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Tenaciously Curious, Joe Mark Taylor

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In this thesis paper, I will outline the journey I’ve taken throughout my graduate studies at the University of Montana and how it has culminated in my thesis exhibition, Tenaciously Curious. I’ll begin with an Introduction that speaks to the importance of finding ways to connect to nature, and the benefits we gain by recognizing our bodies as extensions of the organic world.

In the following section, Influences, Theory and Lineage, I’ll explore the themes that drive my research, highlight artists who have influenced my work, and discuss why this inquiry feels vital within our contemporary moment.

In the section …

Water Scarcity In The Bitterroot Valley, August W. Guenthner

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Water scarcity in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley is an increasingly urgent issue, driven by the dual pressures of climate change and rapid population growth. Since 1970, the Bitterroot has been the fastest-growing region in the state, with much of this growth occurring in low-density rural subdivisions that rely on individual groundwater wells. Simultaneously, climate change has reduced snowpack levels, leading to diminished springtime recharge of surface water systems that are vital for both ecological and agricultural needs. For the Valley’s agricultural producers, adapting to decreasing water availability will be essential for sustaining their operations. This research project was designed to better …

Investigating The Impact Of Aerial Firefighting On Rate Of Wildfire Spread, Lindsay Ann Wiard

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Aerial retardant drops are widely used in wildfire suppression, yet their effectiveness in slowing fire spread remains difficult to quantify at scale. This study evaluates the impact of aerial suppression on wildfire rate of spread (ROS) using a modeling framework that incorporates both observed (real) and counterfactual (synthetic) drop locations from a sample of 62 wildfires in Oregon. Synthetic drops were generated to simulate a no-suppression baseline, allowing us to compare changes in ROS in the presence and absence of suppression. We trained two random forest classifiers: one using both real and synthetic drops (the full model), and another using …

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.

Increasing Nature Connection And Decreasing Climate Change Distress In An Indigenous Population: The Development Of A Traditional Ecological Knowledge Intervention Framework, Olathe Antonio

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Research suggests that nature connection is positively correlated with pro-environmental behaviors, concern for the climate, general wellbeing, and subjective levels of climate change distress. Few research studies have examined how to increase nature connectedness without increasing psychological distress. Such research is especially important for those who are disproportionately affected by climate change such as Indigenous Peoples. To address this discrepancy, we developed a culturally-grounded psychological intervention framework based in traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) for Indigenous populations and offered an adapted example for a Navajo population. The intervention was created in collaboration with TEK experts to conceptualize key psychologically-relevant TEK principles, …

Methods To Improve Efficiency, Sensitivity, And Selectivity Of Sequence Similarity Search, Daniel Olson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The rapid growth of biological sequence data presents significant challenges for bioinformatic analysis. A cornerstone of this analysis, sequence similarity search, is hampered by three main obstacles: sensitivity in detecting distant evolutionary relationships, selectivity in distinguishing true homology from spurious similarity caused by features like tandem repeats, and scalability to handle massive databases. This dissertation introduces two novel computational tools, ULTRA and NEAR, that address these challenges to improve the efficiency, sensitivity, and selectivity of sequence similarity search. Part I of this dissertation addresses the problem of selectivity by focusing on tandem repeats, a common source of false-positive results in …

Fluvial Geomorphic Resilience In Alluvial Mountain Rivers To Large Floods, Riley T. Henson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

As hydroclimatic extremes intensify, large floods increasingly reshape river systems and threaten infrastructure. Fluvial geomorphic resilience, defined as a river’s resistance to, and recovery from, flood disturbance, offers a useful framework for understanding river response and guiding management. We assessed resilience at two scales: (1) a detailed geomorphic and hydraulic analysis of the June 2022 flood on East Rosebud Creek, Montana, which was part of broader flooding in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and (2) a broad-scale comparison of 12 flood-impacted alluvial mountain rivers across North America and Europe. We quantified resistance using active channel width ratios (W_R) and …

Federal Dust, David R. Phares

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

These are fragments of my work. None of the pieces in here are complete. They are horizons and guide posts.

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 …

America's Highest Stage: Utopians, Capitalists, And Trail Runners On Pikes Peak, Mitchell Morris

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Since ancient times, Pikes Peak’s prominence on the land has endowed it with prominence in the minds of all who have lived around it. This ancient dynamic was reinforced in the nineteenth century by the famed expedition of Lieutenant Zebulon Pike in 1806 and the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush in 1858. Since then, the mountain has become a stage. Standing tall, visible from hundreds of miles around, and known from coast to coast, Pikes Peak is a platform that has attracted diverse historical actors to come and perform, elevate their endeavors to new heights, and demonstrate what they, and people …

Climate Goodbyes: Reporting On Loss, Change And The Human Response In Montana, Madeline Jorden

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This portfolio explores how climate-driven environmental change intersects with long-standing tensions over natural resource management, tribal sovereignty, and rural identity in Montana. It consists of three stories: a historically low water year at Flathead Lake that intensified disputes between tribal dam operators and non-tribal waterfront homeowners; the first confirmed presence of invasive smallmouth bass in the Bitterroot River, signaling warming stream conditions and ecological disruption; and a political narrative from Colstrip, where coal industry workers cling to promises of revival amid economic and regulatory decline. Each piece illustrates how climate change acts not only as an environmental force but also …

Fuel Break Effectiveness – Determining Ignition Thresholds Based On Radiant And Convective Energy Transfer, Daniel Michael Jimenez

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Extended fire seasons and increased fire severity in and around protected ecosystems and the wildland urban interface (WUI) will increasingly challenge fire suppression, impact communities and threaten property and resources. Addressing this growing threat through proactive management solutions that protect values at risk requires improved fire behavior prediction capabilities.

Here I explore the radiant and convective energy transfer mechanisms of fire ignition or extinction associated with fuel discontinuities. Through a series of wind tunnel experiments I identified energy and ignition thresholds unique to changing wind speed, fuel moistures and fire line characteristics, and developed a multi-variate linear regression model to …

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 …

Impacts Of Fire-Driven Vegetation Changes On Evapotranspiration In North American Boreal Forests, Tyler Glen Albrethsen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A growing body of evidence suggests that land cover change could be impacting evapotranspiration (ET) trends more than the direct impacts of climate change (Dashti et al., 2022; Zhang et al., 2015). In boreal forests, one of the Earth’s most important carbon sinks (Kang et al., 2006), climate and disturbance-driven land cover change is progressing rapidly, threatening the resilience of conifer-dominated forests (Baltzer et al., 2021; Massey et al., 2023). The spread of deciduous trees and the changing structure of boreal forests likely have large implications for the magnitude and seasonality of ecosystem water fluxes (Young-Robertson et al., 2016). This …

Climate Change And Behavioral Plasticity: Migration, Parturition, And Phenological Mismatch In Northern Rockies Elk, Tara Kelly Meyer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The survival and reproduction of large herbivores depend on the synchronization of life-history events with ephemeral resource availability. Migratory ungulates have navigated this seasonality by relying on environmental cues (e.g., snowmelt or green-up) to predict when to migrate to distant foraging areas. However, anthropogenic climate change is rapidly altering environmental baselines. This dissertation investigates the intersection of climate change, behavioral plasticity, and reproductive ecology in a partially migratory elk (Cervus canadensis) population in Alberta, Canada. Integrating 22 years of longitudinal monitoring data (2002–2024) of individual elk with remotely sensed NDVI and statistical modeling, I examine how three coexisting migratory tactics …

Ecology-Driven Machine Learning For Predicting Risk Of Spread For Aquatic Invasive Species., Leif Eric Howard

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Effective management of aquatic invasive species (AIS) requires predictive tools that leverage environmental and ecological data to forecast spread into uninvaded areas. However, species distribution models (SDMs) often struggle to capture key invasion processes such as dispersal, propagule pressure, and biotic interactions. This thesis integrates ecological, dispersal, and environmental predictors within a machine learning framework to enhance AIS risk prediction and model transferability across space.

In Chapter 2, 61 novel predictors were developed for 2,203 Minnesota lakes to model zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) occurrence, incorporating variables related to propagule pressure (e.g., boat visitation), community composition (e.g., fish species …

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 …

An Assessment Of The California Logging Workforce, Kendra Jean Gerstenberg

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

There is limited literature describing the capacity and capabilities of the logging workforce in California. This study examines the logging workforce in California to quantify the number of logging crews, assess demographic diversity, and evaluate capacity and capabilities. The target population was California Licensed Timber Operators (LTOs) who have the legal right to harvest timber. A survey was developed and distributed to LTOs on the CAL FIRE database. Surveys were also distributed at regional logging conferences or collected by phone. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and emergent coding for follow-up interviews was conducted. There …

Exploring Coastal Spaces Of Tribal Sovereignty And Self-Determination In Ancestral Waters Proposed For Offshore Wind Development, Alyssa Suarez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Proposed offshore wind development off California’s North Coast raises novel questions about Tribal sovereignty offshore. This project specifically engages claims, assuming the Yurok Tribe’s framing that offshore wind development poses a coastal hazard. The research followed a co-production framework. The research questions were co-designed with the Yurok Tribe and the research itself governed by a Data Sharing Agreement. The work presents findings from 13 semi-structured interviews with individuals and experts navigating sovereignty in the offshore wind space, including government representatives; lawyers; legal researchers; academics; foundation staff; journalists; and Humboldt Bay community members. Participants identified several key tensions surrounding claims of …

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 …

Lineation To Liberation: The Transformative Power Of Poetic Rhetoric, Amber Rae Alvarez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This project explores the transformative power of poetic rhetoric and examines how poetry as a form of expressive art serves as a means of reclamation in the aftermath of encounters with the American criminal justice system. I contend that poetry provides a space where folks can reimagine (and reclaim) their identities, asserting their agency in empowering and authentic ways. Taking a Cultural Studies and Critical Prison Studies informed approach, this project engages the concept of lineation to liberation to conduct a close reading analysis of artist (Reginald) Dwayne Betts’ poetry. Betts’ work not only provides a powerful example of how …

Wait... Homework Can Be Fun?! A Pilot Homework System Study, Caroline Brock

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Homework has been a long-debated topic in schools. Regardless of where people stand on the issue, the evidence shows that quality homework can be an effective tool to help students be successful in school. Beyond academics, homework can also be used as a tool to help students develop important foundational study skills that are critical for future success. But how can school districts get all stakeholders behind a homework system if they do not see the value of homework, or if the homework is a point of individual or familial stress. Through an action research project using mixed methods, parents …

University Of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Discovery Research Annual Report 2025, Michael Haderle, Kandace Donaldson, Brianna Mortensen, Christina V. Rodriguez, Jill Rothenberg, Bryan Schroeder

Research Annual Reports

Annual research report from the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.

Some Types Of Hyperneutrosophic Set (1): Bipolar, Pythagorean, Double-Valued, Interval-Valued Set, Takaaki Fujita, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

The Neutrosophic Set is a mathematical framework designed to manage uncertainty, characterized by three membership functions: truth (T), indeterminacy (I), and falsity (F). In recent years, extensions such as the Hyperneutrosophic Set and SuperHyperneutrosophic Set have been introduced to address more complex scenarios. This paper proposes new concepts by extending Bipolar Neutrosophic Sets, Interval-Valued Neutrosophic Sets, Pythagorean Neutrosophic Sets, and Double-Valued Neutrosophic Sets using the frameworks of Hyperneutrosophic and SuperHyperneutrosophic Sets. Additionally, a brief analysis of these extended concepts is presented.

Superhypergraph Neural Networks And Plithogenic Graph Neural Networks: Theoretical Foundations, Takaaki Fujita, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

Hypergraphs extend traditional graphs by allowing edges to connect multiple nodes, while superhypergraphs further generalize this concept to represent even more complex relationships. Neural networks, inspired by biological systems, are widely used for tasks such as pattern recognition, data classification, and prediction. Graph Neural Networks (GNNs), a well-established framework, have recently been extended to Hypergraph Neural Networks (HGNNs), with their properties and applications being actively studied. The Plithogenic Graph framework enhances graph representations by integrating multi-valued attributes, as well as membership and contradiction functions, enabling the detailed modeling of complex relationships. In the context of handling uncertainty, concepts such as …

Some Types Of Hyperneutrosophic Set (6): Multineutrosophic Set And Refined Neutrosophic Set, Takaaki Fujita, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

This paper builds on the foundational advancements introduced in [22, 29–32]. The Neutrosophic Set pro-vides a flexible mathematical framework for managing uncertainty by utilizing three membership functions: truth, indeterminacy, and falsity. Recent extensions, such as the HyperNeutrosophic Set and the SuperHy-perNeutrosophic Set, have been developed to address increasingly complex and multidimensional challenges. Comprehensive formal definitions of these concepts are provided in [26]. In this paper, we further extend various specialized classes of Neutrosophic Sets. Specifically, we explore extensions of the MultiNeutrosophic Set and the Refined Neutrosophic Set using HyperNeutrosophic Sets and 𝑛-SuperHyperNeutrosophic Sets, providing detailed analysis and examples.

Some Types Of Hyperneutrosophic Set (4): Cubic, Trapozoidal, Q-Rung Orthopair, Overset, Underset, And Offset, Florentin Smarandache, Takaaki Fujita

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

This paper builds upon the foundational work presented in [38–40]. The Neutrosophic Set provides a comprehensive mathematical framework for managing uncertainty, defined by three membership functions: truth, indeterminacy, and falsity. Recent advancements have introduced extensions such as the Hyperneutrosophic Set and the SuperHyperneutrosophic Set, which are specifically designed to address increasingly complex and multidimensional problems. The formal definitions of these sets are available in [30]. In this paper, we extend the Neutrosophic Cubic Set, Trapezoidal Neutrosophic Set, q-Rung Orthopair Neutrosophic Set, Neutrosophic Overset, Neutrosophic Underset, and Neutrosophic Offset using the frameworks of the Hyperneutrosophic Set and the SuperHyperneutrosophic Set. Furthermore, …

Forestfuzzy, Forestneutrosophic, Forestplithogenic, And Forestrough Set, Takaaki Fujita, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

Concepts such as Fuzzy Sets [30, 72], Neutrosophic Sets [53, 55], Rough Sets [37], and Plithogenic Sets [59] have been extensively studied to address uncertainty, with diverse applications across various fields. Recently, TreeFuzzy, TreeNeutrosophic, TreePlithogenic, and TreeRough Sets have been defined [15]. This work examines their extensions: ForestFuzzy, ForestNeutrosophic, ForestPlithogenic, and ForestRough Sets.