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Effects of Wind and Topography on the Distribution of Pond Invertebrate Dormant Stages in Lac du Bois Grasslands Ecological Reserve
No full textLac du Bois Grasslands Ecological Reserve is a semi-arid grassland region containing many temporary saline ponds, which are home to freshwater aquatic species such as arthropods, copepods, rotifers, tardigrades, and nematodes. These invertebrates are capable of dormancy, which is an adaptation that allows them to go on a developmental and/or metabolic hiatus to deal with unfavorable environmental changes. When the temporary ponds dry up, dormant stages can be dispersed by strong wind events throughout the landscape outside of the pond bed. These events are known to occur more often in wind exposed sites than in wind sheltered sites. The objective of this study is to determine if dormant stages of flightless pond invertebrates are distributed throughout the landscape of Lac du Bois according to expected patterns of wind dispersal. The specific goals of the project were to (1) see if dormant stages are found in the surface layer of soil throughout the landscape of Lac du Bois, and (2) if dormant stages collect in higher densities in locations where wind speeds slow down due to insufficient lift. This was achieved by collecting surface soil samples at three broadly distributed sites within Lac du Bois, each of which consisted of a wind-exposed and wind-sheltered location. Both sites were similar distances away from the source of dormant stages. Wind speeds were also measured at two of the three sites to ensure the difference in wind speed for exposed and sheltered sites was significantly different. The findings of this study are reviewed here
Geothermal Energy: Analyzing The Potential In Canada
No full textWith the current energy consumption increase and fossil fuel instability around the globe. Countries need to begin exploration and experimentation with other forms of energy, specifically renewable energy. This presentation examines the possibility of introducing geothermal energy into Canada in relation to development potential, benefits, and drawbacks. It further explores the various uses, technologies for harnessing the energy and the environmental impacts and mitigation efforts associated with harnessing this renewable energy. Additionally, the presentation identifies suitable locations for energy extraction and development, economic significance of geothermal energy in Canada, and provides a comparison to other renewable energy forms. In conclusion, geothermal is acknowledged a renewable resource that should be considered for production in Canada as a viable future energy source. As the oil and gas supplies continue to diminish, prices of these resources will increase thereby allowing geothermal energy to be both an economically and environmentally feasible energy source
Going Beyond Imagined Scenarios: Inducing Real Regret in Participants Using a Newly Developed Task
No full textUnsuccessful management of emotion can mean the difference between a person flourishing or struggling with mental illness (Aldao & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2010) and is linked with lower life expectancy (Haga, Kraft, & Corby, 2009). For this reason, it is crucial to study how individuals use effective coping strategies in daily life. However, most studies on this topic attempt to induce emotion using written scenarios where participants imagine themselves as the protagonist, rather than through real emotion-eliciting events. This makes it difficult to generalize the findings to other contexts and is problematic because research suggests that people are not good at predicting their own behaviour (e.g., Poon, Koehler, & Buehler, 2014). The present study aimed to reliably induce real regret in both university and online samples using a newly developed task. In the task, participants believed they had the opportunity to win money in a game; however, the game was rigged such that all participants lost. Participants were led to believe that if they had tried a bit harder, they could have won. The game did induce significant levels of regret on the Regret Elements Scale as well as on a single item explicitly measuring self-reported regret. The results held across both the online and undergraduate samples. Therefore, the paradigm may provide a new way for future emotion regulation studies to examine regret in a more ecologically valid way
Synchrotron X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry for Soil Composition Analysis
No full textSynchrotron x-ray florescence spectrometry (XFS) at the Canada Light Source in Saskatoon, SK was used to analyze soil samples from the Kamloops area. The goal of the project was twofold. First, complete a statistical analysis on the use of XFS in order to determine optimal data collection sampling times. The data were then analyzed using standard software to associate peaks with elemental composition. Peak intensity determined by the software and peak intensity from the raw data were compared for different sampling times. Results show a linear relationship between peak intensity and sampling times for the more abundant elements; therefore acting as a primitive guide for sampling time depending on elements of interest. Second, compare XFS elemental analysis of the samples against analysis on the same soil samples via atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Using the relative peak heights of the XFS data as a measure of relative abundance, correlations between the XFS and AAS data were examined. Results showed a poor correlation between both methods, which could be a result of a few factors. One of these factors could have been a lack of intermediary steps needed with the XFS data. Further research is needed as to why results did not correlate, and what future steps are needed to increase correlation
Feminist Stand Point Theory, Marginalization & Cerebral Palsy: A Personal Narrative
No full textFeminist Standpoint Theory contends a) knowledge is socially situated, b) the marginalized are uniquely placed to pose questions that non-marginalized would not be able to ask and that 3) research with an emphasis on power relations begins with the marginalized. A currently broader viewpoint exists that expands its notions of inclusion beyond women to include men and the physically disadvantaged. This research explores the standpoint of being physically challenged, and the methods through which Stand Point Theory allow a lifetime of knowledge to be given weight, substance, and authority that would not otherwise be available through other philosophic lens. This in turn would bring into sharper focus the experience of being ‘The Other’ while being both inside and outside cultural accessibility. It would also necessitate the need for those taking Stand Point Theory on board to account for the criticisms of privilege that the removal or lessening of barriers to successful admittance affords. This becomes particularly weighted with more relevance when confronted with the differences in degrees of acceptable access between perceived physical challenges verses unseen psychological challenges and the unfortunate stigmas and assumptions that it creates between the two of them. The goal, then, is to transcend mere memoir: allowing those whom physical and psychological challenges did not affect from birth to see and feel the world through this personal, interpretive, ongoing narrative
3.2 Internationalization through Landscape Observation and Reflection: Student Evaluations of Tourist Walking Routes in Tokyo
No full textSince 2010 TRU students have studied the walkability of Bunkyo Ward in Tokyo while taking Geography 3700 – Field Course in Geography. Students first become aware of the diversity of urban landscapes while on a guided walk through Kamloops. After arriving in Japan, students tentatively select a tourist walking route among a series provided by the local tourism association. The first day students work in small groups and walk parts of their routes to confirm which routes they want to research. The next day students then set off on their own to record observations, make sketches and take photographs. They also evaluate their routes in terms of walkability -- for example, traffic safety, variety of architecture, land use, and places to rest. This material is then used to write a report about the walking route, including recommendations for improvements. This poster outlines my observations, recommendations and suggestions for other instructors taking students on field trips abroad or in the local area, e.g., Kamloops. In particular, it shows how a simple student-led walking activity can increase cross-cultural and community awareness as well as improving the ability to reflect, critique, and make culturally sensitive and place - appropriate recommendations
Making Bacteria Work for Us: Precision Medicine and the Human Microbiome
No full textPersonalized medicine has been revolutionizing medical practices since 2011. Physicians are transitioning from a black-box, disease-based model to an individualized practice. This practice utilizes emergent technologies, enabling physicians to provide more individualized care by taking a patient’s genome, environment, and lifestyle into their diagnostic and treatment options.
The driving force behind this transition in medical practice is technology advancement. Physicians can now look at many factors of a patient’s life, turning every detail into a number and performing mass analysis on the data. This is also referred to as -omics technologies, which can be combined to form correlations between lifestyle and illness in an individual.
Human cells are far outnumbered by microbial organisms that live on and within us. These organisms often help us by providing important nutrients and vitamins as well as keeping other, undesirable pathogens from growing uncontrollably. Analyzing the human microbiome has a host of challenges for researchers, the most significant of which is that many of the species simply will not grow in the lab. While much of the research up to now has been correlational, the microbiome has recently been shown to be determinant of treatment success in immunotherapies. The microbiome is also implicated in systems such as our immune response, intestinal health, obesity, and cancer.
The presentation will discuss how -omics can be used to characterize the microbiome and inform how it can be manipulated and monitored to improve human health
Does Climate Change Have an Impact on the Migration Timeline of Vaux’s Swifts?
No full textVaux\u27s Swift, from the family Apodidae, are the smallest swifts in North America. In the spring, swifts travel north to their breeding grounds in southwestern Canada through the northwestern United States. During fall, the swifts migrate through the western United States to their wintering grounds in Mexico, Central America, and northern Venezuela. In migration, large flocks of this species can be observed circling roosting sites at dusk, seeking shelter. Distributions of birds are limited by climatic factors including temperature, precipitation, and wind. The timing of bird migration is critical to the overall health of the bird species. If they arrive too soon or too late, they may die or may not produce as many young.
Using citizen acquired data from E-bird and Vaux’s happening, we will track the swift’s spring and fall migration timeline via roosting site observations. We will then compare the data with previous years to determine whether the bird’s timeline has deviated. We will also look at the temperature, precipitation, wind speed, and gust speed of the sites during the peak migration time and three weeks prior, to determine if those variables had a significant effect on the migration chronology. We expect to view the swifts migrating earlier in the spring and later in the fall, in conjunction with the rising temperatures of the planet. We believe that precipitation will also have a significant effect on migration times, due to its effect on plant growth, soil moisture, water storage and insect abundance
The Effects of Various Big Sagebrush Removal Methods on a Disturbed Site in Lillooet, British Columbia
No full textIn British Columbia, Canada big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) can be over abundant, especially on dry disturbed sites. When this occurs, big sagebrush may pose a threat to species richness and abundance of native grasses and herbs. Although the presence of big sagebrush is correlated with productive environments, less sage cover is typically associated with more grass biomass and more grass species. Furthermore, restoration of grasslands is positively correlated with increased soil carbon storage. My research will test the effect of sagebrush removal on soil bulk density, soil organic carbon sequestration and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) using two sagebrush removal treatments (burn and physical) on a reclamation area located in Lillooet, British Columbia. The design includes five sites, a burn sagebrush removal, a physical sagebrush removal, and a control, at the reclamation area, plus two undisturbed reference sites located in close proximity to the reclamation area. The treatments were applied in 2010 and the data were collected in 2016. I found that the physical removal treatment had greater NDVI, lesser soil bulk density and lesser sagebrush cover, although there was no difference in soil organic carbon compared to the burn treatment. However, the burn treatment is potentially a better representation of natural succession in the region and should be considered for more long-term results. These findings further our understanding of the role big sagebrush plays in ecosystem restoration