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Exploring Coupled Land Use -- Climate Change Impacts In The Northeast United States From 2020-2025 With Implications For Bombus Habitat Suitability, Archana Prasad

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The combined impacts of land use and climate change pose significant challenges to bumblebee populations in the Northeast United States (NEUS), a region characterized by dense urbanization, diverse landscapes, and exposure to climate extremes. As urban and suburban areas expand, the loss of agricultural lands and open spaces alters habitat availability for bumblebees, which rely on grasslands, meadows, and forest edges for nesting and foraging. Simultaneously, the NEUS is experiencing an increase in extreme climate events, including prolonged heatwaves, heavy precipitation, and shifts in temperature patterns. Using CMIP6 climate model projections, we analyzed trends in nine climate indices. Our results …

Editor-In-Chief's Note, Surekha Rao

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Exploring Characteristics Of Indiana's Local Park And Recreation Leaders, Amy L. Gregg, James A. Jones, Halyn Ferris

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

This was an exploratory study about the characteristics of Indiana’s local leaders in parks and recreation. Results of a statewide survey showed different roles of employees and volunteers in local agencies. In managing the supply side of recreation, they reported vast differences in scale of levels of populations served and natural resources managed, such as acres and trails. The Northern, Central and Southern regions were compared for types of local government, communities of different sizes, and nonprofit collaboration. Local leaders represented municipal, township and county providers collaborating with other local community organizations. Results showed that size of community served affected …

Reviewers And Referees

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Editorial History

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Pygoscelis Penguins Prefer Different Oceanographic And Terrestrial Habitats During The Austral Summer, Katherine L. Gallagher, Rachel Herman, Katherine Walton, Michael S. Dinniman, Heather J. Lynch

OES Faculty Publications

Pygoscelis penguins interact with both terrestrial and marine environments, especially during the austral summer when they raise their chicks. Accessible ice-free ground spaces serve as locations for penguins to build colonies and successfully raise chicks while the surrounding marine environment serves as the foraging grounds for adult birds. Penguins must be able to navigate through the waters around their colonies to forage for Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), their primary prey during the austral summer. Krill, whose distributions are driven partially by the surrounding physics and partially by their behaviors, must also be plentiful in the waters near the …

Slaying The Windigo: Fear And Faith In The Anthropocene, Daniel J. Irwin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis examines the changing affect of fear in the environment and how it is influencing writing in the Anthropocene. Chapter one lays the groundwork for the present moment of ecocriticism, examining how the relationship with the environment has changed throughout the history of ecocritical writing. The second chapter examines how fear has been an intrinsic element of environmental storytelling, starting with the romantic ideas of the sublime. With the recognition of the impact that humanity has had on Earth over the past several centuries, and the accelerating acceptance of the idea of the Anthropocene since the turn of the …

Efficacy Of Salmonella Surrogate Enterococcus Faecium In Poultry And Mash Broiler Feed, Corey Waitman Coe

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation investigates the efficacy of Enterococcus faecium as a surrogate for Salmonella in validating thermal inactivation processes during poultry feed manufacturing and meat processing. The research encompassed three studies evaluating microbial kinetics in mash broiler feed, reconstructed ground chicken, and predictive modeling approaches to improve food safety interventions. In the first study, the thermal resistance of nalidixic acid-resistant Salmonella Typhimurium and E. faecium was compared in mash broiler feed heated at 75–95°C. Results demonstrated that E. faecium exhibited significantly greater heat resistance than Salmonella, with longer shoulder times, greater tailing effects, and higher D-values, supporting its use as …

Three Essays On The Socioeconomics Of Drinking Water Pfas Contamination, Nabin Babu Khanal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of over 15,000 synthetic compounds widely used for their resistance to heat, stains, grease, and water. While central to many modern conveniences, ingestion of PFAS is increasingly linked to adverse human health outcomes and are now detected globally in drinking water systems. This dissertation investigates three interrelated aspects of PFAS contamination in U.S. drinking water: (1) socioeconomic determinants and spatial patterns of contamination; (2) the economic impacts of contamination on residential property values; and (3) the effect of inconsistent PFAS regulations on public trust in environmental governance.

Using data from the U.S. …

Power To Liquid And Hydrogen Use For Saf Production; A Policy And Techno-Economic Overview For Aviation​, Eva Maleviti

Publications

What is Sustainable Development: The development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

1. Environmental Sustainability

2. Social Sustainability

3. Economic Sustainability

University Of Richmond Magazine - Autumn 2025

University of Richmond Magazine

No abstract provided.

An Apple A Day: Have The Growing Conditions Of Apples In Maine Changed Over The Past 20 Years, Anooshka Sethi

Honors Theses

Climate change is increasingly affecting the growing conditions that farmers face. This study focused on if and how the growing conditions of apples have changed over the past two decades. Apples are an economically, socially, and culturally important crop to Maine's agriculture landscape. By production acreage, Maine is the second largest state in New England, with 2700 acres of land used to grow apples (USDA NASS CoA, 2022). A unique characteristic of agricultural production in Maine is that most farms are small-scale, run by families or small groups, making adverse changes to the growing conditions of a major crop in …

Co-Creation, Interpretations And Engagement With A Movement-Based Symbol For Climate Justice: A Qualitative Inquiry, Kai Reimer-Watts

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The climate crisis demonstrates with complete clarity the need for massive systems-level changes towards far more sustainable societies. Global and local emissions need to decline rapidly to mitigate intensifying climate breakdown, accompanied by climate and sustainability solutions, to secure a far more stable, safe, and just future for all people and all life. Within these changes, engaging in our communities is essential to support and co-create broader solutions to help advance more sustainable societies, reduce negative impacts of a changing climate, and to move towards cultures and systems that recognize natural limits and centre care for people and planet.

‘Climate …

Ocean Acidification Mitigation: Potential Expansion Of Sav Restoration Strategy In The Chesapeake Bay, Cree N. Taylor

Undergraduate Research Posters

Zostera marina is a species of marine macrophyte that has been largely prioritized in past submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) restoration initiatives within the Chesapeake Bay because of its 1) previous abundance, 2) demonstrated carbon burial abilities, and 3) observed ability for meadows of Z. marina to ameliorate low pH conditions. Due to the temperature variability and poor water quality associated with anthropogenic disturbances in the Chesapeake Bay, Z. Marina beds have experienced several die-off events with limited capacity for regrowth. This systematic review explored the possible benefits of focusing future SAV recovery initiatives on ensuring a diverse variety of SAV …

Climate Planning, Energy Sovereignty, And Electric Vehicle Perceptions Among Michigan’S Tribal Nations, Alexis Belle Tater

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Climate change will especially impact marginalized communities and communities with less government support for funding climate adaptation actions. The first chapter of this report focuses on climate change responses, specifically Tribal Nations in the state of Michigan. In the current U.S. context, funding for large climate change mitigation and adaptation projects in Tribal Nations can be achieved through federal funding from the CPRG (Climate Pollution Reduction Grant), which requires an established PCAP (Priority Climate Action Plans) to guide decision making in alignment with identified priorities. I discuss the importance of Tribal sovereignty, the potential implications of its inclusion and exclusion …

Analysis Of Lava Flow Paths Using Remote Sensing And Geomorphological Techniques, Oluwatosin Oluyemisi Ayo

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Lava flows have severe impacts on the Earth’s surface, communities, and natural habitats. Accurate modeling of lava flow paths is crucial for volcanic hazard assessment and risk mitigation. This research integrated remote sensing, geographic information systems, geomorphological techniques, and hydrologic analysis to numerically determine the optimal ground sample distance (GSD) of digital elevation models (DEMs) for delineating lava flow paths. Two volcanic regions were analyzed: the Afar Region of Ethiopia (Alu, Dalaffilla, and Erta Ale volcanoes) and the Reykjanes Peninsula of Iceland (Fagradalsfjall volcano). Forward and backward modeling methods were used to simulate potential lava flow paths. Remote sensing data, …

Assessing How Patients With Spinal Cord Injury Are Affected By Climate Change And Extreme Weather: A Scoping Review, Lien-Chieh Lin, Hung-Chou Chen, Tsan-Hon Liou

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Climate change and the rising frequency of extreme weather events (EWEs) pose significant challenges to vulnerable populations, particularly individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). These patients are at greater risk due to impaired thermoregulation, limited mobility, poor sensation, and dependence on caregivers or adaptive equipment, increasing their exposure to climate-related hazards and disrupting healthcare access during disasters. Although climate change impacts on the general population are well-documented, research on specific disability groups like SCI patients remains limited. This scoping review investigates how SCI patients perceive and experience health risks from climate change and EWEs, as well as factors influencing their …

Behavioral Response Of Wild Greater Caribbean Manatees (Trichechus Manatus Manatus) To Playbacks Of Conspecifics In Maya Beach, Belize, Phoebe Sonia Hodson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The behavioral response of the wild Greater Caribbean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) to the acoustic vocalizations of their closely related subspecies, the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), was examined for the first time in Placencia Lagoon, Maya Beach, Belize. The main goal of this study was to determine how vocalizations from conspecifics influence the behavior of the wild Greater Caribbean manatee and how this behavioral change may give insight into the functionality of manatee vocalizations. Three call types (squeak, squeal and high squeak) and chewing sounds were played to varying size aggregations of manatees. Broad behavioral …

Vital Rates And Nest Site Selection Of Merriam’S Wild Turkeys (Meleagris Gallopavo Merriami) In South-Central, South Dakota, Luke N. Mccray

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are an economically and culturally significantly game species throughout much of the United States. Within South Dakota, spring turkey hunting generates approximately $20 million in expenditures annually to local economies. Merriam’s wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo meriami) were reintroduced to the Missouri River Breaks of Gregory County, South Dakota, USA, between the 1950s and 1980s, and was one of the most successful reintroductions in the state. However, a recent decline in gobbler harvest suggests a potential decline in this population. To estimate survival and reproduction and evaluate nest site selection, we captured 121 …

The Roots Of Empire And Industry: The Transnational History Of The Soviet Rubber Industry, Alexander Hinnov Craver

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Global rubber shortages and market instability in the early 20th century drove the United States, Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany to collaborate in an overwhelming drive to secure domestically producible sources of rubber, either from plants that could grow outside the tropics, or from synthetic rubber processes. The Soviet Union was an indispensable part of this converging, transnational “quest for rubber.” Russian scientists created the first factories to produce synthetic rubber, and Russian agronomists had discovered a dandelion in Central Asia that yielded latex suitable for manufacture. Consequently, both discoveries were disseminated across the world. Sometimes they were shared: the …

Establishing A Microfiber Recovery Rate In Human Lung Tissue, Kylie Nicole Babin-Howard

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Microplastics (plastic particles smaller than 5mm) are of increasing concern to environmental and human health as they have persistently been found in all areas of study—becoming a ubiquitous part of the planet. Microplastics have been found in a variety of human tissues (lungs, blood, brain matter, etc.) yet their health effects are poorly understood, with experimental exposure model studies indicating adverse health effects. Microfibers have been found to be more toxic when compared to other microplastic shapes and are also shed from a majority of everyday items, with environmental reports showing that fibers are more than twice as prevalent than …

The Rights Of Nature Meaning-Making Experiments In Ecuador: A Pragmatist Inquiry, Lourdes Aguas Gonzalez

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Ecuador is the first and only country in the world to recognize nature as a subject of rights in its national Constitution, with the most court cases to date, and with a vibrant moral imagination regarding the more-than-human world. Building on the pragmatist tradition, my research examines three questions: What are the rights of nature in Ecuador? How is nature politically represented in Ecuadorian legal forums? And how can collective problem-solving experiments around the rights of nature in Ecuador inform moral inquiry? To answer these questions, I bring sociology in conversation with philosophy. My theoretical and methodological tools as a …

Ai Fetishism And Perverse Climate Disavowal: Why Denying Destructiveness Facilitates Our Ecological Collapse, Alexander M. Stoner, Alexander M. Stoner, Anthony J. Knowles

Journal Articles

As ecological crises intensify, scholars and activists increasingly question the sustainability of economic growth. Yet, the dominant growth-oriented paradigm remains foundational to advanced capitalist societies and cannot be altered without significant social disruption. The resulting tension between ecological limits and the imperative for continuous growth generates “climate anxiety.” This article advances the concept of perverse climate disavowal: a mode of climate denial that acknowledges climate threats while maintaining faith in the illusion of infinite economic expansion. This disavowal functions as a psychological defense mechanism, enabling individuals and institutions to avoid confronting structural contradictions. The article examines the increasing use of …

Urban Horizons: Navigating Sustainable Practices In 15-Minute Cities, Raul Allen Mejia

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Climate change poses a pressing challenge of the modern age. With wide-ranging implications for society, many fields play a role in shaping public policy and fostering awareness about the environmental crisis. One approach, the 15-minute city, aims to ensure that all essential services and amenities are accessible within a 15-minute walk or bike ride. This vision reflects a shift toward more sustainable and resilient urban environments. Cities such as Amsterdam, Boston, and Oxford, in adopting key elements of this concept, present diverse case studies for understanding how 15- minute city frameworks can effectively maximize socioeconomic interests. The analysis of Amsterdam’s …

Stakeholder Perspectives On The Status And Conservation Management Of Critically Endangered Nassau Grouper In The Bahamas, Krista D. Sherman, Lester Gittens

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Ensuring the sustainability of marine resources that provide food, economic security and other critical ecosystem services is a major challenge globally. Assessing stakeholders’ knowledge and perceptions of the status of fisheries and how they should be managed can yield important insights to facilitate the development of management frameworks that are likely to assist with achieving sustainability. As a socioeconomically and culturally important and critically endangered species, evaluating stakeholder perspectives on the status of the Nassau Grouper fishery is critical to help inform policy. Knowledge and perceptions of stakeholders working in The Bahamas were assessed using voluntary participatory approaches, including a …

Indigenous Access And Use On Private Land: A Toolkit For Heart Of The Rockies Land Trust Members, Ian James Craighead

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Coupling Remote Sensing And Modelling To Monitor The Spatial Distribution And Trends Of Surface Temperature And Ice Thickness On Sub-Arctic Lakes, Gifty Attiah

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Lake surface temperature (LST), lake ice thickness (LIT), and lake ice phenology (LIP) play significant roles in the diverse regional processes of freshwater in cold regions. They offer direct indications of regional weather and climate conditions, and their interactions with the atmosphere impact climate processes. Furthermore, lake ice is valuable to northern communities, such as those in the Northwest Territories (NWT). Ice roads, including the longest ice road in the NWT, spanning over 80 lakes, are constructed during winter to haul goods to and from industrial establishments (e.g., mines) and for travel within and between communities. A significant challenge to …

Cretaceous Calamity: Are Dinosaur Fossils Part Of The Surface Or Mineral Estate, And Why South Dakota Courts Should Adopt The Murray Test?, Cody Hodge

South Dakota Law Review

When dinosaur fossils are discovered, they often mystify the public by providing snapshots of a bygone age. However, the public is seldom exposed to the legal battles that occur behind the scenes regarding fossil ownership. Legal disputes over dinosaur fossils often occur after the mineral rights to a property have been severed from the rest of the property, often achieved via a mineral deed. At the time of severing the mineral from the surface estate, parties to a mineral deed rarely contemplate who should take ownership of dinosaur fossils should they be discovered. When complete specimens of rare species are …

Assessing The Impact Of Environmental Health Risk Communication On Cancer Screening Intentions Among Private Well Owners In Rural Communities, Victoria A. Clower

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Cancer is a leading cause of death in Georgia, with rising incidence in rural counties where many residents rely on unregulated private wells. These wells may contain contaminants such as radon, lead, nitrate, and arsenic, all linked to increased cancer risk. Limited research has explored how environmental exposure awareness influences cancer prevention behaviors such as screening. Guided by the Champion Health Belief Model, this study examined psychosocial and environmental predictors of screening intent among private well owners. Methods: Well Aware was an 11-week quasi-experimental study among 60 private well owners in southeast Georgia. Participants who attended educational listening sessions …

Assessing And Comparing Geophysical Methods For Resolving Shallow Subsurface Geology, Abdullah Basaloom

Doctoral Dissertations

Geophysical methods are essential tools for investigating shallow subsurface structures, offering non-invasive means to characterize geological features and detect anomalies. Techniques such as electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), towed Transient Electromagnetic (tTEM), seismic refraction, magnetic, gravity, and magnetotelluric (MT) are commonly employed to image subsurface conditions with high resolution.

This study started with an in-depth analysis of comparing results co-located in space to assess uncertainties and resolution in the obtained resistivity models in the Kansas River Alluvial Aquifer (KRAA). Our results provided a quantitative interpretation of resistivity estimates between different geo-electrical methods (ERT, tTEM and DPEC). Following this, we provided a …