Life Sciences Commons^™

Lyme Disease In The Northeast: The Unintended Consequence Of Suburban Development, Hayden Neubert

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper addresses the role of suburban development in the suburbs of the Northeastern United States in increasing human Lyme disease infection. Over the past 50 years, Lyme disease has become the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. In 2021, the two states with the most Lyme disease cases were New York and New Jersey, with a collective 6,524 cases, with Connecticut still representing 541 total cases. It is not a coincidence that case numbers are concentrated in suburban areas with high forest fragmentation. Chapter 1 of this essay analyzes how human land development disrupts bioregulatory ecosystem actors …

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Prosperity: Harnessing Traditional Ecological Knowledge To Revitalize Australia's Economy, Environment, And Human Wellbeing, Annabelle L. Baulch

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper explores the traditional knowledge of Australia’s Indigenous people and how it can improve Australia's environment, health, and economic prosperity to shape a more sustainable future. Indigenous Australians managed the land for thousands of years; however, being forced off the land following European colonization resulted in terrible cultural, social, and environmental disruption for Aboriginal Australians and made conservation efforts difficult. Wildfires, imported species, mining, and agriculture is steadily destroying the Australian ecosystem, contributing to climate change, species extinction, and gaps in our cultural and ancestral knowledge. Chapter One overviews Australia's environmental issues; it uses quantitative data to explore the …

Reef Ecosystem Conservation For The Hawaiian Islands: The Impacts Of Ocean Warming And Acidification On Benthic Reef Populations, Samantha Roberts

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper explores the anthropogenic effects of rapid climate change and ocean acidification on benthic coral populations along the Hawaiian archipelago. Moreover, the reliance of Hawaiian coastal communities on coral reefs for sustenance and economic prosperity is evaluated to determine the importance of reef ecosystem conservation for the prosperity of Hawaii. Chapter 1 introduces the importance of coral and supplies quantitative data on declining coral populations traditional to Hawaii, as a result of ocean warming and acidification. Empirical data from prior, prominent studies, combined with my own, will be discussed. Chapter 2 outlines the ecology of Hawaiian reef ecosystems, the …

Microplastics In The Big Apple: A Look Into Plastic Pollution Of New York City Waters, Taina Colon

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper addresses the issue of the presence of microplastics in NYC waters and how existing policy, in combination with a lack of research, fails to acknowledge the risk and harm of this type of pollution. Additionally, it presents the Bronx River as an example of a specific body of water in New York City and employs the following disciplines to analyze microplastic pollution. Chapter 1 uses ecological research to define microplastic pollution and discuss how this type of pollution is a problem far more vast and complicated than it is widely considered to be. Chapter 2 delves into environmental …

A New Ectotherm 3d Tracking And Behavior Analytics System Using A Depth-Based Approach With Color Validation, With Preliminary Data On Kihansi Spray Toad (Nectophrynoides Asperginis) Activity, Philip Bal, Damian Lyons, Avishai Shuter

Faculty Publications

The Kihansi spray toad (Nectophrynoides asperginis), classified as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN, is being bred at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Bronx Zoo as part of an effort to successfully reintroduce the species into the wild. Thousands of toads live at the Bronx Zoo presenting an opportunity to learn more about their behaviors for the first time, at scale. It is impractical to perform manual observations for long periods of time. This paper reports on the development of a RGB-D tracking and analytics approach that allows researchers to accurately and efficiently gather information about the toads’ behavior. …

Radical Botany: Plants And Speculative Fiction [Table Of Contents], Natania Meeker, Antónia Szabari

Literature

No abstract provided.

Radical Social Ecology As Deep Pragmatism: A Call To The Abolition Of Systemic Dissonance And The Minimization Of Entropic Chaos, Arielle Brender

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper aims to shed light on the dissonance caused by the superimposition of Dominant Human Systems on Natural Systems. I highlight the synthetic nature of Dominant Human Systems as egoic and linguistic phenomenon manufactured by a mere portion of the human population, which renders them inherently oppressive unto peoples and landscapes whose wisdom were barred from the design process. In pursuing a radical pragmatic approach to mending the simultaneous oppression and destruction of the human being and the earth, I highlight the necessity of minimizing entropic chaos caused by excess energy expenditure, an essential feature of systems that aim …

Mitigating Bioiversity Loss Of Native Plants, Jamie Ana Grigonis

Student Theses 2015-Present

Growing up harvesting from my own vegetable garden and going from nursery to nursery with my mother, it has been extremely evident that plant biodiversity is more than just privet along driveways and carnations in window boxes. Plant biodiversity is often overlooked but crucial to having a healthy and thriving environment. Without certain plants, our ecosystems will crumble and this needs to be addressed now while it’s still at a level we can grow from. In my internship I am working alongside the director of the Thain Family Forest at the New York Botanical Gardens in order to get a …

Philosophy Bakes No Bread, Babette Babich

Articles and Chapters in Academic Book Collections

Philosophy Bakes No Bread

Far from baking bread, far from practical applicability, philosophy traditionally sought to explain the world, ideally so. Thus, when Marx argued that it was high time philosophy “change the world,” his was a revolutionary challenge. Today, philosophy is an analytic affair and analytic philosophers seek less to explain the world than to squirrel out arguments or, more descriptively, to resolve the minutiae of this or that name problem. Faced with diminishing student demand, analytic philosophers have taken to urging that everyone from primary school students to scientists be required to study (analytic) philosophy. Just so, applied …

Spatially-Dependent Biotic And Abiotic Factors Drive Survivorship And Physical Structure Of Green Roof Vegetation, Jason Aloisio

Student Publications

Plant survivorship depends on biotic and abiotic factors that vary at local and regional scales. This survivorship, in turn, has cascading effects on community composition and the physical structure of vegetation. Survivorship of native plant species is variable among populations planted in environmentally stressful habitats like urban roofs, but the degree to which factors at different spatial scales affect survivorship in urban systems is not well understood. We evaluated the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on survivorship, composition and physical structure of two native perennial species assemblages, one characterized by a mixture of C₄ grasses and forbs (Hempstead …

The Gowanus Canal: Delving Into The Murky And Mysterious Waters Of Brooklyn’S Toxic Canal, Victoria L. Von Ancken

Student Theses 2015-Present

Like many environmental issues we face today, the Gowanus Canal began as a hopeful tale. It was envisioned as a promising cargo transportation waterway in Brooklyn, New York. However, due to reckless planning with little thought for the future, the canal slowly began to have a negative effect on its surrounding landscape and community, as well as abandoning its initial purpose, and ultimately sitting stagnant in the neighborhood. Today, the canal is a large environmental problem we face and is in great need of cleanup. The canal is a prime example of a lack of planning and consequential detrimental effects …

Fishing For A Sustainable Future: Aquaponics As A Method Of Food Production, Richard Ramsundar

Student Theses 2015-Present

This thesis compares and explains the advantages aquaponics farming has over modern industrial intensive farming. Through a comparison natural capital usage, conservation, recycling and cost, the thesis advocates for the expansion of aquaponics usage in urban settings. The thesis also explains the history of intensive farming and aquaponics in America, the science of how aquaponics operates, the economic and environmental costs of modern intensive farming versus aquaponics farming, and the social implications of aquaponics. Lastly, I propose a policy that reallocates farm subsidies by modifying the Farm Bill. Then I propose policies that support creating a new standard of farm …

Water Water Everywhere: Analyzing Long Island's Water Issues And Finding Solutions For A Sustainable Future, Anthony T. Becker

2014 Student Theses

Over three million people call Long Island their home. With access to beautiful landscapes, world-renowned beaches, and proximity to New York City, it is no wonder that so many proudly call this geographic stretch of glacial till their home. However, throughout the years our actions do not necessarily reflect this affection we have to our home. Years of sprawl and human infestation across the island have resulted in widespread environmental degradation. Specifically, the water we drink and the beaches we enjoy have become endangered. I plan on studying the urban ecology of how intensified population growth led to the eutrophication …

Nietzsche And Darwin, Babette Babich

Working Papers

Abstract

I argue against the popular view of Nietzsche as Darwinist and I concur with other Nietzsche scholars who have also noted that other authors worked in Nietzsche’s thinking in association with Darwin, not only Spencer and Malthus but also Roux and Haeckel among others which also for Nietzsche included Empedocles and other ancient scientists. Nietzsche offers plain condemnation of Darwin’s views but he is also often associated with Darwin owing to Darwin’s racism and his own vision of rank-order. I conclude with an emphasis on style and Nietzsche’s reading of antiquity to highlight the distinction he sought to make …