Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Examining Patterns And Drivers Of Spatial And Temporal Variability In Playa Hydroperiod In The High Plains Region Of Western Kansas, Luis Lepe

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Playa wetlands are some of the most important natural features of the High Plains of the central United States. Playas provide a range of ecosystem services such as groundwater recharge, surface water storage, and wetland habitat. However, playa functions are declining due to land cover change, climate change, and playa and watershed modifications. There are only a few studies that have examined the variability and controls on playa water storage. This project aims to determine how playa and watershed morphology, watershed land cover, and precipitation patterns affect timing and duration of water storage in 92 playas distributed throughout a 10-county …

Characterizing Minneopa State Park Visitor’S Prairie Attitudes, Views Of Conservation And Knowledge Through The Development And Implementation Of The Prairie Attitude And Knowledge Survey (Paks), Addeline R. Theis

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

For successful conservation and the continuation of restoration projects, public understanding, acceptance and support are essential. While research into public views related to restoration exist but large gaps remain. Studies examining attitudes related to conservation are limited and even fewer studies investigate these constructs in relation to demographic, societal or cultural factors; even fewer of these studies focus on prairies. Tall-grass prairies were once a dominate biome in Minnesota but now are an endangered ecosystem. While conservation is occurring throughout Minnesota to restore and create new prairies, there is lack of information examining the relationship of prairie restoration and the …

Predicting Invasive Carp Habitat Suitability In The Minnesota River, Minnesota, Melissa Oubre

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Since the 1980's invasive carp have been expanding their range northward up the Mississippi River. Consisting of four species, grass carp (Ctenophaygodon idella), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), bighead carp (H. nobilis), and black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), these fish have the potential to naturalize and expand into large Mississippi River tributaries like the Minnesota River (MNR). Thus, understanding the likelihood of naturalization in these tributaries is vital in guiding prevention or mitigation efforts. This study evaluates the environmental suitability of the Minnesota River, the largest tributary to the Mississippi in Minnesota, for invasive carp. Environmental suitability for invasive carp is modeled …

The Effects Of Surface Albedo And Initial Lignin Concentration On Photodegradation Of Sorghum Bicolor Litter, Joshua Niere

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Photodegradation has been recognized as a contributor to litter decomposition in a wide variety of ecosystems, however many of the mechanisms that drive it remain unknown. The primary focus of this study was to investigate the effect of surface albedo on the rate at which plant litter photodegrades. The first hypothesis that was tested was that surfaces with higher albedo will increase the rate of mass loss. The second hypothesis was that a wild type Sorghum bicolor with higher lignin concentration will degrade more rapidly than a double mutant variety. Three different artificial surface covers (aluminum foil, black paint, and …

Early Detection Of Mountain Pine Beetle Damage In Ponderosa Pine Forests Of The Black Hills Using Hyperspectral And Worldview-2 Data, Kyle Edward Mullen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

A leading cause for mortality in the pine forests of western North America, the mountain pine beetle, has impacted over 400,000 acres of ponderosa pine forest in the Black Hills of South Dakota since 1996. Methods aimed at earlier detection, prior to visual manifestation of a mountain pine beetle damage in the tree crown, have not been successful because of the overlap and variability of spectral response between the initial stages of attack (green-attacked) and non-attacked tree crowns. Needle-level reflectance spectra was measured from green-attack and non-attack ponderosa pine trees in early spring following an infestation and analyzed using a …

Gis Analysis Of Brownfield Sites In The City Of Minneapolis, Shreya Vaidya

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Brownfield sites have many negative ramifications on a local area which includes loss of economy, decline in land use value and potential hazard to human health and the environment. Despite the efforts on redeveloping brownfields, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) claims that over 10,000 known contaminated or potentially contaminated sites remain across Minnesota and thousands are likely to exist but have not been identified and recorded. The objectives of this study are to map the brownfield sites in Minneapolis based on the information provided by the regulatory sources and to categorize and analyze all the sites on the basis of …

Fluid Properties In The Formation Of High-Grade Iron Ore In Northern Minnesota, Elizabeth Drommerhausen

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The Mesabi Iron Range in Northern Minnesota has been a major producer of iron ore for over 100 years. Production has been from the 1.85 – billion-year –old Biwabik Iron Formation, an iron-rich sedimentary rock that is tilted gently to the south. Most of the known high-grade ore lies near the surface and has been already mined. Determining whether more high-grade ore may lie at depth could have significant economic impact on the mining industry in northern Minnesota. To evaluate the likelihood of finding more high-grade iron ore deeper underground, it is important to determine the source of the fluids …

The Belizean Environment, Lauren Marie Bach

Service-Learning

Lauren Bach's 2014 service-learning presentation on the environment in Belize.

A Dynamic, Distributed Hydrologic Model For The Blue Earth River Watershed, Minnesota With Implications Regarding Land Use And Water Quality, Michael L. Merlini

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The Blue Earth River (BER) watershed covers approximately one million acres of south-central Minnesota and northern Iowa. Modern farming practices have led to the loss of over 90 percent of the watershed's original wetlands. Corresponding changes in runoff and stream flow have led to dramatically reduced water quality in the BER's main stem following most precipitation events. The purpose of this research is to examine the relationships among precipitation, infiltration, base flow, and runoff in the Blue Earth River watershed basin.

This study developed a calibrated numerical hydrologic model for BER watershed using the distributed flow model, Vflo™. The model …

One Earth, Take Care, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Conservation/Energy Alternatives

Bibliography and photographs of a display of government documents from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Celebrate Earth Day, Every Day, Humboldt State University

Conservation/Energy Alternatives

Bibliography of a display of government documents from Humboldt State University, California.

The Effects Of Invasion By Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris Arundinacea) On Avian Communities And Nesting Success In Minnesota Wetlands, Emily J. Hutchins

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Invasive plants are a primary contributor to loss of biodiversity worldwide. In southern Minnesota, many wetlands have been invaded by reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea). The current perception among ecologists and resource managers is that these wetlands are of little value to wildlife, yet little is known about the effects on birds of the widespread conversion of diverse wetlands to apparent monocultures of P. arundinacea. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of P. arundinaceamediated changes in the wetland plant community on avian communities and nesting success. During 2006 and 2007, I studied four diverse sedge wetlands paired …

Analysis Of The Genetic Structure Of Bithynia Tentaculata Snail Populations In Wisconsin And Minnesota, Sarah J. Whalen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In recent years, there have been tens of thousands of waterfowl mortalities in Wisconsin and Minnesota. An invasive species of snail, Bithynia tentaculata, is a host for the trematode parasites (Cyathocotyle bushiensis and Sphaeridiotrema globulus) that have caused these deaths. A microsatellite-enriched genomic library was detected using DNA from a B. tentaculata specimen from Lake Onalaska (Pool 7 of the Upper Mississippi River). Seven polymorphic microsatellite loci were used to genotype snails collected from Lake Butte des Morts, Shawano Lake, and Lake Onalaska in Wisconsin, as well as Lake Winnibigoshish in Minnesota. The genetic diversity of each population was measured …

Earth Day, South Dakota State University

Conservation/Energy Alternatives

Bibliography and photographs of a display of government documents from South Dakota State University.

Forest Preservation, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Conservation/Energy Alternatives

Bibliography and photographs of a display of government documents from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Handle With Care, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Conservation/Energy Alternatives

Bibliography and photographs of a display of government documents from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Energy Conservation, St. Mary's University, Texas

Conservation/Energy Alternatives

Bibliography and photographs of a display of government documents from St. Mary's University, Texas.

Earth Day, Every Day, University Of South Alabama

Conservation/Energy Alternatives

Bibliography and photographs of a display of government documents from the University of South Alabama.

Earth Day, Today And Every Day, Augustana College - Sioux Falls

Conservation/Energy Alternatives

Bibliography and photographs of a display of government documents from Augustana College, South Dakota.