Summit Institutional Repository @ PSU (Plymouth State University)
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Applying social science towards the reduction of nutrient losses from lawn care practices in New England: advancing the principles of community based social marketing
Get PDFNew England is experiencing high rates of land conversion from traditionally rural land uses to residential and commercial development. Landscapes once dominated by forests and agriculture are now being subdivided and converted into "exurbs." Along with this style of urbanization comes an increase in the amount of managed turf, or lawns, in the landscape. Lawn care has been identified as a major source of non-point pollution that is a contributor of excess nutrients in many water bodies, both coastal and inland. Despite concerns with algal blooms, hypoxia and a host of other water pollution concerns related to nutrient losses from turf management there have been relatively few changes in home lawn fertilization practices over the past 30 years. A multi-state, interdisciplinary team comprised of environmental scientists, social scientists and Cooperative Extension members was formed to develop an outreach and education program that will reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous from lawn care that is a major source of pollution in many of New England's urbanizing watersheds. To achieve project goals social science research using 52 in-depth interviews with turf care experts who work with the public and a random sample survey of New England residents was used by the interdisciplinary team to understand the current drivers of today's lawn fertilizing practices. Social science provides a valuable perspective for developing effective means for changing behaviors affecting non-point source pollution from lawns. Using the principles of Community Based Social Marketing and a modified form of the Theory of Planned Behavior as a framework to guide research and the production of outreach, the findings reported here indicate that sources of information used by people performing lawn care are not entirely aligned with their needs and goals. This document reports these findings and the specific outreach messages developed from them that can be used to reduce lawn care pollution in New England.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Classification of New England climate zones for use in a winter severity index
Get PDFA classification of climate zones in New England was developed using multivariate analysis of meteorological data collected from surface weather stations. This was part of a larger project to define winter severity indexes for New England that will help determine the cost-benefit of new winter season technologies, crew training, and the efficiency of winter road maintenance practices. Data were gathered from ASOS and COOP stations throughout New England during the winter months from 2001-2006. The data consisted of precipitation type, temperature, and wind. The mean and maximum of each variable were computed over each month. The results were interpolated onto a 25km grid using Barnes Analysis. Principle component analysis (PCA) was performed on the gridded data to reduce the dimensionality of the dataset. Three components were retained, and the associated component scores were incorporated in cluster analysis. Nine distinct clusters were identified, and grid points were assigned a cluster membership. This resulted in nine climate zones as each cluster represents a zone. The exception was cluster 5 which was discontinuous. An additional climate zone was created as a result to keep continuity among the other zones. Stepwise discriminant analysis was performed to determine the successfulness of the classification of grid points to clusters. ArcGIS was used to graphically represent the climate zones and their respective boundaries. Finally, boundaries were delineated based on grid point cluster assignments.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
The eastern Massachusetts sea breeze study
Get PDFThis study investigates many different aspects of the sea breeze at Logan Airport in Boston, Massachusetts (KBOS) and along the Massachusetts coastline. Part of the study adapts the method of predicting sea breeze events developed by Miller and Keim (2003) for Portsmouth, New Hampshire (KPSM) to KBOS. An early ten-year dataset of hourly KBOS surface observations (1998-2007) was used to identify 879days when the sea breeze occurred or was likely to occur at the airport. These days were classified as sea breeze, marginal, or non-sea breeze events. Sea breeze events were further classified into fast and slow transitions, with a fast transition identified by a wind shift taking one hour or less to develop, and a slow transition identified by a wind shift taking two hours or more to develop. Marginal events were events that had a duration of 1 hour or less, no clear start or finish, or were interrupted by periods of calm" or "light and variable" winds. Non-events were events in which the background conditions for a sea breeze to occur existed but a sea breeze did not develop. Times of onset and event durations for the sea breeze events (fast slow and marginal) were calculated and used to create seasonal statistics by event type. It was found that seasonal variation did occur with both characteristics but was more evident in the time of onset. Slow events occurred earliest in the day overall while marginal events occurred a bit later and fast events occurred the latest. Slow events had the longest duration overall by definition had the shortest duration. Seasonally similar results were found for both characteristics with a few variations. United States surface analyses for each event at the time of onset (or average time of onset 1500 UTC for non-events) were classified using the seven synoptic classes developed by Miller and Keim (2003) and statistics were developed to evaluate the distribution of synoptic classes amongst the different types of events and various seasons. Composite surface analyses of the different synoptic classes and types of events were then developed. There were significant differences between the composites of each event type within a synoptic class. Wind vector plots created from surface observations using Barnes analysis were used to identify the position of the sea breeze front as the sea breeze air mass penetrated inland. The depth and shape of this front was examined by synoptic class. The prevailing synoptic scale flow was found to limit penetration in expected areas along the coastline. Mesoscale calculations were used to determine the critical balance of the cross-shore temperature gradient (dT/dx) versus the cross-shore geostrophic wind component (uG) at the surface necessary for the occurrence and non-occurrence of the sea breeze. It was found that by stratifying the events by synoptic classes a smaller transition area (containing both sea breeze and non-sea breeze events) could be created. The method was taken further by adding a third variable the 850 hPa geostrophic wind component. The three dimensional plot showed a large transition area and future research may be able to reduce this area by breaking it down by synoptic class. Finally the effect of the sea breeze on convection was analyzed using radar reflectivity data from the Taunton Massachusetts WSR-88D (KBOX) for 2002 through 2007 (562 events). Convection was present in land along the Massachusetts coastline for only 24 of the total 562 events (4%). This small occurrence results from a bias from the methodology used to develop the data set. However when the sea breeze did occur convection developed or was affected by the sea breeze front.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
A connected community: a proposal to enhance access to natural amenities in Plymouth, New Hampshire
Get PDFIn recent years, cities and towns across the United States have developed new trail systems to reengage nature, promote physical fitness, enhance economic opportunity, and promote a higher quality of life for residents. Plymouth, New Hampshire is an example of a community with riverfront projects underway. In Plymouth, the community has several natural amenities including two rivers and land that is open for the community to use freely. Many new community initiatives have been completed in Plymouth to make the rivers and trails more accessible for community members, but several projects have had difficulty gaining a foothold. The completion of all the riverfront and trail projects is important for the future conservation of the local environment as well as in playing a vital role in the positive physical and mental health of community members. This document reviews the literature on place attachment as well as the literature covering the importance of an individual's connection to nature. Through discussions with project leaders a chronological review of all completed and proposed riverfront and trail projects are presented. As a result of reviewing the literature and the discussions with project leaders I have been able to make recommendations to further pursue and justify future and current riverfront and trail initiatives in Plymouth, New Hampshire.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
The impact of discrete phases of ENSO neutral conditions on Atlantic tropical cyclone activity
Get PDFExtensive research has been performed on the correlations between El Niño and La Niña events and the associated decrease and increase in Atlantic basin tropical cyclone activity. However, Neutral seasons have been found to be on average near the climatological norm in Atlantic tropical cyclone activity, and hence have not been a focus of study. This work shows that much as there are different types of El Niño and La Niña events (e.g. weak, moderate, strong), there are different types of Neutral events as well when one categorizes them based upon the net change in equatorial Pacific SST anomaly over the course of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. When these discrete phases are analyzed for tropical cyclone activity and atmospheric teleconnection, it can be shown that they too have distinct patterns of tropical cyclone activity that deviate significantly from the climatological norm. Specifically, neutral seasons where small scale warming (termed Tending El Niño) events occur are found to have markedly decreased Atlantic tropical cyclone activity in terms of net storms, accumulated cyclone energy, United States landfall frequency and United States landfall intensity. Conversely, neutral seasons where small scale cooling (termed Tending La Niña) events occur are found to have markedly increased Atlantic tropical cyclone activity in terms of those same parameters. Overall, it is found that ENSO Neutral seasons can and do have significant impacts on the atmospheric conditions that modulate Atlantic tropical cyclone activity and should be seen as just as important as the more well known El Niño and La Niña ENSO phases.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Assessing water quality in the Lake Waukewan watershed, Meredith, NH: integrating biological indicators, water chemistry, and land use
Get PDFDevelopment has been shown to alter the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of water bodies, leading to degraded water quality. Maintaining water quality while allowing for growth presents a major challenge for communities. The Lake Waukewan watershed encompasses five towns in the rapidly-growing Lakes Region of New Hampshire, and the lake is the public drinking water supply for the Town of Meredith. Over the past decade, water quality has declined as population has increased, and watershed towns responded by creating a watershed management plan. To establish baseline water quality data for the watershed and to identify potential areas in the watershed that posed threats to lake water quality, we analyzed physical habitat andwater chemistryat12 tributary sites, and physical habitat and macroinvertebrate community composition at six tributary sites. Water quality was generally good throughout the watershed, indicated by intact riparian zones, the predominance of forest cover, and average diversity for first-and second-order streams. Several subwatersheds, particularly those near the urbanized portion of Meredith, as well as southern New Hampton and Center Harbor, showed elevated conductance levels; higher than optimal phosphorus concentrations were found in scattered subwatersheds. Generally, chemical variables indicated declining water quality with increasing imperviousness; biological and habitat variables improved as impervious increased, in contrast to prior research. However, signs of biological stress were observed, including lower than expected abundance of sensitive taxa, dominance by oligochaetes and tolerant chironomids, and an imbalance in functional feeding groups. We believe that the small sampling size, the small range of impervious cover in the watershed, and the small size of the sampled streams may have masked the actual effects of imperviousness on habitat and diversity. Local riparian land use contributed more to instream habitat conditions than whole-watershed land use did; while whole-watershed land use patterns better determined water chemistry in streams. High priority should be placed on the Lower Reservoir, Upper Reservoir, Saywood Brook, Pollard Shores, Golf Course Drainage, and Monkey Pond sites.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Development of meteorological criteria for forecasting air quality in New Hampshire
Get PDFThe purpose of this thesis was to develop meteorological criteria for forecasting air quality for individual air monitoring locations across the state of New Hampshire. Daily 1-hour ozone and 24-hour averaged PM2.5 data were obtained from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services for nine air monitoring stations for the years 2002 to 2005. Three methods (the climatology, criteria, and linear regression methods as described by the EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency) Guidelines for Developing an Air Quality (Ozone and PM2.5) Forecasting Program document) were used to develop a four year climatology, criteria table, and linear regression equations for each station and pollutant. Surface observations were retrieved from the Plymouth State University Weather Center archived meteograms. Several meteorological variables were used to explore their individual influence on ozone and PM2.5 concentrations for each monitoring site. Ozone and PM2.5 threshold values of 65 ppb and 15.5 μg/m3 were used (corresponding to the EPA’s "Moderate" category on the Air Quality Index). Meteorological variables were analyzed for values that would cause the pollutants to exceed their threshold concentrations. Criteria tables were created using the meteorological variables and the resulting values of those variables which would cause the pollutant concentration to exceed its threshold value. Linear regression equations were also generated to demonstrate relationships between meteorological variable values and pollutant concentrations. The criteria table and linear regression equations were tested on one station using data from the summer of 2006. The criteria tables and linear regression equations adequately performed in forecasting whether or not a pollutant would exceed its threshold value. Maximum surface temperature, 850 hPa temperature, 1800 UTC relative humidity and wind direction (1200 UTC and 1800 UTC) were found to perform the best for ozone. Maximum surface temperature, 850 hPa temperature, dewpoint temperature and wind direction (1200 UTC and 1800 UTC) performed the best for summer PM2.5. Many similarities and differences were found between the several stations for both pollutants. Location and meteorological conditions were shown to be influential factors in air quality forecasting for New Hampshire.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
The breeding ecology of the Canada warbler in central New Hampshire
Get PDFThe breeding bird communities associated with the southern regions of the North American boreal forest are among the richest and most diverse in North America (Hobson and Bayne 2000). Migratory species in the Northeastern United States comprise between 80% and 90% of the breeding birds, many of which are Neotropical or long distance migrants (Peters et al. 2005).
Birds are commonly the focus of population level studies. Many of these population studies focus upon habitat selection (Block et al. 1987) as it is one of the determining factors of avian distribution and abundance. However, geographic variations in habitat use within a single species may differ from region to region (Graves 2002). To date there is no published research that solely focuses on the habitat selection of the Canada warbler (Wilsonia Canadensis Lambert and Faccio 2005), despite the Northeastern U.S. regional decline in the breeding population. The focus of this thesis is on habitat selection, reproductive success, return rates, and site fidelity of Canada warblers. This study also focuses on the differences of male Canada warbler territories, success rates, return rates, and site fidelity between a relatively mature red maple (Acer rubrum) swamp, and early successional forest directly north of the swamp.
This study was conducted on Canaan Town Forest and Bear Pond Natural Area in central New Hampshire (43.690, -72.0371). From 2003-2006, male territories were delineated using handheld Global Positioning Systems (GPS) between May 27 and July 10. Over 94% of territorial males were banded throughout the study (87 of 92). Pairing and fledging success was documented for each male. Vegetation characteristics were sampled both within male territories and non-territories. These vegetation characteristics were used to determine which habitat features best predict the presence of Canada warblers. Kullback-Leibler information and the Akaike information criterion (AIC) were used to evaluate the vegetation characteristics models, and AICc was used to correct for small sample sizes (Burnham and Anderson 2001).
Shrub density was the best predictor for the presence of Canada warblers. The total number of shrubs, the number of perch sites, canopy height, and the shrub density from 2-2.5m in height was also a strong predictor of Canada warbler presence. The total number of shrubs did not differ between the red maple swamp and the early successional forest. The average territory size was smaller in the red maple swamp and larger in the early successional forest. The reproductive rates on the study plots were high in comparison to other Neotropical migratory warblers that breed throughout the eastern United States. After second year (ASY) males paired at higher rates than second year (SY) birds but there was no difference in the fledging rates. The return rates (50% - 49 of 98) were higher than both the American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) and the black-throated blue warbler (Dendroica caerulescens) breeding in Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, but similar to the hooded warbler (Wilsonia citrina) breeding in northwestern Pennsylvania.
The most important vegetative habitat characteristic for Canada warblers is the density of shrubs. The shrub density did not differ between a red maple swamp and an early successional forest created by forest management. Forest management practices create habitat that is ephemeral and may not sustain the high shrub stem densities Canada warblers prefer. The reproductive success also did not differ between the two habitat types. These results suggest that early successional stands create an understory that enables Canada warblers to breed successfully.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
An examination of lower extremity sex differences in continuous relative phase during a drop jump and two different unplanned cutting maneuvers
Get PDFObjective: To determine whether there is a sex difference in Continuous Relative Phase (CRP) and its variability during a drop jump and two different unplanned cutting maneuvers. Design and Setting: A repeated measures one session design was used. A 2 x 3 mixed factorial (sex by task) ANOVA was performed on the subjects’ means for CRP for five deemed acceptable trials for each task yielding the Mean Absolute Relative Phase (MARP). The standard deviation was calculated to reflect between trial variability resulting in the Deviation Phase (DP) variable. Based on the stance phase, a 2 x 3 repeated measures ANOVA (sex, task) was analyzed for two CRP coordinative relationships: knee rotation and foot inversion/eversion (Krot-Fooin/ev); hip abduction/adduction and foot inversion/eversion (Habd/add-Fooin/ev). Subjects: Seven males and six females (N = 13) non-injured collegiate basketball athletes participated in the study. Measurements: The MotionMonitor™ (Innovative Sports Training, Chicago, IL) was used to obtain kinematic data used in the data processing to obtain CRP. Subjects performed a drop jump and two different unplanned 45° ̊cutting maneuvers (freely moving their arms and grabbing a ball respectively). Results: No significant (Habd/add-Fooin/evp = .736; Krot-Fooin/ev: p = .793) differences were found between sex in any of the coordinative relationships for MARP nor for DP. No significant (Habd/add-Fooin/evp = .304; Krot-Fooin/ev: p = .053) differences were found between tasks in any of the coordinative relationships for the for DP. Conclusions: While for the Krot–Fooin/ev relationship the more complex the tasks were, the more variability subjects showed, this phenomenon was not observed for the Habd/add-Fooin/ev relationship. Upon closer review, it was revealed that there was increased variability seen in the women in the least complex of the tasks, Task A (drop jump). This may be the manifestation of the suggested lack of neuromuscular control of the hip and core muscles resulting in the large variability observed. In this instance, variability may be counter productive and a predisposing factor for injury.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
An investigation of cold-air cyclogenesis along the east coast of the United States
Get PDFA nine-year (1997-2006) climatology of East Coast cold-air cyclogenesis was developed to determine significant atmospheric conditions associated with these rather unique events. In the literature, a few case studies have examined these small-scale synoptic low-pressure systems in the midlatitudes that form within arctic air masses as cold air moves offshore. Some of the characteristics of these storms have been shown to be similar to "polar lows." The goals of this study are to: 1) determine how frequently these systems occur; 2) examine conditions that are favorable for their development; and 3) find similarities or differences between these storms and other East Coast cyclones and polar lows. In order to identify cases of cold air cyclogenesis, all cyclone events along the East Coast (within a boxed region bounded at 45°N by 70°W and 62.5°W, and 30°N by 85°W and 72.5°W), were identified using the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR). Cyclone events were counted when at least one closed sea-level pressure isobar (plotted at 2 hPa intervals) was present in the region of interest. Cyclogenesis was determined to have occurred when the sea-level pressure in the center of circulation decreased by at least2 hPa/6-hrs at least twice in a 24 hour period (not necessarily consecutively). Finally, cyclogenesis events were classified as cold-air events if the grid point values of the mean daily 1000-500 hPa thickness from the National Centers for Environmental Protection/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) Reanalysis near and immediately surrounding the storm were below -0.5 standard deviations from a 32 year (1975-2006) mean. During the nine-year period, twenty extratropical cyclones met the above cold air cyclogenesis criteria. Five of these cold-air cyclones developed when at least four out of five grid points near and immediately surrounding the storm were below -1.0 standard deviations from the 32 year mean. The East Coast boxed region was divided into Northern, Western, and Eastern sub-regions based on location of initial time of cyclogenesis and eventual storm tracks. Composites were constructed for each sector for cold air cases and for other East Coast cyclones during the 2000-2001 cool season. Comparisons were made between the cold air cyclones and 2000-2001 cool season cyclones composite results. Each cold air case was analyzed using a satellite-derived classification scheme and revealed that 65% were either comma cloud or instant occlusion types. Finally, two case studies are presented and reveal that the dynamical processes involved in cold air cyclogenesis are similar to that of other extratropical East Coast midlatitude systems.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio