879 research outputs found
Seed source and region effects on growth rate and survival of blue spruce (Picea pungens) Christmas trees in New Jersey
Seedlings from five different seed sources of blue spruce Christmas trees were planted at five sites throughout New Jersey. Two sites in northern New Jersey and one in central New Jersey had significantly higher survival rates than the two in southern New Jersey. Additionally, the two sites in northern New Jersey had significantly faster growth rates than those in southern and central New Jersey. There were no significant differences in survival rates between seed sources. In terms of growth rates, however, seedlings from seeds obtained in Santa Fe National Forest, New Mexico grew significantly faster than seedlings from the other seed sources tested. This forther growth rate is predicted to shorten the time needed to reach marketability size by one to five years
Clinical aspects of dental materials : theory, practice, and cases / Marcia Gladwin, Michael Bagby.
Rev. ed. of: Clinical aspects of dental materials / [edited by] Marcia Gladwin, Michael Bagby. 2nd ed. c2004.Includes bibliographical references and index.xiv, 481 pages.
Marcia Langton and Peter Robb in conversation
Following a Monthly profile on Indigenous academic Marcia Langton by author Peter Robb (\u27Midnight in Sicily\u27, \u27M\u27, \u27Street Fight in Naples\u27), Langton and Robb come together on stage at the Sydney Writers’ Festival for an intimate conversation about the common themes of their lives: difficult early years in Australia, exciting times abroad and life back in Australia subsequently. Presented by the Sydney Writers’ Festival, May 2011
Assessment of Hurricane Sandy damage and resulting loss in ecosystem services in a coastal-urban setting
We quantified the location and extent of damage from Hurricane Sandy in habitats within the complex coastal-urban region of Jamaica Bay, New York and calculated the values of ecosystem services (ESV) lost. Results were compared with those from Hurricane Katrina. We found that moderate flooding and sand deposition were the most prevalent types of damage, and they caused the most degradation to low salt marsh habitat. Compared with Hurricane Katrina, damage from Hurricane Sandy to built and natural capital was general lower for almost all categories except beach erosion. This was especially damaging due to the high levels of disturbance prevention ecosystem services beaches and dunes provide. Our impact index revealed that the majority of damage was minimal in severity (60%) and would likely be reversed within five years (62%), with a total possible loss of up to US$ 6.5 million for Jamaica Bay, NY. We demonstrated the use our results to identify vulnerable areas for protection and restoration, and to calculate gains in ESVs in each scenario. By quantifying the location, extent and type of damage from Hurricane Sandy and the ESVs lost, we can provide another dimension to protection and restoration efforts in this sensitive coastal-urban region.Peer reviewe
Influences of habitat and land cover on fish distributions along a tributary to Lake Ontario, New York
Influences of habitat and land cover on fish distributions were determined along a lentic-lotic gradient along a tributary to Lake Ontario, New York. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling, cluster analysis, and specific characterization methods were used to classify the fish species into five groups based on their similar patterns of distribution, species-specific habitat relationship, and relative abundance observed along the gradient. A stepwise regression approach was used to select the best habitat and land cover variables to explain variations in the distribution pattern of each fish group. Distribution patterns of the five fish groups were significantly explained by either a set of the selected habitat or land cover predictor variables or a combination of both. Of the 10 habitat variables, water depth, current velocity, aquatic plants, algae, woody debris, sand, and rock-bedrock were selected to explain the variations in distribution patterns of one or more fish groups. Of the 16 land cover types, evergreen wetlands, evergreen plantations, successional shrubs, shrub swamps, roads, and urban areas were selected to explain the variations in distribution patterns of at least one fish group.Peer reviewe
A Target Fish Community to Guide River Restoration
A method is proposed and demonstrated to specify a fish community to serve as a target for planning river restoration projects and as an endpoint for evaluating programme progress. Our target fish community is appropriate for small rivers in southern New England with basins characterized by dispersed human activities. Our study was part of a multi-agency improvement effort of the Quinebaug River in southern Massachusetts and northeast Connecticut, USA. We identify fish species expected to be found in streams, lakes, and river reaches of the Quinebaug River basin. An expected rank order of abundance was computed using fish surveys from rivers identified by restoration programme managers as being in a desirable condition for a human-dominated landscape. The rank order of species was converted to expected community proportions following a theoretical log–log relation between species abundances and occurrences in complex communities. Criteria from a committee of agency and water use representatives were influential in specifying a target community; so the overall method blends policy, objective zoogeography analyses, and theory-based parameters of community structure. We believe the use of a target community can be an important element in the design and evaluation of river restoration where the aim cannot be to copy pristine, natural ecosystem properties.Peer reviewe
Once a Mouse...
This classic tale is well told here, with lively two-color and three-color illustrations. The endpapers of the olive edition (marked 6.70 on the reverse of the title-page) are torn. The multi-colored copy is marked 4.69.This is a hardbound book (hard cover)Marcia Brow
Application of the target fish community model to an urban river system
Several models have been developed to assess the biological integrity of aquatic systems using fish community data. One of these, the target fish community (TFC) model, has been used primarily to assess the biological integrity of larger, mainstem rivers in southern New England with basins characterized by dispersed human activities. We tested the efficacy of the TFC approach to specify the fish community in the highly urbanized Charles River watershed in eastern Massachusetts. To create a TFC for the Charles River we assembled a list of fish species that historically inhabited the Charles River watershed, identified geomorphically and zoogeographically similar reference rivers regarded as being in high quality condition, amassed fish survey data for the reference rivers, and extracted from the collections the information needed to define a TFC. We used a similarity measurement method to assess the extent to which the study river community complies with the TFC and an inference approach to summarize the manner in which the existing fish community differed from target conditions. The five most abundant species in the TFC were common shiners (34%), fallfish (17%) redbreast sunfish (11%), white suckers (8%), and American eel (7%). Three of the five species predicted to be most abundant in the TFC were scarce or absent in the existing river community. Further, the river was dominated by macrohabitat generalists (99%) while the TFC was predicted to contain 19% fluvial specialist species, 43% fluvial dependent species, and 38% macrohabitat generalist species. In addition, while the target community was dominated by fish intolerant (37%) and moderately tolerant (39%) of water quality degradation, the existing community was dominated by tolerant individuals (59%) and lacked intolerant species expected in the TFC. Similarity scores for species, habitat use specialization, and water quality degradation tolerance categories were 28%, 35% and 66%, respectively. The clear pattern of deviations from target conditions when observing fish habitat requirements strongly suggests that physical habitat change should be a priority for river enhancement in the Charles River. Comparison of our target and existing fish communities to those from a comprehensive study of Northeastern fish assemblage responses to urban intensity gradients revealed very similar results. Likewise, comparison of our TFC community and affinity scores to those of other TFCs from similar regions also yielded similar results and encouraging findings. Based on the positive results of these comparisons, the utility of the findings from the inference approach, and the widespread adoption of the TFC in the Northeast US, it appears that the TFC approach can be used effectively to identify the composition of a healthy fish community and guide river enhancements in both highly urbanized and non-urbanized streams and rivers in the Northeast US.Peer reviewe
A Water Quality Model for Regional Stream Assessment and Conservation Strategy Development
Nonpoint-source (NPS) pollution remains the primary source of stream impairment in the United States. Many problems such as eutrophication, sedimentation, and hypoxia are linked with NPS pollution and reduced water quality for aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Increasingly, NPS pollution models have been used for landscape scale pollution assessment and conservation strategy development. Our modeling approach functions at a scale between simple landscape level assessments and complex, data intensive modeling by providing a rapid, landscape scale geographic information system (GIS) model with minimal data requirements and widespread applicability. Our model relies on curve numbers, literature-derived pollution concentrations, and land status to evaluate total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN) and suspended solids (SS) at the reach scale. Model testing in the Chesapeake Bay watershed indicated that predicted distributions of water quality classes were realistic at the reach scale but precise estimates of pollution concentrations at the local scale can have errors. Application of our model in the tributary watersheds along Lake Ontario suggested that it is useful to managers in watershed planning by rapidly providing important information about NPS pollution conditions in areas where large data gaps exist, comparisons among stream reaches across numerous watersheds are required, or regional assessments are sought.Peer reviewe
Quantification of Impacts and Ecosystem Services Loss in New Jersey Coastal Wetlands Due to Hurricane Sandy Storm Surge
The effects of Hurricane Sandy storm surge on wetland degradation and consequent loss of ecosystem services were estimated for coastal wetlands in New Jersey. Research in this field has qualitatively determined the effects of hurricanes on wetlands; however, there has been little quantification of wetland degradation and absolutely no assessment of impact to ecosystem services following a hurricane. Wetland degradation was mapped and quantified by comparing pre- and post-Sandy aerial photography from 2012. Loss of ecosystem services was estimated based on degree of wetland degradation. Our wetland degradation analysis found that the main mechanisms behind degradation were erosion, deposition and marsh salinization. Moderate flooding and marsh dieback were the most prevalent types of damage, and saline marshes and herbaceous wetlands were the most degraded wetland types. Severe degradation was most prevalent, occurring in 41.38 % of the wetlands. In addition, we found that 51.05 % of the degradation was long-term damage. In our ecosystem service loss analysis, we created a range of monetary values to show the distribution of damage. Monetary loss within New Jersey ranged up to 9.4 billion provided by wetlands (47 %). Our wetland degradation quantification and ecosystem service loss analysis provide insight into the impacts from storm surge damage and offers a novel methodology for remediation and restoration efforts.Peer reviewe
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