Palms are an important component of tropical ecosystems, living alongside dicotyledonous trees, even though they have a very different growth pattern and vascular system. As monocots, vessels in palms are located within vascular bundles and, without a vascular cambium that many dicotyledonous trees possess, palms cannot add additional vessels to...
In recent years, the role of the City Manager in municipal
policy making has been the focus of considerable attention and debate in
both the academic and local government arenas. The purpose of this
study was to determine the differences in views of elected mayors and
appointed managers with regard...
A pilot scale demonstration of a biological permeable barrier was conducted in a pentachlorophenol-contaminated aquifer at a wood preserving facility. A permeable reactor was constructed to fit within a
large diameter well. Arranged in series, a cylindrical reactor 24" x 36" (0.61 x 0.91m) (diameter x height)
was partitioned to...
In the thrust to shift away from fossil fuels towards renewable options, Ecuador produces African palm-based biodiesel, which is currently imported by the Unites States. An analysis of this specific interaction was done via personal contact with the industry in Ecuador and extensive literature review of the topic. The results...
This analysis of Colombia's System of National Park Reservations
accomplishes four objectives: 1) The historical development of national
parks in Colombia was described; 2) The status, as of August,
1974, of the areas administered by the Colombian Renewable Natural
Resources Development Institute (INDERENA) was summarized; 3) An
analysis of major...
The ecosystem services provided by our forest resources and woodlands are multiple and diverse on all spatial and temporal levels, and include provision, regulating, cultural, and supporting services (Hanson, et al. WRI, 2008). Human activities are proximate and direct drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. In the Latin American region,...
This dissertation addresses gaps of knowledge associated with how ecosystem carbon stocks and greenhouse gas emissions are affected by land use land cover change in tropical peatlands. This was the first study that paired peat swamp forests with oil palm plantations and analyzed site scale variation on greenhouse gas emissions....
Wood plastic composites (WPCs) are composite materials made from thermoplastic polymers, wood flour, and a small amount of process- and property-enhancing additives; they are principally used in the automotive industry and as secondary building materials. Although the WPC market is expected to keep growing, it is still relatively small when...
The internal structure of natural fiber composites can be manipulated by controlling the spatial distribution of fiber orientation and internal chemical and thermodynamic conditions during their consolidation. Objects highly tailored to specific service demands may thereby be produced. Techniques to form miniature structural beams from oriented hemp and random wood...