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Community-Wide Impacts Assessment Of Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys Molitrix) In The Ohio River, Luka Marques

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Invasive species can cause measurable impacts on the properties of recipient ecosystems, with effects that often vary spatially and temporally. One of the most complex and pressing invasion cases in the United States involves invasive carp. Invasive carp have quickly expanded throughout the Mississippi River Basin, with ecological impacts that may vary across space and time. Silver Carp has the potential to provoke community-wide impacts on native fish abundances and food webs of native fish communities. My study area ranged from the confluence of the Mississippi River and the Ohio River to R.C. Byrd Lock and Dam. The Ohio River …

Investigating The Biology, Hypovirulence, And Pathogenicity Of Three Canker-Causing Phytopathogenic Fungi In The Cryphonectriaceae And Cytosporaceae On American Chestnut (Castanea Dentata) And Oaks (Quercus Spp.) In The Eastern U.S., Danielle N. Mikolajewski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

American chestnut (Castanea dentata) and various oak species (Quercus spp.) are impacted by several economically important canker pathogens in the fungal order Diaporthales, namely Cryphonectria parasitica and Endothia gyrosa (Cryphonectriaceae). Cytospora canker caused by several closely related fungi in the fungal genera Cytospora and Valsa (Cytosporaceae) have also been implicated in causing canker diseases of Quercus and Castanea in Asia, Europe and North America. The impacts of C. parasitica on American chestnut have been exhaustively studied and it’s impacts on various oak hosts have also been broadly investigated and reported. Endothia gyrosa has …

Igniting Change: Assessing Language Access Gaps For Spanish-Speaking Communities In Wildfire Preparedness Resources In Yakima County, Washington, Rebecca N. Mitre

All Master's Theses

Limited-English proficiency (LEP) individuals across the United States face barriers in accessing information and other resources relating to natural hazard resources, particularly in areas prone to wildfire. In the Pacific Northwest, wildfires are predicted to increase in frequency, severity, and intensity and may also increase the social and economic vulnerability of LEP communities. The 2023 wildfire season underscored how economic, public health, and social impacts disproportionately impact minorities and socially vulnerable communities. This research investigates the inclusion of LEP communities in the development and dissemination of local wildfire resources in Yakima County, using the disaster management cycle as an analytical …

Assessing Potential For Managed Aquifer Recharge On The Manastash Alluvial Fan: A Geochemical Analysis, Elif A. Myers

All Master's Theses

In south-central Washington, the Yakima River Basin spans 6,100 square miles, encompassing approximately 10% of the state. With a growing population and over 400,000 acres of irrigated cropland, reliable water availability is vital for supporting agricultural irrigation, municipal needs, and aquatic habitats. To ensure water for future use, Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR), the practice of applying surface water to aquifers for storage or hydrologic system benefit, has been proposed within the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan (YBIP). This research explores the Manastash alluvial fan–located west of Ellensburg, Washington as a potential region for two MAR methods: Shallow Aquifer Recharge (SAR) and …

Shrubsteppe Birds Under Fire: Guiding Post-Wildfire Habitat Restoration In The Whiskey Dick And Quilomene Units, Washington, Kevin Clements

All Master's Theses

Bird species, globally, are declining at an alarming rate. Birds of the shrubsteppe are particularly vulnerable to habitat loss caused by agricultural development, invasive vegetation, and heightened wildfire frequency and severity. Fire and invasive vegetation create a positive feedback cycle that threatens complete conversion of shrubsteppe to grasslands. Restoring habitat following wildfire is a top priority for land managers. As bioindicators of ecosystem health, bird populations reflect landscape changes and restoration efficacy. I analyzed bird populations in the Whiskey Dick and Quilomene units of the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area in Kittitas County, Washington following the 2022 Vantage Highway fire. Using …

Origins And Mechanisms Of Mobility Of Geogenic Arsenic Contamination In Toutle And Silver Lake, Wa, Usa, William A. Hays

All Master's Theses

Arsenic (As), a common contaminant in groundwater, is toxic to human health and has a maximum contaminant level of 10 ppb set by both the World Health Organization and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (ATSDR, 2007). In Toutle, WA, USA (30 km west of Mount Saint Helens), a private well, labelled TOU1, was previously identified with ~670 ppb of As and was the impetus of this study. This study targeted private wells in the vicinity of TOU1 to identify the extent of the arsenic contamination, identify the aquifer(s) of concern, and identify the mechanism(s) of mobility.

The wells were screened …

Impacts Of Southern Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus Frontalis Zimmerman) On Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda L.) Canopy And Water Use In The Homochitto National Forest, Mississippi, Usa, Sasha Goodnow, Yun Yang, Hui Liu, Ashley Schulz

Endeavors: Mississippi State Undergraduate Research Journal

Abiotic and biotic forest disturbances can have many impacts to forest ecosystem services, including to forest water use. Studies on impacts to forest evapotranspiration have been conducted on the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) in western North America, but not on the southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis), which is a native pest of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) and shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata), in the southeastern United States. Stressed pine trees produce pheromones that attract southern pine beetles and, with enough stressed trees, beetle populations can quickly grow to epidemic levels and attack healthy trees, which results in widespread tree mortality. …

Journal Of Earth And Life Science, Academic Year 2024-2025, Megan Boche, Nathan D. Pyburn, Ben Hoover, Jayden R. Alsleben, Hector Montoya, Jr, Reed Cumberland, Rose Kuhlmann, Ray Anderson, Ellie Isakson, Seth Sisneros-Martinez, Zanden Mellen, Quady Bernu, Cian Verbridge, Benjamin D. Strei, Madelaine Adamich, Arian Garcia, Tegwen Romportl, Sandra J. Marcu, Bemidji State University

Journal of Earth and Life Science

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Plant Density And Microplastic Concentration In The Water In Lake Bemidji, Mn, Arian Garcia

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Microplastics, plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, are an increasing environmental threat, particularly due to their widespread distribution and toxicity. While much research has focused on larger freshwater and marine ecosystems, the presence and impacts of microplastics in smaller inland lakes remain less understood. This study investigates the relationship between plant density and microplastic concentrations in Lake Bemidji, a smaller freshwater lake. A total of 30 water samples were collected across varying vegetation conditions, ranging from open water (0%) to 90% plant coverage. Microplastics were identified and categorized into six morphological types: fibers, fragments, films, spheres/beads, and foam. The samples …

A Sample Of Fish Communities In Beaver Ponds Of Northern Minnesota, Reed Cumberland, Rose Kuhlmann

Journal of Earth and Life Science

The North American beaver Castor canadensis is an ecosystem engineer and a keystone species to the environment. Beaver inhabit ponds and construct dams to build ponds that provide habitat for certain fish. Little information is provided on the species of fish that live in beaver ponds. The objective of this study is to sample the fish communities in beaver ponds while comparing the effectiveness of two styles of minnow traps. Twelve beaver ponds were selected in the Bemidji area to be sampled. The quantity and species caught in each style of trap were recorded to compare effectiveness of each trap …

Effects Of Round-Up On The Environment, Sandra J. Marcu

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Many people around the world have used and still currently use Roundup but are unaware of the effects it has on the environment. Roundup is a spray on application weedkiller that is widely used around the world today both residentially and commercially. It enables its user to grow a garden or a field of crops with a no-tilling approach to eliminate weeds. It is a well-known and popular choice for killing weeds that has been around since the mid 1970’s (Oca, 2017). John Franz, a Monsanto scientist discovered that glyphosate (main ingredient in Roundup) was an herbicide or weedkiller, and …

The Effectiveness Of The Minnesota Buffer Law And Its Impacts On People, Ellen P. Isakson

Journal of Earth and Life Science

In January 2015, the then-governor of Minnesota Mark Dayton announced new legislation that would require 50-foot vegetation buffers along all waterways in Minnesota; this legislation would come to be known as the Minnesota buffer law, exact requirements being “perennial vegetative buffers of up to 50 feet along lakes, rivers, and streams and buffers of 16.5 feet along ditches” (Albert, 2017; MN Board of Water and Soil Resources [MN BWSR] 4 ). A buffer in the context of vegetation and natural resource management is a strip of vegetation around a body of water “designed to intercept stormwater runoff and minimize soil …

Does Depth Affect Zebra Mussel Length In Scalp Lake?, Zanden Mellen

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Since its first sighting in 1996, zebra mussels Dreissena polymorpha have been confirmed in hundreds of Minnesota lakes. Not only were they found in lakes, but they are also found in rivers too. With lack of effective treatments to impede their spread, zebra mussels continue to colonize new areas causing ecological as well as economic harm. The objective of this study was to see if there was a relationship between a zebra mussel length and the depth, they are found using shell length (mm) and depth (cm). The comparison of zebra mussel length and depth was done by performing a …

Business Model Evaluation Of Renewable Energy Community In Multi Unit Residential Building In Canada Net Metering, Considering The Regulatory Framework, Ownership And Organizational Structure, Zahra Keshavarz Moraveji, Yunping Liang, Ursula Eicker

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Renewable Energy Community (REC) is an emerging concept that empowers local customers to generate decentralized renewable energy. Integrating RECs into the building industry presents a promising opportunity to support the transition toward net-zero cities. However, the viability of RECs depends on regional regulatory frameworks, permitted governance structures, and very importantly, business models. Compared to pioneering European countries, Canada lacks the regulatory support needed to fully enable REC. This paper proposes and evaluates various business models for potential REC implementations under Canada's existing regulatory constraints. The analyzed models focus on "behind-the-meter" electricity distribution, a multi-stakeholder type of REC, where generation occurs …

Integrated Valuation Of The Ecological, Social And Economic Benefits Provided By A Multifunctional Nature-Based Solution, Laura Costadone, Shan Zhang

ODU Articles

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) offer multifunctional approaches to address climate change and environmental challenges, providing a sustainable alternative to traditional gray infrastructure. Despite their promise, widespread adoption remains limited, in part due to an incomplete understanding of their full costs and benefits relative to conventional infrastructure. Traditional benefit–cost analyses often overlook non-monetized benefits and the interconnected ecosystem services provided by NbS. This study introduces a methodological approach to quantify both the physical and monetary value of ecosystem services and co-benefits delivered by an NbS project. We applied an integrated valuation framework to a case study in Virginia Beach, VA, USA, where …

Human Serum Albumin Interaction With Organochlorine Pesticides, D. S. Sanford, R. Yadav, A. Mishra

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Human serum albumin (HSA) is the most abundant blood plasma protein and plays a crucial role in drug transport and physiological homeostasis. HSA has a highly flexible structure consisting of three domains, each with multiple binding sites lined with hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues. The structural properties of HSA make it a robust reservoir and receptor for various endogenous and exogenous compounds, including therapeutic drugs. Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are a subclass of pesticides characterized by their chlorine content. Once widely used, these compounds remain persistent in the environment and biological systems despite regulatory restrictions in many developed countries. The strong ligand-binding …

Modeling Recreational Risk Factors On The Landscape: A Predictive Gis Analysis Of Recreation Accident Response Near North Bend, Washington., Naomi S.J. Van Roon

All Master's Theses

Search and Rescue (SAR) teams in Washington respond to approximately 900 incidents annually, many stemming from outdoor recreation near Interstate 90 surrounding North Bend. This study utilized predictive GIS analysis to identify areas of concern within state lands, including Mount Si and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Natural Resource Conservation Areas, Raging River State Forest, and Rattlesnake Mountain Scenic Area. The predictive model was calibrated using SAR responses to hiking-related incidents between March and November from 2020 to 2023, and incorporated an analysis of risk factors influencing recreationalist incident probability. This research then developed a decision support system to aid land managers …

Estimating The Carbon Footprint Of Sheep Production In Western Australia, Tafesse Estifanos, Christophe D'Abbadie, Johnny Machon, Amir Abadi Abadi Ghadim, Gus Manatsa, Paul Mattingley, Ross Kingwell, Kevin Foster

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

Western Australia’s broadacre mixed farming systems combine cropping and sheep production and are the largest component of the state’s agricultural sector. The south west Western Australia (WA) agricultural area hosts about 98% of the state's sheep flock. The sheep industry contributed $1.5 billion to the state’s economy in 2021-22 and accounts for about a quarter of on-farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Most sheep industry emissions (over 80%) come from methane produced by the sheep. Despite this environmental impact, only 9.9% of Australian sheep producers have estimated their emissions, which limits the industry's ability to monitor and manage carbon footprints effectively. …

Consumption Pressure In Estuaries Peaks At Intermediate Salinities, Catherine E. De Rivera, Amy A. Larson, Benjamin G. Rubinoff, Luna R. Soto, Seth L. Wright, Edwin D. Grosholz, Gregory M. Ruiz, Andrew L. Chang

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The nature and strength of biotic interactions change along stress gradients, but the importance of these interactions across estuarine gradients is under studied. Here, we examined how consumption varies across estuarine salinity gradients by deploying standardized baits (‘squidpops’) to measure consumption pressure along the gradients of five estuaries in Oregon, USA. The relationship between consumption and stress was nonlinear: consumption pressure peaked slightly at mid salinity and decreased at low salinity, especially as temperature increased, in the five estuaries studied. This finding does not support either of two existing models for consumption across gradients, including the Consumer Stress Model and …

Fueling Adaptation: Collaborative Wildfire Governance In The Colorado Front Range Landscape, Mahmood Muttaqee, Cody Evers, Lindsay K. Campbell, Max Nielsen-Pincus, Olivia Awbrey, Kathryn Hixson, Michelle Johnson, Erika Svendsen

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Collaborative governance plays a critical role in wildfire risk mitigation efforts. This study examines collaborative wildfire governance networks within the Colorado Front Range, a landscape that was designated under the USDA Forest Service's Wildfire Crisis Strategy (WCS). Collaborative governance networks in the Colorado Front Range leverage partnerships across multiple organizational actors including federal, state, and local agencies, non-profits, fire districts, and research institutions. Through survey data collected from 281 respondents revealing a collaborative network of 401 organizations, the study aimed to identify the structure, capacity, and gaps in governance networks addressing wildfire risk in the Colorado Front Range. Survey results …

Urban Heterogeneity Drives Dissolved Organic Matter Sources, Transport, And Transformation From Local To Macro Scales, Rebecca L. Hale, Kristina G. Hopkins, Krista A. Capps, John S. Kominoski, Jennifer L. Morse, Allison H. Roy, Shuo Chen, Annika Quick, Andrew J. Blinn, Liz Ortiz Muñoz, Gwendolynn Folk

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Urbanization reshapes dissolved organic matter (DOM) sources, transport, and transformations through changes in vegetation, hydrology, and management of waste and water. Yet the impacts of urbanization on DOM are variable within and among cities. Predicting heterogeneous responses to urbanization is challenged by diverse human activities and underlying biophysical variation along stream networks. Using data from the 486 largest urban areas in the continental United States and seven focal cities, we identified macro and local scale urban gradients in social, built, and biophysical factors that are expected to shape DOM. We used these gradients and the literature to develop hypotheses about …

Citizen’S Rare Plant Watch, Nora Dunkirk, Gabriel Campbell, Kris Freitag

Rae Selling Berry Seed Bank and Plant Conservation Program

Rare species data for plants is lacking, hindering land management decisions and conservation outcomes. With Citizen's Rare Plant Watch, we empower citizen scientists to provide the “eyes on the ground” and collect data needed for conservation decision making in Oregon.

Aquatic Invasive Species Survey And Treatment On Lake Umatilla And Lake Celilo 2023-2024 Report, Garbiel E. Campbell, Jacob Rose

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Flowering Rush (Butomus umbellatus) is an invasive aquatic plant in the Pacific Northwest that threatens salmon habitat. The Center for Lakes and Reservoirs staff surveyed for this and other aquatic species from 2023 and 2024 in the Columbia River in Lake Umatilla and Lake Celilo. This document summarizes their survey efforts including their protocols, data, and small-scale removal efforts.

Environmental And Silvicultural Factors Associated With Northern White-Cedar (Thuja Occidentalis) Seedling Regeneration In Harvested Lowlands, Victoria J. Hunter

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis) plays a vital ecological and cultural role in North America's eastern hemi-boreal forests, yet its regeneration is often sparse and difficult to manage, especially in lowland conditions. To assess factors influencing cedar seedling densities, we surveyed 430 plots across 135 harvested cedar-dominated lowland stands (1–72 years post-harvest) over a broad geographic region. Most plots (73%) harvested in the last century and 90% of those harvested in the last decade had absent or understocked cedar seedling densities (0–5000/ha). Seedling density increased with time-since-harvesting, density of retained overstory cedar trees, denser canopy closure, and decreased with …

Big Tracks, Little Tracks: Following Animal Prints (1999) By Millicent E. Selsam, Maughn Rollins Gregory

Picture Books

Coming up with the most reasonable explanation of the available clues is something we all do on a daily basis. This book describes animal tracks as clues from which children can make inferences about what kind of animal left them and what they were doing when they did.

Depth Of The Lake And The Height Of The Sky (2017) By Kim Jihyun, Megan Jane Laverty

Picture Books

The Depth of the Lake and the Height of the Sky (2017) is KimJihyun’s first picture book; it is composed entirely of pictures. It “tells” the story of a young boy and his dog who spend a day swimming and sunbathing at a lake that is within walking distance from his grandparents' home, whom he is visiting with his parents. At first glance, the story might seem unremarkable, recounting an experience familiar to many. However, Kim’s illustrations challenge this assumption by drawing us into the boy’s encounter with nature. She creates a visual journey that guides us through a perceptual …

Testing The Effect Of Source And Environment On Native Seed Germination To Inform Seed-Based Restoration Of Grasslands, Brandon Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Grasslands are one of the most endangered ecosystems on the planet, and they provide a variety of important ecosystem services that people rely on. Losses of grasslands can be mitigated through restoration. Seed-based restoration is a regularly used practice due to its practicality and cost-effectiveness. Planting non-local seed that may not be suitable for its destination environment can have consequences in plant establishment and subsequent restoration success. This experiment tested the response (final germination and germination rate) of seed from 11 perennial tallgrass species sourced from 3 different locations to different germination temperature conditions. Seeds from three sources of each …

In-Season Nitrogen Mmanagement: Leveraging Data Visualization For Precision Agriculture, Chathurika Harshani Narayana

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Effective nitrogen management is vital for sustainable agriculture, impacting both crop yield and environmental health. Traditional methods often use fixed application rates set before planting, which do not adapt to changing crop needs during the season. This can lead to over- or under-application, reducing efficiency and sustainability. While modern tools like sensors, satellites, and UAVs provide valuable real-time data on crop and field conditions, integrating and using this data to guide timely nitrogen decisions remains a major challenge. In-season nitrogen management offers a solution by allowing for dynamic adjustments to nitrogen applications, addressing crop needs as they arise. This approach …

A Spatial Analysis Of Carbon Sequestration On Reclaimed Mine Lands, Jacob Morris

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study evaluates the carbon sequestration potential of C₄ grasses, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus), on mine-impacted lands in West Virginia. This work addresses the urgent need for scalable, nature-based solutions to reclaim degraded lands and meet global climate mitigation targets. Conducted on a 160-hectare (ha) reclaimed mine land (RML) near Alton, the research assessed soil organic carbon (SOC) and root zone biomass organic carbon (BOC) accumulation over a single growing season. By integrating study site field sampling data, laboratory analysis, and statewide and regional geospatial modeling, the study aimed to determine the feasibility of repurposing mine …

Assessing Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Community Composition And Diversity Across A Land-Use Gradient In Eastern Washington Prairies, Katherine I. Cole

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are key to healthy, functioning terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. Associating with over 80% of all extant land plants, they play a pivotal role in nutrient cycling, and contribute to overall plant health. Given their significance to terrestrial ecosystems, AMF have a crucial role to play in the successful restoration of Eastern Washington’s native prairies. However, AMF community composition is significantly altered by the commercial agricultural practices used extensively in this region for over 100 years. The Eastern Washington University (EWU) Prairie Restoration Project aims to restore ~120 acres of farmland to native prairie. This research provides insight …