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Light Conditions During Desiccation And Rehydration Impact The Recovery Of Cultured Timmiella Crassinervis, Sotodeh Ebrahimi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Many terrestrial mosses of xeric environments experience excess light during extended periods of desiccation. While dry or hydrated, excess light energy can lead to formation of reactive oxygen species and photoinhibition (e.g. damage to Photosystem II) which affects photosynthetic stress and efficiency. This study aimed to determine the effect of duration dry and light intensity (PAR) on cultured shoots of the chaparral moss Timmiella crassinervis, as well as to elucidate the optimal rehydration light conditions for this species. I hypothesized that 1) mosses exposed to higher light intensities during desiccation would incur more damage upon rehydration than those exposed to …

Effects Of Wildfire On Plant And Insect Pollinator Communities In The Mojave Desert, Nha Trang Vivian Sam

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The changing fire regime of landscapes across the Mojave Desert has prompted considerable research on its effects on plant community recovery, but it has not been widely studied what effects wildfire may have on native pollinators and the vital ecosystem services they provide. Ecological changes from increased wildfire severity from invasive exotic annual grasses will likely continue influencing pollinator habitats and floral resources. Understanding the effects that wildfires have on pollinators is valuable to make decisions as to whether active management and restoration activities are required to conserve ecologically vital pollinator functions. The intention of this thesis was to examine …

Shakespeare’S As You Like It And James Cameron’S Avatar: Reharmonizing Society With Nature, Erin Rebecca Turner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Shakespeare’s As You Like It is a comedy whose main character, Rosalind, is forced out of her home among the upper caste of society through no fault of her own, but because of an issue with her father. She moves into the pastoral unknown disguised as a man to avoid the issues that come traveling as a woman, outside the protection of the home. Along the way, she finds pleasure with the power she holds as a man. She is heard when she speaks as a man and she is given access to knowledge she would not be given as …

School Gardens As A Tool To Improve Student Health Outcomes And Increase Parent Engagement In The Clark County School District, Sabina Malik

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background-School Gardens (SG) have been used in student programming to help achieve many goals that include increasing academic achievement, improving nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, increasing physical activity rates, instilling eco-consciousness, and increasing student and community engagement. To date, garden programs have predominantly been evaluated by case control studies examining pilot or informal short term implementation without consideration of garden program longevity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of SGs on student knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to nutrition and physical activity, examine student connection to the garden, and to identify stakeholder perceptions of best practices …

The Relationship Between Tree Canopy And Social Capital On Physical Activity In Unlv Students, Melissa Bartshe

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Despite the numerous health benefits, rates of physical activity are low, especially among the college student population. Neighborhood tree canopy is one aspect of the built environment that has been shown to positively impact physical activity. Social capital has also been correlated with higher rates of physical activity. The sprawling urban design and arid desert climate of Las Vegas pose unique challenges to both tree canopy and social capital. Additionally, the relationship between tree canopy, social capital, and physical activity is understudied in the college student population. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship of tree canopy …

Can Desert Mosses Hide From Climate Change? The Ecophysiological Importance Of Habitat Buffering & Water Relations To A Keystone Biocrust Moss In The Mojave Desert, Theresa Ann Clark

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Empirical and observational studies suggest a keystone biocrust moss, Syntrichia caninervis, may be sensitive to future climate change in the American Southwest due to its uniquely sensitive water relations that appear particularly challenged during summer hydration-desiccation cycles. However, the potential mitigating roles of habitat buffering, acclimatization, and winter recovery on the vulnerability of this species remain largely unexplored. I investigated potential abiotic and biotic resiliency factors driving summer stress resistance and recovery in S. caninervis along present-day aridity gradients in the Mojave Desert to strengthen the climate change vulnerability assessment for this species common to biocrusts of North America, northern …

An Ideological Criticism Of The Green New Deal And Media Responses, Corynn Miller

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Using an ecofeminist lens, this project aims to analyze the ideologies surrounding the creation and response to the Green New Deal (GND). By completing an ideological analysis of the GND, in addition to examining some news media portrayals of the GND, this thesis analyzes the underlying motivations and ideologies surrounding female politicians, climate change, and climate policies. This thesis examines reads the GND not as a policy that was meant to be passed, but instead as an ideological statement about humans and their relationship to the environment. The news media portrayals exhibit varying coverage of the GND’s effectiveness, varying use …

Abiotic, Biotic, And Bio-Enhanced Reduction Of Hexavalent Chromium, Chloroform And Co-Contaminants Using Nano-Scale Zero Valent Iron In Highly Contaminated Groundwater, Eduardo Robleto Martinez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Investigations of groundwater in a former industrial perchlorate manufacturing site have shown high contamination with perchlorate, chlorate, nitrate, hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)), and chloroform (CF) with levels greater than 3,000, 30,000, 300, 100, and 4 mg/L, respectively. Remediation efforts using biological reduction to desired contaminant levels at this site has been challenging due to high contaminant concentrations, and high total dissolved solids (TDS). Furthermore, removal of Cr(VI) and CF in the presence of nitrate, chlorate, and perchlorate has not been examined at the contaminated site. Nano-scale Zero-Valent-Iron (NZVI) has been effective at reducing groundwater contamination both with and without bacterial …

Paleoecology Of Columbian And Pygmy Mammoths In Southern Nevada And California: How Terminal Pleistocene Ecosystems Shaped Mammoths At The Individual, Population, And Community Level, Lauren Elizabeth Parry

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this dissertation research is to examine the paleoecology of the Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) and the pygmy mammoth (M. exilis) on the individual, population, and community level, emphasizing factors internal to their ecosystem that may have contributed to their extinction. I focus specifically on mammoths from Southern Nevada and Southern California to add regional data to the complex and evolving study of North American mammoth paleoecology.

Chapter 2 documents the permitted excavation of a partial mammoth (Mammuthus sp.) between 2016-2018 from late Pleistocene groundwater-discharge deposits near Fairbanks Spring in the Amargosa Valley, Nevada. A preliminary radiocarbon date …