SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
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Attitudes, Adoption, and Awareness of Conservation Agriculture Techniques by Farmers in the Karatu Highlands
Get PDFRising temperatures and varying rainfall, as results of anthropogenic climate change, are threatening the livelihoods and food security of small-scale agro-pastoralists throughout East Africa. However, the use of conservation agriculture (CA) techniques as climate change mitigation strategies remains largely unexplored in this region. This study interviewed 101 participants using questionnaires to examine the awareness, challenges, and uses of different CA techniques in the rural village of Kilimatembo in the Karatu highlands of Tanzania. While the use of CA techniques, such as terracing (69.13%), intercropping (82.18%), and cover cropping (46.35%) is prevalent in the area, awareness of climatic changes varies greatly, and knowledge of the use of CA techniques as climate change mitigation strategies is relatively nonexistent. No correlation was found between the use of CA techniques and the respondents’ levels of climate change awareness, and, as such, it could be determined that knowledge of the use of CA techniques as climate change mitigation strategies is similarly lacking. Many respondents cited rainfall variation (67.33%) and higher temperatures (43.6%) as the most prevalent climate change impacts and 88.12% of respondents additionally noted decreasing crop yields as a major consequence of these climatic changes. CA techniques could provide necessary relief from the negative impacts of climate change; however, challenges such as cost (31.68%), labor (24.75%), and neighbor conflicts (17.82%) still prevent many farmers from implementing these strategies. Increased soil fertility (68.32%), increased crop yield (73.27%), and reduced soil erosion (80.20%) were the three benefits of CA implementation most often answered by interview respondents. A majority of farmers in Kilimatembo village stated themselves as very likely (91.09%) to continue implementing CA techniques or implement CA techniques in the future. However, the extension of educational opportunities and monetary support to local small-scale agropastoralists is needed before the use of CA can be fully realized in the region
Effects of propagule pressure, environmental factors, and climate change on success and impacts of benthic aquatic invasions
Get PDFNonnative species introductions are linked to anthropogenic drivers, including transport of species into novel habitat(s), changes in local environmental factors that may facilitate invasions, or large-scale shifts in abiotic conditions with climate change. In freshwater ecosystems, transport of nonnative species often occurs via boats (e.g., trailers, boat props, bilge water). Environmental factors include differences in watershed land use and water quality (e.g., transparency, nutrient and chlorophyll-a concentrations, pH, and conductivity). Climate change may increase water temperatures, affecting lake stratification, and causing low or pulsed dissolved oxygen concentrations. Both understanding factors causing spatial variability of invasive species and assessing potential negative impacts to ecosystems are important. For example, some invasive species are more tolerant or adapted to increased water temperature or lower dissolved oxygen, and may persist in such environments, while natives decline. This research assessed propagule pressure, environmental factors, and climate change, focusing on benthic macrophytes and macroinvertebrates. First, propagule risk (proxy for propagule pressure, capturing extent to which invasives might be introduced from different populations) and environmental conditions were correlated with richness and abundance of invasive macrophytes in 20 lakes; results suggest that propagule risk was the driver of invasive macrophytes in the lake communities studied. Negative impacts on macrophyte communities from the introduction of a dominant macroalgae, Nitellopsis obtusa, were also evaluated. Increased abundance of N. obtusa was correlated with reductions in total and native macrophyte richness, a pattern consistent across depths, suggesting that N. obtusa can displace species in lake communities. Finally, bioenergetics and nutrient/trace metal sediment release from the nonnative oligochaete, Branchiura sowerbyi, were compared to those of native benthic invertebrates (Hexagenia and Chironomus riparius) under various water temperature and DO concentrations, to understand ecosystem implications of B. sowerbyi’s introduction. Results suggest that B. sowerbyi may be more tolerant of conditions under predicted future climate, and thus may spread and become more dominant in benthic communities, with implications for sediment nutrient and contaminant dynamics. Results of this research offer insight into ecological processes involved in benthic aquatic invasions, including factors that may lead to their success, and the consequences for ecosystems and native species once established
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Get PDFThroughout history, skateboarding has been classified as an alternative sport associated with nonconformity. From small underground skate scenes in urban neighborhoods to the famous 1975 Zephyr Competition Team (Z-Boys) in Venice, California, these exploitative and explorative artists have been told that their art is unimportant or disapproved through expressions, signs, and physical changes to design. Ironically, people cannot stop watching, to the point that the Z-Boys became powerfully influential around the world. They, like their artist counterparts, challenge politics, plan, practice, choreograph, and dare to move outside of social bounds, challenging materials and physics. They are explorers of time and space on levels that the average pedestrian cannot compare. The purpose of this study is to illustrate how street skateboarders, through their exploratory performances, can inform designers through exploitation of factors such as the success of flow throughout a space, usefulness or uselessness of certain forms, and the blurred lines of public versus private. Skateboarding is an active, productive analysis- they are both enthusiasts and critics of landscape architecture and the human sociopolitical factors that it associates with.
Barcelona, Spain, the European “Skateboarding Mecca,” with the sun and sea that parallels the lifestyle where skateboarding began and a possesses a relatively skateboard-tolerant social and political view, was the most idea location to conduct this study. I began my research by exploring the city using maps and word of mouth, and recorded the markings and popularity of street skate-spots throughout the city. It became clear, however, that there was one spot that was the skateboarding epicenter of Barcelona: The Museum of Contemporary Art- Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelonabetter known by its acronym, MACBA.
At the MACBA, I used a visual notation methods [scoring], to analyze how forms were used through time and space, and then linearly scored the innovative connections of forms created through the lines of street skateboarders. My goal is to present the complexities of the moving skateboarders through visual scores that exploit the productive potential of the MACBA, so that designers can create spaces with the unlimited potential of the forms they choose in mind
The Use of Landsat Imagery and Spatial Analysis to Detect Forest Cover Change and Degradation, and Determine Forest Management Suitability Indices in the Bago Mountain Region of Myanmar
Get PDFThe Bago Mountain region in Myanmar is known as the “Home of Teak” (Tectona grandis) due to the occurrence of natural teak forests. Nowadays, the composition of this valuable timber species is declining in the region. Thus, the first objective of this study was to quantify forest cover changes between 2000 and 2017. The second objective was to develop GIS models and determine potential sites for reforestation activities. The results revealed that between 2000 and 2017, the annual deforestation rate was 0.78%, and annual forest degradation rate was 1.35%. In addition to reporting the forest cover changes, this GIS land suitability analysis could provide important spatial information for immediate teak restoration planning and investments. The steps employed in this study can be referred to as a protocol for locating candidate sites for reforestation in other geographic areas
Enhancing the Environmental Sustainability of the Production and Degradation of PHA Polymers
Get PDFThe negative impacts caused by traditional plastics to natural ecosystems are becoming increasingly drastic. One solution to this issue is greater implementation of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), which are biodegradable plastics naturally produced by bacteria. The primary objective of this work was to exemplify and add to the body of research being conducted to further progress the PHA industry as a whole. Economic feasibility is a major barrier preventing broader usage of PHAs, therefore a study was performed to create a novel method for engineering Halomonas bacteria, a highly attractive genus for its potential in lowering PHA production costs. To ensure environmental compatibility, research was conducted to investigate the natural biodegradation of PHA polymers and determine how some naturally present microorganisms metabolize components of these materials. The insights provided by these studies will further promote our ability to expand PHA technologies while maintaining a focus on environmental sustainability
Forest Legacy Effects on Amphibian Populations: Integrating Land and Life Histories in Conservation
Get PDFUnderstanding how forests are shaped by historical disturbances is essential for developing effective conservation plans for forest-dwelling organisms threatened by habitat loss, such as amphibians. Salamander and frog populations and microhabitats were sampled using visual encounter surveys and forest habitat assessments in uplands varying in aquatic habitat resources (i.e., vernal pool densities) and disturbance history (i.e., secondary to residual forests) to assess agricultural land-use legacy effects on populations and terrestrial habitats of amphibians with different life histories. Pool-breeding, stream-breeding, and fully terrestrial salamanders were negatively associated with secondary forests, which featured shallower leaf litter, denser understory vegetation, and fewer cover objects than residual forests. Only wood frogs were unaffected by disturbance history, being solely influenced by available aquatic habitat. These results demonstrate the utility of historical ecology for amphibian population studies and suggest that secondary forests may not provide the same conservation value as residual forests for many amphibian species
Assessing Arapaima Conservation and Management Through Actionable Research
Get PDFThis work investigated floodplain fish ecology and implications for management and conservation by studying the most historically important and overexploited fisheries in South America, the arapaima (genus Arapaima). Through actionable research in arapaima ecology and fishery management, this dissertation aimed to improve inland fish conservation and management in floodplain ecosystems. First, through a systematic literature review, thematic, geographic, and temporal trends in arapaima research were identified. Despite exponential growth in arapaima research, only one-third of studies were applicable to management and notable knowledge gaps remained that could hinder decision making for arapaima management and conservation. The second analysis explored variability in arapaima reproductive traits. Observations from the Lower Amazon were compared to findings across South America. Considerable variation in size at first sexual maturation and nesting features was found within and between regions. The third analysis characterized seasonal arapaima migration patterns by using acoustic telemetry to monitor migrations of 24 arapaima over a two year period. Results showed connectivity of arapaima from different lake populations and crossover between community-based management zones during high-water seasons. In addition, arapaima showed lake fidelity in low water seasons. Finally, successes of small-scale co-management efforts to promote recovery for arapaima fisheries were highlighted. The history of arapaima fishing, early management efforts, and improvements to management approaches were discussed. Then, implementation of co-management at small scales was evaluated across three regions based on presence of eight principles for sustainable governance of common property resources. For each region, current and ongoing challenges were considered. Then, lessons were identified that can be useful for management of arapaima and other inland fisheries. In summary, successful floodplain fishery management and conservation practices should address knowledge gaps to establish practices based on a comprehensive knowledge base on fish ecology
GROWTH AND YIELD OF SITKA SPRUCE ON AFOGNAK ISLAND, ALASKA IS LOW OR IS IT?
No full textSitka spruce (Picea sitchensis Bong, Carr.) is the only tree that naturally inhabits Afognak Island, Alaska. Commercial harvesting on Afognak Island has generated interest for foresters and land managers of the Kodiak archipelago. Although Sitka spruce has been thoroughly studied in its most productive regions, Afognak and surrounding islands have been excluded from these studies due to unique growth and habit. A network of 90 permeant continuous forest inventory plots on Afognak Island were established in 2010. Four common non-linear growth equations, logistic, Gompertz, Richards and Weibull, were fit to tree age-height and age-volume data. Site index for Afognak Island was found to be 80. All age-height equations accounted for at least 26 % of variation on Afognak Island. The Richards equation accounted for 90% of the variation in tree volume. Average site productivity class was found to be 9,075 cubic feet per acre at an age of 100 years
ADSORPTION OF HEAVY METAL CATIONS ON KLASON LIGNIN FROM PAULOWNIA ELONGATA AND KRAFT LIGNIN
Get PDFLignin produced from two processes, 1. An acid hydrolysis process: sequential acid hydrolysis of Paulownia elongata wood powder (Klason lignin); 2. Kraft pulping process: black liquor (Kraft lignin), were studied for their heavy metal adsorption affinities. Both lignin samples were effective in removing Pb(II), providing the industrial application potential of lignin in treating lead contaminated wastewater. Hot water treatment of woody biomass is a typical biorefinery process that can result in lignin extraction for potential applications. Hot-water treatment was thus evaluated for its impact on the heavy metal adsorption affinities of Klason lignin. It was found hot water treatment can either enhance or weaken the lignin adsorption capacity depending on the severity of the treatment. Samples with long duration of treatment encountered a substantial loss in the adsorption ability. Depolymerization and condensation lignin reaction schemes under acidic and high temperature environment were summarized and applied to explain the affinity changes. The adsorption mechanism was further studied with Kraft lignin. The Pb(II) adsorption affinity of Kraft lignin was found to follow an “S” dependency on the environmental pH, indicating the existence of more than one ion-exchanging functional groups involved in the adsorption process. NMR characterization of Kraft lignin discovered phenolic hydroxyl groups and carboxyl groups as ion-exchanging functional groups. Other chemical structures in Kraft lignin such as aldehyde groups, ketone groups, ether bond, and aromatic rings are also considered as adsorption functional group because of their potential to complex with heavy metal cations. In order to explain the process from a mechanistic point of view, an novel adsorption theory named “1-n cooperative adsorption theory” was proposed which considered the existence of multiple active sites and the interaction of one adsorbate to multiple sites. The derived model evaluated the effect of temperature and pH on the adsorption affinity, which achieved a significant improvement compared to the Langmuir model. The simulation results show the binding affinity towards Pb(II) is significantly higher than Cd(II) and Ni(II). The new theory also has wide application range to other multivalent interactions including adsorption, flocculation, chelation, and filtration
COMPARATIVE HABITAT SELECTION AND BEHAVIOR OF MALLARDS (Anas platyrhynchos) AND AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS (Anas rubripes) WINTERING IN THE FINGER LAKES REGION
Get PDFMallards and American black ducks are closely related species with little niche separation. I sought to identify management actions to promote the Finger Lakes population of wintering black ducks in the face of competition with mallards. Occupancy by black ducks of points on lake shorelines was negatively influenced by building presence. Local black duck colonization varied negatively with proportion of developed land and local black duck extinction varied positively with dock density. Based on GPS tracking, mallards used agriculture and developed habitats more than black ducks. Black ducks selected emergent wetlands to a greater degree than available within their home range. I did not statistically detect behavioral differences between species although proportion time spent foraging when in forested wetlands was eight times greater for black ducks than mallards. Black duck conservation in wintering areas should focus on restoring agricultural areas to emergent marsh and maintaining shoreline areas with limited development