Sustainability Commons^™

The Price Of Priorities: How Human Choices Fuel Climate And Ecological Decline, Keisha Hickman

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the ways in which human priorities and behaviors contribute to the escalating climate crisis and ecological systems. We will first analyze the role of social media in shaping public discourse on climate change and critically evaluate the priorities of institutions that have the means to assist in wildlife conservation. Both speak to the current behaviors of humankind prioritizing their own entertainment over meaningful efforts to mitigate climate change and preserve biodiversity. We will then shift to exploring the profound impact of human population growth and its associated activities on other species and ecosystems. Finally, the thesis will …

A Comparative Analysis Of Complete Streets And Multimodal Transport Approaches: Implications For Sustainable Urban Mobility In Lincoln, And Global Contexts, Oliva Richard Kilyenyi

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Movement of people and goods in urban areas through different modes of transportation including walking, cycling, public transit and by autos is termed as urban mobility. Urban mobility presents significant environmental, social, and economic challenges for cities worldwide as they grapple with the impacts of conventional transportation systems, particularly in North America context where car-centric planning approaches has dominated urban developments since 1950s. Car-centric dominance is 80% in North American Metropolitan areas (Manaugh et al., 2015). The impacts of these conventional systems include greenhouse gas emission emissions contributing approximately 24% of global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, air pollution …

An Integrated Modeling Framework To Evaluate Circularity Of The Corn–Water–Ethanol–Beef Nexus, Heydi Han

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation examines the transition from conventional linear agricultural and food bioenergy systems toward more circular, resilient, and resource-efficient configurations. Prior research indicates that spatial and temporal variability in soil, weather, animal biological responses, and management decisions strongly influences productivity, nutrient-use efficiency, and profitability. Studies have also shown that a diversified circular system can buffer these sources of variability, improving stability and adaptive capacity. Building on these insights, the central focus of this work is to develop an integrated modeling framework to evaluate circularity within the Corn-Water-Ethanol-Beef (CWEB) nexus and explore how climate variability and management choices shape system-wide performance. …

Assessing Crop Rotation Productivity, Soil Health, And Fertility, And Economic Performance, To Enhance Semi-Arid High Plains Cropping Systems Sustainability, Ezequiel Maria Villamil

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Sustainable crop production in the semi-arid High Plains of Nebraska faces challenges from limited precipitation, high interannual variability, and economic risk. This dissertation investigates the long-term productivity, water use, soil health, and economic sustainability of dryland crop rotations, with emphasis on the role of pulses as alternatives to fallow.

Chapter 1 analyzes nearly three decades (1995–2023) of on-farm data from the High Plains Agricultural Laboratory (Sidney, Nebraska) to compare seven crop rotations, including wheat, corn, millet, sunflower, and field peas. Results showed that wheat–corn–fallow (W–C–F) consistently outperformed traditional wheat–fallow (W–F) and more intensified four-year rotations, providing the highest grain yields, …

Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting From Roadways: Challenges, Advances, And Future Directions, Heba Gaber, Mohamed Abdelraheem

Faculty Publications

As the global demand for renewable energy intensifies, piezoelectric energy harvesting from roadways has emerged as a promising avenue for sustainable power generation. This systematic literature review analyzes 61 peer-reviewed studies to assess the feasibility, performance, and potential of integrating piezoelectric systems into roadway infrastructure. While technology faces challenges, such as high installation costs, limited energy output, and a scarcity of thorough economic evaluations, findings suggest it holds considerable promise as a supplementary renewable energy source. The review analyzes the operational characteristics and efficiencies of various piezoelectric transducers, identifies key factors influencing system performance, and evaluates recent technological advances. It …

Data-Driven Evaluation Of Sustainable Waste-To-Energy Pathways For Intelligent Urban Systems, Izech Brian O. Edwin, King Harold A. Recto

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Faculty Publications

The handling of municipal solid waste (MSW) in swiftly urbanizing Philippine cities poses intricate energy and governance challenges. In Baguio City, reliance on landfills has reached critical levels due to diminishing capacity, rising transport costs, and opposition to trash transfers by nearby LGUs. Although shaped by unique topographical and governance constraints, Baguio’s situation reflects issues faced by other rapidly growing Philippine cities; therefore, analyzing it offers insights for national MSW decision-making. This study applies a triple bottom line (TBL) framework to assess three management scenarios: (1) Status Quo, where all MSW is landfilled with no energy recovery; (2) Landfill with …

Mountain Communities During A Time Of War: A Case Study Of The Hutsul Region In The Carpathian Mountains Of Ukraine, Pavlo Rybaruk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the ethno-ecological technologies employed by the Hutsul people within the highland agrarian economy of the Carpathian Mountains. Over centuries, the Hutsuls have developed ethno-ecological technologies that maintain ecological integrity while supporting community livelihoods.

The study addresses three primary research questions: What are the most important ethno-ecological technologies of the Hutsul highland economy? How might these traditional ethno-ecological practices be applied to economic, agricultural, and tourism development in the Hutsul region? How might these traditional ethno-ecological practices be combined with contemporary approaches to encourage sustainable development in the region?

The research explores the devastating impact of the Russian …

Interactions Between Black, Brown, Blue And Green Carbon From Terrestrial To Marine Ecosystems: A Critical Review, Allison White, Richard Kline, Md. Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Black and brown carbon are byproducts of the incomplete combustion of biomass or fossil fuels. These light-absorbing aerosols influence climate by altering the radiative balance through the absorption and scattering of sunlight, exacerbating global climate change. Their subsequent deposition on terrestrial and marine environments affects surface albedo, snow and ice melt, and biogeochemical processes, leading to further environmental consequences. In contrast, green and blue carbon refer to carbon stored in terrestrial vegetation and marine ecosystems, respectively. These ecosystems play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by sequestering atmospheric carbon; however, they are increasingly threatened by climatic disturbances, anthropogenic activities, …

Ai-Based Mapping Of Offshore Wind Energy Around The Korean Peninsula Using Sentinel-1 Sar And Numerical Weather Prediction Data, Jason Sung-Uk Joh, Son V. Nghiem, Menas Kafatos, Jay Liu, Jinsoo Kim, Seung Hee Kim

Institute for ECHO Articles and Research

Offshore wind farm projects are being promoted in the seas surrounding the Korean Peninsula to secure renewable energy. To support site selection, offshore wind resource maps were generated using deep neural networks trained on Sentinel-1 SAR imagery, numerical weather prediction data, offshore wind observations, sea surface temperature, and bathymetry. The deep neural network (DNN) framework consisted of six sub-models targeting eastward and northward wind components across three regions—the Yellow Sea, Korea Strait, and East Sea—to account for spatial heterogeneity. The proposed models outperformed existing approaches, achieving mean absolute errors (MAE) ranging from 1.31 to 1.69 m/s and correlation coefficients (CC) …

Doughnut Economics And Strong Sustainability: Rethinking The Role Of Financial Investment, Isabelle Pierotti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates how private investment could align doughnut economic framework. Doughnut economics is a strong sustainability economic framework where the economy operates within planetary boundaries while ensuring social equity. Theories of sustainable development, weak sustainability, and strong sustainability are discussed to provide theoretical context for doughnut economics and mainstream economics. The analysis concludes that conventional, profit maximizing private investment does not support a doughnut economics system by supporting the depletion of natural resources and exacerbating social issues. Sustainable mainstream investment also fails to support a doughnut framework. Lastly, while impact investment is theoretically committed to social and financial returns, …

Spatial Patterns Of Salamander Density Across Human Disturbance Gradients In Warner Parks​, Siobhan M. Day

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Amphibians are sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance, making them valuable indicators of recreational impacts in urban parks. This study examines salamander occurrence across five research sites within Warner Parks, Nashville, Tennessee, which differ in trail density and foot traffic intensity. Salamander observations were compiled from two sources: field surveys conducted in Summer 2025 and iNaturalist records spanning the past 10 years. For spatial analysis, each site was defined by a 200 m radius buffer to include local habitat, and trail networks were further buffered at 10 m, 25 m, and 50 m to quantify salamander occurrence relative to trail proximity using …

The State Of Our Streams: A Land Trust's Approach To Monitoring The Health Of Three Headwater Streams, Lauren Mcgrath

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Lauren McGrath, Director of Watershed Protection Program, Willistown Conservation Trust, presents "The State of Our Streams: a land trust's approach to monitoring the health of three headwater streams."

Locations Of Outfalls In The Indian River Lagoon And Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida, Kelly M. Kibler, Melinda J. Donnelly, Vincent Encomio, Madison Giuntoli, Manisha Thenuwara, Brice Bennett, Laura Andrade Barron, Mariam Sonbol, Wynter Raine Seppala, Namritha Ramakrishnan, Jennifer Jordan Báez, Beth Orlando, Irene Arpayoglou, Melissa Meisenburg

Indian River Lagoon Shorelines

The spatial dataset: UCF_Outfalls_IRL_LWL.shp was created under grants from the Indian River Lagoon National Estuaries Program and Florida Sea Grant. These projects cumulatively led to creation of a living shoreline restoration prioritization model and hydrodynamic habitat suitability models for 1,550 km (963 miles) of estuarine shorelines in Indian River Lagoon (IRL) and Lake Worth Lagoon (LWL).

The dataset presented here includes the location of outfalls identified throughout the study region and general characteristics of the shoreline where they were identified.

Seagrass Persistence In The Indian River Lagoon And Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida, Kelly Kibler, Melinda Donnelly, Vincent Encomio, Madison Giuntoli, Manisha Thenuwara, Brice Bennett, Laura Andrade Barron, Mariam Sonbol, Wynter Raine Seppala, Namritha Ramakrishnan, Jennifer Jordan Báez, Beth Orlando, Irene Arpayoglou, Melissa Meisenburg

Indian River Lagoon Shorelines

The spatial dataset: UCF_seagrasspersistence_IRL_LWL.shp was created with support from the Indian River Lagoon National Estuaries Program and Florida Sea Grant. These projects cumulatively led to creation of a living shoreline restoration prioritization model and hydrodynamic habitat suitability models for 1,550 km (963 miles) of estuarine shorelines in Indian River Lagoon (IRL) and Lake Worth Lagoon (LWL). The dataset presented herein represents persistence of seagrass throughout waters of the IRL and LWL.

Culture Mediates Climate Opinion Change: A System Dynamics Model, Louis (Lou) Gross, Yoon Ah Shin, Sara M. Constantino, Ann Kinzig, Katherine Lacasse, Brian Beckage

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

A Remote Sensing Assessment Of Illegal Gold Mining And Its Impact On Forests In Amansie West District, Ghana, Mina Poku Agyemang

Scholars Week

Forest degradation, driven primarily by human activities such as agriculture, urbanization, and mining, leads to biodiversity loss, soil erosion, and increased greenhouse gas emissions. In Ghana, illegal mining, known as ‘galamsey,’ poses significant threats to land and forest resources, damaging ecosystems and affecting public health (Aboka et al., 2018). Despite mining's contribution to Ghana's GDP, the negative impacts of illegal mining may outweigh its economic benefits. Between 2018 and 2023, Ghana lost approximately 5.9% of its forest cover while mining areas expanded by 1,917.6% (Abugre et al., 2025). This alarming situation necessitates an investigation into the changes in land use …

The Science And Economics Of 3d-Printed Filament Recycling, Michael Domingo, Dane Freund, John Mcswiggin, Adam Meadows

Sustainability Conference

In recent years, 3D printing has grown rapidly, both in homes and commercially. This has led to increased demand for plastic filaments, many of which contribute to plastic waste. This project explores the potential of recycling household plastics into 3D printing filament, promoting sustainability and creating a circular economy. Materials like PLA, PETG, ABS, and polypropylene can be recycled or even composted. Existing research has shown that recycled filaments can maintain comparable tensile strength to their virgin counterparts, depending on the recycling process. Furthermore, implementing circular economy practices for plastics could save billions annually by mitigating pollution and reducing landfill …

Advancing Environmental Monitoring At Verde River Headwaters State Park Through Integrated Remote Sensing Technologies, Ronny Schroeder, Noah Morales, Colton Weeks, Reiner Zimmermann, Erika Podest, Hank Vincent

Sustainability Conference

The establishment of Verde River Headwaters State Park in Chino Valley, Arizona, marks a significant conservation milestone with the acquisition of 734 acres of the historic Del Rio Springs Ranch by the Trust for Public Land in March 2024. Now under the stewardship of Arizona State Parks & Trails (ASPT), this site encompasses Sullivan Lake, Del Rio Springs, critical riparian habitats, and historically significant landmarks including the 1863 Arizona territorial capital and 1920s Fred Harvey Farm structures. This initiative yields substantial benefits, including annual water savings within the Prescott Active Management Area, the extension of the Peavine National Recreation Trail, …

Fisheries Science Update - Western Australian Shark Resource: 2024 Stock Assessment Outcomes, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

The Western Australian (WA) shark resource includes more than 100 species of sharks and rays.

Key shark species are sustainably harvested in two commercial shark fisheries that provide fresh, local, affordable seafood to the WA community.

The WA shark resource has been in recovery since the 1990s–2000s when stocks were found to be at risk.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) tracks stock status by undertaking periodic weight of evidence stock assessments of indicator species.

Gummy, whiskery, dusky whaler, and sandbar sharks, are the indicator species for the WA shark resource, and make up ~80% of the …

Living Shoreline Prioritization And Hydrodynamic Habitat Suitability Models For Restoration In The Indian River Lagoon And Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida, Kelly M. Kibler, Melinda J. Donnelly, Vincent Encomio, Madison Giuntoli, Manisha Thenuwara, Brice Bennett, Laura Andrade Barron, Mariam Sonbol, Wynter Raine Seppala, Namritha Ramakrishnan, Jennifer Jordan Báez, Beth Orlando, Irene Arpayoglou, Melissa Meisenburg

Indian River Lagoon Shorelines

The spatial dataset: UCF_shorelinemodel_IRL_LWL.shp, was created with support from the Indian River Lagoon National Estuaries Program and Florida Sea Grant. These projects cumulatively led to creation of a living shoreline restoration prioritization model and hydrodynamic habitat suitability models for 1,550 km (963 miles) of estuarine shorelines in Indian River Lagoon and Lake Worth Lagoon.

The dataset presented herein includes:

1. shoreline data from >15,000 transects collected in the field,
2. shoreline wave climate data created through hydrodynamic modeling and frequency analysis of historic data,
3. categorization of potential risk for shoreline boat wake impact,
4. persistence of seagrass within 210 m of the shoreline, …