Digital Commons Network^™

Pre-Commercial Thinning In Even-Aged Forest Management Of Northern Hardwoods: Case Studies From The Bartlett Experimental Forest, Meghan Colleen Thornton

Master's Theses and Capstones

Pre-commercial and commercial thinning are common silvicultural treatments in northern hardwood forests throughout the New England, New York, and Great Lakes regions. There are few studies on how pre-commercial thinning influences net timber value over time. This research uses a long-term study from the Bartlett Experimental Forest in Bartlett, New Hampshire to examine how pre-commercial and commercial thinning influence net timber value in 2016 and estimated net timber value in 2026, and whether the costs associated with pre-commercial thinning are justified in the return. We also examine differences in understory species abundance and composition, down dead wood volume and abundance, …

Design, Mechanical Modeling And 3d Printing Of Koch Fractal Contact And Interlocking, Mona Monsef Khoshhesab

Master's Theses and Capstones

Topological interlocking is an effective joining approach in both natural and engineering systems. Especially, hierarchical/fractal interlocking were found in many biological systems and can significantly enhance the system mechanical properties. Inspired by the hierarchical/fractal topology in nature, mechanical models for Koch fractal interlocking were developed as an example system to better understand the mechanics of fractal interlocking. In this investigation, Koch fractal interlocking with and without adhesive layers were designed for different number of iterations N. Theoretical contact mechanics model was used to capture the deformation mechanisms of the fractal interlocking with no adhesive layers under relatively small deformation. Then …

Microbial Source Tracking In Coastal Recreational Waters Of Southern Maine: Relationships Between Enterococci, Environmental Factors, Potential Pathogens, And Fecal Sources, Derek Rothenheber

Master's Theses and Capstones

Coastal water quality has been an issue for centuries. Fecal pollution of these waters represents a significant public health concern, as a variety of fecal sources can harbor human pathogens that range from bacteria and viruses to protozoa. Anthropogenic activities have exacerbated water quality through development such as housing, sewage infrastructure, and agriculture have increased fecal pollution sources and transport pathways, ultimately leading to increased pollution loading at the coast. For decades, federal, state and local municipalities have been using fecal indicator organisms to assess coastal water quality to assess public health risks. This thesis focuses on key factors that …

Manganese Limitation As A Mechanism For Reduced Decomposition In Soils Under Long-Term Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition, Emily D. Whalen

Master's Theses and Capstones

Long-term atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has been shown to reduce leaf litter and lignin decomposition in forest soils, leading to an accumulation of soil carbon. Reduced decomposition has been accompanied by altered structure and function of fungal communities, the primary decomposers in forest ecosystems; however, a mechanistic understanding of fungal responses to chronic N enrichment is lacking. A reduction in soil and litter manganese (Mn) concentrations under N enrichment (i.e., Mn limitation) may explain these observations, because Mn is a cofactor and regulator of lignin-decay enzymes produced by fungi. We conducted a 6-month incubation study to evaluate the effect of …

Rates And Drivers Of Nitrate Uptake In Fluvial Wetlands In Urbanizing, Coastal Watersheds, Christopher Thomas Whitney

Master's Theses and Capstones

Humans have had a substantial impact on the global nitrogen cycle, releasing large amounts of reactive nitrogen to the landscape. Watersheds have been found to remove substantial quantities of this anthropogenic nitrogen, with aquatic networks preventing much of it from reaching the coast. Within these aquatic networks, channelized streams have been studied extensively. However, in many coastal watersheds, fluvial wetlands are a large component of the aquatic network yet have not been studied as broadly as channelized reaches. As fluvial wetlands are also likely to have a sizeable impact on river network-scale nitrogen removal, a greater understanding of their effect …

The Paladin Suite: Multifaceted Characterization Of Whole Metagenome Shotgun Sequences, Anthony Stephen Westbrook

Master's Theses and Capstones

Whole metagenome shotgun sequencing is a powerful approach for assaying many aspects of microbial communities, including the functional and symbiotic potential of each contributing community member. The research community currently lacks tools that efficiently align DNA reads against protein references, the technique necessary for constructing functional profiles. This thesis details the creation of PALADIN – a novel modification of the Burrows-Wheeler Aligner that provides orders-of-magnitude improved efficiency by directly mapping in protein space. In addition to performance considerations, utilizing PALADIN and associated tools as the foundation of metagenomic pipelines also allows for novel characterization and downstream analysis.

The accuracy and …

Phylogenetic And Phylogeographic Analyses Reveal A Species Complex In The Estuarine Nudibranch Tenellia Adspersa, Amanda Sobel

Master's Theses and Capstones

Until recently, the nudibranch genus Tenellia (Nudibranchia: Fionidae) was thought to include a single or group of species restricted to temperate estuarine waters. Given the addition of numerous other species from recent studies, the genus now encompasses species from polar, temperate, and tropical oceans from oceanic to estuarine salinities. One such fionid, Tenellia adspersa, is found in temperate estuarine waters globally and its presence is ecologically important as its congeners are capable of decimating colonies of their hydroid prey within a single generation (approx. 20-60 days). The literature is historically vague and conflicted on the morphology, taxonomy, and geographic distribution …

Selective Detection Of Multi-Analyte Neurotransmitters Using Molecularly Imprinted Polymers, Bo Si

Master's Theses and Capstones

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers produced in the brain that plays an important role in human’s physical, psychological and emotional conditions. The balance of neurotransmitters can affect the brain function, mood, pain response and exercise performances. In particular, dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and epinephrine (EP) are three well-known neurotransmitters that control various functions in the nervous system. Therefore, the detection of DA, NE and EP is extremely important for many instances of mental disease treatment and diagnosis. One of the most promising sensing techniques for neurotransmitter monitoring is the electrochemical detection method because of its high sensitivity, relatively low-cost and ease …

Bink Domain Functional Characterization In The Regulation Of Bioluminescence In Vibrio Fischeri, Ian Ster

Master's Theses and Capstones

Prokaryotes encode a remarkable ability to adapt to niches by sensing environmental cues through signal transduction systems (STSs). Typical STS proteins interact through a phosphorylation relay between histidine (His) and aspartate (Asp) residues within modular domains on sensory kinase and response regulator (RR) proteins to elicit cellular responses. A single point mutation in the sensor kinase BinK (BinK1 R537C) conferred an outstanding ability for the non-native V. fischeri strain MJ11 to successfully colonize Euprymna scolopes by affecting multiple symbiotic phenotypes including luminescence activation. However, the role of BinK in luminescence, the interacting partners, and functional mechanism are unknown. We hypothesized …

Supplementation Of Sodium Butyrate To Post-Weaned Heifer Diets: Effects On Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, And Health, Emily Margaret Rice

Master's Theses and Capstones

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of varying levels of sodium, butyrate (SB) on the growth, digestibility, and health of post-weaned heifers. Forty Holstein, dairy heifers with a mean age of 84 d and average body weight (BW) of 100.88 kg were housed, in a naturally ventilated freestall barn. Heifers were blocked by birth date and randomly assigned, to 1 of 4 treatments in a completely randomized block design: (1) 100 g of soybean meal carrier, (control; CON); (2) 0.25 g SB/kg of body weight + carrier (0.25SB); (3) 0.50 g SB/kg of BW +, carrier …

Designing And Testing A Cost-Effective Device For The Harvest Of White Worms, Andrew S. Pompeo

Master's Theses and Capstones

Rising global populations are causing a food crisis that can only be solved with novel, sustainable methods of food production. Many countries, including the United States, are increasing their aquaculture production to meet the appetites of an increasing population. Alternative feeds for aquaculture are necessary to reduce the pressure on overfished forage fish species and create low cost feeds. White worms are an effective, sustainable live feed for several fish species and cost very little to cultivate. However, for white worms to be a competitive alternative feed, they need to be harvested from the soil in which they are cultivated …

Role Stress, Coping Style, And Mental Health In Late Adolescence And Early Adulthood: An Empirical Analysis Of The Age-Linked Effects Of Coping Style On Depressed Mood And Anxiety, Jordan C. Burke

Master's Theses and Capstones

To what extent does age—that is, late adolescence and young adulthood—influence depressed mood or anxiety? To what extent are age differences between late adolescents and emerging adults explained by differences in coping style? To what extent does coping style moderate the effects of age on depressed mood and anxiety while controlling for chronic stress? I examine data from the Coös Youth Study, a longitudinal research project examining the life-course trajectories of two youth cohorts living in rural New England. Significant differences exist between late adolescents and emerging adults in coping style, stress exposure, and mental health. Relative to late adolescents, …

Bioremediation Of Lead Using Spore Surface Displayed Proteins, Sofia M. Diaco

Honors Theses and Capstones

Lead is a toxic pollutant very harmful to human health since it accumulates in the body and affects the brain, liver, kidney, and bones. Fetuses can be exposed to lead during pregnancy, which can cause problems with learning later on in the baby’s life. The purpose of this project is to display a lead binding protein on bacterial spore surface for the bioremediation of lead from water. Spores from Bacillus subtilis are very robust and resistant to various harsh environments. Genetically fused to a spore surface protein, the displayed proteins demonstrate enhanced robustness and can be easily produced through sporulation …

Srs Feature: Two Stars From The Other Side Of The Globe Explore Globe To Chart Their Futures, C. Ralph Adler, Globe U.S. Coordination Office

Publications and Media

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of New England Cottontail Habitat Restoration, Alena Robin Warren

Master's Theses and Capstones

Several state, federal and non-profit agencies have developed collaborative goals for restoring habitat in New England and New York for a declining rabbit species, the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis, NEC). My goal was to evaluate habitat restorations at both the local, or site, scale, and the landscape scale. In order to objectively quantify the suitability of the sites being managed, I developed a Habitat Suitability Index, based on the HSI models designed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I identified candidate habitat variables for NEC, including types of cover and refuges, and food, and then asked a panel of …

Moose Density, Habitat, And Winter Tick Epizootics In A Changing Climate, Kyle Ball

Master's Theses and Capstones

Unregulated hunting and habitat loss led to a near extirpation of moose (Alces alces) in New Hampshire in the 1800s. After state protection in 1901, the estimated population increased slowly to ~500 moose in 1977, then increased rapidly in the next 2 decades to ~7500 following an increase in browse habitat created by spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) and related timber salvage operations, and then halved from 1998-2016 despite highly available optimal habitat. The declining population was partially related to the specific management objective to reduce moose-vehicle collisions, and a possible change in deer hunter and moose behavior that influence population …

Molecular Dynamics Studies Of Biomimetic Membranes, Daniel Ryan Barden

Master's Theses and Capstones

We have explored the conformational dynamics of the peptide-appended pillar[5]arene (PAP) channel in lipid and block copolymer (BCP) membranes through the use of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The novel polymeric structures trans-1,4-polybutadiene (PB), trans-1,4-polyisoprene (PI), and poly-2-methyl-2-oxazoline (PMOXA) were created and parameterized. These structures were then used to build and simulate pure PB12PEO9, PB23 PEO16 , PI12 PEO9 , and PI23PEO16 synthetic BCP membranes. In addition, simulations of the PAP channel inserted into lipid (POPC), PB12 PEO9 , and PB23PEO16 membranes were conducted. Results of simulations containing PAP suggest that the membrane environment can affect the channel dynamics and potentially …

Evaluating The Use Of Unmanned Aerial Systems (Uas) For Collecting Thematic Mapping Accuracy Assessment Reference Data In New England Forest Communities, Benjamin Thomas Fraser

Master's Theses and Capstones

To overcome the main drivers of global environmental change, such as land use and land cover change, evolving technologies must be adopted to rapidly and accurately capture, process, analyze, and display a multitude of high resolution spatial variables. Remote sensing technologies continue to advance at an ever-increasing rate to meet end-user needs, now in the form of unmanned aerial systems (UAS or drones). UAS have bridged the gap left by satellite imagery, aerial photography, and even ground measurements in data collection potential for all matters of information. This new platform has already been deployed in many data collection scenarios, being …

Discerning Differences Between Zooplankton Communities Based On Lake Trophic Status, Jonathan Dufresne

Master's Theses and Capstones

In 2007 the United States Environmental Protect Agency sampled 1157 lakes to determine the state of the nation’s lakes. The data they collected provided a unique opportunity to study the effects of eutrophication on zooplankton community structure across a range of lakes from a large geographical area. Using this data set two main questions were assessed: 1) what level of taxonomic identification is necessary to detect differences in zooplankton community composition as it relates to patterns in water quality and 2) in a dataset that has extensive spatial and temporal variability, how does one account for regional differences in zooplankton …

Effects Of The Biomedical Bleeding Process On The Behavior And Physiology Of The American Horseshoe Crab, Limulus Polyphemus, Meghan Owings

Master's Theses and Capstones

Horseshoe crabs are harvested by the biomedical industry in order to create Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) to test medical devices, vaccines and pharmaceutical drugs for pathogenic gram-negative bacteria. Previous studies of the impacts of the biomedical bleeding process on horseshoe crabs have primarily focused on mortality rates and sublethal impacts, using animals held in the laboratory. Therefore, the first goal of this project was to determine the effects of the bleeding process on horseshoe crab behavior once they are released back into their natural environment. In addition, previous studies have typically only investigated the impacts of the full bleeding procedure, …

Christmas Tree Pest Manual:Pesticide Safety Education Program, Phil Auger, Stanley Sweir

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Small-Scale Turbulence On Phytoplankton Growth And Metabolism, Wilton Gray Burns

Master's Theses and Capstones

Our current understanding of how turbulence affects small planktonic organisms is based on fluid dynamic theory, ocean models, and laboratory experiments that often have conflicting results. Atmospheric models predict that global temperature rise associated with climate change will affect turbulence patterns within the marine photic zone, where phytoplankton reside. To investigate how small-scale turbulence affects growth (growth rates, cell counts and extracted chlorophyll, and nutrient quotas) and metabolism (production of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP)) of marine primary producers, phytoplankton in monoculture and natural assemblages were incubated under a range of turbulent treatments. Results indicate that early in exponential growth of …

Nest Provisioning And Homing Behavior Of Cerceris Fumipennis (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae): A Useful Tool In The Biosurveillance Of Buprestid Beetles, Eleanor Ann Mccabe

Master's Theses and Capstones

Cerceris fumipennis (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae) is a ground-dwelling wasp that provisions its nest with woodboring jewel beetles (Buprestidae), making it a useful tool in biosurveillance of forest pests. In particular, C. fumipennis aggregations have been used for monitoring the invasive Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera, Buprestidae)) and by using this biosurveillance technique researchers have tracked the spread of this pest into new states and provinces. However, despite its success as a biosurveillance tool, information about much of the biology of Cerceris fumipennis is lacking. This study is focused on the biology and life history of C. fumipennis to better understand …

Teacher Prep: Introduction To The Global Carbon Cycle, Nh Globe Carbon Cycle Protocol Team

Carbon

No abstract provided.

Teacher Prep: Ngss Correlation Matrix, Nh Globe Carbon Cycle Protocol Team

Carbon

No abstract provided.

Srs Feature: Full Ste(A)M Ahead In La, C. Ralph Adler, Globe U.S. Coordination Office

Publications and Media

No abstract provided.

Srs Feature: From Glaciers To Invertebrates: Who Knows Where The Waters Of The Globe May Take You?, C. Ralph Adler, Globe U.S. Coordination Office

Publications and Media

No abstract provided.

Buffer Options For The Bay: Exploring The Trends, The Science, And The Options Of Buffer Management In The Great Bay Watershed Key Findings From Available Literature, Shea E. Flanagan, David A. Patrick, Dolores J. Leonard, Paul Stacey

PREP Reports & Publications

No abstract provided.

Development Of Scenarios For Land Cover, Population Density, Impervious Cover, And Conservation In New Hampshire, 2010–2100, Alexandra M. Thorn, Cameron P. Wake, Curt D. Grimm, Clayton R. Mitchell, Madeleine M. Mineau, Scott V. Ollinger

Faculty Publications

Future changes in ecosystem services will depend heavily on changes in land cover and land use, which, in turn, are shaped by human activities. Given the challenges of predicting long-term changes in human behaviors and activities, scenarios provide a framework for simulating the long-term consequences of land-cover change on ecosystem function. As input for process-based models of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem function, we developed scenarios for land cover, population density, and impervious cover for the state of New Hampshire for 2020–2100. Key drivers of change were identified through information gathered from six sources: historical trends, existing plans relating to New …

A Coupled Terrestrial And Aquatic Biogeophysical Model Of The Upper Merrimack River Watershed, New Hampshire, To Inform Ecosystem Services Evaluation And Management Under Climate And Land-Cover Change, Nihar R. Samal, Wilfred M. Wollheim, Shantar Zuidema, Robert J. Stewart, Zaixing Zhou, Madeleine M. Mineau, Mark E. Borsuk, Kevin H. Gardner, Stanley J. Glidden, Tao Huang, David A. Lutz, Georgia Mayrommati, Alexandra M. Thorn, Cameron P. Wake, Matthew Huber

Faculty Publications

Accurate quantification of ecosystem services (ES) at regional scales is increasingly important for making informed decisions in the face of environmental change. We linked terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem process models to simulate the spatial and temporal distribution of hydrological and water quality characteristics related to ecosystem services. The linked model integrates two existing models (a forest ecosystem model and a river network model) to establish consistent responses to changing drivers across climate, terrestrial, and aquatic domains. The linked model is spatially distributed, accounts for terrestrial–aquatic and upstream–downstream linkages, and operates on a daily time-step, all characteristics needed to understand regional …