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Articles 1 - 7 of 7
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Reintroduction Of Brook Trout To The South River Via Upwelling Springs, Sydni L. Reinhold
Reintroduction Of Brook Trout To The South River Via Upwelling Springs, Sydni L. Reinhold
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
Populations of brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, throughout Virginia mountain streams have seen a rapid decline due to warmer conditions, decreased oxygen levels, and changes in the main stem streambed (Hudy et al., 2008). Current solutions have stocked more tolerant adult brook trout in the main stem rivers, which is costly and must be repeated yearly (Lennon, 1967). Finding an environment conducive for stocking brook trout eggs rather than adults would be ideal because they would return to this viable location to spawn, making them a self-sustaining population which is less costly and easier to implement. Upwelling springs connected to the …
Assessing The Impact Of A Constructed Wetland Biome On The Ecosystem Health Of Cedar Run, Thomas Vasilopoulos, Casey Lee
Assessing The Impact Of A Constructed Wetland Biome On The Ecosystem Health Of Cedar Run, Thomas Vasilopoulos, Casey Lee
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
A wetlands ecosystem is defined as “an area saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency or duration sufficient to support...a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions” (Batzer and Sharitz, 2007). Wetlands serve as biofilters and thus have been used to treat sewage and wastewater, as well as to restore the health of polluted water systems. Solly Walker and Lorinda Palin, owners of a certified natural and biodynamic farm called Avalon Acres located in Broadway, Virginia, constructed a wetland two years ago, using the stream, Cedar Run, that flows through their property. Pollution from agricultural …
Effects Of Agricultural Restoration Practices On Stream Health In The Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, Erin L. Thady
Effects Of Agricultural Restoration Practices On Stream Health In The Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, Erin L. Thady
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
The Shenandoah Valley encompasses some of the highest agricultural producing regions in Virginia, many of which are large contributors of nutrients and sediment. The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) assists landowners in the installation of riparian restoration projects in which cattle are fenced out or a riparian buffer is planted. We examined the temporal effects of riparian restoration and the impact of upstream landuse on water quality for eleven farms participating in the CREP program for various times (from 1 to 14 years). We hypothesized that the length of time that the CREP program has been established would have a …
Pilot Project To Advance Distributed Wind In Virginia, Sydney Sumner, Kayla Cook
Pilot Project To Advance Distributed Wind In Virginia, Sydney Sumner, Kayla Cook
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
The Virginia Energy Plan of 2014 created a demand for alternative energy sources to meet the goal of producing 25% of Virginia's energy from alternative sources by 2025. One of the most promising sources of alternative energy in Virginia is wind. As a result, the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy (DMME) took action to incentivize distributed wind (DW) power by enabling loan assistance with highly favorable terms toward the purchase and installation of distributed wind systems. Our team identified the nine sectors considered most likely to present the strongest potential for development of DW, and landowners within these …
Compost Land Management And Soil Carbon Sequestration, Kylene A. Hohman
Compost Land Management And Soil Carbon Sequestration, Kylene A. Hohman
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
Extensive fossil fuel burning has released carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Under proper ecological conditions plants convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into stable soil organic matter, a natural and efficient means of mitigating climate change. In the symbiotic relationship between mycorrhizae and plants, mycorrhizae provide plants with essential nutrients in exchange for carbon sugars leaked from the plants. Mycorrhizae convert carbon sugars to an exudate called glomalin, a protein that assists in developing soil aggregates composed of sand, silt, and clay. These aggregates, called humus, store carbon for hundreds of years under healthy ecological conditions. Compost prompts soil microbes to aerobically …
Using Residential Location To Assess The Environmental Value-Action Gap Of Students At James Madison University, Emma Rose Martin
Using Residential Location To Assess The Environmental Value-Action Gap Of Students At James Madison University, Emma Rose Martin
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
This study focuses on the environmental Value-Action Gap of students at James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg, Virginia. This gap occurs when a person has pro-environmental beliefs but does not have congruent actions. Often, there are other factors apart from a person’s values that influence his/her willingness to participate in eco-friendly behavior (Howell 2013). For this study, the factor of influence being addressed is location. When students live on-campus at JMU they are surrounded by ‘green’ initiatives. Understanding the diffusion of environmental behavior from on-campus living to off-campus living is important because the majority of a JMU student’s residency is …
Population Projection And Habitat Preference Modeling Of The Endangered James Spinymussel (Pleurobema Collina), Marisa Draper
Population Projection And Habitat Preference Modeling Of The Endangered James Spinymussel (Pleurobema Collina), Marisa Draper
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
The James Spinymussel (Pleurobema collina) is an endangered mussel species at the top of Virginia’s conservation list. The James Spinymussel plays a critical role in the environment by filtering and cleaning stream water while providing shelter and food for macroinvertebrates; however, conservation efforts are complicated by the mussels’ burrowing behavior, camouflage, and complex life cycle. The goals of the research conducted were to estimate detection probabilities that could be used to predict species presence and facilitate field work, and to track individually marked mussels to test for habitat preferences. Using existing literature and mark-recapture field data, these goals were accomplished …