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Articles 91 - 120 of 148
Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Foraging Ants Dislodged Via Simulated Instantaneous Leaf Movement, Olivia M. Gamsky, Andrew R. Seiler, Alyssa Y. Stark, Stephen P. Yanoviak
Foraging Ants Dislodged Via Simulated Instantaneous Leaf Movement, Olivia M. Gamsky, Andrew R. Seiler, Alyssa Y. Stark, Stephen P. Yanoviak
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
Cursorial arboreal organisms like ants face numerous challenges to their adhesive systems. Wind, rain, and the activities of vertebrates frequently dislodge foraging ants from tree surfaces. Falling is a significant hazard resulting in substantial displacement, thus ants are predicted to fully engage their tarsal adhesive systems when the likelihood of disturbance is high. Here we used a small catapult to experimentally test the effect of instantaneous red oak (Quercus rubra) leaf movement on the adhesive capabilities of Camponotus pennsylvanicus worker ants. Catapult velocity and displacement mimicked the effects of Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) branch landings. …
Preliminary Report On Fossil Marine Vertebrates From The Mid-Pfeifer Shale (Upper Cretaceous) From Central Kansas, Alison G. Mieczkowski
Preliminary Report On Fossil Marine Vertebrates From The Mid-Pfeifer Shale (Upper Cretaceous) From Central Kansas, Alison G. Mieczkowski
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
The Pfeifer Shale is a 93-million-years-old rock unit belonging to the Upper Cretaceous Greenhorn Limestone broadly distributed in central Kansas, where it formed in the Western Interior Seaway, a Late Cretaceous epicontinental seaway in North America. Here, we describe fossil marine vertebrates collected from the middle portion of the Pfeifer Shale at a locality in Russell County, Kansas. Surface-collected specimens are largely represented by teeth of some extinct sharks, such as Ptychodus, Cretoxyrhina, and Squalicorax, that are typical for rock units of the Western Interior Seaway immediately above and below the Pfeifer Shale. Examination of microscopic fossils …
Aquatic Vegetation Seed Bank Status Of Kentucky Lake, Emily A. Freeman
Aquatic Vegetation Seed Bank Status Of Kentucky Lake, Emily A. Freeman
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
Aquatic vegetation is an important biotic component of reservoir ecosystems. Vegetation reduces erosion by acting as a barrier against current and waves from the lake. Aquatic vegetation also helps to oxygenate the water, stabilize nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, and provides structure for aquatic vertebrates. The absence of vegetation in Kentucky Lake has been influenced by a fluctuating water table (due to winter lake drawdowns), invasive carp, and the use of herbicides for grass management. The objective of this study is to determine the state of the remaining seedbank within nautical mile markers 45 and 52. By using long-term …
A Preliminary Observation Of A New Skeletal Specimen Of A Plethodid Bony Fish (Actinopterygii: Tselfatiiformes) From The Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Shale, Texas, Marcelina A. Skowronski
A Preliminary Observation Of A New Skeletal Specimen Of A Plethodid Bony Fish (Actinopterygii: Tselfatiiformes) From The Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Shale, Texas, Marcelina A. Skowronski
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
Tselfatiiformes was a group of small to medium-sized actinopterygian fishes that lived during the Cretaceous. Recently, a new tselfatiiform specimen consisting of a nearly complete, articulated skull was discovered from the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Shale in Texas. The specimen suggests that the fish was a deep-bodied form and possibly measured about 50 cm in total length. It exhibits pectoral fins high upon the flank, well-developed preopercles, large infraorbital bones, and well-developed branchiostegal rays. These anatomical characteristics suggest its phylogenetic affinity within the tselfatiiform family Plethodidae. The morphology of the paired premaxillae, which are fused together and massive but do …
Potential Loss Of Pheromone Receptors In The Red Milkweed Beetle, Tetraopes Tetrophthalmus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), Mathew A. Price
Potential Loss Of Pheromone Receptors In The Red Milkweed Beetle, Tetraopes Tetrophthalmus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), Mathew A. Price
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
The family of longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) are characterized by their elongate antennae, which are well adapted for detecting volatile compounds. This makes them an ideal family to study odorant receptor genes (ORs), which are the rapidly evolving family of proteins that are used by insects to detect odors at the molecular level. Here, we present data on 48 ORs we have sequenced and annotated from an antennal transcriptome of a male red milkweed beetle, Tetraopes tetrophthalmus. In contrast to most cerambycids, T. tetrophthalmus is not known to produce long-range sex pheromones to attract or select mates; correspondingly, …
The Influence Of Cover Crops On Plant-Soil Microbe Interactions Of Native Prairie Forbs, Josh C. Poland
The Influence Of Cover Crops On Plant-Soil Microbe Interactions Of Native Prairie Forbs, Josh C. Poland
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
Tallgrass prairies are abundant and rich habitats where soil microbial communities frequently interact with native grass and forb species. Cover crops increase available soil nutrients and promote healthy soil microbial communities in agriculture, and therefore may provide similar benefits to restoration. A prairie restoration in Madison Co, IL was initiated in autumn 2021 using areas with two different cover crop types, NLS Soil Health Mix and Winter Oat, as well as areas with no cover crops. A greenhouse project exposed five native forb species (Monarda fistulosa, Rudbeckia hirta, Pycnanthemum virginianum, Desmodium canadensis (legume), and Asclepias incarnata …
Polyploidy’S Impact On Plant-Herbivore Dynamics: Evidence From Experiments With Water-Lily Aphids And Greater Duckweed, Hannah R. Assour
Polyploidy’S Impact On Plant-Herbivore Dynamics: Evidence From Experiments With Water-Lily Aphids And Greater Duckweed, Hannah R. Assour
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
Polyploidy, or whole-genome duplication, is a widespread mutational process in plants with a myriad of phenotypic and genotypic consequences. In addition to consequences incurred by the plant, polyploidy can potentially cascade to alter species interactions. Yet, knowledge of whether ploidy-induced variation has effects on plant-herbivore dynamics is scarce. Here, we test whether aphid herbivores exhibit preference for a diploid or polyploid host cytotype and whether ploidy impacts plant resistance and tolerance to aphids, measured as aphid and plant performance respectively. To answer these questions, we evaluated aphid choice and compared the effects of the water-lily aphid (Rhopalosiphum nymphaeae) …
Identifying Olfactory Receptors In The Pole Borer, Neandra Brunnea (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), Kayla M. Hefner
Identifying Olfactory Receptors In The Pole Borer, Neandra Brunnea (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), Kayla M. Hefner
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
The behavior of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is strongly shaped by volatile compounds, which can dictate the selection of hosts and mates, segregate heterospecifics, and initiate oviposition. These compounds are primarily detected at the molecular level by the protein family of odorant receptors (ORs), which rapidly evolve in response to evolutionary changes such as diet or sociality. Thus, the OR gene family could provide great insight into the ecology and evolution of animals, especially when their chemical ecology is otherwise poorly understood. We are examining the ORs of the pole borer Neandra brunnea (Cerambycidae: Parandrinae), for which the specific role …
Historical Climate-Influenced Shifts In Flower Shape And Production Of A Common Annual Plant, Orange Jewelweed (Impatiens Capensis), Amber M. Stanley
Historical Climate-Influenced Shifts In Flower Shape And Production Of A Common Annual Plant, Orange Jewelweed (Impatiens Capensis), Amber M. Stanley
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
Climate change is a major human-mediated stressor that has been altering temperature patterns across the globe since the Industrial Revolution. In the Eastern United States, it has been projected that the average annual temperature will increase by 3-5 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. Such environmental changes have the potential to disrupt key interactions between species. For example, the vast majority (ca. 90%) of flowering plants rely on animal pollinators to transfer pollen between individuals to reproduce. Higher temperatures cause many plant species to flower up to 3-4 weeks earlier in the year, but pollinator activity has not shifted with …
Influence Of Seed Mixes On Pollinator Communities Within An Electric Right-Of-Way, Kylee Nissen
Influence Of Seed Mixes On Pollinator Communities Within An Electric Right-Of-Way, Kylee Nissen
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
Pollinator communities are amongst species facing dramatic population declines due to anthropogenic changes. These declines are driven by land use changes with agricultural expansion and urbanization. Utility lands must be managed in ways that prevent tall vegetation from encroaching, making them an ideal place to recreate native grasslands. This research aims to assess how different seed mixes used by utility companies impact pollinator community composition. The study site is a 15-acre electric ROW located outside of St. Louis IL. The site was prepared in 2021 and incorporates a randomized mix of turfgrass-seeded plots, native seeded plots, and unseeded plots acting …
Uncovering Natural Variation In The Mechanisms Of A Polyphenism, Stephen Dreyer
Uncovering Natural Variation In The Mechanisms Of A Polyphenism, Stephen Dreyer
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
Polyphenism, the ability of an organism to produce discrete alternative phenotypes in response to environmental conditions, exemplifies the non-linear relationship among genes, the traits they influence, and the environment. While several genes that regulate polyphenism have been identified in some systems, such as the nematode Pristionchus pacificus, which exhibits a resource polyphenism in the development of alternative mouth morphologies, it is generally unknown which loci harbor intraspecific variation for polyphenism. Quantitative traits, consisting of many genes and their interactions with the environment, are expected to harbor variation, even among individuals with the same ultimate phenotype. As a first approach …
An Assessment Of Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Structure And Function Within The Mill Creek Watershed; Cincinnati, Ohio, Erin Linko
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
The Mill Creek Watershed is an urbanized network of streams that drains through the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. This watershed has had a long history of habitat destruction and pollution due to a variety of anthropogenic factors, namely Cincinnati’s combined sewage overflow (CSO) sanitation system. Through an ongoing biomonitoring project at Xavier University, nine sites along the mainstem Mill Creek and three of its tributaries have been studied since 2014. Through habitat assessments, fecal coliform testing, and aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling, the ecological health of this watershed can be tracked over time. The main objective of this research project was to …
Microbe-Mediated Drought Responses In Plant Communties, Caleb Callahan, Jordan Ziss
Microbe-Mediated Drought Responses In Plant Communties, Caleb Callahan, Jordan Ziss
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
Microbial communities from drought environments have been observed to protect plants undergoing drought stress. A majority of studies have focused on single species; however, effects at a community level have yet to be thoroughly investigated. We asked how plant communities facing drought stress will differ in productivity when inoculated with microbe communities that have evolved under drought compared to well-watered conditions, as well as how biomass and trait responses vary across plant species. To investigate this, we used microbial communities from the rainfall manipulation LTER at Kellogg Biological Station to inoculate mesocosms simulating early successional grassland communities under drought or …
Initial Steps In Testing The Stress Gradient Hypothesis For Selenium Exposure In Soil Bacteria, Kristian J. Harris
Initial Steps In Testing The Stress Gradient Hypothesis For Selenium Exposure In Soil Bacteria, Kristian J. Harris
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
The Stress Gradient Hypothesis (SGH) states that interspecific interactions should shift from competitive to facilitative interactions as environmental stress increases. Selenium (Se) is a naturally occurring metalloid that acts as an environmental pollutant and as an essential micronutrient. Due to its metallic properties, Se acts as an oxidative stress and can be toxic to plants and animals. Given this, Se in soil systems acts as an abiotic stress that influences species composition and species interactions. Within soils, bacteria and fungi have evolved to tolerate Se via detoxification and Se processing for respiration and studies show that metal detoxification traits like …
Bryophytes At Cave Entrances Across A Range Of Anthropogenic Disturbance, Morghan Mccool
Bryophytes At Cave Entrances Across A Range Of Anthropogenic Disturbance, Morghan Mccool
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
Cave entrances are critical ecosystems in their role as ecotones between the interior cave environment and the surrounding external environment. Bryophytes serve as ecosystem engineers of cave entrance microhabitats. This study piloted a method to quantify anthropogenic disturbance unique to cave entrances and characterize the bryophyte assemblages at caves in urban and other natural areas. Bryophytes and environmental variables were sampled from cave entrances; bryophytes were identified, alpha and beta diversity values were computed. So far, 144 species of bryophytes, 36 of which were state records, have been identified across 6 sites. By improving knowledge of bryophyte communities, park managers …
Examining The Reproductive Ecology Of Terrapene Ornata In Western Nebraska, Katie Brighton, Keetan Munsell
Examining The Reproductive Ecology Of Terrapene Ornata In Western Nebraska, Katie Brighton, Keetan Munsell
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
Understanding the reproductive ecology of any species is vital for determining intraspecific variation in individual fitness, modeling population growth or persistence potential, and developing effective conservation strategies. The reproductive ecology of many species has been extensively studied (particularly in mammals); however, other taxonomic groups including many ectotherms has not been well documented. One such ectotherm is the ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata), which, to our knowledge, has never had its reproductive ecology extensively examined, especially in the field. In this study, we examined the reproductive ecology of ornate box turtles over a six-week period in a mixed shortgrass prairie in …
Spatial Variation In Flowering Age In Cirsium Pitcheri: Does This Imperiled Dune Thistle Hedge Its Bets?, Lucas A. Priemer
Spatial Variation In Flowering Age In Cirsium Pitcheri: Does This Imperiled Dune Thistle Hedge Its Bets?, Lucas A. Priemer
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
For perennial plants, the optimal timing of flowering is a tradeoff between survivorship and fecundity, a classic example of bet-hedging. For many monocarpic perennials, there is an advantage in delaying flowering until the plant reaches a larger size and is thus capable of a higher fecundity. However, in delaying flowering, there is a risk that the plant will die before reproducing at all. Here, we investigate this fitness trade-off in the imperiled dune thistle, Cirsium pitcheri. Using a long-term, spatially-explicit demographic data set with yearly censuses, we found that C. pitcheri individuals on the foredune flowered at a younger …
Patterns Of Neural Investment In Sensory Modalities Of Tropical Canopy And Understory-Dwelling Ants (Pseudomyrmex), Daniella Prince
Patterns Of Neural Investment In Sensory Modalities Of Tropical Canopy And Understory-Dwelling Ants (Pseudomyrmex), Daniella Prince
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
The neuroanatomy of insects reflects functional roles and cognitive capabilities. The high energetic cost of the development and maintenance of neural tissue constrains investment in brain compartments that receive and process sensory input. Thus, differential investment in sensory compartments should parallel selective pressures, including significant habitat parameters. We tested the hypothesis that ants occupying different vertical rainforest strata exhibit differential investment in visual and olfactory brain regions. We used confocal microscopy to examine immunostained brains of species with distinct nesting and foraging preferences: Pseudomyrmex boopis (understory; U), P. gracilis (understory and canopy; UC), and P. oculatus (canopy; C). We created …
Environmental Factors Shaping A Sawfly-Associated Community Of Parasitoids, Carson Kephart, Robin K. Bagely
Environmental Factors Shaping A Sawfly-Associated Community Of Parasitoids, Carson Kephart, Robin K. Bagely
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
A major goal of evolutionary biology is to understand the mechanisms that shape biodiversity, especially amongst highly speciose lineages such as parasitic wasps. However, most of these lineages are poorly described, with very little available natural history information. This lack of information limits our ability to uncover the environmental factors that contribute to their patterns of divergence, distribution, and abundance. To that end, here we take advantage of a community of hymenopteran parasites that has an unusually large amount of available information since they attack an economically important pine sawfly species, Neodiprion lecontei. We build upon a set of …
Evolution Of A Genus Of Gall Wasp Kleptoparasites, Guerin E. Brown
Evolution Of A Genus Of Gall Wasp Kleptoparasites, Guerin E. Brown
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
Kleptoparasites do not directly parasitize their hosts but instead steal food and resources, reducing host fitness. Like direct parasites, kleptoparasites can be highly dependent on their hosts such that their evolutionary histories may be linked. Here, we study the evolution of a kleptoparasitic wasp genus, Synergus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini), in relation to their hosts, oak gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini). Ovipositing oak gall wasps induce the formation of galls on oaks (Fagaceae) that provide food and shelter to one or more developing gall wasps. Galls induced by different gall wasp species are diverse in size, shape, color, and location …
Diversification And Convergence Following The Transition From Saltwater To Freshwater In Stingrays, Autumn D Magnuson
Diversification And Convergence Following The Transition From Saltwater To Freshwater In Stingrays, Autumn D Magnuson
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
One of the most fundamental questions in biology is why some groups of organisms are more diverse than others. Classic hypotheses for explaining differences in diversity consider distinctions in time, place, resources, and competitors as the staging grounds for differential diversification. Freshwater and saltwater environments have similar levels of diversity despite significant differences in size, so studying transitions between the two systems can provide insights into evolutionary processes. Despite the challenges associated with this transition, stingrays have invaded freshwater habitats multiple times across different continents, making them useful for better understanding these systems. In this study, we evaluated the frequency …
Where The Wild Mushrooms Are: Species And Secondary Metabolite Diversity In Fungal Species On The Saint Mary’S College Campus, Lex K. Gilman
Where The Wild Mushrooms Are: Species And Secondary Metabolite Diversity In Fungal Species On The Saint Mary’S College Campus, Lex K. Gilman
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
Secondary metabolites in fungi have three main ecological functions: protection against predation, communication with other mushrooms, and assistance in pathogenic interactions. These compounds have also led to the common use of mushrooms as food and in traditional Chinese or other medicinal applications. However, there are currently few good resources for identifying mushroom species in North-Central Indiana. In addition, limited research exists on secondary metabolites in mushrooms. The objective of this research was to create a preliminary database of mushroom species at Saint Mary’s College and conduct preliminary research on the secondary metabolites of these local species. Fungal specimens were identified …
Plant-Pollinator Communities Responsive To Local And Landscape Level Factors In Grassland Restorations., Aaron Sexton
Plant-Pollinator Communities Responsive To Local And Landscape Level Factors In Grassland Restorations., Aaron Sexton
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
As humans continue to degrade natural ecosystems via greenhouse gas emissions and habitat destruction, many species are being pushed to the brink of extinction. In hopes to offset this degradation, habitat restoration attempts to restore ecosystem function to an improved state resembling intact, remnant values. This is a difficult, but important, undertaking with factors to consider at multiple spatial and temporal scales. The restoration and conservation of pollinator communities has garnered heightened attention because of the valuable ecosystem services they provide. This dissertation investigates the local and landscape level factors of grassland restorations that influence plant-pollinator communities. I used a …
Nitrogen Availability In Dune Systems And Its Effect On Root Fungal Endophyte Communities., Haley E. Sage
Nitrogen Availability In Dune Systems And Its Effect On Root Fungal Endophyte Communities., Haley E. Sage
College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses
As global change persists, changes in resource availability can influence plant-microbe interactions. To understand how resource availability can influence these interactions and species diversity, I focused this research on how varying nitrogen (N) levels affect root endophyte communities in the plant species Ammophila breviligulata, an ecosystem engineer in the dune system. I analyzed the relationship between nitrogen addition and microbial community composition across 60 plots treated with three nitrogen addition levels (control, low, and high) in a long-term experimental field site in the Lake Michigan dunes. I identified Ammophila breviligulata's root endophyte community after creating a culture collection and …
How Do Cover Crops Change Soil Health In A No-Till System?, Aysha Kirsten Tapp Ross
How Do Cover Crops Change Soil Health In A No-Till System?, Aysha Kirsten Tapp Ross
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Nutrient levels and aggregation measurements are currently the most accurate means to measure soil health. It has been suggested that bacterial and fungal communities may prove to be a more accurate measure of soil health. In this study soil microbe communities and nutrient levels were compared in rye cover cropped soils to measure for differences between treatments. Effects between the microbial communities and environmental measurements were also measured within those treatments to test for correlations between soil health measures and microbial communities. The plots were put in a biennial corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max …
Community Structure And Dynamics Of Benthic Macroinvertebrates In A Recreated Headwater Stream System On A Valley Fill In A Retrofitted Watershed Located In The Appalachian Coalfields Of Southeastern Kentucky (U.S.A.), Steven W. Bailey
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The extraction of coal from steep-gradient surface mining sites such as in the Appalachian Coalfields of the U.S. produces excess debris that is often placed in adjacent valleys resulting in the creation of valley fills. Not only are headwater streams buried in the process, but watershed functions are either destroyed outright, or become fragmented and disconnected from adjacent ecosystems resulting in adverse effects to downstream biological communities. In this dissertation, the dynamics of stream macroinvertebrate community structure, composition, diversity, and biotic integrity are assessed at a “proof of concept” stream system recreated on a retrofitted valley fill. For comparison, two …
Host Community Diversity Interacts With Soil Biota And Water Availability To Predict Foliar Pathogen Damage And Diversity On Tallgrass Prairie Plants., Aspen J. Workman
Host Community Diversity Interacts With Soil Biota And Water Availability To Predict Foliar Pathogen Damage And Diversity On Tallgrass Prairie Plants., Aspen J. Workman
College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses
The provisioning of ecosystem services in tallgrass prairies is mediated by interactions between the plants, their associated above- and belowground microbiota, and the abiotic environment, but global change alters these interactions through a variety of pathways. This study investigates the interactions between belowground microbiota, foliar pathogens, and their host plants in order to better understand how ecosystem functioning may change in a tallgrass prairie system under an altered watering regime. The project focuses on North American tallgrass prairie ecosystems and asks whether host plant diversity and abundance, soil biota, and water availability interactively affect plant susceptibility to damage by a …
Saving Butterflies In The City: Gardens As Conservation Spaces In Urban Landscapes., Lindsay D. Nason
Saving Butterflies In The City: Gardens As Conservation Spaces In Urban Landscapes., Lindsay D. Nason
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Butterfly populations are declining, and habitat degradation due to urbanization is a major contributing factor. Gardens represent a large proportion of land area in many cities, and thus may be important for conserving butterflies in urban environments. In this dissertation, I examine how garden features (ex: size, level of urbanization, plant diversity) affect adult butterfly diversity/abundance, behavior, and the predation risk faced by caterpillars. My study sites were native plant gardens in Jefferson, Bullitt, and Hardin Cos.,KY. In Chapter One, I used clay caterpillars to assess differences in predation pressure in gardens along a gradient of percent impervious surface (%IS). …
Distribution And Ecological Effects Of Azteca Chartifex/Trigona In The Barro Colorado Nature Monument., Rachel Leann Wells
Distribution And Ecological Effects Of Azteca Chartifex/Trigona In The Barro Colorado Nature Monument., Rachel Leann Wells
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation explores the behavior and ecology of a conspicuous and behaviorally dominant ant species in the tropical rainforest of Panama. Competition with aggressive species is an important factor that shapes local community structure. Eavesdropping on the chemical communication systems of such behaviorally dominant species can help heterospecific species to avoid negative interactions. I review the chemical communication system and known ecological effects of the Neotropical canopy ant, Azteca chartifex/trigona (Chapter 1). There are over 40 known compounds produced by Azteca workers, yet how these compounds impact heterospecific species is unclear in many circumstances. I assessed if heterospecific …
How A Low-Cost Method For Cumulative Water-Sampling Shows Need For Improvement Of Legal Public-Contact Standards In The United States, Samuel C. Kessler
How A Low-Cost Method For Cumulative Water-Sampling Shows Need For Improvement Of Legal Public-Contact Standards In The United States, Samuel C. Kessler
Grawemeyer Colloquium Papers
Across the world, it is estimated that 4.5 billion people live near water sources “impaired” for use or contact. Standards for human-interaction are established by international organizations such as the WHO, and legislative bodies from national to local levels with jurisdiction over the quality of our waterways to ensure public & environmental health. Standards are often assessed from “grab-samples” taken from a waterbody at a certain time, with a minimum number analyzed. Water-quality standards in the United States are enforced under the Clean Water Act (CWA) via the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), applying to “waters of the United States” (WOTUS). …