Digital Commons Network^™

Approaches To Modeling Pathogen And Natural Organic Matter Removals In Slow-Rate Biofilters, Jeffrey Dale Senders

Doctoral Dissertations

There are limited expressions capable of estimating removals in one of the world's oldest and most sustainable water treatment systems: slow-rate biofilters. This research addresses the problem by deriving semi-empirical models that predict pathogen and natural organic matter removals within these natural and engineered sand filters. The more complex pathogen model, or phenomenological colloidal filtration theory (pCFT), applies the 1937 Iwasaki solution to New England pilot scale E. coli observations. The derived pCFT was then calibrated through a series of experimental bench scale phases. Further pCFT validation came by way of a seamless application to multiple microorganisms. Viruses (MS2 as …

Bacterial Biodegradation Of Soluble Crude Oil Hydrocarbons And The Influence Of Protists In Simulated Arctic Seawater And Sea Ice, Heather Ballestero

Doctoral Dissertations

With expected increases in vessel traffic, drilling, and exploration for petroleum and natural gas, the potential for an Arctic oil spill is heightened, yet knowledge of contaminant fate and behavior is limited in this environment. With challenging conditions in the Arctic and limited equipment caches, response will be extremely difficult. In freezing conditions, oil may become encapsulated in ice. Understanding biodegradation potential in this environment can dictate response options for spills that occur in Arctic marine waters. The influence of protists on bacterial biodegradation of water accommodated fractions (WAF) of petroleum hydrocarbons is unknown, yet important because it could enhance …

Response Of Tree Growth And Water Use Efficiency To Climate And Nitrogen Deposition In A Temperate Deciduous Forest In The Northeastern Us, Katie Jennings

Master's Theses and Capstones

Nitrogen (N) deposition and climate change are altering tree growth and may have important consequences for water use in northeastern forests. Intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE), the trade-off between water loss and carbon fixed during photosynthesis, directly links forest carbon and water cycles. Dendrochronology and stable isotopes (delta13C and delta18O) were used to assess Quercus velutina growth and iWUE within a chronic N deposition experiment (20+ years of fertilization at low- and high-N rates). Fertilized trees exhibited sustained growth enhancement, with the greatest response observed for high-N trees. All fertilized trees improved their iWUE through increased photosynthetic rates, but was …

Valuation Of Ecosystem Services: The Case Of Orseg National Park, Hungary, Ildiko Losonci

Master's Theses and Capstones

A chronic lack of sufficient financial resources has prevented many protected area professionals from achieving adequate ecosystem protection. Using a case study of O&huml;rseg National Park in Hungary and the contingent valuation technique, we examined the relative importance of various ecosystem services to respondents, their WTP for these services, and the oath of honesty's effect on hypothetical bias.

Results from the intercept survey that was administered in the park in the summer of 2011 and filled out by 212 respondents show that visitors prefer the protection of the park's cultural monuments, and ecosystems services like local natural food, climate regulation …

Trace Metal Applications In Atmospheric And Watershed Dynamics: Case Studies Of Mercury Deposition In New England And Bedrock Groundwater-Surface Water Mixing, Melissa A. Lombard

Doctoral Dissertations

The studies presented in this dissertation focus on the environmental chemistry of two trace metals, mercury (Hg) and strontium (Sr). Both are naturally occurring and exist in the environment at trace levels.

Chapters II-IV of this dissertation focus on understanding the atmospheric chemistry of Hg and the wet and dry deposition of this toxic element. Chapter II presents results from Hg wet deposition measurements and ambient reactive gaseous Hg (RGM) measurements collected at Thompson Farm located in Durham, NH over a 3 year time period. The duration of this study allowed for seasonal and inter-annual comparisons. Seasonally, Hg wet deposition …

The Role Of Red-Backed Salamanders In Ecosystems, Daniel J. Hocking

Doctoral Dissertations

Ecosystems provide a vast array of services that benefit human societies, which can be divided into provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services. Amphibians provide provisioning services in the form of food and use in medical advances. As one of the major vertebrate groups, amphibians also play an important part in cultures throughout the world. Finally, amphibians can be extremely abundant and play important roles in ecosystem supporting services, including altering both physical structure and ecosystem functions. In aquatic systems, tadpoles can alter sedimentation, water clarity, and filamentous algae growth. Additionally, amphibians affect ecosystem functions, including nutrient cycling, decomposition, and primary …

A Multi-Temporal Image Analysis Of Habitat Modification In The Coastal Watershed, Nh, Meghan Graham Maclean

Doctoral Dissertations

Habitat modification has become a progressively important concern as human populations increase and urbanization continues to replace natural environments with anthropogenic landscapes. Habitat modification concerns both the loss and fragmentation of environments, and these actions can have profound effects on ecosystem function, including increasing the potential of invasion by exotic species in vulnerable landscapes. The Coastal Watershed of New Hampshire (NH) has seen a 52% growth in population over the last 30 years which has led to marked urbanization and land use change. However, little has been done to study current land cover types, levels of fragmentation, and how fragmentation …

Producing Science That Gets Used By Coastal Communities: What Funders Should Do To Link More Science With Decisions, Kalle Matso

Doctoral Dissertations

Many reports have noted that a significant portion of coastal science that is funded to help society address resource management issues does not actually link to decisions. Here, I report on 13 case studies involving new tools and science to help diverse decision makers better protect coastal resources. My qualitative analysis indicates that the programs' efforts to better link science with decisions have had varied results: some encouraging and some less so. In contrast, all 13 project case studies clearly confirm that the funding programs could have done more to link science with decisions. These case studies, combined with this …

Preparing For Climate Change In Three New England Coastal Communities: Lessons On Motivations, Approaches, And Outcomes, Chris Keeley

Master's Theses and Capstones

This case study research investigated three coastal communities in New England engaged in climate change adaptation. The research goals were to (1) Identify and describe the factors that prompt communities to plan for climate change impacts, (2) To elucidate the types of approaches taken by communities in planning for climate change impacts, and (3) To identify outcomes that transpire from engaging in climate adaptation. The major factors prompting climate adaptation included experience with extreme weather events, local leadership on climate change, and access to technical assistance. Each adaptation process was largely stakeholder-driven. The approaches varied and included utilizing local stories …

Effects Of Nitrogen Fertilization On Fungal Community Structure In A Temperate Hardwood Forest: Implicit Links Between Structure, Function And Resilience, Eric W. Morrison

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study documents soil fungal communities at the Harvard Forest Chronic Nitrogen Addition experiment, which was established in 1989 to test the effects of long-term nitrogen fertilization on ecosystem processes. Researchers at this site have observed an accumulation of soil carbon in the nitrogen fertilized plots and a decrease in fungal biomass, ligninolytic enzyme activity, and rates of litter decay. We hypothesized that decreased decomposition rates in nitrogen-fertilized plots were due to changes in the structure of the fungal community, especially Basidiomycetes, the primary decomposers of lignin in this ecosystem. We performed a marker gene study of fungal communities in …

The Effect Of In Vivo Pbde Treatment On Hepatic Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase (Pepck) Enzyme Kinetics In Male Wistar Rats, Jessica T. Nash

Master's Theses and Capstones

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are synthetic flame-retardant chemicals that enter the environment and mammalian body and may disrupt glucose metabolism. This study investigated the effect of PBDEs on a key gluconeogenic enzyme, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK). Forty-eight male Wistar rats were gavaged with corn oil or corn oil containing 14 mg/kg DE-71 for 3, 14 or 28 days (N = 8 per group). At each time point, fasting plasma glucose, insulin and C-peptide were measured and liver PEPCK enzyme activity was assayed. PBDEs significantly decreased PEPCK Vmax (mumol/min/g liver weight) at 3 days by 26%; this reduction persisted through 28 days. …

Assessing Social-Ecological Resilience And Adaptive Capacity In The Face Of Climate Change: An Examination Of Three Communities In The Crown Of The Continent Ecosystem, Bradley B. Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations

This research examines the social-ecological resilience and adaptive capacity of the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem through a suite of three case study communities and the impacts of climate change on the ecosystem's hydrologic regime. The Crown of the Continent Ecosystem spans the U.S.-Canadian border; case study communities composed of Kalispell and Choteau, Montana and Fernie, British Columbia fall on both sides of the border.

Primary data was gathered through a "bottom-up" qualitative approach utilizing an online survey followed by a semi-structured interview process with stakeholders in natural resource dependant industries and government at the local, state, and federal levels …

A Comparative Study Of Reactive Caps For Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocardons In Sediment, John D. Anderson

Master's Theses and Capstones

Some of the most common byproducts from industrial production and hydrocarbon combustion are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These compounds readily adsorb to lake and river sediment, and represent a significant problem to humans and the environment. Capping technologies work as physical barriers between the contamination in the sediment and the greater ecosystem. In this study, capping performance is analyzed based on the removal efficiency of two different organoclay-based treatments and a sand treatment, and the loading rate of PAHs onto the treatment materials. PAH loading rate and removal efficiency indicate the material's ability to sequester PAHs from the aqueous phase …

Building And Deployment Of An Automated, In Situ Greenhouse Gas Gas Chromatographic System, Andrew H. Hart

Master's Theses and Capstones

High-precision, continuous monitoring of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N 2O), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and the criteria pollutant carbon monoxide (CO), is important for characterizing their regional sources and sinks and understanding how their ambient levels are changing with time and associated anthropogenic activities. For monitoring this suite of gases, a fully automated gas chromatographic based analytical system was built and deployed in the field at the UNH AIRMAP Observing Station at Thompson Farm in Durham, NH. The instrument consists of a Shimadzu 17A gas chromatograph (GC), equipped with a Flame Ionization Detector and …

Optimized Identification Of Fecal Pollution Sources In A Rural Tidal Watershed In Coastal New Hampshire, Sana B. Hussain

Master's Theses and Capstones

Escherichia coli ribotyping was used to identify fecal contamination sources in Grommet Creek- a tidal creek that drains into Great Bay and contaminates shellfishing beds. Water samples were collected during late summer through late fall. Fecal samples were collected to establish a local source species database. Fecal indicator bacteria were enumerated from water samples and ribotyping was conducted by using EcoR1 restriction enzyme digestion and an automated RiboPrinter(c). There was consistent relative abundance between source types with wild animals and birds as the primary sources. An optimized approach for maximizing source identification involved using a 90% similarity threshold and prioritizing …

The Effects Of Historic Earthen Barriers On Northern New England Tital Marshes, Jordan W. Mora

Master's Theses and Capstones

Berms, defined as historic earthen barriers, represent one type of hydrological modification introduced by humans in the tidal marshes of northern New England. Three different research approaches were applied to study the impact of berms on various tidal marsh dynamics. The descriptive study shows that restricted flooding from berm interference can result in significantly altered physical gradients in addition to landward subsidence and pool development. The results from the transplant experiment indicate that the altered landward structure affects the relative importance of biological interactions, namely herbivory, in controlling plant species distribution. The predictive GIS analyses illustrate the location of 34 …

A Feasibility Study: Forest Carbon Stocks And Stock Change Of The White Mountain National Forest, Erica Jane Cate

Master's Theses and Capstones

Interest has heightened for forest managers to account for the impacts of management activities on forest carbon sequestration. This study was designed to assess the feasibility of developing estimates of WMNF forest carbon based on the available information. The yield curves, inventory data and resulting carbon projections were dependent on a number of assumptions and subject to various sources of error and bias. Thus, they should not be relied on as definitive estimates and forecasts, or used as a basis for policy recommendations. Under the specific approaches used in this study, forest carbon stocks appear to be accumulating in the …

Impacts Of Suburbanization On Food Web Stoichiometry Of Detritus-Based Streams, Nathaniel Burr Morse

Master's Theses and Capstones

Higher non-point source nutrient inputs are one of many impacts associated with the "urban stream syndrome". Research on how non-point source pollution affects the stoichiometry of urban stream food webs has received little attention, however. This study quantified food web stoichiometry in nine headwater, detritus-based streams draining forested or suburban watersheds in northeastern, coastal Massachusetts.

While this study suggests that suburbanization can affect in-stream nutrient recycling by consumers, research that quantifies changes to biomass of different in-stream compartments is needed to calculate the extent of such impacts on suburban stream ecosystems.

Land Development In Massachusetts: Its Effect On The Environment Within Essex And Middlesex Counties From 1990 To 2007, Peter Sean Tardie

Doctoral Dissertations

Since the 1970's urban centers in and surrounding Essex and Middlesex Counties in Massachusetts have expanded and proliferated into adjacent communities. This expansion has led to the conversion of land for housing, businesses, schools, recreation, and parks, placing significant strain on existing land cover, land use, and available natural resources. Mounting growth pressures and a reduction of undeveloped land have raised serious concerns as cropland and forest fragmentation, wetland destruction, protected open-space infringement, pollution, and systematic losses of rural conditions have become obvious. To monitor development, the post-classification change detection method was applied to Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite data …

Age And Age Structure Of An Invasive Plant, Lythrum Salicaria, Kimberly L. Therrien

Master's Theses and Capstones

My objective was to determine whether purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria L.) individuals could be aged using the pattern of ramet production. Assuming current year loosestrife ramets produce new basal ramets only in the following year, plant age could be estimated by counting ranks of sequentially produced ramets. I found that in four New Hampshire wetlands the assumptions of the method were generally met, although some ramets were not produced sequentially. Using ramet counts I was able to estimate minimum age for individuals in each of the four populations. All populations were dominated by individuals > 1 year old. I tested whether …

Variation In Foliar Nitrogen And Albedo In Response To Nitrogen Fertilization And Elevated Carbon Dioxide, Haley F. Wicklein

Master's Theses and Capstones

It has recently been demonstrated that foliar nitrogen is positively correlated with surface albedo over a broad range of plant functional types. However, the mechanism(s) driving the nitrogen-albedo relationship remain elusive. This study investigated leaf spectral properties from three deciduous species subjected to either nitrogen or CO2 fertilization and compared results to measured chemical and structural properties. We measured reflectance and transmittance, foliar nitrogen, leaf mass per unit area, water content, and d13C values for stacks of 1, 2, 4, and 8 leaves. Nitrogen was the best predictor of leaf-level albedo of the traits that we measured. There were no …

The Long Journey To Become 'The River Of National Unity': The Sao Francisco River Basin From 1940s To 2008 And The Interactions Of Environment, Government And Local Citizens, Lucigleide Nery Nascimento

Doctoral Dissertations

In its 2,700 kilometers north and then eastern journey to the Atlantic Ocean, the Sao Francisco River of Brazil drains eight percent of the nation's territory. The watershed is three and a half times the size of New England. This research investigates the impacts of the federal water resource management, or lack of it, on the riverine environment and on the life of the people who locally have depended on the ecosystem's services of the river during the 1940s--2008 timeframe. A new legal instrument, the 1997 Water Policy, introduced a novel form of management regarding public participation, policy goals and …

Effects Of Urbanization On The Size And Spatial Distribution Of Wetlands In New Hampshire, Katie Jacques

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study investigates the effects of land use change in the form of urbanization on the size and spatial distribution of wetlands in New Hampshire. I predict that with increased urbanization, the number of wetlands lost will rise, causing an increase in landscape fragmentation. Aerial photography, US Geological Survey topographic maps, National Agriculture Imagery Program imagery, hydrography and National Wetlands Inventory data layers were analyzed using GIS tools along four urban-rural gradient transects 5km by 25km in size. Each study area transect included urban, suburban and rural areas. This study identified the relationships between the urbanization level and the size …

Observations Of Nucleation-Mode Particle Events And Characterization Of Organic Atmospheric Particulate Matter At A Rural New England Site, Philip Fulton Place Jr.

Master's Theses and Capstones

Air quality of New England reflects air quality of the eastern United States and Canada because of transport from these areas to New England. Particle number (PN) concentration, size distribution, and composition were observed in the winter/spring period at a rural New England site (Thompson Farm). Thirteen PN events identified on the basis of increased PN above the site average were investigated, with the majority of events originating from clean northwestern air masses. Steady particle growth rates were observed for events ranging between 0.9 and 5.5 nm.

The organic composition of bulk aerosols were also investigated over a year (August …

Mycorrhizal Colonization And Nutrient Supply Rate Influence Elemental And Isotopic Tracers Of Calcium Cycling In Plant-Substrate Systems, Claire J. Hoff

Master's Theses and Capstones

Intraplant (root-foliage) fractionation of Ca isotopes and Ca/Sr were determined in Pinus sylvestris seedlings grown at different nutrient supply rates with or without ectomycorrhizal colonization. Foliar 44Ca/40Ca and Ca/Sr are uniformly higher than those of roots in individual seedlings, and these ratios in both foliage and roots differed significantly from those of nutrient sources. The measured offsets indicate that isotopic and trace element ratios can identify relative contributions from distinct calcium pools in terrestrial ecosystems. Furthermore, the results clearly show that fractionation of calcium isotopes and calcium from strontium in plants must be assessed in ecosystem-scale budgets and large watershed …

Tracking Bacterial Pollution In The Cains Brook/Mill Creek Watershed: Implications For Policy And Management, Aaron Kornbluth

Master's Theses and Capstones

Pathogenic fecal bacteria present a management challenge when they contaminate surface waters used by humans. This study examined the extent to which the ongoing Cains Brook/Mill Creek watershed restoration in Seabrook, NH has successfully characterized the problem of bacterial pollution and implemented mitigation practices. Guided by the policy sciences analytical framework, this study employed a policy implementation audit reviewing relevant bacteria source tracking data, interviews and online surveys as a means to triangulate multiple data sources. Results indicate that bacteria arise from multiple sources and impairments still exist, although bacteria levels were not generally high. Management activities have likely reduced …

Patterns Of Population Structure And Productivity In Saltmarsh Sparrows, Jennifer Walsh

Master's Theses and Capstones

The Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammodramus caudacutus) is one of the few species globally that is exclusively restricted to coastal wetlands. Despite the high vagility characteristic of avian species, the highly patchy distribution of tidal marshes can often lead to fine scale genetic structure in salt marsh obligates. To elucidate patterns of population structure, we investigated the degree of genetic differentiation among nine Saltmarsh Sparrow populations along the northeastern coastline of the United States. Although overall FST values were small (0.008), population substructuring was detected along with a positive correlation between geographic distance and genetic differentiation, suggesting that Ammodramus caudacutus follow an …

The Mental Demands Of Marine Ecosystem -Based Management: A Constructive Developmental Lens, Verna Gerard Delauer

Doctoral Dissertations

Ecosystem-based Management (EBM) is a relatively new and promising approach to the management of marine systems. EBM is holistic by seeking to include ail stakeholders affected by marine policy. Stakeholders may include individuals from ail levels of government, academia, environmental organizations, and marine-dependent businesses and industry. This dissertation lays out the substantive differences of marine EBM stakeholder engagement processes versus other, single sector processes. EBM processes are more complex than existing stakeholder engagement mechanisms, to sufficiently require a more sophisticated conceptual understanding of the process and the people involved. There are implicit cognitive, interpersonal, and intra-personal demands of EBM that …

A Wild Web: The Tangled History Of Attitudes Toward Wildlife In A Dynamic New England Culture, 1945--1985, Mary H. Hopkins

Doctoral Dissertations

Attitudes toward wildlife are considerably more complex than one might suspect. This dissertation started with a hypothesis that population growth would correlate with increasing negative attitudes toward wildlife, but historical evidence only partially supports this hypothesis. Information about the frequency and types of wildlife references appearing in newspapers between 1945 and 1985 was gathered from a systematic sampling of six New Hampshire newspapers that represented towns with differing growth trends. While analysis of quantitative data minimized any correlation between growth and negative attitudes, qualitative data from newspaper articles, archival sources, government reports, books and articles, and other sources provided evidence …

Sampling And Classification Of Tree Holes Within A Northeast Temperate Forest System, Colleen M. Didas

Master's Theses and Capstones

Tree holes are water filled depressions on trees and harbor macroinvertebrate communities; they often serve as microcosms in studies of population dynamics, competition, and fungal decay of leaf litter. Quantification of tree hole prevalence and incidence in forest stands is lacking in the current literature. This study examined factors influencing tree hole occurrence and the types and formations of tree holes in northeastern forest stands. Modeling was used to correct for non-detection and estimate the abundance of tree holes on a per-hectare basis. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to predict tree hole occurrence. Tree species, stand basal area, and diameter …