Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

Four Decades, No Progress: Time For A Columbia River Basin Compact, Liesl L. Bogaard

Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law

Since the Power Act’s passage in 1980, the government entities who develop and implement energy policy in the Pacific Northwest have operated under a congressional mandate to protect fish and wildlife in the Columbia River Basin. However, nearly half a century later, the number of wild salmon and steelhead returning to their native spawning grounds is still in decline, largely due to dam operations in the Columbia and its tributaries. This Note examines the history of hydroelectric power generation in the Columbia River Basin and its impact on fish populations, drawing parallels between the environmental crisis in the Columbia River …

Saved From The Brink Of Collapse: Evaluating The Success Of The Sussex Kelp Recovery Project, Keagan Farrell, Kelly Swyers, Adan Vasquez

Posters - 2026

Kelp forests are vital to ocean health, they provide habitat, food, and nursery grounds for a variety of marine species. These forests support fisheries, improve water quality, and help to protect coastlines (Eger et al. 2024). The Sussex Kelp Recovery Project is a marine conservation effort aimed at restoring their kelp forests along the Sussex coastline in southern England. This area lost up to 96% of its forests mainly due to the fishing practice trawling. Trawling is used to gather large amounts of fish, while dragging a net at the seafloor (Our history 2026). The main goal of the Sussex …

2026 Research Day Program, Lincoln Memorial University

Research Day

This program contains abstracts and presentation summaries from LMU's 2026 Annual Research Day conference.

Enhancing Urban Garden Capacity By Linking Biodiversity And Ecosystem Function, Mary T. Nguyen, Carleen Rauh, Shelby Gresch, Charlotte Correiro, Heidi Elmendorf, Adriane Fugh-Berman, Gina Wimp, Alexandra L. Decandia

Virginia Journal of Science

Urban agriculture broadly describes food and plant cultivation in metropolitan areas. While biodiversity is thought to support ecosystem health and resilience, the relationship between above-ground and below-ground diversity has been understudied in urban green spaces. This study examines plant, animal, bacterial, and fungal diversity across three distinct urban habitats: a turf lawn, a forb garden, and a farming space. Using bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS2 sequencing, soil nutrient analyses, and surveys of vegetation and wildlife, we connect diverse philosophies in urban agriculture to their role in advancing community diversity and ecosystem function. We found that different urban gardens support …

Monitoring Terrestrial Ecosystem Productivity Using Hyperspectral Satellite Data, Serge Tuyambaze

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

Accurate estimation of terrestrial Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) is critical for quantifying global carbon sequestration and understanding the terrestrial carbon cycle. While eddy covariance (EC) towers provide standard flux measurements, upscaling these measurements to continuous global coverage remains challenging due to the sparse distribution of flux towers and their small footprints. Remote sensing (RS), especially coupled with eddy covariance data, has been used to estimate GPP at the global scale. Different RS derived productivity models have been developed, including vegetation indices, light use efficiency (LUE) models, solar-induced fluorescence (SIF), dynamic global vegetation models (DGVM), and machine learning. One widely adapted …

Speleoco: An Open, Low-Cost Arduino Co₂ Datalogger For Cave Microclimate Monitoring, Christos Pennos, Dimitrios Christaras

International Journal of Speleology

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) dynamics in caves are critical for karst processes, speleothem growth and dissolution, microclimate regulation, and caver safety. In cave atmospheres, CO₂ commonly derives from soil respiration, epikarst degassing, microbial activity, and, in tectonically active regions, deep-seated fault-related emissions. Fault-related CO₂ degassing may also track tectonic activity. However, continuous monitoring remains limited due to the cost and inflexibility of commercial instruments. Here we present an open-source, low-cost Arduino-based CO₂ datalogger designed for cave applications. The logger integrates a COZIR NDIR CO₂ sensor, a DS1337 real-time clock, microSD storage, and power-gating for extended deployment in humid environments. Firmware and …

Ecosystem-Based Flood Disaster Risk Reduction In The Little Ruaha River Basin, In The Southern Highlands Of Tanzania, Mawazo Ghambi, Tiemo Romward Haule

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Ecosystem-based approach that integrates floods and environmental risk management is believed to reduce flood disaster risk while providing socio-economic and environmental benefits to floodplain occupants. This study examined the socio-economic and environmental benefits of the ecosystem-based approach in managing flood disaster risk in the Little Ruaha River Basin in the southern highlands of Tanzania. The study involved 157 participants and employed the mixed research design to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Semi-structured interviews, in-depth interviews, direct field observation and Focus Group Discussions were used to collect primary data, whereas documentary review was used to collect secondary data. Findings revealed that …

Freshwater Quality For Recreation, Heather Nix, Masha Bokar

Forestry and Natural Resources

South Carolina has many water resources that provide tremendous opportunities for people to enjoy water-based recreational activities, such as swimming, boating, and fishing. Participation in these activities produces significant economic benefits and supports many jobs throughout the state. However, at times, water quality may be unsafe for immersion or skin contact due to high levels of pollutants, such as bacteria or cyanotoxins. It is important for people to be aware of potential concerns and understand methods for determining if a waterbody’s current conditions are likely to be safe for primary or secondary recreation.

Plaster Creek Watershed Management Plan: Chloride Addendum, Plaster Creek Stewards

Watershed Reports

This addendum complements the 2008 Plaster Creek Watershed Management Plan (WMP), which tells the full story of the Plaster Creek Watershed’s current condition, impairments, and need for restoration. This addendum focuses on chloride, an emerging pollutant of concern in Michigan that was not addressed in Plaster Creek’s 2008 WMP. This addendum meets the nine elements required by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a watershed management plan to be officially approved; as such, its content and layout are intended for a technical audience.

Identifying Priorities To Guide Extension Water Quality Programming In Utah, Clare Entwistle, Sarah Erwin, Stephanie Vaughn

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah State University Extension water quality faculty conducted a statewide water quality needs assessment to identify priority contaminants and resource gaps. The results found that elevated nutrient levels and sedimentation were the top concerns where additional resources would be beneficial. In addition, insufficient funding for improvements and low public engagement were identified as key challenges in addressing water quality issues. Results revealed current unmet needs with regional variation to inform Extension resource allocation and programming.

Evaluating Carbon Risk And Benefit Under Improved Forest Management Prescriptions In A California Mixed Conifer Stand, Jonathan A. Garcia

Master's Theses

Improved forest management (IFM) prioritizes carbon accumulation through practices such as extended rotations and retention harvesting. These management strategies, increase fuel loads and elevate the potential fire intensity, may offset the benefits of carbon sequestration. Additionally, IFMs use spatially complex silvicultural treatments that may introduce prediction errors into the simulation processes used for long-term projections, and carbon accounting.

We evaluated the extent to which calibration in the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) reduces error in aboveground carbon stock predictions and tested whether modeling approaches and calibration influence the magnitude and direction of basal area increment (BAI) prediction error using generalized mixed-effects …

Monitoring Strategies In Cave Microclimate Studies, Nenad Buzjak, Dalibor Paar, Aurel Persoiu, Christos Pennos, Franci Gabrovšek, Valerija Rossi

International Journal of Speleology

Cave atmospheres are spatially confined but dynamical systems that influence subterranean ecosystems, geomorphological processes, registration and preservation of climatic signals in sedimentary archives, cultural heritage, and conservation management. Despite major advances in cave climatology, methodological approaches to microclimate monitoring remain fragmented and are in some cases still shaped by the long-standing assumption that cave air temperature simply reflects the mean annual surface temperature. This paper revisits that assumption and develops an experience- and literature-based methodological framework for cave microclimate research. Key terminology is addressed by distinguishing between cave climate, cave microclimate, and cave meteorology, and by situating microclimatic variability within …

Assessing The Threat Of Southern Pine Beetle To Pitch Pine In Acadia National Park, Caroline R. Kanaskie, Mark J. Ducey, Jeff R. Garnas

Faculty Publications

Many of the mountain summits of Acadia National Park (ACAD) are dominated by Pinus rigida (Pitch Pine). The ACAD Pitch Pine population is particularly valuable due to its position at the northernmost edge of the species’ range, its association with unique animal and plant communities, and its contribution to the aesthetics of the park. Pitch Pine is host to Dendroctonus frontalis (Southern Pine Beetle [SPB]). As the name suggests, SPB is native to the southeastern US, and can kill large numbers of healthy pines via mass-attack. With warming winters, SPB can establish and persist further north than ever before, presenting …

The World's Largest Saddle Dam At Risk: Multisensor Geohazard Analysis And Downstream Impacts, Hesham El-Askary, Hesham Morgan, Surendra Maharjan, Ali Elgendy, Wenzhao Li, Rejoice Thomas, Austin Madson, Cyril Rakovski

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) Saddle Dam, which holds approximately 89% of the main reservoir's live storage, is one of the largest and most critical auxiliary dams globally; its construction on Ethiopia's Blue Nile has consequently raised significant regional and international concerns regarding potential environmental impacts and geohazard risks. This study presents a comprehensive risk assessment of the GERD Saddle Dam by integrating high-resolution satellite data (GRACE, Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, WorldView-3), hydrological modeling (SWAT), Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI), geospatial analysis, and advanced statistical techniques. The results highlight critical structural vulnerabilities, including groundwater infiltration estimated at approximately 41 ± 6.2 billion …

Time And Water, Sheila Nayar

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Time and Water (2026), directed by Sara Dosa.

Pitfalls Of Multiplied 3d Landforms Projection: Mapping Deep Multilevel Cave Systems In The Alps (Gamssteig Cave System, Göll Massif), Mateusz Golicz, Jacek Szczygieł

International Journal of Speleology

Cave mapping represents one of the most complex challenges in geomorphological cartography, as it must convey the true three-dimensional geometry of subterranean spaces such as overlapping passages, irregular cross-sections, and variable ceiling and floor morphologies, within a two-dimensional framework. This study examines the methodological and interpretive challenges of cave mapping, utilizing the Gamssteighöhle cave in the Austrian Alps as a case study. During the 11 years of exploration, over 10 km of passages were surveyed using the DistoX vector survey method. Yet, the complex morphological forms necessitated deviations from the standard symbology recommended by the International Union of Speleology. Several …

Development Trends And Implications Of Muti-Objective Marine Environmental Forecasting Technology, Yineng Li, Yuhang Zhu, Shiqiu Peng, Zhiwu Chen, Xing Wei, Junmin Li, Shaodian Li, Peiwei Xie, Jiawen Liao, Yankun Gong, Shilin Tang, Shuqun Cai

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

With the continuous expansion of global maritime activities and the steady advancement of the “maritime power” strategy, marine environmental security has become a top priority for China. In deep-sea areas, various environmental parameters such as temperature, salinity, sound velocity, wave dynamics, internal solitary waves, and nearshore rip currents play a crucial role in navigation safety and underwater equipment operations. Nevertheless, traditional single-parameter forecasting models are no longer sufficient to meet the demands of multi-objective environmental protection. As a result, there is a growing need for a high-resolution, multi-objective forecasting system that integrates basic oceanographic element predictions (such as temperature, salinity, …

Current Status And Prospects Of Ocean Data Reanalysis, Chuanyu Liu, Fan Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Ocean data reanalysis (ODR) is a technique that combines ocean observational data with ocean circulation models to produce gridded data with higher accuracy and greater spatiotemporal coverage. The generated reanalysis data serve as a foundational dataset for conducting oceanographic research and developing artificial intelligence-based large ocean models. This study reviews the technical approaches of ODR, the current status of global and regional ocean data reanalysis systems developed in the world, and puts forward recommendations for the development of China's ocean reanalysis system.

Thoughts On Accelerating The Capture Of Technological High Ground For Precise Marine Environmental Assurance, Yuantao Wu, Mingyue Wan, Deke Chen, Danhong Dong, Yao Yu, Miao Chen

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The marine environment serves as a critical foundation for the development, utilization, protection, and governance of the ocean. Marine environmental support holds significant strategic importance for the exploitation of marine resources, ecological and environmental conservation, and the safeguarding of maritime rights and interests. It has become a strategic high ground in the new wave of marine technological innovation and development. This paper reviews the current status of global marine environmental support technologies, with a focus on the establishment and capabilities of the comprehensive “observation–forecasting–application–assessment” precision support technology system for the marine environment developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It …

Frontiers In Ocean Non-Equilibrium Dynamics And Challenges In Operational Oceanography Application, Yuhong Zhang, Yan Du, Tianyu Wang, Minyang Wang, Qin Duan, Xinlong Li, Yuhang Zheng, Yifan Xia, Shilin Tang, Yineng Li, Jianping Yin

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Ocean circulation exhibits complex multiscale dynamics, among which non-equilibrium processes, marked by transient behavior, strong perturbations, and pronounced nonlinearity, are of particular importance for maritime environmental support. However, limited observational capability has long constrained the study of subsurface non-equilibrium dynamics, leaving numerical models insufficiently validated and positioning this issue at the forefront of modern physical oceanography. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers a promising pathway to overcome this bottleneck. Built on this concept, the “iEddy” AI large ocean model can efficiently reconstruct high-resolution, high-accuracy three-dimensional temperature, salinity, and velocity from sea-surface remote sensing data, demonstrating strong capability in capturing non-equilibrium ocean currents …