Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Analyzing The Effect Of Guided Nature Walks On Human Behavior, Jake Duffy

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Several studies have identified a gap in the understanding of what guided nature walks does for the individual person, and the extent to which guided nature walks and interpretive signs improves individual pro-environmental behavior and attitudes. This study surveyed over 300 people on their reactions to certain types of signs and the influence that those signs had on the individuals’ desire to return outdoors. Our results showed an overwhelmingly positive reaction to signs with ecological or systems-based information that could be utilized on their walk, while signs that taught an environmental or historical feature of that area were not appreciated …

Gender And Environmental Sustainability: A Cross-National Analysis On Political Representation Of Women And Subsequent State Sustainability, Erin O'Sullivan

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The literature focusing on the relationship between gender and environmental sustainability is vast. Research has focused on how gender relates to pro-sustainable behavior but fails to analyze this beyond individual action. Research has also found positive correlations between women’s representation at a state’s political level and different factors of state sustainability. However, literature has fallen short on analyzing if there is a causal effect between these factors. This study aimed to fill this gap in the literature and analyzes how the ratio of women in parliament in a state affects the state’s environmental sustainability. Although the results showed no statistically …

Regenerative Agriculture –A Pathway For Addressing Nebraska’S Water Quality And Soil Degradation Challenges, Kjersten Hyberger

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

It is important to begin this thesis by acknowledging that the State of Nebraska is on stolen Native land. Furthermore, the University of Nebraska is a land-grant university that was ultimately given 89,920 acres of Native lands for the paltry sum of $11,194. To date, the University of Nebraska has benefited from a 51:1 profit ratio on the funds raised from its 1873 land grant, raising over $500,000 in endowment principle. I humbly acknowledge that the privilege of earning my degree at UNL came through the often violent and bloody displacement of multiple tribal nations (High Country News, 2020).

Examining The Psychology And Human Behavior Of Sustainable Living: The Impact Of Socioeconomic Status On Climate Change Education, Samantha Nielsen

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Climate change education has become increasingly important as the world faces the challenges of a rapidly changing environment. However, not all individuals have equal access to this education, and socioeconomic status has been identified as a barrier to climate change knowledge. This thesis explores the impact of socioeconomic status on climate change education through a survey-based approach, using the Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey to investigate the relationship between income and degree of education with climate change concern and community interaction. The study finds a significant correlation between higher levels of education and climate change concern, as well as greater …

Solar Energy Implementation In Rural Communities, Corie Gleason

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This thematic analysis was completed in Nebraska, as it looked at how the state’s rural communities react to solar energy projects. Due to their strong sense of social and community identity, members of rural communities are often resistant to change and may have difficulty supporting new projects such as solar farms in their communities. However, these rural communities provide the necessary space for solar farms while still being in close proximity to the users of the energy that the farms produce. This study aims to explore what factors have made past solar projects successful and the ways in which those …

Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Nebraska State Park Visitation, Bailey Mullins

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The Covid-19 virus was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020 by the World Health Organization. Since then the outdoor recreation habits of the general public have changed due to the constraints and risks of the virus. The first case of Covid-19 in Nebraska was reported in March of 2020. One of the most popular places for recreation in the state of Nebraska is to visit our state parks and recreation areas. The purpose of this research is to determine how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted visitation at Nebraska state parks and recreation areas. To do this, the Nebraska Game …

Rails To Trails Program: Neighborhood Dynamics In Lincoln, Nebraska, Emma Mccormick

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

As cities increasingly move towards creating sustainable, equitable, climate-forward communities, city planners, advocates, and policymakers have begun to focus increasingly on improving access to greenspaces. Studies around the globe have documented the importance of greenspace for multiple individual, group, and community level outcomes. Simultaneously, extant research suggests that access to greenspaces frequently reflects social inequality in urban spaces, stratifying such access by race and socioeconomic composition of neighborhoods. However, few research projects have examined potential unintended consequences, such as contemporary housing issues like gentrification, that greenspaces can create for community infrastructure here in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Evapotranspiration Of Residential Lawns Across The United States, Noortje H. Grijseels, Elizaveta Litvak, Meghan Avolio, Anika R. Bratt, Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Peter M. Groffman, Sarah E. Hobbie, Susannah B. Lerman, Jennifer L. Morse, Multiple Additional Authors

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite interest in the contribution of evapotranspiration (ET) of residential turfgrass lawns to household and municipal water budgets across the United States, the spatial and temporal variability of residential lawn ET across large scales is highly uncertain. We measured instantaneous ET (ET_inst) of lawns in 79 residential yards in six metropolitan areas: Baltimore, Boston, Miami, Minneapolis-St. Paul (mesic climates), Los Angeles and Phoenix (arid climates). Each yard had one of four landscape types and management practices: traditional lawn-dominated yards with high or low fertilizer input, yards with water-conserving features, and yards with wildlife-friendly features. We measured ET_{inst …}

Synthesis Of A Phenyl Substituted Zinc Dipyrrin Complex For The Purpose Of Analyzing Aromatic Substitutions On The Characteristics Of Compounds Of This Class, Kole Owen

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The field of photochemistry is as innovative in development as it is broad in application. However, utilization of energy from the sun’s electromagnetic radiation remains secondary to the combustion of fossil fuels for the global energy consumption. This is neither a sustainable nor renewable system, and it has contributed to a major decline in the health of our global environment as the greenhouse gases emission has led to an incline in global temperatures and ocean acidity. To develop effective ways to utilize solar energy, experimental effort is being directed towards the understanding of photosensitizers, molecules which absorb solar radiation and …

Rattus Norvegicus As A Biological Detector Of Clandestine Remains And The Use Of Ultrasonic Vocalizations As A Locating Mechanism, Gabrielle M. Johnston

Master's Theses

In investigations, locating missing persons and clandestine remains are imperative. One way that first responder and police agencies can search for the remains is by using cadaver dogs as biological detectors. Cadaver dogs are typically used due to their olfactory sensitivity and ability to detect low concentrations of volatile organic compounds produced by biological remains. Cadaver dogs are typically chosen for their stamina, agility, and olfactory sensitivity. However, what is not taken into account often is the size of the animal and the expense of maintaining and training the animal. Cadaver dogs are typically large breeds that cannot fit in …

Historic Downtown Streetscape Plan Price City, Utah, Patricia Beckert

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The idea of a small-town Main Street has profound meaning within the American culture that has prevailed for the past two centuries. Historically, Main Street serves as the beating heart of a community, a place where economic, social, cultural, and civic activities are centered (Francaviglia, 1996; Main Street America, n.d.). Since the beginning of the 19th century, many factors have led to the decline of Main Streets, and despite a variety of efforts from different stakeholders, that decline has only intensified in recent decades (Isenberg, 2008; Orvell, 2014 Howard, 2015). In 1980, after a three-year project conducted by the National …

An Overview Of Serial Depletions Of Global Marine Fisheries 1950 To 2019, Alison Follmer

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Overfishing is a global issue that poses a significant risk to the entire ocean ecosystem in diminishing biodiversity and ecosystem function. This thesis examined the pattern and pace of fisheries depletions due to commercial fishing during the past 70 years. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Division of Fisheries and Aquaculture maintains a database of global hauls of marine taxa (reported in metric tonnes) from 1950 – 2019. These data were queried to determine the total number and sequence of fisheries depletions documented by the historic record. Analysis of this database showed progressive, linearly-increasing exploitation of …

Soil Health And Remediation For Urban Gardens In Utah, Melissa Chilinski

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Urban environments are at an increased risk of soil contamination and poor soil health due to anthropogenic causes. As healthy farmland is developed, new urban farmers and gardeners are often left growing food on unwanted land with unknown histories of previous use. Varied research and methods for obtaining healthy soils can cause new growers to make decisions that negatively impact soil health and fertility, or on the other hand, conflicting information can cause individuals to become unnecessarily fearful of common soil contaminants and their effect on human health. Common soil contaminants, like trace metals (often referred to as heavy metals) …

The Intersection Of Urban Heat Islands And The Cdc Social Vulnerability Index In Two Border Cities, Ileana Morales

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Glacial Proximity On The Elemental Composition Of Leachate Derived From Sediment Weathering, Karoline Ford

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This study assesses chemical weathering trends as they relate to glacial retreat. The chemical environment of surfaces exposed to the atmosphere differs significantly from beneath a glacier. As a glacier melts, changes to the biogeochemical processes generate environmental gradients. This study analyzed chemical weathering signals at different distances from a glacial front by comparing the elemental composition of leachate derived from sediments in southeastern Greenland. Samples from proglacial, nonglacial, and moraine locations were weathered in a laboratory setting, and ion chromatography was used to determine the elemental composition of the products. Divergent trends in leachate composition were observed as distance …

Elucidating Unique Sources And Persistent Hydrologic Pathways Of Chloride To Perennial Freshwater Streams: Root River Analog In A Cold-Weather Environment, Leah Elizabeth Dechant

Theses and Dissertations

Chloride in freshwater streams is increasing in concentration, persisting throughout the year, and contributing to the salinization of water resources. The primary source and pathway of chloride in cold-weather environments are thought to be road salt and runoff. However, mounting evidence displays that other sources and pathways of chloride play an important role yet studies to elucidate them at a high resolution, both temporally and spatially, and across diverse land use are lacking. In this study, chloride was quantified continuously for an urban and rural stream year-round in a watershed thought to be heavily impacted by road salt. Bivariate mixing …

Aestheticization As A Type Of Erasure: An Ecocritical Examination Of Three Etchings From James Mcneill Whistler's 'Thames Set' (1859-1871), Sydney Ion

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores “A Series of Sixteen Etchings of Scenes on the Thames” (1859-1871), Thames Set, by James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903), a group of etchings that negotiates the effects of the “Great Stink” on the Thames riverbank and its people. I argue that the series exhibits a strange paradox: the intentional exclusion of accurate environmental elements and sensorial details to achieve a romanticized nostalgic framework that serves Whistler’s aesthetic ideals. This aestheticization of the environmental crisis is the foundation from which Whistler’s modernization grew. Recent research has understood the Thames Set as evidence of Whistler’s involvement in depicting lower-class …

Molecular Evidence For The Export Of Terrigenous Organic Matter To The North Gulf Of Mexico By Solid-State 13C Nmr And Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry Of Humic Acids, Sarah Ann Ware

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Marine organic matter is mainly believed to originate from autochthonous organic matter, while terrigenous organic matter is assumed to be largely degraded prior to reaching the open ocean or more recently replaced by marine organic matter via a stripping process. Sediment samples along a transect extending from the Mississippi River Birdsfoot Delta to the Mississippi Canyon on the Louisiana continental shelf were examined by advanced analytical techniques, electrospray ionization coupled to a 12T Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (ESI-FTICR-MS) and quantitative solid-state multiple cross polarization magic angle spinning (multi-CPMAS) ¹³C NMR in an effort to understand the …

An Exploration Of The Application Of Desalination In Disaster Relief, Emma Sager

Senior Honors Theses

This paper aims to explore the application of small-scale desalination systems to provide clean water in the wake of marine natural disasters. A lack of clean water is a devastating impact of many natural disasters. Desalination technologies, both thermal and membrane, show potential for being scaled down and self-powered by renewable energy. Desalination can transform ocean water and contaminated drinking water with a high salt content into drinkable, usable water. While these techniques are not perfected, and the solution to a need for clean water is multifaceted, desalination shows potential. Through further research and ever-advancing technology, small-scale desalination could develop …

Cross-Boundary Stewardship In Protected Area Centered Ecosystems: Perceptions Of Success And Characteristics Of Cooperative Engagement, Ryan D. Tarver

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The legal boundaries of protected areas, such as national parks are established and enforced by humans. Therefore, jurisdictional boundaries are ultimately have human meaning but not necessarily ecological relevance as natural phenomena such as watersheds and wildlife habitat often extend beyond a jurisdictional boundary. When considering the extent of natural system, we find that protected areas only make up part of a given ecosystem. The result is a large expanse of lands that fall under a various ownership types that include both publicly and privately designated tracts of land. This presents a management challenge when attempting to manage at the …

Multidimensional Investigation Of Tennessee’S Urban Forest, Jillian L. Gorrell

Doctoral Dissertations

Preserving existing trees in urban areas and properly cultivating urban forest conservation and management opportunities is valuable to the ever-growing urban environment and necessary for creating optimal experiences and educational tools to meet the needs of increasing urban populations. This dissertation contains studies investigating several facets of the urban forest, including environmental effects of deforestation and urbanization, tree equity, and urban forest facility management and accessibility. Community education and outreach at arboreta about the importance of the tree canopy can help promote environmental stewardship. A digital questionnaire was electronically distributed to representatives of arboreta certified through the Tennessee Division of …

Determination Of Cadmium Uptake In Crassostrea Virginica Shell Under Controlled Conditions, Joseph John Pavelites Ii

<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>

The objective of this thesis was to meet growing demand for the development of environmental biomonitors that protect ecosystems and public health. To do this, I determined the potential of oyster shell as a bioindicator of cadmium (Cd) in the environment by determining the mode of Cd uptake and relationships between Cd concentrations in the environment, shell, and soft tissues of juvenile eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica Gmelin). I performed a review of the literature on the ability of oyster shell to retain metal contaminants and the factors that could affect this process (Chapter 2). I then reared C. virginica …

Partitioning And Microdosimetry Of Plutonium-239 And 55-Iron In Environmental Bacteria Grown In Liquid Cultures, Lisa Manglass

All Dissertations

The work presented herein provides quantitative data related to bacteria exposed in situ to two radionuclides relevant to nuclear sensing: plutonium-239 (²³⁹Pu) and iron-55 (⁵⁵Fe). Originally motivated by the fundamental science underlying biosensing, liquid cultures of Pseudomonas putida and Escherichia coli were exposed to radionuclides over the course of 15-day experimental periods with the intent of gaining insight into the response of these bacteria. An essential component of characterizing or utilizing this response in a meaningful way is an understanding of the dose leading to that response. This dissertation narrows the knowledge gap associated with dose-response …

Building Community Resiliency Against Disasters, Zachary L. Doering

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Disasters impact people in many different places around the world. The impact to communities by disasters is shaped by their constructed vulnerability. The goal of this research project was to better understand how the vulnerability and resiliency of different communities was shaped at six different sites across the U.S. and to construct a collection of best practices to raise the resiliency of populations and locations in the face of many different forms of possible disasters in the future. These concepts and conclusions were drawn from internet research of the chosen sites. Phase 1 of the research determined noteworthy sites and …

Forecasting Natural Regeneration Of Sagebrush After Wildfires Using Population Models And Spatial Matching, Andrii Zaiats, Megan E. Cattau, David S. Pilliod, Rongsong Liu, Juan Miguel Requena-Mullor, Trevor Caughlin

Human-Environment Systems Research Center Faculty Publications and Presentations

Context Addressing ecosystem degradation in the Anthropocene will require ecological restoration across large spatial extents. Identifying areas where natural regeneration will occur without direct resource investment will improve scalability of restoration actions.

Objectives An ecoregion in need of large scale restoration is the Great Basin of the Western US, where increasingly large and frequent wildfires threaten ecosystem integrity and its foundational shrub species. We develop a framework to forecast where postwildfire regeneration of sagebrush cover (Artemisia spp.) is likely to occur within the burnt areas across the region (>900,000 km²).

Methods First, we parameterized population models …

Long-Term Spatial And Temporal Assessment Of Criteria Air Pollutants Concentration Trends In The Lower Rio Grande Valley Region Of Texas, Usa, Md Salahuddin Majumder

Theses and Dissertations

Air pollution is a substantial environmental challenge all over the world. This study investigated the long-term air pollution levels in the Lower Rio Grande Valley region, by utilizing data collected from five continuous ambient monitoring stations in two counties over 23 years, from January 2000 to December 2022, to analyze daily, monthly, and seasonal variations of different pollutants, including ground-level ozone, particulate matter, and carbon monoxide. This study also identified distinct daily and seasonal patterns for O3, PM2.5, PM10, and CO at each monitoring site, influenced by factors such as traffic emissions, temperature, solar radiation, indoor heating, and weather conditions. …

Multi-Objective Optimization Framework For Electrified Vehicle Penetration Based On Life Cycle Assessment And Life Cycle Cost., Eva Alondra Diaz Lozano

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research proposed a novel framework for creating optimal transportation scenarios that consider multiple objectives such as minimum greenhouse gas emissions, air pollutant levels, and cost of ownership. The thesis approach is a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm coupled with the AFEET tool, allowing us to efficiently explore the complex trade-offs between these objectives and identify a diverse set of optimal solutions. Through several case studies and a design of experiments, this demonstrates the effectiveness and practicality in different scenarios. This approach has significant implications for policymakers and industry professionals seeking to make sustainable and cost-effective decisions in the transportation sector.

Elizabeth River Basin Environmental Justice Indicators, Molly Mitchell, Andrew M. Scheld, Sarah Stafford, Tamia Rudnicky, Joseph Snitzer

Data

This data is a portion of the data included in the Elizabeth River Environmental Justice Tool (https://cmap22.vims.edu/EREJTool/) The Elizabeth River Environmental Justice map viewer contains a variety of layers that will help planners target vulnerable locations and populations within the Elizabeth River Watershed. This data was developed specifically to support the Elizabeth River Project’s decision making in this region.

Subterraneans: A Regional Earth Dwelling For Comfort And Beauty, Isaak Benchoff

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

Subterraneans is a study of an affordable, self-sufficient, sustainable, and dignified housing prototype for the region of Northwest Arkansas. It is a design process investigation based on the ideas of turning a local, sustainable material into affordable homes that can be built within a community of people sharing land and resources. The homes would utilize as many natural materials as possible to minimize the impact on the Earth and the cost to the owners.

Research looked at many different vernacular building precedents as well as the work done by contemporary design firms in the area of economical, low-impact, and passively …

Impacts Of Preferential Flow On Tc-99and Np-237 Vadose Transport In Soils At The Savannah River Site, Josh Parris

All Theses

Since the 1950s, the United States has produced approximately 90,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) (Office of Nuclear Energy, 2022); however, no long-term storage solutions are available. Technecium-99 and neptunium-237, two fission products found in SNF, readily form highly mobile species in oxidizing conditions (Hu, 2008; Bondietti, 1979) and have respective half-lives of 2.13 x 10⁵ and 2.14 x10⁶ years (Hu, 2010). Considering these characteristics, ⁹⁹Tc and ²³⁷Np are two risk-driving isotopes found in SNF storage. The process of macropore-facilitated preferential flow, transport through cracks within a soil matrix, has been recognized to increase …