Digital Commons Network^™

Portland-Vancouver Ultra-Ex: Evaluating Relationships Between Governance And Environmental Quality In Urban Ecosystems, J. Alan Yeakley, Sally Duncan, Steve Bollens, Connie P. Ozawa, Vivek Shandas, Heejun Chang, Marion Dresner, Sean N. Gordon, John A. Harrison, Jeffrey D. Kline, Anita T. Morzillo, Noelwah R. Netusil, Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens, Mark Stephan, Paul R. Thiers

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Portland-Vancouver Urban Long Term Research Area (ULTRA-Ex) is a multidisciplinary project aimed at understanding the feedbacks between human and natural systems in urban settings. The ULTRA-Ex project is seeking to answer the overarching question: How do human governance and biophysical systems respond interactively to both press and pulse disturbances in urban socio-ecological systems?

This presentation provides early observations and findings from the PV ULTRA-Ex project.

Energy And Climate Interactions In The Urban Environment, David J. Sailor

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation focuses on sustainable design choices and characteristics

Women Of The Scientific Revolution: The Forgotten Scholars, Sema Hasan

Young Historians Conference

Many people today are familiar with the achievements of famous scientists such as Galileo or Newton, but little is known about the scientific contributions that were made by women. Throughout history the world of academia was dominated by men, but it was during the Scientific Revolution that opportunity arose for women to participate in the sciences. In a time when women faced prejudice and skepticism, some managed to break away from the set expectations and enter into a career of their own. This paper offers a look into the lives of women scientists who have been dis-remembered by history.

Data Near Here: Bringing Relevant Data Closer To Scientists, Veronika M. Megler, David Maier

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Large scientific repositories run the risk of losing value as their holdings expand, if it means increased effort for a scientist to locate particular datasets of interest. We discuss the challenges that scientists face in locating relevant data, and present our work in applying Information Retrieval techniques to dataset search, as embodied in the Data Near Here application.

Modeling And Mapping In Support Of The Regional Conservational Strategy Framework, Theresa Burcsu, Thomas Albo, Joseph Bernert, Jennifer Dimiceli, James S. Kagan, Matthew D. Noone

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Prior to November 2010, when The Intertwine Alliance launched the Regional Conservation Strategy (RCS) and Biodiversity Guide (RBG) efforts for the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan region, conservation priorities in the metropolitan region were identified at a broad regional scale that generally excluded urban areas (e.g., state conservation strategies and Willamette Synthesis); were regional but based solely on expert opinion (e.g., Natural Features); and consisted of localized priorities that abruptly ended at jurisdiction boundaries. The goal of the RCS was to fill in the gaps between broad and local scales of information related to conservation priorities. RCS members envisioned a data-driven approach that …

Teacher Professional Learning Communities For Sustainability: Supporting Stem In Learning Gardens In Low-Income Schools, Sybil S. Kelley, Dilafruz R. Williams

Educational Leadership and Policy Faculty Publications and Presentations

In order to address the ecological and social problems of sustainability in our modern times, citizens need to be empowered with an understanding of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts and practices. Furthermore, STEM must be democratized and taught in life-giving and life-sustaining ways that include all students instead of the small fraction of "high achievers" and limited to the "potential" scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. At present, K-12 students and their teachers rarely have the opportunity to learn beyond their concrete school walls and to reconnect with nature, exacerbating their disconnection of STEM from real life and hence sustainability. …

Invisible Enemies: Reducing Air Toxics In The Portland Airshed, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.)

City Club of Portland

No abstract provided.

Application Of Gis And Spatial Analysis Of Golden Eagle Fatalities Caused By Wind Turbines At The Altamont Pass Wind Resource, Andrew James Pinger

Dissertations and Theses

The Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area (Altamont) near Livermore, California is the oldest and largest wind farm in the United States. It is known as a location of high avian mortality, especially for diurnal raptors such as the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). Using the avian monitoring data collected at Altamont for over thirteen years (1998-2003, 2005- 2011), records were analyzed of 134 golden eagle deaths caused by wind turbine collisions. All wind turbines present during the same temporal range were characterized according to turbine variables, and geographic placement characteristics. Values of turbines that killed golden eagles were compared to values …

Effects Of Hru Size On Prms Performance In 30 Western U.S. Basins, Madeline Olena Steele

Dissertations and Theses

Semi-distributed hydrological models are often used for streamflow forecasting, hydrological climate change impact assessments, and other applications. In such models, basins are broken up into hydrologic response units (HRUs), which are assumed to have a relatively homogenous response to precipitation. HRUs are delineated in a variety of ways, and the procedure used may impact model performance. HRU delineation procedures have been researched, but it is still not clear how important these subdivision schemes are or which delineation methods are most effective. To start addressing this knowledge gap, this project investigated whether or not HRU size has a significant effect on …

Statistical Analysis Of Stormwater Device Testing Protocols In Portland, Oregon, Zahra Kavianpour Isfahani

Dissertations and Theses

Stormwater treatment is commonly performed with a combination of approaches including the utilization of natural systems and engineered devices. Before using a proprietary treatment instrument it is required to verify its performance and efficiency in reducing different pollution components including the TSS. Different states have developed strategies and regulations for accepting new instruments. In this thesis the stormwater management plan of the City of Portland, Oregon(2008), is analyzed in order to improve the current regulations. These rules apply to new technologies which are proposed by vendors to be used in Portland's stormwater treatment plans. Each requirement which should be met …

The Production Of Organic Nitrates In Portland Oregon And The Columbia River Gorge, Holly Ann Neill

Dissertations and Theses

This work studied the production of aerosol-phase organic nitrates in both Portland and the Columbia River Gorge (CRG). Ozone and NO_x species were investigated for correlation with organic nitrate aerosol, as they function as precursors to the production of organic nitrates. These ambient gas-phase measurements were collected in the same locations as high-volume (Hi-Vol) filters samples, in an urban and rural gorge setting to investigate correlations at the origin of the pollution plume and downwind. A novel Soxhlet extraction method for Hi-Vol filters was developed based on literature and EPA standard methods. Analysis for nitrate production was done by …

Faculty Senate Monthly Packet April 2013, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The April 2013 Monthly packet includes the April agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held March 2013

Development, Deployment, And Assessment Of A New Educational Paradigm For Transportation Professionals And University Students, Christopher M. Monsere

TREC Final Reports

Traditionally, engineering coursework has been delivered in a lecture-based format with accompanying exercises assigned for time outside of class. The activity-based approach to learning aims to keep students engaged in and responsible for their own learning processes. This approach has been shown to be more effective than conventional teaching approaches in terms of long-term retention of the educational material.

Friends Of The Children: Portland Postsecondary Preparation Recommendations, Hillary Horn Montuori

Anthropology Theses

The process of defining "postsecondary success" is an integral part of preparing for it. Ultimately, postsecondary success begins as a goal within the formal education system because it denotes success after high school. But then we must ask, "What is the goal of that high school education?" In my time as a research intern with Friends of the Children (FOTC), concepts of productivity, access, and knowledge have all been central to answering this question. On one level, the question has a pragmatic answer: FOTC youth should be able to earn a living wage. On another level, the question is much …

Methods To Develop A Crediting Strategy For Transportation And Metropolitan Planning Agencies: White Paper, James S. Kagan, Lisa Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

The focus of this paper is to identify the ways in which the Ecosystem Services Crediting methodology, part of the Integrated Ecological Framework (IEF), could be developed to make it easily usable and meaningful to transportation agencies. IEF is an ecological assessment process and framework to integrate conservation planning and transportation planning.

Rare Plant Associations, Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, Sutton Recreation Area, And Heceta Sand Dunes Acec/Ona, John A. Christy

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Nine of the ten rare plant associations identified in the dunes in 1993 are recommended for continued inclusion in conservation planning. Large-patch associations are currently in good condition, but small-patch associations are being infilled by a combination of plant succession and invasive species. Repeat photography using aerial and ground-based imagery is recommended as a way to gauge the rate of change in dune communities. Prescribed fire is recommended to monitor rejuvenation effects on two shore pine woodland associations that are most at risk of infilling. Vegetation mapping based on remote sensing will enable more accurate assessment of vegetation features, and …

Book Review Of, Fields And Steams, Melissa Haeffner

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

One would not expect a benign-sounding occupation like stream restoration to be associated with “wars,” but rivers are contested objects of public concern. As Rebecca Lave shows, they are also objects of scholarly concern for social and natural scientists alike.

Aquatic Invasive Plant Surveys In The Blm Medford District During 2012, Rich Miller, Vanessa Morgan, Mark D. Sytsma

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Aquatic plant surveys were conducted at 22 waterbodies located within the Bureau of Land Management’s Medford District during the summer of 2012. Sites included eleven lakes, ponds or reservoirs and six reaches along the Rogue and Applegate Rivers. Five sampling areas surveyed during 2010 and 2011 were revisited to determine the extent of known non-native species infestations, positively identify rare species, or verify the absence of an expected non-native species. Plant specimens were collected at up to 50 sites at each waterbody using plant rakes or by observation. The non-native submersed species curly leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus) and …

Some New Applications Of P-P Plots, Isha Dewan, Subhash C. Kochar

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

The P-P plot is a powerful graphical tool to compare stochastically the magnitudes of two random variables. In this note, we introduce a new partial order, called P?P order based on P-P plots. For a pair of random variables (X ₁, Y₁) and (X ₂, Y ₂) one can see the relative precedence of Y ₂ over X ₂ versus that of Y ₁ over X ₁ using P-P order. We show that several seemingly very technical and difficult concepts like convex transform order and super-additive ordering can be easily explained with the …

Reward-Driven Training Of Random Boolean Network Reservoirs For Model-Free Environments, Padmashri Gargesa

Dissertations and Theses

Reservoir Computing (RC) is an emerging machine learning paradigm where a fixed kernel, built from a randomly connected "reservoir" with sufficiently rich dynamics, is capable of expanding the problem space in a non-linear fashion to a higher dimensional feature space. These features can then be interpreted by a linear readout layer that is trained by a gradient descent method. In comparison to traditional neural networks, only the output layer needs to be trained, which leads to a significant computational advantage. In addition, the short term memory of the reservoir dynamics has the ability to transform a complex temporal input state …

An Informational Algorithm As The Basis For Perception-Action Control Of The Instantaneous Axes Of The Knee, Wangdo Kim, Margarida M. Espanha, António P. Veloso, Duarte Araújo, Filipa João, Luis Carrão, Sean S. Kohles

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Traditional locomotion studies emphasize an optimization of the desired movement trajectories while ignoring sensory feedback. We propose an information based theory that locomotion is neither triggered nor commanded but controlled. The basis for this control is the information derived from perceiving oneself in the world. Control therefore lies in the human-environment system. In order to test this hypothesis, we derived a mathematical foundation characterizing the energy that is required to perform a rotational twist, with small amplitude, of the instantaneous axes of the knee (IAK). We have found that the joint’s perception of the ground reaction force may be replaced …

Effects Of Increased Nitrogen Deposition On The Dominance Of Hedera Helix In The Pacific Northwest, Bianca Christine Dolan

Dissertations and Theses

Increased nitrogen deposition has been shown to promote the dominance of invasive species, and nitrogen deposition rates have steadily increased in most of the Western United States in recent years due to population increases. The purpose of this study was to determine if increased rates of nitrogen deposition are contributing to the success of Hedera helix in the Pacific Northwest. Plots were established in Lesser Park in Portland, Oregon and received monthly treatments of ammonium nitrate for one year. Growth, measured as change in percent cover, was compared between treated and untreated plots for both H. helix and native species. …

Phantom Islands A Collection Of Short Stories, Marie Buckner

Dissertations and Theses

This collection of short stories takes its name from various islands historically believed to exist and at one time or other located on maps, sometimes remaining on them for centuries, but later removed after they were proved to be illusory. Reports of these islands usually came from sailors as they explored new realms, mistaking actual islands for imaginary ones or by geographical error. Illusions can persist unchallenged for ages. A similar yet modern illusion is the persistence of vision, a phenomenon by which an afterimage, say, on a screen, is thought to persist on the retina for approximately one twenty-fifth …

Green Mind Gray Yard: Micro Scale Assessment Of Ecosystem Services, Erin Jolene Kirkpatrick

Dissertations and Theses

There is a spatial mismatch between the size of the area where people are living and the extent of land needed to ecologically support developed areas. More people are living in urban areas than any time in history, and the resources need to support cities have had to expand to try and meet the demands of increasing urban populations. However, areas of opportunity exist for urban areas to begin to positively contribute towards the available resources in a region. Because a large portion of urban areas is within private control, gaining a baseline understanding of how residents interact with ecosystem …

Mechanisms Of Methane Transport Through Trees, Ellynne Marie Kutschera

Dissertations and Theses

Although the dynamics of methane (CH₄) emission from croplands and wetlands have been fairly well investigated, the contribution of trees to global methane emission and the mechanisms of tree transport are relatively unknown. Methane emissions from the common wetland tree species Populus trichocarpa (black cottonwood) native to the Pacific Northwest were measured under hydroponic conditions in order to separate plant transport mechanisms from the influence of soil processes. Roots were exposed to methane enriched water and canopy emissions of methane were measured using a canopy enclosure. Methane accumulation in the canopy was generally linear and the average canopy …

A 30-Year Record Of The Isotopic Composition Of Atmospheric Methane, Doaa Galal Mohammed Teama

Dissertations and Theses

Methane (CH₄) is one of the most important greenhouse gases after water vapor and carbon dioxide due to its high concentration and global warming potential 25 times than that of CO₂ (based on a 100 year time horizon). Its atmospheric concentration has more than doubled from the preindustrial era due to anthropogenic activities such as rice cultivation, biomass burning, and fossil fuel production. However, the rate of increase of atmospheric CH₄ (or the growth rate) slowed from 1980 until present. The main reason for this trend is a slowdown in the trend of CH₄ sources. …

Impact And Signatures Of Deglaciation On The Cryosphere, Landscape, And Habitability Of Earth And Mars, Nathalie A. Cabrol, Andrew G. Fountain, J. S. Kargel

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Science questions can help bridge Astrobiology and Earth Science disciples around the theme of planetary deglaciation.

Evaluating The Effects Of Road Crossing Structures On Stream-Associated Amphibians In The Wilson River Watershed, Tillamook State Forest, Oregon, Sara Erin Twitchell

Dissertations and Theses

As replacement and removal of undersized culverts gains momentum as an effective technique for restoring natural stream flows and removing fish passage barriers, it is important to evaluate the benefits of these efforts on the in-stream and adjacent riparian habitat for other species of potential concern. This study compares stream-associated amphibian (SAA) occurrence in streams adjacent to different road crossing structures on unpaved forest roads in the Wilson River watershed located within the Tillamook State Forest, Oregon. Surveys were conducted at road crossing structures for three taxa of SAA; Pacific giant salamander (Dicamptodon tenebrosus), coastal tailed frog (Ascaphus truei), and …

A Survey Of Systems For Predicting Stock Market Movements, Combining Market Indicators And Machine Learning Classifiers, Jeffrey Allan Caley

Dissertations and Theses

In this work, we propose and investigate a series of methods to predict stock market movements. These methods use stock market technical and macroeconomic indicators as inputs into different machine learning classifiers. The objective is to survey existing domain knowledge, and combine multiple techniques into one method to predict daily market movements for stocks. Approaches using nearest neighbor classification, support vector machine classification, K-means classification, principal component analysis and genetic algorithms for feature reduction and redefining the classification rule were explored. Ten stocks, 9 companies and 1 index, were used to evaluate each iteration of the trading method. The classification …

Water Supply, Demand, And Quality Indicators For Assessing The Spatial Distribution Of Water Resource Vulnerability In The Columbia River Basin, Heejun Chang, Il-Won Jung, Angela L. Strecker, Daniel Wise, Martin Lafrenz, Vivek Shandas, Hamid Moradkhani, J. Alan Yeakley, Yangdong Pan, Robert Allen Bean, Gunnar Johnson, Mike Psaris

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

We investigated water resource vulnerability in the US portion of the Columbia River basin (CRB) using multiple indicators representing water supply, water demand, and water quality. Based on the US county scale, spatial analysis was conducted using various biophysical and socio-economic indicators that control water vulnerability. Water supply vulnerability and water demand vulnerability exhibited a similar spatial clustering of hotspots in areas where agricultural lands and variability of precipitation were high but dam storage capacity was low. The hotspots of water quality vulnerability were clustered around the main stem of the Columbia River where major population and agricultural centres are …