Influence of pocket gopher mounds on a Texas coastal prairie

Spencer, Stephen R.; Cameron, Guy N.; Eshelman, Bruce D.; Cooper, Linda C.; Williams, Lawrence R.

doi:10.1007/bf00378561

Cited by 59 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…We found that the cover of grasses was significantly lower on the mounds as it was also detected by Sigler et al, (2011). The disturbance of fossorial rodents can increase the amount of dicots (Spencer et al, 1985). It was found that the amount of litter also decreased on open surfaces, while litter accumulated in grass dominated swards.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The Impact of the Lesser Blind Mole Rat [ Nannospalax ( Superspecies Leucodon )] on the Species Composition and Diversity of a Loess Steppe in Hungary

et al. 2014

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Zimmermann et al. : The impact of the lesser blind mole rat [ Nannospalax (superspecies leucodon)] on the species composition and diversity of a loess steppe in +36-30-360-122; fax: + 36-28-360-110) 2 Szent István University, Institute of Botany and Plant Ecophysiology, H-2100 Gödöllő, Páter K. Str. 1., Hungary (phone: + 36-28-522-000; + 36-28-410-804) 3 *Corresponding author e-mail: zimmermann.zita@okologia.mta.hu Abstract. Our aim was to investigate the species richness and diversity of a loess grassland influenced by the digging of the lesser blind mole rat [Nannospalax (superspecies leucodon)] and to study the effect of this disturbance to diversity. The study was conducted in the Külső-gulya loess grassland (Körös-Maros National Park), which is unique in Hungary due to its excellent soil quality and the large spatial extent of natural loess meadow steppe. We recorded the cover of species in 50x50 cm plots. Altogether 12 plots were sampled on mounds of mole rat and 12 plots as a control in the area with no mounds. Differences in species richness, Shannondiversity, evenness and total cover between disturbed and control plots were tested by One-Way ANOVA. There were no significant difference neither in the number of species, nor in the Shannondiversity and evenness. There were differences in the species composition detected by PCO ordination. We can conclude that the presence and disturbance of the mole rat influence the composition of the grassland significantly but it does not cause a difference in the species richness, diversity and total cover. Our results suggest that this grassland has adapted to these natural disturbances.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The Impact of the Lesser Blind Mole Rat [ Nannospalax ( Superspecies Leucodon )] on the Species Composition and Diversity of a Loess Steppe in Hungary

et al. 2014

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“…For the most part, their intensity of disturbance in any one landscape has largely relied on proxies, such as population censuses or rough estimates of mound coverage, with 5%-25% being commonly reported numbers (see, e.g., Richens 1966;Turner et al 1973;Grant et al 1980;Hobbs and Mooney 1985;Spencer et al 1985;Huntly and Inouye 1988;Reichman et al 1993). The majority of mounds are too small to distinguish using traditional remote sensing imagery, limiting all research to what is logistically feasible to achieve at the scale of a research plot (i.e., <1 acre).…”

Section: Case Study 4: Pocket Gopher Mound Feature Detection and Imagmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remote sensing of the environment with small unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), part 2: scientific and commercial applications

Whitehead

Hugenholtz

Myshak³

et al. 2014

J. Unmanned Veh. Sys.

170

100

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Small unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) are often suited to applications where the cost, resolution, and (or) operational inflexibility of conventional remote sensing platforms is limiting. Remote sensing with small UASs is still relatively new, and there is limited understanding of how the data are acquired and used for scientific purposes and decision making. This paper provides practical guidance about the opportunities and limitations of small UAS-based remote sensing by highlighting a small sample of scientific and commercial case studies. Case studies span four themes: (i) mapping, which includes case studies to measure aggregate stockpile volumes and map river habitat; (ii) feature detection, which includes case studies on grassland image classification and detection of agricultural crop infection; (iii) wildlife and animal enumeration, with case studies describing the detection of fish concentrations during a major salmon spawning event, and cattle enumeration at a concentrated animal feeding operation; (iv) landscape dynamics with a case study of arctic glacier change. Collectively, these case studies only represent a fraction of possible remote sensing applications using small UASs, but they provide insight into potential challenges and outcomes, and help clarify the opportunities and limitations that UAS technology offers for remote sensing of the environment.Key words: UAS, remote sensing of the environment, case studies, unmanned aerial vehicles, remotely piloted aircraft, remote sensing.Résumé : Les petits systèmes d'aéronef sans pilote (UAS) sont principalement utilisés pour des applications dont les coûts, la résolution et (ou) l'inflexibilité opérationnelle des plateformes de télédétection conventionnelles sont limités. La télédétection à l'aide de petits UAS est encore relativement récente et on connaît mal la façon dont les données sont recueillies puis utilisées à des fins scientifiques et décisionnelles. Le présent exposé fournit des conseils pratiques sur les possibilités et les limites de la télédétection à partir de petits UAS en se servant d'un petit échantillon d'études scientifiques et commerciales. Quatre thèmes sont examinés dans ces différentes études de cas : (i) la cartographie, afin de mesurer les volumes d'aire de stockage des agrégats et établir une représentation graphique de l'habitat d'un cours d'eau; (ii) la détection des caractéristiques, afin d'effectuer la classification des images de dunes et la détection de l'infection de terres agricoles; (iii) le dénombrement de la faune et du bétail, afin de décrire la détection des concentrations de poissons lors de Mots-clés : UAS, télédétection de l'environnement, études de cas, véhicules aériens sans pilote, aéronef téléguidé, télédétection.

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“…Huntly and Reichman [1994] present data from a number of studies that show gophers can excavate 40 L (10.6 gal) soil/d in a new habitat (equivalent to 64.8 [Spencer et al, 1985;Andersen, 1987]. At an average bulk density of 1.62 g/cm 3 for NTS soils, deposition by mound production thus ranges from 1775 kg/yr (2 tons/yr) to more than 8875 kg/yr (10 tons/yr).…”

Section: Burrow Volumementioning

confidence: 99%

Compliance Assessment Document for the Transuranic Wastes in the Greater Confinement Disposal Boreholes at the Nevada Test Site, Volume 2: Performance Assessment

Cochran¹,

Beyeler²,

Brosseau³

et al. 2001

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Intermediate depth disposal operations were conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) at the DOE's Nevada Test Site (NTS) from 1984 through 1989. These operations emplaced highspecific activity low-level wastes (LLW) and limited quantities of classified, "special case" transuranic (TRU) wastes in 37 m (120-ft) deep, 3 m (10 ft) diameter Greater Confinement Disposal (GCD) boreholes.Four boreholes contain about 60,000 kg (132,000 lb.) of classified TRU waste packages, containing less than 330 curies of Plutonium-239. All of the TRU wastes emplaced in the GCD boreholes are classified for national security reasons and cannot be disposed of in the DOE's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) 40 CFR 191 defines the requirements for protection of human health from disposed TRU wastes. This EPA standard sets a number of requirements, including probabilistic limits on the cumulative releases of radionuclides to the accessible environment for 10,000 years. This report presents the performance assessment (PA) that has been conducted to determine if disposal of TRU waste in the GCD boreholes complies with the EPA's 40 CFR 191 requirements.Sandia National Laboratories completed this PA using all available information and an Iterative PA Methodology, which focused work on uncertainty reduction in a cost-effective fashion that does not overestimate system performance and assured defensibility. The simplicity of the conceptual models of the GCD disposal system allowed them to be implemented in Microsoft ® Visual Basic™ macros in an Access™ database. This PA model is built from a mathematical expression for mass conservation that includes the operation of a number of transport processes, including dissolution, precipitation, reversible chemical sorption onto soil, advection, diffusion, dispersion, radioactive decay and ingrowth, plant uptake, and bioturbation. The mathematical model and implementing code was used to calculate a complementary cumulative distribution function of integrated normalized release to the accessible environment for 10,000 years and probability distributions of dose based on two exposure conditions for the 1,000 year individual protection requirements.The primary conclusions of this PA are that the disposal of TRU wastes in the GCD boreholes will, at most, result in minuscule doses to individuals, and that the GCD disposal system easily meets the EPA's 1985, 40 CFR 191 requirements for disposal of TRU waste. Further, there is a strong, reasonable expectation that actual system performance will be better than what is simulated in this PA.vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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Influence of pocket gopher mounds on a Texas coastal prairie

Cited by 59 publications

References 15 publications

The Impact of the Lesser Blind Mole Rat [ Nannospalax ( Superspecies Leucodon )] on the Species Composition and Diversity of a Loess Steppe in Hungary

The Impact of the Lesser Blind Mole Rat [ Nannospalax ( Superspecies Leucodon )] on the Species Composition and Diversity of a Loess Steppe in Hungary

Remote sensing of the environment with small unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), part 2: scientific and commercial applications

Compliance Assessment Document for the Transuranic Wastes in the Greater Confinement Disposal Boreholes at the Nevada Test Site, Volume 2: Performance Assessment

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