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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Soil And Compost Tea: A New Restoration Technique?, Carol E. Day
Soil And Compost Tea: A New Restoration Technique?, Carol E. Day
Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations
Historically, prairie restorations have lacked the plant diversity seen in remnant prairies. Most restoration practices focus on reestablishing the plant community but overlook the soil microbial community even though microbes are critical to habitat functioning. Developing techniques that increase soil microbes in prairie restorations is critical to ensuring diverse restored habitats. We compared how microbial communities differed between remnant and restored prairie sites. We also investigated if soil and compost teas could be used to reintroduce microbes to restored prairie soil and if the teas affected native plant establishment. We found significant differences in the levels of bacterial taxa between …
Old And Deer: A Study Of Neoarchean Peridotites In Michigan’S Upper Peninsula, Rachel Merz
Old And Deer: A Study Of Neoarchean Peridotites In Michigan’S Upper Peninsula, Rachel Merz
Senior Honors Theses and Projects
The Deer Lake Peridotite and the Presque Isle Periodotite are two ultramafic formations of Neoarchean age within the Ishpeming Greenstone Belt of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and are found only fifteen miles apart. The Deer Lake Peridotite was deformed in processes indicative of the broader, regional-scale tectonics of the region, but little study has been done on the mineralogy and extent and style of alteration. This research aims to better classify the mineralogy of the formation, with particular focus on textural variations observed in thin-section, as well as chemical analysis of samples taken from the formation. In addition, this research seeks …
Analysis Of Volcanic Ash, Conor O'Dowd
Analysis Of Volcanic Ash, Conor O'Dowd
Senior Honors Theses and Projects
Volcanic ash begins to weather upon deposition, resulting in the in situ development of clay minerals in the glass pore spaces. Almquist (2011) established a classification scheme of weathering based on ash deposits in New Zealand using an SEM. We are examining volcanic ash collected from Mount St. Helens, New Zealand, and Cobble Cuesta of the Gabbs Valley Basin to broaden the classification scheme based on morphology and authigenic clay mineral composition. SEM and XRD analysis of the material were used to get a better understanding of the morphology and geochemistry of the weathering products. By broadening the weathering classification …
The Tilt Of The Boron Triangle In Tourmaline, Charles J. Badgerow
The Tilt Of The Boron Triangle In Tourmaline, Charles J. Badgerow
Senior Honors Theses and Projects
The tourmaline mineral group has a highly complex chemical composition and provides a wealth of information on Earth's processes. Past research has revealed numerous mysteries regarding the structure of the boron triangle within tourmaline, especially as it bonds to the Z- and Z'- cation sites. Although the Z- and Z' - are nominally the same site, the Z'-site has a greater effect on the stereochemistry of the boron triangle. Further, the Z' -site has a shorter bond-length with the boron triangle than the Z-site. We hypothesize that this variation affects the stereochemistry of the boron triangle, and have analyzed a …
Complexity Trends In The Evolutionary History Of Dasycladalean Algae, Michael Stearns
Complexity Trends In The Evolutionary History Of Dasycladalean Algae, Michael Stearns
Senior Honors Theses and Projects
Dasycladalean algae are a group of marine algae that have an excellent fossil record extending back more than 500 million years. In our study, we investigated morphological complexity over the evolutionary history of this group. To determine complexity for each of more than 400 species, we assigned numerical values for six morphological features; the sum for each species forms a quantitative expression of complexity. We found that although maximum complexity increased over time, forms with minimum complexity persisted during most of the evolutionary history of the group.
Chinese City Design: Searching History In Order To Find A Balanced And Sustainable Future, Andrew Armbruster
Chinese City Design: Searching History In Order To Find A Balanced And Sustainable Future, Andrew Armbruster
Senior Honors Theses and Projects
The Chinese city faces a crisis. As development on a scale unprecedented in human history consumes this country, little care is being taken to ensure the survival of age-old traditions and the concrete principles that accompany those traditions. Western ideas seep into the country, and this produces an effect of imbalance [see Figure A]. This imbalance is not only cultural but is accompanied with all of the derivatives pertaining thereto: physical disharmony, economic imbalance, environmental unsustainability. Considering this, what needs to change within the contemporary Chinese city? To this question one must answer that the fundamental bases which underlie the …