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Reducing Motor Vehicle – Bicycle Conflicts at Controlled Intersections
No full textOne of the most common locations for fatal motor vehicle-bicyclist crashes is at intersections, which inherently have a large number of turning conflicts. Reducing these conflicts is a key objective in improving intersection safety across all modes. Of particular concern for bicyclists’ safety at intersections are the conflicts between straight-through bicyclists and motor vehicle right-turns and opposing left-turns. The objective of this research was to develop guidance and tools for transportation practitioners to use to reduce turning conflicts between motor vehicles and bicycles at controlled intersections and improve the safety and comfort of intersections for bicyclists.https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/trec_seminar/1265/thumbnail.jp
We Who Are Not Cared For: Social Death, the Lie of Educational Equity, and a Radical Replanting Praxis
No full textThis thesis examines how the concept of social death, as theorized by Orlando Patterson and expanded by Frank B. Wilderson III and Christina Sharpe, can serve as a transformative foundation for culturally informed care practices within academic institutions. Arguing that traditional equity efforts and even critical race interventions often fall short by focusing on reform within inherently anti-Black systems, I propose a new framework: Radical Replanting Praxis. Using the metaphor of education as a tree, this praxis calls for a shift in attention from reforming institutional roots to transforming the soil --the relational, ideological, and everyday conditions in which Black students live and learn. Through a close analysis of how natal alienation, gratuitous violence, general dishonor, fungibility, and accumulation manifest in schools, this work exposes the limitations of liberal multiculturalism and soft inclusion. Drawing from the works of Dumas, ross, and Sharpe, it calls for a care practice rooted in radical clarity, relational accountability, and the affirmation of Black epistemologies. This thesis ultimately reimagines care not as a performance or intervention, but as an urgent and ethical commitment to shifting the conditions under which Black students grow--not for institutional success, but for collective liberation
What\u27s the Value of a State? Accounting for the Ecosystem Services and Natural Capital of Oregon
No full textEcosystem services are vital to human welfare and society, but often are overlooked when it comes to planning and setting policy. By neglecting to incorporate the benefits received from natural resources, policy makers may unknowingly be making decisions that harm the long term sustainability and use of these services. To highlight the importance of Oregon\u27s ecosystems, the present study aims to provide a full accounting of the ecosystem services and natural capital of the state. Using data from the Institute for Natural Resources\u27 updated Oregon statewide habitat map, Oregon\u27s ecosystems were matched to biome categories from the Ecosystem Services Valuation Database. Value transfer methodology was used to determine a range of potential values for each ecosystem and its associated services and to provide an estimation of the total value of Oregon\u27s natural capital. Our data resulted in a total median value of $136.1 billion per year for the state of Oregon. Coastal systems, urban green and blue infrastructure, and freshwater systems--such as rivers and lakes--were found to contribute the highest per hectare values; air quality regulation, maintenance of soil fertility, opportunities for recreation and tourism, and moderation of extreme events were found to be the highest value services. The monetary values presented in this study can be used as a starting point for integrating the value of nature into land use and environmental management policy, thereby allowing for a more informed decision making that promotes the long term sustainability of Oregon\u27s natural resources
Undergraduate STEM student reflections on the academic support ecosystem at a rural Minority Serving Institution: The importance of relationship
No full textThis paper presents a research project with a group of STEM majoring undergraduates attending a Hispanic Serving Institution participating in the CRESCENT program intended to support undergraduates through their basic math and science courses. The research questions addressed in this paper include: What part of CRESCENT were students utilizing the most and how were they helpful? How did CRESCENT support students through COVID? What can we learn from this data to make future programs more responsive and relevant to STEM majoring students? We found that during COVID students were missing in person contact, had heightened responsibilities and distractions at home, faced communication challenges, needed their professors/instructors support, many lacked reliable internet access and technology, and found tutoring resources that went online to be crucial to their success. Because CRESCENT was in place, many of these issues were able to be addressed quickly. Additional findings indicate that relationships were a crucial component for success, as they are and remain during non-COVID times. Respect and support for both students and faculty were important and necessary. STEM faculty do not often get credit for the relationships and connections they need to create for and with their students; this study shows that they should get this credit - not many students highlighted the course content, but most talked about the relationships that existed and the support they felt from instructors and CRESCENT program staff. This study highlights the importance of small, community-based educational opportunities
Using the Slow Ash Mortality Strategy as a Response to the Introduction of Emerald Ash Borer in Oregon
No full textEmerald Ash Borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, is an invasive wood-boring beetle that has caused extensive damage to ash trees across North America for the last 2 decades. Ash trees play a vital role in ecosystems, providing habitat in wetland forests and riparian zones. The first detection of EAB in Oregon occurred in 2022 in Forest Grove, marking the first confirmed sighting of this pest West of Colorado. In response, the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) spearheaded efforts to contain the pest through the Slow Ash Mortality (SLAM) program. The SLAM strategy combines insecticide treatments, specifically trunk injections of emamectin benzoate, with the use of trap trees to monitor and control the spread of EAB. Trap trees are artificially stressed by removing a strip of bark, making them more attractive to EAB, and are subsequently felled and inspected for evidence of infestation. A Ring of Fire was established around Forest Grove, where clusters of treated and trap trees were selected every quarter mile to prevent further spread. This approach was implemented in 2023 and 2024, with the goal of assessing EAB\u27s distribution and determining the effectiveness of containment efforts. Results from this study provide critical insights into the management of EAB populations and the future of ash tree preservation in Oregon
Patterns in Human-Wildlife Conflict in the Portland Metro Area and Implications for Coexistence
No full textThe Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is routinely contacted for technical advice and assistance in addressing real or perceived human-wildlife conflict across the state. Improved understanding of patterns of conflict between humans and wildlife in urban ecosystems can help to identify ways to reduce perceived conflict and guide targeted education and outreach campaigns to benefit human-wildlife coexistence in urban areas. We analyzed 2,874 reports of human conflict with wildlife received by ODFW wildlife biologists in the Portland metro area from 2022-2024. Our objectives were to 1) identify the wildlife species most frequently involved in real or perceived conflict in the Portland metro area, 2) describe spatial and temporal patterns in reports related to those species, and 3) characterize the nature of reported concerns and identify common themes. We found that wildlife reports from the Portland metro area most frequently referenced coyotes, raccoons, deer/elk, waterfowl, and cougars. We identified seasonal and spatial patterns in the frequency of reports tied to individual species biology. Most concerns referenced injured, ill, or dead wildlife, proximity of wildlife to humans, nuisance issues, or conflict with domestic pets. The nature of these reports suggests that additional work to educate the public on best practices for interacting with wildlife, removing attractants, and keeping pets safe could greatly reduce human-wildlife conflict in the Portland metro area. Based on our results, we provide concrete steps and informational resources to proactively address many public concerns surrounding human-wildlife conflict in urban areas
Ecological Interactions Between Native and Non-Native Lady Beetle Species.
No full textLady beetles (family Coccinellidae) are found worldwide, with 90% of the almost 6000 species acting as agriculturally beneficial predators. Lady beetles are an important biological pest control, commonly consuming aphids, and are also used as a bioindicator species due to their sensitivity to climatic and trophic changes. As an important agricultural resource and a piece of our ecosystem’s diversity, the interactions between native and non-native species warrant further research.
In order to observe these native and non-native lady beetle species interactions, we ran two types of trials with a total of five species: competition and consumption. In the competition trials, we placed the lady beetles in a native/non-native species combination along with three aphids, and recorded their behaviors and weight change over the course of an hour. In the consumption trials, we placed the lady beetles with an aphid infested plant in a native/non-native species combination, and calculated their consumption rates over 24 hours. We also created an iNaturalist page to aid in our understanding of species distributions and seasonality.
The preliminary results demonstrate that Harmonia axyridis, a non-native species, is a stronger competitor than the native species tested. From further analyzing our data, we hope to see whether there is potential for coexistence, for which intraspecific competition must measure higher than interspecific competition.
Further research should be conducted to include more than two species per trial, as lady beetles are often found co-existing with multiple other species
Coppicing for Ecological Health, Wildlife, and People
No full textCoppicing and pollarding are techniques to actively manage woody species for wood use, wildlife management, and ecosystem rejuvenation. Willow species along with cottonwoods and other species that resprout after disturbance have been managed by coppicing and pollarding across the globe for millennia. Across the globe and in cultures with long roots in land tending, cutting and fire are used to not only rejuvenate habitats, but to create materials that are useful to humans and wildlife. There is a misconception that cutting vegetation always hurts plants and the ecosystem. Research from Europe in active Short Rotation Coppices (SRC) of willow and poplar has shown that multiple stages of growth have the largest impact to benefit the most species. In natural areas in the Metro area that are in historical floodplains or are missing key coppicing mammals (beaver and humans), coppicing and pollarding can be an important management tool to improve bird habitat, sequester carbon, and supply materials for Indigenous cultural practices
Civic Participation and Meaning in Life: Similarities and Differences Across Diverse Youth
No full textCivic engagement is an important component of youth thriving, but prior research—focused primarily on political engagement—has found a “civic engagement gap” between youth with marginalized identities and those with privileged social identities. Research is needed to understand youth involvement in other civic activities, patterns of disparities, and any implications of these differences for youth well-being. In this study, we examined differences in community service activities, political activities, and expressive activities and their relationships with meaning in life 2 years later across 11 groups of 1,088 adolescents defined by intersections of race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and nativity. Findings reveal great diversity in civic activities across groups of youth, suggesting the need to reframe the “gap” as “civic engagement diversity.” At the same time, our findings indicate that not all forms of participation offer the same developmental benefits—only political participation consistently predicted greater meaning in life across all youth
Voting Under Contradictory News
No full textHow much do opposing news sources distort private information and how do voters use distorted contradictory information regarding candidate quality? In a two candidate voting game, we derive and experimentally test an “average-opinion” hypothesis, where two opposingly biased sources, capable of forming an unbiased estimate of candidate quality as well as a distorted estimate within a bound, symmetrically distort their reported estimates in opposite directions, and voters split the estimate difference to decipher the unbiased estimate. Data support the hypothesis and show that voters benefit from sources’ competition, compared to a control treatment without competition. When sources are allowed to distort unrestrictedly, babbling equilibrium is predicted, but results still indicate the average-opinion behavior. Finally, even when sources are asymmetric in their ability to distort, voters perform remarkably well to form an adjusted average-opinion, which allows them to vote for the right candidate