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Curriculum And The Elements Of The Earth: Deconstructing Sustainability And Reconstructing Responsibility, Elizabeth Alford Pollock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In October, 2009, I attended a presentation on Sustainability where the argument was made this concept is an issue for government and administrative agencies. The problem with this summation is in its exclusion of individuals existing outside of these agencies who interact with their environment on a daily basis. This exclusion potentially encompassed an extinguishing effect in that it closed off the term to multiple interpretations and possibilities I believe sustainability possesses; a "closing" that does not provoke the liberating nature associated with more open forms of dialogue and engagements. My dissertation explores the myriad ways sustainability can be interpreted …

Using Environmental And Site-Specific Variables To Model Current And Future Distribution Of Red Spruce (Picea Rubens Sarg.) Forest Habitat In West Virginia, Nathan R. Beane

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Red spruce forests are a remnant ecosystem from the interglacial period of the Wisconsin glaciation and today are considered one of the most threatened forest ecosystems in the eastern United States. The extent of red spruce forests in West Virginia prior to exploitative logging which occurred from 1880--1920 is estimated at 190,000 ha, but today, these forests are estimated to occupy no more than 24,000 ha, resulting primarily from intense anthropogenic disturbances. With the extensive loss of presettlement habitat for red spruce in West Virginia, this species is a high priority for restoration, as these forests offer the unique habitat …

Effects Of Acid Mine Drainage And Acid Precipitation On Leaf Litter Breakdown Rates In Appalachian Headwater Streams, Mary Fiona Stewart

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Acid precipitation and acid mine drainage have dramatically altered chemical conditions and biological assemblages in streams throughout the central Appalachians. Effects of acidification on functional stream processes such as organic matter decomposition, however, remain poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to: (1) quantify differences in organic matter decomposition among reference streams, streams impacted by acid precipitation, and streams impacted by acid mine drainage; and (2) determine if lowered decomposition rates are the result of reduced microbial activity or altered invertebrate shredder assemblages or both. I quantified water chemistry, organic matter decomposition, microbial activity, and macroinvertebrate community structure in …

Water Quality Conditions And Restoration Of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (Sav) In The Tidal Freshwater James River 2009, Ken Moore, Betty Neikirk, Erin C. Shields, David Parrish

Reports

In 2009, wild celery (Vallisneria americana) and water stargrass (Heteranthera dubia) shoots were transplanted into shallow water sites in the Hopewell region of the tidal James River and sampled for survivorship and growth throughout the SAV growing season. Water quality sampling was conducted at bi-weekly to monthly intervals throughout the year for water column nutrients, chlorophyll a, suspended solids, water transparency and other chemical and physical constituents important for SA V growth. Objectives of this restoration and water quality study were to: 1) expand the SA V transplanted plots within the study areas previously transplanted; 2) conduct water quality sampling …

Ecology Of Trifolium Stoloniferum (Muhl. Ex A. Eaton), A Federally Endangered Vascular Plant, At The Fernow Experimental Forest In West Virginia, John Q. Burkhart

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This thesis presents work addressing the ecology of Trifolium stoloniferum, a federally endangered vascular plant species, in the Fernow Experimental Forest, West Virginia. In this thesis, I describe the historical ecology of this species and make a case that at one time it occurred in great abundance in association with trails created by large mammals and humans that intersected rich, open forests. Similar conditions exist at the Fernow Experimental Forest in West Virginia, but instead of large mammals, the requisite soil disturbance, control of competing vegetation, and canopy perforation are created by timber-harvesting related disturbances, particularly gap creation by tree …

Bringing The Endangered Barn Owl Back To Mclean County, Illinois: Implementing A Local Nest Box Program, Anna Groves '11

Outstanding Senior Seminar Papers

Barn owls are an endangered species in Illinois, but populations have been known to increase where nest box programs have been implemented. In conjunction with the John Wesley Powell Audubon Society, a barn owl nest box program was established in McLean County and the surrounding area. Seventeen boxes are now scheduled for construction and installation this winter in the McLean County area in order to enhance existing barn owl populations, and the nest box program will continue in the future through the JWP Audubon.

Relative Abundance, Population Structure, And Habitat Utilization Of The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys Temminckii) And Eastern Snapping Turtle (Chelydra Serpentina) In Southeastern Missouri, Timothy Charles Lescher

Theses

GENERAL ABSTRACT---Alligator Snapping Turtles have not been surveyed extensively in Missouri since 1993-94. Six sites that were sampled in the early nineties were re-sampled in 2009 at the same locations where previous researchers trapped. Significantly fewer significantly fewer Alligator Snapping Turtles were captured per trapnight at all six sites. The population structure of the Alligator Snapping Turtles had a significantly different distribution in 2009 compared to 1993-94. The population structure had shifted toward smaller individuals, and fewer adult males and adult females were captured in 2009 compared to 1993-94. The 1993-94 structure was normally distributed while the 2009 structure exhibited …

Time, Temperature And Species Interactions In A Duckweed-Herbivore Mesocosm, Ian Waterman

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Species interactions within a community are impacted by a variety of abiotic factors. Temperature is known to alter population dynamics such that direct and indirect interactions between populations within a community are affected. Here I investigate the effect of temperature change on species interactions within a duckweed-herbivore mesocosm. Multiple communities were constructed, from a single population of duckweed, to two populations of duckweed consumed by aphids. In the one-predator two-prey web we predicted mutually positive indirect effects between duckweed populations during the first generation of growth. As aphid populations respond numerically to more abundant prey, mutually negative and asymmetric indirect …

Osteology, Natural History Notes, And Phylogenetic Relationships Of The Poorly Known Caribbean Frog Leptodactylus Nesiotus (Anura, Leptodactylidae), María Laura Ponssa, Michael J. Jowers, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

The Leptodactylus melanonotus group consists of 15 species, but references to skeletal characters are available for only three species: L. leptodactyloides, L. melanonotus, and L. diedrus. Leptodactylus nesiotus is a member of the melanonotus group known only from the type locality, Bonasse swamp, on the Southwestern peninsula of Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago. This species has been categorized as vulnerable given its restricted distribution. Herein, we report the adult osteology of L. nesiotus, the skeletal characters are compared with the available data from other Leptodactylus species. A phylogenetic analysis recovers a paraphyletic L. melanonotus group relative to the L. …

Zach's News, Georgia Southern University, Zach S. Henderson Library

University Libraries News Online (2008-2023)

• Works of Ecology Pioneer Roland M. Harper Donated by his Biographer and by a Famous Horticulturists.
• Come in out of the cold...
• Coming Soon: The ICPSR Social Sciences Data Fair

Virginia Wetlands Report Vol. 25, No. 2, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science, Center For Coastal Resources Management

Virginia Wetlands Reports

CCRM Living Shorelines Website Update

The Planet, 2010, Fall, Mitch Olsen, Huxley College Of The Environment, Western Washington University

The Planet

No abstract provided.

Variability In Avian Eggshell Colour: A Comparative Study Of Museum Eggshells, Phillip Cassey, Steven J. Portugal, Golo Maurer, John G. Ewen, Rebecca L. Boulton, Mark E. Hauber, Tim M. Blackburn

Publications and Research

Background The exceptional diversity of coloration found in avian eggshells has long fascinated biologists and inspired a broad range of adaptive hypotheses to explain its evolution. Three main impediments to understanding the variability of eggshell appearance are: (1) the reliable quantification of the variation in eggshell colours; (2) its perception by birds themselves, and (3) its relation to avian phylogeny. Here we use an extensive museum collection to address these problems directly, and to test how diversity in eggshell coloration is distributed among different phylogenetic levels of the class Aves. Methodology and Results Spectrophotometric data on eggshell coloration were collected …

Switchgrass Establishment And Growth For Biofuels And Carbon Sequestration On Reclaimed Mine Lands In Appalachia, Travis L. Keene

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Climate change mitigation and the high cost of transportation fuels have created an interest in utilizing biofuels to supplement the nation's energy portfolio. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) has been suggested as a possible biofuel feedstock because of its ability to produce large amounts of biomass over a wide range of growing conditions and its ability to sequester atmospheric carbon (C) into stable soil organic carbon. Appalachia has the potential to become a center of biofuel production with its large expanses of reclaimed mine land. Switchgrass production on surface mine land offers the opportunity to increase the land resources devoted to energy …

The Role Of Behavioral Temperaments On The Ecology Of The Caribbean Reef Octopus, Octopus Briareus, Timothy Jordan

All Theses

Traditional studies of predator-prey interactions have primarily focused on direct consumption as the most important effect on prey. Recent studies, however, have illustrated that nonlethal, risk effects may have an even greater impact. In this study, I evaluated the role of direct consumption and risk effects of the Caribbean reef octopus, Octopus briareus, on multiple species of crab and spiny lobster prey in Florida Bay, Florida. I conducted 13 monthly censuses of 8 nearshore field sites and observed the density and distribution of octopuses, crabs and lobsters. I found a significant negative correlation between the density of octopus predators and …

Roosting Ecology Of Bats In A Disturbed Landscape, Joshua B. Johnson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In 2007 and 2008, I examined roost selection of forest-interior dwelling northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) maternity colonies in stands treated with prescribed fire (hereafter, fire) and in unburned (hereafter, control) stands on the Fernow Experimental Forest, West Virginia. Using radio telemetry, I tracked 36 female northern myotis to 69 roost trees; 25 in the fire treatment and 44 in the control treatment. Using logistic regression and an information-theoretic model selection approach, I determined that within the fire treatment, northern myotis maternity colonies were more likely to use cavity trees that were smaller in diameter, higher in crown class, and located …

Plant Litter Decomposition In Mitigated And Reference Wetlands, Richard Tristan Gingerich

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Decomposition of plant litter in wetlands influences many processes and is driven by a complex web of interacting forces. This makes litter decomposition a useful measure of wetland function and a possible means of judging wetland functional replacement in compensatory mitigation projects. However, the web of interacting forces that intricately connect decomposition to wetland function also make it difficult to identify the importance of individual variables. In order for decomposition to be used as a metric to judge wetland function, its driving forces must be better understood.;This study examined some of the variables that drive decomposition. Specifically, decomposition rates were …

Developmental Contributions To Variation In Aspen Clones And The Influence Of Pre-Fire Succession Status On Aspen Regeneration Success, Eric A. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis includes two studies: The first examined developmental changes that take place in the physiology of aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) and to characterize developmental influences on patterns of phenotypic trait variation among different aged ramets within the aspen clones. We surveyed eight clones, each with 8 distinct age classes ranging from 1 to 170 yrs in age. Using regression analysis we examined the relationships between ramet age and expression of functional phenotypes. Eight of the phenotypic traits demonstrated a non-linear relationship in which large changes in phenotype occurred in the early stages of ramet development and stabilized thereafter. …

The Dickey Bird Scientists Take Charge: Science, Policy, And The Spotted Owl, Thomas R. Wellock

History Faculty Scholarship

In 1992, the Forest Service adopted a new operating policy, Ecosystem Management, which minimized the agency's timber production goals in favor of a more ecologically balanced view of its responsibilities. In explaining this shift, scholars have dismissed the possibility of internal reform, arguing that the Service could not change without irresistible external pressure from environmental activists and new public values supporting biodiversity. Viewing the Service's shift through the lens of the spotted owl controversy, however, demonstrates the important role agency culture played in instigating bureaucratic change. The Service's evolution stemmed from the rising influence of its scientists in policy formation. …

Theology And Ecology: Religious Belief And Environmental Stewardship, Gary C. Bryner

BYU Studies Quarterly

This article explores the potential role religious belief might play in U.S. environmental policy making. Careful environmental stewardship holds a prominent place in Mormon theology as it does among other faiths. It is helpful to know how religious groups are engaged in environmental policy making, the strengths and limitations of these efforts, and the prospects for religious-based contributions to environmental protection policies. The experience of other believers illuminates some of the choices members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints face when engaging in public debates over environmental policy.

War And Nature In Classical Athens And Today: Demoting And Restoring The Underground Goddesses, Judy Schavrien

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

A gendered analysis of social and religious values in 5th century BCE illuminates the Athenian

decline from democracy to bully empire, through pursuit of a faux virility. Using a feminist

hermeneutics of suspicion, the study contrasts two playwrights bookending the empire:

Aeschylus, who elevated the sky pantheon Olympians and demoted both actual Athenian

women and the Furies—deities linked to maternal ties and nature, and Sophocles, who granted

Oedipus, his maternal incest purified, an apotheosis in the Furies’ grove. The latter work,

presented at the Athenian tragic festival some 50 years after the first, advocated restoration

of respect for female flesh …

Ecology Of The Erotic In A Myth Of Inanna, Judy Grahn

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Myths of Mesopotamian Goddess Inanna, planet Venus in the ancient Sumerian pantheon, have

been useful in psychological processes of contemporary women. A lesser-known myth, “Inanna and

Shukaletuda,” includes sexual transgression against the deity and ties the deified erotic feminine

with fecundity and sacredness of fields and trees. Interpretation of Inanna’s love poems and poems of

nature’s justice contextualizes ecofeminist relevance to psychological issues. Deconstruction of rich

imagery illustrates menstrual power as female authority, erotic as a female aesthetic bringing order,

and transgender as sacred office of transformation. Meador’s (2000) interpretation of three Inanna

poems by a high priestess of ancient …

Ecological And Economic Analysis Of Planting Greenhouse Cucumbers With Anaerobic Fermentation Residues, N. Duan, C. Lin, R. Y. Gao, Y. Wang, J. H. Wang, J. Hou

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

In this study, the effect of different fertilizers on the nutritional quality, sanitaryquality and the yield of greenhouse cucumbers were analyzed by comparative experimentswith chemical fertilizer and anaerobic fermentation residues (biogas fertilizer). Particularlythe properties of bio-fertilizer and diseases and pests inhibition of biogas fertilizer weredemonstrated and its comprehensive benefits were evaluated. The results show that comparedwith chemical fertilizer, biogas fertilizer increased the dry matter, solids, reductive sugar, Vc,soluble protein of cucumbers by 4.62%, 4.08%, 29.05%, 20.83%, 10.85% respectively; thechlorophyll of leaf was 9.18% higher and the incidence of aphids and mildew 20% and 25%lower respectively. After calculation, the yield was …

Ecological And Economic Analysis Of Planting Greenhouse Cucumbers With Anaerobic Fermentation Residues, N. Duan, C. Lin, R. Y. Gao, Y. Wang, J. H. Wang, J. Hou

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

In this study, the effect of different fertilizers on the nutritional quality, sanitaryquality and the yield of greenhouse cucumbers were analyzed by comparative experimentswith chemical fertilizer and anaerobic fermentation residues (biogas fertilizer). Particularlythe properties of bio-fertilizer and diseases and pests inhibition of biogas fertilizer weredemonstrated and its comprehensive benefits were evaluated. The results show that comparedwith chemical fertilizer, biogas fertilizer increased the dry matter, solids, reductive sugar, Vc,soluble protein of cucumbers by 4.62%, 4.08%, 29.05%, 20.83%, 10.85% respectively; thechlorophyll of leaf was 9.18% higher and the incidence of aphids and mildew 20% and 25%lower respectively. After calculation, the yield was …

Genetic And Phenotypic Differentiation Between Winemaking And Wild Strains Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Katie Hyma

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Traditionally, Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been associated with wine, beer and bread production, yet wild strains have also been isolated from natural habitats. While all strains of S. cerevisiae as well as other Saccharomyces species are capable of wine fermentation, a genetically distinct group of S. cerevisiae strains is primarily used to produce wine. These strains exhibit an apparent genetic bottleneck, which led to the hypothesis that wine stains have been domesticated from `wild' natural strains. However, it is unknown whether the genetic bottleneck was accompanied by selection for phenotypic differences. In this study we tested for phenotypes correlated with the …

Seasonal Variation In Terrestrial Insect Subsidies To Tropical Streams And Implications For The Diet Of Rivulus Hartii, David C. Owens

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Terrestrial invertebrates subsidize fish diets in lotic ecosystems. Seasonality strongly influences terrestrial invertebrate abundance in temperate regions and alters their delivery to streams. Seasonal changes in the tropics are characterized by distinct wet and dry periods, with marked variation in invertebrate abundance. However, little is known about how these seasonal changes affect invertebrate subsidies and their ecological consequences for tropical streams. We measured the effect of rainfall and canopy density on terrestrial invertebrate falling input, as well as seasonal variation in falling input, benthic and drifting invertebrate, and Rivulus hartii (Hart’s Rivulus) diet composition during both the wet and dry …

A South County Almanac: Recollections And Observations Of The Outdoors In Southern Rhode Island, Nevan Richard

Senior Honors Projects

Since its publication in 1949, “A Sand County Almanac: With Sketches Here and There” has served as the benchmark for writing about the environment and nature. “Sand County” was written by famed environmentalist Aldo Leopold, who for most of his lifetime worked towards the conservation of wildlife and natural resources. In “Sand County,” Aldo Leopold recounts his experiences and observations in various essays and journal entries from his many years of living in Wisconsin, as well his travels across the North American continent. With its publication after Mr. Leopold’s death, it changed the face of the American conservation movement, later …

Bat Use Of Created And Natural Wetlands, Marcia L. Maslonek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Compensatory wetland mitigation is a common practice to account for wetland losses due to dredging and filling under the Clean Water Act, but successful replacement of function is rarely achieved. Small, isolated wetlands also receive no federal protection, and are usually not included in accounts of losses. Although latest reports show an increase in wetlands for the first time, this is due in large part to voluntary construction of open water ponds, while the loss of freshwater emergent wetlands continues to decline. Research on the wildlife functions of wetlands has focused on plants, invertebrates, avian or amphibian species. But wetlands …

Ecology And Relationships Of Rhabdias Spp. (Nematoda: Rhabdiasidae) From North American Amphibians And Reptiles, Gabriel J. Langford

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Lungworms of the cosmopolitan genus Rhabdias (Nematoda: Rhabdiasidae) are among the most common parasites of amphibians and squamate reptiles. The life cycles, life histories, host specificities, and evolutionary relationships of Rhabdias spp. were studied through examination of their free-living and parasitic stages in amphibians and reptiles. This study found free-living development of anuran lungworms was primarily limited to heterogonic reproduction, whereas snake lungworms primarily reproduced homogonically. Infective anuran lungworms penetrated the skin of frogs and toads; in contrast, snake lungworms penetrated snake esophageal tissue during per os infections. Our molecular phylogeny strongly supported separate clades for anuran and snake lungworms, …

Predicting Species Composition In An Eastern Hardwood Forest With The Use Of Digitally Derived Terrain Variables, Richard D. Flanigan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This thesis addresses the need for improved classification of remotely sensed imagery in the complex hardwood forests of West Virginia. A geographic information system (GIS) was used in conjunction with forest plot data to develop a model to predict species composition in the eastern hardwood forest of West Virginia. The study area was located on the West Virginia University Research Forest (WVURF) in northern West Virginia. Terrain variables including aspect, curvature and slope change drastically at a local scale within the forest to greatly influence species composition. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data was collected for the entire WVURF, which …