Browsing Environment and Natural Resources Undergraduate Research Theses and Honors Research Theses by Title
Now showing results 1-20 of 103
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Addressing the Human Health Impacts of Climate Change: The Role of Individual Attitudes, Perceptions, and Beliefs in Agency Action
Waller, Kathryn C. ( 2012-06 )Despite the scientific consensus that global climate change is currently underway, public health agencies in the United States fail to exemplify the practice of preparedness in anticipation of the negative impacts a changing ... -
An Analysis of Levels of Optimism, Self-Efficacy, and Types of Motivations of Farmers in Alternative Agriculture: Understanding Small and Medium-Scale Organic and Local Farmers at the Rural-Urban Interface
Goldberg, Kayla ( 2016-05 )This research focuses on comparing farmers at the rural-urban interface involved in various types of alternative agriculture, such as organic crop production, and various types of marketing such as local-direct sales, and ... -
Analyzing Ohio State University’s Food Purchasing System: Opportunities for Change through the Real Food Challenge
Kington, Laura ( 2015-05 )Students at Ohio State University (OSU) seek to achieve a university commitment to the Real Food Challenge (RFC), a national student movement that seeks to effect change in the food system through colleges and universities. ... -
Analyzing the Effectiveness of a Meatless Monday Intervention on Meat Consumption and Associated Pro-Environmental Spillover Behavior Throughout the Week
Mattson, Stephen ( 2020-05 )A global reduction in meat consumption has been identified as a critical strategy to mitigate the impacts of climate change, as well as to maintain sustainable land and water systems. Several forms of interventions have ... -
The Application of the QBR Index to the Riparian Forests of Central Ohio Streams
Colwell, Stephanie ( 2007-03 )Riparian forests are one of the most threatened ecosystem types in the world. There is a need to develop an ecological index of the quality of riparian habitats. The QBR index (‘Qualitat del Bosc de Ribera’, or in ... -
Aquatic Metabolism and Water Quality in the Fifth Avenue Dam Pool of the Lower Olentangy River in Columbus, Ohio
Fears, Jessica M. ( 2012-06 )Dissolved oxygen diurnal patterns of aquatic systems can be useful for indicating the presence of organic pollution. Changes in diurnals can be seen after pollutant loadings increase in a water body, especially after heavy ... -
Assessing the effectiveness of a climate change communication intervention: an experimental study
McClendon, Miranda ( 2015-08 )The discussion surrounding climate change has gained momentum and expanded globally. Governments on the local and national level are making a concerted effort to develop action plans and policy frameworks to support climate ... -
Assessing the Efficacy of Enzyme Assays as a Soil Health Indicator on Diverse, Long-Term, Agronomic Plots
Birri, Rachael ( 2020-05 )To guide land managers and policy makers, soil health indicators are needed that are temporally sensitive and reflect the ability of soils to deliver ecosystem services. This study investigated the ability of two enzyme ... -
An Assessment of Infant Eastern Cottontail Rehabilitation Success
Oberly, Morgan ( 2015-05 )Eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus) are the most common species brought to the Ohio Wildlife Center for rehabilitation, but many of these are likely brought in unnecessarily. Eastern cottontails raise young to bring ... -
An assessment of the level of strategic planning implementation by Ohio State Parks
Bennett, James ( 2007-06 )Strategic planning is a process commonly utilized in public sector natural resource management agencies throughout the nation. However, although numerous agencies have adopted strategic planning, not all have been successful ... -
Associations of turbidity and diet in smallmouth and spotted bass and creek chubs of the Scioto River Basin, OH: A preliminary assessment
Elking, Brie ( 2011-06 )The primary objective of this study was to examine the effects of turbidity on fish diet and condition. In order to do this, eight stream reaches (i.e., study sites) were selected in two streams of different sizes (small ... -
Avian response to feathering habitat edges in an agricultural landscape in southwestern Ohio
Bernett, Taylere ( 2014-05 )Edge feathering is a habitat restoration method that potentially benefits early successional wildlife species. Past studies have shown that it can increase populations of certain game bird species, such as Northern Bobwhite ... -
Barriers to Fruit and Vegetable Cultivation in Ohio
Miller, Ariel ( 2013-05 )Home gardening is increasingly being used as a strategy for improving food quality, reducing food insecurity, saving money, and building a more sustainable food system. However, very few studies have been conducted to ... -
Behavioral Spillover Across Health and Environmental Domains
Tippett, Emma ( 2018-05 )Existing research on behavioral spillover reveals that an intervention targeting one behavior has the potential to increase or decrease the motivation to engage in other related behaviors. Given the focus of prior spillover ... -
Bioturbation by the Invasive Rusty Crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) Affects Turbidity and Nutrients: Implications for Harmful Algal Blooms
Welch, Chloe ( 2014-05 )Eutrophication and harmful algal blooms (HABs) are serious anthropogenic stressors impacting water quality and aquatic ecosystems worldwide. Although anthropogenic nutrient loading is a primary factor driving the rise ... -
Breeding success in relation to nestling physiological stress in Prothonotary Warblers at Hoover Reservoir in Delaware County, Ohio
Edic, Kira ( 2017-05 )Prothonotary Warblers (Prothonotaria citrea) are a neotropical migratory songbird that inhabit wooded swamp areas and have slowly been declining¬¬ in numbers across their range. Using a population of these birds at Hoover ... -
Centering Indigenous Politics in Collaborative Conservation: Towards Just and Resilient Environmental Governance at the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area
Shutkin, Tal ( 2019-05 )This research examines the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area (MKMA), a collaborative conservation initiative in northeast British Columbia (BC). Established in 1998, the MKMA is a 6.4-million-hectare wilderness with abundant ... -
Changes in Composition and Diversity of an Urban Bottomland Forest over Time
Kaiser, Michelle ( 2016-05 )The loss of biodiversity has been major conservation concern around the world as a result of urbanization, increasing deforestation, and agriculture use. This project aims to inventory and assess the vegetative diversity ... -
Consistent individual differences in boldness of an African cichlid fish (Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor).
Oldham, Richard ( 2015-05 )Recent research in animal behavior acknowledges that in many species, individuals exhibit consistent differences in behavior across time and ecological contexts (known as behavioral syndromes or animal personalities). ... -
Correlating Sediments and Microorganisms in Three Ohio Watersheds
Sheban, Caitie ( 2015-08 )Counties in Eastern Ohio within the Utica-Point Pleasant shale formation have experienced increased development of shale oil and gas. These operations have created areas of bare soil and dirt roads with high volumes of ...