Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Planetary Boundary For Chemical Pollution, Miriam L. Diamond, Cynthia A. De Wit, Sverker Molander, Martin Scheringer, Thomas Backhaus, Rainer Lohmann, Rickard Arvidsson, Åke Bergman, Michael Hauschild, Ivan Holoubek, Linn Persson, Noriyuki Suzuki, Marco Vighi, Cornelius Zetzsch

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Rockström et al. (2009a, 2009b) have warned that humanity must reduce anthropogenic impacts defined by nine planetary boundaries if “unacceptable global change” is to be avoided. Chemical pollution was identified as one of those boundaries for which continued impacts could erode the resilience of ecosystems and humanity. The central concept of the planetary boundary (or boundaries) for chemical pollution (PBCP or PBCPs) is that the Earth has a finite assimilative capacity for chemical pollution, which includes persistent, as well as readily degradable chemicals released at local to regional scales, which in aggregate threaten ecosystem and human viability. The PBCP allows …

Factors Influencing Solid-Waste Management In The Developing World, Jessica Mcallister

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

As the world becomes more urbanized and developed consumption rates are on the rise. An inevitable consequence of more consumption is the rapid increase in the amount of solid waste that is produced. Today, solid-waste management (SWM) conditions in the developing world are often quite dire and reminiscent of those found in the developed world several generations ago. The impact of inadequate SWM practices on natural and human environments is now being acknowledged. This report is founded on a comprehensive literature review concerning SWM in developing countries. It also introduces a preliminary research design relevant to a SWM assessment for …

Va Coastlines (End Of 2014-2015 Term), Virginia Coastal Policy Center

Virginia Coastal Policy Center

No abstract provided.

Archaeological Tourism Opportunity Spectrum: Experience Based Management And Design As Applied To Archaeological Tourism, Brian Mazzola

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Archaeological sites need a new management and development framework to address the pressures resulting from an increasing interest in archaeological tourism. This new framework needs to address both the imminent threat that increased tourism brings (overuse, crowding and additional wear) to the site as well as the widening range of experiences that tourists expect. Over the last decades, management frameworks have been developed in many fields of tourism to address similar issues. The most widely known of these approaches are the Recreational Opportunity Spectrum (ROS), the Tourism Opportunity Spectrum (TOS) and the Ecotourism Opportunity Spectrum (ECOS). These frameworks provide several …

Teak Log Coffins In Northwest Thailand: Dated By Dendrochronology And 14cwiggle Matching, Nathsuda Pumijumnong, Sineenart Wannasri

Applied Environmental Research

Log coffins have been discovered in caves and rockshelters in the Pang Ma Pha district, Mae Hong Son province, Northwestern Thailand. Most are made of teak wood. Many researchers have used the 14C method to determine their age. However, 14C cannot provide as precise a ca-lendar age as dendrochronology. In this paper, we therefore applied dendrochronology analysis to a number of teak log coffins at the Ban Rai Rockshelter to establish a floating chronology and to cross-date the coffins relative to each other. Then, wiggle matching was used for one log cof-fin to derive an approximate but absolute calendar age. …

An Appropriate Guideline For Participatory Gis: A Result From The Experience Of Joint Management Of Protected Area Project In Thailand, Phonpat Hemwan

Applied Environmental Research

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the Participatory Geographic Information System (PGIS) process as implemented through the Joint Management of Protected Areas (JoMPA) project. This article analyzes the process of local land use planning using PGIS through demarcation of special use zones. This was demonstrated to be a crucial process in the implemen-tation of conservation projects. Implementation of PGIS involves several operational steps, broughttogether in this study using the method of action research. It is based on collaborative partici-pation by stakeholders in the local area, leading all stakeholders to effective co-management of resources. The means of PGIS is …

Visualization And Interpretation Of Pm10 Monitoring Data Related To Causes Of Haze Episodes In Northern Thailand, Sirapong Sooktawee, Usa Humphries, Aduldech Patpai, Rungrawee Kongsong, Suteera Boonyapitak, Nirun Piemyai

Applied Environmental Research

Monitoring of ambient air quality yields data typically presented as time series plots, tables of summarized statistical values, or other representations. This paper presents an alternative way to visualizing air quality monitoring data by presenting concentrations in the form of a calendar, offering a familiar way for reader to identify air quality trends on various time scales(daily, weekly, or monthly). One of the major air pollution problems in the northern part of Thailand is haze, which is related tothe concentration of airborne particulates less than 10 microns in size (PM10). This paper presents calendars of PM10 concentrations monitored by the …

Best Management Practices For Sustainability In A Small-Scale Community Renewable Energy: Sathya Sai School, Thailand, Panichat Kitisittichai, Ariya Aruninta

Applied Environmental Research

Organizations working towards standardization have defined universal standards for Best Management Practices (BMPs) for renewable energy (RE) projects. However, these universal standards are better suitedto large-scale than small-scale projects such as community renewable energy (CRE) projects. Methods used by CRE projects to achieve BMP status remain to be determined. This paper aims to present various aspects of BMPs for small-scale CRE projects by emphasizing practices that are unrestricted, simple, andadaptable to the surrounding environment, and that will eventually lead to sustainability in the commu-nity. The case study involves RE projects at the 'Sathya Sai School Thailand,' an education-based com-munity which …

Characterization Of Uv-Quenching Dissolved Organic Matter In Landfill Leachate, Alicja Trzopek

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Discharge of landfill leachate to publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) is a common and preferred practice in the United States. Namely, the leachate is mixed with municipal wastewater prior to traditional secondary wastewater treatment, including physical screening, primary settling, aerobic biological degradation, secondary settling and disinfection. Recently, ultraviolet (UV) light has been increasingly applied as a disinfection method at POTWs as an alternative for traditional chlorination, because the latter can produce unwanted disinfection byproducts. However, high strength dissolved organic matter (DOM) in leachate significantly increase the UV absorbing properties of the mixed wastewater at POTWs and decrease the disinfection efficiency …

An Integrated Approach To Assessing Spread Of Commercial Horticulture And Related Environmental Impacts On Watersheds : Cases In Central Highlands Of Kenya, Faith Karegi Muriithi

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Intensive horticulture production has broad environmental implications due to the high dependency on natural resources. Numerous reports indicate positive socio-economic gains associated with the Kenyan horticulture sub-sector. Even so, few highlight the extent of the negative environmental impacts. We adopt a holistic approach that integrates deskwork, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), field study and remote sensing tools to evaluate the spread and growth of commercial horticulture, and the effects on: i) surface water quality, and ii) vegetation condition, in watersheds experiencing increased production within the central highlands. The desk research utilized Google Earth archives and GIS data, to map greenhouse distribution, …

Assessing And Mapping Vulnerability And Risk Perceptions To Groundwater Arsenic Contamination : Towards Developing Sustainable Arsenic Mitigation Models, Sushant Kumar Singh

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study focuses on the arsenic-affected rural communities in Bihar located within the mid-Gangetic Plain in India. A random stratified sampling method is applied to survey 340 households in three villages (Suarmarwa, Rampur Diara, and Bhawani Tola), through a structured questionnaire. A reliable arsenic field testing kit is used to analyze the drinking water sources in the field, followed by a confirmatory test of a subset of water samples through Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The study has two major goals: 1) Develop sustainable arsenic-mitigation models; and 2) Create a “composite vulnerability index,” and present the information as a map for use …

Assessing The Flood Mitigation Potential Of Water Resource Reservoirs, Matthew M. Del Ciello

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The ability of drinking water reservoirs to retain a large amount of runoff during a storm event may allow them to be used as flood mitigation infrastructure. These types of reservoirs are not typically considered for flood mitigation because they are primarily thought of as a resource for drinking water, irrigation, or recreation. Flood mitigation is a secondary or tertiary use. But conscripting them for flood mitigation creates a flexible water resource system and may provide a simpler and more inexpensive solution to flooding than alternative methods since nothing new would need to be constructed.

The process of determining the …

The Relationship Between Extracellular Enzyme Activities, Heavy Metals And Particle Size In Soil, Diane Frances Hagmann

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The overall goal of this research is to investigate the relationship between nutrient cycling and heavy metals in soil. Extracellular enzyme activities were measured as a representation of nutrient cycling in soils collected from a heavy-metal contaminated area where four study sites lie along a gradient of increasing metal load. The site, which was previously a rail yard, is located in Liberty State Park (LSP) in Jersey City, NJ that was closed to the public about 40 years ago and remains closed. My hypothesis is that heavy metal contamination impacts the microbial communities in the soil and therefore the extent …

Root Associated Microbes: The Mediators Between Plants And Soil, Sarah Livingston Dean

Biology ETDs

Globally, increasing human populations have either caused or accelerated several types of environmental change. Symbiotic microbes have powerful effects on plant fitness, yet little study has been done on how microbial-plant relationships are affected by environmental changes. In two different ecosystems I explore how either nitrogen (N) pollution or drought can alter root associated microbe (RAM)-plant relationships using Next Generation Sequencing. In moist-meadow alpine tundra at Niwot Ridge, CO, I examine the relative contribution of host identity, N enrichment, and plant neighborhood on RAM diversity and community composition in two co-dominant plant species; Geum rossii and Deschampsia cespitosa. In New …

Too Wet For Frogs, Too Dry For Lizards: Role Of Changing Precipitation On Tropical Frogs And Arid Lizards, Mason J. Ryan

Biology ETDs

During the course of the Anthropocene, humans have modified the landscape and atmosphere resulting in increased global temperatures and intensification of the hydrologic cycle over the last 100 years. Amphibians and reptiles are especially vulnerable to climate change because of their ectothermic physiology and sensitivity to changes in water availability. The role of moisture or precipitation in ectotherm responses to climate change has not been well studied, but moisture plays a vital role in all aspects of the lives of lizards and frogs. It is exceedingly difficult to study the ecological effects of changing precipitation patterns due the stochastic nature …

Using Network Models To Predict Steelhead Abundance, Middle Fork John Day, Or, Monica R. Blanchard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is important in the management of threatened and endangered species to have informed population estimates. Population estimates are used to gage whether or not recovery goals are being met. When assessing Pacific salmonids this assessment involves sampling a small subset of the population and then scaling up to estimate larger populations units. This is complicated by the fact that fish populations are not evenly distributed along river systems but respond to fluctuating physical and biological stream properties. We used rapid assessment survey methods and the River Styles classification to explore fish-habitat relationships. River Styles is a classification system that …

Cultural, Demographic, And Environmental Influences On Risk Perception And Mitigation In The Wildland-Urban Interface, Voravee Saengawut Chakreeyarat

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Protecting human communities and natural environments from wildfire is growing more complex as more people move to fire-prone areas across the United States. This study integrates cultural, psychological, and environmental information to reach a better understanding of the linkages between perceptions of risk from wildfire and people’s behaviors to reduce that risk. Through studies in fire-prone communities in Arizona, California, and New Mexico, I investigated factors that influence peoples’ decisions whether to undertake wildfire hazard mitigation activities such as clearing dead vegetation around the house. The social and ecological characteristics of individual properties were investigated to understand how they are …

Human Elephant Conflict, Madeleine Johnson, Sara Miller

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

Human elephant conflict is a serious issue around the world. There are various cases, all of which problematic, with many different solutions. By comparing human elephant conflict in various countries throughout the world, we seek to find possible solutions for Sri Lankan communities.

Examining Environmental Injustice In Florida, Samuel Wasserman, Jeffrey Vaz

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

This project analyzes potential areas of environmental injustice on a census tract level throughout Florida. Data on race and median household income were compiled into ArcGIS 10.2.2 along with Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) locations to determine if communities with low income or large minority population are disproportionately exposed to sources of heavy pollution. Statistical tests found that high minority and low income census tracts were more likely to be within two miles of a TRI site and that census tracts containing two or more TRI sites had significantly lower median household incomes than census tracts with only one or fewer …

Predicting At-Risk Areas For Deforestation In Malawi, Robin Lewis, Andrew Currier

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

One of the poorest nations in Africa, the small country of Malawi has recently experienced severe deforestation. From 1990-2010, Malawi lost 17% of its forest cover (FAO 2013). Malawi also has the 6th highest population growth rate in the world (3.3% per year) (CIA 2014). Given this information, our study aimed to predict areas of future deforestation in Malawi. We constructed a spatial model to predict deforestation using the following parameters: distance from roads, distance from major markets, and population density. Our model predicted tree cover loss from 2000-2010 with some degree of accuracy. We then applied this model to …

Human Activity Impacts On Belize Deforestation (1995-2010) And Future Trend Prediction, Xinyi Zheng, Rui Fan

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

Belize is a small country located in Central America. It is known for its high biodiversity and large rainforest coverage. However, as the demand of wood products increases, the vast rainforest is facing the threat of deforestation and land degradation. The tropical rainforest ecosystem is extremely important not only because of the numerous tropical wildlife living there but also because of its medicinal values. What factors, other than human logging of the forest, affect the potential of land degradation of Belize? We propose that such factors may include the ecosystem type of the area, whether it is a national protected …

Identifying Suitable Canada Lynx Habitat In The Northeast, Carla Nyquist, Emily Berry

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

The Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) is a medium-sized predatory cat inhabiting the boreal and montane forests of North America, particularly Canada. However, their range does extend slightly into the subalpine forests of the western US as well as transitional forests in the eastern US. Canada lynx were listed as a federally threatened species in the states at the southern end of their range in 2000, and Maine is currently the only Northeastern state with a resident breeding lynx population, although sightings have been recently reported in New Hampshire and Vermont, which are part of the species historic range. The distribution …

The Utilization Of Spatial Analysis To Predict Areas Of High Shark Attack Risk, Emily Walker, Laurel Whitney

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

In the past twelve months, Australia has faced five fatal shark attacks. Some researchers have attributed this spike in shark attacks to increased populations. Since 1990, the Australian population has increased from 17 million to 23 million. As sharks are relatively common in Australia, the governments of some states have implemented culling as a shark attack mitigation strategy. However, under the Fisheries Management Act 1994 and the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, this program is listed as a Key Threatening Processes as it has harmed two or more threatened species listed under those acts, which has rendered it quite controversial …

Atlas Of Maine: Piping Plover And Least Tern Habitat, Jeffrey Vaz

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

This map highlights the locations of essential habitat for Piping Plovers and Least Terns, both of which are endangered in the state of Maine. Essential habitat is defined as areas that both species use for nesting, feeding, and brood-rearing. Conserved areas in Maine are also highlighted on the map.

Impacts Of Sea Level Rise On Plum Island, Ma, Jessica Batchelder

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

ArcGIS 10.2.2 and NAD1983 Massachusetts Stateplane Mainland FIPS 2001 projection was used to model sea level rise on Plum Island, Massachusetts. Under high sea level rise conditions of 3m, 81.9% of the buildings on the island will be inundated in addition to a total of 11.06km2 or 75.44% of the islands land area. 86.5% of the wetlands would be inundated, the most loss of any vegetation type on the island. Based upon elevation data, this model provides a basic analysis of the impacts of extreme sea level rise on Plum Island.

Case Studies Of Turtle Rehabilitation As Implicators Of Legislative Efficacy, Meredith Braun

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

Six of the seven species of marine turtles occur in Australias waters. All species of marine turtle are listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). International legislation exists for the protection of biodiversity, habitats, and endangered flora and fauna, but the cohesion of these policies leaves much to be questioned. In cooperation with the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre on Fitzroy Island, Queensland, Australia, this study aimed to take the stories of four turtles observed in rehabilitation in May of 2014 and use them as a launching pad for investigation and …

Preferences For Eco-Labels In Seafood And Underutilized Fish, Xiaojie Chen

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

The alarming decline of the global fishing economy has led to an increased recognition for the need to relieve pressure from the few commercially marketed and heavily overfished stocks, while regaining economic stability for struggling fishing communities. We can improve the longevity and well-being of both the fish stocks and the coastal communities by shifting consumer demand toward seafood that is more sustainably harvested or locally supplied. Currently, however, lack of transparency in the seafood supply chain is a severe impediment to consumer-driven solutions. In response, ecologically aware organizations have begun distributing a variety of eco-labels that help describe the …

The Fierce Green Fire: Vol 5 Issue 22, Wofford College Environmental Studies Program

The Fierce Green Fire

No abstract provided.

Environmental Justice In California: An Analysis On The Correlation Between Toxic Release And Population Distribution, Maria Urrutia

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

No abstract provided.

The Grizzly, April 30, 2015, Rachel Brown, Brian Thomas, Maddie Mathay, Maxwell Bicking, Phoebe French, Briana Mullan, Kristen Costello, Caitlin Tillson, Annie Rus, Jordan Ostrum, Jonathan Vander Lugt, Hunter Gellman

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

New President: S. Brock Blomberg Will Assume Ursinus Presidency in July • Katz Receives Spanish Award • UC Receives STEM Grant • Commencement Will Honor Fongs • Main Street Safety is Addressed • What's the Origin of Collegeville's Name? • Sustainability Tent Returning for Move Out Days • Ursinus' GSA Celebrates 25 Years on Campus • Breakaway Student Shows Performing This Weekend • Opinion: The Path to Safer Greek Organizations at UC; Greek Life is Destructive Across the United States • Local Alum Helps Bolster UC Softball Program • One More Goal