Thesis (D. Min.)--Bethel Theological Seminary, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 131-136).

A computer program was written to calculate snow albedos for the months of January, March, and May in western Canada. Snow depth as well as water equivalent depth data was obtained from snow cover records and climatic maps. It was found that for the months of January and March, the snow depths were all greater than 10 cm and so the snow albedo was not a function of the surface type rather only the snow cover. For May, however, snow depths of less than 10 cm were obtained and the albedo became a function of both the water equivalent as well as surface type. The method of data collection is criticized primarily because of the instances of measurements and methods of measurement. Also, the equation in which the snow albedo is calculated is criticized because it only takes into consideration snow depth and not other important factors such as snow age density and crystal structure. However, age, density, and crystal structure are difficult measures to obtain data for on a large scale typical of GCMs. Good comparisons are made with the snow albedo values of forested sites obtained in this study with those in the literature. / Thesis / Bachelor of Science (BSc)

Bioclimate envelope models are widely used to project potential species habitat under changing climate. Conceptually, these models are also well suited to match natural resource management practices to new climatic realities, for example by guiding species choice in reforestation programs. Nevertheless, uncertainty due to a variety of causes has so far limited the practical application of bioclimate envelope models. The goal of this thesis is to examine sources of uncertainty, to reduce uncertainty if possible, and to develop methodology to systematically deal with the remaining variability in model projections. Secondly, this thesis develops practical climate change adaptation strategies for the forestry sector in western Canada. This requires answering what species should be used for reforestation for a particular site, and subsequently selecting planting stock of the species that is best adapted to current and anticipated environments. Using a novel approach to partition variance in results from multiple model runs, climate data were identified as arguably the most important source of uncertainty. Variation was primarily caused by different general circulation models, followed by different emission scenarios. Also, the method used to interpolate current weather station data was an important contributor to uncertainty at specific locations. Other sources of uncertainty were the choice of predictor variables and different bioclimate envelope modeling methods, which primarily contributed to uncertainty through interaction effects. For example, different modeling methods provided similar habitat projections for western Canada on average, but under certain climate change scenarios their results differed markedly. Given the large uncertainties in model projections, it is important to remember that ultimately, climate change adaptation has to be guided by climate trends that actually materialize. A considerable portion of this thesis therefore analyzes climate trends in western Canada over the past century. In a case study for aspen, it is shown that the combined information from multiple bioclimate envelope model runs, climate trends that have already materialized, and observed climate change impacts can make a strong case for implementing adaptation strategies in central Alberta. Amendments to aspen reforestation practices are proposed, avoiding the use of the species in areas where it is likely to lose habitat in the future, and recommending movement of planting stock so that it is reasonably well adapted under a range of future climate scenarios. / Forest Biology and Management

This dissertation examines the construction and evolution of categories of indigeneity within the context of the Oblate (Roman Catholic) apostolate at Île-à-Crosse in present-day north-western Saskatchewan between 1845 and 1898. While focusing on one central mission station, this study illuminates broad historical processes that informed Oblate perceptions and impelled their evolution over a fifty-three-year period. In particular, this study illuminates processes that shaped Oblate concepts of sauvage and métis. It does this through a qualitative analysis of missionary correspondence, mission records and published reports. In the process, this dissertation challenges the orthodox notion that Oblate commentators simply discovered and described a singular, empirically existing and readily identifiable Métis population. Rather, this dissertation contends that Oblates played an important role in the conceptual production of les métis.

This dissertation examines the construction and evolution of categories of indigeneity within the context of the Oblate (Roman Catholic) apostolate at Île-à-Crosse in present-day north-western Saskatchewan between 1845 and 1898. While focusing on one central mission station, this study illuminates broad historical processes that informed Oblate perceptions and impelled their evolution over a fifty-three-year period. In particular, this study illuminates processes that shaped Oblate concepts of sauvage and métis. It does this through a qualitative analysis of missionary correspondence, mission records and published reports. In the process, this dissertation challenges the orthodox notion that Oblate commentators simply discovered and described a singular, empirically existing and readily identifiable Métis population. Rather, this dissertation contends that Oblates played an important role in the conceptual production of les métis.

The intent of this study was to monitor the effect of Canadian winter commercial transport conditions on animal outcomes. A methodology was developed to measure acceleration on trailers transporting cull cows and a preliminary comparison of acceleration and carcass bruising revealed that further study of the relationship was warranted. The accelerometer methodology was used as one tool to examine factors influencing internal trailer microclimate and trailer acceleration on shrink, and severe bruising in finished cattle. This research has improved our understanding of Canadian winter transport conditions affecting finished cattle and demonstrated that there is a relationship between vertical rms of acceleration (P=0.0025), beta agonist use (P=0.0323), total wait time (P=0.0052) and the two way interaction of carcass position and yield score (P=0.0025) with cattle bruising. It also demonstrated that there is a relationship between journey duration (P<0.001), allometric coefficient (P<0.001), temperature humidity index (P<0.001) and prod use during loading (P=0.0012) with cattle shrink. / October 2015

Precipitation phase is fundamental to a catchment’s hydrological response to precipitation events in cold regions and is especially variable over time and space in complex topography. Phase is controlled by the microphysics of the falling hydrometeor, but microphysical calculations require detailed atmospheric information that is often unavailable and lacking from hydrological analyses. In hydrology, there have been many methods developed to estimate phase, but most are regionally calibrated and many depend on air temperature (Ta) and use daily time steps. Phase is not only related to Ta, but to other meteorological variables such as humidity. In addition, precipitation events are dynamic, adding uncertainties to the use of daily indices to estimate phase. To better predict precipitation phase with respect to meteorological conditions, the combined mass and energy balance of a falling hydrometeor was calculated and used to develop a model to estimate precipitation phase. Precipitation phase and meteorological data were observed at multiple elevations in a small Canadian Rockies catchment, Marmot Creek Research Basin, at 15-minute intervals over several years to develop and test the model. The mass and energy balance model was compared to other methods over varying time scales, seasons, elevations and topographic exposures. The results indicate that the psychrometric energy balance model performs much better than Ta methods and that this improvement increases as the calculation time interval decreases. The uncertainty that differing phase methods introduce to hydrological process estimation was assessed with the Cold Regions Hydrological Model (CRHM). The rainfall/total precipitation ratio, runoff, discharge and snowpack accumulation were calculated using a single and a double Ta threshold method and the proposed physically based mass and energy balance model. Intercomparison of the hydrological responses of the methods highlighted differences between Ta based and psychrometric approaches. Uncertainty of hydrological processes, as established by simulating a wide range of Ta methods, reached up to 20% for rain ratio, 1.5 mm for mean daily runoff, 0.4 mm for mean daily discharge and 160 mm of peak snow water equivalent. The range of Ta methods showed that snowcover duration, snow free date and peak discharge date could vary by up to 36, 26 and 10 days respectively. The greatest hydrological uncertainty due to precipitation phase methods was found at sub-alpine and sub-arctic headwater basins and the least uncertainty was found at a small prairie basin.

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The organization of Winnipeg from 1870 until 1885 can be described as an intense period of spatial transformation and expansion. After the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) surrendered Rupert’s Land and the North-West Territories to the Crown in 1870, the re-formulation of land tenure transformed the urban space. Different actors in the still young and small community used diverse mechanisms to secure common land as private property allowing the formation of a dynamic real estate market. During those years Winnipeg expanded rapidly and the availability of city lots soon became limited. Lot prices soared and land transformed into a commodity generated the conditions for the reproduction and circulation of capital in the city. The arrival of investors and financial institutions helped to create the real estate boom of 1881-82 and transform a small village into a modern capitalist city. By 1885, Winnipeg was ready to initiate an uneven and fast transition to industrial capitalism.