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Full-Text Articles in Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment

Finer Resolution Paleoclimatological Network Analysis Of Hydrological Extremes And Tree-Growth Response For Kentucky, U.S.A., Jordan Sharp May 2025

Finer Resolution Paleoclimatological Network Analysis Of Hydrological Extremes And Tree-Growth Response For Kentucky, U.S.A., Jordan Sharp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As climate change accelerates, southeastern states like Kentucky face increasing environmental and economic challenges. To improve future climate predictions, this study enhances paleoclimate reconstructions with a high-resolution tree-ring network for Kentucky, combining data from both living trees and dendroarchaeological sources. I evaluated the climate sensitivity of tree growth using superposed epoch analysis, static correlations, and spatial field correlations in KNMI Climate Explorer, along with moving correlations against seasonal temperature and moisture variables. Findings reveal that white oak and tulip poplar exhibit significant drought sensitivity across both live and archeological sites. However, I observed a weakening relationship between tree-ring growth and …


Predicting The Effects Of Precipitation On Groundwater Contamination Near Capped And Uncapped Coal Ash Storage Facilities In Louisville, Kentucky., Daryl Jialiang Chen May 2024

Predicting The Effects Of Precipitation On Groundwater Contamination Near Capped And Uncapped Coal Ash Storage Facilities In Louisville, Kentucky., Daryl Jialiang Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the impact of rainfall event characteristics and water table elevations on arsenic and boron contamination in groundwater near two coal ash ponds in Louisville, Kentucky. Utilizing data from 2011 to 2019, the research focuses on both capped and uncapped ponds at Mill Creek and Cane Run sites, employing Threshold Analysis, Regularized Discriminant Analysis (RDA) and Random Forest (RF) to assess contamination levels in groundwater. Analysis shows that capped ponds generally exhibit reduced arsenic levels, though variations exist depending on the contaminant and site. Key predictors such as maximum precipitation and river height were identified, highlighting their significant …


Investigating Drought Response And Paleoclimate Potential Of A New Network Of White Oak Chronologies In Western Kentucky, Usa, Audrey J. Heichelbech, Maegen L. Rochner, Megan Gibson Jan 2024

Investigating Drought Response And Paleoclimate Potential Of A New Network Of White Oak Chronologies In Western Kentucky, Usa, Audrey J. Heichelbech, Maegen L. Rochner, Megan Gibson

Undergraduate Research Events

In Kentucky, historic and paleo-climate data are limited, and current understanding of long-term climate change in the state relies on instrumental data spanning only 1895-present. Proxy data are necessary to extend the temporal and spatial span of climate information. One potential proxy source for Kentucky is tree ring data, but currently, only four such datasets are publicly available on the International Tree Ring Data Bank (ITRDB). Archaeological and archival timber sources may help to fill in this gap. In the 1940s, Florence Hawley-Ellis, the first woman dendrochronologist, collected samples of white oak (Quercus alba L.) from four counties in western …


A Citizen Science Experiment: How Well Do Park Visitors Identify Wetland Health?, Madison Cicha, Kassidy Haynes, Andrew Mehring, Mark Tierney, Andrea Gaughan Phd Sep 2023

A Citizen Science Experiment: How Well Do Park Visitors Identify Wetland Health?, Madison Cicha, Kassidy Haynes, Andrew Mehring, Mark Tierney, Andrea Gaughan Phd

The Cardinal Edge

Citizen science refers to a discipline of scientific projects that utilize public participation and collaboration to complete or supplement a collected data set. Our study as a whole aims to assess the greenhouse gas (GHG) source-sink status of small, constructed wetlands in Kentucky through field and remotely sensed data. Additional facets of the project include evaluating the influence of the primary producer community on GHG uptake and emissions, and our ability to identify healthy small wetlands from science and community-based perspectives. Specifically, the citizen science aspect intends to assess both (1) gaps between knowledge of the general public regarding wetland …


The Effects Of False Springs And Late Freezing Events On Germination Success Of Prairie Plants, Sawyer J. Wittman Apr 2023

The Effects Of False Springs And Late Freezing Events On Germination Success Of Prairie Plants, Sawyer J. Wittman

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Prairie ecosystems are some of the most fragmented habitats across the Midwestern USA and are susceptible to the effects of climate change. False springs occur when temperatures rise unseasonably early, followed by low temperatures returning. A late freeze is when temperatures drop drastically in early spring, potentially damaging the plants that begin to grow. This research experimentally tests how winter climate change affects the germination rates of 24 different prairie plant species (12 in Poaceae, 4 Asteraceae, 4 in Fabaceae, and 4 in Lamiaceae), where half bloom in the spring and half bloom in the summer. Seeds are cold stratified …


Evaluating Habitat Suitability In Lake Superior And Michigan Streams For The Freshwater Diatom, Didymosphenia Geminata, Nuphar Rimer Apr 2023

Evaluating Habitat Suitability In Lake Superior And Michigan Streams For The Freshwater Diatom, Didymosphenia Geminata, Nuphar Rimer

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Didymosphenia geminata (didymo or rock snot) is a benthic, freshwater diatom that is native to North America and Europe. Although it is native, it is displaying invasive qualities through seasonal stalk production. Stalks accumulate into large, unattractive mats that have the potential to alter benthic aquatic communities. The ecology of didymo is puzzling; it has been steadily expanding outside of its native range, and seasonal mat production can be unpredictable. Michigan is well known for outdoor recreation, attracting sportsmen from around the world to fish. Fishing is an integral part of Michigan’s tourism industry, but high foot traffic increases the …


Wastewater-Informed Public Health Intervention Playbook Sep 2022

Wastewater-Informed Public Health Intervention Playbook

Sustain Magazine

As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic quickly spread from country to country and continent to continent in 2020, governments and scientists needed a way to track COVID-19 through populations in order to position public health interventions in the most impactful locations. Having a decision-based risk framework may help to guide policy creation that could minimize or prevent possible outbreaks and surges of infection within communities. The University of Louisville in partnership with Louisville’s Department of Public Health and Wellness tested this strategy in 2021 and 2022. This Wastewater-Informed Public Health Intervention Playbook describes the decisions and actions of that academic and public …


An Interdisciplinary Discussion On Climate Change, Aamira Shah, Jaley F. Adkins, Kelsey Littrell, Priyadarshini Chandrashekhar Sep 2022

An Interdisciplinary Discussion On Climate Change, Aamira Shah, Jaley F. Adkins, Kelsey Littrell, Priyadarshini Chandrashekhar

The Cardinal Edge

No abstract provided.


Analyzing The Effects Of Of Seasonal Land Cover And Precipitation On The Sediment Delivery Ratio Of An Agriculture Dominated Watershed., Jonah Liebman May 2020

Analyzing The Effects Of Of Seasonal Land Cover And Precipitation On The Sediment Delivery Ratio Of An Agriculture Dominated Watershed., Jonah Liebman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Soil erosion is of escalating importance as increasing population and climate change have put increasing pressures on agricultural food production. Vegetation and precipitation are two factors that control the amount of soil erosion extant within a region. Sediment delivery ratios (SDRs) assess the ratio of soil eroded from a watershed system that is permanently removed from the system through stream sediment discharge. Using 1) river discharge and sediment concentration data and 2) the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), this thesis analyzes fluctuations in monthly SDRs for an average hydroclimatological crop-harvest season for the Senachwine Creek watershed, IL. Through calculating …


Sustainable Solutions, Fall/Winter 2020, Issue 41 Nov 2019

Sustainable Solutions, Fall/Winter 2020, Issue 41

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Environmentally Responsible Land Use, Spring/Summer 2010, Issue 22 Sep 2019

Environmentally Responsible Land Use, Spring/Summer 2010, Issue 22

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Sustainable Communities, Fall/Winter 2010, Issue 21 Sep 2019

Sustainable Communities, Fall/Winter 2010, Issue 21

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Sustainable Building, Spring/Summer 2009, Issue 20 Sep 2019

Sustainable Building, Spring/Summer 2009, Issue 20

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Environmental History, Fall/Winter 2009, Issue 19 Sep 2019

Environmental History, Fall/Winter 2009, Issue 19

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Student Research, Spring/Summer 2008, Issue 18 Sep 2019

Student Research, Spring/Summer 2008, Issue 18

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Evolving Pollution Prevention, Fall/Winter 2008, Issue 17 Sep 2019

Evolving Pollution Prevention, Fall/Winter 2008, Issue 17

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Climate Change, Spring/Summer 2007, Issue 16 Sep 2019

Climate Change, Spring/Summer 2007, Issue 16

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Our Energy Future, Fall/Winter 2007, Issue 15 Sep 2019

Our Energy Future, Fall/Winter 2007, Issue 15

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Land Conservation, Spring/Summer 2006, Issue 14 Sep 2019

Land Conservation, Spring/Summer 2006, Issue 14

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Pollution And Heart Disease, Fall/Winter 2006, Issue 13 Sep 2019

Pollution And Heart Disease, Fall/Winter 2006, Issue 13

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Green Cities, Spring/Summer 2005, Issue 12 Sep 2019

Green Cities, Spring/Summer 2005, Issue 12

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Global Sustainability, Fall/Winter 2005, Issue 11 Sep 2019

Global Sustainability, Fall/Winter 2005, Issue 11

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Environmental Justice, Spring/Summer 2004, Issue 10 Sep 2019

Environmental Justice, Spring/Summer 2004, Issue 10

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Kentucky's Environmental Future, Fall/Winter 2004, Issue 9 Sep 2019

Kentucky's Environmental Future, Fall/Winter 2004, Issue 9

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Urban Ecology, Spring/Summer 2003, Issue 8 Sep 2019

Urban Ecology, Spring/Summer 2003, Issue 8

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Urban Regeneration, Fall/Winter 2003, Issue 7 Sep 2019

Urban Regeneration, Fall/Winter 2003, Issue 7

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Urban Air Quality, Spring/Summer 2002, Issue 6 Sep 2019

Urban Air Quality, Spring/Summer 2002, Issue 6

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Sustainability Of Industrialized Agriculture, Fall/Winter 2002, Issue 5 Sep 2019

Sustainability Of Industrialized Agriculture, Fall/Winter 2002, Issue 5

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Urban Design For Environmental Protection, Spring/Summer 2001, Issue 4 Sep 2019

Urban Design For Environmental Protection, Spring/Summer 2001, Issue 4

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.


Stream Restoration, Spring/Summer 2011, Issue 24 Sep 2019

Stream Restoration, Spring/Summer 2011, Issue 24

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.