Search
Skip to Search Results-
Life Cycle Assessment of Lignocellulosic Biomass Conversion Pathways to Hydrogenation Derived Renewable Diesel
DownloadSpring 2016
Renewable fuels standards introduced in various jurisdictions aim at increasing the use of biofuels. There has been limited work on the life cycle assessment of the production of HDRD in terms of overall environmental impacts. This study is focused on conducting an LCA on the production of...
-
Fall 2015
Alpine glaciers have been retreating since the Little Ice Age, leading to exposure of foreland soils. Microorganisms are the primary below ground biological influence on nutrient cycling in recently deglaciated soil and are linked to down valley vegetation colonization. Previous studies...
-
Modeling the Impacts of Global Change on Tree Growth and Stand Density of Boreal Forests in Canada
DownloadFall 2022
Abstract Global change of environment and human activity has profoundly impacted boreal forests in structure, dynamics and function, imposing serious challenges for maintaining forest growth and yield in Canada. In this thesis, I address three questions important for understanding and predicting...
-
Monitoring year-to-year variability in dry mixed-grass prairie yield using multi-sensor remote sensing
DownloadFall 2012
The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and harvested biomass were compared to assess rangeland productivity (above-ground green biomass or “yield”) in southern Albertan dry mixed-grass prairie. Seasonal trends during the 2009 and 2010 growing seasons were investigated using harvested...
-
Fall 2010
This study experimentally evaluated wheat straw slurry pipelines. Tests were conducted to determine the particle properties of the biomass mixed in water over time. The saturated particle density of 1,060kg/m3 was reached after 24 hours, while the saturated moisture contents of 78.5% and 79.5%...
-
Fall 2011
The overall objective of this study is to develop techno-economic models for the assessment of power generation cost and optimum power plant size using forest residues as feedstock in Alberta. At the optimum size of the plant, the cost of generation of power is minimum. In this research two...
-
Productivity and carbon accumulation potential of transferred biofilms in reclaimed oil sands-affected wetlands
DownloadSpring 2011
Biofilms are significant contributors to primary production, nutrient cycling, bio-stabilization and the food web of wetland ecosystems. Photoautotrophic biomass (PB) and primary production (PP) were determined for biofilms exposed to various treatments and materials in wetlands near Fort...
-
Spring 2012
Microbial communities are responsible for biogeochemical processes in soils such as nutrient cycling and organic matter formation, which are essential to the establishment of vegetation and ecosystem sustainability. Phospholipid fatty acid analysis, microbial respiration and enzymatic activities...
-
Spatial and Temporal Variations in Tree Growth, Mortality, and Biodiversity in Alberta Forests
DownloadSpring 2014
Understanding the spatial and temporal variation of tree demographic rates and biodiversity is essential for predicting the dynamics of forest ecosystems and their responses to changing environments. This thesis contributes to that understanding through modeling the long-term change in tree...
-
Spring 2013
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission is one of the important environmental issues that world is facing today. Biomass usage, specifically capturing energy from biomass that would otherwise decay, is one the of many options available to mitigate the impact of the buildup of GHG emissions from fossil...