Digital Commons Network^™

Geographic Variation In Proteomic Responses To Ocean Acidification In A Cold-Water Coral (Balanophyllia Elegans), Keana A. Richmond

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In the face of a rapidly changing climate, assessing organismal responses to future stressors in the context of current, natural exposure to stress could provide key insights to understanding marine ecosystem resilience. I used Balanophyllia elegans, a cold-water, solitary, azooxanthellate coral as a model to better understand how varying oceanographic conditions across its geographic range have shaped its ability to tolerate and potentially adapt to current and future ocean acidification conditions. I collected B. elegans individuals from four sites across 2,500km of their range and subjected them to two pH treatments to investigate site-specific protein expression in response to …

Climate Change And Species Interactions Jointly Shape Migration Timing And Growth At A Critical Ontogenetic Transition In Juvenile Sockeye Salmon, Margaret E. Veatch

Honors Theses

Climate change is shifting the timing of biological events globally, but the mechanisms linking environmental variation to phenological changes are poorly understood in many systems, particularly those where individuals undergo ontogenetic habitat shifts. Here, I examined the join influence of climate-driven environmental variability and species interactions migration timing and body size at migration in juvenile sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in Lake Aleknagik, Alaska, using a multi-decadal dataset (1967–2024). Migration timing varied widely among years and was best explained by a combination of ice-out phenology, epilimnetic temperature, and fish densities in littoral habitats. Juvenile sockeye salmon migrated earlier in …

Soil Respiration Drivers And Challenges In A Changing Environment, Olivia Rae Haas

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study aims to understand post agricultural forested soils (sandy loam, silt loam, and loam) and the influences that drive carbon sequestration and soil respiration flux. Duke Farms in Hillsborough NJ, has historically been utilized as an agricultural zone for farming a variety of crops. Currently the area is protected with a focus on environmental conservation and restoration of the land. This includes getting a better understanding of the forested portions of the property. Understanding the quality of forested areas is vital as they have the potential to act as a carbon sink which can mitigate the effects of climate …

Mapping Coastal Vegetation To Evaluate Salt Marsh Decline From 2016 To 2025 In South Carolina, Usa, Zak Henry Bartholomew

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Accelerating sea-level rise and storm surge events pose a substantial threat to salt marsh ecosystems, which provide critical ecosystem services. Classification and mapping of coastal vegetation through remote sensing can identify marsh dieback events and provide spatial context for patterns of marsh vulnerability. We used a multi-sensor approach that incorporated LiDAR data, multispectral imagery, and field-derived cover estimates to classify Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass) dominated marsh types on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island (MCRDPI), a sea island in South Carolina, USA. In summer 2025, surveys were conducted within marsh classes to collect training and validation data. We used random …

Effects Of Volatile Organic Compounds Produced By Temperature-Adapted Microbes On Duckweed Growth, Phaedra Yael Stemp

Honors Theses and Capstones

As host-associated microbes adapt to their abiotic environment, these adaptations can affect their host species as well. Previous research showed that varying temperatures and volatile organic compound (VOC) production can affect microbial benefits to hosts. This experiment analyzed how 27 microbes pre-adapted to different temperature conditions affected growth of their host, common duckweed plants, comparing effects of direct contact with microbes, effects of microbe VOCs alone, or both. Each microbe was pre-adapted to one of three temperature regimes: “Northern” at 28 °C, “Southern” at 33 °C, and “Extreme” at 36 °C. We then grew duckweeds in I-plates with each microbe …

Increasing Temperatures And Heatwave Durations Negatively Affect The Performance Of A Dietary Generalist, Kailey G. Hicks, Claire Guzinski, Mariana Abarca, Mayra C. Vidal, Audrey M. Mitchell, Dhaval K. Vyas, Shannon M. Murphy

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Climate variability has increased in recent decades, and this trend is predicted to continue. Globally, there is a rise in extreme temperatures, such as heatwaves, which are strengthening in both intensity and frequency. As ectotherms, insects are especially affected by temperature variation. Insects are the most speciose group of animals and important members of most terrestrial ecosystems, providing critical ecosystem services. Most studies of global change have investigated only a single stressor, yet insects rarely experience one stressor at a time. Two stressors that co-occur are heatwaves and warming temperature regimes; thus, is it important that we study their interaction …

Climate And Environmental Controls On Forest Soil Organic Matter Cycling, Genevieve Goebel

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Climate change factors act on the soil environment in complex ways, known to disturb soil organic carbon (C). Rising global temperatures and alterations to regional precipitation and nitrogen deposition regimes may contribute to the intensification of global change by accelerating the rate of biological decomposition and CO2 efflux to the atmosphere. The magnitude and endurance of the disturbance to soil organic C across landscapes and throughout time that climate change factors may pose to soil C cycling are not comprehensively understood. These knowledge gaps in our field make it challenging to anticipate how soil environments and the vast ecosystems that …

Assessing A Half-Century Of Change In Understory Plant Range And Frequency In The Klamath Mountains Of California, Emily Jean Jackson

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The effects of climate change have and will continue to impact plant communities, including by potentially shifting species’ ranges towards topographically sheltered, cooler locations or higher elevations. In 2024, I resampled 140 vegetation plots established in 1969 in the Klamath Mountains of Northern California to assess range shifts of 46 understory species over a 55-year period. During this time, the elevational distribution of all species has increased significantly by an average of 26.9 m, but this increase was slower than necessary to track historic temperature niches given regional warming (215-311 m). Despite this overall increase, only four species exhibited significant …

Comparing Microgrids With Nuclear Energy: Which Is Better To Catapult New York Toward Its Green Energy Future?, Justin R. Ochs

Natural Resources Journal

This Note examines New York’s climate goals under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) by comparing two pivotal energy solutions: nuclear energy and microgrids. Microgrids remain notably underexplored in legal scholarship, particularly their potential to achieve compliance with the CLCPA. By analyzing the economic, environmental, regulatory, and public perception challenges associated with nuclear energy and microgrids, this Note argues that microgrids offer a safer, more flexible, and sustainable option for accelerating New York’s path toward its green energy future. This Note evaluates microgrid projects across New York, along with common critiques regarding the scalability and viability of hybrid …

Climate, Energy, Economy: Interconnected Perspectives From Politics, Business, And The Public, Isabella Harper Heinzen

Theses and Dissertations

When considering the economic and social costs and benefits of a global, intergenerational, and environmental issue, rigid analysis often falls short. The topics discussed in this thesis aim to address the complex moral, economic, and political concerns regarding climate change to provide a holistic view of the issue and the role humans play. The first section on the scientific consensus addresses concerns regarding the existence and severity of climate change, finding where the responsibility lies for humans. The second section analyzes the energy context in modern society to understand the call for a transition from oil and gas to renewable …

Les Répercussions Des Changements Climatiques Sur La Sst : État Des Lieux Et Pistes D'Action, Sophie De Serres, Alain Marchand

États de la question, rapports d’expertise et revues de littérature

Cet état des lieux expose les répercussions multidimensionnelles des changements climatiques (CC) sur la santé et la sécurité du travail (SST), en se concentrant sur les contextes nord-américain et européen. L'augmentation de la température moyenne mondiale, qui atteint désormais +1,2 °C par rapport à l'ère préindustrielle, transforme les conditions de travail et exacerbe les dangers professionnels existants. Le stress thermique induit par la chaleur excessive provoque des pathologies allant de l'épuisement au coup de chaleur mortel, tout en dégradant la vigilance et en augmentant le risque de blessures traumatiques. Au-delà des atteintes physiques, les CC aggravent les risques psychosociaux, engendrant …

Lake As Body: Ecofeminism And Animacy At The Great Salt Lake, Shae Barber

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Water shapes cultural, social, and ecological systems. Yet, dominant economic, political, and academic frameworks often treat water as a backdrop or passive resource, ignoring it as an active participant in meaning-making and relationship-building. Viewing water as “nonliving” obscures how it participates in and co-creates relationships, limiting understanding about impacts of and responses to climate change and environmental degradation.

This thesis takes a mixed-methods and participatory approach including semi-structured interview, photovoice, and participatory mapping to examine relational practices between environmental advocates and the Great Salt Lake, a desiccating saline lake in Utah, U.S. As the lake continues to decline, dominant Western …

The Coral Microbiome Under Climate Change: Shifting Symbiotic Interactions, Katherine E. Parker, Kate M. Quigley

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Host–microbe symbioses are central to organismal health, yet these complex partnerships are often strongly shaped by the environment. Climate change is increasingly altering environmental conditions, disrupting the balance of host–microbe interactions and pushing them along a continuum from mutualism (both partners benefit) toward parasitism (one partner gains at the other’s expense). Reef-building corals provide a clear example of this vulnerability, as the coral holobiont, an ecological unit comprising diverse photosynthetic algal symbionts (Symbiodiniaceae) and other microbial partners, depends largely on these mutualistic interactions for nutrition, immunity, and stress tolerance. Increasingly, evidence suggests that under heat stress, the algal symbionts retain …

Effects Of Warmer Springs And Urbanization On The Nest Choice Of Temnothorax Ants, Keana Royce

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Climate change is altering winter and spring conditions in northeast Ohio, with urbanization and the urban heat island effect likely intensifying these changes. This preliminary study examined how Temnothorax ants alter nest-site preference in response to climate change and urbanization. I hypothesized that colonies exposed to warmed treatments would select hickory nuts to buffer against thermal/urban stressors. Identical in situ experimental setups were deployed at a rural site and an urban site and data collection occurred from late winter to early spring. Control colonies experienced ambient temperatures while experimental colonies were warmed +4°C above ambient temperatures. Colonies had the choice …

Climate Change Effects On Biomass And Greenhouse Gas Emissions Are Ameliorated By Nontoxic Endophytes In Southeastern Usa Transition Zone Tall Fescue Pastures, Rebecca Kay Mcgrail, Jonathan D. Moore, A. Elizabeth Carlisle, Jim A. Nelson, Rebecca L. Mcculley

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: The plant–microbe interaction between tall fescue and its endophyte Epichloë coenophiala can affect ecosystem responses to changing rainfall patterns and increasing temperatures. Endophyte-infected (E+) stands often exhibit improved stress tolerance and differing soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to endophyte-free (E−) stands. However, it is unknown if mammalian nontoxic endophyte (NTE) strains introduced into some tall fescue cultivars confer differing stress tolerances or reduce soil GHG emissions.

Methods: We quantified the impact of fescue-NTE symbioses in Jesup and Texoma on biomass and GHG emissions in response to increased temperature (+3°C) and altered precipitation (50% lengthened interval between events) using …

Cedaw's General Recommendation No. 37: A Sweeping Reconceptualization Of Women’S Rights In The Climate Crisis And A Tool To Assess State’S Compliance With Them, Ingrid Nifosi-Sutton

American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law

INTRODUCTION: Climate change is one of the most formidable challenges of our time that threatens our way of life and the very existence of humankind. While climate change has negative impacts on all persons, it affects women and girls disproportionately. During floods and severe storms fueled by climate change, for example, women are more likely to die than men because they lack access to essential information on how to survive in these emergencies. In certain regions of the world—such as Sub-Saharan Africa—women smallholder farmers are bearing the brunt of climate change because, in the aftermath of droughts, these women have …

Data From: Mass Mortality Of Avian Migrants In New Mexico, Usa, That Coincided With An Extreme Weather Event, Dylan M. Osterhaus, Allison J. Salas, Patricia L. Cutler, Mara E. Weisenberger, Kerry Mower, Abigail J. Lawon, Timothy F. Wright, Jeanne M. Fair, Martha J. Desmond

Fish, Wildlife, & Conservation Ecology: Datasets

No abstract provided.

A Marine Science Career In The Eastern Caribbean: Witnessing Four Decades Of Change, Hazel A. Oxenford

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Reflecting back on a long and rewarding career from 1980—2023 at the University of the West Indies, based on the small island of Barbados, this paper tracks the many and often remarkable changes in the marine environment, in attitudes and policies, and available opportunities that have influenced my journey as a marine scientist in an ever—changing but resilient Caribbean. From free—access fisheries to degraded stocks, from coral to algal dominated reefs, from flyingfish to Almaco Jacks, from sandy beaches and clear water to a Sargassum crisis — these are just some of the fundamental changes in the marine environment that …

Assessing Climate-Driven Shifts In Floral Resource Availability For Bees On Barrier Islands In The Southeastern U.S., Hannah Brown

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Climate change can alter the timing of bee and angiosperm phenology, potentially reshaping the seasonal availability of floral resources for bee species. Although plant-pollinator phenology has been widely studied in temperate systems, less is known about these dynamics in subtropical coastal ecosystems, such as barrier islands in the southeastern United States. In this study, we examined climate-driven changes in bee activity and floral resource availability across 16 barrier-island sites spanning from Florida to Virginia. Using museum bee occurrence records, herbarium-derived flowering phenology models, site-specific floristic inventories, and published bee-plant interaction data, we estimated species-specific bee activity periods and daily floral …

The Influence Of Localized Water Quality On Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea Virginica) And Their Internal Microbiome Under Changing Environmental Conditions, Jessie Rivera Lafreniere

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Oysters are found ubiquitously in estuaries along the Georgia coast, where marsh morphology and large daily tidal fluctuations create dynamic and stressful conditions to which oysters may be locally adapted. Based on water quality data from the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve, it is evident that changing climatic conditions are rapidly causing shifts in water quality that may be adversely affecting oyster health, especially as ocean acidification alters the carbonate buffering capacity, increasing the amplitude of daily pH variations. Importantly, the rate of change of conditions are not uniform within estuaries, varying on spatial and temporal scales. The symbiotic …

Population Genomics Data For The Temperate Seagrass Posidonia Sinuosa, John Whale, Elizabeth Sinclair, Chanelle Webster, Nicole Said, Ankje Frouws, David Field, Kathryn Mcmahon

Research Datasets

Seagrasses are flowering plants commonly found along coastal waters, globally, where they provide important ecosystem services such as habitat provision, sequestering carbon, and sediment stabilization. They can reproduce both clonally and sexually where sexual reproduction can result in new, potentially adaptive, variants and the existence of both reproductive methods means that meadows can be highly variable in clonal diversity. The temperate seagrass, Posidonia sinuosa, occurs across a latitudinal gradient along the Western Australian coastline. Some meadows have experienced significant decline as a result of industrialisation and urbanisation of coastal areas. We investigated spatial genetic diversity, structure, and local adaptation using …

Breaking Down Seagrass Fragmentation In A Marine Heatwave Impacted World Heritage Area, Michael D. Taylor, Simone Strydom, Matthew W. Fraser, Ana M.M. Sequeira, Gary A. Kendrick

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Marine heatwaves, and other extreme climatic events, are driving mass mortality of habitat-forming species and substantial ecological change worldwide. However, habitat fragmentation is rarely considered despite its role in structuring seascapes and potential to exacerbate the negative impacts of habitat loss. Here, we quantify fragmentation of globally significant seagrass meadows within the Shark Bay World Heritage Area before and after an unprecedented marine heatwave impacting the Western Australian coastline over the austral summer of 2010/11. We use a spatial pattern index to quantify seagrass fragmentation from satellite-derived habitat maps (2002, 2010, 2014 and 2016), assess potential predictors of fragmentation and …

Forecasting Future Adoption Rates Of Agroecological Innovations Using Machine Learning: Perspectives From Burkina Faso’S 45 Provinces From 2010 To 2020, Theodore Nikiema, Pamela Giselle Katic, Issaka Abdou Razakou Kiribou, Sylvain Kpenavoun Chogou, Eugene C. Ezin

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Implementation of agroecological innovations tends to be long-term processes, withthe practices of one year often linked to those of previous years. However, previousstudies have focused on understanding drivers of adoption at farm level, with adoptionmeasured at a point in time. In this study, we use a decade of panel data from thePermanent Agricultural Survey in Burkina Faso from 2010 to 2020 and machine learningapproaches, to model adoption rates of agroecological innovations at the provinciallevel as an autoregressive process. This modeling approach allows us to exploit the timeseries nature of our dataset to forecast future adoption rates. Our results showcase thepotential …

Larval Crowding In Culex Pipiens Generates Cumulative Cascading Effects Under Changing Environmental Conditions, Sengul Talay, Zafer Sakaci, Michele C. Weigle, Bugrahan Regaip Kilinc, Jenah Parman, Holly Gaff, Deniz Sirin, Bulent Alten, Dennis Bente, Sirri Kar

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Density-dependent population regulation is a fundamental driver in the population dynamics of living systems, ensuring a balanced and sustainable maintenance in nature. It has been suggested that the adverse developmental and morphological effect of high larval density in container mosquitoes represents a significant limiting factor for population density, and the need to investigate this possible importance within the framework of field-based principles has been emphasized. This semi-field study, conducted under the natural thermal regime and using a natural population in Turkish Thrace, aimed to examine the effects of non-food-limiting larval density (crowding effect) in the mosquito species, Culex pipiens ( …

Plant Preservation: The Contribution Of Bacteriophage And Transposons To Pathogenic Xanthomonas Evolution, And The Demographic And Reproductive Analysis Of Castilleja Parvula, Ciara A. Green

Theses and Dissertations

Plant preservation, whether through disease research or endemic extinction analyses, plays an important role in the relationship between humans and our surrounding environment. In these analyses, both the role of mobile elements in the evolution of pathogenic Xanthomonas sp. bacteria, and the demographic and reproductive analysis of Castilleja parvula, an imperiled alpine plant, are evaluated. Xanthomonas species are one of the top agricultural threats, and are known to evolve rapidly. Until now, the contributions of mobile elements and particularly bacteriophage have not been thoroughly evaluated. The contribution of these agricultural diseases to food insecurity and the devastation of crops that …

The Evolution Of Southern Ocean Net Primary Production In A Changing Climate: Challenges And Opportunities, Alessandro Tagliabue, Thomas Ryan-Keogh, Alex Baker, Thomas S. Bibby, Chris Follett, Maeve C. Lohan, Alberto Naveira-Garabato, Daniel J. Mayor, Angela Milne, C. Mark Moore, Simon Ussher

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Net primary production in the Southern Ocean plays a critical role in governing ecosystem production, the biological carbon pump, and global biogeochemical cycles. Recent work has advanced our understanding of novel factors regulating Southern Ocean net primary production and the regional physiological adaptations employed by Southern Ocean phytoplankton in terms of their photosynthetic strategies and resource acquisition. Here we assess trends in Southern Ocean net primary production from different remote sensing algorithms and bgc-Argo floats to compare them to the latest Earth System Models used to forecast future changes under three different future climate scenarios. Overall, remote sensing and bgc-Argo …

Variation In Nectar Rewards Under Water Limitation Across Flowering Species, Madeline Isabelle Gregor

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Drought is becoming an increasingly dominant force shaping plant–pollinator interactions, yet we still know little about how nectar rewards respond to water limitation across species commonly used to support pollinators. We examined nectar volume and sucrose content in six flowering species relevant to California’s Mediterranean climate and quantified how drought alters these traits for four of those species. Under well-watered conditions, species differed in their nectar production, spanning more than two orders of magnitude. Perennial species such as Epilobium canum and Scrophularia californica produced the highest nectar volumes and sucrose amounts, suggesting that they contribute substantial carbohydrate resources when moisture …

The Price Of Priorities: How Human Choices Fuel Climate And Ecological Decline, Keisha Hickman

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the ways in which human priorities and behaviors contribute to the escalating climate crisis and ecological systems. We will first analyze the role of social media in shaping public discourse on climate change and critically evaluate the priorities of institutions that have the means to assist in wildlife conservation. Both speak to the current behaviors of humankind prioritizing their own entertainment over meaningful efforts to mitigate climate change and preserve biodiversity. We will then shift to exploring the profound impact of human population growth and its associated activities on other species and ecosystems. Finally, the thesis will …

Multiple Aspects Of Environmental Temperature Have Complex Interactions With Avian Parental Behavior To Influence Offspring Outcomes, William H. Kirkpatrick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic climate change is projected to shift not only average temperatures across the globe, but also the amount of thermal variation experienced in the natural environment. Exposure to shifts in averages and a wider range of thermal experiences will cause shifts in wildlife behavior. In avian species, behaviors exhibited during reproduction have implications for the well-being of their offspring. Here, I explore specific incubation behaviors in four species: Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata), Northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus), Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), and Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis). I examined constancy, or the percentage of time on the nest, and off-bout duration, …

Desiccation Tolerance In Tetradesmus Green Algae, Kristen Patten

Theses

In the face of the global climate change threat, understanding the adaptations that organisms have evolved to handle environmental variation is of particular interest to scientists. With climate change impacting global water availability and increasing the risk of drought for many traditional agricultural areas in the United States (IPCC, 2014, IPCC, 2021, and Kuwayama et al., 2019), desiccation tolerance in vegetative states is one adaptation that is currently receiving a lot of attention. Green algae are particularly useful organisms for understanding this adaptation due to their ubiquity across environments, which has given rise to independently evolved organisms displaying different levels …