Climate Commons^™

Early Report Of A Microcosm Of The Fourth Major Global Bleaching Event: A Comprehensive Survey Of Coral Bleaching At Chumbe Island Coral Park, Zanzibar, Christian Boudreaux

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral reefs harbor a wealth of the biodiversity present in the ocean. They provide an array of ecological and economic services that make them crucial to the function of a healthy ocean and prosperous coastal communities. Due to an array of anthropogenic stressors, including an increase in ocean temperatures as a result of climate change, reefs have been devastated worldwide. This is, in large part, due to the process of coral bleaching, the expelling of symbiont algae which the coral needs to produce energy, for an extended period until death. This study surveyed bleaching and death at a deeper and …

Lisbon’S Electric Vehicle (Ev) Fleet: A Cost-Benefit Analysis Of A Mass Adoption Of Evs In Lisbon By 2050, Maya Estrera

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As the impacts of climate change increase, the EU and its member countries are attempting to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The adoption of electric vehicles is proving to be a promising solution to achieve this goal, and specifically, reductions in the transport sector emissions. This study analyzes the potential costs and benefits resulting from a mass adoption of electric vehicles in Lisbon by 2050. Through a cost-benefit analysis, this study aims to quantify the major costs and benefits associated with electric vehicles. The results display the potential monetary benefits of a city-wide shift to electric vehicles in addition to …

Assessing The Impact Of Climate Change On Harbor Seals: Haul-Out Patterns In Iceland Using Cmip6 Projections, Colin Lau

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are known to exhibit a preference for specific environmental and weather conditions when hauling out, particularly during the pupping and molting cycles during summer. Climate change is projected to have a significant impact on the haul-out patterns and site conditions of harbor seals in Iceland, which could further diminish their dwindling population. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify and discuss the environmental variables that can affect haul-out probability. Among them, surface wind speed and air temperature are reported to have the biggest influence on harbor seal haul-out numbers between May and August. Climate projections …

Empowering Environmental Education In Portuguese Primary Schools: Energy Focused Curriculum Recommendations And Behavioral Change Framework Guided By Principles Of Developmental Psychology, Ellie Hanson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper explores the integration of principles of developmental psychology within the context of environmental education in Portugal to promote pro-environmental behavior, and specifically energy literacy energy conservation behaviors in primary school students. A review of current literature on the state of environmental education approaches in Portugal exhibits a significant lack of structure and direction for educators to teach students relevant topics in sustainability. Using a meta-theory of behavioral change, the present work connects the elements of the COM-B model of behavioral change to relevant aspects of middle childhood cognitive development using principles of two major theories of developmental psychology. …

Sovereign Seeds: Analyzing The Sustainability Of Peasant Seeds In The Context Of Climate Change And Rural Exodus In Tunisia, Alice Carlson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

How sustainable are peasant seeds? I answer this question on the basis of three elements: environment, economy, and social justice. Using interviews with farmers from various regions of Tunisia, an interview with an expert on climate change and migration, and an interview with a civil society organization working to promote sustainable agriculture, I found that peasant seeds are a sustainable solution for a suffering agricultural sector. Depleted water sources and drought are bringing to light the problems with water-intensive hybrid seeds, and farmers are losing money. As young men increasingly leave the agricultural sector, women are left behind, finding themselves …

Uncovering Chimborazo’S Catchments: Insights Into The Fluvial Network, Stream Characteristics, And Hydrological Patterns In Reserva De Producción De Fauna Chimborazo, Ecuador, Julia L. Schwartz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Andean headwater streams play a crucial role in the provisioning of ecosystem services and supplying water to downstream communities. This study sought to analyze trends in hydrological patterns in the páramo of the southwestern aspect of Volcán Chimborazo in central Ecuador, as well as to provide a more complete survey of the fluvial network given the lack of existing data and its importance in water resource management. Measurements of stream elevation, grade of slope, water temperature, pH, width, depth, turbidity, velocity, and discharge, as well as geomorphological characteristics of catchments such as slope and permeability, were taken at 19 sites …

Community Opinions On Environmental Action On Isla Porvenir And Whichub Walla In The Guna Yala Comarca, Sofia Houts

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Guna Yala Comarca is the autonomous, self-governed territory of the Guna people, one of seven Indigenous groups in Panama. The Comarca is located on Panama’s eastern Caribbean coast and includes 365 coral islands. Forty nine Guna communities and roughly 32,000 individuals live in the territory. The Guna General Congress is the highest authority, and each community has a local congress. As a low-lying coastal region, Guna Yala is especially vulnerable to climate change and is already impacted by sea level rise, biodiversity loss, and changing precipitation patterns. Sub-national, national, and international forms of governance and environmental action are crucial …

“It’S A No Brainer”: Ensuring Just Transitions In Iceland’S Fishing Industry, Olivia Bowers

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Iceland’s government intends to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040, aiming to target various economic sectors and industries for increased renewable-energy usage. One of its most important plans revolves renewable-energy usage in the fishing industry, which accounts for almost 12% of the country’s GHG emissions. This study aims to understand the perspectives of different stakeholders concerning renewable energy in the fishing industry, using these opinions and existing literature to provide recommendations for a just, equitable, and achievable energy transition. Additionally, this study particularly focuses on the opinions of actors in Vestmannaeyjar, an island community of 4,300 with an especially vibrant, significant, …

The Role Of Geomorphological Context In Vegetative Succession Within The Breiðamerkurjökull Glacial Foreland, Lucas Nerbonne

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As glaciers retreat worldwide at an accelerating pace, understanding primary succession in these newly exposed landscapes becomes increasingly critical. This study examines the initial vegetative colonization patterns in glacial forelands, focusing on the influence of geomorphological formations of resulting plant communities. By analyzing vegetative communities in glaciofluvial and push moraine deposits, this study highlights how the more varied, channelized morphologies of fluvial deposits create potential microclimates better conducive to heterogenous plant colonization than the homogenous terrain of the nearby push moraine. Vegetative coverage, sediment size, and species abundance was collected at 480 sites across 6 different historical glacial extents across …

Investigating Ocean Carbonate System Changes Across Latitudes In The North Atlantic Basin With A Time-Series Mooring System, Anna Trujillo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The world ocean, specifically the Arctic, serves as one of the greatest mitigators for anthropogenic carbon dioxide release, making the study of high latitude ocean carbonate chemistry an increasingly important topic. While much work has been done concerning the science of acidification and future model projections, analyzing data to detect decadal anthropogenic trends and effects is also highly important. Aiming to add to this data pool, this study investigated the ocean carbonate system at three North Atlantic mooring locations at polar, subtropical, and tropical latitudes from 2013 - 2021. Time series datasets of the pH and pCO₂ of surface water …

Género Y Resiliencia En La Amazonía Peruana: Las Experiencias Y Respuestas De Agricultoras Indígenas Ante El Cambio Climático, Zoe Klausner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El cambio climático antropogénico está redefiniendo rápidamente las relaciones humano-ambientales, especialmente en la Amazonía peruana, donde más de 66 comunidades indígenas enfrentan mayores sequías y temperaturas, afectando profundamente sus medios de vida. Crucialmente, desde la visión ecofeminista central a esta investigación se subraya que las mujeres indígenas experimentan los impactos del cambio climático más severamente y son a menudo los líderes en el fomento de la resiliencia ambiental. Esta investigación explora cómo las agricultoras indígenas de la Amazonía peruana viven el cambio climático y sus estrategias de adaptación y resiliencia. El trabajo de campo se realizó en la comunidad Ese'Eja …

The Impacts Of Nature-Based Sediment Restoration Practices On Coastal Wetland Soil Biogeochemistry, Jacob Z. Cheng

LSU Master's Theses

Coastal marshes provide many valuable ecosystem services. However, these wetlands are threatened worldwide, being subject to sea level rise, sediment starvation, subsidence, coastal edge erosion, etc. Many efforts are being made to counteract this wetland loss and preserve the ecosystem services. Two such methods are sediment diversion and the thin layer placement (TLP) of dredged sediment.

Sediment diversion involves reconnecting the main channel of a river body to disconnected wetlands, supplying much needed soil-building materials. However, this method affects the salinity of the waters, introducing large amounts of freshwater into the system. Salinity changes can affect marsh biogeochemistry. Most ecological …

Ground Electric Field, Atmospheric Weather And Electric Grid Variations In Northeast Greece Influenced By The March 2012 Solar Activity And The Moderate To Intense Geomagnetic Storms, Georgios Anagnostopoulos, Anastasios Karkanis, Athanasios Kampatagis, Panagiotis Marhavilas, Sofia-Anna Menesidou, Dimitrios Efthymiadis, Stefanos Keskinis, Dimitar Ouzounov, Nick Hatzigeorgiu, Michael Danakis

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In a recent paper, we extended a previous study on the solar solar influence to the generation of the March 2012 heatwave in the northeastern USA. In the present study we check the possible relationship of solar activity with the early March 2012 bad weather in northeast Thrace, Greece. To this end, we examined data from various remote sensing instrumentation monitoring the Sun (SDO satellite), Interplanetary space (ACE satellite), the Earth’s magnetosphere (Earth-based measurements, NOAA-19 satellite), the top of the clouds (Terra and Aqua satellites), and the near ground atmosphere. Our comparative data analysis suggests that: (i) the winter-like weather …

Yearly Population Data At Census Tract Level Revealed That More People Are Now Living In Highly Fire-Prone Zones In California, Usa, Slade Lazeweski, Shenyue Jia, Jessica E. Viner, Wesley Ho, Brian Hoover, Seung Hee Kim, Menas C. Kafatos

Institute for ECHO Articles and Research

In California (CA), the wildland-urban interface (WUI) faces escalating challenges due to surging population and real estate development. This study evaluates communities along CA's WUI that have witnessed substantial population growth from 2010 to 2021, utilizing demographic data and the 2020 WUI boundaries by the University of Wisconsin-Madison SILVIS Lab. Employing the Mann-Kendall test, we analyze yearly population trends for each census tract along the CA WUI and assess their significance. House ownership, affordability, and wildfire risk are examined as potential drivers of this demographic shift. Our findings indicate that 12.7% of CA's total population now resides in census tracts …

Evaluating Future Water Availability In Texas Through The Lens Of A Data-Driven Approach Leveraged With Cmip6 General Circulation Models, Wenzhao Li, Dongfeng Li, Hesham El-Askary, Joshua B. Fisher, Zheng N. Fang

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Climate change is escalating the frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events, significantly influencing the spatial and temporal distributions of water resources. This is particularly evident in Texas, a rapidly growing state with a pronounced west-east gradient in water supply. This study utilizes Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) data and data-driven methodology to improve projections of Texas's future water resources, focusing on actual evapotranspiration (AET) and water availability through enhanced Multi-Model Ensembles. The results reveal that the data-driven model significantly outperforms the CMIP5 and CMIP6 models across all skill metrics, underscoring the potential of data-driven methodologies in advancing …

Water Whiplash In Mediterranean Regions Of The World, Citlalli Madrigal, Rama Bedri, Thomas Piechota, Wenzhao Li, Glenn Tootle, Hesham El-Askary

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The presence of weather and water whiplash in Mediterranean regions of the world is analyzed using historical streamflow records from 1926 to 2023, depending on the region. Streamflow from the United States (California), Italy, Australia, Chile, and South Africa is analyzed using publicly available databases. Water whiplash—or the rapid shift of wet and dry periods—are compared. Wet and dry periods are defined based on annual deviations from the historical record average, and whiplash occurs when there is an abrupt change that overcomes an accommodated deficit or surplus. Of all the stations, there are more dry years (56%) than wet years …

Evaluation Of Seven Satellite-Based And Two Reanalysis Global Terrestrial Evapotranspiration Products, Zijing Xie, Yunjun Yao, Qingxin Tang, Meng Liu, Joshua B. Fisher, Jiquan Chen, Xiaotong Zhang, Kun Jia, Yufu Li, Ke Shang, Bo Jiang, Junming Yang, Ruiyang Yu, Xueyi Zhang, Xiaozheng Guo, Lu Liu, Jing Ning, Jiahui Fan, Lilin Zhang

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Although comprehensive evaluation of different types of global terrestrial evapotranspiration (ET) products has been conducted, the satellite remote sensing techniques have prompted the development of several available global ET products, warranting a reassessment as products continue to evolve. Recently, we produced the long-term Global LAnd Surface Satellite (GLASS) ET product, but there is a lack of comparison and evaluation with other ET products and EC observations on a global scale. In this study, we evaluated the accuracy and uncertainty of seven satellite-based (GLASS-AVHRR, GLASS-MODIS, BESS, FLUXCOM, GLEAM, MOD16, and PML_V2) and two reanalysis (ERA5 and MERRA2) global terrestrial ET products …

Estimation Of Sugarcane Yield Using Multi-Temporal Sentinel 2 Satellite Imagery And Random Forest Regression, Alireza Taravat, Gebeyehu Abebe, Berhan Gessesse, Tsegaye Tadesse

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Advancements in remote sensing techniques have greatly enhanced crop monitoring and yield estimation, with spectral vegetation indices (VIs) serving as a key component. Our study investigates the use of Sentinel-2 data, notable for its red-edge bands, in estimating sugarcane yield in Ethiopia's Awash Basin. Utilizing 22 VIs from S2 imagery, our approach combines Random Forest (RF) regression with the Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) algorithm to improve the accuracy of sugarcane yield predictions. The results demonstrate the superior performance of the RF-RFE method over traditional RF with full datasets and Stepwise Multiple Regression (SMR). Particularly, VIs focusing on the red-edge spectral …

Using Repeat Photography To Document The Effects Of Climate Change On Glaciers In Iceland Change On Glaciers In Iceland, Madeleine Gassin

Environmental Studies Honors Papers

Climate change is a worldwide, multifaceted phenomenon that impacts our world today and will continue to impact our world in the future with even greater severity. Although climate change can sometimes be considered an abstract topic due to its being somewhat intangible, one direct way of observing the effects of climate change is by studying glaciers. This study combines a literature review with repeat photography in order to demonstrate the tangible effects of climate change on glaciers in Iceland and explore the secondary impacts on sea level elevation (SEL), water availability and distribution, hydropower, natural hazards, and tourism in Iceland. …

Sarah Pohjola, Senior Art Exhibition Portfolio, Earth's Destruction, Sarah Pohjola

Senior Art Portfolios

This work was created for the Senior Art Exhibition Portfolio 2024. This work includes graphic design and illustration focused on environmental conservation.

Differential Impacts Of Weather Anomalies On Household Energy Expenditure Shares: A Comparison Of Clustered Panel Analysis Methods, Jordan Champion

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

Recent emphasis on environmental justice has highlighted deficiencies in our energy system that produce disparities in accessibility and affordability for the most vulnerable. Meanwhile, the realities of a gradually warming climate and the onset of a global energy crisis (IEA 2022) have coincidently contributed to spikes in both energy prices and demand. These implications threaten to further exacerbate existing disparities for income-constrained and vulnerable populations, enhancing their risk of falling into prolonged insecurity. To ensure our transition to a just, sustainable future, we must first ensure equitable access to affordable and reliable energy for everyone. Combining household-level panel and state-level …

Impact Of Solar Radiation On Perchlorate Formation In The Atmosphere: Evidence From Ice Core Measurements, Bishnu Kunwar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perchlorate, which derives from both anthropogenic and natural sources in the current environment, poses a substantial health hazard to humans as it competes with iodine uptake in the thyroid gland. Consequently, there has been considerable concern about minimizing human exposure to environmental perchlorate by restricting its release from man-made sources. However, the absence of a clear understanding regarding the respective contributions of man-made and natural sources has hindered widespread regulation efforts. A 300-year (1700–2007) Summit, Greenland ice core record from a previous study showed relatively stable perchlorate concentrations in Greenland snow prior to 1980, with some elevated perchlorate levels associated …

The Effects Of Temperature, Flooding, And Goose Feces Addition On Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Ammonification In Four High-Latitude Soils From Western Alaska, Jenna M. Ross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The large carbon (C) stock of wetlands is vulnerable to climate change, especially in high latitudes that are warming at a disproportional rate. Likewise, low-elevation Arctic coastal areas will flood more frequently under climate change and sea-level rise, which may alter goose herbivory and fecal deposition patterns if geese move inland. While temperature, flooding, and feces impact soil C emissions, their interactive effects have been rarely studied. Here, I explore the impact of these interactions on CO2 and CH4 emissions and nitrogen (N) mineralization (ammonification) in soils collected from four plant communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta, a high latitude …

Carbon Neutral By 2030 - Katanning Research Station, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Climate Science Published Reports

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's (DPIRD) Katanning Research Station (KRS) is developing practical techniques and methods for mitigating carbon emissions from the livestock industry.

This research will help the livestock industry in Western Australia (WA) access anticipated future markets for carbon neutral food and fibre products.

Effects Of El Nino And Sunspot Cycles On Global And Reginal Climate, August Nathan Tolzman

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Sunspots and El Nino affect the interannual variability of temperature on earth. Separately there is a positive relationship between higher sunspots and warmer temperatures or more intense El Nino and warmer temperatures globally and in Missoula. This is with the bias of climate change removed. Putting these two processes together it is expected that when intense El Ninos and high sunspots happen in the same year there will be warmer temperatures. This was not the case, there was no data to support that putting these to processes together makes them more or less intense.

Improving Accessibility And Understanding: Studying The Impact Of Human Activities And Dam Removals On Anadromous Fish Species In The Pacific Northwest, Adia F. Bennett

Scripps Senior Theses

Human activities in North American watersheds have significantly impacted anadromous fish, causing some species of salmon and steelhead to become threatened and endangered. These fish hold ecological, cultural, and economic importance, yet factors such as habitat destruction, overfishing, pollution, climate change, and hydroelectric dams continue to degrade populations. Dams are particularly harmful to anadromous fish, sparking a recent movement advocating for dam removals. This study uses NOAA’s 2022 Biological Viability Assessment to examine the response of anadromous fish to recent dam removals in the Pacific Northwest. Four populations were selected to analyze due to their interaction with sites that had …

Exploring Women`S Perceptions Of Climate Change Impact On Agriculture, Health & Food Security In Upper Hunza, Gilgit Baltistan, Ambreen, Elina Nizar Ali, Taiba Yar Baig, Fozia Parveen

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, renowned for its towering mountains and major river basins, sustains nearly 1.4 billion people worldwide and is pivotal to global food production. Glacial melt from the HKH region nourishes agriculture, livestock, and horticulture, supporting the livelihoods of mountain communities. However, climate change is accelerating the melting of glaciers, and shifts in wet seasons significantly impact food security in these communities. Sectors such as water resources, agricultural land, and human health, particularly women’s health, are significantly affected by these changes. For centuries, agriculture has been the backbone of Gilgit-Baltistan’s economy, with over 70% of livelihoods …

State Of Coastal And Marine Resources: Lian, Batangas, Joseph Benedict T. Garcia, Mary Joyce P. Velos, Jemelyn Grace P. Baldisimo, Joey P. Cabasan, Ma Celina J. Añonuevo, Denmark B. Recamara, Hazel O. Arceo

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Lian (13.9852° N, 120.6545° E) is a third-class municipality in the northwestern part of the province of Batangas. It is bounded on the north by the municipality of Nasugbu, on the east by the municipalities of Tuy and Balayan, on the west by the WPS, and on the south by the municipality of Catatagan (Figure 2.7-1). It has a total land area of 76.80km² that is divided into 19 barangays, six of which are coastal and two are integrated coastal barangays (LGU-Lian 2013). Its total population is 56,280 individuals in 15,991 households as of 2020 (PSA 2020).

The main …

State Of Coastal And Marine Resources: Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, Ma Celina J. Añonuevo, Jemelyn Grace P. Baldisimo, Denmark B. Racamara, Mary Joyce P. Velos, Joseph Benedict T. Garcia, Frederico B. Sabban, Joey P. Cabasan, Rhea Mae Luciano, Darryl Anthony Valiño, Lovely Joy Heyres, Hazel O. Arceo

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Sablayan, situated on the western side of Mindoro Island facing the WPS (12.8564° N, 120.9101° E), is a first-class municipality in the province of Occidental Mindoro with a total land area of 2,188.8km² that is divided into 22 barangays, nine of which are along the coast. The coastline stretches for 115 km, with municipal waters covering approximately 750,000 km² (LGU-Sablayan 2008).

The Apo Reef Natural Park, one of its most prominent features, is located approximately 33 km off the coast (Figure 2.9-1) The Apo Reef Natural Park is a protected coral reef system under presidential proclamation 868 (1996) encompassing …

Deconstructing The Mangrove Carbon Cycle: Gains, Transformation, And Losses, M. F. Adame, N. Cormier, P. Taillardat, N. Iram, A. Rovai, T. M. Sloey, E. S. Yando, J. F. Blanco-Libreros, M. Arnaud, T. Jennerjahn, C. E. Lovelock, D. Friess, G. M. S. Reithmaier, C. A. Buelow, S. M. Muhammad-Nor, R. R. Twilley, R. A. Ribeiro

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Mangroves are one of the most carbon-dense forests on the Earth and have been highlighted as key ecosystems for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Hundreds of studies have investigated how mangroves fix, transform, store, and export carbon. Here, we review and synthesize the previously known and emerging carbon pathways in mangroves, including gains (woody biomass accumulation, deadwood accumulation, soil carbon sequestration, root and litterfall production), transformations (food web transfer through herbivory, decomposition), and losses (respiration as CO₂ and CH₄, litterfall export, particulate and dissolved carbon export). We then review the technologies available to measure carbon fluxes in …