Environmental Sciences Commons^™

The Gavel And The Camera: Environmental Law And Photojournalism's Relationship To Appalachian Identity, Emily S. Patton

Honors Theses

Both the federal government and photojournalism have played a substantial role in the “othering” of Appalachia while simultaneously attempting to save it. Examining both institutions demonstrates the exploitative processes that alter the perception of rural communities and their surrounding environment. Stacey Kranitz’s archival exhibit, As It Was Give(n) To Me, internalizes this precarious role of the camera in a region heavily journalized. By inhabiting the area for years, establishing close relationships, and researching the documented history of Appalachia, Kranitz’s work becomes her livelihood in the dissolution of profession vs. personal. She is critical of past projects whose objective portrayal of …

Screening Full-Sib And Half-Sib Families Of Chestnut Seedlings For Resistance To Cryphonectria Parasitica Using A Small Stem Assay And A Leaf-Disc Assay, Uma Plambeck

Honors Theses

Cryphonectria parasitica is the ascomycete fungus species that causes chestnut blight disease. Symptoms of chestnut blight include bark cankers and eventually the death of American chestnut, Castanea dentata. However, not all Castanea species are equally affected by the disease, and some Asian species appear highly resistant. The OALDS and SSA in this study aim to assist in screening for resistance to C. parasitica within a year. We investigated the effect of C. parasitica on three North American species, one European species, four East Asian species of Castanea, and nine full-sib families of TACF backcross hybrids. Our study used both a …

Rice Biomass Response To Various Phosphorus Fertilizers In A Phosphorus-Deficient Soil Under Simulated Furrow-Irrigation, Jonathan B. Brye

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Wastewater-recovered phosphorus (P), in the form of the mineral struvite (MgNH4PO4⋅6H2O), may provide a sustainable alternative to rapidly decreasing rock phosphate reserves. Struvite can be generated via chemical and/or electrochemical precipitation methods, potentially reducing the amount of P runoff to aquatic ecosystems. The objective of this greenhouse tub study was to evaluate the effects of chemically- and electrochemically precipitated struvite (CPST and ECST, respectively) on above- and belowground plant response in a hybrid rice cultivar (Gemini 214, RiceTec) grown using furrow-irrigation compared to other common fertilizer-P sources [i.e., triple super phosphate (TSP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP)] in a P-deficient silt …

The Influence Of Individual Strategies On Cougar Ecology: Insights From Predation, Space Use, And Reproduction, Kristin Nicole Engebretsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Carnivores are ecologically important to global ecosystems because they interact with their prey species and other carnivores in a variety of ways. Many carnivores have suffered habitat loss and persecution by humans, which has led some populations to become imperiled or locally extirpated. Despite these challenges, cougars (Puma concolor) continue to exist across North, Central, and South America. They exhibit behavioral adaptation across their wide range, thriving in terrain that ranges from temperate forests, to steppe scrub, to rainforest, to rugged deserts. Across these diverse ecosystems, cougars can successfully establish territories, hunt prey, and raise young to persist …

Channel Response To Flow Augmentation: Diamond Fork River, Ut, Diane E. Wagner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

A river’s physical features and channel dimensions are determined by the water and sediment supplied to it. The Diamond Fork River, located in central Utah—received large trans-basin diversion flows from 1915-2003, providing an exceptional opportunity to explore the response of a river to a large increase in flow.

Our project goals were to describe 1) channel response to this large and long artificial flow augmentation and 2) how the channel recovered after the removal of the diversion flows. The objective of this thesis is to document the channel condition throughout the 20^th century to present day as a basis …

Impacts Of Lake Elevation Decline On Tui Chub, A Critical Forage Species For Lahontan Cutthroat Trout In Pyramid Lake, Nevada, Usa, Sarah Barnes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Lake level decline affects lakes worldwide, changing the availability and character of nearshore habitat used by fish to spawn, and increasing total dissolved solids (TDS), similar to salinity, a factor that negatively impacts fish health. Lake level decline can affect different lakes in different ways, but typically when lake level declines significantly, there is less nearshore habitat overall, and what nearshore habitat remains has less diverse habitat for fish. We investigated whether both impacts of lake level decline may be causing declines of Tui Chub Siphateles bicolor, a large minnow native to Pyramid Lake that spawns in nearshore habitat. …

Do You Know The Pangolin?: Analyzing Biodiversity Awareness And Attitudes, Ariel "Jazz" Holcomb

Honors Theses

Understanding the impact education has on environmental knowledge and values is critical for knowing how we can promote pro-environmental awareness and attitudes. Thus, this study investigated how environmental education level influences awareness and attitudes on environmental issues, specifically the Biodiversity Crisis. Through a survey primarily utilizing Likert scale statements, the researcher evaluated the differences in knowledge and care levels between classes taking an introductory environmental science course, one class of environmental science majors and one for non-majors. One focus point of the course is the world’s most trafficked mammal, the pangolin, so this species was used as a focus species …

Spatial Ecology Of Mule Deer Migrations From Grand Teton National Park And The Teton Range, Justin K. Schwabedissen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem hosts several of the longest, fully intact ungulate migrations remaining in the continental United States. However, expanding development and an increasing human footprint continue to truncate migratory routes. While the endpoints are often a seasonal range on protected lands, these migration corridors frequently cross other jurisdictional boundaries, including large tracts of private or multiple-use lands, with varying levels of protection. Thus, it is critical resource managers understand the dynamics of migratory movements to define population-level corridors and prioritize appropriate conservation strategies. Mule deer in Wyoming have been documented traveling long distances between summer and winter ranges; …

Do Heat Waves Drive Natural Selection In Damselflies?, Adam Baranyk

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Climate change has led to changes in both mean temperatures and temperature extremes over the recent years. These changes have had differential effects on animals throughout the world. Ectotherms depend on their external environment for thermal regulation, making them especially susceptible to temperature extremes. It is not yet clear whether there is a relationship between physical traits in ectotherms, and survivorship throughout a heat wave. That is, whether or not temperature extremes driven survival selection. In this study, a heat wave was simulated artificially using thermally regulated mesocosms at different temperatures (18°C, 22° C, 26° C, 30° C) with a …

Atmospheric Deposition Trends Are Primarily Decreasing In Arkansas And Tennessee, Anna Mccarty

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Atmospheric deposition has likely changed with the influence of increasing global temperatures and subsequent changes in precipitation across the United States and globally. The objective of this project was to analyze atmospheric deposition across northern Arkansas and Tennessee. The three specific objectives were to: i) evaluate trends in atmospheric deposition of various element/compounds, ii) assess the relationship between atmospheric deposition and rainfall, and iii) evaluate if rainfall-adjusted atmospheric deposition is changing over time. Six sites were analyzed from 1980 to 2022, including AR16, AR27, TN00, TN04, TN11, and TN14, which span over northern Arkansas and across Tennessee. The Mann-Kendall Test …

The Effect Of Seed Mix Density And Composition On Wetland Plant Community Assembly In The Great Salt Lake Watershed, Elana Feldman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Wetlands provide important ecosystem services to society but are in danger across the globe partly due to the spread of invasive species (species that harm humans, the environment, or the economy). One species, Phragmites australis, is a widespread invader across the country, including in the wetlands of the Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake. Phragmites australis spreads widely and quickly outcompetes native species. In places where P. australis has already been removed, seeding wetlands helps block P. australis from returning. Native plants’ ability to prevent invasive species from entering the community is affected by many factors, but two that …

Evaluating Appropriate Participant Training Period For Anuran Auditory Surveys, Evianna Goebel

Honors Projects

Auditory surveys are common in anuran research as they can tell a lot about a species without being intensely laborious or costly. There has not been much research on training periods for those taking part in the surveys. Proper training is necessary and improper training can hinder a project and lead to skewed results. In this study, we took students from several biology 2040 classes and had them study the calls of 11 frog species in NW Ohio. From the data, we can conclude that 2 weeks of roughly 100 minutes of study time is not enough for successful results …

Feed More, Waste Less, Kaitlyn Dietz

Honors Projects

With college prices and the cost of food increasing, so has the rate of food insecurity among college students. Food insecurity is defined as the lack of availability or access to food to meet someone’s basic and necessary needs. Food insecurity is associated with lower grades, depression, higher perceived stress, and lower graduation rates. Campuses across the country are responding to the problem in a variety of ways, including distribution of food directly to students through food pantries. Meal plans are expensive in the addition to college tuition and housing. The lowest cost for a meal plan at Bowling Green …

Navigating Murky Waters: State-Level Strategies For Wetland Preservation And Tile Drainage Regulation After Sackett V. Epa, Caleb M. Swanson

Honors Thesis

Wetlands are some of the world’s most valuable ecosystems, serving as provisioners of species habitat, carbon sequestration, flood mitigation, water quality purification, and other ecosystem services. Human development has resulted in substantial wetland loss the world over. In the 1970s, the United States Congress passed the Clean Water Act, giving the EPA broad authority over wetland protection. However, in the summer of 2023, the United States Supreme Court decided Sackett v. EPA, limiting the EPA’s jurisdiction over wetlands to those indistinguishably connected to generally recognized “Waters of the United States” and removing federal protection for millions of acres of wetlands, …

Interactive Effects Of Co2, Temperature, And Nitrate Limitation On The Growth And Physiology Of Marine Cyanobacterium Synechococcus Sp. Ccmp 1334, Alyssa K. Sharbaugh

LSU Master's Theses

The marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. CCMP 1334 was grown in a continuous culture system on a 12:12 h light:dark cycle at all combinations of low and high pCO2 (400 and 1000 ppmv, respectively), nitrate availability (nitrate-limited and nutrient-replete conditions), and temperatures of 21°C, 24°C, 28°C, 32°C, and 35°C. The maximum median nutrient-replete growth rate was ~1.15 d−1 at 32 –35°C. Median growth rates at 1000 ppmv pCO2 were higher than those at 400 ppmv at all temperatures, but most of the differences were statistically insignificant. Carbon:nitrogen ratios were independent of pCO2 at a fixed relative growth rate but decreased with …

Use Of Unoccupied Aerial Vehicle (Drones) Based Remote Sensing To Model Platform Topography And Identify Human-Made Earthen Barriers In Salt Marshes, Joshua J. Ward

Masters Theses

Elevation is a foundational driver of salt marsh morphology. Elevation governs inundation and hydrological patterns, vegetation distribution, and soil health. Anthropogenic impacts at grand scales (e.g., rising sea levels) and local scales (e.g., infrastructure) have altered the elevation of the salt marsh surface, changing the topography and morphology of these ecosystems. This study establishes and assesses means to document and analyze these impacts using Unoccupied Aerial Vehicle (UAV) based remote sensing to model platform topography. This thesis’s first and primary study presents and compares methods of producing high-resolution digital terrain models (DTMs) with UAV-based Digital Aerial Photogrammetry (DAP) and Light …

Sensor Analytics For Subsea Pipeline And Cable Inspection: A Review, Connor R. Vincent

LSU Master's Theses

Submarine pipelines and cables are vital for transmitting physical and digital resources across bodies of water, necessitating regular inspection to assess maintenance needs. The safety of subsea pipelines and cables is paramount for sustaining industries such as telecommunications, power transmission, water supply, waste management, and oil and gas. Incidents like those involving the Nord Stream subsea pipeline and the SEA-ME-WE 4 subsea communications cable exemplify the severe economic and environmental consequences of damage to these critical infrastructures. Existing inspection methods often fail to meet accuracy requirements, emphasizing the need for advancements in inspection technologies. This comprehensive survey covers the sensors …

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 …

Automated Tree Mortality Detection Using Ubiquitously Available Public Data, Michael T. Huggins

Master's Theses

Understanding the dynamic interplay between fire severity, topography, and tree mortality, is crucial for predicting future forest dynamics and enhancing resilience against climate change-induced wildfire regimes. This thesis develops a multi-sensor approach for automated estimation of tree mortality, then applies it to examine trends in tree mortality over a six-year period across a fire affected study site in the Trinity River basin in Northern California. The Random Forest model uses publicly available USGS 3D Elevation Program Lidar (3DEP) and NAIP imagery as inputs and is likely to be easily adaptable to other landscapes. The model had a Receiver Operating Characteristic …

Supply Is Not Limulus: Research Review Of Horseshoe Crab Conservation In The Face Of Intense Pharmaceutical Demand, Zoya Galeev

University Honors Theses

Horseshoe crabs are being used by the pharmaceutical industry to conduct endotoxin tests using LAL derived from the organism’s blood to ensure safe medical practice. Their annual collection and bleeding, while not always leading to mortality, affects horseshoe crab behavior and health. This research seeks to understand how the American horseshoe crab, L. polyphemus, is being used by pharmaceutical agencies and the implications that their harvesting has on the industry and the conservation of the species. Studies were collected from the past decade across two databases, Web of Science (WOS) and PubMed, to assess present conservation techniques to reduce …

Trees In Urban Environments: How Soil Quality Impacts Tree Performance, Saidan Qi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Cities around the world are increasingly investing in reforestation and afforestation efforts to mitigate impacts from climate change and population growth. However, urban soil conditions can be unfavorable for tree growth. Street trees are widely known to suffer from poor soil quality, but there has been no comprehensive review of this topic so far. Clean soils can be transported from nonurban areas to support cities’ green projects, but this approach is not sustainable. Artificial (constructed) soils can be created from various materials and have been proposed as an alternative medium for urban tree growth, but no research has been done …

Examining The Health Risks Of Particulate Matter 2.5 In New York City: How It Affects Marginalized Groups And The Steps Needed To Reduce Air Pollution, Freddy Castro

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The following examines the impact of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) on public health, focusing on its sources and effects on vulnerable populations in New York City. PM2.5 is a particle that is 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter and, because of its size, can enter the bloodstream affecting the respiratory and cardiovascular systems and further complicating the health of the immunocompromised. Recent studies have shown that PM2.5 can come from various sources, including transportation and industrial emissions, as well as indoor sources like cigarettes and gas-operated stoves. Despite reduced levels of PM2.5 due to recent policy changes and initiatives taken …

Towards Sociobiogeochemistry: Critical Perspectives On Anthropogenic Alterations To Soil Nitrogen Chemistry Via U.S. Urban And Suburban Development, Christopher D. Ryan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The ecological impacts of changes to land use are relevant to concerns about climate change, eutrophication of waterbodies, and reductions in biodiversity. As a foundational component of ecosystem functioning, changes to soil biogeochemistry have significant effects on overall ecosystem health. With cities continuing to grow and develop in extent, the impacts of urbanization and suburbanization on soils are of particular concern. Despite a wide range of natural climatic and geologic conditions, several factors have driven similar patterns of land transformation and management across the United States. In particular, federal initiatives including the Home Owners Loan Corporation, the Federal Housing Administration, …

Quantifying The Relative Importance Of Boat Wakes In Fetch-Limited Environments, Abigail Maria Carswell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wind waves and wave-generated currents are known to contribute to shoreline change, but there is increasing evidence that vessel-generated waves (i.e., boat wakes) may be responsible for erosion of shorelines in fetch-limited environments. Depending on vessel type and speed of operation, boat wakes have also been shown to be capable of resuspending sediment, degrading habitat, and water quality, and causing damage to shoreline infrastructure. The number of cottages and recreational boats on inland lakes has been steadily increasing in recent decades in Ontario, Canada, which has resulted in a growing perception that boat wakes are detrimental to the environment, infrastructure, …

Controls On Plastic Debris Capture In Urban Stormwater Drains Of London, Canada: A Study Within The Great Lakes Watershed, Nina Kozikowski

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Land-based sources are the greatest contributors of plastic pollution in aquatic environments. Prior to this investigation, there were no available studies concerning the number and types of plastic debris items between 1 mm and 5 mm captured in urban stormwater drains. The present study examined macroplastic (>5 mm) and large microplastic (1-5 mm) debris that accumulated in LittaTrap^TM devices at six drain sites over four seasonal periods in London, Ontario, Canada. Macroplastics (MaPs) and microplastics (MPs) were found in all 36 samples, and the totals ranged from 5-158 MaPs and 18-359 MPs per trap. Out of the 118 …

Literature Review Nature-Based Art Therapy Exploring Connections And Relationships, Janell Lopez-Curtis

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Art therapy is a modality used in clinical psychotherapy. It is supported through both quantitative and qualitative research. Branching out from art therapy is nature-based art therapy. This branch of expressive therapies holds the potential to be beneficial as art therapy due to the interconnected access to the scientific fields of ecology, ecopsychology, art therapy, expressive therapies, and other nature-based therapeutic activities; this includes intersectionality in ecological theories such as ecofeminism and deep ecology as well. Through an exploration of literature, this paper will provide definitions and theory-based support through reviewing clinical psychotherapy, evidence-based practices, and art therapy theories. The …

If You Build It, Will They Come? Assessing Habitat Quality For Marsh Birds At Created Marshes In Southeastern Louisiana, Katherine Aylett Lipford

LSU Master's Theses

Wetland loss occurs at an alarming pace globally, with extremely high rates along the northern Gulf of Mexico. Louisiana loses a football field of wetland every 100 minutes: that is 77,000 m² of wetland bird habitat lost daily. In Louisiana, marsh creation projects combat wetland loss, and while wildlife habitat is often used as a justification for restoration, wildlife receives little to no consideration during and after construction. Habitat characteristics such as site-specific hydrology, vegetation composition, and habitat structure affect the abundance of wetland birds and understanding these features is crucial to creating habitat that will benefit birds. My …

The Shifting Landscape Of Adolescent Wellness In Boarding Schools: Can Time Spent Off Screens And Outdoors Improve Adolescent Wellbeing?, Kristen H. Peterson

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

For nearly twenty years I have worked directly with adolescents as an independent school educator. Whether in the classroom, on the field, or in the dorm, I have observed and supported students through their middle and high school experiences. During this time, I have witnessed an alarming shift in adolescent physical, emotional, and social wellbeing. Concurrently, I have observed a dramatic increase in the amount of time students spend using screen-based devices, and a decrease in their time spent outdoors.

Using research to ground my anecdotal accounts in empirical understanding, my thesis examines whether or not screen use might help …

Quantifying Survival And Behaviour Of Hatchery-Reared Juvenile Bloater Stocked Across Bathymetric Depths In Lake Ontario, Lydia L. Paulic

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over 20 million native and non-native fishes are stocked into the Great Lakes annually as part of restoration initiatives and to support commercial and recreational fisheries. Bloater (Coregonus hoyi), a deep-water planktivore that was extirpated from Lake Ontario in the 1980s, has been consistently stocked in the lake since 2012 by Canadian and American natural resource agencies with the goal of producing a self-sustaining population. Previous research has highlighted challenges with stocking such as poor survival, attributed to high predation, potential maladaptive behaviour and barotrauma resulting from introducing a hatchery-reared species into a foreign environment. To address these survival challenges, …

Boat Wake Attenuation Through Artificial Vegetation - A Case Study From Peche Island, Jamie Kathryn Lilly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of nature-based solutions and engineering ideas has sparked interest in the value of vegetated shorelines for protecting against erosion. However, there is a lack of field data, and more research is needed to understand how effective vegetation is in reducing the impact of wind waves and boat wakes. The difference in period between wind waves and boat wakes suggests that they may be attenuated differently, requiring further study to determine the optimal management design. The purpose of this study is to quantify the ability of artificial vegetation to attenuate boat wakes and calculate the drag coefficient for model …