Digital Commons Network^™

Vista: May 9, 2019, University Of San Diego

USD Vista (1965-)

No abstract provided.

Wish You Were Here, Janie Stamm, Janie I. Stamm

Graduate School of Art Theses

The State of Florida is under threat from the effects of climate change. Rising sea levels are creeping up on to Florida’s coast, eroding the beaches and encroaching on heavily populated cities. Over my lifetime I will watch the water spill over the streets of my home town. I will watch the water flood the Everglades, pushing saltwater into freshwater habitats. I will watch the water begin to drown the state, taking Florida’s many little known histories along with it. This thesis serves as a document of Floridian life during the Anthropocene.

Within this thesis, I tell the story of …

Impacts Of Climate Change On Groundwater Recharge In Wyoming Big Sagebrush Ecosystems Are Contingent On Elevation, Lukas W. Lindquist, Kyle A. Palmquist, Samuel E. Jordan, William K. Lauenroth

Western North American Naturalist

Water is the most limiting and important natural resource in drylands, where low precipitation, high evaporative demand, and drought events are common. Groundwater is the critical resource for human livelihoods to persist through the intra-annual dry periods in dryland ecosystems. Overexploitation of groundwater resources and the externalities associated with depleted aquifers make understanding the ecohydrology of drylands an essential issue. We focus on the water balance and climatic drivers of big sagebrush ecosystems, an important dryland ecosystem type in Wyoming that covers a large spatial extent. The goal of this project was to understand how groundwater recharge (GWR) may change …

Front Matter, Vol. 79 No. 1

Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Editors, Jonathan Elwell, Oliver Wolyniec

Climate and Society

Introduction to Volume 1 (2019), Issue 1 of Climate and Society

Improving The Food Safety Of Louisiana Strawberry Industry, Jose L. Brandao Delgado

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella sp., and Listeria monocytogenes have been linked to foodborne outbreaks in produce. The most recent outbreaks in produce have been associated with irrigation water due to infiltration of well water or water run-off from contaminated sources. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requires all irrigation water to be safe for use on produce, as a strategy to reduce foodborne illnesses. A surfactant modified zeolite (SMZ) filtration system could provide produce farmers with a sustainable low-cost system for high-quality and safe irrigation water. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of hexadecyltrimethylammonium …

Green Ring Wayfinding Map, Lorena Nascimento, Adam Brunelle, Arlene Amaya

Student Research Symposium

Lents is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Portland, with a higher percentage of Latinos and Asians than the average city demographics. The neighbors are either long-term homeowners, people displaced from North Portland due to the gentrification, and new residents seeking economic development areas with an affordable price. The Green Ring Wayfinding Map is a community place-making project that improves neighborhood safety, accessibility, and enjoyment through conversations and collaboration across Lents diversity and geography. After three years of focus groups and surveys with the Lents residents, a Green Ring Wayfinding Map is being created to praise the values, branding, …

Co-Producing A Research Agenda For Sustainable Palm Oil, Rory Padfield, Sune Hansen, Zoe G. Davies, Albrecht Ehrensperger, Eleanor M. Slade, Stephanie Evers, Effie Papargyropoulou, Cécile Bessou, Norhayati Abdullah, Susan Page, Marc Ancrenaz, Paul Aplin, Shahirah Balqis Dzulkafli, Holly Barclay, Darshanaa Chellaiah, Sonal Choudhary, Samantha Conway, Sarah Cook, Alison Copeland, Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz, Nicolas J. Deere, Simon Drew, David Gilvear, Ross Gray, Tobias Haller, Amelia S.C. Hood, Lee Kim Huat, Nhat Huynh, Nagulendran Kangayatkarasu, Lian Pin Koh, Sanath Kumaran Kolandai, Robin Ah Hee Lim, Kok Loong Yeong, Jennifer M. Lucey, Sarah H. Luke, Simon L. Mitchell, Marvin J. Montefrio, Katherine Mullin, Anand Nainar, K. Anne Isola Nekaris, Vincent Nijman, Matheus Nunes, Siti Nurhidayu, Patrick O'Reilly, Chong Leong Puan, Nadine Ruppert, Hengky Salim, Greetje Schouten, Anne Tallontire, Thomas E.L. Smith, Hsiao Hang Tao, Mun Hou Tham, Helena Varkkey, Jamie Wadey, Catherine M. Yule, Badrul Azhar, Alexander K. Sayok, Charles Vairappan, Jake E. Bicknell, Matthew J. Struebig

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The rise of palm oil as the world's most consumed vegetable oil has coincided with exponential growth in palm oil research activity. Bibliometric analysis of research outputs reveals a distinct imbalance in the type of research being undertaken, notably a disproportionate focus on biofuel and engineering topics. Recognizing the expansion of oil palm agriculture across the tropics and the increasing awareness of environmental, social, and economic impacts, we seek to reorientate the existing research agenda toward one that addresses the most fundamental and urgent questions defined by the palm oil stakeholder community. Following consultation with 659 stakeholders from 38 countries, …

Coastal Ecosystem Investigations With Lidar (Light Detection And Ranging) And Bottom Reflectance: Lake Superior Reef Threatened By Migrating Tailings, Charlie Kerfoot, Martin M. Hobmeier, Sarah Green, Foad Yousef, Colin Brooks, Robert Shuchman, Michael Sayers, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Where light penetration is excellent, the combination of LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) and passive bottom reflectance (multispectral, hyperspectral) greatly aids environmental studies. Over a century ago, two stamp mills (Mohawk and Wolverine) released 22.7 million metric tons of copper-rich tailings into Grand Traverse Bay (Lake Superior). The tailings are crushed basalt, with low albedo and spectral signatures different from natural bedrock (Jacobsville Sandstone) and bedrock-derived quartz sands. Multiple Lidar (CHARTS and CZMIL) over-flights between 2008–2016—complemented by ground-truth (Ponar sediment sampling, ROV photography) and passive bottom reflectance studies (3-band NAIP; 13-band Sentinal-2 orbital satellite; 48 and 288-band CASI)—clarified shoreline and …

Market And Non-Market Valuation Of Renewable Energy, Jamal Mamkhezri

Economics ETDs

This dissertation is an assessment of market and non-market valuation of renewable energy, specifically within the electricity sector. It contributes to the energy and economics literature through a battery of three chapters. This dissertation utilizes New Mexico as a case study, which is an economically poor and natural-resource rich state that produces and consumes electricity in the southwestern United States. It is also one of the four states that have adopted a policy for 100% clean energy by 2045.

The first chapter models state- and county-level economic (e.g., employment, economic output, etc.) and environmental (e.g., externality, health impact, water use, …

Effects Of Enrichment On Captive Ring-Tailed Lemurs, Madison T. Evans

Honors Capstones

This research aimed to examine the effects of different enrichment devices on the behavior of a group of four captive ring-tailed lemurs at Summerfield Zoo in Belvidere, IL. Enrichment has been shown to increase the overall health and wellbeing of animals living in captivity by encouraging natural behaviors while discouraging harmful behaviors. This project studied the reactions the lemurs had to four different feeding enrichment devices over a seven-week period. Lemurs sat and slept significantly more and interacted less during the pre-enrichment period (17%, 61%, 0% respectively) as compared to the during-enrichment period (34%, 0%, 33%) (T=5.74, p <0.001, T=14.17. p <0.001, T=-6.64, p < 0.001). Lemurs also sat more and slept less during the post-enrichment (28%, 30%) than during the pre-enrichment period (17%, 61%) (T=-3.69, p<0.01, T=8.10, p<0.001). There were no significant differences in the effects of the four different enrichment devices on the lemurs’ behavior. As wild ring-tailed lemurs are active during most of the day, the devices successfully increased naturalistic behaviors, and these effects persisted even in the post-enrichment period. These results suggest that zoo and sanctuary animals can benefit from exposure to different enrichment devices, and that even simple, inexpensive enrichment devices are effective and should be included in the daily care of all animals.

Curriculum Enhancement: A Proposal For An Oral Communication Lab At Niu, Robin K. Grooms

Honors Capstones

This project seeks to increase opportunities to NIU students to enhance their skills in oral communication beyond the requirements of their curriculum. A proposal for an oral communication lab has been developed in order to support future career and academic success. A program analysis of the interest and practicality of an oral communication lab was conducted based on analyses of current programs, a survey of students, and dialogue with students after individualized coaching. The Writing Center and Career Services, as well as other universities’ programs have provided quality models for the implementation of this proposal. The lab would provide a …

Fortifying Lower Manhattan's Shoreline, Krystel Campuzano, Mathlyn Mckie

Publications and Research

Lower Manhattan comprises less than 1% of the entire city’s land area, but generates almost 10% of the city’s total economic output, as measured by Gross City Product, and is the location of over 10% of all New York City jobs. Workers in Lower Manhattan come from all parts of the city. The District’s growth is supported by excellent access to transit, with 19 out of 25 subway lines and 26 ferry lines passing through the District. Any climate impacts in the District will resonate across the city as a whole and beyond. Because Lower Manhattan is a critical economic, …

Commencement 2019 (Program And Video), Illinois Wesleyan University

Commencement Ceremonies

No abstract provided.

University Of Montana Commencement Program, Spring 2019, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of The Registrar

University of Montana Commencement Programs, 1898-2020

Commencement program from the University of Montana.

Conservation Education: Using Birds To Connect Communities To Their Natural Environment, Kathryn A. Olson

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

The theme of my portfolio is conservation education, using birds as an example of how to connect people of all ages to their natural environment. Birds were chosen as an example because of a personal curiosity for the animal, and because they are an accessible and tangible element of nature for all people, urban and rural. The first component is a Curriculum Development Guide created for the Wings Over Water program of the Montana Natural History Center. It synthesizes scientific research on Ospreys, relates central themes of the literature to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and provides inventive activity ideas …

Increasing Environmental Education Accessibility Through New Media, Farrah Masoumi

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio shows projects that aim to create a larger outreach for environmental education through digital education content and expand already existing programs to enhance the learning and teaching experience. All of these components highlight the integration between environmental education and new media. By being based online, where many people spend their time, it can serve as a tool to get people outside. Audiences can learn more about the environment they are a part of and give them the power and knowledge to make changes to become more responsible global citizens in their day to day lives.

The Firece Green Fire: Vol. 9 Issue 25, Wofford College Environmental Studies Program

The Fierce Green Fire

No abstract provided.

Assessing How Terrain Representations And Scale Affect The Accuracy Of Distance Estimates, Kristian Mueller

Geography ETDs

Terrain is often displayed on maps either as background or foreground. Although terrain representations are ubiquitous, there is not a thorough understanding of map-readers’ cognition of geographic surfaces from various terrain representations. The research described in this thesis empirically assessed map users’ abilities at estimating straight-line distance using maps with two different types of terrain representations and at three different scales. The objective of this research was to assess how accurately map users estimate distance on the ground taking into account variations in elevation. Participant data in the form of demographics and distance estimates were statistically analyzed to determine if …

Two Arguments For Extending Legal Personhood To Nature, Hailey Walley

Honors Theses

This thesis will articulate new sorts of arguments under a legal philosophy framework that I believe can be used to protect the environment, but which also have a chance at convincing a wide range of citizens and politicians. The conclusion for which I will argue is that the United States should extend legal personhood to Nature. I will first provide detailed analyses of two countries that have already extended rights to nature, Ecuador and Bolivia. I will then proceed to compare the two cases and discuss what aspects of their models can and cannot be applied to the United States, …

Mapping Wilderness Character In Adams County, Pennsylvania, Alyssa J. Kaewwilai

Gettysburg Social Sciences Review

The spatial trends in wilderness character in Adams County, Pennsylvania were examined to evaluate how influenced specific areas are impacted by human activity and development. Indicators of wilderness character were selected as natural, untrammelled, undeveloped, along with solitude and unconfined recreation by the Death Valley National Park staff in which a 0-4 ranking system was based upon to portray a range of most degraded to optimal land. This was executed through examination of factors such as abundance of biodiversity and human development within the given area before a Monte Carlo simulation was run to show sensitivity of change. It was …

The Gettysburg Social Sciences Review Spring 2019

Gettysburg Social Sciences Review

No abstract provided.

The Santa Clara, 2019-05-02, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

Observation Of Visitors At A Chimpanzee (Pan Troglodytes Schweinfurthii) Ecotourism Site Reveals Opportunity For Multiple Modes Of Pathogen Transmission, Darcey Glasser

Theses and Dissertations

Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) tracking is a popular ecotourism activity across Sub-Saharan Africa, offering visitors a personal wildlife experience. However, chimpanzee ecotourism may increase the risk of disease transmission between chimpanzees and people. This study assessed how tourist behaviors might facilitate cross-species disease transmission in Kibale National Park, Uganda.

A Smartphone App Survey To Encourage Sustainable And Healthy Travel Mode Choices, Paul Rivers

Theses and Dissertations

Can access to carbon footprint and health [calorie and fat burn] information influence transportation behavior? Survey methods are used in conjunction with a smartphone GPS mobile app to measure transportation tendencies in weekdays – weekends, and willingness to undertake modal shift based on app experience over one week.

Panel 3 – “Lasting” And Closing Remarks, Summer Quintana, Brie Sherwin, Keith Hirokawa, Mike Woodard, Heather Keefer, Kyle Medin

Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum

No abstract provided.

The Division Of Federal Spending For Environmental Programs And Space Agencies, Ivan Paul Thaddeus Anterola '21, Sreyansh Mamidi '21, Ethan Thieme '21

Student Leadership Exchange (SLX)

With the rise of privately owned space programs/organizations, such as SpaceX, the amount of federal funding towards NASA has come into question. In the modern day, the government is providing money to an organization that is being matched by privately funded organizations, like SpaceX, when there are more pressing matters affecting us here on our own planet. One of these pressing matters is environmental conservation. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is researching ways to save life on our planet, such as ways to stop climate change, stop global warming, and reduce carbon dioxide, which will affect us in the near …

Talking Weather From Ge-Rede To Ge-Stell, Babette Babich

Articles and Chapters in Academic Book Collections

Talking about the weather was until recently a clicM expression for time wasting, idle chatter, what Heidegger calls Gerede. Today's talk of global warming seems altogether different. Yet Heidegger's analysis of Ge-Stell also permits a complex reading of the mobilization of popular opinion, totalized as he knew this to have been in his own political era. Here it is useful to take up the question of its current totalization along with a reflection on today's "climatic regimes," as Bruno Latour has recently spoken of these. For his part, Peter Sloterdijk uses the language of atmoterrorism, and although his analysis draws …

Confronting Environmental Inequality: Assessing And Mitigating Students' Exposure To Near Roadway Air Pollution In Silicon Valley, Christopher M. Bacon, Iris T. Stewart, Emma Hokoda, Martín Pérez, Genevieve Clow, Rawley Loken, Lindsay Tenes, Katie O'Neill, Socorro Madrigal, Eva Marron

Environmental Studies and Sciences

Near roadway vehicle emissions, such as particulate matter (PM), nitrous oxides, and other contaminants, are major sources of air pollution, which can cause respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses.¹ Chronic air and noise pollution exposures can also negatively influence cognitive function and student learning. Of greatest concern are concentrations within 500 feet of high traffic street edges, but concentrations can be harmful at distances up to 1320 ft.² Vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, or those with impaired health are likely to suffer the greatest impacts. In 2003, the California legislature passed SB 352, prohibiting building new schools within …

Puerto Rico's Coffee Region: A Socio-Economic Profile, Carla B. Lee Ms.

Sustainability and Social Justice

Using demographic, social, and economic information from the US Census Bureau, this study portrays the current conditions of Puerto Rico’s Coffee Region. There is evidence for the decline of the overall population in Puerto Rico, specifically younger groups, while women are economically disadvantaged in this region. Although there has been significant decline in the agricultural sector as a percentage of GDP, coffee holds significant potential to improve overall economic growth in the region.