Environmental Sciences Commons^™

A Life Cycle Analysis Of Land Use In Us Pork Production, Greg Thoma, Marty Matlock, Ben Putman, Jasmina Burek

Food Systems

The goal of this study was to analyze land use in the production of US pork using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). LCA is a comprehensive methodology for quantitatively analyzing potential environmental impacts associated with complex systems. Identification of processes contributing to high environmental impacts often highlights opportunities for gains in efficiency, which can increase the profitability and sustainability of US pork. The environmental impact category analyzed in this assessment was land use. After reviewing existing information regarding land use in agriculture and livestock production, analysis for US pork production was performed at two scales: cradle-to-grave and cradle-to-farm gate. The cradle-to-grave …

Losing Ground, Alison Kanski

Capstones

Climate change and sea level rise are slowly decimating beaches. But the U.S. government and loyal residents won't let go of the beaches so easily.

A determined resident of the Rockaways in New York fights for the money and attention from governments to sustain his lifelong home and stop it from washing away.

Greenpoint's Superfund Problem, Helina Selemon

Capstones

A feature observing a community living in the shadow of a superfund site, a toxic industrial site in need of cleanup, that was recently purchased for development. The story looks at the complicated nature of this particular superfund and the problems the community around it has--including potential health risks during cleanup, rapid development, and an inescapable industrial past.

Marine Regional Planning Measures To Improve The Sustainability Of The Seaflower Mpa In The Colombian Caribbean Sea/, Sergio Ivan Rueda Forero

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Liability And Compensation Due To Transboundary Pollution Caused By Offshore Exploration And Exploitation : Imo Competence And Development Of Guidelines, Sebastian Pizarro Klein

World Maritime University Dissertations

The dissertation is an analysis on the problem of the prevailing legal lacuna regarding responsibility and liability due transboundary offshore pollution. The investigation starts with the examination of the discussion at IMO and its competence to regulate the offshore industry. Afterwards the discussion at the Legal Committee of IMO is analyzed through the different doctrines developed by the authors and the International Court of Justice. Based on a possible competence of the IMO, we introduce the discussion on which international instrument is appropriate to regulate the legal lacuna. Finally, in the concluding chapters, different international instruments are compared highlighting the …

Automatic Detection And Quantification Of Bluff Erosion Events In Single Image Series, Martin D. Hellwig

Graduate Masters Theses

Many communities along coastlines and riverbanks are threatened by water erosion and hence an accurate model to predict erosion events is needed in order to plan mitigation strategies. Such models need to rely on readily available meteorological data that may or may not be correlated with the occurrence of erosion events. In order to accurately study these potential correlations, researchers need a quantified time series index indicating the occurrence and magnitude of erosion in the studied area. We show that such an index can be obtained by creating and analyzing a single image series using relatively cheap consumer grade digital …

Brooklyn Trash Problems, Christina Diaz

Capstones

Walk through the streets of New York and at some point you’ll inevitably pass by a wafting smell of garbage, but residents of North Brooklyn are handling more than their share of the smelly load and they’re tired of getting dumped on.

A newly formed coalition of neighbors and environmental activists has begun a turf war against Brooklyn Transfer LLC, a waste transfer station located on Thames Street in East Williamsburg, which handles private commercial waste through ­­­­­­­­­­­­­Five Star Carting.

Link to Map: https://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=1769408

Compliant Strategy For Shipowners Towards Sustainable Maritime Transport : A Decision Framework For Air Emission Reduction Measures, Aditya Srivastava

World Maritime University Dissertations

IMO uses three pillar strategy for air emission reduction including, technical, operational and market-based measures (MBM). The dissertation briefly describes the maritime regulatory framework for reduction of emissions. An overview on air emissions caused by the shipping sector is analysed. A brief look is taken on the need and methodology for inventory management of air emissions. A comparison between the market-based measures, operational measures, carbon tax and abatement measures for averting air emissions of carbon equivalent is made. The author has examined the abatement measures available to shipowners. This section also investigates the response of shipowners to different possible measures. …

Review Of The Capacity Of The Implementation Of Ballast Water Management Convention In Sri Lanka As Flag State, Port State And Coastal State, Thalatha Sreeni Ranasinghe

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Quantifying The Adaptive Cycle, David G. Angeler, Craig R. Allen, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Lance H. Gunderson, Olle Hjerne, Monika Winder

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The adaptive cycle was proposed as a conceptual model to portray patterns of change in complex systems. Despite the model having potential for elucidating change across systems, it has been used mainly as a metaphor, describing system dynamics qualitatively. We use a quantitative approach for testing premises (reorganisation, conservatism, adaptation) in the adaptive cycle, using Baltic Sea phytoplankton communities as an example of such complex system dynamics. Phytoplankton organizes in recurring spring and summer blooms, a well-established paradigm in planktology and succession theory, with characteristic temporal trajectories during blooms that may be consistent with adaptive cycle phases. We used long-term …

2nd Annual Sustainability Report, Saint Mary's College Of California

Sustainability Report

No abstract provided.

Long-Term Landscape Changes In A Subalpine Spruce-Fir Forest In Central Utah, Usa, Jesse L. Morris, R. Justin Derose, Andrea R. Brunelle

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Background: In Western North America, increasing wildfire and outbreaks of native bark beetles have been mediated by warming climate conditions. Bioclimatic models forecast the loss of key high elevation species throughout the region. This study uses retrospective vegetation and fire history data to reconstruct the drivers of past disturbance and environmental change. Understanding the relationship among climate, antecedent disturbances, and the legacy effects of settlement-era logging can help identify the patterns and processes that create landscapes susceptible to bark beetle epidemics. Methods: Our analysis uses data from lake sediment cores, stand inventories, and historical records. Sediment cores were dated with …

Consequences Of Shifts In Abundance And Distribution Of American Chestnut For Restoration Of A Foundation Forest Tree, Harmony J. Dalgleish, Charles Dana Nelson, John A. Scrivani, Douglass F. Jacobs

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Restoration of foundation species, such as the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) that was devastated by an introduced fungus, can restore ecosystem function. Understanding both the current distribution as well as biogeographic patterns is important for restoration planning. We used United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis data to quantify the current density and distribution of C. dentata. We then review the literature concerning biogeographic patterns in C. dentata. Currently, 431 ± 30.2 million stems remain. The vast majority (360 ± 22 million) are sprouts < 2.5 cm dbh. Although this number is approximately 10% of the estimated pre-blight population, blight has caused a major shift in the size structure. The current-day population has a larger range, particularly west and north, likely due to human translocation. While climate change could facilitate northward expansion, limited seed reproduction makes this unlikely without assisted migration. Previous research demonstrates that the current, smaller population contains slightly higher genetic diversity than expected, although little information exists on biogeographic patterns in the genetics of adaptive traits. Our research provides a baseline characterization of the contemporary population of C. dentata, to enable monitoring stem densities …

U.S. Drought Monitor, December 22, 2015, Richard R. Heim Jr.

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of the United States for December 22, 2015 (12/22/15) plus: United States crop areas experiencing drought (map), an approximate percentage of crop located in drought by state (bar graph), and the percentage of crop area located in drought during the past 52 weeks (line graph) for corn, soybeans, hay, cattle, and winter wheat.

Selection For Forage And Avoidance Of Risk By Woodland Caribou (Rangifer Tarandus Caribou) At Coarse Andlocal Scales, Madeleine T. Mcgreer, Erin E. Mallon, Lucas M. Vander Vennen, Philip A. Wiebe, James A. Baker, Glen S. Brown, Tal Avgar, Jevon Hagens, Andrew M. Kittle, Anna Mosser, Garrett M. Street, Doug E. B. Reid, Arthur R. Rodgers, Jennifer Shuter, Ian D. Thompson, Et Al.

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The relationship between selection at coarse and fine spatiotemporal spatial scales is still poorly understood. Some authors claim that, to accommodate different needs at different scales, individuals should have contrasting selection patterns at different scales of selection, while others claim that coarse scale selection patterns should reflect fine scale selection decisions. Here we examine site selection by 110 woodland caribou equipped with GPS radio‐collars with respect to forage availability and predation risk across a broad gradient in availability of both variables in boreal forests of Northern Ontario. We tested whether caribou selection for forage and avoidance of risk was consistent …

Proactive Environmental Strategies: Managing A Corporate Culture Shift Toward Sustainability, Mark E. Calub

Master's Projects and Capstones

The roles and responsibilities of Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) professionals have expanded over the last several decades. Initially focused solely on reducing a firm's ecological impact, many EHS professionals are now tasked with managing a firm's cultural shift towards sustainability. EHS professionals need to develop proactive environmental strategies that further interconnect the environmental, social, and economic performance goals of the firm. Using a concept analysis and integrative literature review approach, the research examines the evolving role of corporate environmental management and evaluates strategic management tools for environmental compliance, environmental performance, and corporate sustainability. The research reveals that the role …

Monitoring Biodiversity Of San Francisco Peninsula Grasslands Using Lepidoptera As A Bioindicator, Jonathan B. Sifuentes-Winter

Master's Projects and Capstones

San Francisco Peninsula grasslands have seen an influx of non-native invasive species starting in the 1500’s, threatening ecological stability by reducing biological diversity. To combat these invasive species, multiple public agencies have begun to adopt an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. This ecologically-based approach to pest management utilizes three controversial techniques, which are presently used or are under consideration for use on the San Francisco Peninsula: herbicide application, conservation grazing, and prescribed fire. In this paper, I will evaluate the use of the taxa Lepidoptera as a bioindicator of biodiversity to assess the environmental impacts of these techniques. The application …

Photooxidation Reactions Of Small-Chain Methyl Esters, Aerosol Photoelectron Spectroscopy, And The Photodissociation Of Ethylenediamine, Giel Muller

Master's Theses

Research conducted at the University of San Francisco is presented within this masters thesis, including the Cl-initiated photooxidation reactions of methyl propanoate, methyl butanoate, and methyl valerate (pentanoate), the aerosol photoelectron spectroscopy of isoprene and gamma-valerolactone, and the TPEPICO investigation of ethylenediamine. Experiments were conducted at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab Advanced Light Source (ALS), the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center in Hsinchu City (NSRRC), and the University of Stockton in California, respectively.

The Role Of The State, Multinational Oil Companies, International Law & The International Community: Intersection Of Human Rights & Environmental Degradation Climate Change In The 21st Century Caused By Traditional Extractive Practices, The Amazon Rainforest, Indigenous People And Universal Jurisdiction To Resolve The Accountability Issue, Marcela Cabrera Luna

Master's Theses

Local, national and international conventions that protect indigenous sovereignty and their territories, where many of the resources are extracted from by multinational corporations (MNCs) particularly oil, the number one commodity of the world and cause of climate change, continue to be jeopardized because of the lack of a clear international legal framework that can protect them and potentially hold multinationals accountable for their actions. These practices are causing not only environmental issues to the indigenous and surrounding communities, but climate change is in fact, the real human rights issue of the 21^st century and it affects everyone. By using …

Urban Stormwater Management: Treatment Of Heavy Metals And Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons With Bioretention And Permeable Pavement Technologies, Viktoriya Sirova

Master's Projects and Capstones

Urban stormwater runoff is a major non-point source of pollutants release into the environment. Pollutants of concern include sediments; heavy metals; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); petroleum hydrocarbons; and chlorinated organic compounds, such as pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls. Conventional stormwater management practices are designed to dispose of the runoff as quickly as possible, not to treat the pollutants. Low Impact Development (LID) concept is an alternative approach to the conventional framework that attempts to recreate hydrologically functional landscape mimicking pre-development regimes. This research paper assesses the effectiveness of two LID technologies, bioretention and permeable pavements in treating PAHs and common urban …

Adapting To Rising Sea Levels In San Francisco Bay: The Potential For Thin Layer Sediment Application To Enhance Tidal Marsh Resiliency Through This Century, Scott K. Hine

Master's Projects and Capstones

The research here focuses on two projected century sea-level rise scenarios (100 and 180 cm/century) and the potential to offset elevation loss to sea-level rise by supplying deteriorating tidal marsh habitat with a thin layer of dredge sediment via high-pressure spray disposal within San Francisco Bay. This adaptation strategy is then analyzed for potential integration into the Bay’s long term management plan for dredge material disposal. The Marsh Equilibrium Model (Morris, 2012) is used to evaluate elevation deficits for existing tidal marsh habitat around San Pablo Bay against future century sea-level rise scenarios and model marsh resiliency following elevation enhancement. …

Submarine Channel Evolution Linked To Rising Salt Dome, Mississippi Canyon, Gulf Of Mexico, Rachel C. Carter

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

By examining halokinetics and channel evolution in a deep-water system, we investigate how submarine channel morphology is affected by changing seascape linked to diapirism. The study area is located in Mississippi Canyon, Gulf of Mexico (GOM), situated directly off the continental slope in a prominent salt dome region. Interactions of salt domes with submarine channels in the GOM are poorly documented. Utilizing 3D seismic data and seismic geomorphology techniques, a long-lived Plio-Pleistocene submarine channel system has been investigated to develop a relationship between variable phases of salt movement and plan-form morphology of preserved channels.

We suggest that halokinetics acts as …

Restoring The Mississippi River Delta In Louisiana Ecological Tradeoffs And Barriers To Action, Alison Maulhardt

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the Louisiana 2012 Coastal Master Plan’s ability to reconcile conflicting economic and ecological demands on coastal resources. The Louisiana Coastal Master Plan was unique in combining flood control and coastal restoration under one authority. However, the objectives of flood control and coastal restoration can be in conflict. The plan was also unique in its approach of restoration from a working coast perspective. However, the objectives of ecological restoration and economic productivity do not always agree. By conducting semi-structured interviews with major coastal stakeholders, this research will explore how the planning process has accommodated the views and values …

Utilizing Ecological Connectivity In California Desert Wilderness Preservation, Lauren Kahal

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Wilderness Act of 1964 gave the federal land management agencies—the National Park Service, United States Forest Service, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management—the authority to identify, propose, and manage lands as wilderness. Wilderness, once approved by Congress for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System, is offered the highest form of land preservation in the nation. However, the wilderness identification process used by the implementing agencies is based on a half-century old statute with an aging definition of wilderness. While designated wilderness can protect the plant and wildlife communities within its borders from direct anthropogenic …

Iodp Expedition 347baltic Sea Basin Paleoenvironment And Biosphere, Thomas Andrén, Bo Barker Jørgensen, Carol Cotterill, Sophie Green, Elinor Andrén, Jeanine L. Ash, Thorsten Bauersachs, Barry Cragg, Anne-Sophie Fanget, Annick Fehr, Wojciech Granoszewski, Jer­Oen Groeneveld, Dalton S. Hardisty, Emilio Herrero-Bervera, Outi Hyttinen, Jørn Bo Jensen, Sean Johnson, Michael Kenzler, Aarno Kotilainen, Ulrich Kotthoff, Ian Pg Marshall, E. Martin, S. Obrochta, Sandra Passchier, Nadine B. Quintana Krupinski, Natascha Riedinger, Caroline Slomp, Ian Snowball, Anna Stepanova, Sarah Strano

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) expedition 347 cored sediments from different settings of the Baltic Sea covering the last glacial-interglacial cycle. The main aim was to study the geological development of the Baltic Sea in relation to the extreme climate variability of the region with changing ice cover and major shifts in temperature, salinity, and biological communities. Using the Greatship Manisha as a European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling (ECORD) mission-specific platform, we recovered 1.6 km of core from nine sites of which four were additionally cored for microbiology. The sites covered the gateway to the North Sea and …

Genetic Analysis Of The Henry Mountains Bison Herd, Dustin H. Ranglack, Lauren K. Dobson, Johan T. Du Toit, James Derr

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Wild American plains bison (Bison bison) populations virtually disappeared in the late 1800s, with some remnant animals retained in what would become Yellowstone National Park and on private ranches. Some of these private bison were intentionally crossbred with cattle for commercial purposes. This forced hybridization resulted in both mitochondrial and nuclear introgression of cattle genes into some of the extant bison genome. As the private populations grew, excess animals, along with their history of cattle genetics, provided founders for newly established public bison populations. Of the US public bison herds, only those in Yellowstone and Wind Cave National Parks (YNP …

Odu, William & Mary Seek Funds For Joint Center On Sea-Level Rise, Dave Mayfield

News Items

No abstract provided.

U.S. Drought Monitor, December 15, 2015, Richard Tinker

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for December 15, 2015 (12/15/15) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Corn, Soybeans, Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

Integrated Step Selection Analysis: Bridgingthe Gap Between Resource Selection And Animal Movement, Tal Avgar, Jonathan R. Potts, Mark A. Lewis, Mark S. Boyce

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

A resource selection function is a model of the likelihood that an available spatial unit will be used by an animal, given its resource value. But how do we appropriately define availability? Step selection analysis deals with this problem at the scale of the observed positional data, by matching each ‘used step’ (connecting two consecutive observed positions of the animal) with a set of ‘available steps’ randomly sampled from a distribution of observed steps or their characteristics. Here we present a simple extension to this approach, termed integrated step selection analysis (iSSA), which relaxes the implicit assumption that observed movement …

When Addressing Climate Change, Don’T Forget Animal Agriculture, Aaron Matzke

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

As COP 21 closes in Paris, global animal agriculture is a topic that has eluded the international media. Animal agriculture is responsible for more global greenhouse gas emissions than transportation according to the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization. With global population and prosperity rising, the global meat supply is expected to nearly double by 2050. This increase in production will only be achieved if significant steps are taken to promote sustainability through existing techniques globally, and to regulate air contamination in industrial feedlots in the United States. Alternative meat production methods, which have seen considerable investment recently, could supplement animal …