The concept of ecosystem services broadens perspectives on nature to include not only intrinsic value but also the utilitarian value it provides to society. Viewing nature through this lens informs our understanding of how particular ecological processes benefit different actors. In this research, I examine how water utilities in the...
The concept of "adaptive governance" represents a spectrum of hybrid approaches to environmental governance employed to guide management of complex social-ecological systems under conditions of high uncertainty. While the concept of adaptive governance has benefited from over a decade of theoretical development, empirical examples of transitions towards adaptive governance are...
Winter squash (Cucurbita maxima) grown in Oregon’s Willamette Valley for edible seed, frozen foods, and fresh markets is susceptible to an undiagnosed soilborne disease. Diseased squash fields exhibit symptoms of stunting, root and crown rot, vascular discoloration, and late-season wilt, which in extreme cases can lead to total crop failure....
Modern engineered systems are increasingly integrated into society, decentralized, and interconnected. However, scale and complexity create unique challenges in system design, such as emergent behavior and unintended consequences. This work investigates the structural characteristics of robustness in complex engineered systems by identifying patterns of under-recognized vulnerabilities at various levels of...
Modeling of hydraulic fracturing wastewater treatment systems must be very accurate so it can be used for real-time modeling and control of the process. The treatment of hydraulic fracturing wastewater is complex because of the variability of the composition of hydraulic fracturing wastewater. In this work, literature review of hydraulic...
Disease acts as a powerful selective force in natural systems, driving the rapid evolution of resistance in the host. In the face of a myriad of pathogenic challenges in natural systems, hosts must balance the energetic needs of maintenance and reproduction with costly resistance mechanisms. In this dissertation I will...
This paper examines four community forest enterprises (CFEs) in Oaxaca, Mexico, where CFEs have been held up as a positive example of community forestry that simultaneously addresses both conservation and development goals. CFEs are community-owned businesses that manage their forests to provide income and other benefits and may be considered...
Forest collaboration emerged in Oregon about 30 years ago as a way to address increasing conflict and distrust amongst stakeholder groups and public land managers. The concept has spread widely, and forest collaboratives are now commonplace on most National Forests in the Pacific Northwest. These groups include a wide range...
Transformative learning networks are a specific type of loose network with geographically distributed members and member organizations. They hold particular promise for transformation when both top-down and bottom-up processes have failed to support desired systems-level change. The aim of this dissertation is to build knowledge about the social-interactional processes, roles,...
This dissertation explores the real world problem of rural youth out-migration and finds that the central problem is one of persistent class difference in this rural Oregon town. The research that informs this dissertation was conducted in a rural community of approximately 2300 residents in Eastern Oregon, here called Talltown....