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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...
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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...
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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%...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Using TLS-measured Tree Attributes to Estimate the Above Ground Biomass of Individual Small Black Spruce Trees in Canadian Boreal Forest Peatlands
DownloadFall 2021
Earth’s changing climate poses a number of potential issues for people around the globe. It has become increasingly important for researchers to have the ability to collect good data and build accurate, robust climate models that can help influence the direction of policy makers to mitigate the...
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Valorization of waste protein biomass for bio-based plastics, composites and adhesives development
DownloadSpring 2014
The increasing demand and cost escalation of raw materials for industrial chemicals, materials and energy impel the development of sustainable strategies of resource utilization. Such resource demand spurred investigation for the utilization of agricultural wastes and by-products. The emergence...
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Spring 2012
Montane grasslands play a key role in supporting wintering elk in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta. To document change in grassland extent and patch sizes, I analyzed repeat aerial photography at 4 sites in the upper Red Deer River drainage between 1952 and 2003. Excluding the Ya Ha Tinda,...