Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment Commons^™

Siltcoos Lake Nonpoint Source Implementation Grant: Water Quality Conditions And Nutrient Sources, Mark D. Sytsma, Rich Miller

Mark D. Sytsma

Siltcoos Lake is a large (1280 hectares), shallow (mean depth 3.3 m; maximum depth 6.7 m) lake located on the Central Oregon Coast, just south of Florence and bordered by Dunes City, Oregon. The outflow and water level of Siltcoos Lake is regulated by a dam on the Siltcoos River 4 km upstream from the Pacific. Several permanent streams feed the lake from its 176 square kilometer watershed including Fiddle Creek, Maple Creek, and Woahink Creek, the outflow from Woahink Lake. Much of the watershed is forested and used for timber harvest, residential development, and limited agricultural production ...

Final Report: Evaluation Of The Morphoedaphic Index And Sediment Diatoms For Inference Of Pre-European Settlement Total Phosphorus Concentration In Epa Region 10 Lakes, Rich Miller, Aaron Hook, Richard Petersen, Mark D. Sytsma

Mark D. Sytsma

Water quality in many Northwest lakes has declined over the past century due, in part, to increased anthropogenic nutrient loading (Edmonson and Lehman, 1981). Under the Clean Water Act, resource managers such as the Washington Department of Ecology, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and tribes are responsible for restoring and protecting the integrity of these waters. Targets for restoration or criteria for impairment are not well defined, however, and may naturally vary by geology, hydrology, morphometry, and climate. One way to determine whether lakes are impaired and to identify restoration targets is to assess lake reference conditions (EPA 2000). Reference ...

The Effects Of Isoprene Emission From Native And Invasive Trees On Local Air Quality, Aarti P. Mistry

DePaul Discoveries

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) are the second-most abundant reactive gasses emitted into the atmosphere by the biosphere. Isoprene is a BVOC produced by the process of photosynthesis from vegetation and is emitted from plant leaves. Isoprene is a hydrocarbon that combines with oxides of nitrogen in the atmosphere to create ozone in the troposphere, an air pollutant. Invasive trees alter ecosystems and affect native tree populations. Invasive tree species in the Chicagoland area are outcompeting native tree species and expanding rapidly. The effect of isoprene emissions on air quality is a well-researched area in the atmospheric science community, however ...

The Limitation Of Spread Of Non-Native Marine Invertebrates From Artificial Structures To Natural Habitats, Whitney Mcclees, Catherine E. De Rivera

Catherine E. de Rivera

Artificial structures created for aquatic anthropogenic activities are often colonized and fouled by many non-native species, few of which have invaded natural areas. Some research has indicated predation is limiting the spread of non-native species, while other research has indicated that it is dispersal-driven. To determine the effects of dispersal limitation and predation on the risk to surrounding habitats of being invaded by non-native species established on marina docks, we used a three-factor design, deploying seven unglazed ceramic panels per each treatment combination of 1) inside versus outside a marina in Yaquina Bay, Oregon; 2) cage keeping out predators >mesh ...

Then And Now: Vegetative Change Detection On Mount St. Helens 2000-2015, Douglas S. Thalacker, Andrés Holz

Andrés Holz

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens (MSH) proved a dramatic event with many important socio-economic consequences. In addition, this eruption resulted in an array of ecological consequences with subsequent studies and profound theoretical ramifications. The eruption created a complex gradient in disturbance severity on the northern aspect of MSH3, promoting successional processes from varying starting points and change rates. This study uses a landscape-scale approach to quantify spatio-temporal trends in vegetative responses to the eruption from 2000-2015, relying on Landsat TM and ETM+ imagery focusing on the primary and (i.e. no biological legacies) secondary (i.e. with biological ...

Functionality Of Openair Package In Air Pollution Assessment And Modeling — A Case Study Of Krakow, Adriana Szulecka, Robert Oleniacz, Mateusz Rzeszutek

Robert Oleniacz

Riparian Buffer Systems In Crop And Rangelands, Richard C. Schultz, Thomas M. Isenhart, Joseph P. Colletti

Thomas M. Isenhart

Riparian ecosystems occupy a narrow belt of land along streams and around lakes and wetlands and are characterized by plant and animal communities that are dependent on close proximity to water. These ecotones function as buffer zones for materials moving from the uplands toward the surface water. They control stream morphology and ecology and also maintain landscape biodiversity by providing diverse habitats and corridors for animals and plants. Most of the riparian zones in the Midwestern agroecosystems and arid and semiarid western rangelands have been extensively impacted by agricultural cropping and grazing activities. These impacts have generally decreased water quality ...

Environmental Impact Analysis Of Soybean Oil Production From Expelling, Hexane Extraction And Enzyme Assisted Aqueous Extraction, Ming-Hsun Cheng, Weitao Zhang, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Jasreen J. K. Sekhon, Tong Wang, Stéphanie Jung, Lawrence A. Johnson

Stéphanie Jung

In the industry, expelling and hexane extraction are the two typical processes for soybean oil production. However, the low efficiency and hazardous chemical problem are the main issues for these two processes respectively. Enzyme assisted aqueous extraction process (EAEP) is applied to increase the efficiency without using organic solvent, which is replaced by water. The environmental impact analysis of these three processes are based on their mass flows, energy consumption and global warming potential. For mass flows, the environmental impact indices were calculated based on mass balance of input and output components. Energy consumption was used to evaluate the carbon ...

Effects Of Poultry Manure Application On Phosphorus In Soil And Tile Drain Water Under A Corn-Soybean Rotation, Natasha L. Hoover, Ramesh Kanwar, Michelle L. Soupir, Carl Pederson

Rameshwar S. Kanwar

Long-term application of manure can lead to phosphorus accumulation in the soil and increase the risk of P delivery to tile drainage waters. A long-term study (1998–2009) was conducted on eight tile-drained field plots, ranging in size from 0.19 to 0.47 ha, to investigate the effects of long-term surface application of poultry manure on soil phosphorus dynamics and PO4-P loss in tile drainage in Iowa under a corn-soybean rotation system. The experimental treatments included two poultry manure treatments, applied on an N basis at target rates of 168 kg N ha−1 (PM) and 336 kg N ...

Effects Of Tillage And Poultry Manure Application Rates On Salmonella And Fecal Indicator Bacteria Concentrations In Tiles Draining Des Moines Lobe Soils, C. E. Hruby, M. L. Soupir, T. B. Moorman, M. Shelley, R. S. Kanwar

Rameshwar S. Kanwar

Application of poultry manure (PM) to cropland as fertilizer is a common practice in artificially drained regions of the Upper Midwest United States. Tile-waters have the potential to contribute pathogenic bacteria to downstream waters. This 3-year study (2010–2012) was designed to evaluate the impacts of manure management and tillage practices on bacteria losses to drainage tiles under a wide range of field conditions. PM was applied annually in spring, prior to planting corn, at application rates ranging from 5 to 40 kg/ha to achieve target rates of 112 and 224 kg/ha nitrogen (PM1 and PM2). Control plots ...

The Spatiotemporal Distribution Of Air Pollutants And Their Relationship With Land-Use Patterns In Hangzhou City, China, Sheng Zheng, Xueyuan Zhou, Ramesh Singh, Yuzhe Wu, Yanmei Ye, Cifang Wu

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Air pollution contributes to a large fraction of the total mortality estimated under the global burden of disease project (GBD) of the World Health Organization (WHO). This paper discusses an integrated study to obtain the spatiotemporal characteristics of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and trace gases (O3, SO2, NO2, and CO) pollutants in Hangzhou City (China) for the years 2014–2016. Our detailed analysis shows a relationship between air pollutants and land-use/land-cover change. Air quality parameters (PM2.5 and PM10) and trace gases (SO2, NO2, and CO) show strong monthly variations in the months of January (higher values ...

Across-Ecoregion Analysis Suggests A Hierarchy Of Ecological Filters That Regulate Recruitment Of A Globally Invasive Fish, Przemek G. Bajer, Timothy K. Cross, Joseph D. Lechelt, Christopher J. Chizinski, Michael J. Weber, Peter W. Sorensen

Michael J Weber Dr

Aim -- Even successful invaders are abundant only in a fraction of locales they inhabit. One of the main challenges in invasion ecology is explaining processes that drive these patterns. We investigated recruitment of a globally invasive fish, common carp (Cyprinus carpio), across three ecoregions to determine the role of environmental characteristics, predatory communities and propagule pressure on the invasion process at coarse and fine spatial scales. Location -- Lakes across Northern Forest, Temperate Forest and Great Plains ecoregions of North America. Methods -- We used data from 567 lakes to model presence or absence of carp recruitment using environmental conditions (lake clarity ...

Greenhouse Gas Impacts Of Ethanol From Iowa Corn: Life Cycle Analysis Versus System-Wide Accounting, Hongli Feng, Ofir D. Rubin, Bruce A. Babcock

Hongli Feng

Life cycle analysis (LCA) is the standard approach used to evaluate the greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits of biofuels. However, it is increasingly recognized that LCA results do not account for some impacts—including land use changes—that have important implications on GHGs. Thus, an alternative accounting system that goes beyond LCA is needed. In this paper, we contribute to the literature by laying out the basics of a system-wide accounting (SWA) method that takes into account all potential changes in GHGs resulting from biofuel expansion. We applied both LCA and SWA to assess the GHG impacts of ethanol based on ...

Least-Cost Control Of Agricultural Nutrient Contributions To The Gulf Of Mexico Hypoxic Zone, Sergey S. Rabotyagov, Todd Campbell, Manoj K. Jha, Hongli Feng, Philip W. Gassman, Lyubov A. Kurkalova, Sylvia Secchi, Catherine L. Kling

Hongli Feng

No abstract provided.

Relations Between Stream Chemistry, Fish Diversity, And Land Use In The Upper Little Miami Watershed, Connor J. Gilmour, Randy Howell, David Paulding, Charles W. Reynolds, Mark A. Gathany

Mark A. Gathany, Ph.D.

Streams are susceptible to numerous threats to their water quality and biodiversity. In southwest Ohio a major driver of these impacts is associated with current agricultural practices and associated legacy effects. These structural and chemical impacts are known to affect biodiversity in these streams. The objective of this study was to document and examine relationships among land-use/land cover, stream chemistry, and fish diversity in the headwaters streams of the Little Miami Watershed. Three streams (Little Miami River, Massies Creek - North Fork, and Massies Creek - South Fork) were sampled in the upper headwaters as well as downstream. Air and water ...

Fossil Fuel Asset Risk Analysis: Clark University Endowment, Travis A. Dodge, B. Maiwand Akbari

Student Works

The environmental and social risks of climate change are well known and perhaps inevitable. The economic and financial risks are less so. The many financial risks associated with climate change embedded in endowment portfolio fossil fuel holdings are leading many institutional stakeholders to enter into dialogue and take action. Divestment is emerging as an effective strategy for limiting portfolio exposure and tackling climate change itself.

Our team’s goals were to assess whether the Clark University endowment portfolio faces any of these risks and evaluate the impacts on asset values. Our findings show that the Clark endowment does face these ...

Economic Evaluation Of Coastal Land Loss In Louisiana, Stephen R. Barnes, Craig Bond, Nicholas Burger, Kate Anania, Aaron Strong, Sarah Weilant, Stephanie Virgets

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

Louisiana has lost approximately 1,880 square miles of land over the past eighty years. Projections suggest that in a future without action, the next fifty years could result in the loss of 1,750 additional square miles of land area. As land loss continues, a large portion of the natural and man-made capital stocks of coastal Louisiana will be at greater risk of damage, either from land loss or from the associated increase in storm damage. We estimate the replacement cost of capital stock directly at risk from land loss ranges from approximately $2.1 billion to $3.5 ...

Embodied Carbon: A Framework For Prioritizing And Reducing Emissions In The Building Industry, Natalie C. Wheating

Master's Projects and Capstones

Global climate change is one of the most impactful environmental issues in modern times, and the construction industry is known to be one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions—one of the key causes of climate change. Embodied carbon emissions of buildings are an often overlooked, but significant, influencer of a building’s overall carbon footprint. This gives rise to the need for improved life cycle analysis of buildings and identification of opportunities to reduce the total carbon footprint of a building throughout its life cycle. This paper analyzes the current state of the building industry that limits the ...

The Limitation Of Spread Of Non-Native Marine Invertebrates From Artificial Structures To Natural Habitats, Whitney Mcclees, Catherine E. De Rivera

ESM Colloquium

Artificial structures created for aquatic anthropogenic activities are often colonized and fouled by many non-native species, few of which have invaded natural areas. Some research has indicated predation is limiting the spread of non-native species, while other research has indicated that it is dispersal-driven. To determine the effects of dispersal limitation and predation on the risk to surrounding habitats of being invaded by non-native species established on marina docks, we used a three-factor design, deploying seven unglazed ceramic panels per each treatment combination of 1) inside versus outside a marina in Yaquina Bay, Oregon; 2) cage keeping out predators >mesh ...

Environmental Health, Tessa Oliaro

Student Research Day Abstracts and Posters

There is a very important intersection between the environment, public health, and socioeconomic factors (Braveman, 2014). These include waste disposal, water use and quality, road safety, ecosystem services, and many more. Environmental health stresses, “the health impacts of physical, chemical, and biological agents in the environment and workplace, and learns to develop strategies to measure and control major environmental health problems both locally…and in settings around the globe” (UC Berkeley School of Public Health, 2017). This overarching umbrella can have emphases in environmental epidemiology, exposure science, climate change, ergonomics, home and industrial hygiene, and molecular epidemiology. Exploring each of ...