Tag: Environmental Science

Maori Traditional Knowledge and Climate Change

Presenter: Kylie Loutit

Environmental Science

Poster Presentation

C6

The Maori, the native population of New Zealand, are gradually becoming an imperative part of understanding climate and environmental events and changes in New Zealand. Maori Environmental Knowledge (MEK) has been recognized as a useful source of knowledge about climate change that cannot be accessed from standard “westernized” scientific data. Many Maori strive to live at one with nature and view it as an extension of themselves. Their stories, songs and narratives provide mechanisms to inform people of danger, as well as provide details that lead up to catastrophic events and the falling out of such happenings. The Maori are a minority in their own land; however, the reemergence of their culture coincides with the acknowledgement of the usefulness of MEK toward climate change, and is furthering their revival in New Zealand. MEK is context-dependent, making it difficult for scientists to easily incorporate it into reports. However, despite its challenges, MEK is a unique and valuable source of information that can greatly contribute toward the understanding of and response to climate change by expanding the limits of westernized science.

Carbon and Nitrogen Mineralization in a Manipulated Northern Hardwood Forest Soil: Do Plants’ Allocation Strategies Help Set the Size and Responsiveness of Soil Organic Matter Pools?

Presenter : Geoffrey Johnson

Mentor : Scott Bridgham

Major : Environmental Science

Poster 31

Plant litter from aboveground and belowground production constitutes a major carbon (C) and nutrient input to forest soils worldwide. Uncertainty in the relative effects of these two biomass allocations on ecosystem structure and function is the impetus for the Detritus Input Removal and Transfer (DIRT) experiment, which incorporates root trenching and leaf litter removal and addition. In this study, we sampled mineral soils from DIRT plots at a temperate hardwood forest in Northwestern Pennsylvania in the 0-10 cm depth for all treatments and additional organic horizon and 10-20 cm profile depths for control (CO) and double litter (DL). This DIRT site was established in 1991. By incubating samples at 35°C and near-optimal moisture content for 56 weeks, we estimated maximum potential respiration and net nitrogen (N) mineralization and used the resulting cumulative values to compare rate constants and pool sizes for 1 and 2 pool exponential models among treatments. Net N mineralization in DL plots was significantly greater than CO (α=0.05) at 10- 20 cm, while the no input (NI) treatment was significantly less than CO and DL (α=0.05) at 0-10 cm. We also provide evidence that the treatment effects will continue to become more significant on longer time-frames. From these results, we suggest soil C and N pools are affected by plant litter allocation ratios on decadal time scales, and the most rapid effects may be outside of the pools in the uppermost mineral soil horizons.

Sustainable Farms: A Management Plan for Restoring Goose Creek

Presenter: Adrian Robins

Co-Presenters: Jordan Grace, Solveig Noll, Celina Stilphen

Mentor: Peg Boulay

Oral Presentation

Major: Environmental Science

This spring, the Environmental Leadership Program’s Sustainable Farms team is working with a local farm to develop a restoration plan for a degraded creek. Goose Creek runs through Whitewater Ranch and into the McKenzie River, which provides the city of Eugene with its drinking water. Prior use of the creek has reduced its ability to support native species. With the farm’s support, we are developing a plan to enhance aquatic habitat and support native pollinators. To create this plan, we will study historic conditions, map the site, collect hydrogeologic data, and inventory native fish and pollinator species. This will help us make recommendations for removing invasive species, creating a riparian buffer, and planting a native hedgerow. The riparian buffer will lower downstream temperatures and enhance stream habitat while the native hedgerow will provide habitat for native pollinators. This work will benefit Whitewater, local wildlife, and the farm’s downstream neighbors. Our management plan will provide a foundation for Whitewater and future ELP students, who will carry out the restoration work on Goose Creek. We hope this project will also set a precedent for further improvements to the McKenzie River watershed.

Establishing Baseline Data at Strube Ponds

Presenter: James Lauder

Co-Presenters: Ella Deck, Emily Erickson

Mentor: Peg Boulay

Poster: 12

Major: Environmental Science

The South Fork of the McKenzie River historically supported a prolific spring Chinook salmon run, but it has been severely impacted by the construction of Cougar Dam in the 1960s. The flood control dam dramatically decreases the amount of water released below it and impedes natural transportation of large woody debris and sediment downstream. Additionally, leftover materials from the construction were used to create levees and revetments downstream, channelizing the historic floodplain near Strube Ponds. Our team of 11 students from the Environmental Leadership Program collected mapping and monitoring data in the general Strube Ponds area below Cougar

Dam in order establish baseline data for future restoration prioritization. To meet these goals our team conducted field monitoring with community partners from the McKenzie Watershed Council, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and U.S. Forest Service to: inventory and map levees, revetments, and historic side channels; survey macroinvertebrates, fish species, amphibian egg masses, and terrestrial herptile presence/absence; and evaluate western pond turtle habitat conditions. Compiled into a formal report, the results of our fieldwork include the egg mass locations of five herptile species which aid our community partners in prioritizing restoration activities amongst the ponds as well as maps of levees, revetments, and historic side channels to help them explore levee removal. This information will be used by our community partners to develop grant proposals for restoration work at Strube Ponds that is planned to start in 2016.

Monitoring and Continuing Riparian Restoration of Berggren Watershed Conservation Area

Presenter: Leela Hickman

Co-Presenters: Matthew Kauffman, Sarah McLain

Mentor: Peg Boulay

Oral Presentation

Major: Environmental Science

The construction of Blue River and Cougar Dams, as well as human development along the McKenzie River, has negatively impacted the quality of downstream riparian habitat. Flood control by the dams has reduced the frequency of disturbance in side channels, an important microhabitat of riparian zones that improve water quality for plants, aquatic organisms, terrestrial organisms, and humans. Side channels with healthy riparian vegetation create shade, which increases water quality by decreasing water temperature. The Berggren Watershed Conservation Area (BWCA) provides a unique opportunity to model more ecosystem-friendly farming and restore approximately a one kilometer reach of the McKenzie River, including numerous side channels. This spring, we will contribute to the restoration of this site by conducting invasive and native plant surveys, fish and amphibian surveys, monitoring previously riparian planting sites, removing invasive plant species, and planting native vegetation. Vegetation monitoring established in past restoration projects determines the health and survival of previous plantings; from this information, an adaptive management plan can be implemented. By surveying fish populations within BWCA side channels, population trends can be used to indicate whether or not the riparian restoration has been effective in increasing viable fish habitat. Successful restoration and management of the riparian zone at BWCA can be measured by an increase in native fish and plant populations over time.

Using Remote Sensing Techniques to Assess Geomorphological Response to Engineered Log Jams Along the Middle Fork of the John Day River, Oregon

Presenter: Corey Guerrant

Mentor: Patricia McDowell

Oral Presentation

Major: Environmental Science

In the last 5-10 years, there have been intensive river restoration efforts along the Middle Fork of the John Day River—including the placement of engineered log jams—to increase sinuosity and help improve anadromous fish habitat. To understand how these log jams have affected river morphology, I have used aerial photography within a Geographic Information System to quantify river planform change over time in stream reaches with and without placed log jams. Specifically, I have looked at how the centerline of the river has changed between 2006 and 2011, before and after many of the log jams were installed. Preliminary results indicate that there have been areas of significant lateral movement, but it is still yet to be determined whether or not they are associated with the engineered log jams. To ground-truth my results, I traveled out to my study sites and looked for physical evidence of lateral movement in the specific areas indicated by my model. Upon the completion of my research, I will be able to propose important management implications on whether or not the engineered log jams have begun to create the desired geomorphological responses.

Finding the Lesser Evil: A Comparison of the Environmental Impacts of the Iceland Deep Drilling Project and Conventional Geothermal Wells

Presenter: Hannah Greenberg

Mentor: Peg Boulay, Environmental Science

Poster: 26

Major: Environmental Science

The Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) intends to harness geothermal power in a way that power companies hope will increase the efficiency of geothermal energy generation. The goal of the project is to drill deep for supercritical fluids with a high energy yield potential. Conventional geothermal wells are drilled to an average depth of 2 km and produce fluids up to 275 °C. The IDDP plans to drill 3.5-5 km deep for supercritical fluids at 450-600 °C. Geothermal energy is a renewable resource but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is sustainable: geothermal plants can affect the environment in different ways and it is important to study the potential impacts of this new approach. This study aims to compare conventional geothermal with deep drill wells in order to determine if it is a responsible advancement for the future in Iceland and around the world. After conducting this study, it has been determined that the potential benefits of the IDDP are worth investing in. Deep drill wells have the potential to produce more energy than a conventional geothermal well; meaning less land would be disrupted per unit of energy produced by a geothermal well. Further development of deep drilling for supercritical fluids is a step in the right direction for decreasing the impact and increasing the economic viability of geothermal energy.

Designing and Implementing Drip-Irrigation System to Improve Water Use Efficiency at Berggren Demonstration Farm

Presenter: Madison Cheek

Co-Presenters: Emma Porricolo, Rena Nenot, Ashleigh Angel, Zoe Lavier, Will Dickerson, Brady Chiongbian, Wilson Hui, and Alex Burgdorfer

Mentors: Peg Boulay and Deion Jones, Environmental Science

Poster: 11

Major: Environmental Science

Our Environmental Leadership Program team is investigating the implementation of a drip irrigation system at Berggren Demonstration Farm. Through the installation of drip irrigation line from the main pump in the natural water source, a side channel off of the McKenzie River, we will work to improve the efficiencies of the electric and water usage currently employed at Berggren. Water will be saved by releasing small amounts through drip tape on the ground, which will prevent damage to crops from over-watering due to elevated sprinklers. We are analyzing the current methods used on this farm by collecting power and water usage data on-site. We will contrast past energy usage data with data collected from our improved system. Our results will be recorded and shared through Berggren and the University of Oregon in order to serve as a potential reference for other farms wishing to implement more efficient irrigation methods. We are creating a grant template that small farms could use to apply for funds to obtain a similar irrigation system. This will serve to further the goals of the Healthy Farms Clean Water Program, which aims to showcase the ability for small farms to coexist and even enhance the ecosystem it operates within. By providing insight into more efficient watering methods we hope our design will serve as a model to local farms wishing to minimize their negative impacts on our municipal water supply, which may prove useful in the coming years if we continue to experience drought conditions.

Traditional Knowledge as the Essential Component in Preservation of the Environment and Culture in the Arctic

Presenter(s): Trenton Martinez − Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Mark Carey

Poster 168

Research Area: Environmental Science

Indigenous communities within the Arctic region directly experience the consequences of climate change and have been disproportionately impacted. However, environmental projects and research concerned with these regions have failed to consider the cultural values and traditions of the local people. Popular world-views have contributed to the marginalization of indigenous populations in the Arctic as they are perceived as insignificant in relation to the global population. Thus, traditional knowledge is an essential component in collecting observational data and developing sustainable practices that maintain the community’s values, traditions, and relationship with the environment. Through examination of specific cases, the importance and use of traditional knowledge is demonstrated in its implementation, or lack thereof, within environmental strategy, design, and practice. Collectively, some of the most valuable data and information was obtained from oral narratives that provide an environmental history, personal experiences of environmental events and disasters, and the cultural adaptations, including hunting and traveling behaviors, as a response to local observations of environmental changes. This type of data is scientific knowledge specific to the region and culture, which prevent generalizations to be made through comparisons between similar environments without comparing differences between indigenous cultures as well. Incorporating these cultural aspects ensures that strategies to combat climate change protect the lives as well as the values and traditions of the people.

Quantifying Vegetation, Structure, and Canopy Density at ʻAlalā Release Site

Presenter(s): Sierra Ching − Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Peg Boulay

Oral Session 4CS

Research Area: Restoration Ecology

Funding: National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, Americorps Kupu Hawaiʻi, Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Sciences

Worldwide, bird populations suffer from habitat loss, invasive species, and disease. Avian keystone species are vital to conserve in the wild because of their strong roles in ecosystems in which they live. The ʻAlalā (Corvus hawaiiensis) is a keystone species in the Hawaiian Islands because of its seed dispersal and germination capabilities, which are vital for
the restoration of wet and mesic forests. The ʻAlalā went extinct in the wild in 2002 and its reintroduction into the wild is supported by the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research’s Hawaiʻi Endangered Bird Conservation Program. The current reintroduction site is located at the Puʻu Makaʻala Natural Area Reserve on the Island of Hawaiʻi. My project analyzed the composition between two adjacent geological substrates at the reintroduction site. I used haphazard sampling to collect data for species composition, vegetation structure, and canopy density through a Braun-Blanquet categorical system. The results did not find significant differences therefore neither substrate was considered to have more of the variables studied than the other.