Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

Watershed Protection As The Primary Tool To Achieve High Quality Drinking Water, Kate J. Gazzo

Master's Projects and Capstones

In this study, a cost-effectiveness analysis and multiple case studies of cities ranging from New York City, USA to Bogota, Columbia are discussed to show how watershed protection can reduce the associated costs and risks stemming from impaired water and usually eliminate the need for human engineered treatment. A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed by comparing three municipalities that have obtained Filtration Avoidance Determinations through watershed protection (green infrastructure) compared with three municipalities that have installed human engineered filtration (gray infrastructure). Using turbidity and E. coli as indicators of effectiveness, the results of this analysis determined that human engineered infrastructure is …

Lessons Learned From Urban River Restoration Projects: Application Of Restoration Treatments On The Los Angeles River., Nicole M. Tracy

Master's Projects and Capstones

Human development has altered many rivers around the world. In the past, urban rivers were condemned as flood hazards, and load-reducing treatments were the only treatments applied to protect the surrounding communities against flooding. These treatments aim to collect precipitation from the surrounding surfaces quickly and divert the water using the most direct and spatially conservative means as possible- most often using concrete. These treatments have left rivers in ecologically non-functioning states. The channelization of the Los Angeles River in 1938 is a prime example of load-reducing treatment application. This river is unique because it has many constraints of urbanization …

Carbon Sequestration In Tidal Salt Marshes And Mangrove Ecosystems, Carlos Eduardo Quintana-Alcantara

Master's Projects and Capstones

Wetlands are dynamic systems that provide support to vital environmental functions and services. Wetlands take part in the global carbon cycle by holding organic carbon in biomass, soils and sediments. In recent years, the wetland carbon sequestration capacity has been researched worldwide due to the increase of the concentrations of greenhouse gasses implicated in global warming and climate change. Although coastal wetlands release the greenhouse gasses carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, these ecosystems maintain high performance in offsetting significant amounts of atmospheric carbon. This paper investigated the carbon sequestration capacity of coastal wetland ecosystems summarizing the environmental conditions and …

Refining Dendrochronology To Evaluate The Relationship Between Age And Diameter For Dominant Riparian Trees In The Redwood Creek Watershed, Devin Barry

Master's Projects and Capstones

Methods of dendrochronology by means of incremental coring

have been refined in this study for specific use in northern

California riparian floodplains. Little information is available

on riparian dendrochronology because of the challenges of

analyzing riparian tree species. Three dominant tree species

(Alnus rubra, Umbellularia californica, Acer macrophyllum)

in the floodplain of Redwood Creek were evaluated for the

relationship between age and diameter at breast height (DBH)

using a least squares linear regression analysis. Through this

study, complications with analysis for the riparian tree species

led to a more thorough investigation as to enhancing core

quality and annual growth ring …

Macroinvertebrate Prey Availability And Food Web Dynamics Of Nonnative Trout In A Colorado River Tributary, Grand Canyon, Daniel P. Whiting, Craig P. Paukert, Brian Healy, Jonathan Spurgeon

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Nonnative fishes have been linked to the decline of native fishes and may affect aquatic food webs through direct and indirect pathways. These concerns have led to efforts to remove nonnative Brown and Rainbow Trout, which are abundant in tributaries of the Colorado River, to enhance native fish communities. We sampled fish, benthic, and drifting macroinvertebrates in November 2010, January 2011, June 2011, and Septem- ber 2011 to assess resource availability and to evaluate the effects of nonnative Brown and Rainbow Trout in a tributary of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. We evaluated trout diets from stomach samples …

Water Water Everywhere: Analyzing Long Island's Water Issues And Finding Solutions For A Sustainable Future, Anthony T. Becker

2014 Student Theses

Over three million people call Long Island their home. With access to beautiful landscapes, world-renowned beaches, and proximity to New York City, it is no wonder that so many proudly call this geographic stretch of glacial till their home. However, throughout the years our actions do not necessarily reflect this affection we have to our home. Years of sprawl and human infestation across the island have resulted in widespread environmental degradation. Specifically, the water we drink and the beaches we enjoy have become endangered. I plan on studying the urban ecology of how intensified population growth led to the eutrophication …

The Restorative Effects Of Natural Decor, Tobias Burnham

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Humans are continually opting to live in urban environments, furthering us from the innate connection to the natural environment we have evolved with over millennia. These urban settings place several stressors on us in the form of stimuli that requires directed attention (cars, billboards, traffic lights, etc.) in which deplete our attentional resources leading to Direct Attention Fatigue (DAF). Attentional Restoration Theory (ART) is based on the ability of natural environments to have restorative effects on these depleted resources due to the relative ease of experiencing nature through involuntary attention. The focus of this study is to determine how nature-based …

Addressing Water Resource Issues In Barbados Through An Isotopic And Atmospheric Characterization Of Precipitation Variability, Veronica Hall

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Numerous studies have analyzed isotopic variation of meteoric and dripwater in karst environments for paleoclimate reconstructions or aquifer recharge capacity. What is poorly understood is how the isotopic signal of δ¹⁸O and δ²H is transferred through the hydrologic cycle based upon storm type, frequency, intensity, and teleconnection activity in the tropical karst areas. At Harrison’s Cave, Barbados, a Hobo Onset event data logger was attached to a tipping bucket rain gauge to count the tips and record the total rainfall every 10 minutes. In the cave a Hobo data logger was used to record relative humidity …

Soil Health After Intense Ponderosa Pine Forest Fire In North Central Nebraska, Amanda Hefner

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

In late July 2012, the Region 24 Complex fire consumed over 76, 000 acres of north central Nebraska. This area consists of ponderosa pine forest with high densities of eastern redcedar, deciduous hardwood forest, and Sandhills prairie. This incredible event provided an occasion to examine the effect of the fire on soil nitrification and soil erosion at The Nature Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley Preserve. Eighteen 900m² plots were established in regions chosen for their topographic location (footslope, midslope, and ridgetop), forest density, and directional slope (north vs. south facing slope). Each plot was split into nine subplots with 25 erosion …

Dirty Recycling: Auto Salvage And Its Potential Impacts On Marginalized Populations, Ethan B. Dively, Nicholas C. Ferreri, Cole D. Rossiter

Student Publications

The salvage yard represents the final waypoint in the cradle-to-grave cycle of the automobile. Residual amounts of petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and acids used in automobiles can be extremely harmful to human health and the environment if not managed correctly. The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which minority populations were exposed to the hazards of the auto salvage industry. Census data for population, income, race/ethnicity, sex, and age were organized using ArcGIS software. Population demographics were analyzed in the areas surrounding 98 auto salvage yards found in Philadelphia and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia County, …

Macroinvertebrate Assemblages And Dynamic Soil Properties: Influence Of Dredging, Bianca N. Ross

Senior Honors Projects

Bianca Peixoto

Senior Honors Project

Macroinvertebrate Assemblages and Dynamic Soil Properties: Influence of Dredging: Abstract

The habitat characterization of subaqueous soils is important for inventorying natural resources and monitoring changes in ecosystem processes. This project aimed to characterize benthic communities within coastal ponds of southern Rhode Island, and develop an understanding of how these communities change due to habitat alterations. I explored the distribution of benthic biology among a range of estuarine subaqueous soils and the effect of anthropogenic disturbance (dredging) on these distributions. The term “benthic” refers to the collection of organisms living in the substrate at the interface …

Effects Of Petroleum Distillates On Amphibian Development, Kate Walker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Petroleum distillates are widely used as an energy source and the extraction and disposal of these chemicals are done with little consideration of their effects on aquatic environments. Amphibians are considered excellent ecological indicators but little research has examined effects of petroleum distillates on aquatic species. I evaluated the lethal and sublethal effects on larval amphibians with exposure to petroleum distillates associated with various venues of pollution including hydraulic fracturing. I selected three petroleum distillates (kerosene, oil, and unleaded gasoline) that are known to have negative effects on aquatic organisms and are similar to the common constituents of mixtures used …

Pronghorn (Antilocapra Americana) Offspring Recruitment On The Carrizo Plain National Monument: Evaluating The Effects Of Low Population Density And Marginal Habitat Quality., Diego Ramirez Johnson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Demographic fluctuation among ungulate populations is strongly linked to variability in recruitment. Rates of recruitment are subject to various forms of density-dependent and density-independent regulation. For species which benefit from the presence of conspecifics, reduced population density can decrease rates of recruitment and trigger a decline in per capita growth. Termed the Allee effect, this scenario can cause demographic collapse and population extinction. For many ungulate species, predation on juveniles is reduced when the timing and distribution of births is synchronized within a local population. Because birth synchrony is density-dependent, it may act as a mechanism for the Allee effect …

Spreading The Char: The Importance Of Local Compatibility In The Diffusion Of Biochar Systems To The Smallholder Agriculture Community Context, Laura C. V. Munoz

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis enters the context of smallholder agriculture communities in the developing world. It explores the potentials of biochar and what biochar systems could bring to the smallholder communities while simultaneously bringing environmental benefits. It then acknowledges the challenges of diffusion –the spreading of an unfamiliar innovation. It seeks to answer the question of what will make diffusion of biochar systems more successful in the smallholder context, fixating on the characteristic of compatibility as well as the role local community members can play in making a new biochar system more visible to the rest of the communities.

Understanding The Role Of Trust In Cooperation With Natural Resources Institutions, Joseph A. Hamm

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation investigates the role of trust in predicting cooperation with a natural resources management institution. It begins with an exploration of the legal landscape against which the relationship between land owners and natural resources management institutions is contextualized, presents a review of the often ostensibly disparate trust literature and a framework for its integration, and proposes and tests a model of trust and cooperation in the natural resources context. The results provide mixed support for the model as proposed but confirm the importance of trust in this context and suggest implications for policy, especially the potential importance of increasing …

Water Use On The Las Vegas Strip: Assessment And Suggestions For Conservation, Suzanne H. Trabia

Honors College Theses

Due to stresses on the water supply in southern Nevada, which include an average of three million tourists per month and an ongoing drought since the year 2000, water conservation is imperative in order to sustain the growing urban area of Las Vegas. The purpose of this study is to assess water use in fourteen casinos on and off the Las Vegas Strip (the main boulevard of the largest casinos in Las Vegas) in order to suggest approaches for water conservation, such as reducing, reusing, and modifying the current system. Since data on water consumption is not publicly available, five …

Late Pleistocene And Holocene Bison Of Grand Canyon And Colorado Plateau: Implications From The Use Of Paleobiology For Natural Resource Management Policy, Jeffrey M. Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bison spp. (bison) fossils are scarce on the Colorado Plateau, especially within the greater Grand Canyon region. Because of the poor fossil record for bison on the plateau and in Grand Canyon National Park, various resource managers have surreptitiously designated bison a nonnative and human-introduced species. The lack of evidence for bison seems to be the result of collection bias rather than a true lack of bison remains. Today, Grand Canyon National Park has a neighboring herd of 350 bison that have meandered unwantedly onto National Park lands from neighboring Forest Service and State of Arizona lands. This study spatiotemporally …

Gauging Wetland Restoration Status Using Benthic-Based Structural And Functional Metrics, Claudia Alejandra Tamez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Efforts to restore Bahia Grande, a 2630 hectare, historically sea grass dominated playa lake, are currently underway and describing its current ecological status is critical to recommending any future physical manipulations to the immense basin. A benthic community based study was conducted on three estuaries in Cameron County, Texas (2012 to 2013) in order to compare the polychaete community dynamics and ecosystem productivity rates of the restored basin to that of two older adjacent reference sites (i.e. South Bay and San Martin Lake) in an effort to gauge system status. All three sites were once contiguous with the Lower Laguna …

Renewable Energy Activities: Choices For Tomorrow, Ap Environmental Science, Terry A. Ferguson, Kendra Whitney, Logan Ress

Arthur Vining Davis High Impact Fellows Projects

This AVD High Impact Fellows Program Team Project developed high school level learning modules on renewable energy. The learning modules focus on the collection, analysis and graphing of real-world data and the making of assessments and projections of the use of renewable energy at the school location. The project focuses primarily on solar energy but all other major alternative energy sources are also briefly addressed. The modules focus on solar energy because it is the only feasible alternative energy source for the region. The ultimate goal of the project is to produce a presentation for the school principal making recommendations …

Runnins River And Burr’S Pond 2013

Watershed Access Lab Projects

No abstract provided.

Runnins River Biosurvey- 2013sy

Watershed Access Lab Projects

No abstract provided.

Water Analysis Of Abbott Run, North Attleboro, Ma

Watershed Access Lab Projects

No abstract provided.

Cambodia, Kingdom Of Water....Or Is It?, Jennifer Mendell

Watershed Access Lab Projects

No abstract provided.

Extream Ecology: A Water Quality Assessment Of The Rumford River

Watershed Access Lab Projects

No abstract provided.

The Agawam River - A Healthier River System - 10 Years Later

Watershed Access Lab Projects

No abstract provided.

"Nature Is Pushing One Way And People Are Pushing The Other": A Political Ecology Of Forest Transitions In Western Montgomery County, Pa, Megan Elizabeth Maccaroni

Environment and Sustainability Honors Papers

Forests in Southeastern Pennsylvania have been shaped by a number of anthropocentric factors over the past century, with many areas experiencing a recent trend towards forest recovery. Studies on forest dynamics have shown that most developed regions exhibit a forest transition, which begins when land is cleared for natural resource extraction (e.g., agriculture, forestry) during an early development stage. Then as a population grows and food production needs are met, rural peoples begin to migrate to the city, and a feeling of scarcity of trees develops that may lead to changes in land management attitudes, and many formerly deforested areas …

Tapping The Apocalypse & Healing With Intention, Julianne E. Henderson Ms.

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

When crisis strikes, practical skills and strategies are critical to one's survival. However, one's positive mentality, relationship with and knowledge of his or her environment, and capacity for compassion when faced with an apocalyptic landscape are just as likely to boost their morale. Maintaining an optimistic consciousness assists human beings with survival, regardless of what level of adversity we face. This research project combines an important skill, which is knowing how to heal oneself naturally with what Nature provides, with the power of our consciousness to determine our success, strength, and overall capacity for withstanding the hurricanes of change.

Using Deuterium And Garp To Estimate Geographic Extents Of Source Populations Of Hoary ( Lasiurus Cinereus ) And Eastern Red ( Lasiurus Borealis ) Bats Killed At A Central Illinois Wind Facility, Rachael Anne Van Essen

Theses and Dissertations

High bat mortality at wind energy facilities is a widely cited conservation issue, but the population-level impacts are not understood. In Illinois, the main species affected are migratory tree bats like the Hoary (Lasiurus cinereus) and Eastern Red (Lasiurus borealis).This research used deuterium isotope analysis of hair combined with ecological niche modeling (GARP: Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Prediction) in a novel way to map the geographic extents of Hoary and Eastern Red bat specimens salvaged at a single central Illinois wind facility from 2008-2010. Hair was chosen after determining that the claw is currently a problematic tissue due to a …

Developing Transmissible Vaccines For Animal Infections: Intrinsically Safe Designs And A Staged Transparent Development Process Will Be Essential, Daniel G. Streiker, Megan E. Griffiths, Rustom Antia, Laura Bergner, Peter Bowman, Maria Vitoria Dos Santos De Moraes, Kevin Esvelt, Mike Famulare, Amy T. Gilbert, Biao He, Michael A. Jarvis, David A. Kennedy, Jennifer Kuzma, Carolyne Nasi,Iyu Wanyonyi, Christopher Remien, Tonie Rocke, Kyle Rosenke, Courtney Schreiner, Justin Sheen, David Simons, Ivet A. Yordanova, James J. Bull, Scott L. Nuismer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Developing Transmissible Vaccines for Animal Infections: Intrinsically Safe Designs and a Staged Transparent Development Process Will Be Essential

Intrinsically safe, biologically compelling vaccine designs

Pahsed development must incorporate checkpoints and engagement

Staged development with established checkpoints

Wquitable partnerships with international governance

Toward deployment

Workshop organization

Seven proposed commitm ents for the responsible development of transmissible vaccines for infectious disease control in animals

Evolutionary outcomes of vaccine transmission depend on the viral vector and the genetic modifications introduced

Port Of Gloucester, Ma: Groundfish Port Recovery And Revitalization Plan By The City Of Gloucester, Urban Harbors Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston, City Of Gloucester, Massachusetts

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

This plan represents another step forward by the City of Gloucester to confront the challenge of declining groundfish stocks and subsequent management measures which have had a profound effect on the fishing industry, the community, and its economy. The plan’s strategies include both short-term recommendations to address the immediate direct impacts on harvesters, fresh fish processors, and associated support businesses, as well as longer-term proposals to bolster and support the industry as it recovers, and proposals to create new economic opportunities built upon Gloucester’s maritime assets, skills, and intellectual capital, and old and new partnerships. The Plan lays out the …