Digital Commons Network^™

Toward Sustainable Conservation And Management Of Human-Wildlife Interactions In The Mmadinare Region Of Botswana: Villagers’ Perceptions On Challenges And Prospects, Oitshepile M. Modise, Rebecca Nthogo Lekoko, Olekae Tsompi Thakadu, Masego Ayo Mpotokwane

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Human–wildlife conflicts are increasing globally. The increase in conflicts has been attributed to growing human and wildlife populations and a per capita increase in the consumption of natural resources. In Botswana, conflicts between humans and elephants (Loxodonta africana) are increasing. The growing human population (2.2 million) is encroaching on the animals’ already restricted range. Concomitantly, more elephants are adversely affecting arable agriculture production. To better understand the magnitude and intensity of human–wildlife interactions with elephants and other native wildlife species in Botswana, we collected data through community forum conducted July 17–18, 2017 at a “Kgotla” meeting in Mmadinare, a village …

Black Bears Recolonizing Historic Ranges: Indiana Human–Bear Interactions, Bradford J. Westrich, Emily B. Mccallen, Geriann Albers

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Over a century after extirpation from Indiana, USA, 2 American black bears (Ursus americanus) were confirmed in the state during the summers of 2015 and 2016. The first bear encountered a public and management agency unaccustomed to living with large carnivores, which resulted in intentional and unintentional feedings, habituation, and ultimately its euthanasia. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) attempted to learn from this encounter and began preparing for the next transient black bear. Education materials were created to help minimize human–bear interactions, promote living safely with bears, and inform about what to do when encountering a …

An Examination Of Beta Diversity Indices And Their Predictors In Two Large-Scale Systems, Philip Schroeder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biodiversity is what conservation biology was developed to conserve. It is the physical manifestation of life as a concept and, be it for practical or idealistic reasons, all conservationists seek to protect or, in some cases, enhance it. Because of its monolithic importance to the field, much effort has been expended trying to better measure and understand it. Recently, greater attention has been paid to the partition of diversity; the observation that the total diversity of a system (γ) can be broken down into within-site diversity (α) and between-site diversity (β). In particular, it has been noticed that the β …

Water Supply Planning In Virginia: The Future Of Groundwater And Surface Water, Jonathon Lubrano, Jeffrey Moore

Virginia Coastal Policy Center

This paper begins by exploring the current state of water resources planning and permitting. Then, considers current water demand in Virginia, as well as future challenges. Next is an examination of management structures from other states and a discussion of potential solutions to the water scarcity issue, including wastewater purification, the Hampton Roads Sanitation District’s (HRSD) Sustainable Water Initiative For Tomorrow (SWIFT) project, and desalination. The paper concludes with various next steps and policy recommendations that the Commonwealth should consider as dwindling water resources could hamper economic growth and threaten drought conditions, such as regional planning to achieve the optimal …

Increasing Living Shoreline Implementation In Virginia: Legal And Policy Recommendations, Christopher Antoine

Virginia Coastal Policy Center

When living shorelines are correctly implemented, they can provide a number of benefits to landowners, localities, and the state. Based on that knowledge, in 2011, the Virginia General Assembly codified a preference for the use of living shorelines in tidal shoreline stabilization projects to facilitate a greater realization of those benefits. Despite the statutory preference, much of Virginia’s tidal shoreline may not be realizing the benefits associated with living shorelines. A recent report from the Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM) at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science indicated that, in a sample of coastal Virginia localities from 2014-2016, as …

Evaluating The Role Of Energy Demand Prediction And Renewable Energy Utilization On Energy Dependency Management: A Generic System Dynamics Model, Emad Rabiei Hosseinabad

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Supplying energy has become one of the biggest concerns of developed countries due to the growing energy needs in the last decades. Security of energy supply has forced countries to rely more on energy imports from external sources, and become energy dependent to a greater extent. Utilizing available renewable energy resources has been characterized as a reliable indicator to mitigate energy dependency in countries as well as securing the supplying of energy-based needs in the future. This research explores the impact of renewable energies as trustful resources in mitigating energy imports form external sources with investigation of its viability with …

An Inter-Watershed Comparison Study Of Bedrock Controls On Shallow Subsurface Flow And Streamflow Response, Robert Livesay

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Bedrock controls on watershed response have been actively studied in recent years, however, most conclusions are based on surface water analysis leaving unresolved questions about the nature of bedrock flow paths and ultimately their control on watershed response. In this study, we investigated bedrock controls on watershed response by simultaneously monitoring the hydrology of two adjacent watersheds underlain by dissimilar geologic formations (monzonite vs. meta-sandstone) and by characterizing subsurface conditions through bedrock drilling and fracture mapping. We hypothesized, when soils saturate, the underlying bedrock geology may influence the partitioning of shallow subsurface flow (SSF) between soil and bedrock flow paths, …

Significance Of A Non-Thermal Plasma Treatment On Ldpe Biodegradation With Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Laurence Scally, Miroslav Gulan, Lars Weigang, Vladimir Milosavljević, Patrick J. Cullen

Articles

The use of plastics has spanned across almost all aspects of day to day life. Although their uses are invaluable, they contribute to the generation of a lot of waste products that end up in the environment and end up polluting natural habitats such as forests and the ocean. By treating low-density polyethylene (LDPE) samples with non-thermal plasma in ambient air and with an addition of ≈4% CO2, the biodegradation of the samples can be increased due to an increase in oxidative species causing better cell adhesion and acceptance on the polymer sample surface. It was, however, found that the …

Reimagining The Cultural Significance Of Wetlands: From Perth’S Lost Swamps To The Beeliar Wetlands, Danielle Brady, Jeffrey Murray

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The history of Perth, Western Australia, has been characterised by the incremental loss of its wetlands. While disputes about wetlands are often framed solely in terms of the environment, they are places of cultural significance too. The extensive wetlands of central Perth, food gathering and meeting places for Noongar people are now expunged from the landscape. Urban dwellers of Perth are largely unaware that the seasonal lakes and wetlands of the centre of the city were the larders, gardens, hideouts, dumps and playgrounds of previous generations; both Noongar and Settler. The loss of social memory of these lost cultural/natural places …

Estimating Exploitation Rates In The Alabama Red Snapper Fishery Using A High-Reward Tag–Recapture Approach, Dana K. Sackett, Mattgew Catalano, J. Marcus Drymon, Sean P. Powers, Mark Albins

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Accurate estimates of exploitation are essential to managing an exploited fishery. However, these estimates are often dependent on the area and vulnerable sizes of fish considered in a study. High-reward tagging studies offer a simple and direct approach to estimating exploitation rates at these various scales and in examining how model parameters impact exploitation rate estimates. These methods can ultimately provide a better understanding of the spatial dynamics of exploitation at smaller local and regional scales within a fishery—a measure often needed for more site-attached species, such as the Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus. We used this approach to tag 724 …

Walls And Wilderness: Analyzing The Impacts Of Border Barriers On U.S. Government Lands Of The United States - Mexico Border, Bryce Garrett Fugate

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This paper seeks to describe the impacts of physical structures (fences, walls, barricades, etc.) on five selected areas of federally-protected U.S. lands along the U.S.-Mexico border that fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of the Interior. The five selected areas are: Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Big Bend National Park, Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks National Monument, the Tohono O'odham Nation Reservation, and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. The research looks into the historical development of structures put in place on the U.S. - Mexico border, how they have become ever more ubiquitous in the region, and what …

Environmental And Genetic Factors Affecting Antibiotic Resistance Of Extended Spectrum Î?-Lactamase Bacteria From The Rio Grande River In El Paso, Tx And Cd. Juarez, Mexico, Maria D. Fuentes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: The Rio Grande River provides a major source of potable and agricultural water for the population of the Texas/Mexico border region. Cattle farming and ranching are the most prevalent activities, which may contribute to the microbial burden of pharmaceuticals into our state's water resources. Antibiotics, presumably released into the environment by discharges originating from waste-water treatment plants, septic disposal systems, animal feeding operations and urban runoff have a definite impact on the ecosystem and may contribute to an increase in antibiotic resistance. We hypothesized that waters of the Rio Grande River contained Multi Drug Resistant Organisms (MDRO) and mobile …

Exploring The Effects Of Zinc Nanoparticle Concentration, Antioxidant, And Media On Cilantro (Coriandrum Sativum), And Radish (Raphanus Sativus) Plants Growth, Venkata Laxma Reddy Pullagurala

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) have proven to be one of the emerging chemicals of concern in the contemporary times. Soil acts as one of the major sinks of these ENMs. Reports have shown that ENMs have varied effects on soil biota. Particularly, their effects on plants are inconsistent. Amongst these ENMs, ZnO nanoparticles (nZnO) are the fourth largest raw materials in the nanotechnology industry. Globally, it is estimated that around 34,000 tons of n ZnO are utilized per year. The nZnO exposure on terrestrial plants yielded both beneficial as well as detrimental effects. Recently, there is an emerging evidence about the …

Detection Of Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products In The Rio Grande And Their Effects On A Model Aquatic Invertebrate (Rotifera, Monogononta: Plationus Patulus), Enrique David Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Rivers, including the Rio Grande, receive discharges from urban, agricultural, and industrial areas. These discharges have potentially harmful contaminants that may affect life span, fecundity, and/or behaviors of aquatic organisms. In this project, water quality was analyzed near a discharge point source and impacts of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) on a non-target organism (Plationus patulus) were investigated. Long-term and integrative organic samplers (POCIS) were left in situ for about 1 month near a wastewater treatment plant that discharges effluent into the Rio Grande. Over 40 PPCPs, including carbamazepine (ranging from 17.50 to 584.29 ng/L), erythromycin (ranging from 0.51 …

Rethinking Inclusive And Sustainable Educational Development For Moken Children, Jason Sanglir

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Despite numerous education readjustments, efforts for equal opportunity in education, and an increase in present enrollment, many indigenous children in Thailand continue to fall behind in the formal education system. This study focuses on the Moken Chao Lay (sea people) communities in southern Thailand and looks to analyze and understand situations and shortcomings of Moken children's education and why they are still underperforming in the formal education system. Traditional ways of knowing, especially knowing through nature, are used as a platform to rethink the way we look at indigenous children's education in Thailand. Interview data was collected from school teachers, …

Selected Appropriate Decision Support Tool For Sustainable Rain-Fed Agriculture Referenced To The New Theory Of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great: A Case Study Of Khao Wong District, Kalasin Province Of Thailand, Anutra Wannaviroj

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Thailand is an agricultural country of which almost 80% of the total agricultural land is rain-fed. An on-farm pond, which is a self-reliant small-scale water source for harvesting the rainwater to be used for the whole year, becomes radical for farmers in this area. These farmers need to select the agricultural water management scheme which uses limited rainwater harvested in the on-farm pond efficiently and productively to fulfill their household needs, which will lead to sustainable rain-fed agriculture. Therefore, the study aimed to select an appropriate decision support tool for sustainable rain-fed agriculture referenced to the New Theory of His …

Local Knowledge Framework For Sustainable Utilization Of Mangrove Forest : A Case Study Of Klong Khone Sub-District, Mueang District, Samut Songkhram Province, Thailand, Wipapan Adulcharoen

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

A development of local knowledge or local knowledge life cycle for locally appropriate sustainable utilization of mangrove ecosystem services was influenced by factors that were specific to ecological and social-cultural conditions and varied relying a change of the targeted mangrove ecosystem services for utilization. This study aims 1) to identify the factors in the local knowledge life cycle during two phases of mangrove stand initiation and young forest regrowth at Klong Khone sub-district, Samut Songkhram province, Thailand and 2) to propose the local knowledge framework for the sustainable utilization of mangrove ecosystem services and lessons learned through the local knowledge …

Conversion Of Waste Chicken Fat To Liquid Fuel On Coal Fly Ash Catalyst By Catalytic Cracking, Phorndranrat Suchamalawong

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In this research work, a study on the catalytic cracking of waste chicken fat (WCF) on fly ash to liquid fuels and using 2k factorial design to determine the influence of parameters on liquid yield, naphtha and diesel content was investigated. The research was divided into 2 parts. First, the experiment was carried out in a batch lab scale reactor of 70 mL. The objectives are to determine the influence of parameters that affected the %yield of liquid product naphtha and diesel–liked fuels at the operating conditions of temperature range of 420 - 460 ˚C, reaction time 45-75 minutes, initial …

Crude Oil Removal By Sphingobium Sp. Mo2-4 And Bacillus Megaterium Tl01-2 Immobilized On Aquaporous Gel, Adisan Rungsihiranrut

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Petroleum products are the major energy sources that drive global economy. The exploration and exploitation of crude petroleum oil increase the potential risk for oil spills in marine ecosystem. In this work, two non-pathogenic sponge-associated bacteria were developed as immobilized bacterial co-culture for crude oil removal from seawater. Two bacteria were Spingobium sp. MO2-4 that could degrade crude oil, diesel oil, and fuel oil, and Bacillus megaterium TL01-2 that could degrade crude oil, possessed high cell surface hydrophobicity, could tolerate heavy metal, and was able to form biofilm.. The modified polyurethane foam, aquaporous gel (AQ), was used as carrier for …

Diesel Removal Efficiency In Soil Washing Process By Mixed Solution Of Nonionic Surfactant And Biosurfactant, Pajaree Boonyathai

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In this study, Tween 80 and three biosurfactant (Rhamnolipid, Saponin and Lipopeptide) were mixed to formulate the appropriate surfactant solution for diesel removal from contaminated soil by washing process. The mixed surfactant system was fixed at 5% w/v of active surfactants concentration in total with different mass ratio of Tween 80 to biosurfactant at 9:1, 8:2 and 7:3 of total concentration. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of various ratio surfactant mixtures and their interfacial tension (IFT) with diesel were determined and compared with their individual surfactant. The results illustrate that mixed Tween and Lipopeptide at 9:1 mass ratio had the …

Formulation Of Oil Dispersants By Mixing Lipopeptide Biosurfactant And Non-Ionic Surfactants, Parisarin Nawavimarn

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Marine oil spill can cause various harmful impacts to the environment. To solve this problem, dispersant is usually applied to enhance petroleum remediation in seawater. The commercial dispersants mostly contain surfactant and solvent that can be toxic to marine lives. This study aimed to formulate solvent-free biosurfactant-based dispersants by mixing lipopeptides from Bacillus subtilis GY19 with fatty alcohol ethoxylate (Dehydol LS7TH), a low toxicity nonionic surfactant. Hydrophilic-lipophilic deviation (HLD) concept was applied. The fractions of lipopeptide and dehydol LS7TH were determined based on the equivalent alkane carbon number (EACN) of hydrocarbons under seawater salinity (34ppt). The molar fractions of lipoppeptide …

Pm10 And Pm2.5 Concentrations In Bangkok Over 10 Years And Implications For Air Quality, Tin Thongthammachart

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Atmospheric particulate matter particles with a diameter less than 10 micron (PM10) and less than 2.5 micron (PM2.5) have been adverse human health effect. Ambient air pollution data in Central Business District (CBD) of Bangkok monitored by Pollution Control Department and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration were collected over ten years in Bangkok from 2008 to 2017. Trend of the particulate matter concentrations data were investigated over ten year for implications of activities related to air pollution. Daily average air pollution data between year 2015 and year 2017 were used as the dependent variables to develop mathematic models with multiple linear regression …

Experimental Evaluation Of Uranyl Transport Into Mesoporous Silica Gel Using Fluorescence, Brandon M. Dodd

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated parameters that can affect the use of nanoporous silica gel as a media for accumulating a detectable amount of uranium. The unique fluorescence of the Uranyl (UO₂²⁺) ion was used to evaluate the transport kinetics and accumulation within silica gel in a static fluid and under pressure driven flow. The addition of fluid flow decreased the time constant from on the order of an hour to approximately 2s with a very low fluid velocity of 0.36cm/s. The 0.36cm/s fluid velocity was found to be the critical velocity above which there was no gain in …

The Performance Of 2d And 3d Tsunami Evacuation Maps: A Case Study For Seaside, Oregon, Aaron M. Taveras

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Tsunami evacuation maps are intended to inform the public about the geographic extent of the hazard and where to evacuate, but these maps can be difficult to interpret for people unfamiliar with cartographic semiology. This study focuses on the performance of tsunami evacuation maps and how the tsunami hazard is represented cartographically, as at-risk communities must be able to act quickly, and effectively understand tsunami maps to remain aware of the hazard and adequately evacuate. This study investigated the use of static three-dimensional (3D) perspective maps and travel time to safety representation (shown using point markers and choropleth symbology), as …

Risk Assessment And Spread Of The Potentially Invasive Ceratitis Rosa Karsch And Ceratitis Quilicii De Meyer, Mwatawala & Virgilio Sp. Nov. Using Life-Cycle Simulation Models: Implications For Phytosanitary Measures And Management, Chrysantus Mbi Tanga, Fathiya Mbarak Khamis, Henri E.Z. Tonnang, Ivan Rwomushana, Gladys Mosomtai, Samira A. Mohamed, Sunday Ekesi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Integrative taxonomy has resolved the species status of the potentially invasive Ceratitis rosa Karsch into two separate species with distinct ecological requirements: C. rosa “lowland type” and the newly described species Ceratitis quilicii De Meyer, Mwatawala & Virgilio sp. nov. “highland type”. Both species are tephritid pests threatening the production of horticultural crops in Africa and beyond. Studies were carried out by constructing thermal reaction norms for each life stage of both species at constant and fluctuating temperatures. Nonlinear functions were fitted to continuously model species development, mortality, longevity and oviposition to establish phenology models that were stochastically simulated to …

Oregon Lake Watch Program: Training Manual, Rich Miller, Crysta Gantz, Vanessa Morgan, Angela L. Strecker, Mark D. Sytsma

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Oregon is fortunate to have a wide variety of beautiful and enjoyable lakes and reservoirs. The Oregon Lake Watch Program (OLWP), a citizen science volunteer based program, was created to help protect these natural resources. Specifically, the goal of the OLWP is to help protect Oregon’s lakes and reservoir through having citizen volunteers survey for invasive species and gather water quality data, and then disseminating this information to the public and resource managers.

This OLWP training manual provides protocols for collecting important water quality data, surveying for invasive plants and animals, photo documentation and preservation of invasive species, and recording …

Smallholder Farmers, Environmental Change And Adaptation In A Human-Dominated Landscape In The Northern Highlands Of Rwanda, Apollinaire William

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Climate change and crop intensification are key challenges to the livelihoods and wellbeing of the majority of rural smallholder farmers in developing countries, particularly in human-dominated, climate-sensitive landscapes such as the northern highlands of Rwanda where issues of fluvial floods, soil erosion pose serious threats to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. In this mixed methods study conducted between August and December 2015, I explored smallholder farmers’ perceptions by examining what barriers might hinder the process of agroforestry adoption by smallholder farmers, what socio-economic and physical factors and attitudes influence crop choices, motivations for smallholder farmers’ willingness to plant trees within …

Protected Area Planning And Management: Supporting Local Stakeholder Participation With An Asset-Based, Biocultural Approach, Nicole M. Wengerd

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Given the uncertainties and risks of anthropogenic climate change, the urgency to conserve biodiversity has renewed urgency that has prompted a number of international forums, treaties, and agencies to advocate for the establishment of new and/or expansion of existing protected areas. One of the most broadly recognized efforts to expand the global protected area network can be found in the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, outlined in the Convention on Biological Diversity Strategic Plan for 2011-2020, adopted in 2010 by 196 countries. Target 11 calls for the expansion of terrestrail and inland water areas, as well as coastal marine areas. While the …

Influences Of Forest Edges And Human Activities On The Dry Season Ranging Patterns Of Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes Schweinfurthii) In Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, Enathe Hasabwamariya

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Great apes, our closest biological relatives are threatened globally by the increasing anthropogenic pressures on their habitat. The major threats to the eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) are hunting for bush meat and illegal trade in chimpanzee infants, habitat loss or fragmentation and disease transmission (IUCN, 2010). Nyungwe National Park (NNP), Rwanda has a population of chimpanzees that face several threats, including hunting for bushmeat, habitat degradation from forest fires and human-wildlife conflicts, and much of these impacts are concentrated at forest edges. The main objectives of this research were to assess the use of forest edges by chimpanzees along …

Exploring Lifelong Influence Of Participating In The Junior Audubon Club During Childhood, Amy Weidensaul

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

There is limited research looking at the role that specific programs play in the formation of environmental identity, or lifelong influences of specific environmental programs. This study looks to address this gap by exploring the salient and memorable experiences of past Junior Audubon Club members who participated in the program as children, and how they describe the influences of the program on their environmental identities. Based on this study, there were specific components of the Junior Audubon Club that proved most influential and lasting for the participants, including active learning in nature, supportive adults who shared similar interest and passions, …