Digital Commons Network^™

Temporal Dynamics Of Benthic Responses To Habitat Disturbance In Coastal Plain Headwaters Of Southwestern Louisiana, Catherine Elizabeth Murphy

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Weak biotic responses to habitat gradients within Northern Gulf of Mexico streams have been attributed to spatial and temporal variability. Landscape and in-stream habitat descriptions are presented for watersheds within Pleistocene terraces of the Coastal Plains geomorphic province of Louisiana, USA. Geologic influences on stream habitat were inferred by comparing multivariate ordinations on physicochemical measurements between terraces. Seasonal variability was assessed during a drought year (2011) and a typical water year (2013). Within coastal plains of Louisiana, stream condition was more similar within terraces than within river basins. Permutational MANOVA models indicated significantly different stream habitat between Uplands and Prairie, …

Vegetation Influences Microbial Community Structure And Methane Emissions In Southeastern Louisiana Wetlands, Anthony Jason Rietl

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Methane has a warming potential 28 times that of carbon dioxide and has been increasing in the Earth’s atmosphere since 1750. An understanding of the dynamics of methane emissions from natural sources is becoming increasingly important as we may need to mitigate emissions from these sources in the future to help reduce the effects of climate change. Wetlands are the single largest natural source of methane; however, little attention has been given to how plant species, biota, and interactions between above and belowground communities and microbial communities may affect methane emissions. First, microbial community structure and function was assessed for …

Application Of Biomass Derived Materials In Nanocomposites And Drilling Fluids, Kunlin Song

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Tar is inevitably produced from biomass thermochemical processes, and is often disposed as an industrial waste, leading to environmental pollution. As a result of its high carbon content, tar was expected to be a promising precursor for manufacturing carbon materials. Consequently, low-cost porous carbon nanofibers (CNFs) using tar, polyacrylonitrile (PAN), and silver nanoparticles was fabricated through electrospinning and subsequent stabilization and carbonization processes. The continuous electrospun nanofibers were obtained with diameters ranging from 392 to 903 nm. The addition of biomass tar resulted in increased fiber diameters, reduced thermal stabilities, and slowed cyclization reactions of PAN in the as-spun nanofibers. …

Immune Gene Variation And Susceptibility To Upper Respiratory Tract Disease In Gopher Tortoises, Jean Pierre Elbers

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The immune system defends the host from bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. The immune system is partially under genetic control through immune response genes, such as those of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) whose nucleotide variation influences the host’s ability to recognize foreign pathogens and can influence disease susceptibility. Populations of threatened species generally possess low levels of genetic variation, and genetically depauperate hosts may be at greater risk of infectious disease contributing to extirpations because they also possess low immunogenetic variation. My dissertation examines the relationship between immunogenetic variation and disease susceptibility and the factors that influence innate immune …

Key Biogeochemical Factors Affecting Soil Carbon Storage In Posidonia Meadows, Oscar Serrano, Aurora M. Ricart, Paul S. Lavery, Miguel-Angel Mateo, Ariane Arias-Ortiz, Pere Masque, Mohammad Rozaimi, Andy D. L. Steven, Carlos Duarte

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Biotic and abiotic factors influence the accumulation of organic carbon (C_org) in seagrass ecosystems.We surveyed Posidonia sinuosa meadows growing in different water depths to assess the variability in the sources, stocks and accumulation rates of C_org. We show that over the last 500 years, P. sinuosa meadows closer to the upper limit of distribution (at 2-4m depth) accumulated 3- to 4-fold higher C_org stocks (averaging 6.3 kgC_org m^-2) at 3- to 4-fold higher rates (12.8 gC_org m^-2 yr^-1/ compared to meadows closer to the deep limits of distribution …

Gene Flow And Genetic Structure Of The Seagrass Thalassia Hemprichii In The Indo-Australian Archipelago, Udhi Eko Hernawan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

How genetic variation is distributed across space (genetic structure) and what factors influence the spatial genetic structuring is one of the primary questions in population genetics. The interaction between species biology (e.g. life-history traits) and physical processes operating in the seascape over time, including palaeo-historical events (e.g. sea level fluctuations) and contemporary processes (e.g. ocean currents), have been predicted to influence the extent of gene flow and the spatial genetic structuring in marine organisms. However, the relative contribution of each factor in governing the genetic pattern remains unclear. This study examined the pattern of genetic structure and the factors influencing …

Success Stories And Emerging Themes In Conservation Physiology, Christine L. Madliger, Steven J. Cooke, Erica J. Crespi, Jennifer L. Funk, Kevin R. Hultine, Kathleen E. Hunt, Jason R. Rohr, Brent J. Sinclair, Cory D. Suski, Craig K. R. Willis, Oliver P. Love

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The potential benefits of physiology for conservation are well established and include greater specificity of management techniques, determination of cause–effect relationships, increased sensitivity of health and disturbance monitoring and greater capacity for predicting future change. While descriptions of the specific avenues in which conservation and physiology can be integrated are readily available and important to the continuing expansion of the discipline of ‘conservation physiology’, to date there has been no assessment of how the field has specifically contributed to conservation success. However, the goal of conservation physiology is to foster conservation solutions and it is therefore important to assess whether …

Interfacing Of Neuromorphic Vision, Auditory And Olfactory Sensors With Digital Neuromorphic Circuits, Anup Vanarse

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The conventional Von Neumann architecture imposes strict constraints on the development of intelligent adaptive systems. The requirements of substantial computing power to process and analyse complex data make such an approach impractical to be used in implementing smart systems.

Neuromorphic engineering has produced promising results in applications such as electronic sensing, networking architectures and complex data processing. This interdisciplinary field takes inspiration from neurobiological architecture and emulates these characteristics using analogue Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI). The unconventional approach of exploiting the non-linear current characteristics of transistors has aided in the development of low-power adaptive systems that can be implemented …

Influence Of Increased Sediment Exposure On Suspension-Feeder Assemblages In A Temperate Seagrass Meadow, Pierre Bouvais

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The impact of increased sediment exposure on coastal marine ecosystems is one of the most important contemporary environmental issues. Sediment exposure is defined as the concentrations of sediment particles suspended in the water column and the amount of sediment depositing on the seabed. In addition to natural events, such as land erosion, rainfall, and tidal currents, anthropogenic activities such as land use, road building, logging, mining, port maintenance and dredging, contribute to the discharge of a great amount of sediment in the water column. As sessile suspension-feeder assemblages play a critical role in marine ecosystems through their active transfers of …

An Evaluation Of Exposures To Respirable Particulates, Environmental Pm2.5, Pahs And Metal Compounds In Western Australia, Desmond D. Menon

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

It has been well established that air pollution is associated with health impacts. This study investigated the relationship between exposure to air pollutants and potential biomarkers of health effects. The research project was conducted in 2 separate study locations and cohorts.

Study 1: An Evaluation of Children’s Exposures to Respirable Particulates, Environmental PM2.5, PAHs and Metal Compounds in The South West of Western Australia. A cross sectional study to evaluate the exposures of children (n=18), and controls (n=15) to respirable particulates PAHs and metal compounds in the South West of Australia during 2011. Ambient particulate matter (PM2.5) samples were found …

Assessment Of Her2-Neu In Breast Cancer Lines Upon Differential Exposures To Xenoestrogens, Abha Aggarwal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Synthetic xenoestrogens have differential estrogenic properties. Research has shown that exposures to xenoestrogens could promote breast cancer by disrupting normal function of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2) gene. Although animal models demonstrated a connection between xenoestrogen exposure and Her2 activity, no study using human cells has systematically examined their carcinogenic potential influencing the Her2 gene expression. Furthermore, breast cancer cells are phenotypically disparate (ER+, Her2+), with some phenotypes (Her2+), leading to more aggressive disease. This study aimed to dosimetrically assess the carcinogenic potential of commonly used xenoestrogens influencing Her2 gene expression, and delineate cellular phenotypes at greater …

Effects Of Gender And Spirituality On Adults' Resilience To Daily Non-Traumatic Stressors, Lois S. Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have conducted several studies of spirituality as it relates to individuals' coping strategies and resilience when facing life trauma. There is less research, however, on spirituality as it relates to adults' resiliency to daily non-traumatic stressors. The purposes of the current study were to examine the relationship between spirituality and adults' resilience to daily, non-traumatic stressors and assess whether gender has a moderating effect on this relationship. A quantitative correlational study based on Lazarus's transactional model of stress and coping using convenience sampling, an online survey (N= 94) was administered. Of the 94 participants ages 19 to 68, 66 …

Marine Regional Planning Measures To Improve The Sustainability Of The Seaflower Mpa In The Colombian Caribbean Sea/, Sergio Ivan Rueda Forero

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Liability And Compensation Due To Transboundary Pollution Caused By Offshore Exploration And Exploitation : Imo Competence And Development Of Guidelines, Sebastian Pizarro Klein

World Maritime University Dissertations

The dissertation is an analysis on the problem of the prevailing legal lacuna regarding responsibility and liability due transboundary offshore pollution. The investigation starts with the examination of the discussion at IMO and its competence to regulate the offshore industry. Afterwards the discussion at the Legal Committee of IMO is analyzed through the different doctrines developed by the authors and the International Court of Justice. Based on a possible competence of the IMO, we introduce the discussion on which international instrument is appropriate to regulate the legal lacuna. Finally, in the concluding chapters, different international instruments are compared highlighting the …

Review Of The Capacity Of The Implementation Of Ballast Water Management Convention In Sri Lanka As Flag State, Port State And Coastal State, Thalatha Sreeni Ranasinghe

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Quantifying The Adaptive Cycle, David G. Angeler, Craig R. Allen, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Lance H. Gunderson, Olle Hjerne, Monika Winder

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The adaptive cycle was proposed as a conceptual model to portray patterns of change in complex systems. Despite the model having potential for elucidating change across systems, it has been used mainly as a metaphor, describing system dynamics qualitatively. We use a quantitative approach for testing premises (reorganisation, conservatism, adaptation) in the adaptive cycle, using Baltic Sea phytoplankton communities as an example of such complex system dynamics. Phytoplankton organizes in recurring spring and summer blooms, a well-established paradigm in planktology and succession theory, with characteristic temporal trajectories during blooms that may be consistent with adaptive cycle phases. We used long-term …

Consequences Of Shifts In Abundance And Distribution Of American Chestnut For Restoration Of A Foundation Forest Tree, Harmony J. Dalgleish, Charles Dana Nelson, John A. Scrivani, Douglass F. Jacobs

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Restoration of foundation species, such as the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) that was devastated by an introduced fungus, can restore ecosystem function. Understanding both the current distribution as well as biogeographic patterns is important for restoration planning. We used United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis data to quantify the current density and distribution of C. dentata. We then review the literature concerning biogeographic patterns in C. dentata. Currently, 431 ± 30.2 million stems remain. The vast majority (360 ± 22 million) are sprouts < 2.5 cm dbh. Although this number is approximately 10% of the estimated pre-blight population, blight has caused a major shift in the size structure. The current-day population has a larger range, particularly west and north, likely due to human translocation. While climate change could facilitate northward expansion, limited seed reproduction makes this unlikely without assisted migration. Previous research demonstrates that the current, smaller population contains slightly higher genetic diversity than expected, although little information exists on biogeographic patterns in the genetics of adaptive traits. Our research provides a baseline characterization of the contemporary population of C. dentata, to enable monitoring stem densities …

Selection For Forage And Avoidance Of Risk By Woodland Caribou (Rangifer Tarandus Caribou) At Coarse Andlocal Scales, Madeleine T. Mcgreer, Erin E. Mallon, Lucas M. Vander Vennen, Philip A. Wiebe, James A. Baker, Glen S. Brown, Tal Avgar, Jevon Hagens, Andrew M. Kittle, Anna Mosser, Garrett M. Street, Doug E. B. Reid, Arthur R. Rodgers, Jennifer Shuter, Ian D. Thompson, Et Al.

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The relationship between selection at coarse and fine spatiotemporal spatial scales is still poorly understood. Some authors claim that, to accommodate different needs at different scales, individuals should have contrasting selection patterns at different scales of selection, while others claim that coarse scale selection patterns should reflect fine scale selection decisions. Here we examine site selection by 110 woodland caribou equipped with GPS radio‐collars with respect to forage availability and predation risk across a broad gradient in availability of both variables in boreal forests of Northern Ontario. We tested whether caribou selection for forage and avoidance of risk was consistent …

Utilizing Ecological Connectivity In California Desert Wilderness Preservation, Lauren Kahal

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Wilderness Act of 1964 gave the federal land management agencies—the National Park Service, United States Forest Service, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management—the authority to identify, propose, and manage lands as wilderness. Wilderness, once approved by Congress for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System, is offered the highest form of land preservation in the nation. However, the wilderness identification process used by the implementing agencies is based on a half-century old statute with an aging definition of wilderness. While designated wilderness can protect the plant and wildlife communities within its borders from direct anthropogenic …

Monitoring Biodiversity Of San Francisco Peninsula Grasslands Using Lepidoptera As A Bioindicator, Jonathan B. Sifuentes-Winter

Master's Projects and Capstones

San Francisco Peninsula grasslands have seen an influx of non-native invasive species starting in the 1500’s, threatening ecological stability by reducing biological diversity. To combat these invasive species, multiple public agencies have begun to adopt an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. This ecologically-based approach to pest management utilizes three controversial techniques, which are presently used or are under consideration for use on the San Francisco Peninsula: herbicide application, conservation grazing, and prescribed fire. In this paper, I will evaluate the use of the taxa Lepidoptera as a bioindicator of biodiversity to assess the environmental impacts of these techniques. The application …

Urban Stormwater Management: Treatment Of Heavy Metals And Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons With Bioretention And Permeable Pavement Technologies, Viktoriya Sirova

Master's Projects and Capstones

Urban stormwater runoff is a major non-point source of pollutants release into the environment. Pollutants of concern include sediments; heavy metals; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); petroleum hydrocarbons; and chlorinated organic compounds, such as pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls. Conventional stormwater management practices are designed to dispose of the runoff as quickly as possible, not to treat the pollutants. Low Impact Development (LID) concept is an alternative approach to the conventional framework that attempts to recreate hydrologically functional landscape mimicking pre-development regimes. This research paper assesses the effectiveness of two LID technologies, bioretention and permeable pavements in treating PAHs and common urban …

Adapting To Rising Sea Levels In San Francisco Bay: The Potential For Thin Layer Sediment Application To Enhance Tidal Marsh Resiliency Through This Century, Scott K. Hine

Master's Projects and Capstones

The research here focuses on two projected century sea-level rise scenarios (100 and 180 cm/century) and the potential to offset elevation loss to sea-level rise by supplying deteriorating tidal marsh habitat with a thin layer of dredge sediment via high-pressure spray disposal within San Francisco Bay. This adaptation strategy is then analyzed for potential integration into the Bay’s long term management plan for dredge material disposal. The Marsh Equilibrium Model (Morris, 2012) is used to evaluate elevation deficits for existing tidal marsh habitat around San Pablo Bay against future century sea-level rise scenarios and model marsh resiliency following elevation enhancement. …

Photooxidation Reactions Of Small-Chain Methyl Esters, Aerosol Photoelectron Spectroscopy, And The Photodissociation Of Ethylenediamine, Giel Muller

Master's Theses

Research conducted at the University of San Francisco is presented within this masters thesis, including the Cl-initiated photooxidation reactions of methyl propanoate, methyl butanoate, and methyl valerate (pentanoate), the aerosol photoelectron spectroscopy of isoprene and gamma-valerolactone, and the TPEPICO investigation of ethylenediamine. Experiments were conducted at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab Advanced Light Source (ALS), the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center in Hsinchu City (NSRRC), and the University of Stockton in California, respectively.

Iodp Expedition 347baltic Sea Basin Paleoenvironment And Biosphere, Thomas Andrén, Bo Barker Jørgensen, Carol Cotterill, Sophie Green, Elinor Andrén, Jeanine L. Ash, Thorsten Bauersachs, Barry Cragg, Anne-Sophie Fanget, Annick Fehr, Wojciech Granoszewski, Jer­Oen Groeneveld, Dalton S. Hardisty, Emilio Herrero-Bervera, Outi Hyttinen, Jørn Bo Jensen, Sean Johnson, Michael Kenzler, Aarno Kotilainen, Ulrich Kotthoff, Ian Pg Marshall, E. Martin, S. Obrochta, Sandra Passchier, Nadine B. Quintana Krupinski, Natascha Riedinger, Caroline Slomp, Ian Snowball, Anna Stepanova, Sarah Strano

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) expedition 347 cored sediments from different settings of the Baltic Sea covering the last glacial-interglacial cycle. The main aim was to study the geological development of the Baltic Sea in relation to the extreme climate variability of the region with changing ice cover and major shifts in temperature, salinity, and biological communities. Using the Greatship Manisha as a European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling (ECORD) mission-specific platform, we recovered 1.6 km of core from nine sites of which four were additionally cored for microbiology. The sites covered the gateway to the North Sea and …

Engineering A Healthier Watershed: Middle School Students Use Engineering Design To Lessen The Impact Of Their Campus' Impervious Surfaces On Their Local Watershed, Elizabeth Claire Gardner

Dissertations and Theses

It is important that students understand not only how their local watershed functions, but also how it is being impacted by impervious surfaces. Additionally, students need experience exploring the scientific and engineering practices that are necessary for a strong STEM background. With this knowledge students can be empowered to tackle this real and local problem using engineering design, a powerful practice gaining momentum and clarity through its prominence in the recent Framework for K-12 Science Education. Twenty classes of suburban sixth-graders participated in a new five-week Watershed Engineering Design Unit taught by their regular science teachers. Students engaged in scientific …

Integrated Step Selection Analysis: Bridgingthe Gap Between Resource Selection And Animal Movement, Tal Avgar, Jonathan R. Potts, Mark A. Lewis, Mark S. Boyce

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

A resource selection function is a model of the likelihood that an available spatial unit will be used by an animal, given its resource value. But how do we appropriately define availability? Step selection analysis deals with this problem at the scale of the observed positional data, by matching each ‘used step’ (connecting two consecutive observed positions of the animal) with a set of ‘available steps’ randomly sampled from a distribution of observed steps or their characteristics. Here we present a simple extension to this approach, termed integrated step selection analysis (iSSA), which relaxes the implicit assumption that observed movement …

A Statistical Approach For Optimizing Parameters For Electrodeposition Of Indium (Iii) Sulfide Films, Potential Low-Hazard Buffer Layers For Photovoltaic Applications, Maqsood Ali Mughal

Student Theses and Dissertations

Clean and environmentally friendly technologies are centralizing industry focus towards obtaining long term solutions to many large-scale problems such as energy demand, pollution, and environmental safety. Thin film solar cell (TFSC) technology has emerged as an impressive photovoltaic (PV) technology to create clean energy from fast production lines with capabilities to reduce material usage and energy required to manufacture large area panels, hence, lowering the costs. Today, cost ($/kWh) and toxicity are the primary challenges for all PV technologies. In that respect, electrodeposited indium sulfide (In2S3) films are proposed as an alternate to hazardous cadmium sulfide (CdS) films, commonly used …

Next-Generation Scientists Get A Taste Of Their Future Careers, Patrick M. Edwards, Linda A. George, Matthew Mctammany

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Article provides an overview of the middle and high school poster session that took place during the 2014 Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting (JASM) in Portland, Oregon. The poster session provided the students with opportunity to participate in the research process and prepare their posters.

Longevity Of Mineral Supplements Within The Soil And Associated Use By White-Tailed Deer, Brian C. Peterson, Keith D. Koupal, Andrew K. Schissel, Cody M. Siegel

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Humans have baited wildlife such as white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for generations with the primary purpose of increasing hunting harvest success. Baiting regulation changes are often considered by state management agencies as they pertain to hunting opportunity, fair chase, and disease risk. Cervids require a variety of minerals to supplement biological processes, especially sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), and phosphorus (P). We developed artificial mineral supplement sites set in front of trail cameras to monitor deer use. Pooled soil samples were collected at mineral sites and compared to the surrounding area to determine the longevity of elevated minerals levels …

Effectiveness Of Agricultural Drainage Systems On Contaminant Mitigation: The Influence Of Landscape Properties, Oluwayinka Omolara Iseyemi

Student Theses and Dissertations

Agricultural drainage systems are considered innovative best management practices (BMP) capable of many ecological functions, including flood control, edge of field nutrient filtration, as well as habitat for wildlife. Being an integral part of the production landscape and needing no additional cost for establishment, their use has been promoted in agriculture as cost effective BMPs that can be voluntarily adopted by farmers. The current study evaluated the effectiveness of drainage ditches (as influenced by their landscape properties) in mitigating edge-of-field nutrient runoff and measured additional ecosystem services rendered by these systems. Two experimental drainage types [conventional and controlled (with weirs) …