Undergraduate Papers
Statistical Analysis of Air-Soil Variables for Ecological Forecasting in Chaparral Communities
Narges Aminimoghaddam and Sagar Limbu, CSU Northridge
In the last decade, the growth in data acquisition and data storage capabilities has been multiple times faster than the ability of researchers to process and analysis large datasets to answer critical questions of interest. In ecological analysis, field instrumentation provides a continuous stream of time series of data at the very high temporal resolutions of multiple records per minute. This paper presents a pilot analysis in data management and data visualization tools to assess the temporal variability and the association among variables at different temporal scales. The study uses a dataset for air temperature, leaf surface wetness, air relative humidity, and soil moisture. The analysis includes time-series, cluster analysis, and visualizations using Python Libraries. Data was collected from an Artemisia californica plant communities, Los Angeles county. The results are a first step towards studying ecological variables defining the temporal variation or air and soil moisture at different time scales.
An Assessment of Air Pollution and Geography of Oman
Karolis Batuchtinas, Soka University of America
Oman is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, mostly covered in deserts or mountains. Temperature, humidity, and ozone levels from 2000-2017 were analyzed in seven cities around the country. North of Oman is hot and humid, the East coast is very similar but varies more in humidity throughout the year, and the Southern coast is much cooler than the rest of the country and goes through a summer monsoon making the summer months cooler and foggy. Also, EDGAR temporal profiles data was used to analyze five air pollutants and show their sources from 1970-2012. The results show most of the pollutants increasing ever since 1970. Oman has gone through an industrialization process since 1970 when Sultan Qaboos bin Said came into power, which has gradually added new sources contributing to air pollution, while back then oil production emissions were the main source for most pollutants.
Looking at Recovery Rates and Spatial Distribution Patterns of the Ochre Sea Star (Pisaster ochraceus) after Impacts of Sea Star Wasting Disease*
Gwenyth Greco, CSU Northridge
This study focuses on Pisaster ochraceus at Sequit Point and Crystal Cove to understand recovery rates and distribution patterns post-sea star wasting disease (SSWD) observed at these two study sites. The study covers current literature surrounding P. ochraceus and SSWD and utilizes mixed methods using both qualitative and quantitative data. Convenience sampling was used to collect the primary data, alongside the random sampling method for another dataset measuring food source distance. Convenience sampling data included population count, color, size, grouping, sub-location description, and a nearby food source(s). Secondary data include sea surface temperature (°C), air temperature (°C), and tide levels (m) from the Magicseaweed app. A GIS analysis determines which site was more suitable for P. ochraceus recovery post-SSWD. The information from this study assists marine biodiversity and conservation efforts for P. ochraceus and provides information about ideal locations for P. ochraceus recovery by identifying spatial and distribution trends post-SSWD.
Jessica Janecek, Humboldt State University
If you know only one thing about Humboldt, it’s likely weed. Over the past several decades, the plant has had a major impact on Humboldt County’s economy, politics, and culture, in turn creating a certain mythology. The paper presents preliminary findings of the Humboldt Cannabis Oral History Project, an ongoing collaborative research project based in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Analysis (GESA) of Humboldt State University (HSU) that aims to preserve individual stories of those who cultivated the plant in the years of prohibition, people whose stories are in jeopardy of being lost to the powers of statewide legalization and regional mythmaking.
Patterns of Injustice: Environmental Concerns in Michigan Through the Eyes of the Community*
Kara Jueckstock, South Dakota State University
Pure Michigan. A land of natural beauty and pristine waters, at least from the outside looking in. For Michiganders, there's a different side of the story which peaked in visibility with the Flint Water Crisis, but began long before, and will continue long after. In my project, I seek to understand the cultural perception of environmental injustice in Michigan, why it continues to occur, and the patterns in which it occurs. There is widespread cultural perception that Michigan’s water is dirty and that the State doesn’t prioritize meaningful actions in response to environmental injustice. These injustices occur in coincidence with concentrations of minorities and low-income families because they are often seen as expendable. This injustice affects those who are the most vulnerable. While it is discouraging to see the effects of this injustice, widespread awareness provides hope that we may be ready to take the next step towards correcting it.
Leo Kepcke, Humboldt State University
Humboldt Geographic is a new magazine produced as a collaborative effort between faculty and students of the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Analysis (GESA) at Humboldt State University (HSU). The publication features departmental news, feature stories, geographic research, geo-visualization/cartography, and more. The paper explores Humboldt Geographic’s genesis and development, as well as a concrete case study of a story appearing in the forthcoming 2021 issue. I frame the publication within Bandura’s social cognitive theory, showing how Humboldt Geographic transcends the narrow understandings of “applied” geographic, but rather serves larger goals of helping students—and other key audience, such as administrators and employers—develop and articulate living visions of the field’s dynamism, visions of what geographer do and can do.
Cody Leviloff, Humboldt State University
P. sabiniana, a unique pine endemic to California's Central Valley foothills, has been ignored in academia for decades, due to its limited commercial value in the timber industry. Despite the lack of information on the species, it became apparent after numerous wildfires throughout California, that this species can not only replenish its population to pre-fire levels, but possibly even increase its success in a post-fire landscape. It is known that the cones of the species are non-serotinous (not adapted to fire), yet the species survives as well as, if not better than other local serotinous pine species. The purpose of this paper is to determine the cause of succession of the species after a fire, as well as determining how the species distributes its seeds such that they can survive a fire.
Data Exploration and Visualization of Air-Soil-Plant Variables for the Study of Water Dynamics in Chaparral Communities
Sagar Limbu, CSU Northridge
In the last decade, the growth in data acquisition and data storage capabilities has been multiple times faster than the ability of researchers to process and analysis large datasets to answer critical questions of interest. In ecological analysis, field instrumentation provides a continuous stream of time series of data at the very high temporal resolutions of multiple records per minute. This paper presents a pilot analysis in data management and data visualization tools to assess the temporal variability and the association among variables at different temporal scales. The study uses a dataset for air temperature, leaf surface wetness, air relative humidity, and soil moisture. The analysis includes time-series, cluster analysis, and visualizations using Python Libraries. Data was collected from an Artemisia California plant communities, Los Angeles county. The results are a first step towards studying ecological variables defining the temporal variation or air and soil moisture at different time scales.
Jackeline Pedroza, Humboldt State University
This paper explores the physical and social barriers to education among Andean youth of Apurímac, Peru, through the lens of local youth mentors. Located in southern Peru, the mountainous landscapes of Apurímac have influenced the region’s development vis-à-vis that of coastal metropolitan Peru. A large portion of the population indigenously speaks Quechua, lives under the poverty line, and has varying access to education among its youth depending on geographic location. Rural families face difficult decisions in ensuring their children can pursue formal education. I seek to discover what geophysical and socioeconomic obstacles Andean youth confront in accessing educational resources. I explore how Andean communities weigh the value of education as means to elevating socio-economic status. Using an ethnographic approach, I conduct my research (virtually over Zoom) in Peru, engaging in discussions (in Spanish) and conducting interviews with youth mentors in Apurímac to gain insight into their experiential perspectives.
Katie Piper, Humboldt State University
Access to year-round water is vital for small agrarian communities in the Peruvian Andes. Of the approximate 780 mm of rainfall that occurs in this Upper Ramuschaka Watershed (URW), 20 percent of this water falls during the dry season. Bofedales are peat bogs in the upper reaches of the mountains that store water. With the assistance from the clay layer underneath, this ecosystem acts as a valve that releases water during the dry months to irrigate the town of Zurite. In addition to water storage and fauna reliance, bofedales sequester carbon that would otherwise be released. This research is taking our current knowledge of the URW through the canal-building project facilitated by Dr. Jasper Oshun, Humboldt State Geology, and expanding it to the neighboring watersheds. This analysis to understand the extent of the bofedal presence will help with land management for future water security as well as to help the community scientists understand the peat sponges.
Soil Moisture and Surface Temperature Variation in Artemisia California Plant Community
Maged Saad et al.
Surface soil moisture and temperature are good indicators of water availability for plants. The study of the spatial variation on plant community can be used to define ideal sampling locations for long term monitoring of those variables and the possibility to eliminate redundancy in equipment deployment. This presentation shows the results of time series and ANOVA statistical analysis comparing data from six locations in a suburban chaparral community in Los Angeles area for four months during winter and early spring 2019. The result shows the potential of using this methodology to identify ideal sampling locations for long term monitoring of soil water status for ecological assessment.
Climate Change Impacts on Tourism in the Caribbean*
Kennedy Skinner-Plunkett, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
The Caribbean region is predicted to be hit the hardest by climate change both directly and indirectly due to their location, size, and interdependence on tourism and coastal lifestyles. Tourism is the largest main source of revenue for the Caribbean, due to its lack of natural resources and climate. Hurricanes, tropical storms, and drought are the largest threats that are predicted to increase with intensity as global climate shifts and alters. The growing Caribbean region will need to adapt its tourism industry and overall infrastructure to continue to survive in shifting climates.
Jenna Ver Meer, Humboldt State University
Today, there exists a narrative relating to the freedom of an urban landscape, how the city center invites the public to gather and enjoy the communal space. Hostile architecture, also known as defensive design, conveys the exact opposite. Hostile architecture can come in many forms, such as the infamous anti-homeless spikes, metal protrusions on railings and walls, or simply the dividing presence of an armrest in the middle of a bench, all of which act as deterrents to the unhoused. Accordingly, this presentation asks the following: How and in what ways does hostile architecture contribute to the further isolation and alienation of already marginalized houseless people? Using a combination of discourse analysis and data visualization, this research will shed light on the spatial and social ramifications of hostile architecture, as well as contribute to the national conversation surrounding the treatment of houseless people in the United States.
* Research or Activism in Social or Environmental Justice