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Assessing statistical instream sediment models as an approach to prioritize riparian restoration in two Virginia river basins
No full textHabitat degradation by human-driven increases in stream siltation is a global issue. Many species, such as the Roanoke logpech (Percina rex) are listed as federally "endangered" due to critical habitat impairment caused by sediment. Re-establishing vegetative riparian buffers potentially reduces sediment loading and improves benthic species habitat overtime. However funding and time allocated to riparian restoration projects by conservation and resource management agencies is greatly limited. Given the global extent of water impairment status, critical habitat degradation, and growing development, a method of prioritizing riparian restoration sties is needed for efficient resource allocation. In our study, we created a decision support framework to help conservation and management agencies prioritize sites for riparian restoration efforts. Our framework integrates a statistical modeling approach to assess instream silt cover and embeddedness (inhibiting factors to benthic species) in sections of the Roanoke and Nottoway River basins in Virginia and North Carolina. In the first section of our study, we assessed landscape characteristics' contribution to explaining variance of instream silt. We also assessed spatial scale effects on statistical model performance and site ranking. The second section of our study focused on assessing differences in statistical model performance integrating annual soil loss estimates from two soil loss models, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Our results show that landscape characteristics provide various contributions to explained variance of instream silt cover and embeddedness. Spatial scale analysis results show smaller spatial scales more accurately predicted instream silt and ranked sites by predicted silt conditions. Comparing soil loss and sediment load models, we found RUSLE performs similarly to SWAT in a statistical modeling context, and is much faster to implement, making it a more desirable soil loss model to integrate into our framework. Our decision-support framework provides a first step towards incorporating statistical models into restoration site prioritization for the potential improvement of instream habitat.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Promoting health across the lifespan: stress management topics
No full textThis document contains six lesson plans. The first lesson plan is designed to introduce the principles of mindfulness and stress management through music listening and mandala free drawing activities. The second lesson plan addresses stress management in the workplace through the introduction of the Freeze Frame method. The third lesson plan is designed to teach stress management through the principle of gratitude. The fourth lesson introduces the mind-body connection and principles of self-care through self-assessment of behavior. The fifth lesson plan is designed to discuss issues of mental illness and to provide resources to address mental health concerns. The sixth lesson plan addresses time management skills and the implementation of SMART goals to improve academic success.
The content is intended for high school or college-aged students and health care professionals.
Each lesson plan has a topic overview, time and format information, Healthy People 2020 Objectives, National Health Education Standards information, learning objectives, key concepts and terms, materials needed, and teaching steps.
This material was developed by Plymouth State University students as a part of their coursework for Promoting Health Across the Lifespan, in fall 2016 with Dr. Barbara McCahan.Contents
1. THE ARTIST WITHIN: Hope Larson (CC BY-NC)
Lesson Plan p. 1
2. #FREEZEFRAMEMOMENT: Jessica Walsh (CC BY-NC)
Lesson Plan p. 6
3. GRATITUDE IS THE ATTITUDE: Ashley Valme (CC BY-NC)
Lesson Plan p. 13
PowerPoint Slides p. 18
4. MIND BODY CONNECTIONS FOR HEALTH: Jamie Carpenter (CC BY-NC)
Lesson Plan p. 32
PowerPoint Slides p. 40
5. SEEKING HELP FOR MENTAL HEALTH: Mikaela Malone (CC BY-NC)
Lesson Plan p. 60
6. BUILDING SMART GOALS FOR TIME MANAGEMENT: Alexandra Ambrosino (CC BY-NC)
Lesson Plan p. 6
Why have you stayed?: the stories of persistence and the experiences of continuously enrolled Keene State University students
No full textWhen state funding for higher education is the lowest in the country, the existence of a public, liberal arts college in New Hampshire is dependent on student tuition. Looking beyond recruitment efforts enrollment management must focus on the retention of students. Studies of retention often examine why students leave an institution not why they stay. This hermeneutic phenomenological study analyzes the stories of Keene State College students who have been continuously enrolled at the institution to senior year. How can these stories of persistence inform retention efforts?Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Downstream response to explosive extratropical cyclone intenisfication over the North Pacific
Get PDFRecent literature demonstrates that recurving tropical cyclones (TCs) induce a response in the downstream midlatitude flow. Related research explores the differences in the response of the downstream flow to recurving TCs and extratropical cyclone events. This thesis expands upon the existing research by exploring the downstream response to explosive cyclone intensification over the North Pacific. Using a sample of 295 cases of explosive cyclone intensification within the domain (30°N-70°N, 140°E-220°E) during a nine-year period from 2006-2014, cyclone-relative composite analyses of the downstream midlatitude flow are analyzed. Explosively deepening cyclones are stratified by criteria based on both deepening rate and minimum pressure, location within the domain, i.e., West and East Pacific, and season. Time-lagged composite analyses of standardized meridional wind and geopotential height anomalies reveal amplitude differences in the downstream response based on cyclone deepening rate and minimum pressure for each respective location. Strong cyclones, those that deepen faster to a lower minimum pressure, are associated with greater magnitude anomalies. Differences in the downstream response to cyclones over the West and East Pacific are observed. Downstream Rossby wave propagation following West Pacific cyclones was generally more progressive, and primarily acted to amplify a quasi-stationary ridge in the Central Pacific and weaken the climatological ridge over the North American west coast, whereas explosively deepening cyclones in the East Pacific amplified the West Coast ridge. The signal of a coherent, statistically significant composite downstream response diminishes 72 h following explosive intensification for both locations and all strengths. The season and location of explosive cyclone occurrence play significant roles in determining the persistence, amplitude, and spatial distribution of the downstream flow response. West Pacific cyclones during the spring and autumn seasons are associated with downstream responses of similar position, with more persistent statistically significant anomalies present following spring cyclones. East Pacific spring cyclones induce a greater amplitude, shorter wavelength, and more persistent downstream response than corresponding autumn events. A weaker meridional gradient of the downstream upper-tropospheric potential vorticity waveguide downstream of the composite cyclone likely inhibits the downstream response after 72 h. Composite analysis of the dynamic evolution of the downstream response, initiated by the negative upper-tropospheric potential vorticity advection by the irrotational wind, suggest weak diabatic contributions to explosive intensification compared to studies of recurving TCs. This overall weaker diabatic contribution to amplification of the large-scale flow likely results in a shorter-lived downstream response. Composite analyses additionally suggest that antecedent downstream flow structure may impact the persistence and position of downstream features following explosive cyclone intensification. Cyclone-relative composite analyses suggest that explosively deepening Pacific cyclones may be associated with downstream sensible weather events. Explosively deepening East Pacific cyclones during the spring appear to create conditions favorable for thunderstorm development in the southern United States, whereas West Pacific events during the same season appear to be associated with anomalous warming in the central U.S. Winter East Pacific cyclones additionally appear to be associated with conditions favorable for heavy precipitation events along the U.S. west coast and winter precipitation events in the Northeast, as well as anomalous warming events in northern and central Canada.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Promoting health across the lifespan: physical health topics
No full textThis document contains two lesson plans. The first is designed to introduce healthy eating and nutrition habits through the principle of life food. The second is designed to introduce walking as a positive health behavior.
The content is intended for high school or college-aged students and health care professionals.
Each lesson plan has a topic overview, time and format information, Healthy People 2020 Objectives, National Health Education Standards information, learning objectives, key concepts and terms, materials needed, and teaching steps.
This material was developed by Plymouth State University students as a part of their coursework for Promoting Health Across the Lifespan, in fall 2016 with Dr. Barbara McCahan.Contents
1. LIVE FOOD: Reyna Pollak (CC BY)
Lesson Plan p. 1
2. WALKING FOR HEALTH: Jennifer Carten (CC BY)
Lesson Plan p. 10
PowerPoint Slides p. 1
Atmospheric rivers, floods, and flash floods in California
Get PDFAtmospheric Rivers (ARs) are long (>2000 km), narrow (< 1000 km) corridors of enhanced vertically integrated water vapor (IWV) and enhanced IWV transport (IVT). The landfall of ARs along the U.S. West Coast have been linked to extreme precipitation and flooding/flash flooding in regions of complex topography. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between a 10 water-year (2005-2014) climatology of floods, flash floods, and landfalling ARs. The ARs in this study are defined using IVT following the Rutz et al. (2013) methodology, whereas floods and flash floods are identified by the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Storm Events Database. The results of this study indicate that landfalling ARs are present on a majority of days that there are floods in northern California. Landfalling ARs are predominantly present on a majority of days that there are flash flood reports during the cold-season (November-March); however, the North American monsoon is present on days that there are flash flood reports during the warm-season (April-October). Two exemplary case studies are provided to illustrate the hydrologic impact of landfalling ARs. The first case study illustrated a flood event that occurred in associated with three landfalling ARs that produced ~800 mm in regions over the Russian River watershed in northern California and the second case study illustrated a flash flood event that occurred in association with a landfalling AR that produced ~225 mm of precipitation in regions over the Santa Ynez watershed in which produced a flash flood over the southern portions of Santa Barbara County in southern California.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Understanding stakeholders preferences for flood adaptation alternatives with ecosystem service implications
Get PDFInland flooding is one of the most damaging natural hazard events each year in New Hampshire and the United States, the risk of which can be influenced by changes in land use and climate. Initiatives toward climate adaptation are increasingly interested in the use of ecosystem provided capital and infrastructure in preparing for climate impacts such as flooding. While ecosystem-based adaptation offers a new way of responding and preparing for future flood, little is known on how stakeholders perceive ecosystem-based alternatives versus more traditional built options. Through the use of stakeholder engaged decision scenarios and a multi-criteria framework for decision analysis, we aim to understand what drives preferences for flood mitigation and adaptation alternatives and the perceived value of ecosystem-based projects in these selections. This was completed through a four-step process that included: 1) identification of issues and stakeholder groups, 2) stakeholder engagement and value gathering, 3) construction of decision scenarios and project matrices, and 4) workshop implementation and evaluation. We find that attributes of effectiveness and environmental impact are most important to consider in comparing flood mitigation and adaptation alternatives by stakeholders engaged here. While ecosystem services were not always the most highly valued aspects of different alternatives, we found strong preference for some ecosystem-based flood mitigation and adaptation methods such as soft-bank stabilization techniques and wetland conservation. We conclude that for ecosystem-based flood preparation options to be selected at the municipal level, they must be demonstrably effective and technically achievable. Lasting impacts and experiences from recent and highly damaging flood events in New Hampshire and Vermont are thought to be playing determining role in motivating stakeholders to value effectiveness of flood mitigation and adaptation efforts. This methodology is relevant and reproducible for many types of local decision makers across the United States and abroad.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Floristic quality assessment as an indicator of human disturbance in forested wetlands of New Hampshire
Get PDFAcross the country, degradation of freshwater wetlands has prompted a need for science-based methods for assessing and monitoring wetland condition. Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) is an assessment that measures the health of an ecosystem. FQA is based on resilience values called Coefficients of Conservatism (C-values), pre-assigned to each plant species. The method has proven to signal human disturbance in most wetland types, but is unstudied in forested wetlands. I collected data from eleven Red Maple ���Sphagnum Basin Swamps to test the hypothesis that FQA signals human disturbance in forested wetlands of New Hampshire. I calculated four common indices of site Floristic Quality (Mean C, Cover Weighted Mean C, Floristic Quality Index, and Cover Weighted Floristic Quality Index) by strata and for all species in each 400 m2plot. I compared human disturbance proxies; Ecological Integrity Assessment (EIA) Scores (Level 2) and proportions of cleared land in contributing watersheds, to floristic quality indices using Spearman's test; Mean C (p= 0.04, rho=0.61) and Weighted Mean C (p=0.01, rho=0.71,) of all species were positively correlated with EIA scores. The Weighted Mean C of the herb layer (p=0.05, rho=0.61) was also positively correlated with EIA scores. Percentage of cleared land was also related to Weighted Mean C (p= 0.11, rho= -0.51). Overall, the Cover Weighted Mean C offered the most reliable metric for evaluating condition of forested wetlands, indicating a need for more intensive application and research in these systems.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Emotional intelligence and leadership virtue: an investigation of the leadership practices of distinguished leaders
Get PDFThe purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate the leadership practices of distinguished leaders to determine whether they utilized emotional intelligence (EI) competencies and exhibited leadership virtues. For this study emotional intelligence is observable displays of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management (Boyatzis, Goleman, & Rhee, 2000; Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee, 2013). Self-awareness and self-management determine how well individuals understand and manage their lives and their emotions, and social awareness and relationship management dictate how well individuals recognize and manage the emotions of others, build relationships, and work in complex social systems (Boyatzis & McKee, 2005). For this research leadership virtues are convictions or character traits that enable individuals to function in ways that develop their highest potential, and include courage, impartiality, empathy, judgment, enthusiasm, humility, and imagination (Glanz, 2003; Hare, 1993). Four distinguished New Hampshire leaders, with over 30 years of leadership experiences, from the professional fields of law and justice, educational leadership, high school coaching, and business/hospitality management, were purposefully selected to participate in this study. Data collection methods included document analyses, face-to-face and email interviews, and a leadership survey. A synthesis of the data analysis revealed emergent individual and relationship related elements shared among the distinguished leaders. The emergent elements consist of combinations of EI competencies and the seven leadership virtues. The individual related emergent elements include grit and passion, and continuous self-reflection and self-development, and utilize the EI competencies of self-confidence, achievement, initiative, optimism, accurate self-assessment, and transparency. A relationship related element, facilitator of organizational membership development, was also shared between the distinguished leaders, and included the EI competencies of empathy, service, developing others, and teamwork and collaboration. The results indicate the distinguished leaders utilized and exhibited a powerful integration of emotional intelligence competencies and leadership virtues, including individual and relationship related awareness, understanding and action to assist in their overall achievements as leaders. The results of this research provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence effective and distinguished leadership indiscriminate of professional context.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Linking the effects of land use vs. changing climate on water quality in Ossipee and Squam Lakes, NH
Get PDFWith water quality as a key issue in water resource management, the need to understand the impacts of land use and climate on freshwater systems has never been greater. Lakes are particularly responsive to watershed changes, many of which are ephemeral, captured only by continuous monitoring. Lake sediments continuously record and archive lake conditions, potentially filling gaps in monitoring datasets. This study aims to identify transient, sub-annual changes in sedimentary archives, using integrated data from lake water chemistry, sediment traps and sediment cores in two northern lakes: Ossipee and Squam, NH. We compare our findings with documented records of local land use and climate change to determine how these manifest in our lake records. Our resulting time series include water column data for temperature, dissolved oxygen, major ions and phosphorus in depth profiles in eve1y season, and a sedimentary time series, extending to pre-Colonial times, which includes 210Pb activity, particle size, diatom community assemblages, and mineral chemistry. We use PCA and CA to identify sediment variables closely associated with water quality, climate, and land use indicators, which is then used to inform local community stakeholders on potential impacts of watershed changes.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio