Uncontrolled excess moisture in buildings is a common problem that can lead to changes in fungal communities. In buildings, moisture parameters can be classified by location and include assessments of moisture in the air, at a surface, or within a material. These parameters are not equivalent in dynamic indoor environments, which makes moisture-induced fungal growth in buildings a complex occur...

[1] We used a simulated data set of hydro-climatological variables to examine for 20th century trends in soil moisture, runoff, and drought characteristics over the conterminous United States (U.S.). An increasing trend is apparent in both model soil moisture and runoff over much of the U.S., with a few decreasing trends in parts of the Southwest. The trend patterns were qualitatively similar t...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine types and levels of airborne fungal spores in air-conditioned homes built after 1980 without obvious moisture problems during the 2004 summer (rainy season) in central Florida, USA. METHODS Eighteen single-family homes were selected based on protocol questionnaire and cursory inspection, which revealed no obvious moisture or visible fungal grow...

Recommended Citation Sampath, Anand. "Comprehensive evaluation of four warm asphalt mixture regarding viscosity, tensile strength, moisture sensitivity, dynamic modulus and flow number. ii I dedicate this thesis to my parents, without whom I would not be where I am today iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Plant communities are coupled with abiotic factors, as species diversity and community composition both respond to and influence climate and soil characteristics. Interactions between vegetation and abiotic factors depend on plant functional types (PFT) as different growth forms will have differential responses to and effects on site characteristics. However, despite the importance of different...

Forest fragmentation affects the heterogeneity of accumulated fuels by increasing the diversity of forest types and by increasing forest edges. This heterogeneity has implications in how we manage fuels, fire, and forests. Understanding the relative importance of fragmentation on woody biomass within a single climatic regime, and along climatic gradients, will improve our ability to manage fore...

The atmospheric response to the Gulf Stream front in sea surface temperature is investigated using highresolution data from satellite observations and operational analysis and forecast. Two types of atmospheric response are observed with different seasonality and spatial distribution. In winter, surface wind convergence is strong over the Gulf Stream proper between Cape Hatteras and the Great B...

It has been known that the southwestern United States (US) experienced a drying trend during spring as climate warms. Less is about projected increase of summer precipitation in region and its physical mechanisms. By using model simulations moisture budget analysis, we show contrast to spring, changes gradient wind convergence both cause increasing summer. The change featured by larger water va...

Plant adaptations to the environment are limited, and therefore plants in similar environments may display similar functional and physiological traits, a pattern termed functional convergence. Evidence was examined for functional convergence among 28 evergreen woody shrubs from three plant communities of the semi-arid winter rainfall region of southern California. Both leaf and water relations ...