Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

Environmental Dna (Edna) Survey Of Introduced Freshwater Species In Reservoirs And Streams In Hong Kong, Sze Man Yau

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

Different organisms have been introduced worldwide both intentionally and unintentionally by humans. Some of the introduced species can establish populations outside their native geographic range and invade the environment, causing negative ecological impacts to the ecosystem. Freshwater ecosystems are prone to species invasion due to the aquatic linkage between freshwater habitats, thus facilitating the dispersal of introduced species. To minimise the potential negative impacts of introduced species, early detection and rapid response is vital. Compared to traditional survey methods (e.g., hand nets and cast nets), environmental DNA (eDNA) survey is a sensitive method for species detection by extracting the species’ …

Conservation Genomics Of Endangered Turtles : The Big-Headed Turtle And The Beale's Eyed Turtle, Wing Him Lee

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

Turtles are one of the most threatened animal groups in the world, with 51.3% of the turtle species categorized as globally threatened (critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable) on the IUCN Red List. Overexploitation for the food and pet trade is the main threat, especially for turtles in Asia. In Hong Kong, all five native freshwater turtles are listed as endangered species locally. This study will focus on two species, the Big-headed Turtle (Platysternon megacephalum) and Beale’s Eyed Turtle (Sacalia bealei). Some of the world’s remaining wild populations of P. megacephalum and S. bealei are in Hong …

Assessing The Impacts Of Anthropogenic Activities On Coral Reef Health In Ushongo, Tanzania Using Coral Diversity And Parrotfish Abundance As Indicators, Thao Mai

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral reefs, covering two-thirds of our oceans, are vital and diverse ecosystems, earning them the nickname of “rainforests of the sea”. Despite occupying only 1% of the ocean’s floor, they support 25% of all marine species, providing shelter, nursery ground and food, all the while also protecting the coast and providing job opportunities for local communities. Considered keystone species, coral reefs are highly sensitive to disturbances caused by pollution, climate change, but also anthropogenic activities such as coastal development, destructive fishing practices and tourism, endangering their existence and the entire marine ecosystem. Parrotfish, a crucial resident of these ecosystems, often …

Climate Change And Voluntary Private Land Conservation: A Case Study Of Working Lands For Wildlife, Abigail Thompson

School of Professional Studies

This case study examines the role, impact, and future of voluntary private land conservation (VPLC) programs, with a particular focus on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) initiative. Climate change and population growth pose a significant threat to public land conservation, making alternative methods like WLFW increasingly important. WLFW is a relatively successful and well-received program, but it is still young and comparatively smaller than other VPLC programs operated by the government. Publications by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, WLFW partner organizations, and relevant scholarly articles were utilized in order to assess WLFW’s success independently and …

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 …

Agricultural Groundcover Update February 2024, Justin Laycock

Natural resources published reports

• About 92% of the grainbelt had adequate (more than 50%) vegetative groundcover to prevent wind erosion in February 2024.

• Nearly 8% of the grainbelt (1,193,400 ha) had less than 50% groundcover, which is inadequate to prevent wind erosion.

• The northern grainbelt had the highest risk of wind erosion and 16.5% of this farmland had inadequate groundcover.

• Less than 0.7% of the grainbelt had a high to very high risk of wind erosion because groundcover was less than 30%.

Feasibility Study Of Coral Farming In Southwest Madagascar: In-Situ And Ex-Situ Approaches, Raquel Reis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The southwest coast of Madagascar is home to hundreds of miles of coral reefs that for decades have been susceptible to intense degradation due to anthropogenic influences on marine environments. For reasons involving economic opportunity, conservation strategies, human health safeguarding and advancements to coral research, coral aquaculture in the Toliara region presents an opportunity to restore quality of life and the environment. Other countries in the west Indian ocean have seen great success in coral aquaculture; however, Madagascar, despite having ideal natural circumstances, has not deeply explored coral aquaculture. This review presents an investigation into the feasibility of coral farming, …

Variations In Salinity And Forest Structure Between Marginal And Cloistered Mangrove Forests In Boca Del Drago, Bocas Del Toro, Panama, Mary Elizabeth Hodge

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mangroves are incredibly important ecosystems that have an outsized impact on their surroundings, providing crucial ecosystem services like carbon sequestration and coastal protection. At the same time, mangroves are some of the most threatened habitats due to their valuable position along tropical coastlines. Globally, mangrove forests are deforested and degraded by aquaculture, tourism developments, urbanization, and overharvesting. Due to high rates of mangrove loss, mangrove deforestation is now illegal in Panama, though this legislation is inconsistent and allows for exceptions, especially in tourism developments. This study aims to probe the impacts of localized coastal developments on a small mangrove forest …

Avian Diversity And Abundance Among Agricultural Land, Forested Land, And Their Ecotone In Guadalupe, Cerro Punta, Chiriquí Province, Republic Of Panamá., Stella Rae Kinard

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As the human population increases, finding the balance between modifying land use for resources and protecting areas to preserve species that are threatened by anthropogenic disturbance is an ever growing problem. Guadalupe is a town in the Western Highlands of Panamá that struggles in this balance as its primary income source is agriculture, but it is located on the border of two protected areas, Parque Nacional La Amistad and Parque Nacional Volcán Barú. By understanding the unique ways in which avifauna utilize distinct vegetative landscapes, recommendations can be made for management styles of farms in Guadalupe to implement practices that …

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 …

Community Knowledge Of Shark Ecology, Abundance, And Species Composition In Wichubwala, Nalunega, And Porvenir Communities In The Guna Yala Comarca, Panamá, Kayley Jane Porter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sharks play a critical role in marine ecosystems as apex predators that exert top-down control of lower trophic levels. In recent decades, global shark populations have declined to unprecedented levels, triggering a cascade effect that threatens ecosystem functioning and, therefore, coastal community livelihoods that rely on marine resources for food and income. It is known that shark populations are vulnerable and on the decline due to anthropogenic stressors such as fishing and coastal development, but shark species composition and abundance are difficult to monitor due to the evasive nature of sharks, the often remote and inaccessible location of certain shark …

Vertebrate Diversity In The La Amistad International Park Buffer Zone, Guadalupe, Chiriqui, Panamá, Mina Olson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Forest fragmentation and increasing agricultural land use are posing threats to the diversity of vertebrates in Panama and across the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. Protected areas are crucial for providing connectivity and maintaining vertebrate populations. For endemic species with small native ranges, these protected areas are critical for their survival due to sensitivity of habitat change. Higher species diversity and occupancy has been reported for both birds and mammals in protected and forested areas. This pilot survey of vertebrate species was conducted to determine which species live in a primary forest within the buffer zone of La Amistad International Park near …

Vascular Epiphyte Population Dynamics Within Human-Modified Landscapes Of Guadalupe, Cerro Punta, Chiriquí, Panamá, Lucine Tashjian

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Epiphytes are plants that grow on other plants non-parasitically, and globally, epiphytes compose a very large and diverse group. They are especially abundant and species-rich in the tropics- particularly, in tropical montane forest ecosystems. Human population growth in the tropics, however, has resulted in significant declines in forest cover with land being converted largely for agricultural purposes. Studies on epiphytes have traditionally been undertaken in pristine, undisturbed forest ecosystems, yet terrestrial land conversion has increased the need to understand the value of human-modified ecosystems for epiphytic populations and biodiversity conservation. This study sought to understand the relationship between human modification …

Rewilding The Danube Delta; How Rewilding Can Revitalize Ecosystems And Restore Biomes, Antonio Martinez

Posters - 2024

The Danube Delta and the surrounding area harbors a variety of ecosystems and biodiversity from Romania to Ukraine. The 580,000-hectare delta is particularly well known for its abundance of birdlife, with the presence of 312 important bird species, many of which use the Delta as an important stopover and breeding area such as the Dalmatian Pelican (UNESCO et al.,1998). Here, also lie some of Europe’s very few remaining grazed mosaic landscapes, the beautiful wetlands. The delta region includes extensive examples of unaltered rivers, lakes, reed beds, marshes, steppes, dunes, sandbars, coasts, lagoons, salt marshes and climax forests (Rewilding Europe n.d.).This …

My Legacy Document: A Story Told Through A Pedagogical Lens Of Three Landscapes. School, Work, And Faith, Debra Williams

Dissertations

Too often professionals, when answering the question “Who are you?”, resort to listing what they do. Although individuals are gifted, experienced, and qualified, as these persons influence and significantly impact others, one could get lost as a person and be unfulfilled. That’s a problem.

Positioning myself as the study of research, utilizing autoethnography as the chosen methodology, my doctoral journey is chronicled. Three landscapes, school, work, and faith, serve as the areas of emphasis.

Demographic Consequences Of Off-River Nesting For Piping Plover (Charadrius Melodus) And Interior Least Tern (Sternula Antillarum Athalassos) In The Lower Platte River System, Nebraska, Elsa M. Forsberg

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

Piping plovers (Charadrius melodus; hereafter, plovers) and interior least terns (Sternula antillarum athalassos; hereafter, terns) are two avian species that nest along the Lower Platte River system (LPRS) in Nebraska. In the LPRS, river sandbars provide natural nesting habitat, but off-river sites provide substantial nesting habitat especially when sandbar habitat is scarce. Although presumed to be important for the persistence of plovers and terns, off-river habitat is not self-sustaining and predicted to decline. Understanding the vital rates of plovers and terns in the LPRS will inform the role of off- river sites in the future conservation …

Exploration Of The Mental Health Impacts Of Drought On Rural Nebraskans Via Remembered Perceptions, Grace Schleining

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Drought is a sociological phenomenon. It is a well-known occurrence across the midwestern United States; the drying out of the soil, the failing of crops, and the constant dryness and heat… this is all drought. Inspired by my earliest memory of this climate phenomenon I sought to determine whether we can identify evidence of negative mental health impacts and/or well-being in rural Nebraskans due to drought, thus my research question: Can we identify negative effects of drought on rural Nebraskan mental health and/or wellbeing? In this study, rural Nebraska community members, who are involved with the agricultural sector, were interviewed. …

Characterizing The Ecological Impacts Of Utility-Scale Solar Energy (Usse) On Fallowed Farmland, Amanda Gersoff

Master's Theses

Large-scale carbon-free energy generation projects such as utility-scale solar energy (USSE) arrays help mitigate the energy sector’s contribution to climate change and are rapidly expanding throughout the U.S. However, the expansion of USSE sites is associated with immediate and longer-term ecological impacts, many of which have yet to be assessed. Quantifying the ecological impacts of USSE arrays will help to identify synergies and trade-offs between energy generation and terrestrial conservation goals. The overall goal of this research is to characterize the ecological impacts of USSE sites located on fallowed farmlands in San Luis Obispo County, California in a seasonally explicit …

Amethod To Estimate Climate Drivers Ofmaize Yield Predictability Leveraging Genetic-By-Environment Interactions In The Us And Canada, Parisa Sarzaeim, Francisco Munoz-Arriola

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Throughout history, the pursuit of diagnosing and predicting crop yields has evidenced genetics, environment, and management practices intertwined in achieving food security. However, the sensitivity of crop phenotypes and genetic responses to climate still hampers the identification of the underlying abilities of plants to adapt to climate change. We hypothesize that the PiAnosi and WagNer (PAWN) global sensitivity analysis (GSA) coupled with a genetic by environment (GxE) model built of environmental covariance and genetic markers structures, can evidence the contributions of climate on the predictability of maize yields in the U.S. and Ontario, Canada. The GSA-GxE framework estimates the relative …

Field Testing Of Gamma-Spectroscopy Method For Soil Water Content Estimation In An Agricultural Field, Sophia Becker, Trenton E. Franz, Tanessa Morris, Bailey Mullins

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Gamma-ray spectroscopy (GRS) enables continuous estimation of soil water content (SWC) at the subfield scale with a noninvasive sensor. Hydrological applications, including hyper-resolution land surface models and precision agricultural decision making, could benefit greatly from such SWC information, but a gap exists between established theory and accurate estimation of SWC from GRS in the field. In response, we conducted a robust three-year field validation study at a wellinstrumented agricultural site in Nebraska, United States. The study involved 27 gravimetric water content sampling campaigns in maize and soybean and ⁴⁰K specific activity (Bq kg⁻¹) measurements from a stationary …