Digital Commons Network^™

Paris Talks: Geography & Community, Juliet Pinto

Sea Level Rise Collection

No abstract provided.

Paris Talks: Energizing Cognitive Dissonance, Juliet Pinto

Sea Level Rise Collection

No abstract provided.

Paris Talks: A Tale Of Two Narratives, Juliet Pinto

Sea Level Rise Collection

No abstract provided.

Paris Talks: Acronyms, Actions & Akon, Juliet Pinto

Sea Level Rise Collection

No abstract provided.

Paris Talks: What's Resilience?, Phaedra Pezzullo

Sea Level Rise Collection

No abstract provided.

Paris Talks: Engage With The Environment, Juliet Pinto

Sea Level Rise Collection

No abstract provided.

Paris Talks: Local - Global Issues, Juliet Pinto

Sea Level Rise Collection

No abstract provided.

Paris Talks: Trials Of Climate Advocacy, Phaedra Pezzullo

Sea Level Rise Collection

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Control Release Fertilizers On Nutrient Leaching, Palm Growth And Production Cost, Pushpa Soti, Angie Fleurissaint, Stewart Reed, Krish Jayachandran

Department of Earth and Environment

Objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different controlled release fertilizer technologies on nutrient leaching and plant growth parameters of two palm species, Chinese Fan (Livistona chinensis) and Queen (Syagrus romanzoffiana). We compared Nutri-Pak (12-4-12 controlled release packet) and Harrell’s (12-4-12 controlled release polymer coated urea) against Atlantic (8-4-12 controlled release polymer coated urea, coated sulfate of potash), the most commonly used palm fertilizer in South Florida. Plants were grown in 25 cm (11 L) pots under 70% shade, watered weekly, with pest and weed control done as required. Plant growth parameters: number of leaves, leaf length …

Eyes Represents At Un, French Meetings, Robert E. Gutsche Jr.

Sea Level Rise Collection

Announcing

"Eyes member Juliet Pinto has been selected to be part of the International Environmental Communication Association’s (IECA’s) Climate Negotiations Working Group at the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) in Paris in November."

Models Describing The Sea Level Rise In Key West, Florida, Karm-Ervin Jean

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lately, we have been noticing an unusual rise in the sea level near many Floridian cities. By 2060, scientists believe that the sea level in the city of Key West will reach between 22.86 to 60.96 centimeters (Strauss et al. 2012). The consequences of sea level rise are unpleasant by gradually tearing away our beaches and natural resources, destroying our homes and businesses, etc. Definitively, a continual increase of the sea level will affect everyone either directly or indirectly.

In this study, the sea level measurements of four Floridian coastal cities (including Key West) are collected in order to describe …

Gaseous Carbon Emissions (Methane And Carbon Dioxide) From Wetland Soils In A Re-Created Everglades Landscape, Bradley R. Schonhoff

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reducing the rates of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is critical in combatting global climate change. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) are the two most important carbon-based GHGs, for their atmospheric warming potential. Wetlands such as the Florida Everglades play major roles in the global carbon cycle, as varying hydrologic conditions lead to differential production rates of these two GHGs. This study measured CO₂ and CH₄ emissions in a re-created Everglades ridge-and-slough wetland, where water levels were controlled to reflect natural flood patterns. As expected, lower elevations were flooded longer and produced more CH …

The Effect Of Disturbance And Freshwater Availability On Lower Florida Keys’ Coastal Forest Dynamics, Danielle E. Ogurcak

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coastal forest retreat in the Florida Keys during the 20^th century has been attributed to a combination of sea level rise and hurricane storm surge impacts, but the interactions between these two disturbances leading to forest decline are not well understood. The goal of my research was to assess their effects over a period spanning more than two decades, and to examine the relationships between these press and pulse disturbances and freshwater availability in pine rockland, hardwood hammock, and supratidal scrub communities. Impacts and recovery from two storm surges, Hurricanes Georges (1998) and Wilma (2005), were assessed with satellite-derived …

Application Of An Education Research Lab (Erl) Model To A Community Sailing Program, Lauren Shure, Emilie Ney, Precious Broffee, Gerene K. Starratt, Andy Roberts

South Florida Education Research Conference

This presentation showcases the application of a university-based education research lab (ERL) model to the evaluation of a community sailing program for individuals with disabilities. Presenters conceptualize the ERL model as a mutually beneficial relationship between universities and community education agencies.

Modeling A Phosphorus Credit Trading Program In The Lake Okeechobee Watershed, Juliana Corrales

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in the southeastern United States and is a central component of the hydrology and environment of the Everglades ecosystem in South Florida. The natural state of the lake has been degraded as wetlands and natural habitats in the Lake Okeechobee watershed have been replaced with farms, urban areas, and dairy operations. Excessive phosphorus loadings from these diverse sources have been identified as the leading causes of the lake’s impairment. For more than four decades, many resources have been allocated to regional and local restoration efforts to reduce phosphorus loadings into the lake. However, phosphorus …

Effect Of Yangtze River On Population Genetic Structure Of The Relict Plant Parrotia Subaequalis In Eastern Chin, Qifang Geng, Zhingang Yao, Jie Yang, Jia He, Danbi Wong, Zhongsheng Wang, H. Liu

Department of Earth and Environment

Parrotia subaequalis (Hamamelidaceae) is a Tertiary relic species endemic in eastern China. We used inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers to access genetic diversity and population genetic structure in natural five populations of P. subaequalis. The levels of genetic diversity were higher at species level (H = 0.2031) but lower at population level (H = 0.1096). The higher genetic diversity at species levels might be attributed to the accumulation of distinctive genotypes which adapted to the different habitats after Quaternary glaciations. Meanwhile, founder effects on the early stage, and subsequent bottleneck of population regeneration due to its biological characteristics, environmental features, …

Mangiferin As A Biomarker For Mango Anthracnose Resistance, Herma Pierre

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mangos (Mangifera indica L.) are tropical/subtropical fruits belonging to the plant family Anacardiaceae. Anthracnose is the most deleterious disease of mango both in the field and during postharvest handling. It is most commonly caused by the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides complex. Mangiferin, a xanthanoid compound found in at least twelve plant families worldwide (Luo et al., 2012), is present in large amounts of the leaves and edible mangos. Even though this compound plays a pivotal role in the plant’s defense against biotic and abiotic stressors, no correlations been made between the compound and mango anthracnose resistance.

Mangos were collected, grouped …

Challenge Fund For Innovation In Journalism Education Final Report [Sea Level Rise, South Florida], Robert E. Gutsche Jr., Susan Jacobson, Kate Macmillin, Juliet Pinto

Sea Level Rise Collection

No abstract provided.

It Takes A Village To Build A Sea Level Rise App: Civic Hacking As An Approach To Informing Citizens About Sea Level Rise In Miami, Susan Jacobson, Juliet Pinto, Robert E. Gutsche Jr., Kate Macmillin, Jennifer Fu

Sea Level Rise Collection

No abstract provided.

Hydrologic Controls Of Coastal Groundwater Discharge In Southern Taylor Slough, Everglades National Park, Florida, Edward Linden

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project empirically determined the controls of groundwater discharge potential and surface water chemistry in southern Taylor Slough, Everglades National Park, Florida. Potential for groundwater discharge was calculated as the difference in equivalent freshwater stage between groundwater and surface water on a daily basis for two sites (upland and coastal) along southern Taylor Slough. Upstream water stages were shown to vary most similarly to the timing of groundwater discharge potential in coastal Taylor Slough. Surface water major ion chemistry did not apparently change as a result of groundwater discharge potential. Surface water major ion chemistry at the coastal site was …

Understanding The Challenges Of Expanding Community Forestry In Northwest Cameroon, Caitlin M. Farnung

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The tropical afro-montane forest of the Northwest region is unique and under direct threat from the high population density of the region. Community-based forestry management is an opportunity to sustainably manage the remaining forest fragments.

Community forestry was introduced to Cameroon with the legislation of the 1994 Forestry Law. Over two decades later little research has been conducted in the Northwest region of Cameroon. Twenty-four semi-structured interviews were conducted, and samples of forestry records were analyzed as exploratory research that would act as a base for further research.

This research found that the tenure of the community over the community …

A Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Land Use And Water Quality In Southern Miami Dade County, Mario Londono

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis research employs a multi-pronged analysis approach to contribute to the existing knowledge regarding land use and water quality in southern Miami Dade County. Nutrient concentrations for TP, NOx-N, and NH3-N were evaluated for water quality monitoring stations across seven canals for two time periods: 1990-2003 and 2009-2014. Overall, the sites did not surpass the mandated TP threshold but a number of sites exceeded the NOx-N and NH3-N criteria set by multiple government agencies. Statistical tests demonstrated that the sites had differing distributions, not sharing similar median concentrations. Land use classifications were derived for the area interest for the …

Sustainability Analysis Of Domestic Rainwater Harvesting Systems For Current And Future Water Security In Rural Mexico, Elena E. Neibaur

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rainwater harvesting, the act of capturing and storing rain, is an ancient practice that is increasingly utilized today by communities to address water supply needs. This thesis examines whether domestic rainwater harvesting systems (DRWHS) can be a sustainable solution as defined by social, water quality, and technical feasibility for water security in semi-arid, rural environments. For this study, 50 surveys and 17 stored rainwater analyses were conducted in San Jose Xacxamayo, Mexico, in conjunction with my Peace Corps work of implementing 82 DRWHS. Results showed that all DRWHS were socially feasible because of cultural acceptance and local capacity. Water quality …

Flow Regime Classification And Hydrological Characterization: A Case Study Of Ethiopian Rivers, Belete Berhanu, Yilma Seleshi, Solomon S. Demisse, Assefa M. Melesse

Department of Earth and Environment

The spatiotemporal variability of a stream flow due to the complex interaction of catchment attributes and rainfall induce complexity in hydrology. Researchers have been trying to address this complexity with a number of approaches; river flow regime is one of them. The flow regime can be quantified by means of hydrological indices characterizing five components: magnitude, frequency, duration, timing, and rate of change of flow. Similarly, this study aimed to understand the flow variability of Ethiopian Rivers using the observed daily flow data from 208 gauging stations in the country. With this process, the Hierarchical Ward Clustering method was implemented …

Evaluation Of Crop Seed Powders As Amendments For Purple Nutsedge (Cyperus Rotundus) Control Compared To The Traditional Herbicide, Roundup, Eric Taylor Betancourt

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus) is a troublesome weed that outcompetes crops and contributes to poor yields. In the past, agriculturalists controlled purple nutsedge by fumigating soil with methyl bromide but the fumigant has since been classified as a controlled substance under the Montreal Protocol. This study evaluated the effectiveness of several alternative purple nutsedge control techniques and compared them with results obtained from the application of Roundup. Concentration treatment effects for the allelopathic seed powders of watercress and turnip were tested in a field trial while seed powders of yellow mustard and sunflower were tested in a potted …

Eyes Initiative Leads To Summer Camp, Robert E. Gutsche Jr.

Sea Level Rise Collection

Description of summer camp program for STEM students at the FIU Biscayne Bay Campus.

Informing Citizens About Sea Level Rise In Miami, Susan Jacobson, Kate Macmillin

Sea Level Rise Collection

No abstract provided.

Eyes App Goes To The White House, Robert E. Gutsche Jr.

Sea Level Rise Collection

No abstract provided.

Climate Activist Visits Fiu, Robert E. Gutsche Jr.

Sea Level Rise Collection

Announcement of visit by Captain Dan Kipnis to FIU.

Advanced Oxidation Processes Of Problematic Toxin And Water Contaminants: Cylindrospermopsin, Iopamidol, 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol And Propylene Glycol Phenyl Ether, Cen Zhao

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The occurrences of cyanotoxin and organic contaminants threaten drinking water sources and are a serious human health and environmental concern. The control of these problematic contaminants and the remediation of the associated contaminants are critical for ensuring safe drinking water to significant populations. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have received considerable attention as a potential water treatment for various pollutants. In this dissertation, advanced oxidative degradation of four problematic water toxic contaminants (CYN, iopamidol, 4-methylcyclohexane methanol and propylene glycol phenyl ether) were studied to develop the fundamental understanding required to assess AOPs as a potential water treatment process.

UV and visible …