Digital Commons Network^™

Enhanced Carbon Burial In Seagrass Meadows Under Ocean Acidification Revealed By Carbon Dioxide Vents, Theodor Kindeberg, Teixidó, Steeve Comeau, Jean Pierre Gattuso, Beat Gasser, Alice Mirasole, Samir Alliouane, Ioannis Kalaitzakis, Denisa Berbece, Christopher Cornwall, Pere Masque

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Seagrass meadows are natural carbon sinks, yet the effect of ocean acidification on their carbon burial capacity remains poorly understood. Here we investigated natural carbon dioxide vents in Ischia, Italy to assess how seawater pH influences carbon burial in an area dominated by the seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Organic carbon burial rates (mean ± standard error) between 1954 – 2021 were low under ambient conditions (1.5 ± 0.5 g m-2 yr-1) but increased sharply under acidified conditions (7 ± 1 g m-2 yr-1), reaching sevenfold higher values under extreme acidification (10 ± 3 g m-2 yr-1). Stable isotopes suggest that these …

Evaluating The Transformation Of Land Cover, Land Surface Temperature, And Urban Heat Island In Sylhet Division Through Geospatial Analysis, Md Fazle Rabbi Joy, Md Abdur Rahim, Md Mahfuzar Rahman, Sumiaya Amin Preota, Mohammed Mahathee Hossain

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Rapid and unplanned urbanization has significantly transformed land use/land cover (LULC), contributing to increased land surface temperature (LST) and the emergence of urban heat islands (UHIs), especially in ecologically fragile regions. This study focuses on the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh, assessing LULC changes, LST dynamics, and UHI expansion from 1994 to 2024 using Landsat satellite imagery, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), normalized difference water index (NDWI) indices, and field-based LST validation. Unsupervised classification reveals a 191.75% increase in settlement areas and a 25.65% loss in forest cover. Correspondingly, the highest LST zones (> 30 °C) were absent in 1994 but …

The Role Of Corporate Sustainability Goals In Shaping Organizational Intentions And Adoption Of Green Technologies In Small- And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Syed Zamberi Ahmad, Abdul Rahim Abu Bakar, Imane Belyamani, Manar Fawzi Bani Mfarrej

All Works

This study investigates green technology adoption (GTA) among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), focusing on the influence of corporate sustainability goals (CSG) and sustainability motivation (SM). Utilizing institutional theory, the theory of planned behavior (TPB), and resource-based view (RBV), the research highlights how SMEs integrate environmental, social, governance (ESG) and economic considerations into their CSG to enhance GTA. Addressing a gap in prior research that has largely emphasized external drivers of adoption while underexploring internal organizational mechanisms, the study conceptualizes CSG as strategic intent and models SM as a second-order construct . Based on …

A Critical Review Of Pharmaceutical Pollutants In Soil And Air: Ecotoxicological Impacts On Animal, Plant And Microbial Communities - Health Hazards And Waste Management, Md Faisal Amin, Md. Saydur Rahman

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Pharmaceutical contamination in soil and air has become a critical environmental concern due to its widespread sources, complex behavior, and long-lasting ecological impacts. This review comprehensively explores the presence, fate, and effects of pharmaceutical compounds in soil, highlighting their entry routes, environmental persistence, and biological consequences. Pharmaceuticals infiltrate terrestrial and aquatic environments through various pathways, including agricultural application, pharmaceutical manufacturing waste, sewage sludge, hospital and household discharges, irrigation with contaminated water, and atmospheric deposition. A wide range of drug classes, such as antibiotics, analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antidepressants, anticancer drugs, and hormones, have been identified in both soil and air …

Beyond Legacy Indices: A Critical Review Of The Modified Nemerow, Mean Enrichment Quotient, And Aggregated Multivariate Environmental Risk (Amer) Indices For Heavy Metal Pollution In Sediments, Md Shahnul Islam, Anjuman Ara

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Heavy metal pollution in sediments poses persistent ecological risks due to metal toxicity, bioaccumulation, and potential for remobilization. Legacy indices have been widely used for decades but suffer from fundamental flaws, including arbitrary background dependence, lack of grain-size normalization, and poor ecological relevance.

Objective: This review critically evaluates three emerging sediment pollution indices, the Modified Nemerow, Mean Enrichment Quotient (MEQ), and Aggregated Multivariate Environmental Risk (AMER) index, to assess their methodological advances and potential to replace legacy approaches.

Methods: A structured literature search was conducted in Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar (2010–2026). Using an adapted Birch framework, …

The Future Of Nature-Based Recreation In Warming Tropical Cities, Perrine Hamel, Emma E. Ramsay, Shawnda A. Morrison, Su Li Heng, Winston T. L. Chow, Beatrice H. Ho, Pearl Min Sze Tan, Moshe Mandelmilch, Lancy Sim, Jason Kai Wei Lee

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Nature-based recreation promotes health in tropical cities but is increasingly threatened by rising heat. This review presents recent evidence on the issue of humid heat stress and outdoor recreation in tropical cities and outlines key adaptation strategies – addressing hazard, exposure, and vulnerability – to enable ‘heat-smart’ nature-based activities. Despite existing solutions, critical research gaps remain, especially in integrating social, physiological, and technological insights to better address humid heat stress in tropical urban environments.

Managing Collaboration Under Conservation Crisis: Trust, Risk, And Control In The Gulf Of Maine Fishery Management Network, Evelyn Roozee, Owen Temby, Dongkyu Kim, Antonia Sohns, Anthony Rocha Lima, Jasper R. De Vries, Gordon M. Hickey

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Transboundary fishery management and the intertwined conservation of critically endangered species represent significant governance challenges that require ongoing inter-organizational communication, collaboration, and collective action to achieve shared objectives. Previous research suggests that inter-organizational collaborative performance depends heavily on different dimensions of trust and complementary control mechanisms to mitigate the perceived risks of collaborating and enable the reciprocal sharing of resources and the coordination of activities. However, it is unclear how proposed relationships between trust, risk, and control are shaped by disruptions to established transboundary management networks. This study presents the results of survey research conducted in the Gulf of Maine …

Glomalin-Related Soil Protein In Colluvial Soils As A Proxy For Reconstructing Millenary Changes In Landscape And Soil Health, Axel Werner, Lourdes López-Merino, Joeri Kaal, Cruz Ferro-Vázquez, Oscar Serrano

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) is an operationally defined soil organic matter pool that includes a heat shock protein linked to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) living in symbiosis with most vascular plants and plays a key role in soil health. However, the potential of GRSP as a palaeoecological proxy remains unexplored. We analysed the GRSP content in a North-western Iberian colluvial soil profile encompassing the last 14,000 years. We aimed to 1) identify whether GRSP is preserved, and 2) investigate whether GRSP could be used as a palaeoecological proxy after comparing its record with palynological and pedoanthracological records that account for …

Cropland Change And Prime Farmland In Calloway County, Kentucky, 2015–2025: A Gis Analysis Of Corn And Soybean Fields, Shiba Hari Dhakal Shiba

Scholars Week

Understanding where cropland change occurs relative to soil quality helps indicate whether farmland is being used on the most productive land. This study used GIS-based change detection analysis to evaluate changes in corn and soybean fields in Calloway County, Kentucky, between 2015 and 2025 and to test whether new corn and soybean fields were located on prime farmland. USDA Cropland Data Layer maps for 2015 and 2025 (30 m resolution) were reclassified into seven classes and compared in ArcGIS Pro, and the results were overlaid on USDA NRCS gSSURGO farmland classification. Combined corn and soybean area declined about 19% from …

A Macroergonomic Analysis Of Autonomous Robotic Construction For Affordable Housing, Ricardo Leon Jimenez

Sustainability Conference

As communities seek to increase housing supply, the construction sector continues to grapple with rising costs, skilled labor shortages, and growing pressure to improve environmental sustainability. Meeting these demands will require new approaches that increase productivity while lowering environmental impact throughout the building lifecycle. Recent advances in autonomous systems developed for space exploration offer alternative ways to design, assemble, and maintain residential buildings. This study examines the potential application of NASA's Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems (ARMADAS) technology from space construction to terrestrial affordable housing construction.

While most construction automation research focuses on technical performance, this study considers …

Confluence: Linking Citizen Science And Extension Education To Inspire Environmental Stewardship, Dave Smaldone, Evan Harms, Jason Burnside, Chad Pierskalla, Jinyang Deng

Journal of Extension

Citizen science has rapidly moved beyond simply crowdsourcing data to become a novel platform for environmental and informal science education. However, few studies document the informal learning outcomes of citizen science, particularly in youth or Extension education. This quantitative study evaluated individual learning outcomes of an environmental education and citizen science experience about water quality at 4-H summer camps. Outcomes of interest, knowledge, and stewardship intentions were evaluated using pre- and post-participation surveys. The results showed an overall success of the program. By understanding these outcomes, we can better plan citizen-science-focused Extension learning experiences to meet strategically targeted outcomes.

Growing Climate Literacy In Urban Green Spaces: An Extension Youth Climate Education Experience, Brad Bessler, Justin Hougham

Journal of Extension

Capturing Your Environment (CYE) is an environmental education framework that engages youth in place-based climate exploration. CYE was implemented with youth participating in a Milwaukee summer internship program funded by the Children, Youth, and Families at Risk (CYFAR) Sustainable Community Projects grant. The primary objective of CYE was to create an engaging climate-centered experience for youth. The experience aimed to improve science efficacy, climate content knowledge, science skills, and confidence using scientific tools. A paired t-test compared the learners' pre- and post-experience responses on a 16-item self-report survey. Following participation in CYE, youth reported increases across all measured outcomes.

Seasonal Variations In Radar Backscatter And Corn Vegetation In The South Fork Iowa River Watershed During The Growing Season Of 2025, Monika Bhusal

Scholars Week

Remote sensing provides complementary information on crop development and surface conditions, but radar backscatter over agricultural areas can be influenced by vegetation and soil characteristics. This study examines seasonal relationships between Sentinel-1 radar backscatter and Landsat-derived vegetation greenness over corn-growing areas in the South Fork Iowa River Watershed, Iowa, during the 2025 growing season. Landsat 8/9 was used to derive the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), while OPERA RTC-S1 imagery provided VV and VH backscatter and a VH/VV polarization measure. USDA Cropland Data Layer was used to identify corn growing areas, and analysis was restricted to areas with common satellite …

Summit County, Utah: Changes To Climate, Snowpack, And Wildfire (1979-2025), Scott Hotaling, Gordon O. Gianniny, Joseph D. Birch, Elizabeth Cohen, Kendall Becker

All Current Publications

Summit County is climatically unique from the rest of Utah due to its high mean elevation. It’s also economically unique, with world-class ski resorts near working agricultural lands. In this fact sheet, we synthesize how Summit County’s environment is changing, with an emphasis on the last 50 years. We focus on changes in temperature, precipitation, and snowpack; growing season length; and wildfire because of their impacts on the economy, natural resources, and local communities' well-being. Our goal is to support the region's future planning efforts. To that end, we highlight risks to Summit County’s future and opportunities that may arise …

Phenological Flexibility In Nesting Grassland Birds Over A Half Century Informs Timing Of Management, Kristin S. Ellis, Michael J. Anteau, Lawrence D. Igl, Garrett J. Macdonald, Neal D. Niemuth, Aaron T. Pearse, Jill A. Shaffer, Christine A. Ribic, Josh L. Vest, Masanori Abe, Daniel S. Ackerman, Marissa A. Ahlering, Johanna N. Alpert, Anahit Amiri, Kent Andersson, Jacqueline K. Augustine, Kristel K. Bakker, Jeffrey L. Beck, Adam C. Behney, Jacy S. Bernath-Plaisted, Todd R. Bogenschutz, Eric K. Bollinger, Lauren E. Bortolotti, Andy J. Boyce, Jeffrey D. Brawn, Fred C. Bryant, Andrew J. Campomizzi, Jay D. Carlisle, J Matthew Carroll, Rachel Carroll, John P. Carroll, Justin R. Clarke, Michael R. Conover, Reesa Y. Conrey, Jaime J. Coon, Kyle A. Cutting, Stephen K. Davis, Dawn M. Davis, Duane R. Diefenbach, Jonathan B. Dinkins, R Andrew Dreelin, Victoria J. Dreitz, Courtney J. Duchardt, Michael W. Eichholz, Susan N. Ellis-Felege, Kevin S. Ellison, Bradley C. Fedy, Samantha D. Fino, Robert J. Fletcher Jr, Dillon T. Fogarty, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, Pamela R. Garrettson, Robert J. Gates, Erin L. Gelling, James J. Giacomo, Alex Glass, Cheri L. Gratto-Trevor, Ryan D. Haffele, Christian A. Hagen, Vanessa B. Harriman, Samuel W H Harryman, David A. Haukos, Robert T. Haynam, Heather A. Herakovich, James R. Herkert, Fidel Hernandez, Jason M. Hill, H Jeffrey Homan, Torre J. Hovick, Jonathan A. Jenks, William E. Jensen, Aaron N. Johnston, Sydney-Marie Jones, Carly S. Kelly, Kaylan M. Kemink, Silka L F Kempema, Dylan C. Kesler, Christopher P. Kirol, Robert W. Klaver, Page E. Klug, Jesse L. Kolar, Nicola Koper, Kyle J. Kuechle, Jonathan D. Lautenbach, Zoe M. Lebrun-Southcott, David W. Londe, Scott R. Loss, Cullen M. Mackenzie, Patrick A. Magee, Douglas L. Manzer, John P. Mccarty, Gywm Mckee, Ann E. Mckellar, Lance B. Mcnew, James R. Miller, Megan C. Milligan, Ashlee K. Minor, Rocco J. Murano, Les D. Murray, David E. Naugle, Clayton K. Nielsen, Christopher J. Norment, Sarah B. Ogden, Lindsay A. Parsons, Brian D. Peer, Noah G. Perlut, James C. Pittman, Christopher D. Pollentier, Larkin A. Powell, Aaron C. Pratt, John P. Pulliam, Nancy M. Raginski, Dan R. Reinking, Kaitlyn M. Reintsma, Terry Z. Riley, Kevin M. Ringelman, Joseph R. Robb, Scott K. Robinson, Andres N. Rosales, Charlotte L. Roy, Kayla A. Ruth, Brett K. Sandercock, Kevin K. Sedivec, Steve K. Sherrod, Justin J. Shew, Mason L. Sieges, Jenny L. Sika, Susan K. Skagen, Cassandra G. Skaggs, Joseph Smith, Jennifer A. Smith, Kurt D. Smith, Alex J. Solem, Joshua D. Stafford, Glenn E. Stauffer, Matthew D. Stephenson, Lee Sutcliffe, Amber E. Swicegood, Jason Tack, Evan P. Tanner, Catrina V. Terry, Wendy P. Tori, Ashley M. Unger, Kelly R. Vanbeek, William E. Vetter, Jay A. Vonbank, Brett L. Walker, Michael D. Whitson, Maiken Winter, Kimberly A. With, Donald H. Wolfe, Amy A. Yakel Adams, Benjamin Zuckerberg

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The timing of biological events for wildlife species reflects and influences ecological and evolutionary processes and helps guide management actions to meet conservation objectives. Climate change may cause phenological shifts across trophic levels and ecosystems, which can have broad ecological impacts. Shifts may also result in mistiming between management practices based on historical conditions and current biological events, reducing the effectiveness of natural resource management and conservation efforts. We analyzed nesting phenology patterns over recent decades across North America for 44 species of grassland-nesting birds, including waterfowl, upland gamebirds, shorebirds, and passerines, many of which have experienced precipitous population declines. …

Two Modes Of Sustainable Development Transition, Shuai Zhang, Dajian Zhu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Sustainable development has become a global consensus. Every country should carry out sustainable development transition. Due to large differences in development stages and the ecological impacts imposed on the Earth, developed countries and developing countries ought to adopt different modes of sustainable development transition. By using the Doughnut model as an analytical tool, which has made a significant impact at the forefront of sustainable development research, this paper thoroughly discusses the two modes of sustainable development transition. The Transition Mode of Developed Countries (Mode B) refers to transition from the outer circle to the middle circle of the Doughnut model. …

Resource Security Research In China In The New Era: Evolving Concepts, Paradigm Shifts, And Strategic Pathways, Dong Jiang, Jinwei Dong, Yanzhao Yang, Jingying Fu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Resource security serves as a critical foundation for safeguarding national security and underpinning high-quality socioeconomic development. Major geopolitical conflicts, such as the Russia–Ukraine conflict and the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, have intensified turbulence across global resource supply chains, positioning resource security as a central arena of strategic competition among nations. As a major consumer and trading power in global resource markets, China faces persistently high import dependence for critical mineral resources, and the pressure to ensure resource security amid the pursuit of high-quality development continues to mount. Against this backdrop, resource security is evolving from a narrow focus on supply …

Progress, Challenges, And Policy Recommendations For China’S Climate Investment And Financing Pilot Zones In Context Of Carbon Neutrality, Xianchun Tan, Zhaoyang Deng, Chenxu Wang, Zhe Peng

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

To implement the decisions and arrangements of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on addressing climate change and to channel more capital toward climate action, China launched its first batch of 23 climate investment and finance pilot areas in 2022. Through the end of 2025, this study tracks and assesses of pilot development, synthesizes innovative models, identifies major challenges, and proposes policy recommendations. The results show that the pilot areas have made solid progress, with more than 260 supporting policy documents issued and over 6 300 projects, representing total planned investment exceeding RMB …

Swaag Award Press Release, Arkansas State University - Jonesboro

Study Abroad - Dominica 2026

Jessica Harvey won first place in the undergraduate paper category at the annual Southwestern Division American Association of Geographers (SWAAG).

Agrivoltaics: Combining Food And Solar Power On Agricultural Lands, Dharla Soteros, Kendall Becker, Spencer J. Good, Ngoni Mufute, Matt Yost, Logan Mitchell, Scott Hotaling

All Current Publications

Utah’s ranchers and farmers face pressure to sell land to developers, conserve water, and manage increasing production costs (Li et al., 2019). One way producers can keep growing food while diversifying and increasing revenue is by integrating agriculture and solar electricity generation on the same land, a practice known as agrivoltaics. In this fact sheet, the authors describe agrivoltaic setup options, summarize agrivoltaics' impacts on livestock and crop production, and discuss implementation economics.

Wilson's Phalarope, A Migratory Bird, Depends On The Declining Great Salt Lake, William Christenson, Kendall Becker, Spencer J. Good, T.J. Clark-Wolf, Scott Hotaling

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes how declining water levels and increasing salinity degrade habitat for brine flies and other prey Wilson’s phalaropes rely on. Because human use drives low water levels, changes to water management could reverse the lake’s decline and improve habitat quality for Wilson’s phalaropes and other species that depend on the Great Salt Lake.

Final Quarterly Operations And Maintenance Report: Butte Treatment Lagoon System – First Quarter 2026, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Operations And Maintenance Report Grove Gulch Sedimentation Bay - Post-Storm 10.13.26 Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Npl Site – Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Consent Decree-Civil Action No. Cv 89-039-Bu-She, Josh Bryson

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Hidden Thermal Signatures Reveal The Microclimatic Influence Of Scheduled Cave Tourism, Matt Rowberry, John Gunn, Andrew Smith

International Journal of Speleology

Tourist activity is widely recognised as a source of cave microclimate disturbance, yet visitor-induced variability is difficult to distinguish from natural environmental fluctuations. The coronavirus pandemic created a natural experiment at Poole’s Cavern, United Kingdom, in which periods of complete closure could be compared with contrasting visitor access regimes. Two years of high resolution temperature records from six monitoring points were analysed. Harmonic regression and a state space model removed deterministic diurnal cycles and lower frequency temperature variability. The remaining residual variability differed systematically among visitor access regimes and between daytime and nighttime conditions. Spectral analysis of the residuals identified …

Restructuring Our Agriculture Industry To Reduce The Eutrophication Of The Great Lakes, Kathryn B. Dunn

Tredway Library Prize for First-Year Research

No abstract provided.

Valuation Methods And Their Relevance In Achieving Marine Protected Areas Targets: A Systematic Review, Jacob Ankamah, Stephen Hynes, Daragh O'Leary

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

The prolific human-induced pressures on marine ecosystems leading to negative externalities such as beach erosion, biodiversity loss, and climate change are matters of global concern. Marine protected areas (MPAs) have emerged as a tool to conserve marine biodiversity and support human livelihoods. This paper reviews the global research landscape, the evolution of concepts and the relevance of valuation techniques related to the assessment of the contribution of MPAs to societal welfare. The review indicates that less than 3% of the wider MPA literature explores the economic valuation of MPA designation. Of those, there is an obvious preference for non-market-based methods …

Final 2023 Reclamation Improvement Sites Sampling: Bres No. 31 – Waste Dump #5 Site Evaluation Summary Report, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Latino Perceptions Of Nature, Recreation, And Community Engagement In Wasatch And Summit Counties, Utah, Elsa Perez, Jessica Ulrich-Schad, Lewis Kogan, Isaac Helton

All Current Publications

This fact sheet presents results from a Utah State University study on Latino perceptions of nature, recreation, and community engagement in Utah's Wasatch and Summit counties and barriers to accessing programming. It also includes tips for increasing Latino participation in nature programs.

How Water Banking Can Help Refill The Great Salt Lake, Avery Truman, Kendall Becker, Matthew Behrens, Sarah Null, Matt Yost, Scott Hotaling

All Current Publications

Concern about low water levels in the Great Salt Lake has contributed to the development of water markets in Utah. Water markets enable the voluntary transfer of water or water rights from right holders to other people or entities in exchange for compensation. In general, these transfers are more likely to occur if a water rights holder can make more money by selling their water (or water rights) to another user rather than using it themselves. Willingness to engage in water transfers also depends on the ease of transactions, confidence in the water market, and confidence in the ability to …

Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Final Unreclaimed Sites Field Sampling And Investigation Plan: Ur-54 – East Of Main And Gagnon, Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.