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Vertebrate Diversity In The La Amistad International Park Buffer Zone, Guadalupe, Chiriqui, Panamá, Mina Olson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Forest fragmentation and increasing agricultural land use are posing threats to the diversity of vertebrates in Panama and across the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. Protected areas are crucial for providing connectivity and maintaining vertebrate populations. For endemic species with small native ranges, these protected areas are critical for their survival due to sensitivity of habitat change. Higher species diversity and occupancy has been reported for both birds and mammals in protected and forested areas. This pilot survey of vertebrate species was conducted to determine which species live in a primary forest within the buffer zone of La Amistad International Park near …

Vascular Epiphyte Population Dynamics Within Human-Modified Landscapes Of Guadalupe, Cerro Punta, Chiriquí, Panamá, Lucine Tashjian

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Epiphytes are plants that grow on other plants non-parasitically, and globally, epiphytes compose a very large and diverse group. They are especially abundant and species-rich in the tropics- particularly, in tropical montane forest ecosystems. Human population growth in the tropics, however, has resulted in significant declines in forest cover with land being converted largely for agricultural purposes. Studies on epiphytes have traditionally been undertaken in pristine, undisturbed forest ecosystems, yet terrestrial land conversion has increased the need to understand the value of human-modified ecosystems for epiphytic populations and biodiversity conservation. This study sought to understand the relationship between human modification …

Exploring Cation Exchange: Unveiling Its Significance In Biochar And Bioenergetics Applications, Gyanendra Kharel

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Cation exchange, a cornerstone of soil chemistry and nutrient cycling, is a fundamental chemical process that occurs in soils, sediments, membranes, and other solid materials. It involves the interchange of positively charged ions, or cations, between a solid matrix and a surrounding solution. This process is crucial in various natural and engineered systems, leading to a range of applications across different fields.

This dissertation presents an extensive investigation into the applications of cation exchange in the fields of biochar and bioenergetics, encompassing three distinct aims. The first aim concentrates on the surface oxygenation of biochar through ozonization, aiming to achieve …

Non-Native Rhizophora Mangle As Sinks For Coastal Contamination On Moloka’I, Hawai’I, Geoffrey Szafranski, Elise F. Granek, Michelle L. Hladik, Mia Hackett

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Coastal mangrove forests provide a suite of environmental services, including sequestration of anthropogenic contamination. Yet, research lags on the environmental fate and potential human health risks of mangrove-sequestered contaminants in the context of mangrove removal for development and range shifts due to climate change. To address this, we conducted a study on Moloka'i, Hawai'i, comparing microplastic and pesticide contamination in coastal compartments both at areas modified by non-native red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) and unmodified, open coastline. Sediment, porewater, and mangrove plant tissues were collected to quantify microplastic and pesticide concentrations across ecosystem type. Average microplastics were similar between …

Beavers, Hydrology, And Wapato: A Baseline For Monitoring Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Justine Casebolt

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Located in the lower Columbia River floodplain, Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a unique landscape with a complex land use history. For thousands of years, Indigenous tribes lived on this land. In the early 1990s, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquired the land, after it was identified as a mitigation site following the construction of the Bonneville Lock and Dam. Franz Lake Refuge was once known for its prevalent Wapato (Sagittaria latifolia) population, an emergent plant with edible tubers and an important food source for Indigenous people. With specific growth requirements and hydrologic conditions for germination and …

Water Current, Volume 56, No. 1, Spring 2024

Water Current Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Kicking Up Dust On Utah's Off-Road Vehicle Trails: Pi-Swerl Assessment Of Anthropogenic Dust Emissions, Wyatt A. Wiebelhaus

Honors Thesis

Upward trends in the use of off-highway vehicles (OHV) and the creation of new OHV trails facilitate an increase in soil disturbance and dust emissions in Utah. Anthropogenic destruction of soil crusts and the removal of vegetation by OHVs exposes soil and destroys soil structure, making the soil easier to erode by the wind. We used the PI-SWERL (Portable In Situ Wind Erosion Laboratory) to measure dust concentrations of disturbed and undisturbed soil. We tested soils at several popular OHV areas with landforms composed of sand dunes, playas, and Lake Bonneville sediments. Soil crust strength, grain size, and salinity were …

The Effects Of Phenological Shifts On The Reproductive Success Of Common Terns (Sterna Hirundo) And Arctic Terns (Sterna Paradisaea) In The Gulf Of Maine, Jamie W. Dinella

Student Publications

Climate change is resulting in ecosystem-wide consequences, including shifts in the geographical distribution of species and the timing of biological events, or phenology. The rapidly warming Gulf of Maine hosts breeding populations of migratory common terns (Sterna hirundo) and Arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea). I used nest check data (2013-2022) and eggshell membrane stable isotope data (2022) from Petit Manan Island in the Gulf of Maine to examine the causes and consequences of variation in phenology in common and Arctic terns. I hypothesized that the timing of an individual’s breeding was impacted by their foraging behavior and that female terns that …

Rewilding The Danube Delta; How Rewilding Can Revitalize Ecosystems And Restore Biomes, Antonio Martinez

Posters - 2024

The Danube Delta and the surrounding area harbors a variety of ecosystems and biodiversity from Romania to Ukraine. The 580,000-hectare delta is particularly well known for its abundance of birdlife, with the presence of 312 important bird species, many of which use the Delta as an important stopover and breeding area such as the Dalmatian Pelican (UNESCO et al.,1998). Here, also lie some of Europe’s very few remaining grazed mosaic landscapes, the beautiful wetlands. The delta region includes extensive examples of unaltered rivers, lakes, reed beds, marshes, steppes, dunes, sandbars, coasts, lagoons, salt marshes and climax forests (Rewilding Europe n.d.).This …

Demographic Consequences Of Off-River Nesting For Piping Plover (Charadrius Melodus) And Interior Least Tern (Sternula Antillarum Athalassos) In The Lower Platte River System, Nebraska, Elsa M. Forsberg

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Piping plovers (Charadrius melodus; hereafter, plovers) and interior least terns (Sternula antillarum athalassos; hereafter, terns) are two avian species that nest along the Lower Platte River system (LPRS) in Nebraska. In the LPRS, river sandbars provide natural nesting habitat, but off-river sites provide substantial nesting habitat especially when sandbar habitat is scarce. Although presumed to be important for the persistence of plovers and terns, off-river habitat is not self-sustaining and predicted to decline. Understanding the vital rates of plovers and terns in the LPRS will inform the role of off- river sites in the future conservation …

The Effect Of Sample Grinding On Color-Based Predictions Of Soil Organic Carbon, Mason Rutgers

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Measurements of soil color are widely accessible and can be used as indirect measures of soil organic carbon (SOC). Sensor-based soil color measurements, frequently used in quantitative studies to predict SOC, often use ground and sieved soil samples for color analysis. However, it is unknown whether the extra steps of drying, crushing, and sieving a sample improve the quantitative relationship between color and SOC. This study was conducted to evaluate color-based predictions of SOC using intact, sieved (<2 mm), and fine-ground soil samples from northwest Oklahoma. Moist soil color was measured using Munsell color charts (MCCs) and a Nix Mini 3™ portable color sensor (PCS). The color of the soil samples was measured before processing, after crushing to pass through a 2-mm sieve, and after mechanical grinding to less than 0.25-mm. Using Munsell value (from the MCC) and CIEL* (from the PCS) as predictor variables, regression analyses were conducted to develop SOC predictive functions for each physical state. The resulting coefficients of determination (R2) and root mean squared errors (RMSE) were used to assess model fits for predicting SOC. Model contrasts were calculated to evaluate significant differences between each predictive model. All models exhibited strong relationships (0.56 < R2 < 0.70, 0.20 < RMSE < 0.25) between soil lightness and predicted SOC. Models built using aggregated samples measured with both MCCs (R2= 0.70, RMSE= 0.20) and the PCS (R2= 0.69, RMSE= 0.21) produced the best results. Models built using intact samples measured using the PCS did perform significantly better on samples dark in color (CIEL* < 30). These results suggest that grinding soil samples does not improve color-based predictions of SOC using MCCs and the PCS.

Integrating Drone And Satellite Imaging With Machine Learning For Green Stormwater Infrastructure Condition Assessments, Matthew Dupasquier

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) has been increasingly utilized to improve urban stormwater management strategies. However, the performance and utility of GSI decrease over time if the infrastructure is not properly maintained. In recent history, the intrinsic operations and maintenance costs associated with the complex networks of new infrastructure have placed a burden on municipalities, ultimately prohibiting many from reaching the full extent of their stormwater management goals. One way for cities to achieve cost savings is through automated monitoring that can quickly assess the condition of GSI assets; however, existing cost-effective technologies are limited. Drones and satellites may be able …

Balancing Act: Insights Into Telangana Farmers’ Perspectives On Intensive Vs. Sustainable Agriculture, Srinivas Katherasala, Ram Shepherd Bheenaveni

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

High-input agriculture presents several drawbacks that can adversely affect both environmental sustainability and human health. A primary concern is soil degradation, which results from the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. These substances can deplete soil nutrients, impair crop growth, and ultimately render the land barren and unproductive. This study, therefore, aims to explore the perceptions and practices of farmers in the Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district of Telangana State, India. The research involved a sample of 382 farmers across six mandals within this district. A stratified random sampling method was utilized within a survey-descriptive research framework. Data collection incorporated …

Mushroom Composition Across An Elevational Gradient During The 2024 Wet Season In Mazumbai Forest Reserve, Tanzania, Christopher Brady

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mushrooms are key bioindicators that contribute greatly to ecological health, and their diversity is indicative of a healthy ecosystem. However, even with the vital role they play in ecological health, there are few studies which measure the diversity of mushrooms in Mazumbai Forest Reserve (MFR), Tanzania, Africa, and none which focus on diversity along the elevational gradient within the reserve (1300-1900m). This study measures the diversity and equitability of mushrooms growing in six elevational zones within MFR during the rainy season of 2024. A species checklist of mushrooms growing in MFR during the 2024 rainy season was created, tracking the …

Exploring The Medicalization Of Menstruation: Analyzing Menstrual Hygiene Initiatives By Igos, Non-Profits And National Government In Switzerland, Victoria Wright

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Menstrual health serves as a critical indicator of reproductive health. It is pivotal in achieving various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to women's and girls' comfort, agency, participation, safety, well-being, and dignity (Loughnan et al., 2020). This research investigates the medicalization of menstruation in Switzerland through a mixed-methods approach examining the strategies and roles of key stakeholders such as the WHO, local government initiatives, and NGOs in shaping the landscape of menstrual medicalization.

The findings reveal that while medicalization has brought about progressive changes, including the introduction of menstrual leave policies, it has resulted in a complex regulatory landscape, increased …

The Role Of Geomorphological Context In Vegetative Succession Within The Breiðamerkurjökull Glacial Foreland, Lucas Nerbonne

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As glaciers retreat worldwide at an accelerating pace, understanding primary succession in these newly exposed landscapes becomes increasingly critical. This study examines the initial vegetative colonization patterns in glacial forelands, focusing on the influence of geomorphological formations of resulting plant communities. By analyzing vegetative communities in glaciofluvial and push moraine deposits, this study highlights how the more varied, channelized morphologies of fluvial deposits create potential microclimates better conducive to heterogenous plant colonization than the homogenous terrain of the nearby push moraine. Vegetative coverage, sediment size, and species abundance was collected at 480 sites across 6 different historical glacial extents across …

Investigating Ocean Carbonate System Changes Across Latitudes In The North Atlantic Basin With A Time-Series Mooring System, Anna Trujillo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The world ocean, specifically the Arctic, serves as one of the greatest mitigators for anthropogenic carbon dioxide release, making the study of high latitude ocean carbonate chemistry an increasingly important topic. While much work has been done concerning the science of acidification and future model projections, analyzing data to detect decadal anthropogenic trends and effects is also highly important. Aiming to add to this data pool, this study investigated the ocean carbonate system at three North Atlantic mooring locations at polar, subtropical, and tropical latitudes from 2013 - 2021. Time series datasets of the pH and pCO₂ of surface water …

Assessing The Progress And Effects Of Exotic Plant Invasions In A Sustainably Used Littoral Forest Fragment In Southeastern Madagascar, Grant Gerhardt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

While it is important to conserve Madagascar’s unique natural forest environments and the biodiversity they contain, it is also essential that populations reliant on these ecosystems for their income and survival have access to the resources they provide. Sustainable use forests, designated by the IUCN as category VI protected areas, are the solution to meeting both of these conditions. At the same time, it is often the case that the use of forests invites disturbance, which in turn encourages the introduction and establishment of nonnative or invasive plant species. This study examines the degree to which the intensity of use …

Exploration Of The Mental Health Impacts Of Drought On Rural Nebraskans Via Remembered Perceptions, Grace Schleining

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Drought is a sociological phenomenon. It is a well-known occurrence across the midwestern United States; the drying out of the soil, the failing of crops, and the constant dryness and heat… this is all drought. Inspired by my earliest memory of this climate phenomenon I sought to determine whether we can identify evidence of negative mental health impacts and/or well-being in rural Nebraskans due to drought, thus my research question: Can we identify negative effects of drought on rural Nebraskan mental health and/or wellbeing? In this study, rural Nebraska community members, who are involved with the agricultural sector, were interviewed. …

Impact Of Temperature On The Bionomics And Geographical Range Margins Of The Two-Spotted Field Cricket Gryllus Bimaculatus In The World: Implications For Its Mass Farming, Henlay J.O. Magara, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Brian L. Fisher, Abdelmutalab G.A. Azrag, Saliou Niassy, James P. Egonyu, Sylvain Hugel, Nana Roos, Monica A. Ayieko, Subramanian Sevgan, Sunday Ekesi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Gryllus bimaculatus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) is widely considered an excellent nutrient source for food and feed. Despite its economic importance, there is limited information on the impact of temperature on the bionomics of this cricket to guide its effective and sustainable mass production in its geographical range. The biological parameters of G. bimaculatus were investigated at eight different temperatures ranging from 20–40∘C. The Insect Life-Cycle Modelling (ILCYM) program was used to fit linear and non-linear functions to the data to describe the influence of temperature on life history parameters and its farmability under the current and projected climate for 2050. Our …

Characterizing The Ecological Impacts Of Utility-Scale Solar Energy (Usse) On Fallowed Farmland, Amanda Gersoff

Master's Theses

Large-scale carbon-free energy generation projects such as utility-scale solar energy (USSE) arrays help mitigate the energy sector’s contribution to climate change and are rapidly expanding throughout the U.S. However, the expansion of USSE sites is associated with immediate and longer-term ecological impacts, many of which have yet to be assessed. Quantifying the ecological impacts of USSE arrays will help to identify synergies and trade-offs between energy generation and terrestrial conservation goals. The overall goal of this research is to characterize the ecological impacts of USSE sites located on fallowed farmlands in San Luis Obispo County, California in a seasonally explicit …

Time Series Modeling To Ascertain Age In Fisheries Management, Kathleen Sue Kirch

OES Theses and Dissertations

The ability to assign accurate ages of fish is important to fisheries management. Accurate ageing allows for the most reliable age-based models to be used to support sustainability and maximize economic benefit. Structures used to age include bones, scales, and most commonly ear bones (otoliths). Assigning age relies on validating putative annual marks by evaluating accretional material laid down in patterns in fish otoliths, typically by marginal increment analysis. These patterns often take the shape of a sawtooth wave with an abrupt drop in accretion yearly to form an annual band and are typically validated qualitatively. Researchers have shown keen …

Amethod To Estimate Climate Drivers Ofmaize Yield Predictability Leveraging Genetic-By-Environment Interactions In The Us And Canada, Parisa Sarzaeim, Francisco Munoz-Arriola

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Throughout history, the pursuit of diagnosing and predicting crop yields has evidenced genetics, environment, and management practices intertwined in achieving food security. However, the sensitivity of crop phenotypes and genetic responses to climate still hampers the identification of the underlying abilities of plants to adapt to climate change. We hypothesize that the PiAnosi and WagNer (PAWN) global sensitivity analysis (GSA) coupled with a genetic by environment (GxE) model built of environmental covariance and genetic markers structures, can evidence the contributions of climate on the predictability of maize yields in the U.S. and Ontario, Canada. The GSA-GxE framework estimates the relative …

Interactive Effects Of Co2, Temperature, And Nitrate Limitation On The Growth And Physiology Of Marine Cyanobacterium Synechococcus Sp. Ccmp 1334, Alyssa K. Sharbaugh

LSU Master's Theses

The marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. CCMP 1334 was grown in a continuous culture system on a 12:12 h light:dark cycle at all combinations of low and high pCO2 (400 and 1000 ppmv, respectively), nitrate availability (nitrate-limited and nutrient-replete conditions), and temperatures of 21°C, 24°C, 28°C, 32°C, and 35°C. The maximum median nutrient-replete growth rate was ~1.15 d−1 at 32 –35°C. Median growth rates at 1000 ppmv pCO2 were higher than those at 400 ppmv at all temperatures, but most of the differences were statistically insignificant. Carbon:nitrogen ratios were independent of pCO2 at a fixed relative growth rate but decreased with …

Integrated Process Modeling, Techno-Economic Analysis And Life Cycle Assessment For Enhanced Biogas-To-Energy Sustainability And Efficiency, Rarosue Jennifer Amaraibi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aims to enhance the cost competitiveness and minimize the environmental footprint of technologies that convert biogas to energy, contributing to global climate change mitigation efforts. Biogas, a by-product of the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste from various sources, is a renewable energy source with the potential to reduce carbon emissions and meet local energy needs. However, widespread adoption requires the development of economically viable and environmentally friendly technologies.The central hypothesis of this dissertation suggests that by adopting a holistic strategy that combines cutting-edge techniques to purify biogas and improve its conversion into valuable liquid fuels, we can substantially …

Hurricane Impacts On Water Resources: A Look At Nature-Based Solutions To Improve Long-Term Resilience, Fautemeh Sajadi Bami

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Severe storms are a common occurrence in the state of Florida. Hurricane events may cause hazards such as flooding, property damage, death, and many others. Such far-reaching impacts may potentially result in dangerous consequences where they occur. Of interest to this study were the impacts on water resources and water quality caused by storms. Hurricanes can bring about a deluge. An apparent excess of water may cause the notion of water scarcity to seem less significant. However, problems with potable water can be quite frequent due to storms.

This research sought to address the impacts of severe storms on water …

The Impacts Of Nature-Based Sediment Restoration Practices On Coastal Wetland Soil Biogeochemistry, Jacob Z. Cheng

LSU Master's Theses

Coastal marshes provide many valuable ecosystem services. However, these wetlands are threatened worldwide, being subject to sea level rise, sediment starvation, subsidence, coastal edge erosion, etc. Many efforts are being made to counteract this wetland loss and preserve the ecosystem services. Two such methods are sediment diversion and the thin layer placement (TLP) of dredged sediment.

Sediment diversion involves reconnecting the main channel of a river body to disconnected wetlands, supplying much needed soil-building materials. However, this method affects the salinity of the waters, introducing large amounts of freshwater into the system. Salinity changes can affect marsh biogeochemistry. Most ecological …

Favorable Factors In Methane Production From Residual Coal Post-Biohydrogen Generation, Xia Daping, Liao Jiajia, Chen Zhenhong, Chen Xi, Guo Hongyu, Huang Dan

Coal Geology & Exploration

Determining favorable factors in methane production from residual coal post-biohydrogen production holds great theoretical and practical significance for improving the efficiency of methane production in the second stage of coal-based poly-generation. This study focuses on residual coal after hydrogen generation through anaerobic fermentation. Using coal samples from the Baiyinhua open-pit mine in Inner Mongolia as fermentation substrates, this study explored the dynamic trends of both the methane production and structure of the residual coal under different conditions by altering the aeration conditions and hydraulic retention time (HRT). Key findings are as follows: (1) Among the experiment groups with different atmosphere …

Within-Field Soil Moisture Variability And Time-Invariant Spatial Structures Of Agricultural Fields In The Us Midwest, Yi Yang, Bin Peng, Kaiyu Guan, Ming Pan, Trenton E. Franz, Michael H. Cosh, Carl J. Bernacchi

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Understanding soil moisture variability and estimating high-resolution soil moisture at subfield to field scales is critical for agricultural research and applications. However, systematic investigation of subfield scale soil moisture variability over cropland is still lacking from both measurement and satellite remote sensing. In this study, we aim to investigate (1) the characteristics of within-field soilmoisture distribution over typical cropland in the US Midwest and (2) the capabilities of satellite remote sensing in capturing the spatiotemporal variabilities of soil moisture at subfield scale. Specifically, we conducted soil moisture field experiments in three typical commercial agricultural fields (∼85 acres per field) in …

Leveraging Systems Thinking For Global Environmental Health, Martha M. Mcalister

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Environmental health inequities such as household air pollution, inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene, and chemical pollution persist globally and have myriad consequences on individual and societal well-being. Unfortunately, while billions of dollars and countless hours of research have been applied towards addressing these issues in development, humanitarian, and environmental justice contexts, attempts to reduce the environmental burden of disease can seem successful at first, but then backslide to pre-intervention conditions (or worse). This is indicative of policy resistance, a tendency of complex systems that makes it very difficult to enact change if the “rules” of the system are misunderstood. There …