Tag: Environmental Science

Expression of FGF Signaling Genes during Threespine Stickleback Development

Presenter: Micah Woods – Environmental Science

Co-Presenter(s): Vithika Goyal

Faculty Mentor(s): Hope Healey, William Cresko

Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation

The fibroblast growth factor (fgf) signaling pathway is essential to vertebrate craniofacial development. Alterations in fgf receptors and ligands can lead to craniofacial disorders. While deleterious effects are observed in response to pathway mutations in many vertebrates, syngnathid fishes (pipefishes, seahorses, seadragons) have lost several of these genes (fgf3, fgf4, and others). Syngnathids have also evolved unique craniofacial features, such as an elongated snout, important to suction feeding, and absence of teeth. Since fgf3 and fgf4 are involved in craniofacial development, it is possible that their loss in syngnathids is related to the family’s unique faces. Our lab is investigating the developmental impact of the loss of fgf3 and 4 in syngnathids. To establish the ancestral expression patterns of fgf genes, we studied stickleback fishes due to their recent divergence from syngnathids. Using in situ hybridization, we assessed the spatial localization of fgf expression in stickleback embryos through development. Embryos were imaged and fgf/fgfrs staining patterns were compared to zebrafish. We observed expression of fgfr1a and fgf3 in the pharyngeal arches of stickleback embryos, paralleling zebrafish. Understanding the ancestral expression patterns of genes in the fgf signaling pathway reveals the deep conservation of the fgf signaling pathway in stickleback and provides opportunities for better interpreting the impact of the losses of these genes in syngnathids.

The Importance of Journalism in Communicating Climate Change

Presenter: Anna Mattson – Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Mark Carey

Session: (In-Person) Oral Panel—Communication: How and Why

For this project, I traveled to Cordova, a small fishing town in Southeastern Alaska, for two weeks to talk with locals about how glacial melt is affecting their lifestyles and how they are adapting to environmental changes happening in Alaska.

I discovered that while millions of salmon still come up the Copper River annually, rising temperatures have led to increased glacial melt, and fish counts are declining. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, in 2021, wild sockeye salmon numbers fell 37.4% below the recorded 10-year average.

The decline of salmon throughout Alaska concerns local communities, like the Native Village of Eyak, whose connection to the area grows out of generations of relationships with salmon.

Salmon are critical to Native Village of Eyak culture and subsistence practices. The Eyak are “dependent on the returning wild salmon to this day.”

Journalism acts as a conduit between scientists, climate events and people — it allows anyone to have a voice and holds institutions and lawmakers accountable.

As more extreme climate events occur, communicating these crises has never been so important, especially as it relates to elevating marginalized communities.

My piece, titled A State of Unease, will be published in Science Insider this summer.

South Umpqua Watershed Study: Impacts to Salmon

Presenter: Sprout Mahoney − Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Colin Phifer

Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation

Salmon are an anadromous, keystone species that have a massive impact on the regions they inhabit, from freshwater stream ecosystems to ocean habitats. These fish have unique lifecycle needs, including specific water quality factors and mobility access to their full habitat range. These factors are explored using spatial analysis and results show several ways salmon populations may be negatively impacted in the South Umpqua watershed.

Lagomorph Paleoecology of the Middle Cenozoic in Eastern Asia

Presenter: Amelia Lawson – Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Amanda Peng, Samantha Hopkins

Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation

Lagomorphs are small plant eating mammals that are split into two extant families: the Ochotonidae which is comprised of pikas, and Leporidae which is made of rabbits and hares. The earliest lagomorph occurrence is 55 million years ago in Asia, which is widely recognized as the origin of lagomorphs. Through the Cenozoic, lagomorphs diversified and migrated to every continent except Australia and Antarctica. During the Cenozoic, Asia transitioned from a humid and warm environment to an arid and cool climate. These changes as well as geographic alterations in Asia dramatically effected lagomorphs at the time which can be viewed by analyzing the fossil record. Along with changes in climate, inferences can be made about lagomorph niche and habitat by comparing extinct and extant species data. The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the effects of geography, particularly the Mongolian Plateau, on lagomorphs in Asia. In this study, I analyzed fossils from 8 localities in East Asia from the Eocene to the Miocene using the Paleobiology Database and past publications to access the environmental effects on lagomorph diversity and size in East Asia through time. This study provided further incite into the formation of the Mongolian Plateau, which is relatively sparce in information on the time of its uprise. As a result, this study suggests that the rise of the Mongolian Plateau and Hangay Mountains had dramatic impacts on Lagomorphs throughout the Cenozoic.

Does plant community diversity change with terrain steepness in southwestern Oregon?

Presenter: Delaney Kleiner − Biology, Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Lucas Silva, Brooke Hunter

Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation

Southwestern Oregon is characterized by complex patterns of plant communities across environmental gradients. Previous research has found the structure and composition of vegetation to be related to the complex geology of this region. In this study, we explore the relation between topography and plant communities by asking if and how vegetation changes across ridgelines of varying steepness. We selected six ridgelines with a gradient of slope steepness (steep to gentle) in Rabbit Mountain, Riddle, Oregon and used quadrat and line-point intercept techniques to quantify vegetation cover by species at each site. We assessed the differences and similarities between plant communities with NMDS (non-metric multidimensional scaling) analysis. We found plant communities on steep ridgelines are significantly different than communities on gentle ridgelines. Studying how landscapes exist in relation to vegetation deepens our understanding of the connectedness of Earth’s processes, emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of environmental science, and further informs forestry management practices in a time of increasing climate change.

Evaluating Sources of Zinc Contamination within Eugene-Springfield Waterways

Presenter: Charlotte Klein − Environmental Science, Spatial Data Science and Technology

Faculty Mentor(s): Matt Polizzotto

Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation

Stormwater runoff occurs when rainfall encounters impervious surfaces such as pavement and rooftops, instead of being absorbed into the ground. As runoff travels over these surfaces, pollutants are picked up and eventually make their way into natural waterways. In the Eugene-Springfield metro area, a specific stormwater pollutant of concern is zinc, which has been notably rising in local ambient water quality measurements taken by the city of Eugene over the past 20 years. As such, the causes and extent of elevated zinc levels within waterways in the Eugene-Springfield metro area are the focus of this study. Using 2019 as a case study year, data aggregation revealed similar zinc concentration patterns within the waterways of Springfield and Eugene. Literature review and spatial analysis identified zinc-based moss control products, tire and brake wear, and industrial discharges, as likely sources of zinc to the environment. This work adds to the understanding of municipal stormwater pollution in the Pacific Northwest and can lead to informed strategies for minimizing zinc loading to the environment.

Nitrogen Fixing Symbionts: Legume Survival and Coexistence in Warming California Grasslands

Presenter: Natalie Kataoka − Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Carmen Ebel, Ashley Shaw Adams

Session: (In-Person) Oral Panel—Fuel, Fire, Grass and Compost

For the past 200 years, non-native species have been anthropogenically introduced in California grasslands, reducing native species abundance and diversity. Trifolium hirtum is a non-native legume commonly used for cattle fodder and cover cropping because of its ability to fix nitrogen via rhizobial symbionts. T. hirtum currently coexists with California native legume Trifolium willdenovii in established communities, however, T. hirtum has the potential to outcompete T. willdenovii under increased environmental stress, such as that caused by climate change. Considering how symbiotic rhizobia contribute to these Trifolium species’ ability to coexist or compete with other species, as well as how climate change alters these interactions, is essential for understanding potential impacts on native biodiversity and how important forage species react to changing climate conditions.

I tested 1) how rhizobial symbionts contributed to the ability of a native and a non-native legume to coexist with each other and other species in the community. And 2) how drought influences competitive relationships between the two legumes. For both non-native T. hirtum and native T. willdenovii, I measured rhizobia nodule mass, seeded background count, weed species counts, and weighed the aboveground biomass on individuals grown under drought and ambient precipitation treatments. On average, there were no differences in the mass of rhizobia nodules by species, however there was an observed correlation between the biomass and nodule mass of uninoculated background T. willdenovii. Drought positively impacted the biomass of background T. hirtum individuals, however drought treatments negatively affected focal T. hirtum biomass compared to ambient precipitation. Drought had no significant effect on focal T. willdenovii biomass.

Assessment of the Oregon White Oak Woodland and Prairie Restoration Project at Dorris Ranch

Presenter(s): Mya Ganzer — Environmental Science

Co-Presenter(s): Shane Kreger, Emma Peara, Olivia Holah

Faculty Mentor(s): Peg Boulay, Hannah Gershone

Session: (In-Person) Oral Panel—Learning from the Environment

The primary goal of the Birds & Blooms Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) team is to evaluate the effects of the 2016-2018 Oregon white oak and upland prairie restoration project at Dorris Ranch. The team will monitor showy wildflower species, invasive plant species, oak characteristics, and target bird species within the study site at Dorris Ranch. This will allow us to monitor and assess the health of the oaks and the response of the biotic communities dependent on oak woodland and prairie habitats at Dorris Ranch, which will indicate the success and impacts of the 2016-2018 restoration projects. Specifically, our group will conduct presence-absence surveys for target bird species, map wildflower and invasive species populations, create an evaluative census of the Oregon white oaks, and replicate photo points based on a set done in 2020. The data we collect will be compared to previous data that has been collected from Dorris Ranch. The relationships between the datasets, in addition to our new findings will further inform Willamalane Park and Recreations adaptive management decisions and strategies in order to continue the restoration of crucial Oregon white oak habitat and its associated species at Dorris Ranch.

Comparing and Contrasting Workflows and Data Management for Web-based vs Analog Cartography

Presenter: Peyton Carl − Environmental Science

Co-Presenter(s): Lucy Roberts, Abby Whelan

Faculty Mentor(s): Joanna Merson, Alethea Steingisser

(Virtual) Data Stories—The Languages of Data

Cartography is a field that allows geographers to visualize information that has a geospatial component, also known as spatial data. Programs like Mapbox and Carto are newer methods of cartography that utilize web design for map creation. In comparison, print mapping workflows use programs like ArcGIS, ArcMap, and Adobe Illustrator. These programs each have different assets that can be used to produce print-based products. Together, both web mapping and analog mapping have benefits and drawbacks which impact the design decisions a cartographer must make on topics ranging from user accessibility to different map projections. We will analyze these choices through the examination of student research at the Infographics Lab in partnership with Network Startup Research Center. The NSRC is known for their work to “develop national and regional Internet infrastructure for collaborative research, education, and international partnerships”. The geographic nature of the NSRC’s work facilitates their partnership with the IGL, through which the IGL has produced a wide variety of cartographic products. Analyzing these design choices provides a diverse portfolio for examining cartographic design choices . Understanding the best practices for web and print-based cartography can operate as a proxy to facilitate better scientific communication.

Oak Habitat Mapping and Monitoring in the Southern Eugene Ridgeline

Presenter: Alexandria Russell, Matthew Silva, Matthew Liston, Environmental Science

Poster: C-5

Mentor: Peg Boulay, Environmental Science

The prevention of fire regimes, in combination with increasing urbanization, has led to a drastic decline in woodland oak habitats over the past 150 years in the Pacific Northwest. Currently, less than 2% of pre-European settlement oak habitat remains in the Southern Willamette Valley. Oak habitats are home to a wide range of rare plants and animals. As a result, the City of Eugene made conserving oak habitats one of their top priorities. As members of the Ridgeline Oaks Team, we collected data within these native oak habitats to help the City of Eugene implement a future management plan and protocol. We compared the accuracy of previous habitat delineations to the data we collected in the field and found that the former habitat delineations were only 55% accurate. We collected baseline data as well as data on heritage trees, which are mature trees that are important for their ecological and historical value. We also modified the protocol to adapt to the conditions in the field and improve efficiency. Our implementation of the original protocol helped us to develop more efficient ways to collect the data. The ecological data will assist the City in determining priority restoration and management areas within the Ridgeline. In addition, the data we collected will serve as a baseline against which future changes can be compared.