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Seasonal Temperature Changes In Three Midwestern Wastewater Streams And The Effects On Fish Assemblages And Physiology, Ryan William Sparks

Masters Theses

Midwestern United States undergo extreme temperature and precipitation fluctuations throughout the year, which leads to changing habitats within Illinois river systems. Wastewater treatment facilities have long been used to treat sewage and reduce the organic products in sewage before releasing it into aquatic environments. Wastewater treatment facilities must maintain optimal conditions, especially temperature, for reproduction and growth of facilitated bacteria that break down organic materials in wastewater. The objectives for this study were to determine the thermal effects of wastewater treatment facilities on receiving waters; and secondly, to investigate the influence of these wastewater facilities on fish abundance and assemblages. …

Measuring Differential Forest Growth In The Sheepscot River Headwaters With Bitemporal Lidar, Soren Denlinger

Honors Theses

In recent years, lidar has proven itself as a forestry tool capable of accurate, large- scale inventories. Lidar has even shown utility in multitemporal analysis and growth assessment, given high-resolution or small-scale point clouds. However, lidar’s efficacy as a multitemporal tool with relatively low-resolution, large-scale datasets is comparatively unknown. In this study, I compared forest in Midcoast Maine bitemporally, with publicly available datasets from the years 2007 and 2012. Specifically, I compared differences in growth characteristics of riparian, wetland, and upland forests. Although the 2007 dataset (created for geomorphological research) and the 2012 dataset (statewide, general-purpose) possess varying point densities …

Chemical Composition Of Airborne Pm10 Particles From The Salton Sea Playa: Development And Severity Of Asthma In Children Under 14 In Imperial County, Maggie Colangelo, Mary Boyes

Undergraduate Research Posters

Chemical Composition of Airborne PM10 Particles from the Salton Sea Playa: Development and Severity of Asthma in Children under 14 in Imperial County

Maggie Colangelo, Depts. of Communication Arts and Environmental Studies, with Prof. Mary Boyes, VCU Honors College

I was prompted to begin this paper after reading about a water transfer agreement which will significantly reduce the water levels of the Salton Sea beginning in January 2018. Concerns over the impact this change would have on local air quality and how air quality changes would affect respiratory health, particularly in children were present in the community. I chose to …

Externalities As The Status Quo: Federal Application Of Environmental Charges In The United States, Robert Zupko

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Conceptualized as early as 1920 by English economist Arthur Cecil Pigou, but not formalized until later work in the 1970s and 1990s, “environmental charges” are a form of Pigouvian taxes that suggest the revenue burden of governance could be shifted from economic “goods” to environmental “bads”. While their association with Pigouvian taxes would suggest that environmental charges are applied as a policy instrument to encourage the reduction or elimination of environmental externalities, their application at the federal level in the United States suggests this is not the case. This report postulates that federally applied environmental charges accept environmental externalities as …

Predictors Of The Health Effects Of Marijuana Use On The Hepatic Function, Makafui Kokou Gbogbo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The quantity of marijuana use, the length of time it was used, and the age of initiation of the drug are at the core of the discussions about the potential health effects of marijuana use on the liver. Results of recent studies regarding how the drug affects human health have resulted in a number of conflicting conclusions. Nevertheless, based on these findings, marijuana users are being denied liver transplants. The objective of this study was to identify predictors of the health effects of marijuana on the liver and provide guidance in the care management of marijuana users. To address the …

Anthropogenic Impacts And Influence On African Painted Dogs (Lycaon Pictus), Tammy Cloutier

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Anthropogenic activity has been documented to have negative impacts on wildlife that include altered behaviors, lower body mass, and decreased reproductive success. Although wildlife viewing provides support for conservation efforts, it is also one of many human recreational activities that pose a threat to wildlife. The painted dog (Lycaon pictus) is a popular species for viewing by tourists, and one of Africa’s most endangered carnivores. Anthropogenic-based actions such as persecution, snaring, diseases transmitted via domestic dogs, and habitat fragmentation contribute to their decline, and human disturbance at den sites, primarily via tourism, is an emergent threat for this species. I …

How Is Energy Justice Built Into Community Choice Aggregation? A Comparative Case Study Of The Lowell Community Choice Power Supply Program And Cape Light Compact, Massachusetts, Felicity Monk

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Community Choice Aggregation represents a potential opportunity to meet climate change mitigation aims through bulk buying renewable energy, but there remain challenges to deliver energy justice for low income communities. This thesis researched how two CCA programs - the Lowell Community Choice Power Supply Program and the Cape Light Compact - are building energy justice into their mission and activities. Archival research was conducted and eleven in-person interviews took place with experts, advocates and practitioners across the two CCA programs. Questions centered around five energy justice themes - community control, community ownership, local green jobs, low income assistance, and the …

Amphibian Species Richness And Distribution In Vernal Pools At Glover’S Ledge, Langdon, Nh, Kimberly Snyder

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Vernal pools are important breeding grounds for forest amphibians and vital habitat for many populations of species. With the goal of better managing Glover’s Ledge (GL) for its amphibian communities, the objectives of this study were to assess the current hydrologic profile of the GL vernal pools over the duration of the breeding season, identify richness and distribution of amphibian species utilizing vernal pools, and provide baseline amphibian data for future monitoring and management at GL. Egg masses of Lithobates sylvaticus (wood frogs) and Ambystoma maculatum (Spotted salamanders) in three pools on the site (SWP, LL, and SW) were monitored …

Pendanaan Dalam Pencapaian Akses Universal Air Minum Di Indonesia, Ratria Anggraini Sudarsono, Nurkholis Nurkholis

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Pembangunan Indonesia

RPJMN 2015–2019 mandates universal access of drinking water in 2019. This study analyzes the policy using panel data regression. Random Effect Model (REM ) shows funding, per capita Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP ), and population density explain the water coverage of 23.57%, while the rest are explained by variables outside the model. Gross Regional Domestic Product (PDRB) per capita has the biggest impact on coverage, followed by Population Density. On funding, central government’s budget significantly has the highest impact, followed by local government’s budget (APBD), while others aren’t significant. Investment has positive effect, but high per capita investment may …

Monitoring Temporal Trends In Catostomidae Larvae In Large Sized River Tributaries, Kellie Nicole Hanser

Masters Theses

Large river ecosystems can support a complex network of tributaries that provide optimal habitat for fish reproduction. Anthropogenic alteration of rivers and tributaries has been shown to have adverse effects on river fish communities, but few studies have focused on the effects river regulation may have on the reproduction of native suckers (Family Catostomidae). In this study, I evaluated differences in biotic and abiotic factors associated with catostomid reproduction between tributaries of an altered and free-flowing river. I conducted ichthyoplankton sampling using drift nets and larval push nets in tributaries of the Illinois River, which is regulated for navigation, and …

Pols 332: Climate Change: Policy And Politics - A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Ursula W. Kreitmair

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This benchmark portfolio i) provides and overview learning objectives of and pedagogical techniques used in POLS 332 Climate Change: Policy and Politics; and ii) assesses student learning in the course. The course is an upper-level undergraduate course designed to provide students with the ability to follow and actively participate in current climate change policy debates. The course seeks to leave students well versed in both domestic and international policy settings, to provide them with the ability to identify critical assumptions that can alter policy outcomes, and to bestow students with significant understanding of current climate policy. The course is inter-disciplinary …

Theoretical Perspectives Of The Baltimore Ecosystem Study: Conceptual Evolution In A Social–Ecological Research Project, Steward T. A . Pickett, Mary L. Cadenasso, Matthew E. Baker, Lawrence E. Band, Christopher G. Boone, Geoffrey L. Buckley, Peter M. Groffman, J. Morgan Grove, Elena G. Irwin, Sujay S. Kaushal, Shannon L. Ladeau, Charles H. Nilon, Michele Romolini, Emma J. Rosi, Christopher M. Swan, Katalin Szlavecz

Advanced Science Research Center

The Earth's population will become more than 80% urban during this century. This threshold is often regarded as sufficient justification for pursuing urban ecology. However, pursuit has primarily focused on building empirical richness, and urban ecology theory is rarely discussed. The Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) has been grounded in theory since its inception and its two decades of data collection have stimulated progress toward comprehensive urban theory. Emerging urban ecology theory integrates biology, physical sciences, social sciences, and urban design, probes interdisciplinary frontiers while being founded on textbook disciplinary theories, and accommodates surprising empirical results. Theoretical growth in urban ecology …

Situating Asian American Environmental (In)Justices Through Radical History Walking Tours, Yuxin Zhou

Pomona Senior Theses

By analyzing two radical history walking tours in Seattle, WA, and Berkeley, CA, this thesis aims to examine how Asian American communities can find their places in the U.S. environmental movement. I argue that these walking tours provide generative pedagogical tools to engage the general public to unpack the complex Asian American history embedded within urban spaces. I also articulate how these walking tours have the capacity to situate environmental struggles and activism within urban spaces, illustrating that various Asian American social and political activism has always been addressing environmental concerns. Furthermore, I argue that these walking tours of Asian …

Short-Term Estimate Of Finfish Bycatch Discards In The Inshore Artisanal Shrimp Fishery Of Guyana, Leanna Kalicharan, Hazel A. Oxenford

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The artisanal shrimp fishery in Guyana is important for livelihood and food security, involving around 300 vessels owned and crewed exclusively by Guyanese nationals. This fishery uses Chinese seines and operates in major river estuaries. It targets penaeid shrimp, but also retains some finfish and is known to discard a significant but undocumented quantity of smaller finfish bycatch. The lack of knowledge regarding the bycatch is a concern for fishery management and biodiversity conservation. In this study, we quantify for the first time the finfish bycatch discards through onboard observations (July—August 2016) of a single typical vessel operating in the …

Exploring Scale In Ocean And Coastal Governance In The Wider Caribbean, Robin C. Mahon

Gulf and Caribbean Research

An early childhood attraction to the sea led to a career in marine ecology, fisheries and ocean and coastal governance. This paper tracks the development of my career from tertiary education, through a variety of jobs and positions with government, private sector, international and academic organizations. These positions took me from national to regional levels of governance, then down to local levels and ultimately back up to regional and global levels. At each stage new concepts join those already there to build what is ultimately a multilevel perspective on ocean and coastal governance. This perspective is built around ideas of …

Pelagic Sargassum Prediction And Marine Connectivity In The Tropical Atlantic, Donald R. Johnson, James S. Franks, Hazel A. Oxenford, Shelly-Ann L. Cox

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Since 2011, pelagic Sargassum has experienced extraordinary blooms in the Tropical Atlantic where a system of persistent but seasonally variable currents has retained and consolidated it in large masses. Although beneficial at sea, principally as a unique pelagic habitat, when Sargassum inundates the nearshore environment it can have catastrophic effects on tourism, fisheries, health, and local ecosystems. Providing advanced warning of arrival dates of large masses of Sargassum is critical for enabling preparations and planning for its removal, use, and mitigation. Predictions of arrival time and location involve satellite identification of Sargassum at sea together with ocean current data for …

Winning Entry For 2020, Avatar Simpson

Library Research Prize

No abstract provided.

Exemplary Legal Writing 2019: Five Recommendations, G. Edward White, Sarah Seo

Faculty Scholarship

In the song “Natalie Cook” from the musical podcast “36 Questions,” a married couple deals with the fallout from the husband’s discovery that his wife is really an individual named Judith, who “built a past / Made up a history / Details that fit this person named / Natalie.” When the husband accuses the wife, “You’re the one who made her up,” Natalie/Judith responds, “It was a bit more collaborative than you’re remembering.”

Algorithms For Inferring Multiple Microbial Networks, Sahar Tavakoli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The interactions among the constituent members of a microbial community play a major role in determining the overall behavior of the community and the abundance levels of its members. These interactions can be modeled using a network whose nodes represent microbial taxa and edges represent pairwise interactions. A microbial network is a weighted graph that is constructed from a sample-taxa count matrix and can be used to model co-occurrences and/or interactions of the constituent members of a microbial community. The nodes in this graph represent microbial taxa and the edges represent pairwise associations amongst these taxa. A microbial network is …

Hydrogen Peroxide: A Grower’S Best Friend?, Mitchell Eicher-Sodo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is an oxidizing agent used to disinfect irrigation systems (e.g. nutrient solution and equipment) used in controlled environment plant production and produces no harmful by-products. The action of H₂O₂ is non-selective, and therefor H₂O₂ will oxidize all components of the irrigation water as well as tissues from the greenhouse crops being irrigated. The phytotoxic effect H₂O₂ has on common greenhouse crops is not well understood, requiring detailed characterization and determination of threshold concentrations. Thresholds within the thesis were based on applied H₂O …

Monitoring Environmental Change Using A Participatory Modified Photovoice Approach With Indigenous Knowledge Holders In Kakisa, Northwest Territories, Kaitlin Kok

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In response to growing pressures from climate change and the lack of a monitoring strategy for food security at a local and regional level in the Northwest Territories, there is an urgency for residents to record their own images of change in relation to harvester safety. This thesis explores the connection between geographic information systems, sustainable food systems, indigenous knowledge and the importance of place. The objective of this study is two-fold: (a) to develop a monitoring system in conjunction with the community of Kakisa and (b) to increase the resilience of the local food system. The methods used derive …

Seeking A Path To Wellness And Flourishing: Exploring Ecological Citizenship, Systems Thinking, And Environmental Governance In Southwest Yukon, Amanda Solmes

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

While efforts toward environmental management (EM) have been increasing, the state of our natural world is getting worse. Numerous reports have outlined that today’s environmental problems are predominantly human-induced, yet approaches to EM often only address “environmental” rather than “human” issues. More holistic approaches are required. This thesis explores “ecological citizenship” (EC) as an alternative framework that may have the potential to address elements too often left out of top-down and reductionist approaches. Academic and case-based notions of this concept are explored, and a new definition for the term is developed. A case study, drawn from the rich results of …

Projecting Spatial Changes In Sugar Maple Sap Flow Regimes In A Changing Climate, Holly Crawford

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Anthropogenic climate change presents a potential threat to maple syrup production in Canada. To mitigate risks associated with climate change, information about the biological changes that may occur in a warming climate are necessary. This project studied one component- sap flow- that in part determines the economic viability of maple syrup production. A temperature-based sap flow model was used to project the start of the sap flow season in southern Ontario, and GIS applications were used to aggregate the results. The start of the sap flow season was projected for early, mid, and late-century periods under two climate change scenarios, …

Impact Of Seismic Lines On The Hydrology Of Wetlands In The Discontinuous Permafrost Zone, Southwestern Northwest Territories, Angela Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Previous studies in the southern Northwest Territories have shown the underlying discontinuous permafrost is sensitive to disturbances such as the creation of seismic lines. Their creation has resulted in compaction topsoil and tree removal causing accelerated permafrost thaw. The loss of permafrost has caused seismic lines’ surface elevation to subside, which allows water to conjugate. This increases the soil moisture of a seismic line, which results in preferential thaw along the seismic line edges. Thaw along the edges over time has connected more previously isolated wetlands to seismic lines. This leads to more water entering, resulting in higher water levels …

Reconstructing Hydrologic Conditions And Metals Supplied By The Peace River To The Peace-Athabasca Delta, Jelle André Faber

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD) in northern Alberta, Canada, is recognized internationally for its ecological, historical, and cultural significance. The delta is mostly within Wood Buffalo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. The construction of the WAC Bennett Dam (1967) and the Site C Dam (ongoing, 2024) on the Peace River, and expansion of the Alberta Oil Sands industry along the Athabasca River have raised concerns over water quantity and quality in the delta. When industry operations began, effective monitoring had not been implemented. Consequently, pre-industrial reference conditions are unknown and can …

Navigating Islands’ Political Geographies: The Case Of The 'Maduro Migrations' From Venezuela To Trinidad And Tobago, Shiva Mohan

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Grounded in critical geopolitics and feminist political geography, this dissertation undertakes a critical examination of Trinidad and Tobago’s (T&T) responses to the inflow of Venezuelans from the “Maduro migrations” since 2015. This massive displacement was triggered by conditions of economic, political and humanitarian crisis on the Venezuelan mainland. The dissertation’s central argument is that T&T’s responses are strategic exercises in defence of its sovereignty, launched through the conscious use of its island-geographies, with a view to rejecting external dictates in its domestic affairs. The island’s responses are examined through three interrelated, but scalarly disparate foci: regional and hemispheric geopolitical influences …

Assessing The Biological Safety Of Atmospheric Cold Plasmatreated Wheat Using Cell And Insect Models, Agata Los, Dana Ziuzina, Daniela Boehn, Paula Bourke

Articles

Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) is under investigation for an extensive range of biocontrol applications in food biosystems. However, the development of a novel intervention technology requires a thorough evaluation of the potential for negative effects and the implications for the human and animal food chains’ safety. The evaluations were performed using a contained, high-voltage, dielectric barrier discharge plasma system. The cytotoxicity of two types of food models—a liquid model (wheat model medium (WMM)) vs. a solid model (wheat grain extract (WGE)) was compared in vitro using the mammalian cell line CHO-K1. The residual toxicity of ACP treatment of grains for …

Seasonal And Latitudinal Variations In Sea Ice Algae Deposition In The Northern Bering And Chukchi Seas Determined By Algal Biomarkers, Chelsea Wegner Koch, Lee W. Cooper, Catherine Lalande, Thomas A. Brown, Karen E. Frey, Jacqueline M. Grebmeier

Geography

An assessment of the production, distribution and fate of highly branched isoprenoid (HBI) biomarkers produced by sea ice and pelagic diatoms is necessary to interpret their detection and proportions in the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas. HBIs measured in surface sediments collected from 2012 to 2017 were used to determine the distribution and seasonality of the biomarkers relative to sea ice patterns. A northward gradient of increasing ice algae deposition was observed with localized occurrences of elevated IP25 (sympagic HBI) concentrations from 68–70N and consistently strong sympagic signatures from 71–72.5N. A declining sympagic signature was observed from 2012 to 2017 …

Sale-Based Estimation Of Pharmaceutical Concentrations And Associated Environmental Risk In The Japanese Wastewater System, Kai He, Alistair G. Borthwick, Yingchao Lin, Yuening Li, Jie Fu, Yongjie Wong, Wen Liu

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Developing An Odonate-Based Index For Monitoring Freshwater Ecosystems In Rwanda: Towards Linking Policy To Practice Through Integrated And Adaptive Management, Erasme Uyizeye

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Worldwide, the decline of biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems is occurring at an alarming rate, due to anthropogenic threats, which directly impact humans in a variety of ways. Freshwater ecosystems occupy an integral part of political, socio-economic and ecological spheres. Integrated Watershed Management (IWM) and Adaptive Management (AM) conceptual frameworks provide an underpinning holistic platform from which to evaluate the performance of policies and actions on the ground in relation to freshwater ecosystem management. I investigate the extent to which environmental policies and practices embrace IWM and AM frameworks in Rwanda. Furthermore, this dissertation develops an odonate-based ecological monitoring tool, referred …