Nature and Society Relations Commons^™

Visualizing Ozone Pollution In The Denver Metro Area Using A Bioindicator Garden, Ella K. Mathews, Hillary Hamann, Julie Morris, Erica L. Larson

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Since the industrial revolution, widespread fossil fuel combustion has significantly increased atmospheric pollution. The combustion of fossil fuels releases nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which form tropospheric (ground-level) ozone when exposed to sunlight. Ozone directly harms plants by disrupting their ability to absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen, and carry out photosynthesis. Bioindicator species are plants that have visible responses to environmental conditions, such as ozone, and can act as “canaries in the coal mine,” indicating the health of their environment. In this study, we used a garden of ozone bioindicator species (ozone garden) as a cost-effective tool …

Tùn-Scene And A-Futurism: Biomythography, Opacity, And Posthuman Imagination, Minglu Du

Masters Theses

Grounded in the author’s position as a Chinese feminist, this thesis examines how East Asian women, as well as East Asian-coded femininity more broadly, are objectified and othered within futurist visual culture in the age of artificial intelligence. Through an engagement with ornamentalism, techno-Orientalism, and posthumanism1 , it argues that the persistent figure of the feminized humanoid cyborg continues to reproduce colonial and patriarchal structures of desire, rendering marginalized bodies as fetishized and violable surfaces. In response, the thesis develops Tùn-Scene, a biomythographic artistic framework and the first experiment in what the author provisionally names A-Futurism. Drawing on Donna Haraway’s …

Assessing Tourism-Induced Impacts In Communities Around The Indiana Dunes National Park, Charles James Kovacs

Masters Theses

This project aims to examine the effects of the tourism industry in and around a new National Park within the United States’ National Park system (NPS). The Indiana Dunes National Park (IDNP) received National Park designation in 2019. The park, situated on the south shore of Lake Michigan, is a roughly fifty-minute drive east of Chicago. This project seeks to ask and answer how the tourism industry has grown and continues to impact the lives of residents near the IDNP. Two communities, Michigan City and Chesterton, serve as the primary study areas along with the park itself. Qualitative methods, centered …

On The Trail, In The Towns: Visitor Use And Community Perspectives Along Montana’S Continental Divide Trail, Ava Worbets, Kika Bradford, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

As outdoor recreation participation has steadily increased nationwide over the past decade, reaching record levels in 2024 amid long‑term growth trends (OIA, 2025), the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) is drawing rising numbers of hikers traveling through Montana’s gateway communities. Yet little is known about who these hikers are or how their presence affects the towns that support them. This report examines CDT hikers and their relationships with Montana gateway communities from two complementary perspectives. First, understanding hikers’ demographics, spending patterns, and trail behaviors using data from 507 respondents who completed Montana’s CDT sections between 2022 and 2024. Second, exploring how …

Redeveloping Mississippi: A Case Study On Brownfields In Central & Southern Mississippi, Sahrah R. Yeroozedek

Master's Theses

Brownfields, or properties that are or possibly are contaminated with dangerous materials, represent a common obstacle for communities in Mississippi. The real or potential presence of contaminants at these sites often deters investors due to costly cleanup requirements (EPA, n.d. -b). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its Brownfield Revitalization Program, implemented guidelines for covering the costs and labor associated with the remediation of these properties. The EPA is not, however, responsible for redevelopment that supports long-term environmental and economic sustainability. Although the EPA maintains inventories of all Brownfields, there is also no comprehensive database of Brownfields and their current …

The "Evil Forest" As Threshold: A Computational Eco-Feminist Study Of The Forest In Nigerian Fantasy, Cynthia O. Mbagwu

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examines the representation of the “evil forest” in Nnedi Okorafor’s Zahrah the Windseeker and Ukamaka Olisakwe’s Don’t Answer When They Call Your Name, arguing that the forest functions as a liminal threshold that catalyses female transformation. Combining close reading with computational tools like TF-IDF keyword extraction in Ruby and sentiment analysis using VADER, the project investigates how pre-colonial and colonial connotations of the “evil forest” are re-imagined in contemporary Nigerian fantasy fiction. By segmenting each narrative into pre-liminal, liminal, and post-liminal phases, the study tracks shifts in sentiment toward the forest and correlates them with thematic developments …

Building Collaborative Capacity For Coexistence With The Montana Beaver Working Group, Shane Randle

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Despite beavers’ recent surge in popularity, prevailing negative attitudes and the persistence of beaver removal practices remain obstacles for those advocating living with beavers. The Montana Beaver Working Group (BWG) advances beavers’ role in ecological and community resilience through members’ collaborative efforts, including beaver-related restoration and conflict resolution projects. Bringing together people with diverse values and perspectives, the BWG builds collective understanding, develops a holistic vision for beavers in Montana, and supports members in pursuing it. As the group’s impacts and membership have grown, so too has their need to adapt. For my Civic Engagement Project, I strengthened the BWG’s …

On The Paleontology Of Belize, Alson Ovando

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Paleontology can be considered an underrepresented and emerging area of science in Belize. A primary aim of this thesis is to provide a background of paleontology in Belize and present the first comprehensive study of Quaternary vertebrate fossils known from the country. Quaternary fossil sites across Belize include caves, rivers, and sinkholes. In addition to reviewing and assessing material from known sites, this thesis presents new information and discoveries that were made while investigating Belize’s Quaternary fossil record. This thesis also includes a geospatial model depicting ecoregions in Belize during the last glacial maximum. Overall, the results presented here demonstrate …

Public Pool Usage As Adaptation Against Urban Heat, Stefan Borsky, Eric Fesselmeyer

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This paper examines the relationship between urban heat and outdoor public pool usage. Using attendance data from all 53 outdoor public pools in New York City, we analyze nonlinear effects of heat on pool usage across socioeconomic contexts. Pool attendance rises sharply with heat, especially in low-income neighborhoods where alternative coping options are likely limited. We also find that public pools reduce heat-related emergency medical service calls. Our findings highlight the need for equitable investment in blue infrastructure to enhance urban climate resilience and demonstrate how this type of adaptive infrastructure can play a critical role in managing urban heat.

Toward An Integrative Anthropological Ecology; Pluralism, Power, And Socioecological Futures, Komang Ariyanto

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

No abstract provided.

Energy Transitions By Wire? The Spatial Politics Of Transmission Development In New England, Maddy Kroot

Student Publications [Scholarly]

This data set is a corpus of de-identified transcripts from a doctoral research project examining local opposition to two high-voltage transmission lines in northern New England. The corpus includes 41 transcripts from interview participants who consented for their de-identified transcripts to be posted to the Clark Digital Commons. This research was supported by the NSF Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Doctoral  Dissertation Research Improvement Award (#2400991).

Sustainability, Culture, And Higher Education: An Autoethnographic Sustainability Comparison Of The Sustainability Initiatives At The University Of Salzburg And Bowling Green State University, Madison Alt

Honors Projects

Human activity is already triggering damaging environmental tipping points (Lenton, 2020), emphasizing the need for sustainability in all aspects of development. Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs) have the power and responsibility to contribute to a more sustainable world (Parr et al., 2022). Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in Ohio, United States, and the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS) in Salzburg, Austria are two IHEs with multifaceted sustainability programs. While living and studying at BGSU and PLUS, I used autoethnography, a personal narrative approach, combined with public sustainability information to compare the sustainability initiatives at each university, and determine what …

Identifying Major Sources Of Leptospira Interrogans In San Juan Bay And Río Grande De Loíza Estuaries Of Puerto Rico, Logan Mccullers, Dave Bachoon

Biology Theses

This study evaluated the presence of pathogenic Leptospira interrogans, potential carriers, and environmental factors influencing their occurrence in the San Juan Bay Estuary (SJBE) and Río Grande de Loíza (RGDL) watersheds of Puerto Rico from 2024–2025. Detection of this pathogen from water samples was performed using the lipL32 PCR assay. The likely hosts of L. interrogans were determined using fecal source tracking (FST) assays for human (HF-183), canine (BacCan-UCD), equine (HoF597), and rat mitochondrial DNA NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene (RatMt) markers. In 2024, 91 samples were collected (March: 50; June: 41), and in 2025, 124 samples were collected …

Montana Residents’ Attitudes Towards Tourism – 2025, Carter Bermingham, Megan Schultz, Jayce Beck

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

Montana residents maintain a broadly positive outlook on tourism, with 66% agreeing that tourism's benefits outweigh its drawbacks and 72% recognizing the economic value of state-supported tourism promotion. However, resident sentiment remains nuanced: 45% report concerns about overcrowding, and fewer than half (36%) believe increased tourism would improve their personal quality of life — a trend consistent across four consecutive years.

Regional divides are pronounced. Communities near high-visitation destinations such as Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park express greater skepticism toward tourism growth, while lower-visitation regions, including Central Montana, Southeast Montana, and Missouri River Country, hold more favorable views …

Beyond Artifacts And Fossils: Exploring The Contributions And Socioeconomic Impacts Of Montana’S Museums And Paleontological Tourism, Emma Keinath-Lopez, Elena Bigart, Glenna Hartman, Kara Grau, Ava Worbets, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This study explores how Montana’s museums, including those along the Montana Dinosaur Trail, influence communities, economies, and visitor experiences in a post-pandemic environment. Through mixed methods—511 visitor surveys at 44 museums and 18 interviews with museum professionals— this research provides a holistic understanding of museum operations, visitor motivations, and community impacts.

The Affective Economy Of Toxic Atmospheres: Sensory Governance, Ecological Intelligences And The Performative Politics Of Urban Mosquito Management, Orlando Woods, Creighton Connolly

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This paper considers how atmospheres can play a powerful role in troubling the management of nature in the multispecies city. It brings the cyclical nature of atmospheric effects, the affective values and il/logics that determine human responses to non-human threats, and the misguided and potentially deleterious health outcomes that ensue into one analytical frame. Drawing on the empirical case of urban mosquito management in Singapore, it considers how the creation of toxic atmospheres through fogging – blowing insecticides into the air in a bid to kill mosquitoes – is ineffective and sets in motion a cascading series of socio-environmental consequences. …

2026 Montana Tourism Outlook – Sales Tax: Is It Time? Montana Economic Seminar Presentation, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

No abstract provided.

Montana On Screen: Exploring Film Tourism In Montana, Kika Bradford, Elena Bigart, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report presents a study exploring how film and TV show exposure influences tourism to Montana, a state long celebrated for its cinematic landscapes and Western heritage. Using data from an online survey of 311 visitors who had both watched a Montana-related production and visited a filming location in the past five years, the research examines visitor profiles, motivations, travel behaviors, spending, and perceptions.

Development Of Sustainable Economy Programs In Langkat Regency, North Sumatra: Characteristics Of Coastal Communities And Mangrove Utilization, Meilinda Suriani Harefa, Mohamed Abdelwareth, Armin Rahmansyah Nasution, M Taufik Rahmadi, Dwi Irfansyah, Nurul 'Ain

Jurnal Pendidikan Geografi: Kajian, Teori, dan Praktek dalam Bidang Pendidikan dan Ilmu Geografi

Langkat Regency is one of the regencies in North Sumatra with a mangrove forest area of 26,774 hectares in 2024. Mangrove forests offer numerous benefits to coastal communities. Beyond serving as ecosystem resources, mangrove forests also provide economic benefits to coastal residents. Since the 1990s, coastal communities in Langkat Regency have begun cutting down forests for firewood without understanding the potential impacts. If this phenomenon continues, mangrove forest deforestation will worsen. The research aims to identify the characteristics of coastal communities in Langkat Regency, analyze the economic programs favored by these communities, and develop economic program models that sustainably utilize …

Study Of The Spatial Effect Of Geothermal On Surface Water Quality (Case Study Of Ci Pamatutan Watershed, Parakansalak Sub-District), Fauzan Abdurrahman Masykur, Prasetiawan Pras, M. Rafli Ariq Rianputra, Nesya Desfarivana Umaya, Vanesa Kelly Gabriela, Mangapul Parlindungan Tambunan, Supriatna Supriatna

Jurnal Geografi Lingkungan Tropik (Journal of Geography of Tropical Environments)

Geothermal plays an important role in affecting surface water quality with both positive and negative effects. It becomes an efficient renewable energy source in generating electricity without producing harmful gases. However, the presence of geothermal affects the quality of surface water in a watershed. This research is focused on the Mount Salak geothermal area which has volcanic and tectonic activity. Parameters such as electrical conductivity (measured in millisiemens/cm) were used to measure the content of minerals and dissolved compounds in the water. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) measured in ppt is used to quantify dissolved solids, while water acidity (pH) indicates …