Determining Vertical Soil-Water Flux in Glaciated Terrains Using a Convective Heat Flux Model and Measured Transient Soil Thermal Properties

Presentation given at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in New Orleans, LA, from Dec. 11-15, 2017.Several workers have applied water flux models based on convective heat-transfer principles and measured temperature profiles to quantify vertical water movement through unsaturated soils. However, flux estimates can vary significantly due to uncertainty in soil thermal properties such as thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity, and soil volumetric heat capacity and their relationship to changing degrees of saturation. In this study, soil temperature profile data is combined with in situ measurements of soil thermal properties to estimate both upward and downward water fluxes through soils developed in glacial parent materials. A regression analysis of 1.2-m discrete depth in situ volumetric heat capacity and degree-of-saturation data indicates that there is a good correlation for sites underlain by coarse-grained diamicton, outwash, and alluvium (R = 0.66 – 0.87), whereas sites underlain by fine-grained glacial diamicton show little to no correlation and are therefore deemed unfit for the modelling approach. The results of the convective heat model for the outwash and alluvium sites are compared to water fluxes previously simulated using the one-dimensional Richard’s Equation. Preliminary results at a midwestern U.S. glacial outwash site indicate that daily downward flux results compare well with the previously published estimates after eliminating extreme values caused by temperature signal noise. At the coarse-grained diamicton and alluvium sites having lower hydraulic conductivities, the fluxes generally are temporally correlated, but the thermal model tends to overestimate flux by an order of magnitude. This ongoing work aims to refine the convective flux model while optimizing vadose-zone monitoring networks such that real-time percolation estimates are possible

Designing effective public participation

This paper reviews the various connections that can exist between the design of participatory processes and the different kind of results that they can entail. It details how effective participatory processes can be designed, whatever are the results that participation is deemed to elicit. It shows the main trends pertaining to design choicesand considers how to classify different arrangements in order to choose from among them. Then the paper deals with the main dilemmas that tend to arise when designing participatory processes. Thanks to this review, the paper argues that participatory processes tend to display a certain degree of ambivalence that cannot be completely overcome through the design choices

Increasing uptake of ecosystem service assessments: best practice check-lists for practitioners in Europe

Aiming at understanding the role of plural values in decision-making, the IPBES Values Assessment defined nature valuation broadly as including biophysical, economic and socio-cultural assessments, including ecosystem service assessment. IPBES reviews of scientific literature revealed a lack of documentation of uptake by stakeholders across method types. The EU project SELINA aims to contribute to increasing uptake of ES assessments at different governance levels. This paper reviews guidance in national and local applications by compiling study design recommendations for ES assessments from 111 guidance documents on ES assessments covering 12 European languages. Guidance documents are evaluated for seven diagnostic topics suggested to increase relevance and robustness of ES assessments: ecosystem condition variables; capacity-potential; supply-demand; spatial scaling and resolution capability; social and health benefit compatibility; economic valuation compatibility; and uncertainty assessment. The paper develops the guidance recommendations across these topics into a set of checklists for practitioners and contractors of ES assessments. We find synergies between these study design features and gaps in guidance in relation to the policy cycle. Checklists are aimed at projects self-assessing and improving their design and implementation to increase robustness of their ES assessment. From a knowledge supply perspective, this is expected to increase the likelihood of uptake of results by stakeholders. We end the paper with some cautions on limitations to uptake from different perspectives and the demand for and political uses of ES assessment knowledge

Identification of practically visible spatial objects in natural environments

Image retrieval of landscape photographs requires accurate annotation using multi-faceted descriptions relating to the subject and content of the photograph. The subject of such photographs is dominantly the terrain and spatial objects visible from the photographer’s viewpoint. While some spatial objects in the background may be obscured by foreground vegetation, other visible spatial objects beyond a certain distance may not present noteworthy elements of the captured scene (such as distant houses). Our aim is to assess approaches to improve the identification of practically visible spatial objects for image annotation. These approaches include the consideration of the apparent spatial object size and landcover information about occluding vegetation. These inputs are used to enhance viewshed analysis to accurately identify only spatial objects practically visible and therefore likely to be notable subjects of a photograph. The two approaches are evaluated in an experiment in a semi-rural area of Switzerland, whose results indicate that visual magnitude is key in accurate identification of visible spatial objects

Challenges in Clothing

This second unit in the ?4-H Clothing Project Series? builds on the knowledge and beginning sewing skills developed in ?Adventures in Clothing: Unit I?. The 8 chapters in this project book begin with discovering how line, color, and texture can keep you ?Looking Good?. You?ll learn to successfully coordinate the outfits and accessories you wear. Whether you are buying or making clothes, the challenges in the ?Choosing Clothes? and ?Learning about Fabrics? chapters is to develop your consumer decision making skills. You?ll learn to make a wardrobe plan, and to evaluate the clothing choices you make. In the chapters about ?Creative Sewing? and ?Caring for Clothes?, your challenge is to grow in creativity, independence, and responsibility. In ?You and Others?, the challenge shifts to get beyond yourself and find how clothes affect your relationship with others

Strategies for Clothing

This advanced unit of the ?4-H Clothing Project Series? expands further on the skills and knowledge learned in earlier programs, and prepares students for setting out on their own. Students will learn how to develop new ideas unique to their personalities. Creativity will be sparked, leadership skills will be honed, and volunteer opportunities will arise. Principles of design, fashion, clothes shopping, advanced fiber knowledge, tailoring, stain removal, care for accessories, skin care, hair coloring, posture, history, and interview preparation are covered along with many other topics. Upon completion of the curriculum, and sometimes much sooner, students will be able to develop their own unique ?Strategies for Clothing?, and apply their best thinking on many different levels as they enter adulthood

Strategies for Clothing

This advanced unit of the ?4-H Clothing Project Series? expands further on the skills and knowledge learned in earlier programs, and prepares students for setting out on their own. Students will learn how to develop new ideas unique to their personalities. Creativity will be sparked, leadership skills will be honed, and volunteer opportunities will arise. Principles of design, fashion, clothes shopping, advanced fiber knowledge, tailoring, stain removal, care for accessories, skin care, hair coloring, posture, history, and interview preparation are covered along with many other topics. Upon completion of the curriculum, and sometimes much sooner, students will be able to develop their own unique ?Strategies for Clothing?, and apply their best thinking on many different levels as they enter adulthood

4-H Clothing Project Leader Guide

The leader?s guide provides step-by-step guidelines for the chapters that make-up each unit in the curriculum. The first section presents valuable background information and philosophy regarding 4-H project leadership, family and community involvement, youth characteristics for the 9 to 11 year-old target group, student, leader and program evaluations, and competitive opportunities. A resource list is included for further exploration and development