Digital Commons Network^™

Integrating Spatial Statistics And Decision Analysis For Wildfire Risk Mapping: A Case Study Of The Kootenai National Forest, Elijah Kordieh Mensah

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Wildfire risk in the western United States has intensified in recent decades due to intersecting forces of climate change, systematic fire suppression, and expanding human settlement in fire-prone regions. This thesis presents a comprehensive spatial assessment of wildfire risk in the Kootenai National Forest (KNF) and its surrounding landscape in northwestern Montana, integrating wildfire likelihood, suppression difficulty, evacuation vulnerability, and building exposure into a unified spatial statistical framework. The research addresses a critical gap in spatial wildfire risk modeling by focusing on the need to assess fire threats in relation to local operational constraints and community vulnerabilities.
Drawing on geospatial …

Alive For The Wake, Anna Kate Powell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In the year 2046, bacteria strain B. bibitor has rendered all petroleum hydrocarbon compounds unrefinable. Paramedic Amanda Bailey finds hope in the resilience of humanity but struggles when she learns the powers that be would rather concentrate their efforts on fighting B. bibitor—restoring infected hydrocarbons to their previously refinable (and profitable) nature—rather than investing in already-developed clean firm energies and renewable material manufacture.

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.

Equity And Social Vulnerability In Drought Planning And Response In The Northern Great Plains, Amishi Singh

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Drought is a natural phenomenon that has long been a part of the climate regime in the Northern Great Plains. However, as climate change intensifies, drought across the region will worsen. This worsening drought will harm vulnerable communities more than their less vulnerable counterparts. Understanding how current policies either reinforce existing systems of marginalization or work to counter them is vital when determining what kind of policy will be needed in times of worsening drought. The first analysis sought to answer the following question: how are states incorporating key concepts of social vulnerability, procedural justice and climate change into their …

Indigenous Placemaking, Colonial Placetaking, And Indigenous Data Sovereignty: Implications Of Environmental Data Collection On Tribal Lands, Paige Nizhonii Kya'iyo Johnson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This project investigates how Indigenous Data Sovereignty protocols apply to environmental data collected on Tribal lands by federal and state entities. The 2011 and 2014 flooding of the Missouri River and a need for further soil moisture data led the United States Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District to implement a Mesonet weather station monitoring network across the Upper Missouri River Basin (UMRB). Historically, the Army Corps of Engineers has not included Indigenous perspectives into their decision-making, and this has caused Tribes to be distrustful of partnerships with them. The UMRB monitoring network will span across the Upper Missouri River …

Untangling Mining, Past And Present: An Analysis Of Key Informant Interviews On The Prospects Of Renewed Mining Activity Near Cañon City, Colorado, Lauren E. Nelson, Brian C. Chaffin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Rocky Mountain West represents a distinct social-ecological region in a time of transition. As a subregion of the American West, it is defined by aridity, topography, and the physical, cultural, and economic impacts of mining across the landscape. Contemporarily, the region is increasingly shaped by an influx of tourism as well as seasonal and permanent residents who value the landscape for its recreational opportunities and aesthetic values. Most of the communities in the region owe their start to the mining booms of the 19th century, and many are still grappling with contamination left behind by mining. The transition between …

Mapping Mesic Resilience In Western Rangelands: Productivity Trends, Predictors, And Targeting Frameworks, Kristopher Robert Mueller

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Mesic ecosystems in riparian areas and wetlands make up only 2% of western U.S. rangelands but support 80% of wildlife during dry periods, providing vital late-season forage and refuge when surrounding uplands dry out. Yet, mesic habitats are often overlooked in landscape-scale conservation planning. This thesis addresses two key gaps: understanding how mesic productivity responds to environmental change and developing frameworks to incorporate these habitats into current conservation strategies. Using 40 years of Landsat imagery (1984–2024), we examined long-term trends in late-season mesic vegetation productivity and its relationship with drought across the sagebrush biome. From 1984 to 2004, mesic productivity …

Who Are We Restoring Maunalua For? Place Name Resurgence And Environmental Restoration In Maunalua, O‘Ahu, Cassidy J. Hollenbeck

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

While numerous research studies have been published in recent decades on biological degradation and climate risks facing Maunalua, very few studies have centered on the sociopolitical dimensions of this region. By celebrating community pilina (intimacy, relationship) and biocultural restoration in Maunalua, this project aims to challenge the dominant narratives of degradation on this region. Centering Decolonizing and Kanaka ‘Ōiwi methodologies, this project builds on N. Ha‘alilo Solomon’s book chapter, Maunalua: Shifting Nomenclatures and the Reconfiguration of Space in Hawaii Kai (2022), celebrating ongoing projects of inoa ‘āina (place name) resurgence. Engaging snowball sampling in qualitative community-based participatory research methods, I …

Campesino World-Building: Stories Of Migration, Memory, And Care In The Tension Of The Colonial Frame, Chelsea Ríos Gómez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Campesinos, often reduced to the label of “farmworkers”, are too often seen only through the lens of their labor within profit-driven systems. This thesis disrupts that limited narrative by illuminating the rich, expansive nature of vivencias campesinas, ways of being that transcend capitalist measures of value. These vivencias are lived, embodied experiences rooted in campesino lifeways, encompassing cultural, spiritual, and relational practices that nurture and sustain life.

My research is guided by four central questions: (1) In what ways have campesinos in pixley resisted exploitative labor systems, and how can this resistance be understood as a form of care labor? …

"Gen Z Climate Being": Podcast Series On Youth, Climate Emotions, And Affective Climate Justice, Rachel Wynne Moszkowicz

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

My project is a co-created 6 part podcast series with youth and the program lead from the Climate Mental Health Network’s Gen Z Advisory Board informed by affective climate justice, youth, mental health and education. This work foregrounds the embodied climate knowing and being of youth climate activists, offers ideas for a different relationship to climate change and climate education futures. In this podcast, Gen Zers speak to the youth mental health crisis as it relates to climate. My thesis project engages with and invites conversations that reflect the climate itself, which is non-linear, complex, porous, creative, expansive, and woven …

Place-Based Learning Practices: A Diptych Case Study Of Human And More-Than-Human Relationality At The Tribal And Western Academic Institutional Interface, Karley M. Rojas-Vienneau

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The ‘Place-Based Learning Practices Project’ is a graduate project under the Native American Studies Department Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab and Traditional Ecological Knowledges Institute (FSL). Making contributions at the intersection of Western academia and Indigenous science, it imagines and realizes content, policies, and protocols surrounding two case studies and the larger cal poly humboldt (cph) institution which respect, honor, and uplift Indigenous sovereignty and resurgence in partnership with the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe and the greater regional tribal community. Encompassing two projects internal and external to the institution, I aim to address the construction of controlled and protective environments …

When Emotions Flare: Solar Rhythms, Emotions And Cycles Of Political Revolution, Andreas Hernandez, Carolina Zilli Vieira, Alexandra Smith, Rebecca Olson

Geography and Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Revolutions are among the most transformative events in human history. Analyzing 395 revolutionary episodes from 1900 to 2014, we find that major waves cluster around solar maxima - periods of intensified geomagnetic activity. Drawing on biomedical research linking geomagnetic disturbances to cardiovascular and stress regulation, and thus to emotional states, we propose that solar cycles modulate the affective ecologies within which revolutions arise. Solar activity may accelerate, shape, and amplify revolutionary cycles by heightening emotional climates and tipping fragile systems toward mass mobilization. This reframes revolutions as planetary events - entanglements of political conflict, embodied emotion, and cosmic …

Exploring Concepts Of Hyperfuzzy, Hyperneutrosophic, And Hyperplithogenic Sets (I), Florentin Smarandache, Takaaki Fujita

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

This work investigates the evolution of traditional set theory to address complex and ambiguous real-world phenomena. It introduces hierarchical hyperstructures and superhyperstructures, where superhyperstructures are formed by iteratively applying power sets to create nested abstractions. The focus is placed on three foundational set-based frameworks—Fuzzy Sets, Neutrosophic Sets, and Plithogenic Sets and their extensions into Hyperfuzzy Sets, HyperNeutrosophic Sets, and Hyperplithogenic Sets. These extensions are applied to various domains, including Statistics, TOPSIS, K-means Clustering, Evolutionary Theory, Topological Spaces, Decision Making, Probability, and Language Theory. By exploring these generalized forms, this paper seeks to guide and inspire further research and development in …

Do Environmental Risks Explain The Sovereign Sukuk Yields In Malaysia?, Roslina Mohamad Shafi, Norhasimah Shaharuddin, Norsaliza Abu Bakar, Amirul Afif Muhamat, Mosab I. Tabash

The Indonesian Capital Market Review

Given the increasing risks posed by environmental degradation, severe climate change, and recent pandemics, the establishment of a sustainable economy has become a priority for numerous nations. From this perspective, it is crucial to emphasize sustainable finance since it has the potential to serve as a vehicle for accomplishing a green economic agenda. Sovereign sukuk held a prominent position in the sukuk market, both domestically and internationally, but its influence was particularly significant inside the domestic sphere. The study seeks to examine the link between environmental risks and the yield performance of sovereign sukuk. Sukuk performed less favourably compared to …

Corruption Perception, Institutional Quality And Stock Prices: Evidence From The Egyptian Capital Market, Rasha Elbolok, Gina Eltabei, Dina Hassouna

Business Administration

This study examines the impact of institutional quality and corruption perception on stock prices in the Egyptian capital market, with a focus on the post-revolution period from to . Using the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) methodology, this study provides empirical evidence on the significant role of macro-political factors and firm-specific variables in shaping stock market dynamics. The findings reveal that institutional quality, characterized by governance efficiency, regulatory frameworks, and the rule of law, positively correlates with stock prices. Similarly, enhanced corruption perception control significantly boosts investor confidence, leading to increased market valuations. Firm-level factors such as Tobin’s Q and …

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

Bridging Indigenous And Western Knowledge Systems: Centering Ojibwe Perspectives For Just Forest-Climate Futures, Tran Thi Mai Anh

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This dissertation addresses critical gaps in how environmental science and policy engage with Indigenous knowledges that hinder just and sustainable environmental futures. Through a multi-year partnership with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC), this research tackles a literature gap on applying Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to forest restoration, an experiential gap in understanding differential climate impacts, and a governance gap perpetuated by colonial metrics that devalue relational ecosystem health.

A multi-method approach systematically addresses these gaps. First, a literature review confirms TEK's application in restoration is under-researched and often extractive. Second, a comparative survey of 232 Tribal and non-Tribal community …

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 …

Energy Transitions In Underserved Communities: Meaningful Engagement To Address Energy Burdens And Air Pollution, Nyasha Milanzi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This report presents two connected studies focused on environmental justice and community engagement in energy transitions. The first study examines engagement practices in EPA-funded projects using interviews and public abstracts. Applying the EngageINFEWS framework, it analyses stakeholder dynamics and offers recommendations for working with underserved communities. Key insights include addressing power imbalances, securing funding, building capacity, and fostering communication. The second study centres on the REJuST project, which supports energy justice in a rural northern community impacted by public health concerns linked to a bioenergy facility burning wood, paper, plastics, and tire-derived fuels. I use survey data to explore resident …

Chromium Removal From Tannery Wastewater Via A Hydroponic Technique With Vetiver Grass (Vetiveria Zizanioides), Ismot Zereen, Zainul Abedin, Siddikur Rahman, Debasish Pandit

Applied Environmental Research

This research aimed to investigate the effects of hydroponically cultivated vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) on the treatment of tannery wastewater for chromium (Cr) removal in Bangladesh. The field experiment involved 9 containers, which were separated into 3 groups: tannery wastewater with hydroponically planted vetiver, tannery wastewater without vetiver (control), and a group with vetiver grown in tap water. The tap water group was used solely for plant growth assessment, whereas only the control and hydroponic vetiver groups were evaluated for Cr and water quality parameters. Throughout the 45-day trial period, Cr and other water quality parameters were analyzed …

Enhanced Co2 Capture Performance Using Methyl Diethanolamine-Functionalized Silica Gels: Assessing Co2 Capture Capacity, Petpitcha Boonmatoon, Pacharapol Nokpho, Pornpote Piumsomboon, Benjapon Chalermsinsuwan

Applied Environmental Research

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a significant greenhouse gas. This causes harm to the environment and to humans. In 2023, atmospheric CO2 levels rose to 420 ppm, marking a new record high. Therefore, technology for capturing CO2 has been developed. At present, a wide variety of technologies have been proposed to capture CO2. Adsorption technology is more affordable and requires less energy for regeneration. There are many potential solid adsorbents for CO2 capture, such as zeolites, alumina, metal‒organic frameworks (MOFs), and mesoporous silicas. Silica materials possess unique properties that make them promising candidates as solid sorbents for CO2 capture. They provide …

Government Support And Local Residents’ Behavior In E-Waste Management: Evidence From Thailand, Peeranart Kiddee, Somsiri Decharat, Suttiporn Bunmak

Applied Environmental Research

Electronic waste (e-waste) management is a critical global pollution concern. This study investigates government support; local residents' perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to e-waste management; and collaborative governance in southern Thailand. Employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, this research involves expert government officers who are well versed in e-waste management and local residents. The study utilized in-depth interviews, questionnaires, and workshops. The results revealed that the government is responsible for four e-waste management approaches, encompassing various e-waste collection, transportation, and disposal methods. Local residents exhibited low perceptions of e-waste news but possessed substantial knowledge and positive attitudes toward e-waste …

Examining The Variability In Planetary Boundary Layer Height Over Thailand: Correlations With Enso And Aerosol Optical Depth, Sirapong Sooktawee, Khwanruthai Renuhom, Siriwan Kaewket, Aduldech Patpai, Pramet Kaewmesri, Thongchai Kanabkaew, Pichnaree Lalitaporn

Applied Environmental Research

Thailand has been facing air pollution, e.g., PM2.5, and impacts from climate phenomena, e.g., the El Niño‒Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Both air pollution and climate interact with each other. Changes in the planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) can affect PM2.5, represented by the aerosol optical depth (AOD), and are influenced by ENSO related to changes in the PBLH. The relationships among the PBLH, ENSO, and AOD were investigated via an empirical orthogonal function (EOF), which decomposes the spatiotemporal data of the PBLH into spatial patterns and corresponding time series. Correlation analysis was used to determine the relationships between the PBL variability …

Spatial And Temporal Pattern Assessment Of Agricultural Drought Sensitivity And Its Potential Impact On Economic Crops In Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, Suwit Ongsomwang, Siripon Kamontum

Applied Environmental Research

Agricultural drought sensitivity (ADS) is highly diverse across regions, primarily due to differences in climate, soil types, and farming practices. Agricultural drought impacts depend on drought intensity, severity, duration and timing relative to crop growth stages. Therefore, spatial and temporal pattern assessments of ADS and its potential impact on economic crops in three scenarios via multicriteria decision-making methods were conducted. As a result, the spatial distributions of the ADS index and its classification at 3 m7, 3 m10 and 6 m10, covering the planting and growing periods, displayed different patterns. The percentages of moderate, high and very high severity levels …

Exploring The Co-Composting Potentials Of Raw Grease Trap And Grease Trap-Derived Soaps: Insights Into Grease Trap Modification, Calcium Supplementation, And Microbial Community Analysis, Pokchat Chutivisut, Panaya Kotchaplai, Bualuang Faiyue, Nattapong Tuntiwiwattanapun

Applied Environmental Research

Managing waste with grease traps poses a challenge because of the potential environmental issues associated with its disposal. In this study, two approaches were investigated to increase the biodegradability of grease trap waste: 1) converting raw grease trap waste into soap and 2) supplementing grease trap soap as inoculum with calcium material. The preparation of grease trap soap was optimized to attain a soap yield of 103% by utilizing a water-to-ethanol ratio of 9:1 at 80 °C for a processing time of 3 hours. A comparison of the composting results revealed higher nitrate yields with increased ratios of grease trap …

Nationwide Household Food Waste Generation Rates In Rural And Urban Settings: Evidence In Thailand, Vilasinee Krutprong, Chanathip Pharino

Applied Environmental Research

To achieve sustainable development goals, addressing food waste requires evidence-based solutions grounded in a nuanced understanding of waste generation rates and the factors influencing them. This study explores the intricate dynamics of food waste generation in Thai households, encompassing both liquid and solid waste streams. Empirical data were collected from 2,700 diverse households across urban and rural areas over a four-week period. The study revealed an average food waste generation rate of 0.332±0.003 kg per capita per day when liquids were included and 0.228± 0.002 kg per capita per day when liquids were excluded. Surprisingly, rural households generated more food …

The Role Of Remittances In Economic Growth And Environmental Sustainability: A Cross-Country Analysis, Bishnu B. Khatri, Omkar Poudel, Pradeep Acharya

Applied Environmental Research

Although remittances significantly influence economic stability, their role in sustainable growth and environmental impact remains uncertain. While these financial inflows enhance household welfare, their effects on gross domestic product (GDP), carbon emissions, and trade openness require further exploration. This study investigates the economic and environmental linkages of remittances in India, Mexico, China, the Philippines, and Pakistan, the top five remittance-receiving countries. Using panel data analysis, this study employs Dumitrescu Hurlin causality tests and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) to assess the long-term and causal relationships between urbanization, trade openness, GDP per capita, carbon emissions, and remittances. Data from the World …

Microplastic Contamination In Commercially Important Bivalves Of Sorsogon Bay, Philippines, Sarina M.B. Arciga, Charmaine A. Malon, Kenneth N. Ballaran

Applied Environmental Research

Sorsogon Bay, a key fishing ground in the Philippines, is known for its commercially important bivalve species: Perna viridis, Atrina pectinata, and Paphia undulata. Despite their ecological and economic value, limited research has been conducted on microplastic contamination in bivalves harvested from this area. This study aimed to assess the abundance and types of microplastics in commercially important bivalves (P. viridis, A. pectinata, and P. undulata) from Sorsogon Bay, Philippines. Commercial bivalve samples were randomly collected, digested with 10% w/v potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution, filtered (8 µm), and examined under a compound microscope. …

Sediment Grain Size Analysis And Characteristics Of Sedimentation Processes In The Bang Berd-Khao Tham Thong Beach, Chumphon Province, Rawadee Meeprasit, Sujaree Bureekul, Suriyan Saramul

Applied Environmental Research

This study investigated the sedimentological characteristics of the Bang Berd-Khao Tham Thong beach system, which is located along the western shore of the central Gulf of Thailand, an area that is minimally disturbed by human activity and is ideal for studying natural coastal processes. Sediment samples were collected from both coastal and marine environments across four sampling periods (July 2022, September 2022, April 2023, and June 2023). The analysis focused on the grain size distribution, sorting, skewness, kurtosis, and sediment composition, revealing a predominance of medium sand in coastal sediments and increased silt and clay contents in marine sediments. The …

Effects Of Herbicides On 2,4-D-Resistant Soil Microorganisms In Maize Cultivation In Lopburi Province, Thailand, Boontarik Chimchart, Jitra Kokaew, Amnat Eamvijarn, Kanokon Bunpha, Sontaya Khamtib, Monchai Manassila, Tawatchai Inboonchuay

Applied Environmental Research

This study aimed to assess the impact of herbicide application on soil micro-organism density and to identify microorganisms resistant to 2,4-D-dimethyl-ammonium (2,4-D) for potential biodegradation. Research was conducted in maize plots in Lopburi Province, where 2,4-D was applied at a rate of 120 g of active ingredient per 160 m2. The soil samples were collected at various intervals: before application; 2 and 4 hours postapplication; and 1, 3, and 7 days after application. The analyses included soil property and microorganism population analyses. The results indicated that 2,4-D applications significantly increased bacteria and fungi in the treated plots compared with those …