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Articles 1 - 12 of 12
Full-Text Articles in Environmental Sciences
Baseline Data For Assessing Beaver Dam Analogs As A Restoration Tool In Fire-Affected Tributaries Of The Methow And Okanogan Watersheds, Katelin Killoy
Baseline Data For Assessing Beaver Dam Analogs As A Restoration Tool In Fire-Affected Tributaries Of The Methow And Okanogan Watersheds, Katelin Killoy
EWU Masters Thesis Collection
Incised streams are disconnected from their floodplains and no longer store water effectively. This leads to diminished ecosystem function, loss of critical riparian and aquatic habitats, and reduced biodiversity. Beaver dams improve incised streams by raising surface and groundwater levels, leading to reconnected floodplains. When beaver establishment is not feasible, Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs) may be used to mitigate damage from stream incision and facilitate beaver establishment. However, it is unclear how effective BDAs are at mimicking natural beaver dams, especially on streams affected by high-intensity wildfires. The objective of my research is to collect baseline data needed to assess …
Examining The Effects Of Seed Mix Diversity And Composition, Biochar Application, Seeding Rate, Species Identity, And Topography On Palouse Prairie Restoration, Thurman Johnson
EWU Masters Thesis Collection
With over 99.9% of the Palouse prairie lost to land conversion, restoring native plant communities is crucial for ecological function, however, research on Palouse prairie restoration methods is sparse. Seed-based restoration uses a mix of seeded species to enhance competition against weeds, diversify vegetation, and adapt to environmental conditions. However, many factors can be varied, such as seed mix diversity and composition, the proportion of forbs to grasses, and seeding rate, and the most effective levels of each are not clear. Further, soil amendments, such as biochar, may benefit properties of tilled soils, but have not explored in Palouse Prairie …
Investigation Of Small Mammal Species Richness, Abundance, And Genetic Population Structure On And Around The Eastern Washington University Prairie Restoration Site, Sarah Deshazer
EWU Masters Thesis Collection
Small mammals are an ecologically important component of every landscape on Earth. They are a food source for higher trophic level animals, disperse plant seed and mycorrhizal fungi spore, engineer the landscape through burrowing and foraging activities, and alter plant community composition through selective predation of seed and grain. Studies have shown that small mammals may help facilitate the transition between successive stages in prairie restoration. Eastern Washington University has dedicated 120 acres of campus land to restoration of native prairie habitat. Small mammals can play both a positive and a negative role in restoration, therefore it is important to …
Fairy Shrimp (Anostraca) In The Vernal Pools Of Eastern Washington, Megan Garvey
Fairy Shrimp (Anostraca) In The Vernal Pools Of Eastern Washington, Megan Garvey
EWU Masters Thesis Collection
Vernal pools are ephemeral wetlands that retain water annually from winter and spring precipitation and snowmelt but are dry the rest of the year. Though important habitats and sources of freshwater biodiversity, they are little accounted for in wetland conservation and restoration practices. Like much of the world’s wetlands, they have seen a significant decline from anthropogenic impacts and conversion for alternative land use. Pools are also at significant risk due to the impacts of climate change and invasive species. These small temporary water bodies perform vital ecosystem services and are host to rare and endemic species. Anostraca, or fairy …
Using Lidar To Estimate Carbon Sequestration Of Evergreen Trees At Eastern Washington University (Ewu) Campus, Cheney, Washington, Kristy A. Snyder
Using Lidar To Estimate Carbon Sequestration Of Evergreen Trees At Eastern Washington University (Ewu) Campus, Cheney, Washington, Kristy A. Snyder
2022 Symposium
EWU contains a variety of deciduous and evergreen trees across its campus, providing several benefits. However, no comprehensive record exists of the total number, location, species, or ages of these trees. This knowledge can inform facilities of proper care for individual trees and can be used to estimate carbon sequestration on campus. Traditional on-the-ground methods for assessing trees require tree cores or clinometers, making trees susceptible to pests or disease and leading to inaccurate results. Remote sensing using lidar data is a noninvasive, more precise method to measure tree height and subsequently assess tree age. This poster explores using point …
Effects Of Beaver Dam Analogs On Stream Ecosystem Function Of Crab Creek, Washington State, Nicholas D. Broderius
Effects Of Beaver Dam Analogs On Stream Ecosystem Function Of Crab Creek, Washington State, Nicholas D. Broderius
EWU Masters Thesis Collection
This study documents the effects of beaver dam analogs (BDAs) on nutrient transport, fish community composition, macroinvertebrate drift, and benthic macroinvertebrate communities of Crab Creek, WA, USA. In 2019, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) placed 25 BDAs in Crab Creek on a section of private land near Harrington, WA. Beaver dam analogs are structures placed in streams to mimic the ecosystem effects of beaver activity and are increasingly used as a stream restoration technique. The primary goals of placing these BDAs in the stream was to impound sediment and create a new …
Heavy Metals In Particulate Matter In Spokane County, Delaney M. White
Heavy Metals In Particulate Matter In Spokane County, Delaney M. White
2020 Symposium Posters
Heavy metals in particulate matter (e.g., dust) have multiple negative health ramifications for humans including cancer, infertility, and reduced lung function. The Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency (SRCAA) has seven air quality monitoring stations around Spokane County to measure total levels of PM2.5 (particles with a diameter less than 2.5 micrometers) and PM10 (particles with a diameter less than 10 micrometers). For comparison, the width of a human hair is between 50 and 70 micrometers. The objective of this research is to examine the heavy metal composition of the particulate matter including elements such as lead, copper, and zinc. We …
Comparison Of Wetland Restoration Techniques In And Around Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, Cheney, Wa, Jade S. Clinkenbeard
Comparison Of Wetland Restoration Techniques In And Around Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, Cheney, Wa, Jade S. Clinkenbeard
EWU Masters Thesis Collection
Throughout the West, wetlands have been drained or filled in for agricultural or urban uses. Staff at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge (TNWR) in Cheney work with local landowners to restore wetlands through excavation or flooding techniques. Unfortunately, TNWR staff cannot evaluate the wetlands to determine which technique is most successful. This thesis project compared the macroinvertebrate and plant communities and the limnological features of wetlands restored through excavation and flooding with those of unaltered, reference wetlands on TNWR. I hypothesized that the reference wetlands would hold water longest and would have higher plant diversity and macroinvertebrate diversity and abundance than …
Riparian Resilience In The Face Of Interacting Disturbances, Alexa S. Whipple
Riparian Resilience In The Face Of Interacting Disturbances, Alexa S. Whipple
2019 Symposium
Riparian systems of the dryland western United States provide critical ecosystem functions such as diverse habitat for numerous species, flood attenuation and essential water storage in water-limited environments. These systems have experienced long term disturbance from anthropogenic activities including the grazing of livestock in dryland riparian systems and near extirpation of a keystone riparian species, Castor canadensis (beaver). However, increasing frequency of large-scale wildfires and climate change driven weather is altering the severity and scale of riparian disturbance. Beaver restoration has been gaining use to address long term riparian disturbances, yet little is understood regarding the impact of restored beaver …
Riparian Resilience In The Face Of Interacting Disturbances: Understanding Complex Interactions Between Wildfire, Erosion, And Beaver (Castor Canadensis) In Grazed Dryland Riparian Systems Of Low Order Streams In North Central Washington State, Usa, Alexa Whipple
EWU Masters Thesis Collection
Riparian systems of low order streams in the western United States (US) provide critical ecosystem functions and services such as diverse habitat for numerous species, flood attenuation and essential water storage in water limited environments. These systems have experienced long term disturbance from anthropogenic activities including mining, timber harvest, livestock grazing and near extirpation of a keystone riparian species, Castor canadensis (North American beaver). However, increasing frequency of large-scale wildfires and climate change driven weather is altering the severity and scale of riparian disturbance, often shifting highly impacted streams to a stable degraded state, unable to store water or provide …
What Obstacles Prevent Students From Engaging In Environmentally Friendly Behaviors?, Carrie Cutler, Loretta Sohappy
What Obstacles Prevent Students From Engaging In Environmentally Friendly Behaviors?, Carrie Cutler, Loretta Sohappy
2018 Symposium
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)the United States generated 33 million tons of plastic waste in 2014 of which only 9.5% was recycled. In addition Americans use over 17 million barrels of oil a year to meet demands for plastic water bottles. Any reusable plastic that gets thrown away creates the need to harvest new raw materials contributing to pollution and energy consumption. If Americans consumed 50% fewer plastic water bottles per year they would save enough oil to power one million cars for six months. The purpose of this study was to identify college students’ attitudes barriers and …
The Source Of Excess Nutrients To Pine Draw, Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, Henry Price
The Source Of Excess Nutrients To Pine Draw, Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, Henry Price
EWU Masters Thesis Collection
Nitrogen and phosphorus are the most common limiting nutrients for biological activity in freshwater ecosystems. Applying inorganic nitrogen fertilizer has increased crop productivity but caused excess nitrogen inputs to the hydrosphere. Nitrate contamination is a worldwide environmental problem. The fate of nitrogen in ecosystems is variable based on land type and hydrogeological interactions. Excess nitrogen can be retained in soils, sequestered in stream organisms, denitrified or transported downstream. The goals of this study were to monitor nitrogen concentrations in Pine Draw, Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge (TNWR), Washington, U.S.A., and to determine the source of nitrogen loading. Pine Draw is unique …