Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Modeling Species Distribution And Habitat Suitability Of American Ginseng (Panax Quinquefolius) In Virginia, Jacob D. J. Peters

Masters Theses, 2020-current

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is a well-known and sought-after medicinal plant native to North America that is facing increased threat of extinction due to overharvesting, herbivory, and habitat loss. Species distribution and habitat suitability models may be valuable to landowners interested in sustainable harvest or to institutions interested in the conservation and restoration of the species. With unequal sampling efforts across a region of interest, it is likely that some locations with appropriate habitat may be misrepresented in model predictions. This study refined a state-derived species distribution model for ginseng through increased sampling effort across the Cumberland Plateau …

A Comparison Of Riparian Characteristics And Resulting Water Quality In Restored Agricultural Systems, Amanda Y. Crandall

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Agronomic land use and urbanization are the leading causes of water quality decline within streams of the Shenandoah Valley. Implementation of riparian buffer zones is a common, beneficial approach to initiate restoration of negatively affected waterways. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) assists landowners in repairing natural habitat through the provision of cattle fencing and reintroduction of hardwood trees, native warm season grasses, and shrubs. We analyzed seven CREP restored sites of varying time since restoration (5-15 years) to determine the effects of time, land use, and riparian zone characteristics on water quality. The Virginia …

Feasibility Study: Tangier Island Wind Turbine Deployment, Patrick Landess

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The 2014 Virginia Energy Plan set the goal of 25% of the energy produced in the state to be derived from renewable resources by 2025. Wind energy is one of the most prominent renewable resources in the state, with a potential wind capacity of approximately 1800 MW. The Virginia Department of Mines Minerals and Energy (DMME) looks to incentivize both small-scale and commercial renewable energy projects. As a result of this policy initiative and the competitiveness of renewable energy, the Center for Wind Energy (CWE) at James Madison University established the Distributed Wind Assistance Program (DWAP).

This honors project serves …

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 …