Abstract Understanding small-scale bio-atmospheric interactions is becoming increasingly important as the global climate continues to change at breakneck speed.
A theoretical model of the sensible heat budget of a forest is developed combining
conservation equations and concepts from fluid dynamics. Budget components are
computationally evaluated using micrometeorological data taken during...
A thermal infrared (TIR) camera is used to remotely sense the foliage temperature in a mountain valley. The foliage temperature is used as a proxy for air temperature and can be used to study and map the dynamics of the nocturnal, weak-wind boundary layer in this valley. All radiative flux...
Soil respiration has been identified as one of the largest natural sources of CO₂ to the global carbon cycle. Small alterations in the magnitude of soil respiration can have potentially large effects on concentrations of atmospheric CO₂ , making the rate at which respiration occurs of great scientific interest (Martin...
Weak-wind flow in the nocturnal boundary is one of the most poorly understood problems in the field of meteorology. The understanding of weak-wind flows is essential for the improvement of regulatory dispersion models which are currently rendered invalid under weak-wind conditions and stable stratification. Recently there have been increased efforts...
Diffusion bonding has been widely used within microlamination architectures for the fabrication of Micro Energy and Chemical Systems (MECS). MECS are microsystems with the ability to process bulk amounts of fluid within highly-parallel microchannel arrays capable of accelerated heat and mass transfer. Thus far, diffusion bonding of the microchannel arrays...
Citizen science (formally public participation in science research) has emerged in recent years as an innovative and interactive tool for engaging many diverse groups in science and research. Defined as the collaboration of science professionals and the public in science research, citizen science has tremendously improved the reach of science....
Ammonia (NH₃) volatilization and loss from nitrogen (N) fertilizer in agriculture negatively impacts crops, farm profitability, human health and surrounding ecosystems where it is deposited. A significant source of NH₃ volatilization occurs from surface application of urea on sandy soils with low pH buffering capacity such as those in the...
This paper presents the design and evaluates the performance of a double-walled electrically aspirated radiation shield for thermometers measuring air temperature and its gradients in the atmospheric surface layer. Tests were performed to quantify its solar radiation error and wake production, and to characterize the observer effect of the forced...
This thesis presents a domain specific visual language designed to allow coaches to create content that exhibits the complex 2D interactions observed in the game of American football. Coaches can visually program the content by using symbols and drawing primitives similar to those that they currently use to design static...
New species introductions have been associated with the movement of
people for thousands of years. For instance, horses were introduced into North
America by Spanish explorers, while pigs were introduced by the Polynesians
into many Pacific islands long before the establishment of permanent
European settlements. Both of these species introductions...
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) standard specifications require a minimum density for the construction of dense-graded hot mix asphalt (HMA) pavements. Currently, the standard specifications call for density measurements for quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) testing to be made using nuclear density gauges that are calibrated using...
Large numbers of reinforced concrete deck girder (RCDG) bridges were built during the highway infrastructure boom of the 1950's. The advent of standardized deformed steel reinforcing bars during this time allowed for straight bar terminations in flexural tension regions. Designers of the time terminated reinforcing bars where they were no...
Pile caps are structural elements used to transmit loads from structural columns into pile groups. A pile cap is generally constructed of reinforced concrete and contains only minimal flexural reinforcing steel. Using modern design methods, the anchorage of the flexural steel may limit the design capacity of existing pile caps....
As a result of a warming climate, subsequent declining snowpack, and a century of fire suppression, forest fires are increasing across the western United States. However, we still do not fully understand how forest fire effects snowpack energy balance, nor the volume and availability of snow melt and associated water...
In a steady state, the Earth's absorbed solar radiation (ASR) balances the outgoing
longwave radiation (OLR) at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). In response to a radiative
forcing, that is, an external perturbation to the top of the atmosphere energy balance, the
Earth's climate system adjusts until reaching a...
This document describes the design and deployment of a first generation water vapor density sensing unit, the HumiSense. This device is based on an open, air-filled capacitor which is part of a resonant circuit. The frequency of the resonant circuit mixed with a fixed frequency oscillator is the basis of...
Fluid-structure interaction (FSI) is a very interesting and challenging multi-disciplinary field involving interaction of a movable or deformable structure with an internal or surrounding fluid flow. FSI plays a pivotal role in many different types of real-world situations and practical engineering applications involving large structural deformation and material or geometric...
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play an important role in the innate immune system. Determining the pathways by which these proteins are regulated allows for modulation of their expression for better health. Two families of antimicrobial peptides have been studied in humans: cathelicidins and defensins. There is a single cathelicidin in humans...
In this article, we examine the stochastic characteristics of non-turbulent motions in the stable boundary layer. The behaviour of mesoscale motions in the atmospheric stable boundary layer is poorly understood beyond case studies of unusually well-defined events or monotonic waves. Eight networks of wind observations are analysed in order to...
We present a novel technique to simultaneously measure wind speed (U) at thousands of locations continuously in time based on measurement of velocity-dependent heat transfer from a heated surface. Measuring temperature differences between paired passive and actively heated fiber-optic (AHFO) cables with a distributed temperature sensing system allowed estimation of...
We investigated an alternative means for quantifying daytime ecosystem respiration from eddy-covariance data in three forests with different canopy architecture. Our hypothesis was that the turbulent transport by coherent structures is the main pathway for carrying detectable sub-canopy respiration signals through the canopy. The study extends previously published work by...
We sought to improve net ecosystem exchange (NEE) estimates for a tall, dense, mature Douglas-Fir forest in the Oregon Coast range characterized by weak flows, systematic wind directional shear, and limited turbulent mixing throughout the diurnal period. We used eddy covariance (EC) observations at two levels and concurrent biological measurements...
Management of the Danish protein fisheries in the North Sea has during recent years become increasingly politicised, as various stakeholder groups are seeking influence on the decision-making process. In relation to management of the sand eel and Norway pout fisheries, two different issues are debated. In the sand eel fishery,...
Scientists use a large crane to gather samples from the tops of trees. These samples will be tested for turgor in an attempt to explain why trees stop growing. Featuring Dr. Barbara Bond, Dr. Rick Meinzer, and R.A. Dave Woodruff.
The construction industry employs about 7% of the total US workforce, and yet it accounts for 15.7% of all occupational fatalities. Specifically in 2011, there were 721 deaths in construction, second only to transportation with 733. The cause of a large number of these construction deaths can be attributed to...
Dwarf mistletoes, obligate, parasitic plants with diminutive aerial shoots, have long-term effects on host tree water relations, hydraulic architecture, and photosynthetic gas exchange and can eventually lead to tree death. To investigate the long-term impacts of dwarf mistletoe on gas exchange of host western hemlock trees, I compared growth, gas...
We evaluated genes previously identified from a large scale functional genomics screen for their potential value to help enhance carbon sequestration in planted trees. We used poplar as a model tree species because of its abundant genetic variation, ease of gene transfer, and availability of large databases for genomic, anatomical,...
Knot Theory: In Imitation of Lewis Thomas is a collection of 14, 1200-word essays written in the style of Lewis Thomas, a physician who regularly contributed to The New England Journal of Medicine. His 1200-word column, "Notes of a Biology Watcher," ran from 1971 - 1980. The resulting compilations collectively...
This thesis documents the evaluation of the initial performance of pavement
containing recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) in Oregon. The research was funded
by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Federal Highway
Administration and was conducted at Oregon State University. The key
objectives of this thesis are to document...
Five years of eddy-covariance and other measurements at a mature ponderosa pine forest and a nearby young plantation are used to contrast the carbon fluxes for long-term averages, seasonal patterns, diel patterns and interannual variability, and to examine the differing responses to water-stress. The mature forest with larger leaf area...
Rapid discoloration and checking of wooden surfaces when exposed outdoors has caused wood to fall out of favor as an outdoor building material, especially in applications where appearance is important. The surface appearance of wood products exposed outdoors can be improved through the application of film forming coatings or by...
Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the influence of quality of
supplemental alfalfa quality on beef cattle consuming low-quality meadow grass (MG)
roughages. Fifteen steers (250 kg) were assigned randomly to one of three treatments: 1)
meadow grass (5.2% CP), no supplement (MNS); 2) meadow grass plus high quality
alfalfa...
The focus of this research is to develop a personal computer based simulation model of the mechanized logging process, from felling until the log arrives at the sawmill. The SLAM II simulation language is used for modeling, and the main emphasis is on the overall performance of this system, and...
Understanding the impact of humans on the environment has long been a topic of scholarly interest and debate. As environmental problems mount, accounts of historic ecological conditions and the factors of change become increasingly useful. This study considers competing schools of interpretation about human impacts on ecological landscapes and develops...
The primary goal of my studies was to elucidate the mechanisms for the well-recognized interaction between two nutrients, vitamins E and K. The outcomes from my studies assess mechanisms for adverse effects of vitamin E and provide novel information on mechanisms for vitamin K homeostasis. These findings will provide information...
My thesis, entitled "Fantastic Histories: How Malory's Morte Darthur
Influenced Tolkien's The Silmarillion," argues that J.R.R. Tolkien's Silmarillion
shares distinct similarities in style and content with Sir Thomas Malory's Morte
Darthur, primarily in the lack of detail in the descriptions of characters and events, as
each attempts to create a...
My thesis is comprised of two articles, titled "Journeying Through (An)Other World: Examining the Role of Magic and Transformational Otherness in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and "Magic, Muggles, and Mudbloods: Examining Magical Otherness in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series." The introduction frames the thematic, theoretical, and critical connections...
This is a bibliography of the work of T. L. Jackson, who conducted research at the North Willamette Research and Experiment Center. It is limited to those Extension publications and research reports that addressed the nutrient needs of fresh market and processed vegetables.
The purpose of this study of the Lyons flora is to determine the age and paleoecology of the flora through the examination and identification of the fossil plant species of the flora. The plant fossils comprising the Lyons flora were collected from a locality in the upper Thomas Creek area,...
Turbulence measurements for very stable conditions near the surface are contrasted
among three sites: a high altitude basin during winter with grass or snow-covered
grass, a broad valley with complex agricultural land use, and a more narrow valley that is
influenced by a valley cold pool and cold air drainage....
Full Text:
Turbulence for Very Stable and Weak-
Wind Conditions
Larry Mahrt, ChristophThomas, Scott
Richardson, Nelson
The Thomas Kay Woolen Mill operated between 1890 and 1962. The mill produced predominately woolen blankets and woolen fabrics for outerwear garments. Mission Mill Museum Association purchased the woolen mill after its closure in order to develop the property as a museum. The purpose of this study was to provide...
Longitudinal patterns of fish and benthic invertebrate distribution and
habitat use were similar in Thomas Creek, Oregon but clarity of these patterns
differed. I studied fish and aquatic invertebrates simultaneously, at multiple
scales, and used multivariate statistical techniques to compare responses to the
same environmental conditions. Both types of organisms...
The complexity of human/riverine systems has led to an increasing focus on land
use patterns and policy. My goal is to understand the dynamics of a coupled human and
natural system. The central question is how people in the community of Scio, Oregon
perceive flooding, water quality, and riparian habitat....
The Thomas Kay Woolen Mill once manufactured cloth with a
reputation renowned throughout the United States. This study is an
attempt to report the history of the mill. Data are categorized by:
the Kay family; production including plant, machinery, raw materials
used, goods manufactured; management including the effects of
national...
We present a novel approach based on fibre-optic distributed temperature sensing (DTS) to measure the two-dimensional thermal structure of the surface layer at high resolution (0.25 m, ≈ 0.5 Hz). Air temperature observations obtained from a vertically oriented fibre optics array of approximate dimensions 8 m x 8 m and...
Budburst is a key adaptive trait that can help us understand how plants respond to a changing climate from the molecular to landscape scale. Despite this, acquisition of budburst data is constrained by a lack of information at the plant scale on the environmental stimuli associated with the release of...
Headwater streams comprise nearly 90% of the total length of perennial channels in global catchments. They mineralize organic carbon entering from terrestrial systems, evade terrestrial carbon dioxide (CO₂ ), and generate and remove carbon through in-stream primary production and respiration. Despite their importance, headwater streams are often neglected in global...
Full Text:
, Linda R. Ashkenas4, Robert Pennington2, and ChristophK. Thomas2,5
1Department of Forest Engineering
Headwater streams comprise nearly 90% of the total length of perennial channels in global catchments. They mineralize organic carbon entering from terrestrial systems, evade terrestrial carbon dioxide (CO₂ ), and generate and remove carbon through in-stream primary production and respiration. Despite their importance, headwater streams are often neglected in global...
Full Text:
. A. Thomas, L. W. Cooper, S. K. Hamilton, and 311
B. J. Peterson (2004), Stream denitrification and
Headwater streams comprise nearly 90% of the total length of perennial channels in global catchments. They mineralize organic carbon entering from terrestrial systems, evade terrestrial carbon dioxide (CO₂ ), and generate and remove carbon through in-stream primary production and respiration. Despite their importance, headwater streams are often neglected in global...