Sustainability Commons^™

Developing Resilient Organic Dryland Wheat Systems In The Face Of Climate Change., Jennifer R. Reeve

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Environmental Concerns: Thinking Beyond The Traditional Elections, Muhammad Faisal Ali

CBER Conference

A sustainable future is intricately tied to maintaining a sustainable environment, both on a global scale and within individual countries. In 2023, recorded temperatures reached unprecedented highs, signaling a concerning trend toward global warming and prompting widespread alarm. These circumstances have spurred increased global attention and a shift away from intensive emission practices towards more environmentally friendly approaches. This research provides empirical evidence on the monetary value of lost environmental benefits due to the production of massive ballot papers for the elections. Focusing on the environmental impact of the 2024 General Election, the study also considers the environmental implications beyond …

Assessing University Students' Behavior Toward Environmental Sustainability In Pakistan; A Case Study Of Islamabad And Rawalpindi, Shahla Rani

CBER Conference

The rising temperature and unsustainable environmental conditions are worldwide issues, posing critical threats to the ecosystem and human well-being. According to the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2022, Pakistan ranks second last among 180 countries, highlighting severe environmental challenges. This study aims to understand the current state of students' behavior toward the environment using the theory of planned behavior. By understanding these behaviors, the research seeks to determine whether students' actions align with sustainable practices. Additionally, the study will review environmental policies in Pakistan and internationally, focusing on the extent to which these policies incorporate behavioral aspects. This research intends to …

Methods In Environmental Studies, Erika Dunagan, Maya Mendoza, Posey Graber, Alex Cullins, Emma Mcginnis, Ally Nepomuceno, Isabella Buchan

Featured Student Work

This publication is a collection of undergraduate research conducted in the Methods in Environmental Studies course at the University of San Francisco in Fall 2024. The student-led projects explore the intersections of place, policy, ecology, and cultural identity through applied environmental research methodologies. Topics include a decolonial examination of the Forest Park Mound Group and Indigenous resilience in St. Louis; a comparative study of Navajo cosmology and ecological justice; a social and environmental impact assessment of Costa Rica’s National Decarbonization Plan; a psychogeographical analysis of Golden Gate Park and its impact on the psyche, emotions, behaviour, and health of urban …

Sustainability Assessment Of Photovoltaic Cells In Cross-Functional Applications, Achyuth Ravilla

Dissertations and Theses

Achieving the G7 countries' net-zero emissions target by 2050 requires integrating photovoltaic (PV) systems into diverse cross-functional applications that support sustainable energy transitions across multiple sectors. This dissertation explores the economic and environmental sustainability of three such applications: agrivoltaics, lower-dimensional materials in perovskite solar cells, and PV-electrochemical water-splitting technologies for hydrogen production. Employing life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA), we address the knowledge gap in comprehensive evaluations of PV-integrated solutions.

The first chapter assesses agrivoltaic systems (AVS), which combine PV systems with agriculture to mitigate land-use conflicts while enhancing food and energy production. Findings indicate that AVS designs, …

Urban Sustainable Neighborhoods: Revitalization Of Sheppard Square Hope Vi In Louisville, Ky, Ramona Stone

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Professor Ramona Stone, PhD, MPH, from West Chester University presents "Public Health Sciences Urban Sustainable Neighborhoods: HOPE VI Revitalization of Sheppard Square in Louisville, KY".

Intraspecific Variability Of Rice Root Knot Nematodes Across Diverse Agroecosystems For Sustainable Management, Sandip Mondal, Arnab Purohit, Anjan Hazra, Sampa Das, Manohar Chakrabarti, Matiyar Rahaman Khan, Horacio Lopez-Nicora, Dipankar Chakraborti, Abhishek Mukherjee

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

In the rice agroecosystems of Southeast Asia, rice root knot nematode (Meloidogyne graminicola) significantly impairs yield, representing a major species within the ‘graminis-group’ known for its morphological similarities with other root knot nematodes (RKNs). This study delves into the variations in reproductive potential, morphology, morphometrics, and genetic diversity among thirty RKN populations in rice across three distinct agroecological zones in Jharkhand, India. Despite notable differences in reproductive potential among the populations, morphological and morphometric correlations to reproductive potential were inconclusive. However, male and juvenile morphometrics were crucial for identifying intraspecific variability. Genetic analysis utilizing five molecular markers (ITS, …

Case Study On Seney National Wildlife Refuge: How The Upper Peninsula Led Wildlife Conservation In The Beginning Of The Twentieth Century, Holly A. Galligan

HS 390 Primary Research Papers

The research presented in this paper will weave together the story of how the Upper Peninsula became a crucial hub for wildlife conservation in the first half of the twentieth century. Seeking to answer the question of how and why this occurred, as well as why it is distinct from the social movement of the 1960s, the research is based on public awareness, photographic research developments, and the concept of the national system for conservation. Hunting played the main role in the motivations for this movement therefore, it is also heavily discussed throughout. The previous research on this subject emerged …

Curbing Environmental Degradation To Balance Sustainable Development: Evidence From China, Muneza Kagzi, Vishal Dagar, Nadia Doytch, Deepika Krishnan, Manisha Raj

Ateneo School of Government Publications

To achieve the goals of sustainable development, it is crucial to check the balance of increased level of international trade along with financial development, foreign direct investment (FDI), energy consumption, and institutional advancement with the quality of the environment. This study focuses on how these variables have caused environmental degradation in China. To achieve Goal 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), i.e. to increase the nation's resilience to natural disasters and hazards related to climate change, to promote climate action and safeguard life as part of sustainable development, this involves the analysis of time-series data sets from 1975 to …

Energy Intensity Convergence Among Chinese Provinces: A Theil Index Decomposition Analysis, Yifan Wang, Wei Li, Nadia Doytch

Ateneo School of Government Publications

China, the world’s largest carbon emitter, has one of the most stringent provincial emissions reduction programs, incorporated into its Five-Year National Plan to reduce carbon emissions. However, the widening energy intensity gap between provinces poses a great challenge for carbon reduction. In this study, we analyze the convergence of Energy intensity (EIC), i.e., the time-dependent decrease of differences among regional energy intensity over time focusing on a data set of 30 Chinese provinces from 2000 to 2015. Our goal is to identify the provinces that are responsible for the observed divergence in energy intensity and identify the factors causing that …

Informing Management Of American Shad (Alosa Sapidissima) In The Carolinas: Evaluating Novel Fish Passage Approaches And Acoustic Tracking Methods, Margaret Gaither

All Theses

Acoustic telemetry is a valuable tool for fisheries scientists to study the movements and migratory behaviors of aquatic organisms. A critical assumption of this method is that tagged fish exhibit similar behaviors and survival rates as their untagged counterparts. To investigate this, we conducted a 12-week laboratory study on adult American Shad (Alosa sapidissima) using gastroesophageal insertion of acoustic transmitters. We implanted 80 fish with dummy transmitters and monitored tag retention and survival. Our analysis, employing a mixed effects Cox’s proportional hazards model, revealed no significant differences in survival between tagged and control fish, regardless of sex. Additionally, …

Effect Of Integrated Crop–Livestock Systems On Soil Properties And Microbial Diversity In Soybean Production, Namita Sinha, Brett R. Rushing, Aniruddha Acharya, Shankar Gaapathi Shanmugam

Faculty Publications - Biological Sciences

Integrated crop and livestock systems (ICLSs) have been considered an important management-based decision to improve soil health by carbon sequestration. A two-year study (2019–2021) at CPBES in Newton, MS, was conducted to evaluate the effect of an ICLS on soil microbial diversity in the southeastern region of the USA, representing agroclimatic conditions that are warm and humid. Amplicons targeting bacterial 16S rRNA genes and fungal ITS2 regions were sequenced. Taxonomic assignment and characterization of microbial diversity were performed using QIIME2®. Soil fungal diversity pattern showed significant difference (alpha diversity, p = 0.031 in 2020 and beta diversity, p = 0.037 …

Analyzing Food Sources And Food Insecurity Of Kichwa Farming Families In The Ecuadorian Amazon, Reina Watanabe

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

While the right to food is internationally recognized and the United Nations established the sustainable development goal to end hunger and achieve food security by 2030, many households remain without consistent access to food in 2024. In Latin America, approximately 4 in 10 households were reported as food insecure in 2020 with higher rates in rural and indigenous communities. Rural areas, which have great overlap with indigenous communities in Ecuador, experience disproportionately high levels of poverty and food insecurity compared to urban areas. The most populous indigenous nationality in the Ecuadorian Amazon and the participants of this study are the …

Structure Modifications And Alternative Monitoring Designs Of Wildlife Road Mitigation Structures, Madison T. Nadler

Theses and Dissertations

Wildlife mitigation structures are designed to keep animals off roadways while providing them safe passage to the other side and not impeding traffic flow. Camera traps are commonly used to assess the success of these mitigation structures, but there are downfalls to both the methods and structures. Alternative mitigation structure designs are needed to better prevent wildlife from accessing roadways in areas where they should be deterred. Additionally, traditional camera trapping methods do not accurately capture the full wildlife communities that may be utilizing these structures and other survey methods are needed, specifically aimed at small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. …

Guiding Wildlife: Evaluating Wildlife Exit Designs And Sensor Lights For Safer Highways In South Texas, Rupesh Maharjan

Theses and Dissertations

Roadside exclusionary fencing is more prevalent on highways to prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions. Although it can mitigate wildlife road mortality by limiting their access to the road, it can also create a barrier for wildlife stranded within the right-of-way. In State Highway 100 of Texas, the Texas Department of Transportation installed ten wildlife exits to allow wildlife to escape the fenced roadway, and a pair of sensor lights on 13 wildlife guards (WGs) to scare off target species (bobcats and coyotes) from crossing the guards and accessing the roadway. In this study, the effectiveness of three wildlife exit (WE) designs were …

Experimental Investigations Of Wind Shear From Passing A Vehicle, Hamid Rahai, Assma Begum, Jeremy Bonifacio, Ryan Moffit

Mineta Transportation Institute

Wind energy can be harnessed for various commercial and transportation-related applications. This study assessed experimentally the potential of capturing wind energy from the passage of vehicles for electric power generation. Both wind tunnel experiments and field tests were performed. The wind tunnel experiments were performed in an open-circuit low-speed wind tunnel at a free-stream mean velocity of 23 m/s. Five PVC pipes placed adjacent to the wind-blowing domain were used to simulate the columns under a freeway overpass. A scaled Ahmad body (simplified car body model) was used as the vehicle. The spanwise distance between the Ahmad body and the …

Landscaping Impacts On Urban Soil Development, Fry Lundgren

University Honors Theses

Urban soils can play a key role in flood mitigation, water filtration, and supporting urban plant communities, however many are highly disturbed due to development and management practices. Although full recovery will take time (centuries), in the short term managing soils in ways that conserve organic matter inputs and promote nutrient cycling can support important soil functions and likely promote long term development. To understand how landscaping impact soil development on PSU campus, organic matter content, moisture content, and respiration rates were measured in soils from four area types with different long term weed management strategies (mulch- M; sustained plant …

Digital Humanities: Using Computational Methods On Literature To Understand Human-Water Relations, Ariel Yang

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

By using computational techniques to analyze literature, deeper insights can be gained into human-water relationships across different historical and cultural contexts. Natural Language Processing (NLP) and other data science methods can explore applications of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and underlying emotions or beliefs in literature to help understand sustainability. Protecting this sensitive cultural data through ethical applications can further secure future implementations of policies, urban planning, and environmental relationships.

Techniques For Coal Resource Conservation During The Ecological Restoration Of Alpine Mining Areas On Plateaus, Li Congcong, Wang Tong, Zhao Xin, Wang Weichao, Liang Zhenxin

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The prolonged coal mining of the Muli coalfield, located in an alpine region in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, has posed many ecological challenges, which especially include the presence of considerable quantities of disturbed coal resources in open-pit mining areas. This study aims to achieve scientific and effective coal resource conservation during the ecological restoration of coal mines. Methods Focusing on the Jvhugeng mining area of the Muli coalfield, this study investigated the destruction characteristics of the coal resources in the open-pit mining area. From the perspective of geological mechanisms behind the destruction, this study artificially constructed the roofs of …

3d Reconstruction Of Surface Temperature Field In Spontaneous Combustion Coal Gangue Dump Fire Area And Its Practice, Shao Zhenlu, Zhang Huisong, Deng Rong, Yang Tong, Ma Dong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The spontaneous combustion of coal gangue dumps has severely damaged the ecological environment and affected the production safety, which has become a bottleneck in the process of ecological civilization construction in China. In order to formulate a fire extinguishing plan and implement a fire extinguishing project, it is very important to accurately detect the fire area of the spontaneous combustion coal gangue dump. Methods Herein, the idea of detecting the three-dimensional distribution of high-temperature areas using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based thermal infrared oblique photogrammetry technology was proposed. Meanwhile, the multi-scale Gaussian filtering detail enhancement technology for thermal infrared …

Detrital Zircon Ages Of The Permian Coal-Bearing Rock Series In The Zhongtiao Mountain Area And Their Sedimentological Constraints On Regional Tectonic Activity, Wu Fang, Li Zhenhong, Jing Xianghui, Kou Linlin, Du Zhuang, Liu Bohua

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The changes in the material composition of detrital sediments in a sedimentary basin are intimately associated with the uplift and denudation processes of provenance areas. The southern margin of the North China Craton, a primary tectonic unit of the continental area of China, preserves relatively complete geological records of the Permian. The Zhongtiao Mountain area is located in the core of the Fen-Wei graben system on the southern margin of the North China Craton, with the southern margin of the North China Craton and the adjacent Qinling orogenic belt potentially serving as its provenance areas. Therefore, the Zhongtiao Mountain …

A Smogn-Based Mpso-Bp Model To Predict The Height Of A Hydraulically Conductive Fracture Zone, Liu Qi, Liang Zhihao, Zi Jianxiao

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The height of a hydraulically conductive fracture zone, a significant factor influencing roof water inrushes and groundwater resource loss, is identified as a research focus of the prevention and control of mine water disasters. Methods To accurately predict the heights of hydraulically conductive fracture zones in coal seam roofs, five parameters were selected as the primary factors influencing hydraulically conductive fracture zones the mining depth: mining height, coal seam inclination, the length of the mining face along its dip direction, proportional coefficient of hard rocks (i.e., the ratio of the cumulative thickness of hard rocks within the statistical height …

Acoustic Velocity Inversion Based On Convolutional Autoencoder Embedded With Fourier Neural Operator, Li Chen, Zhao Haixia, Bai Zhaowei, Hao Yufan

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Seismic wave inversion serves as an effective method for obtaining the characteristics of structures, lithology, and physical properties of subsurface media using the arrival times, amplitude, and waveforms of seismic waves. Seismic inversion methods based on wave equations iteratively update model parameters using forward modeling. This generally involves extensive numerical simulations and optimization calculations, requiring large quantities of computational resources and time. In recent years, neural operators for deep learning, represented by the Fourier neural operator (FNO), have gained widespread attention. However, the original FNO structure fails to effectively learn the wavefield information with sharp changes in geological structures …

Intelligent Noise Suppression For 3d Post-Stack Seismic Data Of The Junggar Basin, Mao Haibo, Zhou Xin, Li Xiaofeng, Pan Long, Lin Juan, Liu Dawei, Wang Xiaokai

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The Junggar Basin is recognized as a significant petroliferous basin in China, and its hydrocarbon exploration targets have shifted to deeper strata. However, the 3D seismic data of this basin suffer from low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and high data volumes due to the basin's complex near-surface conditions, the great depths of exploration targets, and seismic data acquisition methods characterized by wide azimuths, broadbands, and high density. This complicates the identification of hydrocarbon exploration targets, rendering the improvement in the quality of the 3D seismic data by noise suppression vitally important. Methods The progress in the deep learning theory and …

Transient Electromagnetic Numerical Simulation Based On The Transformer Neural Network, Wang Yunhong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The deep learning-based transient electromagnetic (TEM) forward and inverse modeling methods are data-driven, requiring considerable numerical simulation results as supervisory data to train and assess neural networks. The conventional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method for TEM numerical simulation necessitates an iterative solution of time-domain Maxwell's equations. Therefore, this method is time-consuming and computationally intensive, failing to meet the data demand of deep learning-based TEM inversion. Methods This study introduced deep learning for TEM numerical simulation. Based on the transformer neural network architecture, a neural network for deep learning-based TEM numerical simulation was designed using an encoder-decoder structure. This neural network …

Surfaced-Related Multiple Attenuation Using The Cnn Method In The Nmo Domain, Huang Zhufu, Liu Jianfeng, Fang Wenqian, Fu Lihua

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The presence of surface-related multiples results in a lower accuracy in seismic data interpretations, and the effective multiple attenuation is a key step in seismic data processing. Multiples are coherent noise signals with similar characteristics to effective signals. It is difficult impossible to distinguish multiple signals from full-wave field data using a traditional convolutional neural network (CNN). Additionally, since the surface-related multiples vary significantly with surveyed areas, the CNN method will face more severe challenges when being transferred to other networks. Methods This study developed a CNN method based on the normal moveout correction (NMO) domain by introducing physical …

Impacts And Regulation Mechanisms Of Phase-Change Wall Microspheres On Cement Slurry Performance In Well Cementing, Zheng Mingming, Wu Zurui, Yan Shichun, Hu Yunpeng, He Juan, Zhang Yawei, Xiong Liang, Zhu Chengtao

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The current design of low-heat cement slurries prepared by adding microspheres with phase change materials as wall materials for well cementing in strata bearing natural gas hydrates (NGHs) fails to fully account for the impacts of the particle size and mass fraction of the microspheres on the performance of cement slurries. This leads to impaired cement slurry performance and increased costs, further inducing many problems with well cementing quality. Hence, it is significant to analyze the impacts and controlling mechanisms of the microspheres on cement slurry performance. Methods To eliminate the interference of the heat storage effect of the …

An Intelligent Identifying-While-Drilling Method For Geological Features Of Roof Strata In Coal Roadways Based On A 1dcnn-Bilstm-Cbam Model, Lei Zhiyong, Wang Jiawen, Fan Dong, Lu Feifei, Chen Weiming

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Most roof accidents in coal roadways occur in potential caving zones such as primary fissure-bearing zones and rock fracture zones. A significant approach to preventing roof accidents is to understand the geological features of roof strata in an accurate and timely manner and optimize support schemes and parameters of roofs. However, current methods for identifying the geological features of roof strata in roadways suffer from issues such as slow identification speeds, low efficiency, and high costs, thus failing to meet the demand for safe, efficient, and intelligent coal mining. Methods This study proposed a neural network model based on …

Design Method For Active Slope Reinforcement: A Case Study Of Excavated Slopes, Qin Hui, Yin Xiaotao, Tang Hua, Cheng Xu

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Slope instability and failure exhibit extinct spatiotemporal characteristics. Existing design methods for passive reinforcement have resulted in the engineering instability of numerous excavated slopes. Therefore, analyzing the spatiotemporal evolutionary patterns of slopes during excavation and exploring the design methods for active slope reinforcement are particularly important for the information technology (IT)-based construction and safety control of slopes. Methods Using on-site investigations and numerical simulations, this study analyzed the causes of excavation-induced failure of high slopes, as well as the evolutionary pattern of the principal stresses in the sliding zone. Consequently, this study revealed the progressive failure mechanism of slopes …

Natural Gamma-Ray Log-Derived Heat Production Rates Of Strata And Lithospheric Thermal Structure In The Central Depression, Yinggehai Basin, Zhang Jiahao, Song Rongcai, Zheng Feng, Zhang Yan, Tang Xin, Li Bo, Dong Shuyi

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Understanding the lithospheric thermal structure is significant for exploring the dynamics of a basin's thermal evolution, as well as for the assessment, exploitation, and utilization of geothermal resources in a basin. However, the limited data on heat production in the Yinggehai Basin has constrained research into the lithospheric thermal structure of the basin. Methods Using natural gamma-ray (NGR) logs from 23 wells in the Yinggehai Basin, this study calculated the heat production rates of strata in the central depression using the fitted gamma-ray value (GR) - radiogenic heat production rate (A) empirical formula. Based on the ocean …