Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Climate Change And The Westhampton Lake: Review And Recommendations, Kendel Ahnell, Yazmeen Nuñez, Natasha Rathlev

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The Westhampton Lake is a campus icon and one of the University of Richmond's most prominent features. The significant attachment that members of the University community hold toward the lake imbues great value on the lake as a key geographic element of campus (Devine-Wright, 2013). However, the lake’s status as a campus monument does not absolve it from the greater effects of climate change, a phenomenon which will continue to transform the geography and ecology of the lake. Without a concrete understanding of the implications of current and future climate change on campus, the community may leave the Westhampton Lake …

Rainwater Harvesting System: Proposal For A Pilot Rainwater Harvesting System Installment At Booker Hall, Diana Alderbashi, Joel Collins, Jack Wilkes

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Fresh water is expected to become increasingly scarce as temperature and sea levels rise due to Global Climate Change. We believe now is the time to start rethinking our behaviors in terms of water use and start conserving water even if it is on a small scale. One of the best ways to conserve water at a university level is to install small scale rainwater harvesting system for irrigation. We propose for the University of Richmond to utilize Booker Hall to collect rainwater using ten 200 gallon rain barrels. The water will be used to irrigate flowerbeds around campus. The …

Utilizing A Green Revolving Fund For Reforestation On University Of Richmond’S Pagebrook Property, Patrick Love, Adam Owens

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The purpose of our climate change senior seminar project is to offset school funded domestic travel by implementing a fee structure to obtain an allocation of funding from different school departments responsible for sending students and faculty to locations around the United States. We need to take measures in creating a fund dedicated to creating sustainability -focused programs in order to maintain our reputation as a progressive and prominent institution. Once we generate money from the fees on our school’s travel, our first proposal is to reforest an underutilized piece of land owned by the school for the purpose of …

Assessing Scope 3 Emissions Within A University Department: Using A Life Cycle Assessment And Supply Chain Case Studies, Celia Landesberg, Erin Brady

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project is to identify opportunities to reduce Scope 3 emissions associated with University operations. While the scope of this report is limited, analysis of the department case study and the two selected products suggest the University should conduct a larger, more comprehensive supply chain assessment in the future to identify methods for emissions and cost reductions from altered purchasing practices. By sharing the information from this report, we hope to encourage the University to pursue more sustainable consumption practices.

Poster prepared for the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar/Geography Capstone.

Portrayal Of The Proposed Pucallpa-Cruzeiro Do Sol Interconnection In The Media, Christine Cassaro

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Takahashi (2010) argues the evolution of the media environment, the rise of huge media conglomerates and the nature of media outlets to seek profit maximization have come to dominate, limiting the ability of mass media to truly fulfill its role in democratic societies. Whether we recognize it or not, the media plays a crucial role in our knowledge of what is going on in our local and global communities. In the case of environmental issues and concerns such as climate change, the media is crucial in building public perception. Public support is often necessary for the implementation of important policies, …

Road Construction And Amur Tigers (Panthera Tigris Altaica) In The Russian Far East, Elizabeth Cohan

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), also known as the Siberian tiger, is an endangered species in the Russian Far East that has experienced a sharp population decline during the past century (Tian et al. 2011, 3166). Roads may be one of the primary factors for the dramatic decline of tiger population because the species most sensitive to roads tend to be large carnivores that rely on large movement ranges and have low reproductive rates (Fahrig and Rytwinski 2009, 1 and Tian et al. 2011, 3166). Tigers (Panthera tigris) are an example of such fragile large …

Impacts Of Infrastructure Related To Tourism On Machu Picchu, Brian Carlson

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Each year millions of people from around the world travel to new and exciting destinations. These world travelers go off to every corner of the globe hoping for an experience that will bring adventure, exposure to new and different cultures, and for some people, just the opportunity to escape the monotony of every day life. Whatever the reason for their travel these tourists represent a growing global industry and many countries advertise the variety of opportunities that a trip to their particular country would provide. However, with the growth of the tourism industry comes an increase in impacts that tourists …

Freeway Deconstruction: Impacts And Prospects, Jerry Giordano

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Freeway deconstruction signifies an abrupt shift in urban policy (Switalski 2004). After 50 years of the greatest road-building binge in world history, cities since the 1960’s have more seriously considered the benefits of road removal and have increasingly incorporated it into their urban planning toolkit (Preservation Institute 2007). Each decade since the 1960’s includes more deconstruction proposals and projects. Priorities are shifting away from designing cities to enhance mobility, and toward promoting livability (Switalski 2004). My research question is: Is Richmond is a suitable location for a successful freeway deconstruction project?

Paper prepared for the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar/Geography Capstone.

Ecotourism Along Pucallpa-Cruzeiro Do Sul Corridor: Support For Biodiversity Conservation, Will Gordon

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The paper addressing the issue of biodiversity conservation along a newly proposed transportation corridor from Pucallpa, Peru and Cruzeiro do Sul, Brazil. Current plans for this corridor call for the construction of a highway, but this paper supports a railway as a less intrusive means. In order to support biodiversity conservation along the new highway or railway a hypothetical ecotourism lodge located in the Sierra del Divisor Peruvian National Park is examined. Ecotourism is defined by The International Ecotourism Society as, “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people” (TIES, 1990). Ecotourism …

The Effect Of Land Use Change On Exposure To And Transmission Of Pathogens, Mary Nagle

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

According to WHO, within the last 20 years, at least 30 new diseases have emerged to threaten the health of hundreds of millions of people (McMichael 2004). Most of these emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are zoonotic, as catalogued by the Institute of Medicine (Daszak et al. 2001). Understanding the way in which human interactions with the environment facilitate vector-host interactions may improve preventative measures and public health practices. Human-induced environmental change plays a major role in the emergence of zoonotic diseases (McMichael 2004, Eisenberg et al. 2007), often because these changes increase human-vector interactions (McMichael 2004). Malaria is the world’s …

All Roads Lead To Fragmentation: Exploring Habitat Connectivity And Wildlife Underpasses Through The Florida Panther And The Jaguar, Carroll Courtenay

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The global transportation system is the “giant now embracing us,” and its omnipresent nature influences ecosystems worldwide (Forman, 1998: iv). The diversity of environmental effects associated with transportation systems challenges researchers to focus on concrete aspects of intertwined ecological systems. Examining habitat fragmentation associated with transportation networks, however, exposes some of the most direct impacts of these networks on fauna populations. As transportation networks expand, road corridors hinder habitat connectivity, which can greatly impact habitat health and genetic diversity in ecosystems (Corlatti et al., 2009; Tewksbury et al., 2002). Animal-vehicle collisions, decreased reproductive success, movement constraints, decreased colonization, and increased …

The Effects Of Sedimentation From Unpaved Roads On Coral Reefs: An Analysis Of St. John, Usvi And Koh Tao, Thailand, Dillon Vassallo

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

As the tourism industry drastically expanded on St. John, US Virgin Islands, developers constructed hundreds of unpaved dirt roads to facilitate the fast-paced population growth on the island. During rain storms, the unpaved roads created runoff from the mountainous terrain of St. John, and sedimentation smothered the coral reefs surrounding the island. Due to the geography of the island, coral reef characteristics, and dirt road network, the biggest threats to coral reefs around the island was considered sedimentation from unpaved roads. Sedimentation drastically threatens the ability for reefs to survive. This study uses existing research on the sedimentation from unpaved …

Chicago’S Transportation History: Informing The Future Of Sustainable Transportation Planning, Asha Phadke

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Throughout Chicago’s history, urbanization has led to an influx of people migrating from the rural to urban environment, due to the increased economic opportunity in the city. With this influx of population, the role and capacity of Chicago to provide sustainable transportation becomes essential. During the mid 1800s Chicago experienced the largest population growth in the world, starting with 4,000 inhabitants and growing to over 90,000 inhabitants by the end of the century. Since then, Chicago has reached a more stable population of 2.6 million people today. The transportation history of Chicago is linked to this population growth and has …

The Geopolitics Of The Brazil’S Amazonian Border, Peter C. Spoehr

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The days of national security concerns being bound by geographic locality are long gone, replaced by intervention minded multi-lateral organizations, NGOs with influence surpassing some countries and aggressive military force projection strategies. Along with traditional nation states, these institutions must all navigate the complex global dialogue attempting to address global economic and environmental issues. The degradation of the Amazon and its effect on the global environment is a primary subject of this dialogue and Brazil has taken notice. Challenges to the geopolitical control of the Brazilian Amazon by these multi-level actors have only served to increase Brazilian assertion of its …

Iirsa And Energy Connectivity In The Amazon: Can Infrastructure Solve Energy Poverty In The Region?, Keon Monroe

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

About 85 percent (EIA 2010) of Brazil’s electricity comes from hydropower plants. Recent efforts are expanding the use of hydropower throughout the country and across its Amazonian region. Major programs, both private and in the government, are financing expansion of dams, as well as other transportation infrastructure. The largest infrastructure group in South America, the Initiative For the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America (IIRSA), defines its purpose as an aim to strengthen transport, energy, and communications infrastructure under a regional prospective (IIRSA 2011). Thus presumptuously expanded and new infrastructure is essential to providing a better quality of life. …

Existing Knowledge, Understudied Ecosystems, And Rapid Development: The Environmental Impacts Of Roads On The Wetlands Of The Pantanal, South America, Ethan Strickler

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Wetlands are particularly diverse habitats because they are home to both aquatic and terrestrial flora and fauna. Wetlands are important for conservation because they are often home to many rare and endangered species. For example, in the United States alone, over a third or all rare or endangered species reside in wetlands. Wetlands offer many benefits for both humans and wildlife because they are hydrologic modifiers, wildlife centers, and beneficial for both water quality and nutrient cycling (Forman, et al. 2003). As wildlife centers, wetlands are the most botanically productive habitats on earth and support high abundance and diversity of …

A Species-Based Approach To Transboundary Marine Conservation In The Caribbean Region, Carolyn Doherty

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The basic theory of peace parks is applied to transboundary marine environments in this paper. Emphasizing connections across different scales, the ultimate goal of this paper is to resolve a specific ecological conflict: international conservation of migratory marine species in the Caribbean region. Migratory marine species like the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) create a unique dilemma for conservationists. Migratory species require diverse eco-regions for different stages of essential life processes. In the Caribbean region, these life processes occur regardless of political and economic boundaries, creating a predicament for marine conservation. Linking marine turtle harvest and conservation laws of the nations …

Scalar Interactions In The Mekong River Basin: Dam Incentives And Outcomes, Cloe Franko

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The Mekong River plays an intricate and dynamic role in the environmental, social, economic, and cultural systems of the 70 million people throughout its basin and the more than 300 million people in the six Mekong nations. The river is both a necessity for millions of individuals with livelihoods centered on its resources and, in the eyes of large-scale actors, a tool for regional development and industrialization. Policies throughout the Mekong River Basin have long dealt with international issues and often center on large-scale outcomes, such as the promotion of regional economic development and intergovernmental cooperation, but have neglected to …

The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, Joshua Flynn

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The concept of a peace park is one that goes back more than seventy-five years with the creation of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park at the border between Montana and Alberta. The park was originally viewed as a symbol of friendship and goodwill but over the years has become an example of a successful transboundary wilderness park. The park thrives due to high levels of cooperation and collaboration between all stakeholders involved, including those involved in the Crown Managers Partnership. The park has survived amidst threats to its sovereignty. The biggest challenge the park and its managers have faced is …

The Positive And Negative Impacts Of Transboundary Protected Areas On The Environment And The Social Makeup Of A Region, Kelsey Rdzanek

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

A Transboundary Protected Area (TBPA) is an area of land and/or sea that crosses one or more borders, whose area is dedicated to the protection of biological diversity and resources, and managed cooperatively by government, local communities and non-governmental organizations. This type of protected area is a fairly new concept that has not had much research conducted on whether or not it achieves the goals it has set out to meet. This paper will focus on the positive and negative impacts of TBPA’s on the environment and the social makeup of a region. TBPA’s do a great job of increasing …

Where Do We Draw The Line? Conserving Biodiversity In The Amazon Through Transboundary Protected Areas, Megan Sebasky

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The concept of borders brings up many complex issues, especially in regard to the creation of protected areas. International boundaries are not consistent with ecosystem borders, and conservation needs to be targeted at protecting ecoregions rather than areas ending at arbitrary international borders. When assessing the creation of a protected area, it is necessary to use an ecological approach in addition to a social perspective. Home ranges and locations of keystone species are important, as well as the use of a protected area as an ecological corridor. Buffer zones are also imperative for protected areas. This paper shows that Peru’s …