ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at gradformat@asu.edu.
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- All Subjects: Biology
- Genre: Masters Thesis
- Creators: Green, Douglas
Description
Grassland habitat restoration activities are occurring within the semi-arid grasslands of the Agua Fria National Monument located 65 km north of Phoenix, AZ. The goal of these restoration activities is to reduce woody species encroachment, remove lignified plant materials and recycle nutrients within the ecosystem thus improving range conditions for both wildlife species and livestock. Broadcast burning, juniper thinning and slash pile burns are the principle tools used to accomplish resource objectives. Line cover, belt transect, densities, heights and biomass of vegetation data were collected to determine the response of the vegetative community to habitat restoration activities. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to reduce data analysis to the more influential factors. Regression analysis was conducted for statistically significant response variables. Quadratic regression analysis found low predictive values. In broadcast burn treatment units, all important factors as identified by PCA had low predictive factors but significantly differed (R2 <0.01, p<0.05) between unburned and the years post treatment. Regression analysis found significant, albeit weak, relationships between time since treatment and independent variables. In pile burn treatment units, data reduction by PCA was not possible in a biologically meaningful way due to the high variability within treatment units. This suggests the effect of juniper encroachment on grassland vegetation persists long after junipers have been cut and burned. This study concluded that broadcast burning of the central Arizona grasslands does significantly alter many components of the vegetative community. Fuels treatments generally initially reduced both perennial woody species and grasses in number and height for two year post fire. However, palatable shrubs, in particular shrubby buckwheat, were not significantly different in broadcast burn treatment areas. The vegetative community characteristics of juniper encroached woodlands of central Arizona are unaffected by the removal and burning of junipers aside from the removal of hiding cover for predators for multiple years. It is recommended that habitat restoration activities continue provided the needs of wildlife are considered, especially pronghorn, with the incorporation of state and transition models specific to each of the respective ecological site descriptions and with the consideration of the effects of fire to pronghorn fawning habitat.
ContributorsSitzmann, Paul Roman (Author) / Miller, William (Thesis advisor) / Alford, Eddie (Committee member) / Green, Douglas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
Plastics are an emerging issue in aquatic ecosystems due to their slow degradation and ability to fragment into smaller more mobile parts. Concluding this process, plastics <5mm are categorized as Microplastics, MPs. Currently, the majority of MP studies bring attention to marine pollution and the impacts that follow. However, it remains a high priority to understand how MPs move through urban aquatic environments, and the impacts this may have for surrounding urban ecosystems. Little is known about how MPs move through tertiary treated wastewater plants, such as constructed wetlands, and how much, if any, remain trapped in abiotic and biotic material such as soil or plant life, respectively. An analysis of MP distribution using Tres Rios, a tertiary wastewater treatment wetland, as the study site may help to shed light on the source-occurrences of MPs. Microplastics extraction was performed on soil, plant, and water samples that were collected along major access points within the system with emphasis on inflow and outflow. The inflow of the wetland receives between 246-398 MPs/L vs the outflow of 90-199 MPs/L. Tres Rios soil concentrations ranged between 1,017-10,100 per kg and 133-700 MPs per kg in sampled vegetation throughout the wetland. The distribution of soil and vegetation samples differed throughout Tres Rios, as soil sampled exhibited higher quantities towards inflow site and vegetation MP occurrences were increased throughout the middle of the system. Additionally, this study aimed to determine if seasonality impacted the concentration of plastics seen throughout the system. There was no evidence that suggested seasonal variations were occurring in any sample type. Atmospheric deposition fluxes of microplastics were considered as a potential additional influx but even at the measured 1510 MP m-2 day-1 they were small compared to the water influx. Overall, the results suggest that the Tres Rios wetland removed 55% of the microplastics it receives and hence performs a substantial ecosystem service.
ContributorsCisco, Jordan (Author) / Green, Douglas (Thesis advisor) / Herckes, Pierre (Thesis advisor) / Childers, Daniel (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023