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Articles 1 - 22 of 22
Full-Text Articles in Environmental Sciences
The Effects Of Regulatory Uncertainty On The U.S. Acid Rain Program, Narendra Paramanand
The Effects Of Regulatory Uncertainty On The U.S. Acid Rain Program, Narendra Paramanand
LSU Master's Theses
Title IV of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA 1990) created the first large scale cap-and-trade program as a means to control acid rain in the United States. The program regulated the emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrous oxide (NOx) in the atmosphere—the precursor to acid rain (formerly acid deposition). Economists have long argued for the use of market-based incentive approach as oppose to the traditional command-and-control methods for its ability to be efficient and cost-effective. Title IV went into full effect in 1995 and has been lauded among one of the most successful regulation as it …
Artificial Oyster Reefs In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico: Management, Material, And Faunal Effects, Jessica Nicole Furlong
Artificial Oyster Reefs In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico: Management, Material, And Faunal Effects, Jessica Nicole Furlong
LSU Master's Theses
Artificial oyster reefs seek to restore reef ecosystem services, such as water filtration, shoreline protection, and habitat for nekton. This study established three objectives to address the dispersed nature of artificial reef information in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and lack of post-construction monitoring assessments. First, to document the extent of activities in the GoM, we developed a database of all inshore artificial oyster reefs created for restoration purposes. Of the 422 reefs in the resultant database, a third or less provided records of entities involved (27%), restoration goals (24%), area (20%), monitoring efforts (15%), relief (9%), and costs (8%). …
Detection And Characterization Of Vibrio Vulnificus And Vibrio Parahaemolyticus Isolates: Pentaplex Pcr Assay And Its Application., Nabanita Bhattacharyya
Detection And Characterization Of Vibrio Vulnificus And Vibrio Parahaemolyticus Isolates: Pentaplex Pcr Assay And Its Application., Nabanita Bhattacharyya
LSU Master's Theses
The aim of the study was to develop an effective multiplex PCR protocol for simultaneous, rapid detection and characterization of two potential pathogens, Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus and to enumerate their abundance in the environment. A Pentaplex PCR (pPCR) assay condition was developed with a combination of two species- and three pathogenic- specific PCR primer sets to simultaneously detect and characterize bacterial isolates for virulent/ non- virulent strains of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus. The pPCR assay was validated by three methods. First pPCR was tested on 300 bacterial isolates comprising of 7 reference strains, 117 V. vulnificus, 30 …
Modeling Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) Habitat In A Fire-Dependnent Ecosystem In North Florida, Christina Legleu
Modeling Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) Habitat In A Fire-Dependnent Ecosystem In North Florida, Christina Legleu
LSU Master's Theses
Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) populations have declined with longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystems across their historic range. The influence of gopher tortoise burrows on co-inhabiting plants and animals necessitates an understanding of how landscape features and management practices influence gopher tortoise presence, absence, and abandonment. In this study, naïve gopher tortoise burrow encounter rates from a line transect distance sampling (LTDS) pilot study were used for two methods of modeling gopher tortoise habitat. In Chapter 1, naïve encounter rates were tested for a linear correlation to a HSI model created from three ranked geographic information system (GIS) landscape variables. Initial …
Spatial Variability In Response Of Deltaic Baldcypress Forests To Hydrology And Climate, Som Bahadur Bohora
Spatial Variability In Response Of Deltaic Baldcypress Forests To Hydrology And Climate, Som Bahadur Bohora
LSU Master's Theses
Changing hydrology and climate have significantly altered ecologically significant cypress-tupelo forests in the deltaic plain of the Mississippi River. Though local responses of these swamps to hydrology are relatively well understood, broad-scale evaluation of ecological response differences of deltaic wetland forests has been limited by the lack of site-specific coupled hydrologic and ecological data. Baldcypress tree-rings from twenty-two sites were used to examine the responses of coastal swamp forests throughout the deltaic plain to environmental variables. The responses of these forests to environmental variables varied spatially; however, broad-scale measures of deltaic hydrology were more correlated with tree radial growth than …
The Ecological Impact Of The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill On Vibrio Parahaemolyticus Type Iii Secretion System And The Vibrio Community, Erica L. Stephens
The Ecological Impact Of The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill On Vibrio Parahaemolyticus Type Iii Secretion System And The Vibrio Community, Erica L. Stephens
LSU Master's Theses
Vibrio spp are gram-negative, halophilic bacteria that naturally occur in both shallow coastal waters and parts of the deepest oceans and are a known human pathogen. There have not been extensive studies that analyze an oil spill as an environmental stressor to vibrios. If there were to be an increase in the pathogenicity of vibrios it would be a cause for human health concern. The purpose of the two studies presented was to determine changes in the pathogenicity of V. parahaemolyticus pathogenicity and the vibrio community, with respect to V. cholera, V. parahaemolyticus, and V. vulnificus. The results showed that …
Composition And Physiological Characteristics Of The University Lake Ecosystem Phytoplankton Community: Impacts Of Seasonal And Episodic Events, Brianne Elizabeth Norris
Composition And Physiological Characteristics Of The University Lake Ecosystem Phytoplankton Community: Impacts Of Seasonal And Episodic Events, Brianne Elizabeth Norris
LSU Master's Theses
This research determined the changes in phytoplankton community composition in a shallow subtropical lake, influenced by urban surroundings. Specifically this research focused on the effects of seasonal progression and episodic events on the changing inorganic nutrient dynamics and the effects those dynamics had on the phytoplankton community composition and productivity. This research quantified gross primary production and respiration to determine if seasonality or episodic events were acting as forcing functions of the phytoplankton community composition. Water samples were collected weekly at three sites on the lake’s perimeter, as well as following episodic events, to monitor nitrate (NO3), phosphate (PO4-3), ammonium …
Movements And Habitat Use Of Southeastern Blue Sucker Cycleptus Merdionalis In The Lower Pearl River, Devon Charles Oliver
Movements And Habitat Use Of Southeastern Blue Sucker Cycleptus Merdionalis In The Lower Pearl River, Devon Charles Oliver
LSU Master's Theses
Riverine fisheries management programs often do not focus on non-sport and non-commercial fishes, such as catostomids, yet many suckers have become threatened or endangered throughout river systems in the United States because of habitat alterations. In the Pearl River, sedimentation, dam construction, and other hydrologic modifications have negatively impacted habitats used by southeastern blue suckers Cycleptus meridionalis, a species of concern in both Louisiana and Mississippi. The principal objective of this project was to investigate habitat use of likely historically abundant southeastern blue suckers in the lower Pearl River. During electrofishing surveys in 2010 and 2011, we observed no southeastern …
Soil Accretion And Organic Carbon Accumulation In The Tidal Salt Marshes Of The Liaohe Delta, China, Nicholas Lawrence Yuknis
Soil Accretion And Organic Carbon Accumulation In The Tidal Salt Marshes Of The Liaohe Delta, China, Nicholas Lawrence Yuknis
LSU Master's Theses
Wetlands provide a multitude of functions to people and ecosystems and because of this, maintaining or increasing wetland area is important. Wetlands can be significant carbon sinks because of the relatively high primary productivity and slow decomposition of organic matter in these systems and can thus impact the global carbon cycle and potentially climate change. The marshes of the Liaohe Delta are the largest in Liaoning Province; however, very little research has been done in this area to determine the rate of accretion and organic carbon sequestration in the salt marshes there. By using Cs-137 and Pb-210 dating techniques and …
The Context Of Public Acceptance Of Hydraulic Fracturing: Is Louisiana Unique?, Crawford White
The Context Of Public Acceptance Of Hydraulic Fracturing: Is Louisiana Unique?, Crawford White
LSU Master's Theses
Hydraulic fracturing has received increased attention over the past decade. The rapid adoption of this technique coupled with accurate directional horizontal drilling has unlocked several US shale formations. Amid the possibility of 100% domestically sourced natural gas, public perception varies and opponents question the long-term risks and repercussions of the technique. This thesis will provide context to some of the variation seen in the public perception of hydraulic fracturing among three states: Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Two surveys of Louisiana stakeholders were conducted in order to rank the state in terms of acceptance amongst previously conducted surveys of its two …
Minimizing Epicormic Branch Formation On Louisiana Leading Commercial Bottomland Red Oaks, Denton William Culpepper
Minimizing Epicormic Branch Formation On Louisiana Leading Commercial Bottomland Red Oaks, Denton William Culpepper
LSU Master's Theses
The goal of this study was to isolate biological, natural, and silvicultural factors that encourage the production of epicormic branches on bottomland red oak saw-timber trees and to use this information to help landowners and forest managers reduce epicormic branches in stands dominated by bottomland red oaks. Quercus nigra, Q. pagoda, Q. phellos, and Q. texana, the most common commercial bottomland red oaks in Louisiana, were evaluated in this study. Both qualitative and quantitative variables were assessed in this study. The following attributes were collected from each sample tree and primary competitor: site class, basal area, crown class DBH, presence …
Measuring City Commitment To Climate Change Mitigation, Kelsey Wefer Clinton
Measuring City Commitment To Climate Change Mitigation, Kelsey Wefer Clinton
LSU Master's Theses
An increasing number of cities are focusing on sustainability and climate change mitigation by joining groups such the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). ICLEI uses a five-step milestone process to help cities achieve their mitigation goals. These milestones include conducting a greenhouse gas inventory, setting reduction targets, creating a Climate Action Plan, and implementing and monitoring that plan. Prior studies have examined factors that may influence a city’s decision to join ICLEI, but few have looked at how committed the cities are to sustainability and to ICLEI itself after joining the organization. The purpose of this study is …
Water Quality Dynamics Of Low-Gradient, Headwater Streams In A Timber-Industry Dominated Watershed In Louisiana, Abram Atys Dasilva
Water Quality Dynamics Of Low-Gradient, Headwater Streams In A Timber-Industry Dominated Watershed In Louisiana, Abram Atys Dasilva
LSU Master's Theses
Timber harvesting can degrade the quality of adjacent water bodies, an important concern for Louisiana, nearly 50% of which is forested, and in which the forest industry is the second-largest manufacturing employer. To protect valuable freshwater resources in Louisiana, a manual of best management practices (BMPs) was published in 2000 describing techniques for limiting forestry-caused water quality degradation. While these BMPs are widely implemented, their effectiveness in protecting water quality is largely unknown. To determine the effectiveness of these BMPs, this thesis research conducted three studies to address timber harvest BMP effectiveness on protection of stream dissolved oxygen, metabolism, and …
Ecology Of Rusty Blackbirds Wintering In Louisiana: Seasonal Trends, Flock Composition And Habitat Associations, Emma Elizabeth Deleon
Ecology Of Rusty Blackbirds Wintering In Louisiana: Seasonal Trends, Flock Composition And Habitat Associations, Emma Elizabeth Deleon
LSU Master's Theses
With an estimated population loss of at least 5% annually and a 100-year history of decline, Rusty Blackbirds (Euphagus carolinus) are one of the fastest declining bird species in North America. Determining cause of decline is important, both for conserving the species and for identifying threats to the wooded wetland ecosystems they use on their boreal breeding-grounds and their wintering-grounds in the southeastern United States. One hypothesis is that loss of wintering ground habitat, possibly in conjunction with competition or disease, is causing Rusty Blackbird decline. To determine contribution of wintering ground conditions, it is important to understand the behaviors …
Pah Concentrations Found Within Gulf Menhaden (Brevoortia Patronus) Populations Located Off Of The South/Southeast Coast Of Louisiana, Gregory Michael Olson
Pah Concentrations Found Within Gulf Menhaden (Brevoortia Patronus) Populations Located Off Of The South/Southeast Coast Of Louisiana, Gregory Michael Olson
LSU Master's Theses
In April 2010, large quantities of crude oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) raising questions about the possible contamination of marine organisms with constituents of concern known as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). In order to determine the impact of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) crude oil spill, Gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) were harvested from two coastal regions of Louisiana. Tissue analysis to determine total PAH concentration was conducted using an adapted matrix solid phase dispersion (MSPD) method; a Soxhlet extraction process was used to determine fish oil to mass ratios for “small” (fork length < 16 cm) and “large” (fork length > 16 cm) menhaden. Menhaden …
The Effects Of Oyster Harvest On Resident Oyster Reef Communities And Reef Structure In Coastal Louisiana Proper, Steven Lee Beck
The Effects Of Oyster Harvest On Resident Oyster Reef Communities And Reef Structure In Coastal Louisiana Proper, Steven Lee Beck
LSU Master's Theses
Harvest of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is a primary contributor to oyster reef habitat disturbance in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The impacts of oyster dredging on reef substrate and resident fauna have not been thoroughly examined on the extensive sub-tidal oyster reefs of Louisiana. Several reef structure and resident community metrics were compared on unharvested and harvested reefs during the spring, summer, and fall of 2010. Unharvested reefs had higher amounts of oyster clusters, solid reef substrate, and more large oysters, while harvested reefs had higher amounts of loose shell, mixed shell/mud substrate, and elevated chlorophyll-a levels. Overall, …
Comprehensive Planning And Resilience: A Study Of Louisiana Parishes After Hurricane Katrina, Mary Paille
Comprehensive Planning And Resilience: A Study Of Louisiana Parishes After Hurricane Katrina, Mary Paille
LSU Master's Theses
When hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit in 2005, widespread devastation was felt in over half of the parishes in the state. More than 200,000 homes were damaged and more than 1500 people lost their lives. During this transitionary period, communities were vulnerable and looked for rebuilding leadership. As part of a post-catastrophe resilience movement, the Louisiana Recovery Authority formulated a 50-year regional plan for recovering south Louisiana called Louisiana Speaks. This planning process opened up an opportunity to reach those communities that otherwise may not have considered planning or how it could help them prepare for future events. This places …
Influences On Behavior Adaptations To Reduce Exposure To Environmental Hazards Among Residents Of Louisiana's Upper Industrial Corridor, Corrinthia Marie Hinton
Influences On Behavior Adaptations To Reduce Exposure To Environmental Hazards Among Residents Of Louisiana's Upper Industrial Corridor, Corrinthia Marie Hinton
LSU Master's Theses
Over the past century, the growth in petrochemical manufacturing within Louisiana’s Upper Industrial Corridor brought economic development, but also introduced toxic emissions and environmental exposure risks to residents of the area. For the citizens living in close proximity to multiple facilities there is the added risk of chemical exposure from environmentally hazardous accidents. This study seeks to gain insights into patterns of risk-reducing behaviors of residents in East Baton Rouge Parish so that better educational outreach programs can be developed. This research addresses the following questions: To what extent are residents of Baton Rouge taking steps to reduce environmental exposure …
An Analysis Of Change In Policy Context Regarding Corexit Dispersant Use Following The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Kelly Arceneaux
An Analysis Of Change In Policy Context Regarding Corexit Dispersant Use Following The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Kelly Arceneaux
LSU Master's Theses
On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the offshore drilling platform Deepwater Horizon located in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in the largest oil spill in U.S. history. The subsequent use of massive amounts of chemical dispersants near the Gulf floor, an untested method, led to great controversy regarding the regulation, use, and toxicity of dispersants of the COREXIT family of products, as well as of dispersants in general. This study compares dispersant (COREXIT brand products in particular) regulation and use in the United States, Norway and the United Kingdom; the latter two countries are among the largest oil producers …
Effects Of Varying Land Use On Headwater Stream Fish Assemblages And In-Stream Habitats In Southwestern Louisiana, Alexandra Marie Fitzgerald
Effects Of Varying Land Use On Headwater Stream Fish Assemblages And In-Stream Habitats In Southwestern Louisiana, Alexandra Marie Fitzgerald
LSU Master's Theses
Although watershed land use effects on in-stream fish habitat and fish-macrohabitat associations have been widely studied in the past, low-gradient, coastal Louisiana streams have been poorly described in the literature. In this thesis, I report the results of a two-year study exploring relationships among regional land use, in-stream physical habitat, and headwater stream fish assemblages. In chapter two, I examined in-stream habitat variables such as depth, flow, and substrate combined with three-pass electrofishing depletion estimates at thirteen 100-m stream sites. I used a combination of principle component analysis and structural equation modeling to determine if trends were present in the …
Population Dynamics Of The Eastern Oyster In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Benjamin S. Eberline
Population Dynamics Of The Eastern Oyster In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Benjamin S. Eberline
LSU Master's Theses
This project examined the economically and ecologically valuable eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) in the Northern Gulf of Mexico using field and laboratory experiments. Specifically, this project focused on natural rates of settlement, growth, and mortality in a variety of temperature and salinity regimes within Breton Sound, LA. Seed and market sized oysters in cages resting on the bottom, as well as settlement tiles, were monitored at four sites in Breton Sound, LA, along what is typically a salinity gradient ranging from ~5 to ~20. In April 2010, the Caernarvon Freshwater Diversion was fully opened with the goal of minimizing the …
Evaluation Of Growth Rates And Establishment Patterns Of Water-Elm (Planera Aquatica) And Baldcypress (Taxodium Distichum) In Response To Hydrologic And Climatic Conditions At Catahoula Lake, Louisiana, Sanjeev Joshi
LSU Master's Theses
Hydrologic alterations frequently lead to vegetation changes in floodplain ecosystems. In Louisiana, there has been an expansion of water-elm (Planera aquatica) and to a lesser extent baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) at Catahoula Lake, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. Water-elm and baldcypress both are flood tolerant species; baldcypress growth is known to be influenced by hydrologic conditions more than climate. The expansion of these woody trees has reduced herbaceous vegetation valuable for waterfowl. In this study, I tested two hypotheses that establishment of water-elm trees into the lake increased after the construction of water control structures in the nearby Black River …