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Articles 31 - 60 of 257
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Satellite Estimation Of Chlorophyll-A Using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (Modis) Sensor In Shallow Coastal Water Bodies: Validation And Improvement, Mohd Manzar Abbas, Assefa M. Melesse, Leanord J. Scinto, J S. Rehage
Satellite Estimation Of Chlorophyll-A Using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (Modis) Sensor In Shallow Coastal Water Bodies: Validation And Improvement, Mohd Manzar Abbas, Assefa M. Melesse, Leanord J. Scinto, J S. Rehage
Department of Earth and Environment
The size and distribution of Phytoplankton populations are indicators of the ecological status of a water body. The chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration is estimated as a proxy for the distribution of phytoplankton biomass. Remote sensing is the only practical method for the synoptic assessment of Chl-a at large spatial and temporal scales. Long-term records of ocean color data from the MODIS Aqua Sensor have proven inadequate to assess Chl-a due to the lack of a robust ocean color algorithm. Chl-a estimation in shallow and coastal water bodies has been a challenge and existing operational algorithms are only suitable for deeper water …
Landslide Susceptibility Mapping Using Different Gis-Based Bivariate Models, Ebrahim Nohani, Meisam Moharrami, Samira Sharafi, Khabat Khosravi, Biswajeet Pradhan, Binh Thai Pham, Saro Lee, Assefa M. Melesse
Landslide Susceptibility Mapping Using Different Gis-Based Bivariate Models, Ebrahim Nohani, Meisam Moharrami, Samira Sharafi, Khabat Khosravi, Biswajeet Pradhan, Binh Thai Pham, Saro Lee, Assefa M. Melesse
Department of Earth and Environment
Landslides are the most frequent phenomenon in the northern part of Iran, which cause considerable financial and life damages every year. One of the most widely used approaches to reduce these damages is preparing a landslide susceptibility map (LSM) using suitable methods and selecting the proper conditioning factors. The current study is aimed at comparing four bivariate models, namely the frequency ratio (FR), Shannon entropy (SE), weights of evidence (WoE), and evidential belief function (EBF), for a LSM of Klijanrestagh Watershed, Iran. Firstly, 109 locations of landslides were obtained from field surveys and interpretation of aerial photographs. Then, the locations …
Flood Spatial Modeling In Northern Iran Using Remote Sensing And Gis: A Comparison Between Evidential Belief Functions And Its Ensemble With A Multivariate Logistic Regression Model, Duie Tien Bui, Khabat Khosravi, Himan Shahabi, Prasad Daggupati, Jan F. Adamowski, Assefa M. Melesse, Binh Thai Pham, Hamid Reza Pourghasemi, Mehrnoosh Mahmoudi, Sepideh Bahrami, Biswajeet Pradhan, Ataollah Shirzadi, Kamran Chapi, Saro Lee
Flood Spatial Modeling In Northern Iran Using Remote Sensing And Gis: A Comparison Between Evidential Belief Functions And Its Ensemble With A Multivariate Logistic Regression Model, Duie Tien Bui, Khabat Khosravi, Himan Shahabi, Prasad Daggupati, Jan F. Adamowski, Assefa M. Melesse, Binh Thai Pham, Hamid Reza Pourghasemi, Mehrnoosh Mahmoudi, Sepideh Bahrami, Biswajeet Pradhan, Ataollah Shirzadi, Kamran Chapi, Saro Lee
Department of Earth and Environment
Floods are some of the most dangerous and most frequent natural disasters occurring in the northern region of Iran. Flooding in this area frequently leads to major urban, financial, anthropogenic, and environmental impacts. Therefore, the development of flood susceptibility maps used to identify flood zones in the catchment is necessary for improved flood management and decision making. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of an Evidential Belief Function (EBF) model, both as an individual model and in combination with Logistic Regression (LR) methods, in preparing flood susceptibility maps for the Haraz Catchment in the Mazandaran …
Generating Alternatives: The Possible Energy Transitions For France And Germany After The Paris Accord, Anna Fache
Generating Alternatives: The Possible Energy Transitions For France And Germany After The Paris Accord, Anna Fache
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Following the Paris Accord of 2015, multiple countries, including France and Germany, promised to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in order to slow down climate change. Current energy production and consumption patterns do not allow for such targets. Meeting these emission reduction goals requires a transition in energy production. Energy transitions can be inefficient and costly if not planned properly, and multiple constraints need to be taken into account when putting such a process in place. The model proposed in the present study aims to find the most cost-effective energy portfolios for France and Germany, two highly industrialized nations in …
Essays On Economic Valuation Of Water Resources, Christina Estela Brown
Essays On Economic Valuation Of Water Resources, Christina Estela Brown
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Increased potential of flooding caused by heavy precipitation events and sea level rise, as well as growing risk of drought that are likely changes in the frequency and spatial distribution of climatic conditions, pose particular challenges to water management in coastal areas. Extreme events are expected to increase the complexity of managing scarce water resources for competing water users. South Florida, which is characterized by a mosaic of urban settlements, agricultural areas and natural areas, is served by a highly human-engineered water management system grappling to meet multiple objectives, including urban and agricultural water supply, flood control, and environmental restoration. …
Teleconnection Of Regional Drought To Enso, Pdo, And Amo: Southern Florida And The Everglades, Anteneh Z. Abiy, Assefa M. Melesse, Wozzenu Abtew
Teleconnection Of Regional Drought To Enso, Pdo, And Amo: Southern Florida And The Everglades, Anteneh Z. Abiy, Assefa M. Melesse, Wozzenu Abtew
Department of Earth and Environment
Drought variability is associated with global oceanic and atmospheric teleconnections driven by, among others, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Climate teleconnections with a region’s rainfall, with drought and flooding implications, should be part of short- and long-term water management planning and operations. In this study, the link between drought and climatic drivers was assessed by using historical data from 110 years of regional rainfall in southern Florida and the Everglades. The objective was to evaluate historical drought and its link with global oceanic and atmospheric teleconnections. The Standardized Precipitation Index …
Using Social Network Analysis To Develop Relational Expertise For An Instructional Change Initiative, Kathleen Quardokus Fisher, Ann Sitomer, Jana Bouwma-Gearheart, Milo Koretsky
Using Social Network Analysis To Develop Relational Expertise For An Instructional Change Initiative, Kathleen Quardokus Fisher, Ann Sitomer, Jana Bouwma-Gearheart, Milo Koretsky
Department of Earth and Environment
Background
Change leaders (faculty, administrators, and/or external stakeholders) need to develop relational expertise, recognizing the perspectives of others, to enable emergent, systemic change. We describe how change leaders of a grant-funded instructional change initiative developed relational expertise by analyzing faculty relationships and social subgroups to identify who was involved in discussions about teaching and learning and what specific topics were discussed.
Results
Faculty discussions focused on daily classroom needs. Faculty who were in different departments or schools were mostly disconnected from each other, and faculty within these units often had subdivisions among them.
Conclusions
Faculty lacked opportunities to discuss …
Using Social Network Analysis To Develop Relational Expertise For An Instructional Change Initiative, Kathleen Quardokus Fisher, Ann Sitomer, Jana Bouwma-Gearhart, Milo Koretsky
Using Social Network Analysis To Develop Relational Expertise For An Instructional Change Initiative, Kathleen Quardokus Fisher, Ann Sitomer, Jana Bouwma-Gearhart, Milo Koretsky
Department of Earth and Environment
Background
Change leaders (faculty, administrators, and/or external stakeholders) need to develop relational expertise, recognizing the perspectives of others, to enable emergent, systemic change. We describe how change leaders of a grant-funded instructional change initiative developed relational expertise by analyzing faculty relationships and social subgroups to identify who was involved in discussions about teaching and learning and what specific topics were discussed.
Results
Faculty discussions focused on daily classroom needs. Faculty who were in different departments or schools were mostly disconnected from each other, and faculty within these units often had subdivisions among them.
Conclusions
Faculty lacked opportunities to discuss …
Trait‐Based Community Assembly Pattern Along A Forest Succession Gradient In A Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest, Suresh C. Subedi, Michael S. Ross, Jay P. Sah, Jed Redwine, Christopher Baraloto
Trait‐Based Community Assembly Pattern Along A Forest Succession Gradient In A Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest, Suresh C. Subedi, Michael S. Ross, Jay P. Sah, Jed Redwine, Christopher Baraloto
Department of Earth and Environment
We aimed to determine the important functional dimensions that may drive forest succession and community assembly patterns in dry tropical forests. We investigated whether there were patterns in specific functional strategies during succession in the dry tropical forests of the Florida Keys, whose unique physical setting includes nutrient‐stressed, salt‐stressed, and water‐limited environments. The study, which focused on ten traits, determined the leading trait dimensions by which species differentiate from one another in the study area. The general patterns of trait covariation at individual sites and among species were analyzed using principal component analysis. Trait niche overlap indices were calculated for …
Comparison Of Tandem-X Dem With Lidar Data For Accuracy Assessment In A Coastal Urban Area, Keqi Zhang, Daniel Gann, Michael S. Ross, Yuepeng Li, Jamie Rhome
Comparison Of Tandem-X Dem With Lidar Data For Accuracy Assessment In A Coastal Urban Area, Keqi Zhang, Daniel Gann, Michael S. Ross, Yuepeng Li, Jamie Rhome
Department of Earth and Environment
The TanDEM-X (TDX) mission launched by the German Aerospace Center delivers unprecedented global coverage of a high-quality digital elevation model (DEM) with a pixel spacing of 12 m. To examine the relationships of terrain, vegetation, and building elevations with hydrologic, geologic, geomorphologic, or ecologic factors, quantification of TDX DEM errors at a local scale is necessary. We estimated the errors of TDX data for open ground, forested, and built areas in a coastal urban environment by comparing the TDX DEM with LiDAR data for the same areas, using a series of error measures including root mean square error (RMSE) and …
A Seismically Induced Onshore Surge Deposit At The Kpg Boundary, North Dakota, Robert A. Depalma
A Seismically Induced Onshore Surge Deposit At The Kpg Boundary, North Dakota, Robert A. Depalma
Department of Earth and Environment
The most immediate effects of the terminal-Cretaceous Chicxulub impact, essential to understanding the global-scale environmental and biotic collapses that mark the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction, are poorly resolved despite extensive previous work. Here, we help to resolve this by describing a rapidly emplaced, high-energy onshore surge deposit from the terrestrial Hell Creek Formation in Montana. Associated ejecta and a cap of iridium-rich impactite reveal that its emplacement coincided with the Chicxulub event. Acipenseriform fish, densely packed in the deposit, contain ejecta spherules in their gills and were buried by an inland-directed surge that inundated a deeply incised river channel before accretion of …
Estimating The Sediment Flux And Budget For A Data Limited Rift Valley Lake In Ethiopia, Alemu O. Aga, Assefa M. Melesse
Estimating The Sediment Flux And Budget For A Data Limited Rift Valley Lake In Ethiopia, Alemu O. Aga, Assefa M. Melesse
Department of Earth and Environment
Information on sediment concentration in rivers is important for the design and management of reservoirs. In this paper, river sediment flux and siltation rate of a rift valley lake basin (Lake Ziway, Ethiopia) was modeled using suspended sediment concentration (SSC) samples from four rivers and lake outlet stations. Both linear and non-linear least squares log–log regression methods were used to develop the model. The best-fit model was tested and evaluated qualitatively by time-series plots, quantitatively by using watershed model evaluation statistics, and validated by calculating the prediction error. Sediment yield (SY) of ungauged rivers were assessed by developing and using …
Cultural Politics Of Community-Based Conservation In The Buffer Zone Of Chitwan National Park, Nepal, Yogesh Dongol
Cultural Politics Of Community-Based Conservation In The Buffer Zone Of Chitwan National Park, Nepal, Yogesh Dongol
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The dissertation research examines the socio-economic and political effects of community-based conservation initiatives within the Bagmara buffer zone community forests of Chitwan National Park, Nepal. In particular, the study investigates the role of buffer zones creation in structuring the way rural property rights have been defined, negotiated, and contested, in reinforcing or reducing patterns of ethnic dominance and exclusion, and in influencing how cultural identities are constituted and renegotiated. Using a political ecology framework with a specific focus on theoretical concepts of environmentality and territorialization, I conducted 12 months ethnographic and quantitative survey field research in the buffer zone communities …
Design Of Low Impact Development And Green Infrastructure At Flood Prone Areas In The City Of Miami Beach, Florida, Usa, Noura Alsarawi
Design Of Low Impact Development And Green Infrastructure At Flood Prone Areas In The City Of Miami Beach, Florida, Usa, Noura Alsarawi
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This thesis investigates the effectiveness of Low Impact Development Infrastructure (LIDI) and Green Infrastructure (GI) in reducing flooding resulting from heavy rainfall events and sea-level rise, and in improving stormwater quality in the City of Miami Beach (CMB). InfoSWMM was used to simulate the 5, 10, and 100-year, 24-hour storm events, total suspended solids (TSS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) loadings, and in evaluating the potential of selected LIDI and GI solutions in North Shore neighborhood.
Post-development results revealed a decrease of 48%, 46%, and 39% in runoff, a decrease of 57%, 60%, and 62% in …
The Effect Of Microbial Growth On The Spectral Induced Polarization Response In Hanford Vadose Zone Sediment In The Presence Of Autunite, Alejandro Garcia
The Effect Of Microbial Growth On The Spectral Induced Polarization Response In Hanford Vadose Zone Sediment In The Presence Of Autunite, Alejandro Garcia
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Uranium contamination of the subsurface remains a significant problem at the Department of Energy Hanford site. A series of column experiments were conducted on Hanford sediment saturated with simulated groundwater to study the effects of aqueous bicarbonate and microbial growth on the mobility of Uranium. Spectral induced polarization (SIP) measurements in the columns were conducted concurrently with pore water sampling in order to monitor changes occurring inside the sediment after the initiation of microbial growth induced by glucose injection. The microbial growth caused significant increases in the real component of the complex conductivity and is the result of ion release …
Developing Ocean Color Algorithm Using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (Modis) Sensor For Shallow Coastal Water Bodies, Mohd Manzar Abbas
Developing Ocean Color Algorithm Using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (Modis) Sensor For Shallow Coastal Water Bodies, Mohd Manzar Abbas
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This study analyses the spatial and temporal variability of chlorophyll-a in Chesapeake Bay; assesses the performance of Ocean Color 3M (OC3M) algorithm; and develops a novel algorithm to estimate chlorophyll-a for coastal shallow water. The OC3M algorithm yields an accurate estimate of chlorophyll-a concentration for deep ocean water (RMSE=0.016), but it failed to perform well in the coastal water system (RMSE=23.17) of Chesapeake Bay. A novel algorithm was developed which utilizes green and red bands of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor. The novel algorithm derived the chlorophyll-a concentration more accurately in Chesapeake Bay (RMSE=4.20) than the OC3M algorithm. …
The Cyclodextrin-Perfluorinated Surfactant Host-Guest Complex: Fundamental Studies For Potential Environmental Remediation And Therapeutic Applications, Mary J. Errico
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are contaminants of emerging concern, and have been detected in drinking water, wildlife, humans, and the environment. Cyclodextrins (CDs), cyclic sugars composed of glucose monomers, are proposed as a potential remediation strategy. CDs can form host-guest complexes with hydrophobic molecules; this complexation could be capitalized on for PFAS removal and sequestration. These dissertation projects aim to study the fundamental host-guest interactions between a variety of PFASs and CDs for eventual applications in environmental and biological remediation. 1D and 2D Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic methods were employed to determine the strength, dynamics, and structure of the CD:PFAS …
Assessment Of Hydrologic Connectivity In An Ungauged Wetland With Insar Observations, Fernando Jaramillo, Ian Brown, Pascal Castellazzi, Luisa Espinosa, Alice Guittard, Sang-Hoon Hong, Victor H. Rivera-Monroy, Shimon Wdowinski
Assessment Of Hydrologic Connectivity In An Ungauged Wetland With Insar Observations, Fernando Jaramillo, Ian Brown, Pascal Castellazzi, Luisa Espinosa, Alice Guittard, Sang-Hoon Hong, Victor H. Rivera-Monroy, Shimon Wdowinski
Department of Earth and Environment
The Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (CGSM) is one of the world's most productive tropical wetlands and one that has witnessed some of the greatest recorded dieback of mangroves. Human-driven loss of hydrologic connectivity by roads, artificial channels and water flow regulation appears to be the reason behind mangrove mortality in this ungauged wetland. In this study, we determined the CGSM's current state of hydrologic connectivity by combining a remote sensing technique, termed as Wetland Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), with a hydrologic study of river water discharge. For this research, we processed 29 ALOS-PALSAR acquisitions taken during the period …
Simplifying Sample Preparation Using Fabric Phase Sorptive Extraction: Analysis Of Trace Targeted Pollutant Residues In Environmental, Biological And Food Samples, Rodolfo Mesa
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Sample preparation is an essential component of analytical methods in chemistry. It is not only necessary but also presents an opportunity to increase the effectiveness of the method significantly. There are various commercially available technologies for sample preparation, including numerous variations of LLE, SPE, and SPME. However, these technologies all present significant deficiencies, including the inability to extract directly from complex samples such as whole milk. Instrumental analysis has been improved greatly in the last two decades but still is not applicable to complex samples without sample preparation.
This work presents the theory of FPSE, including the synthesis of sol-gel …
Linking Organic Matter Dynamics To Management, Restoration, And Climate In The Florida Everglades, Peter Regier
Linking Organic Matter Dynamics To Management, Restoration, And Climate In The Florida Everglades, Peter Regier
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The Florida Everglades is a massive and highly managed subtropical wetland ecosystem, strongly influenced by anthropogenic control of freshwater distribution and highly susceptible to a changing climate, including rising sea-level and changes in temperature and rainfall. Shifting hydrologic regimes impact ecosystem function and biogeochemistry, which in turn control the sources, fate, and transport of organic matter. As a master environmental variable, it is essential to understand how organic matter dynamics will respond to changes in the balance between freshwater and saltwater associated with landscape-scale Everglades restoration efforts and climate change. The research comprising this dissertation improves current understanding of the …
Capture And Densification Of Floating Hydrophobic Liquids By Natural Granular Materials, Daria Boglaienko
Capture And Densification Of Floating Hydrophobic Liquids By Natural Granular Materials, Daria Boglaienko
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Densification and submergence of floating crude oil is proposed as a novel oil spills treatment method. Surface application of dry granular materials (e.g., quartz sand, limestone) on top of a floating oil layer increases the density of the floating oil phase/granule mixture and leads to formation of relatively large and stable aggregates with significant amounts of captured oil. The aggregates separate from the floating hydrophobic phase and settle by gravity. Implementation of this method will reduce the impact radius of a spill and its mobility, preventing direct contamination of beaches, coastal flora and fauna.
The major objective of this research …
Back To The Future: The Persistence Of Horse Skidding In Large Scale Industrial Community Forests In Chihuahua, Mexico, David Barton Bray, Elvira Duran, Javier Hernández-Salas, Concepción Luján-Alvarez, Miguel Olivas-García, Iván Grijalva-Martínez
Back To The Future: The Persistence Of Horse Skidding In Large Scale Industrial Community Forests In Chihuahua, Mexico, David Barton Bray, Elvira Duran, Javier Hernández-Salas, Concepción Luján-Alvarez, Miguel Olivas-García, Iván Grijalva-Martínez
Department of Earth and Environment
Horse skidding for extracting logwood is characterized as a niche activity in small-scale forestry, limited to small tracts and low volumes, where environmental impacts and aesthetics are concerned, and to operations with no wood-processing facilities. This article documents and analyzes the widespread persistence, current magnitude, and multiple advantages of horse skidding in large-scale industrial community forest enterprises in Chihuahua, Mexico. We extracted data from the logging permit files of 59 communities in the Sierra Tarahumara and conducted semi-structured interviews with community leaders and foresters in 18 communities, 17 random selections, and one purposefully selected case. There are nine communities that …
Developing Benthic Class Specific, Chlorophyll-A Retrieving Algorithms For Optically-Shallowwater Using Seawifs, Tara Blakey, Assefa M. Melesse, Michael C. Sukop, Georgio Tachiev, Dean Whitman, Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm
Developing Benthic Class Specific, Chlorophyll-A Retrieving Algorithms For Optically-Shallowwater Using Seawifs, Tara Blakey, Assefa M. Melesse, Michael C. Sukop, Georgio Tachiev, Dean Whitman, Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm
Department of Earth and Environment
This study evaluated the ability to improve Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) chl-a retrieval from optically shallow coastal waters by applying algorithms specific to the pixels’ benthic class. The form of the Ocean Color (OC) algorithm was assumed for this study. The operational atmospheric correction producing Level 2 SeaWiFS data was retained since the focus of this study was on establishing the benefit from the alternative specification of the bio-optical algorithm. Benthic class was determined through satellite image-based classification methods. Accuracy of the chl-a algorithms evaluated was determined through comparison with coincident in situ measurements of chl-a. The regionally-tuned …
Dna Aptamer Confirmation And Utilization For The Cyanotoxin, Cylindrospermopsin, Diane M. Catlin
Dna Aptamer Confirmation And Utilization For The Cyanotoxin, Cylindrospermopsin, Diane M. Catlin
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Cyanotoxins are posing an increasing threat to the health of humans and wildlife. Cylindrospermopsin is a cyanotoxin that occurs in warm climates and is harmful when ingested. The toxic effects of CYN can affect multiple organ systems. The effects, coupled with the evidence of a mass contamination of a water supply in Australia, prove that CYN needs to be investigated further.
Aptamers have become a desirable method for detection of CYN as a result of an aptamer’s high specificity and the ability to scale up experiments. Aptamers have been designed to bind with a variety of targets, including cyanotoxins. An …
Community-Governed Multifunctional Landscapes And Forest Conservation In The Sierra Norte Of Oaxaca, Mexico, Barbara Pazos Almada
Community-Governed Multifunctional Landscapes And Forest Conservation In The Sierra Norte Of Oaxaca, Mexico, Barbara Pazos Almada
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Community forestry is an evolving approach to forest management, shown to maintain forest cover, while generating income for local communities. In Sierra Norte (SN), a region with no public protected areas, indigenous communities have been actively conserving their forests for decades, through conservation zoning and careful management of their logging areas. This study found that across 22 communities in SN, an estimated 2,949,116.50 m3 of timber were produced from 1993 to 2013, while the region maintains 78% forest cover. About 75% of the forest is under some form of community conservation. Community governance plays a major role, as rules …
Trees In The Agricultural Matrix: Reforestation Processes In A Tropical Dry Landscape In Chinandega, Nicaragua, Brittany A. Duffy
Trees In The Agricultural Matrix: Reforestation Processes In A Tropical Dry Landscape In Chinandega, Nicaragua, Brittany A. Duffy
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Tree management practices in the tropical dry forest region of Nicaragua were examined to determine opportunities and factors influencing tree-planting initiatives and forest recovery within the agricultural matrix. A 217.11 ha tree inventory and 44 social surveys were conducted in three rural communities. The inventory found 88 species, 66.68% were native, and 70 valued for multiple uses. Farmers’ reasons for maintaining trees varied, emphasizing live fencing, wood, and fruit. The landscape also contains a tree plantation and a riparian forest, and the origins and management of these tree cover components of the landscape are also considered. Tree planting interventions should …
Enhancing Algal Biomass And Lipid Production Through Bacterial And Fungal Co-Culture, Erwin David Berthold
Enhancing Algal Biomass And Lipid Production Through Bacterial And Fungal Co-Culture, Erwin David Berthold
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This thesis investigates the effects of co-culturing microorganisms including 37 yeast, 38 bacteria, nine diazotrophic cyanobacteria, and three fungi on biomass and lipid production in fresh- and saltwater algae. Algal lipid content was measured using Nile Red method and gravimetric techniques. Among the algal strains tested, freshwater Coelastrum sp. 46-4, and saltwater Cricosphaera sp. 146-2-9, showed enhanced biomass yield and lipid content in response to co-culture with bacteria, cyanobacteria, and fungi. While co-culture with yeast caused inhibition of algal productivity, no difference in algal productivity was observed between nitrogen-free diazotrophic cyanobacterial co-culture and nitrogen-replete monoalgal culture. Results indicated that extracellular …
Water-Rock Interactions And Seasonal Hydrologic Processes In Constructed Everglades Tree Islands, Andres E. Prieto Estrada
Water-Rock Interactions And Seasonal Hydrologic Processes In Constructed Everglades Tree Islands, Andres E. Prieto Estrada
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The decline of tree islands in the freshwater-Everglades wetland because of hydrologic manipulation, has compromised valuable ecosystem services. Although the role of tree islands in maintaining freshwater quality stems largely from evapotranspiration processes, fundamental questions remain about the effects of different geologic materials on their hydrogeochemical functioning. To reduce this uncertainty, the lithological composition of a set of man-made tree islands was investigated coupled with long-term hydrologic and hydrochemical data. Key results indicate that limestone substrates and peat substrates with elevated proportions of sand, facilitated surface water-groundwater interactions and mineral dissolution. However, limestone-based islands were more effective in lowering the …
Analyzing Spatial Variability Of Social Preference For The Everglades Restoration In The Face Of Climate Change, Abu Hena Mustafa Kamal Sikder
Analyzing Spatial Variability Of Social Preference For The Everglades Restoration In The Face Of Climate Change, Abu Hena Mustafa Kamal Sikder
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The South Florida Everglades is a unique ecosystem. Intensive water management in the system has facilitated agricultural, urban, and economic development. The Everglades offers a variety of ecosystem services (ES) to the people living in this region. Nevertheless, the ecosystem is under imminent threat of climate change, which would alter the way water is managed today and ultimately affect the ES offered by the system. On the other hand, substantial restoration is underway that aims to restore the Everglades closer to its historic condition. This research tried to map the public’s preference for Everglades restoration. Using a geocoded discrete-choice survey …
A Study On Residents' Perceptions And Attitudes Towards The Vieques National Wildlife Refuge In Puerto Rico, Ana C. Guzman
A Study On Residents' Perceptions And Attitudes Towards The Vieques National Wildlife Refuge In Puerto Rico, Ana C. Guzman
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Conflicts between local people and protected areas can undermine conservation goals. This study explores perceptions towards Vieques National Wildlife Refuge (VNWR), a complex former military site containing a combination of high ecological value along with an array of unexploded ordnances. The purpose of this research is to evaluate how residents perceive VNWR and elucidate conflicts associated with former and current uses of the wildlife refuge. Here, I interviewed 235 residents of Vieques Island, Puerto Rico using semi-structured surveys and 33 key informants representing various stakeholder groups to assess attitudes toward VNWR.
A combination of factors influencing attitudes about VNWR included …