The long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum)
is the top vertebrate predator in fishless high-elevation
lakes in North Cascades National Park Service Complex
(NOCA), Washington. The purpose of this research was to
determine the effects of physico-chemical factors and
introduced trout on abundance and behavior of A.
macrodactylum larvae. Although high-elevation lakes...
Airports are required by the Federal Aviation Administration to perform deicing of aircraft pavement during icy conditions. Until recently, there were no discharge controls in place and deicing fluid contaminated nearby water bodies from storm water runoff. EPA regulations now require airports to collect the deicing fluid and meet discharge...
Stem rust, caused by the fungus Puccinia graminis subsp. graminicola, can cause yield reductions exceeding 90% on perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) crops grown for seed if not treated with fungicide in the spring. There is evidence that late-spring stem rust epidemics are initiated by populations that survived the winter....
Anaerobic digestion is a microbially mediated process by which organic matter is decomposed in the absence of oxygen. The end products of anaerobic digestion include treated sludge and biogas, a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide, which can be recovered and used for energy generation. The majority of wastewater treatment...
This project determined how the presence of environmental biofilms on sand, granular activated carbon and biochar affected the sorption capacity and desorption quantity of copper, zinc, nutrients and organic carbon from stormwater. These contaminants have harmful and toxic environmental impacts on aquatic life, can lead to eutrophication of surface waters,...
Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) has recently appeared as a promising approach for removing nitrogen from landfill leachates because it requires less oxygen and no organic carbon compared to traditional nitrification-denitrification system, and it produces low sludge volumes, thereby reducing operating and biological sludge disposal costs by over 60%. Anammox bacteria...
Traditional robots have a long history in nuclear-related work because their integration decreases risk to humans in dangerous environments. Soft robotics is one promising new branch of traditional robotics with proposed applications in industry, medicine, and society. Collaborators from the Robotics mLab at Oregon State University (OSU) are currently working...
Taste sensitivity has been considered the primary chemosensory factor in studies of chemical senses and ingestive behavior. However, recent research has shown that retronasal olfaction is at least equally important in food preference and selection. Additionally, taste has been shown to modulate perceived intensity of retronasally perceived odors. The objectives...
Anaerobic digestion is a biological process in which organic matter is decomposed by a community of microbes in the absence of oxygen. The end product of anaerobic digestion is biogas, composed of methane and carbon dioxide, which is often recovered and used to generate energy. Commonly, biogas is not produced...
Fungi play critical roles in ecosystem processes and interact with plant communities in mutualistic, pathogenic, and commensal ways. Fungal communities are thought to be influenced by both associated tree communities and soil properties. However, the relative importance of the biotic and abiotic drivers of soil fungal community structure and diversity...