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Abstracts Of Presentations, Colby College

Undergraduate Research Symposium (UGRS)

No abstract provided.

Website: 2010 Colby College Undergraduate Research Symposium, Colby College

Undergraduate Research Symposium (UGRS)

Colby College Undergraduate Research Symposium 2010 Website

Contents:

Keynote Speaker

Schedule - Wednesday

Schedule - Thursday

Schedule - Friday

Poster Program

Associated Sessions

Abstracts

Honors Program

Independent Study Projects

Participating Departments/Programs

The Impacts Of Land Use And Development Patterns On Water Quality Of The Belgrade Lakes, Ian M. Mccullough

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess the impacts of patterns of land use and development on water quality in the Belgrade Lakes on a regional scale. Regional research and cooperation could identify key areas in the watershed where development or changing land use could have the greatest negative influences on lake water quality. Past work has centered on water chemistry, nutrient dynamics, development and economic factors but there has been no comprehensive analysis of land use and development history for the entire Belgrade Lakes Region. The Belgrade Lakes are a chain of 7 lakes in central Maine connected …

The Status And Evolution Of Laws And Policies Regulating Privately Owned Tigers In The United States, Philip J. Nyhus, Michael Ambrogi, Caitlin Dufraine, Alan Shoemaker, Ronald L. Tilson

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Conservation Value Of Tigers: Separating Science From Fiction, Philip J. Nyhus, Ron L. Tilson

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Distribution Of Endangered Turtle Species In Maine, Meghan Cornwall ('11)

Atlas of Maine

This map shows the ranges of the three endangered terrestrial turtles in Maine: the Blanding's, Box, and the Eastern Painted Turtle. These turtles are on the endangered species list for Maine and the U.S. All suffer from territorial fragmentation which is separating turtle populations, making it hard to keep population growth sustainable. Most live in acidic wetlands or ponds in the southern part of Maine, which is the northernmost part of their range in the U.S.

Farm Size And Lymphoma Cancer In Maine, Aurore Anastassiadis ('11)

Atlas of Maine

Lymphoma is a general term for a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic system. The lymphomas are divided into two major categories: Hodgkin lymphoma and all other lymphomas, called non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), which is displayed on this map. The annual incidence of NHL in Maine has nearly doubled over the last 50 years. Although the reasons for this increase are not certain, it has been established that pesticides are a known risk factor.

Biophysical Regions Of Maine, Emma Balazs ('09)

Atlas of Maine

The Biophysical Regions of Maine map was created using land cover data from the Maine office of GIS. This data layer, combined with a hillshade layer, demonstrates some of the biophysical features that contribute to the categorization of the 15 different biophysical regions of the state of Maine.

State Senate Environmental Performance 2007-2009, Gordon Padelford ('11)

Atlas of Maine

This map portrays the level of support given by senators to environmental issues in the State Legislature during the 2007-2008 legislative session. The score was calculated as the percentage of six environmental priority bills the senators supported or opposed during the 2007-2008 legislative session: 1) An Act To Protect Children's Health and the Environment from Toxic Chemicals in Toys and Children's Products (LD 2048), 2) An Act To Amend Motor Vehicle Laws, about Loon license plates (LD 2075), 3) An Act To Establish a Uniform Building and Energy Code (LD 2257), 4) An Act To Protect Pregnant Women and Children …

Hurricane Surge Inundation And Critical Resources In Maine, Brian Lynch ('09)

Atlas of Maine

This map shows projected hurricane surge inundation, often referred to as storm surge, for hurricanes ranging in severity from Category 1 to Category 4 as well the locations of critical societal resources such as fire stations, hospitals, emergency management offices, and roads. Storm surge is caused by the force of a hurricane displacing water as it moves into shallower water. According to the National Hurricane Center, storm surge is responsible for 90% of hurricane-related fatalities in the US (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastdeadly.shtml). In addition, the flooding caused by storm surge may hinder evacuation as well as incapacitate or reduce the capabilities of certain …

Atlantic Salmon Habitat And Dams In Maine, Francis Gassert ('11)

Atlas of Maine

This map details Atlantic Salmon habitat within the state of Maine in conjunction with dams, levees, and other hydrological impoundments. It highlights salmon spawning and rearing areas, and represents dams by their hydraulic height. Most Atlantic Salmon populations are anadromous, living most of their lives at sea and migrating upstream into freshwater to spawn. However, the Atlantic Salmon does not require saltwater to survive, and there are a number of landlocked populations of Atlantic Salmon in Maine due to the building of dams.

Alpine Ski Areas In Maine, Li Yu Chan ('11)

Atlas of Maine

This map shows the location of alpine ski areas and elevation in Maine. The triangles show the location of these ski areas based on their addresses in the Ski Maine website (www.skimaine.com). Their positions on the map were determined using data from the Maine Office of GIS. If exact locations could not be determined, triangles were placed at towns closest to the ski areas, also using data from the Maine Office of GIS.

Sources Of Drinking Water And Agricultural Chemical Use In Maine, Jordan Schoonover ('10)

Atlas of Maine

This map shows the location of aquifers and public water supply wells in Maine. The location of cultivated lands is shown in green, while the percentage of cropland in each county that is treated with chemical fertilizers is represented by the gray shading of the county. All data are from the Maine Office of GIS, with the exception of the agricultural chemical data which was adapted from the USDA 2007 Agricultural Census.

Maine: Cropland And Aquifers, Michael Ambrogi ('09)

Atlas of Maine

This map shows cropland in Maine in relation to the state’s aquifers. Cropland is displayed as the percentage of land covered by crops and pasture within a 2.5 km radius of any point.

Medically Underserved Areas And Populations In Maine 2008, Hannah Lafleur ('11)

Atlas of Maine

According to the Health Resources and Services Administration Shortage Designation Branch of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Medically Underserved Areas may be a whole county or a group of contiguous counties, a group of county or civil divisions, or a group of urban census tracts in which residents have a shortage of personal health services. Medically Underserved Populations may include groups of persons who face economic, cultural, or linguistic barriers to health care. These federal designations are supplemented by state designations which cover areas or populations that do not meet federal designation criteria. The Health Resources and Services …

Wetlands, Conservation Lands And Population Of Maine, Kimberly Bittler ('11)

Atlas of Maine

This map illustrates the water resources of Maine in the context of human presence and protected areas, the emphasis placed on wetlands. Wetlands, rivers, streams, ponds and lakes are projected onto layers showing population density on a logarithmic scale and the conservation lands of Maine. A hill shade layer is also displayed on the map to provide a backdrop for the topography surrounding the displayed water resources.

Rabies In Maine: 1998-2008, Kaggie Orrick ('10)

Atlas of Maine

This map shows the number, location and type of animals found with rabies by county in Maine for the entire decade. It displays the top four species found with rabies: raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes. These four account for 96% of positive cases in Maine. Rabies is a fatal disease of the central nervous system. It is deadly but uncommon in humans in the US. However, animals, especially wildlife, are very susceptible to carrying the disease. Tests are conducted every year by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that rabies is not rapidly spreading since it …

Fire Incidences, Water Bodies, And Population In Maine, Jenny Helm ('11)

Atlas of Maine

This map shows the locations of fires that occurred between 2000 and 2007. It also shows population in different census tracts to enable comparisons between number of fires and number of residents in an area. Finally, the map shows rivers, lakes, and ponds to determine if more fires occur alongside water bodies where campsites may be present.

Wind Turbine Visibility On The Colby Campus, Emma Balazs ('09), Jenny Helm ('11)

Atlas of Maine

This project was designed to demonstrate the visibility of potential future wind turbines built on the Colby campus. We conducted viewshed analyses in ArcGIS on three different potential turbine sites to determine the visibility of the turbines within a 10km radius. We found that the Runnals hill turbine would be visible to the largest area and the largest number of residents.

Possible Migration Routes Through Maine By Vernal Migrants, Andy Mcevoy ('09), Gordon Padelford ('11)

Atlas of Maine

In this study we evaluate the possibility of two routes of migration into the state of Maine. The first possible route would be for migrants to continue along the coast, north of the Maine/New Hampshire border, and later swinging inland across the interior. The second path is for migrants who come up the east coast and straight into Maine, spreading across the state as they move north. In order to evaluate these possible routes we utilize a citizen-science project that measures the spring arrival dates of migrants according to the biophysical regions of Maine (Wilson 2007). Independent t-Tests and maps …

Evaluation Of The Conservation Lands Of Maine Based On Presence Of Habitat Suitable For Listed Species, Michael Ambrogi ('09), Kimberly Bittler ('11)

Atlas of Maine

“Conservation Lands” include both public and private lands that are devoted to the protection of wildlife and natural resources. “Listed Species” include federally and state endangered and threatened animals that are in danger of extermination in the state of Maine. The purpose of this study is to determine how well conservation lands are protecting the habitats of listed species. GAP data was used for 13 terrestrial vertebrate species indicating the presence or absence of suitable habitats. This data was compiled in GIS, generating a layer showing the number of listed species an area is suitable for. The areas that were …

Invasive Aquatic Invasion: The Spread Of Variable Leaf Milfoil In Maine, Brian Lynch ('09), Kaggie Orrick ('10)

Atlas of Maine

Variable leaf milfoil, Myriophyllum heterophyllum, has been present in Maine since 1970. We created an analysis area including seventeen infestation sites and all bodies of water within a forty mile buffer. We also eliminated all water locations with a size less than 7,101 km2, the size of the smallest infestation site, Shagg Pond. Within those specifications we randomly selected seventeen un-infested bodies of water and used them as our uncontaminated sample. We looked for relationships between presence and number of boat launches, and proximity to a populated area. Using the Mann-Whitney test, we compared the sample size of non-infested lakes …

Exploring The Spatial Relationships Between Human-Tiger Conflicts In Peninsular Malaysia And Sumatra, Aurore Anastassiadis ('11), Li Yu Chan ('11)

Atlas of Maine

Large-carnivores and humans are increasingly in conflict as humans encroach on their natural territory. As a result, many large-carnivore species have become endangered due to habitat destruction, prey reduction and retaliatory killings from conflicts. No global internet database, however, exists to document, monitor and evaluate these conflicts, particularly to take advantage of the growing spatial resources available. Using human-tiger conflicts in Malaysia and Sumatra as a case study, this project explores how such a database could be created. GIS was used to conduct multiple analyses on the data obtained about these conflicts. We conclude that a database would require data …

Light Coverage On Colby College Campus, Meghan Cornwall ('11), Francis Gassert ('11)

Atlas of Maine

Outdoor lighting is an essential component for nighttime safety on college campuses. Outdoor lighting on Colby College campus is not uniform, leaving some areas with minimal light. The purpose of this project is to analytically evaluate if and where major walkways on Colby College have inadequate lighting. While we were unable to define inadequate lighting, we found that most paths on campus do appear to be well lit, while in general open spaces on campus have the lowest light levels.

Wind Power In Maine: Balancing Conservation And Energy Production, Hannah Lafleur ('11), Jordan Schoonover ('10)

Atlas of Maine

An expedited permitting area has been created to facilitate the development of wind power projects in Maine. The purpose of this project was to investigate the impact of removing areas of conservation interest from the expedited permitting area. We found that the removal of these areas impacts the total wind potential of the state, in an amount proportional to the size of the area removed. The impact on the total wind potential ranged from 0.46-29.0% decrease, depending on the calculation scenario used. These findings may have implications for future policy decisions concerning wind power development.

Cell Phone Tower Location And Size In Maine, Andy Mcevoy ('09)

Atlas of Maine

Cell phones are quickly becoming a necessary tool for personal and commercial use. Shown here is the distribution, as well as the relative sizes, of towers located in the state of Maine. The population layer illustrates these towers' relation to high densities of people. The roads on the map indicate major state roads, and they illustrate the proximity of towers to these roads. The patterns of distribution and location have direct implications for the movement of people, the expansion of development, and growth of business in Maine.

The Colby Echo (2009-03-11), Colby College

The Colby Echo

Published by the students of Colby College since 1877, The Colby Echo is the weekly, editorially independent student-run newspaper of Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Published monthly, 1877-1886; semi-monthly, 1886-1897; and weekly, during the academic year, 1898-present.

Reintroduction Of The Chinese Tiger, Philip J. Nyhus, Urs Breitenmoser, Ron Tilson

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Colby Oracle 2009, Colby College

The Colby Oracle

Colby College’s yearbook for the Class of 2009.

Abstracts Of Presentations, Colby College

Undergraduate Research Symposium (UGRS)

No abstract provided.