Name: Biondi, Kaitlan M.
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Studies
Thesis Committee: Terrence Bensel, Thomas Eatmon
Title: A Deadly Rainbow: The Study of Mold in Student Rentals and What Can be Done About It.
Abstract: Mold is an inhabitant of most homes across America, particularly those that are low rent. College students live in some of the cheapest rented houses that can be found, including those who rent in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Mold spores float around in the air until given the right conditions to feed and grow. The better the conditions found, the more mold will grow. As the amount of time spent indoors increases, the concern for indoor air quality and health rises as well. Mold lives in places that most college students do not bother to look for such as under the toilet seat and in between the shower curtains. In studies done on homes with mold and allergy troubles, there is a direct correlation between the allergy problems of the inhabitant and the amount of mold in the household. With a guidebook college students will have the opportunity to educate themselves and be able to protect their homes from mold growth and any side effects that it could cause. It has been proven that one of the biggest problems with mold induced by poor indoor air quality is the lack of education. Mold has been a problem for years, but becoming equipped with the right information could give college students a new weapon in the fight against mold.
Name: Blair, Katherine
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Studies
Thesis Committee: Terrence Bensel, Richard Bowden
Title: Wetland Loss and Restoration in Louisiana: Policy Implications
Abstract: Environmental protection is essential in order to preserve our world. Environmental protection that is specifically importa nt to coastal regions are wetlands. There has been general controversy over what regions should be protected due to the lack of a single definition for what a wetland is. However, there is no disagreement that wetlands do provide very valuable infrastructures for ecosystems and protection from winds and waves. Throughout the scope of history, wetlands have been recklessly destroyed in order for human expansion throughout the land. Examples of this destruction are visible in places such as New Orleans, where a vast majority of the city once laid on wetlands. In recent years, the value of wetlands has been realized by many. Government groups and NGO’s have been working to preserve and protect wetland regions. This study examines the history of wetland use and management, with a focus on Louisiana. It concludes that while some improvements in wetland management have been made in recent years, more effort is needed to protect and restore these critical ecosystems.
Name: Booser, James E.
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Studies
Thesis Committee: Thomas Eatmon, Terrence Bensel
Title: Legal Barriers to Achieving Environmental Justice: Houston, Texas
Abstract: Environmental justice is a relatively new movement, yet has shown much potential for success, even in the face of tremendous setbacks and legal failure. The movement provides a venue in which many disempowered groups may pursue equal treatment, using the legislation created in response to the Civil Rights movement in order to display disparate conditions based on a discriminating factor. However, the movement has experienced a difficult beginning, with many legal cases challenging environmental discrimination either being dismissed before proceedings or having an unfavorable ruling after being argued in court. Although the basis by which one argues cases of environmental discrimination initially seem accommodating; the applicable laws were not designed for the unique approach the movement takes. The laws do not apply in a comprehensive fashion, which creates a loophole that is taken advantage of by defendants. This creates a high failure rate for those cases that may exhibit valid circumstances of discrimination, but are tasked with an unreasonable burden of financial and legal obligations that delay or prevent justice. Additionally, the laws do not always support each other, and while one law might say one thing, defendants are able to cite other provisions of the same law that create strict parameters under which nearly all cases will not fall within. Environmental justice is a movement of utmost importance; since it uses our laws as a vehicle by which we may protect the environment, punish those who don’t, and take a step in the direction of increased social-conscientiousness. Two legal cases in Houston, Texas support the theory of embedded legal obstacles that contribute to a delay or prevention of achieving environmental justice. Examination will be performed to determine how both cases were disserved by our legal system, and how the cases could have turned out, based on the merits of their claims.
Name: Conroy, Abby
Date: January, 2010
Major: Environmental Studies
Thesis Committee: Eric Pallant, Rich Bowden
Title: Solving the Problem of Student Energy Consumption: An Energy Competition for Allegheny College
Abstract: As a charter signatory of the ACUPCC, Allegheny College has been contractually committed to reaching carbon neutrality since April 2007. Part of that commitment required the college to complete a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory. Based on that inventory, it was realized that student energy consumption was a major contributor to GHG emissions. In order to counteract the effects of student energy consumption this senior comprehensive project designed and ran Allegheny College’s first dorm energy competition. The competition was divided into two main parts, the first occurring while classes were in session, encouraging students to actively reduce consumption. The second part occurred over Thanksgiving break and focused on reducing phantom draws. Results of the competition were mixed with the biggest reducer of the first half saving just under 30% of their baseline and the biggest user consuming more than 50% over their baseline. Average reductions in the second part of the competition were around 40%. This competition provided insight into effective and ineffective strategies for encouraging student energy conservation. The competition was considered a success but in order to improve the results, methods have been suggested for future competitions.
Name: Cover, Leah E.
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Studies
Thesis Committee: Terrence Bensel, Sue Buck
Title: Communicating the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian water conflict through art: A search for cooperation
Abstract: The political and cultural disputes over borders, settlements, the right of return for Palestinian refugees, and the legitimacy of Israel have plagued the Middle East for more than half a century. Now the scarcity of water is an emerging environmental issue that is exacerbating the political instability and compromising the economic welfare of the region. As the populations of the Middle East increase and the demand for water grows, the below-average rainfall and persistent droughts of the past decade threaten the supply of water for both municipal and agricultural uses. The trans-boundary nature of the water crisis demands that cooperation amongst the Israeli and Arab states is crucial to the survival of the region. Social and environmental concerns of this magnitude must be communicated to the public, and activists are now turning to art as a way to address this and similar issues. This project has examined the role of water in the larger context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the use of visual art in order to increase the understanding on both sides of the conflict and to propose the possibility of water as a point of collaboration between the affected countries. This project sought to answer the questions, “How can art be used as a tool to increase awareness of the complexity of the water conflict between Israelis and Palestinians? And by increasing awareness, can art portray the water crisis as a starting point for cooperation and compromise, rather than for distrust and further disagreement?”
Name: DeJong, Sonja
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Community Health Education (Self-Designed)
Thesis Committee: Terrence Bensel, Sarah Conklin
Title: Assessing Health Media: Can Successful Anti-Smoking Campaigns be Applied to Childhood Obesity Reduction and Prevention Efforts?
Abstract: Childhood obesity is becoming a major problem throughout the United States and world. Bombarded by media messages promoting high-calorie, low nutrient foods as well as the temptations of sedentary activities like video games, youth are becoming increasingly inactive and overweight. Obesity has major long and short term effects of the quality of life of youth as they suffer emotional, social, and physical debilitations as a result of their weight. The tripling of childhood obesity over the past thirty years has resulted in an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, heart disease, arthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory disease, depression, and various cancers. Second only to cigarettes as the leading killer in preventable diseases, obesity has infiltrated homes, schools, and communities across the United States, burdening families and taxpayers with medical expenses. It is vital that communities come together to prevent the growth of obesity through developments of successful health campaigns of the past. Two anti-smoking campaigns are analyzed, focusing on six major factors for connecting to teenage youth: giving youth a voice, utilizing new technology, making messages “cool”, using horizontal communication, selling a brand, and establishing funding through government support. This work will examine the factors that can be applied to the development of successful health campaigns for overweight teens to reduce and eventually prevent childhood obesity throughout the United States.
Name: Duchmann, Karl F.
Date: Spring, 2010
Double Major: Environmental Studies / Philosophy
Thesis Committee: Terry Bensel, William Bywater
Title: Cultivating Intelligence: A Pragmatic Framework for the 21st Century
Abstract: The moral ideal of democracy is worthy of value, because it emphasizes, as an end-in-view, the sustained growth and education of every citizen within our communities. A vibrant democratic way of life requires the zealous commitment of its people to the democratic virtues, which include: (1) respect for others, (2) love of wisdom, and (3) hope unconstrained by optimism. Interaction between these virtues gives rise to two crucial democratic habits: fearlessly compassionate communication and faith in the potential of every person. Regretfully, we cannot point to a time when we were in possession of a vibrantly democratic way of life. Though the self-sustaining agrarian communities of centuries past contained elements that were conducive to our democratic moral ideal, the domestic subordination of women, the enslavement of African “immigrants” and the genocidal conquest of indigenous peoples make it problematic at best to gesture towards any sort of edenic past. The democratic way of life in America has always been tenuous. Knowledge that democracy has never thrived in our country should not compel us to abandon hope and settle for a less than desireworthy outcome. Nothing is more undesireworthy than pessimistic logic that mistakes what is for what ought to, or necessarily has to, be. Rather knowledge of our past shortcomings should compel us to actively search out antidemocratic forces and strive to overcome them. As Marvin Harris wisely quips in his classic, Cannibals and Kings, “the rational response to bad odds is to try harder” (Harris, 1977; 292).
Name: Fabian, Katrin
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: International Development (Self-Designed)
Thesis Committee: Michael Maniates, Terrence Bensel
Title: From Harambee to Humanitarian Crisis: The 2007 Election and Implications for Kenya’s Future
Abstract: Kenya, a country with high levels of development relative to other African nations, fell victim to violent political conflict after its last elections in 2007. While the country has historically experienced instability during elections, the magnitude of the events in 2007 left Kenya with a tarnished reputation and an unsure future. With the next election scheduled for late 2012, the country has limited time to address the issues that could prevent similar violence in the future. This paper examines the environmental, economic, and political factors that have contributed to conflict in Kenya’s past elections. Through research and analysis of these aspects of Kenya’s election history, it uncovers the circumstances necessary for violence. It concludes that environmental and economic based issues such as the lack and unequal distribution of resources create enabling conditions, while elite political behaviors ultimately cause or prevent conflict. The study’s close examination of contemporary issues in Kenya outlines possible outcomes for the 2012 election and speculates about best practices for future conflict prevention.
Name: Fago, James R.
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Rich Bowden, Terry Bensel
Title: How can Allegheny College athletics become more Sustainable?
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to develop a plan that revolves around sustainability in regards to the Allegheny College athletic department. The three main topics that are discussed are policy reform, transportation, and sustainable facilities. These are used to build a model of an athletic department that is sustainably and functionally operative. Ideas such as switching conferences, implementing resource monitoring programs, and installing rainwater retention/storm water control features are proposed to make the change, and bring Allegheny athletics into the forefront of the college’s sustainability initiative. Many of the features are drawn from case studies that have been tested and deemed a success. The final model consists of the previously mentioned changes as well as recommendations for implementing a host of green features into the athletic facilities.
Name: Flood, Katie M.
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Studies
Thesis Committee: Richard Bowden, Thomas Eatmon
Title: Constructing a Community Garden for Women Services in Meadville, Pennsylvania
Abstract: Recent studies linking environmental and human health problems to industrialized agriculture have given rise to new support for alternative small-scale agriculture. This recent interest into small-scale agriculture has led to the rise of many community gardens across The United States. Community gardens provide opportunities to reconnect people with food. They serve as an important breeding ground for social togetherness while providing many benefits to individuals; benefits such as: better nutrition from eating fresh vegetables that individuals may not normally have access to, psychological benefits in the form of therapy, and building stronger social bonds within the community. Despite these numerous benefits, without financial support, community gardens often times do not succeed. This project sets out to establish a community garden for Women’s Services in Meadville, Pennsylvania through donations from the community. This project also aims to defend the need for a community garden, establish how to set up and construct a community garden, and also provides a detailed management plan for the residents at the Women’s Services home.
Name: Fogoros, Emily
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Scott Wissinger, Milt Ostrofsky
Title: Do Fish and Macroinvertebrate Indices of Biotic Integrity Provide Concordant Evaluations of Stream Health in the French Creek Watershed?
Abstract: Fish and macroinvertebrates are commonly used in biomonitoring to evaluate anthropogenic impacts on stream ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to determine if the PA Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) benthic macroinvertebrate biomonitoring indices (BIBI) and locally adapted fish biotic indices (FIBI) make concordant predictions about the effects of land use on the health of 2nd – 3rd order tributaries in the French Creek watershed (northwestern Pennsylvania). I chose streams scoring at the high and low end of the FIBI from a pool of over 40 streams, and calculated BIBIs using the PA DEP protocol. BIBI values more closely corresponded to current land use and local habitat than did FIBI scores for the same streams. My results are consistent with other studies that suggest concordance is often limited between invertebrate and fish biomonitoring data. Results also indicate benthic invertebrates did reflect significant correlations with land use effects in the French Creek watershed. The low concordance seen between the FIBI and the BIBI may relate more to the inadequacy of the FIBI to accurately assess stream health than to the varying responses of the two types of taxa to land use. Future studies should consider using a multi-assemblage multi-metric IBI to best assess stream health in the French Creek watershed.
Name: Gathmann, Jenna L.
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Studies
Thesis Committee: Michael Maniates, Thomas Eatmon
Title: Expanding the Cohousing Market to Include Low-Income Residents
Abstract: Intentional communities generate social cohesion and sustainable lifestyles. People often choose to live in intentional communities to experience stronger connections with their neighbors in secure, safe neighborhoods. Cohousing is one type that incorporates private space with communal living and emphasizes resources sharing. The style of neighborhood may provide many benefits that low-income residents often lack. This project discovers how to overcome barriers to cohousing for low-income residents. Cohousing remains a narrow market due to limits associated with accessibility, developmental types, sources of financing, location, and residency. The research method includes examining the existing market in the US and locating the general barriers and specific ones for low-income residents. Several case studies follow to demonstrate how to overcome many of these barriers. For the market to expand for low-income residents, cohousing requires more professional developers intent on affordability, additional sources of funding especially from the government, increased awareness of cohousing’s potential, and outreach strategies from existing cohousing neighborhoods. Many members within the cohousing market want greater affordability, but the market must grow to generate support from several sources and maintain an intentional outreach for low-income residents.
Name: Gearhart, Lydia J.
Date: Spring, 2010
Double Major: Environmental Studies / Women’s Studies
Thesis Committee: Rich Bowden, Jennifer Hellwarth
Title: Bride and Earth: Consuming the Feminine
Abstract: This Senior Comprehensive Project asserts that although marriage today has seemingly different connotations for women than it did a century ago, the role consumption plays in weddings is a significant example of the simultaneous degradation and consumption of the feminine entities Bride and Earth. Moreover, the participation of women in this system under the guise of empowerment further perverts the role of Woman in society and shrouds the environmental consequences of patriarchy. By asking the question how does the institution of marriage and the wedding industry degrade both the Bride and the Earth? it questions the correlations between weddings, the institution of marriage, exploitation of the environment and gender inequality in mainstream America. The implications of the socially constructed relationship between Bride and Earth—one that relies on their inferior position as feminized objects—are explored and a myriad of realities about the nature of Man’s dominance are revealed. The project adds to a virtually non-existent body of literature that directly correlates and addresses the environmental and gendered repercussions of marriage and weddings.
Name: Gigante, Bethany
Date: Fall, 2010
Major: Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Thomas Eatmon, Rich Bowden
Title: The Effects of Nitrates and Salinity on Germination Percentages of Salicornia bigelovii, Salicornia subterminalis, and Salicornia virginica
Abstract: The time of Hubbert’s Peak has been estimated to be reached within the next 20 to 30 years. Once this peak is reached, the demand for fossil fuel energy sources will become greater than the supply of fossil fuels available. Realizing that fossil fuels are finite, there is a need to develop a renewable energy sources that can replace fossil fuels as a petroleum source. Salicornia bigelovii, Salicornia subterminalis, and Salicornia virginica are salt water tolerant plants which produce lipids that can be used in the production of biofuels. An understanding of the germination of these specific plants in various environmental conditions is needed to contribute high lipid supplies from a variety of geographical locations to biofuel producers. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of introducing the limiting nutrients of nitrates and freshwater on the environmental conditions of S. bigeolovii, S. subterminalis, and S. virginica found in coastal environments, nutrients that past research has shown can induce stress onto germinating plants if their availability is limited. The results expressed that a saline level of 1.010 SG along with the introduction of nitrates or excess freshwater resulted in higher germination and survival percentages of these halophytes than an environment where these nutrients are minimal. This suggests optimal crops of Salicornia would be obtained if planted during the spring in an area with a large aquatic population, when there will be freshwater run-off and nitrate addition by fish waste.
Name: Goeller, Brandon C.
Date: Spring, 2010
Double Major: Biology / Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Scott Wissinger, Milt Ostrofsky
Title: The Utility of a Fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) for Assessing Stream Health in the Oil and French Creek Watersheds of Northwestern Pennsylvania
Abstract: Biomonitoring is often used to assess the net effects of multiple stressors on running water ecosystems. Fish “indices of biotic integrity” (IBIs) have been adapted for use in the French Creek watershed of northwestern Pennsylvania; however, these IBIs have not been evaluated in neighboring watersheds. The purpose of this study was to use the French Creek IBIs to assess the effects of land use on tributaries in the Oil Creek watershed of northwestern Pennsylvania. During the late 1800s, Oil Creek was impacted by intense deforestation and stream habitat degradation associated with oil exploration, whereas French Creek was mainly impacted by agriculture. I predicted that IBI scores would be lower in 2nd to 4th order tributaries of Oil Creek than in tributaries of French Creek of similar size and with similar forest cover because of these differences in “legacy effects” associated with historical patterns of land use. Results show that for a given percent of watershed forest cover, fish species richness is lower in Oil Creek than in French Creek tributaries. This suggests that metric cutoff values will need to be modified to increase the regional utility of the IBI. The results of this study also addressed other between-watershed differences that affect the construction of a regional IBI, including differences in the pool of available species, high forest cover, and stream gradient. Few studies have compared biotic integrity between watersheds with different legacy effects associated with historical differences in land use, a consideration that should be addressed when investigating biotic integrity on a regional level.
Name: Gordon, Elissa
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Richard Bowden, Milt Ostrofsky
Title: The Effectiveness of Restoration Projects on Promoting Stream Health in Agricultural Areas of Northwestern Pennsylvania
Abstract: The interactions of a stream and the surrounding terrestrial ecosystem, largely affect the functioning and health of the aquatic ecosystem. In agricultural areas, cattle grazing degrades riparian zones and negatively impacts stream health and function. In attempt to reverse the damage caused by agricultural practices, governmental groups and other agencies have established best management practices (BMPs), aimed to reduce and reverse the damage caused by livestock. A form of BMP set up to minimize this issue is livestock exclusionary fencing, which prohibits livestock from entering a protected stream as well as the surrounding riparian areas. It is argued that this is the only effective system to regenerate stream health. Management success is commonly measured in riparian re-growth and neglects to consider aquatic organisms, causing recovery dynamics within the stream to largely be unknown. This experiment looked at stream health one year after exclusionary fencing and other restoration practices were implemented. Seven sites were sampled on a 1st order stream in Crawford County, Pennsylvania that had been previously degraded by cattle. Macroinvertebrates were collected at each site and evaluated by functional feeding groups, pollution tolerance, and ephemeroptera, plecoptera, and trichoptera compositions. Riparian, Channel, and Environmental Inventory data was used to determine the riparian ecosystem health of each site. RCE scores showed intermediate health, but did not compare to the intact riparian reference site, suggesting the need for more recovery. Macroinvertebrate compositions implied that the stream was largely open and lacked sufficient riparian cover. In conclusion, more than one year of restoration efforts are necessary to promote stream health in both the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Name: Gorski, Alexander
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Richard Bowden, Thomas Eatmon
Title: The Forest carbon sequestration potential in Crawford County and financial incentives for landowners in Crawford County under ACESA 2009
Abstract: The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 was passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 219-212 on June 26, 2009. The overall goal of the bill is to help transition the American economy into becoming more sustainable, by having long term goals in Greenhouse Gas (GHGs) emission reductions until the year 2050, through a cap and trade system. Additionally the bill gives individual landowners the opportunity to become part of the solution by being offered financial incentives to sequester carbon and collect carbon credits that they can sell to companies. Crawford County, PA, is mainly a rural county located in Northwest Pennsylvania that includes over 200,000 acres of cropland and pasture, and has the potential to sequester carbon through reforestation. The best potential area for reforestation based on poorly suited soils for crop growing and landcover type was found to be 12,796 acres. The estimated amount of total carbon sequestration measured in metric tons of CO2 was between 46-79 per acre over 20 years, depending on forest type, and through the use of a range o f expected prices for carbon credits, the value of carbon sequestration ranged from $701.70 – $4,034.84 per acre over 20 years. Start up and maintenance cost estimations do not exceed $1,000. Therefore, as long as a landowner is not planning on using a certain area of their land for the next 20 years, a carbon forest sequestration project is profitable under ACESA policies. This project is not advocating that the way of life should be changed in Crawford County by reforesting the entire area; it is simply advocating that the potential to reforest land is available in Crawford County and a profit can be made.
Name: Hodgkiss-Lilly, Margaret
Date: Fall, 2010
Major: Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Rich Bowden, John Meeder
Title: Guiding Principles for Forest Management at Robertson Field Complex and Bousson Experimental Forest
Abstract: Allegheny College intends to renew timber harvesting practices at Robertson Field Complex, which makes this is an appropriate time to take stock of our forest resources. A forest management plan includes outlining objectives for use of the land, an evaluation of the condition of the land, and planning the schedule and activities that will allow us to complete our objectives. In order to make effectively meet our needs, this plan hopes to take into account the many uses and possibilities for the land and allow for optimizing multiple uses on the same area. I did a survey of students as well as interviews of key faculty stakeholders in order to determine the needs and goals that will guide the management actions. I also gathered information, including the history, vegetation, soil, geology, and recreation about both areas, using GIS, maps, and other available information. Then I laid out best management actions and options, and a plan of schedule activities. This plan is intended to be a tool for the people involved in this process. We plan to hire a consulting forester, and we will need a committee to guide the planning process, including the physical plant employees that began this process. This document is intended as introduction and justification for planning and accessible to all of those various people who might be involved, as well as anyone who is interested in or concerned about the forest management process.
Name: Isakower, Alyssa M.
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Rich Bowden, Catharina Coenen
Title: The Effect of Mycorrhizal Infection and Three Levels of Organic Fertilizer Treatment on Growth of Greenhouse Tomatoes
Abstract: Conventional agriculture relies heavily on chemical inputs such as fertilizers to obtain large crop yields. Overuse of commercial mineral fertilizers in agriculture has resulted in nitrogen and phosphorus pollution which must be scaled back to prevent further environmental damage. However, use of organic fertilizers can result in lower yields. Mutualistic mycorrhiza fungi have been shown to help plants obtain nutrients and result in higher yields in organic farm systems. Tomatoes, a popular greenhouse crop, form strong relationships with these fungi. In this study, 30 tomatoes were grown to investigate the affect of mycorrhizal infection and organic fertilizers on plant health. Two replicates, mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal tomatoes, were grown under three different levels of organic fertilizer treatment. These treatments were based on a growth medium ratio of ProMix:Compost—1:1, 5:3, and 7:1. The 1:1 and 5:3 groups were treated with a liquid fish emulsion fertilizer biweekly and the 7:1 group was treated once a week. No difference was observed between mycorrhizal and control plants or across fertilizer regimes for plant aboveground dry biomass, number of fruits, or fruit weight. An inverse relationship between biomass and average fruit weight was observed across fertilizer regimes. The 7:1 group had the largest total leaf number, followed by 5:3, and lastly 1:1 group. Mycorrhizal tomatoes showed a significantly higher number of flowers than control tomatoes at all fertilizer levels. We can conclude that the mycorrhizal plants experienced more reproductive benefit than vegetative benefit as a result of infection. Higher levels of readily available N received by the 7:1 group due to weekly liquid fertilizer treatments may have resulted in a higher number of leaves than the 5:3 and 1:1 groups which obtained more of nutrients from compost. The lack of significant biomass and fruit data may be due to measurements being taken at 90 days instead of the 140 days this cultivar of tomato takes to reach maturity.
Name: Lash, Daniel C.
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Studies
Thesis Committee: Richard Bowden, Terrence Bensel
Title: Applying Ecological Engineering Principles for the Conceptual Design of a Domestic Wastewater Treatment System
Abstract: Ecological engineering is a relatively new approach that combines concepts of conventional engineering and living ecosystems for the mutual benefit of humans and nature. By adhering to ecological engineering design principles as outlined by Bergen et al. (2001), this study attempts to apply the sustainable concepts and values that ecological engineering embodies to the conventional paradigm of large municipal wastewater treatment systems in developed areas. In such, this study begins the process of designing a small domestically based wastewater treatment system. By combining urine separation technology with the functions of wetland ecology and the principles of ecological engineering, this study conceptualizes a system that treats human urine using a series of cells that flood and drain several times a day. Relative to conventional wastewater treatment systems, the conceptually designed system would not only be energy, time, and space efficient, but would also embody the holistic and sustainable ideologies inherent in the practice of ecological engineering.
Name: Lawson, Isis P.
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Thomas Eatmon, Terrence Bensel
Title: Conserve or Not to Conserve: A Sustainable Husbandry Workshop
Abstract: Sustainability is a concept that is used a lot, it is creating and maintaining conditions under which humans and nature can coexist in harmony, and fulfill the social and economic requirements of the present and future. It can be implemented in all areas of life and can help reduce the negative impact humans have on the environment. Many industries such as transportation and agriculture have the largest impact. These industries are needed for human survival, for instance the consumption of meat and animal products is part of the animal husbandry industry and a large aspect of today’s society. Many consumers are demanding organically grown and better treatment of the animals that they buy. Along with the environmental deprivation that is happening around the world an improvement of agricultural farming systems can ensure food production in the future. There have been many educational programs created to help teach children about sustainability and farming as a way to begin the agricultural changes. Hog Heaven Animal Rescue Farm in Meadville, Pennsylvania has been interested in such programs. This project consisted of a one day workshop on animal management, pasture management, green buildings, modern versus traditional farming practices and farm evaluations. The workshop was used to see if sustainable animal husbandry is an effective way of teaching sustainable principles.
Name: Ludwig, Thomas J.
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Rich Bowden, Milt Ostrofsky
Title: An Evaluation of the Differences in Coarse Woody Debris between Mitigated Wetland Sites and Beaver Created Wetlands
Abstract: Wetlands are some of the most complex and important ecosystems on the planet, contributing ecosystem services to a broad range of species as well as humans. Both wetland ponds and riparian zones supply important habitat characteristics as well as connect the terrestrial world with the aquatic. Coarse Woody Debris (CWD) is a crucial habitat component in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. CWD can provide many ecosystem functions to wetland environments such as habitat, nutrient cycling, and geomorphological change. Historically, wetlands were viewed as wastelands and swamps that couldn’t be cultivated. However, research on wetlands over the past 50 years has begun to show how important these unique ecosystems really are. The Clean Water Act of 1977 and its amendments in 1988 demand the recreation of wetland sites lost due to the development of the land they once occupied. However, during construction little attention is paid to the addition of CWD to mitigated wetland systems. In order to gauge how effective current mitigation practices are at supplying CWD to mitigation sites, a comparison must be made with natural wetland systems. Beaver wetlands occur in areas that traditionally were not wetland sites, and over time become natural wetland sites. By comparing the CWD at mitigated sites to beaver wetlands a control can be put on the fact that mitigated wetlands are created. Study sites were chosen around Crawford County in Meadville and Titusville, PA. Three beaver and three mitigated wetland sites were paired based on assessment scores, disturbances, size, and microtopography. The average stage of decomposition was recorded for each site, as well as the basal area of standing dead trees and the total amount of CWD in the pond and riparian zone. The mitigated wetlands sites had 16-20% less CWD per hectare than the beaver sites, with an overall difference of 18%. The beaver sites also had a greater area of standing dead trees with a difference of 3.13 m2 of standing dead trees per hectare between the overall totals for the beaver and mitigated sites. Decomposition stages did not significantly differ between sites. Mitigated wetlands constantly had less CWD than similar beaver wetlands. When constructing a mitigated wetland it is important to understand the role that CWD debris plays as a nutrient resource and habitat for wetland species. New practices such as girdling trees and strategic placement of woody material should be adopted to increase CWD in mitigation sites so that they can mimic the ecosystem functions of naturally occurring wetlands.
Name: Marcy-Quay, Benjamin
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Richard Bowden, Terrence Bensel
Title: Using Geographic Information Systems to Locate Vernal Pools in Pennsylvania State Gameland 69
Abstract: Vernal Pools are small, seasonal water bodies that support a diverse selection of species. Many of these species are specialists and depend on vernal pools for all or part of their life cycle. However vernal pools are also hard to locate due to their size and seasonality. Management plans often overlook them due to the difficulty involved in finding them using traditional field analysis techniques. A Geographic Information System (GIS) based suitability analysis was used to analyze and predict patterns of vernal pool occurrence of Pennsylvania State Gameland 69. Land cover, water proximity, soil type, and slope characteristics were included in the analysis. Results showed that GIS analyses may have some use in showing associations between vernal pools and individual land characteristics, but that available datasets are not yet precise enough to predict occurrence on the scale studied.
Name: O’Neill, Caitlin
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Terrence Bensel, Michael Maniates
Title: Rainwater Collection: A Look at the Purpose and Potential of a Rainwater Harvesting System in Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Abstract: Water conservation is becoming an increasingly pressing issue as whole communities struggle to fulfill even their basic daily water needs and entire regions of the globe face severe water shortages. This problem is not simply a result of low water availability but also can be attributed to high population densities in many areas, overuse by agriculture and poor management. A common practice to counter water shortages, which has been in use for centuries, is the harvesting of rainwater. This water can be stored for later use or can recharge the water table through the use of a variety of different structures. This practice can be easily employed and has been proven to be beneficial to the ecosystem and the community. A small organic farmstead owned by Aram Dadian of Rosemont, New Jersey is interested in constructing a rainwater harvesting system to irrigate his crops, to manage storm water, and to aid the environment. The purpose of the study was to use a farm in Hunterdon County, New Jersey as a case study to find what would be the most beneficial and economically feasible design for a rain harvesting system for a small farm. It found that because of size, rain frequency, and price it was not feasible to invest in a large system, but rather one tank to offset the daily water uses was applicable.
Name: Pfeifer, Andrew
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Rich Bowden, Chris Shaffer
Title: Where Will the Grass be the Greenest? A GIS-Based Land Suitability Analysis for Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) Production
Abstract: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a perennial prairie grass with a great potential to be lucrative as a biofuel. Leasing fields for cultivation is a common market function, as long as the plots are within a desired radius from a biomass processing plant. A model has been created to effectively show suitable sites for growing switchgrass, with a study center of Ernst Conservation Seeds in Meadville, PA. A GIS-based land suitability analysis was created within ESRI’s ArcGIS using ModelBuilder, developing an easily comprehendible model. Wetlands, the National Land Cover Dataset, hydrography, protected lands, elevation, soils, and roads datasets were compiled and analyzed using a weighted overlay. Results showed that about thirty percent of the land within 25 driving miles of Ernst Seeds is very or highly suitable for switchgrass cultivation.
Name: Piso, Zachary A.
Date: Fall, 2010
Major: Environmental Studies
Thesis Committee: Thomas Eatmon, Bill Bywater
Title: Ecological Pragmatism: Growing a Sustainable World
Abstract: Faced with an unrecognizable biosphere, environmental philosophy has failed to adapt its theories and principles to accord with the much higher stakes. Chief among these failures is the continued division of the natural from the unnatural world. When so much of the Earth’s processes rely on the interplay of both human-constructed and naturally selected environments, it is impossible to develop a meaningful philosophy that ignores an entire dimension of their polarity. And so ecological pragmatism is an attempt to develop a new environmental philosophy, one that embraces the mutual participation of human and non-human forms of intelligence. It aspires toward the growth of a sustainable world, a harmonious interdependence between nature and culture that returns both to the same landscape, a landscape they never should have left.
This project was supported in part by the Class of 1939 Senior Research Fund.
Name: Raspanti, Gail L.
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Thomas Eatmon, Terrence Bensel
Title: Recommendations for Implementing an Electric Energy Conservation Program at Meadville Area Senior High School and Middle School
Abstract: This paper is the outcome of an energy study at Meadville Area Senior High School and Middle School (MASH/MS). It covers recommendations for implementing an energy conservation program focusing on electricity. MASH/MS, located in Crawford County, Pennsylvania is energy inefficient, especially when compared to surrounding school districts. It is benchmarked as an 8 on Energy Stars portfolio manager program. An audit was conducted to discover their electric consumption habits/costs with lighting and appliances. With these results, calculations were conducted and MASH/MS was provided with several recommendations such as installing occupancy sensors, skylights, and tubular skylights to deal with lighting issues. While, installing energy misers, a monitor sleep program, and unplugging unused appliances were a few suggestions for appliances. The amount of money saved per year was included with these options, along with information on how to approach these recommendations.
Name: Rigotti, Samuel J.
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Studies
Thesis Committee: Michael Maniates, Terrence Bensel
Title: Environmental Problem-Solving: How Do We Make Change? A Survey of Undergraduate Attitudes and Perceptions
Abstract: Within the realm of environmental problem-solving, there exist two seemingly divergent pathways for approaching solutions: green consumption and citizen participation. Green consumption is the notion that purchasing environmentally responsible products and making individual lifestyle changes will have a significant impact upon solving environmental problems. Citizen participation calls for a greater involvement, such as by pressuring elected and corporate officials or organizing communities to push for change. This project looks at these issues by way of surveying undergraduate students of environmental issues, as they will ultimately be tasked with finding solutions to global ecological problems. It is critical to understand how these students perceive these problems and act on them. The ultimate goal of this project is to understand what students perceive to be the best ways to solve environmental problems, what they are personally undertaking, and if there is a level of consistency between the two.
Name: Silva, Nicholas R.
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Studies
Thesis Committee: Terrence Bensel, Richard Bowden
Title: Solution(s) to Attain Maximum Water Efficiency in Pascoag, Rhode Island’s Water Distribution System
Abstract: In late summer of 2001, a small village in Pascoag, Rhode Island experienced an event that shook the lives of over 5,000 people. The Pascoag Utility District (PUD) announced to the public that their water source is contaminated with the gasoline additive MTBE. The utility district is a non-profit municipality that provides electricity for over 5,000 homes within Pascoag and Harrisville; a neighboring village, and water for over 1,200 homes within Pascoag. Residents were warned not to consume their tap water or use it during their daily lives except for sponge bathing. For over four months residents had to rely on bottled water for cooking and drinking. During these four months state and local officials found two possible sources for this contamination; the Main Street Mobil gasoline station, and the Burrillville Department of Works Facility (DEM, 2005). Eventually the department of works facility became ruled out as a possible source when officials discovered corroded storage tanks located under the Mobil gasoline station. This senior project is going to examine this case study in Pascoag with the full intention of providing promising capital projects for the search of a self reliant clean water supply.
Name: Sweeney, Erin
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Community Empowerment (Self-Designed)
Thesis Committee: Mike Maniates, Elizabeth Ozorak
Title: Planting Potatoes Out of Poverty: Urban Garden Programs as a Vessel for Fostering Community Change
Abstract: Throughout the past century, urban agriculture has played a significant role in the dynamics of city life. Growing food in cities has economic, environmental, social and health-related benefits for the urban population. These benefits play important roles in low-income communities that struggle with poverty, inequality and oppression. Over the past few decades, individuals, community groups and social service agencies have implemented urban garden programs to address the repercussions of social problems, which their diverse missions and projects reflect. This senior project uses the lens of four selected outcomes of change – individual empowerment, social capital, food security and economic opportunities – as well as four community change strategies to examine how urban garden programs can best foster community level, transformative change in low-income neighborhoods. A review of relevant literature and case studies finds that urban garden programs must first develop their existing capacity to promote social capital, and then expand their ability to form committed partnerships at multiple levels of influence. These findings pose implications for urban garden programs that want to most effectively create change at multiple levels in the neighborhoods in which they work.
Name: Thornton, Emily J.
Date: Spring, 2010
Double Major: Biology / Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Scott Wissinger, Ronald Mumme
Title: Excreting where they’re eating: An investigation of the ecological role of Limnephilus externus caddisfly larvae in subalpine ponds
Abstract: Detritivorous caddisflies play an important role in pond ecosystems by consuming conditioned detritus and excreting nutrients that can in turn be limiting to algae, which they also consume. There is a lack of research investigating the double benefit caddisflies might gain from detritus processing and their critical contribution to ecosystem function. The first part of this study tested the hypotheses that as caddisfly density increases, nutrient concentration in the water column increases, algal growth increases, and caddisfly consumption of algae (an alternative food source) increases. Results supported the hypothesis that as density increases, nutrient concentration (phosphorus) in the water column increases. Chlorophyll-a (an indicator of algal biomass) concentrations also increased as caddisfly density increased. Evidence of increased algal consumption at high densities supported the hypothesis that caddisflies switch to an alternative food source in high-competition environments. The second part of this experiment aimed to elucidate how the role of caddisflies in lentic ecosystem shifts as a result of climate variation. Though the experiment was unsuccessful due to almost total caddisfly mortality, a follow-up could be useful in predicting how the services that the caddisfly provides will change if certain climate change regimes occur.
This project was funded in part by a grant from the Wells Foundation, the Harold M. State Fellowship, and an REU grant from the National Science Foundation.
Name: Wagner, Christopher D.
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Studies
Thesis Committee: Thomas Eatmon, Rich Bowden
Title: Evaluating the Effects of the Payments for Environmental Services Program in Costa Rica: A Holistic Analysis
Abstract: Analyses of the successes and failures of Payment for Environmental Services (PES) programs to the prese nt have been limited by lack of data and are often narrow in their scope of investigation. This paper seeks to articulate a way to consider a more holistic enumeration of the facets of value associated with implementing a PES program by looking at the impacts beyond immediate effects on conservation and into the important social effects that programs can foster using the PES program in Costa Rica as a case study. Conservation impacts resulting from the program are unclear. However, using the results of several studies on the social impacts of the program, it becomes apparent that there are a number of beneficial social impacts associated with the program related to income, land tenure and an increase in social capital and connections in communities. Barriers to participation for poorer landowners limit these effects. Although there are some limitations, the net impacts of the PES program in Costa Rica are positive despite neutral conservation outcomes.
Name: Wayman, Sandra S.
Date: January, 2010
Major: Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Rich Bowden, Don Goldstein
Title: Nitrogen retranslocation in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
Abstract: To better understand nitrogen cycling and dynamics in switchgrass, a perennial grass grown for biomass production, it is important to understand nitrogen retranslocation. Little is known about specific nitrogen concentrations from retranslocation in plant tissues or seasonal movement of nitrogen, especially related to harvest time based on amount of nitrogen retranslocated and biomass lost from over-wintering. This study was conducted on three switchgrass sites, Shawnee in Nebraska, Shawnee in Pennsylvania, and Cave-in-Rock in Pennsylvania with the goal of quantifying net nitrogen retranslocation by month. Monthly, from June until November, four 15x15x15 clumps of grass and attached belowground biomass from each field were gathered, separated into seven tissue groups, and analyzed for nitrogen concentration. Generally from September onward %N in aboveground tissues decreased, whereas %N in belowground tissues increased from August onward. For Shawnee in PA, nitrogen concentration in belowground tissues changed from 0.43% in June to 0.87% in October, and aboveground tissues changed from 1.65% in June to 0.50% in October. For all three sites, amount of nitrogen retranslocated between September and October resulted in an average gain of 17 kg/ha of nitrogen belowground. When translated into nitrogen fertilizer savings based on current fertilizer costs this nitrogen had an average value of about $4/ha. Because harvesting in the spring can result in a loss of about 4 metric tons of biomass at 40% loss, the amount of nitrogen gained from retranslocation is not enough to justify a spring harvest. For Shawnee-PA at 40% overwinter loss, the combination of nitrogen savings with loss in biomass value results in a net loss of $363/ha for spring harvest. To maximize economic nitrogen gains and minimize economic loss, it is recommended that producers harvest shortly after senescence of the aboveground material in the fall.
Name: Wills, Katlyn M.
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Thomas Eatmon, Mike Maniates
Title: Impacts of a Natural Classroom on Students Participating in the Meadville Area Middle School Science Immersion Program
Abstract: Research shows that surrounding yourself with nature can improve an individual’s attention, boost a child’s overall mood, help develop an individual’s learning capacity and creativity as well as increase a person’s well-being. This study focused on the students from the Meadville Area Middle School who take part in the Gifted and Talented Science Immersion Program. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a natural classroom could have an impact on the student’s positive mood, cooperation, and participation. Using the data collection method of triangulation, this study found that when students were immersed in the natural environment (greenhouse) their results showed a significant increase in positive mood and cooperation from the classroom to the greenhouse. There was no increase found in the comfort ability or amount of participation from the classroom to the greenhouse.
Name: Winter, Eric
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Terrence Bensel, Kelly Boulton
Title: Eat Your Vegetables: Designing a Garden for Allegheny
Abstract: Industrial agriculture as we know it is filled with structural problems. Its focus on large, monoculture farms creates a range of environmental problems, while completely disconnecting consumers from their food. Nationwide, many colleges foresee the close-approaching, inevitable end of industrial agriculture. In an effort to be forthcoming and vanguard, these institutions have increased participation in the local foods movement and pursued sustainable agriculture in an effort to create conscientious global students. Institutions that have pursued campus agriculture have connected students to their food system through hands-on educational outreach that encourages students to think globally and act locally toward food sovereignty issues. As a steering committee member of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), it is in Allegheny’s best interest to develop a campus garden, as it can help fulfill our commitment. In an effort to create a campus garden best suited for Allegheny, nine peer institutions were investigated to extract best management practices for staffing, financing and tapping into the inherent educational elements of campus gardens/farms. From these findings, an action plan of near-term and longer-term steps for creating a garden at Allegheny was developed. Campus agriculture was not only found to provide an endless wealth of academic outreach, but also produced bountiful harvests for various markets, including campus eateries, and acted as potential carbon offsets for the institution.
Name: Zaret, Shannon L.
Date: Spring, 2010
Major: Environmental Science
Thesis Committee: Richard Bowden, Milt Ostrofsky
Title: Effects of Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) Leachates on Plant Germination and Early Growth of Native Grassland and Prairie Species
Abstract: Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) is a non-indigenous member of the Brassicaceae family that has invaded and over time has become naturalized in eastern woodlands throughout North America. Previous work has demonstrated that this species has a negative effect on the diversity of forest understory communities and actively displaces native species through allelopathy. However, little work has been done to assess the ability of garlic mustard to use these potent phytochemicals to invade novel communities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent to which allelopathy might act as a mechanism of interference on grassland and prairie species. Extracts of garlic mustard root and shoot tissues were applied to seeds of eight target species: Big Bluestem, Sideoats Grama, Virginia Wild Rye, Mountain Mint, Big Leaf Lupine, Wild Bergamot, Switchgrass, and Cardinal Flower. For all species, total germination after 10 days was largely unaffected by any extract concentration (p > 0.05). While no clear pattern of seed germination inhibition was evident for any target species at any dilution level, aqueous extracts inhibited both root and shoot elongation. For example, after treatment with shoot extract initial shoot growth for Cardinal Flower was depressed by 8% Switchgrass by 10%, Wild Bergamot by 47%, and Virginia Wild Rye by 100%. while initial root growth was reduced by 5% for Cardinal Flower, 15% for Switchgrass, 16% for Sideoats Grama and 12% for Mountain Mint. After treatment with root extract average shoot growth was reduced by 17% for Switchgrass, 25% for Cardinal Flower, and 100% for Virginia Wild Rye while average root growth decreased by 10% for Cardinal Flower, 16% for Switchgrass, and by 46% for Wild Bergamot following treatment with root leachate. The test species differed in their sensitivity to allelopathic interference with Cardinal Flower, Switchgrass, Wild Bergamot, Virginia Wild Rye, and Mountain Mint being the most affected, while Sideoats Grama, Big Bluestem, and Big Leaf Lupine were the least affected. In addition, morphological alterations were correlated with significant depression of growth. Our data provide little evidence that allelopathy is involved in inhibition of germination, even though the Brassicaceae are well known to possess biologically active compounds, however they do suggest that allelopathy may inhibit the growth and survival of native grassland species.