Ph.D., Antioch University, 2020, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

The demand for ecosystem services (ES) by communities around the world especially from developing countries is increasing, and creates conflict between protected ecosystem management and community socioeconomic wellbeing needs, particularly around protected areas. Taking into consideration globalization, capitalism, weak policies, and population growth as some of the majors driving factors to land change, increased demand for ES comes in part from societies' changing economic demands and opportunities, such as food and commercial crop production, timber extraction, urbanization, and infrastructural development. Many biodiversity conservation approaches and initiatives have been used to protect and maintain healthy ecosystems. While the fence and fine approach has been an instrumental tool in biodiversity conservation, it has decreased access to protected area (PA) resources and has contributed to conflicts between biodiversity conservation and the need to meet socioeconomic wellbeing of people living around PAs. This highlights the importance of local community participation in PA management to achieve effectiveness. The participatory approach has been instrumental in designing environmental markets such as Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) approaches. However, there is a need to better understand how environmental markets such as PES can be used for effective management of ecosystems while ensuring that those relying on ES for their livelihood have their needs met. This research was undertaken to contribute to understanding of PES approaches in the context of poor communities and protected areas. A mixed method research design with surveys, interviews, and focus groups was employed for data collection in communities around Gishwati-Mukura National Park, Rwanda, gazette in 2015. Results revealed that those with land adjacent to the park have negative perceptions about the new PA mainly due to the lack of communication between local members and those involved in P (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Beth Kaplin PhD (Committee Chair); Jean Kayira PhD (Committee Member); Herman Musahara PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Management; Environmental Science; Forestry; Social Research

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2018, Environmental Sciences

The Willard Sherman Turrell Herbarium at Miami University (MU) is the largest collection of preserved botanical material in the state of Ohio. This report describes the projects I conducted at the MU Herbarium during my herbarium collections management internship. The internship and subsequent report were conducted to fulfill requirements for graduation from the Master of Environmental Science (MEn) program at MU's Institute for the Environment and Sustainability (IES). I completed three main projects during the course of my internship. The first project involved updating the MU Herbarium Assistant's Manual, which was last updated in 1980. The second project was the digitization of the fungal collection of the University of Cincinnati. The final project was the organization and intercalation of Peruvian specimens collected between 2004-2005 by MU Botany PhD graduate Xanic Rondon. Herbarium curator and advisor Michael Vincent selected these projects for my internship to provide specific learning opportunities that have prepared me for professional natural history collections management.

Committee: Michael Vincent (Advisor); Richard Moore (Committee Member); Suzanne Zazycki (Committee Member) Subjects: Botany; Conservation; Environmental Science; Museum Studies

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2016, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

Capacity building has become the centerpiece of recent attempts to strengthen regional biodiversity conservation. Many conservation organizations aim to increase this capacity by training local conservation professionals. While many practitioners will agree that these trainings presumably have a psychological effect on their participants that may benefit long-term local action toward conservation goals, there also seems to be a resignation that these effects are difficult if not impossible to measure and target, especially within diverse cultures. The common result is a perfunctory evaluation of observable behaviors or basic knowledge, which may be easy to count but undoubtedly fails to represent the nuance of complex psychological variables associated with long-term capacity to conserve biodiversity. My dissertation is fundamentally aimed at investigating capacity for biodiversity conservation at this psychological level. Specifically, I explored the current understanding of capacity for biodiversity conservation and how this understanding can be supplemented by psychological theory to strengthen the development, evaluation, and prediction of this capacity over time. I did this within the context of case studies that focus on three separate populations of conservation professionals who participated in capacity building trainings in Africa and North America between 1994 and 2014. I administered surveys to these conservation professionals to create and validate an instrument that measures the construct I call psychological capacity for biodiversity conservation (PCBC). PCBC includes psychological dimensions such as meaningful ownership, effective autonomy, being needed, group effectiveness, and understanding. I administered the PCBC survey instrument to training alumni and conducted interviews with their trainers to the evaluate the effectiveness of the capacity building methods at increasing PCBC directly after and two to ten years after a training. I found that mea (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Carol Saunders Ph.D. (Committee Co-Chair); Beth Kaplin Ph.D. (Committee Co-Chair); Raymond De Young Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jean Kayira Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Education; Environmental Studies; Psychological Tests; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2009, Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology

Ecologists tend to be wary of the effects of increasing wealth on the environment, arguing that economic growth and conservation are incompatible goals. Many economists, on the other hand, expect economic growth to be a cure for global environmental challenges; they contend that wealthier countries have the luxury of investing more heavily in efforts to conserve and protect ecosystems. The economic perspective is formalized in the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis (EKC), which suggests a u-shaped relationship between income and environmental quality. In order to test this EKC hypothesis, I use estimates of per capita income and deforestation rates (index of biodiversity threat) for 35 tropical countries. A prior analysis (Dietz and Adger 2003) using conventional regression techniques failed to provide any support for the parabolic relationship predicted by the EKC hypothesis. Here, I introduce the use of quantile regression and spatial filtering to reanalyze this data, addressing issues of heteroskedasticity and spatial autocorrelation. I note that preliminary analysis using these methods provides some initial evidence for an EKC; rich countries appear to protect a greater proportion of their forests than do poorer countries. However, a series of panel analyses with country-specific dummy variables eliminated or even reversed much of this support. A closer examination of conservation practices and environmental indicators within the countries, particularly those countries that drove the initial support, suggest that wealth is not a reliable indicator of improved conservation practice. Thus, the findings of my first study indicate that an EKC for biodiversity is overly simplistic and further exploration is required to fully understand the mechanisms by which income affects biodiversity. I hypothesize that illusory support for the EKC is driven by patterns of trade and consumption. I examine the relationship between per capita GDP and forest conservation for the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Elizabeth Marschall PhD (Advisor); Becky Mansfield PhD (Committee Member); Amanda Rodewald PhD (Committee Member); Brent Sohngen PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Agricultural Economics; Ecology; Economic Theory; Environmental Science; Geography

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2005, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 0, Environmental Studies (Voinovich)

Protected Areas (PAs) guard critical habitats to protect flora and fauna and maintain ecosystem services that provide myriad benefits for human well-being. This study is the first to explore PA staffing, in particular the role of the external workforce, in the biodiversity-rich country of Madagascar, a nation that tripled its PA network in 2015. Taking a unique multi-level approach spanning governance systems, institutions, and sites, it leverages online surveys of 13 institutions and 44 PAs (covering 40% of Madagascar's PAs), together with 39 face-to-face interviews with respondents representing six sites. Results reveal severe understaffing in Madagascar PAs, reaching a third of the global recommendation at just 26.8 staff per 1000 km2. Longer-established PAs enjoy higher staffing ratios than do newer PAs (established 2015 or later). Local community members comprise 94% of the PA external workforce, contributing up to 12.7 full-time staff per 1000 km2. In particular, community participants present a significant opportunity for expanding the pool of potential PA workers. Sustainably engaging with local participants will require equitable remuneration, recognition of effort, and greater empowerment in the workplace. Maturing human resource policies can build Madagascar's PA resilience by addressing staffing issues in a cost-effective yet sustainable manner, by focusing on equity and healthy work relationships. As the world plans to protect 30% of lands and seas by 2030, the call for greater professionalization among conservation practitioners has never been more critical.

Committee: Nancy Stevens (Advisor); Geoffrey Dabelko (Committee Member); Geoffrey Buckley (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Management; Environmental Studies; Natural Resource Management

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2020, Environment and Natural Resources

Despite a reputation for destruction, militaries across the world host many endangered and rare species on lands used for soldier training. In the United States, Department of Defense lands have a considerably higher density of threatened and endangered species than the other federal land management agencies. The study presented here was designed to explore the relationship between the U.S. military and the endangered species it hosts by considering potential alignment between military training and species conservation goals as expressed through land management practices. To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted with environmental and training land management personnel at six Army and National Guard installations in the U.S. In the interviews, both wildlife managers (charged with managing for threatened and endangered species among other wildlife species) and training land managers (charged with managing the land for the purpose of military training) described many projects that contributed to both endangered species and training goals. Despite prioritizing training goals, management practices such as prescribed fire, vegetation thinning, native plantings, rotating locations where training occurs, and erosion control not only contributed to maintaining an effective training environment but also aligned with efforts to develop and maintain wildlife habitat. These findings provide evidence of the conservation potential of military lands at least in cases where species needs align well with military training objectives. The alignment between military and conservation goals is tied to underlying beliefs of the land managers about conditions that make up the ideal training landscape. To managers, creation of realistic training conditions often meant an emphasis on providing “natural” areas that were free of man-made influences but with variable and difficult conditions that are also similar to the ecosystems represented in war areas. Management prac (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Eric Toman PhD (Advisor); Kerry Ard PhD (Committee Member); Jeremy Bruskotter PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Military Studies; Natural Resource Management; Wildlife Conservation

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2019, Environmental Studies (Voinovich)

Protected area conservation is not enough to stem increasing biodiversity loss. Therefore, it is important to consider private-owned lands when developing a long-term conservation strategy in a region. Agricultural lands, which cover more than 30 percent of the Earth's terrestrial surface, are a good place to start. However, further research is needed to understand how species use the landscape, and what types of best practices should be encouraged to increase levels of biodiversity. This study was conducted on a 2500 ha semi-forested Ugandan Robusta coffee farm. The system is a hybrid of shade and full sun coffee production, with intense cultivation on production land and corridors of reserved indigenous forest. Using point counts, I found that the forest and farm held substantial numbers of avian species, comparable to nearby protected areas. I also found that there were three distinct communities of birds, inhabiting the coffee, the edge, and the forest. The forest habitat seemed drive diversity, and held the highest effective number of species. This study showed that farmed land can act as a reserve, but that forest must be reserved in these landscapes.

Committee: Nancy Stevens (Committee Chair); Donald Miles (Committee Member); Geoff Dabelko (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Biology; Conservation; Ecology; Wildlife Conservation; Zoology

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2018, Arts and Sciences: Biological Sciences

Many studies on biological diversity aim to understand this topic to increase the impact of conservation efforts. While there are many investigations that seek to explain global patterns of biodiversity, there are few that describe biodiversity in the context of political geography. I sought to create a tool that could be used to explore the role of biodiversity in comparative geopolitical studies related to conservation. In order to understand how conservation studies are performed in the context of political geography, I created a country-based index of biological diversity using Average Taxonomic Distinctness measures. This index differs from other indices by giving a measure of how unique the biodiversity of a country is, rather than giving a simple species richness measure. Furthermore, I chose to use Average Taxonomic Distinctness because it has previously been shown to be robust to biases from sampling effort and sampling area (Clarke \& Warwick, 1998). I demonstrate in this paper that this country-based biodiversity index can be used to identify countries with relatively high or low biodiversity. I also demonstrate that the index holds ecological relevance and can be used in large-scale comparative studies by determining that island countries have higher Average Taxonomic Distinctness, as expected. While I was unable to show that this index was robust to bias from sampling area, I was able to demonstrate that the index was likely robust to biases from sampling effort.

Committee: Theresa Culley Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Eric Tepe Ph.D. (Committee Member); Anne Vonderheide Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2018, Anthropology

Thousands of Andean peasants migrated to the Peruvian Amazon to work in artisanal and small-scale mining as the international price of gold quadrupled in the 21st century. During this time, gold surpassed cocaine in revenue and usurped its place as Peru's most profitable illicit export commodity. Amidst the gold rush, the past decade also witnessed a growing ecotourism economy that has capitalized on protection of areas with high rates of biodiversity in the Madre de Dios region. In this dissertation, I examine how contingent laborers and their households adapt to global processes of natural resource extraction and biodiversity conservation as they make a living in a rapidly developing region of the Peruvian Amazon where ecotourism and extraction are concurrently booming markets. Green business entrepreneurs, environmental NGOs, and other influential social actors in the region frame extraction and conservation as “contradictory forces” to promote ecotourism and other market-based conservation initiatives as the best responses to unbridled resource extraction. However, my research demonstrates that many households are unencumbered that these work opportunities are seemingly divergent or contradictory. Moreover, I show that households adopt creative strategies of shifting between formal and informal economies as they manage their precarity and work towards greater social mobility. In this monograph, I synthesize political economies of labor, household ecology, and social reproduction theory to construct a framework for understanding how families adapt to the concurrently booming economies of extraction and conservation. This framework helps to understand the agency of social actors in relation to the broader structural forces that limit their opportunities, from the household to the global economy. I identify how extractive lifestyles of the household are transmitted across generations and internalized by young individuals struggling to find their place in a rapidly (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jeffrey Cohen (Advisor); Michelle Wibbelsman (Committee Member); Nicholas Kawa (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Cultural Anthropology

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2018, Environmental Studies (Voinovich)

Bioenergy could help reduce CO2 emissions from agriculture that contribute to climate change, while at the same time supply energy to a growing population. Varying levels of inputs within bioenergy crop fields, such as pesticide use or annual tilling, can impact arthropod biodiversity and abundance. The research presented here examines the impact of habitat type (Miscanthus x giganteus, Panicum virgatum, abandoned agriculture, and forested edge) on the diversity and abundance of arthropods in small (The Ridges Land Lab) and larger (The Wilds) planted plots in southeastern Ohio. A variety of collection methods (sweep nets, flight traps, and Berlese funnels) were used over a three month period to collect arthropods from different trophic groups. Overall, 25,390 arthropods were captured with the highest abundance consistently seen in forested edge habitats, followed by abandoned agriculture, switchgrass, and lastly miscanthus. Flying insects found in the forested edge were three fold more abundant than those found in miscanthus plots, with intermediate levels in switchgrass and abandoned agriculture. Dominant flying arthropod groups included leaf hoppers, flies and rove beetles. Abundance of litter arthropods was almost two fold higher in switchgrass than in miscanthus plots: dominant taxa included oribatid mites, ants, ground beetles, and collembolans. Taxonomic richness and Shannon diversity were lower in litter samples compared to flight/ sweep samples. Compared to forested edges, miscanthus supported fewer omnivores, pollinators, and predator/parasites. Detritivorous arthropod abundances did not differ across habitat types. No significant differences were noted between arthropod diversity and abundance between the larger fields of biofuel grasses at the Wilds compared to the Ridges Land Lab. This current study shows that cellulosic ethanol crop type does have an impact on arthropod communities; with miscanthus consistently supporting the least diverse and lowest ar (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kelly Johnson (Committee Chair); Sarah Davis (Committee Member); Arthur Trese (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Alternative Energy; Entomology; Environmental Studies

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2017, Arts and Sciences: Geography

The Earth stands on the precipice of the sixth mass extinction. This extinction risk has triggered a growing crisis and urgent need to save the world's biodiversity. Considering the accelerated rates of biodiversity loss and extinction, we need simple but efficient methods to quickly identify threatened areas. This dissertation research was undertaken with this in mind—to benefit the conservation community, either through the delivery of biogeographic methods or information to further the restoration or maintenance of biodiversity. As a primary goal, this dissertation endeavored to fill those research gaps and offer some simpler and more effective useful and usable geospatial techniques for biodiversity conservation analyses. Secondary goals of the research were (1) to contribute to specific conservation programs for critically endangered species, (2) to inform about the status of habitat, and (3) to address top conservation research priorities. While not a specific objective, the research outcomes may influence public policy. This three-article dissertation introduces two novel techniques: (1) development of a habitat suitability model in ArcGIS using kernel density estimation and a mortality-risk weighting factor on road density, the delimiting variable; and (2) a rapid hybrid change detection technique using ENVI's SPEAR Vegetation Delineation tool or classifying live green vegetation and ArcGIS to compare and quantify changes in time. For the latter, two studies incorporated the change detection technique. The pilot study performed the change detection with color-infrared aerial photography, while the follow-up investigation tested the feasibility of the method to handle high resolution multi-sensor data, given the difficulty obtaining data from the same or similar sensors. These studies represent the first of their kind. This dissertation research provides widely applicable, practical, and employable geospatial models to perform habitat assessment (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Tak Yung Tong Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Richard Beck Ph.D. (Committee Member); Theresa Culley Ph.D. (Committee Member); Nicholas Dunning Ph.D. (Committee Member); Hongxing Liu Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Geography

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2016, Applied Geospatial Science

Tropical rainforests are globally recognized as important biodiversity areas. Most of these forests are situated in regions with high population density, high poverty and high unemployment which leave local people little choice but to use forests resources to survive. Consequently, tropical forests are rapidly declining due to deforestation and unsustainable consumptive utilization of their natural resources. One of the main challenges facing efficient management and protection of tropical forests is reconciling human needs of the forest resources with biodiversity conservation interests. The objective of this study was to examine coupled nature of how human use of the forest impact biodiversity and biodiversity influence where humans use the forest. The study investigated patterns of wood harvest across Kakamega Tropical Rainforest and quantified rate and amount of wood harvested from the forest. Point sample Timber Cruising methodology and pitfall trapping were used to assess trees and arthropods respectively to characterize the status of forest health. Results showed that wood harvesters preferred indigenous as opposed to non-indigenous wood and that indigenous wood was sold for a premium price. Moreover, natural forest areas that had indigenous and rare tree species were targeted by humans for wood extraction, suggesting a bidirectional influence of human use on forest biodiversity and biodiversity on human use. Conservation of Kakamega forest is linked to social and economic development of the people living near it. Consequently, market economies may be able to incentivize forest conservation since it seems to drive forest use. This thesis is divided into four chapters. Chapter one provides a general introduction about the study and the study area. Chapter two is a standalone entity and a peer review paper (short communication) that describes assessment of the rate and quantity of wood harvested from Kakamega forest. Similarly, Chapter three which is also a sta (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Andrew Gregory Dr (Advisor); Anita Simic Dr (Committee Member); Kefa Otiso Dr. (Committee Member); Yu Zhou Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Ecology; Environmental Management; Forestry; Geographic Information Science; Wildlife Conservation

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology

The Neotropics is the most species-rich region in the world. The current diversity and distribution of lineages present in this region is in part the result of complex ecological and evolutionary trends determined by environmental variables that have operated at diverse spatial and temporal scales. In addition, demographic processes have also influenced the structure of present-day phylogeographic patterns. Several studies have used Neotropical pitvipers as model organisms to explore historical diversification patterns and ecological processes that produce diversity in this region. However, few of those studies have explored patterns of diversification for groups of pitvipers likely influenced by one of the most salient features of the South American continent: The Andes. Here, I use a combination of molecular, morphological, and geographical data to explore diversification patterns and the evolutionary mechanisms implicated in the divergence of two distinct members of the genus Bothrops. First, I examine cryptic diversity present in the widespread and medically important snakes of the B. asper species complex (Chapter 2). Using a genomic and morphological dataset collected across the distribution of the group, I identified extensive phylogeographic structure, suggesting the influence of geographic barriers and/or differences in ecological niches in the recent diversification in the group. A deep divergence between a Central and South American clade is evident, but more recently diverged groups in South America show complicated patterns suggestive of recent divergence and/or gene flow among lineages. Next, I use this information to perform model-based analyses to investigate the demographic processes involved in the recent origin of two Ecuadorian montane lineages of these pitvipers (Chapter 3). This approach allowed me to resolve some of the discrepancies of evolutionary relationships found in Chapter 2. I found evidence for the isolation of one of the montane line (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: H. Lisle Gibbs (Advisor); Paul A. Fuerst (Committee Member); Thomas Hetherington (Committee Member); John Freudenstein (Committee Member) Subjects: Ecology; Evolution and Development; Zoology

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2015, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

Land use type in the human dominated matrix surrounding tropical forest can influence edge effects at the forest-matrix interface. Edge effects can alter ecological processes and impact the function of forest edge ecosystems. A key ecological process that helps maintain tropical forest and is affected by forest disturbance is seed dispersal by large, fruit eating vertebrates (frugivores). This dissertation examines how the type of vegetation in the matrix, the `soft' edge contrast of pine plantations and the `hard' edge contrast of tea plantations, affect seed dispersal behavior of large frugivores, and the structure and composition of tree species, in forest edge habitat. Research was conducted in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, a protected area located in East and Central Africa. Focal tree observations were conducted from December 2011 to September 2012 in forest edges adjacent to two different matrix types and within the forest interior. I recorded visitation frequency and seed removal of frugivores at large-seeded trees. For analysis, seed dispersers were divided into two groups, birds and primates. The response to matrix type differed between disperser groups. Feeding visits by birds were less common in forest edges adjacent to a tea planation matrix, whereas feeding visits by primates were more common in edges adjacent to tea plantations. To explore the influence of matrix type and edge effects on tree species structure and composition, I sampled forest edges adjacent to the different matrix types and within the forest interior. The type of surrounding matrix influenced edge effects on forest structure and composition. I found evidence that a pine plantation matrix mitigated some of the adverse effects of edge on tree communities; tree communities in edges adjacent to tea plantations showed a stronger response to edge effects. Overall, this study shows evidence that land use type in the human dominated matrix can affect ecosystem function and the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Beth A. Kaplin Ph.D (Committee Chair); Peter Palmiotto DF (Committee Member); Norbert J. Cordeiro Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Ecology; Forestry; Land Use Planning; Natural Resource Management; Wildlife Conservation

Master of Science, Miami University, 2014, Ecology

This paper reports on two studies describing responses of abundance, diversity, and functional structure of arthropod communities to high-intensity, low-frequency cattle grazing in eastern North American pastures. The first study assessed the state of arthropod communities before and after discrete grazing events. Grazing negatively affected abundance, diversity, and taxonomic richness, but functional diversity and functional evenness were unaffected. Assemblages of spiders and parasitoid wasps characterized pre-grazing communities, while beetles and flies were common after grazing. The second study assessed how these same properties changed with increasing deferment after grazing, and in response to vegetation structure. Longer deferment periods maximized arthropod abundance. Shorter deferment periods optimized taxonomic and functional diversity. Wasps characterized the most diverse community observed after 32 days of deferment. Vegetation height was important to explaining community composition. Height, biomass, and percent litter cover accounted for 11.8% of variance. Landscape variables may also be important to explaining community composition.

Committee: Alan Cady PhD (Committee Chair); Ann Rypstra PhD (Committee Member); A. John Bailer PhD (Committee Member); Thomas Crist PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Biology; Conservation; Ecology; Entomology; Range Management

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2014, Environmental Sciences

This practicum involved creating a map, interpretive signage, and outreach materials for Edge of the Farm Conservation Area (EFCA) in Oxford, Ohio. EFCA is a natural gem amid farmland whose goal is to educate people of all ages about today's environmental issues. In order to accomplish this, EFCA needed an accurate map that is easy to navigate as well as interpretive signage. This interdisciplinary practicum connects Ohio's Revised Science Content Standards with art by utilizing original artwork created with pen and colored pencil and gives ideas for making connections to other subjects such as History, English, and Math as well as Girl and Boy Scout badge requirements. To encourage visitors from the general public to visit, the signs discuss topics relevant to each location at EFCA as well as Ohio and contain whimsical imagery that is visually stimulating and includes questions that promote inquiry and further study.

Committee: Michele Simmons PhD (Committee Chair); Hays Cummins PhD (Committee Member); Scott Johnston PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Education; Environmental Science; Fine Arts

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2013, Botany

This study explored "global localism" as a research approach that promotes collaborative learning about local places and local peoples' perspectives on livelihood resources before proposing global conservation agendas. Scientific and local knowledge about landscapes, forest community types, and key plant species were integrated as an important contribution toward biodiversity conservation at the Manaslu Conservation Area (MCA) of Nepal. Landscape level analyses used participatory maps (n=14) and a satellite derived land-cover map. The final map integrated local knowledge of landscape diversity patterns with the empirical classification of land cover types that enhanced understanding of the MCA first as a "place" with symbolical and cultural meaning and use. At the community level, woody plant diversity patterns and their use were examined using ecological plot sample and ethnobotanical free-listing exercises, interviews, and transect walk analyses. The study confirmed 155 woody species (54 plant families). A total of 149 plants (96%) had 404 uses. Number of species used and number of uses were highest for fuelwood (107 uses, 104 species) and technology (78, 41) use-categories. Seven forest types along the altitudinal gradient between lowland pines to a temperate-deciduous mixed forest were identified. Measures of woody plant species richness and ethnobotanical extractive resources highlight the importance of temperate mixed forests located between 2200 m-2700 m as an important zone for biodiversity conservation. At the population level, local perspectives on the distribution and ecological status of culturally-significant plants were examined. Individual and focus group participants were asked to list woody plant species most preferred for different uses, rank the five most preferred plants, and to name one plant that is considered most important in their lives. In their response, the majority said that "many plants are important and not only one could be mentioned" (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kimberly Medley Dr. (Committee Chair); Hardy Eshbaugh Dr. (Committee Member); Michael Vincent Dr. (Committee Member); Nicholos Money Dr. (Committee Member); Mary Henry Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Botany; Conservation; Ethnic Studies; Forestry; Geography

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2011, Geography

This dissertation interrogates connections between agricultural restructuring, development of rural livelihoods and conservation of agricultural biodiversity (agrobiodiversity) in Turkey, a center of origin and diversity for wheat domestication. Often, crisis narratives accompany these connections, reflected as simplified assumptions about transformations of nature, livelihoods and the state under neoliberalism. Through a multiscalar analysis that attends to state-international relations, ways the state articulates development and conservation policies and ways farmers engage with these policies, this dissertation argues that the crisis narrative is used to justify dominant solutions for conservation of agrobiodiversity and development of livelihoods. By engaging with different aspects of transformation under neoliberalism, in particular Turkey's 2006 Seed Law, the World Bank funded Agricultural Reform Implementation Program, and changes due to European Union accession, the dissertation treats current transformations as a snapshot of complex change for the role of the state, farmers' livelihoods and conservation of agrobiodiversity. The dissertation shows how neoliberal development and conservation practices have come to dominate (and yet appear beyond the reach of) global economic, political and environmental policy circles, and demonstrates the effects of such practices on access to agrobiodiversity and livelihood strategies. The dissertation is based on empirical research and archival work conducted in Turkey over eight months between 2007 and 2010. Methods included (1) semi-structured interviews with state officials and representatives of international, farmer and non-governmental organizations in Ankara and (2) ethnographic research and participant observation in the villages of two provinces in northwest and central Turkey, Kastamonu and Sivas, where traditional wheat varieties are grown. I link the empirical findings to broader analysis that connects North an (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Becky Mansfield (Advisor); Mathew Coleman (Committee Member); Kendra McSweeney (Committee Member); Joel Wainwright (Committee Member) Subjects: Geography

Bachelor of Science, Miami University, 2011, College of Arts and Sciences - Botany

As the world population continues growing and urbanization increases, efforts must be made to preserve natural spaces in urban areas. These spaces have great potential for the conservation of native biodiversity. In addition, edge areas between urban and rural areas play an important role in this conservation. At the edge of rural and urban, Oxford, Ohio is the home to Miami University, where various natural areas have been set aside for preservation. However, many of these areas have fallen victim to invasive species. Over the years, various efforts have been made to remove invasive species from Bishop Woods, a forest on the campus of Miami University. Several of these species have long been considered noxious invasive species with significant negative impacts on native plant diversity. One, however, has not received such significant attention as an invasive and until recently, was considered a harmless ornamental plant. The invasive Euonymus fortunei (winter creeper) has few studies demonstrating its negative impacts as an invasive plant or even how to eradicate it. This study tested one technique for the control of E. fortunei. In addition, this project focused on understanding the community's perception of Bishop Woods and its protection. I tested dormant season spray as a control technique for E. fortunei. seventeen 2-m x 2-m plots were randomly assigned treatment (receiving glyphosate spray) or control (receiving no spray). Treated plots were sprayed with 1% glyphosate in October 2010 and April 2011, and had a significantly greater decrease in percent cover by E. fortunei than control plots. Surveys and interviews found that most respondents pass through Bishop Woods because they enjoy the natural feel of it, and they would be against a decision to tear down Bishop Woods. Even with differences in environmental value orientations, most respondents enjoy being in Bishop Woods and would support giving Bishop Woods full protection.

Committee: David Gorchov PhD (Advisor); Hank Stevens PhD (Committee Member); Chris Myers PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Botany; Conservation; Environmental Education; Environmental Management; Environmental Science; Environmental Studies