Digital Commons Network^™

Phosphorus Vs. Mycorrhiza: Mitigation Of Lead Uptake In Tomatoes, Helen Senerchia, Liz Miernicki, Andrew Margenot

PRECS 2018

This study seeks to understand how the mutualist relationship between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM) and Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) affects the uptake and distribution of iron (Pb) found in soil by tomatoes and how the effects of phosphorous (P) application may pose a trade-off between AM and P mitigation of bioavailability of Pb.

Sustainability Partnerships And Viticulture Management In California, Vicken Hillis, Mark Lubell, Matthew Hoffman

Human-Environment Systems Research Center Faculty Publications and Presentations

Agricultural regions in the United States are experimenting with sustainability partnerships that, among other goals, seek to improve growers' ability to manage their vineyards sustainably. In this paper, we analyze the association between winegrape grower participation in sustainability partnership activities and practice adoption in three winegrowing regions of California. Using data gathered from a survey of 822 winegrape growers, we find a positive association between participation and adoption of sustainable practices, which holds most strongly for practices in which the perceived private benefits outweigh the costs, and for growers with relatively dense social networks. We highlight the mechanisms by which …

Natural Resource Condition Assessment, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Reilly R. Dibner, Nicole Korfanta, Gary Beauvais, Jonathan Bowler, Kit Freedman, Kelli C. Trujillo, Victoria H. Zero

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

In collaboration with the National Park Service, the University of Wyoming Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources and the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database completed the Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) for Scotts Bluff National Monument (NM). The purpose of the NRCA is to provide park leaders and resource managers with information on resource conditions to support near-term planning and management, long-term strategic planning, and effective science communication to decision-makers and the public.

Scotts Bluff NM was established in 1919. The purposes of the park include protecting and preserving the Mitchell Pass portion of the Oregon Trail and …

The Ecology Of The Usambara Double-Collared Sunbird (Cinnyris Usambaricus), Sarah Lueder

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The ecology of the endemic Usambara Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris usambaricus) was investigated in the surrounding areas of and within Mazumbai Forest Reserve in the Lushoto District of Tanzania. As there is little known concerning the ecology of the species, this study sought to illuminate multiple aspects of their behavior and interactions. Over fourteen days (November 2nd-November 21st), the abundance of the species, their nesting behavior, their habitat preferences, their vocalizations, their diet, and their aggressive behaviors were observed and then analyzed. It was determined the species’ activity likely peaks in the early morning, their nesting is similar to other species …

Water Current, Volume 50, No. 2, Summer 2018

Water Current Newsletter

Reflections on Nebraska’s Irrigation Legacy

Water Management in a Season of Extremes

The Influence Organics On Supercritical Co2 Migration In Organic-Rich Shales, Bethany A. Kurz, James A. Sorensen, Steven B. Hawthorne, Steven A. Smith, Hamed Sanei, Omid Ardakani, Joel Walls, Lu Jin, Shane K. Butler, Christopher J. Beddoe, Blaise A.F. Mibeck

EERC Publications, Papers, & Presentations

This work describes a series of laboratory-based tests to evaluate the efficacy of CO₂ for EOR and to better understand the controlling mechanisms of CO₂ permeation in Bakken rock samples.

Barriers To Becoming Lake People: Social Equity And Environmental Justice In Muskegon Lake South Shoreline Access, Kelly A. Parker

Environmental and Sustainability Studies Undergraduate Projects

In Winter 2018, eleven students in the GVSU course ENS 401: Environmental Problem Solv-ing played the role of consultants for community partner Viability Lab, LLC, which had de-veloped a grant application titled ShoreLiveCity. A central feature of the ShoreLiveCity project was to improve social equity and environmental justice in access to the Muskegon Lake south shoreline. Historically, such access has been severely restricted for residents in the nearby Nel-son and Nims neighborhoods. ShoreLiveCity proposed to use the Circles of Sustainability planning and implementation framework (2018) to improve access along approximately 500 yards of publicly owned shoreline adjacent to the neighborhoods. …

Biotime: A Database Of Biodiversity Time Series For The Anthropocene, Maria Dornelas, Laura H. Antão, Faye Moyes, Amanda E. Bates, Anne E. Magurran, Dušan Adams, Asem A. Akhmetzhanova, Ward Appeltans, José Manuel Adam, Frank P. Day

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Motivation: The BioTIME database contains raw data on species identities and abundances in ecological assemblages through time. These data enable users to calculate temporal trends in biodiversity within and amongst assemblages using a broad range of metrics. BioTIME is being developed as a community-led open-source database of biodiversity time series. Our goal is to accelerate and facilitate quantitative analysis of temporal patterns of biodiversity in the Anthropocene.

Main types of variables included: The database contains 8,777,413 species abundance records, from assemblages consistently sampled for a minimum of 2 years, which need not necessarily be consecutive. In addition, the database contains …

Assessment Of The Ponderosa Woodlands In Nebraska's Wildcat Hills: Implications For Juniperus Encroachment And Management, Allie Victoria Schiltmeyer

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

Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) is a dominant tree species across western North America. Its eastern distribution includes three populations in western Nebraska. This study assesses the distribution, structure and age of ponderosa pine woodlands in one of those regions, the Wildcat Hills. The Wildcat Hills have escaped severe wildfires seen in recent decades in other ponderosa pine regions. Nevertheless, the Wildcat Hills woodlands face multiple threats including climate change, wildfire, drought, pine beetles, and invasive species. Key to these threats is the stand structure of pine woodlands, which have increased in density across much of ponderosa pine’s range. …

Climatic Drivers Of Ponderosa Pine Growth In Central Idaho, Joseph L. Pettit, R. Justin Derose, James N. Long

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Despite the widespread use of ponderosa pine as an important hydroclimate proxy, we actually understand very little about its climate response in the Northern Rockies. Here, we analyze two new ponderosa pine chronologies to investigate how climate influences annual growth. Despite differences in precipitation amount and timing and large elevation differences (1820 m versus 1060 m), ring width at both sites was strongly driven by water availability. The mid-elevation, water-limited site responded well to previous fall precipitation whereas the wetter, high-elevation site responded to growing season precipitation and temperature. When precipitation and temperature were simultaneously accounted for using the standardized …

Fisheries Bycatch Risk To Marine Megafauna Is Intensified In Lagrangian Coherent Structures, Kylie L. Scales, Elliot L. Hazen, Michael G. Jacox, Frederic Castruccio, Sara M. Maxwell, Rebecca L. Lewison, Steven J. Bograd

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Incidental catch of nontarget species (bycatch) is a major barrier to ecological and economic sustainability in marine capture fisheries. Key to mitigating bycatch is an understanding of the habitat requirements of target and nontarget species and the influence of heterogeneity and variability in the dynamic marine environment. While patterns of overlap among marine capture fisheries and habitats of a taxonomically diverse range of marine vertebrates have been reported, a mechanistic understanding of the real-time physical drivers of bycatch events is lacking. Moving from describing patterns toward understanding processes, we apply a Lagrangian analysis to a high-resolution ocean model output to …

Examining The Factors Shaping The Population Structure Of Thalassoma Bifasciatum In The Lemon Keys, Guna Yala, Panama, Nicole Stevens

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research question

What is the population structure of Thalassoma bifasciatum in the Lemon Keys, Guna Yala, Panama?

Research objective

To examine size class structure of Thalassoma bifasciatum and how its abundance and density vary in relation to factors such as substrate, species diversity and depth.

Sediment Deposition Within Two Thalassia Testudinum Seagrass Sites In Boca Del Drago, Bocas Del Toro Archipelago, Panamá, Alexander De Jesus

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question

Does sediment deposition and composition differ between front and back areas of Thalassia testudinum seagrass beds within two sites on the coast of Boca del Drago, and do these two distinct sites have differences in relative seagrass density and above-ground biomass?

Research Objective

Understand how sediment deposition and sediment composition compare between front and back seagrass areas within two Thalassia testudinum seagrass meadows on the coast of Boca del Drago, and whether the density and above-ground biomass of seagrass identified in each of these two distinct sites also differs.

A 30 Year Assessment Of Fecal Indicator Bacteria (Escherichia Coli And Enterococci) Along The Shoreline Of Santa Monica Bay, California, Chris Enyart

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Santa Monica Bay and its vast beaches are important Los Angeles icons, while also providing significant ecosystem services to over millions of recreational visitors annually. Contaminated runoff from numerous watersheds surrounding the Bay, especially the 87% urbanized Ballona Creek Watershed, have historically resulted in poor water quality along areas of the Bay shoreline. Decades of monitoring for fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) along the Bay’s shoreline has been associated with NPDES wastewater discharge and stormwater programs. Many projects have been implemented throughout the watersheds (e.g. sewer improvements, biofiltration systems, low-flow diversions (LFDs)) to lessen flows of runoff from contaminating surf zone …

Potential Interaction Analysis Of Offshore Wind Energy Areas And Breeding Avian Species On The Us Mid-Atlantic Coast, Jeri Lynn Wisman

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Due to increasing US interest in developing wind energy sites in offshore waters, we synthesized existing data on colonial breeding seabird populations with the potential risk of interacting with lease areas in the mid-Atlantic. Previous efforts by BOEM and NOAA have predicted avian density using at-sea survey data; we seek to complement this work by focusing specifically on birds during the critical and energetically demanding breeding life history stage. We combined colony size and location for each species along the mid-Atlantic coast with buffers around the colonies that correlate with the species’ foraging range. We integrated population size, vulnerability to …

The Importance Of Keeping The Big Ones: Harvest Slot Limits And Marine Protected Areas For The Management Of The Caribbean Spiny Lobster, Gayathiri Gnanalingam

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Fishing typically removes the oldest and/or largest individuals from populations undermining stability and reproductive success. Traditional fisheries management tools fail to protect these oldest and/or largest individuals, but two less conventional tools: marine protected areas (MPAs), and harvest slot limits have the potential to do so. Here I tested the possible use of these tools for the Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, an iconic and economically valued species. After decades of intense fishing, the largest lobsters have largely been wiped out. The loss of the largest lobsters is significant as large lobsters have considerably greater reproductive potential than their …

Identifying Marine Key Biodiversity Areas In The Greater Caribbean Region, Michael S. Harvey

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Anthropocene biodiversity extinction rates are increasing, suggesting a possible sixth global mass extinction event. Biological conservation planners are consequently seeking ways to more effectively protect species at national, regional and global scales. In 2010, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) issued a number of conservation goals (Aichi Targets), including the establishment of protected areas (PA) in terrestrial, freshwater and marine areas of eminent conservation concern by 2020 to reduce and eventually eliminate species’ extinctions, as well as preserve hotspots of biodiversity and dynamic ecosystems. While well-established, adequately enforced PAs increase the likelihood of preserving species and habitats most at risk …

Water Flow And Biofilm Cover Influence Environmental Dna Detection In Recirculating Streams, Arial Shogren, Jennifer L. Tank, Scott P. Egan, Olivia August, Emma J. Rosi, Brittany R. Hanrahan, Mark A. Renshaw, Crysta A. Gantz, Diogo Bolster

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The increasing use of environmental DNA (eDNA) for determination of species presence in aquatic ecosystems is an invaluable technique for both ecology as a field and for the management of aquatic ecosystems. We examined the degradation dynamics of fish eDNA using an experimental array of recirculating streams, also using a “nested” primer assay to estimate degradation among eDNA fragment sizes. We introduced eDNA into streams with a range of water velocities (0.1–0.8 m s–1) and substrate biofilm coverage (0–100%) and monitored eDNA concentrations over time (∼10 d) to assess how biophysical conditions influence eDNA persistence. We found that the presence …

Using Transboundary Wildfire Exposure Assessments To Improve Fire Management Programs: A Case Study In Greece, Palaiologos Palaiologou, Alan A. Ager, Max Nielsen-Pincus, Cody Evers, Kostas Kalabokidis

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Numerous catastrophic wildfires in Greece have demonstrated that relying on fire suppression as the primary risk-management strategy is inadequate and that existing wildfire-risk governance needs to be re-examined. In this research, we used simulation modelling to assess the spatial scale of wildfire exposure to communities and cultural monuments in Chalkidiki, Greece. The study area typifies many areas in Greece in terms of fire regimes, ownership patterns and fire-risk mitigation. Fire-transmission networks were built to quantify connectivity among land tenures and populated places. We found that agricultural and unmanaged wildlands are key land categories that transmit fire exposure to other land …

A Wave From Einstein

DePaul Magazine

The discovery in 2015 of gravitational waves 100 years after Albert Einstein predicted their existence gave scientists a new way of understanding the universe. This discovery, made possible by decades of work and the collaborative efforts of astrophysicists around the world offers a window into how science advances. The concept of science as a way of knowing is discussed.

A Case Study Of The Ethanol Cleancook Stove Intervention And Potential Scale-Up In Ethiopia, Megan L. Benka-Coker, Wubshet Tadele, Alex Milano, Desalegn Getaneh, Harry Stokes

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Approximately 80% of Ethiopia's energy consumption is dominated by woody biomass fuel use, resulting in 91.2 million tons of firewood and 4.2 million tons of charcoal consumed annually. Ethiopia's dependency on non-sustainable energy, especially for cooking, has been a major concern for the nation for the past 30 years, contributing to deforestation, climate change, and adverse human health impacts.

Objectives

Our objective was to document the work of Gaia Association and the implementation of the ethanol CleanCook stove in the refugee camp and urban settings of Ethiopia. We then assessed the potential for the scale-up of ethanol as a …

Climate And Plant Controls On Soil Organic Matter In Coastal Wetlands, Michael J. Osland, Christopher A. Gabler, James B. Grace, Richard H. Day, Meagan L. Mccoy, Jennie L. Mcleod, Andrew S. From, Nicholas M. Enwright, Laura C. Feher, Camille L. Stagg

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Coastal wetlands are among the most productive and carbon‐rich ecosystems on Earth. Long‐term carbon storage in coastal wetlands occurs primarily belowground as soil organic matter (SOM). In addition to serving as a carbon sink, SOM influences wetland ecosystem structure, function, and stability. To anticipate and mitigate the effects of climate change, there is a need to advance understanding of environmental controls on wetland SOM. Here, we investigated the influence of four soil formation factors: climate, biota, parent materials, and topography. Along the northern Gulf of Mexico, we collected wetland plant and soil data across elevation and zonation gradients within 10 …

Harvesting Invasive Plants To Reduce Nutrient Loads And Produce Bioenergy: An Assessment Of Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands, Brendan D. Carson, Shane C. Lishawa, Nancy C. Tuchman, Andrew M. Monks, Beth A. Lawrence, Dennis A. Albert

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

In Laurentian Great Lakes coastal wetlands (GLCWs), dominant emergent invasive plants are expanding their ranges and compromising the unique habitat and ecosystem service values that these ecosystems provide. Herbiciding and burning to control invasive plants have not been effective in part because neither strategy addresses the most common root cause of invasion, nutrient enrichment. Mechanical harvesting is an alternative approach that removes tissue‐bound phosphorus and nitrogen and can increase wetland plant diversity and aquatic connectivity between wetland and lacustrine systems. In this study, we used data from three years of Great Lakes‐wide wetland plant surveys, published literature, and bioenergy analyses …

Biosorption Of Cobalt By Using Pseudomonas Aerguinosa Bacterial Strain, Abhaysinh Arvind Dharanguttikar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A study of biosorption of cobalt metal by Pseudomonas Aerguinosa gram-negative bacterial strain is presented. The present study is carried out to determine the optimum conditions of cobalt biosorption at ultra-low concentration (ppb range) in aqueous solutions. The receptiveness of cobalt metal on the extracellular surface of bacterial strain was examined by varying the pH, Initial concentration of metal and treatment time. Experimental data showed that effect of pH and treatment time is prevalent in biosorption of cobalt and by increasing both these parameters resulted in the efficient sorption of cobalt on the extracellular surface of Pseudomonas Aerguinosa. In some …

Inventory Of Oceanic Fauna Data Including Species, Weight, And Measurements From R/V Point Sur (Cruise Dp05) In The Gulf Of Mexico From 2017-05-01 To 2017-05-11, April Cook, Tracey Sutton

DEEPEND Datasets

This dataset includes an inventory of Gulf of Mexico oceanic fauna data including species, weight, and measurements collected from R/V Point Sur (Cruise DP05) from 2017-05-01 to 2017-05-11. 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 200-1000m, 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 …

Sustainable Production Of Bio-Based Succinic Acid From Plant Biomass, Enlin Lo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Succinic acid is a compound used for manufacturing lacquers, resins, and other coating chemicals. It is also used in the food and beverage industry as a flavor additive. It is predominantly manufactured from petrochemicals, but it can also be produced more sustainably by fermentation of sugars from renewable feedstocks (biomass). Bio-based succinic acid has excellent potential for becoming a platform chemical (building block) for commodity and high-value chemicals.

In this study, we focused on the production of bio-based succinic acid from the fiber of sweet sorghum (SS), which has a high fermentable sugar content and can be cultivated in a …

Urban Animals: Gis Analysis Of Stray Canines And Felines In Albuquerque, New Mexico, Courtney Brock

Geography ETDs

While human influence and progress has shaped the cityscape of Albuquerque, New Mexico, many stray animals also consider this city to be their home. Albuquerque’s Animal Welfare Department holds a human responsibility over these urban animals and their habitat displacement, requiring them to either be registered and owned or euthanized. Although animal rights are a topic continually in debate, the habitat choices made by stray animals are rarely questioned, due to anthropocentrism in the city’s structure and laws.

Through observational field research with Albuquerque’s Animal Welfare Officers, stray animal locations were collected throughout the city for one week in July …

Underground Stormwater Treatment Performance In Urban Coastal Catchments: Case Study Of Baffle Boxes In The City Of Tampa, Awet Eyob Tsegay

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In coastal urban regions, underground stormwater treatment units are suitable infrastructure options because they take less space where premium land is expensive. Even then, they should be accessible and ideally small enough to fit into existing stormwater networks. Since 2003, the City of Tampa and Florida’s Department of Transportation (FDOT) have installed 47 baffle boxes into the city’s stormwater pipe networks. Baffle boxes are underground stormwater treatment structures designed to capture sediments and floating debris. Since their deployment, many challenges regarding their practical sediment capturing performance was raised by the city.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the …

Ripple Effects Of The Belo Monte Dam: A Syndemic Approach To Addressing Health Impacts For The Downstream Community Of Gurupá, Cynthia A. Pace

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the public health impacts of a large dam project on a downstream community using the framework of Syndemic Theory. The particular focus is the Belo Monte Dam, located in the Brazilian Amazon, and its impact on the community of Gurupá, Pará. At the present time the Belo Monte Dam, which is nearing completion, stands out in scale as being the world’s third largest dam complex. Gurupá is a community well known (and well-studied) in the social science literature as Amazon Town. The aims of this study are to assess the pre-existing public health of Gurupá, as well …

Impacts Of Stress On Forest Recovery And Its Interaction With Canopy Height, Peipei Xu, Tao Zhou, Chuixiang Yi, Hui Luo, Xiang Zhao, Wei Fang, Shan Gao, Xia Liu

Publications and Research

Global climate change is leading to an increase in the frequency, intensity, and duration of drought events, which can affect the functioning of forest ecosystems. Because human activities such as afforestation and forest attributes such as canopy height may exhibit considerable spatial differences, such differences may alter the recovery paths of drought-impacted forests. To accurately assess how climate affects forest recovery, a quantitative evaluation on the effects of forest attributes and their possible interaction with the intensity of water stress is required. Here, forest recovery following extreme drought events was analyzed for Yunnan Province, southwest China. The variation in the …