Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

Evaluation Of An Autonomous Acoustic Surveying Technique For Grassland Bird Communities In Nebraska, Grace E. Schuster, Leroy J. Walston, Andrew R. Little

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Monitoring trends in wildlife communities is integral to making informed land management decisions and applying conservation strategies. Birds inhabit most niches in every environment and because of this they are widely accepted as an indicator species for environmental health. Traditionally, point counts are the common method to survey bird populations, however, passive acoustic monitoring approaches using autonomous recording units have been shown to be cost-effective alternatives to point count surveys. Advancements in automatic acoustic classification technologies, such as BirdNET, can aid in these efforts by quickly processing large volumes of acoustic recordings to identify bird species. While the utility of …

Impacts Of Stream Habitat Restoration On Macroinvertebrate Assemblages: A Systematic Literature Review, Morgan E. Seitzer

University Honors Theses

Globally, river restoration has become a popular tool for improving the health of a watershed and restoring ecosystem services, but still has significant knowledge gaps. In certain areas and scientific communities, special attention has been given to the response of macroinvertebrates as a measure of restoration success. This systematic literature review aims to highlight and discuss the patterns in studies that have comparable before-and-after restoration data on macroinvertebrates after reconnecting stream channels to their floodplains. Macroinvertebrate sampling is a simple if not time-consuming task that can reveal important data about habitat quality. Because they serve as an important food source …

Visualization Of Indiana And Northern Long-Eared Bats Using Spline Surfaces To Enable Targeted Land Management, Devin Escue

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

This project introduces a Bat Visualization Tool to help manage habitats for threatened bat species while considering broader ecosystem dynamics. It integrates data from acoustic bat surveys at the Corriell Nature Preserve in Iowa. The tool attaches spatial context to non-spatial survey data, weights species calls based on statistical p-values, and creates visual bat species distribution maps using spline surfaces. It also generates future survey locations based on these patterns. By using geospatial analysis and statistics, the tool identifies priority areas for conservation actions, focusing on factors like forest composition, roosting preferences, and land cover types that affect bat habitat …

How Well Do Nature-Based Solutions To Climate Change Address Gender Equity?, Stephanie Efua Yamoah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the climate crisis continues to deepen, there have been calls for adaptation and mitigation approaches that rely on nature-based solutions. These solutions are approaches that offer the potential to reduce and remove greenhouse gas emissions. Examples include forest restoration, coastal wetland conservation, and no-till agriculture, among other practices. In this thesis, I employ an intersectional feminist political ecology perspective to critically examine the integration of gender equity within such nature-based solutions. I make two interrelated arguments using a qualitative methodology and an intensive case study of three projects in Ghana. First, I argue that women’s participation in nature-based solutions …

Feasibility Of Oil Palm Agroforestry System: Evaluating The Application Of Oil Palm Ash For Enhancing Cherry Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum. Var. Nancy Rz) Production Using Brackish Water., Ime Joseph Bassey

Theses and Dissertations

Monoculture systems of oil palm production are ravaging the world’s tropical forests, causing deforestation and biodiversity loss, which contribute to climate change at an uncontrollable pace. Oil palm agroforestry systems (AFSs), one of the strategies of regenerative agriculture, have proven to reverse the unfavorable effects of the oil palm monoculture systems. A sustainable means of soil fertilization and irrigation must be explored to improve the feasibility of oil palm AFSs. This study evaluates the impact of the application of oil palm ash and brackish irrigation on cherry tomato production. The experiment was conducted in a hydroponic system using a 2*4 …

Class Notes

DePaul Magazine

DePaul alumni share news about their promotions, career moves, weddings, birth announcements, other accomplishments and more with the DePaul community. John Carruthers (CMN MA '09) makes pizzas to support nonprofits. Nyabweza Itaagi (LAS MA '18) helps grow a community-owned agro-eco district with a nature trail in a former rail corridor and conversions of vacant lots into urban farms.

Agricultural Groundcover Update April 2024, Justin Laycock

Natural resources published reports

• In April, over 12% (1,876,000 ha) of the arable farmland in the south-west of Western Australia had less than 50% vegetative groundcover, which is inadequate to prevent wind erosion.
• Northern grainbelt had the highest risk of wind erosion and over 26% of this farmland had inadequate groundcover, predominantly found on landscapes known for sandy soils.
• About 1.5% (238,900 ha) of arable land had a high to very high risk of wind erosion because groundcover was less than 30%.

Water Management And Conservation In India Fostering Water Justice: Arguing For Adopting Just Sustainability In Water Governance, Gayathri D Naik Dr, Sanjay Shenoi P

Articles

The water sector is characterised by everyday water injustices where factors like social discrimination, economic disparities, and political preferences influence the determination of water resource access, allocation, and management. The increasing anthropogenic impacts on water resources and consequent threats to sustainability add to the water injustices, often impacting the poorer, socially downtrodden communities that bear the brunt of water scarcity and cannot afford alternatives. The current water governance patterns, prioritising equality over equity, fail to address the issues of water injustices created by social, political, and economic factors in water management and sideline the ecological impacts on water resources. Moving …

Agricultural Groundcover Update May 2024, Justin Laycock

Natural resources published reports

• In May, over 9% (1,410,000 ha) of the arable farmland in the south-west of Western Australia had less than 50% vegetative groundcover, which is inadequate to prevent wind erosion.
• Northern grainbelt had the highest risk of wind erosion and over 26% of this farmland had inadequate groundcover, predominantly found on landscapes known for sandy soils.
• About 1.3% (208,900 ha) of arable land had a high to very high risk of wind erosion because groundcover was less than 30%. Half of this land was in the West Midlands Ag Soil Zone.

The Cultivation Of Ulva Lactuca In Jambiani, Zanzibar: A Case Study, Jazmine R. Compton

Anthós

This case study explores the feasibility of Ulva lactuca cultivation in Jambiani, Zanzibar, Tanzania. The seaweed farming industry in Zanzibar is facing challenges related to climate change that have resulted in increased rates of crop failure and decreased production. Cultivation of the green algae Ulva lactuca has been suggested as a potential solution due to its tolerance to extreme environmental conditions. In collaboration with Marine Cultures, this project has tested different cultivation methods typically used for red algae (Rhodophyta) species. Experimental plots of Ulva lactuca were established in Jambiani, Zanzibar using the floating line and off- bottom methods. At the …

Hydrological Analysis Of Post-Fire Responses Within The Little Creek Watershed Of Swanton Pacific Ranch, Alexander Jeffrey Wiens

Master's Theses

Climate change and a growing wildland-urban interface are associated with an increase in the number and severity of wildfires. While severe wildfires do cause a costly and dangerous impact on the environment and the public, their after-effects comprise important subjects of study. In post-fire hydrologic studies, the reduced infiltration and plant cover that results from wildfires can commonly be associated with increased peakflows and erosion. Phenomena such as the flooding and debris flows in Montecito after the Thomas Fire in late 2017 can have important implications on infrastructure and human lives. Quantifying post-fire peak flows and flooding volumes has therefore …

High Rates Of Erosion On A Wave-Exposed Fringing Coral Reef, Damian P. Thomson, Shannon Dee, Christopher Doropoulos, Melanie Orr, Shaun K. Wilson, Andrew S. Hoey

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Erosion is a key process in shaping the physical structure of coral reefs, yet due to erosion being semi-cryptic and difficult to quantify, information remains limited. Here, we investigate erosional processes along Ningaloo Reef, an extensive fringing coral reef in Western Australia. We employed both direct and indirect methods to measure erosion in wave-exposed reef slopes and protected lagoonal habitats. Direct measurements of erosion on coral blocks were among the highest found globally, with total erosion of 3.07 kg m−2 yr−1 (4% from micro, 0.6% from macro, and 94% from external), whilst indirect rates were estimated at 2.4 ± 0.20 …

Predicting Seagrass Ecosystem Resilience To Marine Heatwave Events Of Variable Duration, Frequency And Re-Occurrence Patterns With Gaps, Paula Sobenko Hatum, Kathryn Mcmahon, Kerrie Mengersen, Kieryn Kilminster, Paul Pao Yen Wu

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Seagrass, a vital primary producer habitat, is crucial for maintaining high biodiversity and offers numerous ecosystem services globally. The increasing severity and frequency of marine heatwaves, exacerbated by climate change, pose significant risks to seagrass meadows. Aims: This study acknowledges the uncertainty and variability of marine heatwave scenarios and aims to aid managers and policymakers in understanding simulated responses of seagrass to different durations, frequencies and recurrence gaps of marine heatwaves. Materials and Methods: Using expert knowledge and observed data, we refined a global Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN) model for a specific case study on Halophila ovalis in Leschenault …

Quality And Establishment Of Some Water-Conserving Turfgrass Species For Sustainable Development And Some Ecosystem Services In Arid Urban Environments, Fatemeh Kazemi, Mahmood Reza Golzarian, Seyedeh Maliheh Rabbani Kheir Khah

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Turfgrasses are essential landscape plants with social, environmental, and aesthetic services for urban ecosystems. However, more is needed to know how to establish them so that they can benefit from their ecosystem services in urban environments. This research examined some quality and morphological and physiological factors for the establishment and social and environmental service assessment of three warm-season turfgrasses, including Kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum), bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), and buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides), compared to the cool-season grass of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). The experiment was split-plot in time, based on a randomized complete block design with eight replications. …

Carbon Sequestration In Peatlands: Using Environmental Proxies To Understand The Impact Of A Changing Climate On Global Carbon Storage, Sarah Schuller, Don Sullivan

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Peatlands are a type of terrestrial wetland ecosystem in which consistently waterlogged conditions prevent the decomposition of organic matter. These conditions allow for sequestered carbon in plant matter to remain stored in the soil to such a great degree that peatlands store more carbon than all other vegetation types in the world combined. By inhibiting decomposition, the composition of water-rich peat soil remains representative of the environmental conditions during the period in which the peat was formed. The collected peat samples can then be utilized as environmental proxies to determine historical temperature, moisture, and carbon content and extrapolated to predict …

Progress And Challenges Of Sustainable Development Goals (Sdgs) In The World And In China, Bojie Fu, Junze Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by United Nations is a critical task for countries around the world from 2016 to 2030. Yet, recent assessments indicate that progress on half of the SDGs has stagnated or even regressed, and that most goals are unlikely to be met by 2030. This study reviews the progress globally and in China towards achieving the 17 SDGs, and summarizes five key challenges that are impinging their realization: 1) the data gaps and insufficient monitoring capacity, 2) the high complexity of interlinkages among the SDGs, 3) the influence of regional disparities and negative …

Some Reflections On Developing Trend Of Gravimetry In China, Heping Sun

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

With the development of modern science and technology, gravimetry is growing vigorously and is increasingly becoming an interdisciplinary subject that is closely related to many others such as geology, fundamental physics, geodynamics, hydrology, oceanography, and astronomy. It is now a key subject in giving service to demands in national strategy and fundamental researches in geoscience such as fiducial surveying and mapping, resource exploration, military security, and hazard monitoring. Therefore, owning the core gravimetric techniques is one of the pivots which reflect national core competitiveness. This study first briefly overviews the history and actuality of the growth of gravimetry subject in …

From Pixels To Plants: Remote Sensing Of California Invasive Plants, Kenneth Rangel

Master's Projects and Capstones

Invasive plants cause significant impacts to ecosystems, the economy, and human health. California has experienced significant plant invasions and is well suited to future invasion because of its Mediterranean climate and human disturbance. Eradication or control of invasive plant species requires a detailed understanding of their spatial distribution, which typically involves on the ground surveys that can be expensive or inconsistent. Remote sensing offers a potential alternative or supplement to in-person invasive plant mapping. This study performed a comparative analysis of 41 remote sensing studies that mapped the distribution of California invasive plants. I found that while high spectral resolution …

Evaluating The Impact Of Wildfires On Mixed Conifer Forest Regeneration And The Effectiveness Of Usfs Management Strategies On Restoring Ecosystem Services, Wyatt Farino

Master's Projects and Capstones

Wildfires are increasing in frequency, duration, and severity across Western North America. 20,438,720 acres (20.1%) of California has burned at least once since 2010. Projections suggest a statewide increase in burned area between 36% and 74% by 2085, with some forested areas in Northern California exceeding 100% in all modeled scenarios. Fire regimes have deviated far from their historical norm, significantly increasing the risk of type conversion from forest to other ecosystems. Californians rely on the myriad of ecosystem services produced by these forests to meet their basic needs. Access to these fundamental services will be severely reduced if appropriate …

Impacts Of El Niño On The Florida Reef: A Case Study Of The 2016 El Niño Event, Evvie Yendra

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Coral reefs are vital ecosystems to coastal communities and the world’s oceans. They support other organisms, protect shorelines, and benefit coastal economies through fishing and recreation. Today, coral reefs face many threats, including ocean acidification, bleaching due to increased ocean temperatures, and disease. These threats are typically heightened during El Niño events across the globe. With a focus on the Florida Reef, these data encompass three key regions (Southeastern Florida, The Florida Keys, and Dry Tortugas) over the years 2014, 2016 (an El Niño event), and 2018. As 2024 is interpreted to be an El Niño year, this study predicts …

America's Next Top Ej Model: Assessing The Role Of Food Access In Environmental Justice Models, Allyson Barry

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Disruptions to weather patterns and ecosystems due to climate change are a global challenge. However, previous research has found that communities of color, traditionally underprivileged communities, and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities are disproportionately burdened with adverse health outcomes, higher propensities of exposure to weather disasters and pollution, and well-being inequalities. The field of environmental justice (EJ) seeks to eliminate such disparities through environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Published in 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) formulated the Environmental Justice Index (EJI) as a data tool to identify communities …

Strongly Stated And Loosely Held: Examining Stewart Brand's Role In The Ecomodernist Project, Liam J. Baker

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

With the ecomodernist environmental perspective emerging in the wake of the 2015 publication of An Ecomodernist Manifesto, many researchers have sought to critique the ecomodernists and their theories of separating humanity from nature, intensifying agriculture, expanding energy production, and relying on technology to resolve the environmental challenges of the 21st century. In this paper, I add to these critiques by examining the history of Stewart Brand, one of the coauthors of An Ecomodernist Manifesto, to highlight connections between his personal environmental perspective, his material impacts, and the ecomodernist project as a whole. By analyzing the discourse produced by and about …

Investigation Of Residual Mineral Content Of Bauxite Stockpiles, Saline Mining District, Arkansas, U.S.A., Melanie L. Ertons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The former mining town of Bauxite is in the Saline County Mining District, in central Arkansas. Bauxite is located approximately 40 km (25 mi) southwest of Little Rock just east of Benton, Arkansas. This area contains extensive deposits of bauxite ore and nepheline syenite previously mined by Aluminum Company of America using open pit and subsurface mining techniques. This study incorporates five bauxite stockpiles (SP1, Clay, SP2, SP3, SP4) with varying amounts of alumina content situated on approximately 10 acres of land within an area of the former mine recognized as Section 20. Over the past several years, there has …

Wyoming Conservation Exchange: A Case Study In Grassroots Conservation Program Design, Kristiana Hansen, Sara Brodnax, Roger Coupal, Jennifer Lamb, Anne Mackinnon, Ginger Paige, Eric Peterson, Melanie Purcell

Journal of Extension

This article describes the conception and development of a market-based conservation program in Wyoming whose purpose was threefold: to compensate landowners for good stewardship of their land and water resources; facilitate meaningful conservation; and encourage environmentally responsible energy development. The program was developed with strong stakeholder support against a backdrop of significant regulatory change. The project, called the Wyoming Conservation Exchange (WCE), represents a project-based alternative to more traditional program-based Extension efforts. This article evaluates ways in which the WCE can act as a road map—but also a cautionary tale—for similar Extension efforts in the future.

Fireflies At Rpa Natural Area Final Report, Olivia H. Bush, Sydney M. Shea, Sofia J. Gordon, Nick S. Wiebke

Final Reports in ENST 411: Environmental Community Projects

Our group worked alongside community partners Shaunna Barnhart and Jim Dunn during the Spring 2024 semester to assist with their annual event Fireflies at RPA Natural Area. RPA Natural Area is a local park in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania that was recently acquired by Southside Recreational Authority. Since taking over the park, the organization has begun hosting an event each July to educate the general public about firefly biology and conservation by showing a film and guiding attendees through a firefly tour through the park. Our goals for this project included creating physical educational materials to be used at the park …

Heavy Metals In Afforested Mangrove Sediment From The World's Largest Delta: Distributional Mapping, Contamination Status, Risk Assessment And Source Tracing, Md Saifur Rahman, Moshiur Rahman, Yeasmin N Jolly, Md Kamal Hossain, Sanjida Afrin Semme, Bilal Ahamad Paray, Takaomi Arai, Jimmy Yu, M Belal Hossain

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study aims to assess seasonal and spatial variations, contamination status, ecological risks, and metal sources (Ni, Pb, Cr, Cu, Mn, and Zn) in human-afforested mangrove sediments in a deltaic region. Five sampling locations were sampled during dry and wet seasons. Heavy metal concentrations followed the order: Mn > Zn > Ni > Cr > Cu > Pb. Metal loads, except Cu and Pb, were higher during the dry season, aligning with national and international recommendations. Sediment quality guidelines, contamination factor, geoaccumulation index, enrichment factors, and pollution load index indicated uncontaminated sediment in both seasons. Potential ecological risk assessment showed low risk conditions in all …

Identifying Phytoremediation Performing Plant Species That Can Be Utilized In The Improvement Of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils, Ashley Clark*, Samuel Mutiti

Graduate Research Showcase

Heavy metal pollution is a problem associated with industrialization and development. Two major metals that are commonly mined and can enter the environment, which can jeopardize communities’ health, are copper (Cu) and lead (Pb). There are different options for reducing heavy metal pollution in the environment via remediation efforts, including physical, chemical, and biological methods. However, physical and chemical remediation can be costly and labor-intensive, making them unsuitable for regions that do not have the funds to utilize these practices. Biological remediation is a more cost-conservative practice that has been shown in many studies to be effective in the gradual …

Including Methane Emissions From Agricultural Ponds In National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, Martino E. Malerba, Tertius De Kluyver, Nicholas J. Wright, Odebiri Omosalewa, Peter I. Macreadie

Climate Science Research Articles

Agricultural ponds are a significant source of greenhouse gases, contributing to the ongoing challenge of anthropogenic climate change. Nations are encouraged to account for these emissions in their national greenhouse gas inventory reports. We present a remote sensing approach using open-access satellite imagery to estimate total methane emissions from agricultural ponds that account for (1) monthly fluctuations in the surface area of individual ponds, (2) rates of historical accumulation of agricultural ponds, and (3) the temperature dependence of methane emissions. As a case study, we used this method to inform the 2024 National Greenhouse Gas Inventory reports submitted by the …

Machine Learning And Geostatistical Approaches For Discovery Of Weather And Climate Events Related To El Niño Phenomena, Sachi Perera

Computational and Data Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

El Nino and La Nina are worldwide environmental phenomena brought about by repetitive changes in the water temperature of the Pacific Ocean. Even though the El-Nino impact focuses on a smaller area in the Pacific Ocean near the Equator, these developments have global repercussions, where temperature and precipitation are influenced across the globe, causing droughts and floods simultaneously. In this dissertation, we first derived a drought vulnerability index for the Nile basin, identifying regions with high and low drought risk under ENSO conditions. Next, we evaluated the coherence and periodicity of the ENSO signal to detect its implications on MENA …

Effect Of Biomass Water Dynamics In Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensor Observations: A Long-Term Analysis Of Maize–Soybean Rotation In Nebraska, Tanessa Morris

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The precise measurement of soil water content (SWC) is crucial for effective water resource management. This study utilizes the Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensor (CRNS) for area-averaged SWC measurements, emphasizing the need to consider all hydrogen sources, including the time-variable ones like plant biomass and water content. Chapter 1 presents a background on soil moisture estimation, CRNS technology, and an overview of the study. It discusses various soil moisture measurement techniques, highlights the gap in knowledge addressed by CRNS technology, explains CRNS functionality and advancements, and outlines the study's motivations and methods.

Chapter 2 reports a study conducted near Mead, Nebraska, …