DOCSLIB.ORG

The Effect of Thermoregulation and Roads on the Movements and Habitat Selection of Moose in Massachusetts David W

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Effect of Thermoregulation and Roads on the Movements and Habitat Selection of Moose in Massachusetts David W University of Massachusetts - Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations 2014-current Dissertations and Theses Winter 2015 The effect of thermoregulation and roads on the movements and habitat selection of moose in Massachusetts David W. Wattles University of Massachusetts - Amherst, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2 Recommended Citation Wattles, David W., "The effect of thermoregulation and roads on the movements and habitat selection of moose in Massachusetts" (2015). Doctoral Dissertations 2014-current. Paper 333. This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations and Theses at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations 2014-current by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE EFFECT OF THERMOREGULATION AND ROADS ON THE MOVEMENTS AND HABITAT SELECTION OF MOOSE IN MASSACHUSETTS A Dissertation Presented by DAVID WILLIAM WATTLES Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY February 2015 Department of Environmental Conservation Wildlife & Fisheries Conservation © Copyright by David W. Wattles 2015 All Rights Reserved THE EFFECT OF THERMOREGULATION AND ROADS ON THE MOVEMENTS AND HABITAT SELECTION OF MOOSE IN MASSACHUSETTS A Dissertation Presented by DAVID WILLIAM WATTLES Approved as to style and content by: _______________________________________ Stephen DeStefano, Chair _______________________________________ Todd K. Fuller, Member _______________________________________ Thomas Millette, Member ____________________________________ Curtice R. Griffin, Department Head Department of Environmental Conservation ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my advisor, Stephen DeStefano, for giving me the opportunity to work on this project, but mainly for the guidance, support, and friendship throughout the entire process. I cannot express my appreciation enough. I would like to thank my past and present committee members Todd K. Fuller, Thomas Millette, Robert D. Deblinger, and John E. McDonald, Jr., for guidance, suggestions, and constructive criticism that helped improve this project and dissertation. I want to recognize the hard work and friendship of Ken Berger in the difficult task of capturing moose and conducting fieldwork. I want to thank Kate for the love, support, and friendship through the happiness and frustrations of achieving my Ph.D. I thank my family for supporting me through the long process of completing this project. Thanks to all the friends and colleagues who made the work more enjoyable along the way. I want to recognize the individual state biologists and environmental police officers for helping on various aspects of the project, especially collaring and relocating problem animals. Thanks as well to the other field technicians and volunteers who assisted on the project. Special thanks to J. Finn for always having an open door and the generous giving of his time for help with statistical analysis. Thanks also to K. McCarthy, N. Rayl, B. Compton, M. Akresh, and B. Timm for statistical assistance on various aspects of the project. I want to thank the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife for providing long-term funding for moose research in Massachusetts through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration program (W-35-R). The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, U. S. Geological Survey, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and Safari Club International have also provided funding and logistical support. iv ABSTRACT THE EFFECT OF THERMOREGULATION AND ROADS ON THE MOVEMENTS AND HABITAT SELECTION OF MOOSE IN MASSACHUSETTS FEBRUARY 2015 DAVID WILLIAM WATTLES, B.S., LAFAYETTE COLLEGE M.S., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Ph.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Stephen DeStefano Massachusetts, U.S.A. is located along the southern boundary of the geographic range of moose (Alces alces) in North America. This is an atypical environment for moose, because of its extremely high levels of human development and high year-round temperatures, which are possibly at the limits of moose physiological tolerances. I investigated the role of these two factors on moose movements and habitat selection to determine how human development of the landscape and temperature influence moose occupation of this extreme environment. In addition, the response of moose to these factors provides insights into the influence of development and temperature on individual fitness and population persistence. Thermal conditions in Massachusetts were consistently higher than the reported physiological tolerances of moose, and higher than parts of the range where high temperatures have negatively affected moose reproduction and survival. Moose greatly reduced their selection of open foraging habitat and increased selection for thermal shelters as temperatures increased above upper critical limits; this same pattern was apparent when comparing day (warmer) to night (cooler) activities. A strong transition in v the use of habitats occurred at dawn and dusk, which corresponded to peaks in hourly movement rates at these times, indicating a transition in state from foraging at night to bedding during the day. The ability of moose to adapt to this extreme thermal environment through thermoregulatory behaviors reveals the limitations of predicting species distributions based solely on theoretical temperature tolerances. Massachusetts has one of the highest rates of moose-vehicle collisions (MVCs) per-capita moose and resulting human fatalities. The majority (86%) of MVCs occurred on roads with high speed limits and traffic volumes, and occurred on these roads at much higher rates than would be predicted based on their availability on the landscape. The dense road network in Massachusetts had a strong negative effect on the movements and habitat selection patterns of moose. Moose avoided crossing roads and greatly reduced their use near roads. Road avoidance increased with increasing disturbance intensity associated with higher traffic volumes and busier times of day. Roadways reduced habitat availability and connectivity, were a major source of additive mortality for moose. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv ABSTRACT .........................................................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. xi LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... xiv CHAPTER 1. THERMOREGULATORY BEHAVIOR OF MOOSE: A NORTHERN UNGULATE AT THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF ITS GEOGRAPHIC RANGE ..................................1 1.1 Abstract ..............................................................................................................1 1.2 Introduction ........................................................................................................2 1.3 Study Area .........................................................................................................5 1.4 Methods..............................................................................................................7 1.4.1 Assessing the Thermal Environment ..................................................7 1.4.1.1 Seasons ....................................................................................7 1.4.1.2 Ambient Temperatures versus Upper Critical Temperatures (UCTs) ...............................................................7 1.4.1.3 Heat Stress Index (HSI) ..........................................................8 1.4.1.4 Thermal Shelters .....................................................................9 1.4.2 Moose Habitat Use and Thermoregulatory Behavior .......................10 1.4.2.1 Capture and Marking ............................................................10 1.4.2.2 Temperature-Habitat Interactions .........................................10 1.4.3 Statistical Analysis ............................................................................12 1.4.3.1 Thermal Shelters ...................................................................12 1.4.3.2 Proportional Use of Cover Types .........................................13 1.4.3.3 Resource Selection Functions (RSF) ....................................13 1.5 Results ..............................................................................................................15 1.5.1 The Thermal Environment ................................................................15 vii 1.5.1.1 Ambeint Temperatures versus UCTs ....................................15 1.5.1.2 Heat Stress Index ..................................................................16 1.5.1.3 Thermal Shelters ...................................................................16 1.5.2 Moose Habitat Use and Thermoregulatory Behavior .......................17 1.5.2.1 Capture and Deployment of GPS Collars .............................17 1.5.2.2 Ambient Temperatures at GPS Locations.............................17 1.5.2.3 Proportional Habitat Use versus Ambient Temperatures............................................................................17
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Massachusetts Marine Artificial Reef Plan
    Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Fisheries Policy Report FP – 3 Massachusetts Marine Artificial Reef Plan M. A. Rousseau Massachusetts Division of MarineFisheries Department of Fish and Game Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Commonwealth of Massachusetts June 2008 Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Fisheries Policy Report FP - 3 Massachusetts Marine Artificial Reef Plan Mark Rousseau Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries 251 Causeway Street, Suite 400 Boston, MA 02114 June 2008 Massachusetts Division of MarineFisheries Paul J. Diodati - Director Department of Fish and Game Mary B. Griffin - Commissioner Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian A. Bowles - Secretary Commonwealth of Massachusetts Deval L. Patrick – Governor Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................iv I. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................................1 1.1 PURPOSE OF MA ARTIFICIAL REEF PLAN ............................................................................................................2 1.2 DEFINITION OF AN ARTIFICIAL REEF....................................................................................................................2 1.3 BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTIVITY AND AGGREGATION................................................................................................3
    [Show full text]
  • MASSACHUSETTS V. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Michael Sugar* Warmer Now Than It Was Centuries Or Even Decades Ago.' Sea Level
    MASSACHUSETTS V. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Michael Sugar* I. INTRODUCTION The effects of global warming are already being felt. The world is much warmer now than it was centuries or even decades ago.' Sea levels have risen more than ten to twenty centimeters over the past century and moun- tain glaciers are retreating.2 Climate change is occurring. However, United States regulation of the greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions that contribute to it has not taken place. Instead, in 2003 the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") declined to regulate these emissions because they were beyond their statutory authority under the Clean Air Act ("CAA"), sug- gesting that voluntary action and continued study were the best way to ad- dress this potentially catastrophic issue.' After the EPA denied their petition for rulemaking, Massachusetts and other plaintiffs filed suit to compel the agency to reconsider its denial. The Supreme Court granted certiorari4 and decided Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency on April 2, 2007.1 The Court ruled in favor of the petitioners after thoroughly analyzing the scope of the CAA and the EPA's discretion to decline rulemaking. The Court's reliance on Massachusetts' status as a state in order to determine standing makes the effect of this decision uncertain. II. BACKGROUND In the early twentieth century, the states played a significant role in regulating interstate air pollution through public nuisance suits. 6 Public nui- sance suits are predicated on the idea that sovereign entities have the right to sue on behalf of their citizens when the actions of a defendant affect the sovereign interests of the state.7 As a sovereign entity, a state has an interest "in all the earth and air within its domain.
    [Show full text]
  • Dwhu 4Xdolw\ $Vvhvvphqw Ri Wkh
    1$7,21$/:$7(548$/,7<$66(660(17352*5$0 :DWHU4XDOLW\$VVHVVPHQWRIWKH1HZ(QJODQG &RDVWDO%DVLQVLQ0DLQH0DVVDFKXVHWWV 1HZ+DPSVKLUHDQG5KRGH,VODQG (QYLURQPHQWDO6HWWLQJVDQG,PSOLFDWLRQVIRU :DWHU4XDOLW\DQG$TXDWLF%LRWD :DWHU5HVRXUFHV,QYHVWLJDWLRQV5HSRUW 86'HSDUWPHQWRIWKH,QWHULRU 86*HRORJLFDO6XUYH\ Cover photograph is a panoramic view of the Merrimack River and the Amoskeag Mills in Manchester, New Hampshire, looking south from the west side of the river, circa 1883. Photograph is courtesy of the Manchester (N.H.) Historic Association. 86'HSDUWPHQWRIWKH,QWHULRU 86*HRORJLFDO6XUYH\ 1$7,21$/:$7(548$/,7<$66(660(17352*5$0 :DWHU4XDOLW\$VVHVVPHQWRIWKH 1HZ(QJODQG&RDVWDO%DVLQVLQ0DLQH 0DVVDFKXVHWWV1HZ+DPSVKLUHDQG 5KRGH,VODQG(QYLURQPHQWDO6HWWLQJVDQG ,PSOLFDWLRQVIRU:DWHU4XDOLW\DQG $TXDWLF%LRWD %\6DUDK0)ODQDJDQ0DUWKD*1LHOVHQ.HLWK:5RELQVRQDQG -DPHV)&ROHV :DWHU5HVRXUFHV,QYHVWLJDWLRQV5HSRUW 3HPEURNH1HZ+DPSVKLUH U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Charles G. Groat, Director The use of firm, trade, and brand names in this report is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey. For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Branch of Information Services New Hampshire/Vermont District Box 25286 361 Commerce Way Denver, CO 80225 Pembroke, NH 03275-3718 Information regarding the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program is available on the Internet via the World Wide Web. You may connect to the NAWQA Home Page using the Universal Resources Locator (URL) at <http://wwwrvares.er.usgs.gov/nawqa/nawqa_home.html> FOREWORD The mission of the U.S. Geological Survey • Describe how water quality is changing over (USGS) is to assess the quantity and quality of the time.
    [Show full text]
  • Ocm01756806-1857.Pdf (14.42Mb)
    State Library OF MASSACHUSETTS B Return as Soon as Used. 5'\ 't6s- T PUBLIC DOCUMENT. .No. 1. S I X T E E N T H K E P II TO THE LEGISLATUivE OF M ASS .VC IIUSETTS llEL.VriXG TO TlIK lUgistri) irai) lltliinr OF ) ^r Lf O rn [TliS, .imiAGES, AND ^j IN' THK COMMONWEALTH. F(.)H THE YEAR ENDiNd DECKMl^EK ni. 1.^07, B Y {) LIVER AY A R N E B^^T7",-^>^ — SKOIll'TAUV OF THE COMMO^ WEALTH. ^ '" f '^ </ BOSTON: Vv'Illia:.! AvniT]:, riiiNTKJi to tin-: state 18 5 8. P 11 E F A C E Secretary's Office, Boston, January 20, 1859. To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives-:— I have the honor of herewith presenting to the legisla- ture, in compliance with the requirements of law, tlic Eeport relating to the Registry and Return of Births, Marriages and Deaths, in the Commonwealth, for the year endin£>- Decemher 31, 1857. It forms the sixteenth of the Annual Reports on this subject, and is believed to present points of information which are of great practical value to the State. The tabular Abstracts forming the first part, w^ere made from the Returns sent in by several City and Town Clerks, and Registrars, by experienced clerks in this office. The Observations forming the second part, were written by JosiAii Curtis, M. D., of Boston, who has had tlu?- superintendence of several of the former Reports. These analytical observations evince much labor and research, as well as fomiliaritv with this class of investigations, and it VI PREFACE.
    [Show full text]
  • Cranberry Production
    Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices for Cranberry Production January 2016 Michigan Commission of Agriculture & Rural Development PO Box 30017 Lansing, MI 48909 PH: (877) 632-1783 www.michigan.gov/mdard In the event of an agricultural pollution emergency such as a chemical/fertilizer spill, manure lagoon breach, etc., the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development and/or the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality should be contacted at the following emergency telephone numbers: Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development: (800) 405-0101 Michigan Department of Environmental Quality: (800) 292-4706 If there is not an emergency, but you have questions on the Michigan Right To Farm Act or items concerning a farm operation, please contact the: Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDARD) & Rural Development Right to Farm Program (RTF) P.O. Box 30017 Lansing, Michigan 48909 (517) 284-5619 (517) 335-3329 FAX (877) 632-1783 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE…………………………………………………………………………………i I. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1 II. SITE SELECTION ....................................................................................... 2 III. DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION OF CRANBERRY FARM OPERATIONS ..... 4 IV. WATER MANAGEMENT .............................................................................. 5 A. Irrigation .......................................................................................... 7 B. Flooding ..........................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Pioneer Valley Climate Action and Clean Energy Plan Moving Toward a Carbon Neutral Future
    Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Pioneer Valley Climate Action and Clean Energy Plan Moving toward a carbon neutral future. Adapting to create resilient communities. Produced by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission with the support of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Sustainable Communities Initiative Regional Planning Grant Program. February / 2014 2 CHECKLIST Pioneer Valley Planning Commission 60 Congress Street - Floor 1 Springfield, MA 01104-3419 413-781-6045 PVPC.org Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Pioneer Valley Climate Action and Clean Energy Plan Moving toward a carbon neutral future. Adapting to create resilient communities. Prepared by Pioneer Valley Planning Commission 60 Congress Street - Floor 1 Springfield, MA 01104-3419 pvpc.org February 2014 Produced by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission with the support of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Sustainable Communities Initiative Regional Planning Grant Program. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project was funded through a Sustainable Communities Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), received by PVPC in partnership with the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG). PVPC would like to thank HUD and CRCOG for an outstanding partnership, and in particular acknowledge the efforts of the following staff: Dwayne Marsh, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Kate Dykgraaf, HUD Lyle Wray, Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) Mary Ellen Kowalewski, CRCOG The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under an award with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public.
    [Show full text]
  • Climate of Massachusetts
    Climate of Massachusetts Topographic Features- The Commonwealth of Massachusetts occupies 8,257 square miles, about one- eight of New England’s total land area. About half of the State is forestland. It is the most populous New England State, with just over six million residents. About three million people reside within a 50 mile radius of Boston (inside Interstate 495). Most of the State lies north of the 42nd parallel of latitude. Its north-south width is approximately 50 miles, except 100 miles in the eastern, Atlantic coast, portion. The east-west extension is barely 150 miles, excepting “the Cape”. This is the familiar name of the long arm of land which reaches around the southern and eastern shores of Cape Cod Bay. Including the Cape, the State is nearly 200 miles in length. Although the Massachusetts coastline is only about 192 miles in length, the Atlantic Ocean “tidal shoreline” covers over 1,519 miles, which provides the State with numerous fine harbors. The land surface is rather mountainous (by East Coast standards) along the western border and generally considered rolling hills elsewhere. However, the Cape and some other sections of the coastal plain consist of flat land with numerous marshes and some small lakes and ponds. In the west, Mt. Greylock rises 3,487 feet above sea level, the highest peak in Massachusetts. The elevation west of the Connecticut River Valley is generally over 1,000 feet. Forty-six peaks rise above 2,000 feet. Most of central Massachusetts lies between 500 and 1,000 feet, while eastern Massachusetts and the Connecticut River Valley are generally less than 500 feet.
    [Show full text]
  • Mount Toby Management Plan
    Mount Toby Demonstration Forest Management Plan Spring 2006 By Jesse Caputo and Tony D’Amato Table of Contents Preface……….……………………………………………………………………….. 3 Executive Summary…………………………………………………………………... 3 Statement of Authority……………………………………………………………….. 3 Forest History………………………………………………………………………… 4 Current Conditions…………………………………………………………………… 6 Topography…………………………………………………………………... 6 Landscape Context…………………………………………………………… 6 Climate……………………………………………………………………….. 7 Geology………………………………………………………………………. 7 Soils…………………………………………………………………………... 8 Hydrology…………………………………………………………………….. 8 Overstory Vegetation…………………………………………………………. 9 Wildlife and Species of Special Concern…………………………………….. 10 Trails and Infrastructure……………………………………………………… 11 Management Objectives……………………………………………………………… 12 Third Party Usage for Research, Teaching, and Demonstration……………………... 12 Data Archives and Website…………………………………………………………... 13 Infrastructure and Recreation………………………………………………………… 14 Management Zones / Management Activities………………………………………... 15 Riparian/Wetland Special Management Area………………………………... 15 Special Management Area……………………………………………………. 16 Research Natural Area………………………………………………………... 17 Active Management Area…………………………………………………….. 17 Monitoring……………………………………………………………………………. 18 Budget………………………………………………………………………………… 19 Schedule………………………………………………………………………………. 19 References…………………………………………………………………………….. 19 Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………… 20 APPENDICES………………………………………………………………………… 21 PREFACE This management plan has been written as a replacement
    [Show full text]
  • What Climate Change Means for Massachusetts
    August 2016 EPA 430-F-16-023 What Climate Change Means for Massachusetts The climate of Massachusetts is changing. The commonwealth Increasing Temperature and Changing has warmed by more than two degrees (F) in the last century. Precipitation Patterns Throughout the northeastern United States, spring is arriving Rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns are likely to earlier and bringing more precipitation, heavy rainstorms are more increase the intensity of both floods and droughts. Average frequent, and summers are hotter and drier. Sea level is rising, and annual precipitation in the Northeast increased 10 percent severe storms increasingly cause floods that damage property from 1895 to 2011, and precipitation from extremely heavy and infrastructure. In the coming decades, the changing climate is storms has increased 70 percent since 1958. During the likely to increase flooding, harm ecosystems, disrupt fishing and next century, average annual precipitation and the frequency farming, and increase some risks to human health. of heavy downpours are likely to keep rising. Average Our climate is changing because the earth is warming. People have precipitation is likely to increase during winter and spring, increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the air by 40 percent but not change significantly during summer and fall. Rising since the late 1700s. Other heat-trapping greenhouse gases are temperatures will melt snow earlier in spring and increase also increasing. These gases have warmed the surface and lower evaporation, and thereby dry the soil during summer and fall. atmosphere of our planet about one degree during the last So flooding is likely to be worse during winter and spring, and 50 years.
    [Show full text]
  • Resources.Pdf
    National Centers for Environmental Information | State Climate Summaries Supplementary Material Resources 1. Abkowitz, M., J. Camp, R. Chen, V. Dale, J. Dunn, D. Kirschke, D. de La Torre ugarte, J. Fu, J. Gilligan, Q. He, D. Larsen, E. Parish, B. Preston, J. Schwartz, A. Vergara, B. Wesh, and T. Wilbanks, 2012: Sustaining Tennessee in the face of climate change: Grand challenges and great opportunities, 72 pp. [Available online at http://www.eenews.net/assets/2012/09/13/document_cw_01.pdf] 2. ADWR, cited 2016: Climate of the Eastern Plateau Planning Area, Arizona Department of Water Resources. [Available online at http://www.azwater.gov/AzDWR/StatewidePlanning/WaterAtlas/EasternPlateau/Plannin gAreaOverview/Climate.htm] 3. Allegheny Highlands Climate Change Impacts Initiative, 2015: “On the chopping block” The impacts of global warming and climate change on the Mid-Atlantic Allegheny Highlands: A report from the Allegheny Highlands Climate Change Impacts Initiative, 19pp. [Available online at 4. Amico, C., D. DeBelius, T. Henry, and M. Stiles, cited 2015: Dried out confronting the Texas drought, NPR, [Available online at http://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/drought/] 5. AON Benfield, 2011: United States April & May 2011 Severe Weather Outbreaks, Impact Forecasting, Severe Weather Outbreaks Event Recap Report. [Available online at http://www.aon.com/attachments/reinsurance/201106_us_april_may_severe_weather_out breaks_recap.pdf] 6. AON Benfield, 2013: Hurricane Sandy event recap report: Impact forecasting, 50 pp. [Available online at http://thoughtleadership.aonbenfield.com/Documents/20130514_if_hurricane_sandy_eve nt_recap.pdf] 7. Arizona Climate Extremes, cited 2016: [Available online at https://azclimate.asu.edu/docs/azclimate/ArizonaClimateExtremes.pdf] 8. Arkansas Groundwater Protection and Management Report, 2014: A Supplement to the Arkansas Water Plan, 92pp.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ecosystems Center Report 2006 Cover Photo: Atigun Gorge in the Brooks Range, Alaska
    MBL Biological Discovery in Woods Hole The Ecosystems Center Report 2006 Cover photo: Atigun Gorge in the Brooks Range, Alaska. Photo is taken from the edge of the Arctic LTER study site and looks west along the Atigun River, which lies in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (photo: Jonathan Benstead) The Ecosystems Center MBL 7 MBL Street Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543 http://www.ecosystems.mbl.edu Editors: Jerry M. Melillo and Deborah G. Scanlon Designer: Beth Ready Liles The Ecosystems Center was founded by the MBL as a year-round research program in 1975. The center’s mission is to investigate the structure and functioning of ecological systems, predict their response to changing environmental conditions, apply the resulting knowledge to the preservation and management of natural resources, and educate both future scientists and concerned citizens. The Ecosystems Center operates as a collegial In Brazil, scientists investigate how the clearing association of scientists. Center scientists work of tropical forests in the western Amazon changes together on projects, as well as with investigators greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and from other MBL centers and other institutions, nitrous oxide released into the atmosphere. combining expertise from a wide range of What will the effect be on global climate? How disciplines. Together they conduct research to will change in temperature and atmospheric gas answer a variety of scientific questions: concentrations affect the productivity of forests? What effect does the clearing of forest for pasture have on tropical stream ecosystems? In Boston Harbor, researchers measure the transfer of nitrogen from the sediments to the water column.
    [Show full text]
  • Evaluation of IAQ Perception of Shopping Malls in Hong Kong an Interactive Qualifying Project
    44-CXP-C151 Evaluation of IAQ Perception of Shopping Malls in Hong Kong An Interactive Qualifying Project By: Fuchen Chen Zachary Culp Benjamin Root Date Submitted: March 6, 2015 Evaluation of IAQ Perception in Shopping Malls of Hong Kong An Interactive Qualifying Project Report Submitted to Worcester Polytechnic Institute in partial fulfillment of the Bachelor of Science degree Submitted by: Fuchen Chen Zachary Culp Benjamin Root In Collaboration with Business Environment Council Limited Report Submitted to: Liaison: Dr. Veronica Chan, BEC Advisor: Professor Creighton Peet, WPI Advisor: Professor Stephan Sturm, WPI Date Submitted: March 6, 2015 This report represents work of WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its web site without editorial or peer review. For more information about the projects program at WPI, see http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Projects. ii Abstract This study, sponsored by the Business Environment Council Limited, examined the public’s perceptions of indoor air quality (IAQ) in shopping malls in Hong Kong. By surveying shoppers at ten malls, we found IAQ certifications and mall locations within Hong Kong do not correlate when it comes to perceptions of IAQ. We hypothesized that population density and configuration of the mall may be the issue. Also we proposed an IAQ management plan that would educate the shoppers and help mall managers. iii Acknowledgements Our heartfelt thanks go out to the Business Environment Council Limited for being our sponsor. We would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Veronica Chan. She was a fantastic liaison, providing us lunch interviews, taking the time to answer our various questions, and always being understanding when we had difficulties.
    [Show full text]