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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Natural Resources and Conservation

University of Central Florida

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

2019

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Miami-Dade Task Force: A Content Analysis Of How Coastal Communities View Sea Level Rise As A Threat, Francisco Alvaro May 2019

Miami-Dade Task Force: A Content Analysis Of How Coastal Communities View Sea Level Rise As A Threat, Francisco Alvaro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sea level rise (SLR) has become a serious threat for coastal communities in recent years. Many communities, including South Florida, are already having the security of their daily lives impacted as climate change causes SLR and other environmental impacts to worsen. This study reviews the Miami-Dade Sea Level Rise Task Force Report to determine how this coastal county government views SLR as a threat. Using mixed content analysis to analyze the report qualitatively and quantitatively, the Task Force's recommendations are categorized based on their focus on security, infrastructure, economics, and the environment. One finds the concerns of the people to …


Biogeochemical Effects Of Sea Level Rise-Induced Transitions Within Coastal Wetlands, Havalend Steinmuller May 2019

Biogeochemical Effects Of Sea Level Rise-Induced Transitions Within Coastal Wetlands, Havalend Steinmuller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As sea level rise (SLR) affects coastal wetlands, ecosystem responses can include vertical accretion, landward transgression, or submergence. Sea level rise-induced transitions can alter key biogeochemical transformations within wetland soils, impacting the ability of these systems to provide ecosystem services, specifically carbon (C) storage and water quality regulation. Through a series of complementary laboratory and field-based studies, biogeochemical responses to salinity, vegetation shifts, and submergence were investigated. Changes in nutrient dynamics associated with saltwater intrusion were evaluated by artificially adding saline water to different freshwater wetland soil types, indicating that potential exports of critical nutrients (forms of nitrogen, phosphorus, and …


Seascape Genetics And Rehabilitation Efficiency In The Florida Manatee, Madison Hall Jan 2019

Seascape Genetics And Rehabilitation Efficiency In The Florida Manatee, Madison Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) was recently downlisted federally from "endangered" to "threatened" despite acknowledgments of remaining threats to long term population persistence. Challenges to future manatee conservation include, but are not limited to, increases in frequency of harmful algal blooms, intensifying anthropogenic disturbance, and loss of warm-water habitat. The goals of this dissertation were 1) to assess threats to the manatee via a comprehensive, long-term (1973-2016), retrospective analysis of the manatee rescue and rehabilitation partnership (MRRP) and 2) to use seascape genetics analysis to examine whether abiotic, biotic, or anthropogenic seascape variables could significantly describe genetic distance patterns …


Community-Based Coastal Restoration: Long Term Impacts On Habitats And People In Volusia County, Rachel Wimmer Jan 2019

Community-Based Coastal Restoration: Long Term Impacts On Habitats And People In Volusia County, Rachel Wimmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coastal habitats provide invaluable economic and ecosystem services. However, coastlines are eroding at increasing rates due to anthropogenic and climate driven changes. Grey and green infrastructure solutions have been proposed to retard the decay of coastlines, with oysters serving as a popular living shoreline. Three community-based stabilizations that implemented living shorelines and engaged local communities in restoration efforts over the past decade in Volusia County were revisited to determine if they were successful and if they produced positive public perceptions of success. Chicken Island, which was restored after waves, boat wakes, tides, and adverse weather altered the natural shoreline, had …