Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.
Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.
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- All Subjects: conservation
- Creators: College of Integrative Sciences and Arts
- Creators: Schoon, Michael
Description
The purpose of this thesis is to compare ecolabeling to conservation easements for facilitating multi-use land between food production and conservation. Biodiversity has been on the decline as human agriculture uses more land. According to Encyclopedia Britannica “Half of the world’s habitable land (some 51 million square km [19.7 million square miles]) has been converted to agriculture, and some 77 percent of agricultural land (some 40 million square km [15.4 million square miles]) is used for grazing by cattle, sheep, goats, and other livestock. This massive conversion of forests, wetlands, grasslands, and other terrestrial ecosystems has produced a 60 percent decline (on average) in the number of vertebrates worldwide since 1970”(Rafferty 2010). The purpose of this paper is to explore ways individual landowners and private businesses can continue to operate profitably on their land while reversing the harmful loss to biodiversity observed in the past 50 years. Two of the most popular methods of achieving conservation on workable land are ecolabeling and conservation easements.
ContributorsWilcox, Christopher James (Author) / Leonard, Brian (Thesis director) / Schoon, Michael (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-12
Description
There is little research on volunteer tourism to primate sanctuaries. The purpose of this study was to help fill this knowledge gap and gain insights into how animal sanctuaries with volunteers in Costa Rica can be improved operationally to strengthen their conservation efforts. My research questions were: 1. How does volunteer tourism with primates in Costa Rica affect volunteers? 2. How does this volunteer tourism affect Costa Rica’s environment? The methodology used was an exploratory qualitative design that included a literature review of previous research and case studies and a visit with interviews at a primate sanctuary in Costa Rica. The findings did not generate sufficient data to answer the first research question. I did find that altruism was a key factor in recruiting effective volunteers. The study also found that conservation in Costa Rica relies on volunteer tourism to fill a human resource gap. This research will allow sanctuaries in Costa Rica to respond better to protect biodiversity.
ContributorsCavalier, Rebecca (Author) / Chhetri, Nalini (Thesis director) / Castillo, Elizabeth (Committee member) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a fungal infection devastating bat populations throughout eastern North America. WNS is caused by a fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), that invades the skin of hibernating bats. While there are a number of treatments being researched, there is currently no effective treatment for WNS that is deployed in the field, except a few being tested on a limited scale. Bats have lowered immune function and response during hibernation, which may increase susceptibility to infection during the winter months. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a crucial component of the innate immune system and serve as barriers against infection. AMPs are constitutively expressed on skin and facilitate wound healing, stimulate other immune responses, and may also stay active on bat skin during hibernation. AMPs are expressed by all tissues, have direct killing abilities against microbes, and are a potential treatment for bats infected with Pd. In this investigation, the fungicidal activity of several readily available commercial AMPs were compared, and killing assay protocols previously investigated by Frasier and Lake were replicated to establish a control trial for use in future killing assays. Another aim of this investigation was to synthesize a bat-derived AMP for use in the killing assay. Sequences of bat-derived AMPs have been identified in bat skin samples obtained from a large geographic sampling of susceptible and resistant species. Contact was made with GenScript Inc., the company from which commercially available AMPs were purchased, to determine the characteristics of peptide sequences needed to synthesize an AMP for lab use. Based on recommendations from GenScript Inc., peptide sequences need to have a hydrophobicity of less than 50% and a sequence length of less than 50 amino acids. These criteria serve as a potential barrier because none of the known bat-derived sequences analyzed satisfy both of these requirements. The final aim of this study was to generate a conceptual model of the immune response molecules activated when bats are exposed to a fungal pathogen such as Pd. Overall, this work investigated sources of variability between trials of the killing assay, analyzed known bat-derived peptide sequences, and generated a conceptual model that will serve as a guideline for identification of immune response molecules on the skin of bats in future proteomics work.
ContributorsBarton, Madisen L (Author) / Moore, Marianne (Thesis director) / Penton, Christopher (Committee member) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
As human populations continue to expand, interactions with wildlife are expected to increase due to destruction of land and global climate change threatening native habitats. Established areas of protection are becoming essential to species survival and biodiversity protection. National Parks (NP) are a globally ubiquitous method employed to protect wildlife and habitats. Often NPs are mosaics of relatively small protected areas in a “sea” of human-dominated landscapes, and these remaining habitat “islands” are becoming essential to preventing species extinction. However, the establishment of a NP can lead to increased human-wildlife conflicts (HWC) and disenfranchisement of local communities, particularly along their borders. We conducted semi-structured interviews in six different countries to better understand the nature of HWCs at the borders of major NPs: (1) Khao Yai NP, Thailand; (2) Myall Lakes NP, Australia; (3) Chitwan NP, Nepal; (4) Kruger NP, South Africa; (5) Chingaza NP, Colombia, and (6) Yellowstone NP, United States. We evaluated affinity to wildlife, perception of conflicts, management success, and potential solutions at each park to better understand the global nature of HWCs.We also evaluated these data in relationship to the Human Development Index (HDI) to determine if there was a correlation between development and conflict issues. We found the intrinsic value of wildlife to not markedly differ between countries. Conflict was perceived as higher in the United States and Australia but was known to be of greater intensity in Nepal and South Africa. Management of NPs was well-regarded with a slight decrease from less-developed countries to more-developed countries, with solutions that were creative and unique to each region. Results appeared to be related to shifting baselines between countries and also to equivalency in a cross-cultural assessment. When these theories are taken into account, the complexity of HWCs globally is better understood. As our world continues to expand and NPs become some of the only contiguous native habitat and refuges for wildlife, it is important to understand the complex relationships occurring at the interface between natural and human communities and to explore effective solutions to these problems.
ContributorsRagan, Kinley Ann (Author) / Schoon, Michael (Thesis director) / Schipper, Jan (Committee member) / Senko, Jesse (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor, Contributor) / School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Human activities around the world are threatening scores of wildlife species, pushing them closer to extinction. In order to address what many conservationists view as a global biodiversity crisis, it is vital that more people are inspired to care about wild animals and motivated to act in ways that help protect them. The up-close experiences and personal connections that people form with wild animals in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) or the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) can help achieve this. However, it is not very well understood how different types of encounters within these zoos may inspire conservation mindedness and pro-environmental behaviors. During this thesis project, surveys were conducted at the AZA-accredited Arizona Center for Nature Conservation/Phoenix Zoo to understand how interactive, hands-on animal experiences within zoos differ from passively viewing zoo animals when it comes to inspiring people to care about conservation. The Phoenix Zoo is home to two different species of giraffes, and guests can view them from the front of the Savanna Exhibit. Guests can also participate in the Giraffe Encounter, which is a much more interactive, hands-on experience. After surveying guests at both locations, the results showed that fewer people at the Giraffe Encounter responded that they often engage in pro-environmental behaviors. This may indicate that the people who participated in the Giraffe Encounter came to the zoo more for recreation and entertainment than to learn about wildlife. Despite this, more people learned something new about nature or conservation at the Giraffe Encounter than they did at the Savanna Exhibit. On average, guests also felt that the Giraffe Encounter motivated them to learn more about how to help animals in the wild than the Savanna Exhibit did. Overall, there is a strong correlation between having an interactive, hands-on experience with a zoo animal and caring more about wildlife conservation. However, more research still needs to be done in order to conclusively provide evidence for causation.
ContributorsBurgess, Christa Noell (Author) / Schoon, Michael (Thesis director) / Minteer, Ben (Committee member) / Allard, Ruth (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
In 1996, a floral and faunal inventory of the southeastern slopes of the Marojejy Massif, which falls in a protected area known as the Parc national de Marojejy, was conducted in an ascending series of altitudinal transect zones. The 1996 research team worked in five altitudinal zones (referred to as transect zones). Between 3 October and 15 November 2021, a floral and faunal inventory was completed, replicating the locations surveyed in 1996 and closely the dates. Detected bird species were analyzed for changes in elevational distribution between 1996 and 2021. Birds were divided into three feeding behavior groups and tolerance to forest habitat degradation was considered.
ContributorsLangrand, Tahiry (Author) / Schoon, Michael (Thesis director) / Goodman, Steve (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Complex Adaptive Systems (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
Political boundaries often divide ecosystems and create the challenge of conserving the ecosystem across borders. Through transboundary ecosystem management multiple groups can come together and manage the ecosystem that spans their borders collaboratively. In the United States there are several examples of ecosystems that span borders, such as the Sonoran Desert along the US-Mexico frontier and the Rocky Mountains running through the US and Canada. To gain insight into what leads to effective transboundary resource management I compared two case studies that manage resources over borders with multiple collaborators: Glacier National Park and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. These two cases offer contrasting ecosystems and backgrounds in transboundary resource management in the United States. To compare the cases I coded them using a collaborative governance codebook (Schoon et al. 2020). The codebook uses a Context-Mechanisms-Outcomes framework to identify aspects of collaborative governance and contextual factors present in each park (Pawson & Tilley 1997; Salter & Kothari, 2014). Once coded, the cases were compared to identify what aspects were similar and different in the parks to help potentially explain what features did or did not lead to effective transboundary resource management.
ContributorsTaetle, Noah (Author) / Schoon, Michael (Thesis director) / Carr Kelman, Candice (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
Terrestrial hermit crabs serve an incredibly important ecological role in seed dispersal and as decomposers along coastal shorelines. They have also become quite popular in the commercial pet trade, with one species, Coenobita clypeatus, being particularly favored. Typically, these hermit crabs are easily captured and removed from the wild with little protection in their native ranges. In Hermitage Bay, Tobago, there is little information about the population numbers, composition, shell preference, and substrate preference of C. clypeatus in their native habitat. In this study, we estimated population size, gastropod shell preferences, and substrate preference conditions when clustering. We conducted mark re-capture surveys in March, July, and December 2023 and collected morphological data from captured hermit crabs. Our results indicate that the estimated population was highest in July, with the variation being significant when using the Schnabel mark re-capture estimation formula. The most common overall shell type, Columbella mercatoria (West Indian Dove Shell), was prevalent among the smaller sized, younger hermit crabs; while the larger hermit crabs preferred Cittarium pica (West Indian Top Shell). The most preferred substrate for these terrestrial hermit crabs were areas with a mixture of sand and dirt, with high amounts of vegetation and leaf waste and low amounts of human litter. These results suggest a predominantly young population and that beach cleanups should focus on removing human litter entirely, while leaving leaf waste and other fallen logs and branches and not using the collected decomposing plant matter for bonfires. This can help maintain a healthy hermit crab population that continues to benefit the coastlines in Tobago as well as other ecosystems.
ContributorsLindteigen, Amy (Author) / Briggs, Georgette (Thesis director) / Mohammed, Ryan (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
The use of genetic management in conservation has sparked much debate around the ethical and environmental impacts of the plans. A case study on the conservation of leopard frogs in Arizona was analyzed to better understand the benefits and issues surrounding genetic management plans. The first part of the case focuses on the recent management plan for Chiricahua Leopard Frogs implemented by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The goal of the plan is to better understand the genetic dynamics of the established Chiricahua Leopard Frog populations to develop a more effective management plan. The second part of the case focuses on the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s management of the Northern Leopard Frog. There was little success with the initial breed and release program of the native species, however a nonnative subspecies of Northern Leopard Frog was able to establish a thriving population. This case study exemplifies the many complications with genetic management plans and the importance of careful assessment of options when deciding on a genetic management plan. Despite the complexity of genetic management plans, it is an important method to consider when discussing the conservation of a species.
ContributorsTurpen, Alexa (Author) / Murphree, Julie (Thesis director) / Collins, James (Thesis director) / Owens, Audrey (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
The Tale of the Tigers is a children’s picture book in which a tiger named Guava is transported from his world of Serenia to our world. In an attempt to find someone to help him with this situation, Guava meets another tiger named Papaya. After having his prey scared away by Guava, Papaya begins to explain the different hardships and dangers that tigers face in their natural habitat. Papaya also teaches Guava about the different programs and activities that humans have been doing to help increase and restore tiger populations. At the end of the story, Guava returns to his world and spreads awareness to those that live in Serenia about how tigers are threatened in other places and what’s being done to help them. Papaya uses basic ecological concepts to explain the importance of tigers in their ecosystem. These concepts include habitat loss, trophic levels, landscape fragmentation, and poaching. The story also incorporates different conservation methods, including captive breeding and the use of camera traps.
ContributorsMooney, Lena (Author) / Jesse, Lewis (Thesis director) / Meloy, Elizabeth (Committee member) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05