University of Northern British Columbia Institutional Repository

Search results

Search Results

Displaying (1 - 20 of 32)

Pages

Title: Ecological importance of licks to four ungulate species in north-central British Columbia.
Contributors: Jeremy B. Ayotte (author), Katherine Parker (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: Natural Resources & Environmental Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:00:32.115Z

Title: Go to the river: Understanding and experiencing the Liard watershed.
Contributors: Jeremy Staveley (author), Ang~le Smith (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: This study contributes to an emerging space of interdisciplinary literature that explores the cultural dynamics people and rivers and the associated contestations. A network of rivers in northern British Columbia, all within the Liard River watershed, provides a relevant case study to examine such topics. Data and analysis are presented using a phenomenological approach that employs archival and participatory fieldwork. Through this research, I ask: why do people go to the river ? In attempting to understand the significance of rivers in people's lives, Go to the River addresses questions concerning the Liard watershed, including: how interpretations of rivers are represented in historic maps the significant transitions during the nineteenth and twentieth century that redefined human-river relations and how rivers are still experienced through direct lived engagements. I argue that past and present direct experiences with rivers are essential in reframing the dialogue about the future of rivers in western Canada. --P. ii.
Discipline: Interdisciplinary Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:12:36.195Z

Title: Temperature preference and distribution of juvenile Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) in the Williston watershed, British Columbia Canada.
Contributors: Sarah C. F. Hawkshaw (author), Mark Shrimpton (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The habitat requirements of juvenile Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) were assessed in the Williston watershed, British Columbia, where the population is currently red-listed (critically imperiled). Temperature preferences of juvenile Arctic grayling was assessed behaviorally using a shuttlebox system, and an information theoretic approach analysis of logistic regression models was used to evaluate the influence of environmental factors on the distribution of juvenile Arctic grayling throughout the Williston watershed. Temperature preference of juvenile Arctic grayling did not vary between the two tributaries in the watershed (p = 0.77) and the average preferred temperature was 16.84 ± 0.66 °C (n = 28). Comparisons of the preferred temperature to ambient water temperatures suggested that juvenile Arctic grayling will avoid areas where maximum water temperature is above the preferred temperature. There was a positive association between juvenile Arctic grayling occurrence and stream order (SO) and stream order multiplied by distance from the Williston reservoir (SDRxSO), as well as a negative association with the mean daily water temperature variance (varT) and average water temperature (aveT). Overall these findings suggest that large river systems are important juvenile Arctic grayling habitat and management decision should be made to ensure protection of this habitat throughout the range of this species. --P. ii.
Discipline: Biology
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:09:21.087Z

Title: The impact of climate change and harvest of mountain pine beetle stands on streamflow in northern British Columbia.
Contributors: Faye Hirshfield (author), Jueyi Sui (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: This research examines the impact of climate change and MPB harvest on streamflow in northern British Columbia using the Hydrologiska Byr~\u2022ns Vattenbalansmodell-Environment Canada model (HBV-EC) a semi-distributed conceptual hydrologic model. Streamflow for the Goathorn Creek watershed in Telkwa is modeled under the IPCC A1B, A2 and B1 emissions scenarios. The TreeGen downscaling method and four global climate models were used to generate future climate. Global climate models used were the Canadian developed CGCM3, ECHAM5 from Germany, GFDL-CM2.1 from the United States and CSIRO-Mk from Australia. Under all climate scenarios HBV-EC modeled a 16 percent reduction in mean annual flows the timing of spring peak flows was also forecast to occur up to 30 days earlier in the year. A change in the timing of peak flows and an overall reduction in mean flows will have important implications for water managers, domestic users and industrial development within the Bulkley Valley. The HBV-EC model was also used to model Moffat Creek streamflow under various harvest scenarios for mountain pine beetle stands. The model predicted an increase in streamflow with an increase in harvest area. When compared to measured streamflow it was however found that average spring discharge during the MPB epidemic was 14 percent lower than it had been during the previous 30 years. The low spring discharge during the MPB epidemic appeared to be related to the 9 percent decrease in SWE for the same years however further investigation is required.
Discipline: Environmental Science
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:07:42.629Z

Title: The effects of floods and sockeye salmon on streambed morphology.
Contributors: Ronald Poirier (author), Ellen Petticrew (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Streambed changes resulting from floods and spawning activity of sockeye salmon were monitored in two gravel bed streams in Stuart-Takla Experimental Watersheds of the Upper Fraser River basin, British Columbia, Canada. The streams have a forced pool-riffle morphology, and are utilized yearly by 7,000 to 10,000 sockeye salmon for spawning. Streambed mapping was performed before and after nival floods, summer floods and sockeye salmon spawning events in 1996 and 1997. Flood transport moves gravel out of pools, increases gravel bar heights, creates scour holes, and establishes a distinct thalweg. Sockeye spawning, which follows the floods, removes gravel from the edges and surface of the bars, and fills in the pools, scour holes and thalweg. The stream morphology is thus altered in opposing fashion by two different processes. It was found that the cut and fill volumes are similar in magnitude but that the two processes affect the stream in a very different manner.
Discipline: Environmental Science
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:00:11.743Z

Title: Building a corporate sponsorship plan for a nonprofit arts organization: Prince George Folkfest Society
Contributors: Aidyl Jago (author), Rick Tallman (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The purpose of this project was to ensure the long-term sustainability of a non-profit arts organization, Prince George Folkfest Society, by developing its corporate sponsorship capacity, so that it may to continue to contribute to the social and economic betterment of the city of Prince George for its current and future residents and businesses. A Literature Review was conducted on the state of corporate sponsorship in Canada focusing on non-profit arts organizations and outlining the methods and motivations for businesses to engage in corporate sponsorship. To help devise an actionable sponsorship plan for PGFFS, best practices in sponsorship fundraising were analyzed and several business analysis techniques were applied. The research revealed that the study of corporate sponsorship in Canada is in its infancy, and in general, businesses are not highly engaged in corporate sponsorship. Furthermore, professionalism on the part of the non-profit society is crucial in order to retain corporate sponsors. --Leaf ii.
Discipline: Business Administration
Date added: 2017-03-29T17:26:44.479Z

Title: That's phat
Contributors: Dominic Reiffarth (author), Ellen Petticrew (thesis advisor), Phil Owens (thesis advisor), Kerry Reimer (committee member), David Lobb (committee member), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Rivers and lakes are subject to various forms of pollution from anthropogenic activity and natural sources. Many pollutants, such as those from agricultural runoff, are transported in rivers by binding to sediment. Sediment itself is a pollutant, and is often an indicator of terrestrial erosive processes. Common methods of establishing sediment provenance on a broad scale include the use of fallout radio nuclides and geochemistry. In 2008, Dr. Max Gibbs published a sediment tracing article on the use of compound-specific stable isotopes (CSSIs) of plant origin which identified sediment sources based on land use in sub-tropical New Zealand. The objective of the research undertaken here was to apply the CSSI concept to agricultural watersheds in a northern, temperate climate. Two watersheds were selected: the Horsefly River Watershed (HRW) near Horsefly, BC, Canada and the South Tobacco Creek Watershed (STCW), near Miami, Manitoba, Canada. The HRW represented a mostly pristine watershed. The STCW represented a heavily cropped agricultural watershed. The HRW samples were used to develop laboratory methodology, while the STCW samples were used to evaluate the CSSI technique using carbon stable isotopes. The dissertation addresses the following: (i) literature review of plant biomarkers and spatial/temporal variability of CSSIs due to biological, environmental and analytical factors; (ii) methodology, analysis and variability associated with bulk soil and sediment isotope determination; (iii) methodologies for processing soil and sediment from sampling to isotope analysis; and (iv) spatial and temporal variability of CSSI tracers. The CSSI tracers were evaluated to reveal spatial and temporal variability of VLCFA concentrations and isotope signatures at the point, transect and field scales. Weighted t-tests were used to differentiate sediment sources spatially and temporally. The use of bulk carbon as a proxy for VLCFA concentrations in source apportioning was also explored. The work presented here demonstrates the ability of CSSIs to differentiate sediment sources based on land use. The development of analytical methods and the resulting analysis of soil and sediment extracts have indicated that VLCFAs may be isolated and quantified to generate reliable isotope data. The methods will hopefully lead to the standardization of CSSIs protocols.
Discipline: Natural Resources & Environmental Studies
Date added: 2019-03-29T17:46:55.274Z

Title: Analysis of land use and land cover change in Kiskatinaw River Watershed: A remote sensing, gis & modeling approach.
Contributors: Siddhartho Shekhar Paul (author), Jiangbing Li (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: This thesis study was conducted to capture the land use and land cover (LULC) change dynamics in Kiskatinaw River Watershed, BC, Canada. A combination of remote sensing, GIS and modeling approach was utilized for this purpose. Landsat TM and ETM+ satellite images of the years 1984, 1999 and 2010 were analyzed using object oriented image classification technique to produce LULC maps and detect the associated changes. The dynamic nature of different forest types, increase in built-up area and significant depletion of wetlands were found to be notable among the detected LULC changes. Thereafter, a multi-layer perception neural network technique was used to model transition potentials of various LULC types, which was later realized with a Markov Chain land use model to predict future changes. The integration of advanced satellite remote sensing tools and neural network aided Markov Chain modeling was illustrated to be an effective means for LULC change detection and prediction in Kiskatinaw River Watershed. --Leaf ii.
Discipline: Environmental Science
Date added: 2017-04-11T21:12:14.123Z

Title: Factors influencing habitat use by juvenile interior Fraser coho.
Contributors: Kyla D. Warren (author), Mark Shrimpton (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The influence of physical and biological factors on juvenile interior Fraser coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) habitat use was examined within the Horsefly River watershed using three approaches. Otolith microchemistry was used to assess potential movement of juveniles throughout the watershed. This analysis showed evidence of an average of 3.5 movements to different habitats within the Horsefly watershed during the juvenile lifestage. It was not possible to track the location and timing of most of those migrations, but some appear to be the result of a movement into small tributaries in late summer and winter. A microhabitat model was used to determine physical characteristics of habitats where juvenile coho were captured. Low velocity, small stream width, a greater proportion of gravel as substrate, and high instream and overhead cover were strongly related to the distribution of juvenile coho within the streams examined. A behavioural study in an artificial stream channel assessed the type of interactions that occur among juvenile coho. Juvenile interior Fraser coho exhibited little evidence of territoriality, contrasting with published reports of highly territorial juvenile coho behavior in coastal systems. The lack of territoriality of the interior Fraser coho studies, their frequent migrations, and their strong association with cover, all suggest interior Fraser coho exhibit different habitat use patterns than coho in coastal streams. The difference in habitat use and requirements may influence the effectiveness of current management strategies, many of which are based solely on criteria from coastal coho research studies. --P. ii.
Discipline: Biology
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:07:53.19Z

Title: Temporal and spatial differences in smolting among sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) populations throughout fresh- and seawater migration and the effect of water temperature on the smolt window
Contributors: Marley Carter Bassett (author), Mark Shrimpton (thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Salmon smolts undergo physiological changes in the spring that are important for successful migration to seawater. Species that are widely distributed may differ in timing of physiological changes associated with smelting. In my first study, I compared indices of smolt characteristics among populations that differ in migration distance to the ocean. Fraser River sockeye salmon from four regions in the watershed were intercepted at different times during migration to characterize the parr-smolt transformation. Gill Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase (NKA) activity was highly variable at the start of migration, and was not explained by the distance from the ocean. Gill NKA activity changes with migration were also highly variable, but consistently smolts in the ocean had the highest gill NKA activities. The nature of smelting appears to be dynamic and variation was not based on the region of origin, timing during migration, or on the year of migration. The duration of time when anadromous salmon are able to survive in seawater – the smolt window – is influenced by temperature. In my second study, I found that warm water temperature abbreviated the smolt window. Additionally, isoforms of the gill NKA enzyme and endocrine signals suggest that the stimulus for smelting occurred prior emigration from the natal lake. Modeling the thermal experience that smolts encountered as they migrated downstream to the ocean in 2012 suggested Chilko fish did not experience temperatures as warm as the temperatures that abbreviated the smolt window in my study. Furthermore, climate change projections for temperature may not limit successful emigration of Chilko sockeye salmon smolts from central British Columbia to the ocean – but changes in other abiotic and biotic factors may confound this prediction.
Discipline: Biology
Date added: 2017-03-29T17:27:32.805Z

Title: The distribution and ecology of the freshwater molluscs of northern British Columbia.
Contributors: Jacqueline Sears Lee (author), J. D. Ackerman (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: Biology
Date added: 2017-03-29T17:31:55.076Z

Title: Towards watershed governance: emerging lessons from community-based water governance approaches in British Columbia
Contributors: Christopher Edward Rose (author), Margot Parkes (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: This research project explores watershed governance approaches in British Columbia in order to assess the implications of the watershed scale for the governance of local water resources. Specifically the research objectives are to: characterize watershed governance approaches in selected communities as exemplified in (though not limited to) recent watershed management planning activities in British Columbia analyze and compare selected examples in terms of governance changes, as well as barriers and enabling factors to watershed governance, and explore the implications of the watershed scale for governance, including its relevance to water governance principles and a conceptual framework. The Cowichan, Kiskatinaw, and Nicola River watersheds were selected for this study, and data gathered through a document review and key informant interviews in each case study watershed. The data were subsequently analyzed using a content analysis approach, and findings presented and discussed in relation to the literature. Major barriers identified in the research include restricted local mandates (for water management) and/or a lack of mechanisms for local collaboration and input into decision-making, as well as funding constraints and access to watershed-specific information. Enabling factors identified included leadership from local governments, community and stakeholder groups, as well as cooperation from stakeholders and the provincial government through resourcing and partnerships. The watershed scale was found to have complicated inhibiting and enabling roles in governance approaches, which are discussed, as are its implications for commonly accepted water governance principles. Additional governance considerations for watershed-based approaches are proposed in relation to a conceptual framework. --Leaf vii.
Discipline: Natural Resources & Environmental Studies
Date added: 2017-03-29T17:24:03.669Z

Title: Single mothers living in a small northern community: their stories and their experiences
Contributors: Karyn Louise Pate (author), Linda O'Neill (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: This study acknowledges the stories and experiences of five single mothers living in a small rural community in northern British Columbia. Single motherhood was explored through the use of narrative inquiry in order to gain a subjective understanding that expressed each mother's trials and tribulations, efforts and accomplishments, joys and sorrows. The study identifies and explores six common themes present across the mother's narratives. These themes are new single motherhood, social support, finances, mental health, legal issues and the joy of motherhood. This study may be of interest to single parents, social services, counsellors, medical practitioners and community program decision makers. --Leaf ii.
Discipline: Education-Counselling
Date added: 2017-03-29T17:29:19.494Z

Title: Spawning site selection and the influence of incubation environment on larval success in interior Fraser coho.
Contributors: Crystal Jane McRae (author), Mark Shrimpton (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Habitat features have been shown to influence salmonid spawning site selection as well as the survival and growth of larval fish throughout incubation. Most studies have been conducted in coastal watersheds, however, and little is known regarding habitat features associated with spawning sites for interior populations of salmon. My study examined factors affecting spawning site selection and incubation success for a population of interior Fraser coho salmon (IFC) (Oncorhynchus kisutch), in McKinley Creek watershed, British Columbia. Ground surveys coupled with radio telemetry were used to identify spawning site locations. An information theoretic approach was used to examine the probability of spawning site use based on habitat features. Incubation of larval fish within in-stream artificial redds allowed for the assessment of survival and growth in different incubation environments. The spawning habitat use of IFC throughout the McKinley Creek watershed was more extensive than previously realized. Hyporheic conductivity, dissolved oxygen, temperature and specific discharge were the best indicators of spawning site selection. Despite significant differences in habitat variables between used and unused spawning sites, survival and growth of larval IFC did not differ between sites maternal effects were greater than incubation habitat features. This study has provided critical information about spawning site selection and the incubation environment of IFC, and has contributed to the understanding of the influence of habitat features on salmonids in interior watersheds.
Discipline: Biology
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:06:26.718Z

Title: Canopy macrolichen distribution in a very wet oldgrowth forest landscape of the upper Fraser River watershed.
Contributors: David N. Radies (author), Darwyn Coxson (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Windward slopes of the inland mountain ranges in British Columbia support a unique temperate rainforest ecosystem. Continued fragmentation and loss of old-growth forests in this globally rare ecosystem, has led to calls for the identification of conservation priorities between remaining stands. This thesis addresses this concern by surveying the relative abundances of 37 canopy macrolichens over a 70-km² area of remaining old-growth (>140 years) forest in the upper Fraser River watershed, British Columbia, Canada. To ensure adequate representation of landscape-scale old-growth forest characteristics, we divided study plots equally among leading tree species and between broadly defined sites of wet' and dry' relative soil moisture. Other variables included: minimum mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, solar loading, and canopy openness. This thesis integrates two statistical techniques: Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling ordination for analysis of lichen assemblages and logistic regression to evaluate the habitat conditions of a subset of 8 lichen species previously identified as old-growth associated'. Ordination suggested that community assemblages were greatly influence by both the presence and abundance of bipartite cyanolichens. These communities correlated well with increasing levels of relative soil moisture, temperature, precipitation, and canopy openness, with little to no significant effect of tree leading species. Logistic regression models identified relative soil moisture and temperature in all parsimonious models. Leading tree species, in combination with moisture and temperature, were important factors explaining the presence or absence of 5 of 8 modeled lichen species. The results of this thesis emphasize the importance of maintaining representative areas of old-growth forests that are potentially less prone to natural disturbances such as fire. Of concern to the maintenance of lichen populations in old-growth inland temperate rainforests
Discipline: Biology
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:04:43.213Z

Title: The influence of glacier change on sediment yield, Peyto Basin, Alberta, Canada.
Contributors: Theodore John Mlynowski (author), Brian Menounos (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The relation between sediment yield and glacier fluctuations at timescales less than a century remains uncertain. The primary goal of this study was to assess the influence of glacier activity on sediment yield within the Peyto Lake watershed. The research focused on a small alpine watershed in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta containing Peyto Glacier and the proglacial Peyto Lake. Using photogrammetric methods I determined changes in length, area, and volume of Peyto Glacier from a topographic survey map (1917) and 18 sets of aerial photographs (1947-2005). I also collected 18 sediment cores from Peyto Lake that consists of laminated, silt-clay couplets which can be shown through ¹³⁷Cs activity to be clastic varves. Varve thickness and sediment properties were combined to produce an annual record (1917-2010) of specific sediment yield (SSY) for the watershed. I then compared the SSY record to dimensional changes of Peyto Glacier as well as available mass balance records, hydrometric records, and climate records over the study period (1917-2010). Over the period 1917-2005, Peyto Glacier retreated 2198 ± 18 m, shrank 4.0 ± 0.9 km², thinned 44 ± 31 m, and lost 581 ± 404 x 10⁶ m³ water equivalent (w.e.). I measured an additional 85 ± 4 x 10⁶ m³ w.e. of ice loss from thinning ice-cored moraines adjacent to the glacier. Over the period 1917-2005 SSY averaged 446 ± 176 Mg km²yr⁻¹, which is among the highest measured yields in the Canadian Cordillera; however, this value is relatively low for glaciated basins worldwide. The SSY record has a poor relation to short-term dimensional changes of Peyto Glacier, likely due to the complexity of sediment transfers in proglacial environments. Long-term trends in SSY are hypothesized to arise from increasing (1870-1940) and decreasing (1970-2010) glacier contribution to streamflow over the past century.
Discipline: Geography
Date added: 2017-04-11T21:12:35.099Z

Title: Impact of land use activities on sediment-associated contaminants; Quesnel River Basin, British Columbia.
Contributors: Tyler B. Smith (author), Phil Owens (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The impact of various land use activities (forestry, mining, and agriculture) on the quality of fine-grained sediment (<63 μm) was investigated in the Quesnel River Basin (QRB) (approx. 12,000 km²) in British Columbia, Canada. Samples of fine-grained sediment were collected monthly during the snow-free season in 2008 using time-integrated samplers at sites representative of forestry, mining, and agricultural activities in the basin. Samples were also collected from replicate control sites that had undergone limited or no disturbance in recent years, and also from the main stem of the Quesnel River. Generally, metal and nutrient concentrations for 'impacted' sites were greater than for control sites. Concentrations of As (mining sites), Cu (forestry sites) and Zn (forestry sites) were close to or exceeded upper Sediment Quality Guideline (SQG) thresholds, while Se concentrations for mining sites were elevated and within the range cited for contaminated environments. Phosphorus values were generally <1000 μm g⁻¹ for all land use activities and below available SQGs. Values for individual samples were, however, greater than upper SQG levels, such as 22.7 μm g⁻¹ (As for mining), 5.0 μm g⁻¹ (Se for forestry) and 2192 μm g⁻¹ (P for forestry). Results suggest that metal mining and forest harvesting are having a greater influence on the concentration of sediment-associated metals and nutrients in the Quesnel basin, than agricultural activities. Temporal and spatial differences in the metal and P content of fine suspended sediment within the QRB during the 2008 field season were analyzed using rank sum tests in comparison to discharge (Q) and precipitation (PPT) values. Temporal results suggest the overall mining signature was often a function of changes in activity from point sources, while the diffuse sources, forestry and agriculture, were influenced by variations in transport conditions (e.g. PPT and Q). Spatial variation was greatest between mining and control geochemical concentrations. Forestry and agriculture differed for select elements, but played a lesser role than mining. To further characterize the roles of land uses a sediment fingerprinting method was used, involving stepwise discriminant function analysis (DFA). This resulted in a composite signature capable of differentiating correctly 100% of the source geochemical contributions from each land use type. The composite signature was used to determine the basin-scale geochemical signature using a multivariate mixing model. This determined that agriculture was the highest overall contributor of the sediment signature at the outlet in Quesnel. Additionally, the control influence was strongest earlier in the sampling campaign while mining contributed most in the latter sampling periods. This project contributes to the broader science, and future research in the basin, through a study of multiple land uses in a large basin; a different application of the sediment fingerprinting approach; and a contemporary flume-based sampler evaluation.
Discipline: Environmental Science
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:12:27.625Z

Title: An approach for remote landslide mapping, South Nahanni Watershed, Northwest Territories, Canada.
Contributors: Courtney E. Jermyn (author), Brian Menounos (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: This thesis presents two cost-effective techniques for landslide mapping in large, remote regions. The first technique uses ASTER satellite imagery to characterize and determine landslide distribution for part of the South Nahanni watershed. Results obtained from this study confirm that ASTER images are suitable for regional-scale landslide mapping. The second technique involved the creation of landslide susceptibility models for debris flow and rock/debris slides using logistic regression analysis. Cross validation confirmed the models' success. The debris flow model performed best whereas the rock/debris slide model was only moderately successful. Taken together, the two methods developed in this thesis provide a means to conduct a preliminary landslide investigation in large, remote regions or in developing countries where data are limited or site investigation is not possible. Maps produced from this analysis can be used to gain information on areas susceptible to landslides and to target key areas remotely before conducting field investigations. --P. ii.
Discipline: Natural Resources & Environmental Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:11:05.643Z

Title: Quantitative analysis of indirect drivers of environmental change in international river basins.
Contributors: James Casey (author), Karima Fredj (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: International river basins have been studied from the perspective of cooperation or conflict but have seldom been explored in the international relations literature in regards to what sort of drivers impact river degradation. This paper attempts to address this gap through the exploration of the factors associated with river degradation. It tests hypotheses linking indicators of social conditions and river degradation in international rivers. Four environmental worldviews - the Social Green, Market Liberal, Institutionalism and Bio-environmentalism - are used to guide the selection of indicators of possible social conditions that might cause river degradation. One hundred and eleven (111) river basins were selected and assigned a river degradation score using the biodiversity threat data generated by Vorosmarty et al. (2010). The data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation co-efficient. Statistically significant correlations were found between the independent variables of population density, treaty robustness and gross income, and river degradation (the dependent variable). --Leaf iii.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:12:57.571Z

Title: Suspended sediment flux downstream of the retreating Castle Creek Glacier, Cariboo Mountains, British Columbia.
Contributors: Michael Strathearn Leggat (author), Philip N. Owens (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Glaciers are a major erosive force that increase sediment load to the downstream fluvial system. The Castle Creek Glacier, British Columbia has retreated ~1.0 km in the past 70 years. The dynamics of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and streamflow (Q) were monitored independently at six sites within its proglacial zone over a 60 day period from July to September, 2011. The time-series were divided into hydrologic days and the SSC response to hydro-meteorological conditions was categorized using principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA). Suspended sediment load (SSL) was computed and summarized for the categories. During the 2011 study period, c. 60% of the total SSL was derived from the glacial stream and sediment deposits proximal to the terminus of the glacier during storm' events, that contribution drops to 40% as contribution from diffuse and point sources of sediment within the meltwater channel and proglacial zone increase. While storm' events accounted for just 3% of the field season, SSL was 500% higher than the seasonal average, and c. 20% of the total SSL was generated in that time. --Leaf ii.
Discipline: Environmental Science
Date added: 2017-04-11T21:13:17.175Z

Pages

Usage statistics