Digital Commons Network^™

Application Of Business Analytics Approaches To Address Climate-Change-Related Challenges, Donald J. Jenkins

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Climate change is an existential threat facing humanity, civilization, and the natural world. It poses many multi-layered challenges that call for enhanced data-driven decision support methods to help inform society of ways to address the deep uncertainty and incomplete knowledge on climate change issues. This research primarily aims to apply management, decision, information, and data science theories and techniques to propose, build, and evaluate novel data-driven methodologies to improve understanding of climate-change-related challenges. Given that we pursue this work in the College of Management, each essay applies one or more of the three distinct business analytics approaches (i.e., descriptive, prescriptive, …

Towards Sustainable Water Management: Soil Analysis, Modeling, And Sensor Implementation On A Micro-Basin Chile's Los Lagos Region, Tammy N. Huynh

Civil Engineering ETDs

The Los Lagos region of Chile is experiencing ecological and socioeconomic challenges because of climate change. Despite efforts by the agricultural sector to understand and manage water resources, the lack of basic water quantification data affects their ability to effectively plan and implement water management strategies. This research aims to address this critical issue through three key objectives. First, characterize soil properties related to texture and structure in a micro-basin of the Los Lagos region. Secondly, it aims to investigate the hydrologic budget of the micro-basin with an emphasis on soil moisture using the Soil Moisture Routing model (SMR). Lastly, …

Social And Economic Changes In A Mid-Size University City: The Case Of South Fayetteville, Arkansas, Korab Vranovci

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The constant growth of the city of Fayetteville is attributed to regional economic growth and an increase in student enrollment, to name a few. As a middle-sized college city, Fayetteville is an anchor city with the University of Arkansas as its anchor institution. These changes have caused a significant increase in the city's urban development and neighborhood changes. This research identifies three areas of work with the potential to assist in the study of the urban redevelopment in the South Fayetteville neighborhoods: (1) the social demographics, economic, and land use changes in neighborhood populations, (2) the stakeholder's perceptions toward city …

A Hybrid Lateral Flow Sand Filter Wastewater Treatment System: An Evaluation On The Treatment And Disposal Capabilities Of A Modified Sand Filter, Harry Mccaskill Iv

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Decentralized wastewater treatment exists primarily in suburban and rural areas where centralized treatment is not an option. Traditional on-site treatment systems usually include the use of a septic tank and a drain field. This orthodox method works well when implemented into environments that are accommodating for the infiltration of effluents, and thus allowing for soil treatment. Unfortunately, there are some circumstances that prevent traditional systems from working such as impermeable soil conditions. The Wastewater Treatment System analyzed in this thesis was created to overcome such inhospitable environments. More specifically, this system is catered towards the rural residences of The Alabama …

Geospatial Wildfire Risk Prediction Using Deep Learning, Abner Alberto Benavides

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This report introduces a thorough analysis of wildfire prediction using satellite imagery by applying deep learning techniques. To find wildfire-prone geographical data, we use U-Net, a convolutional neural network known for its effectiveness in biomedical image segmentation. The input to the model is the Sentinel-2 multispectral images to supply a complete view of the terrain features.

We evaluated the wildfire risk prediction model’s performance using several metrics. The model showed high accuracy, with a weighted average F1 score of 0.91 and an AUC-ROC score of 0.972. These results suggest that the model is exceptionally good at predicting the location of …

Innovations In Geospatial Technologies For Water And Environmental Resource Protection, Madeleine Bolick

All Dissertations

New technologies and applications of technologies are critical to protecting environmental and water resources. Students need to be aware of these new technologies so they can be prepared to utilize them in their future careers. One such technology is using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) because it can be applied to a wide variety of fields such as engineering, construction, wildlife biology, agriculture, and many more. Chapter two discusses the creation of an online teaching module to introduce students to using UAVs in natural resource research and evaluates how well students respond to the education module. Overall, student familiarity with UAVs …

High-Energy Storm Events And Their Impacts On Carbon Storage In Tidal Wetlands Of South Carolina, Gavin Gleasman

All Dissertations

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations have been increasing at an accelerating rate for the past two centuries, profoundly impacting global climate change. Atmospheric CO₂ concentrations are influenced by the global carbon cycle through physical and biogeochemical pathways. Tidal wetland environments play a vital role in the global carbon cycle by offsetting atmospheric CO₂ concentrations through their natural physiochemical processes of high autotrophic productivity, allochthonous organic matter deposition, anoxic soils, and continuous accretion which promotes carbon sequestration with long-term storage at the land-ocean margin. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and United States Global Change Research …

Development And Characterization Of Lead & Lead-Free Perovskite Solar Cell Materials, Rubaiya Murshed

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In recent years, perovskite photovoltaic technology has offered enormous viability and dimensionality in solar cell research. As a light-harvesting active layer, Perovskite generated remarkable development in device efficiency of 25.7% for the single-junction solar cell, and over 33% for the perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell. Also, perovskite-perovskite tandem solar cell (also called all-perovskite tandem solar cell) shows great potential in device performance and achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 26.4%. Transitioning photovoltaic technology from the laboratory to commercial products, high PCE, low cost, long lifetime, and low toxicity are some of the critical factors to consider during material selection. Pb-halide …

Collaborative Development Of Utah's Outdoor Recreation Strategic Plan: Process And Findings From 14 Regional Workshops, Jordan W. Smith, Jake Powell, Casey Trout, Nate Trauntvein, Rachel Hall, Wayne Freimund

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Outdoor recreation within Utah is managed and provided through a patchwork of federal and state agencies as well as county and municipal governments. Each of these entities manages outdoor recreation following different mandates and internal objectives. Rarely has there been an opportunity for representatives from federal, state, county, and local governments to sit down, discuss the long-standing and emerging challenges they face, and collectively develop ideas about how to work towards less-disparate and more aligned outdoor recreation management systems. In late 2022 and early 2023, we convened hundreds of land managers, outdoor recreation and tourism professionals, and elected officials across …

Insights Into The Characteristics Of Outdoor Recreationists In Utah From A Statewide Survey, Jordan W. Smith, Nate Trauntvein, Casey Trout

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Understanding the characteristics and preferences of outdoor recreationists in Utah can inform the administrative, funding, and management decisions of the many entities who provide outdoor recreation opportunities within the state. There is currently a lack of data on characteristics, preferences, and opinions of the state’s outdoor recreating public. As one component of the analysis supporting the development of the state’s outdoor recreation strategic plan, we launched a short online survey to begin to address this need. The survey was administered in spring of 2023 to an online panel of individuals who indicated that they are current residents of Utah and …

Removal Of Nonylphenols From Water And Wastewater Using Alginate-Activated Carbon Beads, Angelica Araly Chacon

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The presence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) have been affecting water quality in recent years. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S EPA) defines CECs as toxic chemicals without regulatory status and with adversely impact on the wildlife and people. Among the CECs, nonylphenols (NPs) are frequently found in all water systems and are categorized as endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) due to their ability to mimic hormones causing reproductive and developmental effects in humans and animals. The main sources of discharge and distribution of NPs into the environment are wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) which are not designed to remove them. …

Performance Evaluation Of A Coupled Photovoltaic-Thermal Solar Powered Desalination Pilot System, Martin Chavarin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A pilot scale coupled photovoltaic-thermal solar powered desalination system was evaluated at the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility (BGNDRF). The pilot system consisted of a 3-kW photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) solar panel array and a 2.3 kW photovoltaic (PV) array coupled with a 4 gal/min single-stage 4 membrane reverse osmosis (RO) desalination system. A heat exchange system was in place to provide simultaneous cooling for the PVT system and heating to the RO system feed water. This system was evaluated with three objectives in mind. The first objective was to identify whether cooling of the PVT panels resulted in a significant …

Using Stable Water Isotopes And Radiogenic Strontium Isotopes To Trace Water And Its Salinity Sources In Pecos And Colorado River Basins In Texas, Nuria Valeria Andreu Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Water stable isotope ratios (Deuterium/hydrogen 2H/1H and Oxygen 18O/16O ratios) and radiogenic strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) have been widely used to trace various hydrologic processes and understand surface-groundwater interactions for watershed and critical zone studies. Our project aimed to trace the water and salinity sources in the Colorado and Pecos Rivers, two major rivers that provide essential water resources for water-stressed parts of Texas. In our study, we collected water samples from 25 locations during July (monsoon season), December 2021 (dry season), and May 2022 (pre-monsoon season) along the Pecos and Colorado rivers from central Texas to the Gulf of …

How Active Rainwater Harvesting May Help Reduce Nuisance Flooding: Flood Analysis And Social Barriers To Adoption, Isabel Lopez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

As urbanization continues to expand, fewer pervious surfaces are available to help reduce stormwater runoff from rainfall. The impacts of urbanization are becoming evident through sunny day flooding - flooding that occurs in areas not designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as flood zones. Nevertheless, water accumulates in low-lying areas and compromises street intersections and other parts of neighborhoods. Some methods can help alleviate the impacts of unexpected heavy rains, such as passive and active rainwater harvesting. As a pilot study, in a selected area in the northeast of El Paso, the level of adoption (e.g., what percentage …

Design And Development Of Transition Metal-Based Electrocatalysts For Environmentally Friendly And Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reactions (Her), Navid Attarzadeh

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Hydrogen fuel is a clean energy source primarily because it emits no carbon dioxide (CO2). Sustainable energy alternatives have attracted the scientific community and policymakers as concerns over global warming and depletion of fossil fuels have increased significantly. Substituting H2 gas as a primary source for our daily energy consumption under the guideline of the hydrogen economy concept has not progressed as anticipated because of inadequate efficiency associated with the generation (electrolyzer) and utilization (fuel cell) devices. However, there are challenges associated with hydrogen that must be overcome for it to become a truly sustainable and widespread energy source. The …

Interdisciplinary Approach To Understanding Stakeholder Reasoning And Decision-Making For Water, Katalina Salas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

On a global scale, humanity is compelled to address complex or â??wickedâ?? resource-related issues in the face of accelerating environmental change. In our work, we use the term wicked problem to refer to an issue that has multiple potential solutions and involves various stakeholders. The paths to reach resource sustainability under environmental uncertainty are difficult to identify, plausible outcomes remain uncertain, and tradeoffs required by any path chosen are challenging to understand. Environmental sustainability issues may involve perspectives from multiple stakeholders (i.e., scientists, policymakers, community members, and industry), often leading to conflicting interests and cultural misalignments that trigger the need …

Opening The Black Box: Soil Microbial Communities In Field-Based Plant-Soil Feedback Experiments, Julia Kate Aaronson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Plant-soil feedback is a process through which plants modify the properties of their associated soils, affecting their growth. PSF can play a key role in regulating plant growth and communities including altering plant invasion, rarity, and abundance. However, our understanding of the soil organisms that drive these plant growth responses is limited. Most studies treat soils as a ‘black box’ and do little to reveal which specific microbes or microbial communities may be responsible. This chapter examines two recent large PSF field experiments conducted in Minnesota, USA, and Jena, Germany. These experiments revealed that plants altered their soils, changing subsequent …

A Statewide Evaluation Of Fuel Treatment Effectiveness In Altering Wildfire Outcomes On Public Lands In Utah, Jamela Charmaine Thompson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fuel treatments are land management activities that reduce living and dead flammable materials on the landscape to mitigate undesirable wildfire behavior and effects. Common treatments in the western United States include mechanical methods such as thinning and mastication, prescribed burns, and chemical methods, such as herbicide application. Treatments usually have multiple objectives, including reducing fire intensity, protecting natural and cultural resources, slowing or disrupting a potential future fire’s path, supporting ecosystem health, and reestablishing low to mid severity fire cycles in ecosystems. Although treatments can potentially modify fire behavior and ecological health, they generally cannot prevent fires from igniting, eliminate …

A Mechanistic Examination Of Interspecific Competition Between Wild And Domestic Herbivores, Courtney Check

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Large herbivores, such as mule deer and cattle have similar life histories and likely compete for resources. However, quantifying the extent to which these species compete and the specific resources they compete for has proved challenging. My research examines if cattle influence deer abundance and behavior due to competition for forage, competition for shade, and/or by affecting the predation risk of deer. Using a grid of autonomous trail cameras, I was able to determine if cattle abundance influences local deer abundance in relation to specific resources and habitat features. Using GPS data from collared deer, I was also able to …

Influence Of Hydrologic History On Nitrogen Cycling In Lake Sediments, Emily Jainarain

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Water quality is declining in freshwater lakes around the world due to environmental change and anthropogenic activities that threaten the physical, ecological, and geochemical integrity of freshwater ecosystems. Excess N and P in lakes can cause eutrophication, a major driver of water quality impairment that leads to excessive algal growth, or harmful algal blooms (HABs), and poses risks to recreation, fisheries, and public drinking water. Water level fluctuations in lakes are expected to become more frequent and intense as climate change increases periods of drought and alters precipitation patterns, and fluctuations may stimulate biogeochemical reactions in littoral sediments that add …

Comparing Commonly Used Aquatic Habitat Modeling Methods For Native Fishes, Eryn K. Turney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Water resources are managed for a variety of human needs, including agriculture, industrial and municipal consumption, hydropower generation, and recreation. There has been a recent push to incorporate habitat needs of aquatic wildlife into water management models alongside these other uses, particularly as competition for limited water resources in a changing climate has reduced instream flow and contributed to declining native fish populations. Habitat models are used to estimate species distributions and differentiate between suitable and unsuitable habitat based on variables important to a given species, but are not usually incorporated into water management models. Because there are many ways …

Overcoming Barriers To Aquatic Plant Restoration: Addressing Gaps In Species Identification And Planting Techniques In The Intermountain West, Kate A. Sinnott

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Aquatic ecosystems provide many critical and economically valuable benefits, including drinking water, food, recreational opportunities, and water supply for irrigation and agriculture. However, the health of these systems has been severely impacted by human activities such as pollution, land conversion, and introductions of harmful species. Restoring native aquatic plants can help reverse this damage and reestablish benefits, though it is not a common practice. With an objective to increase capacity for aquatic plant restoration in the Intermountain West, I identified and addressed two major barriers: 1) a lack of confidence in aquatic species identification among wetland professionals, and 2) underdeveloped …

Big Fish And More Of Them: Salmonid Habitat Availability, Quality, And Use Across Multiple Scales Within A River-Reservoir System, John S. Mclaren V

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Reservoirs and their associated rivers provide water for agricultural and municipal uses, ecological benefits for fish and wildlife, and associated recreational activity. However, in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem climate change and population growth are putting pressure on water quality and supply, potentially damaging the unique and economically important coldwater trout habitat that these systems support. In this study, the author investigates the impact of changing water quality and supply on trout habitat quality, quantity, and selection to assist conservation goals in the Henry’s Fork Watershed in eastern Idaho. The study found that higher availability of cold-water refuge habitat in Island …

Effects Of Soil Amendments On Water Quality And Hydrologic Properties In Low Impact Development Systems, Lily Wetterlin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Low impact development (LID) systems are practices that use natural elements, such as soils and vegetation, to absorb and filter stormwater to protect water quality and aquatic habitats. Many LID designs use native soils; however, urban soils typically have a limited potential for infiltrating and treating stormwater. Incorporation of soil amendments, such as compost and biochar, into LID soils can improve the physical properties of soil. However, soil amendments may increase or decrease pollutants in the water leaving the site. A comparison of the effects of different types and application rates of amendments on water quality is necessary to determine …

Cultural Competence Among Child Life Professionals, Rachel Burger

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is an ever-growing need for individuals to work towards cultural competence, especially when those individuals work in healthcare. As healthcare professionals with backgrounds in child development and who provide emotional and psychological support to diverse pediatric patient populations in a variety of different sectors, child life specialists (CLS) and Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLSs) have an even greater need for understanding cultural competence (Thompson, 2009). The purpose of the current study was to examine the cultural competency levels of CCLSs, the type of cultural competence professional development units (PDUs) they participate in, and their perspectives on cultural competence in …

Evaluation Of Biochar Rate And Hemp Cultivar For The Phytoremediation Of Heavy-Metal-Contaminated Soil From The Tar Creek Superfund Site, Dietrich Thurston

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soil contamination by cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) at the Tar Creek Superfund site in Northeast Oklahoma remains a threat to the environment and local ecosystem. Phytoremediation by industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) and the use of biochar (BC) have been independently shown to be effective methods to remediate heavy-metal-contaminated soils. The objective of this greenhouse study was to evaluate the effects of industrial hemp cultivar (‘Carmagnola’ and ‘Jinma’), BC rate (0, 2, 5, and 10% by volume), soil contamination level (low, medium, and high), and their interactions on above- and belowground (AG and BG, respectively) plant dry …

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Revised 2023 Residential Metals Abatement Program (Rmap) Field Sampling Plan (Fsp) – Indoor Dust – Group 8 – Gold Hill Lutheran Church (Creativity Factory Preschool) And United Congregational (Crayon Academy Preschool) (Dated July 26, 2023), Nikia Greene

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Revised Final Multi-Pathway Residential Metals Abatement Program Plan, Atlantic Richfield Company, Butte Silver Bow

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Sulfur Cycling Connects Microbiomes And Biogeochemistry In Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Plumes, Zhichao Zhou, Patricia Q. Tran, Alyssa M. Adams, Kristopher Kieft, John A. Breier, Caroline S. Fortunato, Cody S. Sheik, Julie A. Huber, Meng Li, Gregory J. Dick, Karthik Anantharaman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

In globally distributed deep-sea hydrothermal vent plumes, microbiomes are shaped by the redox energy landscapes created by reduced hydrothermal vent fluids mixing with oxidized seawater. Plumes can disperse over thousands of kilometers and their characteristics are determined by geochemical sources from vents, e.g., hydrothermal inputs, nutrients, and trace metals. However, the impacts of plume biogeochemistry on the oceans are poorly constrained due to a lack of integrated understanding of microbiomes, population genetics, and geochemistry. Here, we use microbial genomes to understand links between biogeography, evolution, and metabolic connectivity, and elucidate their impacts on biogeochemical cycling in the deep sea. Using …

Evaluating Direct Filtration As An Alternative To Conventional Carbon-Based Advanced Treatment For Indirect Potable Reuse, Savannah M. Flemmer

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) is recharging purified wastewater into the Potomac Aquifer via the Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT) project. Conventional SWIFT treatment applies coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, ozonation, biofiltration, granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption, and ultraviolet disinfection to secondary effluent to produce water that meets drinking water standards for managed aquifer recharge. HRSD is considering implementing direct filtration as an alternative to conventional treatment for two additional SWIFT facilities. Direct filtration presents an opportunity for significant cost savings by eliminating sedimentation, shortening flocculation detention time, and reducing coagulant usage. Without upstream removal of solids and organics, however, biofilters …