Master of Science in Environmental Science, Youngstown State University, 2021, Department of Physics, Astronomy, Geology and Environmental Sciences

Although frequently overlooked or omitted, ecosystem services provide an environment for the survival of life on earth, including humans. Soil is a critical compartment for ecosystem services composed of solids, gasses, water, and micro and macro flora and fauna. Soil functions include water holding capacity, nutrient holding and cycling, support for microbial life, carbon capture, and other many other unseen benefits. Within society a main use of soil is agriculture for growth of food, fiber, and other necessities for civilization. Agricultural practices can consist of different techniques, two common categories are conventional and conservation methods. Conventional tillage utilizes turning of the soil to prepare the seedbed and remove unwanted plants. In conservation methods the use of no tillage or reduce tillage is used, where the soil is minimally disturbed, and the seeds are inserted into small slits or openings. Aggressive tillage can affect soil ecosystem function and limit the quality of soil health by decreasing porosity, reducing microbial processes, and increasing erosion. Seven farm fields in Trumbull County, OH, were sampled to investigate the connection between agricultural method and soil quality characteristics that contribute to overall soil health and productivity. Composite soil samples consisting of 2.5 cm soil cores separated into top 15 cm layer and bottom layer were evaluated for organic matter, bulk density, soil texture, plant available phosphorus, pH, total nitrogen, salinity, and percent porosity using standard methods. The data composed of 32 samples, with 16 samples from the top layer and 16 from the bottom layer. The fields were ranked one to four, with a ranking of one indicating conventional methods to ranking of four with the highest amount of conservation practices applied. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, mean comparison, one-way ANOVA, Principal Component Analysis, and backwards linear regressions using S (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Felicia Armstrong PhD (Advisor); Colleen McLean PhD (Committee Member); Albert Sumell PhD (Committee Member); Lee Beers MS (Committee Member) Subjects: Agricultural Economics; Agricultural Education; Agriculture; Agronomy; Earth; Economic Theory; Environmental Economics; Environmental Education; Environmental Health; Environmental Philosophy; Environmental Science; Environmental Studies; Soil Sciences; Sustainability

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1950, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1950, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Environmental Science

Growing annual crops such as corn can lead to considerable nutrient losses through subsurface drainage in agricultural fields, posing a serious threat to surface water quality in the Midwest USA. Perennial crops have the potential to reduce these nutrient losses. However, more comprehensive data are needed on the nutrient loss effect of perennial crops. In the first chapter of my research, we examined the effect of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) on nitrate-nitrogen (NO3--N), total nitrogen (TN), dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), and total phosphorus (TP) in subsurface drainage using a Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) experimental design with one control field (annual crops) and one impact field (with alfalfa) each on two farms (site A and B) located in northwest Ohio. The before period (prior to planting alfalfa at the impact field) extended for four years (2013-2017) at site A and six years (2011-2017) at site B, then the after period extended for an additional two years at both sites Reductions in the mean monthly discharge and loads of NO3--N, TN, DRP, and TP were significant at site A, while the only significant change at site B was a reduction in the mean monthly TP load. In the second chapter of my dissertation, we examined the effect of alfalfa on subsurface nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loads across different storm event types. A k-median cluster analysis was employed to classify 462 storm events at site A and 684 storm events at site B that occurred between 2011 and 2019 based on precipitation amount and wet antecedent moisture conditions (AMC). Subsequently, a difference-in-differences analysis was conducted to compare patterns of nutrient loss in tile drainage between fields with alfalfa and fields without alfalfa across three identified storm event types: Moderate-dry storm events (events with precipitation amount ≤ 34 mm, and wet AMC ≤ 27 mm), moderate-wet storm events (events with precipitation amount ≤ 39 mm, and wet AMC > 27 mm), and large st (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jay Martin (Advisor); Margaret Kalcic (Advisor); Marilia Chiavegato (Committee Member); Steven Quiring (Committee Member); Steven Lyon (Committee Member); Kevin King (Committee Member) Subjects: Climate Change; Environmental Science; Hydrology; Water Resource Management

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Environmental Science

The 2016 revision to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement set forth water quality targets for Lake Erie. The revised binational agreement calls for a 40% reduction in Total Phosphorus (TP) and Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus (DRP) from 2008 loads from the Maumee River watershed to be met nine-years-out-of-ten. Previous studies have shown that widespread implementation of agricultural conservation practices (CPs) is needed to reach or approach these targets. Watershed modeling can play an important role in informing policies that aim to increase the adoption rates of agricultural CPs. However, watershed modelling efforts typically exclude important information derived from social science studies, such as farmer surveys (e.g., what factors affect farmers in adopting certain agricultural CPs). This work takes an interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary approach to examine agricultural CP adoption in the Maumee River watershed to improve the integration between data derived from farmer surveys and watershed modeling and historically examine state efforts aimed to increase agricultural CP adoption across Ohio. Conservation identities, perceived response efficacy of subsurface phosphorus placement, level of education, years of farming experience and other demographic, farm-operational, and psychological characteristics, derived from the farmer survey, were embedded into a SWAT model of the watershed. Modeled farm operations, created with near field-level Hydrologic Response Units (HRUs) within the SWAT model, were assigned a modeled primary operator and assigned demographic, farm-operational, and psychological characteristics informed by the farmer-survey. Integrating the farmer survey data and the SWAT model allowed for novel approaches in targeting the placement of buffer strips and subsurface phosphorus fertilizer placement in the SWAT model. Model results indicate that near optimal water quality results can be obtained for both buffer strips and subsurface phosph (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jay Martin (Advisor); Nicholas Breyfogle (Committee Member); Margaret Kalcic (Committee Member); Douglas Jackson-Smith (Committee Member) Subjects: Agricultural Engineering; Environmental Management; Environmental Science; History

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1975, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Master of Arts, Case Western Reserve University, 2016, History

The drainage of wetlands for agriculture has had a profound effect on the landscape of the United States. Increased federal involvement in the practice during the New Deal era forced conservationists within the government to engage with drainage policy in new ways. This paper explores these ideas by examining the conservation philosophies and goals of five different conservationists—Franklin D. Roosevelt, Hugh Hammond Bennett, Henry A. Wallace, Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling, and Aldo Leopold—who worked within the federal government during the period and took distinct approaches to drainage. This illuminates the differences in their conservation perspectives that are not always apparent and illustrates how what different figures actually sought to conserve was fundamentally different.

Committee: Ted Steinberg (Advisor); Peter Shulman (Committee Member); David Hammack (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; American History; Conservation; Ecology; Environmental Studies; History; Land Use Planning; Modern History; Natural Resource Management; Sustainability; Water Resource Management; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2011, Environmental Sciences

The purpose of this report is to demonstrate the duties and accomplishments of my internship with Clermont Soil and Water Conservation District from January 2009 to June 2009. This internship focused on watershed management in the East Fork Little Miami River Watershed, an impaired watershed in the State of Ohio. The history of federal water legislation and the protective measures of the Clean Water Act are summarized. National and state trends in water quality are discussed, as well as impairments caused by non-point source pollution. The role of collaborative, community-based watershed organizations is described. Ohio's Watershed Coordinator Grant Program is described along with the East Fork Watershed Collaborative's watershed planning and implementation efforts. The use of Geographic Information Systems and pollution estimation models to develop watershed action plans are described. General education and outreach efforts are also discussed.

Committee: Adolph Greenberg PhD (Committee Chair); Sandra Woy-Hazleton PhD (Committee Member); Mark Boardman PhD (Committee Member); John McManus MEn (Other) Subjects: Natural Resource Management

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2008, Environmental Sciences

The purpose of this report is to demonstrate the duties and achievements of my internshipwith Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District from January 2008 to June 2008. This internship focused on soil and water conservation through sediment and erosion control, stormwater management, public involvement, and Geographic Information Systems mapping. Ohio and Warren County sediment and erosion control regulations are discussed along with the regulation and implementation of best management practices (BMPs) on construction sites. Stormwater management methods such as rain gardens and stormwater basins are described. Public involvement is detailed in outreach and education activities. Applications for using Geographic Information Systems to map stormwater structures and streams are described.

Committee: Dr. Adolph Greenberg (Advisor); Dr. George Esber (Other); Dr. Sandi Woy-Hazleton (Other) Subjects: Environmental Science

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2007, Environmental Sciences

The purpose of this report is to describe the activities and accomplishments of my internship with the Butler Soil and Water Conservation District (Butler SWCD) from February to August 2006. This internship focused on natural resource conservation, primarily through erosion and sediment control, stormwater management, and water quality protection in urban and urbanizing areas of Butler County, Ohio. Applications of natural resource management in an urban setting are fully discussed as well as primary position responsibilities such as stormwater pollution prevention plan reviews and development site inspections to ensure compliance with local and state regulations. Strategies to enhance existing natural resource management, such as the revision of County erosion and sediment control regulations and the creation of a riparian setback ordinance, in addition to the implementation of best management practices (BMPs) of the Butler County Phase II Stormwater Management Plan are explained.

Committee: Mark Boardman (Advisor) Subjects: Environmental Sciences