Digital Commons Network^™

Life Cycle Cost Assessment: A Win-Win For Virginia Wetlands, Austen Kelso

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Virginia shorelines are facing some of the highest rates of sea level rise seen over the last 5 millennia and are among the most vulnerable coastlines in the country to the effects of sea level rise such as flooding and storm surge (Down et al. 1994). In the face of these rising sea levels, coastal wetland habitats will be forced to migrate inland to avoid inundation (Akumu et al. 2011). However, increased development on the Virginia coast threatens these critical wetland habitats by blocking their inland movement as the try to avoid rapidly rising sea levels. Without a clear migratory …

Recommendations For Conservation Easement Reform, Amy Murphy

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Virginia has a well-established easement program which offers landowners a state income tax credit in return for donating land rights such as development and subdivision rights. Currently, there are inefficiencies with easements which could be lessened with reform (Owley 2011, Rissman 2011). This paper proposes that Virginia establish statewide conservation priorities and switches from a flat rate credit for easement donations to a tiered system which provides greater incentives for easements on land with high conservation value (McLaughlin and Pidot 2013). Additionally, this paper proposes that Virginia require adaptive language in easement terms and standardizes monitoring procedures.

Poster session prepared …

Branching Out: How Virginia Can Strategically Use Trees To Combat Biodiversity Loss, Taylor Pfeiffer

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Biodiversity loss is a particularly concerning effect of climate change because as greenhouse gas emissions increase global temperatures, decreases in the abundance and diversity of species has reduced ecosystem resiliency to these changes (Verchot et al. 2007). Weakened ecosystems and threatened species decrease the environment’s capacity to provide humans with services like safe drinking water, fuel, and protection from natural disasters, just to name a few (US EPA 2013). The agricultural industry plays a unique role in this environmental conversation, as farmland both contributes to climate change and is jeopardized by the negative effects created by the issue in a …

Riparian Zone Protocol: A Necessary Addition To An Existing Program, Natalya Ares

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

As temperature trends increase on Earth and the negative effects of anthropogenically driven climate change become clearer, the diversity and health of our natural resources continue to be threatened at a growing rate. Riparian zones, or streamside zones, are one of these natural resources that under normal conditions, provides an enormous variety of ecosystem services. Not only do they provide habitat, food, and shelter for organisms in the area, but they also act as biological and physical buffers to pollution and sedimentation. Climate change threatens the health of this natural buffer. As temperatures increase, the patterns of the season change …

Virginia's Chesapeake Bay, An Oyster Sanctuary, C. Andrew Denney

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

The Crassostrea virginica population in the Chesapeake Bay is now % of what it was during the 19^th century (Kimmel et al. 2007). This decline is the result of various harmful effects such as disease, nutrient pollution, acidification, hydrological change, habitat loss and over-harvesting (Ermgassen et al. 2013). The Eastern Oyster is particularly threatened by three threats, disease, acidification, and reduced water quality. C. virginicais negatively affected by these problems but is also capable of combating and/or mitigating these injuries toward the health and biodiversity of the Chesapeake Bay. The biodiversity of the bay is directly correlated with oyster …

The Adopt-A-Wetland Program, Lindsey Hines

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Wetlands are a “biological super system” hosting a vital reservoir of biodiversity potential. Conserving wetlands and protecting their biodiversity is instrumental in upholding the ecosystem services wetlands provide. These ecosystem services of flood control, food supply, clean water, recreational areas and more are major elements in Virginia’s economy and cultural society. Current models projecting climate change impacts on the Virginian coastline predict sea-level rise to be incompatible with rate of migration and adaptation needed for wetlands. Existing wetland conservation efforts are lacking the required action to combat these imminent problems. Land acquisition is essential to accommodate wetland migration to ensure …

Requiring Responsible Mitigation Banking, Julia Baer

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

In the national attempt to achieve “no-net-loss” of wetlands, the business of wetland mitigation banking has experienced enormous growth over the past few decades. These banks’ purpose is to compensate for wetland loss due to development through the restoration and creation of wetlands elsewhere. While this mitigates the rate of wetland loss, “no-net-loss” is not truly achieved because development is the only federally recognized force destroying wetlands today. Wetland mitigation banks should be required to take sea level rise into account when selecting new sites, and forbidden from using sites where function losses exceed 5% within 50 years, using the …

Climate Change And Invasive Species: Invasive Management Teams, Virginia Fredliani

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

In Virginia, invasive species cost the state approximately $1 billion annually due to forest loss and crop damage (Pimentel et al. 2005). There are approximately 38 invasive species and suffer as a result, which affects biodiversity (Tausch 2008). Invasive species alter the balance of ecosystems, reducing biodiversity and ecosystem health (Gamfeldt et al. 2008). Climate change is another driver in the success of invasive species as they are better adapted to withstand climate changes over native species (Duke and Mooney 1999). To combat invasive species in Virginia this recommendation proposes the establishment of early detection and rapid response Invasive Management …

Nature, Virginia's Economy, And The Climate Threat, Casey Schmidt, Taylor Pfeiffe, Amy Murphy, Virginia Frediani, Natalya Ares, George Appling, Emma Thomson, Austen Kelso, Julia Baer, Lindsey Hines, Andrew Denney

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

The Commission's charge is to propose solutions to you for climate-related issues facing the Commonwealth. Our Symposium today also takes up that challenge. In this booklet you will find research and recommendations for you -- and all of Virginia's governing bodies – for how best to protect our state's priceless and economically essential natural heritage as climate changes disrupt our ecosystems.

Paper prepared for Environmental Studies Senior Seminar.

Faculty advisers: Dr. Peter D. Smallwood and Stephen P. Nash

Table Of Contents

Richmond Journal of Law and the Public Interest

Table of Contents for Richmond Journal of Law and the Public Interest Volume XIX Issue No. 1.

La Igualdad De Género En Las Carreras De Conservación: Ucayali, Peru En Un Contexto Global, Anna Sangree, Mary Finley-Brook

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Las mujeres aportan las habilidades y las perspectivas importantes para la conservación, pero menos mujeres completan estudios superiores en campos como la silvicultura y la agronomía. Las mujeres que entran en estos campos profesionales también tienen menos oportunidades de alcanzar las posiciones del liderazgo. Las investigaciones internacionales sugieren que muchas veces los esfuerzos hacia la sostenibilidad son perjudicados por los bajos niveles de participación de las mujeres y la falta del liderazgo femenino. Este estudio conecta los resultados de una revisión de la literatura internacional con experiencias personales de los estudiantes, los docentes, y los administradores en la Universidad Nacional …

Snow Cover Variability In A Forest Ecotone Of The Oregon Cascades Via Modis Terra Products, Tihomir Sabinov Kostadinov, Todd R. Lookingbill

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Snowcover pattern and persistence have important implications for planetary energy balance, climate sensitivity to forcings, and vegetation structure, function, and composition. Variability in snow cover within mountainous regions of the Pacific Northwest, USA is attributable to a combination of anthropogenic climate change and climate oscillations. However, snowcovered areas can be heterogeneous and patchy, requiring more detailed mapping of snow trends to understand their potential influences on montane forests. We used standard dailyMODIS snow products (MOD10A1.5) to investigate the 15-year record (2000–2014) of snow cover in the predominant forest ecotone of the Oregon Western Cascades. We modeled the ecotone using field …

Transformando La Educación Superior Para Una Amazonía Cambiante, David S. Salisbury, Elizabeth Anderson, Richard Bilsborrow, Connie Campbell, Javier Maldonado-Ocampo, Stephen Perz, Edgar Díaz-Zúñiga

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

El tesista tiene un desafío. ¿Cómo puede construir una metodología para que su trabajo de tesis ayude a una comunidad indígena a enfrentarse a una Amazonía cambiante? Afortunadamente, él es uno de los 21 estudiantes universitarios peruanos que participan en un proyecto que combina la ciencia de vanguardia y la formación tecnológica con la investigación participativa en comunidades indígenas biodiversas. Este Proyecto de Cooperación es un Consorcio entre la Universidad Nacional de Ucayali, Pucallpa, Perú, y la University of Richmond, EE.UU, apoyado por el Programa de Educación Superior para el Desarrollo (HED) del Consejo Americano de Educación (ACE). Esta asociación, …

Table Of Contents

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

Table of Contents for Richmond Journal of Law and the Public Interest Volume XIX Issue No. 1.

Participacion Regional En Las Iniciativas Para Reducir Emisiones De Deforestación Y Degradación Forestal En Ucayali, Peru, Megan Wing, Hasia White, Christian Graven, Mary Finley-Brook

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Esta investigación analiza la participación regional de las iniciativas de Reducción de Emisiones de Deforestación y Degradación Forestal (REDD) en Ucayali, Perú. Utilizamos el enfoque de escala para entender los roles de las agencias gubernamentales, las organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONG), las universidades, el sector privado, y las federaciones indígenas de la región. Nuestra metodología combina la revisión de literatura internacional con entrevistas, encuestas, y observaciones en Pucallpa y Lima efectuadas durante junio y julio del 2013 y 2014. Los resultados sugieren que: (1) existen varias tensiones dentro de los procesos de planificación de REDD en el Perú; y (2) la …

Richmond Journal Of Global Law And Business Volume 13, Issue 4 - Prefatory Matter

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

Richmond Journal Of Global Law And Business Volume 14, Issue 1 - Prefatory Matter

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

University Of Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Department Of Music, University Of Richmond

Music Department Concert Programs

No abstract provided.

Designing A Regional Trail Network Of High Conservation Value Using Principles Of Green Infrastructure, Carroll I. Courtenay, Todd R. Lookingbill

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Conservation and recreation planning potentially share many common goals, including the desire to increase landscape connectivity. Trail networks, however, typically develop independently of ecological corridors, with emphasis placed solely on their human services. The failure to align conservation and human use values results in missed opportunities to maximize the benefits of new trail development. This study uses concepts of green infrastructure and tools of connectivity modeling to identify priority locations for a regional trail network in the James River watershed, Virginia U.S.A. The approach uses methods derived from circuit theory to identify potential pathways that meet basic trail design criteria …

Quantifying Soil Loss In The Hispaniola Borderland, Andrew Valenski

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Resource management is a highly contested topic, as various methodologies have been employed by governments, corporations, and interest groups across the globe. Contemporary debates regarding resource management primarily focus on two linked issues: the role of government and problem recognition. This paper will explain the two different resource management strategies and delve into the problem recognition process. Ultimately, this paper will examine the Haitian-Dominican borderland to address both of these issues and demonstrate the need for an integrated, sustainable, interventionist approach in the management of borderland resources.

Paper prepared for the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar/Geography Capstone.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. David …

A Threat To New Zealand's Tuatara Heats Up, Kristine L. Grayson, Nicola J. Mitchell, Nicola J. Nelson

Biology Faculty Publications

No matter how many times we head to one of New Zealand's offshore islands, the feelings are always a mix of sheer awe at the beauty and biodiversity preserved in these special refuges and lingering nerves. Did we remember all the gear? Do we have enough food and water in case we get stuck? Can the helicopter land on the side of a cliff in these winds? These epic journeys are in pursuit of a lone remnant of the reptile evolutionary tree, with a unique ecology that has big implications under climate change.

Climate Justice Advocacy, Mary Finley-Brook

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Creating international policy to combat climate change is one of the biggest public diplomacy challenges of our time. With slow progress in “state-led” forums such as the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), advocacy coalitions of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are pressuring decision-makers and working to build global awareness. The power of NGOs is soft since state actors set emissions targets; nonetheless, climate justice organizations persistently broadcast several important messages, including: 1) industrialized nations along with private sector polluters have an obligation to remedy ecological debt; 2) low-income and marginalized populations …

Richmond Law Magazine: Summer 2014

Richmond Law Magazine

Features:

Virginians at Risk

Christie Marra Is Not a Crusader

Six Months In

Assessing Scope 3 Emissions Within A University Department: Using A Life Cycle Assessment And Supply Chain Case Studies, Celia J. Landesberg, Erin E. Brady

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

For this report, we conducted a small-scale life cycle assessment for the Department of Geography and the Environment. To supplement the scope of our results, we integrated case studies into our project that analyzed two commonly utilized products frequently purchased by our University: Coca-Cola PlantBottles and Hammermill Paper. The purpose of this project is to identify opportunities to reduce Scope 3 emissions associated with University purchasing habits.

While the scope of this report is limited, analysis of the department and the two case studies suggest the University should conduct a larger, more comprehensive supply chain assessment in the future to …

Climate Change And The Westhampton Lake, Kendel Ahnell, Yaz Nuñez, Natasha Rathlev

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The Westhampton Lake is a cultural monument on campus and one of the University of Richmond's most prominent features. Prospective students have made college decisions based on the lake's beauty and alumni look forward to returning to the waterfront to reminisce about their college experience. The significance of place attachment that members of the Richmond community hold toward the lake imbues great value on the lake as a key geographic element of campus (Devine-Wright, 2013). However, our community suffers from a lack of knowledge around the health and sustainability of this dearly beloved body of water. Over the course of …

Attitudes Towards Climate Change And Sustainability, Sammy Easby, Tess Manning

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The University of Richmond has made great strides as a community to decrease our carbon emissions and live in a more sustainable way. In November of 2007 President Ayers signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which resolves Richmond to mitigate climate change. In response to this action, the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar of 2008 created a report outlining the view of our community about these issues, as well as, offer recommendations for our campus. We, the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Class of 2014 have chosen to focus our capstone on climate change. We recognize that climate change …

Measuring The Support For Climate Change Researchers At The University Of Richmond, Adam Forrer, Brianna Miller, Hunterr Payeur

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Climate change has been recognized globally as one of the leading issues of our generation. In order for the United States to make an appropriate response to climate change there is a need to facilitate climate change research in institutions of higher learning. Making climate change research available to undergraduate students has the potential for positive results for the issue of climate change and the undergraduates who choose to participate in research (Seymor et. al. 2004). As an institution of higher learning and the resources at our disposal, the University of Richmond should be at the forefront of climate change …

Utilizing A Green Revolving Fund For Reforestation On University Of Richmond’S Pagebrook Property, Patrick Love, Adam Owens

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

In 2013, the University of Richmond directly sponsored 3,076,643 miles of travel for faculty, staff, and student, conferences, engagements and sporting events. This type of travel emits over 2,410 tons of carbon into the atmosphere. This research and proposal recommends that the University implement a fee-structure that incorporates the cost of the carbon emitted, and invest the money into a green revolving fund that will allocate money to reforesting the University's Pagebrook Property (Map 1) and purchasing new lands. The reforestation, maintenance, and monitoring of the area will be completed by students interested in forest ecology. The exploration of the …

Carbon Offset Solutions For International Travel Emissions, Kristen Bailey, Kelly Kurz, Tanya Sushkova

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Within a ten-year period (FY 2002-3 to FY 2012-2013), the University of Richmond study abroad program has experienced a 96% increase in student participation. In 2007, Newsweek magazine recognized the University as the "Hottest School in America" for international studies. In 2013, 710 University students studied abroad. While studying abroad has numerous academic benefits, international transportation contributes carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and thus increases the negative environmental consequences of anthropogenic climate change. In FY 2013, UR students traveled 6,154,032 miles, emitting ~6,892,515 pounds of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

Given this negative impact and UR's carbon neutral goals, we …

Rainwater Harvesting System, Diana Alderbashi, Joel Collins, Jack Wilkes

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Water is a crucial resource for the survival of life on earth. Unfortunately, with the increasing threat of climate change fresh water is expected to become a pressing issue in the future for many countries, including the southeastern region of the United States (EPA 2013), refer to figure 1. According to the EPA, water management is likely to become a challenging issue, due to rising temperatures, and demand due to economic and population growth (EPA 2013). Increased temperatures are likely to lead to longer, more intense, and more frequent droughts in the Southeast, putting more stress on water resources (EPA …