Digital Commons Network^™

Systems Of Access: A Multidisciplinary Strategy For Assessing The Social Dimensions Of Sustainability, Christopher Wolsko, Elizabeth Marino, Thomas J. Doherty, Steve Fisher, Amanda S. Green, Briana Goodwin, Ryan Reese, Andrea Wirth

Library Faculty Research

The concept of access to natural resources has been a specific concern of economists and ecologists and is a distinct component in recent models of social sustainability. Using a series of conceptual and empirical examples, this article extends the notion of access broadly to social institutions and sociocultural norms. We argue that access may be usefully construed as an analytic tool that has direct applicability to many sustainability issues as it allows for cross-disciplinary and public engagement. Here the concept of access, linked to Amartya Sen’s theory of capabilities, also makes visible the multi-scaled and interconnected social processes that influence …

The Biological Sediment Tolerance Index: Assessing Fine Sediments Conditions In Oregon Streams Using Macroinvertebrates, Shannon Hubler, David Huff, Patrick M. Edwards, Yangdong Pan

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Fine sediments in excess of natural background conditions are one of most globally common causes of stream degradation, with well documented impacts on aquatic communities. The lack of agreement on methods for monitoring fine sediments makes it difficult to share data, limiting assessments of stream conditions across jurisdictions. We present a model that circumvents these limitations by inferring fine sediments in Oregon streams through sampling of macroinvertebrates. Tolerances to fine sediments (

The Prairie Post Quarterly Newsletter Of The High Plains Regional Climate Center- April 2016, Natalie A. Umphlett, Bill Sorensen, Jamie Lahowetz, Crystal J. Stiles

Prairie Post: Quarterly Newsletter of the High Plains Regional Climate Center

Inside this issue:

Message from the interim director........................................1

Staff spotlight...........................1

Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador Program............2

Tribal work highlight..............2

Product highlight....................3

Partnership spotlight.............3

AWDN information.................4

Update on regional climate conditions..................................4

Outreach/engagement.........5

Recent and upcoming travel and activities.............................6

Pastoralists' Perception On The Trend Of Various Climatic, Social And Environmental Variables In Baringo County, Kenya, Geoffrey L. Lelenguyah, Samuel K. Kabochi, John C. Biwot

Journal of Ecological Anthropology

As global temperatures increase, more intense rainfall and more frequent droughts will have devastating effects on pastoral livelihoods. The aim of this study was to investigate pastoralists' perceptions on the impacts of climate variability on their livelihoods from 1971 to 2010. This study utilized household structured questionnaires. Statistical tests included t-test and Chi-square test (χ²). Statistically significant differences between the responses in strata 1 and 2 on the perceived trend of rainfall and floods towards the future were noted. This study recommends the strengthening of local institutions to be able to deal with impacts of climate variability and …

Volume 08, Meghan Enzinna, Casey Dawn Gailey, Raven Collins, Chiara Enriquez, Amelia Mcconnell, Alexander Morton, Emma Beckett, Leah G. Parr, Briana Adhikusuma, Taylor Embrey, Rowan Davis, Danielle Sisson, Bianca Cherry, Melissa Cacho, Chloe Woodward, Catherine Rollins, Carson Reeher, Landon Cooper, Haley Vasquez, Marlisha Stewart, Eric Whitehead, Sabrina Walker, James Bates

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction from Interim Dean Dr. Jennifer Apperson

Indigenous Peoples and the Modern Era by Meghan Enzinna

"Who Says": How Selena Gomez and the Scene Attempt to Subvert the Popular Standards of Beauty by Casey Dawn Gailey

Art by Raven Collins

Meltdown on Social Media: Amy's Baking Company Meets Kitchen Nightmares by Nathena Haddrill

Art by Chiara Enriquez

Design by Amelia Mcconnell

Worth More Than a Thousand Words: A Visual Rhetorical Discussion of Virtual Reality by Examining "Clouds Over Sidra" by Alexander Morton

Design by Emma Beckett

The Sonata: An Analysis of Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Minor, K. …

Road Associated Wildlife Mortality In An Urbanizing Metropolitan Area Of The Southeastern Usa, Lillian Miller

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Bridge Over Troubled Waters: A Synthesis Session To Connect Scientific And Decision Making Sectors, Kaitlin Goldsmith, Elise F. Granek, Amy Lubitow, Michael Papenfus

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Lack of access to relevant scientific data has limited decision makers from incorporating scientific information into their management and policy schemes. Yet, there is increasing interest among decision makers and scientists to integrate coastal and marine science into the policy and management process. Strategies designed to build communication between decision makers and scientists can be an effective means to disseminate and/or generate policy relevant scientific information. Here researchers develop, test, and present a workshop model designed to bridge the gap between coastal and marine decision makers and scientists. Researchers identify successful components of such a workshop as well as areas …

Economic And Environmental Impacts Of A Hypothetical Global Gmo Ban, Harrison H. Mahaffey

Open Access Theses

The objective of this research is to assess the global economic and greenhouse gas emission impacts of GMO crops. This is done by modeling two counterfactual scenarios and evaluating them apart and in combination. The first scenario models the impact of a global GMO ban. The second scenario models the impact of increased GMO penetration. The focus is on the price and welfare impacts, and land use change greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with GMO technologies. Much of the prior work on the economic impacts of GMO technology has relied on a combination of partial equilibrium analysis and econometric techniques. …

Investigating U.S. Resident Perceptions Of Corporate Social Responsibility In Food And Agriculture, Carissa Jae Morgan

Open Access Theses

Corporations are prioritizing corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities by investing in and actively promoting their social practices. In the U.S. of the modern food supply chain creates a unique challenge for corporations to address concerns about social issues of consumers and non-consumers alike. This study is motivated by the need to better understand individuals’ perceptions of CSR as it pertains to the food supply chain. In April 2015 an online survey collected information from 1,201 U.S. residents with the objective of investigating individuals’ perceptions of relative importance of eight prominent CSR areas relevant to food and agriculture. Demographic, household consumption, …

Water Current, Volume 48, No. 2, Spring 2016

Water Current Newsletter

2016 tour to Colorado’s South Platte basin June 14-16

Success with grant applications and student programs; upcoming events

Wildlife Underpasses: Frequency Of Use By Neotropic Mammals In Parque Natural Metropolitano, Panamá City, Panamá, Kelly Russo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In a world of ever increasing globalization and urbanization, roads present wildlife with a number of challenges. They fragment habitats, disrupt animal movements, impact reproductive success and the fitness of individuals and populations, alter population dynamics, and cause unnatural levels of mortality. Fortunately, the numerous detrimental effects of roads can be alleviated by the proper implementation of mitigation structures, such as underpasses, sky bridges and vegetated overpasses. These mitigation structures are an important source of genetic connectivity, especially in a peri-urban reserve setting. This study seeks to understand what species of mammal utilize the wildlife underpasses below Via La Amistad, …

Seagrass Community Change At Three High Risk Ports In The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area From 2005 To 2014, Celeste Venolia

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Seagrass meadows are extremely valuable and dynamic ecosystems currently facing pressure from anthropogenic disturbances. Seagrass ecosystems are declining globally because of direct and indirect threats that shift environmental conditions controlling seagrass distribution. Seagrass species responses to disturbances vary based on a number of factors including life history strategy. The goal of this study was to map and analyze patterns of dominant seagrass species change at Cairns and Gladstone from 2005-2014 and Townsville from 2007-2014. This compilation data set was symbolized according to the life history strategy of the species. The major disturbances during this time period were physical damage from …

How Landscape Ecology Informs Global Land-Change Science And Policy, Audrey L. Mayer, Brian Buma, Amélie Davis, Sara A. Gagné, E. Louise Loudermilk, Robert M. Scheller, Fiona K.A. Schmiegelow, Fiona Majorin, Yolanda F. Wiersma, Janet Franklin

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Landscape ecology is a discipline that explicitly considers the influence of time and space on the environmental patterns we observe and the processes that create them. Although many of the topics studied in landscape ecology have public policy implications, three are of particular concern: climate change; land use–land cover change (LULCC); and a particular type of LULCC, urbanization. These processes are interrelated, because LULCC is driven by both human activities (e.g., agricultural expansion and urban sprawl) and climate change (e.g., desertification). Climate change, in turn, will affect the way humans use landscapes. Interactions among these drivers of ecosystem change can …

Climate Change, Infrastructure, Economies, And Governance In The Great Lakes Basin, Wendy A. Kellogg

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Judging Adaptive Management Practices Of U.S. Agencies, Robert L. Fischman, J. B. Ruhl

Articles by Maurer Faculty

All U.S. federal agencies administering environmental laws purport to practice adaptive management (AM), but little is known about how they actually implement this conservation tool. A gap between the theory and practice of AM is revealed in judicial decisions reviewing agency adaptive management plans. We analyzed all U.S. federal court opinions published through 1 January 2015 to identify the agency AM practices courts found most deficient. The shortcomings included lack of clear objectives and processes, monitoring thresholds, and defined actions triggered by thresholds. This trio of agency shortcuts around critical, iterative steps characterizes what we call AM-lite. Passive AM differs …

A Behavior-Based Framework For Assessing Barrier Effects To Wildlife From Vehicle Traffic Volume, Sandra L. Jacobson, Leslie L. Bliss-Ketchum, Catherine E. De Rivera, Winston P. Smith

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Roads, while central to the function of human society, create barriers to animal movement through collisions and habitat fragmentation. Barriers to animal movement affect the evolution and trajectory of populations. Investigators have attempted to use traffic volume, the number of vehicles passing a point on a road segment, to predict effects to wildlife populations approximately linearly and along taxonomic lines; however, taxonomic groupings cannot provide sound predictions because closely related species often respond differently. We assess the role of wildlife behavioral responses to traffic volume as a tool to predict barrier effects from vehicle-caused mortality and avoidance, to provide an …

Earth Systems Science As Civic Participation: An Approach To Youth Action Research For Social Change, Ciara Williams , '16

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

Just as environmental justice challenges dominant notions of "environment" that cannot account for connections between social and natural processes, earth systems science pursues connections between science and society, challenging a dominant discourse which asserts that both can be fully understood without the other. Grounding "environment" and "science" as socially situated concepts helps to foreground, in turn, the ways that race structures exposure to risk and the exercise of citizenship both nationally and globally. My thesis draws on these discourses while focusing on youth as citizens and civic participation through the creation of an elementary school science curriculum.

Mercury Isotopes Of Atmospheric Particle Bound Mercury For Source Apportionment Study In Urban Kolkata, India, Reshmi Das, Xianfeng Wang, Bahareh Khezri, Richard D. Webster, Pradip Kumar Sikdar, Subhajit Datta

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The particle bound mercury (PBM) in urban-industrial areas is mainly of anthropogenic origin, and is derived from two principal sources: Hg bound to particulate matter directly emitted by industries and power generation plants, and adsorption of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) and gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) on air particulates from gas or aqueous phases. Here, we measured the Hg isotope composition of PBM in PM₁₀ samples collected from three locations, a traffic junction, a waste incineration site and an industrial site in Kolkata, the largest metropolis in Eastern India. Sampling was carried out in winter and monsoon seasons between 2013–2015. …

Fracking In Pennsylvania: A Spatial Analysis Of Impacts On Land Cover And Land Use, The Viewshed, And The Audioshed, Kelly A. Collins

Student Publications

Hydraulic fracturing is the process of extracting natural gas from layers of shale rock beneath the surface of the Earth. The largest source of natural gas in the US is the Marcellus Shale, largely located in Pennsylvania, and it is believed to hold about 141 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in its shale deposits. My study examined the impacts of well sites on land cover and land use, the viewshed, and the audioshed. To study the effect of wellpads on land use and land cover, we overlaid a layer of wellpads over land cover data as well as a …

Removal Of Six Estrogenic Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds (Edcs) From Municipal Wastewater Using Aluminum Electrocoagulation, Monica M. Cook, Erin M. Symonds, Bert Gerber, Armando Hoare, Edward S. Van Vleet, Mya Breitbart

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Conventional wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) processes are primarily designed to reduce the amount of organic matter, pathogens, and nutrients from the incoming influent. However, these processes are not as effective in reducing the concentrations of micropollutants, including endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), which notoriously evade traditional wastewater treatment technologies and are found even in tertiary-treated effluent. For WWTPs practicing deep-well injection or surface-water discharge, EDCs in the treated effluent are discharged into groundwater or the aquatic environment where humans and wildlife may potentially suffer the effects of chemical exposure. In the current laboratory-scale study, we tested a bench-top electrocoagulation (EC) unit utilizing …

Effects Of Environmental Factors On The Abundance Of Blacklegged Ticks, Jasmine L. Miller, Roger A. Lebrun, Howard S. Ginsberg

Senior Honors Projects

The nymphal stage of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, is the major vector of Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne disease in North America. Tick abundance has generally been estimated using either flag/drag samples or samples from hosts. However, the biases of these sampling methods have not been adequately studied. We compared samples using both methods from sites in Massachusetts and Wisconsin. Tick abundance was compared with variables related to weather (temperature, relative humidity, and tick adverse moisture events), vegetation (canopy cover, tree density, shrub density, ground vegetation, and leaf litter cover), and host abundance (mice, small mammals, medium …

Ontology-Aided Feature Correlation For Multi-Modal Urban Sensing, Archan Misra, Zaman Lantra, Kasthuri Jayarajah

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The paper explores the use of correlation across features extracted from different sensing channels to help in urban situational understanding. We use real-world datasets to show how such correlation can improve the accuracy of detection of city-wide events by combining metadata analysis with image analysis of Instagram content. We demonstrate this through a case study on the Singapore Haze. We show that simple ontological relationships and reasoning can significantly help in automating such correlation-based understanding of transient urban events.

Study Of The Seasonal And Interannual Variability Of Phytoplankton Bloom In Arabian Gulf Using Modisdata, Malik Mutasim Malik Gasim

Theses

The Arabian Gulf is a semi enclosed large water body that experiences seasonal

variations and reversal of it water currents flow circulation. The Gulf waters are characterized by having high primary productivity and strong phytoplankton blooms at particular seasons within the year. Phytoplankton is a base of the food chain for marine species, providing an essential food resource for aquatic life. Marine phytoplankton affects the diversity of any marine ecosystem and drives its functioning and is strongly correlated with fishery yields. The primary

objectives of this research study are to answer key research questions related to phytoplankton blooms in the …

Characterization Of Soundscapes In Shallow Water Habitats Of The Florida Keys (Usa) And Their Influence On The Settlement Of Larval Fish And Invertebrates, John R. Butler

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

In recent decades, changes in climate and water quality in Florida Bay and the Florida Keys (FL, USA) caused expansive cyanobacteria blooms that in turn precipitated massive sponge die-offs that drastically altered sponge-dominated hard-bottom communities in south-central Florida Bay. This area served as a model system to explore the effect of ecosystem change and habitat restoration on underwater soundscapes and larval recruitment. I had four main objectives: (1) characterize the underwater soundscapes of three near-shore, benthic habitats: mangrove islands, seagrass meadows, and hard-bottom (Chapter 2); (2) quantify larval settlement within healthy, degraded, and restored hard-bottom areas to test whether habitat …

Naturalization Of Salt Marsh Restoration Sites In The Elizabeth River, Virginia, Assessed By Feeding Activity And Trophic Level Of Mummichogs (Fundulus Heteroclitus), Moriah Anne Good

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Recent efforts to mitigate environmental issues within the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, Virginia, designated a “Region of Concern” by the Chesapeake Bay Program, include several salt marsh restorations. By examining gut contents and stable isotopes values (δ13C and δ15N) from mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus), the functional equivalency of restored salt marshes compared to natural marshes was measured. In July 2013 I collected mummichogs from three restored and three reference salt marshes in the Southern Branch. Fish were collected for gut content analysis and were analyzed for stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N).

I removed gut contents from 16 fish per …

Acoustic Detection Reveals Fine-Scale Distributions Of Myotis Lucifugus, Myotis Septentrionalis, And Perimyotis Subflavus In Eastern Nebraska, Jeremy A. White, Cliff Lemen, Patricia Freeman

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

ABSTRACT.—Before white-nose syndrome arrives in Nebraska, it is important to document the preexposure distributions of cave bats in the state. We examined the distributions of Myotis lucifugus (little brown myotis), Myotis septentrionalis (northern long-eared myotis), and Perimyotis subflavus (tri-colored bat) in eastern Nebraska by setting acoustic detectors for a single night at 105 sites in wooded habitats during summers of 2012 and 2014. We compared 2 methods of determining presence at each site. Results of our analyses are fine-scale distributional maps for these bats and some range extensions from published records. Results for M. septentrionalis and P. subflavus are largely …

L’Insecte Sage In The Age Of Global Climate Crisis: A Biocultural And Ontological Study Of Vulnerability And Resilience In The Manakara Beekeeping Network, Tamar Law

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The effects of climate change are felt unevenly throughout the globe. Impoverished populations with high levels of subsistence agriculture are particularly vulnerable due to their direct dependence on the land. However, these populations are also the possible agents of change and solutions, as their traditional ecological knowledge has evolved in relation to their context. The honeybee is directly implicated in climate change vulnerability due to its role in pollination services, by ensuring food security. In the past decade, honeybees have risen to international fame and scrutiny due to a global vanishing of bees, attributed in part to climate change and …

They Come Like The Clouds: Governing The Mountainous Periphery, Jared Sousa

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper addresses the extension of governmental power into the mountainous periphery of the village of Dho Tarap in the Dolpa District of Nepal. New technologies, new markets, and new social dynamics are penetrating the Himalaya and reshaping the connections that mountain people have to the outside world. In this context of connectivity and modernity, the people of Dho Tarap are also being thrust into far closer proximity to the Nepali government. After a series of geopolitical moves in Nepal and China in the 1960s, Dho Tarap as part of an isolated border region has been a part of a …

Avifaunal Community Composition In A Tropical Forest Corridor: A Case Study From The Atherton Tableland, North Queensland, Don Jones

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Bird communities in tropical forest ecosystems are highly threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation. Replanted corridors connecting isolated forest remnants are a popular method of ameliorating certain negative impacts of habitat fragmentation. Such linkages can theoretically facilitate greater dispersal, increase gene flow, and reduce the risk of local extinctions in forest birds. However, relatively few studies have examined the utilization of reforested corridors by birds, and little hard data exists to support claims that this type of resource and time intensive project is the best use of often scarce funding for conservation. This study examined the avifaunal community present in …

Symbiont Type And Photophysiology Of Acropora Loripes And Platygyra Daedalea Under Future Scenarios Of Rising Ocean Temperatures And Pco2, Lauren Howe-Kerr

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral cover is declining at an alarming rate, and it is estimated that 60% of reefs worldwide may be lost by 2030. Elevated seawater temperatures and ocean acidification are contributing to an increase in the frequency and severity of bleaching events. These events disrupt the symbiosis between corals and their photosynthetic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium spp). Relatively little is known about the ability of corals to acclimatize to changing environmental conditions or whether the rate of climate change is too fast for corals to keep up, limiting the accuracy of future predictions for reef resilience. However, the ability of some coral species …