Environmental Monitoring Commons^™

Harmful Algal Blooms: Risks For Food In Utah, Jose Brandao, Sarah Erwin, Stephanie Vaughn, Clare Entwistle

All Current Publications

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a problem because they can produce toxins that make water unsafe for people, animals, and the environment. In recent years, HABs have emerged as a growing concern in freshwater systems throughout Utah, including irrigation canals, reservoirs, and livestock ponds. HABs in freshwater are caused by cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae. These microorganisms can release dangerous toxins that can harm swimmers, pets, and the food supply. Unlike foodborne pathogens, these toxins cannot be removed by boiling, cooking, or washing the food. Therefore, regular monitoring is essential to detect HABs early and reduce exposure risks. This fact …

Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems In Southeastern Utah: An Integrated Analysis Of Hydrology, Ecology, And Landscape Change, Colten Lay

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

In Southeastern Utah, springs play a critical role in sustaining groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) in a semi-arid environment. However, they remain understudied and face growing threats from climate change, land use modifications, and hydrologic alterations. This study addresses knowledge gaps in spring occurrence, hydrologic function, and ecological condition by integrating field surveys, remote sensing, and geospatial analysis across multiple spatial scales. It provides a comprehensive assessment of spring hydrology, water quality, and ecological conditions using field surveys, remote sensing, and GIS analysis to establish a foundational baseline of GDE resources in the region. I applied a multi-scale monitoring approach across the …

How Invasive Species Affect Ecosystems, Marion Murray, Meg Kast

All Current Publications

Invasive species can have profound impacts on ecosystems worldwide. In the absence of their natural enemies, invasive species thrive and reproduce quickly. They can have significant ecological and economic effects. This fact sheet outlines the impact of invasive species on biodiversity, nutrient cycles, water quality, and the resulting economic consequences. It also suggests practical tips for responding.

Repeat Photography Monitoring Made Easy, G. Allen Rasmussen, Kathy Voth, Eric Thacker, Randall Violett, Ruger Carter, Dallen Smith

All Current Publications

Professional land managers use monitoring as the basis for evaluating and making management decisions. There are many monitoring techniques. Here, we will discuss one of the simplest, cheapest, and quickest methods: repeat photography. By following the easy steps outlined here, range users will collect data and record interpretations over time to provide proof of change and management efforts.

Recent Climate Change In Utah, 1870-2023, Scott Hotaling, Kendall Becker

All Current Publications

Climate change is impacting Utah. Forty-five years of temperature data show that Utah is steadily warming, which, in turn, is driving declines in winter snowpack, shifting the timing and amount of available water, increasing fire risk, and causing ecological change. This fact sheet addresses changes in Utah's temperature, precipitation and snowpack, streamflow, wildfire, and ecology.

Rock Glaciers In Utah, Scott Hotaling, Kendall Becker, Matthew Morriss

All Current Publications

Utah’s primary water supply––winter snowpack––is in decline due to climate warming coupled with more precipitation falling as rain instead of snow. As snowpack dwindles, other sources of cold stream water, such as rock glaciers, will become more important. Rock glaciers contain significant volumes of internal ice covered by debris. This internal ice provides cold meltwater to mountain streams, sustaining flows in summer and supporting biodiversity. Rock glaciers are common in Utah’s mountains and are projected to be more stable under climate change than Utah’s snowpack. Thus, rock glaciers are likely to persist in their current form even as snowpack volumes …

Cross-Boundary Stewardship In Protected Area Centered Ecosystems: Perceptions Of Success And Characteristics Of Cooperative Engagement, Ryan D. Tarver

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The legal boundaries of protected areas, such as national parks are established and enforced by humans. Therefore, jurisdictional boundaries are ultimately have human meaning but not necessarily ecological relevance as natural phenomena such as watersheds and wildlife habitat often extend beyond a jurisdictional boundary. When considering the extent of natural system, we find that protected areas only make up part of a given ecosystem. The result is a large expanse of lands that fall under a various ownership types that include both publicly and privately designated tracts of land. This presents a management challenge when attempting to manage at the …

Sheep Ingestive Behavior And Tannin Selection In Pampa Grassland And Feedlot, Marina Terra Braga

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

The Pampa grassland biome has high plant biodiversity, some with significant secondary compound concentrations such as tannins. Tannin inclusion in ruminant diets may improve meat quality and productivity. However, voluntary intake of this phenolic compound can be a challenge. This dissertation includes three studies within this context. The first study documented whether sheep consume tannin-rich Desmodium incanum (DI), the most common Pampa herbaceous legume species. The second study evaluated how forage tannin and protein concentration influenced sheep feedlot feed selection and the diet affects performance parameters. The third study evaluated sheep feeding behavior in a Pampa native pasture, and how …

Pariette Wetlands Water, Sediment And Plant Total Selenium Concentration, Colleen P. Jones, Paul R. Grossl, Astrid R. Jacobson

Browse all Datasets

We measured total Selenium in plants from July through November of 2012 and in water, macroinvertebrates, plants, and sediments from July of 2014 from Pariette Wetlands, Utah, U.S.A. to test for spatial, temporal, plant species and plant tissue distribution of Selenium.

Bat Mortality At Ontario Wind Farms Quantified And Compared Using Four Candidate Estimator Equations, Bethany G. Thurber, Catherine B. Jardine, J. Ryan Zimmerling

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wind farm development is expanding globally. While wind energy is a low-cost option for new electricity supply, the impacts to wildlife populations, including bats (Chiroptera), are of ecological concern. To quantify these impacts, scientists have developed estimator equations to estimate bat mortality, which vary in assumptions related to correction factors. We compared the results of 4 estimators applied to post-construction monitoring data from Ontario, Canada, wind farms to evaluate the effects of field methods and correction factors on estimator consistency. To conduct our study, we obtained data from 21 wind farms between 2011 and 2017 for a total of 26 …

Data From: Yellow Air Day Advisory Study, Arthur J. Caplan

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Using a dataset consisting of daily vehicle trips, PM2.5 concentrations, along with a host of climactic control variables, we test the hypothesis that “yellow air day” advisories provided by the Utah Division of Air Quality resulted in subsequent reductions in vehicle trips taken during northern Utah’s winter-inversion seasons in the early 2000s. Winter inversions occur in northern Utah when climactic conditions are such that PM2.5 concentrations (derived mainly from vehicle emissions) become trapped in the lower atmosphere, leading to unhealthy air quality (concentrations of at least 35 µg/m3) over a span of what are called “red air days”. When concentrations …

Simulating The Storm Environment Responsible For Nepal's First Observed Tornado, Jonathan David Douglas Meyer, Binod Pokharel, Robert R. Gillies

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

A high-resolution numerical forecast model was used to simulate the meteorological conditions leading up to the March 31st, 2019 severe weather event that produced Nepal's first-ever observed tornado. The sparse meteorologic observations in the region capturing the storm environment limit the ability to anticipate another similar situation should the particular set of conditions present themselves again. This study presents a multifaced view of the storm environment through 1) a synoptic perspective provided by the Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS) reanalysis dataset and 2) a trio of progressively higher resolution one-way nested simulations (12 km–4km–1km) driven by GDAS boundary conditions to …

Backcountry Campsite Environmental Changes And Effective Monitoring Practices: A Case Study In Kenai Fjords National Park, Shannon T. Wesstrom, Christopher Monz

Environment and Society Student Research

This report examines existing backcountry campsites’ resource conditions over a five-year period in Kenai Fjords National Park (KEFJ), Alaska. Using campsite ecological monitoring techniques, 101 campsites were assessed for area size, vegetation cover loss, condition class assessments, as well as other indicator variable measurements. This research utilized parametric, non-parametric, robust linear regression, and principal component analysis statistical approaches to inform park managers of:

• Spatial and temporal patterns in changing campsite ecological variable conditions.
• Predicted annual variability of each ecological variable by campsite, beach, and bay.
• Opportunities for possible improvements in the efficiency of the current monitoring protocol by identifying:
  • An …

Environmental Controls On Didymosphenia Geminata Bloom Formation, Lindsay Capito

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Climate change is causing rapid glacial recession and earlier snowmelt, which alter the physical and chemical properties of rivers. As a result, organisms at the base of the food web are responding in unforeseen ways. We use the nuisance algae D. geminata (Didymo) as a case study for how climate induced shifts in the timing of glacial and snowmelt runoff are affecting river ecosystems. We evaluated how shifts in the timing of nutrient concentrations and light availability affect nuisance blooms of Didymo in three complementary ways. These are, field studies across streams in various stages of glacial recession, weekly measurements …

Assessing & Protecting Dark Night Skies In El Morro National Monument, Leslie Kobinsky

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Light pollution is causing the disappearance of dark night skies around the world. In the United States alone, 1/3 of people are unable to see the Milky Way where they live (Ramlagan, 2016). National Park Service sites contain some of the darkest skies in the country. Here at El Morro National Monument, these dark skies are a beautiful and healthy benefit to people in the local community and visitors traveling from afar. El Morro’s current park legislation does not include specific measures of protection for the night sky. This capstone project will create a baseline data set of night sky …

Assessing Beaver Dam Dynamics In The Logan-Little Bear Watershed, Connor Penrod

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This paper seeks to address a knowledge gap concerning how flood events impact beaver dams over time. To address this gap, I took four time-snapshots of beaver dams, mapping them across the Utah portion of the Logan-Little Bear watershed, from 2009 to 2016 to bookend a large flood event in 2011. I assessed dam status (intact, breached, or blown out) for each dam mapped to assess the impact of the large spring runoff on the dam status. Assessing dam status over time allowed me to assess the change in condition over time, from before to several years after, while also …

Quantifying Methane Emissions In The Uintah Basin During Wintertime Stagnation Episodes, C. S. Foster, Erik T. Crosman, J. D. Horel, Seth Lyman, B. Fasoli, R. Bares, J. C. Lin

Bingham Research Center

This study presents a meteorologically-based methodology for quantifying basin-scale methane (CH₄) emissions in Utah’s Uintah Basin, which is home to over 9,000 active and producing oil and natural gas wells. Previous studies in oil and gas producing regions have often relied on intensive aircraft campaigns to estimate methane emissions. However, the high cost of airborne campaigns prevents their frequent undertaking, thus providing only daytime snapshots of emissions rather than more temporally-representative estimates over multiple days. Providing estimates of CH₄ emissions from oil and natural gas production regions across the United States is important to inform leakage rates …

Fluxes Of Methane, Non-Methane Hydrocarbons And Carbon Dioxide From Natural Gas Well Pad Soils In Eastern Utah, Seth Lyman

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We measured fluxes of methane, non-methane hydrocarbons, and carbon dioxide from natural gas well pad soils and from nearby undisturbed soils in eastern Utah. Methane fluxes varied from less than zero to more than 38,000 mg m-2 h-1. Fluxes from well pad soils were almost always greater than from undisturbed soils. Fluxes were greater from locations with higher concentrations of total combustible gas in soil and were inversely correlated with distance from well heads. Several lines of evidence show that the majority of emission fluxes (about 70%) were due to subsurface sources of raw gas that migrated to the atmosphere, …

A Novel Qtl Associated With Dwarf Bunt Resistance In Idaho 444 Winter Wheat, Jianli Chen, Mary J. Guttieri, Junli Zhang, David Hole, Edward Souza, Blair Goates

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

Dwarf bunt [Tilletia controversa J.G. Kühn [as ‘contraversa’], in Rabenhorst, Hedwigia 13: 188 (1874)] is a destructive disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) that reduces grain yield and quality. A number of distinct genes conferring resistance to dwarf bunt have been used by breeding programs for nearly 100 years. However, few markers were identified that can be used in selection of dwarf bunt resistance. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the bunt-resistant germplasm, Idaho 444 (IDO444), and the susceptible cultivar, Rio Blanco, was evaluated for phenotypic reaction to dwarf bunt inoculation in four trials in …

Blacksmith Fork - Little Bear Watershed Alternative Futures Study, Scott Mccomb, Emmet Pruss, Thomas Terry, Conner White

Bioregional Planning Studio Reports

The following project was carried out in conjunction with the Logan River Task Force, under the chairmanship of Dr. Frank Howe. The Logan River Task Force was formed to develop an overall approach for managing the Logan River that balances ecology with people's social values for the river including public safety and property protection. Although the work of the Task Force has focused primarily on the Logan river, the Bioregional Planning graduate students have provided the Task Force with contextual information about the watershed, by exploring alternative futures for the Blacksmith Fork and Little Bear watersheds. This work expands on …

Registration Of ‘Newell’ Smooth Bromegrass, K P. Vogel, R B. Mitchell, B L. Waldron, M R. Haferkamp, J D. Berdahl, D D. Baltensperger, Galen Erickson, T J. Klopfenstein

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

No abstract provided.

Warming, Competition, And Bromus Tectorum Population Growth Across An Elevation Gradient, Aldo Compagnoni, Peter B. Adler

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is one of the most problematic invasive plant species in North America and climate change threatens to exacerbate its impacts. We conducted a two‐year field experiment to test the effect of warming, competition, and seed source on cheatgrass performance across an elevation gradient in northern Utah. We hypothesized that warming would increase cheatgrass performance, but that warming effects would be limited by competing vegetation and by local adaptation of cheatgrass seed sources. The warming treatment relied on open top chambers, we removed vegetation to assess the effect of competition from neighboring vegetation, and we reciprocally …

Warming, Soil Moisture, And Loss Of Snow Increase Bromus Tectorum’S Population Growth Rate, Aldo Compagnoni, Peter B. Adler

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

Climate change threatens to exacerbate the impacts of invasive species. In temperate ecosystems, direct effects of warming may be compounded by dramatic reductions in winter snow cover. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is arguably the most destructive biological invader in basins of the North American Intermountain West, and warming could increase its performance through direct effects on demographic rates or through indirect effects mediated by loss of snow. We conducted a two-year experimental manipulation of temperature and snow pack to test whether 1) warming increases cheatgrass population growth rate and 2) reduced snow cover contributes to cheatgrass’ positive response to …

Climate Change And Plant Demography In The Sagebrush Steppe, Aldo Compagnoni

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

No abstract provided.

Two New Species Of Trigonotylus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Stenodemini) From Western Canada And Northwestern United States, G G.E. Scudder, Michael D. Schwartz

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Fine-Scale Habitat Associations In Structuring Spider Assemblages: Determinants Of Spatial Patterns In Community Compostion, Stephanie M. Cobbold

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

No abstract provided.

Livestock Foraging Behavior In Response To Sequence And Interactions Among Alkaloids, Tannins, And Saponins, Tiffany L. Jensen

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

No abstract provided.

Temperature Increase Effects On Sagebrush Ecosystem Forbs: Exprimental Evidence And Range Manager Perspectives, Hilary Louise Whitcomb

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Olfactory And Visual Predators On Nest Success And Nest-Site Selection Of Waterfowl In North Dakota, Jennifer Borgo

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

No abstract provided.

Terpenes And Carbohydrate Source Influence Rumen Fermentation, Digestibility, Intake, And Preference In Sheep, J. J. Villalba, F. D. Provenza, K. C. Olson

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

We hypothesized that toxins and nutrients in foods interact to influence foraging behavior by herbivores. Based on this hypothesis we predicted that 1) terpenes in big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) influence intake and preference in sheep for diets varying in sources of nonstructural (barley grain) and structural (sugar beet pulp) carbohydrates, and 2) these effects are due to the differential effects of terpenes on fermentation products and apparent digestibility of each class of carbohydrates. Lambs were fed 2 isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets with varying proportions of the same ingredients (beet pulp- and barley grain-based diet) or offered a choice between the …