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Articles 7111 - 7140 of 22715

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Management Recommendations For Ecological Restoration On The Little River Parcel, Maya Sady Partain, Garitt Mathews Jan 2019

Management Recommendations For Ecological Restoration On The Little River Parcel, Maya Sady Partain, Garitt Mathews

Environmental Science & Management Senior Capstones

Ecological restoration is an important aspect of land management. Data collection and ongoing monitoring help inform restoration decisions and determine their effectiveness. In this project, we followed a monitoring protocol provided by the Trinidad Coastal Land Trust to assess the 2019 status of their Little River parcel, a fifteen-acre area near the mouth of Little River in Trinidad, California. We performed a site analysis of invasive plant species and recorded their extent and location, as well as noting other observations of the ecology, topography, and biology of the site. After making our observations, we recommended land management methods woven together …

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Determining Spatial Distribution And Habitat Use For Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch) In Hoopa Tribal Streams Using Occupancy Modeling To Inform Restoration, Ely D. Boone, Seamus C. Frazer-Newcomb, Brit A. Taylor Jan 2019

Determining Spatial Distribution And Habitat Use For Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch) In Hoopa Tribal Streams Using Occupancy Modeling To Inform Restoration, Ely D. Boone, Seamus C. Frazer-Newcomb, Brit A. Taylor

Environmental Science & Management Senior Capstones

Pacific salmonid populations have faced significant decline due to poor management and human disturbance. Habitat restoration and monitoring is essential to the ongoing survival of these fish. This study examines population abundance of juvenile Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) and steelhead trout (O. mykiss) in five tributaries of the Trinity River in Northern California to determine the success of recent restoration efforts. We used traditional snorkel survey methods paired with an occupancy model to compare populations of two restored streams and four unrestored streams. We found that despite Coho being detected …

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Azalea State Reserve Vegetation Management Plan, Ethan Len Reibsome, Rosebelle Abuan Ines Jan 2019

Azalea State Reserve Vegetation Management Plan, Ethan Len Reibsome, Rosebelle Abuan Ines

Environmental Science & Management Senior Capstones

This comprehensive vegetation management plan for Azalea State Reserve was produced by Humboldt State University students Ethan Reibsome and Rosebelle Ines in partnership with the California State Parks. As a capstone senior project within the Environmental Science and Management department, these students collaborated to map existing habitat types and invasive species, and created a species list. In addition, this document contains their observations and recommendations which will inform future management actions as well as the conservation of the Reserve.

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Preference, Performance, And Selection Of Historic And Novel Hosts By Emerald Ash Borer, Agrilus Planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Donnie L. Peterson Jan 2019

Preference, Performance, And Selection Of Historic And Novel Hosts By Emerald Ash Borer, Agrilus Planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Donnie L. Peterson

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

North American and European ash trees are highly susceptible to emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis). This buprestid kills hosts via larva feeding on vascular tissue which eventually kills the host plant. Two new hosts have recently been found to support larval development of EAB. White fringetrees (Chionathus virginicus) were found attacked by EAB in 2014 and since then have been found to be attacked throughout other parts of the United States, while olive (Olea europaea) has only experimentally been found to support larvae to adulthood. Chemical profiles of these two plants were collected and analyzed to determine how their …

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Spatial Conservation Planning Under Uncertainty: Adapting To Climate Change Risks Using Modern Portfolio Theory, Mitchell J. Eaton, Simeon Yurek, Zulqarnain Haider, Julien Martin, Fred A. Johnson, Bradley J. Udell, Hadi Charkhgard, Changhyun Kwon Jan 2019

Spatial Conservation Planning Under Uncertainty: Adapting To Climate Change Risks Using Modern Portfolio Theory, Mitchell J. Eaton, Simeon Yurek, Zulqarnain Haider, Julien Martin, Fred A. Johnson, Bradley J. Udell, Hadi Charkhgard, Changhyun Kwon

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Climate change and urban growth impact habitats, species, and ecosystem services. To buffer against global change, an established adaptation strategy is designing protected areas to increase representation and complementarity of biodiversity features. Uncertainty regarding the scale and magnitude of landscape change complicates reserve planning and exposes decision makers to the risk of failing to meet conservation goals. Conservation planning tends to treat risk as an absolute measure, ignoring the context of the management problem and risk preferences of stakeholders. Application of risk management theory to conservation emphasizes the diversification of a portfolio of assets, with the goal of reducing the …

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Wetland Biogeochemical Responses To Predicted Climate Change Scenarios, Angela R. Shaffer Jan 2019

Wetland Biogeochemical Responses To Predicted Climate Change Scenarios, Angela R. Shaffer

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Wetlands are one of the world's largest known carbon sinks while comprising only a small amount of the Earth's surface. However, the amount of carbon sequestered by wetlands is shrinking as droughts and human disturbance increases. Carbon in wetlands is stored through the contrast of decomposition and sedimentation of organic matter and absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere by soil microbes. Understanding how changing hydrological regimes and increased wildfires will affect wetland soil and microbial processes is important in the face of predicted climate change for future wetland conservation practices. Specifically, I seek to understand the response of southeastern …

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Greater Sage-Grouse Survival, Breeding Ecology, Resource Selection, And West Nile Virus Prevalence On The Eastern Fringe Of Their Range, Lindsey Anne Parsons Jan 2019

Greater Sage-Grouse Survival, Breeding Ecology, Resource Selection, And West Nile Virus Prevalence On The Eastern Fringe Of Their Range, Lindsey Anne Parsons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is a sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) obligate species that has experienced population declines over the past several decades. Sage-grouse are a species of conservation concern throughout the Intermountain West and are considered a species of greatest conservation need in South Dakota. Numerous studies have documented drivers of demographic performance at the core of their distribution; however, relatively few studies have examined sage-grouse inhabiting the eastern extent of their range, in South Dakota. We sought to examine sage-grouse space use in multiple seasons, estimate survival, and determine factors affecting nest success in South Dakota …

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Winter Snow Depth In Arctic Alaska Results In Complex Changes In Caribou Forage Quality, Jessica C. Richert Jan 2019

Winter Snow Depth In Arctic Alaska Results In Complex Changes In Caribou Forage Quality, Jessica C. Richert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) rely on the short growing season for much of their annual nutrition, making them susceptible to even small changes in forage quantity and quality. Body condition in the summer and fall is linked to winter survival rates and fecundity in cows, critical factors in the robustness of caribou populations. Due to a warmer, wetter climate, snowfall is predicted to increase over Alaska’s North Slope in the next several decades. Deeper snow results in higher soil temperatures, allowing microbial mineralization of nitrogen to continue throughout the winter and increasing the availability of nitrogen for plants in spring and …

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The Impacts Of Land Use And Land Cover Change On Water Quality In The Big Sioux River: 2007-2016, Dinesh Shrestha Jan 2019

The Impacts Of Land Use And Land Cover Change On Water Quality In The Big Sioux River: 2007-2016, Dinesh Shrestha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Between 2006 and 2012, conversion of 485,000 acres of grassland to cropland in eastern South Dakota was reported. In 2012, the Big Sioux River (BSR) running through most of eastern South Dakota was listed among the dirtiest rivers in the nation. This rating convinced state authorities to study trends of land cover changes in the BSR watershed and its association with BSR water quality with respect to increases in nitrate levels. This research i) quantifies spatial and temporal changes in the land cover types within the BSR watershed, and ii) identifies any correlation between these changes and changes in BSR …

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Identifying An Optimal Bald Eagle Monitoring Program For Southwest Alaska National Parks, Rebecca Kolstrom Jan 2019

Identifying An Optimal Bald Eagle Monitoring Program For Southwest Alaska National Parks, Rebecca Kolstrom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Southwest Alaska Inventory and Monitoring Network includes bald eagle monitoring as part of their Vital Signs Monitoring Plan. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park, and Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve monitor bald eagles annually, albeit slightly differently among parks. Since monitoring decisions involve multiple objectives and stakeholders, there was a need for a structured approach to identify an optimal monitoring program. We used a structured decision making process and an iterative, four-round Delphi Process to collect information about long-term bald eagle monitoring from experts. We collected information …

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Natural Sunlight Photodegradation Of Halogenated Disinfection Byproducts In Water, Ibrahim Abusallout Jan 2019

Natural Sunlight Photodegradation Of Halogenated Disinfection Byproducts In Water, Ibrahim Abusallout

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) presence in wastewater effluents and receiving waters may impact the quality of drinking water during water reuse practices. Natural solar photolysis is one of the biogeochemical processes that may lead to decreased DBPs concentrations in water. The purpose of this dissertation is to determine the fate of chlorinated, brominated and iodinated DBPs in surface water by natural sunlight photolysis and investigate the use of solar-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for removal of DBPs in water. Total organic halogen (TOX) was used to measure total chlorinated- (TOCl), brominated- (TOBr) and iodinated-DBPs (TOI) in water. The first objective was …

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Land Cover Changes Within And Around Protected Areas In Côte D’Ivoire From 1986 To 2017: A Case Study Of The Mabi-Yaya-Songan-Tamin Reserved Forests, Olena Boiko Jan 2019

Land Cover Changes Within And Around Protected Areas In Côte D’Ivoire From 1986 To 2017: A Case Study Of The Mabi-Yaya-Songan-Tamin Reserved Forests, Olena Boiko

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tropical forests mitigate climate change, provide habitat for the most biologically diverse terrestrial communities, and yield ecosystem services that support human wellbeing. These forests are some of the most threatened ecosystems because of the increasing human impact on the environment. Côte d’Ivoire has one of the highest deforestation rates in sub-Saharan Africa, and the expansion of agriculture to produce cash crops, such as cocoa and rubber, is presented as the primary reason for forest loss. These changes are apparent even within the boundaries of the protected areas, which raises concerns about the effectiveness of the protection strategies. This project illustrates …

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Effect Of Water Velocity And Temperature On Energy Use, Behavior, And Mortality Of Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus Albus Larvae, Joseph Thomas Mrnak Jan 2019

Effect Of Water Velocity And Temperature On Energy Use, Behavior, And Mortality Of Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus Albus Larvae, Joseph Thomas Mrnak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus are a federally endangered species endemic to the Missouri River basin. Natural reproduction has been limited for decades and a recruitment bottleneck is hypothesized to occur during the larval stage of development. Understanding factors that affect survival of Pallid Sturgeon larvae is key given their critical status and ongoing recovery efforts. In this study, I evaluated the effects of water velocity and temperature on energy use, behavior, and mortality of endogenously feeding Pallid Sturgeon larvae (< 25 mm TL). In the first experiment, I examined the effect of water velocity (0 – 8.3 cm s−1) on larval growth, energy density, swimming activity, and mortality. Larval growth rate at 16.3 °C was similar across …

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Cadmium Sulfide-Buffered Pv Systems: Assessing The Environmental, Health, And Economic Impacts, Maqsood Ali Mughal, Rajesh Sharma Jan 2019

Cadmium Sulfide-Buffered Pv Systems: Assessing The Environmental, Health, And Economic Impacts, Maqsood Ali Mughal, Rajesh Sharma

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

As the world’s population continues to grow, global energy crises are expected to rise in the future, thus accelerating the demand for renewable energy technology, particularly solar photovoltaics. The energy sector will face an increasingly complex array of interlocking challenges - technological, environmental, health, economic, and regulatory. In this paper, we study CdS, a widely used buffer material in thin film photovoltaics, to assess and monetize environmental, health, and socio-economic externalities associated with the use of the material. Currently, CdS has a significant advantage over other alternate buffer materials in terms of efficiency and low-cost production of large-area processing of …

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Soil Moisture Drives Canopy Water Content Dynamics In The Western U.S., Drew S. Lyons Jan 2019

Soil Moisture Drives Canopy Water Content Dynamics In The Western U.S., Drew S. Lyons

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Drought stress is a major contributing factor to adult tree mortality and limits regeneration across the globe. Drought effects are often studied on a site level, but recent advances in remote sensing allow for observations of plant water status across broader geographic scales. The vegetation optical depth (VOD) derived from satellite sensor microwave backscatter has been shown to be sensitive to canopy water content, and can therefore provide useful information on how plant water status changes over time. We develop an index which quantifies the normalized difference between diurnal VOD retrievals (nVOD) across the western U.S. to determine where plant …

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Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Nitrogen And Carbon Biogeochemistry In A Wetland-Stream Sequence, Patrick E. Hurley Jan 2019

Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Nitrogen And Carbon Biogeochemistry In A Wetland-Stream Sequence, Patrick E. Hurley

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Studies of aquatic ecosystems often segregate streams from the influential ponds, lakes, and wetland zones that act as important transitions between terrestrial and fluvial systems. Across the aquatic landscape, these zones interact to form linked ecosystems that function as discrete nutrient processing domains, shifting biogeochemical signals due to spatial and temporal variability in hydrologic and biologic controls. Using a mass-balance approach, we profiled nutrient dynamics along a 23-km wetland-stream sequence over three seasons. Hydrologic, morphologic, and biologic conditions, as well as landscape attributes, were quantified to determine potential controls on biogeochemical cycling in a tributary of the Upper Clark Fork …

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The Quest Of Vision: Visual Culture, Sacred Space, Ritual, And The Documentation Of Lived Experience Through Rock Imagery, Aaron Robert Atencio Jan 2019

The Quest Of Vision: Visual Culture, Sacred Space, Ritual, And The Documentation Of Lived Experience Through Rock Imagery, Aaron Robert Atencio

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This document will approach the multifaceted concepts that arise through the study of rock art and the cultivation of culture and belief through vision. Through this document the audience will encounter conceptual ideas regarding belief systems, ritual, experience, cognition, sacredness, and space/landscape — and how these are all essential dynamics that take place in the processes that cultivate the Shoshone visual culture. This document will employ an anthropological lens on the mentioned subject matters, while also approaching these concepts with an interdisciplinary curiosity of how they intermingle; creating a cohesive experience that focuses on these processes which empowered these people[s] …

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Assessing The Invasive Potential Of Najas Minor In Maine, Kaitlin M. Volk Jan 2019

Assessing The Invasive Potential Of Najas Minor In Maine, Kaitlin M. Volk

Honors Theses

Najas minor (European naiad), a relatively new invasive aquatic plant to the state of Maine, is thought be spreading more aggressively than previous invasive aquatic plants have. Once established, N. minor grows into dense monocultures that replace all native plant species, leading to a disruption in ecosystem functioning, a loss in food and habitat for invertebrates and fish, and a decrease in the recreational value of a waterbody. Understanding the natural history of N. minor – how it is dispersed and how long seeds can survive – is important for understanding the invasive potential of the species. However, no previous …

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Asian Jumping Worm (Megascolecidae) Impacts On Physical And Biological Characteristics Of Turfgrass Ecosystems, Ella L. Maddi Jan 2019

Asian Jumping Worm (Megascolecidae) Impacts On Physical And Biological Characteristics Of Turfgrass Ecosystems, Ella L. Maddi

Honors Theses

Asian Jumping worms (Megascolecid spp) were introduced to North America in the early 1900s and have been altering soils in forest ecosystems as they spread throughout the continent. The worms differ from other introduced earthworms in their ability to consume large densities of organic material and potentially alter nutrient cycling in the ecosystems that they invade (Greiner et al. 2012). This study examined if and how Asian jumping worms alter turfgrass systems by changing the biological or physical properties of soil. To do this we conducted a mesocosm experiment and observational field study. For the mesocosm study we inoculated boxes …

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Developing A Predictive And Dynamic Moose-Vehicle Collisions Model In Maine, Yue Yu Jan 2019

Developing A Predictive And Dynamic Moose-Vehicle Collisions Model In Maine, Yue Yu

Honors Theses

Wildlife-vehicle collisions are a major form of human-wildlife conflict. Predictive animal-vehicle collision models have been developed to identify collision hotspots in Maine and guide mitigation strategies. However, most current models are static and unable to produce dynamic forecasts that incorporate changing climate and weather. The goal of my study was to develop a predictive and dynamic model of animal-vehicle collisions in Maine, USA. More than 6,700 moose-vehicle collisions (MVC) occurred from 2003 to 2017 in Maine, raising road safety, socio-economic, and wildlife conservation concerns. I sought to identify factors that contribute to a higher probability of MVCs by comparing two …

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ผลของปุ๋ยคอกมูลวัวและถ่านชีวภาพจากไม้กระถินต่อการยับยั้งการเคลื่อนที่ของสารหนูและแมงกานีสในกากโลหกรรมจากการทำเหมืองแร่ทองคำด้วยหญ้าเนเปียร์แคระ, อโณทัย โกวิทย์วิวัฒน์ Jan 2019

ผลของปุ๋ยคอกมูลวัวและถ่านชีวภาพจากไม้กระถินต่อการยับยั้งการเคลื่อนที่ของสารหนูและแมงกานีสในกากโลหกรรมจากการทำเหมืองแร่ทองคำด้วยหญ้าเนเปียร์แคระ, อโณทัย โกวิทย์วิวัฒน์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การศึกษานี้ มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาผลของปุ๋ยคอกมูลวัว และถ่านชีวภาพจากไม้กระถินต่อการยับยั้งการเคลื่อนที่ของสารหนู และแมงกานีสในกากโลหกรรมปนเปื้อนจากบ่อกักเก็บกากโลหกรรม บริเวณพื้นที่ศักยภาพแหล่งแร่ทองคำด้วยหญ้าเนเปียร์แคระในโรงเรือนทดลอง โดยแบ่งชุดการทดลองออกเป็น 4 ชุดการทดลอง ได้แก่ 1) ชุดควบคุม (ไม่มีการเติมปุ๋ยคอกและถ่านชีวภาพ) 2) ชุดการทดลองเติมปุ๋ยคอก 3) ชุดการทดลองเติมถ่านชีวภาพ และ 4) ชุดการทดลองเติมปุ๋ยคอกร่วมกับถ่านชีวภาพ ในอัตรา 1, 3 และ 5 เปอร์เซ็นต์ โดยน้ำหนัก โดยในแต่ละชุดการทดลองทำการเก็บตัวอย่างทุก ๆ 30 วัน เป็นระยะเวลา 120 วัน และทำการศึกษาปริมาณการดูดดึงและสะสมสารหนู และแมงกานีสในส่วนเหนือกากโลหกรรม (ลำต้นและใบ) และส่วนใต้กากโลหกรรม (ราก) ของหญ้าเนเปียร์แคระ ผลการศึกษาพบว่า เมื่อสิ้นสุดการทดลอง ชุดควบคุมมีการดูดดึงและสะสมสารหนู และแมงกานีสได้สูงที่สุด ในขณะที่ชุดการทดลองที่มีการเติมถ่านชีวภาพที่อัตรา 5 เปอร์เซ็นต์ สามารถช่วยลดปริมาณการสะสมสารหนู และแมงกานีสในพืชส่วนเหนือกากโลหกรรม และส่วนใต้กากโลหกรรมได้สูงที่สุด คิดเป็น 63.93 และ 78.64 เปอร์เซ็นต์ ตามลำดับ และสามารถช่วยลดการดูดดึงและสะสมแมงกานีสในส่วนใต้กากโลหกรรม และส่วนเหนือกากโลหกรรมของพืชได้มากที่สุด คิดเป็น 69.93 และ 72.54 เปอร์เซ็นต์ ตามลำดับ และเมื่อนำมาวิเคราะห์การกระจายตัว และการสะสมสารหนูและแมงกานีส ด้วยเทคนิคไมโครเอกซ์เรย์ฟลูออเรสเซนส์ (SR-XRF) พบว่า ไม่สามารถระบุการกระจายตัว และการสะสมสารหนูในพืชได้ เนื่องจากระดับความเข้มข้นของสารหนูในพืชนั้นต่ำเกินกว่าที่สามารถตรวจวัดได้ หากแต่หญ้าเนเปียร์แคระในชุดการทดลองที่มีการเติมถ่านชีวภาพในอัตรา 5 เปอร์เซ็นต์ พบว่า มีการกระจายตัว และสะสมแมงกานีส และธาตุอื่น ๆ ได้แก่ แคลเซียม เหล็ก และซัลเฟอร์ น้อยกว่าชุดควบคุม และพบการสะสมธาตุดังกล่าวในบริเวณเนื้อเยื่อชั้นนอกเป็นหลัก ผลการศึกษารูปฟอร์มทางเคมีของสารหนู และแมงกานีสในตัวอย่างพืชและกากโลหกรรม ด้วยเทคนิคเอกซเรย์แอบซอร์บชั่นสเปคโตรสโกปี (SR-XAS) พบว่า การเติมปุ๋ยคอกและถ่านชีวภาพ ไม่ทำให้สารหนูและแมงกานีสที่ปนเปื้อนในกากโลหกรรมเปลี่ยนรูปฟอร์มทางเคมีแต่อย่างใด จึงสามารถสรุปได้ว่า การเติมถ่านชีวภาพ 5 เปอร์เซ็นต์ มีประสิทธิภาพในการตรึงสารหนู และแมงกานีสได้ดีที่สุด ผลการศึกษาในครั้งนี้ สามารถนำไปประยุกต์ใช้ในพื้นที่ดินปนเปื้อนบริเวณพื้นที่ของการทำเหมือง …

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Occupational Hazard Identification And Health Risk Assessment Of Volatile Organic Compounds Exposure In Plastic Recycling Plants In Thailand: Case Studies Of Polypropylene And Polyethylene, Muhammed Ayaj Ansar Jan 2019

Occupational Hazard Identification And Health Risk Assessment Of Volatile Organic Compounds Exposure In Plastic Recycling Plants In Thailand: Case Studies Of Polypropylene And Polyethylene, Muhammed Ayaj Ansar

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Mechanical recycling in small scale plastic recycling plants in Thailand with mechanical and thermal driven stages may lead to various occupational hazards. This study aimed to improve occupational safety and health (OSH) by reducing these risks to acceptable levels from hazard identification and risk assessments which were mainly associated with indoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure. Accordingly, heat, noise, and VOCs were identified as potential hazards in the hazard identification from four selected small-scale plastic recycling plants in Thailand with polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) recycling practices. In exposure assessment, almost all the exposure levels of heat stress exceeded the …

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Characterization Of Dissolved Organic Matter In Treated Textile Wastewater From Membrane Bioreactor, Nichapach Puangmalai Jan 2019

Characterization Of Dissolved Organic Matter In Treated Textile Wastewater From Membrane Bioreactor, Nichapach Puangmalai

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This research aims to investigate the DOM removal efficiency in textile wastewater by MBR at different sludge retention time. In addition, the characteristics of DOM was investigated by using resin fractionation and fluorescent excitation-emission matrix techniques. Textile wastewater was synthesized by using commercial dyes and used in all experiment. The characteristics of synthesis textile wastewater showed that the COD concentration was high as 2,000 mg/L. In addition, the DOC concentration in synthesis textile wastewater was also high at 466.1 mg/L. MBR was conducted under HRT 2.5 days and SRT was varied at 15 days, 30 days and infinite, respectively. MBR …

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Variation In Leaf Morphology Of An Alpine Shrub Community Along Environmental Gradients, Abdulssalam Khafsha Jan 2019

Variation In Leaf Morphology Of An Alpine Shrub Community Along Environmental Gradients, Abdulssalam Khafsha

Masters Theses

Mountains represent complex environment gradients which strongly affect local temperature regimes and rainfall. These changes in climate conditions drive a diversity of plant responses. As alpine environments are expected to change dramatically in response to climate change, understanding plant responses to environmental variation is critical in these environments. Although they are a critical component of alpine communities, the environmental responses of shrubs have been much less examined than trees, representing an important knowledge gap. Leaves, as the primary photosynthetic organs on plants, would be expected to respond strongly to local climate conditions. In this study, I documented how the leaf …

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Natural Environment Associations With Mental Health And Obesity Status, Adam Edwin London Jan 2019

Natural Environment Associations With Mental Health And Obesity Status, Adam Edwin London

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health and obesity were ranked among the health priorities of the 2014 and 2017 Community Health Needs Assessments in Kent County, Michigan. Exposure to nature is correlated to improved health outcomes across a variety of morbidities including poor mental health and obesity. This cross-sectional study set within the frameworks of attention restoration theory, environmental health, and pathways to health benefits from nature assessed county survey data including self-reported nature exposures/interactions separated into 3 domain areas: access to nature, attitudes about nature, and physical activity in nature or in nature-based activities. Binary logistic regression analyses of the 653 respondents found …

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A Geographic Study Of Lung And Bronchus Cancer Rates In Kentucky, Gabriel Njoh Dikong Jan 2019

A Geographic Study Of Lung And Bronchus Cancer Rates In Kentucky, Gabriel Njoh Dikong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The average age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates of lung and bronchus cancer is 55% and 56% higher in Kentucky than the national averages in the United States, respectively. Populations with low income and educational attainment, and those who live close to the mining regions across Kentucky are more affected by the high prevalence and resulting mortality rates of lung and bronchus cancer. This study was conducted because of the high incidence of lung and bronchus cancer and resulting mortality rates in the state of Kentucky that may not be caused solely by social and demographic factors. The theoretical foundation for …

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Diversifying Cornfields By Interseeding Cover Crops: Practical Implications And The Response Of Invertebrate Communities, Michael Bredeson Jan 2019

Diversifying Cornfields By Interseeding Cover Crops: Practical Implications And The Response Of Invertebrate Communities, Michael Bredeson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The lack of suitable habitat conditions for beneficial organisms in simplified agroecosystems leads to unstable invertebrate communities and overreliance on chemical control of herbivores. It is possible to manage pest populations without agrichemicals by manipulating farmland so that herbivores are impaired by plant-driven bottom-up and enemy-driven top-down antagonisms. Interseeding cover crops between established crop rows is a method used by farmers to improve habitat suitability for natural enemies and hinder host-finding, feeding and movement by herbivores. Here I address three important research gaps related to interseeding cover crops. A calcium carbonate seed coating, used to improve seed-broadcasting efficiency, was tested …

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Effects Of Energy Development On Movements, Home Ranges, And Resource Selection Of White-Tailed Deer In The Western Dakotas, Bailey S. Gullikson Jan 2019

Effects Of Energy Development On Movements, Home Ranges, And Resource Selection Of White-Tailed Deer In The Western Dakotas, Bailey S. Gullikson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oil and natural gas development has increased in recent years and research is needed to assess potential impacts on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations. Our objectives were to document movements, home ranges, and resource selection of female white-tailed deer in response to energy development in the western Dakotas. Our study areas included Dunn County, North Dakota, an area with current oil and gas development, and Grant County, North Dakota, and Perkins County, South Dakota, areas without current oil and gas development. We captured and fitted 150 female deer with Very High Frequency (VHF) collars across study sites, and …

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Assessing Freshwater Mussel (Bivalvia: Unionidae) Assemblages And Effects Of Eutrophication On Pyganodon Grandis In Lakes Of Eastern South Dakota, Katherine M. Wollman Jan 2019

Assessing Freshwater Mussel (Bivalvia: Unionidae) Assemblages And Effects Of Eutrophication On Pyganodon Grandis In Lakes Of Eastern South Dakota, Katherine M. Wollman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Globally, the family Unionidae is the most threatened group of freshwater fauna. South Dakota is well known for its agricultural production, leading to cultural eutrophication from enhanced fertilizers and sediments. This impact can alter species presence, age, growth and mortality. Objectives of this study were to 1) implement the first comprehensive lake survey of freshwater mussels in eastern South Dakota lakes and document distribution, occurrence and relative abundance, 2) evaluate relationships between age, growth and mortality of Pyganodon grandis and lake trophic state. Freshwater mussels were sampled in 2017 from 116 proportionally and randomly selected natural lakes and reservoir basins …

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Prairie Dogs And Livestock In Rangeland Systems: Balancing Biodiversity And Production In The Northern Mixed-Grass Prairie, Jameson Robert Brennan Jan 2019

Prairie Dogs And Livestock In Rangeland Systems: Balancing Biodiversity And Production In The Northern Mixed-Grass Prairie, Jameson Robert Brennan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A major constraint of beef production within the Standing Rock Reservation has been identified as a reduction in rangeland quality due in large part to wide-scale colonization by black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). The desire exists within the community to design a holistic framework which incorporates livestock management with the goal of increasing production and rangeland health while still maintaining increased diversity associated with prairie dogs. Prairie dogs reduce the carrying capacity of cattle on rangelands by up to 50% on occupied hectares through direct consumption of vegetation and waste due to clipping to improve detection of predators. Livestock stocking …

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