SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
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Selected Topics in the Utilization of Natural Resources: Production of Transportation Fuel and Potential Biomass source for use in Biorefinery
Get PDFAs the price of corn-based ethanol products is estimated to continue increasing in the near future, lignocellulosics remains the only viable candidate as a renewable source of ethanol production. Wheat straw is grown in over 115 nations under a wide range of conditions, with 300 million tons being produced every year in North America and Europe alone. The Biorefinery proposed at SUNY ESF is based on the first, environmentally acceptable step of hot-water extraction {HWE) as a pretreatment, which removes easily accessible hemicelluloses. Most of the studies of HWE have been performed on different hardwoods (model species: sugar maple, Acer saccharum), and confirmed the dissolution of the majority of xylans. This study looked into the use of wheat straw in the HWE-based biorefinery. The chemical composition of wheat straw before HWE was determined by following several TAPPI and other methods used to analyze chemical composition. The HWE was performed in standard conditions proposed for hardwoods {2 hours, 160°(). The effect of HWE on the calorific value of the wheat straw was evaluated and confirmed that the loss of hemicelluloses during HWE results in an increase of energy of combustion of the extracted wheat straw which is a beneficial feature for potential use of hot-water extracted wheat straw as pellets for CHP (Combined Heat & Power) use. In addition, the delignification and deashing effects of HWE were evaluated
Determining the role of PA2449 in pyocyanin biosynthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, PAO1
Get PDFPseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 is an opportunistic pathogen known to have an arsenal of virulence factors that can affect immunocompromised patients. One of these virulence factors is the redox-active phenazine compound, pyocyanin. The production of pyocyanin is regulated by multiple mechanisms, which include stress response and quorum sensing (QS). In a previous study, we found that the PA2449 gene was required for the biosynthesis of QS homoserine lactones and pyocyanin. This study focused on a particular strain of P. aeruginosa that lacked the ability to produce pyocyanin. We restored the production of pyocyanin in this strain by inserting a vector encoding a gene responsible for pyocyanin biosynthesis, rhlI. We then did various studies to determine the levels at which the toxin was produced compared to the wild type strain. We found that in smaller volumes of medium, the mutant strain production levels were similar to the wild type, 219 μM. In larger volumes of media the two strains produced a similar amount of pyocyanin although the timing of the production between the two strains was different, 4.5 hours for the wild type and 9 hours for the mutant strain containing the vector. We also analyzed other strains with knockouts relevant to the PA2449 gene. This led us to discover the potential role for PA2449 in pyocyanin production, in repressing the expression of MexEF- OprN allowing the intracellular accumulation of PQS. This study will allow us to further understand the mechanisms that Pseudomonas, as well as other bacteria, use when producing toxins
The impact of human activity on sedimentary stored carbon levels within a mangrove forest
Get PDFThe objectives of this study were to examine the impact of human activity on organic content levels in mangrove sediment. Sediment samples and forest structure data from four sites in Utila, Honduras ranging in degradation levels were recorded and analyzed. Results indicated that forest structure differences are likely influenced more by environmental factors and setting differences than by human impacts and degradation. Additionally, the sediment from the most impacted sites had the greatest levels of organic content, while sediment from the least impacted, marine protected area, had a significantly lower average organic content level. These findings have noteworthy implications for conservation, as the sites that are being dredged and cleared are also those with the highest organic content levels. Ultimately, the findings of this study suggest an urgent need for the conservation of sites that have previously been overlooked and continuously degraded
The Impacts of Invasive Earthworms on Decompositional Enzyme Activity
Get PDFNative earthworms are believed to have been removed from the northeastern United States during the last period of glaciation, and have since been slow to recolonize. In areas that have been colonized, non-native earthworms have caused major impacts to the litter layer and soil horizons, rapidly consuming litter and homogenizing soil horizons through burrowing activity. In this study, we used colorimetric enzyme assays to observe the potential earthworm impacts on soil microbial decomposition. We hypothesized that earthworms would increase the production of oxidative enzymes, which degrade recalcitrant litter, due to preferential consumption of labile leaf litter. Through this study, we found that earthworms have impacts on the production of oxidative enzymes in the organic horizon, promoting increased phenol oxidase activity in order to decompose more recalcitrant nutrient sources. The long-term effects of non-native earthworms should be further studied, and may impact forest conservation and management programs in the future
Examining the Effects of pH and Macrophyte Diversity on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in Adirondack Lakes
Get PDFAcidification in ecosystems, such as water bodies of the northeastern United States, causes significant changes in their biological communities. Changes in lower trophic levels significantly affect the structure and function of higher trophic levels. Benthic macroinvertebrates are useful when examining the effects of acidification because different species are tolerant or sensitive to particular conditions and can act as indicators of water quality. Macrophyte diversity is another explanatory variable influencing macroinvertebrates. Many studies have examined macroinvertebrate assemblages in streams related to water quality, but macroinvertebrates in lakes are less well studied. We compared the benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in four Adirondack lakes with differing pH. We predicted that as pH decreased, the abundance and diversity of the macroinvertebrates would decline. To test this, we measured pH and collected 40 benthic samples from four Adirondack lakes using a PONAR samler. Macroinvertebrates were sorted, identified to the lowest possible taxon (generally family or genus) and tallied. Macrophytes were identified and diversity was estimated with the Shannon Diversity Index. Benthic macroinvertebrate richness decreased with lower pH (p = 0.03) and increased with greater macrophyte diversity (p =0.02). However, total macroinvertebrate abundance was not statistically correlated with pH (p = 0.08) or macrophyte diversity (p = 0.07). Diversity is often considered a strong indicator of ecosystem health, thus our results suggest that further reduction of acidification may restore diversity of lower trophic levels in Adirondack lakes and improve their ecological conditions
A comparison of light traps and zooplankton grabs for assessing invertebrate assemblages in muskellunge nursery bays
Get PDFThe near shore invertebrate assemblages of four bays along the St. Lawrence River were surveyed as an extension of a juvenile muskellunge survival study to better understand the potential prey base. Zooplankton and macroinvertebrates were collected using light trap and zooplankton grab sampling methods. Since larval muskellunge are visual predators and are dependent on invertebrate consumption prior to their complete conversion to piscivory during ontogeny, there is a need to understand the potential prey community composition. Two gears were compared to determine the optimal approach to represent invertebrate community structure within critical Muskellunge nursery habitats in bays. The light traps were set at night simultaneously for thirty minutes at each of four bays. In the laboratory, samples were scanned under a dissection microscope for rare organisms and subsampled to a minimum of 200 organisms counted in milliliter increments. The zooplankton grabs were performed during daytime by taking three 2L samples sieved through 60μ mesh within a 1 meter square plot, and were subsampled underneath a dissecting microscope in full milliliter increments to a minimum of 100 organisms. The two sampling methods produced similar species composition, but with very different community structure. The light traps had greater overall abundance and greater richness; however they likely selected for photopositive organisms. The zooplankton grabs do not discriminate among organisms in the water column, but may be missing organisms which exhibit patchy distributions or are diurnally benthic. The differences observed with each method highlight the importance of using multiple sampling methods, and indicated that a selection bias may exist for surveys that employ a single gear and time
Student Spotlight on Research and Outreach Proceedings
Get PDFESF\u27s annual Spotlight Symposium is a dynamic forum where graduate and undergraduate students share the results of their research and community service projects. The Spotlight is a student poster session highlighting scholarly efforts
Living Snow Fence Maintenance
Get PDFLiving snow fences require care and monitoring for several years after planting. The length and type of care varies based on the plant species, site conditions, and the quality of site preparation. Once plants are well established and have achieved sufficient height growth, care and monitoring can be reduced or eliminated. Plants of the same age and height are needed for effective and continuous snow control along the roadway. Monitoring of snow fences is essential so that problems with dead or slow-growing plants are quickly identified and solutions can be developed and enacted
Living Snow Fence Site Assessment
Get PDFSite assessment is an important step in the establishment and long-term success of living snow fences. Once an area has been selected for a living snow fence installation, site assessment informs the design and planting phases. Multiple site visits may be necessary throughout the design process
Introduction to Living Snow Fences
Get PDFThis fact sheet series is an introductory guide to living snow fences. Designers should consult other resources listed at the end of each fact sheet for more detailed information on the structure and function of living snow fences. Living snow fences take several years to become effective, but can provide decades of blowing snow control if properly designed, installed and maintained