Digital Commons Network^™

Ms Environmental Biology Capstone Project, Sarah Luper

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Recreational trails and the presence of invasive species such as Bromus inermis can both disturb grassland community composition. Trails can act as dispersal corridors for plant material, but can also be a source of trampling and compaction. Invasive grasses like Bromus inermis can easily establish in grasslands and decrease species richness by increasing competition. Understanding these effects, this study aims to understand how both the presence of recreational trails as well as the presence of Bromus inermis affect species richness and overall community composition at Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge. Belt transect sampling took place in fall 2019 and again …

Arboretum Annual Report, 2024, Maggie Redfern

Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Virginia Commonwealth University Courses (2024), Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Listing of courses for the 2024-2025 year.

Virginia Commonwealth University Undergraduate Bulletin (2024), Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Undergraduate bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2024-2025. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for undergraduate programs.

Addressing Microplastic Environmental Data Gaps Through Undergraduate Research, Michelle Kryl, Ashlee Lewandoski, Grace Diblasio, Ethan Howard, Lillian C. Jeznach

Engineering, Computing & Construction Management Faculty Publications

Plastic pollution from freshwater and atmospheric sources into coastal and marine environments is complex and the extent is largely unquantified. Such a gap in knowledge of marine microplastic sources, fate, and transport requires a spectrum of engineers and scientists, so that technical, social, and policy solutions can be developed. Citizen scientists are low cost and can collect an abundance of field data. Experienced scientists can complete costly but advanced analytical analyses on a smaller sample of plastics. This project engages engineering and science undergraduate students (moderate experience) in microplastic data collection and analysis to fill gaps in microplastic data for …

The Influence Of Abiotic Stress And Cultivar Variation On Plant Defenses And Resistance To Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus Planipennis) In Cultivated Olive (Olea Spp), Idris B. Elesin

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, is an invasive pest that significantly impacts olive trees (Olea europaea). This study aimed to assess the role of abiotic stress factors such as drought and salinity in influencing plant defenses and resistance to EAB, while also examining cultivar variation in resistance. The study specifically aimed to address: (1) What effects do varying degrees of abiotic stress (drought, salinity) have on olive trees' antioxidant and peroxidase activity in olive tree? (2) Do distinct olive cultivars exhibit varying levels of resistance to EAB under various stressors? We used a controlled experimental design with two stress …

Redefining Career Prep For Environmental Studies, Ashley Keya, Imran Rashid, Athens Marron

IdeaFest 2024

No abstract provided.

Course Catalog 2024-2025, Csusb

CSUSB Course Catalog

No abstract provided.

Pesticide-Coated Seeds: How The Treated Articles Exemption Circumvents Regulation And Harms The Environment, Scott Hudson

Buffalo Environmental Law Journal

Pesticide-coated seeds dominate the seed market for a wide range of crops, making them the primary means of delivering pesticides to many agricultural plants. Scientific research has revealed increasingly adverse effects from pesticide-coated seeds, including contamination of native plants, surface waters and groundwater, as well as causing the death of non-targeted insects and birds. Evidence also shows that pesticides from the seeds migrates to drinking water supplies and potentially imperils human health. Yet pesticide-coated seeds are not regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency due to a little-known exemption called the Treated Articles Exemption. This Article argues that EPA’s …

Letter From The Faculty Editor, Beth Kegley

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Rollins Magazine, Winter 2024, Rollins College Office Of Marketing And Communications

Rollins Magazine

No abstract provided.

Rollins Magazine, Spring 2024, Rollins College Office Of Marketing And Communications

Rollins Magazine

No abstract provided.

Rollins Magazine, Fall 2024, Rollins College Office Of Marketing And Communications

Rollins Magazine

No abstract provided.

Changing The Communication For A Changing Climate: Effects Of Climate Change Communication On Identity, Emotions, And Mobilization, Liam Schwartz

Departmental Honors Projects

What are the most constructive emotions to evoke in climate change communication for diverse groups of people in a way that encourages pro-environmental behavior? A specific communication style and subsequent emotional response may best mobilize people interested in efforts to address climate change compared to people who are less invested in the issue. In this study, 927 valid participants surveyed were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a “fear” condition, a “hope” condition, and a control condition. All participants were asked a series of questions about their demographics, identities, perceptions, values, and environmental attitudes. Following these experimental tasks, they …

The Role Of Local Knowledge In Climate Change Research, Ryan E. Mccoy

Theses and Dissertations--Philosophy

This dissertation addresses the growing need within climate research for improvements in regional and local climate information. I argue that knowledge gaps in regional climate information constitute a form of climate injustice in which harm largely falls on regions most vulnerable to climate change. Moreover, I show that our current methods for garnering regional climate information fail to provide information on place-specific factors, such as local culture, socio-economic systems, and ecology, which mediate climate change impacts. In order to address these knowledge gaps, as well as provide information necessary for effective mitigation and adaptation, I argue for the inclusion of …

Evaluating Indicators Of Success And Sustainability In Community Forests, Brittney Hall

Theses & ETDs

Community forests are forests managed by local communities. They can be beneficial in socioeconomic contexts and can have positive impacts in supporting local biodiversity of plants and animals. Community forests are considered generally effective at countering deforestation and serve as valuable systems for local communities and as a response to climate change. However, the effectiveness of community forestry is dependent on a variety of socio-ecological factors, thus presenting a need for the success and efficacy of community forests to be evaluated and assessed in a rigorous and objective manner. The purpose of this thesis is to identify socio-ecological variables that …

Bombazos Y Belonging: Exploring Belonging And Connection Between Latine Students Through Dance At A Pwi, Gabriella Batista Quintana

Theses & ETDs

By utilizing dance and performance ethnography in tandem with the practice of bomba (an Afro-Puerto Rican dance, genre, and drum), this thesis seeks to understand the themes of belonging and connection amongst Latine students at New College of Florida, a predominately White institution (PWI). How may dance act as a safe space, or counterspace, for students of marginalized identities to foster a sense of belonging? Can connecting to one another, despite our cultural differences within the Latine diaspora, lend itself to finding “home” in an otherwise hostile PWI? According to this study’s participants, finding familiar aspects of one’s culture amongst …

Early Environmental Progressive Pedagogical Practices, Alexandra Gates

Theses & ETDs

Through a culmination of personal experience, it became clear that there was a great need for improved environmental education as global climate change and associated environmental degradation continue to rapidly worsen. In this, for education to be practical and accessible it needed to be geared towards public education, thus giving as many students the tools for a sustainable future. This thesis aims to work through education to foster environmental consciousness from an elementary age level, continuing beyond to create environmentally and socially responsible adults. In order to accomplish that goal this thesis begins with a literature review section to gain …

Marine Protected Areas: A Comparison Of The National Marine Sanctuaries Act And The Antiquities Act Through An Interdisciplinary Lens, Meilah Wimbush

Theses & ETDs

Marine ecosystems are under threat by anthropogenic stressors such as pollution, increased endangerment of biodiversity, and exploitation of natural resources. Through the creation of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (1972) and the Antiquities Act (1906), numerous marine protected areas (MPAs) have been established for long-term protection of these crucial habitats. This thesis examines both forms of legislation through the use of two case studies alongside the approach of comparing the cases through a conservation versus preservation framework. The case studies helped determine different patterns and trends that resulted from each respective legislation which was then used to defend which environmental …

The Next Generation Of Blue: Health And Autonomy Of Young Adults In A Blue Zone Region, Isadora Vitkus

Theses & ETDs

This thesis focuses on young adult perspectives amidst the data of successful aging and longevity of nonagenarians and centenarians in the world’s five Blue Zones. With lacking data on how the Blue Zone Power 9 principles are affecting young adult lives in Blue Zone regions, this thesis assessed the presence of and usage of the Power 9 principles in the studied young adult population. Chronic disease is also on the rise in several countries, and the imminent threat of disease for many young adults is overbearing. The stress that this worry brings can often lead to heightened cortisol levels in …

Where's The Water? Indigenous Sovereignty And Co-Management In The Everglades, Colin Jefferis

Theses & ETDs

This thesis looks at the degradation and restoration of the Everglades ecosystem, through the framework of settler colonialism. The Everglades region has a unique settler colonial structure, known as the South Florida Water Management District, which controls water resources and the livelihood of indigenous people in the Everglades. The settler colonial structure has created water quantity conflict between the stakeholders in the Everglades, revolving around the closing of flood gates to protect the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, as water quality conflicts revolving around agricultural pollutants in the Everglades, in the present day. This thesis attempts to address these issues of …

The Restorative Benefits Of Green Spaces In The College Student Experience, Alexandra Gorman

Theses & ETDs

More and more of the global population is starting to live in cities, where they may have limited access to meaningful interactions with nature. This not only reduces empathy and concern for the climate as a whole, but also produces tangible effects on the wellbeing of individuals. Incorporating nature into urban landscapes through public green spaces (such as parks) improves mental health and functioning by reducing stress and alleviating mental strain. The current study examines green spaces on a college campus to analyze how the benefits of interacting with nature can be maximized for this specific group. An established scale …

Effects Of American Colonialism On The Hawaiian Islands, Sydney Lingenfelser

Theses & ETDs

In this Thesis I will discuss the Environmental and Cultural Effects of the colonization by the United States on the Hawaiian Islands. By reviewing large industries such as the Military and Tourism industries, I examine the rules and laws set in place since the “discovery” of the Hawaiian Islands in 1778 that led to a change in the culture and lifestyle of Hawai’i. Actions such as land privatization led to massive areas of land to be developed for both military and tourism purposes which led to massive development of infrastructure and in turn, a loss of biodiversity and native life. …

Ecopoetry Collection: The Anaerobic Summers, Sadie Landreville

Theses & ETDs

The Anaerobic Summers is a collection of sixty-six pages of ecopoems divided among six sections— “Plastic Causation,” “Neptune Wallows,” “Rewash (Hose-Down),” “The Forest,” Mother’s Apartment: 2B (Open-Invitation),” and “Expiration”—that give intrinsic value and respect to the other than human world. In my introduction, I not only work to define ecopoetry, but show how society's views of wilderness are detrimental and how ecopoetry acts as a bridge between wilderness and society. These ecopoems challenge the belief that humans have supremacy over the wild world. As Long writes in his “Introduction to Ecopoetics,” “Ecopoetry uses language to deepen a sense of nature’s …

Periodical Cicadas In Tennessee, Karla M. Addesso, Jason B. Oliver, Martine Bowombe-Toko, Douglas L. Airhart

Extension Publications

No abstract provided.

Woven Life Systems, Melanie Olde

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

What is it like to be at the intersection between the natural and technological? I see plants as living cloth – can we build cloth using human-evolved technology (weaving) and natural life systems? In this practice-as-research, I take growth models from plants such as algae, then process these codes on a loom to exploring the emergence and narrative that develop.

Looms are tools and technology evolved with humans to organise systems of strands, connecting in myriad ways to form something new. Plants are systems of organised cells, dividing and branching creating functional entities. The commonalities are individual elements and rules …

Perception And Prospects Of Art Of Clothing Maintenance As A Sustainable Fashion, Boiso Maria Owodiong-Idemeko, Adetona Sekinat Ajoke, Udom Owodiong

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

The study focused on the perception of the art of clothing maintenance and its prospects as a sustainable fashion for consumers in Lagos state. 250 respondents were involved. The study adopted descriptive survey design. Two hypotheses were formulated and a thirty-one (31) item questionnaire was the main instrument used to collect data for the study. The statistical tools used were, percentages, mean and Friedman’s test. The result revealed that, 200 (80%) perceived ripped clothes bring dismay to the wearer, 198 (79%), perceived ripped clothes needed to be reconstructed, 200 (80%) perceived consumers lack practical ability to repair clothes. 241 (96%) …

Environmental Metrics In Action: Exploring U.S. Superfund Sites Affiliated With The Fashion Industry, Nidia K. Trejo

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Little is known of Superfund sites, long-term clean up sites, affiliated with the apparel and footwear supply chain in the United States. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) manages the clean up of contaminated sites that pose a significant risk to human health and the environment under the Superfund program. A site can become contaminated if hazardous waste from industrial operations are mismanaged or dumped into the environment, in an uncontrolled manner. In this study, a proposed Superfund site (Mohawk Tannery in Nashua, New Hampshire), an active Superfund site (Ciba-Geigy Corp. in Toms River, New Jersery), and a …

Washington University Magazine, December 2024

Washington University Magazine

No abstract provided.

Automated Mapping Of !Nara In Namibia’S Ephemeral River Corridors, Luc Cote, Elise Donovan, Dylan Lawler, Mara Mccollor, Kendall Weingart

ENGS 89/90 Reports

In this project we develop a user-friendly remote sensing program which, given satellite data, accurately returns locations of !nara melons—a keystone plant species local to the Namib Desert of Namibia. To do so, we utilize pre-existing image segmentation techniques in addition to employing a satellite frequency band-based classification approach on each image segment. This tool can be used to provide important information about how !nara distribution is changing temporally and spatially, an indicator for changes in the hydro-climate of the Namib Desert, thus extending researchers’ ability to track and understand climate change in this remote region in an affordable and …