Έγινε συγκριτική αξιολόγηση σωματικών μετρήσεων (μήκος και βάρος ατόμων) και διερευνήθηκε η μεταβολή στο χρόνο της κάθε μιας από τις πιο πάνω παραμέτρους ανά είδος και φύλο. Με γενετικές αναλύσεις με τη χρήση μικροδορυφορικών δεικτών προσπαθήσαμε να εκτιμήσουμε τη γενετική ποικιλομορφία (αριθμό αλληλομόρφων) των δύο πληθυσμών, να εξετάσουμε αν βρίσκονται σε ισορροπία Hardy-Weinberg και αν έχουν περάσει από φαινόμενα στενωπού. Η εκτίμηση για τον πληθυσμό του είδους I. alpestris είναι 1032 άτομα και του είδους L. vulgaris 306 άτομα. Οι αναλογίες αρσενικών:θηλυκών ατόμων είναι 1:1 και 2:7, αντίστοιχα. Λόγω ανεπάρκειας των δεδομένων, η εφαρμογή και επιλογή μοντέλων πραγματοποιήθηκε μόνο στο είδος I. alpestris. Η μέση ελάχιστη θερμοκρασία εδάφους είχε ισχυρή επίδραση στις πιθανότητες μετανάστευσης προς το τέλμα. Το ποσοστό ατόμων που εισέρχονταν στο τέλμα μεταβαλλόταν στο χρόνο, αλλά ήταν παρόμοιο για τα δύο φύλα. Η φαινομενική επιβίωση των αρσενικών ατόμων ήταν μικρότερη από την αντίστοιχη των θηλυκών, ενδεχομένως επειδή τα αρσενικά άτομα παραμένουν μέσα στο τέλμα για μικρότερο χρονικό διάστημα. Η σύγκριση του μέσου σωματικού μεγέθους και του μέσου σωματικού βάρους των ατόμων που συλλαμβάναμε σε κάθε δειγματοληψία έδειξε ότι στο είδος I. alpestris άτομα μεγαλύτερα σε μέγεθος και βάρος βρίσκονται στο τέλμα νωρίτερα στην αναπαραγωγική περίοδο. Προς το τέλος της αναπαραγωγικής περιόδου ο πληθυσμός αποτελούνταν από μικρότερα και ελαφρύτερα άτομα, ενώ το πρότυπο αυτό δεν παρατηρήθηκε στο είδος L. vulgaris. Οι γενετικές αναλύσεις αποκάλυψαν μειωμένα επίπεδα γενετικής ποικιλότητας, ειδικά στο είδος L. vulgaris, ο πληθυσμός του οποίου ενδεχομένως να έχει υποστεί φαινόμενα στενωπού, ενώ υποδεικνύουν την ανάγκη λήψης μέτρων προστασίας. / Our purpose was the study of the population and behavioural ecology of two syntopic newts at a temporary pond in Helmos mountain during their breeding period. We performed a capture-recapture experiment using Passive Integrated Transponders (PIT-tags). We fitted models to our data in order to estimate population sizes, sex ratios, apparent survival and probabilities of capture and to examine the patterns of migration into the pond. Water and ground temperature were used as covariates in the analyses in order to determine their effect on the above parameters. Measurements of length and weight were used to investigate for inter- and intra-population variability. Microsatellite DNA analyses were performed to assess the genetic structure of the two populations and to check for the occurrence of genetic bottlenecks. Population size estimates were 1032 individuals for I. alpestris and 306 individuals for L. vulgaris. Male: female ratios were 1:1 and 2:7 respectively. Due to sparseness of data, models were fitted to the I. alpestris data only. The probabilities of individuals entering the pond in each sampling interval were greatly affected by the mean minimum ground temperature for that interval. The percentage of individuals entering the pond varied with time, but was roughly the same for both sexes. Apparent survival of males was lower than that of females, probably due to the fact that males spent less time in the pond. Comparisons of mean body size and weight of individuals caught in each sampling occasion showed that in I. alpestris larger and heavier individuals entered the pond early in the breeding period. As the period drew to its end, smaller and lighter individuals comprised the sampled population. This was not observed in L. vulgaris. Genetic analyses revealed reduced levels of genetic variation relative to other conspecific populations, particularly for L. vulgaris, suggesting that genetic bottlenecks might have occurred, and call for specific conservation measures

This study aimed at using different types of food wastes as major sources of protein to replace the fish meal used in fish feeds to produce quality fish. The major objectives were to (1) investigate the variations of metalloid/metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the fish ponds (pond mud and water), and food wastes used as fish feeds; (2) analyze bioaccumulation and biomagnification of pollutants in the food chains; and (3) evaluate the potential health risks of exposure (to these pollutants) via dietary intake of fish fed with food waste feeds. The traditional fish farming model was used to culture low trophic level fish: a filter feeder (bighead, Aristichthys nobilis), a herbivore (grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idellus) and a bottom feeder (mud carp, Cirrhina molitorella), which are more environmental friendly as they can utilize more solar energy. Furthermore, low-trophic level fish are less susceptible to the accumulation of toxic chemicals. Two types of food wastes (mainly containing cereal (Food Waste A) and meat waste meal (Food Waste B)) were used as the major source of protein to replace the fish meal in fish feed to culture fish. The concentrations of metalloid (arsenic (As)), metals (mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni)) in water, suspended particulate matter and sediment of the 3 experimental fish ponds located in Sha Tau Kok Organic Farm were monitored (bi-monthly during the first half year and tri-monthly during the second half year) and the results were similar to or lower than those in the commercial fish ponds around the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. Results of the health risk assessments indicated that human consumption of grass carp (a herbivore) which fed food waste feed pellets would be safer than other fish species (mud carp, bighead carp and largemouth bass). There were no or lower magnifications, and low concentrations of metalloid/metals contained in the ponds indicated that the practice of traditional pond management by draining pond water regularly can provide a better fish pond habitat for birds and other wildlife. Furthermore, the use of food waste instead of fish meal (mainly consisted of contaminated trash fish) further reduced Hg accumulation in the cultured fish. During October 2011 - December 2012, the concentrations of PAHs and OCPs in three experimental fish ponds were monitored (bi-monthly during the first half year and tri-monthly during the second half year). The results were similar to or lower than those obtained in commercial fish ponds around the PRD region. The mean concentrations of .PAHs and .OCPs in sediment and fish collected from the experimental fish ponds during the 2nd half year (May 2012 to December 2012) were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those in the 1st half year (October 2011 to April, 2012). .PAHs and .DDTs in the two species of fish (grass carp and bighead carp) were significantly increased (p<0.05) with time, and PAHs and DDTs in grass carp and bighead carp fed with commercial fish feed pellets (control group) were significantly higher (p<0.05) than the fish fed with food waste pellets (Food Waste A and Food Waste B). Fruit, vegetables, bone meal and meat products were the major sources of PAHs and OCPs contamination for producing Food Waste A and Food Waste B. No significant increases in PAHs and DDTs concentrations with trophic levels were observed in the experimental ponds, showing that PAHs were not biomagnifed in the omnivorous food chains (plankton, grass carp, bighead carp and mud carp). DDTs were lower magnifications than those predatory food chains (plankton, trash fish, and largemouth bass) in farmed ponds. There was a very low cancer risk for PAHs and DDTs exerted on humans via consumption of bighead carp, grass carp and mud carp (fed with food waste and commercial pellets). Furthermore, the use of food waste instead of fish meal (mainly consisted of contaminated trash fish) further reduced accumulation of PAHs and DDTs in the cultured fish.PAHs and DDTs exerted on humans via consumption of bighead carp, grass carp and mud carp (fed with food waste and commercial pellets). Furthermore, the use of food waste instead of fish meal (mainly consisted of contaminated trash fish) further reduced accumulation of PAHs and DDTs in the cultured fish. The present results revealed that recycling of food waste for cultivating low trophic level fish (mainly bighead carp and grass carp) is feasible, which will also ease the disposal pressure of the large volume of food waste, a common problem encountered in densely populated cites such as Hong Kong.

I studied the influence of fishpond management and environmental characteristics on diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), which are important predators in aquatic systems. In 2014 I used live traps to study diving beetle communities in 117 ponds in South Bohemia. The ponds were divided in three categories: intensively managed, extensively managed, and without fish. In total 26 species of diving beetles were found (N=1346). Overall, the beetles prefered shallow litoral zones with cattail (Typha), manna grass (Glyceria) and reed (Phragmites). The number of species declined with increasing alttitude and depth near the trap, while their abundance increased with pond area and amount of detritus near the trap. Beetles occured more in ponds with lower pH, lower conductivity and higher oxygen content. More beetles were found in fishless ponds. On the other hand, some ponds with high density of fishes but well preserved littoral zone had similar communities of diving beetles to the fishless ponds. This shows that high density of fish in ponds decreases the diversity and abundance of diving beetles, most likely because it decreases the vegetation in littoral zone. During the survey, four new localities of Graphoderus bilineatus were found; the species is protected by NATURA 2000 and has been known from very few recent localities in the Třeboň area.

The aim of the master thesis was to assess volume of disposable calcium in the ponds sediments and acid neutralization capacity of water, pH of water, oxygen saturation and zooplankton abundace during vegetation period. Following to the indicators was found out ponds production as well. Studies took place on 6 ponds (Byňovský, Dolní Velký, Kačák, Nakolický, Nový v Oboře, Žár) of company Fyshery New Castles s. r. o. For control was chosen pond Farský which is managed by Czech Fishing Union. Volume of disponable calcium in ponds sediments was transferred with infusion of 0,1 M H2CO3 . Volume of calcium was determined with chelatometric titration method. In 2013 the samples of sediments were collected before vegetation period. During the next season were determined samples of oxygen, ANK4,5 of water, pH of water and zooplankton which was sorted according its size (<500m and >500 m. At all monitored ponds was found out close relation between to volume of Ca2+ in pond sediment and pH of water, ACN4,5 of sediments and also with ACN4,5 of water during vegetation period. The highest average values of ACN4,5 of water were found out on pond Kačák (0,93 mmo.l-1), Žár (1,01 mmol.l-1) and Nový v Oboře (0,83 mmol.l-1), which significantly correlated with reserve of pond calium during dormancy. Was found out significant corelation between total growth of fish and coarse zooplankton. More significant relation was found out between total growth of fish and total abundance of zooplankton but between natural growth of fish and total abundance of zooplankton as well. The highest growths were found out on Ponds (Kačák, Žár), whose samples showed the biggest abundance of zooplankton from all monitored ponds and vice versa it wasn't confirmed relation between ACN4,5 of water during vegatation period and pH of water, abundance of coarse zooplankton and oxygen regime of water.