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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Investigating The Role Of Plant Traits And Interactions In Emergent Wetland Nutrient Removal, Andrew Ryan Sample Aug 2023

Investigating The Role Of Plant Traits And Interactions In Emergent Wetland Nutrient Removal, Andrew Ryan Sample

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing wetland restoration in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley has been identified as a method to reduce nutrient loading in the Gulf of Mexico. Wetlands have historically been used to treat water through processes facilitated by wetland plants, and relatively few species and plant traits have been identified as important in carrying out these processes. This study focuses on some of those species and traits and aims to identify species differences and plant traits that may be important for wetland nutrient mitigation. Chapter I provides background information on nutrient pollution, wetland biogeochemical mechanisms for nutrient sequestration, and the focal species …


Nutrient Dynamics Of Freshwater Estuarine Sediments Disturbed By Dredging, Ryan Allan John Roekle Aug 2023

Nutrient Dynamics Of Freshwater Estuarine Sediments Disturbed By Dredging, Ryan Allan John Roekle

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the nutrient environment of sediments in the Milwaukee River estuary and the dynamics of those nutrients during simulated disturbance experiments within the context of large-scale dredging remediation. Surface sediments were collected from throughout the Milwaukee estuary (including river, harbor, and nearshore stations) by PONAR, centrifuged to separate porewater (interstitial water) from solid material, and filtered to further isolate and stabilize dissolved material. Porewaters were analyzed for dissolved nutrients including ammoniacal nitrogen (AN), nitrate, nitrite, and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP). Surface sediment porewaters within the estuary were often highly enriched in AN and SRP, which were often 10-2000x …


Transport And Fate Of Phosphorus In The Nearshore Zone Of Lake Michigan, Nathan Van Ee Dec 2021

Transport And Fate Of Phosphorus In The Nearshore Zone Of Lake Michigan, Nathan Van Ee

Theses and Dissertations

Bioavailable phosphorus loads exported to Lake Michigan from the Milwaukee and Sheboygan River Watersheds appear to have increased in the last 40 years despite meeting total phosphorus (TP) loading goals set by the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA).Overall, bioavailability of P delivered from the Milwaukee and Sheboygan Rivers was highest during the warmer months, which coincides with the nearshore nuisance algae growth season. However, first order loss rates of SRP calculated during baseflow recession were also greatest during the summer, suggesting that increased river residence time during the summer could reduce export of bioavailable P. Observations of phosphorus partitioning …


Regional Drivers Of Organic Carbon Age In Lotic Systems Of The Conterminous United States, Kaycee Faunce Jan 2020

Regional Drivers Of Organic Carbon Age In Lotic Systems Of The Conterminous United States, Kaycee Faunce

Theses and Dissertations

Rivers play a critical role in global carbon (C) budgets despite their comparatively small surface area. A significant portion of the terrestrial C that they receive is transformed, re-mineralized, or stored during transit to the ocean. Radiocarbon (∆14C) data show that a fraction of riverine organic C (OC) has been pre-aged in the terrestrial environment. Lateral export of carbon from these aged pools may contribute to atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions through microbial and photochemical oxidation. However, little is known about the regional climatic, anthropogenic, and landscape factors that promote the mobilization of aged OC to rivers. This study …


Enabling High Quality Oxygen Measurements During Robotic Based Studies Of Ocean Ecological And Biogeochemical Processes, Brianna A. Alanis Dec 2019

Enabling High Quality Oxygen Measurements During Robotic Based Studies Of Ocean Ecological And Biogeochemical Processes, Brianna A. Alanis

Theses and Dissertations

Dissolved oxygen is an essential parameter necessary for understanding marine ecological and biogeochemical processes. New robotic vehicles and autonomous platforms are being applied to an even wider range of ecological and biogeochemical studies. Thus, arises the opportunity for matching the best possible oxygen sensing techniques and methods to these new platforms. In so doing, we can enable both more targeted and higher resolution oxygen measurements than previously possible and potentially use oxygen measurements for a wider range of applications, including in situ incubation experiments and primary productivity measurements. This thesis tested three different oxygen sensors in a trade study for …


Carbon Dynamics In Tropical Lake Malawi, Maxon Ngochera May 2018

Carbon Dynamics In Tropical Lake Malawi, Maxon Ngochera

Theses and Dissertations

Large lakes of the world play a vital role in the global carbon cycle as they act both as conduits and sinks of terrestrially and atmospherically derived carbon. Lake Malawi, lying at the extreme southernmost end of the East African Rift Valley is one of the largest, deepest and most ancient of the African Great Lakes. In this study, the spatial and seasonal variation of direct measurements of air and water pCO2 were taken for a period of one annual cycle using a vessel of opportunity along the north-south axis of Lake Malawi. These data, together with limnological and meteorological …