Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
- Discipline
-
- Environmental Sciences (26)
- Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment (14)
- Environmental Monitoring (12)
- Earth Sciences (9)
- Hydrology (6)
-
- Natural Resources and Conservation (6)
- Water Resource Management (4)
- Environmental Education (3)
- Life Sciences (3)
- Natural Resources Management and Policy (3)
- Soil Science (3)
- Sustainability (3)
- Agriculture (2)
- Forest Management (2)
- Forest Sciences (2)
- Other Environmental Sciences (2)
- Agricultural Education (1)
- Agronomy and Crop Sciences (1)
- Architecture (1)
- Education (1)
- Educational Methods (1)
- Environmental Design (1)
- Environmental Health and Protection (1)
- Environmental Law (1)
- Environmental Policy (1)
- Environmental Studies (1)
- Fruit Science (1)
- Indigenous Education (1)
- Laboratory and Basic Science Research (1)
- Keyword
-
- Soil health (3)
- Agriculture (2)
- Climate Change (2)
- Comsol (2)
- Drawdown (2)
-
- Environmental Justice (2)
- Environmental Justice Mapping (2)
- Estuary (2)
- Eutrophication (2)
- Groundwater (2)
- Guam (2)
- Mapping (2)
- Spatial Analysis (2)
- Stream depletion (2)
- Swanton Pacific Ranch (2)
- AMF (1)
- Above and Belowground Plant Biomass (1)
- Adoption (1)
- Agroecology (1)
- Agroforestry (1)
- Bar-built estuaries (1)
- Beavers (1)
- Beer (1)
- Benthic macroinvertebrates (1)
- Benthic macroinvertebratesm water quality (1)
- Bioassessment (1)
- Biodegradation (1)
- Bioplastic (1)
- Building materials (1)
- Burn Severity (1)
Articles 1 - 30 of 32
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Water Quality Assessment For San Luis Obispo Creek And Stenner Creek, Brent Flemmer
Water Quality Assessment For San Luis Obispo Creek And Stenner Creek, Brent Flemmer
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Water quality was assessed in five stream segments in San Luis Obispo and Stenner Creeks in Spring of 2023. Two of the five sites were located along San Luis Obispo Creek, and three located along Stenner Creek. Criteria to evaluate these aquatic systems was provided by the Standard Operating Procedures of the Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program, formulated by the State Water Resources Control Board. These procedures describe the methodology surrounding the collection of chemical, physical, and biological parameters of stream systems; streamflow, substrate, flow habitat, chemical water quality, and benthic macroinvertebrates are some of the criteria collected that allows …
Soil Burn Severity And Environmental Covariate Effects On Soil Health Two Years Postfire In The Sierra Nevada, Julie A. Lewis
Soil Burn Severity And Environmental Covariate Effects On Soil Health Two Years Postfire In The Sierra Nevada, Julie A. Lewis
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Wildfires have been steadily increasing in both size and severity in recent decades. This global trend is most evident in California, especially the North Coast and Sierra Nevada. Although these trends are rising, there is little known about the effects of these wildfires on forest soils. Soil is the 2nd largest C sink on the planet, and the largest terrestrial bank. Without understanding the implication of rising wildfire severities on these soils, we cannot understand how to help protect this resource in the future. Due to the rapid increase in wildfire size and intensity, there is little known about the …
Effects Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculation And Cover Crop On Soil Carbon Dynamics And Microbial Communities In A Mediterranean Lemon Orchard., Anna Rodriguez-Paiatsyka
Effects Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculation And Cover Crop On Soil Carbon Dynamics And Microbial Communities In A Mediterranean Lemon Orchard., Anna Rodriguez-Paiatsyka
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Plant-associated fungi such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have the potential to sequester carbon (C), improve soil aggregation, and promote plant health. Due to multiple benefits of AMF to plant and soil health, AMF has gained much attention leading to a rapidly expanding market in mycorrhizal bio-stimulants intended to improve crop yield, root development, and soil health in horticultural crops, including citrus. However, there is limited information on how to inoculate a mature citrus orchard, and how inoculation of a mature orchard with AMF affects C sequestration. In this study, we planted a cover crop inoculated with AMF in a …
Using Remote Sensing To Determine Riparian Resilience In Beaver Dammed Versus Un-Dammed Corridors Following Whiplash Weather, Sophie Charlotte Valérie Aubry
Using Remote Sensing To Determine Riparian Resilience In Beaver Dammed Versus Un-Dammed Corridors Following Whiplash Weather, Sophie Charlotte Valérie Aubry
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Beaver complexes slow and store water allowing for riparian growth which in turn fosters biodiversity, retains carbon, and enhances resistance to fires and drought. Given the benefits associated with beaver complexes and the potential they have for climate mitigation, California hopes to reintroduce beavers and restore their habitat throughout the state. However, the impact of high peak flow events on beaver complexes and their adjacent riparian corridors is less understood and requires more documentation at various spatial scales. To better understand the potential beavers may have as climate change mitigators it is important to understand beaver complex resiliency following a …
Assessing Environmental Impact Of The Built Environment By Adopting Life Cycle Design: Using Swanton Pacific Ranch As A Case Study, Hope E. Springer
Assessing Environmental Impact Of The Built Environment By Adopting Life Cycle Design: Using Swanton Pacific Ranch As A Case Study, Hope E. Springer
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
To combat the carbon emissions contributed to the atmosphere by the built environment, it is imperative that low-embodied-carbon materials choices be prioritized throughout the building design process. To achieve this, this professional project creates an Excel-based, open source, and user-friendly tool for the construction sector to make design decisions that prioritize the sustainability of structures, as one such tool does not currently exist. The use of OpenLCA software and the EcoInvent34 database are utilized to calculate the environmental impact of 25 different building materials, as well as energy and electricity consumption. Swanton Pacific Ranch (SPR) in Santa Cruz County is …
Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Fire Behavior Impacts Following California Fuel Treatments, Lindsay M. Senechal
Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Fire Behavior Impacts Following California Fuel Treatments, Lindsay M. Senechal
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Fuel treatments are being increasingly applied across California landscapes as communities struggle to recover from wildfire disasters nationwide. Increased funding for treatments stems from grants under CARB’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and funding requires reports accounting the yielded benefits from these fuel treatments. Using data from real-world local scale fuel treatments, I used the forest simulation model FVSFEE and fire behavior software IFTDSS to quantify GHG emission benefits and fire behavior impacts 70 years after treatment. Results suggest that fuel treatments do not yield significant GHG benefits, and fire behavior impacts (conditional flame length) are minimal but overall show slight …
The Methods Of Communication And Education Used To Train Forest And Fire Personnel Through The Swanton Pacific Ranch, Christine Brittney Johnson
The Methods Of Communication And Education Used To Train Forest And Fire Personnel Through The Swanton Pacific Ranch, Christine Brittney Johnson
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
California does not have a cohesive curriculum for educating and training forest and fire professionals. The Swanton Pacific Ranch Fuels Management Training Program is Cal Fire affiliated and provides online and in person training to assist in equipping fire and forest professionals throughout California with the necessary skills to be successful fire and forest practitioners and managers. An exit survey was offered to all workshop participants after the Swanton workshop concluded. The survey was answered by 331 Swanton workshop participants to assess the effectiveness of the training program, the educational practices used to teach participants, and what factors of a …
Environmental Controls On Soil Organic Matter Fractions In Post-Fire Landscapes, Alexis Heuer
Environmental Controls On Soil Organic Matter Fractions In Post-Fire Landscapes, Alexis Heuer
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
In the past few decades, the world’s climate is being altered by anthropogenic forces such as the increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions due to fossil fuel combustion (Paraschiv and Paraschiv, 2020). In California, the impacts of increased CO2 concentrations have created longer fire seasons, warmer temperatures, and increased lightning strikes which allow for wildfires to become more frequent, severe, and larger in scale (Westerling et al., 2006). Wildfires of this magnitude result in acceleration of landscape scale processes such as erosion and aggregation which in turn affects soil organic matter (SOM), the basis of soil health (Gonz´alez-P´erez et al., …
Establishing A Monitoring Framework To Evaluate Impacts Of Grazing Exclusion And Inform Restoration At Santa Rita Ranch, Annie Booth, Annie Booth
Establishing A Monitoring Framework To Evaluate Impacts Of Grazing Exclusion And Inform Restoration At Santa Rita Ranch, Annie Booth, Annie Booth
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Santa Rita Ranch is a 1,750-acre cattle ranch in Templeton, California, that was privately owned and continuously grazed for the past 70 years. In 2021, The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo (LCSLO) acquired the property, and in the winter of 2022, they built a fence that bisects the ranch, excluding the cattle from 800 acres to preserve the riparian habitat. The LCSLO is currently defining the ecological baseline for the ranch to inform future management decisions. Given that cattle grazing has many environmental tradeoffs, they wanted to establish a long-term monitoring study to understand how relieving the pressures of …
Fire Effects On Soil Organic Matter In The Creek Fire, Gracie E. Doolin
Fire Effects On Soil Organic Matter In The Creek Fire, Gracie E. Doolin
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Wildfires have increased in frequency and severity over the past few decades due to the increased concertation of CO2 emissions from anthropogenic influence. Soil carbon (C) sequestration has been identified as a climate change mitigation strategy; however, the influx of large-scale wildfires has accelerated landscape processes such as erosion, reducing soil aggradation, and soil C and nitrogen (N) protection. This trend is highlighted by the Creek Fire that occurred in September 2020 and burned 379,895 acres in the Sierra National Forest. This research is designed to close the knowledge gap regarding the impact of burn severity on soil organic matter …
Identifying The Stream Depletion Paradox By Monitoring A Stream’S Response To Aquifer Pumping From Neighboring Wells, James Klueber
Identifying The Stream Depletion Paradox By Monitoring A Stream’S Response To Aquifer Pumping From Neighboring Wells, James Klueber
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Current groundwater models utilize a constant head (Dirichlet) boundary condition which assumes stream stage is fixed and does not experience any drawdown in the event of pumping from an interconnected aquifer despite the presence of stream depletion. Therefore, constant head boundary implies that streams and lakes in a groundwater model behave as an infinite supply of water when aquifer pumping occurs. This study aimed to determine if a stream located in the California Central Coast experiences drawdown and depletion when pumping occurs within an aquifer-stream system. This was achieved by measuring stream stage, aquifer water levels, stream discharge, and the …
Pumping-Induced Drawdown Of Streams In Proximity To Agricultural Wells, Sara Alina Sternberg
Pumping-Induced Drawdown Of Streams In Proximity To Agricultural Wells, Sara Alina Sternberg
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
In the context of unprecedented drought and aquifer overdraft in California, understanding surface water and groundwater connectivity have become increasingly important. While there is a clear understanding of how wells induce drawdown in aquifers (Theis, 1935; Hantush, 1965), secondary effects on local streams have not fully been considered. Current mathematical models targeting aquifer drawdown do not address stream drawdown response in aquifer-stream systems with strong connectivity; instead, they assume the stream to be a constant head boundary. In the drought-stricken and summer-dry climate of California, streams often run dry for months out of the year, which is currently not reflected …
Analysis And Installation Of A Demonstration Agroforestry Orchard For Californian Mediterranean Plant Communities, Brandon Hurd
Analysis And Installation Of A Demonstration Agroforestry Orchard For Californian Mediterranean Plant Communities, Brandon Hurd
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Climate-appropriate agroforestry can provide low-input food security and ecosystem services for local Californian Mediterranean climates, while conserving natural resources (e.g., water, nitrogen, etc.). This project showcases a variety of agroforestry methods for five common plant communities of California and other analogous Mediterranean climates at the CAFES Experimental Farm on the campus of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Plant community species and their ethnobotanical uses were analyzed to mimic and incorporate aspects of native flora. Agricultural plants were also characterized to represent each of the five selected plant communities. GIS was used to assess the project site for soil, slope, and …
Assessing The Effectiveness Of Climate Change Science Communication In An Online Carbon Footprint Assessment, Jack Dimmock
Assessing The Effectiveness Of Climate Change Science Communication In An Online Carbon Footprint Assessment, Jack Dimmock
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Climate change literacy and knowledge are influential in enabling people to take climate change mitigation and adaptation actions. Education about climate change usually takes place through two avenues, formal education and informal institutions, such as museums, television shows, and websites. To help residents reduce their household greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the local impacts of climate change, the San Luis Obispo Climate Coalition is using the carbon footprint website Bright Action (https://resilientslo.org). Bright Action calculates household carbon footprints, suggests ways to reduce carbon footprints, and provides educational material about climate change mitigation and adaptation. This study seeks to assess …
A Cradle-To-Gate Life Cycle Assessment Of American Hops In The Craft Beer Supply Chain, Carson Bristol
A Cradle-To-Gate Life Cycle Assessment Of American Hops In The Craft Beer Supply Chain, Carson Bristol
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
The hop industry represents a culturally and economically significant industry in the United States due to the product’s significant role in the beer industry, but little is known about the environmental impacts associated with hop production. There exists a significant lack of specific research quantifying the emissions contribution of hop production, and the work that has been done lacks consensus in the scientific community. In an effort to overcome this, this study conducts a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) of aroma hop production broken into four phases, beginning with propagation of seedlings by tissue culture and ending with packaged T-90 …
Water Quality Assessment For San Luis Obispo Creek And Stenner Creek, Jesse Stewart
Water Quality Assessment For San Luis Obispo Creek And Stenner Creek, Jesse Stewart
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Water quality was assessed in five stream segments in San Luis Obispo Creek and its tributary Stenner Creek in spring 2022. Two sites were selected along the San Luis Obispo Creek, and three sites along Stenner Creek. The stream segments were evaluated using the Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program’s procedures for bioassessment of California streams. This procedure describes the collection of physical, chemical, and biological parameters including streamflow, substrate, flow habitat, and benthic macroinvertebrates toward a quantification of a California Stream Condition Index (CSCI). The California Polytechnic State University: San Luis Obispo, Stream Measurements and Water Quality course provided student …
Impacts Of Fertility On Physiological Stress, Photosynthetic Activity, And Crop Development In Salanova Lettuce, Sarah I. Miller
Impacts Of Fertility On Physiological Stress, Photosynthetic Activity, And Crop Development In Salanova Lettuce, Sarah I. Miller
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
The agricultural industry is one of the main drivers of soil degradation due to conventional crop production methods and overuse of soil which results in accelerated erosion, loss of soil fertility, acidification, and salinization (Lal, 2015). Loss of soil fertility from degradation can be detrimental to crop production as plants grown under nutrient limited conditions show signs of physiological stress and reduced photosynthetic rates leading to reduced yields (Zangani et al., 2021). Organic crop production and fertilizers are viable alternatives to conventional methods as they improve soil fertility and the physiological and biological properties of soil (Ilahi et al., 2021). …
Barriers And Motivations To Residential Pro-Environmental Actions In San Luis Obispo, Dalis Rae De La Mora
Barriers And Motivations To Residential Pro-Environmental Actions In San Luis Obispo, Dalis Rae De La Mora
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Carbon neutrality has become an important focus for many municipalities, with the inclusion of mitigation measures targeted at the residential sector becoming increasingly prominent for the implementation of climate action plans (CAPs). However, many analyses fall short in identifying the barriers and motivations faced by residents to adopting pro-environmental actions in their daily lives, focusing instead on the available actions themselves. This research aims to identify both the barriers and motivations to adopting pro-environmental behaviors and assess their relationship(s) to key demographic variables, along with climate change perceptions. Using the city of San Luis Obispo (SLO) as a case study, …
Environmental Justice Mapping In The U.S. Pacific Island Territory Of Guam, Ben Rocha
Environmental Justice Mapping In The U.S. Pacific Island Territory Of Guam, Ben Rocha
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Academics, regulators, and the public currently use geospatial analysis tools to identify locations that may be candidates for further environmental justice review in the continental United States (U.S.). However, current environmental justice geospatial analysis tools overlook a small but significant portion of the U.S. - the U.S. Pacific Islands. This study analyzes environmental justice within the U.S. Territory of Guam using existing geospatial analysis methods and publicly available environmental, climate, and socio-economic data to: (1) Spatially map relevant demographic and environmental data and (2) determine the correlation, if any, between the exposure to environmental hazards and the socio-economic status of …
Vermicompost Versus Traditional Compost Amendments Leads To Different Soil Health Outcomes In A Mediterranean Vineyard, Elizabeth L. Luck
Vermicompost Versus Traditional Compost Amendments Leads To Different Soil Health Outcomes In A Mediterranean Vineyard, Elizabeth L. Luck
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Compost application has become a common practice in vineyard management to increase soil and crop health, however, the environmental externalities such as greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from cropping systems that utilize organic fertilizers, such as compost, is uncertain. Vermicompost, which is compost created through the digestion of organic matter by earthworms, and its related ‘extract’ are commonly thought to provide more benefits for soil and crop health compared to standard compost. However, organic fertilizers such as vermicompost, vermicompost extract, and compost have not been compared in their effects on soil health in Mediterranean vineyards. In this two-year study, I assessed …
Environmental Justice Mapping In The U.S. Pacific Island Territory Of Guam, Sina Schwenk-Mueller
Environmental Justice Mapping In The U.S. Pacific Island Territory Of Guam, Sina Schwenk-Mueller
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Academics, regulators, and the public currently use geospatial analysis tools to identify locations that may be candidates for further environmental justice review in the continental United States (U.S.). However, current environmental justice geospatial analysis tools overlook a small but significant portion of the U.S. - the U.S. Pacific Islands. This study analyzes environmental justice within the U.S. Territory of Guam using existing geospatial analysis methods and publicly available environmental, climate, and socio-economic data. This research aims to: (1) spatially map relevant demographic, environmental, and climate data and (2) determine the correlation, if any, between the exposure to environmental hazards, climate …
Measuring Hydraulic Conductivity Using Flexible Walled Permeameter And Astm Method D5084, Bradon Povah
Measuring Hydraulic Conductivity Using Flexible Walled Permeameter And Astm Method D5084, Bradon Povah
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
This project is a guide that details the protocol synthesized from the ASTM D5084-16a method, the Humboldt control panel manual, and the time spent learning the intricacies of the Permeability Cell instrument.
Assessing The Water Quality Of Three Bar-Built Estuaries In The Central Coast Of California, Micaelina Sarmiento Martinez
Assessing The Water Quality Of Three Bar-Built Estuaries In The Central Coast Of California, Micaelina Sarmiento Martinez
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Estuaries are coastal confluences with innumerable ecosystem services. With the continuous change in land use including the increasing number of people moving to live in coastal areas and on-going agricultural operations, these coastal systems are being adversely impacted. Climate change is also negatively affecting estuaries. Subsequently, this research study assessed the water quality, monthly, at three different locations of three bar-built estuaries in the Central Coast of California. Water quality was evaluated by the change in chlorophyll-a, nitrogen, phosphorus, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and specific conductivity over the course of 19 months. The eutrophication potential and the role of open …
Bioplastics In The Consumer Market, Elena Strom
Bioplastics In The Consumer Market, Elena Strom
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
The global production and mismanagement of plastic has led to plastics deposited and scatted across marine environments. Conventional plastic, which most Americans encounter every day, is produced from fossil fuels and lacks the ability to fully break down upon disposal, breaking down into microplastics that can remain in the natural environment for hundreds of years. Moving away from petroleum-based plastics could lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and decrease plastic particles in the ocean. Based on existing literature, there are three biopolymers that could serve as replacements to conventional plastics in the marketplace. These biopolymers are seen as …
A Comparative Review Of Cell-Based Mariculture And Conventional Seafood Life Cycle Assesments, Kyle Rathbone
A Comparative Review Of Cell-Based Mariculture And Conventional Seafood Life Cycle Assesments, Kyle Rathbone
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
The global fishing and aquaculture industries inflict significant environmental impacts on our planet’s oceans. The overfishing, pollution, and environmental degradation currently caused by these industries threatens the sustainability of marine ecological and industrial systems. Despite this, demand for seafood is expected to rise in the coming decades to service the growing global population with nutrient-rich foods. The difficulty in reconciling the need for drastic improvements in marine sustainability and the need to continue meeting global seafood demand has produced an interest in alternative solutions to seafood production. The emerging cell-based foods industry may hold the potential to produce seafood products …
An Evaluation Of The Central Coast Rangeland Coalition: Trust And Other Factors Important For Collaborative Conservation, Dustin Tran
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
The proliferation of collaborative partnerships across the western United States and the lack of tools and protocols to evaluate them have been well documented. As the number and types (conservation-based, policy actions, information sharing) of collaboratives rises, there is a need for research that aims to evaluate these partnerships' performance and collaborative process considering their importance and potential to solve complex ecological, economic, and social problems. This study aims to contribute to this pool of research by interviewing the Steering Committee (SC) members of the Central Coast Rangeland Coalition (CCRC), a volunteer-based and information-sharing rangeland collaborative coalition. We evaluate and …
Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) Populatin Delcine In Morro Bay, Ca: A Meta-Analysis Of Herbicide Application In San Luis Obispo County And Morro Bay Watershed, Tyler Sinnott
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
The endemic eelgrass (Zostera marina) community of Morro Bay Estuary, located on the central coast of California, has experienced an estimated decline of 95% in occupied area (reduction of 344 acres to 20 acres) from 2008 to 2017 for reasons that are not yet definitively clear. One possible driver of degradation, that has yet to be investigated is the role of herbicides from agricultural fields in the watershed that feeds into the estuary. Thus, the primary research goal of this project was to better understand temporal and spatial trends of herbicide use within the context of San Luis Obispo (SLO) …
A Hydrologic Model Of The Northern Limb Of The San Luis Obispo Valley Aquifer By Use Of Comsol Multiphysics® Simulation Software, Claire Momberger
A Hydrologic Model Of The Northern Limb Of The San Luis Obispo Valley Aquifer By Use Of Comsol Multiphysics® Simulation Software, Claire Momberger
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
The passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in 2014 by the State of California was the first of its kind in the State’s history to legislate the management of groundwater resources. This legislation is state-governed but locally and regionally implemented. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act requires local water management agencies to create their own sustainable management plans for groundwater resources that meet state-defined sustainability goals 20 years after implementation. Such plans require hydrologic conceptual models that describe flow within the groundwater basin setting, predict use, and anticipate demand. The high-level detail of the hydrologic conceptual models requires the power …
Observing And Measuring Water Quality Of Central California Estuaries For Steelhead Trout (Onchorynchus Mykiss), Charles Alexander Taylor
Observing And Measuring Water Quality Of Central California Estuaries For Steelhead Trout (Onchorynchus Mykiss), Charles Alexander Taylor
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Estuaries support abundant biodiversity but are threatened by anthropogenic influences making it a priority to effectively monitor water quality to identify if and when it becomes detrimental to aquatic life. The purpose of the study was to analyze water quality in local San Luis Obispo estuaries to measure baseline conditions to inform future studies and management and to identify if key water quality parameters such as dissolved oxygen or temperature result in stressful or lethal conditions for steelhead trout (Onchorynchus mykiss). An EXO1 multiparameter snode (probe) was used to measure dissolved oxygen (mg/l), temperature (in Celsius), conductivity (Us/cm), salinity (parts …
Influences Of Conservation Farming Practice Adoption Amongst Vineyards On The Central Coast Of California, Jazlyn Guerrero
Influences Of Conservation Farming Practice Adoption Amongst Vineyards On The Central Coast Of California, Jazlyn Guerrero
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects
Farming practices will require changes to reduce crop sensitivity to climate change, which is projected to cause extreme heat events, variable precipitation, extended periods of drought, and increasing presence of pest and disease. Conservation agricultural practices build farm resiliency to climate impacts by improving soil health, reducing erosion and sediment runoff, and improving water infiltration. Literature on the adoption of conservation agriculture practices find no universal factors that indicate adoption of practices but suggest that the adoption of practices can be better understood by investigating practices specific variables and farm level characteristics and their implications on adoption. Our objective is …