Los Islotes is the southernmost breeding site of the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) in Northern Hemisphere and represents one of the most important economic activities for the city of La Paz, Mexico. The increasing tourism activity grew without any control until researchers and organizations started to be concerned about...
Coastal dunes provide many functions and services including coastal protection, recreation, and habitat. Vegetation contributes to dune growth and stability, thereby increasing the coastal protection value of dunes. On the U.S. Pacific Northwest coast, the dominant dune grasses are the introduced non-native American beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata) and the native American...
Effective separation of lanthanides (Ln) from the minor actinides (MA) is a crucial technical challenge to closing the nuclear fuel cycle. This separation is a necessary prerequisite to transmute long-lived isotopes of Am and Cm, which will allow a reduction of the repository volume, thermal load, and radiological toxicity of...
Ecological communities are connected in space and time through the transfer of energy, materials, and organisms, together known as ecological subsidies. These ecological subsidies can have substantial effects on community structure, function, and services, especially when the connections are between communities with contrasting productivity. At the ocean-land interface, low productivity...
Arctic warming is exposing thawing permafrost to repeated freeze-thaw, a disruptive process that can alter soil biogeochemistry and physical structure. To investigate the impact of permafrost exposure to freeze-thaw, soil response was tested across three scales: 2.5 cm³ aggregates, a forested hillslope, and two sites at contrasting latitudes. XCT imaging...
Livestock grazing occurs worldwide, spanning over 25% of land globally. Effective conservation of biodiversity relies upon understanding the interactions of agricultural management practices and increasingly variable weather associated with climate change. I evaluated grazing, weather and predator-prey interactions within a grazing experiment in the sagebrush ecosystem of southeastern Oregon. I...
The Ambrosia Lake West Site is a former uranium recovery facility located north of Grants, New Mexico. It currently serves as a uranium mill tailings site undergoing reclamation and decommissioning. High velocity winds are common in the area, causing soil erosion via aeolian processes. Strong winds may carry soil for...
Many stakeholders involved with stream restoration in the Pacific Northwest have discussed the potential benefits of using beaver dam construction activities (Castor canadensis) as a management tool to improve degraded stream habitat for anadromous salmon species. In addition, there has been growing interest in using nuisance beavers, primarily controlled by...
Chitosan is a biopolymer resulting from the deacetylation of chitin, the second most abundant biopolymer in nature. Chitosan has been successfully used in systems to remove metal ions and other pollutants from wastewater. Chitosan has shown promise as a sorbent for radionuclides in some aqueous waste streams.
The sorption of...
I have elected to write a creative nonfiction thesis because it serves to demonstrate my proficiency in the areas of rhetoric and composition. This thesis consists of a series of personal essays based on my effort to reclaim my voice as a writer. In order to organize these essays, I...