The North American host of the introduced Asian isopod parasite, Orthione griffenis, is the burrowing Blue Mud Shrimp, Upogebia pugettensis. The shrimp are the predominant species in the Yaquina Bay estuary intertidal mudflats, and are essential ecosystem engineers. The parasite effectively castrates the shrimp host without causing mortality which allows...
Forest harvesting intrinsically removes organic matter and associated nutrients; these exports may impact soil productivity and soil carbon stores of managed forests. This study examined the effect of manipulating forest floor and harvest residue inputs on nutrient availability and carbon content in the context of intensive forest management. Treatments were...
The state of the knowledge for fault behavior in the northwest Himalaya and California varies dramatically. In the Pakistan and Kashmir Himalaya, few data constrain the role that individual active faults play in accommodating Indo-Eurasian convergence and the relative earthquake hazard across the region. By contrast, the San Andreas fault...
Molybdenum is an essential component of biogeochemical cycling, most notably as a component of the nitrogenase enzyme used in biological nitrogen (N) fixation. While the important role of phosphorus (P) in limiting N fixation in ecosystems has been well documented, occurrence and prevalence of molybdenum (Mo) limitation is largely unknown....
Large numbers of reinforced concrete deck girder (RCDG) bridges were built during the highway infrastructure boom of the 1950's. The advent of standardized deformed steel reinforcing bars during this time allowed for straight bar terminations in flexural tension regions. Designers of the time terminated reinforcing bars where they were no...
This study is a preassessment of the ecological status of habitats and species potentially affected by wave energy device installation, focusing on five flatfish species. Butter sole (Isopsetta isolepis), English sole (Parophrys vetulus), Sand sole (Psettichthys melanostictus), Pacific sanddab (Citharichthys sordidus), and Speckled sanddab (Citharichthys stigmaeus) were collected bimonthly from...
As organisms age they lose the ability to respond to both exogenous and endogenous stresses, therefore placing them at a greater risk for the development of many diseases. The transcription factor Nrf2 is responsible for the induction of many oxidative stress response genes and therefore 3proteins. Additionally, Nrf2-mediated stress response...
This thesis consists of three studies to better understand the environmental sustainability potential for algal-based biofuels. Initially, a comparison of recent life cycle assessments (LCA) of theoretical full-scale algal biofuel facilities was developed. These studies include varying boundaries and scope, functional units, and technology maturity assumptions. The comparison converted results...