Digital Commons Network^™

Stormwater Infiltration And Groundwater Integrity: An Analysis Of Bmp Siting Tools And Groundwater Vulnerability, Kristopher Craig Gallagher

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nonpoint source pollution captured by urban stormwater runoff is the greatest challenge for surface water quality improvements. Computer-based design tools have been developed to help mediate this issue by guiding end users through the implementation of decentralized stormwater management. The majority of these tools focus on treatment via biofiltration, yet concern regarding this treatment regime is rising. Case studies from research past clearly indicate the susceptibility of groundwater to contamination from extensive anthropogenic activity at the surface. Contaminants, such as nitrates and pathogens, are not completely removed before runoff enters the underground watercourse. Additionally, national and state legislation, which explicitly …

Patterns In Greater Sage-Grouse Population Dynamics Correspond With Public Grazing Records At Broad Scales, Adrian P. Monroe, Cameron L. Aldridge, Timothy J. Assal, Kari E. Veblen, David A. Pyke, Michael L. Casazza

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Human land use, such as livestock grazing, can have profound yet varied effects on wildlife interacting within common ecosystems, yet our understanding of land-use effects is often generalized from short-term, local studies that may not correspond with trends at broader scales. Here we used public land records to characterize livestock grazing across Wyoming, USA, and we used Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) as a model organism to evaluate responses to livestock management. With annual counts of male Sage-grouse from 743 leks (breeding display sites) during 2004-2014, we modeled population trends in response to grazing level (represented by a relative grazing index) …

Complex Interactive Effects Of Water Mold, Herbicide, And The Fungus Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis On Pacific Treefrog Hyliola Regilla Hosts, John M. Romansic, James E. Johnson, R. Steven Wagner, Rebecca H. Hill, Christopher A. Gaulke, Vance T. Vredenburg, Andrew R. Blaustein

Biology Faculty Scholarship

Infectious diseases pose a serious threat to global biodiversity. However, their ecological impacts are not independent of environmental conditions. For example, the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which has contributed to population declines and extinctions in many amphibian species, interacts with several environmental factors to influence its hosts, but potential interactions with other pathogens and environmental contaminants are understudied. We examined the combined effects of Bd, a water mold (Achlya sp.), and the herbicide Roundup® Regular (hereafter, Roundup®) on larval Pacific treefrog Hyliola regilla hosts. We employed a 2 wk, fully factorial laboratory experiment with 3 …

Factors That Influence Vital Rates Of Seaside And Saltmarsh Sparrows In Coastal New Jersey, Usa, Samuel G. Roberts, Rebecca A. Longenecker, Matthew A. Etterson, Katharine J. Ruskin, Chris S. Elphick, Brian J. Olsen, W. Gregory Shriver

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

As saltmarsh habitat continues to disappear, understanding the factors that influence the population dynamics of saltmarsh breeding birds is an important step in the conservation of these declining species. Using 5 yrs (2011–2015) of demographic data, we evaluated and compared apparent adult survival and nest survival of Seaside (Ammodramus maritimus) and Saltmarsh (A. caudacutus) sparrows at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey, USA. We determined the effect of site management history (unditched vs. ditched marshes) on adult and nest survival to aid in prioritizing future management or restoration actions. Apparent adult …

Dynamics Of Nitrate, Phosphorus, And Suspended Sediment Transport In Two Agricultural Streams In Central Illinois, Luke W. Lampo

Theses and Dissertations

Nutrients such as nitrate and phosphorus are necessary for life, but excessive amounts can be detrimental. Large amounts of nutrients entering bodies of water can lead to hypoxic zones such as the one in the Gulf of Mexico. Nutrients are also problematic in drinking water reservoirs, as high concentrations of nitrate in drinking water can cause health conditions such as blue baby syndrome and high phosphorus concentrations can lead to algal blooms. Suspended sediment leads to reservoir sedimentation, habitat degradation, and is able to transport particulate nutrients. High nutrient and sediment concentrations are a recurring problem in the drinking water …

The Firece Green Fire: Vol. 7 Issue 17, Wofford College Environmental Studies Program

The Fierce Green Fire

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Anthropogenic Activity On The Green Swamp Preserve Ecosystem, Barbara Ann Nordheim-Shelt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Green Swamp Preserve is a large geographic area that has sustained many changes since Europeans settled in Florida. There has been little published research on the impacts of anthropogenic activity on this system. This thesis research seeks to document more recent changes in the Green Swamp and to evaluate the effects of various human activities on the system. The study period is from 1985 to 2015. For this time period changes in land use and landcover were examined using neural network classifications. Changes in vegetation health were evaluated by examining Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Green Vegetation Index …

The Firece Green Fire: Vol. 7 Issue 16, Wofford College Environmental Studies Program

The Fierce Green Fire

No abstract provided.

Land Conservation In A Changing Climate:Stewardship Science And Financing, Bradford S. Gentry, Shelley Clark, Colin Kelly, Joshua Morse

Yale School of the Environment Publications Series

Report of the 2016 Berkley Workshop

Held at the Pocantico Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Tarrytown, NY - July 2016

Environmental Challenges In Central And Eastern Europe, Bernhard Hennig

Superfund Research Center Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Emerging Roles Of Xenobiotic Detoxification Enzymes In Metabolic Diseases, Michael C. Petriello, Jessie B. Hoffman, Andrew J. Morris, Bernhard Hennig

Superfund Research Center Faculty Publications

Mammalian systems have developed extensive molecular mechanisms to protect against the toxicity of many exogenous xenobiotic compounds. Interestingly, many detoxification enzymes, including cytochrome P450s and flavin-containing monooxygenases, and their associated transcriptional activators [e.g. the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)], have now been shown to have endogenous roles in normal physiology and the pathology of metabolic diseases. This mini-review will focus on two such instances: the role of flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3) in the formation of the cardiometabolic disease biomarker trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) and the role of AhR as a sensor of endogenous ligands such as those generated by the gut microbiota. Understanding …

Estimating Seasonal Variation In Condition Of Yellow Perch, Emily Anne Powers

Biology Graduate Theses

Research has shown that Yellow Perch Perca flavescens, found throughout lakes and streams of North America, are good indicators of environmental health. Due to the correlation between fish condition and ecosystem health it is essential to reliably estimate condition to better manage our fisheries. Therefore, the study objectives were to measure the seasonal changes in adult Yellow Perch percent dry weight (PDW), and compare the reliability of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and morphometric-based estimates of condition. The seasonal fluctuations in average monthly PDW were measured over a two- year period and were sinusoidal in shape with peaks in August 2015 …

An Open-Sourced Statistical Application For Identifying Complex Toxicological Interactions Of Environmental Pollutants, Jordan T. Perkins, Michael C. Petriello, Li Xu, Arnold J. Stromberg, Bernhard Hennig

Superfund Research Center Faculty Publications

The rising number of chemicals that humans are exposed to on a daily basis, as well as advances in biomonitoring and detection technologies have highlighted the diversity of individual exposure profiles (complex body burdens). To address this, the toxicological sciences have begun to shift away from examining toxic agents or stressors individually to focusing on more complex models with multiple agents or stressors present. Literature on interactions between chemicals is fairly limited in comparison with dose-response studies on individual toxicants, which is largely due to experimental and statistical challenges. Experimental designs capable of identifying these complex interactions are often avoided …

Impact Of Nutrition On Pollutant Toxicity: An Update With New Insights Into Epigenetic Regulation, Jessie B. Hoffman, Michael C. Petriello, Bernhard Hennig

Superfund Research Center Faculty Publications

Exposure to environmental pollutants is a global health problem and is associated with the development of many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. There is a growing body of evidence that nutrition can both positively and negatively modulate the toxic effects of pollutant exposure. Diets high in proinflammatory fats, such as linoleic acid, can exacerbate pollutant toxicity, whereas diets rich in bioactive and anti-inflammatory food components, including omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols, can attenuate toxicant-associated inflammation. Previously, researchers have elucidated direct mechanisms of nutritional modulation, including alteration of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling, …

Recent Advances On Iron Oxide Magnetic Nanoparticles As Sorbents Of Organic Pollutants In Water And Wastewater Treatment, Angela M. Gutierrez, Thomas D. Dziubla, J. Zach Hilt

Superfund Research Center Faculty Publications

The constant growth in population worldwide over the past decades continues to put forward the need to provide access to safe, clean water to meet human needs. There is a need for cost-effective technologies for water and wastewater treatment that can meet the global demands and the rigorous water quality standards and at the same maximizing pollutant efficiency removal. Current remediation technologies have failed in keeping up with these factors without becoming cost-prohibitive. Most recently, nanotechnology has been sought as the best alternative to increase access to water supplies by remediating those already contaminated and offering ways to access unconventional …

Homestead National Monument Of America, Bat Acoustic Monitoring, September 2016, Daniel S. Licht

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

Homestead National Monument of America is a 211-acre park located in an agrarian landscape in southeastern Nebraska. From September 16 to October 1, 2016, park staff deployed acoustic monitors at three sites in the park for purposes of monitoring night-time bat activity. The three sites averaged 179, 48, and 33 bat detections per night. Night-time bat activity was generally highest in the 1-2 hours following sunset.

Based on the acoustic surveys the big brown (Eptesicus fuscus), eastern red (Lasiurus borealis), northern long-eared (Myotis septentrionalis) and evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis) were present at the …

Geoengineering, Marine Microalgae, And Climate Stabilization In The 21st Century, Charles H. Greene, Mark E. Huntley, Ian Archibald, Léda N. Gerber, Deborah L. Sills, Joe Granados, Colin M. Beal, Michael J. Walsh

Natural & Applied Sciences Faculty Publications

Society has set ambitious targets for stabilizing mean global temperature. To attain these targets, it will have to reduce CO2 emissions to near zero by mid-century and subsequently remove CO2 from the atmosphere during the latter half of the century. There is a recognized need to develop technologies for CO2 removal; however, attempts to develop direct air-capture systems have faced both energetic and financial constraints. Recently, BioEnergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) has emerged as a leading candidate for removing CO2 from the atmosphere. However, BECCS can have negative consequences on land, nutrient, and water use as well as …

Remembering Sacred Reason: A Humboldtian Way Of Knowing The World Sustainability Symposium [University Of Northern Iowa, March 30, 2016], A. James Wohlpart

UNIversitas: Journal of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

An autumn afternoon about ten years ago, I found myself lying on the ground in the shade of a hundred-year-old live oak tree in Myakka River State Park in southwest Florida. The broad limbs of the ancient tree at once rose up like arms honoring the heavens and bowed down to the ground in an elegant semblance of thanksgiving.

Network Analysis Of Wildfire Transmission And Implications For Risk Governance, Alan A. Ager, Cody Evers, Michelle A. Day, Haiganoush K. Preisler, Ana M.G. Barros, Max Nielsen-Pincus

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

We characterized wildfire transmission and exposure within a matrix of large land tenures (federal, state, and private) surrounding 56 communities within a 3.3 million ha fire prone region of central Oregon US. Wildfire simulation and network analysis were used to quantify the exchange of fire among land tenures and communities and analyze the relative contributions of human versus natural ignitions to wildfire exposure. Among the land tenures examined, the area burned by incoming fires averaged 57% of the total burned area. Community exposure from incoming fires ignited on surrounding land tenures accounted for 67% of the total area burned. The …

Nutrient Contamination From Non-Point Sources: Dissolved Phosphate In Surface And Subsurface Waters At Eku Meadowbrook Farm, Madison County, Kentucky, Hunter R. Evans, Reid E. Buskirk, Walter S. Borowski, Jonathan M. Malzone

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Farms are non-point sources for nutrient contaminants that drain into watersheds and contribute to eutrophication and other environmental problems. Eastern Kentucky University’s Meadowbrook Farm raises both crops and livestock, causing dissolved phosphorus in the form of orthophosphate (PO₄^3-) from fertilizer and animal manure to enter surface and subsurface waters, eventually flowing into Muddy Creek, a tributary of the Kentucky River.

We sampled surface water, springs, and water from French drains that emanate from the farm, and also sampled Muddy Creek waters from May through August 2016. Typically, 1 to 2 days after sampling, we colorimetrically measured dissolved …

Diversity Of Deep-Sea Fishes Of The Easter Island Ecoregion, Erin E. Easton, Javier Sellanes, Carlos F. Gaymer, Naiti A. Morales, Matthias Gorny, Eric Berkenpas

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Easter Island Ecoregion is in the center of the South Pacific gyre and experiences ultra-oligotrophic conditions that could make it highly susceptible to global change and anthropogenic activities, so it is imperative that these regions are characterized and studied so that conservation and sustainable management strategies can be developed. From the few studies from the region, we know that the coastal areas are relatively depauperate and have relatively high rates of endemism. Here, we present a brief report from the first video observations from this region of the deep-dwelling fishes from ROV exploration of benthic communities from …

Recruitment Patterns Of Juvenile Fish At An Artificial Reef Area In The Gulf Of Mexico, Rachel Noel Arney, Catheline Y. M. Froehlich, Richard Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

In 2011 the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Coastal Conservation Association of Texas deployed over 4,000 concrete culverts in a designated artificial reef area off Port Mansfield, Texas, to enhance habitat for sport fish species in the Gulf of Mexico. A study was conducted to assess juvenile fish recruitment at varying culvert densities within the artificial reef area. Standard monitoring units for the recruitment of reef fish (SMURFs) were used to sample juvenile fish, and these collections were compared with visual scuba surveys. The 0.027-m3 SMURFs were placed at four different culvert densities (0, 1–50, 51–100, and 101+ …

Conserved Patterns Of Integrated Developmental Plasticity In A Group Of Polyphenic Tropical Butterflies, Erik Van Bergen, Dave Osbaldeston, Ullasa Kondandaramaiah, Oskar Brattström, Kwaku Aduse-Poku, Paul M. Brakefield

Publications and Research

Background: Developmental plasticity is thought to have profound macro-evolutionary effects, for example, by increasing the probability of establishment in new environments and subsequent divergence into independently evolving lineages. In contrast to plasticity optimized for individual traits, phenotypic integration, which enables a concerted response of plastic traits to environmental variability, may affect the rate of local adaptation by constraining independent responses of traits to selection. Using a comparative framework, this study explores the evolution of reaction norms for a variety of life history and morphological traits across five related species of mycalesine butterflies from the Old World tropics.

Results: Our data …

The Firece Green Fire: Vol. 7 Issue 15, Wofford College Environmental Studies Program

The Fierce Green Fire

No abstract provided.

Death And Destruction: Insight Into The Rhino Poaching Epidemic In South Africa, Richard Wayne Charlton

Theses and Dissertations

The poaching of wildlife has been a concern to many involved in the protection of wildlife. Poaching is found throughout the world and has been around for thousands of years. In the past century, poaching has reached new heights and the concern of an extinction of a species has bought the topic of poaching to new light. Whilst poaching has been seen as a biological or conservation topic in the past, criminologists around the world have now started to delve into the topic. The poaching of wildlife and more so in recent years, rhino poaching, has been a concern in …

Inventory Of Gulf Oceanic Fauna Data Including Species, Weight, And Measurements. Cruises Dp01 May 1-8, 2015 And Dp02 August 9-21, 2015 R/V On The Point Sur In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, April Cook, Tracey Sutton

DEEPEND Datasets

This data set includes the biological and environmental data for all of the species collected during the DP01 (May 2015) and DP02 cruises (August 2015). The main gear type used was a 10-m2 Multiple Opening Closing Net and Environmental Sensing System (MOCNESS). The MOCNESS was fitted with 6 nets which were opened according to the following depth scheme: net 0 from the surface to 1500m, net 1 from 1500-1200m, net 2 from 1200-1000m, net 3 from 1000-600m, net 4 from 600-200m, and net 5 from 200m to the surface. Two trawls were conducted at each station sampled to capture diel …

Cultivating An Alternative Paradigm In Urban Areas To Achieve Greater Food Certainty In The United States, Owen Beatty

Honors Theses – Charlotte Campus

The purpose of this study is to analyze food insecurity in the United States and propose a potential solution by means of increased localized agriculture and urbanized initiatives as new paradigms of relief. The word paradigms in this thesis is used to describe the examples of innovative alternatives to contemporary systems. A wide variety of research was gathered that examines the current U.S. food system and government nutrition assistance programs. The United States Department of Agriculture measures poverty by assessing a family’s cash income with a comparison to their needs. One such need is the cost of food, in which …

Environmentally Friendly Industries: An Examination Of Ecotourism As The Solution To The Environmental Degradation Caused By The International Tourism Industry, Whitney Michael

Honors Theses – Charlotte Campus

The increasing visibility of ecological alterations due to global climate change have required high-impact industries to reexamine their environmental impact. Transnational organizations such as the United Nations have identified the current management practices of the international tourism industry as a significant contributing factor to global warming. The high volume implications of the large-scale establishments necessary to lodging facilities in the tourism trade are responsible for damages such as resource depletion and pollution. Existing levels of environmental impact show irreparable and imminent damage to the world environment if current methods of the industry are allowed to continue.

New trends in consumer …

Wildfire In Utah: The Physical And Economic Consequences Of Wildfire, Paul Mark Jakus, Man-Keun Kim, Randy S. Martin, Ian Hammond, Edd Hammill, Nancy O. Mesner, Jacob Stout

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

PRELUDE

On June 26, 2012 a lightning strike ignited a wildfire in the Manti-La Sal National Forest of central Utah’s Carbon and Emery counties (Figure P.1). By the time the Seeley wildfire was contained three weeks later, some 48,000 acres of federal, state, and private land had been burned and $8.7 million in suppression costs expended (Styler 2012). According to the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS.gov) project, nearly one-third of the acreage was severely burned, damaging vegetation and soils for years to come. Severe burns vastly increase the erosion potential of burnt landscapes, and the steep lands of Huntington …

Invasive Species Of The Florida Everglades, Adrian Raygoza

2017 Honors Council of the Illinois Region Papers

Powerpoint presentation on invasive species of the Florida Everglades given at the Honors Council of the Illinois Region, held February 25, 2017 at Lewis University.