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- Title
- A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF THREE OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN PASCO AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTIES IN FLORIDA.
- Creator
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Youngberg, Melissa Catherine
- Abstract / Description
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Research and literature support the notion that environmental literacy requires a depth of knowledge and skills that go beyond simply being aware of or knowledgeable about the environment and environmental issues. Environmental literacy requires the learning of a skill set that builds a sense of empowerment and the attitudes that enable a person to adopt pro-environmental behaviors and to be able to take action by participating in the decision-making process on behalf of the environment. Two...
Show moreResearch and literature support the notion that environmental literacy requires a depth of knowledge and skills that go beyond simply being aware of or knowledgeable about the environment and environmental issues. Environmental literacy requires the learning of a skill set that builds a sense of empowerment and the attitudes that enable a person to adopt pro-environmental behaviors and to be able to take action by participating in the decision-making process on behalf of the environment. Two frameworks of instruction that have been recommended to develop the environmental literacy of students are Awareness to Action (A to A) continuum strategies and Place-based Education (PBE) models. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the environmental education (EE) programs of three exemplary outdoor EE sites to determine to what extent each program incorporates the two frameworks in their EE programs. Three forms of data were collected from each EE site, including interviews with instructors, observations of program delivery, and an analysis of the written curriculum. These data were then coded for the inclusion of both A to A continuum strategies and PBE models. The major findings of the study indicated a high concentration of the written curricula focused on the lower end of the A to A continuum, at primarily the awareness and knowledge levels. The findings showed a moderately-high rate of inclusion of PBE models which helps to build a sense of place and connect students to their local environment. The moderate inclusion of the higher levels of the A to A continuum occurred as a result of the skill and talent of the EE instructors at each site. The significance of this study is that it identifies an area of opportunity through which EE programs and curricula could be mindfully-designed to more fully develop the environmental literacy of students through learning the skills necessary for adopting pro-environmental behaviors.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- Youngberg_fgcu_1743_10162
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Benthic community structure and responses to environmental drivers in the Florida Keys.
- Creator
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Brandt, Ashley Lauren
- Abstract / Description
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As the frequency and intensity of disturbances threatening coastal ecosystems increase, there is a greater need to determine which factors are actually driving the changes in these environments. This three-year study investigated the possible influences of stressors alongside changes in community ecology of three disparate marine habitats within the Florida Keys. The approach used in this study was purposefully large-scale, involving high-resolution monthly sampling of the benthic community...
Show moreAs the frequency and intensity of disturbances threatening coastal ecosystems increase, there is a greater need to determine which factors are actually driving the changes in these environments. This three-year study investigated the possible influences of stressors alongside changes in community ecology of three disparate marine habitats within the Florida Keys. The approach used in this study was purposefully large-scale, involving high-resolution monthly sampling of the benthic community structure and environmental data in order to capture associated relationships between stressors and benthic taxa. The need for this novel approach has been proposed in the scientific literature, as there has been greater recognition towards the influence of multiple stressors and the possibility of synergistic effects. Specifically within the Florida Keys, declining water quality and recent extreme temperature anomalies have caused changes in the dynamics of these habitats. Results of this study showed the most influential factors appear to be waves, nutrients, and temperatures within the three sites examined in this study. Waves appeared to have a regional effect, being influential at all three sites, while nutrients and temperatures showed local effects, only being influential at some sites. High and low extremes of these factors appeared to drive the dynamics seen in the top taxa present at these sites, consisting mostly of macrophytes, with some relationships being supported by correlations. In addition, effects from other stressors appeared to be important once combined with the influential factors at some sites, showing evidence of synergistic effects. While all possible stressors were not addressed within this study, there is evidence that there is further need to use this ecosystem-scale approach in order to determine any and all effects of multiple stressors. This will allow for better understanding of integrated effects and provide insight into marine management efforts in terms of anthropogenic and natural stressors or local (manageable) or regional (less controllable) influences.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- Brandt_fgcu_1743_10191
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- CAPACITY FROM LEGAL, MENTAL HEALTH, AND NEUROSCIENCE PERSPECTIVES.
- Creator
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McCluskey, Joseph Dudley
- Abstract / Description
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Legal “capacity” is a concept used by lawyers and mental health professionals working in the criminal justice system to either excuse their clients’ actions or mitigate punishment for committing illegal acts. This paper defines legal capacity, identifies its applications within the state and federal criminal justice arenas, and examines the impact mental health professionals and/or neuroscience has had, may have, or hopes to have in the near future on informing the courts precisely about...
Show moreLegal “capacity” is a concept used by lawyers and mental health professionals working in the criminal justice system to either excuse their clients’ actions or mitigate punishment for committing illegal acts. This paper defines legal capacity, identifies its applications within the state and federal criminal justice arenas, and examines the impact mental health professionals and/or neuroscience has had, may have, or hopes to have in the near future on informing the courts precisely about defendants’ legal capacity. Legal capacity, which for terms of this paper is defined as the “ability to form a certain state of mind or motive, understand or evaluate one’s actions, or control them” (Clark v. Arizona, 2006, p. 749, n. 7), is discussed in terms of juveniles, the intellectually disabled, and the insane. In addition to discussing the Constitutional parameters and legal significance of capacity, the paper also discusses the mental health and neuroscience fields’ roles in helping to identify those who possess or lack the requisite legal capacity to commit crimes. The laws pertaining to each of these categories of defendants, i.e., juveniles, intellectually disabled, and, insane, are labyrinths with tangles of individual state and federal statutes and court decisions interpreting those statutes. The mental health and neuroscience research concerning these categories is still in its infancy and the maze of research has not produced a consensus. Moreover, it is unlikely that the states or courts will ever abdicate their responsibilities to decide these issues and leave such decisions to the mental health and neuroscience practitioners.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- McCluskey_fgcu_1743_10121
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Coastal wetland geomorphic and vegetative change: effects of sea-level rise and water management on brackish marshes.
- Creator
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Andres, Kimberly
- Abstract / Description
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Fluctuations in sea level throughout the Holocene have driven changes in vegetative communities along Southwest Florida’s coastline. Predicted rates of current sea-level rise (SLR) for this region––indicated at 30cm/ 100y via tide gauge data (Maul and Martin 1993)—vastly exceed rates experienced over the last 5,000 years. Conservation and management of the Ten Thousand Islands (TTI) complex and larger Everglades system will thus require a detailed understanding of how local coastal...
Show moreFluctuations in sea level throughout the Holocene have driven changes in vegetative communities along Southwest Florida’s coastline. Predicted rates of current sea-level rise (SLR) for this region––indicated at 30cm/ 100y via tide gauge data (Maul and Martin 1993)—vastly exceed rates experienced over the last 5,000 years. Conservation and management of the Ten Thousand Islands (TTI) complex and larger Everglades system will thus require a detailed understanding of how local coastal communities will respond to accelerated SLR, and even more, how regional altered hydrology resulting from extensive freshwater drainage and diversion will alter, and potentially exacerbate, identified changes. This study quantifies the response of Southwest Florida’s coastal environments to accelerated SLR and the impact water management may have on these trends. Key objectives of the research were to identify a mechanism of environmental shifts in relation to accelerated SLR through stratigraphy, and to quantify the evolution in the distribution and aerial coverage of tidal ponds over time in response to SLR via spatial analyses. Thirty-five sediment cores crossing through numerous wetland types and ecotones were extracted along 5 transects parallel to the tidal gradient. Cores were predominantly extracted in pairs––one core within each distinct wetland community, and one within an adjacent tidal pond—at each unique vegetative environment along the five transects. Facies were described based on sedimentologic characteristics’ and their representative paleoenvironments were interpreted. Core analyses clearly indicate a transgressive stratigraphy among all marshes, mangrove communities, and tidal ponds. Wetland community transition has thus followed a clear and predictable pattern over time in response to accelerated regional SLR. Evaluation of three transects, where NAVD88 surface elevations provide vertical calibration of sediment cores, indicates that the onset of wetland facies becomes younger as relative distance from the shore increases. Radiocarbon dates further indicate that long hydroperiod surficial sediment is modern (post-1950), suggesting this facies, and thus the pond environments it represents, has developed on the landscape since the shift from a slow to relatively rapid rate in regional SLR. A greater thickness of the long hydroperiod facies within pond cores, when compared to neighboring marsh cores, is found in 12 of 14 marsh-pond pairs, indicating increased long hydroperiod wetland facies development since submersion and implicating deposition of this facies within the pond environment. On the other hand, relatively reduced thicknesses of peat facies within tidal pond cores among marsh-pond pairs imply marsh surface degradation occurred from the top down as tidal ponds developed. Qualitative assessment indicates that Spartina bakeri-dominated marshes are disparately impacted relative to other marsh types; the relative abundance of S. bakeri on the landscape and the potential for the shrinkage and oxidation of its well-developed peat during drying events are probable reasons for this degradation. ESRI, Inc. ArcGIS software was utilized to quantify the surface area and distribution of tidal ponds within 10 sites spanning the study region over time via analysis of aerial imagery from 1953 and 2009. Tidal pond initiation, growth, merger, and subsequent mangrove encroachment into pond-dense marshes were identified through both qualitative and quantitative analyses of aerial imagery. Although a transgressive stratigraphy was nearly universal, GIS analyses indicate hydrologically altered western sites are experiencing greater growth in the number of ponds, a higher increase in mean pond area, and a comparatively larger influence of, though lower overall percent loss due to, mangrove envelopment over time compared to eastern sites. Furthermore, although pond density significantly increased at each site over time (p = 0.0038), this increase occurred at a higher rate at sites closest to the Faka Union Canal. Even more, the rate of increase in pond density moving closer to the canal was higher at western sites (p = 0.0355). All else being equal, these data signify that ecosystem changes resulting from hydrologic alteration west of the canal have impacted the growth in pond number and area since its construction. GIS data have been compiled and included as supplemental materials (Appendix B). Globally and regionally, SLR is expected to continue at an accelerated rate into the foreseeable future (IPCC 2014). Future land management plans must account for the expected submergence of inland marsh ecosystems ensuing from landscape-wide changes driven by accelerated SLR. Continued restoration of freshwater sheet flow through the removal of canals and roads is necessary for slowing the transition of graminoid marshes to either mangrove or pond environments. Without such action, a complete loss of these biologically diverse marsh ecosystems as mangrove forests encroach and marsh surfaces submerge is probable in the short term.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- Andres_fgcu_1743_10189
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- College Campus Rampage Shooters and the Effectiveness of Concealed Carry Policies.
- Creator
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Marciniak, Rachel Joanne
- Abstract / Description
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Though still incredibly rare, college rampage shootings have increased since the turn of the century. A common reaction after an attack centers on the effectiveness of gun control and campus concealed carry policies. Several states ban guns on campus, though others leave the decision up to the individual college (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2015). Still others, such as Oregon, site of the most recent rampage shooting, fully allow concealed carry on campuses. Several studies...
Show moreThough still incredibly rare, college rampage shootings have increased since the turn of the century. A common reaction after an attack centers on the effectiveness of gun control and campus concealed carry policies. Several states ban guns on campus, though others leave the decision up to the individual college (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2015). Still others, such as Oregon, site of the most recent rampage shooting, fully allow concealed carry on campuses. Several studies have sought to identify similarities among college shooters, however few critically analyze concealed carry policies against shooting incidents. This study intended to fill that gap and address the intense debates at the federal, state, and college levels. The researcher investigated 8 campus rampage shootings since 2000 and identified several trends in the attacks as well as uncovered various personality, social trait, and mental health risk factors shared by the shooters. For example, all shooters in this study displayed symptoms of serious mental illness such as psychosis and paranoia. Concealed carry policies attempt to limit those with severe mental health histories from procuring firearms. However, this research found that though every shooter in this study exhibited signs of mental illness, all but one shooter bought a firearm legally on their own and the other got it from an acquaintance. This suggests that policy may not have as great an effect on preventing a rampage shooting incident as is touted in debates.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- Marciniak_fgcu_1743_10155
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Correlation between Insulin Dependent Diabetes and Depression.
- Creator
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Alix, Bradley L.
- Abstract / Description
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Current research regarding insulin dependent diabetes and its relationship with depression lacks answers. Creating a greater understanding of the processes behind diabetes and comorbid depression is imperative to pushing researchers towards more telling results. Finding a correlation between insulin dependent diabetes and depression is a notion that has eluded researchers for centuries. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2007-2008, investigated by the United States...
Show moreCurrent research regarding insulin dependent diabetes and its relationship with depression lacks answers. Creating a greater understanding of the processes behind diabetes and comorbid depression is imperative to pushing researchers towards more telling results. Finding a correlation between insulin dependent diabetes and depression is a notion that has eluded researchers for centuries. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2007-2008, investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Center for Health Statistics, provides sufficient data for testing correlations between the two conditions. By combining answers to depression and diabetes related questionnaires, datasets can be analyzed in the hopes of finding relationships. The resulting correlation was that insulin dependent diabetics are significantly more depressed than nondiabetic controls, and that there is a significant correlation between poverty ratio and depressive composite scores. Current research suggests the need to continue searching for a correlation that can be addressed other than being diagnosed with diabetes (a chronic illness), as well as continuing to search for more effective ways to treat and potentially cure both diabetes and depression.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- Alix_fgcu_1743_10154
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- CREATING A WATER AND NUTRIENT BUDGET FOR LAKE TRAFFORD, FL, USA.
- Creator
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Lucius, Mark
- Abstract / Description
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Eutrophication is a widespread problem plaguing water bodies throughout the world. The need to control nutrient loading into lakes has become paramount in lake management. Failing to do so can lead to numerous undesired effects, including algae blooms, fish kills, and even complete ecological regime shifts. Water and nutrient budgets are useful for quantifying nutrient loading into a hydrosystem while also revealing problematic areas or times of excessive nutrient deliveries. Lake Trafford is...
Show moreEutrophication is a widespread problem plaguing water bodies throughout the world. The need to control nutrient loading into lakes has become paramount in lake management. Failing to do so can lead to numerous undesired effects, including algae blooms, fish kills, and even complete ecological regime shifts. Water and nutrient budgets are useful for quantifying nutrient loading into a hydrosystem while also revealing problematic areas or times of excessive nutrient deliveries. Lake Trafford is a shallow 600 ha natural hydrosystem of circular shape with ambiguous boundaries, surrounded mostly by wetlands (e.g. Corkscrew swamp) and located near the city of Immokalee, Collier County, FL, USA. The lake has been subjected to decades of cultural eutrophication and still exhibits the turbid water state of eutrophic shallow lakes dominated by phytoplankton despite the completion of sediment dredging in 2011. To determine the current sources of nutrient loading and to calculate the total maximum daily loads (TMDL) for nitrogen and phosphorus, a water and nutrient budget was developed. Unlike most budgets which rely on modeling and numerous assumptions or estimates (e.g. the Florida Department of Environmental Protection established TMDL for L. Trafford), direct measurements of atmospheric (dry and wet), surface water (canals), and groundwater nutrient loading were made at high spatio-temporal definition. Using the measured components of the water and nutrient budget, estimates of diffuse runoffs from the surrounding watershed and out to the adjacent wetlands were made, along with estimates of internal loading of nutrients and biological uptake. Data was collected in biweekly sampling events between October 2015 and May of 2016. Groundwater seepage meters were used to asses groundwater discharge and recharge paired with pore water wells for groundwater sampling. Surface water nutrient loading from five drainage canals was monitored with Sontek IQ units and ISCO 3700 automatic water samplers. Meteorological data were collected at a weather station built on the lake, and were used to determine direct precipitation and evaporation rates. A homemade wet/dry deposition sampler was also employed to collect composite samples of atmospheric deposition on the lake. Results showed that the vast majority of water entering Lake Trafford was through the five drainage canals which delivered 34% (35066 m3 d-1) of the daily water influx, while direct precipitation (24%; 13324 m3 d-1) and groundwater discharge (14%; 7736 m3 d-1) contributed less water overall. Outflow was dominated by sheet flow moving out to Corkscrew Swamp which accounted for 65% (-44696 m3 d-1) of all effluxes, while evaporation (34%; -23544 m3 d-1) and groundwater recharge (1%; -371.6 m3 d-1) accounted for less. Sheet flow was calculated as a net value and was negative on average (-44696 m3 d-1) indicating that more sheet flow was leaving Lake Trafford rather than entering. Nitrogen loading into Lake Trafford was highest from groundwater discharge (48%; 109.5 kg TN d-1), while loading of phosphorus was dominated by surface water discharge from the five drainage canals (51%; 8.66 kg TP d-1). The residual component of the budget was assumed to be controlled by processes within in the lake (e.g. internal loading, sedimentation, biological uptake), and was found to be a negative value on average (-87.8 kg TN d-1; -12.5 kg TP d-1) indicating that in-lake nutrient dynamics were dominated by sequestration processes, such as biological uptake. The total daily load was found to be 227 kg d- 1 and 20.9 kg d-1 for TN and TP, respectively. These values are higher than those found in the lake’s adopted TMDL report of 190.5 kg d-1 for TN and 18.6 kg d-1 for TP, which was estimated during a seven year modeling period using land-use based runoff modeling. Dry season rainfall was higher than average (525 mm October 2015 – May 2016; 330 mm historic average October –May) and influenced the results. The final water and nutrient budgets provided insight into the hydrological dynamics of Lake Trafford, although future work should be conducted to better understand its hydrogeology as well as the nutrient loading into its drainage canals; particularly the eastern most canal which is an ideal area for remediation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- Lucius_fgcu_1743_10205
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Personnel.
- Creator
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Ivancevich, Danica M.
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this quantitative study is to determine if Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training needs to be extended to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel based on the frequency of calls for service involving persons experiencing a psychological episode, assaults perpetrated by persons experiencing a psychological episode, and restraint use on persons experiencing a psychological episode administered by EMS personnel. Prior mental health training for EMS personnel and agency...
Show moreThe purpose of this quantitative study is to determine if Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training needs to be extended to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel based on the frequency of calls for service involving persons experiencing a psychological episode, assaults perpetrated by persons experiencing a psychological episode, and restraint use on persons experiencing a psychological episode administered by EMS personnel. Prior mental health training for EMS personnel and agency protocols for addressing violent patients will help determine if there is a need to extend CIT Training to EMS personnel. Additionally, this study will examine if EMS personnel are willing to undergo Crisis Intervention Training and if they believe the training would be beneficial when providing services to patients with psychological disorders. Although no research examines whether there is a need to extend CIT Training to EMS personnel, previous research suggests that mental health training for EMS personnel is effective by improving emergency responses, confidence levels of emergency responders, patient-provider communication, and the safety of patients and emergency responders. Therefore, it is hypothesized that there is a need to extend CIT Training to EMS personnel. Results of this study suggest that 60.2% of EMS personnel were not assaulted on duty, 45.2% came into contact with persons experiencing psychological disorders at low frequencies, and 60.2% restrained patients experiencing a psychological episode at low frequencies, despite their lack of CIT Training. However, 53.8% of EMS personnel reported that they would be willing to complete CIT Training and 85.7% of EMS personnel believe that CIT Training would be a valuable skill set to have when responding to calls for service involving persons experiencing a psychological episode. Surveys were administered face-to-face to Florida certified firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs employed with a central Florida fire agency. The survey was anonymous.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- Ivancevich_fgcu_1743_10147
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Effect of a Physical Therapist Supervised Exercise Program on Type II Diabetes.
- Creator
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Pecore, Erik
- Abstract / Description
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Background and Purpose: Type II Diabetes affects approximately 29 million people and is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. Current treatment is focused on medication and education for dietary and lifestyle change. The focus of this case report is to investigate the potential effect of a physical therapist supervised exercise program on type II Diabetes, specifically HBA1c. Case Description: A 67 year old male was transitioned from typical physical therapy care to a...
Show moreBackground and Purpose: Type II Diabetes affects approximately 29 million people and is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. Current treatment is focused on medication and education for dietary and lifestyle change. The focus of this case report is to investigate the potential effect of a physical therapist supervised exercise program on type II Diabetes, specifically HBA1c. Case Description: A 67 year old male was transitioned from typical physical therapy care to a supervised exercise program focused on improving muscular strength and endurance for a period of 12 weeks. The patient had blood tests taken pre and post intervention to evaluate for change of HBA1c. Outcomes: The patient had a decrease in HgbA1c of .4 over the 12 week period of intervention in spite of no weight loss. The patient also had a decrease in Tug score, increased distance in the 6 minute walk test, and increased repetitions with the 30 second sit to stand test. Discussion: A physical therapist directed supervised exercise program may have assisted with lowering HgbA1c. The full effect of physical therapy based intervention in this population is yet to be determined. More research in this area will elucidate the full potential of physical therapy on this population.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- Pecore_fgcu_1743_10132
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Effects of macroalgal hosts on the growth and epiphytic behavior of five Gambierdiscus species from the greater Caribbean region.
- Creator
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Rains, Lacey Kay
- Abstract / Description
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Ciguatera fish poisoning is caused by toxins produced by dinoflagellates of the genus Gambierdiscus. This genus has recently been revised and new research on the physiology and ecology of the revised species is needed. While it has been demonstrated that Gambierdiscus spp. are predominately epiphytic, there is also evidence that they are conditional, not obligate, epiphytes and that not all algae hosts are preferred equally by Gambierdiscus populations. This experiment exposed five Caribbean...
Show moreCiguatera fish poisoning is caused by toxins produced by dinoflagellates of the genus Gambierdiscus. This genus has recently been revised and new research on the physiology and ecology of the revised species is needed. While it has been demonstrated that Gambierdiscus spp. are predominately epiphytic, there is also evidence that they are conditional, not obligate, epiphytes and that not all algae hosts are preferred equally by Gambierdiscus populations. This experiment exposed five Caribbean species of Gambierdiscus to living conditions among 8 different species of macroalgal hosts, and their epiphytic behavior (attachment vs. non-attachment) and growth were monitored over 29 days. Additionally, the experiment was carried out under two separate nutrient conditions, ambient versus enriched Florida Keys seawater. Results demonstrate variable responses in epiphytic behavior within the Gambierdiscus genus to different macroalgal hosts, and stimulation and/or inhibition of Gambierdiscus growth by different macroalgal hosts. Attachment data indicate that Gambierdiscus populations prefer attachment to hosts that have a filamentous structure, but those species did not always support high cell abundances. Certain algal host species appear to stimulate growth of some Gambierdiscus species while others seem to inhibit the growth of other species. Control treatments (no host) reveal that some Gambierdiscus reached higher cell abundances without the presence of any host algae, suggesting inhibition by the hosts. No overall attachment preference was observed among Rhodophytes, Chlorophytes, and Phaeophytes, and no phyla stimulated growth or cell abundance more than the others. There was also no difference in attachment to hosts that were nutrient-enriched versus those that were not. The variability of growth responses and attachment behavior to different hosts by the various Gambierdiscus species in this experiment add complexity to our understanding of the epiphytic nature of Gambierdiscus and the dynamics of blooms.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- Rains_fgcu_1743_10144
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Factors affecting the restoration of Vallisneria americana in the Caloosahatchee River.
- Creator
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Ross, Kory M.
- Abstract / Description
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Globally, rivers and estuaries have been exposed to heavy exploitation, pollution, and landscape alterations, leading to losses of habitat and ecological functions. In particular, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) habitats have declined globally, impacting the ecological functions they contribute. The Caloosahatchee River and Estuary are located on the southwest coast of Florida. Development and hydrologic alteration in the Caloosahatchee watershed have drastically altered the ecology of the...
Show moreGlobally, rivers and estuaries have been exposed to heavy exploitation, pollution, and landscape alterations, leading to losses of habitat and ecological functions. In particular, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) habitats have declined globally, impacting the ecological functions they contribute. The Caloosahatchee River and Estuary are located on the southwest coast of Florida. Development and hydrologic alteration in the Caloosahatchee watershed have drastically altered the ecology of the river and estuary. This has led to loss of SAV, which serves as an indicator of the overall health of the system. The aim of this project was to examine factors affecting the growth of restoration plantings of the freshwater SAV Vallisneria americana in the Caloosahatchee River. Factors examined included sediment characteristics, planting densities, herbivore exclosure size, and genetic strain of donor plants. Response variables included the number of rosettes and blades, blade morphology, and total plant biomass. Significant differences were found between the two strains in terms of mean number of rosettes and blades. No significant differences were found between the two sites used in Phase I. In comparing the mean final percent frequency of occurrence among sites in Phase II, a significant difference was found with strain. In comparing the final number of rosettes among sites in Phase II, a significant difference was found with site. Significant differences were found with average blade length and average leaf area among the sites in Phase II. Average blade length, width, and leaf area were significantly different when compared between strains in Phase II. Determining the difference of small versus large exclosures was strictly a qualitative assessment. Differences and similarities were observed when examining transportation and deployment, planting and sampling effort, wave action, and herbivory. When examining planting density the results indicate the initial planting density had no effect on the growth of V. americana. Although planting density lacks a vital role in the growth and establishment of V. americana, genetics may account for observed differences. Preparation for a SAV restoration that includes an investigation of the donor plants genetic makeup should be standard practice. Restoration of any species to an extirpated site will involve attempting to find appropriate genetic material often from geographically separated populations. In addition to genetics the site selection is another critical factor when considering a SAV restoration attempt.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- Ross__fgcu_1743_10203
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM: PARENTAL VIEW ON EFFICACY OF GPS TRACKING DEVICES FOR CHILDREN’S MOVEMENT.
- Creator
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Albu, Gabriela
- Abstract / Description
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This study was designed to identify how likely will parents or caregivers use a GPS device (Global Positioning System) for prepubescent children for safety purposes. This original research could be a step closer to child safety and prevention from children going missing. Studies show that the first three hours are the most critical when trying to locate a missing child, and death most likely occurs in the first three hours of the abduction. Previous research on GPS tracking devices for...
Show moreThis study was designed to identify how likely will parents or caregivers use a GPS device (Global Positioning System) for prepubescent children for safety purposes. This original research could be a step closer to child safety and prevention from children going missing. Studies show that the first three hours are the most critical when trying to locate a missing child, and death most likely occurs in the first three hours of the abduction. Previous research on GPS tracking devices for children emerged into trust issues, device performances, child's location-time pattern, the evolution of technology used from an infant to the prepubescent, or understanding children's everyday mobility. No research has been done in U.S. on parental view on GPS devices for child protection when they travel or spend time unescorted. This study analyzed 101 surveys completed by parents or caregivers of children age 6 to 11 years old. As an instrument of measurement, the researcher used a survey addressed to parents of school children 6 to 11 years old, which was distributed through the Survey Monkey Audience website. The majority of the participants in this study is not using a device for child safety (81%). In contrast with the results of the study conducted in the UK (Vasalou, Oostveen, and Joinson, 2012), where parents willing to use these technologies with their children were a minority, whereas in U.S., parents or caregivers willing to use GPS devices for child safety were not a minority (83%). About 50% of the total respondents reported that it is very or somewhat likely to use a monitoring device for child safety. Still, there is a lack of parental knowledge about the GPS devices designed for child safety (33% are familiar with these devices). This study could be a contribution to the body of knowledge working to protect children. Could be a reference for parents to better understand the functionality of these devices, and for tracking device manufacturers to acknowledge and adapt the products to consumer's necessity. This study could be used as a reference for other researchers that are going to complete work in this area of study.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- Albu__fgcu_1743_10193
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Impact of nitrogen on microbial diversity and function.
- Creator
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Garcia, Juan Carlos
- Abstract / Description
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River bacterioplankton communities, influenced by watershed usage, are responsible for water purification. Bacterioplankton may be critical in the degradation of dissolved organic nitrogen: the major nitrogen pool in the Caloosahatchee River, Florida. We investigated how freshwater discharge influences estuarine bacterioplankton and how the freshwater-originated DON is utilized by estuarine bacterioplankton. Microcosm experiments were conducted during low and high discharge using two upstream...
Show moreRiver bacterioplankton communities, influenced by watershed usage, are responsible for water purification. Bacterioplankton may be critical in the degradation of dissolved organic nitrogen: the major nitrogen pool in the Caloosahatchee River, Florida. We investigated how freshwater discharge influences estuarine bacterioplankton and how the freshwater-originated DON is utilized by estuarine bacterioplankton. Microcosm experiments were conducted during low and high discharge using two upstream freshwater samples: one site primarily influenced by Lake Okeechobee and the other site moderately influenced by an agricultural watershed. These freshwater samples were filtered to eliminate indigenous microbial populations, then mixed with estuarine bacterioplankton. High-throughput sequencing revealed that bacterioplankton differed between low and high discharge and were influenced by salinity. Alphaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes dominated in low discharge while Bacteroidetes and Cyanobacteria dominated during high discharge. In the microcosm experiment, DON concentration decreased with increasing cell densities, suggesting that the DON was utilized as a carbon and nitrogen source. Band signals in denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis corresponding to Alphaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria decreased while Gammaproteobacteria increased during the 1 month incubation. This data suggests that estuarine bacterioplankton communities are influenced by variations in discharge patterns and use freshwater-originated DON as demonstrated by a shift in community structure. Bacteria in the genus Nitrosospira play the vital role of converting ammonia to nitrite via the enzymes ammonia monooxygenase and hydroxylamine oxidoreductase. Nitrosospira lacus strain APG3, isolated from Green Lake, Seattle, WA is a psychrotolerant betaproteobacterial ammonia-oxidizing bacterium that can grow at temperatures as low as 4°C. Nitrosospira lacus is able to grow over a wide pH range (5-9) and like other Nitrosospira, is susceptible to high ammonium concentrations. APG3 showed the ability to grow at low pH and use urea which may allow it to survive more efficiently in soil environments. 16S rRNA analysis revealed that the closest relative of APG3 is Nitrosospira multiformis (cluster 3). When using ANI values to compare APG3 to Nitrosospira multiformis, the ANI value demonstrates that they are related but different species that share less than half of their genome. Nitrosospira lacus is the first isolated cluster 0 representative. The distribution of Nitrosospira lacus like sequences reveals a habitat limitation to tropical and subtropical areas with a preference for waterlogged areas. The draft genome sequence comprises 3,107,181 bases at 272-fold coverage. The assembled draft genome consists of 84 contigs with an average size of 41,181 bp and a G+C content of 53.6%. The genome contains 3,147 protein-coding DNA sequences, 44 tRNA genes, and a single 16S-23S-5S rRNA operon. The genome revealed that Nitrosospira lacus represents a new species of cluster 0 Nitrosospira, which contains a slew of genes that allow it to incorporate nutrients from the environment. The genome of N. lacus when compared to other ammonia-oxidizing bacteria most closely resembles that of N. multiformis.The presence of hydrogenase and urease, suggests that Nitrosospira lacus may be able to meet its energy needs via alternative pathways. N. lacus also contains genes to cope with various degrees of stress, including detoxification, cold and heat shock proteins and oxidative and osmotic stress, copper, cobalt, zinc, and cadmium resistance. This unique genetic makeup may allow Nitrosospira lacus adaptability to a wide range of freshwater habitats.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- Garcia_fgcu_1743_10123
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- IN LAKE FLOATING TREATMENT WETLANDS COULD PROVIDE ALGAE CONTROL THROUGH UNSUSPECTED MECHANISMS.
- Creator
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Dettmar, Dana L.
- Abstract / Description
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Cultural eutrophication has been negatively impacting both artificial and natural water bodies by triggering (at times harmful) algal blooms. These blooms are typically controlled by algaecides, which can collaterally affect aquatic organisms thus further damaging the hydrosystem. Preventing point and non-point nutrient sources from entering hydrosystems may not be sufficient to prevent cultural eutrophication since internal nutrient loading is generally high. Internal loading can however be...
Show moreCultural eutrophication has been negatively impacting both artificial and natural water bodies by triggering (at times harmful) algal blooms. These blooms are typically controlled by algaecides, which can collaterally affect aquatic organisms thus further damaging the hydrosystem. Preventing point and non-point nutrient sources from entering hydrosystems may not be sufficient to prevent cultural eutrophication since internal nutrient loading is generally high. Internal loading can however be reduced, often at great expense, through i) demucking, ii) chemical treatment, and iii) hypolimnetic aeration. Floating Treatment Wetlands (FTWs) are a new type of phytoremediation being used to reduce the impact of eutrophication. FTWs consist of plants grown hydroponically on a floating mat which uptake water nutrients from their roots. The nutrients become tied up in the tissues of the young growing plants, which tissues are then harvested before fully mature to remove the excess nutrients from the system to reduce external and internal loading. Nutrient removal performed by these FTWs is limited unless they cover 5-10% of the surface of the water body. However, most hydrosystems use a lower, e.g. 3% cover rate with often great algal control. Thus, poorly understood or identified mechanisms must be at play. A 2-year investigation was therefore led in three subtropical manmade urban ponds (Pond A, Livingston Pond and Collier Pond) of about an acre and located within the City of Naples, FL to examine whether the dense root network from FTWs’ plants, Juncus effusus and Canna flaccida, would i) have allelochemicals able to control algae, ii) offer diurnal zooplankton protection against predation so that nocturnal grazing would be intensified and iii) harbor beneficial bacteria able to remove water nutrients. For the allelopathy experiments, two methods were used: a liquid culture assay as well as an agar diffusion assay, both in which wells containing algae were inoculated with methanolic extracts from the roots potentially containing allelochemicals. Zooplankton presence/absence studies were completed by performing vertical tows underneath the FTW and in the open water column both during the day and night to explore their nycthemeral horizontal migrations. J. effusus and C. flaccida root microbial communities were characterized by extracting DNA from the biofilm living on root samples using the phenol-chloroform extraction method. The purified DNA was used for 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing to compare community structure. Results showed that chemicals present in the two plants examined could either control algae (especially Cyanophyceae) but in some cases also enhance algae growth (especially Chlorophyceae). When inhibition was found, the agar diffusion assay displayed stronger inhibition than the liquid culture assay in which allelopathic compounds were diluted in liquid medium. In Livingston Pond and Collier Pond, it was determined that zooplankton did not utilize the root systems of FTWs, which is typical of subtropical systems. The bacterial community of Pond A FTWs was typical of oxic as well as anoxic and even anaerobic environments despite the presence of dissolved oxygen in the water underneath the FTWs. Based on the microbial community composition, it is hypothesized that the microbial biofilm growing on the root changed from oxic, to anoxic and anaerobic from its surface to its basal layer. Thus, FTW biofilms provide an environment in which major biologically mediated reactions could potentially occur (e.g. nitrification, denitrification, and sulfate reduction). Based on the results of this study it appears that FTWs have potential mechanisms to control algae growth aside from nutrient uptake. Allelopathy and a microenvironment prone to degradation were such mechanisms but more investigation should be conducted to fully understand the net algal control and impact on nutrient cycling. Future research should include the investigation of these parameters on FTWs in different hydrosystems to determine if the findings of this study are common for all FTWs, or if each FTW provides its own unique environment.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- Dettmar_fgcu_1743_10148
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Indirect effects of freshwater discharges on seagrass beds in Southwest Florida: Mesograzers as mediators of epiphyte growth?.
- Creator
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Behlmer, Thomas
- Abstract / Description
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Seagrass beds in the Caloosahatchee Estuary have declined with increased human development in the watershed, which has altered the timing and volume of freshwater and nutrient inputs. Overgrowth of epiphytic algae may contribute to seagrass declines. Small invertebrate grazers (mesograzers) are thought to aid seagrass through removal of excess epiphytes. The goal of this study is to look at the indirect impacts of freshwater releases on seagrass health in the CRE, as mediated by increased...
Show moreSeagrass beds in the Caloosahatchee Estuary have declined with increased human development in the watershed, which has altered the timing and volume of freshwater and nutrient inputs. Overgrowth of epiphytic algae may contribute to seagrass declines. Small invertebrate grazers (mesograzers) are thought to aid seagrass through removal of excess epiphytes. The goal of this study is to look at the indirect impacts of freshwater releases on seagrass health in the CRE, as mediated by increased nutrients and reduced mesograzer abundance and diversity. To do this we recorded seagrass abundance, epiphyte levels, and mesograzer abundance bimonthly for two years at two sites in the Caloosahatchee Estuary. We then compared these responses to seasonal and site variations in salinity related to freshwater discharges. Seagrass was most abundant at the highest salinity site and during the summer months. Epiphyte levels did not exhibit a clear seasonal or salinity-related pattern but showed interesting correlations with mesograzer abundance. Mesograzer species richness was positively correlated with salinity at all sites. Multivariate data analysis found a clear separation between sites, except during the wet season of 2013, where grazer community structure was heavily impacted at both sites. Because prior studies have demonstrated a link between mesograzer richness and epiphyte grazing efficacy, we propose that reductions in mesograzer diversity by high freshwater discharge events could exacerbate problems of epiphyte overgrowth. Understanding these impacts can aid in improving water management plans for the Caloosahatchee Estuary in order to protect its valuable seagrass beds.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- Behlmer_fgcu_1743_10202
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Interactive effects of environmental stressors and the invasive apple snail, Pomacea maculata, on tapegrass, Vallisneria americana.
- Creator
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McAskill, Shannan C.
- Abstract / Description
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The island apple snail, Pomacea maculata, family Ampullariidae, is a large freshwater gastropod native to South America. P. maculata is known as a heavy consumer of aquatic plants. P. maculata was introduced to Florida in the 1990s and has rapidly spread throughout natural and man-made wetlands and waterways in the southeastern United States. Negative ecosystem impacts associated with P. maculata invasion include destruction of macrophyte communities via overgrazing, competitive exclusion of...
Show moreThe island apple snail, Pomacea maculata, family Ampullariidae, is a large freshwater gastropod native to South America. P. maculata is known as a heavy consumer of aquatic plants. P. maculata was introduced to Florida in the 1990s and has rapidly spread throughout natural and man-made wetlands and waterways in the southeastern United States. Negative ecosystem impacts associated with P. maculata invasion include destruction of macrophyte communities via overgrazing, competitive exclusion of the native Florida apple snail Pomacea paludosa, and the potential transmission of toxins and parasites to predators. Populations of P. maculata have been documented in freshwater tributaries of estuaries such as Mobile Bay, Alabama and the Caloosahatchee Estuary, Florida, and the snails may be moving into the estuaries themselves. The objectives of this study were: 1) to evaluate P. maculata’s potential to harm macrophytes like tapegrass, Vallisneria americana, in low-salinity estuarine environments, 2) to determine how the grazer’s destructiveness might by moderated by environmental context (salinity, temperature, and the presence of other macrophyte species), and 3) to identify management and restoration strategies for V. americana to minimize the harm done by P. maculata. We accomplished these objectives with feeding trials and mesocosm experiments conducted under varying conditions of salinity, temperature, and macrophyte community composition. We found that increasing salinity lowered P. maculata grazing pressure on V. americana but increasing temperature increased grazing pressure. Herbivory on V. americana was not reduced and was sometimes intensified when other aquatic plant species were present. The results of two mesocosm experiments suggested that salinity and snail presence have a nonadditive, antagonistic, effect on V. americana. I.e., in the absence of snails the plant performed best at 0 psu, whereas when snails were present the plant did best at 5-10 psu due to reduced snail grazing. Due to the significant sub-lethal impacts of salinity on P. maculata’s grazing and health it is unlikely that the snail’s invasion will proceed beyond the lowest salinity portions of estuaries. These estuarine regions can therefore serve as a valuable refuge for V. americana populations, providing that effective water management keeps salinity below the approximately 10 psu threshold where significant direct harm occurs to the plants.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- McAskill_fgcu_1743_10133
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Joining "the Cordillera with the Pampa, the Aymara with the Guarayo": Constructing the Bolivian Transportation Network and National Identities, 1880-1935.
- Creator
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Spencer, Brent D.
- Abstract / Description
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The Creole nationalist literature of the late nineteenth century in Bolivia is replete with references to plans of consolidating and linking Bolivian national territory by rail, highway, and waterway in order to more effectively exploit and export the country’s mineral and agricultural resources. Caudillos and politicians ceded national territory by conflict and treaty as a consequence of failed efforts to gain access to important seaports and to build a modern export economy with fluid...
Show moreThe Creole nationalist literature of the late nineteenth century in Bolivia is replete with references to plans of consolidating and linking Bolivian national territory by rail, highway, and waterway in order to more effectively exploit and export the country’s mineral and agricultural resources. Caudillos and politicians ceded national territory by conflict and treaty as a consequence of failed efforts to gain access to important seaports and to build a modern export economy with fluid transportation and communication links. Yet as late as 1935, the influential writer, physician, university administrator, and politician, Jaime Mendoza, wrote of the unfulfilled need to build a modern transportation network to connect the “Cordillera with the Pampa, the Aymara with the Guarayo” in a project that was apparently still necessary to “consolidate true nationality.” How did these infrastructure projects simultaneously promote consolidation of the nation-state as a prerequisite for nationalist integration while excluding some populations from the national project? In what ways were people in the diverse regions of Bolivia either seen as assets to be exploited for labor for these projects, or as backward savages to be civilized or exterminated to make way for progress? In what ways did subaltern communities collaborate with these projects, and how did they relate to their position vis-à-vis the state and the national imagination of the Creole elites? This thesis explores the role that national transportation projects played as a catalyst for creating imagined national identities in Bolivia.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- Spencer_fgcu_1743_10124
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Juvenile School Shooters and Adult Mass Murderers: Determining Continuity of Offender and Offense Characteristics.
- Creator
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Vena, Jessica Lauren
- Abstract / Description
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Although school shootings and mass murders are not common phenomena, the unexpected, devastating, and media frenzied nature of these events beseech communities, law enforcement, and researchers to take an epistemological approach to better understand these offenders and their crimes. Numerous variables used in the Safe School Initiative (Vossekuil, Fein, Reddy, Borum, & Modzeleski, 2002) were applied to case studies of juvenile school shooters and adult mass murderers to investigate any...
Show moreAlthough school shootings and mass murders are not common phenomena, the unexpected, devastating, and media frenzied nature of these events beseech communities, law enforcement, and researchers to take an epistemological approach to better understand these offenders and their crimes. Numerous variables used in the Safe School Initiative (Vossekuil, Fein, Reddy, Borum, & Modzeleski, 2002) were applied to case studies of juvenile school shooters and adult mass murderers to investigate any congruencies in depth. This study revealed that although they contrasted in many ways (such as location, age of offender, and victimology), the school shooters and mass murders in this study shared more similarities than they did differences. Specifically, offender characteristics and motivations were, overall, more compatible between the two groups of offenders than were characteristics of their offense. The school shooters and mass murderers in this study tended to be socially isolative Caucasian males, who had an extreme fascination with weapons and planned their revenge-based attack.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- Vena_fgcu_1743_10139
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Learning from Genocide.
- Creator
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Mattey, Krystine Elaine
- Abstract / Description
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Genocide has occurred many times throughout history, for various reasons. When a leader becomes a dictator and commits crimes for reasons that do not serve humanity, we have to ask why this dictator was allowed to come to leadership. The following pages will examine just what factors the dictators Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Slobodan Milosevic had going for them that they were able to commit such horrible crimes in their time of leadership; and if figured out, what can be done to prevent...
Show moreGenocide has occurred many times throughout history, for various reasons. When a leader becomes a dictator and commits crimes for reasons that do not serve humanity, we have to ask why this dictator was allowed to come to leadership. The following pages will examine just what factors the dictators Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Slobodan Milosevic had going for them that they were able to commit such horrible crimes in their time of leadership; and if figured out, what can be done to prevent them from happening again?
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- Mattey_fgcu_1743_10152
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Methane emissions from freshwater cypress (Taxodium distichum) swamp soils with different hydroperiods in Southwest Florida.
- Creator
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Pereyra, Andrea
- Abstract / Description
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Wetlands are natural sources of methane (CH4) emissions, with the majority of those releases in tropical and subtropical regions. Land-use modifications can change a wetland’s hydroperiod and hydrologic connectivity, among two important factors controlling methanogenesis. I measured CH4 fluxes from soils in two southwestern Florida cypress (Taxodium) swamps. Three research sites were in a highly protected strand of cypress in Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and three were on the campus of Florida...
Show moreWetlands are natural sources of methane (CH4) emissions, with the majority of those releases in tropical and subtropical regions. Land-use modifications can change a wetland’s hydroperiod and hydrologic connectivity, among two important factors controlling methanogenesis. I measured CH4 fluxes from soils in two southwestern Florida cypress (Taxodium) swamps. Three research sites were in a highly protected strand of cypress in Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and three were on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University. Campus sites had experienced modifications in land use well before the campus was constructed in the 1990s. Net methane emissions were measured twice daily 10 times from January through December 2014. Mean ± standard error net methane fluxes were 25.9 ± 15.6, 22 ± 21.8, and 49.5 ± 24.7 (mg CH4-C m-2 d-1 ) for the reference bald cypress slough, pond cypress slough and cypress dome, respectively, and 4.0 ± 3.8, -1.4 ± 0.8, and 0.5 ± 0.5 (mg CH4-C m-2 d-1 ) for the disturbed pond cypress slough, cypress dome 1 and cypress dome 2, respectively. The only median flux different than 0 was at the reference cypress dome (12.9 mg CH4-C m-2 d-1). Fluxes from the reference sites were significantly higher than fluxes from the disturbed sites. Deeper water and higher soil temperatures at the time of sampling, by themselves, did not necessarily explain higher CH4 fluxes. More continuous surface flooding at the reference sites compared to seasonal flooding at the disturbed sites appear to be the main cause for higher methane emissions at the reference sites.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- Pereyra_fgcu_1743_10151
- Format
- Document (PDF)