Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2014, Environment and Natural Resources

Runoff from agricultural nutrient applications in the Maumee watershed is the most significant human factor leading to phosphorus loading and water quality issues in Lake Erie. The adoption of agricultural best management practices (BMPs) that address the amount, form, placement, and timing of nutrients could reduce runoff and result in cost savings for farmers, however recent research has shown that, depending on the practice, a quarter to a half of farmers in the Maumee watershed are choosing not to adopt these practices. The aim of this study was two-fold: to examine whether occupational stress in farmers influenced their intentions to adopt BMPs, and to examine whether occupational hardiness moderated the impact of stress on farmer's intentions to adopt BMPs. Questionnaires were mailed out to corn and soybean farmers in the Maumee watershed of Ohio in March, 2014. Principal component analyses were used to form the Maumee Watershed Farm Stress Scale and the Farming-Related Hardiness Scale. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that risk perception and beliefs about BMP effectiveness in reducing phosphorus runoff positively influenced farmer's intentions to adopt BMPs, and that stress negatively influenced these intentions. As stress increased, farmer's intentions to adopt BMPs decreased. Moderated regression analysis showed that high hardiness moderated stress' influence on intentions to adopt BMPs. Specifically, when hardiness and stress were high, adoption was high, but when hardiness was low and stress was high, adoption was low.

Committee: Robyn Wilson Ph.D (Advisor) Subjects: Agricultural Education; Agriculture; Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Communication; Environmental Health; Environmental Management; Psychology; Social Psychology; Water Resource Management; Wildlife Management

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2019, Arts and Sciences: Geography

Drastic changes to our complex environment by anthropogenic activities require equally complex multilevel environmental management planning (EMP) to sustainably mitigate and prevent future negative effects. EMP and its solutions, i.e. best management practices (BMP), require a substantial amount of monetary and non-monetary resources. Frameworks, such as the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), can aid in reducing excess resources and increasing transparency and efficiency with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools and the incorporation of ecosystem services (ES) concepts. In this study, both GIS tools and ecosystem concepts are used as enhancement tools to assist in evaluating the impacts of pre-knowledge and post-knowledge based buffer strip placement/configuration scenarios on total nitrogen export (TN) in Tippecanoe River Watershed (TRW). Pre-knowledge scenarios define BMPs that are configured on the landscape by predicted or modelled priority areas, whereas post-knowledge scenarios select priority areas based on observed or monitored data. Results from InVEST's Nutrient Delivery Ratio (NDR) modeling (Sharp et al., 2018) are compared and ranked for three sub-watersheds of TRW. Initially, it was found that pre-knowledge scenarios provided greater effectiveness. However, after cost-efficiency analysis, it was found that post-knowledge scenarios were more efficient at reducing cost per buffer strip implementation. A combination of both knowledge approaches is proposed to increase EMP impact power.

Committee: Tak Yung Tong Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Richard Beck Ph.D. (Committee Member); Ishi Buffam Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Management

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2015, Arts and Sciences: Geography

As watersheds are urbanized, most of their surfaces will be paved. The impervious surfaces will reduce water infiltration, thereby, increasing the volume of surface runoff. Best Management Practices (BMPs) are used to mitigate these effects of urban land use by retaining large volumes of stormwater runoff. With continued urban development and the impending changes in our climate, it is essential to have a better knowledge of the effectiveness of BMPs in reducing surface runoff under different climate conditions. As construction and implementation of BMPs is often very expensive, this information will be especially useful in planning long-term development projects and in devising appropriate mitigation strategies to combat future changes in our environment. In this study, the main objective was to explore the most cost-effective arrangement of BMPs in reducing stormwater quantity under current and future climate regimes. The Ludlow watershed in Kenton County, northern Kentucky, was selected as a case study. A decision-support system, System for Urban Stormwater Treatment and Analysis Integration (SUSTAIN) (US EPA 2009b), developed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, was used as an assessment tool. A SUSTAIN model for the study area was first developed, calibrated, and validated. It was then used to identify the most cost-effective BMPs arrangement under the current land use and climate conditions. To ensure that these BMPs will still be appropriate in alleviating future water resources problems, this study also simulated the hydrologic conditions under future climate conditions. The future climate scenarios were developed based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Annual Report 4 (AR4) B1 climate scenario (IPCC AR4 2007). The results of this study reveal the most cost-effective configuration of BMPs in the Ludlow watershed. By simulating the effectiveness of the BMPs in 2030 and 2050 under future climate change scenario (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Tak Yung Tong Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Joong Gwang Lee Ph.D. (Committee Member); Richard Beck Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Geographic Information Science

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2014, Environment and Natural Resources

Significant time and effort are put into developing watershed action plans (WAPs) to address water quality impairments throughout Ohio. These WAPs are developed collaboratively with a broad range of stakeholders representing various interests. Each of these parties has interest in how the watershed is managed. Substantial literature addresses how collaborative watershed plans are developed and the importance of citizen participation to plan development. However, implementation of best management practices (BMPs) for WAPs is not addressed in the literature. Public policy scholarship has created a foundation for understanding what factors make policy implementation effective. These factors include policy intention, the scope of the policy, and the use of a policy tool. The objective of this research is to assess whether the WAPs affect implementation of BMP recommendations, and if yes, to what degree. Chapter One utilizes three WAPs, the Portage River, the Outlet/Lye Creek, and the Riley Creek to answer two research questions that focus on the link from WAPs to policy implementation: 1) “What kinds of recommendations exist in the plans?” and 2) “What proportion of listed recommendations have been conducted?” These questions use data derived from both the WAP documents and through fourteen interviews with stakeholders in the Portage River and Blanchard River Watersheds. Chapter Two explores the research questions: 1) “What factors affect implementation of BMP recommendations of WAPs?” and 2) “Which kinds of WAP BMP recommendations do stakeholders think are most often implemented?” Chapter Two analyzes the interview data from sixteen stakeholders in four WAPs from three watersheds. The WAPs included in this chapter are the Portage River, the Outlet/Lye Creek, the Riley Creek, and the Lower Maumee. Together each chapter's research questions help to fill the knowledge gap in WAP implementation and will aid practitioners in understanding if WAPs affect B (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Tomas Koontz Dr. (Advisor); Eric Toman Dr. (Committee Member); Noah Dormady Dr. (Committee Member); Mary Tschirhart Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Management; Environmental Studies; Public Policy; Water Resource Management

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2014, Arts and Sciences: Geography

Changes in land use and climate have substantial environmental consequences, especially on water resources. In this research, the effects of urbanization and climate change on water resources were investigated. Moreover, a tool was derived to examine land use change and to postulate future land use patterns. Most importantly, the effectiveness of Best Management Practices (BMPs) in reducing stormwater runoff was explored. This dissertation consisted of three articles based on different case studies at varying spatial locations and spatial scales. Comprehensive geospatial methods were used throughout the entire research, which included modeling and analyzing land use change, landscape patterns, population growth, climate change, hydrologic process, and the cost-effectiveness of BMPs. The first two articles were pilot studies of this research. They focused on developing a population-coupled Markov Cellular Automata (CA-Markov) land use change model. The reliability and applicability of the model were ascertained by generating land use maps for the Little Miami River Watershed in Ohio and the Las Vegas Wash Watershed in Nevada. The third article was a continuation of the first two pilot studies. Using the techniques developed earlier, future land use scenarios were generated for a smaller subwatershed of the Las Vegas Wash Watershed, the Duck Creek Watershed. Together with the future climate scenarios postulated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), they were used to assess the future hydrologic conditions in this hot, arid, and urbanized watershed. System for Urban Stormwater Treatment and Analysis Integration (SUSTAIN) was further used as a geospatial decision support system to model the watershed hydrologic process and the cost-effectiveness of BMPs in reducing potential stormwater runoff under future scenarios of climate and land use changes. This research contributes to the advancement of watershed studies using integrated geospatial (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Tak Yung Tong Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Jeffrey Yang Ph.D. (Committee Member); Richard Beck Ph.D. (Committee Member); Nicholas Dunning Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Geography

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2008, Natural Resources

Over the past decade, many collaborative watershed partnerships have sought community and stakeholder support to reduce pollution from non-point sources. While collaboration has been promoted by many as a win-win approach, little empirical evidence has shown whether participation in collaborative processes leads to improved water quality in agriculturally-dominated watersheds. This study first looks at the impacts of government on collaborative watershed management and then combines insights from diffusion of innovations literature that relate to the adoption of agricultural best management practices and policies associated with collaborative watershed management. A mixed-method comparative study of farmers in two Ohio watersheds reveals the extent to which collaboration spurs positive environmental and social outcomes and how collaboration is tied to community.

Committee: Tomas Koontz PhD (Advisor); Joseph Bonnell PhD (Committee Member); Richard Moore PhD (Committee Member); Dawn Gibas-Ferris PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Social Research

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

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2005, Environmental Sciences

The purpose of this report is to describe the activities of my internship with the Butler Soil and Water Conservation District (Butler SWCD) from May 2004 through February 2005. Since the primary focus of the internship was urban resource conservation, this report summarizes principles of stormwater management, water resource protection and sediment and erosion control specifically related to urban landscapes. Individual and collective applications of management strategies during the internship are fully discussed. Principle responsibilities included drafting new standards for stormwater pollution prevention plans (SWPPP) and reviewing individual site plans against those standards while continuously inspecting compliance with state and local regulations. A significant portion of time was spent developing ordinances and executing best management practices (BMPs) spelled out the Butler County Phase II Stormwater Management Plan, and numerous special projects are described.

Committee: William Renwick (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2024, Environment and Natural Resources

Agricultural runoff is one of the largest sources of nutrient pollution throughout the United States and within Ohio. Currently an estimated 48% of Ohio's watersheds are being degraded by nutrient loading from nitrogen and phosphorus. Rainfall transports large amounts of nutrients and suspended solids from fertilizers and livestock manure from agriculture into nearby surface waters. Excess nutrient levels can lead to eutrophication and harmful algal blooms, which are seen throughout the Western Lake Erie Basin watershed. Best management practices (BMPs) are practices that are developed for a specific region as feasible and effective methods for environmental protection. Cascading waterways are a novel BMP that have the potential to enable farmers to combine infield nutrient management with edge of field water management practices. The cascading waterway consists of a series of retention basins within a grassed waterway, designed to handle concentrated flow from agricultural sources. The systems provide storage for runoff and therefore the opportunity for prolonged treatment of captured stormwater. There is, however, little information or research on how these systems function or their overall efficiencies. Almost all knowledge comes from one study for a cascading waterway in Maryland that demonstrated statistically significant reductions of sediments, total phosphorus, and total nitrogen load. In this study, four different cascading waterway systems across Northwest Ohio were studied to answer the research question: “What are the mechanisms behind water loss for cascading waterways in the Ohio landscape?”. Through hydrologic and isotopic analysis, a better understanding is formed of the mechanisms of cascading waterway functions. Specifically, the relative impacts of infiltration and evaporation are assessed in this thesis using field data. Piezometers were placed within each cascading waterway retention basin to measure water level change among basins for all (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Steve Lyon (Advisor); Ryan Winston (Committee Member); Rachel Gabor (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Geology

Soil is at the center of two linked global environmental problems: climate change due to anthropogenic carbon emissions and soil degradation caused by anthropogenic landscape alteration, with 37% of global land and 52% of land in the United States used for agriculture. A robust understanding of soil dynamics can aid in making sustainable management decisions to maximize soil potential for both fertility and carbon sequestration needs. Soil organic matter (SOM) is often used as a proxy for soil health, with humic substances (HS) comprising most of SOM and driving reactivity and recalcitrance in the soil, depending on composition. HS have historically been challenging to analyze due to low solubility and widely varying molecular size, leading to the use of operational definitions and unclear models. Recent advances in spectroscopic techniques, however, have led to the development of sequential fractionation techniques, like the humeomics methodology, that progressively break bonds within the HS structure, allowing for greater characterization and understanding of composition. In this study, SOM from an organically managed farm soil was qualitatively and quantitatively characterized using the humeomics sequential methodology, extracting six primary fractions and two residual fractions. All fractions were characterized for nutrient (TOC, TN, and TP) content, FTIR was used to assess functional groups present, and EEM-PARAFAC analyzed fluorophore groups to calculate descriptive indices and model components. Analysis indicates the SOM within the farm soil is weakly humified, labile, and biologically available, with most OC and N present in the weakly-bound fractions of the SOM structure. Future research could focus on characterizing and comparing soils from conventionally managed agricultural soils, different BMP regimes (including amendment with dredged material), as these are factors known to contribute to variations in SOM quality and nutrient cycling.

Committee: Angélica Vázquez-Ortega PhD (Committee Chair); Christopher Lepre PhD (Committee Member); Joseph Furgal PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Geochemistry; Soil Sciences

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2022, Horticulture and Crop Science

One of humanity's biggest challenges in the 21st century involves mitigating and reducing anthropogenic impacts on the global environment. Biochar, a biomass-derived black C produced from the anoxic thermochemical conversion of biomass through a pyrolytic process, is gaining popularity as a potential soil amendment in agricultural soils. The application of biochar as a soil amendment and N management practices are some of the best agricultural practices (BAPs) that farmers could implement to reduce GHG emissions, improve soil health, and increase crop growth and yield. The effect of a commercial-grade softwood biochar (10 Mg ha-1) derived from pine was evaluated on growth, yield, and GHG emissions on corn (Zea mays L.) in three field sites in the U.S. Midwest, two in Ohio and one in Michigan. Additionally, greenhouse studies were conducted on the effects of biochar rates (0, 10, 20, and 40 Mg ha-1) and soil types (clay-loam, silt-loam, and sandy-loam) on corn seedlings. The objectives of the field studies were to understand the effects of a biochar application (B) and N management treatment (N), on (1) growth and yield of corn and (2) the GHG emissions mitigation potential in three soil types. The objectives of the greenhouse studies were to (1) measure how different rates of biochar would affect corn seedling emergence, height, and biomass, and (2) quantify an optimum biochar application rate. Both studies were set up as randomized complete block designs with four replications. In the field study, the biochar and N (B + N) treatment reduced CH4 and N2O emissions compared to the N treatment alone, while retaining the same yields when compared to the control. In the greenhouse study, the lower biochar rates (10 and 20 Mg ha-1) resulted in positive effects on corn seedling emergence and height. These studies are timely as there is a growing interest of farmers and growers in carbon farming and carbon trading, thereby, reducing their carbon footprint.

Committee: Laura Lindsey (Advisor); Kristin Mercer (Committee Member); Marília Chiavegato (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Agronomy; Climate Change; Horticulture; Soil Sciences

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2022, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Agricultural nutrient loss in the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) leads to elevated nutrient levels in Lake Erie, resulting in harmful algal blooms and anoxic conditions, decreased fish populations, and reduced recreation and tourism revenues. To combat this issue, the Ohio Phosphorus Task Force set a goal to decrease the phosphorus (P) load to the WLEB by 40% from 2008 spring loads. To meet this goal, efforts are underway to minimize the amount of P transported from agricultural fields to surface water using best management practices (BMPs). While many BMPs aim to decrease P loss by optimizing agricultural nutrient usage, some fields continue to have elevated soil test phosphorus (STP) levels even when nutrients have not been applied for decades. These fields, referred to as legacy P fields, contain more P within the soil profile than agronomically necessary and have substantial nutrient runoff potential. Because these sites disproportionately contribute to nutrient runoff, it is important to determine what variables impact and how best to manage nutrient loss from legacy P fields. Rainfall depth and intensity have been identified as driving factors causing P runoff from fields within agronomic STP levels. Better knowledge of the impact of precipitation and temperature on runoff from legacy P fields will improve management to minimize nutrient loss from these unique settings. This is especially valuable information as production and water quality management adaptations are made in reaction to climate change. To determine how weather variability impacts P runoff from legacy P fields, water quality and water quantity data was collected at 11 fields with Mehlich-3 P STP > 100 mg/kg in northwest Ohio for a total of 18.5 site-years, during which time 477 storm events each with > 6.35 mm (0.25 in) of precipitation were monitored. This study found that average nutrient concentrations within tile discharge from legacy P fields were 2.4 times (total P; TP) and 4-5 times ( (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jay Martin (Advisor); Ryan Winston (Committee Member); Kevin King (Committee Member) Subjects: Agricultural Engineering

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, 2021, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

The return of severe algal blooms to the Western Basin of Lake Erie has refocused efforts to manage nutrients in and around the Great Lakes. An important part of this effort has been extensive water quality modeling in the region, especially in watersheds responsible for excessive nutrient loading to at-risk lake basins. Models can expand the predictive impact of limited monitoring data, and therefore provide a powerful tool for water managers. However, models are limited by numerous shortcomings, including data availability, model structure, and equifinal model solutions. Bringing light to these potential issues in model development and implementation is key in the effective use of and public trust in modeling results. The work presented in this document is comprised of four main objectives aimed at examining model confidence. First (Chapter 2), a Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was developed for the Maumee River watershed at the near-farm-field scale, incorporating the best available data for the region. This new model was compared against previous model iterations using edge-of-field monitoring data. A key improvement in soil P initialization values revealed a potential structural limitation in the model to simulate phosphorus export in surface runoff. Second (Chapter 3), a retrospective analysis of land management changes simulated over the past several decades was completed to examine the influence of individual agricultural management practices on driving discharge and loading trends. While climate played a major role in driving discharge patterns, tillage had a significant impact on nutrient loading. Third (Chapter 4), the presence of equifinality—that many differing parameterizations can produce acceptable models—was examined, along with the potential to reduce equifinality using increased data in calibration. A Latin Hypercube Sampling approach was used to select values for 15 parameters, and then constraints were applied across data types an (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Margaret Kalcic (Advisor); Kevin King (Committee Member); Gil Bohrer (Committee Member); Jay Martin (Committee Member) Subjects: Agricultural Engineering; Environmental Engineering; Hydrologic Sciences

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2021, Environment and Natural Resources

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) remain a persistent, agriculturally-induced issue that threaten both the physical and economic health of the Western Lake Erie basin (WLEB) and its stakeholders. Edge-of-field conservation practices are recommended to help manage runoff and reach phosphorus reduction targets to mitigate the effects of these HABs. Constructed wetlands (CWs) are a specific edge-of-field practice that could prove critical to these efforts given much of this geographic area was formerly swampland and is now extensively drained for agricultural production. While we know something about why farmers engage in conservation, we know less about why wetlands are adopted than we do other edge-of-field (e.g., buffers) and in-field practices (e.g., cover crops). However, existing literature from studies outside of the U.S. gives us a framework for how to study why wetlands are or are not adopted by farmers. Hansson et al. (2012) conducted a qualitative interview analysis of Swedish landowners, measuring their motivations to implement a CW on their property. Hansson's team identified six primary motivations of these landowners, with the crux being a two-stage decision where wetlands are never acceptable on productive land, but for unproductive land, farmers will consider a wider range of potential costs and benefits to decide if CWs are appropriate for their operation. Our research builds on these findings by transitioning the qualitative work to a quantitative survey instrument administered to private landowners in the WLEB. Our work seeks to discover if farmers in the WLEB are driven by the same motivations found in Hansson's analysis, highlight the primary motivations of the likelihood of CW installation and see how productivity moderates the relationship between these motivations and willingness, and measure how conservation-mindedness affects willingness to implement. While we find certain similarities with Hansson's work, we find that the decision to implement a (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Robyn Wilson (Advisor); Eric Toman (Committee Member); Alia Dietsch (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science; Environmental Studies

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2016, Environmental Science

The west-central region of Ohio is one of the most productive agricultural regions of the state and has notable economic importance. Past and projected climatic changes bring a significant amount of variability into the future productivity of this specific region and place an importance on protecting soil resources. The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of common management practices, including Best Management Practices (BMPs), in West-Central Ohio on key soil properties supporting overall soil quality, the productivity of soils under such practices, and the feasibility of using the Soil Management and Assessment Framework (SMAF) to evaluate soil quality in the region. On-farm study sites were established representing examples of conventional tillage (CT), no-till (NT), no-till with manure application (NT-M), and no-till with cover crops (NT-CC) common to the region. Significant differences were found among all measured soil properties, except available water capacity (AWC), steady state infiltration, and water stable aggregation (WSA). Despite this, evidence was found to support improved aggregate stability under cover crops. The NT and NT-CC sites were shown to have increased large pore formation, mean weight diameter (MWD), and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) even though they possessed higher bulk density in the upper soil profile. The distribution and concentration of soil organic carbon (SOC) were both affected under the BMPs studied. Particularly at the NT site, an increase in the SOC concentration and stock was seen in the 0-10 cm depth but below this point the CT site had equal to greater SOC concentrations and stock when compared to the no-till sites. The NT-CC site was found to have the lowest overall SOC stock but conclusions concerning the results from the lower soil depths were limited due to variability within the subsoil or past management at the NT-CC site. Differences were found in yield and calculated harvest index (HI) fo (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Rattan Lal (Advisor); Dick Warren (Committee Member); Phausey Norman (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Agronomy; Natural Resource Management; Soil Sciences

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2009, Engineering : Environmental Engineering

The ascent in urban development caused a spread in impervious surfaces and a decrease in vegetated and forested areas. The stormwater runoff has increased tremendously over the last decades causing sanitary sewer overflows and combined sewer overflows. Low impact development (LID) proposes techniques aimed at reducing and controlling excess stormwater runoff at the point source. Best management practices (BMP), one form of LID also known as green infrastructure capitals, are decentralized systems that delay and/or reduce stormwater runoff, peak and volume. Rain barrels and rain gardens are two forms of LID currently used in green development. This thesis builds on new modeling techniques of rain barrels and rain gardens using EPA SWMM-5. The behavior of a continuously draining rain barrel, and an overflowing rain barrel was studied under steady state and unsteady state conditions using C++ and MATLAB programs. The models obtained were compared to a rain barrel conceived within the EPA SWMM-5 subcatchment architecture. Subsequently, a model input was derived to best describe the behavior of a treatment train for water quantity composed of a rain garden, the overflowing rain barrel and the continuously draining rain barrel. A simulated rainfall event in EPA SWMM-5 assesses the results of each subcatchment's model input and estimates the potential percentage of runoff reduction and the potential reduction in peak flow and timing of outflow. A watershed in Hyde Park, Cincinnati, Ohio, was chosen as the site for a pilot study aiming at showing the impact of potential green infrastructure capitals, and offering strategies for stormwater runoff. Rain barrels, rain gardens and a detention reservoir were implemented separately in the modeled watershed using EPA SWMM-5. The simulation was carried out over a period of one year.

Committee: Makram Suidan PhD (Committee Chair); George Sorial PhD (Committee Member); William Shuster PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Engineering

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2011, Civil Engineering

Commissioned by a world appealing for sustainable efforts, those charged with the development and restoration of our nation's infrastructure have discovered a need for alternatives to prior unsustainable designs. In order to contend with this demand for innovation, civil engineers must continue to foster sustainable practices in their profession. This state of affairs requires that alternative construction methods be conveyed to those capable of implementing fresh approaches. Mechanisms for controlling stormwater runoff are one such item of infrastructure which benefit from this re-evaluation of intrinsic conventions. Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) have emerged as the result addressing the need for more sustainable stormwater control. With the aforementioned interest in sustainable practices and the requisite for new infrastructure, a system to convey the efficacy of BMPs can assist in the adoption of these practices as mainstream applications. To help realize this premise, a software package was developed to introduce the concept of sustainable hydrological developments to those with the interest, influence, or capability to include these features in their designs. This package includes a fully-customizable BMP database, a knowledge-based expert system able to recommend BMPs for a site, and a component to rate the sustainability of a site's hydrological function. The customizable BMP database allows for the centralization of alterative stormwater management practices molded to the destination environment. The expert system is an interactive way to provide less-experienced personnel with contending BMPs backed by expert intuition. Sustainability is a subjective topic, and to properly rate a development as sustainable, a more firm definition of sustainability is necessary in order to convey a clear message and provide for dependable comparisons. Therefore, several fuzzy logic applications are incorporated into this software program to clarify measures of (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Fabian Tan PhD (Committee Chair); William Wolfe PhD (Committee Member); Dorota Brzezinska PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Civil Engineering; Engineering; Hydrology; Sustainability; Transportation

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

MA, Kent State University, 2010, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Geography

The Sugar Creek Watershed (SCW) of Holmes, Stark, Tuscarawas, and Wayne counties, Ohio is currently one of the most polluted watersheds in the state. There are several small municipalities that influence the overall condition of the watershed, but the primary problem is non-point source pollution from the many farms in the Sugar Creek region. There are highly mechanized farms that utilize modern technology (machinery, chemicals etc.), and there are farms (Amish) that are of a more primitive nature that rely on animal power and animal waste. Both of these farm types contribute to the non-point source pollution problem in the SCW, but the focus of this particular study are the Old Order Amish farms that are in the SE corner of Wayne County, the SW corner of Stark County and the NE corner of Holmes County Ohio. Complicating the problem has been the removal of riparian buffer zones from a large portion of the SCW, and a historical ignorance of the importance of maintaining a clean water supply. The cultural and religious beliefs of local societies have a big impact on the level of concern about environmental issues. Numerous efforts have been made to educate the local population about the importance of restoring the environmental health of the watershed, but very little has been done to determine the environmental beliefs of the Old Order Amish.

Committee: Mandy Munro-Stasiuk PhD (Advisor); David H Kaplan PhD (Committee Member); Emariana Taylor PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Conservation; Environmental Education; Geography