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The Quantitative Assessment Of Pond Scum: An Examination Of The Biogeochemistry Of Phosphorus Cycling In The Belgrade Lakes, Abbey M. Sykes

Honors Theses

The internal recycling phosphorus in freshwater lake bottom sediments represents a significant source of hypolimnetic phosphorus (P) release for many of Maine’s lakes. In summer months, Maine lakes often thermally stratify and the lake hypolimnion develops anoxia, leading to a reduction in redox potential at the sediment-water interface. These reducing conditions facilitate the reductive dissolution of ferric iron, and, since phosphorus is often present in freshwater lake sediments as solid FeOOH-PO₄ complexes, results in release of soluble phosphorus into the water column. Our current study presents field and laboratory data from sediment fractionation extractions designed to quantify concentrations of …

Stories From The Outside: Oregon Wildfires 2020, Maude Hines, Marta Petteni, Stefanie Knowlton, Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative, Portland State University, Street Roots

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

These are the preliminary results of an ongoing project.

Stories from the Outside centers the voices of people experiencing homelessness during the 2020 Oregon wildfire season. PSU’s Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative, in partnership with the Street Roots Ambassadors program, surveyed 73 people in the Portland area in June 2021. Ambassadors sought out Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color to ensure their voices were represented as BIPOC residents are disproportionately impacted by homelessness.

Many respondents felt disconnected and left out of emergency relief efforts. These are their stories.

Overview:

The most destructive wildfires in Oregon’s history spread across the …

Sailors’ Perceptions Of Offshore Wind Energy In The Northeastern United States, Henry Harris

Honors Theses

Offshore wind is an expanding form of renewable energy in the United States that will continue to grow through state and federal mandates. Offshore wind has often been met with criticism from a variety of ocean user groups and the academic literature has attempted to include the opinions of all user groups in order to improve policy making decisions. One of the biggest ocean user groups has been left out of the research, sailors. We investigated sailors’ perceptions of offshore wind in the Northeastern United States through a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews to provide context, hoping to answer the …

Contrasting Patterns Of Nutrient Limitation In The Littoral And Pelagic Zones Of Mesotrophic Maine Lakes, Grace C. Neumiller

Honors Theses

Intense nutrient loading of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) causes sudden regime shifts in freshwater ecosystems from clearwater to turbid conditions with frequent cyanobacterial blooms. Characterization of nutrient limitation patterns of primary productivity in these ecosystems is necessary for effective management of algal blooms. However, much of this research has focused on pelagic habitats. The influence of lake habitat (i.e. benthic littoral versus pelagic zones) on nutrient limitation of primary production in mesotrophic lakes is largely unknown, particularly in contrast to research on pelagic nutrient limitation in eutrophic systems. Using paired nutrient diffusing substrata and mesocosm experiments, we measured chlorophyll- …

Traffic Mitigation And Congestion In Ibadan, Oyo State Nigeria: Causes And Solutions, Adetoye Olusanmi Adeniyi

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on how technology has transformed road traffic congestion between road users by examining the relationship between government, businesses, and road users through the application of traffic management in many cities in four regions of the world. It analyzes the connections between political decisions of traffic management, how users are made knowledgeable and the new modes of transportation as they relate to the roles of public and private users. The dissertation examines current literatures of twenty two (23) different countries: North America (United States of America and Canada), Europe (Poland, United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands and Sweden), Asia (Russia, …

The Gene Expression Patterns Of Phanerochaete Chrysosporium And Trametes Versicolor On Diverse Lignocellulosic Feedstocks, Noor Osama Alabbasi

Masters Theses

Plant biomass is considered to be an important future starting material for fuels and chemicals, thereby decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels. While direct combustion continues to be a source of fuel, the generation of liquid fuels from plant biomass for transportation has proven to be challenging. Among the limiting factors for conversion of this material to biofuels is the recalcitrant nature of lignocellulose, the primary component of non-starch plant biomass. A strategy to overcome this dilemma is to directly or indirectly use the enzymes from white-rot fungi, which have evolved a unique ability to deconstruct lignocellulose. However, the biochemical …

The Interspecific Growth–Mortality Trade-Off Is Not A General Framework For Tropical Forest Community Structure, Sabrina E. Russo, Sean M. Mcmahon, Matteo Detto, Glenn Ledder, S. Joseph Wright, Richard S. Condit, Stuart J. Davies, Peter S. Ashton, Sarayudh Bunyavejchewin, Chia-Hao Chang-Yang, Sisira Ediriweera, Corneille E.N. Ewango, Christine Fletcher, Robin B. Foster, C.V. Savi Gunatilleke, I.A.U. Nimal Gunatilleke, Terese Hart, Chang-Fu Hseih, Stephen P. Hubbell, Akira Itoh, Abdul Rahman Kassim, Yao Tze Leong, Yi Ching Lin, Jean-Remy Makana, Mohizah Bt. Mohamad, Perry Ong, Anna Sugiyama, I-Fang Sun, Sylvester Tan, Jill Thompson, Takuo Yamakura, Sandra L. Yap, Jess K. Zimmerman

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Resource allocation within trees is a zero-sum game. Unavoidable trade-offs dictate that allocation to growth-promoting functions curtails other functions, generating a gradient of investment in growth versus survival along which tree species align, known as the interspecific growth–mortality trade-off. This paradigm is widely accepted but not well established. Using demographic data for 1,111 tree species across ten tropical forests, we tested the generality of the growth–mortality trade-off and evaluated its underlying drivers using two species-specific parameters describing resource allocation strategies: tolerance of resource limitation and responsiveness of allocation to resource access. Globally, a canonical growth–mortality trade-off emerged, but the trade-off …

Use Of Lymesim 2.0 To Assess The Potential For Single And Integrated Management Methods To Control Blacklegged Ticks (Ixodes Scapularis; Acari: Ixodidae) And Transmission Of Lyme Disease Spirochetes, Shravani Chitineni, Elizabeth R. Gleim, Holly D. Gaff

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Annual Lyme disease cases continue to rise in the U.S. making it the most reported vector-borne illness in the country. The pathogen (Borrelia burgdorferi) and primary vector (Ixodes scapularis; blacklegged tick) dynamics of Lyme disease are complicated by the multitude of vertebrate hosts and varying environmental factors, making models an ideal tool for exploring disease dynamics in a time- and cost-effective way. In the current study, LYMESIM 2.0, a mechanistic model, was used to explore the effectiveness of three commonly used tick control methods: habitat-targeted acaricide (spraying), rodent-targeted acaricide (bait boxes), and white-tailed deer targeted acaricide (4-poster …

Implementing Connectivity Conservation In Canada, Christopher J. Lemieux, Aerin L. Jacob, Paul A. Gray

Geography and Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Global Health Risk Factors: Physical Inactivity, Fiona Bull, Regina Guthold, Daniel J. Friedman, Peter Katzmarzyk

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Regular physical activity improves physical and mental health across all ages, and provides many social, environmental, and economic co-benefits. Physical activity includes all forms of active recreation, sports participation, cycling and walking for transportation, as well as activity undertaken at home or for work. Despite well-established benefits, one quarter of adults and three quarters of adolescents are not sufficiently active. The policy and practice of promoting physical activity integrates multidisciplinary knowledge from across clinical and social medicine, exercise science, health psychology, public health, transport, and environmental studies, to improve global health. With increasing recognition of its role in promoting better …

Mining Learner-Friendly Security Patterns From Huge Published Histories Of Software Applications For An Intelligent Tutoring System In Secure Coding, Xu Du, Aparna S. Varde

Department of Computer Science Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Security patterns are proven solutions to recurring problems in software development. The growing importance of secure software development has introduced diverse research efforts on security patterns that mostly focused on classification schemes, evolution and evaluation of the patterns. Despite a huge mature history of research and popularity among researchers, security patterns have not fully penetrated software development practices. Besides, software security education has not been benefited by these patterns though a commonly stated motivation is the dissemination of expert knowledge and experience. This is because the patterns lack a simple embodiment to help students learn about vulnerable code, and to …

Forum Reply: A 23 M.Y. Record Of Low Atmospheric Co2, Brian A. Schubert, Ying Cui, A. Hope Jahren

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Binghamton University’S Potential For Green Roofs, Tyler Linnehan

Research Days Posters 2021

Institutions of higher education have an important role to play in environmentalism. Students have the opportunity to follow their passions and learn from each other while producing tangible benefits for the environment in sustainability-related projects. Green roofs are the perfect project for student-driven environmental action. A green roof is a specially engineered vegetated roof. This research aims to be the foundation for future expansion of green roofs at Binghamton University. It will analyze both biophysical and social aspects, and the connection between the two. Urban runoff often picks up large levels of contaminants that can harm local ecosystems. Due to …

Covid-19 Outreach To Refugee And Immigrant Communities In The Southern Tier, Rachael Ali

Research Days Posters 2021

Immigrant communities are disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic for a number of reasons, such as limited access to affordable healthcare, higher poverty rates, and exposure to pre-existing conditions which worsen the effects of the virus. Non-profit organizations like the American Civic Association (ACA) in Binghamton have been fighting for immigrant and refugee rights since 1939. Naturally, the ACA has shifted their focus from citizenship classes and English language classes courses to more health care programs, such as Covid-19 vaccination outreach and educational workshops. The goal of this outreach is to educate the misinformed about the Covid-19 vaccine and make …

Food Insecurity Within Broome County And Its Effect On Academic Performance In Children, Aidan Gajewski

Research Days Posters 2021

Food insecurity is a growing concern among children within the US, as the number of households who are food insecure has grown in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Food insecurity in children can lead to a multitude of cognitive complications. My research investigates the relationship between food insecurity and academic performance in elementary schools in Broome County. To uncover how food insecurity and academic performance are linked, interviews were conducted with school staff (teachers, administrators, a food service manager), the socioeconomic status of the area was analyzed, standardized testing scores were compiled, and the food offerings in the area …

In The Eyes Of The Beholder: Rapid Body Color Change Provides Facultative Crypsis In A Lizard, Kelly Wuthrich, Amber Morgan

Research Days Posters 2021

Camouflage is an important component of antipredator behaviors. In many species, rapid color change provides plasticity in camouflage as animals move through their environments. As rapid color change can also play a role in other aspects of behavior such as territory defense and courtship, an experimental approach is required to determine color change’s function. In the Anolis genus, rapid color change is a signal in social interactions, but why color changes as anoles move through different microhabitats is not well explored. Anolis aquaticus has a rapid dark-to-light color change with an unknown function. We tested the hypothesis that A. aquaticus …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of The Chow Mobile Grocery Store In Broome County In Increasing Fruit And Vegetable Consumption, Allison Zimmerman

Research Days Posters 2021

Access to healthy food is known to be important to maintaining good health. With obesity on the rise in America, this is even more important. Recently mobile market stores have been used to increase access to healthy foods in many underserved communities that are considered food deserts. The purpose of this study is to research and evaluate if there is a significant increase in the consumption of fruits and vegetables in Broome County communities where access to mobile markets is available. To address this, I conducted interviews with volunteers who worked on the mobile market in order to gauge if …

Calling Binghamton Our Home: A Housing Market On The Rise, Leaving Many Behind, Trevor Fornara

Research Days Posters 2021

For every 100 extremely low-income households in Broome County, New York, there are 17 affordable housing units. This deficit in low-income housing in the City of Binghamton and greater Broome County has been persistent for over 20 years. Despite this, hundreds of units of luxury student housing are constructed each year that are too expensive for low-income households. The question I aim to answer is whether or not the Binghamton low-income housing market is overpriced for its value? I hypothesize that the answer is yes and that the university has dramatically affected the market. Through a series of interviews, I …

Food Insecurity Programs In Broome County Schools, Cameron Lapadula

Research Days Posters 2021

Food insecurity is a serious problem in schools across Broome County, and the programs implemented to mitigate its effects must be researched and assessed for their effectiveness. Food insecurity affects hundreds of children throughout the county, causing health effects like diabetes and a drop in academic performance. The programs that work to lessen these effects in Broome County, including the Rock on Café and Binghamton University Food Pantry, aim to provide nutritional and affordable food to students on all educational levels. In order to assess these programs, I am interviewing organizers of such programs and asking them questions to gather …

Investigating The Development Of The Hemp Processing Industry In New York State, John Mather

Research Days Posters 2021

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) has emerged as an environmentally beneficial renewable resource due to its short growing cycle, carbon sequestration properties, and the medical applications of cannabidiol (CBD). All parts of the hemp plant can be used to produce products that are eco-friendly. New York State (NYS) has recently legalized production of hemp. Many farmers have obtained permits to grow hemp, but there has been a lack of hemp processors within the state who can turn raw hemp into hemp products. This research focuses on the lack of processing within the hemp market in NYS in order to develop a …

Parks And Recreation In Binghamton, Peter Savrides

Research Days Posters 2021

Parks are an essential part of life and leisure for urban populations. We must study how to further improve new parks and better utilize old ones; we must study how communities use parks with observational data. This project takes a look at different parks and natural areas in Binghamton, NY and surrounding Broome County and how the local communities interact with them. Research on this subject is very limited to a few select cities in America, little research exists on parks of the Broome County area. Data will be collected through subject observation and survey questions concentrating on how often …

Researching Broome County Farmers Markets In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Caroline Burnham

Research Days Posters 2021

The value of farmers markets has been shown through their contribution to community building by providing consumers with local food and giving farmers direct access to consumers. The direct connection between farmers and consumers can only be found at places like farmers markets. Having values such as the interaction between farmers and consumers and supporting locally grown food makes farmers markets important to their communities. However, the impact of farmers markets in their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic is unclear. By conducting interviews with people closely involved in farmers markets, I aim to find out how farmers markets in the …

Student Environmental Conservation And Awareness On College Campuses, Olivia Lopes Desilva

Research Days Posters 2021

In the midst of a climate crisis, it’s crucial to question how our younger generations view their role in environmental conservation, activism and awareness, and how they implement greener values into their day-to-day lives. This research analyzes student perspectives on their role in environmentalism on their college campuses and if it’s changed through the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, this research questions how universities and higher education play a role in shaping these views and ideals among their student body. Through a series of interviews and surveys dispersed to students at both Binghamton University and SUNY Stony Brook, I will draw comparative …

Evaluating The Role Of Transportation And Potential Barriers To Food Access In Binghamton’S North Side, Eric Zipman

Research Days Posters 2021

In Binghamton, which is home to the Northside and First Ward food deserts, food insecurity is a significant community concern. Many emergency food aid networks operate in Binghamton, such as community pantries, the Binghamton Food Rescue, North Side Mutual Aid, and CHOW to address immediate needs; however, long-term food security requires removing barriers to food access, such as inadequate transportation. Food-insecure people without personal transportation either try to navigate public transportation, or choose to use more proximate outlets that may lack nutritious foods. Public transportation provided through the Broome County Bus System is limited in the scope of bus routes, …

The Relationship Between Small Businesses And Gentrification, Abigail Gifeisman

Research Days Posters 2021

Gentrification is a process of displacement of marginalized or lower-class communities to make room for more affluent communities. While gentrification affects many areas of life, such as price of rent and the job market, this research focuses on small business and the effects gentrification has on them. Small businesses on Main Street and the surrounding downtown in Binghamton, NY will be defined and their role in the community will be explored. This research seeks to understand the latest developments in those areas. In the last six years the area has seen a large boom in new small businesses, giving the …

Responses Of Stomatal Features And Photosynthesis To Porewater N Enrichment And Elevated Atmospheric Co2 In Phragmites Australis, The Common Reed, Julian R. Garrison, Joshua S. Caplan, Vladimir Douhovnikoff, Thomas J. Mozdzer, Barry A. Logan

Biology Faculty Research and Scholarship

PREMISE Biological invasions increasingly threaten native biodiversity and ecosystem services. One notable example is the common reed, Phragmites australis, which aggressively invades North American salt marshes. Elevated atmospheric CO2 and nitrogen pollution enhance its growth and facilitate invasion because P. australis responds more strongly to these enrichments than do native species. We investigated how modifications to stomatal features contribute to strong photosynthetic responses to CO2 and nitrogen enrichment in P. australis by evaluating stomatal shifts under experimental conditions and relating them to maximal stomatal conductance (g(wmax)) and photosynthetic rates.

METHODS Plants were grown in situ in open-top chambers under ambient …

A Test Of Species Distribution Model Transferability Across Environmental And Geographic Space For 108 Western North American Tree Species, Noah D. Charney, Sydne Record, Beth E. Gerstner, Cory Merow, Phoebe L. Zarnetske, Brian J. Enquist

Biology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Predictions from species distribution models (SDMs) are commonly used in support of environmental decision-making to explore potential impacts of climate change on biodiversity. However, because future climates are likely to differ from current climates, there has been ongoing interest in understanding the ability of SDMs to predict species responses under novel conditions (i.e., model transferability). Here, we explore the spatial and environmental limits to extrapolation in SDMs using forest inventory data from 11 model algorithms for 108 tree species across the western United States. Algorithms performed well in predicting occurrence for plots that occurred in the same geographic region in …

Vegetation Effects On Coastal Foredune Initiation: Wind Tunnel Experiments And Field Validation For Three Dune-Building Plants, Bianca Reo Charbonneau, Stephanie M. Dohner, John P. Wnek, Don Barber, Phoebe Zarnetske, Brenda B. Casper

Geology Faculty Research and Scholarship

As the land-sea interface, foredunes buffer upland habitats with plants acting as ecosystem engineers shaping topography, and thereby affecting storm response and recovery. However, many ecogeomorphic feedbacks in coastal foredune formation and recovery remain uncertain in this dynamic environment. We carried out a series of wind tunnel experiments testing how the morphology, density, and configuration of three foredune pioneer dune building plant species influence the most basic stage of dune initiation — nebkha formation around individual plants. We established monocultures of native Ammophila breviligulata and Panicum amarum and invasive Carex kobomugi in 1 m × 1 m planter boxes of …

Pwatem: An Anthology Of Literature And Art (2021)

Pwatem (Poictesme), 2006-

Pwatem is an anthology of literature and art from undergraduate students at Virginia Commonwealth University. Pwatem publishes poetry, prose and art of all kinds from talented undergraduate students of all majors.

Traditional Ecological Knowledge And Inclusive Pedagogy Increase Retention And Success Outcomes Of Stem Students, Alexander V. Alexiades, Melissa Haeffner, Darryl Reano, Maxine Janis, Jessica Black, Kazuhiro Sonoda, Multiple Additional Authors

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The i-NATURE (Indigenous iNtegration of Aquatic sciences and Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Undergraduate culturally Responsive Education) is a culturally relevant, project-, and place-based curriculum that included extensive applied research experience contextualized for specific Indigenous communities. The program developed a model for incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge into STEM undergraduate education which included direct participation of several Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. After implementation of the i-NATURE model, we tested whether the inclusive pedagogical strategies used in our intervention improved retention and learning outcomes for the students who participated in the i-NATURE program. We report a …