Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Effects Of Maturity And Environment On Amount And Composition Of Hemicellulose In Tall Fescue, S L. Fales, D A. Holt, C.S T. Daughtry, V L. Lechtenberg

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Seasonal changes in amount, compos1bon, and digestibility of fiber in vegetative tissues of forage grasses are usually associated with advancing tissue maturity. Our objective was to determine the relative effects of maturity and environment on amount and composition of hemicellulose in field-grown tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). Regrowth of identical chronological age was sampled weekly at different times during the growing season. Leaf samples were extracted with neutral detergent solution to isolate cell walls (NDF). The NDF was treated with 1.0 H2S0+ to remove and hydrolize hemicellulose. The hydrolyzates were analyzed for concentrations of xylose and arabinose, using …

Resource Allocation For Animal-Grassland Systems, G W. Thomas

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The production of animal products from grasslands is dependent upon an adequate resource base-particularly the availabil­ity ofland, water, and energy. In addition, range and pasture production systems must be designed to adjust to climatic varia­tions and to minimize adverse environmental impacts. Several new developments will have a significant impact on the future allocation of resources for animal agriculture: (1) in­creased competition for land and water, which is leading to transfers from agricultural to nonagricultural uses; (2) increasing costs and decreasing availability of "cultural energy" (particularly fossil fuels); (3) more pressure to divert grains and feed con­centrates from animals to direct …

Dissecting The Connection Between Technological Advancement And Environmental Justice Through An International Perspective, Benson H. Le

Honors Theses

This thesis dissects the connection between technological advancement and environmental justice through an international perspective. With modern-day technologies advancing by the day, the implications of these technologies on our environment have been rising as well. This thesis looks to dissect the connection between these two entities, as well as view this connection through an international lens. Countries around the world view this connection very differently, and the way these technologies are implemented within the environment is drastically different based on different international views. This thesis aims to answer the questions about this phenomenon. How do countries around the world view …

Evaluating The Rural/Urban Divide In Conservation: Methods Of Improvement In Conservation Programming Across Kentucky, Lauren Tackett

Honors College Theses

Kentucky’s lands and waterways have always defined the state. Our unique karst landscape, combined with the Appalachian Mountains and Ohio River, help characterize the state and its identity. However, across Kentucky conservation efforts within recent years have been under attack. Through legislation changes and policy challenges, various bills have sought to repeal Kentucky’s conservation efforts regarding water, soil, and land use. Furthermore, there has been a rise in environmental disasters within the state that cause long term issues for both rural and urban communities to contend with. The responsibility of land stewardship falls on a variety of entities but weighs …

Open Space Management Planning: A Framework And Case Study From Eagle Mountain City, Utah, Nathan K. Shumway

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Open Space Management Plans (OSMPs) are increasingly used by municipalities to guide the long-term stewardship of natural lands; however, little formal guidance exists regarding how these plans are structured, developed, or organized in practice. While numerous OSMPs are publicly available, their compositional logic, procedural workflows, and thematic priorities remain largely undocumented within academic literature. This study addresses that gap through a qualitative document analysis of fifteen publicly accessible OSMPs from the western United States, published between 2015 and 2024.

Using manual matrix-based coding in Microsoft Excel, each plan was analyzed through three lenses: structural composition, procedural development, and thematic content. …

Geospatial Science And The Changing Environment: Applied Methods For Sustainable Agriculture And Landscape Management, Harrison Wakefield Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rapid environmental change is disrupting agricultural productivity, ecological function, and the long-term resilience of managed landscapes. At the same time, the rapid growth of geospatial data science has improved our understanding of environmental change and increasingly is being used to improve sustainability in agricultural and environmental management. However, critical gaps remain that limit the applicability of data-driven insights in landscape management. This dissertation investigates the potential of geospatial analytics for sustainable agriculture and landscape management, with a focus on applied methods that operate across spatial and temporal scales. Using field, landscape, regional, and national datasets, it explores the capabilities and …

Conservation Communication In Web 2.0: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of Alveus Sanctuary's Strategies On Twitch.Tv, Hope Denison

Senior Theses

This thesis examines how environmental creators can effectively transmit conservation messages in the evolving Web 2.0 media environment. The case of Alveus Sanctuary, a virtual sanctuary and education center on Twitch.TV, is used to explore the strategies currently used to engage audiences and raise ecological awareness online. Thematic analysis of interviews with the sanctuary’s founder revealed that Alveus combines traditional environmental education with an influencer business model to engage online audiences, leveraging parasocial behavior, interactivity, and collaboration to garner support. A quantitative content analysis of social media posts revealed that these strategies effectively induce parasocial engagement in online spaces. These …

2025 San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative Annual Report, San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative

San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative

The San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative is a network for public agencies that serves the San Diego region to share expertise, leverage resources and advance comprehensive solutions to facilitate climate change planning. By partnering with academia, nonprofits, and businesses, the SDRCC also works to leverage the profile of regional leadership. This is the 2025 San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative Annual Report.

Nature-Based Solutions For Urban Resilience And Environmental Justice In Underserved Coastal Communities: A Case Study On Oakleaf Forest In Norfolk, Va, Farzaneh Soflaei, Mujde Erten-Unal, Carol L. Considine, Faeghe Borhani

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Climate change and sea-level change (SLC) are intensifying flooding in U.S. coastal communities, with disproportionate impacts on Black and minority neighborhoods that face displacement, economic hardship, and heightened health risks. In Norfolk, Virginia, sea levels are projected to rise by at least 0.91 m (3 ft) by 2100, placing underserved neighborhoods such as Oakleaf Forest at particular risk. This study investigates the compounded impacts of flooding at both the building and urban scales, situating the work within the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). A mixed-method, community-based approach was employed, integrating literature review, field observations, and community …

Examining The Spatial Variability Of Summer Heat In New York City Using Landsat Land Surface Temperature, Ryan Kabir

Dissertations and Theses

Extreme heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the United States, and in New York City (NYC) approximately 370 heat-related deaths occur annually on average. The spatial distribution of surface heat exposure across NYC is highly uneven, low-income neighborhoods and communities of color consistently face higher temperatures, yet the intraurban spatial structure of land surface temperature (LST) during heatwave events has not been systematically characterized at high resolution. The New York City Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment (NPCC4) identifies this as an explicit research gap, noting that its own projections, based on global climate models downscaled to …

A Predictive Model For Multi- Week Respiratory Risk From Red Tide On Florida’S Gulf Coast., Elmer S. Ochaeta

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Florida’s Gulf Coast red tide (Karenia brevis) can put toxins into the air, making people cough, irritating the throat, and worsening asthma or other breathing problems especially when winds blow from the ocean toward the beach. Right now, most public updates don’t really help with the question people actually ask when planning a weekend or vacation: “Will going to or close to the beach be risky in the next few weeks?”.

In this project, I build a weekly early warning system that estimates respiratory risk for specific beaches and predicts that risk 2 to 4 weeks ahead. The study covers …

U.S. Water Infrastructure: Diving Into Needs And Recent Policy Developments, Joseph Kane

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

As part of the Brookings Scholar Lecture Series, Brookings Mountain West presents a lecture titled, "U.S. Water Infrastructure: Diving Into Needs and Recent Policy Developments" by Brookings fellow in Brookings Metro, Joseph Kane. Whether providing drinking water, treating wastewater, or managing stormwater, water infrastructure in the United States spans a wide range of human-made and natural systems. In turn, the enormous scale and variety of these systems is leading to an array of challenges: aging and vulnerable infrastructure; fragmented governance and siloed planning across different geographies; a lack of financial, technical, and managerial capacity; difficulties adapting to new industrial and …

Increasing The Economic And Social Viability Of Carbon Capture Using Biomass Slurry Fracture Injection, Zachary G. Laird

LSU Master's Theses

The climate is changing. This is a fact not a statement, not a theory, and not a falsehood, this is a fact. At the current projections the world’s average temperature is expected to rise by at least 2°C from pre-industrial averages by 2050 (Emissions Pathways to 2100 - Climate Action Tracker, 2024). This temperature rise will be catastrophic for a vast number of communities. What is driving this changing climate? Humans. In particular the carbon emissions caused by human activities. As humans we consume large amounts of meat, causing the need for cattle to increase, generating large amounts …

Pvc Biodegradation Potential Of Native Fungal Strains From Mt. Hood National And Tillamook State Forests, Bristol Ozturgut

University Honors Theses

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a toxic, degradation-resistant environmental waste product. Recent research has revealed fungal enzymatic activity capable of biodegrading plastics. As PVC infiltrates local environments, it becomes imperative to determine the adaptability of local fungi to PVC substrates. In this experiment, 100 local native fungal strains sampled from the Tillamook State and Mt. Hood National forests and one commercial strain of common oyster mushroom were investigated for their ability to colonize and digest PVC by direct isolation on 0.1% and 0.2% PVC-enriched limited growth media. Substrates for positive cultures were imaged using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to analyze potential …

Zero Waste Initiatives Across Three Institutions: Local Government, An Academic Institution, And A Retail Business, Soren G. Gray

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

The Oaks Vs. Other University Dining Facilities: Does Architecture Affect Food Waste?, Sydney Bezich

Honors Projects

The purpose of this study was to find a connection between food waste and architecture and determine how food waste can be mitigated using architectural solutions and methods. Food waste is an important issue worldwide and is present in university dining facilities. This study focuses on university dining facilities’ preventable food waste at both the pre-consumer and post-consumer levels. Architecture, in this project, is defined as all aspects of the built environment. This includes, but is not limited to, design and layout, materials, systems, building operations, marketing displays, and sustainability. Methods for this study included researching sustainability, architecture, and food …

Analyzing Northwest Ohio Industries And Utilizing The Shape Program To Increase Sustainable Practices, Abigail Stucker

Honors Projects

The purpose of this project is to dive deeper into the corporate perspective on sustainability and why manufacturing companies should take action on such an important topic. Is there a true balance for businesses between increasing profits and reducing waste? Why should businesses care about being branded as a sustainable company? What efforts do companies need to take to truly be branded as “sustainable?” These are questions that drove the research and development of this project. After looking into these guiding questions, this project develops a program to help monitor and measure the successful sustainability practices that various Northwest Ohio …

Examining The Effect Of Climate Change Denialism In American Christianity On International Climate Policy, Hope Mcbride

Selected Honors Theses

While 53% of Americans say anthropogenic climate change is happening, only 32% of American evangelical Protestants share that belief (Alper). Key reasons for this gap include the values and political affiliations held by religious Americans. Historically, there have been dissenting opinions on the role of Christianity in global warming, but ultimately data have demonstrated that the opinions of American Christians can influence major global political decisions, such as President Trump’s executive order pulling the United States out of the keystone Paris Agreement.

Deforestation For Pasture In The Humid Tropics: Is It Economically And Environmentally Sound In The Long Term?, E Adilson Serrao, C Uhl, D C. Nepstad

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

During the past 5 decades, the rate of tropical forest conversion has accelerated in response to economic pressures, population growth, technological development, and prpgrammes and incentives to open land for development. Deforestation rates rose substantially through the I 980s, and were highest in Africa ( 1.7% ), followed by Asia (1.4%) and Latin America (0.9%). The greatest extent of deforestation, however, was In Latin America, especially in the Amazon, where much of the deforestation was for pasture-based cattle development. Although forest conversion for ranching has been routinely criticised because of the ecological and socioeconomic implications associated with it, cattle herds …

Prevalence Of Low Back Pain Among Office Workers During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Various Countries: A Systematic Review, Yosephine Roma Intan, Ririn Arminsih Wulandari, Popy Yuniar

Kesmas

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the implementation of work from home policies in almost all parts of the world. This policy has increased the onset of musculoskeletal disorders in workers, such as low back pain (LBP). This study aimed to examine the prevalence of LBP among office workers during the COVID-19 pandemic after implementing WFH policies. This study was performed using data from various countries to determine the relationship between LBP and several risk factors, specifically age, sex, physical activity, ergonomic factors, as well as work environment factors such as temperature, humidity, lighting, noise, and work duration. A systematic …

Connotation, Research Status, And Development Directions Of Clean Coal Geology In China, Tang Yuegang, Wang Shaoqing, Wang Xiaoshuai, Guo Xin, Wang Yafeng, Xue Liping, Harold H. Schobert

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The exploration and assessment of low-carbon, zero-emission, and maximized utilization of coal resources, emerge as a focus of coal geology in the 21st century. [Research Advances] Based on the research content of coals and coal geology, along with the domestic and international development trends of clean coal technology (CCT), this study defines clean coal geology in the broad and narrow sense. Clean coal geology in the narrow sense focuses on the geological and geochemical issues related to efficiency enhancement and emission reduction in coal processing and utilization. In contrast, clean coal geology in the broad sense emphasizes …

Mosaicos De La Comunidad (Mosaics Of The Community): Community-Engaged Participatory Muraling With Madres Emprendedoras, Jesica S. Fernandez, Laura A. Nichols

Ethnic Studies

In this paper, we describe a collaborative community-based research project that centered on community members’ lived experiences, which led to the identification of key community issues that resulted in a representative art project in the form of a public mural. Eleven mothers who were long-time residents of the community were the drivers of the issue identification and mural creation. The issues identified, and subsequently depicted in the mural, revealed the importance of the environment in neighborhoods, with residents dealing with encampments, illegal dumping, prostitution, eviction, and gentrification. In the mural Mosaicos de la Comunidad (Mosaics of the Community), a group …

2024 San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative Annual Report, San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative

San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative

The San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative is a network for public agencies that serves the San Diego region to share expertise, leverage resources and advance comprehensive solutions to facilitate climate change planning. By partnering with academia, nonprofits, and businesses, the SDRCC also works to leverage the profile of regional leadership. This is the 2024 San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative Annual Report.

Case Study On Seney National Wildlife Refuge: How The Upper Peninsula Led Wildlife Conservation In The Beginning Of The Twentieth Century, Holly A. Galligan

HS 390 Primary Research Papers

The research presented in this paper will weave together the story of how the Upper Peninsula became a crucial hub for wildlife conservation in the first half of the twentieth century. Seeking to answer the question of how and why this occurred, as well as why it is distinct from the social movement of the 1960s, the research is based on public awareness, photographic research developments, and the concept of the national system for conservation. Hunting played the main role in the motivations for this movement therefore, it is also heavily discussed throughout. The previous research on this subject emerged …

The Relationship Between Salvinia Molesta Infestation And The Microbial Ecology Of Wetlands At Caddo Lake, Tx, Usa, Martin Hadsell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wetlands are known to host many beneficial geochemical processes such as nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration. These processes are primarily driven by the microbial communities within a wetland. The establishment of non-native invasive species within wetlands has the potential to alter the once beneficial functionality of wetland microbial communities due to the sensitivity microbes have towards environmental changes. Because of this, several metagenomic studies have been conducted to assess microbial community response to aquatic plant invasion; however, there haven’t been any studies researching the influence of Salvinia molesta (D.S. Mitch.), commonly known as Giant Salvinia, on microbial communities. The goal …

Indigenous Ecocinema: Decolonizing Media Environments, Salma Monani

Gettysburg College Faculty Books

Introducing the concepts of d-ecocinema and d-ecocinema criticism, Monani expands the purview of ecocinema studies and not only brings attention to a thriving Indigenous cinema archive but also argues for a methodological approach that ushers Indigenous intellectual voices front and center in how we theorize this archive. Its case-study focus on Canada, particularly the work emanating from the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in Toronto--a nationally and internationally recognized hub in Indigenous cinema networks--provides insights into pan-Indigenous and Nation-specific contexts of Indigenous ecocinema.

This absorbing text is the first book-length exploration foregrounding the environmental dimensions of cinema made by …

The Path To Greening Our Future, Havovi Joshi

Asian Management Insights

More than half of humanity currently lives in urban areas, and the United Nations predicts that figure will reach 70 percent by 2050. Cities worldwide already generate a significant amount of solid waste annually, adding to vexing issues that the global community is trying to address–demand for transportation, air pollution, access to public open spaces, urban sprawl, and general sustainability challenges. Throw in global warming and the copious greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions borne of construction activities, and the challenge of creating the necessary urban infrastructure to cope comes into sharp focus.

Media Framing Of Environmental Issues In Jordanian Digital Newspapers, Ramez Abuhasirah Dr, Rasha Salameh Dr

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

This study investigated media framing of environmental issues in Jordanian digital newspapers. The study employed a media survey approach with content analysis of 335 journalistic articles published on the websites of three major Jordanian newspapers (Al-Ghad, Al-Dustour, Al-Rai) from January 1, 2022, to June 30, 2022. Multi-stage sampling ensured representativeness. Results showed all three Jordanian digital newspapers addressed environmental issues, with Al-Ghad leading (40%), followed by Al-Dustour (31%) and Al-Rai (29%). The study found a diversity of sources in journalistic treatment (officials: 29%, news agencies: 18.5%, journalists: 12.8%). Climate change (23.1%), water resources (17.3%), and food security (14.1%) were the …

Opportunities And Constraints For Production Of Marketable Products From Temperate Grassland Systems With Minimal Financial Inputs, Pedro O. Gomez, Ernesto John

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grassland and fodder crops in temperate areas of the world are the main feed resources for milk and beef production. In general, grassland systems in industrialised countries have high financial inputs. The systems in which financial inputs are minimal are those that produce mainly under all-year grazing, with minimal or no inputs such as supplementary feeding, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, fertilisers, antibiotics, and growth promoters; in general they are located in temperate zones of non-industrialised countries. For this reason the products obtained from these systems (e.g., meat, milk) have at present a good opportunity in international markets where the demand for …

Prediction Of Grassland Plant Responses To Global Change, B D. Campbell, J P. Grime

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Global change is challenging the predictive power of biology. Increasingly, biologists are being asked to draw together existing knowledge and new experimental data, in order to provide predictions of the effects of global change at regional, national and global scales. In this paper we examine how well global change effects on grassland plants can be predicted, and what avenues might be used in future to improve predictive capabilities. Broad predictions of the direction of change in grassland vegetation can be made quite simply and from a limited set of data. Predictions of the rate and magnitude of change are more …